Revelation of autumn on why he rejected Visma | Lease a Bike: "They were looking for a lead-out for Kooij, but I want to ride for myself"

Jelte Krijnsen was an unexpected hero of the last third of this season. The stagiare of Q36.5 Pro Cycling started cycling late, but quickly broke through, winning a stage at the Tour of Denmark (2.Pro), followed by victory at Druivenkoers Overijse (1.1) and closing the year with stage and overall triumph at the Tour of Taihu Lake (2.Pro). 

Naturally, many big teams showed interest in the rather unknown 22-year-old rider. In the end, the Dutch rider agreed on a two-year deal with Jayco AlUla after just a year at the continental level with Parkhotel Valkenburg. Krijnsen now reveals that he had even more lucrative options on the table, but eventually, went by heart and picked a team where he hopes to seek his own chances.

Another team was in the run for him was Team Visma | Lease a Bike. "I know Olav Kooij from my time at Willebroord wil Vooruit and that team was still looking for a lead-out for him. There have been talks, but they were clear: I would get very few chances of my own," Krijnsen explains the conditions to WielerRevue.

And opportunities to score big - that is what the Dutch rider wants: "I am still in the phase where I want to see how far I can get. I want to find out if I can ever be one of the best riders in the world. If I have to work in the majority of the races, I probably won't find out."

At 22 years of age, it makes sense the youngster wants to find his limits before settling down for a team role: "I want to ride for myself at this stage of my career. I can always become a domestique. At Team Visma | Lease a Bike, the competition within the team is simply too big for that."