Four victories. It's true, the season has just begun and it's too early to draw conclusions, but few would have expected a Visma-Lease a Bike already cornered after just over a month, when the rivals of the UAE I'm already at 13 (and pogacar he has three of them in his bag). With Robbert De Groot We had already had the opportunity to talk about the new young players who are coming out, starting with the talented Norwegian Nordhagen, but after Vingegaard's victory at the Volta ao Algarve We picked up the phone again to hear the mood in the Dutch household.
We can really do more
"It's just a small start," says the Dutch sporting director. "Most of the team is still working, and some are just starting out and are preparing for future commitments at altitude. We can say that the real season for us started with the Belgian classics of the last weekend where we actually expected more.But overall we can be satisfied with our performances in Oman and especially in Algeria, obviously. We also take into account the difficulties encountered by some, for example kooij who fell ill after the two victories in OmanUAE Tour "He can't perform to his full potential. I think we're at a good level right now, and we hope to be able to demonstrate that in the next few games."
Let's talk about the positives: how did you see Vingegaard at the Volta ao Algarve, in your opinion, what is his current condition?
I think we can be happy, very happy. Considering that due to the Tour we haven't had any high altitude periods for him yet. So yes, we are very happy with her level, I think it's already a good sign given how she arrived.
What do you ask of your young players coming from the devo team, at this stage of the season?
I think it's a very interesting team, the devo team, given the names they've already given us. Starting with Brennan e NordhagenBut there are other names from the young team that we are keeping under our scrutiny, from Hoydahl a Rex a SmithThe other English is also interesting, Pattinson. We have some very interesting young guys coming up and we will definitely try to show something in races like Umag, Porec, this kind of races where Mattio will be there tooBut we'll mix things up. We'll mix things up a lot. In races like Denain or Coppi e Bartali, we'll bring some young riders into the main team to give them experience.
Vingegaard won the Volta ao Algarve thanks to the time trial, we all remember his performance in the Combloux time trial at the Tour. But you said that Nordhagen is superior at his age, what makes you believe that?
It's very difficult to say. We're working to understand its limitations, to see how it can manage a team. In the meantime, we intend to have him do many short stage races, where he can take care of the classification.To develop his winning skills, get him used to those responsibilities. And to develop some other technical skills. So we really have to wait and see how the season goes for him. The important thing is not to judge him too quickly.
How is the fact that the leaders of your team at the moment are not Dutch, except for Kooij for the sprints, perceived by the fans in Holland?
People at home would like to have more Dutch ridersWe know that. But for us, that's not the case. Cycling is an international sport. All the teams are truly multinational. Pogacar is Slovenian and rides for an Arab team, Vingegaard is Danish and rides for a Dutch team, and so on. We have to accept that cycling is a big international game. And it doesn't matter if you're from the country where the license is held. I think it's about creating winning teams, but you can only do that by having the best riders from around the world.
Everyone's waiting for the double-header between Jonas and Pogacar at the Tour and Vuelta. How much will the team's selection and performance in supporting their captains make the difference?
I think that's a very important factor. These teams are incredibly high-level, supporting great champions, and we have great confidence that our riders can compete with the world champion. So we will do everything we can to create a very, very strong team in these races, to support Jonas, to try to compete with the one who is currently the strongest of all. But we'll all have to be at our best, I think it's going to be a huge show and we want it to be uncertain until the end.
What outcome would make you truly happy this year?
Winning the Tour de France, what the hell…
