"If I ride sh*t for three weeks, then so be it" - Thomas De Gendt readying himself for last hurrah at final Vuelta a Espana
Cycling
One of the most recognisable and universally liked figures in the peloton over recent years, Thomas De Gendt tackles the final Grand Tour of his career at the 2024 Vuelta a Espana.
"It's special to ride my last grand Tour. I've raced many, but I wanted to ride this Vuelta one more time," the experienced Belgian of Lotto Dstny told IDL ahead of the 2024 Vuelta a Espana. "Throughout my career, Grand Tours have been unique; they were always central to my season. I look forward to my last one but am also sad about it."
Becoming famous for his breakaway escapades and a relentlessly attacking style that even sometimes damaged his own hopes, De Gendt has won stages at all three Grand Tours, took home the King of the Mountains jersey from the 2018 Vuelta a Espana and finished on the final podium of the 2012 Giro d'Italia.
"Since the beginning of the season, it has been my goal to win a stage in the Vuelta so that I can complete the double-triple," De Gendt says, referring to his quest to get multiple stage wins at all three of the cycling's biggest stage races. He admits however, this won't be an easy task. "I did altitude training and worked more with the team's nutrition specialists. I'm getting older, and putting on weight for a Grand Tour is not easy, so I need some help."
"Night and day difference from the beginning of my career; it's not the same sport. We're on bikes, but the training and coaching method greatly differs in 13 years," he continues. "So I went all-in with that, just to be able to start this race without any regrets. If I will ride sh*t for three weeks, then so be it. I've gone all in. Hopefully, I'll have the best three weeks of my life, but I'm under no illusions either, and I know it's going to be a very tough race."
"There are a lot of chances for the breakaway specialists. It's not like the Tour, with Pogacar, Vingegaard, Evenepoel, and those guys. The classification riders in the Vuelta have a less aggressive racing style, and I think it will be a traditional Vuelta, with about ten chances for the breakaway specialists," De Gendt concludes with optmism. "So I'm not going to pick one day, but more trying to be with them where I can and work from there."
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Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
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- Yes, Roglic could theoretically have beaten Sepp. Jonas must have had complete confidence that he could come back and win the Vuelta another year. Visma had not allowed Roglic to ride the Tour that year, so his future did not look so bright, despite his narrow Giro win..Hills3315-11-2026
- So far, a good series about riders before my time, even if the text feels AI generated like so much on this site. About the rider, he seems like one of many who are active fan favorites but don’t survive in the stories of cycling, a few decades later - I didn’t really know anything about him and this was a good read, thank you!RidesHills15-11-2026
- A calm, honest documentary, a bit of hagiography but mostly not too much. When he talks about a coffee shop, it aligns with several things in his world - he might want calm, but he does (more than a little bit) have someone near him (his fiancee) who makes sure that things happen the way he expects. Many atheletes have retired only to find out just how much others were taking care of their lives for them. If they work out (I'm old, things happen), I am sure it will take a renegotiation, which is a good thing. I truly enjoyed watching it, seeing him, seeing her, seeing the whole system built around him.RidesHills15-11-2026
- You do? My mother grew up around Bleiburg (Pliberk), across the border in Austria . My grandparents lived close to the train station in Bleiburg, and I spent a lot of the 70s and 80s there. The "Jugo" train of my youth went to Dravograd or Maribor, exotic places (behind the wall) at the time. What a moment that was, the 10 days war of '91 - times sure have changed.RidesHills15-11-2026
- I hope he rides a bitmij15-11-2026
- Greatest athlete this world has ever produced ! LOL ... you definitely are a comdian ! Cycling is so sprecialized and you think he's the greatest athlete ever ! Still laughing !frieders315-11-2026
- b.s. headline. Jonas wasn't told anything, it is just a pundit telling him what to do. the actual article is not even close to the insinuation of the headline.mij15-11-2026
- I think Roglic could have beaten Sepp. not Jonas. I was referring to Sepp.mij15-11-2026
- I'm deeply sick of this guy and his unwillingness to race seriously for more than a month or two. I'll never respect riders who do that. Seixas will be stronger than him next season, and maybe Del Toro as well. I don't even think he'll finish on the podium at any GT where Pogi, Seixas, and Del Toro are racing.megasmacky15-11-2026
- Not a chance in hell.megasmacky15-11-2026
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