"I had the privilege to see the team develop from the proverbial ugly duckling" - Former Jumbo-Visma aerodynamic advisor reflects on the team's rise to dominance
Cycling
Jumbo-Visma are today, the dominant force in Grand Tour cycling. The Dutch-based squad made history in 2023 by becoming the first team to ever win all three Grand Tours in the same year.
They haven't always been so dominant though, and one man who has seen the development from the inside, is former aerodynamics advisor to Jumbo-Visma, Professor Bert Blocken. "I had the privilege to see the team develop from the proverbial ugly duckling in the peloton, one of the weakest teams, in 2013-2016, to the very beautiful swan," Professor Blocken explains. "One of the most successful teams it has been over the past years."
Although he has now left the team to follow other endeavours, most notably at the Heriot-Watt University, to which these quotes can be attributed, Professor Blocken was a key part in the team finally being able to claim their holy grail in 2022, the Maillot Jaune for winner of the Tour de France.
“It had been a long-time goal of the collaboration between Jumbo-Visma and its partners, including myself as their aerodynamic advisor," he recalls. “This Tour de France victory was somewhat unexpected. In 2021 we already had been close but we lost it on the one-but-last day. That was also the biggest disappointment in my career.”
After a long season, our riders are enjoying a well-deserved vacation! 😁
— Team Jumbo-Visma cycling (@JumboVismaRoad) October 27, 2023
Watch here! 🤩
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
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