“Oh dear.” CEO Richard Plugge does not have a ready answer to the question of what the difference is between last year’s overall victory and this year’s.
“Last year was the first time and that was with a plan that we had been working towards for years. Now it might be better to win a second time, but you know what to expect.”
“The tight plan of ours rolled out as expected and maybe I was a bit calmer myself. Last year I was very nervous.”
“We also win the team classification and that suits us. We propagate winning together and we want to do everything for each other.”
This Tour was not a blueprint from last year. “We had to do things differently because of the course and Primoz (Roglic) also wanted to go to the Giro. And everyone gave 100 percent for that plan.”
“That Wout van Aert didn’t win a stage? That’s a pity. We did everything we could, so did he.”
“But stage wins in the Tour don’t just come to order. And on Thursday he won the most beautiful prize with the birth of his second son.”
“No, there have been no doubts in this Tour,” says the CEO firmly. “We knew it had to happen on the Col de la Loze and that’s how it went.”
Overall winner Jonas Vingegaard is apparently hungry. He pulls through and goes to the Vuelta.
“We make a plan in the winter. We talk a lot and at the team presentation at the end of December we have everything in place.”
“We then stick to that plan and it said that Jonas would go to the Vuelta. Of course you have to see how he feels later, but normally he goes to Spain, with Primoz Roglic.”
“That Remco Evenepoel will also drive there? There is a strong generation against whom we have to fight. We think we have a great chance and we have no influence on the opposition.”
Jumbo-Visma is piling up the successes. Sports director Merijn Zeeman said it yesterday: “We must not fall asleep.”
CEO Richard Plugge confirms with an answer that competition may inspire fear.
“Our biggest challenge is how we can keep improving ourselves. I don’t want to be arrogant with this, but we need to see what we can do better to stay ahead of the competition.”
Maybe Plugge can have a pint with Marc Madiot tonight in Paris? It is overarm between the two team bosses after insinuations.
“It was as if the French Revolution had broken out,” Plugge shrugs. “They should know for themselves.”
2023-07-23 14:48:40
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