Mathieu van der Poel teammate Tibor Del Grosso reacts to first weekend with the rainbow jersey: "I hope to make a step up to the elites"
Cycling
Cyclocross may have its new star in the form of Tibor Del Grosso. The Dutch 21 year old is currently the World under 23 cyclocross champion, and wore his new rainbow jersey for the first time in Tabor where he won on Saturday. And then in the senior race in the World Cup Namur, he managed a very respectable fifth place.
Riding for Alpecin-Deceuninck will of course mean he remains in the shadow of the dominant Mathieu van der Poel for some time, but the team will be happy they have another potential cyclocross star in the making in Del Grosso.
“It went well. Cyclocross is never easy and it felt a bit tough on my back, but I have nothing to complain about,” Del Grosso told In de Leiderstrui after his opening weekend of the season. “I quickly had a gap and could therefore choose my pace a bit, but it was still quite a struggle.
“It's cool in that rainbow jersey anyway. Everyone knows that jersey and it attracts a lot of attention, so that was cool.”
But is Del Grosso ready to make a permanent jump to the elite? He finished inside a minute of the winner Michael Vanthourenhout on Sunday, and that will have given him confidence that he can get closer and closer throughout this winter.
“The World Cup is always the biggest race and I also hope to make a step up between the elites. I have received a lot of questions before the season about whether I would still ride with the U23s, but if it goes well, I will still be elite for fifteen years. So I still have plenty of time for that.
“Maybe I'll only be world champion once in my life and then I want to ride in that jersey a few times,” he continued. “The great thing is that it's easy to combine: I ride half with the U23s and the other half with the elite."
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- He spent 0 races alongside Roglic, I don't understand what he's talking aboutvappaxbipmv15-01-2025
- I get it. Thanks.roadman5412115-01-2025
- His in form race weight is about 130lbs, he was about 120 last year.awp15-01-2025
- That TT was stage 16 of the '23 tour. He lost muscle mass after the crash last year that lightened him up a bit too much.awp15-01-2025
- That super time trial (I forget where?) he did where he blew everyone away was something special. If he gains weight that surely counts against him? What is the thinking on this then?roadman5412115-01-2025
- Yeah, maybe it’s just a Van de Poulidor thing, family is an important influence early in life and neither was very well rewarded by the Tour no matter how much they gave He’s more Van De than Poulidor and I think his main goal was accomplished, avenging the missing Yellow jersey, a GC win being off the table no matter how many Poulidor genes he inherited. He also knows that despite the incredible TdF résumé and respect his grandad (later*) had he sacrificed 15 years of it for a measly 7 stage wins and no real Tour recognition other than the rather ambiguously discerned title of “eternal second”. So on an emotional level I would understand he’s not losing any love here, if his team and sponsors accept then he must have been able to provide convincing arguments, that we’ll most likely never hear of. * Don’t forget the shit other riders put him through for accepting to be the first to be controlled for doping over which the others went on strike, I’m sure the little MVDP got some lasting negative impressions from some of the first hand accounts he got of how your peers can treat you when you don’t follow the herd.Mistermaumau15-01-2025
- You're right mikolajjj, he is a disgusting person and I'm ashamed that he is Italian. It's not about being a vegetarian, it's about not killing animals for fun. Teenage prank? Really? Good and evil, Pain and Death are understood from the age of 6-7 years old.
maria2024202415-01-2025 - It does, he had some weight management issues, being too lightweight I believe. He will be right there if he comes healthy.awp15-01-2025
- I think you are right. The way he came back from that dreadful accident and still managed to finish second in the tour speaks volumes.roadman5412115-01-2025
- Never count Vingegaard out. He is one hell of great athlete. If he comes healthy it will be game on.awp15-01-2025