Groenewegen entered the AlUla hotel room with flashbacks: "Then I thought, I felt really awful here last year"

The journey to Saudi Arabia took longer than expected for the entire peloton due to unforeseen circumstances at the AlUla Airport. Eventually, everyone made it to their beds, though it was well into the early hours of Monday morning local time. Groenewegen has been around long enough to know that those things are also part of the sport.

"The flight was a bit longer than expected, but well, that’s the same for everyone. We were able to sleep in a bit," the Dutchman shrugged. "I also experienced this last year, but back then it was because of weather conditions. That was in Spain, flying from Alicante to Valencia and back. You just have to accept these situations as they are. It is what it is and you have to take it as it comes," he said, throwing in two one-liners for good measure.

How could Groenewegen possibly be downhearted, under these circumstances? His season is starting, and it’s kicking off in a race sponsored by one of his team’s main backers, no less. "I feel pressure in every race, but of course, it’s perhaps a bit more because we’re racing with AlUla on our jerseys. But I need that pressure. I feel good and look forward to starting the season here. I love this race and have already won a few stages here, so I have good memories. Last year, we also won the GC with Simon Yates, although things didn’t go as well for me back then. I got a bit sick."

"A bit sick" is quite the understatement, as Groenewegen spent a good part of 2024 vomiting while riding. "When I entered the hotel room here, I did think to myself: I felt really awful here last year. I learned the consequences of that because I tried to keep going. In hindsight, I shouldn’t have done that. But this is our sponsor’s race, and I always love being here. You want to show yourself, but looking back, I pushed on for too long while being sick."

With Jayco focusing on the Tour Down Under and AlUla sponsoring the AlUla Tour, Groenewegen’s team has two major commitments early in the season. "It doesn’t really affect the preparation," he explained when asked. "As a sprinter, you actually want to maintain a consistent and high level all year, with a few peaks. I trained well all winter, including a few weeks in Spain."

"There are three opportunities for sprinters here, though the wind could impact the race. But we have a strong team for that, too. Then there are two stages for the climbers, where Eddie Dunbar will do his thing. All in all, it’s a great, balanced race," Groenewegen said about the five-day event in Saudi Arabia. "Everyone in the team is in good shape and motivated, and we’ve looked at how we can do things better. We’re trying to approach some things differently, and that way we hope to show what we’re capable of."

So what exactly needs to be different according to the team leader? "We can align ourselves a bit better as a team. I may have thought differently about that last year, but now we’re trying to tighten that up and bring it into the race. We’re learning from the mistakes we made but also building on the things we did well."

It’s clear that Groenewegen is raring to go for his first sprint, likely on Tuesday. "It’s not necessarily different, but it’s just that you’re excited to race again. You train all winter, and eventually, you reach a level where you feel ready to race. Then you want the racing to start because you’ve done all the preparation," he explained. And how about that adrenaline, which sprinters thrive on? "You do miss that tension a bit. The feeling of crossing the finish first — yeah, you miss that during the winter. But winter is also nice because you get to be with your family."

Finally, Groenewegen commented on losing a competitor and teammate, Caleb Ewan, who recently left for INEOS Grenadiers. "There had been some uncertainties for a while. We didn’t know much until we got word last week that he was leaving. Caleb wanted a change, and they came to an agreement with all parties." Groenewegen noted that Ewan’s lead-out rider, Max Walscheid, is now partially joining his train alongside Luka Mezgec and Elmar Reinders. "Max will be part of it here. For the Tour, we’ll have to reassess. He’s still a classic rider who loves those races, so I will also have to miss him sometimes. But here and in the UAE Tour, he’ll be with us."