Mike Tunissen has signed a two-year contract with the team and will join Intermarche Wantigovert starting in 2023.After four successful seasons, including a victory in the opening stage of the 2019 Tour de France, the Dutchman will leave Jumbo Visma.

The Tunissen deal was announced shortly after Alexander Kristoff's decision to leave Intermarche Wantigover at the end of the season to join Uno X, with the transfer season opening on August 1. 3]

Tunissen will lead the Intermarke classic team next season, alongside Ghent-Wevelgem winner Biniam Girmay, and will also be part of the Eritrean sprint lead-out.

"The complete package is attractive. The structure and management are good, and I have been offered an attractive job for the Spring Classic," Tunisen said.

"I want to shine in the finals and create opportunities for the team in the shadow of Biniam Girmay, who has already proven he can win the most important races. After the Classics, I'm also looking forward to supporting Girmay in the sprints."

While Jumbo Visma lost Tunissen, the Dutch team is expected to add to its Classics unit with the addition of Dylan van Baarle from Ineos.

Wieler Fritz reports that Wilco Kelderman will return to the team from Bora Hansgrohe, while Jan Tratnik (Bahrain Victorious) and Attila Walther (Groupama-FDJ) are also rumored to be on the team. Another talented 20-year-old British rider, Tom Grogg, is also expected to join the Dutch team from Trinity Cycling's development team.

Tunisen, who won the under-23 cyclocross world championship in 2013, turned pro in 2015 with then-LottoNL-Jumbo; after two years with Sunweb in 2017 and 2018, he joined the fast-growing Jumbo Visma setup in 2019 He returned.

That season, Tunissen wore yellow in the Tour, winning the four days of Dunkerque and the ZLM Tour, as well as a good showing in the cobbled classics. He then became a key supporter of Wout Van Aert, but a fall during pre-season training meant he missed the 2021 Classics campaign.

"At Jumbo Visma, I raced alongside riders like Wout Van Aert and Dylan Groenewegen and witnessed the team grow into one of the best structures in the world.

"This experience will probably be invaluable to my new team, Intermarque Wantigovert. But the big change for me is that I will once again have the opportunity to show my worth in an important role." [His most recent victory was a stage win at the Tour de France. Wearing the yellow jersey in Brussels and Binche was an absolute high in my career and I can't wait to experience a similar moment again."

Tunissen will be reunited with former Sunweb directeur sportif Eike Visbæk at Intermarché Wantigover, where he is helping the Belgian team improve its performance.

"He is a guy I like to work with and I have no doubt that he will form a good combination with Biniam Girmay and Adrien Petit in the Classics team.

"His choice for our team confirms our ambition for the Classic.