Jumbo-Visma manager Richard Plugge has signalled his interested in signing Cian Uijtdebroeks when the Belgian rider’s contract with Bora-Hansgrohe expires at the end of 2024.
Uijtdebroeks made an impressive Grand Tour debut at this year’s Vuelta a España, placing eighth overall in Madrid, though he confessed to tensions with teammate Aleksandr Vlasov, who finished a place ahead of him.
The 20-year-old later expressed frustration with his team after problems with his bike at the Chrono des Nations, though he subsequently downplayed reports that he might seek to leave Bora-Hansgrohe this winter.
According to GCN, Ineos and Lidl-Trek are both reportedly among Uijtdebroeks’ suitors, while Plugge confirmed Jumbo-Visma’s interest in an interview with Het Laatste Nieuws this weekend.
“We are indeed interested in Cian,” Plugge said. “We were interested when he was still a junior. We already spoke to him then, but he has a contract. Our 2024 team is complete, but never say never.”
Last week, Uijtdebroeks told La Dernière Heure that he hoped to ride the Giro d’Italia with Bora-Hansgrohe next season, adding that he was open to discussions with teams about a transfer in 2025.
“I’m still under contract but I know there are other teams,” he said. “The cleverest option is to talk with everybody and see what the others can offer. Listening is never a bad thing to do. And once I have all the cards in hand, we’ll see what is best for me in 2025.”
Uijtdebroeks will be joined on Bora-Hansgrohe’s 2024 roster by Primož Roglič, who was freed from his Jumbo-Visma contract a year before its expiry. Plugge acknowledged that having Roglič as an opponent would make winning the Tour de France more complicated for Jonas Vingegaard and his team.
“[Vingegaard] has to see how he and the team can do better next year, because Pogačar will arm himself differently,” Plugge told HLN. “And suddenly we have Primož Roglič as an opponent. And we have a few more like that. Which means we will have to go to the Tour differently and better than this year.”
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