The campaign of 2024 will always be remembered as the year of firsts for Intermarché-Wanty. The first stage win in the Tour de France, on 1st of July in Turin, the first distinctive jersey with the green jersey of the Tour de France won in Nice on 21st of July, but also the first titles of European Champion in the youth categories.
With thirteen victories for the World Team and a fifteenth place in the UCI Team Ranking, the Belgian team can boast of a successful campaign, relying on a young team while having confidence in some more experienced riders like Taco Van der Hoorn who made his return to the highest level. On the occasion of the winter break, General Manager Jean-François BOURLART takes stock and is already looking ahead to next season.
“This year 2024 will be etched in memory. Not only for the 50th anniversary of the founding of VC Ath, but also and especially for the number of prestigious victories. These results are the reward of long term work and of our strategy of developing young talent, but above all also of the unwavering commitment of all members of our team.”
“Our spring hasn’t been easy, with certainly some beautiful victories for Gerben Thijssen or Laurenz Rex, but also with many crashes during the classics, which sidelined Arne Marit, Gerben Thijssen or Biniam Girmay for example. Not to mention the long absences of Taco Van der Hoorn or Kobe Goossens. However, we always continued to work with the will to shine during the summer. Inevitably, the very first stage victory in the Tour de France for our team was a crowning achievement. The accomplishment of our project which has progressed step by step over the years to finally triumph at the highest level of cycling. But the following two stage wins and the green jersey have above all shown that this is only another step in the development of our project.”
“Our strategy of long term investment in talent development is paying off. We have been following Biniam Girmay for many years, and since his recruitment, we have established a long term plan with objectives that mark his progress. These victories in the Tour de France call for more, why not in a first Monument. Alongside him, we have built a strong and promising team with notably Hugo Page, Laurenz Rex, Huub Artz, Vito Braet, Dries De Pooter or Roel van Sintmaartensdijk.”Jean-François Bourlart (General Manager)
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“We’re already building the generation of tomorrow, with our Continental team, with for example European titles for Huub Artz in the U23 category and Felix Ørn-Kristoff in the Junior category. But they’re not alone, as young talents like Gualdi and Claisse are growing in their shadow. I’m convinced that our approach, despite working with one of the smallest but continuously growing budget in the World Tour, remains the healthiest on the long term.”
“I’m also proud to be able to count on the support of our historic partners, with whom we’ve worked to secure our future, both sporting and commercial. We’re also pleased to welcome new partners, as the arrival of any new company interested in our project helps us grow. We can rely on a team built around the classics, particularly around Biniam Girmay, who is tied to our project until 2028. We’re proud, along with all the riders and the performance team, to fight every day to reach the top and make the colours of our team and our partners shine. We already started the preparation for the next season before uniting again in December for our first annual collective winter training camp. This will be an opportunity for the riders to discover our new colours and prepare for a 2025 season that I can’t wait to begin!”Jean-François Bourlart (Managing Director)
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