Maxim Van Gils returns 4 months after his painful crash at Clásica Jaén... with the help of Van Aert’s former coach!

Maxim Van Gils returns to racing this Sunday at the 2026 Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes after almost four months out following his Clásica Jaén crash. The French stage race comes at a key point in the season and with significant changes to Van Gils' professional set-up within Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe.

The Belgian approaches this comeback not just as a return to the peloton, but as a first real assessment of his new preparation process, following a coaching change that marks a shift in his sporting plan ahead of upcoming goals, including the ambitious plan to make the selection cut at Red Bull for the 2026 Tour de France.

Maxim Van Gils’ performance structure has changed recently after the departure of Dan Lorang, the team’s former Head of Performance, which forced the rider to reorganize his build-up mid-season. In this new context, Van Gils has started working with Belgian coach Marc Lamberts, former coach of Wout van Aert at Visma | Lease a Bike, a figure with top-tier WorldTour experience and a methodological profile distinct from the team’s previous approach.

The move fits within an internal transition at Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe, where other riders have also adjusted their planning in search of competitive continuity following changes to the technical staff.

The transition process has not been immediate nor entirely free of uncertainty. Van Gils explained how he experienced that moment within the team after learning of his former coach’s exit.

"A month after my crash I got a message saying he wanted to call me, and I somehow sensed he was going to leave," Van Gils told WielerFlits. "He explained it and I understood. No one is tied to a team. If he prefers to be elsewhere, he can leave calmly. There was no anxiety, but it was a complicated period, mid-season. But I was in my preparation phase, so it was easier for me than for Remco."

The arrival of Marc Lamberts brings a change to Van Gils’ working dynamic. The new coach offers a more flexible methodology and a more direct communication style, something the rider particularly values at this stage of his career.

"I’m a fan [of the change], because now I can communicate in my own language," Van Gils says enthusiastically about the new collaboration. "On the other hand, I can’t say anything bad about Dan. He handled it professionally, but I’m happy to work with Marc. From Sunday, at the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, we’ll see if that also pays off (laughs)."

The Belgian also highlights the new coach’s influence on other riders in the team and how that reinforces his confidence in the change.

"If you look within the team at how brothers Mick and Tim Van Dijke are racing and how Laurence Pithie is performing, you realize Marc knows what he’s doing. He’s a bit calmer in his approach, choosing a style that gives the rider a bit more freedom, and maybe that suits me better. In fact, that’s something I like," he concludes.