DSM-firmenich PostNL DS about struggles to put together Giro d'Italia lineup: "The selection is still open at the moment"

Team dsm-firmenich PostNL currently is currently having some rough luck with plenty important riders struck by injuries and illness. To add to that, the Dutch WorldTour formation must fear for their license as their gap to 19th Arkéa - B&B Hotels has considerably tightened since the beginning of 2024. Sports director Matt Winston tells WielerFlits about the difficulties of putting together a team for approaching Giro d'Italia.

"The selection is still open at the moment. Poole was of course a rider who we had hoped to get into the selection. That spot is still open. Dinham was in the same category. Fortunately, we do have reserves who are also preparing for the Giro, and we hope to have the selection completed at the end of this week or early next week. Then we will make the decisions."

Winston does have a climber-sprinter ratio in mind. "Normally it could be 4-4. Four climbers; and four riders in the sprint train. But maybe it leans towards five sprint guys and three climbers. Due to the injury list, we have to leave that open for a while. We have to see how we get through the Tour of the Alps and the Tour of Turkey. Hopefully everyone can do well there and then we can put the team together."

"With the Giro in mind, we will send the sprint group to the Tour of Turkey next week. Jakobsen has a number of very good opportunities in the Giro, he can go for victories there. It is of course a new team for him, a new way of working. It takes a little time to settle in and find the rhythm. It wasn't all negative in the spring, we had a good race in Nokere Koerse and now a good training block. Hopefully this will click for the first time in Turkey."