Three experienced, former Tour de France stage winners will lead the charge for Team Jayco AlUla at the 2024 edition in the shape of Australian powerhouse Michael Matthews, Dutch sprint star Dylan Groenewegen and general classification contender Simon Yates.
With 11 Tour de France stage victories between them, the three leaders know what it takes to win on the biggest stage and provide the Australian outfit with diverse, promising options. The squad is set to make its 13th appearance at ‘La Grande Boucle’ with the goal of challenging for success on all fronts, from stage wins to an overall podium finish.
Eyes on the top-three in Nice
After finishing just shy of the podium last year, which would have delivered the Briton a top-three overall placing in each of the three Grand Tours, Simon Yates is eyeing a spot on the overall podium this time round, to bolster his impressive palmarès.
The 2018 Vuelta a España champion will have a strong, well gelled group around him, similar to last year’s Team Jayco AlUla line-up, with Australia’s Chris Harper set to be his key wingman in the brutal mountain stages.
Yates: “It is always exciting to be getting ready for the TDF and we’re feeling confident going into the race with a similar team to 2023. After last year with two close second place stage finishes and fourth overall, it would be nice to get on to the top step and overall podium. I have held the leader’s jersey in the Giro and Vuelta and podiumed overall in both but not in the TDF yet. That’s a big goal of mine.”
Sprints on the radar
After getting the team off to a brilliant start in 2022 with a spectacular stage three victory, which provided his fifth individual Tour de France career win, Groenewegen is hungry for more bunch sprint success in the 2024 edition. With a well-tuned sprint train that consists of trusted Dutch compatriot Elmar Reinders and Slovenian Luka Mezgec, the squad is confident that, if the Dutch rocket is in the right position, he is still one of the fastest riders in the world and can deliver.
Groenewegen: “I’m feeling good, and I think there should be seven or eight sprint stages at this year’s Tour so that’s good for me and I’m looking forward to it. My shape has been growing and growing every week and it’s nice to have the Tour of Slovenia in the legs now too. I’ve been working well with the team and the sprint group, Elmar and Luka are in good shape too. I have had some wins this season, but also lot of second and third places. I know the speed is there and I want to get it right at the Tour. I’m looking forward to being at my third Tour de France with this team and we have a very strong group with Matthews and also Yates.”
Ready for anything
After a strong start to the season with a stunning second place in Milan-San Remo, Michael Matthews is enjoying stellar form and lines up ready to embark on his eighth Tour de France with fire in his belly. With an experienced support group around him including fellow compatriot Luke Durbridge, who will make his 10th TDF appearance, plus Dane Chris Juul-Jensen, ready to make his sixth appearance, Matthews is more motivated than ever to get his hands in the air once again at the Tour de France. The 33-year-old will be looking for key stages that suit his talents, ready to take every opportunity that unfolds, particularly on relentless days.
Matthews – “I’m looking forward to returning to the Tour this year and after my stage win in 2022, I really want to take another win in 2024. I’m feeling in good shape, I had a good start to the season, I was on the podium again at Milan-San Remo and have been close to some wins, so after a lot of training at altitude and some stage recons I hope everything will fall into place at the Tour. It’s interesting starting in Florence and will be cool starting the final stage in Monaco where I live. The team we have is solid, we all know each other well and it’s been a similar team to the last years so we’re ready.”
The 2024 Tour de France will take us from a unique Italian Grand Depart in Florence to an untraditional finish location in Nice, where the 21-day race will conclude with a 33.7km race against the clock.
2024 Team Jayco AlUla TDF Team:
Luke Durbridge – (AUS) – 10th appearance
Dylan Groenewegen – (NED) – 6th appearance
Chris Harper – (AUS) – 2nd appearance
Chris Juul-Jensen – (DEN) – 6th appearance
Michael Matthews – (AUS) – 8th appearance
Luka Mezgec – (SLO) – 5th appearance
Elmar Reinders – (NED) – 2nd appearance
Simon Yates – (GBR) – 7th appearance
