15/08/2024

"I am very happy that I can learn from such guys” - Cian Uijtdebroeks keen to benefit from Wout van Aert & Sepp Kuss' experience during 2024 Vuelta a Espana

After a solid performance earlier this year at the Giro d'Italia before his untimely abandon due to injury, Cian Uijtdebroeks will take on his second Grand Tour of the season at the 2024 Vuelta a Espana, with the talented young Belgian, seeing the race as an opportunity to learn.

“I am really looking forward to it," admits the Team Visma | Lease a Bike rider in quotes collected by HLN ahead of the quickly approaching Vuelta a Espana. "Especially after that Giro, where I did not get out so happily. I hope I can equal my result from last year. We are going to fight for it every day and want to finish as high as possible.”

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In his young career, probably the biggest obstacle to a serious general classification threat from Uijtdebroeks has been his time trialling. Since joining Team Visma | Lease a Bike however, the Belgian has been working hard to improve in this particular discipline. "We have worked hard on it in the past period. There is still work to be done, but I feel better and better on the bike. If you look purely at the aerodynamic values, you can see that I am getting better step by step. I will never be the best time trialist, but we are on the right track." he says. “If I ever want to be on the podium of a Grand Tour, I have to get the hang of the system of riding such a tour. I have to gain experience in being focused every day. Of course, there are riders who are there right away, but that is not the only way to the top. Within a year or two, I really hope to be able to compete at the top, but we are not putting a time limit on it.”

At Team Visma | Lease a Bike, the Belgian also has one of the best time triallists in the world to learn from in his compatriot, Wout van Aert and the defending Vuelta a Espana champion Sepp Kuss. “It is great fun to be out with those guys. They have a great track record and I really look up to them, I want to learn things from them," Uijtdebroeks says. "For example, in the area of time trials: how does Wout approach that? I will definitely pay attention to that. I am very happy that I can learn from such guys.”