Immediately world class or still room for improvement: How the neo-pros performed in 2024
Sebastian Lindner
· 29.12.2024
TOUR picked out ten neo-pros at the start of the year. They were among the newcomers to the World Tour peloton who had the greatest potential to hit the ground running. The majority of those selected succeeded in doing so. Here is an overview:
Per Strand Hagenes
Per Strand Hagenes was not able to celebrate a victory, or even several, as he did in his pre-professional season as a neo. Nevertheless, the Norwegian has proven that he already has what it takes to race at the highest level.
Emil Herzog
Emil Herzog has successfully mastered his "orientation year". It became clear that the former junior world champion from the Allgäu could develop into a successful professional, especially on classic terrain.
Andrew August
For "AJ", as he is usually just called, the leap from the juniors straight into the elite class without the intermediate step in the U23 was probably a little too big. The 19-year-old, who only turned 19 in mid-October, was barely able to make his mark himself, but also struggled here and there as a helper.
Timo Kielich
In principle, Timo Kielich had already arrived last year, but it was only now that a place with the Alpecin-Deceuninck pros became available. The Belgian has now been able to prove that he has earned it.
Nicolas Vinokourov
Did his appointment to the Astana pros have anything to do with his name? Nicolas Vinoukourov was at least unable to refute this insinuation with his outstanding performances.
Issac del Toro
Nobody wants to hear the Pogacar comparisons. And yet they do come up, given the way the Mexican has presented himself in his first season as a professional. UAE has certainly picked up another highly talented player.
Henri Uhlig
The start of the year was probably more or less in line with his expectations. However, from the middle of the year at the latest, Henri Uhlig struggled more with himself than with the competition. Illness and crashes slowed him down time and time again.
Frank van den Broek
He has the Dutch dreaming again. And he is dreaming of stage wins on the mountain in major tours. Frank van den Broek already attracted a lot of attention in his first Tour de France.
Luke Lamperti
It is perhaps still a little too early for the title of "eternal runner-up" in his first year as a professional. Nevertheless, especially at the start of the season, there was usually only one faster than Luke Lamperti. The US boy has proven to have damn fast legs, especially when it's uphill in the final.
Johannes Staune-Mittet
He is regarded as one of the most gifted cyclists of the new generation of cyclists. But he was unable to show this in his year as a neo-pro. Because he didn't get the chance. That's why he's now switching teams.
