Wout van aert welcomes us when we enter the Service course of the Jumbo VismaVan Aert is life-size and made of cardboard! A series of trophies and jerseys immediately appear in front of him.
South Holland, about 80 kilometers south of Amsterdam, we are in s-Hertongenbosch. "But here we call it Den Bosch," he tells us immediately. Ard Bierens, A press officer who welcomes us. "The pronunciation is a bit complicated, and I don't think even the Dutch know her by her real name!"
On the Col du TJV
Super-modern glass and concrete warehouses and hi-tech buildings line the eastern part of Den Bosch, the part that divides the center from the countryside. There's a canal nearby, and a bike path runs alongside it, needless to say. As soon as we get out of the car, a group of kids on bikes are passing by. This image of the plain and a wind turbine in the distance makes us think, "Okay, Holland in one photo!"
As soon as we enter, before coffee, Ard himself has us take a swab. The protocols are still in place here. We're taking care of this in one of the offices upstairs. It's accessed by a staircase... or rather, by climbing a hill!
There must be a reason why Holland is the heart of the Netherlands. Consider that we're practically at sea level. Perhaps a meter above sea level. Almost like on the Sormano Wall, in the vertical part of the steps there are the heights with the variation in height… expressed in millimeters! Up to the 4.200 millimetres of the Col du TJV (Team Jumbo Visma)! In short, upstairs.
Two floors
The staircase itself, like everywhere else, is surrounded by trophies. There is also “our” Trident of the Tirreno-Adriatico and a few pink jerseys here and there. We feel strangely proud of those awards.
“The building is one year old,” Ard tells us, while he acts as our guide. “We’ve grown a lot over time. At first, we were a small team. Including the riders, we numbered about seventy people. Now we number over 200..
«Officially this is also the headquarters of the skating team (ice skating, ed.), but they have another building in the North of the Netherlands where this sport is more practiced».
The upper floors house offices, but they do not cover the entire area of the building. In addition to the offices, there are three rooms available for meetings and gatherings. A couple of these have a large window overlooking the rest of the building, the actual “service course”.
On the lower floor, a large reception area takes us into the world of Jumbo-Visma. Everything is in order, everything is functional. In addition to the desk, there is a kitchen and a dining room. On the other side of the lounge are showers and additional storage rooms.
In the heart of Jumbo
Each door has a rainbow sign and a tag indicating what it is used for. Details that speak volumes. We soon realize that Van Aert isn't alone. We feature Roglic, Kruijswijk, Gesink... always cardboard, always life-size.
The warehouse-workshop is clearly the largest portion. Two-thirds of it, perhaps even more, is occupied by this large space. In the center an infinity of Cervélo, the mechanics' benches and on the sides, on two floors, there are other warehouses. There are spare parts for bikes, others for logistics, still others for food, massage tables... It's like a small autonomous city.
"This area," says Bierens, "is the largest, as you can see. Here are the bikes, the workbenches, and that space down at the back is the garage. This year we bought another bus. Now we have four. Let's not forget that we also have team development and that the women's team is growing."
Bike trailers
Each rider has his own space for his bikes. There are carts that look like coat hangers: in the middle the name of the rider and then two bikes hanging on two brackets. Underneath, so that the mechanic can move them towards his workbench or perhaps take them to the flagship, there are wheels.
At the bottom, these trolleys have a large base, on which wheels, forks, spare parts are placed... One item in common for all is the time trial helmet, well preserved in its case.
Many people already have the new bike, with the new groupsets and some details that cannot yet be shown for marketing reasons and existing contracts. And now we ask you a question? In your opinion, which rider had the most trolleys? Van Aert: We counted at least four for him. Between cross bikes, road bikes, time trials and special paint schemes, Wout puts his mechanics to work hard.
Every workbench is a small technical paradise. Clean, with tools of every kind. On the sides of each one, there is a compressor and a special machine used for breaking in the wheel bearings. Above, obviously, tools and some specific instruments. One detail that struck us was the quantity of electronic cables for the groups. Impressive. Just think that they have a special bin for their disposal.
Sponsor Day
And it's a veritable swarm of people, mechanics, and, as the day progresses, even riders. And it's precisely these who set the pace for this efficient organizational machine. Everyone has a schedule to follow, neatly written on a sheet of paper.
We happened to be there on the day the new sponsors provide the materials. They range from post-race refreshments to cooling vests, from supplements to shoes... and even photos... postcards. There are at least... three photo shoots in as many parts of the Jumbo-Visma service course.
One rider goes to pick up his jacket, the other to take a photo with his supplements. Some return the old excess gear. Kruijswijk, for example, had a large suitcase full of shirts still wrapped in plastic. Whoever brought back this clothing put it in two enormous gray baskets. These uniforms were then supposed to be given away as prizes, or at some charity event... Perhaps it's the only thing Jumbo-Visma isn't so sure about!
Already on reconnaissance
The boys talk to each other, between a coffee and a date on their schedule. jonas vingegaard, king of the Tour, has a big military green coat. It wraps him up like a child. Very humble, simple and already very thin. Roglic, on the other hand, wears a leather jacket. He's also very thin and is super interested in every technical aspect: shoes, bikes... Foss He could be an entertainer. Always with a glass of tea, coffee, or cola in his hand and always chatting with someone.
While they don't see each other Van Aert, The door, Allied Products... «They are doing a reconnaissance – Bierens explains to us – They were in Belgium these last two days. Yesterday they tested the last 120 kilometres of E3 Harelbeke and today (yesterday, ed.) the finale of Flanders. But soon they will be here too." And indeed, here they appear. “We wanted to test the new materials before winter,” Edoardo tells us.
The future is now
Meanwhile, a certain noise comes from the area where the bus is parked. "They're preparing," says Bierens. tomorrow night's party (today, ed.). A party between us, for festeggiare the excellent vintage of the team. All the staff will be there. We won the ranking UCI.
«But first, let's have the meeting. An important meeting. When we were born, we had the goal of winning the Tour within seven years. We achieved it. And now? What do we want? Where do we want to go? It's important to think like this and do it all together.. Because that's how you create a solid foundation, that you have clear ideas and give security to the sponsors who support you in the long term."
This last sentence says it all about Jumbo-Visma. Meanwhile, darkness has fallen. The cycle path is no longer visible, and rain is falling on Den Bosch.
