"We are not the best 8 riders for this job, but we threw ourselves every day" - Thomas De Gendt praises Lotto Dstny's Vuelta performance
Cycling
Achieving their target on just stage 2 as Andreas Kron took victory, The Lotto Dstny team bus has been a relaxed and enjoyable place for most of the 2023 Vuelta a Espana.
"The atmosphere was very good in this Grand Tour," the team's most experienced rider, Thomas De Gendt confirms to Sporza. "We still laugh a lot. If you suffer, the stages are sometimes less fun, but this group was fun. We are not the best 8 riders for this job , but we threw ourselves every day. We certainly can't complain."
After the tragic death of their junior rider, Tijl De Decker, the Lotto Dstny came into the race with an extra fire in their belly and the stage 2 success of Kron saw an outpouring of emotion. "We started off on a tear, but we won straight away," Lotto - Dstny sports director Marc Wauters reflects. "This relieved a lot of stress and after that we continued to race with motivation. We rode a lot of attacks and we often finished in the top 10. We can say that we rode a good Vuelta."
"A few days ago we had a transfer by bus for 3 hours. The riders were not silent for a minute," he concludes. "They laughed and those hours flew by. In the past, it could be quiet for an hour."
It's a 14th place for Milan https://t.co/ck5M2O9xSY
— Lotto Dstny (@lotto_dstny) September 15, 2023
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
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