Cian Uijtdebroeks (BORA Hansgrohe), at just 20 years old, will make his debut in a Grand Tour, precisely at the Vuelta a España 2023. The Belgian, winner of the 2022 Tour de l’Avenir and who has been showing impressive performances for some time, even surpassing those of Evenepoel, has shared details of his ambitions for the Vuelta.
Regarding his age in such an important competition:
“Many other young riders are already at their peak, but we do it at our own pace so that it’s not too demanding mentally and physically. I still have a lot of room to grow, especially in terms of nutrition.”
“It might not be ideal for the Vuelta a España, but there are still steps to be taken in terms of performance. Not everything has to happen within two years. You always want to improve and get faster, but I’m a patient person.”
“When I turned professional in 2021, I was still working a few hours. Of course, that evolved, and you also grow as a rider through competitions. After my first WorldTour stage (the Tour of Catalonia), I realized I came out as a different athlete.”
“I especially hope to be able to showcase myself over three whole weeks. Whether it’s in the general classification or in specific stages, it doesn’t matter to me. It’s a new challenge, another leap of hope.”
“It’s hard to say how I’ll react to a Grand Tour, but the only reference we have is that I’m coming from relatively fresh one-week races this year. Those are positive signs that I can use to push myself towards the big goal of this season. In any case, I’m really looking forward to the Vuelta a España,” concludes the BORA Hansgrohe Belgian rider.