"We can play along on most fronts" - Intermarché - Wanty DS Bart Wellens will have his hands full during Grand Tour debut
Cycling
Debut at Grand Tour is a special moment for riders, but also for the men in team cars. One such debutant is former cyclocross world champion Bart Wellens who'll be responsible for the results of Intermarché - Wanty in Italy for the next three weeks.
"We have two sports directors. Dimitri Claeys is responsible for the sporting aspect, I am more responsible for the logistics," he explains the distribution of tasks for the upcoming Giro in an interview with WielerFlits. "And yes, that does make me a bit nervous (laughs)."
As a former pure cyclocrosser during his active career, Wellens never really made experience racing on road. But since he joined Intermarché - Wanty in a role of assistant sports director, he suddenly found new passion for cycling. And so, at the age of 46, he'll debut at a Grand Tour.
"This is something new again, I have never been on the road for the team for so long. The start in Albania is also a question mark. We will be there for half a week, then the material has to go to the mainland on two different boats, we by plane. I will be happy when we are in Italy, but we are well prepared. We have been working on this for a few weeks already."
"I immediately think of the pink, which is the symbol of that race," he responds to what comes up on his mind now that he is at the Corsa Rosa. "I didn't necessarily have a special bond with Italy, but that has grown this year because I did the entire Italian program from the Trofeo Laigueglia to Milano-Sanremo. Then you start to appreciate that more. And I have to say that I never ate badly during that entire period (laughs)."
"We hope to play along on several fronts. With Louis Meintjes for a decent GC, although we have to speak about that in two words. Louis always has his bad days, but is usually still able to ride a final classification. We also have a few punchers with us, such as Francesco Busatto, and our sprinter is Gerben Thijssen. We can play along on most fronts."
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Ondrej ZhasilCycling Journalist
Ondřej Zhasil is a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2023. He is based in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, and covers professional cycling across the main UCI competitions, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. A key focus of his work is startlist analysis and pre-race coverage, where he examines team selections, rider line-ups, and tactical scenarios ahead of major events.
Alongside WorldTour coverage, Ondřej has developed specific expertise in junior cycling and in racing across East Asia, including competitions in China and Japan. He also maintains a broad working knowledge of other disciplines and levels, including cyclocross, while continuing to expand his understanding of mountain bike racing.
Ondřej holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, which supports his analytical, data-driven approach to performance and race analysis. In his reporting, he regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
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- It would likely be a very steep section of 4.1 km, not changing the average gradient considerably, with the climb remaining 10.1 km at 11.8%. It would reach 20% on the gravel. It would start 1.6 km in, and finish with 4.2 km left to climb (before the short final descent)
Rafionain-Glas02-11-2026
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