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.”
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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.
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