As it turns out though, this worry over Uijdebroeks ceiling is not a completely new phenomenon. "I'm going back a year and a few months. I had written a column that I thought it was scandalous how BORA had treated Cian. At a meeting, a scout came up to me and said: 'Just make a note that that eighth place in the Vuelta (2023 ed.) will be his best final position in a Grand Tour ever,'" recalls Belgian cycling expert
Michel Wuyts on the latest episode of his Wuyts & Vlaeminck podcast.
"I am starting to think about that now. I am not writing him off, but there must have been a problem at BORA that caused doubts. That seems like a logical conclusion to me, because why else would you say something like that?" Wuyts continues, admitting no further elaboration was given to him by the mysterious scout at the time. "It could be a bit of revenge, but it could also be true. Let's hope not."
Following his Tirreno-Adriatico abandon, Team Visma | Lease a Bike sports director Maarten Wynants spoke on Uijtdebroeks condition. "His morale is below zero now, that's normal," Wynants told Sporza. "Today it didn't work out again, so it's far from all sweetness and light. He's having back problems again, but for the rest, it's hard to put your finger on the problem. First, we have to wash away this disappointment and then look further."
Team Visma | Lease a Bike boss
Richard Plugge however, is keen to reduce any fears. "Cian still has to grow, and that takes time," Plugge added. "We are known for making riders better, and with him too, we will grow step by step to a higher level. He needs the time that everyone needs at that age."