His smile is contagious because you meet him every morning at the sign-in sheet for the International Coppi and Bartali Week and then at the end of the stage, even when it's been a tough day. Cian Uijtdebroeks turned 19 a few weeks ago and his name sticks in your mind because it's a bit of a tongue twister (we had him say it to us and it's not that difficult to pronounce) and because he's been spoken highly of for some time.
The Belgian of the Bora Hansgrohe comes directly from the juniors and in his homeland they call him the new EvenepoelHowever, we're not crazy about certain comparisons, because they risk undermining the athlete and ultimately fail to do justice to those directly involved.
Gasparotto believes in him
«Cian was in our U19 development team (Team Auto Eder, ed.) – he explains to us Enrico Gasparotto, his sport director at Bora – we gave him the possibility of passing by to keep him under control and let him have experiences that are appropriate for his age and to make him leap forward. It's easy to make comparisons with Remco, but I think that's the worst thing you can do.You draw conclusions at the end of your career; you can't generalize. That's why he's in a German team and not a Belgian one. He's under no pressure from us. We sent him to the Saudi Tour (from February 1st to 5th, ed.) where he had to battle with fans, for example, something he'd never done before. And it was tough. He started 2022 with a strong impact in the new category. Seeing him in front of Coppi and Bartali is making us very happy. We believe in him so much (He has a contract with Bora-Hansgrohe until 2024, ed.) But we have to keep our feet on the ground. He still has a lot of tactical and non-tactical things to learn."
Cian is Uijtdebroeks, a boy who lives in Wallonia in Abolens, a town of 700 inhabitants, where there are more animals than people, as he told us when we met him at the hotel to get to know him better.
How have these first few months been with the new category?
I come from very difficult situations. I got salmonella at the Saudi Tour and I didn't leave for the last stage. I had a fever of 40°C for a couple of days. When then I got home I got CovidFlying for six hours with the air conditioning on, even though I was well wrapped up, didn't help. Having a fever again made me weak. With the preparation I had to start from scratch And I only resumed normal training three weeks ago. It was important not to return to racing immediately, so I could recover well from the infection and Covid and rebuild my fitness more easily.
How did the first races go?
I struggled because I could still feel the workload from the winter in my legs and also because I knew that you always go strong when the season starts. Now finally my shape is almost good, even if it still needs to improve.
Cian Uijtdebroeks quenches his thirst at the Coppi e Bartali, his second stage race of early 2022. Cian Uijtdebroeks never lacks a smile and kindness.
Cian Uijtdebroeks quenches his thirst at the Coppi e Bartali, his second stage race of early 2022. Cian Uijtdebroeks never lacks a smile and kindness.
What are your impressions here at Coppi e Bartali?
Being in a group with athletes like Froome, Geraint Thomas or Nibali It has a certain effect on me. In fact, At the start I heard a lot of people shouting "Vincenzo, Vincenzo." I turned around and saw he was behind me, and it was beautiful.It's truly incredible for me. I'm racing with so many of my idols, and finishing alongside them at the end of these stages has truly impressed me. I dream of living at least one day like one of these champions.
What do you expect from this season?
I think if I look to the future, I would like to become a general classification rider. Now I just want to grow upI was ready, I did a lot of specific work, like nutrition. Or like my body fat percentage, which I now have at 11%Or like weight, which can vary, being careful not to lose too much. From a competitive point of view, I need to gain experience, become more powerful and strong to my maximum potential. Just like I have to learn to take care of the details. But I don't have to do all of this this year, but over the next three seasons..
What races will you be competing in? Is it possible to see you starting a major Giro?
This year I don't think so yet. I'll do short stage races, like the Coppi e Bartali and the Tour of the Alps, but also other one-day races. With my U23 national team I will do the Future Tower, where the goal, the hope, is to win or at least to obtain the best possible result both in the stages and in the general classification. I will try to get there in great shape because I will find very strong opponents like Juan Ayuso and Marco Brenner (respectively of Team UAE Emirates and Team DSM, ed.). The climbers and riders of the future always emerge from there.
We've seen you perform well on all terrains. What are your true strengths?
I'm comfortable with time trials (in 2021 he was Belgian champion and European rider-up, ed.). Normally, however, long climbs are the ones that suit me best, especially when I'm fresh. But I have to find out how I will recover and how I will go day by day.My body was used to the junior category, where there were some limitations. So far, everything's going well, but as you know, it's hard to know how the next few days will go. After all, everything is new to me this year.
Your name has always been considered important in the youth categories. How do you handle the pressure?
There's usually a lot of it in Belgium. Evenepoel started getting some results right away in the pros, but I haven't achieved even a little bit of what he's done, even though I've already scored a few placings so far. My plans remain the same. Bora is the perfect team for meHere I can grow step by step with a fantastic staff. I don't feel any pressure from them, maybe it's just me who puts it on, because I want to win right away or fight for it. But if I think about it carefully, people like Dumoulin, Froome or Nibali won a major Giro when they were over 25 years old. Now yes, there are Pogacar and Bernal but they are exceptions, because they are phenomena. I know I have time to do everything and I'm on the right track to do it..
