"It is better to take a rest now" - Cian Uijtdebroeks withdraws from Belgian Nationals time-trial due to fatigue

Although not regarded as an expert in the discipline by any means, Cian Uijtdebroeks has been working hard on his time-trial in recent months. Sadly, the Belgian won't be able to display his progress at the upcoming National Championships. 

Already in 2024, the Team Visma | Lease a Bike rider has been very active. Opening his season at Gran Camino, Uijtdebroeks then played an expert super-domestique role for Jonas Vingegaard at Tirreno-Adriatico. From there, the Belgian moved to the Volta a Catalunya, although he abandoned on stage 7 before taking on the Giro d'Italia and impressing before illness forced him out on the Grand Tour on stage 11 whilst he was wearing the White Jersey of Best Young Rider and sat 5th in the general classification. 

Most recently, 21-year-old was seen competing at the Tour de Suisse although the fatigue build up was already visibly affecting the level of the Team Visma | Lease a Bike starlet's form in Switzerland. “It just didn't work out," he assessed in conversation with Het Nieuwsblad after the final stage of the 2024 Tour de Suisse ended in disappointment for Uijtdebroeks. "I had no strength at all and I felt it was all gone. We may have moved a little too quickly in recent weeks.”

As such, the Belgian has decided to opt out of the upcoming fight for the time-trial tricolor at the Belgian National Championships and instead, rest up and refocus for the challenges still to come later this year. "It's finished. It is better to take a rest now,” he explains. 

Whilst Uijtdebroeks isn't the only notable name to be skipping the individual time-trial at the Belgian National Championships, with the superstar duo of Wout van Aert and Remco Evenepoel also set to be absent, there will still be a fierce fight as some of the best time-triallist of the nation battle it out for victory.