On the eve of a new season, CEO Jean-François Bourlart flashes back to the roads taken in the team’s first season in the World Tour (part 2)
JULY – NEW DYNAMICS
In the start of the summer, the team is affected by a severe accident of Maurits Lammertink, he was hit by a scooter during a walk with his family. The fourth participation to the Tour de France was disturbed by a flood of crashes during the first week, leading to the abandon of Loïc Vliegen and injuries of Zimmermann and Rota. But the team continued to move forward: Louis Meintjes finished fourteenth in the general classification, the six riders in Paris all obtained a top ten, among which a prestigious sixth place for Danny van Poppel in the royal sprint on the Champs-Elysées.
The after-Tour de France saw the activation of new positive dynamics. Zimmermann, another revelation, carried on after his first Tour and delivered the third victory of the season in the Tour de l’Ain, a succes which was coupled to the defense of the yellow leader’s jersey the next day. On the same day, Lorenzo Rota finished fourth in the Clasica San Sebastian despite a crash in the final kilometers. At the beginning of August, the final victory in the Arctic Race of Norway slipped out of Odd Eiking’s hands for only two seconds. Meanwhile, Taaramäe finished third in the Sazka Tour.
Jean-François Bourlart (CEO) :
« We were at the start of the Tour with GC ambitions with Louis Meintjes and sprint dreams with Danny van Poppel. Louis obtained his best Grand Tour result in four years, so he reached his best level in our colors. This was possible thanks to an adapted race calendar and a full confidence in our leader. Even though we had a difficult first week at the Tour, we haven’t been moping and waiting passively during the rest of the race. In contrary, we grew progressively day by day and delivered nice performances during the third week. This demonstrated the character reigning in this team. Also, it was the first Tour de France for our sponsor Intermarché, with who we maintain a warm connexion. »
AUGUST – THE RED DREAM
Mid-August, Eritrean rider Biniam Girmay Hailu made a sparkling start with the team in the Tour de Pologne, in the image of his teammates who continued to distinguish themselves with their enterprising and offensive attitude. It was in this way that Rein Taaramäe won in the Tour of Spain, the third stage towards Picon Blanco. Just like in the Giro, the stage win took place in the team’s first participation to the event. Cherry on the cake, the Estonian rider also became leader in the general and mountains classification, a position he kept for two days until a crash diverted him from the red jersey.
At the end of the tenth stage, Odd Eiking took over the precious red kit, enabling the red dream to continue. It lasted for seven more days, during which Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux’ line up was praised for its capacity to defend this position without having this experience in a Grand Tour. At the finish in Santiago de Compostela, Eiking was in eleventh place in the final classification. Never a rider of the team had done better in a three week event. The only negative note blemishing this incredible Vuelta was the unfortunate crash and abandon of Louis Meintjes two days before the end, as he was sitting in tenth position in the provisional classification.
Jean-François Bourlart (CEO)
« A stage victory and nine days with the leader’s jersey on our shoulders in our first Vuelta, that’s exceptional. Moreover, I remember the way we defended this position. This Tour of Spain is our reference race of 2021. The glances changed during the event, this new responsibility made us grow as a team. The eleventh place of Odd Christian Eiking in GC was unhoped, it was a very nice result even though it was outside the top 10. We can be proud of this nice collective performance. »
SEPTEMBER – OCTOBER : THE APOTHEOSIS
Inspired by his teammates in the Vuelta, Danny van Poppel rose his arms in the Egmont Cycling Race the day after Taaramäe’s victory. In the beginning of September, Taco van der Hoorn won in the Benelux Tour, again after a long day in the front, and Biniam Girmay took his first European victory in the Classic Grand Besançon. The podium apparitions were multiplied, Aimé De Gendt joined Remco Evenepoel on the podium of the Brussels Cycling Classic and the Druivenkoers Overijse and van der Hoorn was the only rider able to rival with van der Poel in the Antwerp Port Epic.
At the end of September, the team was represented by the most important contingent in its history at the World Championships in Leuven. For the first time, the team delegated an African rider at the start: Biniam Girmay in the U23 race. Thanks to a mind-blowing sprint, the 21 year old took the silver medal and wrote history by becoming the first African with a dark skin color to podium. This medal was also the first one for Eritrea and for Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux.
An exemplary team performance in the Omloop van het Houtland resulted in a victory for Taco van der Hoorn, once more after a long breakaway, ahead of his teammate Danny van Poppel, who continued to impress with regularity in the end of the season classics. On October 5th, the Dutch sprinter offered the best farewell present to Ludwig De Winter with a victory in Binche-Chimay-Binche, where the team feels home. Lorenzo Rota showed his aggressive racing style in the Italian classics, collecting five top ten finishes. The author of the first podium of the season, Pasqualon, also took the last with a second place in the Ronde van Drenthe, the final race of the season.
Jean-François Bourlart (CEO) :
« The medal of Biniam Girmay resonated as the birth of a continental hero. His performance in Leuven was the confirmation of his big talent. Concerning the victory of Danny in Binche, it was the apotheosis of the season, an insane victory on our home soil. What we achieved during our first year in the World Tour, each of the nine victories and the numerous podiums, were the fruit of the work of all riders, staff and an unwavering confidence of our partners. Of course, it is always possible to do better, for example in the classics or the Tour de France. With our strengthened line up and staff and the family of partners, we will start 2022 with new ambitions. »
