Cycling: Alpecin – Deceuninck celebrated numerous successes in 2024. Superstars Mathieu van der Poel and Jasper Philipsen led the team into the top ten again this season. But the two are only responsible for 50 percent of the season's victories.
 |
 |
Alpecin – Deceuninck 2024: More than just Philipsen & Van der Poel
Team Alpecin-Deceuninck remains in the top ten of the UCI team rankings for the second year in a row. As in the previous year, the Belgians finished eighth in 2024. And they have once again demonstrated that they are not dependent on their two superstars, Mathieu van der Poel and Jasper Philipsen. The pair were responsible for 13 of the 26 season victories and undoubtedly delivered the biggest successes. The Dutchman won, among other races, the E3 Classic, the Tour of Flanders, and Paris-Roubaix. The Belgian can be pleased with, among other achievements, three stage wins at the Tour de France and victory at Milan-San Remo. But other riders on the team also contributed to the success. The young Axel Laurance, for example, won four races, and sprinter Kaden Groves three.
Axel Laurance moves to Ineos Grenadiers
Not many teams in the WorldTour have such a clear focus as Alpecin-Deceuninck. It's clear: Van der Poel and Philipsen are the captains, and they are expected to deliver the major victories. Behind them, there are many races that offer opportunities for all the other riders. Axel Laurance, for example , took advantage of these opportunities in 2024. He won four races, but was naturally only a domestique or not even present at the most important ones. This wasn't compatible with his high ambitions, which is why he's leaving after just one season. The young Frenchman is moving to Ineos Grenadiers, where he will now be competing against his two former captains. The loss of Søren Kragh Andersen is also painful. The Dane was always a reliable domestique in one-day races. German Jason Osborne is ending his career, although that's not entirely accurate. He will now concentrate on gravel racing and e-sports. He no longer sees himself in professional road cycling.
The direction will not change in 2025
Three riders from the team's own development squad are joining the squad, with Dutchman Tibor del Grosso likely being the most exciting of the bunch. However, the most promising talent is Gal Glivar. The Slovenian arrives from Gen Z UAE Team and is very comfortable on hilly terrain. For example, he finished third in the U23 Tour of Lombardy a few weeks ago. Johan Price-Pejtersen and Simon Dehairs, both strong time trialists and sprinters respectively, strengthen the team's roster of endurance-oriented classics specialists. All in all, very little is changing at Team Alpecin-Deceuninck. We can therefore expect a similar performance.