Jumbo by name... but not by nature, Of course, I'm referring to their squad, after they've downsized and replaced their missing stars with neo-pros and neo-pros. Most are highly regarded with good results at various times, but you sense that it's a squad of limited ambition.
In:
Mike Teunissen (young classics/sprinter)
Timo Roosen (young classics)
George Bennet (climber)
Brian Bulgac (climber)
Kevin De Weert (climby domestique)
Tom Van Asbroeck (cobbles)
Bert-Jan Lindeman (climber)
Out:
Jack Bobridge (TT)
Jetse Bol (domestique)
Lars Boom (classics)
Theo Bos (sprinter)
Graeme Brown (leadout)
Stef Clement (TT)
Juan Manuel Garate (classics)
Jonathan Hivert (classics)
Bauke Mollema (stage races, classics)
Lars Petter Nordhaug (classics domestique)
David Tanner (climby domestique)
Dennis Van Winden (a rider)
Stars:
Robert Gesink (stage races)
Moreno Hofland (sprinter)
Wilco Kelderman (stage races)
Steven Kruiswijk (stage races, super domestique)
Paul Martens (classics)
Laurens Ten Dam (grand tours)
Sep Vanmarcke (cobbles)
Strengths:
Cobbled classics will be where the team hopes to shine, despite the loss of Lars Boom. Vanmarcke is a top contender for every race with a cobblestone in it.
Number of very good contenders for stage races and even the Grand Tours. Well supported as well, with experienced campaigners and young climbers in the squad.
Weaknesses:
Hilly classics. Martens will carry the burden of performance for the team here, then again he should be right up there in races if the team can put him in a decent position.
Hofland, whilst a decent sprinter, isn't going to win 10 races a season, and they will struggle in the bigger races to win a sprint.
Whether the season is a success will likely depend on the performances of Vanmarcke, over notoriously fickle cobbles, he gets a bit of bad luck and it wipes out a lot of the season's ambitions for Jumbo.
Mike Teunissen (young classics/sprinter)
Timo Roosen (young classics)
George Bennet (climber)
Brian Bulgac (climber)
Kevin De Weert (climby domestique)
Tom Van Asbroeck (cobbles)
Bert-Jan Lindeman (climber)
Out:
Jack Bobridge (TT)
Jetse Bol (domestique)
Lars Boom (classics)
Theo Bos (sprinter)
Graeme Brown (leadout)
Stef Clement (TT)
Juan Manuel Garate (classics)
Jonathan Hivert (classics)
Bauke Mollema (stage races, classics)
Lars Petter Nordhaug (classics domestique)
David Tanner (climby domestique)
Dennis Van Winden (a rider)
Stars:
Robert Gesink (stage races)
Moreno Hofland (sprinter)
Wilco Kelderman (stage races)
Steven Kruiswijk (stage races, super domestique)
Paul Martens (classics)
Laurens Ten Dam (grand tours)
Sep Vanmarcke (cobbles)
Strengths:
Cobbled classics will be where the team hopes to shine, despite the loss of Lars Boom. Vanmarcke is a top contender for every race with a cobblestone in it.
Number of very good contenders for stage races and even the Grand Tours. Well supported as well, with experienced campaigners and young climbers in the squad.
Weaknesses:
Hilly classics. Martens will carry the burden of performance for the team here, then again he should be right up there in races if the team can put him in a decent position.
Hofland, whilst a decent sprinter, isn't going to win 10 races a season, and they will struggle in the bigger races to win a sprint.
Whether the season is a success will likely depend on the performances of Vanmarcke, over notoriously fickle cobbles, he gets a bit of bad luck and it wipes out a lot of the season's ambitions for Jumbo.