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Poels makes the Tour team! Bahrain Victorious aims for GC and white jersey with Buitrago; Bilbao and Bauhaus as wildcards
CyclingSunday, 23 June 2024 at 10:21
Wout Poels has been included in the eight-member Tour de France team of Bahrain Victorious. The team announced this on Sunday afternoon in a press release. The Dutchman will normally play an important role in the general classification ambitions of Santiago Buitrago, around whom the team has built a full squad for the first time.
Poels was originally intended to ride the Giro d'Italia in May, but was passed over at the last minute. "I had set a nice goal for myself to win a stage, but well: trying for a new stage in the Tour is also fun," he recently told IDLProCycling.com. In last year's Tour de France, he won a mountain stage in spectacular fashion and he hopes to do so again.
The big question will be: how much freedom will Poels get? Buitrago is announced as the great leader, which has been the plan since the winter. Bahrain Victorious believes it is time for the 24-year-old Colombian to compete for a general classification in a grand tour. In the Giro d'Italia of 2022 and 2023, he was a stage hunter and won one stage in each edition. He also finished twelfth and thirteenth overall. In last year's Vuelta a España, he tested himself as a classification rider for the first time and finished tenth.
The team saw the potential and promoted Buitrago to the leader for the 2024 Tour de France, which will also be his debut in the biggest cycling race of the year. A fine reward, confirmed with a stage win at Paris-Nice this year. Buitrago also finished second in the Tour of Valencia and eleventh in the Tour of the Basque Country and the Critérium du Dauphiné.
Continue reading below the photo.
Santiago Buitrago
Buitrago to have a strong team, Bauhaus to sprint
Buitrago will, just like the young Antonio Tiberi in the Giro d'Italia, have a very strong team. Alongside Poels, Pello Bilbao and Jack Haig are the strong climbers on duty. Phil Bauhaus, similar to his role in the Giro, is set to sprint, with Fred Wright and Matej Mohoric as strong men for the transitional stages. Nikias Arndt is also part of the team and will be able to assist both Bauhaus and Buitrago on the flat stages.
"I am excited for my first Tour de France. The team and I have worked hard at altitude in Andorra, as we will need to be ready from the very first stage. It's going to be a tough opening week and that's good for me. I hope my experience in the Giro will help me in this Tour. I am aiming for the general classification, but I also know that the competition is strong. However, I know that if I can race my own race, I can be with the best and aim for the white jersey," said a very ambitious Buitrago.
The fact that Bahrain Victorious will aim for both the GC and stage wins seems certain with men like Bilbao, Poels, Mohoric, Wright and Bauhaus. "My ambition is to win another stage," says Bilbao, who won a stage in the Tour last year. "In the meantime, I will also focus on the general classification, where I want to ride the best possible race."
Selection Bahrain Victorious for Tour de France 2024
Il Lombardia 2024
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Latest Comments
- 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
- This is not a gravel race. UCI fail, from the surface they are on to team tactics. In what country was the first "gravel race" in what country is the most popular gravel race? Go with the race model that created the discipline.
Barnes127411-10-2024 - And don't forget he has now won 4 of the big 10 races (Grand tours, Monuments and WC/OG) in one year with a chance to make that 5. (5 has only been done once before)Joostmehrtens05-10-2024