The LottoNL-Jumbo riders have set their goals and revealed their race programmes during the team’s official presentation in the Netherlands, with success in the sprints, the cobbled Classics and the Grand Tours the big goals for the 2016 season.
The Dutch team had a frustrating 2015 season, winning just seven races but has worked hard to create a new focus for 2016 and beyond. The loss of Belkin as a title sponsor after the 2014 season forced manager Richard Plugge to downsize the squad, and Bauke Mollema, Lars Boom and Theo Bos all moved on. However, Jumbo have confirmed their sponsorship until 2018, with LottoNL likely to confirm their backing in the spring. The team will again use Bianchi bikes.
The cycling team continues to work in tandem with the ice skating team and Sep Vanmarcke, Robert Gesink, Steven Kruijswijk and Moreno Hofland all have leadership roles in the yellow, black and white team colours for 2016.
“We have to be focused a lot more," Plugge explained. “We’re choosing the sprint first. We have three very good sprinters with Moreno Hofland, Dylan Groenewegen and Tom Van Asbroeck. It’s our job to make sure that those guys are at the right place in the right time. When we’re able to do that, they can win a lot of races.
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“The second part we’re focussing on is the group of the general classification riders. We signed some riders who are able to stay with our front men much longer than what we did last year. Primoz Roglic and Enrico Battaglin are the best examples. When we’re looking at the long term, we’re going to work with young talents like Koen Bouwman and (the USA’s) Alexey Vermeulen. With those two cyclists we look to the future, the long game.
“With Sep Vanmarcke, we also have a world-class rider in the spring Classics on the cobblestones and we have Mike Teunissen and Tom Van Asbroeck as well, our trumps in the spring Classics. We have to use our lead-out for the sprint as well for bringing Sep in good position in the spring Classics.”
Working for Moreno Hofland
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