"In 2030, we want to be able to look back and say that we were the best team of the decade" - Richard Plugge has big ambitions for years to come

On the occassion of Grande Départ in Bilbao Richard Plugge, general manager of the Jumbo-Visma, talked to L'Équipe about how he gave birth to the strongest team in the peloton and his plans for next years.

"We want to write the history of our sport. In 2030, we want to be able to look back and say that we were the best team of the decade. We want to leave a mark, a legacy for the next generation. We want to inspire the people, to make them want to ride the bikes, to watch us dominate the races. We want to stay at the top for as long as possible," says Plugge.

"We don't want to bring in big superstars," continues the Dutchman. "We spot young riders, or older riders like Laporte, but in whom we still detect a lot of room for improvement, and we apply our working methods on them. That's how we like to work."

Plugge specifically mentions Jonas Vingegaard, the 2022 Tour de France champion. "We spotted him five or six years ago. We knew we had pure talent. But physicality isn't enough. He still needed to grow as a rider and as a person. And now he's there."