"That would certainly complete my career" - Gianni Vermeersch desperately hoping to make Tour de France debut in 2024

A star of multiple disciplines, Gianni Vermeersch has competed at the top level on the road, in cyclocross and more recently, on the gravel. To fully complete his career though, he feels the need to complete the Tour de France.

“It was a disappointment that I was not there for the Tour de France. I was busy preparing and then it was difficult to recharge mentally for the Vuelta,” Vermeersch admits in conversation with Wielerflits after not riding a Grand Tour this year, for the first time since 2020. “Hopefully I can go to the Tour next year. That would certainly complete my career for me. Everyone will want that, and I have already done the Giro and the Vuelta.”

For Alpecin-Deceuninck, the focus is understandably around Mathieu van der Poel and Jasper Philipsen when it comes to the biggest race of the year. There could still be chances for Vermeersch though, both on the road and during the winter.

“Last year I raced for a good month, from December until the Belgian championship. That is again the intention. It is mainly to build a good foundation and maintain the technique training. I will race about ten races from mid-December,” he explains. “The intention is certainly that when I start cross-country, the specific cross-country level and fitness are there. Last year I made the mistake of continuing to ride the gravel bike for a long time, because I was into the gravel atmosphere. I rode my long rides on wide tires in the field, but noticed that it is a big difference. From a purely technical point of view, I was disastrous, so I want to get that technique back."