"I never expected to reach this level at the end of October" - Lennert van Eetvelt ends season with World Tour win and exceptional form

Lennert van Eetvelt is one of the breakthrough riders of the season. After winning the UAE Tour early in the year, stunning at La Vuelta and Clásica San Sebastián; he ends the season with a strong Lombardia and now stage and overall win at the Tour of Guangxi.

“Most years, I end my season somewhere in the rain, wondering what I’m even doing," he jokes. "But now, because I took a break from racing after the Vuelta, I actually feel really fresh. Just two weeks ago, I had a 30-hour training week, and I’m really happy that all that hard work so late in the year has paid off," van Eetvelt said in a press release issued by the team. "I never expected to reach this level at the end of October. It gives me a lot of confidence after a difficult season. Plus, I can go on vacation without any worries, and that feels really good.”

The Belgian sealed the GC win but it wasn't without heavy work on the final day of the Chinese race. With 18 kilometers to go he was put to the test by his rivals on a very steep ascent just outside Nanning. He had to respond to sharp attacks from Victor Lafay and Pavel Sivakov, and then a tactical finale to ensure he maintained the small lead he had over several riders. This was, after the team burnt itself chasing down a dangerous early breakaway.

“It was a tricky day from start to finish. It got pretty tense at times. The team had to work really hard when a breakaway got away. And even in the final lap, the attacks kept coming," he explained.

"If Oscar Onley had finished second, or if someone had attacked in the last kilometer... So many scenarios could have played out, and we were under stress until the very end. Fortunately, I had a good day, and the rest of the team did an amazing job. Winning a World Tour race isn’t something you do on your own, and today proved that once again," he concludes as happy as it could be late in October.