15/09/2022

Jan Bakelants unhappy after being "pushed aside in such a brutal way" from Intermarché into 2023

Jan Bakelants is one of the most experienced riders in the peloton but his future in the peloton is not assured, as he won't be re-signing with Intermarché - Wanty - Gobert Matériaux into the 2023 season, much to his discontent.

“After the Dauphiné I was told that I could not ride a Tour de France. When I was in Denmark for Vive le Vélo, I went to ask the team how it was going. I don't have a manager, I do that myself. To my surprise I was told that it wouldn't work after all," Bakelants said in a recent interview. "A disappointment, because if this team is where it is today – much further than three years ago – I have added a lot to that. I shouldn't be ashamed to say that."

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“I want to show you that, to make it clear that what I'm saying isn't bullshit from a frustrated rider. Forgetting where you come from, I can't stand that," he said, taking into context that both Visbeek and Bakelants have came from Team DSM and had contact over the last few years.

"To be pushed aside in such a brutal way… The decision itself actually leaves me cold. But the way bothers me, spinning around the pot. The question of Quinten Hermans also had to be reviewed in the entire discourse," he added. Intermarché - Wanty - Gobert Matériaux have had an incredibly successful season with wins from Biniam Girmay, Alexander Kristoff and Quinten Hermans to show for, alongside many other strong results. However the two latter will be leaving the team as it is set to undergo changes due to finances in the coming season, a situation which doesn't please Bakelants - a member of the team since 2020.

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“And that extra cost is supposedly at the expense of me. A completely ridiculous reason. I know what I've earned over the past three years. A fraction of what Quinten's replacement will cost," he said, not being able to understand why he isn't being re-signed. "It's impossible for those two to get in each other's way.

"Look, I can handle the irony of fate – I apparently won a Trojan Horse myself with Visbeek – but be straight forward. One thing you should keep in mind though: he has done a lot for us and all in all he didn't cost a rotten ball. With many people you would get some goodwill for that, apparently not here," he concluded.