Team dsm-firmenich PostNL are thrilled to reveal that the talented final year juniors Anton Louw Larsen and Pavel Šumpík will make the step-up to the U23 category next year with their Development program. Both Louw Larsen and Šumpík will wear the two-striped jersey through to at least 2026.

Anton Louw Larsen
Danish talent Louw Larsen comes from the city of Roskilde in Denmark, a place where he has honed his abilities over his junior career with his local team. 2023 saw consistent performances from the then first-year junior, as Louw Larsen climbed to eighth overall at the Ster van Zuid-Limburg where he also helped his teammate to overall victory. Other strong results followed with a sixth at Omloop van Borsele Juniors or third place at Trofeo P.Merelli Juniors. Alongside that, he took part in the extensive Danish calendar, winning Din Bilpartner Iøbet Juniors and a further seven top tens. In the beginning of 2024, Louw Larsen built into the season before taking his first win at De Fokker Slag Om Woensdrecht which was swiftly followed by stage glory against strong opposition at Course de la Paix Juniors. The summer saw Louw Larsen once again show his consistency with multiple top tens, before he raised his arms aloft once more at GP Rüebliland Juniors where he won a reduced sprint finish on stage three, going on to finish that race third overall.
Louw Larsen expressed: “I’ve heard many positive things about the team, and I believe it’s the perfect environment for me to grow both as a rider and as a person. I’m excited to join such a professional setup and work alongside the talented people and riders here, while also taking part in some great races. I consider myself a versatile rider and hope to discover my true strengths as I progress through my senior years. I’m particularly keen to perform well in cobbled and hilly races. In the short term, my focus is on continuing my development, both on and off the bike. Looking ahead, I’d be thrilled to make the step up from the development team to the WorldTour team. Off the bike, I bring a positive attitude to the group, and on the bike, I’m fully committed to giving my best for the team. Whatever role I’m given, I will put in my utmost effort to fulfil it.”
Team dsm-firmenich PostNL head coach Rudi Kemna added: “Anton has been a very consistent performer in his two junior years, picking up a lot of good results against strong opposition. This year he has taken a step-up and won some impressive races with strong sprints from both larger and smaller groups, over a variety of terrain. Alongside that, he has a background on the track so has honed some speed endurance abilities from there and as a result he’s also produced some good time trials too. We want to help Anton continue his complete development as a rider in the coming years, so that he can further improve overall, before we focus on any specialisations in the future.”

Photo Credit: Jan Brychta
Pavel Šumpík
Hailing from Czechia, Šumpík took the junior road racing scene by storm in 2024, but it was the strong building blocks in his opening year as a junior in 2023 which laid the foundations for his impressive campaign this year. Winning a race at Jevicko, he then went on to claim the national time trial title in dominant fashion before showing his talents against some of the best juniors in the world at Medzinárodné Dubnica nad Váhom where he won against the clock once more. A consistent end of 2023 saw Šumpík pick up a smattering of further top tens, before his attention turned to this year. Starting off in brilliant fashion, Šumpík won his first race of the season; the opening time trial at Ster van Zuid-Limburg where he also went on to finish third overall. Going from strength-to-strength Šumpík’s stellar season has continued throughout 2024 where he has taken a whopping 17 wins, whether that be individual stages or overall titles, plus multiple other podium results, top tens and other jersey classification wins.
Šumpík said: “I’ve admired Team dsm-firmenich PostNL because they really help young riders grow, plus the team has some great support and a professional way of working. I feel like this is the best place for me to improve and become stronger. I’m looking forward to learning from the experienced riders and racing in some exciting races, and it’s a great chance for me to push my limits. In the juniors I think I have been a bit of an all-rounder, who can climb but can also time trial well too. I want to keep improving in both of those areas and be someone who can help the team in many types of races. In the immediate future my goal is to learn, gain experience and always do my best for the team. On the bike, I think one of my strengths is that I can adapt to different situations in a race, and I am always ready to support my teammates as much as I can. Off the bike, I try to keep the energy in the group positive so we can achieve our goals together.”
Team dsm-firmenich PostNL head coach Rudi Kemna added: “We have been in contact with Pavel for a while and he has really impressed us with his attitude and physical ability. His palmarès in 2024 have been exceptional and he seems to have a natural skill and talent to finish off a race, whether that be solo or from a small group sprint. Pavel has also shown his abilities on the climbs and has taken six time trial victories as well this year; highlighting his strong engine and potential for the future. Yet, he is still very young, so we want to take a more holistic approach to his development and without any pressure, as he makes the step up to the U23 ranks with our Development program.”