"I can't do it like I used to" - Thomas De Gendt having to find different ways to be successful as age takes its toll

Thomas De Gendt has long been one of the most easily recognisable riders in the peloton at Grand Tours, mainly because of his frequent attacks at the front of stages. Now aged 36 though, the Belgian is having to find different ways to be successful.

"Cycling continues to take steps. I have the impression that it is half a per cent faster every year. And I am getting a bit older myself. It's hard at times," the vastly experienced Belgian says in quotes collected by Sporza.  "Finding the top condition is no longer easy. It is a matter of trial and error. But if you are part of a break and you only have to deal with twenty men, then you have a chance."

Having won stages of all 3 Grand Tours during his career and finished on the podium in the general classification at the 2012 Giro d'Italia, De Gendt returns to the Vuelta a Espana on Saturday, knowing he needs to adapt his style if he is to continue having more success.

"I can't do it like I used to: outclass everyone, ride away where I want. But you can also win a stage purely on experience," he explains. "There are a lot of riders from my generation who have stopped in recent years. But I still have a contract for next year and I will end it anyway. Driving another 25th Grand Tour: I think that is a milestone."

So can De Gendt use his experience and nous to take another stage win? "This year the breakaways have already had a lot of opportunities: in the Giro they stayed away about ten times, in the Tour about seven times," he evaluates. 

"In the Vuelta there are always many opportunities for the attackers. Although it is not always the easiest finishes for me, for someone who climbs a little less. I won a stage in the Giro last year. And you always have a chance, although it is not easy."