“I hope to be there in the classics” - Gianni Vermeersch ready to ride for Van der Poel and Philipsen in the spring

Gianni Vermeersch has set his sights on the Flemish classics as he prepares for another season targeting the cobbled races. Speaking to Cyclism Actu, the Alpecin-Deceuninck rider outlined his ambitions and expectations for the coming months.

"I think it's a bit similar to other years, I hope to be there in the classics," said Vermeersch, a specialist in cobbled races. "Without necessarily saying that I have a specific role, I have to prepare for the classics and try to help the leaders, and I think the last two years have been really good, so I hope to be at the same level this year."

Vermeersch, who won the Gravel World Championship in 2022, remains a strong competitor in both gravel and road racing. He finished fifth in the 2024 Gravel World Championship and has also put in solid performances at Paris-Roubaix, finishing 11th in 2023 and sixth in 2024.

"I really like this race," he said about Paris-Roubaix. "The Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix, I think for a cyclist, these are the two most important races, the most prestigious one-day races, so if you can compete in these races with the best cyclists in the world, it's great."

Once again, Vermeersch will take on the role of a key support rider for Mathieu van der Poel, a two-time winner of Paris-Roubaix, and Jasper Philipsen, who has finished second behind his teammate in the last two editions of arguably the most difficult race of the year.

"I think that it will not really change my role in the races. As I said, in recent years, I have had the same role, so I don't think that this year I should change my role and be in the position of Soren or Axel. I can just try to do the same thing that I was able to do in previous years."

Vermeersch's season will begin with a busy schedule, including Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, Strade Bianche, Tirreno-Adriatico, and Milan-San Remo, before moving into the core of the classics campaign.

Looking beyond the spring, he remains uncertain about his gravel racing plans. "Nothing planned for the moment. It's difficult, it depends on the Grand Tours. I hope of course that I will be there this year. After that, we have already planned the classics, and next year, we will be able to plan some gravel races."