Interview: Jenco Drost

"My role is the Head of Performance Equipment for Team Visma – Lease a Bike," begins Jenco Drost as we connect to discuss the team's use and success with Gravaa.

"That means I'm responsible for the innovation within the team and a technical spokesperson for our partners, feeding back to them details on how things are going, possible issues and improvements and things like that." If it sounds like a dream job for a cycling fan, it is, although naturally, it comes with a lot of responsibility. "It certainly does,” says Jenco. “But we have great partners and people. Between them, there's a feeling that success is a group effort."

Photo: Bram Berkien

How does the process of bringing a new technical partner to the team and the bikes play out? "If we take Gravaa as an example, we start by having some talks and gauging the potential of the product - can it help us, can it be a benefit for the team? If we pass that first hurdle, we begin the process of getting riders on board and asking them to take the tech for a test ride. The same applies to everything on the bike, including tires and touchpoints. A training ride is a good shakedown."

Then comes the data about the benefits or negatives in some cases. "But there's a big difference between training and racing," he laughs. "At some point, we decide to give the ultimate test. For Gravaa, it took about half a year to reach the race course." As Jenco notes, innovation sometimes involves risk. "Maybe you're not putting your neck on the line, but there's an awareness that the first time a piece of equipment is ridden in anger, things may not go to plan." He also highlights the importance of ensuring the riders are confident with the new equipment. "We'd never surprise riders with anything new a week before a big race, as an example," he says. "Above all else, the riders have to feel comfortable." 

Photo: Léon van Bon

With a product like Gravaa, which ushers in a new era of adaptable tire pressure, Jenco emphasizes the importance of briefing riders and giving them enough time to get used to the product, the extra cockpit controls, and the strategic benefits of the technology, as well as how to deploy it. "We're not Formula 1, but we are still pretty data-driven," he says. "I don't just use my experience to get the riders comfortable, but also any data we can leverage to show improvement. That way, things become very clear: I believe in this, we've tested it, we like it, and the data shows a benefit. Time to race."

As Jenco explains, the Classics present the perfect opportunity for riders to consider how to utilize adaptable tire pressure to the best effect. "During recon, we highlight where might be a good spot to lower the pressure and where to increase it. Ultimately, we want to make it as easy as possible, like a notification from their Garmin as a reminder." 

Another aspect of Jenco's role within the team, he says, is ensuring equipment is used correctly, which means providing the team's 25 mechanics with the knowledge and training to keep things rolling. And with three bikes per rider, it all adds up to a lot of work and wheels. "There are multiple ways of building a bike," he notes. "We want the perfect way." 

Photo: Léon van Bon

In the case of Gravaa, he needed the mechanics not just to understand how the system worked but to embrace the change that the technology represents. "They have to come along for the journey," he says. "We're fortunate that we have a young team of mechanics who are all open to new things and happy to see innovation. That attitude makes a huge difference." How does he go about building their trust? "It takes time, of course," he admits. "There's a lot of relationship building in the first year. But when they see results come, that I support them, trust them and have a proper process for introducing new equipment and new partners, everything comes together, and we start to work together as a powerful unit." 

Photos: Bram Berkien

Jenco highlights the symbiotic nature of the team, noting that if the mechanics like a piece of technology, their enthusiasm feeds back to the riders, which gives them even greater confidence. "The relationship between mechanic and rider is close, although we do rotate mechanics between races, so one rider might see different mechanics throughout the year," he says. "Within the same race, though, the riders will always see the same team of mechanics."

Do the team take different equipment to different races? A certain technology for the Tour de France that might not meet the road at another stage race, for example? "Our equipment for stage races doesn't vary too much," he admits. "Of course, the course might indicate the need for a climbing bike or a time trial bike, so within the race, there's a chopping and changing. But for the equipment itself, no, Of course, that changes for the Classics and single-day events like Milan-San Remo, which again have their own requirements within the bounds of the type of racing they represent."

Photo: Léon van Bon

Getting back to Gravaa, when did the team first deploy the system in a race environment? "I think it was in 2023 for Roubaix," he says. "We had three riders. It was a really early stage for the product, and since then, it's developed a lot." What did the riders think of it? "They felt like it was a game-changer. They could cruise on the tarmac at a higher pressure, and then when they entered the cobbles, they could push harder and in greater comfort with lower pressures. Everyone had that feedback, more control, more comfort and more power. They all felt the benefit."

One of those riders, Pauline Ferrand-Prévôt, rode the Gravaa system in the recon for Flanders for the first time and was immediately convinced of its advantages, says Jenco. "She came back from altitude, tested the system on Friday with the recon while I was there, and then raced it on Sunday. The following week at Roubaix, she rode the system again and won the race. From the first spin to the win, it all happened a lot quicker than usual!"

Photo: Léon van Bon

That Jenco could introduce Pauline to the system in such a short time speaks to the confidence the riders have in his judgement. "She also spoke to Marianne Vos, who also won on the system," he says. "So maybe that had more of an impact!"

As we come to the end of our chat, I ask Jenco about a moment he's most proud of, where his role and technology all came together for one perfect moment on the road. He highlights the team's win in the time trial at the 2023 Tour de France. "Jonas beat Tadej by over a minute. It was a huge focus point for everyone, of course, but for Jonas to win by that margin and have everything come together was an incredible experience," he says. "We've already spoken about it, but Pauline's victory was sensational and an incredible moment. When we introduce new technology, like Gravaa, at the highest level of racing and have it make a seismic impact on the result, we can all go home happy with a job well done!