Inside WorldTour scouting at the junior E3 Saxo Classic 🕵️
On the ground at the Spring Classics as teams, agents, scouts, and riders discuss the nature of talent identification in modern cycling
Two hours before the official start of the men’s E3 Saxo Classic on the outskirts of Harelbeke, Belgium, a crowd is already gathering.
Before the WorldTour riders appear, it’s the juniors' turn to take centre stage at the sign-on and greet the growing number of fans who have ventured out onto the streets.
Most of the spectators crammed in front of the large stage, which will soon showcase Mathieu van der Poel, Mads Pedersen, and Filippo Ganna, have arrived early to secure good spots for the later events. However, there is at least a growing sense of excitement as the MC warms up his vocal cords and introduces juniors from South Africa, the United States, and Europe.
It might only be 10 am, but it’s Belgium; it’s the Spring Classics; the sun is out; and the beers are already flowing.
When the young team from Slovenia stroll onto the stage, the MC turns and asks the inevitable question. “Who of you is the next Tadej Pogačar?’ The enquiry is met with pockets of laughter from the crowd, while the riders on stage at least get to hide some of their embarrassment behind their oversized sunglasses and helmets. One rider shrugs, another gives a softly spoken and understandably shy answer, and it’s quickly onto the next team, but not before the MC responds, “You even sound like Tadej.”
Walking 200 meters down the start line, the MC's words begin to fade, but down a side street, the real hunt for the next Pogačar is truly taking place.
Front gardens and pathways have quickly been established as base camps for each junior squad, with team buses and race cars lining both sides of the road. Mechanics are working hard, riders are warming up, and staff dressed in WorldTour attire from Bahrain Victorious and Ineos Grenadiers lounge casually on bonnets, surveying the opposition. Rider agents sip coffee in the crisp, fresh air, while scouts from some of the biggest teams in the cycling world jot down names and look at the next generation of talent. This feels like a miniature version of the pro race - smaller in scale but professional in appearance, all the same.
Giovanni Visconti, 42, retired at the end of 2022 after a long and distinguished career in the professional ranks. The Italian rode for some of the biggest teams in the world, including Movistar, Quick-Step, and Bahrain-Merida. In his younger years, he was the U23 national road champion and won the Tour of Flanders in the same age category. He is now a scout for Jayco-AlUla and their development squad, Hagens Berman Jayco, and he’s in Belgium to watch one rider in particular and perhaps discover another hidden gem or two.
“I’m trying to work as a talent scout, but it’s very difficult because this world is very professional, so talking with the riders is very hard,” he tells me as we stand outside one of the many team camper vans.
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“I very much like Thor Michielsen,” he says, nodding toward the Belgian’s camper van.
“He did some good performances in the past. He won the Danilith Nokere Koerse, and I saw something special in the Guido Reybrouck Classic. He was in the front alone for two hours, riding at an average of 45kph, so I think he’s good. We have some other riders we’re looking at, but with my experience, if I see something special from a rider who moves well in a group, we’ll look. When that happens, I try to talk to the rider, but it’s normal to also speak with the parents because the riders are 17 years old. The riders normally ask you to talk directly with their agents. After that, I’ll try to put them in contact with the team,” he adds.
Visconti isn’t the only scout on the scene, and he’s certainly not the only one travelling to races across Europe and meeting riders, their parents, and respective agents. This is a common affair in the sport, and it’s become so increasingly important that nearly every WorldTour squad has at least one talent scout on their books at present.
“There’s a lot of competition,” Visconti says.
“Normally, when I come to races, the other scouts say to me, ‘there’s nothing to see here, go home,” the Italian says before breaking into laughter.
“You have to move faster than the riders because normally, when you find a talent, he’s already signed with another team, even when they’re first-year juniors. I don’t like to talk with the first-year juniors, I try to speak more with the second-year ones,” he adds.
First or second year, it clearly doesn’t matter to most teams. We’ve heard of riders being courted before their junior years, and rider representation from agents being sought in response.
Talking to the riders
Joshua Johnson of the GRENKE - Auto Eder team knows all about this world.