Jumbo-Visma have named their squad for the Vuelta a España, with Primož Roglič leading a strong eight-man team that also includes Steven Kruijswijk and George Bennett.
Roglič has been preparing for his Vuelta challenge, in what will be his first appearance at the race, with a high-altitude training camp in Sierra Nevada, Spain.
Key lieutenants Kruijswijk and Bennett, meanwhile, will start the Vuelta with a successful Tour de France in their legs. There, the Dutchman took third overall while Bennett finished 24th.
Jumbo-Visma also took four stages at the Tour, via the team time trial and sprints from Dylan Groenewegen, Mike Teunissen and Wout Van Aert, though Kruijswijk, Bennett and Tony Martin are the only men doing the Tour-Vuelta double-header.
Rather than the multi-pronged focus they used at the Tour, the Dutch team will opt for a more GC-centric strategy in Spain. As well as Kruijswijk, who finished fourth at the race in 2018, and Bennett, who was tenth in 2016, Roglič will also be able to count on the support of Robert Gesink, a three-time top ten finisher in Spain.
Americans Sep Kuss and Neilson Powless provide further climbing strength for the race which includes eight summit finishes and several more uphill finishes besides, while Lennard Hofstede and Tony Martin provide additional firepower.
Jumbo-Visma squad for the Vuelta a España (August 24-September 9): George Bennett (NZl), Robert Gesink (Ned), Lennard Hofstede (Ned), Steven Kruijswijk (Ned), Sep Kuss (USA), Tony Martin (Ger), Neilson Powless (USA) and Primož Roglič (Slo).
Thank you for reading 5 articles this month*
Join now for unlimited access
Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription
after your trial you will be billed £4.99 $7.99 €5.99 per month, cancel anytime. Or sign up for one year for just £49 $79 €59
Join now for unlimited access
Try your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
Daniel Ostanek is production editor at Cyclingnews, having joined in 2017 as a freelance contributor and later being hired as staff writer. Prior to joining the team, he had written for most major publications in the cycling world, including CyclingWeekly, Rouleur, and CyclingTips.
Daniel has reported from the world's top races, including the Tour de France and the spring Classics, and has interviewed many of the sport's biggest stars, including Wout van Aert, Remco Evenepoel, Mark Cavendish, Demi Vollering, and Anna van der Breggen.
As well as original reporting, news and feature writing, and production work, Daniel also runs The Leadout newsletter and oversees How to Watch guides throughout the season. His favourite races are Strade Bianche and the Volta a Portugal, and he rides a Colnago C40.