"I am very satisfied with the fighting spirit and solidarity shown by our very young group over these three weeks, and the character we showed as a reaction to the loss of our leader. We had the ambition to shine from the start of this Giro d'Italia, and that is what we did. Lilian Calmejane immediately set the tone by taking the mountain jersey on the first stage, and Biniam Girmay followed up with a podium finish in the first opportunity for the sprinters. Unfortunately, we had to adjust our high expectations for this Giro quite quickly when our leader Biniam Girmay was forced to abandon on the fourth day. At only 20 years old and the second youngest rider in this Giro, Madis Mihkels brilliantly took on the role of sprinter with several top 10 finishes to his name, confirming his promising potential. Our four rookies all made a very good impression for their first Grand Tour. All finished the 21 stages without a problem, even despite their crashes. They fulfilled their mission by reaching Rome. This is an important step for their development, and I am already curious to see how they will continue their next races in the weeks to come. The way Dion Smith managed to mentor our young riders in the sprint train, has proven once again the important role he plays within our team."
