Tobias Foss "can grow into a good Grand Tour rider" Jumbo-Visma's Zeeman believes

Following his win at the World Championships' time-trial, all eyes will be on Tobias Foss for the upcoming weeks, but many will also speculate how far the Norwegian can go after he revealed impressive skills against the clock, and is already for a while a promising stage-racer in development.

“We were watching with the whole family and believe me, I screamed the whole house together. It was really beautiful," team manager Merijn Zeeman told Wielerflits regarding Sunday's race, in which the Jumbo-Visma rider stormed to a shocking win, beating Stefan Küng and Remco Evenepoel directly, with many other of the world's best time-trialists such as Ethan Hayter, Stefan Bissegger, Tadej Pogacar and former title holder Filippo Ganna directly behind.

"I think it's very nice and fun that all the work that has been put in by everyone within Jumbo-Visma over the years has turned out like this," Zeeman said. After winning the Tour de l'Avenir in 2019, Foss turned pro with Jumbo-Visma the following year, and had been steadily improving within the team. He's had his opportunities - with a ninth place at the 2021 Giro d'Italia to show - but has also been a domestique for large parts of his stint in the Dutch team. That may be about to change next season however.

"I am really convinced that he can grow into a good Grand Tour rider," Zeeman stated, not hiding his confidence in the team's new jewel. "That's not to say he can win one, just to be clear. But a very good one. He climbs like Tom Dumoulin did in his good years, at his own pace and not going along in demarrages. And he has just as much a weapon as Tom had. He is that type of cyclist.”

Zeeman revealed aswell that Tobias Foss will be debuting his new equipment at the Chrono des Nations towards the end of the season, to show it off before the off-season which will see the Norwegian build up to his most important season to date.