Despite successful spring, Jumbo-Visma do not intend on stopping winning streak: "We really want to win the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix"
Cycling
Jumbo-Visma have had an extraordinary spring. Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, Kuurne - Bruxelles - Kuurne, E3 Saxo Classic, Gent-Wevelgem and Dwars door Vlaanderen have all been conquered by the Dutch team. As the Tour of Flanders looms near, Jumbo aim for win number six.
“I think we have a very good group of riders. We have also lived up to this period very well. And once you get the good feeling in the team, that also helps enormously," team DS Merijn Zeeman told in an interview with Wielerflits, stating also that "we had to go very deep for all the victories we have booked.”
Click
here to create your own team for the Fantasy Tour of Flanders. At least $6,500/€6,000/£5,720
in prizes!
In a long interview he assured confidence and happiness with how the team has ridden this spring block, but remains focused on the bigger picture. The block was built around success in the monuments: Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix, and those remain the big goals for Zeeman.
“I think that pressure has stayed the same. We really want to win the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix," he said. "We also know that this is very difficult. I think everyone in E3 saw that our leader Wout van Aert is very strong, but that Tadej Pogačar and Mathieu van der Poel are at least as good. In any case, we have confirmation that we are having a fantastic spring.”
This Sunday is set to feature a massive battle in the bergs of Flanders. The level seems to be higher than ever in the peloton, and van Aert, despite having very strong support from several winners themselves, will have a difficult task to overcome Mathieu van der Poel and Tadej Pogacar, as well as the pressure he faced from himself and the Belgian fans.
There will be more rivals, but Zeeman doesn't believe much in the chance the podium will be different then that of the E3 Saxo Classic where the trio were clearly superior. “I think that chance is negligible. Then something really crazy must happen, such as a material breakdown or a fall. Physically, these are currently by far the three best. They will definitely come forward in the final. I have no doubts about that.”
An obstacle that could've been faced is the ongoing pressure. Despite the wild success, several figures in cycling within the past week have criticized the option to gift Christophe Laporte the win at Gent-Wevelgem, instead of Wout van Aert. “We also received a lot of good feedback about our team spirit. There are plenty of connoisseurs who value this very well. I think that action says a lot about how we as a team look at the sport," Zeeman said, once again showing support for the team's choices.
"There are indeed a few people who think otherwise. Everyone can find something. Belgium is a small country in a big sport. It currently has two of the best riders in the world. I find it strange that those two are approached much more critically in their own country than in the surrounding countries. But everyone can have an opinion on that. However, when asked, I also give my opinion," he added.
Jumbo-Visma's strengths lie mostly on their depth, but that may not be a weapon this weekend. At E3 both van der Poel and Pogacar attacked the race early, making it tough for Jumbo-Visma to use their depth. But Zeeman knows the team's tactics require that to be used.
"I think so. If you have riders like that, it is also important to use those men. When it quickly becomes an open course, the chance of a hand-to-hand fight is high. Pogačar and Van der Poel are very strong on the slopes, while our strength is mainly in width. We should definitely use that power," he concluded.
Read also
Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed.
Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate’s English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage.
claps 0visitors 0
Just in
Popular news
Latest comments
- I see (elsewhere) that Alaphilippe had more to say than what got relayed in this stub. Me: he was very good early but his latter third trajectory was the pits. His old boss did what he could (huffed and puffed) but Julian couldn't get his greatness back. Sometimes I wonder if crashes that didn't look like much changed the course of the rider.flyer14-11-2026
- I wouldn't classify it as a gift because the nasty consequences of taking it from Sepp would have been great and would persist and he knew it.flyer14-11-2026
- Ok. Tratnik's good and Red Bull's better so Tratnik may get what he wants.flyer14-11-2026
- Ok. So just saying he wasn't enjoying racing anymore is some kind of explanation? Me saying I don't enjoy his explanation is more explaining than he did.flyer14-11-2026
- Buitrago, was he their best rider in 2026? He's the chief loss for them and Martinez and Tiberi (especially) have to step up or they will be overtaken by Bahrain's younger riders like Omrzel. I'm still somewhat high on Martinez but Tiberi, after showing signs of promise, has fizzled. Bahrain still has a good team but they need to improve and exceed expectations. I'd be happy if Mohoric could manage to return to his better form for maybe one last year at least.flyer14-11-2026
- Hmmm, "... I just gained 30 seconds purely off the bike. Because it's really a big, big improvement compared to the previous bike". Is that marketing for Specialized or serious valid hype, or something in between? Very likely the former.flyer14-11-2026
- Nothing revelatory or controversial. Why do we have to report on Bruyneel's or Armstrong's thinking. It's a shame and enough that the Move's on TV and that people watch it .flyer14-11-2026
- Makes sense that training from home is a big asset or advantage but it's still remarkable that he can put in three quality majors and not pay some heavy price for the exertion. I wish he would have won that tour stage that his crash while leading allowed Carapaz the win. He's a darn good rider and teammate.flyer14-11-2026
- Sounds like we all agree with the over under exaggeration: "The German’s signing does not guarantee that Evenepoel will win the Tour in 2027. "flyer14-11-2026
- Seixas appears to be that good but if he isn't (an absolute rival to Pogacar) he would have plenty of company in rising stars that did not go on to fully meet the expectations of many. That Pogacar wasn't the greatest (as great) sooner can't be transposed onto another's development. It may be not that simple.flyer14-11-2026
Loading
🇧🇪 #RVV23 Recon. 🧐
Write a comment