The still 17-year old Sente Sentjens has agreed with Alpecin-Deceuninck on a three-year deal. The Belgian talent will not join the World Tour team immediately, but will spend one year with their development team, gaining valuable experience outside the junior ranks.
“The team showed interest more than a year ago. At the first meeting I immediately felt a lot of confidence. So I didn't have any doubts,” says the brand new acquisition.
The youngster was allowed to train with the team for a week in January in Denia, Spain. “I was immediately well received there and I was impressed by the professional environment. This is a great team to take my first steps with the pros. I will start with the training team first. This way I can grow calmly and step by step,” said Sentjens, who now rides for AC Balen, the club that Tom Boonen and Remco Evenepoel also rode for in their junior years.
Sentjens is a very talented rider for classics. He's excellent against the clock, winning three (out of 4) time trials he rode this year, only missing out at National championships due to gearing restrictions. On top of that Sentjens has a more than decent sprint and climbs very well for a rider of his size (1.91m).
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Ondrej ZhasilCycling Journalist
Ondřej Zhasil is a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2023. He is based in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, and covers professional cycling across the main UCI competitions, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. A key focus of his work is startlist analysis and pre-race coverage, where he examines team selections, rider line-ups, and tactical scenarios ahead of major events.
Alongside WorldTour coverage, Ondřej has developed specific expertise in junior cycling and in racing across East Asia, including competitions in China and Japan. He also maintains a broad working knowledge of other disciplines and levels, including cyclocross, while continuing to expand his understanding of mountain bike racing.
Ondřej holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, which supports his analytical, data-driven approach to performance and race analysis. In his reporting, he regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
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Rafionain-Glas15-11-2026 - Many Europeans say that Austria, Switzerland and Slovenia are one of the most beautiful countries in Europe known for their stunning landscapes because of the Alp mountains, green forests, clean rivers and lakes, coastlines, and national parks.PogiSloFans15-11-2026
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- That means you're Austrian, like Arnold Schwarzenegger. He was born close to Gradec, very close to Maribor. We used to do a lot of shopping in Gradec in the 70's and 80's, when Slovenia was still a part of communist Yugoslavia. Today we have good relationships with the Austrians. Many Slovenians are working there.PogiSloFans15-11-2026
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- ❤️Lozza15-11-2026
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