Intermarché-Wanty heads to Vuelta without Thijssen: Marit as lead sprinter, Meintjes targets top ten in GC
Cycling
As one of the last teams, Intermarché-Wanty has revealed its eight-man roster for the Vuelta a España, which kicks off this Saturday in Lisbon. The Belgian WorldTour team is heading into the Spanish Grand Tour with clear ambitions, as outlined in the press release.
Intermarché-Wanty has had a successful track record in the last grand tour of the year, having secured a stage win in each of the past three editions. This year, the primary goal is once again to chase stage victories, although they are not ruling out the possibility of a strong GC result.
In terms of the general classification, all eyes will be on veteran Louis Meintjes. The slender South African rode the Tour de France earlier this summer and seemed to get stronger as the race progressed. "Louis finished the Tour very strongly and improved throughout the third week. We hope he can carry that form into the Vuelta and achieve a top-ten finish in the general classification," explained performance coach Aike Visbeek.
A Belgian sprint train, but without Thijssen
"This edition of the Vuelta is particularly challenging, with a lot of climbing. That’s why we’ve put together a roster focused primarily on our climbers," Visbeek added. As a result, riders like Kobe Goossens, Rein Taaramäe, and Lorenzo Rota have been selected to tackle the mid and high mountains. "These are three guys who can win a stage. They’re always aggressive on hilly terrain."
In the few sprint opportunities that arise, Arne Marit will be the team’s designated sprinter—Gerben Thijssen is not part of the lineup—tasked with delivering results. "We’re pleased that Arne is back to his level after a long injury. Tom Paquot and Simone Petilli will be valuable domestiques," said Visbeek. "Simone brings a lot of experience, and Tom is one of our two Belgian debutants in a grand tour, alongside Vito Braet. Vito is developing into an important domestique for the team. He’s ready to take the next step in his career. If there’s a sprint finish on a tough course for Arne, we have Vito as an additional card to play. Our two debutants will support Arne in our all-Belgian sprint train."
Selection Intermarché-Wanty Vuelta a Espana 2024
Vito Braet
Kobe Goossens
Arne Marit
Louis Meintjes
Tom Paquot
Simone Petilli
Lorenzo Rota
Rein Taaramäe
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Latest Comments
- Well explained, thanks for the clarity! Daniel DantasDanieldantas20-12-2024
- This is the kind of 'news' that belongs in a cheap tabloid. No matter how boring the offseason gets, nobody wants to read this.
santiagobenites19-12-2024 - I wish we could have seen him try. He'd absolutely get dropped before Pogi overtakes his domestiquesVeganpotter10-12-2024
- Talk is cheap! Next year barring crashes with a healthy team... all well be on track! Some need to talk to make a headline!mootman27-11-2024
- I do not see this event listed on HBO Max Sports Online? Can anyone confirm? Thanks!
MrYuck23-11-2024 - It seemed that he was focusing forward at the time of the crash, after seeing a quick video snippet. But one thing I think he should focus on more intently is breaking a bad habit he has, right now. And that is his constant looking over his shoulders. He does that so much, that I am very sure it is not good for him. Simply watch videos of the greats of CX and you will see very little of that constant looking over their shoulders. That is a behavior that betrays a bit of insecurity on his part. He shouldn't be so concerned, incessantly, about what is over his shoulder. He needn't worry they didn't all disappear. He neds to keep his focus more ahead of himself, and he needs to pay a bit more attention to himself, in a confident manner. It is very frustrating to watch, because it is apparent that he has a lot of potential, and is in much better shape thwan many of his competitors, but the mental game needs to be sharpened more, because that part of strategy plays a huge part in the final results
reemmo022-11-2024 - hahahaha love this shit! I didnt even watched the race, but reading all the gossip articles of how stupid this is!Zatoichi19-11-2024
- Van Aert is really handsome. He can influence me all day! Ditto for Philipsen. Why do you think many of us love cycling?: to see heroic attempts at climbing mountains at high altitudes or to watch speedsters sprint for the finish line or to watch a human being ride at break neck speed down a tricky descent? No, it's all about their lean physiques and muscular legs. (apologies for objectifying these dedicated and amazing athletes).BarwonHeadsUp25-10-2024
- It is unfortunate that the author can't feel the joy that Pogacar brings to the sport and his fans who are legion and I for one feel lucky to have watched such a memorable performance and historic season From the Strada until yesterday with multiple wins in stages in both tours and beyond dominance in the World's. He is proud to wear the Rainbow stripes, shows his leadership to protect his fellows and is as courteous and sportsman-like as the sport allows. He goes early to not have to respond to each attack as all the rest would make him do it. Any racer who could would do the same. Don't "grow tired" of greatness as it is always fleeting.ccrider13-10-2024
- What load of rubbish. Pog is likely a once in a generation cyclist, the like of which hasn't been seen since 'the Cannibal '. How many people were complaining that Merckx was making racing predictable? I remember this year's World RR as one of the most exciting I've watched. Mainly BECAUSE Pog was the favourite and launched what everyone thought (Pog included) was a suicidal attack with 80km to go. For the next 2 hours, I was on the edge of my seat thinking "this is too much, even for Pog". Maybe Zonnefeld prefers the snooze-fest that is a bunch sprint? Like most people I know, I can't watch two hours of the bunch riding very fast... I wait for the final 5km and watch just the sprint. In any event, most races are won from a sprint or lone break. What difference does it make who makes the lone break? Ultimately, the other contenders will have to figure out a way to beat Pog. Even if that means collaboration between teams. It's going to be an exciting few seasons, until the next Pog arrives on the scene. If this is boring, heaven knows what exciting looks like!Michael513-10-2024