Max van der Meulen talks his transfer to Bahrain-Victorious and 2024 goals - "My ambitions lie in racing for GC, that's why I started cycling"

Just a year ago it seemed crystal clear to Max van der Meulen that he his future would be within the Team DSM, to whose development team he had just commited for two years. However, things have changed quickly and just few months later, the 19-year-old Dutchman ended up seeking refuge in Italy, where he will race with Cycling team Friuli Victorious for a year, before stepping up to World Tour with Bahrain - Victorious.

"They asked me halfway through the year why I wasn't riding as well as the year before, and they immediately expressed their interest," Van der Meulen explains to WielerFlits how the contact was made. "We then started talking to each other and I experienced that as very positive. I then started the conversation with Team dsm-firmenich. We have been very open and honest with each other in this."

What are Van der Meulen's plans for the future? "My ambitions lie in racing for GC. That's where I get the most pleasure and that's where the biggest challenge lies for me. That's why I started cycling. If that's possible, I'd like to do that in a few years. But before I had even said that myself, the team management came up with it themselves. That they were looking for young, ambitious riders who can hopefully become GC riders in the future. My dream is to be able to do that with the pros in three to five years."

"The big goal for Friuli Victorious is the Giro Next Gen. That is the direction I am also going to work towards. But I also hope to have a good level throughout the year, so that I can participate with the national selection at, for example, the Peace Race, Orlen GP and the Tour de l'Avenir. I will mainly be riding multi-day races in 2024. I am also really looking forward to the Italian U23 circuit. I've never ridden one before, but from what I've heard it really makes me excited. I really can't wait to get started!"