Young Alpecin-Deceuninck cyclist countinues to fight for his dream despite a chronic bowel disease: "I lost 10 kilos in 2 weeks"
Cycling
Within the ranks of Alpecin-Deceuninck is a young rider who is doing the practically impossible to achieve his cycling dream. At just 23 years old, Siebe Roesems is battling a chronic bowel disease. Despite this, the son of former pro Bert Roesems is not giving up. The youngster who rides for the Alpecin-Deceuninck development team recently revealed through his personal Instagram account that he struggles with the chronic bowel disease ulcerative colitis.
The young Belgian cyclist is already back in training. However, he spent two very complicated weeks in hospital: "I thought I'd had my share of bad luck. Until this year," Siebe Roesems begins, referring to an accident he had in 2016, when he almost lost his leg.
"My race results and my overall feelings started to get worse. And then I was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis, a chronic intestinal disease for which there is no cure. I spent two weeks in the hospital and lost almost 10 kilos. I almost lost a piece of my intestine and I lost so much blood that I became anemic," Roesems says.
The case of this young pearl of Alpecin-Deceuninck is a tough one. Now, however, everything seems to be back on track. At least for the time being, thanks to a drug that is working for him: "I'm lucky to have found a drug that works for me right now. Thanks to the support of my family and Alpecin-Deceuninck, I can train again. So never give up and see you in 2025!"
An icon for the fight against his disease
Siebe Roesems wants to use his fight against the disease he suffers from to help anyone who is going through the same ordeal: "If you have any questions about IBD (Inflammatory Bowel Disease), don't hesitate to contact me," concludes the 23-year-old cyclist.
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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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- So gracious to offer something no-one would be prepared to pay for. The Giro is not the Tour and doesn’t command the same interest or attract the same “elite” (those willing to pay to be a part of something they consider has ego boosting potential). Roadside viewing will always largely remain free for everyone outside circuits. Introduction of a symbolic entrance to mountain climbs is worthy of exploration. Asking 1-2€ isn’t going to repulse real fans (most will spend 50-100€ on their outing that day all things included) but will prevent a portion of the total knobhead thrillseekers who will join in any large gathering as long as it’s free, just because they’re attracted to crowds, without which it it difficult for them to work up their anti-social behaviour.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- How is radio going to help when someone went over a cliff or bridge or off the roadside into a forest unnoticed and is laying there unconscious?Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- Yep, next we’ll be accusing F1 drivers of avoiding Le Mans.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- But on what is that opinion based? Are you holding him to a different standard than others? Are you saying he should do learn to like something he doesn’t Are you saying he hasn’t achieved enough Are you saying he pretends to be better than his results? It’s actually a really strange opinion to oust if you consider it objectively or rationally. Try applying it to others or yourself by asking if not EVERYONE should then be doing more? Nobody in athletics or swimming gets criticism for not expanding their repertoire when a rival or someone else does. In fact, most who move to another event get accused of running from their rival. Opinions are boring, the reasons behind them are what count.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- for a medical chief to throw things like is just bad. There are already radios which were banned for spectacle. allow radios. Gps trackers are not a complete solutionabstractengineer07-11-2026
- Yeah man...PogiSloFans07-11-2026
- any rider less than 25 whether they are really ready for the position of leadership of GT is probably not the case. I think Pogi himself suffered when he was defeated by Jonas in the TDF twice. But that would be the team's job to ensure support so that they can bounce back. It requires a team and time to get back up and win after getting knocked down.abstractengineer07-11-2026
- I'm very glad he got the big late Quickstep Vuelta win and I hope he has a few left for Euskaltel-Euskadi.flyer07-11-2026
- My memories of Ivan Basso aren't good but I liked his sister Elisa ok.flyer07-11-2026
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