Will Bomboi become TDT-Unibet's multiple winner? 'I'm focusing more and more on my sprint'

Davide Bomboi was the man of the fall at TDT-Unibet in 2023. Inde Tour of Britain, he sprinted to the top ten in each of the first five stages and to top it off, he finished third in the Elfstedenrace in October. IDLProcycling sought him out to ask about his ambitions for 2024.

Fleming especially wants to continue searching for his ceiling.'Actually, I want to continue in the same way in 2024. Of course, I hope to do even better so I'm focusing more and more on mysprint. That's my weapon and I want to improve in that. I have also set myself the goal of regularly competing for the top five and even the top three in higher profile races in the coming year.'

Bomboi does not yet dare to say with complete certainty that he will win a pro race as early as 2024, but he does dream of it. 'It means that in 2024 or 25 I do want to compete for victory in UCI.1 races (professional races like the Elfstedenrace, ed.). That is my biggest ambition for the near future. In UCI.Pro races (like the Tour of Britain, ed.) I'm aiming for regular top-five finishes.'

But the fast Fleming cannot achieve those good placings alone. Bomboi will become one of the spearheads on the team of Bas Tietema and wants to be taken to the finals better than in 2023. 'I think the team has recruited good guys to take me to the finish. In the past year you already saw that I was brought very well to the last kilometer, but with this team I think I will have a man with me in that last kilometer as well. That we didn't have that in 2023 was our weakness in the sprints.'

Although Bomboi is cautious, because he is also aware that sprinting is about more than just positioning. I will have to get a lot stronger myself to really compete for wins in races like the Elfstedenrace, but I think these reinforcements will help a lot.

The Belgian was already getting closer and closer to his ultimate breakthrough during last season, culminating in the Elfstedenrace. He finished third, behind world class riders Jasper Philipsen and Olav Kooij. Philipsen and Bomboi are in the same training group, so the TDT-Unibet rider spoke to the champion after the race. I remember saying something to him like, "It's nice to be on the podium with all these people here," but Jasper was not impressed! Of course, he has been on stage so many times before. He responded nonchalantly with: "Well, yes." For me it was special, but of course not for Jasper!