"That addiction doesn't go away" - Thomas de Gendt feels as good as ever aged 36 and hopes for more Grand Tour success in 2023

When Lotto-Dstny suffered World Tour relegation at the end of the 2022 campaign, key to their plans of bouncing back was keeping Thomas de Gendt at the team. With that done, the Belgian is now out to repay the faith and secure more Grand Tour success for himself in the process.

A five-time Grand Tour stage winner in his career, de Gendt is one of the most recognisable faces in the modern peloton. A breakaway regular during the three-week stage races, he is also a former King of the Mountains winner at the Vuelta a Espana. In 2023 however, his main focus will be on a different Grand Tour, the Tour de France. "I want to go 100 percent for the Tour," the Belgian reveals. "The tests prove that my legs are still okay. If you win in the Giro, you are also good enough for a stage in the Tour."

One man who will be sorely missed by Thomas de Gendt and Lotto-Dstny is former teammate, now UAE Team Emirates rider, Tim Wellens. On his compatriot, de Gendt was full of praise. "It's strange to see him in photos with a different jersey. It's a bit of swearing in church: it doesn't fit, but I wish Tim the very best."

Did de Gendt himself consider leaving Lotto following their relegation? No, at least not according to the man himself. "Whether I will stay here until the end of my career? I don't know when that will end. I don't see me doing it for longer than 4 years, but I think my pension is here," he says. "In any case, I am still very happy with the bike. It is more difficult to hurt myself, but it is still possible. I still enjoy the improvements you feel after your workouts. That addiction doesn't go away."