Dylan Groenewegen had a difficult 2022 season but has kicked off 2023 the right away. In the land of a team sponsor, Team Jayco AlUla had the pressure to perform at the Saudi Tour and the Dutchman succeeded on the first attempt.
"On the way we did a lot of work, only Team DSM also rode a bit. The leading group was very strong and with twenty kilometers to go, the difference was two minutes," Groenewegen said in a post-race interview, where he also described a late puncture which risked having him miss out on the opportunity. "I rode further at a bad moment, but I let the whole team wait for me and they managed to bring me back well in two minutes. We rode very well today."
The Australian team had everything back under control into the final kilometers however, and with the absence of Pascal Ackermann in the sprint there were not many riders who could challenge him. “In the final we were only three riders, but we managed to wait for the right moment. We then went on and I saw no one anymore... I am very happy that we can already win in our first race," he says.
"The shape was already good, but races is something else. This is an important competition for us and we have made our sponsor proud. The fact that we are heading here in Alula with that name on our shirt, gave a lot of motivation to do well," Groenewegen continued, in reference to the team's new sponsor which hails from Saudi Arabia.
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Tomorrow's stage 2 will be another chance for Groenewegen to succeed. The field is modest currently in the Middle East, however he is keen that a lot of work has been done over the winter to have his leadout succeed in bigger races aswell.
“We did video analysis at training camp. We reviewed Sprints from last year. What went well, and what wasn't going well? We learned a lot from that. In addition, we also have a few new boys in the team, who are very strong. The arrival of Stybar is also a real boost. He knows from Quick-Step how it works in the sprint preparation," he concluded.
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.
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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)...
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- Blah blah blah!frieders311-11-2026
- Where Merckx just rode every single race he could and won all the time, Hinault won less often (percentage wise) because he was more judicious in what he raced. His palmares are nuts. He had amazing rivals, one to start his career and another to end it in the grand tours. His classics were solid. What sets him apart from Merckx and Pogačar are that he basically dabbled in the classics while the other two love(d) them. I used to compare Pogačar to Hinault for his grand tour record and occasional classics win, until I realized that the comparison was wrong. Pogačar loves the classics - ah, the memory of his reaction to finishing fourth in a 2 person sprint in Flanders in ‘22: utter domination in any one day race since then, even when he doesn’t win. Hinault lived for the grand tours and I don’t think anyone else will ever reach his record. 10 wins in 13 attempts? Good lord. An amazing rider. Wish there was more footage to watch.RidesHills11-11-2026
- I had no idea about that either.
santiagobenites10-11-2026 - great analysis thanks! appreciate you posting this. I didn't realize CX had a different standard for deviation. this is even more egregious it seems.mij10-11-2026
- As he isn't currently with Red Bull, I guess if he want to race for one more year he needs to find a team. He's 37 so this will be his last year I would guess, unless he wants to race for almost nothing like Froome did.awp10-11-2026
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- Giro or not Giro, he won't win the Tour!MajorPayne10-11-2026
- Very true.awp10-11-2026
- Ciccone had a very strong end of season. Consistently attacking and livening up races. Hope he makes that last leap in progress and starts notching some significant wins. Great rider to watch.Occam10-11-2026
- Me too!!!!!Occam10-11-2026
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#SaudiTour 🇸🇦 Finishing off a perfect leadout! 🚀 Here’s how @GroenewegenD got off the mark in 2023 🙌
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