Early on stage 6 of the Vuelta a España sharp-eyed followers may have observed {that a} acquainted determine was on the transfer for the breakaways, as specialist Thomas de Gendt tried his greatest to push clear in what shall be his final ever Grand Tour.
The 37-year-old didn’t handle this time round. But as a rider whose capacity to make breakaway succeeds now varieties a part of professional biking’s city legends, expectations stay excessive that the Lotto Dstny racer will in some unspecified time in the future be off the entrance and battling for no less than one final stage win.
Although younger teammate Lennert van Eetvelt is preventing for the general, sports activities director Mario Aerts informed Cyclingnews this might not have an effect on the Belgian veteran’s alternatives to shine on his personal account.
“For the second we’re nonetheless maintaining all our choices open,” Aerts mentioned. “Thomas is Thomas, and when wanted he’ll do his job for Lenny. And if there’s a likelihood on one of many days for Thomas, then why not?”
De Gendt is using his twenty fifth Grand Tour and are available what could, they are going to be celebrating his five hundredth day of racing in biking’s prime three-week races on stage 20. The 37-year-old says, provided that day shall be one of many hardest of all the Vuelta and an enormous GC stage, his probabilities of going for a win shall be minimal. However, if there are different alternatives to go for his eleventh Grand Tour stage win and second up to now within the Vuelta a España, he’ll you should definitely attempt to take it.
“I’m in fine condition, higher than the remainder of the yr, however I’ll must see whether or not I’m ok,” De Gendt informed Cyclingnews earlier this week.
“Even with my greatest kind, I believe I’d have a troublesome time to win a stage as a result of in biking the extent has risen a bit greater than my stage was rising within the final weeks. I simply hope it is ok to be in a break however I do know will probably be troublesome.”
The newest race content material, interviews, options, opinions and skilled shopping for guides, direct to your inbox!
The route this yr is just not beneficial to the sprinters, with simply 4 or 5 alternatives at greatest and there are fewer transition phases than ordinary, too. But no matter how the organisers have tailored the route consequently, De Gendt says the important thing issue is, as ever, getting in the precise break with the precise riders. As for the 2024 Vuelta a España, the absence of three main figures, Remco Evenepoel (Soudal-QuickStep), Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike) and Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) makes his personal mission notably simpler.
“There are some days which are actually good for breaks this yr, and even when it is a mountain or summit end on the finish it is nonetheless received prospects,” De Gendt mentioned.
“You simply must have the precise riders with you you can beat on a climb and the liberty to manoeuvre as you need. To win, I simply must get some freedom.”
“That’s why it is necessary there is not any Remco, Vingo’ or Pog’ within the race as a result of in the event that they have been right here, these groups all the time shut the hole to get a stage win themselves. But this Vuelta is, I believe, extra like a conventional Grand Tour race.”
The dearth of sprinting phases has already had one impact, De Gendt says, which is to suffocate the breakaways on the few flat days up to now within the Vuelta. So the primary time he made a transfer was on stage 6, the place – excluding the GC stage to Villuercas – the fastmen had no likelihood of victory.
“I already knew there usually are not so many dash days and solely three or 4 actual sprinters this yr within the race,” De Gendt mentioned.
“So that makes it actually troublesome to win on days like phases 2 or 3, as a result of you understand that the sprinters’ groups shall be sure to regulate issues. And so at kilometre zero, they have been all lined up on the entrance, ensuring there weren’t too many riders up there within the breaks.”
“It would have been silly to assault on these days, perhaps for those who wished the King of the Mountains jersey, however not for the stage. Even if there have been 5 or 6 riders, they’d nonetheless have had no likelihood.”
De Gendt could also be knocking down the curtain on the breakaways and all the opposite options of his skilled life very quickly, however as he informed Cyclingnews, any sense of nostalgia sparked by the approaching finish to his 16-year profession has but to hit residence.
“The Vuelta is just not my ultimate race, I’ll nonetheless do the Italian Classics after that. So for for the second no less than, it is identical to one of many many Grand Tours you do. You simply attempt to do one of the best you’ll be able to, eat one of the best you’ll be able to, and save as a lot power wherever you’ll be able to.
“I haven’t got any emotions about it but, though perhaps on the final day of the Vuelta as that”ll most likely be my final time trial, that’ll change. But for now, I’m simply concentrating on the racing and staying focussed, all through to the tip.”
Get limitless entry to all of our protection of the 2024 Vuelta a España – together with breaking information and evaluation reported by our journalists on the bottom from each stage because it occurs and extra. Find out extra.