The facts at a glance: next year’s Vuelta starts on Friday, August 19, with a team time trial in Utrecht. Team Jumbo-Visma wants to perform well there. The next race day takes the peloton from ’s-Hertogenbosch to Utrecht. During the third race day Breda-Breda is on the program.

“The fact that the Vuelta starts in the Netherlands is of course extremely nice for us as a Dutch cycling team”, explains an enthusiastic Sander Kruis, commercial manager. “The Vuelta is a special grand tour for us. We have a three-time winner with Primoz Roglic for example. The Tour of Spain is also the first major stage race that we put to our name: that remains special. And on top of that, our headquarters are in ’s-Hertogenbosch, the start location of the second day.”

Team Jumbo-Visma is therefore pulling out all the stops this summer to stir up the cycling craze in their own country and bring the Spanish atmosphere to the Netherlands. Team Jumbo-Visma wants to use the Vuelta to further stimulate the cycling craze in the Netherlands, Kruis continues. “For the fans, sponsors, partners, and riders alike, we will transform the Netherlands into a Spanish enclave for three days. I don’t want to reveal too much yet, but we are thinking of nice fan zones at each stage in the Netherlands, developing a specific shirt, an event where you can cycle with the Swapfiets from one section in the race to the next, things like that.”

With the passage of the Vuelta through the Netherlands, this race will also be a highlight outside of the sporting ambitions that Team Jumbo-Visma wants to focus on. Getting many people in touch with cycling at the highest level, therefore, fits well with the DNA of the team and what Team Jumbo-Visma stands for.

“With our Academy, for example, we are committed to encouraging young people to participate in sports”, clarifies Sander. “The moment the Vuelta passes through the Netherlands, we would like to get to know a lot of new people and especially inspire them. That can only benefit cycling. We are also using our brand new headquarters in ’s-Hertogenbosch for that purpose through an open day. With this, and the fan zones, unique fan items and events I mentioned earlier, we want to give all visitors a Team Jumbo-Visma experience.”

The riders of the team will also take care of that. Especially for the Dutch riders it is a unique experience to start in their own country in such a major tour.

“I still remember the hurricane of cheers when our riders passed through during the prologue of the Tour in Utrecht in 2015. Goosebumps. Let’s make it such a party here in August next year too. We will do everything we can to give everyone a great experience”, Kruis promises.