"I can still gain something in all areas" - Florian Vermeersch looking to show progress on UAE Team Emirates debut in Oman
Cycling
After seven seasons with Lotto, Florian Vermeersch begins the 2025 season in new colours with a new team. The 25-year-old Belgian has signed for UAE Team Emirates - XRG on a two-year deal over the recent off-season, and after spending the winter training with his new teammates, Vermeersch is already seeing positive progress be made.
“It’s great, a new culture and environment. I feel welcome,” he says in quotes collected by Het Laatste Nieuws. “I think I can still gain something in all areas, to take a step. That can be done by training a little differently and shifting my focus a little, but the most important thing is to start the important matches as fit as possible. To then make the right decisions during the matches. That is crucial.”
Starting his season at the Tour of Oman, Vermeersch already has targets in his sights for the rest of the year, including both the Classics and the Grand Tours. "The Flemish classics are definitely on my programme,” he explains. “I still have to discuss it with the team management, but I would also like to ride a Grand Tour. If not the Tour de France, then the Giro d'Italia or Vuelta a Espana would be nice.”
In Oman, Vermeersch is likely to play a supporting role however, as team leader Adam Yates looks to defend the title he won back in 2024. "Obviously I’ve got great memories in Oman from what we did there last year. If we could repeat that it would be perfect but there will be competition no doubt," previewed Yates to the team's official website. "It’s a balanced team with Majka and Vine for the climbs and then some of the bigger guys for the flats and a chance too for the Gen Z guys to step-up and show themselves at this level. All-round I’m just keen to get things going and get racing.”
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- Yep I think he must still be recovering from that crash last year. He has done well to get over that, but I would bet it will take some time yet to get back to peak pre-crash fitness. This latest "off" will not have helped.Cyclingsbestfan17-03-2025
- Doesn't mean anything. In 2023 he was only 3rd at Paris-Nice but then won the toursomeeffingname17-03-2025
- MSR is the race that brings the Spring', proper for better or worse...
leedorney17-03-2025 - Not sure that’s the whole story otherwise babies would be a lit more susceptible to nose bacteria too. Obviously cyclist breathe far more than average humans which should help keep things cleaner, on the other hand if you don’t clean your nose well or use an infected finger … and then why bacteria and not viruses? I would prepare mentally for more testing if this doesn’t solve things. Teeth and gums are the most overlooked entry point for infectious agents. Ears and eyes can also be easily contaminated.Mistermaumau17-03-2025
- Yeah, sorry, some people forget a few facts like him being in a similar age category as Tadej, Jonas, Remco, Tom and that there are plenty of promising younger riders developing too so it’s really quite far-fetched based on current givens.Mistermaumau17-03-2025
- If they learnt from 2024 MVDP/JP strategy, yes, possibleMistermaumau17-03-2025
- Name another race with 20 different winners in the last 30 years. This is probably the single most influential fact that points towards Tadej, or will it be Mads, or a « newcomer »?Mistermaumau17-03-2025
- Nobody asked you and you have very little future prediction precedent. 20 years ago no-one predicted Slovenian cycling domination, Tadej, Trump, Manchester United replaced by City, the recent serial UK Tory leadership or the drastic demise of German Olympic performance. Unfortunately JJ probably won’t be around much longer so can’t be held « accountable » if wrong.Mistermaumau17-03-2025
- Also, note how fast a counter article appeared, either naturally or as part of a comm. strategyMistermaumau17-03-2025
- Not sure, remember where he is saying it and what this person did for him. Perhaps he was coaxed into saying something to stimulate US interest or provocative to improve you know who’s media significance.Mistermaumau17-03-2025