"Between a top 10 or a stage win, I choose the top 10": Cian Uijtdebroeks targets a strong general classification run as he heads a new-generation Movistar squad

Cian Uijtdebroeks will make his long-awaited Tour de France debut with clear ambitions of finishing in the overall top 10. After riding two editions of the Vuelta a España and one Giro d'Italia, the 23-year-old Belgian enters his first Tour as Movistar Team's leader for the general classification. Following several seasons disrupted by physical problems, Uijtdebroeks has enjoyed a strong 2026 campaign, earning the team's confidence as he prepares for the biggest race of his career.

Uijtdebroeks described his Tour de France debut as a special milestone, made even more significant by the responsibility of leading Movistar Team, as Enric Mas will be absent. “It’s very special. It’s the biggest race we have. As a cyclist, this is the race you dream about. It’s not easy to be able and allowed to start it as team leader, so it’s a huge honour to do that this year,” he said in a press conference.

He also believes the clear leadership role gives him greater peace of mind heading into the race. “It’s a huge luxury that I’m the team leader and it gives me a lot of peace of mind. I don’t have to think about too many things now and I can really rely on the guys. It’s a young group, but it’s also a group that is building for the future. We’re already building as a team for the future, creating a bit of the new generation of Movistar.”

While a stage victory would be memorable, Uijtdebroeks insists his priority is a strong overall result. “The ambition is the top 10. Also to learn for the coming years, but in terms of results, the top 10 is the main objective.”

Asked whether he would prefer a stage win or a top-10 finish in Paris, he stayed true to that philosophy in what was a rather surprising response. “It’s a difficult one, because it’s the Tour - it’s not the Giro or the Vuelta - but between a top 10 or a stage win, I choose the top 10, because the ambition is to finish even higher in the future, and then we have to start with the top 10.”

The Belgian expects the opening stages to be about limiting losses before the decisive mountain stages later in the race. “There are a lot of stages where you can also lose a bit of time, so to speak. We have the team time trial, but the team time trial went well in the Dauphiné, so it’s really just about taking it day by day.”

“We have to survive the first week and a half with the minimum amount of damage in terms of time, losing as little as possible. But above all, stay calm, because in the last week and a half the gaps will simply be so big that a lot will still be possible. So the key is to limit the time losses until the final week and a half and then make the difference.”

Regarding the opening team time trial in Barcelona, Uijtdebroeks explained that the team's strategy will revolve around giving him the fastest possible finishing time.

“The goal is to set the fastest time with me. We have to see what the best way is to do that: with two riders to the finish, with three, or with me alone. We have to look at the fastest option. But I think the biggest time loss in the team time trial is likely to come against UAE Team Emirates, which is really a top team time trial squad.”