EF Training-EasyPost is gearing up for an thrilling problem on the 2024 Tour de France with a robust crew and excessive ambitions for stage wins. With crew chief Richard Carapaz recovering from sickness following a crash on the Tour de Suisse, the crew is inserting its concentrate on aiming for stage victories.
The crew’s lineup additionally consists of Alberto Bettiol, Stefan Bissegger, Rui Costa, Ben Healy, Neilson Powless, Sean Quinn and Marijn van den Berg.
His build-up to the 2024 Tour de France seemed promising, with a stage win on the Tour de Romandie on the finish of April, however he bumped into extra unhealthy luck within the Tour de Suisse with a crash on stage 4 left him with a reduce on his face that required stitches. He dropped out the following day.
“After my crash at Suisse, I bought sick,” mentioned Carapaz within the crew’s press launch. “My kind will arrive late, however I’ll give my finest for this Tour de France.”
The American crew invested closely in Carapaz as their Grand Tour contender after they signed him in 2023, however he injured his knee in a crash on stage 1 and was compelled out of the race.
Whereas the crew won’t have a rider who can compete in opposition to Tour de France favorite Tadej Pogačar (UAE Staff Emirates) and rivals Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike), Primož Roglič (Bora-Hansgrohe) or Remco Evenepoel (Soudal-Quickstep), Carapaz has confidence they’ll make an impression on the person levels as they did in 2023.
“Final 12 months was powerful. I needed to go residence. This 12 months, we’re going for it once more. Everybody round me is aware of how a lot I’ve ready for this. We’ve got a robust, versatile crew. We are able to win on all types of terrain.
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“The primary week can be very exhausting, however I’ll attempt to get via it as finest as attainable. Successful a stage is tremendous necessary. Within the final editions, I used to be very shut, so profitable one could be crucial for me, but additionally to the crew and everybody who ready for that second.”
The 2024 Tour de France begins in Florence, Italy, slightly than in France as Paris prepares to host the Olympic Video games. The Grand Départ occurs to be going down in Bettiol’s hometown and can be his first race within the Italian champion’s jersey, giving him further motivation to strive for the primary race chief’s jersey.
“It should be very, very particular,” Bettiol mentioned within the crew’s announcement. “I do know the roads rather well. I need to win a stage on the Tour. I have been shut earlier than and know I can do it.
“This 12 months is absolutely necessary for me,” he added. “I am not tremendous younger anymore. I haven’t got too a few years in entrance of me. Successful the Italian championship was a purpose and one other purpose is to win a stage within the Tour de France. To win on this jersey would imply quite a bit to me.
“It’s a must to be prepared and also you at all times need to combat, as a result of profitable within the Tour will not be like profitable in another races. It is doubly exhausting to win a stage on the Tour, particularly for an all-rounder like me. I believe the crew is making a sensible option to go for levels. It’ll be enjoyable and actually thrilling.”
Healy will make his Tour de France debut after having a profitable Giro d’Italia in 2023 with a stage win. The primary stage, with a a lot more durable than regular elevation profile, is on his radar.
“I would like to try to win a stage,” Healy mentioned. “I want a reasonably exhausting day trip with a tough end. Stage 1 seems actually good for me, however there are a couple of in the direction of the top of the second week as properly.
“Because the Ardennes, I’ve knuckled down and achieved the altitude camps and a few good races. The preparation has gone properly for me. I am excited that we’ll get to go for our personal alternatives.”
Powless was near profitable a stage within the Tour de France in 2022 and got here inside 4 seconds of taking the maillot jaune. This 12 months, he is struggled with a knee harm that stored him out of competitors for 2 months.
“I believe this was most likely the toughest 12 months I’ve had but with accidents and sicknesses, so I am simply excited that I used to be capable of overcome that and nonetheless race the Tour de France,” he mentioned. “Successful a stage is my at the start purpose, and I believe I’ve bought the health to do it. It is nearly getting it proper on the day, simply following the appropriate strikes and utilizing my vitality correctly.
“I believe everybody on the crew is raring to take their shot. Each certainly one of us has one thing to show. We’ve not had the smoothest spring as a crew and everyone seems to be chomping on the bit to make up for that.”
After his victory within the Portuguese championships, Costa can also be aiming to win a stage after a troublesome spring. He crashed in February on the Volta ao Algarve and suffered a concussion together with a damaged collarbone and scapula.
“I went via quite a bit after my crash this spring. I labored very exhausting to get match for the Tour and to get chosen for it. In the long run, it labored out and I am tremendous grateful for the choice and that the crew believes in me,” Costa mentioned. “I’ll do my finest to combat for a stage, combat as a crew and get wins for the crew. I imagine we’ll win. We are going to get an enormous one this 12 months.”
EF Training-EasyPost for the 2024 Tour de France
Alberto BettiolStefan BisseggerRichard CarapazRui CostaBen HealyNeilson PowlessSean Quinn Marijn van den Berg
