"I will focus on the one-day work. They have enough Tour riders here" - Maxim van Gils not bothered about Grand Tour ride for Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe

After much controversy and debate, Maxim van Gils successfully cancelled his Lotto Dstny contract and has moved Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe. In the upcoming 2025 season though, the Belgian talent seemingly doesn't have any plans for a Grand Tour ride.

"I will focus on the one-day work. They have enough Tour riders here," he explains in quotes collected by Sporza, noting a rival as a particular example to prove his point. "A Grand Tour is nice, but not really a must. If you look at Marc Hirschi this year, he didn't do a Grand Tour either but still had a good season."

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Maxim van Gils trains at Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe camp with... Belgian national jersey

Interestingly, during his time riding with his new teammates at the Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe winter training camp, Van Gils has been wearing a Belgian jersey. "They don't want us to wear the 2025 jersey yet, because of the sponsors. They didn't have this year's jersey in stock anymore," Van Gils explains. "Normally they would send black clothes, but they still haven't arrived. Luckily I had an outfit from the national team with me."

"This is already a very good team at the moment, but I think that enormous steps will be taken here in the coming years. I wanted to be there from the beginning and not when they are already at the top," he continues. "I had to miss the team days in October, so I still have to adjust a bit. I still have to get to know everyone. I know Jordi Meeus a bit from before, that makes it easier."

As mentioned, going into the 2025 season, one-day races and the Classics in particular will be his goal, with Van Gils aiming for big victories. "Last season was very good. If I can do even better, I can speak of a perfect season. If I can exchange the podium for a victory, I would be very happy," he concludes. "I did think about it during the Tour of Flanders, but those races are too close to the classics and those suit me better. That is my main goal. If they were to put the Tour after Liège..."

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