Cian Uijtdebroeks completely explodes in stage 7 of Tour de Suisse: "Maybe I went a little too quickly with my build-up and my body is a bit empty"

The Tour de Suisse is not going as hoped for Cian Uijtdebroeks. The Belgian climber had two difficult days during which he completely disappeared from the general classification. A big disappointment for the ambitious youngster, who won't be able to compete for the final classification of a major stage race for a second time in a short period.

Although things did not go as hoped, the 21-year-old rider spoke to In de Leiderstrui with his famous smile. Grateful to his teammates from Visma | Lease a Bike. "Friday's stage was another good example of this," he recalled the shortened stage to Blatten. "It just didn't work out, but Attila Valter stayed with me to motivate me."

A 91st place in the mountain stage to Villars-sur-Ollon is of course not where Uijtdebroeks belongs, that's how realistic they are at Visma | Lease a Bike. Sports director Marc Reef had already calculated with it somewhat, as he admitted on team website afterwards. "Cian was of course not doing so well, so in that sense we expected this."

That was also the case with the Belgian himself. "To be very honest: the condition is not what it should have been. That was clear and perhaps also logical. Maybe I went a little too quickly with my build-up and my body is a bit empty," said Uijtdebroeks, who had to leave the Giro d'Italia in May in a favorable position with fever and lung pain.

"That has had its impact, but I am someone who always wants to move on to the next goal," he describes his own character. "I know that I sometimes go too fast and that has happened for a while now. Then the body says: Cian, it's been good for a while. Does the team also say that? Anyway. You shouldn't motivate me, but rather slow me down," he concludes.