Tulett aims for overall victory in Basque Country with Team Visma | Lease a Bike
Next week, between the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix, the 63rd edition of the Itzulia Basque Country will take place. Team Visma | Lease a Bike will start the Basque stage race in Irun on Monday with a strong climbing team. Ben Tulett is one of them.
The 22-year-old Briton is in his first season in the jersey of Team Visma | Lease a Bike. The Sevenoaks rider joined the team last winter from INEOS Grenadiers. Tulett says he has enjoyed the first few months with his new team. "The start of the season has been good. I have been able to get used to a new environment. It has been good for me. Of course, a start like this is always nerve-wracking, but I have been well looked after", Tulett says.
"It is incredible to see how everyone in the team brings out the best in themselves and each other. I had heard good stories about how the team worked before I joined, but it still surprised me. It was also a great feeling to be part of the team that won O Gran Camiño and Tirreno-Adriatico with Jonas Vingegaard. That gave me a lot of motivation. It really tastes like more."
On the eve of the Tour of the Basque Country, Tulett can hardly wait to don his team's jersey again and support Vingegaard in his quest for the overall title. "I want to help him to win the GC. I hope to be able to help him in the crucial moments of the race. That is my main goal for this race."
"We are preparing for six intense days"
The Basque stage race begins on Monday with a 10-kilometre time trial. The final stage, the queen stage, takes place on day six. The stages are rarely flat, as the Spanish region has steep hills and climbs. Vingegaard is the defending champion. In 2018 and 2021, Primoz Roglic won the race for Team Visma | Lease a Bike. Next week, Vingegaard will take on his former teammate Roglic for the first time. Remco Evenepoel will also be competing, so the field is quite strong.
For Tulett, it will be a great experience to be part of Team Visma | Lease a Bike. "It is a pleasure to ride in the same team as Jonas and Sepp Kuss. They are great champions, and I am happy to go the extra mile for them. They bring me to a higher level. The Itzulia Basque Country is one of the toughest races on the cycling calendar. It will be a battle from the first day to the last metres on the final day. We are preparing for six intense days. We hope to take the overall win."
Line-up Team Visma | Lease a Bike Itzulia Basque Country: Ben Tulett, Jonas Vingegaard, Sepp Kuss, Steven Kruijswijk, Milan Vader, Johannes Staune Mittet & Loe van Belle.
Sport Directors: Addy Engels & Frans Maassen.
