David Lappartient thrilled with new generation in the peloton: "Nothing is predictable"

UCI President David Lappartient has talked about, in a recent interview, the new generation that is developing cycling currently, and according to his words giving back some of the excitement that has made it a special sport.  

After the Dutchman's win in the opening stage of the Giro d'Italia, Lappartient has had nothing but good words regarding the Alpecin-Fenix - who has become one of the stars of the sport over the last few years. “The great thing about Van der Poel is that he is always there when a heroic fight takes place. He never races from the defensive, but always goes out to make the course himself. That is an attitude that makes cycling so beautiful. It seems as if this new generation is returning to the roots of cycling. They are not counting on the bicycle, but ride with daring and bravado," the UCI President said.

Over the last few years, as a new generation of riders is starting out in the peloton, it has become increasingly frequent to have riders at the age of under-23 level to be fighting, and winning high-end World Tour races - current Tour de France double champion Tadej Pogacar is 23. At the same time, many riders have migrated from Mountain Biking and Cyclocross, as is the case of Mathieu van der Poel, Wout van Aert and Tom Pidcock for example, some of the biggest stars in the peloton.

“When they are at the start, you never know what will happen in a race. Nothing is predictable. They color a lot of matches with that. They don't wait until the last kilometers. It's a kind of game for them to win races in a big way," he added.

“The moment Mathieu won the yellow jersey on the Mûr-de-Bretagne, the leader's jersey that his grandfather Raymond Poulidor never wore, was also a special moment for all French cycling enthusiasts. It is a shame that Poulidor was not able to witness this success of his grandson himself, as he would have been incredibly proud. On the other hand, you also notice that Mathieu is proud of what his grandfather has achieved. I noticed that in the conversations I had with him," he added. 

“It is a pity for us French that he has opted for Dutch nationality. With a French mother he could also have played for France. He also speaks fluent French. We certainly would have welcomed him," Lappartient laughed off.