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Two years since he final lined up on the Giro d’Italia’s Grande Partenza in his dwelling nation of Hungary, the 25-year-old Attila Valter will full Visma-Lease a Bike’s eight-man squad for the race in Might.
This information was confirmed to WielerFlits on Tuesday morning, because the Dutch crew’s deliberate squad was settled, with Norway’s Johannes Staune-Mittet lacking out on the ultimate spot up for grabs to help crew leaders Wout van Aert, Cian Uijtdebroeks and Olav Kooij. This makes Visma-Lease a Bike one of many first groups to have their full line-up within the public area.
Over the winter, Jay Vine and Tadej Pogačar confirmed their participation at the Giro d’Italia, while we analysed Ineos Grenadiers’ present lengthy record final week, which incorporates the like of Thymen Arensman and former Visma rider Tobias Foss in help of Geraint Thomas.
Learn extra: Analysing the Ineos Grenadiers Giro d’Italia long list
Pogačar and Thomas are each gunning to face on the highest step of the rostrum come the tip of the race in Rome, however Visma-Lease a Bike’s expectations are maybe much less bold. They misplaced Primož Roglič to Bora-Hansgrohe over the winter, Jonas Vingegaard is predictably targeted solely on the Tour de France and Vuelta a España winner Sepp Kuss confirmed to GCN last October that he wouldn’t be racing the Giro this season.
In flip, they shouldn’t be anticipated to win a fourth Grand Tour in succession, however that doesn’t imply Visma-Lease a Bike might be any much less a harmful prospect to each different crew within the peloton. With Van Aert, Uijtdebroeks and Kooij all making their Giro debuts, they’ve choices to win nearly each stage at this 12 months’s race. We’ve forged our eyes over their possibilities and the power of the crew chosen to help the trio.
Wout van Aert
Age: 29
Group Position: Group chief/all-rounder
Giro d’Italia pedigree: Making his debut
Evaluation: When Wout van Aert first confirmed his attendance on the Giro d’Italia in an interview out in Colombia, the hearsay mill went into overdrive with hypothesis that the Belgian might target the general classification at a Grand Tour for the primary time. Nevertheless, Van Aert rapidly put paid to those concepts, with the 29-year-old not offered on altering his physique weight and sacrificing his possibilities within the Classics for a crack on the Giro’s high 5.
Learn extra: Wout van Aert rules out GC bid at Giro d’Italia, refusing to ‘sacrifice’ the Classics
The first focus for Van Aert, then, might be on focusing on stage victories, which he ought to be capable of select with a free hand. Admittedly, it’s doubtless that Van Aert could have a key position in piloting Olav Kooij within the dash levels – simply as he did in the course of the Tour of Britain – however ought to the teenager falter, the Belgian is greater than fast sufficient to pursue his personal end result.
Elsewhere, Van Aert will fancy his probabilities of rivalling Ineos Grenadiers’ Filippo Ganna within the two particular person time trials, that are each flat and lengthy, promising an entertaining showdown between the pair. Together with his sprinting pedigree, Van Aert may be in competition on the times that fall to a diminished bunch dash, and together with his climbing pedigree, Van Aert might be a harmful man in any breakaway.
That’s not to say the mini-versions of Milan-San Remo and Strade Bianche which color the race’s opening week and can go well with the previous winner of each Classics.
Cian Uijtdebroeks
Age: 20
Group Position: Group chief/climber
Giro d’Italia pedigree: Making his debut
Evaluation: With the Bora-Hansgrohe break-up behind him, Cian Uijtdebroeks is wanting ahead to his first race in Visma-Lease a Bike colors at O Gran Camiño in direction of the tip of February. From there, he’ll start his preparations for a Giro d’Italia debut, which is able to see him make solely his second Grand Tour look.
Expectations have been stored sensibly low on the 20-year-old, with Visma-Lease a Bike seemingly handing the Belgian a free position to concurrently chase stage wins and a excessive GC inserting. Within the absence of the likes of Remco Evenepoel (Soudal Fast-Step) and Roglič, nevertheless, the third spot on the rostrum behind Thomas and Pogačar seems slightly large open.
Learn extra: Cian Uijtdebroeks confirms he will ride for GC at the Giro d’Italia
On Grand Tour debut ultimately 12 months’s Vuelta a España, Uijtdebroeks completed a commendable eighth place, and as issues stand, not one of the riders who completed above him look set to start out the Giro d’Italia. This isn’t to say he’s a shoo-in for a podium berth – the likes of Nairo Quintana (Movistar), Ben O’Connor (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale) and Giulio Ciccone (Lidl-Trek) will all be threats – however the Belgian has all of the attributes for an awesome race.
Olav Kooij
Age: 22
Group Position: Sprinter
Giro d’Italia pedigree: Making his debut
Evaluation: A Grand Tour debut has felt like a very long time coming for younger Dutch sprinter, Olav Kooij. The 22-year-old has been successful at a canter in lots of races since he bought the ball rolling on the finish of the 2021 marketing campaign. During the last two seasons, Kooij has mopped up 25 victories, together with 5 at WorldTour degree.
Alongside Lotto Dstny’s Arnaud De Lie, the person from Numansdorp is probably the most thrilling younger sprinter within the males’s peloton, and Visma-Lease a Bike have determined the time is lastly proper to ship Kooij as their major sprinter for the Giro d’Italia. There are 5 clear-cut possibilities for sprinters to contest for the win on this 12 months’s race, together with the celebrated last stage showdown in Rome, received by Mark Cavendish (Astana Qazaqstan) final 12 months.
Learn extra: Giro d’Italia 2024 route revealed
We will anticipate to see Van Aert function Kooij’s pilot fish in these finales, which is a partnership that delivered 5 stage wins on the bounce in final 12 months’s Tour of Britain – the primary 4 of which got here from Kooij.
Wilco Kelderman
Age: 32
Group Position: Tremendous domestique
Giro d’Italia pedigree: 4 begins, seventh general in 2014 and third place in 2020
Evaluation: Ten years Kooij’s senior, fellow Dutchman Wilco Kelderman will trip his third Grand Tour in 18 months on the Giro d’Italia. Entrusted to be by the facet of Vingegaard and Kuss ultimately 12 months’s Tour de France and Vuelta a España, Kelderman will as soon as extra be a beneficial lieutenant within the mountains for his teammates.
Learn extra: Was Jumbo-Visma’s Vuelta a España team better than Team Sky at their best?
In Might, will probably be three and a half years since Kelderman rode to 3rd place on the Covid-delayed 2020 version of the Giro d’Italia, by which the previous Group Sunweb rider wore the pink jersey for 2 days within the last week. At one level, Kelderman seemed set to win the race, earlier than Ineos launched an almighty ambush on the Passo dello Stelvio.
Now 32 years of age, Kelderman could trip as a backup GC chief for some time – in any case, he completed 18th in final 12 months’s Tour – however we will anticipate the Dutchman to fall right into a domestique de luxe position for Uijtdebroeks because the race attracts on.
Robert Gesink
Age: 37
Group Position: Climbing domestique
Giro d’Italia pedigree: Two begins, second place on stage 20 in 2018
Evaluation: One other skilled Dutchman supporting the trio of leaders might be 37-year-old Robert Gesink, who might be making his penultimate Grand Tour look earlier than he retires on the finish of the season. This might be his twenty third Grand Tour, however solely his third outing on the Giro.
Learn extra: Robert Gesink: The fan in me wants Primož Roglič to win the Tour de France
Six years in the past, Gesink was able to ending runner-up on the ultimate mountain stage, however lately the lanky rider seems solely in help of his teammates. He might be invaluable within the mountains for younger Uijtdebroeks.
Attila Valter
Age: 25
Group Position: Climbing domestique
Giro d’Italia pedigree: Three begins, 14th general in 2021 and three days within the pink jersey
Evaluation: Wanting each bit just like the pure long-term successor to Robert Gesink within the Visma-Lease a Bike ranks is Attila Valter, who’s a tall, rangy climber who’s able to chasing his personal end result once in a while, however is greatest served as a loyal and unwavering teammate to his leaders within the mountains.
Learn extra: Giro d’Italia 2024: Five key stages that will decide the winner
Three years on from his spell within the pink jersey on the 2021 Giro d’Italia, Valter’s exemplary performances in final 12 months’s Vuelta a España have been sufficient to seal him the ultimate slot in Visma-Lease a Bike’s provisional squad for this 12 months’s race. He’ll type Uijtdebroeks’ mountain practice alongside Gesink and Kelderman, providing Van Aert the liberty to select and select his targets.
Jan Tratnik
Age: 33
Group Position: Domestique
Giro d’Italia pedigree: 4 begins, stage winner in 2020
Evaluation: With Gesink, Kelderman and Valter most at dwelling within the mountains, there might be a heavy reliance on Jan Tratnik and Edoardo Affini to tug the crew alongside the flatlands between the peaks. A succesful climber in his personal proper, Tratnik might be greater than comfy together with his position, having rapidly established himself as an essential teammate with Visma final season.
Learn extra: Polti Kometa, Tudor Pro Cycling and Bardiani receive Giro d’Italia wildcards
A compact powerhouse who could have the engine to spearhead Visma-Lease a Bike’s armada for kilometres on finish, Tratnik can also come into his personal ought to the likes of Uijtdebroeks and Van Aert flatter to deceive.
Edoardo Affini
Age: 27
Group Position: Domestique/TT specialist
Giro d’Italia pedigree: 4 begins, runner-up in levels in 2021 and 2022
Evaluation: Italy’s Edoardo Affini is a person of many skills. He has completed as a stage runner-up on the Giro d’Italia in a dash stage, a time trial and from a breakaway, highlighting his versatility as a rider.
Learn extra: Top 10 GC riders we want to see at the 2024 Giro d’Italia
He has ridden the Giro in all of his three seasons with Visma so far and can proceed to be an essential member of their squad this 12 months. The 27-year-old will swap turns with Tratnik on the flatlands, however will even hope to safe a superb end in every of the person time trials, which Affini has at all times discovered to his liking.
For all of the essential details about the 2024 Giro d’Italia, remember to try our dedicated race hub.
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