"I was able to ride there steadily for a week and I
also had no complaints with my back for a week. I also knew that I could still
improve in terms of condition, but I have trained hard for that in recent weeks
with an eye on Tirreno-Adriatico, my first main goal of the season."
Tirreno-Adriatico presents a unique course this year, one
that may not perfectly suit his climbing strengths but still offers an
important challenge.
"There are one or two mountain stages, but it is not
extreme. It is not the ideal course for me. I will find that later in Romandie
and Switzerland," he explains. "But Tirreno-Adriatico is certainly a
race that I have set my sights on in terms of a classification."
As he continues his development, Uijtdebroeks has been
working on improving his all-around ability, knowing that versatility is key to
thriving in Grand Tours.
"It's definitely a challenge. I've also trained
differently, because ultimately you have to be able to handle all those kinds
of courses in the future to be able to shine in the big tours," he says
with a laugh. "I've trained a bit more on explosiveness, more strength
training, so I'll probably be a bit heavier than normal."
In Ardèche, he felt the effects of his heavy training load,
while in Drôme, a crash before the first long climb put him out of contention.
"In the Ardèche Classic, I felt the fatigue of the last
training block in the final phase. I didn't have any real punch there
anymore," he reflected. "In the Drôme Classic, I was held up by a
crash just before the first long climb, which put me far behind. I did get back
into the peloton, but then they started attacking at full speed. From that
moment on, it was all over."
Despite these setbacks, Uijtdebroeks remains positive about
his form and believes he is on track for Tirreno-Adriatico after the hard
training he has put in.
"I rode to get back into the peloton after that crash.
The form is certainly there, but the body was a bit tired. That is normal after
a long block, but I got the stimulus we wanted. With rest I want to get those
last percentages for Tirreno."