28/11/2023

"What we are doing now is above and beyond expectations" - Steven Kruijswijk on Jumbo-Visma's Grand Tour dominance

Jumbo-Visma have become the sole dominant force in Grand Tour cycling over the past year, making history by becoming the first team to win each of the Giro d'Italia, Tour de France and Vuelta a Espana in the same season. Something even team stalwart Steven Kruijswijk is shocked by.

"I always had confidence in the team, because it would have been easy for me to leave the team at one point, especially when I did a good Giro and Vuelta. But I was confident that we were still in the process of growing to be one of the better teams and it turned out to be like that," the 36-year-old told Cycling News recently. "I’m happy I always committed to this team, but what we are doing now is above and beyond expectations, I think.”

Nathan van Hooydonck on Primoz Roglic's departure from Jumbo-Visma: "It is a serious loss for the team"

Sadly though, due to injuries and other reasons, Kruijswijk was unable to take part in any of the three Grand Tour-winning teams this year. 2024 however, is the penultimate year of his current contract, meaning a big year is needed. “Everything I do now is more an investment for next year,” he explains.

In 2024 though, Jumbo-Visma will become Team Visma | Lease a Bike. “I thought it was going to be hard to manage everything, with the riders, the staff and the sponsors, just from a legal standpoint with the contracts," he says of the new sponsorship. "But I was never in doubt that the team would pick the best option and I think they did have some options to choose from. The team was maybe better off just to focus on itself, so I think it worked out fine.”

With the departure of Primoz Roglic, the changes continue. “For sure, we lose a lot of wins, he’s almost a guarantee for winning stages and stage races,” Kruijswijk concludes. “But I think everybody accepted his wish to be the sole leader at the Tour. The only thing that really changes for us is that he is now our competitor in the Tour, and we have to beat him as well. For the rest, I think we’ll try to do the same as last year and try to win it with Jonas."