Back in that little room in Amsterdam, it was already apparent that Jumbo-Visma and Foss were no longer a good match

It's December 22, 2022. Tobias and I head into a meeting room for a one-on-one interview. The Norwegian appears relaxed amidst all the extra attention he has been receiving, after he unexpectedly - to everyone's surprise - became the world champion in time trialing a few months earlier in Wollongong, Australia. He slumps down in a chair and runs his hand through his blonde hair. The timer starts...

In the seventeen minutes that follow, our conversation covers a wide range of topics. We talk about his World Championship title, about Jumbo-Visma, his skills and his ambitions. And, in fact, all these subjects invariably end with the realization that Foss is now a big shot, who has tasted victory and is eager to experience that more often. Foss talks at length about how he wants to start off strong from the first race, aiming to win as much as possible. "I now know that I have the physical capabilities to win. It was a shock for me, but after that World Championship, I do know that I have a dangerous weapon and that I can win races," he says, among other things.

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Tobias Foss finds he can't win with Jumbo-Visma

When we start talking about the Giro d'Italia, the tone of the conversation changes. Suddenly, there's no more nonchalant smile and ambitions in his eyes. In the Giro, Jumbo-Visma goes all in on Primoz Roglic and Foss is going as a domestique. No more Norwegian bravado, but suddenly we get a somewhat media-trained response: "That's fine. I hope to start better than ever and it's great to go with a leader who has already proven to be able to win a Grand Tour. I can learn a lot from Primoz, that's for sure."

Foss prefers to talk about winning, but realizes during the conversation that he will not always be in that position at Jumbo-Visma. "The ultimate dream and my goal is to compete for a classification in a Grand Tour myself, but Primoz and Wilco are of course ahead of me in the pecking order," he concludes. When he takes off his armor for a moment, his true feelings come out. "I would have liked to do something other than the Giro this year. Since I turned pro, I've always ridden the Giro, so it would have been nice if I could have done something different. So I had to think about it at first and let it sink in."

"I've already worked as a domestique for others before, but it's not my ambition. Right now it's fine and a necessary step, but I don't want to always be a domestique," he continues. "The team has the final say," he adds. And then, the segue to his contract expiring after 2023 is an easy one. The season has yet to begin, but in everything he says, Foss indicates that he has secretly already made his choice. "If one day a team comes along that gives me massive opportunities and trust and guarantees me a spot like the one Wout, Primoz or Jonas have, then that is individually better for me. I still have a one-year contract, so it's going to be an important year."

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Foss has so much more potential

Almost a year later, it is announced that INEOS Grenadiers has signed him. After 2022, Foss has another year filled with bad luck and injuries. He rides the Tour of Romandie in April. But after that, due to a COVID-19 infection right before the Giro, he only participates in the Tour of Poland, the World Time Trial Championships (finishing eleventh) and the Renewi Tour. Then his season ends. "Overworked," we hear. His time at Jumbo-Visma ends unremarkably: two Norwegian time trial titles in 2021 and 2022, the Norwegian road title in 2022 and the world time trial title in Wollongong, that's the final tally. Alongside a ninth place in the 2021 Giro d'Italia.

It's frustrating because there are few riders in the peloton who give us the impression that they have so much more potential to show than Foss. He has a good time trial, a punch, climbs with the best on his best days, and is only a few months past 26 years old. From that perspective, it's not surprising that INEOS Grenadiers is taking a chance on him. If Foss can avoid COVID-19, crashes and other mishaps, he is a versatile rider. At Jumbo-Visma, he showed this in flashes. At INEOS, it is expected to happen more regularly.

And Jumbo-Visma? They couldn't possibly be dissatisfied with the departure of Foss. They must have had a good relationship, but it became apparent in that meeting room in Amsterdam that Jumbo-Visma and Foss were no longer a good match. After watching the Vuelta a España, with three Jumbo riders on the podium, and an overall dominant year for the team, it does not seem like Foss was missed at all. The opportunities he so eagerly hoped for at the end of 2022 would have been even scarcer in 2024. Because as unfortunate as setbacks are, the rest of the world moves on. And that means that, after a great 2023, Sepp Kuss suddenly becomes a leader, Jonas Vingegaard has proven himself yet again, and Jumbo-Visma has invested in new young talents such as Ben Tulett, ironically from INEOS.

Foss walks the opposite path, because he is not the kind of rider who could have dealt with a Vuelta scenario. He is more like Primoz Roglic - someone who always wants to win, everywhere, and preferably on his own account. And that desire in Foss, following his incredible world title in Australia in 2022, no longer aligned with Jumbo-Visma's life motto: 'Winning together'. Neither Jumbo-Visma nor Foss are to blame for this development, but perhaps Foss - during our conversation - realized he and Jumbo-Visma were no longer a good match, before the team did. At INEOS, there is ample space for a young, eager general classification rider with endless ambitions. I'm rooting for Tobias to finally be able to realize his dreams there, as a former 'fanboy'.