"Races are never just preparation for me" - Maxim Van Gils returns to Vuelta a Andalucia to prove that last year wasn't just a fluke
Cycling
The shortened 2024 Vuelta a Andalucia proved to be a perfect launch pad for Maxim Van Gils' breakthrough season. The versatile rider won the one and only stage - the 5-kilometer uphill time trial. Now he's back with his new team Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe to win the regular edition and not just get a taste of the tapas.
"The winner takes it all, they said. And that sounded good to me," says defending champion Van Gils in a press release on the eve of the race's 71st edition.
"It was a nice reward for eight minutes of full speed," Van Gils says jokingly. Of course, he would have preferred to take his first professional victory in a more regular fashion, but the 25-year-old is nevertheless happy about the result.
Otherwise it was a really stange race with many last-minute cancellations and even more uncertainities. "In the evening before the stage, the question always arose: Will there be a race? The answer was usually no, we go for a training ride. But on the third day, we were told at lunch that there was going to be this little time trial."
This time, the situation should be calm in Andalucia and so nothing stands between Van Gils, who has grown to be a respected contender over the past 12 months, and a chance to defend his title in a more traditional race format.
"The profile of the stages actually suits me. Many of the climbs are steep, but not too long," he analyzes the 2025 course. This year's Ruta del Sol starts with two challenging stages, followed by three stages that should end in (reduced) bunch sprints. Exactly how Van Gils likes them.
Van Gils is still feeling the effects of his crash at the Etoile de Bessèges a little, but has already had a few good training sessions and sees himself in good enough shape to compete for a result in Spain: "Races are never just preparation for me. They are also there to achieve goals. You can prepare at home," Van Gils concludes.
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- Hinault was even lighter than Pog at 62 kg when he won PR in 1981, beating Roger van Vlaeminck no less (albeit at the fag end of the latter's career), so it can be done.Cooldude03-04-2025
- Having to shoulder too much pressure from the Belgain public too much that he made a tactical mistake. That's what public pressure does to you. Poor Wout! Hopefully, lady luck befalls him soon.
KerisVroom03-04-2025 - If he's very lucky maybe he can podium a Tour one season, I certainly don't believe he can win it, evervappaxbipmv03-04-2025
- Yeah, as if fans would now have acquired a right to an MVPD every generation ;-)Jumpyjohn03-04-2025
- Yeah not this year anyway but worth keeping an eye on him (and some others) in future.Jumpyjohn03-04-2025
- poor kid, saddled with all that “next mvdp” crap. eeesh…OCexile03-04-2025
- I don't think so, maybe in a different GT, not in the Tour. Last year, to be 3rd, he would have to be better than Remco. And he wasn't, on any terrainvappaxbipmv03-04-2025
- Or sprinting, or against wind. I think by now they’ve optimised the tire tech and pressures to largely smooth out rider weight effects. BUT, I’m going to go through past podiums to see what weight distribution trends are to be spotted coz I’m curious now.Mistermaumau03-04-2025
- I also wasn’t too impressed by the final lead out, they’ve got to practice that, Wout had far too long to ride alone but then again it seemed as if the lead-outs had themselves run out of steam too early which is what makes me believe none of them could have won, Powfull looked totally fresh and in the end it was just a case of him being stronger than the others, not much you can do against that, just like you can’t outdo MVDP in the end when he’s in shape.Mistermaumau03-04-2025
- Exactly, a rider (or sprinter in athletics) can’t even tell themselves when it will happen until it does. Obviously if you have an idea that could happen, you should maybe envisage testing your theory with perhaps an small sharp attack well before race-end.Mistermaumau03-04-2025