Cian Uijtdebroeks to ride Vuelta a España in 2023 - "It will be an experience I have to take with me into the future"

The young talented Belgian cyclist Cian Uijtdebroeks, had a very successful professional debut season in 2022. He won comfortably Tour de l'Avenir, plus achieving very interesting results throughout the season at professional races while making his debut has a pro and as a World Tour team rider at Bora-Hansgrohe.

This results and the fact he achieved all of this while only being 18/19 years old made him receiving the Youngster of the Year award in Belgium. "It's one of the most beautiful awards you can win, because it's across all sports. I will spend a week chock-full of joy on my bike and my training sessions will be super effective" stated the Belgian on the sports Gala where he received the award.

In terms of goals for this 2023 season, Uijtdebroeks has strong ambitions, "I hope to finish in the top 10 a few times in WorldTour stage races. I am also looking forward to my first grand tour: the Vuelta. Why I'm riding the Vuelta anyway? Because young riders like Ayuso and Brenner didn't burn themselves out there last year" reveled the Belgian.

This means that he will be riding the Vuelta in his 2nd pro year, however, was not the initial plan, "But during the program discussions, the team suddenly said, 'We think it would be very good for you to ride a grand tour already this year'," he commented, adding also that "It will be an experience I have to take with me into the future. I don't think I will ride a result. A classification is certainly not the expectation".

Uijtdebroeks is Belgian,young, talented and will ride Vuelta a España, seems like a Remco Evenepoel factor?

"Yes, but also the Ayuso factor. He finished third in the Vuelta at 19. And also the young Brenner emerged in certain stages. The most important thing is that those guys didn't burn themselves out. So it's not a risk to ride a big tour at my age", he explained.

Still Remco by winning the Vuelta a España of last year established a precedence in Belgian cycling that will help young Belgian talented riders like Cian Uijtdebroeks in many ways.

"It's calming to have someone to show you. If certain things go wrong with me, I'll think. That happened with Remco too, so there's no shame in that. Belgium had been waiting so long for a Grand Prix winner. If Remco had not won the Vuelta, that pressure might have been on me as the winner of the Future Tour. But I like to grow in the lee. I will not put any extra pressure on myself. At my team Bora-Hansgrohe they don't do that either, because they know the will is so great with me", ended Uijtdebroeks.