The start of 2025 has been anything but smooth for Cian
Uijtdebroeks. The 22-year-old Belgian endured another difficult day at Tirreno-Adriatico,
getting dropped on the final climb of the final stage. His disappointment was palpable,
with the resurfacing of his back issues delivering a massive blow to his
confidence, but his team is standing by him.
Visibly frustrated after the stage, Uijtdebroeks was left close
to tears. His struggles have left Team Visma | Lease a Bike searching for
answers, with team manager Maarten Wynants acknowledging the emotional toll the
situation is taking.
"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."
The return of his back problems has only added to the
frustration, with no clear solution yet in sight. "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."
Despite the current struggles, team boss Richard Plugge
remains optimistic about the long-term picture. Speaking from Paris-Nice, the Visma
| Lease a Bike CEO urged patience with Uijtdebroeks' development.
"I'm not really worried," Plugge stated. "Cian
is a very young boy. We have to slowly build on his form and the way he
races."
While the results may not be there at the moment, Plugge
believes Uijtdebroeks can still take positives from his performances. "He
rode a really good climb yesterday, as crazy as that may sound. He can also
reflect on the successes he has achieved."
Visma | Lease a Bike remains committed to Uijtdebroeks’
long-term development, confident that he will eventually reach the level
expected of him.
"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."
Fin MajorCycling Journalist
Fin Major is a UK-based writer at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2024. He is the site’s main writer for FAQs and evergreen explainers and has written around 2,000 pieces for the platform. Alongside this work, he focuses on in-depth analysis and covers the biggest races on the calendar, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, providing clear context around performance trends, tactics, and key storylines.
In his reporting, Fin uses reputable data sources such as ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available. Outside of writing, Fin is an active cyclist, which supports his practical understanding of the sport and its demands.
claps 0visitors 0
Just in
Popular news
Latest comments
- Are you MrMauMau 2.0? Nothing you are saying is really relevant. Vaguely connected, but irrelevant. The conversation is whether Schreiber impeded Brand or not.
Rafionain-Glas08-11-2026 - He is boring
leedorney08-11-2026 - To Twoje przemyślenia te bla, bla :)
Dariusz08-11-2026 - Uwielbiam patrzeć, jak wyjeżdża na czoło peletonu i zaczyna się rzeź...Dariusz08-11-2026
- Yeah, unreal.
parisbound0008-11-2026 - there needs to be space in life for pointless comments!Ketterechts08-11-2026
- That is a very lazy way of putting it but so far on this website it seems like everyone is happy to look at everything lazily, even things that annoy them intensely. All they want to do is state their feeling and position but ask most to analyse a problem or come up with solutions or improvements and you’re stunned by silence. Nobody even really knows how this all happens. It’s very simple and quick to just say the UCI did it but I bet you they didn’t, I bet you not more than 2 people were involved, more likely just 1. The UCI may be ultimately responsible but it is not their decision, this is about hierarchy, power and delegation. The fact that protest is possible also means it isn’t over and that MORE people could get involved for a thorough review which could throw up anything. It is highly likely it was a sole commissar who decided and has that power in a first round. Therein might lie the problem the UCI has to consider, is it acceptable to give so much authority to one single person when it is quite possible for them to have a natural bias or be too easily susceptible to imposed bias. Who is to say an individual in this position isn’t susceptible to collaboration with outside players with interests in the results, nations, families, teams, betting companies, etc. On the one hand we have sports where these problems have been worked on way more to reduce such problems, on the other hand we have sports with far stricter and more draconian rules not even concerning safety or obstruction that nobody really questions like false starts or stepping out of lane or zones in athletics. If cycling hastowork on itself, it would be good if protagonists (all kinds) would start doing a little more than just moaning over outcomes.Jumpyjohn08-11-2026
- Yes, so why not make comments less pointless?Jumpyjohn08-11-2026
- What a race! I didn't expect Vanthourenhout to collapse like that, and Wyseure did take the fight to Nys, but there was no doubt at the end. I also wonder what Aubin Sparfel would be capable of were he to race in the elites now. In the U23 ranks he is making good work of Giel Lejeune, who himself is among the better riders in the elites, and a top 10 contender in the big races (3rd at Kleebergcross, 8th at Berencross and 5th at Heerderstrand). In the French Cup, Sparfel is significantly better than Romain Debord (8th at Koppenbergcross and 10th at the Euros) and Rémi Lelandais (12th at Koppenbergcross and 19th at the Euros).Rafionain-Glas08-11-2026
- There really was nothing in it. Schreiber was so much faster, and Brand was fighting to stay in the wheel in the sprint. Schreiber did move a bit, but to say she closed the door doesn't make sense because Brand couldn't enter it anyway, abd she wasn't impeded.Rafionain-Glas08-11-2026
Loading
Write a comment