Dylan Teuns never thought he would jump into a battle for 8 UCI points: "I don't really like that, but that's also why the team brought me in"

Normally, most riders don't care about finishing 36th or 56th at Strade Bianche. But in the relegation system that's been in place since 2020, every few points can count. In order to keep their safe distance from tremedously strong XDS Astana, even Cofidis' star Dylan Teuns needs to scramble for marginal result such as 37th place at Strade Bianche in order to deliver 8 UCI points for his team. Something he's far from used to.

In the podcast Vals Plat, Teuns said that the battle for UCI points has started in full force. "In Strade Bianche, we were in my group for 36th place, but the racing was really tactical."

There were three riders from the same team in his group. "They were playing a very tactical game. Not that there should be a grupetto atmosphere in a race like Strade Bianche, but it is nice if you work together in the group so that you can ride to the finish at a steady pace. Now it was more about not overtaking or leaving gaps in the group. And that already with thirty kilometers to go."

On the last stretch there was also a rider who attacked from the group. "That was still about fifteen kilometers from the finish. And yes, I also attacked on that steep part to the finish in Siena. I did that in the hope of gaining some points."

After the race, Teuns took his phone to see how many points he had actually won in Strade Bianche. "After the race, it turned out that I had actually won eight points... A few years ago, I would certainly never have looked at that."

The battle for UCI points is a race within a race. Something that top teams like UAE Team Emirates - XRG, Team Visma | Lease a Bike or Lidl-Trek don't have to worry about, but Teuns' Cofidis does. "It does indeed partly depend on which team you ride for," he nods.

The opinions on the relegation system vary and Teuns certainly doesn't enjoy this aspect: "It really changed the sport. I don't really like that, but I have to think about it as a rider for Cofidis. That's also why the team brought me in. If I can still get a few points on a bad day, that's important."