Bosberg-KOM record broken in early December: in addition to Visma | LaB, these teams have also scouted the Classics

If you happen to be at an airport in Belgium or the Netherlands these days, there is a good chance that you will run into a cyclist. The teams' training camps—mostly in Spain—are about to begin, although some teams are already making time for their first spring recons.

A frontrunner in this area is Visma | Lease a Bike, which has been using the period around its annual team days to take its classic squad to the Flemish Ardennes and northern French cobbles. They did the same thing last week. Fifteen riders from the yellow-black formation went to the region where it usually happens at the end of March/beginning of April.

There is plenty of time to test the material and possible new gadgets at the end of November/beginning of December. Besides, it is logistically easier to get the riders together after their break, as they have to be around anyway for fitting clothes and obligations with sponsors, the media, and the team.

Read more below the photo!

Bosberg-KOM record broken in early December

It's better to copy well than invent badly; they must have thought at some of the other teams. So last week, the locals could also marvel at some Red Bull-BORA-Hansgrohe riders in the race meccas of Belgium and France. Those already scouted the E3 Saxo Classic, Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, and Paris-Roubaix, among others.

The German formation has nicely reinforced its classic squad for next season with Jan Tratnik, Mick and Tim van Dijke, Oier Lazkano, and Laurence Pithie. The latter already made a good impression on his new teammates during the recon of the Omloop by firmly breaking Oliver Naesen's 2018 Bosberg KOM, although it must be said that the strong wind from the west may have done its bit.

Read more below the Strava activity!

Intermarché-Wanty and Astana are also already sending riders onto the Flemish/French classic trails

Like the Van Dijke brothers, Mike Teunissen is also familiar with the December recons from his time with Jumbo-Visma, which they also continued with his previous team, Intermarché-Wanty. The Belgian formation was already spotted at the end of November on the courses of Gent-Wevelgem and Dwars door Vlaanderen, among others.

Teunissen was no longer there, as he would ride in the blue of the Astana Qazaqstan Team starting on January 1. For that team - which needs to start scoring points like crazy - every race is essential in 2025, and so they, too, had their classic men show up for a first recon of Paris-Roubaix. On Strava, we see Teunissen testing the northern French roads with compatriot Cees Bol and Davide Ballerini. 'Atmospheric as always,' the ever-witty Limburger headlined with his activity.

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