"It is something I really want to do after cycling" - Cian Uijtdebroeks sets out plans for total career change upon retirement from peloton

Still only 21 years old, Cian Uijtdebroeks' retirement from the peloton is not likely to come any time soon. They say it's always best to be prepared though and in the case of the Team Visma | Lease a Bike star, there are already plans for a post-cycling career switch. 

As it turns out, upon the end of his cycling career, Uijtdebroeks is keen to swap two wheels for four. "I have indeed driven in a rally car a few times. I just think it's fantastic," the former Tour de l'Avenir winner tells Het Nieuwsblad. "The adrenaline you experience, the power of the car you feel when you accelerate, how late you brake towards the corners... I love being in the car. There are people who would get stressed by it, for me it's just pure enjoyment."

"Rallying is very popular here," continues Uijtdebroeks, explaining how his love of all things rally and the dream of a potential career in driving first began. "There are two rounds of the Belgian championship around the corner. In the past, there was also the Hannuit Rally that started right on our doorstep. That's how I got my love for the sport from a young age."

Uijtdebroeks certainly isn't the first cycling star to also have dreams of a career behind the wheel of a slightly more high powered vehicle. In fact, the young Belgian can take some form of inspiration from one of the modern cycling icons of his nation, Tom Boonen.

"Of course I want to build the best possible cycling career first," he insists in conclusion. "But the ultimate dream would be to get into a rally car after that wonderful cycling career and maybe try to build something like Tom Boonen is doing now. More for fun, but it is something I really want to do after cycling."