"I am missing that real highlight" - Florian Vermeersch aims for a breakthrough victory in 2024
Cycling
Florian Vermeersch has had the best season of his career in terms of UCI points, but also consistency. The classics leader of Lotto Dstny collected plenty of top results in difficult one-day races, but is still waiting for a victory on the biggest scene.
Vermeersch can call his season 'very good' when he looks back at the past year. "I achieved some nice results. My spring was successful and after the Tour I was second in the Renewi Tour, fifth in the Tour of Denmark and I rode on the podium in the SUPER 8 Classic. There were a few very nice results, I was very satisfied with that," he tells WielerFlits.
"For the time being I am indeed missing that real highlight, that is indeed missing. But I think I can be very satisfied with my level. I think I have ridden many high-level races, where there was a very strong field of participants. For example, I lost a sprint to Mathieu van der Poel, who is not one of the worst riders. So yes, I think I have to take a step back in terms of level, so that I can go into the final a little fresher. Then that might happen."
At Lotto Dstny, not all the pressure falls on the shoulders of Vermeersch, because Arnaud De Lie has also finally broken through at the highest level. Together they could form a strong duo, says Vermeersch. "If we are both at the same level next year in the classics, we can be a nice combination. Arnaud can wait for his sprint, I can choose to attack. That will create fireworks if everything goes well."
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Ondrej ZhasilCycling Journalist
Ondřej Zhasil is a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2023. He is based in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, and covers professional cycling across the main UCI competitions, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. A key focus of his work is startlist analysis and pre-race coverage, where he examines team selections, rider line-ups, and tactical scenarios ahead of major events.
Alongside WorldTour coverage, Ondřej has developed specific expertise in junior cycling and in racing across East Asia, including competitions in China and Japan. He also maintains a broad working knowledge of other disciplines and levels, including cyclocross, while continuing to expand his understanding of mountain bike racing.
Ondřej holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, which supports his analytical, data-driven approach to performance and race analysis. In his reporting, he regularly uses 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.
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santiagobenites14-11-2026 - Indeed! A reluctant gift maybe. Even more reluctant gift from Roglic! Tho I can’t see that Rog would have beaten Ving anyway.Lozza14-11-2026
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