Xandro Meurisse looks towards next season after a year hampered by injuries and ilness: "I am convinced that I have much more to offer"
Cycling
A top 10 result in the overall ranking of the Tour of Turkey did not save Xandro Meurisse's season, but his strong final month of the season did benefit the Alpecin-Deceuninck rider. Back problems and illness kept him from his best level for almost the entire year, he explains to WielerFlits.
"It certainly wasn't my best season. One with ups and downs, but the bad moments still prevailed. I see that myself and I have indicated this to the team management. I am convinced that I have much more to offer than what was to be seen this year, and in 2024 I would like to reinforce those words," the Belgian states.
"I had started the year quite well, until I broke my wrist during the Amstel Gold Race. Then you know you're out for a while. Still, I immediately turned the switch and put everything on the Tour through an altitude training camp, but unfortunately I missed out on the selection. Autumn will be my period, I thought. But during the Druivenkoers I contracted Covid, which meant I had to start over again. For the umpteenth time."
"In modern cycling there are no longer easy races. Even in a race like that of Turkey you can no longer get a good result at 80 percent. Even though everything that could have gone wrong this season was also bad for me, I can still benefit from this. And the results of the team. My teammates have had a fantastic year, which only motivates me more to contribute."
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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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Rafionain-Glas08-11-2026 - 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
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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
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