EF Training-EasyPost is gearing up for an thrilling problem on the 2024 Tour de France with a robust workforce and excessive ambitions for stage wins. With workforce chief Richard Carapaz recovering from sickness following a crash on the Tour de Suisse, the workforce is inserting its concentrate on aiming for stage victories.
The workforce’s lineup additionally consists of Alberto Bettiol, Stefan Bissegger, Rui Costa, Ben Healy, Neilson Powless, Sean Quinn and Marijn van den Berg.
His build-up to the 2024 Tour de France seemed promising, with a stage win on the Tour de Romandie on the finish of April, however he bumped into extra dangerous luck within the Tour de Suisse with a crash on stage 4 left him with a lower on his face that required stitches. He dropped out the subsequent day.
“After my crash at Suisse, I bought sick,” stated Carapaz within the workforce’s press launch. “My kind will arrive late, however I’ll give my finest for this Tour de France.”
The American workforce invested closely in Carapaz as their Grand Tour contender once they signed him in 2023, however he injured his knee in a crash on stage 1 and was pressured out of the race.
Whereas the workforce may not have a rider who can compete in opposition to Tour de France favorite Tadej Pogačar (UAE Group Emirates) and rivals Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike), Primož Roglič (Bora-Hansgrohe) or Remco Evenepoel (Soudal-Quickstep), Carapaz has confidence they’ll make an impression on the person levels as they did in 2023.
“Final yr was powerful. I needed to go dwelling. This yr, we’re going for it once more. Everybody round me is aware of how a lot I’ve ready for this. We’ve a robust, versatile workforce. We will win on all types of terrain.
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“The primary week shall be very onerous, however I’ll attempt to get by it as finest as potential. Profitable a stage is tremendous necessary. Within the final editions, I used to be very shut, so successful one could be essential for me, but in addition to the workforce and everybody who ready for that second.”
The 2024 Tour de France begins in Florence, Italy, relatively than in France as Paris prepares to host the Olympic Video games. The Grand Départ occurs to be going down in Bettiol’s hometown and shall be his first race within the Italian champion’s jersey, giving him further motivation to strive for the primary race chief’s jersey.
“It will be very, very particular,” Bettiol stated within the workforce’s announcement. “I do know the roads very well. I need to win a stage on the Tour. I have been shut earlier than and know I can do it.
“This yr is de facto necessary for me,” he added. “I am not tremendous younger anymore. I haven’t got too a few years in entrance of me. Profitable the Italian championship was a objective and one other objective is to win a stage within the Tour de France. To win on this jersey would imply quite a bit to me.
“You must be prepared and also you all the time should battle, as a result of successful within the Tour isn’t like successful in another races. It is doubly onerous to win a stage on the Tour, particularly for an all-rounder like me. I feel the workforce is making a wise option to go for levels. It will be enjoyable and actually thrilling.”
Healy will make his Tour de France debut after having a profitable Giro d’Italia in 2023 with a stage win. The primary stage, with a a lot harder than regular elevation profile, is on his radar.
“I would like to try to win a stage,” Healy stated. “I want a fairly onerous time out with a tough end. Stage 1 seems actually good for me, however there are a number of in direction of the tip of the second week as properly.
“Because the Ardennes, I’ve knuckled down and achieved the altitude camps and a few good races. The preparation has gone properly for me. I am excited that we’ll get to go for our personal alternatives.”
Powless was near successful a stage within the Tour de France in 2022 and got here inside 4 seconds of taking the maillot jaune. This yr, he is struggled with a knee harm that saved him out of competitors for 2 months.
“I feel this was most likely the toughest yr I’ve had but with accidents and sicknesses, so I am simply excited that I used to be in a position to overcome that and nonetheless race the Tour de France,” he stated. “Profitable a stage is my firstly objective, and I feel I’ve bought the health to do it. It is nearly getting it proper on the day, simply following the appropriate strikes and utilizing my vitality correctly.
“I feel everybody on the workforce is raring to take their shot. Each considered one of us has one thing to show. We’ve not had the smoothest spring as a workforce and everyone seems to be chomping on the bit to make up for that.”
After his victory within the Portuguese championships, Costa can also be aiming to win a stage after a troublesome spring. He crashed in February on the Volta ao Algarve and suffered a concussion together with a damaged collarbone and scapula.
“I went by quite a bit after my crash this spring. I labored very onerous to get match for the Tour and to get chosen for it. In the long run, it labored out and I am tremendous grateful for the choice and that the workforce believes in me,” Costa stated. “I’ll do my finest to battle for a stage, battle as a workforce and get wins for the workforce. I consider we are going to win. We are going to get an enormous one this yr.”
EF Training-EasyPost for the 2024 Tour de France
- Alberto Bettiol
- Stefan Bissegger
- Richard Carapaz
- Rui Costa
- Ben Healy
- Neilson Powless
- Sean Quinn
- Marijn van den Berg
