Thomas de Gendt back to traditional preparation as he eyes Vuelta a Espana stage win

Thomas de Gendt is one of the main figures in the peloton, and he is gearing up towards the Vuelta a Espana where he will attempt to take another stage win to add to his vast and prestigious collection.

"I've had a competition break since the Tour de Suisse with two weeks rest and then I did a three-week altitude camp," De Gendt told Cyclingnews on the opening day of the Tour de Pologne where he returned to competition. "So I don't know how the form is, this race is a build-up to the Vuelta and that's a more important goal at the end of the season, so now the next step is just to get into the rhythm."

Albeit without their leaders, Lotto Soudal will be looking for a stage win this week in Eastern Europe. De Gendt will be perhaps their main card, although he is clear that he's using the seven-day race as preparation for the final Grand Tour of the season. He has in the last few years used hyperbaric chambers to simulate altitude training whilst riding down by the Spanish Mediterranean coast, however he returned to Livigno this summer for a more traditional training camp.

"It's different to other years, because the last seven years I've done the Tour, so this is a totally different approach to the Vuelta, also," he explained. "The Vuelta was always something I just did extra because I don't have many other races that suit me, but now the Vuelta is more of a goal like the Giro was.

Having won a stage in 2017 and won the KOM classification in 2018, de Gendt has an history at the Vuelta, although he carries much more success in the Spanish calendar over the years. The 35-year old has won a stage at the Giro d'Italia this year, however he's talked about how he's struggled to get the wins he has in the past. He's changing things up for the finale of 2022, with the goal of reaching a higher level.

"So it's a different approach and I don't know how my body will react to the training camp at altitude. And I skipped the National Championships and I've never done a rest period at this time of year, so I hope it benefits me at the end of the season and I'll be a bit fresher, not so mentally fatigued, thanks to these two weeks off the bike and the roads," he detailed. "So I don't know how it will be. But I'm looking forward to seeing how I get on at the Vuelta and how my body reacts to this."