This season, for the first time in over 30 years, Jumbo-Visma will ride with a British rider on their men’s roster.
The Dutch team, which topped the UCI’s 2022 rankings, welcomed 21-year-old Thomas Gloag as a trainee last year, elevating him to their WorldTour squad for 2023.
Then earlier this month, the team invited 19-year-old Finlay Pickering, formerly of Groupama-FDJ’s Continental squad, to their winter training camp in Alicante, Spain.
Speaking to Cycling Weekly, Grischa Niermann, Jumbo-Visma sports director, praised the wealth of British riders breaking into the men’s peloton.
“I think right now there are a lot of young riders coming out of Britain who are really big talents,” said Niermann.
Asked if Jumbo-Visma are consciously monitoring British riders, Niermann replied “no”.
“[We look at] talents that we think…