Koen Bouwman will go away Visma-Lease a Bike on the finish of this season to hitch Jayco-Alula. The two-time Giro d’Italia stage winner has signed a two-year contract with the Australian group, who’ve already confirmed the arrival of Ben O’Connor from Decathlon-AG2R.
“Within this group, I can fulfil my desires and personal ambitions which I nonetheless strongly have,” Bouwman stated in an announcement launched on Thursday. “After being in a group the place basic classification was crucial a part of each race, I wish to race aggressively and on the offensive once more.”
Bouwman has spent his complete profession with Visma, having turned skilled in 2016. He was a mainstay of their Giro squad for a lot of that point. After inserting twelfth total within the race in 2021, he claimed two stage victories and the king of the mountains title the next yr.
That success appeared to mark a breakthrough for Bouwman, who had gained a stage of the Critérium du Dauphiné earlier in his profession. Despite his aptitude as a climber, nonetheless, he was by no means included within the Visma line-up for the Tour de France. He claimed the general title on the Settimana Coppi e Bartali this season, however Bouwman later missed out on driving the Giro after falling unwell on the Tour de Romandie.
“Racing Grand Tours and being a part of a protracted and intense preparation is what I like probably the most about biking,” Bouwman stated. “Being away for a very long time on the highway with a gaggle and sharing all the great and dangerous moments collectively is one thing I like. I’ve finished 9 Grand Tours to this point however by no means the Tour de France, which is excessive on my checklist to race sooner or later.”
Bouwman is the fourth new signing confirmed by Jayco-Alula for 2024 after O’Connor, neo-professional Hamish McKenzie and British rider Paul Double, who joins from Polti-Kometa.
“Koen is a superb addition for us,” stated Jayco-AlUla basic supervisor Brent Copeland. “He will likely be a powerful domestique for GC riders like Ben O’Connor and we all know he has the expertise, after working with GC riders at Team Visma. Bouwman is won’t solely match into that position, however he can even have the chance to get outcomes for himself within the smaller one-week races.”
Simon Yates, who has led the road for the group at Grand Tours for a lot of the previous decade, has confirmed that he’ll go away the group on the finish of this season to hitch Visma-Lease a Bike.