"He can now maintain high power output for longer" - Visma believe Cian Uijtdebroeks' nerve problem has been solved

Team Visma | Lease a Bike signed Cian Uijtdebroeks in the beginning of the 2024 season but the Belgian rider soon began to suffer from his back and nerves in the region. For over a year he could not perform at his best, but now seems to be finally back after months of specific work on his position and recovery.

"That hard reset was necessary to begin a rehabilitation program. "Specially with a driven rider like Cian, who wants to race again quickly. Even if his recovery went more smoothly than expected, we wouldn't let him race. That prevented him from being swayed by the daily grind," Heijboer told Knack. Uijtdebroeks had barely raced since March of this year, but his return at the Clásica San Sebastián was quite promising with a Top10; and he has since won the Tour de l'Ain and finished second at the Czech Tour.

A change in bike position was executed throughout these months. "He was sitting on the bike with his back too rounded. This caused tension on the nerves in his glutes and lower back and limited his power transfer. Stefan Deckx pointed out that an overly rounded back also hinders the function of the diaphragm and lungs, which are crucial for breathing. Therefore, we had Cian sit a little shorter and more upright, which reduced the pressure on the nerves, but still allowed him to generate power."

The results seem to be showing. Although he spectacularly exploded on the final stage of the Czech Tour, he was the strongest climber on both races and was close to winning the GC in both too. "We see that in the data as well. He can now maintain high power output for longer, performs better during explosive efforts, and has more control over his body. As long as Cian takes good care of his body – with regular exercises and a good cycling position – the chance of them recurring is small."

"That's why we see every race as a test case to build up and monitor his resilience, with an eye to the following season. Letting Cian ride the Vuelta – which wasn't originally on his schedule – wasn't an option," he explains. The team has been built around Jonas Vingegaard and his ambiitons to win the race, with plenty support already behind him. Uijtdebroeks will continue to race a smaller calendar but one where he will have more opportunities for himself.

On this last weekend's race, Heijboer was quick to not put too much weight on Uijtdebroeks' pacing error. "A crucial lesson in better timing attacks and using teammates more intelligently. In a WorldTour race, such a mistake would carry more weight, with more media attention and pressure."