• Wednesday, October 23, 2024 at 1:00 PM
Interview An interesting season is starting for Rick Pluimers. The driver from Twente, who turns 24 in December, hopes to play a major role at the ambitious Tudor in the classics team with acquisitions Julian Alaphilippe and Marc Hirschi. The fact that Pluimers achieved some strong results in Belgium last post-season has ensured that he has made his mark. “Maybe it will help a little,” he says, laughing CyclingFlits.
“The last part of my season was good. The start was a bit less, with a knee injury, but fortunately I have had a good season since the summer. I was quite disappointed with that setback at the beginning. Then you start to have a bit of doubt about next year’s big races, but fortunately I was able to confirm something for myself in the Belgian autumn races.”
Pluimers really stood out with two results, including finishing second in the Super 8 Classic (also known as the Primus Classic, ed.) behind the soloing Filippo Baroncini of UAE Emirates. But one other achievement stands out for him. “Especially that fourth place in the final stage of the Renewi Tour. There was a good field of participants and to be in the leading group, you have good legs. To do that again in Super 8 was nice.”
Pluimers finished fourth at the Vesten in Geraardsbergen during the Renewi Tour – photo: Cor Vos
New leaders on the way
“This gives us confidence to also participate in finals in these types of Belgian races next year and to be a good help to the team. If you see what will be added, I think we can go into the spring with a very strong team,” Pluimers refers to the upcoming arrival of Julian Alaphilippe and Marc Hirschi, among others. “It’s nice to be part of that.”
In light of those ambitious plans with the new leaders, these recent results could come in handy for Pluimers. For example, so that he does not have to take action early in the race. “Maybe it will help a little. I don’t know yet what the team will come up with for next year, but for myself I would like to get as far as possible in the finals. Then it’s nice that you can show that it is possible.”
‘Puncher’ Pluimers knows he cannot rest on his laurels. “We have already been busy training in the second half of the season, but especially if you want to be able to handle those long classics, it is important to enlarge the engine. So a lot of long endurance training in particular, and otherwise busy with whatever I am doing at the moment,” he says.
Sprint starter and road captain
Pluimers – whose sister Ilse Pluimers plays for AG Insurance-Soudal – is also an important link in Arvid de Kleijn’s sprint train, where, in addition to sprint starter, he is also road captain. It is something that he believes can be easily combined with his own ambitions. “In addition to my classics, I would go with Arvid for several days. That is a nice combination, I hope it will be the same next year.”
Sports director Marcel Sieberg believes that 23-year-old Pluimers, who left Jumbo-Visma’s U23 team in 2022 after three years, has made a step forward. “We already knew that he can ride for himself, after he finished second in a stage in Guangxi last year. But it’s not just about good legs in the classics, it’s also about the experience,” says Sieberg. “That becomes more and more every year for him. If we look ahead, he can aspire to the classics and other tough one-day races.”
“It is still a bit early to talk about his role for next spring. We have to see what we are going to ride with him, but with strong riders like Alaphilippe and Hirschi, Rick will also continue to grow. If you have them as leader, you sometimes go over the limit for them. Rick will also benefit from that.”
