Visma-Lease a Bike have been the dominant males’s Grand Tour crew in 2023 as they took a historic triple and received the Giro d’Italia, Tour de France and Vuelta a España with three totally different riders. However on the first three-week race of 2024, they’ll be taking an unfamiliar method and chasing stage wins with no GC favorite.
They misplaced final 12 months’s Giro winner Primož Roglič to Bora-Hansgrohe and neither Sepp Kuss nor Jonas Vingegaard will take the beginning in Turin on Saturday.
They are going to have younger Cian Uijtdebroeks as their GC hope after he took eighth on his Grand Tour debut eventually 12 months’s Vuelta, however he’s nonetheless but to develop right into a rider able to difficult confirmed three-week winners like Tadej Pogačar and Geraint Thomas.
“We’re approaching this Giro in another way than in earlier years”, stated sports activities director Marc Reef in a crew assertion. “This time, we do not have to battle for each metre daily with the GC in thoughts. It is totally different from the final Grand Excursions we did. Then we all the time began with the GC as our principal purpose.
“Our principal goal is to win levels. We need to obtain that primarily within the flat sprints with Olav [Kooij]. We may even not conceal within the levels the place a breakaway has a great likelihood of succeeding.
“We will probably be glad if we win a couple of stage.”
Sprinter Olav Kooij would be the centrepiece of their ambitions on the upcoming Giro d’Italia as he makes his Grand Tour debut and eyes the six or seven flat finishes en route from Turin right down to Rome.
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Kooij, 22, has already established himself as one of many high sprinters on the planet and has 4 wins this season from the Clasica de Almeria, UAE Tour and Paris-Good.
He was meant to take the beginning with a robust lead-out that includes Wout van Aert, however the Belgian’s high-speed crash and damaged bones dominated him out of constructing his first look on the corsa rosa.
As an alternative, Kooij could have the highest alternative Christophe Laporte working because the final man within the lead out trian. The Frenchman is a quick finisher in his personal proper and has mixed effectively with Kooij up to now, finest proven on the 2022 Tour of Denmark the place his lead out on the third stage was so sturdy that the pair completed one-two on the day.
“It’s in fact extremely irritating that he [Van Aert] can’t be there. Each for him, for me and the crew. We have been trying ahead to this second and had made a purpose out of this Giro. However it’s what it’s,” stated Kooij.
“Christophe [Laporte] is an skilled rider who is aware of what to do. Somebody you’ll be able to completely depend on. We’ve already achieved nice outcomes collectively.”
Visma have additionally misplaced mountain help for Uijtdebroeks with each Wilco Kelderman and former Giro King of the Mountains winner Koen Bouwman needing to get replaced.
“Cian can take his likelihood on the GC. The principle factor is to be taught. We’ll see what he can do within the coming weeks. We’re assured,” stated Reef.
Tim van Dijke made up the ultimate spot on the eighth sport on the roster after a formidable Classics marketing campaign. He’ll make up a part of the dash prepare with Laporte and Edoardo Affini, whereas the Frenchman may even be allowed some freedom after sickness and unhealthy luck ruined his Spring Classics.
They are going to have their work minimize out if they’re to place the quick Dutchman in place to problem the likes of Tim Merlier, Jonathan Milan, Fabio Jakobsen and Caleb Ewan, who make up a part of one of many strongest Grand Tour dash fields in recent times.
“Yr after 12 months, I can take large steps right here in all facets of the game. I knew this 12 months’s Giro could be my first grand tour and I’m trying ahead to it immensely,” stated Kooij.
“It’s a very good and robust discipline of individuals. It will not be simple, however I imagine I can beat them.”
