EF Schooling-EasyPost is gearing up for an thrilling problem on the 2024 Tour de France with a powerful 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 deal with aiming for stage victories.
The crew’s lineup additionally contains 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 regarded 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 subsequent day.
“After my crash at Suisse, I acquired sick,” mentioned Carapaz within the crew’s press launch. “My kind will arrive late, however I’ll give my greatest for this Tour de France.”
The American crew invested closely in Carapaz as their Grand Tour contender once they signed him in 2023, however he injured his knee in a crash on stage 1 and was pressured out of the race.
Whereas the crew may not have a rider who can compete towards Tour de France favorite Tadej Pogačar (UAE Group 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 house. 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 a powerful, versatile crew. We will win on all types of terrain.
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“The primary week will likely be very laborious, however I’ll attempt to get by means of it as greatest as potential. Successful a stage is tremendous vital. Within the final editions, I used to be very shut, so successful one could be crucial for me, but in addition to the crew and everybody who ready for that second.”
The 2024 Tour de France begins in Florence, Italy, fairly 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 will likely be his first race within the Italian champion’s jersey, giving him further motivation to attempt 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 very well. I wish to win a stage on the Tour. I have been shut earlier than and know I can do it.
“This 12 months is actually vital 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 lots to me.
“You must be prepared and also you all the time need to struggle, as a result of successful within the Tour isn’t like successful in another races. It is doubly laborious to win a stage on the Tour, particularly for an all-rounder like me. I feel the crew is making a wise 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 might like to try to win a stage,” Healy mentioned. “I would like a reasonably laborious day trip with a tough end. Stage 1 appears actually good for me, however there are just a few in the direction of the top of the second week as properly.
“For the reason that Ardennes, I’ve knuckled down and executed the altitude camps and a few good races. The preparation has gone properly for me. I am excited that we will get to go for our personal alternatives.”
Powless was near successful 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 damage that stored him out of competitors for 2 months.
“I feel this was in all probability the toughest 12 months I’ve had but with accidents and diseases, so I am simply excited that I used to be in a position to overcome that and nonetheless race the Tour de France,” he mentioned. “Successful a stage is my before everything purpose, and I feel I’ve acquired the health to do it. It is nearly getting it proper on the day, simply following the best strikes and utilizing my vitality correctly.
“I feel everybody on the crew is keen to take their shot. Each one among 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 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 by means of lots after my crash this spring. I labored very laborious 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 greatest to struggle for a stage, struggle as a crew and get wins for the crew. I imagine we are going to win. We are going to get an enormous one this 12 months.”
EF Schooling-EasyPost for the 2024 Tour de France
- Alberto Bettiol
- Stefan Bissegger
- Richard Carapaz
- Rui Costa
- Ben Healy
- Neilson Powless
- Sean Quinn
- Marijn van den Berg
