"This morning I suddenly found myself in the elevator with Cavendish" - Cian Uijtdebroeks thankful for quick rise inside cycling world

In the midst of many top talents in Belgium, Cian Uijtdebroeks is a standout. At the age of 19, he made the move to the elite level and now has his sights set on making a name for himself this year.

With the goal of securing an overall classification, Uijtdebroeks looks to the Tour of Oman as an opportunity to demonstrate his abilities after coming up short in the Challenge Mallorca last month.

This means competing against some prominent names like Mark Cavendish, Tim Merlier, Davide Formolo and Greg VanAvermaet. While acknowledging the prowess of the established cycling elites, he remains unwavering and sees them as a platform to prove himself and establish his place among them.

“Two years ago I was still watching those stars on TV. And this morning I suddenly found myself in the elevator with Cavendish. I don't think he knows me. Nobody knows me here. But now I'm competing with the same people I looked up to just a few years ago,” he said.

He expresses that while his objective is not clear, he has his sights set on classification, with the option of striving for stage victories. “I have a free role here. I'm trying to go for a ranking. If that doesn't work, then it's better to take eight minutes behind than three on the second day, because then you can take a shot at the stage victory on Green Mountain on the final day. But somehow I always have the classification in mind,” concluded Uijtdebroeks.