"I had an incredible 2024, of course with the Tour de France and its finale in Nice which will forever be etched in my memory. But also because I started the season well in Australia, then with the podium at Tirreno-Adriatico, I was competitive in the classics and in the Giro, on home soil by winning the Circuit Franco-Belge, all of this before the Tour. We planned the season very well, being flexible with setbacks and returns to Eritrea which allow me to be in top form, both physically and mentally." "This is one of the reasons why I chose to continue my career with Intermarché-Wanty on the long term: we have built a relationship of trust, we are progressing together, I feel at home. I know I can count on the support of my team in good times and difficult periods. With our resources, we work very intelligently, professionally and in a structured way, and are capable of winning the biggest cycling races." "In 2025, I want to be in top form for the classics, and then return to the Tour de France to win. I dream of reaching the podium of Milan-San Remo. It's a classic that suits me. Together with my sprint train Hugo Page, Laurenz Rex, but also Jonas Rutsch, Roel van Sintmaartensdijk and Vito Braet, we have built a solid group with which I will often race. I am convinced that we will accomplish new feats together in the years to come."
Biniam Girmay Tweet
"I approach this new season with renewed confidence. The experience of the Tour de France has made me stronger, both physically and mentally. It's an honor for me to count on a sprint train composed of a great talent like Huub Artz, as well as the experienced Adrien Petit and Gijs Van Hoecke. I'm eager to be at the startline of the Giro d'Italia, where I have a sense of unfinished business because my ankle injury prevented me from participating last year. I want to win, to do better than 2024. With Gijs, we came here to Spain ahead of the training camp to further strengthen our teamwork in the lead-up to this season. His advice and experience with champions like Greg Van Avermaet are invaluable."
Gerben Thijssen Tweet
"My ambition is to continue to grow, to pursue my development step by step with Intermarché-Wanty. My first professional victory at Le Samyn in 2024 motivates me to keep going this season and win again. My program for 2025 is similar to last year's, focused around Paris-Roubaix and my second participation in the Tour de France. It's my dream to participate in the biggest races and I thank the team for the confidence they show in me by including me on the Tour again. In addition to the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix, I will compete in the third Monument of my career with my debut at Milan-San Remo. We have forged a young and talented group for the classics; together we are growing and having a lot of fun. We motivate each other to bring out the best in ourselves; we sacrifice ourselves for each other, as we demonstrated on the Tour around Biniam Girmay. He has reached a new level, capable of playing leading roles in Grand Tours and Monuments, but also in particular races like the Grand Prix de Denain, where I wouldn't hesitate to support him."
Laurenz Rex Tweet
"I am one of the six new arrivals at Intermarché-Wanty, but I'm feeling at home for a long time already, as I was often involved with the World Team when I was with Wanty-NIPPO-ReUz last year. I expect to feel this step up in races, with a much higher pace in World Tour events. My program will be busy, with several World Tour stage races like the UAE Tour, interspersed with classics. I demonstrated last year in races like the Volta Limburg Classic, Le Samyn and the Tour of Oman that I was able to race for the victory. With my victories at the European Championships U23, Ghent-Wevelgem U23, and the Giro Next Gen, I have won on different courses and in different scenarios. I am therefore quite versatile. It is still difficult to assess my specialty, but I think my profile is well suited to the classics. I also like to race on instinct. Thanks to the combination of power and my focus on aerodynamics, I think I can shine more in one-day races. Also, I will have an important role in Gerben Thijssen's sprint train. A responsibility that suits me well because it requires a big engine, explosiveness, and a good ability to position myself."
Huub Artz Tweet
"2024 will remain an exceptional season for Intermarché-Wanty, with the highlight being the first victory in our history on the Tour de France, followed by two other stage wins and the green jersey. This historic feat is just another step in the development of our project. The evolution of our structure follows continuous progress each year, thanks to the dedication of all the staff, the support of our partners, and the collaboration between our three teams. We intend to continue this progress in 2025 with the ambition of winning a Monument." "The solidity of our project rests on the support of our sponsors. For 2025, our family of technical partners is expanding with CEMA, Hutchinson, and O’Neills Sportswear. Charles Liégeois Roastery provides enthusiastic support to our cyclocross team led by Bart Wellens, around which a real craze has developed. Also, we are happy to welcome NIPPO Corporation, a Japanese construction group with a long history in cycling, which comes to strengthen our Continental Development team. Finally, we are very pleased to be able to count on renewed and strengthened support from Intermarché for the years to come, which will soon be the subject of an announcement in Paris."
Jean-François Bourlart (General Manager) Tweet
"The common thread since our arrival in the World Tour has been the development of talent combined with the pursuit of success. We have instilled a culture of performance within our structure, offering young riders the time and confidence to develop, seeking to improve all aspects of nutrition, equipment, and coaching. The success of our World Team and our young riders from Wanty-NIPPO-ReUz, such as Huub Artz's European Championship title, is the result of a clear strategy and plan, established over several years." "It is also the result of collective work, with the mechanics and soigneurs who go above and beyond every day for quality service; it's the mastery of details with measuring the exact dose of rice cake, the correct choice of tire pressure… Our structure has established a solid backbone, with a performance team that brings together various specializations: Pieter Vanspeybrouck to analyze sprints, Dimitri Claeys responsible for talent development and focused on the classics, Bart Wellens with his cyclocross expertise for off-road competitions and tire choice analysis, and Sébastien Demarbaix specializing in hilly events and Steven De Neef who will lead our team in our season start in Australia from tomorrow." "We also have a coaching team led by former Dwars door Vlaanderen winner Frederik Veuchelen, in charge, for example, of Biniam Girmay's daily training schedules, whom he accompanies in Italy before Milan-San Remo. Alongside him, we have Adriaan Helmantel, who brings his time trial expertise, backed by three world titles with the Dutch national team in this discipline. Finally, Christophe Prémont is the head coach of Wanty-NIPPO-ReUz with a focus on young talents; he brings his valuable scientific perspective in connection with UCLouvain." "Our dream of victory on the Tour de France has become a reality, but we intend to take another step in 2025. We always want to be competitive in the classics, aim for podiums, and be competitive in the Monuments. I am convinced that we can aspire to play leading roles in Paris-Roubaix. We have regularly shone there in the past, placing a rider in the top 10 four times in the last four editions." "For the Grand Tours, our primary goal is to perform well in the Giro d'Italia, with Louis Meintjes, Kobe Goossens and Simone Petilli as spearheads in the mountains to target the general classification, Gerben Thijssen and his lead-out man Gijs Van Hoecke for the sprints, as well as the young Francesco Busatto for the more undulating stages. Then, we will return to the Tour de France with the objective of winning a stage with Biniam Girmay, surrounded by his loyal sprint train composed of Hugo Page and Laurenz Rex among others, and accompanied by the climbers Kobe Goossens and Georg Zimmermann."
Aike Visbeek (Performance Manager) Tweet
"Every day throughout the season, we work behind the scenes to improve our equipment, seeking the best configuration for our riders on their increasingly aerodynamic yet reliable CUBE bikes. It is the result of many years of work and fruitful collaborations with our technical partners that today culminates in a competitive CUBE bike, capable of rivaling the best teams. Our constant pursuit of progress in terms of equipment is reflected again this year with a new partnership with HUTCHINSON tires, the addition of SHIMANO pedals, but also in time trialing with the range of NEWMEN wheels specifically for this discipline."
Mikey van Kruiningen Tweet