He put the exclamation point Sunday 24 October in Lendelede, his home town, winning the home raceSixty kilometers of solitary escape and finishing line crossed by raising the bike to the sky for his tenth success of the seasonNot an irreverent gesture but rather a farewell to the category that made him known to the world. And at the Cafe de Kluisberg, the village pub and home of its fan club, preparations are already underway for the end-of-season party..
Belgian Alec Segaert – junior of the Gaverzicht Be Okay, who will turn nineteen on January 16th – was one of the revelations of his youth this year. We discovered it right here in Italy, in Stradella, on May 30th while conquering the Cinerari-Siori Memorial. Then on September 8th, still here with us, in Trento, he became European time trial champion, being hired for 2022 by Lotto-Soudal U23. He filled the gap between these two dates with other victories and after the continental title he gradually climbed his own personal podium in three international races: third in the world time trial, second in Paris-Roubaix and first in the Chrono des Nations.
Since that day at the end of May we have continued to follow this Flemish boy born in Roeselare thanks to the words of Andrea Bardelli (sports director of Team Franco Ballerini) who already knew him well.
Alec, what kind of season has it been for you?
The season in Belgium started late due to Covid, but I started it very well in Italy. I raced until a few days ago and I achieved my tenth victory in 36 races. Including the European one, I couldn't be happier.
The best and worst moment of this year?
The best is the combination of the European Championships and the World Cup. In Trentino for the result obviously, in Flanders for the crazy atmosphere and also for a beautiful bronze medalThe worst moment of the season was probably my accident at the Course de la Paix (on August 26, ed.) just two weeks before the European Championships. I broke my shoulder there so I was a little scared for the upcoming races, but everything went quite well (he says laughing happily, ed.).
Who is your idol?
My idol is Mathieu Van der Poel. It's incredible how strong he is in every discipline. and makes it look so easy.
At the end of a season like this, what kind of rider do you think you are?
I think I'm quite versatile. I won hill races, like Stradella, and one of the toughest races in Belgium, the Course de côte Herbeumont, which has an important roll of honour and which Van der Poel also won (in 2012, ed.). I also won a general classification in Austria, two time trials and I came in front in a classic like Paris-Roubaix.
Where do you feel you have improved and where do you need to improve?
I think I've improved my race tactics. I often attacked at the right moments to try for victory. I hope to improve my sprint in the coming years.
Were you expecting a season like this?
I knew that if everything had gone normally, I could have been with the best Belgian riders. I was really looking forward to the races in Flanders, but they were cancelled due to CovidThen I started the season with a win in Italy at the end of May. I knew I was in good shape and that I could only improve throughout the season. In July I won my first UCI race, the Juniorenrundfahrt in AustriaIn September and October, the results continued to come. I didn't expect to win all these big races, and that now makes me even more proud.
What's your brother like as a coach?
Loic is a fantastic coach. He invests a lot of time in me and gives me tactics before every raceHe knows everything about his opponents and the routes of every race I enter. But above all He knows me very well and knows what I'm capable of.. It always sets the perfect pace for me to maintain in a time trial.
What do you expect next year?
Next year will be another challenge. A new category and longer racesI am very motivated to bring out the best in myself with Lotto Soudal.
What is your dream race?
I've always loved the classics with cobblestones and short climbs. I was sorry I couldn't run them for two years due to Covid. Luckily, on October 3rd I started the legendary Paris-Roubaix and finished second. It's a fantastic race, I think I have the right profile to do it and I hope to return to the podium in Roubaix in the future, possibly on the top step.
