Jumbo-Visma season preview: Transfers, goals & TOUR forecast for Jumbo-Visma
Andreas Kublik
· 15.02.2023
Jumbo-Visma: The clearers
The Dutch are currently the undisputed number one team - and not just because of their position in the world rankings. Emerging from the ruins of the Rabobank team, which was left without a sponsor after the doping scandals, team boss Richard Plugge has led Team Jumbo-Visma to the top with modern methods, at the latest by winning the 2022 Tour de France.
How 2022 went
It was the crowning glory of the Dutch racing team's development: Jonas Vingegaard's victory in the Tour de France. The Dane had been recruited as a young rider and developed into a Tour champion - also thanks to the scientific training methods of Merijn Zeeman's staff. The Tour was the biggest stage for the riders in yellow and black - that's where they really cleaned up: Vingegaard took the overall classification, two stage wins and the mountain jersey.
Wout van Aert won three stages and the green jersey for the points leader. Frenchman Christophe Laporte contributed the sixth stage win in the most important cycling race of the year. The ensemble had the race under control at all times and, with a well-orchestrated team tactic on the stage over the Col du Galibier to the mountain arrival at the Col du Granon, took apart their biggest rival Tadej Pogacar, who until that day had been considered untouchable after two overall Tour victories.
In addition, the Norwegian Tobias Foss surprisingly became world champion in the individual time trial. In the classics, Wout van Aert finished second in Roubaix and third in Liège-Bastogne-Liège, despite a previous Covid illness that cost him a start in the Tour of Flanders. The team took a total of 48 victories this season. Primoz Roglic contributed to the overall success at Paris-Nice. However, the Slovenian crashed twice again at the Tour and the Vuelta, retiring from the race on both occasions, and remains a difficult rider to assess.
Transfers with Jumbo-Visma
The racing team continues to strengthen itself. While the Frenchman Christophe Laporte was the top transfer for the 2022 season, this time Dylan van Baarle was recruited from rival Ineos Grenadiers off. The 30-year-old Dutchman comes with the recommendation of victory in Paris-Roubaix and second place in the Tour of Flanders and strengthens the classics squad around van Aert, Laporte and Nathan van Hooydonck.
Mathieu van der Poel should find it more difficult in future to eliminate his rivals in yellow and black with man-to-man cover from van Aert alone. Van Baarle was also an important helper for his previous team at the Tour de France. In addition, the pace-setting Jan Tratnik (from Bahrain-Victorious) and the Tour fifth of 2021, Wilco Kelderman (from Bora-Hansgrohe), as important additions to the team.
Former Giro winner Tom Dumoulin, who surprisingly ended his career last season, has left the team, as has former yellow jersey wearer Mike Teunissen (to Intermarche-Circus-Wanty).
Additions and departures at a glance
New additions for the 2023 season
- Dylan van Baarle (Ineos Grenadiers)
- Wilco Kelderman (Bora-Hansgrohe)
- Attila Valter (Groupama-FDJ)
- Thomas Gloag (Trinity Racing)
- Jan Tratnik (Bahrain-Victorious)
Departures
- Tom Dumoulin (end of career)
- Mike Teunissen (Intermarche-Circus-Wanty)
- Chris Harper (Jayco-AlUla)
- Pascal Eenkhoorn (Lotto-Dstny)
- David Dekker (Arkea-Samsic)
The goals for 2023
Naturally, they want to defend their title at the Tour de France and have strengthened their team to do so. For the Grande Boucle, everything is being placed on captain and last year's winner Jonas Vingegaard. Primoz Roglic is not in the squad for the Tour this time, but is expected to captain the team to victory in the Tour de France. Giro d'Italia lead.
The chances of winning the big classics such as Paris-Roubaix and the Tour of Flanders are greater thanks to the new signings - also because Wout van Aert is no longer solely responsible for the result thanks to the new signing van Baarle. It will be interesting to see what chances the talented sprinter Olav Kooij gets in the strong ensemble.
TOUR forecast for Jumbo-Visma
The team will defend its number one status and be successful on any terrain. However, successes in the grand tours against Remco Evenepoel (at the Giro) and Tadej Pogacar (at the Tour) will not be so easy to repeat. The team will play an (even) better role in the classics than in 2022.
Andreas Kublik
Editor
