"The best rider of the day will always win in the end" - Wout van Aert and Dylan van Baarle aim at monument wins over cobbled classics

Jumbo-Visma have done a great job at reinforcing themselves over the winter, and in 2023 they will have the duo of Wout van Aert and Dylan van Baarle racing together in what promises to be a difficult group to beat.

"Riding classics is about having as many riders in the final as possible. You should be able to win as a team," Van Aert said in a press release. "If Dylan and I are still in the lead in the final, we have a decent chance of winning. I'm confident we will only make each other stronger. We both improve our chances by racing together."

As for the defending Paris-Roubaix champion, he agrees with his new teammate: "We must ensure that both of us make it to the final. The best rider of the day will always win in the end. I'm really looking forward to competing together with Wout."

The duo has finished first and second in Roubaix last season, and together piled podiums at the Tour des Flandres aswell as wins at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad and E3 Saxo Bank Classic. The Dutch team's cobbled block was already considered top level, but with van Baarle's addition - together with Christophe Laporte and Tiesj Benoot - the level has been raised even further.

"I'm already looking forward to the Tour of Flanders. That race has something special for me. I've been really close to winning a couple times. It still bothers me now and then," van Baarle said as he once again pursuits a victory in Belgium.

Not only in the cobbled classics, but the duo will at the very least race together at the Tour de France. After a storming 2022 season the pressure is off for the team, who will have Primoz Roglic and Jonas Vingegaard battle for victories at the Giro d'Italia and Tour de France respectively.

"Dylan is a significant addition to our classic team," team DS Merijn Zeeman said. "We also have a good foundation for maximum performance with Christophe, Tiesj, Nathan, and the Van Dijke brothers."

"Winning a monument in cycling is very difficult. Fortunately, we have already won two. However, we remain ambitious," he concluded.