"It helps my development to race with such strong riders" - Cian Uijtdebroeks gets another chance to ride alongside Jonas Vingegaard at Tirreno-Adriatico

Cian Uijtdebroeks has made a positive start to his Team Visma | Lease a Bike career after his prolonged and controversial transfer from BORA-hansgrohe over the off-season. At Tirreno-Adriatico, the Belgian continues to work alongside Jonas Vingegaard after their recent success at Gran Camino.

"That was a good experience. Not least because of my fifth place in the final classification," the 21-year-old reflects of his time at Gran Camino, where he helped Vingegaard take a dominant and destructive overall victory. "The weather conditions were not ideal. Otherwise, I could have done better. I am happy with where I am at this point in the season. I'm working towards a peak performance.”

One of the main reasons Uijtdebroeks was so keen to join Team Visma | Lease a Bike was because he felt his development would be boosted and it's fair to say the early signs are relatively positive. "My schedule at the moment is all about this grand tour. The upcoming race is part of that. I look forward to fighting for the overall win with the team in Tirreno-Adriatico," Uijtdebroeks says. "I can also learn a lot from Jonas. It helps my development to race with such strong riders. I am happy with my progress this winter. I am in the right place with this team. I have already made a lot of progress in training and nutrition. I look forward to pinning on a number again next week in Italy.”

"Cian has been a welcome addition to the team in recent months,” Team Visma | Lease a Bike sports director, Arthur Van Dongen says. "He has gotten better and stronger. On the eve of his first WorldTour race with the team, the enthusiasm is palpable. He is a very pleasant athlete to work with. Ideally, at Tirreno-Adriatico next week, Cian will play an important role in our goal: the overall victory.”

Jonas Vingegaard, Cian Uijtdebroeks, Robert Gesink, Dylan van Baarle, Steven Kruijswijk, Ben Tullett & Attila Valter.