Cian Uijtdebroeks is only 19, but already wrote a little bit of Belgian cycling history. With the overall victory in the Ronde van de Toekomst, the first step towards a great career has been taken. Assistant national coach Serge Pauwels saw Uijtdebroeks stand head and shoulders above the rest in France. “At La Madeleine he drove wattages that tend to the top in the pros.”
In the list of the greats
1964, Felice Gimondi. 1969, Joop Zoetemelk. 1982, Greg LeMond. 1986, Miguel Indurain. 1988, Laurent Fignon. 2001, Denis Mensjov. 2010, Nairo Quintana. 2017, Egan Bernal, 2018, Tadej Pogacar.
A nice list and they all preceded Uijtdebroeks as laureate of the Tour of the Future.
After Schepers in ’77, Bruyneel in ’90 and Bakelants in ’08, Uijtdebroeks is only the fourth Belgian overall winner of the little brother of the Tour de France. “With all due respect to the former Belgian winners, I see Cian leaning closer to top classifications in grand tours”, predicts Serge Pauwels.
Serge Pauwels was present in France as the right hand of national coach Sven Vanthourenhout. “Superlatives are not enough, he was clearly the best as the youngest of the pack. At La Madeleine he even drove wattages that tend to the top among the pros.”
With all due respect to the former Belgian winners, but Cian will be closer to top classifications in Grand Tours.
Step by step and don’t miss a single one
Cian Uijtdebroeks already scored high in the juniors by winning the Classique des Alpes with great force majeure – a lead of more than 4 minutes. After also winning Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne in the juniors, he was busy applying for WorldTour teams.
Quick Step, Jumbo-Visma and Team DSM were blunt, Bora-Hansgrohe gave him the best feeling. A well-reasoned choice that defines who he is as a person. “He is smart and very mature, he thinks along and will not skip any steps.”
According to Pauwels, Bora-Hansgrohe is an excellent match. “Even though he immediately jumped from the juniors to the pros, his team mapped out the perfect shifting season”
Bora-Hansgrohe is an excellent match. They opt for a cautious approach with not too many race days, in which he can take his own chance.
“They opt for a cautious approach with not too many race days. The season was focused on the Ronde van Toekomst. Every other race he rode, he got his chance. That’s why he drove few WorldTour races. In every race he rides, he wants to have ambition, so step by step.”
The first professional steps have now certainly been taken, because according to Serge Pauwels, the Ronde van de Toekomst has become a real value indicator of professional cycling more than before.
“It includes everything, like in the Tour de France. A prologue, flat stages and then a tough passage in the Alps that are very similar to those of the pros. In terms of field of participants, only the best promises will start. Look at those honors list of recent years…”
“Uijtdebroeks absolutely wanted to ride the Tour of the Future. For him it was a learning experience to be able to ride a Grand Tour in the future as a leader. That is the next step, a participation in a Grand Tour. As far as I am concerned, that is possible next year already, then I think of the Giro or the Vuelta.”
And then the future looks bright, according to the assistant national coach. “The next step is to ride a classification in a grand tour. I see him evolving as a tour rider and I won’t be surprised if he is on the podium of the Tour de France in a few years.”
Froome stature, diesel and lover of grueling wear and tear
When Uijtdebroeks was allowed to put on his yellow jersey on the highest scaffold of the podium in the Tour de l’Avenir, his slender physique stood out. It already earned him the nickname “The Flying Spoke”, coined by his father. “He’s a bit like Froome, who he’s a huge fan of.”
“Like the Briton, he is not super explosive, although he can easily pull away from a group. His huge solos are already characteristic. The heavier the wear and tear, the better he feels, Cian survives on grueling racing days. A bit like a diesel with great content.”
“That also applies to his personality”, Pauwels continues, “and that will help him deal with any hype, as was the case with Evenepoel. His focus is his strength.”
He stands strong. That will help him to deal with any media hype, as was the case with Evenepoel.
“He is strong in his shoes. There was already some media attention and he clearly defined his limits, which is sensible. For example, he wanted to do an interview with Sporza late last night, but he did not respond to every request. “
“Uijtdebroeks is very grateful to his teammates, team management and staff. He is very conscious of his sport, down to the last detail and yet he carries a certain lightness: he is constantly smiling and enjoys his sport immensely. He trains for up to 6 hours in the mountains because he likes nothing more.”
