In search of the new Evenepoel or Pogacar, cycling teams are starting to track down talent earlier and earlier. Jumbo-Visma has been working on this for several years and has super talents in the training team. Will there ever be a Dutch Tour winner? “That’s our big dream.”
With Wout van Aert, Tour winner Jonas Vingegaard and Primoz Roglic, Jumbo-Visma already has some of the best riders in the world on board.
But the Dutch WorldTour formation is not sitting still and is building the world team of the future with their promising team.
“Our big goal is to train our own top riders. That takes time, energy and money.”
“But we see with Olav Kooij (Ned), Gijs Leemreize (Ned), Michel Hessmann (Ger) and the brothers Mick and Tim van Dijke (Ned) that that is possible.”
Speaking is Robbert de Groot, who heads the youth academy of Jumbo-Visma. He is looking for “exceptional talents” who can eventually become teammates of Van Aert and Vingegaard.
People give us tips, managers of riders call us or talents simply stand out because they ride very good results.
How do those top talents end up with Jumbo-Visma’s promising team?
“People give us tips, managers of riders call us or talents simply stand out because they ride very good results.”
“If we think it is really an interesting rider, we will visit that rider and invite him to take personality tests and physical tests.”
For example, Jumbo-Visma captured the barely 17-year-old Norwegian Jørgen Nordhagen in October. “A rider with exceptional qualities,” says De Groot.
“We noticed him during a cross-country training camp in Norway. We like to look at other sports at our talent show. In this case it was cross-country skiing, but we also test riders from skating, mountain biking and athletics.”
The Dutchman Loe van Belle and the Irishman Archie Ryan are 2 great talents from Jumbo-Visma’s promising team.
Dreaming of a Tour win with a rider from his own training
Jumbo-Visma’s big dream? “Winning the Tour de France with a rider who comes from our Development team. And preferably a Dutchman,” laughs De Groot.
“That’s why we started our entire Academy. To get more young people on a bicycle in the Netherlands.”
Who are the Dutch climbing promises at Jumbo-Visma? “Darren van Bekkum, Tijmen Graat and Menno Huising are interesting riders.”
“But we don’t want to label them future Tour winners now. We do expect those guys to grow to a higher level with us.”
The big dream is to win the Tour de France with a rider from our Development team. And preferably a Dutchman.
Also striking is the large share of foreign riders in the U23 team. “The reason for this is that the top talent is not always available in the Netherlands.”
Jumbo-Visma has already committed major top talents such as junior world champion Per Strand Hagenes (Noo), Johannes Staune-Mittet (Noo) and Loe van Belle (Ned) up to and including 2026.
“One rider will be a WorldTour rider very quickly and have a big salary, the other will be on the Development team longer and need some time.”
Axandre Van Petegem – the only Belgian in the Jumbo-Visma Development team – is one of those riders who will need a little more time to mature.
The 20-year-old son of Peter Van Petegem underwent surgery on his hip. “That was a serious intervention. Axandre will need a lot of time to find his level again.”
When Axandre is up to standard, he has the same qualities as his father. “He is a rider for the classics and is quick to finish.”
Collaborate with psychologists to diagnose mental problems
Riders who are increasingly being guided professionally earlier can also have a negative effect.
Just think of 22-year-old Xandres Vervloesem, who lost the cycling pleasure and recently decided to put an end to his cycling career.
Jumbo-Visma anticipates this. “We work with a talent academy that employs a number of psychologists.”
“Their first task is to train our coaches in such a way that they can recognize mental problems in young riders and learn how to deal with them.”
At Jumbo-Visma they attach great importance to personality development.
Who are you?
| Jumbo-Visma Development 2023 | |
|---|---|
| Dario Igor Belletta (Ita) | 18 years |
| Jelle Boonstra (Down) | 18 |
| Lars Boven (Ned) | 21 |
| Owen Geleijn (Ned) | 21 |
| Tijmen Graat (Ned) | 19 |
| Per Strand Hagenes (Noo) | 19 |
| Menno Huising (Ned) | 18 |
| Jesse Kramer (Ned) | 19 |
| Pietro Mattio (Ita) | 18 |
| Morten Aalling Nørtoft (Den) | 20 |
| Archie Ryan (Ier) | 21 |
| Colby Simmons (VS) | 19 |
| Johannes Staune-Mittet (Noo) | 20 |
| Darren van Bekkum (Ned) | 20 |
| Loe van Belle (Ned) | 20 |
| Axandre Van Petegem | 20 |
