Jonas Vingegaard and Wout van Aert have been confirmed in Visma-Lease a Bike’s Tour de France line-up, ending weeks of speculation about their fitness and ambitions for the biggest race of the 2024 season.
Visma-Lease a Bike also revealed their special blue ‘Renaissance’ jersey and blue Cervelo bikes that have been created to avoid a clash with the yellow Tour de France leader’s jersey.
Vingegaard will target a third consecutive Tour de France after his victories in 2022 and 2023 but doubts remain about his form for three weeks of intense Grand Tour racing. Visma-Lease a Bike said the Dane has “recovered enough from his crash in the Tour of the Basque Country to fight for a good result” in their official announcement of their Tour team.
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Van Aert had planned to ride the Giro d'Italia and then spend July preparing for the Olympic Games but his spring was derailed by a high-speed crash at Dwars door Vlaanderen. He said the team’s main goal was “a top classification with Jonas” but is likely to also target stage victories.
The USA’s Matteo Jorgenson and Sepp Kuss are also part of the eight-rider Visma-Lease a Bike Tour de France line-up, along with Christophe Laporte, Tiesj Benoot, Wilco Kelderman and Jan Tratnik.
“I am excited to start the Tour,” Vingegaard said, who will race for the first time since his Itzulia Basque Country crash at the Tour de France.
“The last few months have not always been easy, but I thank my family and Team Visma-Lease a Bike for their unwavering support. We have worked together to get to this moment, and of course, I am very excited to see where I stand. I feel good and very motivated."
Visma-Lease a bike initially said Vingegaard would only ride the Tour de France if he was at “100%” when the race gets underway on June 29 in Florence, Italy. However earlier this week Sporting Director Merijn Zeeman suggested that Vingegaard needed to be “competitive” rather than “fighting for yellow” to ensure selection.
In the official team announcement, Zeeman was even more wary of making predictions about what Vingegaard can achieve at the Tour and if he can challenge big-name rivals Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates), Primož Roglič (Bora-Hansgrohe) and Remco Evenepoel (Soudal Quick-Step).
“I am very proud of Jonas and the coaching team. He is coming back from a serious injury. In the last few weeks, he has shown what a champion he is, both mentally and physically,” Zeeman said.
“Of course, we don't know how far he can go yet. We are being cautious because he has not been able to race, and his preparation has been less than ideal, to say the least. But he will be there, healthy and motivated.”
Van Aert has won nine stages at the Tour de France and won the green points jersey in 2022. He was keen to return to the Tour after missing the Giro.
“I am really looking forward to the Tour de France. Of course, this was not the plan initially, but after my development in the last weeks, I really wanted it, and the team agreed," he explained.
“Our main goal is, of course, to ride a top classification with Jonas. I want to contribute to that with an excellent team.”
Jorgenson took to social media to play down suggestions that Vingegaard could have a domestique role in support of the American after he showed solid stage race form at Paris-Nice and the Critérium du Dauphiné. Kuss could also play a leadership role if Vingegaard falters but was not 100% during the Dauphiné.
"Matteo Jorgenson has already become one of the strongest riders in the team this year, with wins in Paris-Nice and Dwars door Vlaanderen and his second place in the Dauphiné,” Zeeman said, detailing the qualities of the riders.
“Sepp Kuss proved last year that he is a great climber, an important domestique, and a leader in his own right with a victory in the Vuelta a España.
“European champion Christophe Laporte had an unfortunate spring due to injury and illness but has returned to form in the last two months. He will be an important link in the team.
“Tiesj Benoot had an excellent spring, including a podium finish at the Amstel Gold Race, and carried that good feeling into the final training period.
"Wilco Kelderman missed the Giro d'Italia with a broken collarbone but is now fit again and will be an important rider in the mountain stages. Jan Tratnik has already won Omloop het Nieuwsblad this year. He was strong in the Giro, and with his experience and qualities, he will play an important role in the Tour squad.”
Visma-Lease a Bike Tour de France squad
- Jonas Vingegaard
- Wout van Aert
- Matteo Jorgenson
- Sepp Kuss
- Tiesj Benoot
- Wilco Kelderman
- Christophe Laporte
- Jan Tratnik
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