"Nowadays the cyclists are much more serious about the sport at a much younger age" - Remco Evenepoel's coach

As the years go by, more and more cyclists emerge at a very high level at an incredibly young age. The likes of Egan Bernal and Tadej Pogacar have given way to riders such as Remco Evenepoel, whilst other massive talents have already taken huge results before the age of 20 this season such as Juan Ayuso and Magnus Sheffield. Remco Evenepoel's coach explains the phenomenon.

“In the past you only became a cyclist around the age of 22 and you achieved the best results around the age of 27 or 28. This was mainly due to the backlog in the field of guidance and not due to the pure, physical growth margin," the Belgian's coach Koen Pelgrim told RIDE Magazine. Whilst just a decade ago riders would tend to have their peak at their mid/late-20's and early 30's, quickly the main victories have been taken by riders in their early 20's. So much so that frequently the general and youth classification become the same in stage-races.

"Nowadays the cyclists are much more serious about the sport at a much younger age," Pelgrim explains. "As a result, they develop faster than the older guard. That is why these talents are now taking the big steps before they turn 20 and the growth opportunities in the years after that are smaller.” Evolution in training methods and overall professionalism in youth ranks has seen some riders develop to an incredibly high level entering their pro career, more and more that is the case.

The downside is exactly that the evolution then stops at a younger age aswell, as those physiological steps are taken earlier in the rider's career. However, how riders of the current generation evolve and withstand a long career is yet to be found out, as most are still yet to reach the age where their peers would be peaking until some years ago.