Teams & Riders Cian Uijtdebroeks - From the wetlands to the top of cycling

[Samamba]

And yes, lotto won't exist anymore in that form by that time. But for the moment I think they are doing good work with young GC guys and they could send him, Widar, Van Eetvelt... to the same races and let them figure it out on the road.

I agree that it would've been way better for Cian to take the slow route (with a team like Lotto indeed), but he obviously does not have that personality, and sadly that's the same for a lot of young kids these days.

For now, we don't even know if Lotto will still be Lotto next year so yeah. Hard to say if they still will be the ideal place. I don't know Bourlart and Visbeek well enough. I think Intermarché was overhyped, I never thought they did do anything special apart from making Rui Costa good again but that had nothing to do with youngsters. Of course Van de Wouwer is still there and he's definitely good with the young guys;

 

[Berniece]

That wouldn't be an issue for him but for other riders.

Well Lotto still needs to be able to pay him. With how difficult it is too keep their better riders I would think it's not that easy. But I agree that he would've been better at Lotto than Movistar. This is such a bad decision on his end. Also a bit arrogant. He basically said: "I learned a lot these few years, I'll apply that knowledge at Movistar, I don't really need their non-existing expertise anyway".

 

[Salvarani]

Full circle moment

Mas and Blobloblo on the same team!!!

 

[ingsve]

If you have ambitions but aren't good enough to make them come true....

Well, if Ryder Hesjedal can win a GT then there is hope for almost anyone in the top 10 crowd really. I could even add Tao Geoghan Hart and Jai Hindley to that list as well.

There are lots and lots of that type of rider, the ones that can reach a top 10 in a GT and that occasionally be seen in the top 10 of WT stages races but rarely if ever on the podium of those stage races. But somehow these three and perhaps a few more like them even managed to sneak a rare win in a GT somehow.

 

[Samamba]

The most interesting thing about all this is that they kept it quiet. Insane to me. Didn't leak to Wielerflits, didn't leak to any Flemish or Walloons newspaper. Guess Carrera didn't have to leak anything this time to make something he wants happen.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

Well Lotto still needs to be able to pay him. With how difficult it is too keep their better riders I would think it's not that easy. But I agree that he would've been better at Lotto than Movistar. This is such a bad decision on his end. Also a bit arrogant. He basically said: "I learned a lot these few years, I'll apply that knowledge at Movistar, I don't really need their non-existing expertise anyway".

I think it was because Visma isn't willing to send him to bigger races as a leader at this point. So he in his mind has no other choice but to leave.

Or they really did cluck up with his injury.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

The most interesting thing about all this is that they kept it quiet. Insane to me. Didn't leak to Wielerflits, didn't leak to any Flemish or Walloons newspaper. Guess Carrera didn't have to leak anything this time to make something he wants happen.

More evidence that Visma is just as much (if not more) ok with this. Else it would definitely have leaked.

 

[Peyroteo94]

Actually it was you when you started about me protecting certain riders which is the furthest from the thruth. Yes I think you starting about Belgian posters every time is weird and obsessive, as you don't do it with any other nationality. Don't see the same energy with Danish posters about Danish riders for example, and you shouldn't, cause it would be weird too. Argue with arguments instead.

You are lying right now. It started with me talking about the Roglic-Cian trade.
Having different opinions is good, not stating facts is something I don't tolerate.
Cheers.

 

[Cycling111]

What, Movistar couldn't sign Ayuso so they took Cian? Ouch. That won't last either.

According to what they said in Ayuso thread, he's going to get 5 million from LIDL. And they also paid 10 million to UAE for his release. Movistar can't afford that.
Not even UAE paid 5 million to Ayuso 😅

 

[Berniece]

The most interesting thing about all this is that they kept it quiet. Insane to me. Didn't leak to Wielerflits, didn't leak to any Flemish or Walloons newspaper. Guess Carrera didn't have to leak anything this time to make something he wants happen.

I think it happened really quickly too. Movistar couldn’t get Ayuso, Uijtdebroeks maybe didn’t have his talk with Visma until after Slovenia, and both parties didn’t see other solutions. Or is that too fast to make such a deal happen?

 

[theyoungest]

More evidence that Visma is just as much (if not more) ok with this. Else it would definitely have leaked.

I don't think Visma have said anything at all about Uijtdebroeks leaving the team, so far. Except for, weirdly enough, Plugge in the Movistar press release.

Btw I'm not anti-Belgian. What I cannot stand is the huge nationalistic bias in a lot of your media, which (in my mind) is just unhealthy and also influences a large part of the fan base. For instance in their dislike of Roglic, because he supposedly didn't want to work for Van Aert once or twice. It seems now some are finding out that actually Roglic happens to be a really cool guy... which will change as of next year when of course they'll find a way of blaming Evenepoel's failures on him.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

I think it happened really quickly too. Movistar couldn’t get Ayuso, Uijtdebroeks maybe didn’t have his talk with Visma until after Slovenia, and both parties didn’t see other solutions. Or is that too fast to make such a deal happen?

Dutch and Belgian media know these things very quickly. Basically, if they see it as beneficial to their cause, they will leak it and it will be an article on HLN and Wielerflits before they put the phone down. The fact that it didn't leak here simply means everybody was happy with the deal.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

I don't think Visma have said anything at all about Uijtdebroeks leaving the team, so far. Except for, weirdly enough, Plugge in the Movistar press release.

Btw I'm not anti-Belgian. What I cannot stand is the huge nationalistic bias in a lot of your media, which (in my mind) is just unhealthy and also influences a large part of the fan base. For instance in their dislike of Roglic, because he supposedly didn't want to work for Van Aert once or twice. It seems now some are finding out that actually Roglic happens to be a really cool guy... which will change as of next year when of course they'll find a way of blaming Evenepoel's failures on him.

You have been making a lot of anti-Belgian generalisations over the years. Whether it was triggered by media/Roglic or not, at least please be aware of that. I don't see you lash out vs Wielerflits which is arguably the biggest click bait cycling news site on the planet. But anyway, i agree that your stance seems more relaxed lately. I doubt our media is more biased than in other countries, it's just that cycling is a much bigger deal in Belgium than it is in Norway or Germany. Or anywhere else.

As for Uijtdebroeks, like i said, if this was really against Visma's wishes, the story would have leaked.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

What, Movistar couldn't sign Ayuso so they took Cian? Ouch. That won't last either.

Only until either he does well enough that somebody offers him more money and he gets distracted by shiny new possibilities, or he doesn't do well enough to deserve being treated like the most beautiful princess, and so runs crying into the arms of the next suitor.

 

[Red Rick]

Well, if Ryder Hesjedal can win a GT then there is hope for almost anyone in the top 10 crowd really. I could even add Tao Geoghan Hart and Jai Hindley to that list as well.

There are lots and lots of that type of rider, the ones that can reach a top 10 in a GT and that occasionally be seen in the top 10 of WT stages races but rarely if ever on the podium of those stage races. But somehow these three and perhaps a few more like them even managed to sneak a rare win in a GT somehow.

Hesjedal was over a decade ago. Hindley is simply a level of climber that Uijtdebroeks has never shown, and even then he's an outlier.

 

[Gargamel35]

A rider with no results in last two years and one good year (still no GT win or podium) is in no position to demand anything, i think. Be happy they still want you in a team and pay you for your "results". I believe Visma wanted him on domestique role next year and he said no. That's it. But he's sliding down very fast. If he wouldn't be a certain nationality, his thread would be 5 pages long.

 

[Cycling111]

Kuss... Yes, they gave it to him, but he would have finished third, something he hasn't demonstrated in another GT either.

Hindley is a good climber, but there's a big difference between that and winning the Giro. He's never been capable of winning anything like that before. He's never even won a one-week race

Vineggaard was a domestique rider in 2020, 22 months before winning a Tour.

 

[theyoungest]

You have been making a lot of anti-Belgian generalisations over the years. Whether it was triggered by media/Roglic or not, at least please be aware of that. I don't see you lash out vs Wielerflits which is arguably the biggest click bait cycling news site on the planet. But anyway, i agree that your stance seems more relaxed lately. I doubt our media is more biased than in other countries, it's just that cycling is a much bigger deal in Belgium than it is in Norway or Germany. Or anywhere else.

As for Uijtdebroeks, like i said, if this was really against Visma's wishes, the story would have leaked.

Wielerflits has become absolutely terrible the last couple of years, just pure clickbait, but it's not necessarily pro-Dutch or anti-Belgian clickbait. They just know anything Visma (preferably negative) and anything Evenepoel (also preferably negative) will generate clicks.

As for my stance, it's always been pretty much the same, and I'll give you one example: Van der Poel has spent a couple of Tours pretty much as a leadout man for Philipsen, and not much else. Do the Dutch media care about that? No, not really. I can't imagine something similar with Van Aert, and the Belgian media not turning it into a giant issue. Personally I think this is part of the reason Van der Poel has a much more impressive palmares than Van Aert: a relatively relaxed atmosphere vs. total media and fan obsession. That's the thing: it doesn't even benefit your riders, quite the contrary actually.

Maybe one of the really appealing things about Uijtdebroeks is that this obsession seems largely nonexistent in his case. It doesn't seem to have helped him though, so far

 

[Samamba]

Only until either he does well enough that somebody offers him more money and he gets distracted by shiny new possibilities, or he doesn't do well enough to deserve being treated like the most beautiful princess, and so runs crying into the arms of the next suitor.

Tbf Movistar has more money now than people think now with their new backer who we won't name. It's pretty clear from their transfers, while I'm not sure about this one, their team is getting stronger every year imo. So maybe they do have the possibility now to keep someone who performs.

 

[Samamba]

As for my stance, it's always been pretty much the same, and I'll give you one example: Van der Poel has spent a couple of Tours pretty much as a leadout man for Philipsen, and not much else. Do the Dutch media care about that? No, not really. I can't imagine something similar with Van Aert, and the Belgian media not turning it into a giant issue. Personally I think this is part of the reason Van der Poel has a much more impressive palmares than Van Aert: a relatively relaxed atmosphere vs. total media and fan obsession. That's the thing: it doesn't even benefit your riders, quite the contrary actually.

While I agree that Belgian media is horrible I don't really like this comparison as Van Aert first of all did this with Kooij before (and most people, even in media, thought that was perfectly normal) and he won Tour bunch sprints before, Van der Poel hasn't. I think Wielerflits would make it a problem if Van der Poel would be helping other riders in races he could win, honestly even the Belgian media would make it a problem cause yk we still claim him haha.

I think Belgian media just complains about Van Aert at Visma cause he probably (maybe) couldve won a race at some point at some other team because he had to work for or was ccaught behind a teammate at Visma, but that's his own choice. He could've made the same choice as Van Der Poel, riding for a team where everything revolved around him. He didn't, and it helped him in some ways, but probably also the opposite sometimes. It's just a choice.

 

[yaco]

It seems a logical decision. Uijtdebroeks wants to ride GC at a GT, while, Movistar is a GC team.

 

[Pippo_San]

The classic tale of the fall of a promise.
Sorry you've already reached a dead end pal.
He and Ayuso really should go for a bromance 🌹

 

[ingsve]

Hesjedal was over a decade ago. Hindley is simply a level of climber that Uijtdebroeks has never shown, and even then he's an outlier.

Well, Hindley is 29 and Uijtdebroks is 22 so of course Hindley has shown more by now but Hindley at 22 had done nothing of what Uijtdebroks has done so it cuts both ways.

Hindley isn't really an outlier other than he has actually won a GT. But if you compare him with other GT riders then he is part of a large group of similar level riders that I would call the top 10 gang. These are riders that ge top 10s in GTs and week long WT stage races but rarely make the podium in any of them.

It's riders like Thyman Arensmann, Felix Gall, Pello Bilbao, David Gaudu, Thibaut Pinot, Romain Bardet, Louis Mentjes, Mikel Landa, Steven Kruijswijk, Ben O'Connor, Damiano Caruso, Domenico Pozzovivo etc. just to name a few.

I'm even tempted to add Enric Mas to the list but he has at least been on the podium in 50% of his top 10 finishes so he is more of a consistent competitor though looking at his WT stage races he is more of a clear top 10 gang.

Almost anyone of the ones I mentioned could have had a win in a GT just like Jai Hindley if the stars had aligned just a little better for them at the right moment.

 

[Panda Claws]

Would be interesting to have a poll about what his career trajectory will look like. People seem certain that he'll crash and burn, but might backpedal into "I just meant he wouldn't win a GT".

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

Wielerflits has become absolutely terrible the last couple of years, just pure clickbait, but it's not necessarily pro-Dutch or anti-Belgian clickbait. They just know anything Visma (preferably negative) and anything Evenepoel (also preferably negative) will generate clicks.

As for my stance, it's always been pretty much the same, and I'll give you one example: Van der Poel has spent a couple of Tours pretty much as a leadout man for Philipsen, and not much else. Do the Dutch media care about that? No, not really. I can't imagine something similar with Van Aert, and the Belgian media not turning it into a giant issue. Personally I think this is part of the reason Van der Poel has a much more impressive palmares than Van Aert: a relatively relaxed atmosphere vs. total media and fan obsession. That's the thing: it doesn't even benefit your riders, quite the contrary actually.

Maybe one of the really appealing things about Uijtdebroeks is that this obsession seems largely nonexistent in his case. It doesn't seem to have helped him though, so far

In the case of Van der Poel, that is very different for a few reasons. First of all a lot of people (both sides of the border) consider him a Belgian as much as a Dutchman. Born here, raised here, lives here, works here, talks Flemish, races in a Flemish team, has a Belgian wife/girlfriend, doesn't have the usual Dutch attitude... He only has a Dutch passport. He is Dutch on paper only.

Secondly, Van der Poel is the undisputed leader in his team, him doing a leadout for Philipsen doesn't prevent him from doing anything he wants to do or chase his own ambitions. If that is all he did during the TDF, that means there simply weren't any opportunities for him (or not for his form at the time). That's completely different to Van Aert who has spent years making the TDF his main focus of the year in order to work his ass off for the team in July. For him it is the opposite, he has to be grateful every time he is allowed to go in a break or sprint for a win. He was a huge factor in Visma winning the TDF twice, he does leadouts for teammates when he knows they can win even if he could win them as well. Van Aert has forfeited many more personal ambitions for the team(mates) than Van der Poel. He is also a much more versatile road racer than Van der Poel. He was 2nd in Tirreno GC behind Pogacar, he has major ITT wins and medals, he was a huge mountain domestique and a personal bodyguard on flat/cobble/echelon stages for both Roglic and Vingegaard. The level of sacrifice for his team compared to Van der Poel is on a completely different level. So when a teammate could pay something back, this is a far more delicate situation compared to Van der Poel at Alpecin.

The entire Roglic thing was also hugely overblown. First of all, and even when i don't like it, national races simply are raced over brand teams. You saw Del Toro pull for Pogacar, you saw Sivakov pull for Pogacar, we all know it, it has happened since the dawn of cycling. Nys didn't want to chase Groenendaal etc. So when Roglic is in a situation he can no longer win for himself or his country, expecting him to pay back a rider who has turned himself inside out many times for him, is given that context not really that strange. So unless you were outraged by Sivakov, Del Toro, Nys... then you really have no moral highground here.

And again, still, Belgian media focusses on cycling a lot more than any other country. There are basically only 10 million of us, yet every news paper has a major section dedicated to the sport. In the Netherlands there is only Wielerflits, you need a magnifying glass to find any relevant cycling info on NOS Sport for instance.