Update Richard Plugge - July 2025
Bonjour tous, With the Tour de France kicking off in Lille on Saturday and the Giro Donne starting in Bergamo on Sunday, we’re heading into the most beautiful part of the season. Holidays are beginning, spectators are lining the roads, and we’re ready to show our best side.
With Simon’s victory in the Giro d’Italia, we’ve started the Grand Tour season on a high note. Consistency, courage, incredibly strong riders, and great tactical and strategic insight brought us the top prize. A perfect example of winning together – three weeks long, from Tirana to Rome. It shows what’s possible when you're in top physical shape and have a well-thought-out plan that is executed to perfection. Our Yellow B. signature was engraved all over those three weeks in Italy.
The same will apply in the upcoming Tour de France. Edo, Jonas, Matteo, Sepp, Simon, Tiesj, Victor, and Wout have had a nearly flawless run-up, and after hard work during altitude training in Tignes, they’re ready. The team management has once again prepared the plans down to the finest detail, and we’re looking forward to turning the Tour de France yellow. Whatever the outcome, with our approach we can once again leave a significant mark.
Our women’s team is also ready for the big Italian adventure. The Giro Donne is one of the most beautiful races of the season, and we have a strong chance to shine. With Marianne, who already has an impressive record in Italy, Lieke returning to top-level racing, and Eva, Maud, Mijntje, Rosita, and newly crowned national champion Viktória, we’re set for a spectacular race there as well.
And all of this with Rabobank once again on our jersey. We can all be very proud to welcome the bank as our sponsor. The plans are ambitious—we want to grow cycling in the Netherlands together. Rabobank is also the partner of Ready2Race, through which we aim to share the joy of cycling with kids. From children to professionals, we support the entire cycling pyramid together. In addition, we’ve partnered with Nike—an iconic global brand that’s a great fit for us as Yellow B. And together with Nimble, we’ve launched our own cycling apparel brand, which the riders will start wearing from July.
We’re heading into a busy but fantastic summer, with activities on many fronts. But also a summer in which we can be incredibly proud of our team and ourselves—because together we’ve already achieved so much this season. Wishing you all the best for what’s ahead! I have great confidence in our team and our approach—let the Yellow B’s shine!