On the presentation day of Jumbo-Visma, which will be known as Visma | Lease a Bike starting January 1, 2024, a wealth of information was shared about the team's specific ambitions for 2024. The day began with a brief roundtable discussion featuring CEO Richard Plugge, team director Merijn Zeeman, Tour de France winner Jonas Vingegaard, and Vuelta champion Sepp Kuss, followed by insights from other key team members. The foursome briefly but powerfully went over the past year of success, with interesting quotes as the end result.
"It's really emotional to watch that video," says Plugge, shortly after showcasing a spectacular season recap. "We work with so many incredible people. We have not only the best riders but also the best coach," he praises Zeeman. "Last year was full of highs, though we experienced some lows now and then, whether personal or not. But it's unbelievable to work in such a team and achieve success together."
Jumbo-Visma CEO Plugge: :"We don't see cyclists as robots"
What does Plugge consider the key to success? "Being a bit crazy helps. Besides, it's about hard work and forward planning. Merijn and I have been preparing for next year for months. We also focus on the individual within the team. We don't see the cyclists as robots but as humans of flesh and blood."
After Plugge's remarks, success coach Zeeman - who has also started his own podcast show - reflects on the past year. "Winning three grand tours is something we could only dream of," says the 45-year-old coach. "If you had asked Jonas, Primoz, or Sepp their ambitions before the season, they'd have said they were aiming for nothing but victory. Based on those high ambitions, we create race programs, training schedules, and the like. And then we work towards those goals. But even then, what we've achieved is just incredible. We have a great group of riders, but also top-notch staff members. That makes us strong as a unit and fills me with immense pride."
Vingegaard and Kuss reflect proudly on 2023
Vingegaard was then asked about what it felt like to win the Tour de France for the second time. "It's somewhat easier when you've already won the Tour once, though the pressure was still incredibly high. Even if we hadn’t won it again, we could always say that we had won it before. That was a positive for my mental state. It made me a bit calmer," he explains the mental aspect behind his impressive overall victory. "It was an intense battle with Tadej. We were both super strong. That led to fantastic duels. In the time trial and the following day, I managed to make the difference. It's something I'll never forget."
Kuss also looked back on his phenomenal season, characterized by competing in all three grand tours. Winning the Vuelta a España was the icing on an already delicious cake. "After the Vuelta, there was a lot of time to celebrate, and it wasn’t just about the Vuelta itself, but the entire season. The Vuelta is extra special for me when you consider the whole season."
No Tour de France for Van Aert in 2024, but Giro d'Italia and Vuelta a España: Kuss and Vingegaard both with Tour-Vuelta double
Following the opening conversation, the new team jersey was unveiled. There was also time dedicated to introducing the new riders, including Matteo Jorgenson and Cian Uijtdebroeks. After a brief chat with Riejanne Markus, who will primarily focus on the Tour de France Femmes in 2024, it was time again for a conversation with Zeeman. Not about 2023, but about the plans for 2024. Wout van Aert, Olav Kooij, and Vingegaard also joined this discussion.
After the spring classics, I will go to the Giro d'Italia. There, I will chase stage victories. Then, I won't participate in the Tour de France, but I will compete in the Olympic Games. After that, I'll do the Vuelta a España in preparation for the World Championships," Van Aert shares his remarkable but above all interesting list of priorities. That list of goals is somewhat less surprising for Vingegaard. "My main goal is once again the Tour de France, although the absence of Van Aert is a big loss, as well as Nathan Van Hooydonck. We will try to make it happen this year without them," the Scandinavian looks ahead. In the Tour de France, Vingegaard can once again rely on Kuss. Both gentlemen will also travel to the Vuelta, as was announced.
Kooij makes grand tour debut in Giro
Kooij will make his debut in a grand tour in 2024. The "Cheetah of Numansdorp" will also travel to the Giro d'Italia. There, he will, like Van Aert, try to compete for stage victories. As for Van Aert's classics campaign, there are also some notable changes. The man from Herentals will participate in the opening weekend (Omloop Het Nieuwsblad and Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne, ed.), but he will skip the Strade Bianche and Milan-Sanremo.
"After the opening weekend, I will basically skip everything until the E3 Saxo Classic," Van Aert explains. "It's a pity that I can't participate in Italy, but these are choices you have to make. During that period, I will train for the other classics and the Giro." There was initially an expectation that Van Aert would conclude his spring season after Paris-Roubaix, but the versatile strongman seems to be denying that. "There is a good chance that the Amstel Gold Race will follow after Roubaix."
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