Taco van der Hoorn inks two-year extension with Intermarché-Wanty

Interarché-Wanty has introduced a two-year extension with a well-liked Dutch racer Taco Van Der Horn Wednesday.

Van der Hoorn, a stage winner within the Giro d’Italia and single-day races such because the Omloop van Het Houtland and Brussels Biking Classics, will stay with the crew till 2026.

The 31-year-old spent 16 months on the sidelines Recovering from a severe concussion He continued on the Tour of Flanders for 2023 and at last returned to racing in August. He picked up his first win since his mind harm at Betcity Eleven city race in October From separatism.

Workforce efficiency director Ike Visbeek mentioned the group had missed him throughout his lengthy absence.

“Taco van der Hoorn is considered one of our hottest characters, a racer admired by the followers for his aggressive racing fashion,” mentioned Visbeek. “Along with Biniyam Girmay, Louis Meintjes, Simone Betelli, Lorenzo Rota and Georg Zimmermann, he kinds the core of the crew on which we have now been constructing our id since becoming a member of the World Tour in 2021.

“Tako is a task mannequin, he conjures up his teammates together with his good temper, which is why we missed him a lot throughout his lengthy absence. Upon his return in August, he was instantly able to carry out and managed to keep up this stage till the World Cup.” On the finish of the season, we’re very blissful that we will rely on him once more within the coming seasons, and collectively we are going to proceed to attain victories, particularly within the Classics.”

Van der Hoorn was a relative latecomer to the WorldTour, having signed with Jumbo-Visma in 2019 on the age of 25, after a profitable season with Roompot that included a stage win on the BinckBank Tour.

He joined Intermarché in 2021 and took three wins that 12 months together with a Giro d’Italia stage win the place he bested the chase by simply 4 seconds after being in a breakaway at kilometer zero.

Van der Hoorn got here inside millimeters of A Tour of France Profitable the stage in 2022, he was narrowly edged out by Simon Clarke from a five-man escape. He appeared set for an additional try at victory in Grand Excursions in 2023 till an accident on the Tour of Flanders left him with a critical concussion.

Along with his lengthy highway to restoration over, Van der Hoorn mentioned he has confidence sooner or later.

“It is tough to sum up all of the progress that has been revamped the previous 18 months, however I hope my expertise serves for instance to anybody going by a darkish interval,” the affable Dutch racer mentioned. “I selected to proceed my profession with Intermarché-Wanty, as we share the identical imaginative and prescient.

“My private ambition matches completely with the crew’s objectives. I’ve the total confidence of the sporting administrators in races the place I believe I’ve a very good probability of doing properly. Furthermore, because of the great environment within the crew, I at all times have a very good time within the race, which is a vital issue for for me.

“Lastly, we have now very aggressive gear. I really feel concerned and I really feel heard within the improvement of our gear. I share the identical imaginative and prescient with our Head of Tools, Micky van Kroeningen, who at all times strives to push the boundaries along with our expertise companions.”