"This is about a 22-year-old athlete, his whole world has completely collapsed" - Jumbo-Visma keen on supporting Michel Hessmann after anti-doping violation
Cycling
Jumbo-Visma's Michel Hessmann has tested positive for a diuretic medicine in the weeks following his Grand Tour debut at the Giro d'Italia. He's been suspended by the team but they are looking to support him through it.
“Painful. A message that we as a team and I as a coach had hoped we would never get," team DS Merijn Zeeman told Wielerflits. "We want to play an exemplary role when it comes to anti-doping policy. We are working on it, that should be clear. In addition, the person Michel is just as important to us. As a human being, he deserves our support. Make no mistake, this is about a 22-year-old athlete, his whole world has completely collapsed. We also keep an eye on that mental part.”
Read also
Hessmann was one of the most valuable under-23 riders on the market, third last year at the Tour de l'Avenir, and as he was part of the team's development ranks it was a logical move. Only as a domestique, but he's already shown good legs this year. He raced all the way into the World Championships but his test was conclusive only afterwards.
Jumbo-Visma is looking for ways to navigate the situation. “This test hits us harder because we are so successful. Should I be less proud when we may have won three Grand Tours? Because a young rider may have made a mistake? That is ultimately up to the outside world. Not to me. Everything stands and falls with the results of the investigation and we do not know them yet," he concluded.
Read also

Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed.
Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate’s English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage.
claps 1visitors 1
Just in
Popular news
Latest comments
- Pidcock finished 9th place, 29 minutes down. he is a helluva rider, so gutsy. and he is amazing at all disciplines. but this headline is . . .mij09-11-2026
- I know, watch the video. and listen to her competitors. it was a tricky tacky call at best. WTF is this guy talking about??? my original comment was from the picture it didn't look like anything.mij09-11-2026
- I dunno what you're talking about. you make no sense. MS's competitor and the competitors coach said it was BS. she didn't deviate in a way that relegation should be required. revel LOL. you're so cool, in your own mind.mij09-11-2026
- deviation lol, watch the videomij09-11-2026
- the 'No different than women who follow and discuss celebs through gossip magazines' comment was unfortunately a bit off. didn't you just boast about your principles in the comments section of another article?Ketterechts08-11-2026
- Are you MrMauMau 2.0? Nothing you are saying is really relevant. Vaguely connected, but irrelevant. The conversation is whether Schreiber impeded Brand or not.
Rafionain-Glas08-11-2026 - He is boring
leedorney08-11-2026 - To Twoje przemyślenia te bla, bla :)
Dariusz08-11-2026 - Uwielbiam patrzeć, jak wyjeżdża na czoło peletonu i zaczyna się rzeź...
Dariusz08-11-2026 - Yeah, unreal.
parisbound0008-11-2026
Loading
🇪🇸 #LaVuelta23 First day in Spain. 🌞
1 Comments







