While the Jumbo-Visma men's team is wrapped up in the turmoil surrounding a potential merger with Soudal-Quickstep, the arrival of Amazon as a replacement sponsor for Jumbo and the impending departure of Primož Roglič, the women's team are building and looking to be more rightly affiliated with the men's squad.
In a press release this week, the Dutch team announced the arrival of Lieke Nooijen from Parkhotel Valkenburg. Soon-to-be retired Jos van Emden joins as a new women's team sports director along with Jan Boven, who has been working with Jumbo-Visma's development team. Current sports director Carmen Small and coaches Lieselot Decroix and Marieke van Wanroij will leave, with Maarten van Kooij coming in as performance coach alongside current technical manager Rutger Tijssen.
"We want to create more cohesion and cross-fertilisation between the different teams of Team Jumbo-Visma," Tijssen said
Staff coming from the men's WorldTour and Development teams into the Women's team, sports director Merijn Zeeman says, fills the "missing link" in integrating the women's team into the larger organisation.
"We are building with our women's team. It has gone through ups and downs in recent years. By creating a more explicit link between the women's and men's teams in all areas, we expect to see further development in the coming years," Zeeman said. "I am delighted we have brought together experience, talent and a willingness to learn in this coaching team. I am therefore confident that our women's team will become increasingly dominant."
The women's team has seen a mass departure with six riders leaving, three to the new EF Education-Cannondale team, Coryn Labecki, Kim Cadzow and Noemi Rüegg. They've brought in Mijntje Geurts from Lotto Dstny and Margaux Vigie from Lifeplus Wahoo in addition to Nooijen for 2024.
"I think we have a well-balanced team for 2024, where we can make the most of the skills of each rider, including the experienced leaders," Tijssen said. "Everyone has their qualities and should be able to develop and reach their full potential in the coming years.
"With Marianne (Vos), Riejanne (Markus) and Anna (Henderson), we have three good leaders. The other riders are less experienced, but they all are very talented. The team we will start with in 2024 has become stronger across the board, despite the departure of Karlijn Swinkels, Noemi Ruëgg, Coryn Labecki, Teuntje Beekhuis and Kim Cadzow."
Tijssen intends for the team to focus on developing riders by individualising their programmes.
"There must always be progress within the group. On all fronts, both physically and mentally. This growth starts with the individual but serves the team's interest.
"Winning is important to us ... we are an ambitious top sports team. But we also know that you have to build on success. Almost 30% of our riders are younger than 23. We think of them as development riders and want to give them the chance to develop at their own pace into strong athletes who can eventually compete at the highest level. A top-ten finish in an important race can also be a 'win' for these riders."
