Following the termination of his contract with Alpecin-Fenix at the end of the 2022 season, Julien Vermote was unable to secure a new agreement for 2023, forcing the Belgian to compete in amateur races during this period. However, at 34 years old, the cyclist is back on the World Tour, now on the prestigious Visma-Lease a Bike.
“I still have to pinch myself from time to time”, admits Vermote, who does not hide his surprise at the second chance he was given, following the retirement of Lennard Hofstede, who left a vacancy in the team, in conversation with the Belgian newspaper Het Laatste Nieuws.
Vermote, in 2023, had only one victory, at the VedettenCriterium-Electro Gevaert Gabriel, on 27.06.
Home sponsorship in 2023
Although Vermote faced difficulties in achieving victories throughout 2023, he never lost hope.
“I believed that a new opportunity would arise. Not being a frequent winner, keeping myself cycling was even more crucial. I persisted, doing my best to do my best,” she explained.
“I had the support of my brother’s company, his and my brother-in-law’s bicycle store, as well as my sisters’ bed store. This motivated me a lot, as I didn’t want to disappoint them”, reveals Vermote.
Cyclist reveals that he sought out director of Visma-Lease a Bike
“I contacted Merijn Zeeman myself, but there was no vacancy available. Later, Maarten Wynants called me to find out what my plans were. Later, I got in touch again with Zeeman and Grischa Niermann,” he recalls.
“I’ve been toughened up over the last period, but I can still ride fast, I have a lot of experience at the highest level and I’m versatile. I believe I can be useful to all leaders. I will do whatever they ask, that is my promise. I believe I can become the best version of Julien Vermote in 2024. “