"This result is fantastic": Cian Uijtdebroeks sneaks into top-10 on his Monument debut

Cian Uijtdebroeks missed a large part of the 2025 season due to recurring health problems in the first half of the year. However the Belgian's return at Clasica San Sebastian in August was a much needed restart for the young climber who has since once again resembled the star of future he was once referred to as.

Already his 9th place at the Spanish Classic was a great indication of Uijtdebroeks' returning form. This was further amplified at the Tour de l'Ain where he dominated the last stage after a 50-kilometer solo. His deeds did not go unnoticed and the 22-year-old earned himself a spot at the World Championships in Rwanda - the biggest one-day race of his career.

And it seems like Uijtdebroeks got a taste for one-day racing as he continued to add starts in the Italian autumn calendar, culminating with a start at Il Lombardia where he arrived 10th, in front of prominent Classics stars such as Primoz Roglic, Marc Hirschi or Julian Alaphilippe.

Despite the challenging parcours, Uijtdebroeks never lost a contact with the front of the race until UAE unleashed their demons on the Passo di Ganda: "I had to slow down when UAE Emiretes - XRG accelerated," he recounted afterwards when speaking to HLN.

On the hardest climb of the day, Uijtdebroeks was distanced from the group behind leaders, but managed to rejoin the chasers in the valley before final obstacle - Colle Aperto. "I felt quite good throughout the day. When Pogacar attacked, I was a bit too far back, so I rode my own tempo. Fortunately, I managed to rejoin the chasing group. The final kilometres were all about suffering, but I’m happy with tenth place in my first Monument."

"I can look back positively on today. The one-day work is completely new to me, but there's definitely room for improvement. This result is fantastic for me."

It's a pretty promising Monument debut for Uijtdebroeks who admits that he only now discovers this aspect of racing after four seasons as a pro. While his focus with Movistar Team will once again be the Grand Tours where he should form a powerful duo with Enric Mas, maybe we can expect to see Uijtdebroeks take on more of the hardest one-day races too.

"It's not something I'm particularly good at, but maybe it will in the future. I've already become more explosive, although I'm not yet at the same level as the others."