"There is something wrong with my airways, because I have been coughing all day" - Cian Uijtdebroeks struggles to 12th placed finish on stage 16 of La Vuelta
Cycling
When Jonas Vingegaard attacked clear on the final climb of the day on stage 16 of the 2023 Vuelta a Espana, the lack of a reaction from Jumbo-Visma's rivals was curious. Cian Uijtdebroeks at least seems to have a reason for his lack of response.
"I didn't feel great," the 20-year-old Belgian told Sporza in his post-stage interview after coming home in 12th, 1:13 down on Vingegaard. "There is something wrong with my airways, because I have been coughing all day. So these were not ideal circumstances. I tried to be there, at an arrival that didn't really suit me. If you base that on that, today went well."
Despite losing a bit of time, Uijtdebroeks remains in 9th overall, comfortably inside the top-10 of the general classification in his debut Grand Tour. The difference between Uijtdebroeks, the rest of the challengers and Jumbo-Visma however has been stark.
"Jumbo-Visma's dominance was very extreme. They rode very fast all day. My power meter showed an average of 300 watts. That team is going to be very difficult to beat," he admits before concluding with a preview of the infamous Angliru climb. "I recently asked my trainer if it was a good idea to explore the climb, but he said it was better not. Otherwise I would have been mentally broken on the day we mounted him in the Vuelta, he told me."
Read also
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
claps 0visitors 0
Just in
Popular news
Latest comments
- I see (elsewhere) that Alaphilippe had more to say than what got relayed in this stub. Me: he was very good early but his latter third trajectory was the pits. His old boss did what he could (huffed and puffed) but Julian couldn't get his greatness back. Sometimes I wonder if crashes that didn't look like much changed the course of the rider.flyer14-11-2026
- I wouldn't classify it as a gift because the nasty consequences of taking it from Sepp would have been great and would persist and he knew it.flyer14-11-2026
- Ok. Tratnik's good and Red Bull's better so Tratnik may get what he wants.flyer14-11-2026
- Ok. So just saying he wasn't enjoying racing anymore is some kind of explanation? Me saying I don't enjoy his explanation is more explaining than he did.flyer14-11-2026
- Buitrago, was he their best rider in 2026? He's the chief loss for them and Martinez and Tiberi (especially) have to step up or they will be overtaken by Bahrain's younger riders like Omrzel. I'm still somewhat high on Martinez but Tiberi, after showing signs of promise, has fizzled. Bahrain still has a good team but they need to improve and exceed expectations. I'd be happy if Mohoric could manage to return to his better form for maybe one last year at least.flyer14-11-2026
- Hmmm, "... I just gained 30 seconds purely off the bike. Because it's really a big, big improvement compared to the previous bike". Is that marketing for Specialized or serious valid hype, or something in between? Very likely the former.flyer14-11-2026
- Nothing revelatory or controversial. Why do we have to report on Bruyneel's or Armstrong's thinking. It's a shame and enough that the Move's on TV and that people watch it .flyer14-11-2026
- Makes sense that training from home is a big asset or advantage but it's still remarkable that he can put in three quality majors and not pay some heavy price for the exertion. I wish he would have won that tour stage that his crash while leading allowed Carapaz the win. He's a darn good rider and teammate.flyer14-11-2026
- Sounds like we all agree with the over under exaggeration: "The German’s signing does not guarantee that Evenepoel will win the Tour in 2027. "flyer14-11-2026
- Seixas appears to be that good but if he isn't (an absolute rival to Pogacar) he would have plenty of company in rising stars that did not go on to fully meet the expectations of many. That Pogacar wasn't the greatest (as great) sooner can't be transposed onto another's development. It may be not that simple.flyer14-11-2026
Loading
🇪🇸 #LaVuelta23 It was a battle in Bejes amidst rainy conditions 🌧️, with @ale_vlasov our best-placed finisher in 7th at 1 minute down on stage winner Vingegaard, and Cian Uijtdebroeks in 12th at 1:13 minutes back. They remain 8th and 9th in GC respectively.
Write a comment