Stijn Steels has found himself in a very difficult situation, following a brutal crash at the Six Days of Ghent which have left him with many injuries, in a year where he does not yet have a public contract signed into 2023.
Steels suffered three broken ribs, two broken vertebrae and a lung contusion in a recent crash on the track. “It looked good though, I had some good contacts,” he said in an interview with Het NIeuwsblad from the hospital bed. “So I wanted to prove during the Six Days that I can still ride a bike. I had trained hard and told my teammate Silvan Dillier how important this race was. It could be my very last.”
“We also started very well. Until disaster struck. I'm not going to wait forever," he continued. After several years at riding Continental and Pro Continental level in Belgium, Steels signed a contract with Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team in 2020, where he has had a domestique role until this year.
"And it's beautiful what I've already experienced. Cycling has been my life since I was born and it also has a great impact on my family. But I'm not giving up," he admits. He revealed that he is connected and may have signed with B&B Hotels-KTM, but amidst the team's chaotic financial situation, it might not have: "I was close to a team from the WorldTour, but due to the vicissitudes at B&B Hotels, many teams are now waiting."
“I am not a rider with striking results, but a loyal servant with a lot of experience. To the outside world that may not be well known, but in the belly of the peloton it is. That gives me confidence. I am not angry with Patrick Lefevere either, but grateful that I was able to drive in his top team for three years," he concluded.
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