"After my good result in Gent-Wevelgem it was not possible to sleep well" - Sep Vanmarcke cautious over Tour of Flanders chances
Cycling
34-year-old Sep Vanmarcke has displayed some good racing legs so far in 2023 but as the Tour of Flanders approaches, the Israel - Premier Tech rider keen to play down his chances of a third career podium at the race.
“I am tired now. I had trouble sleeping for several nights. The past races were intensive and after my good result in Gent-Wevelgem it was not possible to sleep well," Vanmarcke tells WielerFlits. Indeed a third placed finish at Gent Wevelgem, alongside top 10 finishes at Nokere Koerse and Omloop Het Nieuwsblad show the good form that the Belgian has.
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With such a busy schedule, Vanmarcke believes he avoids the peaks and trophs seen in the form of other riders, instead maintaining a steady level throughout the Classics. “Peaking is not possible," he declares. "I race too much for that. But this Sunday and the week after, when we ride Paris-Roubaix, are the most important races for me. It remains something special, those two races.”
"In today's cycling there is not much anticipation anymore. The big teams are very strong and destroy everything very early. That is why anticipation, as we know from the past, is no longer an option,” Vanmarcke explains. "There are a number of men who now ride faster than me. I hope to be good and participate.”
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Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
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- He is boring
leedorney08-11-2026 - To Twoje przemyślenia te bla, bla :)
Dariusz08-11-2026 - Uwielbiam patrzeć, jak wyjeżdża na czoło peletonu i zaczyna się rzeź...
Dariusz08-11-2026 - Yeah, unreal.
parisbound0008-11-2026 - there needs to be space in life for pointless comments!Ketterechts08-11-2026
- That is a very lazy way of putting it but so far on this website it seems like everyone is happy to look at everything lazily, even things that annoy them intensely. All they want to do is state their feeling and position but ask most to analyse a problem or come up with solutions or improvements and you’re stunned by silence. Nobody even really knows how this all happens. It’s very simple and quick to just say the UCI did it but I bet you they didn’t, I bet you not more than 2 people were involved, more likely just 1. The UCI may be ultimately responsible but it is not their decision, this is about hierarchy, power and delegation. The fact that protest is possible also means it isn’t over and that MORE people could get involved for a thorough review which could throw up anything. It is highly likely it was a sole commissar who decided and has that power in a first round. Therein might lie the problem the UCI has to consider, is it acceptable to give so much authority to one single person when it is quite possible for them to have a natural bias or be too easily susceptible to imposed bias. Who is to say an individual in this position isn’t susceptible to collaboration with outside players with interests in the results, nations, families, teams, betting companies, etc. On the one hand we have sports where these problems have been worked on way more to reduce such problems, on the other hand we have sports with far stricter and more draconian rules not even concerning safety or obstruction that nobody really questions like false starts or stepping out of lane or zones in athletics. If cycling hastowork on itself, it would be good if protagonists (all kinds) would start doing a little more than just moaning over outcomes.Jumpyjohn08-11-2026
- Yes, so why not make comments less pointless?Jumpyjohn08-11-2026
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Rafionain-Glas08-11-2026 - He should have been allowed to go to Movistar. Right now both arent a good fit for each other and are just wasting each other's time and effortabstractengineer08-11-2026
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