Visma positive despite Cian Uijtdebroeks suffering another setback: “In the long run it will pay off"

Cian Uijtdebroeks' 2025 season has taken another blow, with Team Visma | Lease a Bike confirming that the 22-year-old Belgian talent will remain sidelined indefinitely due to persistent physical issues. The promising climber, who has not raced since mid-April, continues to suffer from a mysterious injury that causes recurring numbness in his legs, a condition that has now ruled him out of the Tour de Suisse and likely any Grand Tour participation this season.

“Last year Cian rode well, until he started having back problems,” team manager Richard Plugge told Het Laatste Nieuws. “This year he also struggled with a physical discomfort and he asked us to take a few weeks of rest, to completely reset. I think that’s fine, because in the long run it will pay off.”

The nature of Uijtdebroeks’ condition remains elusive but increasingly concerning. After a breakthrough 2023 that saw him finish eighth in the Vuelta a España, expectations were high for his continued rise. But 2024 has delivered only setbacks: a DNF at both the Giro d’Italia and Vuelta a España, followed by a prolonged absence and now confirmation that he will not feature in Switzerland or the Tour de France.

Plugge emphasised the importance of long-term development over short-term pressure, “We have to keep building with him. Some youngsters fly from the start, like Matthews Brennan. Others take longer to get to their level.”

Indeed, while Uijtdebroeks won the Tour de l’Avenir in 2022 and was tipped as one of the next generation’s elite climbers, his progress has stalled through no fault of his own. The Belgian has shown glimpses of his potential, but with the team choosing caution and recovery over racing, his comeback will have to wait.