Alpecin-Deceuninck signs junior talent Sente Sentjens until 2026

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).