Intermarché-Wanty heads to Vuelta without Thijssen: Marit as lead sprinter, Meintjes targets top ten in GC

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.

"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."

Vito Braet
Kobe Goossens
Arne Marit
Louis Meintjes
Tom Paquot
Simone Petilli
Lorenzo Rota
Rein Taaramäe