Visma-Lease A Bike sports activities director Merijn Zeeman has recognised that they face the prospect of dropping extra races in 2024 following the low season switch by longstanding co-leader Primož Roglič to Bora-Hansgrohe.
A member of Jumbo-Visma from 2016 to 2023, Roglič racked up 74 of his 80 profession wins to this point with the Dutch squad. Final 12 months’s tally alone included the Giro d’Italia, stage victories and a podium end within the Vuelta a España, the Volta a Catalunya and Tirreno-Adriatico for a second time.
Nonetheless, as Zeeman defined in an interview within the In Het Wiel podcast, “one thing modified for Primož” following the rise of teammate and double Tour de France winner Jonas Vingegaard.
In the identical podcast, Zeeman additionally stated that whereas Jumbo-Visma changing into the first-ever workforce in historical past to win all three Grand Excursions ought to stay a reference level, the squad’s overwhelming success in 2023 had sparked a drop in recognition within the peloton – “aside from when riders wish to signal for us.” Zeeman additionally confirmed that one main aim in 2024 might be successful a Monument with Wout van Aert.
“I’ve had many conversations with Primoz lately,” Zeeman advised In Het Wiel. “When Jonas actually broke by means of, one thing modified for Primož.
“On the one hand, he actually appreciated it and was extraordinarily happy with the event of the workforce. However alternatively, he will get lots of motivation from successful himself.
“So I felt that it was changing into more and more tough for Primož. However I additionally did not wish to simply let him go, as a result of he was extraordinarily vital to us.”
As for the results of Roglic’s transfer to Bora-Hansgrohe, Zeeman recognised it was a possible sport changer. “I do know that Jonas can beat anybody, but in addition that Primož will beat us fairly often. He’s virtually unattainable to beat on some finishes.”
Previous to the Tour de France itself and assuming there aren’t any adjustments to race applications, Roglič and Vingegaard are resulting from cross swords on the Itzulia-Basque Nation and the Critérium du Dauphiné this spring. There may be additionally an opportunity that each riders choose to do the Vuelta a España, the place they shared a podium alongside Sepp Kuss (Visma-Race A Bike) final September, however that has but to be determined.
Within the podcast, Zeeman provided a optimistic imaginative and prescient of his workforce’s runaway success within the 2023 season, the place they took headline victories on the Giro with Roglic, the Tour – for a second time – with Vingegaard and the Vuelta a España with Sepp Kuss. However he additionally emphasised the significance of the collective successful tradition fairly than focussing overly on people to make sure that the workforce maintained its hit price.
“When folks write about sports activities, it’s logically concerning the athletes themselves and typically concerning the trainers and coaches. However it’s by no means concerning the corporations which have turn into profitable,” he identified. “For instance, firing Erik ten Hag now will not change something at Manchester United.”
Zeeman recognised that groups that had been “underdogs” tended to garner extra assist than people who had been successful, which defined a drop within the workforce’s recognition within the peloton. However he was equally insistent concerning the workforce’s ongoing willpower to triumph in every kind of races in 2024, with the Monuments one main aim this season once more.
“We’ve got not received one shortly, however we’ll preserve pushing and I’m positive we’ll be capable to win. With out high riders like Mathieu van der Poel and Tadej Pogačar, Wout would most likely have received Flanders just a few instances.”
“These two [Pogačar and Van der Poel] are so good and that makes successful a Basic tougher. This era of cyclists is awfully good.”
