Team Jumbo-Visma goes into Tour de Suisse with open mind
The Tour de Suisse will take place from 12 to 19 June. Marc Reef will drive the team car during this stage race. The 36-year-old Dutchman is in his first season as a sports director at Team Jumbo-Visma.
According to Reef, his first months with the team went very smoothly. "After ten years with the same team, I ended up in a new environment with a different way of working. I had to put in some energy to get acquainted with it. I have been taken care of very well. Meanwhile, I already know all the staff and riders."
He feels right at home in the team. "I have found my place here. In my first months, I have already done several races. The Giro d'Italia was the last one. The Tour de Suisse is next."
"There are several options for a stage win"
Reef explains that the main objective in Switzerland is to win stages. "It is a tough race with many tough stages. Fortunately, we have a strong team at the start, although we do not focus on the classification. We are mainly aiming for stage wins. We can make it happen in different ways: in the breakaway or with a small group to the finish. We have the team for that. There are several options and we will see who fits best in each stage."
The Tour de Suisse consists of eight stages. In the first stage, the riders will face a hilly course in loops around Küsnacht. The following stages will also be hilly and from stage six onwards, the riders will visit the mountains. In this stage, the riders must climb the Nufenenpass, whose summit is at 2478 metres. The penultimate stage leads to Liechtenstein and also contains mountains. The final stage is a 25.6 km individual time trial in Vaduz, the capital of Liechtenstein.
Line-up Tour de Suisse
Rohan Dennis
Robert Gesink
Timo Roosen
Pascal Eenkhoorn
Sepp Kuss
Mike Teunissen
Sam Oomen