Victor Campenaerts: "I’m no Tadej, Van der Poel or Van Aert, so I think with the capacities I have, I’ve probably achieved the most I can in the way of my own palmares"
Cycling
Victor Campenaerts has in the past been part of Team Visma | Lease a Bike, but his 2025 return is unlike any other team transfer he's done in the past. He talks of the big differences over the past few months after moving in with the Dutch team and his role as a domestique for the team.
He actually says that it was quite the struggle to switch bikes and adapt to his new Cervello. "The frame itself isn’t too difficult to adjust to, but every contact point between my body and the bike is new: the saddle, handlebars, and pedals. I'm neurotic and that adjustment caused me quite a bit of stress initially," Campenaerts shared with Het Laatste Nieuws.
His change of pedals was also quite the hassle as well: "This setup brings your feet closer to the bike's axle, offering a significant aerodynamic advantage and improved pedaling efficiency. However, getting the cleats positioned correctly was no small feat."
In short, there were difficult moments of adaptation on his return year to World Tour level, but not all is bad, as he also admits that nutrition has become much less of an issue in his day-to-day life now supported by the team's logistics and nutrition app. "At Lotto, we also had access to dietitians to determine what and how much we could eat, but as a rider, it still felt like a chore to weigh out your meals".
"Using the app has significantly reduced the stress of weighing food because fewer steps are needed. It makes life both easier and more professional, whereas usually, you have to choose between the two. I have to admit, I was positively overwhelmed when I started using the app. I find myself approaching meals with a different mindset now."
UAE Team Emirates have reinforced themselves with young talents and rouleurs this winter. The importance of riders who can be road captains and help on the flat days is massive nowadays and Visma recognized this. Signing Campenaerts in this new role is a very big move that can be quite beneficial, and it came at a perfect timing as the Belgian finally feels ready to switch roles.
"I’m no Tadej, Van der Poel or Van Aert, so I think with the capacities I have, I’ve probably achieved the most I can in the way of my own palmarès. Now I’m keen for team success. I want to be part of the puzzle," he concluded.
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A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
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Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
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- i did not see it. was the relegation justified or an overly hard decision? and don‘t cross riders deviate from straight lines all the time? bumping into each others when they cut corners, etc … why being more strict with the rules on the finish sprint?Ketterechts08-11-2026
- seems like we are advertising the website with pointless comments…Ketterechts08-11-2026
- So?Jumpyjohn08-11-2026
- The UCI do have their favorites.
Front24208-11-2026 - On a positive note, you maybe notice turning this topic into a discussion has the benefit of eliminating certain participants who do not see how they can turn it back to their sole interest ;-)Jumpyjohn08-11-2026
- People see what they want to. I am actually the opposite of your accusation, probably more of a rebel than most of you who don’t get the big picture. The difference is, I don’t go moaning publicly about the consequences of my transgressions, I understand the need for rules and I take my OWN responsibility when deciding to ignore or break them or doing so involuntarily. I will also not hesitate to state my case or argue vehemently when relevant, sometimes it works, sometimes it makes things worse but that’s the price to pay for principles and having character.Jumpyjohn08-11-2026
- That may be but that was unknown to others and nothing says that’s the whole truth. Again, don’t try to misinterpret, it is a call and technically it is correct. Besides, even if there is a valid reason, that does not disqualify the ruling or punishment as far as the rules have been developed. I don’t think they’re as far as in football where for handball there is a distinction (in some ways and specific cases) between intentional or not. And football can be just as harsh and people live with it, eg the offside rule, also judged to within tiny fractions but often wrong or ignored. It’s the nature of every collective organisation and sometimes I wonder if our rebellion against it isn’t seated in the feelings we carry from the injustices we’ve felt personally, like being flashed driving 1km/h too fast when we are explained limits are just a security measure but we are absolutely certain not to have endangered anyone with our transgression. The problem is, nobody has better solutions and no 2 people have the same interpretation of where a limit should be.Jumpyjohn08-11-2026
- Because for you deviated implies the other rider MUST have been made to fall and fail to finish ??? I don’t know if you ride a bike but next time someone carves you up or drives dangerously close, just hold back from those feelings of changing something, reporting or filming or even complaining. Everyone will just say, hey you’re still here undamaged, doesn’t seem like anyone did anything.Jumpyjohn08-11-2026
- And we, what are we doing?Jumpyjohn08-11-2026
- And yet, it attracts people, even you. What’s more, it attracts the rival fanboys to fill cyberspace with endless pointless my hero is better than your hero blabla that’s all been heard before and only helps sell the site as an advertising platform. You know what the solution is but most can’t resist. No different than women who follow and discuss celebs through gossip magazines.Jumpyjohn08-11-2026
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