Good things come in twos for Mike Teunissen, even in 2024: "Those are the more important things in life"

Good fortune seems to come in pairs for Mike Teunissen in recent years. When he secures a stage win in the Tour, he promptly slips into the yellow jersey. After a few dry years, he bounced back with two victories last season. The amiable Limburger is on the brink of fatherhood ahead of the 2024 season, and as you might have guessed, it's twins. IDLProCycling.com had the opportunity to speak with him!

It's only logical that we didn't spot Teunissen training with his teammates under the Spanish sun last week. He's now much more needed on the home front and may become even more indispensable. In 2024, a phone is a godsend during such moments, especially on a media day, as is the case at Intermarche-Wanty. For now, everything is going well at home, but we've chosen to play it safe and stay home in January. Eliminating uncertainty, stress, or tension is essential. There are more important things in life than training in the sun for ten days," says Teunissen, who is adjusting his approach to the upcoming classic season.

"It's definitely special because I've had an atypical preparation. Additionally, I broke my collarbone in November, which set me back a bit," he explained. "I tried to make up for it quickly by heading to Spain earlier and having a good training camp with the team. But now, attention is divided over more things. It's challenging to replicate the training here that you would normally do in Spain," he says from the cold Low Countries.

The fracture is now healed. "My collarbone is fine. I received immediate and excellent assistance in Herentals, and my physiotherapy was effective. In December, I skipped the time trial and sprint training, but everything is going well now. So, he's not worried at all, not even about the kilometers he's 'missing.' We can compensate for that later by scheduling some extra training, for example, in the weeks around Tirreno and Sanremo. For now, it's a matter of using the cards we have."

Teunissen: "Ultimately, the excitement will return when the Omloop starts soon"

The precise start of his 2024 racing calendar still hinges on a few factors. "With twin pregnancies, a lot can happen, and premature births are always a concern, but so far, everything has been calm. In the end, none of that matters much. Whether it's Valencia or not, perhaps we can plan around Portugal when the weather is favorable. This way, we can maximize our preparations, and one race more or less won't make a significant difference. At Jumbo, we sometimes transition directly from altitude training."

He is certainly looking forward to the upcoming season, even though his favorite classics have been consistently lackluster in recent years: "In the end, the excitement will return when it starts with the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad. Those are the races I eagerly anticipate and approach with great enthusiasm. Last year was frustrating because you realize that things aren't clicking, and the momentum isn't building. I stayed far below my usual level, which was truly disappointing.

Yet, he found encouragement in his and his team's performances in the final months of 2023. It's been a while since I've been at the front in those classics. We have a very talented group for those races, so hopefully, we can all work together. In the Renewi Tour and at the European Championships (winning the queen's stage and finishing fifth respectively, ed.), we've seen that I can reach a very high level, but you also need a bit of luck.

"I believe with those results, I've earned the right to have more autonomy at certain times, but on the other hand: especially toward a sprint, Biniam Girmay and also Gerben Thijssen have an advantage, so it's better to play those cards," the experienced Limburger understands the dynamics. "That's a consideration we need to make in the coming months, especially now that we see Bini has taken another step. I'm riding largely the same as last year, but with a few more days at home, things will work out. So, I won't participate in Samyn or E3 Prize, for example; there are a few minor adjustments like that."

Teunissen on changed way of racing in classics

All in all, Teunissen has been a presence for quite a few years in the spring, during which he has witnessed changes. It's a trend that these races break up earlier. I used to try to anticipate, but now it's the semi-leaders who do that. If you want to anticipate, you have to make a move at 120 kilometers from the finish. Ultimately, it just depends on your level, whether you go for it or not. Last fall, I was able to participate often, and I want to carry that momentum forward.

At least the wear and tear is not a concern yet, which is an important observation. They all know how to train and how much to eat. I keep evolving, and that's a positive thing because everyone else is doing the same. The level is only getting higher and better.

Higher and better, especially with well-funded teams like Visma | Lease a Bike. In early 2023, Teunissen made the switch to the smaller Intermarché-Wanty, where there were some minor differences. "I can only endorse it. Last year was a challenging one, but in the end, it's quite clever what we do with the resources we have. We just have to keep striving for progress, which we are doing now with various specialists. However, you don't make up for lost time easily; for some things, you simply don't have the budget. It requires small, incremental improvements."

However, in Teunissen's case, due to illness in 2023, those improvements were substantial, we conclude. "Hindsight is always clear, but in that moment, we all discuss and make decisions as we see fit. Perhaps it would have been better to withdraw in the Tirreno and call it quits earlier, but these are the races you've worked towards. You go for it, but we also learned from it."

Lead-out Teunissen: "Risk is part of it; otherwise, we should have chosen an office job"

The classics will be followed by the Tour, also in 2024, with Girmay as the leader and Teunissen as the lead-out. "It's good that Bini has been to the Tour. Of course, we all hoped for more last year, but participating in the Tour is not for nothing. He has also realized that now, but we can bring those experiences back with us. That helps too. With Laurenz Rex and Page, we now have some really strong men.

The position in the sprint chaos—there have been fathers in the past who renounced it. "I can imagine, but in recent years, I've been riding my bike differently than in my early years. I don't squeeze into every gap anymore, and if we are fighting for position somewhere, I am one of the first to brake. In that respect, I am already quite cautious, so if I were to become even more cautious, I would never get there," laughed Teunissen. "In sprint preparation, you have to take risks, but I try to limit them anyway. But it's also part of it; otherwise, we would have had to choose an office job."