Bicycle Racing News and Opinion,
Friday, December 23, 2022
Back to news and opinion index page for links to archived stories | Commentary | Our YouTube page
2022 Tour de France | 2022 Giro d'Italia
The tyrant dies and his rule is over, the martyr dies and his rule begins. - Soren Kierkegaard
Les Woodland's book The Olympics' 50 Craziest Stories: A Five Ring Circus is available in print, Kindle eBook & audiobook versions. To get your copy, just click on the Amazon link on the right.
Upcoming racing
- Dec 26: Gavere Cyclocross
- Dec 27: Heusden-Zolder Cyclocross
- Dec 29: Diegem Cyclocross
- Dec 30: Azencross-Loenhout
- Jan 1: GP Sven Nys Cyclocross
- Jan 14 - 22: Schwalbe Classic & Tour Down Under
- Jan 22 - 29: Vuelta a San Juan
- Jan 25 - 29: Challenge Illes Balears-Volta Ciclista a Mallorca
- Jan 28 & 29: Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race
Latest completed racing:
- Dec 10: Exact Cross Essen
- Dec 4: Scheldecross Antwerp
- Nov 20: Vlaamse Druivenveldrit Overijse Cross
- Nov 5 & 6: European Cyclocross Championships
- Nov 1: Trofee Oudenaarde-Koppenbergcross
- Oct 29: Superprestige Ruddervoorde Cyclocross
- Oct 11 - 18: Tour de Langkawi
Here’s the team’s update:
With the most victories of any team, the top spot in the UCI rankings, the Tour de France victory, and the rainbow jersey at the World Championships Time Trial, Team Jumbo-Visma had an incredibly successful 2022. Since managing director Richard Plugge formed the squad ten years ago, striving for excellence is in the team's DNA, so expectations for the upcoming season are once again very high.
At the Move exposition and event centre in Amsterdam, Plugge and sportive director Merijn Zeeman discussed their top priorities for 2023, which include winning the monuments Ronde van Vlaanderen "and/or" Paris-Roubaix as well as a double triumph in the Tour and the Giro. In addition to performing, Jumbo-Visma is diligently cultivating talent in all of its cycling sections.
The Jumbo-Visma team presentation started with a homage to Karel van Eerd in front of a packed theater near the Olympic Stadium and a global online audience. "For us, Mr. Van Eerd served as both an animator and an inspiration. With Karel, we lose a fan and a supporter of talent", Plugge said before applause sounded for the founder of Jumbo Supermarkets, who passed away last week. Then a flashback of highlights led to the presentation, which was full of ambition. There was a look back at the Vuelta team time trial victory in Utrecht, along with Robert Gesink's first-ever red jersey, and a chat with Tour winner Jonas Vingegaard.
Robert Gesink in red after the first stage of the 2022 Vuelta a España. Sirotti photo
They also reflected on how the team has developed over the past ten years. "I wanted to start 'blanco' when I took over the team from Rabobank ten years ago", Plugge explained. "With two distinct goals. After the sport's tarnished years, I wished to restore cycling to the general public. The most exciting thing for me was that people weren't just impressed by our victory with Jonas in the Tour de France last year, but especially by how we did it. Everyone complimented us on that. That was what I envisioned ten years ago. I also intended to change things on the business side of cycling. There have already been some moves in that direction, and I hope to make some even bigger ones soon." Jumbo-Visma has plenty of appeal, new partners such as SRAM, Oakley and BetCity prove. As a result, improvements in performance and development are possible.
Wout van Aert, Dylan van Baarle, Wilco Kelderman, and Tour champion Vingegaard took turns joining Merijn Zeeman in revealing the sporting plans for the upcoming season. Primoz Roglic was forced to cancel at the last minute due to personal circumstances. The Slovenian will be played out as a leader in next year's Giro d'Italia. "A race I love but haven't won yet", Roglic said during the training camp in Spain that concluded yesterday. "I'm still recovering from surgery, but by May, I hope to be in good shape. In any case, I will do everything I can to achieve that."
Zeeman anticipates securing a monumental victory by the spring. "The Tour of Flanders and/or Paris-Roubaix. We want to start with the best possible preparation and aim for the highest possible result. Dylan van Baarle, among others, is a crucial addition to our strong classic core. With this collective, I am confident we can win with one of our riders."
Content continues below the ads
With Vingegaard, Team Jumbo-Visma is aiming to prolong the Tour victory. "We figured out how to defeat Pogacar last year. We know his strengths and the areas in which Jonas is superior to him. We return to the Tour with a solid plan, and we believe that we can aim for yellow again with Jonas", Zeeman said. During the team presentation, the Vuelta was hardly discussed. There's a good reason for that, the sportive director explained. "December is too early to talk about it. Last year, we intended to highlight this grand tour early because it started in the Netherlands, but the reality is that the plan you make in the winter is no longer valid in the summer. We'll check everyone's progress in June as the preparation process won't start until then. So please don't ask us yet who will be at the start in Spain. It is still too early for that and the course has not even yet been determined."
Vingegaard in yellow after the final stage of the 2022 Tour de france. Sirotti photo
After a brief interlude with newcomers Tom Gloag, Jan Tratnik, and Attila Valter, the discussion shifted to talent development in the capital of the Netherlands. That theme prevails in the Jumbo-Visma Development Team and increasingly in the Word Tour Women's Team. Six new riders have joined the women's team, led by Rutger Tijssen. They are all still at the beginning of their professional cycling careers. Fem van Empel is the most well-known of them. Under the guidance of Jumbo-Visma, the cyclocross rider hopes to advance her road and mountain bike career. Staff members and riders will come together to fine-tune the individual race programs and season objectives during the training camp in Alicante in January. The women’s team will again be at the start in all major races.
CyclingClassNL, the development trajectory established by Jumbo-Visma, the Dutch cycling federation, and the Dutch Olympic committee, has already been successful in leading riders to various teams. In turn, manager Robbert de Groot's development team is also very successful. Not only in terms of talent development but also in terms of performance and access to the professional peloton. Zeeman: "Our World Tour and development team consists of 44 riders. For every rider, we have a tailor-made plan that strikes the ideal mix between performance and personal growth. The same goes for our women. We were the best men's team in the world in 2022. We will all continue to work extremely hard to be in the lead in the coming years, even though that is not a goal in and of itself for the upcoming season. Mr. Van Eerd's pet saying was, "He who possesses the youth has the future." That's how it is. We want to win at the highest level while developing for the future."
Content continues below the ads
The team sent me this press release:
As of January 1st, 2023, GreenEDGE Cycling will be named ‘Team Jayco AlUla’ as the Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU) steps up from official partner to second naming rights partner of the Australian registered UCI WorldTour team. The new signed agreement will run from January 1st, 2023, through to December 31st, 2025.
As GreenEDGE Cycling embarks on its 12th season in the WorldTour peloton, the added commitment and support from AlUla reflects on the upward trajectory of the organisation, which has seen the Australian outfit attract new and exciting partners in recent years. This new major agreement with AlUla is an important step for the future of GreenEDGE Cycling and its vision, as it continues to develop and strengthen both its men’s and women’s teams and evolve and innovate as an organisation.
Team BikeExchange-Jayco (shown before the start of the 2022 Tour de france) will becomeTeam Jayco AlUla in 2023. Sirotti photF
AlUla is a boutique heritage and culture destination in Northwest Saudi Arabia and as the new official second naming rights partner of GreenEDGE Cycling, it hopes to introduce the stunning landscape of ancient civilizations to millions of cycling and sports fans around the world. Over the past years the region has developed to establish a strong connection with sport, having hosted a variety of events, including the UCI 2.1 Saudi Tour in February 2022.
As Team Owner Gerry Ryan continues to back the team into its 12th season, the well-known and important investor in sport will have one of his company names - ‘Jayco’ – a recreational vehicle manufacturer - as first naming rights partner alongside ‘AlUla’ for the upcoming season.
‘Team Jayco AlUla’ will make its official debut in the UCI WorldTour peloton at the Santos Tour Down Under, starting with the women’s event on the 15th of January in Adelaide, followed by the men’s event on the 17th of January. Prior to this the team will compete at the Federation University Australia Road Championships and Citroën Bay Crits.
Gerry Ryan - Team Jayco AlUla Owner:
“I am very pleased to deliver the news that AlUla, an official sponsor of GreenEDGE Cycling in 2022, will now step up and become an important naming rights partner in 2023. This new commitment will enable the organisation to continue this fantastic journey in the world of professional cycling, with even bigger goals and ambitions for the future.
"With this new name, we will have a new look for both our men’s and women’s teams and with the continued commitment and support from all of our other partners, we are very excited to get the new year started after enjoying a lot of success throughout 2022.
"For me, it is very special to have the team returning to race in Australia in January and with the Tour Down Under back as an international WorldTour level event. It will be a great moment for us to showcase to the world our new name and image as we begin our 12th season.”
Phillip Jones - Chief Management & Marketing Officer, Royal Commission for AlUla:
“AlUla is a new destination with ancient roots. Over the last few years, we have started to become known as an unchartered, intriguing destination for curious travellers and we feel this partnership with Team Jayco AlUla is an important part of our strategy and success. We love working with the passionate team, both those competing and those facilitating, and we love the alignment of the two brands as we continue to develop AlUla into a world-leading example of responsible and sustainable tourism.
"Cycling is a big part of our vision for the future of AlUla with natural assets of stunning sandstone mountains, volcanic plateaus and an oasis with long winding roads running through it all. We are excited to be hosting the inaugural cycling camp in AlUla directly after the Saudi Tour 2023 where the cyclists will have a chance to engage and inspire the next generation. We’ve been cheering the team on and encouraging more fans across the region, and we look forward to more success on and off the road for Team Jayco AlUla.”
Content continues below the ads
Brent Copeland - Team Jayco AlUla General Manager:
“AlUla became an official partner of the team in 2021 and we have been very grateful for their support. To see them now step up and confirm their vision for the future with their added commitment to our team, as the new naming rights partner, it is a big moment for us as an organisation.
"We had the great pleasure of visiting AlUla in February for the Saudi Tour, and we were blown away with the spectacle that it was. Next year as we grow our partnership, we will have a cycling camp in AlUla to encourage the local community to be engaged with the sport, to inspire new generations for an active lifestyle and to help them dream of becoming the champions of the future. We hope to assist with their growth and likewise they will assist with our growth in the UCI WorldTour peloton.
"We feel their great enthusiasm and motivation and we are delighted to have them onboard for the next three years. This makes us very proud as an organisation as we have been working hard in recent years to perform in the races, but also with servicing our partners in the best possible way. We are building the future of this unique organisation and it very exciting to be a part of it.”
Back to news and opinion index page for links to archived stories | Commentary