Lefevere on Iljo Keisse's retirement year, and possibilities within the team's future

Patrick Lefevere has talked about Iljo Keisse in his latest Het Nieuwsblad column, talking about the veteran and his final season in the peloton and on how he is having difficulties to keep up with the work he's done over the last few years.

Keisse has been a successful track rider over the last few years, however on the road he has became a stable and reliable part of Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team. Having been with the Belgian team since 2010, he's built his career over as a domestique and classics rider - having taken five wins during that period which include the final stage of the 2015 Giro d'Italia.

Now 39 years old, the veteran has lost his place in the team's cobbled classics lineup, which has every increased in demand for high-quality riders capable of producing top results. His teammate Tim Declercq has taken over the role over the last few years, with other younger riders coming along to perform the controlling and road captain role in Belgium and France.

Lefevere has talked about how Keisse has been dealing with back issues, and is racing too much in his retirement year. The Belgian has had 33 race days already this year, split between several classics and stage-races. There is the possibility that he will become a DS for the Belgian team in the coming years and Lefevere has mentioned that he should be must already think like a leader in order to make the switch.