Tour de Tietema-Unibet is ready for step up in 2024 with 13 new faces

Tour de Tietema-Unibet has presented Friday the final selection for 2024. With twenty riders, the formation of Bas Tietema and his companions is getting ready for a step up to the procontinental level. The UCI still has to give a final blow on this, the team points out in a communiqué;

In recent weeks, TDT-Unibet's social media team announced the new riders one by one in a playful manner. The largely Dutch character of the team is being partially jettisoned for 2024, by the way, with the arrival of Danes, French, English, a Norwegian and a Czech. In their own words, all these transfers have been made in a "careful" manner.

Regardless, the team in 2024 has an interesting, talented selection. Thus triathlete Cedrik Christophersen comes over from Norway, where Andreas Stokbro (former NTT), Sebastian Nielsen and Nicklas Pedersen (both ColoQuick) also have their share of Scandinavian contributions. From Great Britain, the team recruited climber Charles Paige and the impressive Zeb Kyffin in the Tour of Britain, who finished sixth among the big names in that race.

Frenchman Axel Huens (fourth in Paris-Tours for underprivates) then came over from the Intermarché-Circus-Wanty training formation. He is flanked at TDT-Unibet by compatriots Baptiste Huyet and Adrien Maire, both of whom impressed with several victories this season. One new member of TDT-Unibet is already racing for the team: cyclist Lander Loockx, who already won the Düsseldorf cross in the team's blue shirt. Czech rider Adam Toupalik can also make a contribution in the field, as he still does his yearly cyclo-cross races;

The formation also attracted two more Dutch riders with Owen Geleijn (from Jumbo-Visma's beloften team) and Jelle Johannink (ABLOC CT), while no verdict has yet been reached on the future of Kevin Inkelaar. 'He s working under the wings of the team on his recovery after a major operation. At a later point in his trajectory, a decision will be made together on the interpretation of his future,' reports TDT-Unibet. 

Wouter Toussaint, Yentl Vandevelde, Harry Tanfield and founder Tietema - at least as a rider - are leaving the team. The latter explained his choice recently.  During the Tour de France we announced that we want to take a step up. Then you have to ask yourself: can I handle that level? Am I ready for that? If I look at myself very honestly, that answer is: no. I have struggled with my level this year. In the Star of Zwolle, I really enjoyed our very first race. But I've also had races where I had a really hard time. I was also unable to finish a lot of races. In that, I just saw for myself how difficult it is to combine both roles," Tietema said. 

Abram Stockman
Adam Toupalik
Adrien Maire
Andreas Stokbro
Axel Huens
Baptiste Huyet
Cedrik Christophersen
Charlie Paige
Davide Bomboi
Hartthijs de Vries
Jelle Johannink
Jordy Bouts
Joren Bloem
Lander Loockx
Martijn Budding
Nicklas Pedersen
Owen Geleijn
Sebastian Nielsen
Tomas Kopecky
Zeb Kyffin