Van Aert again strongest at Heusden-Zolder
Wout van Aert has won at Heusden-Zolder for the third year in a row. On the fast...
Hagenes ready for final step up with three professional victories under his belt
The development of Per Strand Hagenes is progressing rapidly. The 20-year-old rider has been part of Team Jumbo-Visma's development squad since the beginning of 2022. He will officially become part of the team's WorldTour squad in 2024. "This is what I have been working hard for all these years", he says.
At the end of March, Hagenes showed his talent among the professionals at the Ronde van Drenthe. He rode solo to victory in the Dutch one-day race. In terrible weather conditions the then-teenager took his first victory among the professionals and showed his potential.
Later in the season, Hagenes won another stage in the 4 Jours de Dunkerque and the Münsterland Giro. The three professional victories in his second year with the Jumbo-Visma Development Team show that he is ready to move up.
"I have learnt and experienced a lot in the Development Team over the past two seasons", Hagenes says. "The training camps, the challenging race programme and the mental lessons have made me the rider I am today."
The Norwegian does not have to think long about what he has learnt the most from. “Without a doubt the racing with and between the riders of the WorldTour team. We worked well together last season. I have learnt a lot from racing with the pros and achieved good results. If someone had predicted this before the start of the season, I would have signed up in a heartbeat."
"Partly because I got a taste of racing at the highest level last year, I expect the step up to be smooth", Hagenes continues. "I felt very much at home among the experienced riders. Of course, not everything went perfectly. I had setbacks like injuries and illness. As a result, I was not able to finish the season as I had planned, but I am still happy with last year."
"It feels like a dream come true"
The up-and-coming neo-pro explains how he first came onto the radar of Jumbo-Visma. "We met at a training camp. At that time, I was still riding without a contract. After tests and talks, I joined the Jumbo-Visma U23 team in 2022. I have worked hard over the last two seasons. And now, I am going to join the WorldTour team. It feels like a dream come true."
"I will always treasure my time with the U23s", the former world junior champion adds. "It was a nice group with a lot of guys of the same age and generation. We learnt a lot from each other and from the coaching staff. We had a lot of fun together. With Johannes Staune-Mittet and Loe van Belle, I feel ready to take the step to the pros."
