Teams & Riders Lennert Van Eetvelt

[Rob5091]

Yep, let's hope that Lenny VE can be at 100% for at least one whole year!

 

[Samamba]

He confirmed at team presentation today. Will ride Flanders, and also Omloop. All a bit risky imo, but we'll see. He will probably start the Tour with stage win ambitions over GC and the Vuelta full for GC, but like I said before it's Van Eetvelt, everything is probably gonna change again.

EDIT: HLN was wrong, no Omloop. So only Flanders like I heard yesterday

 

[Berniece]

He confirmed at team presentation today. Will ride Flanders, and also Omloop. All a bit risky imo, but we'll see. He will probably start the Tour with stage win ambitions over GC and the Vuelta full for GC, but like I said before it's Van Eetvelt, everything is probably gonna change again.

I also find it unnecessarily risky, but otherwise they have to put all their eggs in "De Lie" basket for those races. While that's not an issue for Omloop, it's a bit much for Flanders. So I get why they would like to go with 2 leaders. It's just a shame that they don't have anyone else to fill that role.

 

[Samamba]

I also find it unnecessarily risky, but otherwise they have to put all their eggs in "De Lie" basket for those races. While that's not an issue for Omloop, it's a bit much for Flanders. So I get why they would like to go with 2 leaders. It's just a shame that they don't have anyone else to fill that role.

Berckmoes will be the guy before De Lie. Not the reason why Van Eetvelt is riding Flemish Classics, he just wanted to try them out and they think it would be good to learn positioning skills, etc. But yeah, too risky for me.

 

[Berniece]

Berckmoes will be the guy before De Lie. Not the reason why Van Eetvelt is riding Flemish Classics, he just wanted to try them out and they think it would be good to learn positioning skills, etc. But yeah, too risky for me.

I suppose Berckmoes is a domestique, while I think they need another leader since that would give more possibilities tactically against Pogacar/MVDP/Visma.

 

[Samamba]

I suppose Berckmoes is a domestique, while I think they need another leader since that would give more possibilities tactically against Pogacar/MVDP/Visma.

Well yeah no ***, but you're talking about a team with a 14M budget here, I'm sure Intermarché also wants an extra good leader next to Girmay.

Also Berckmoes won't just be a domestique. The point is that Van Eetvelt isn't riding those classics cause they don't have an extra leader.

 

[Berniece]

Well yeah no ***, but you're talking about a team with a 14M budget here, I'm sure Intermarché also wants an extra good leader next to Girmay.

Also Berckmoes won't just be a domestique. The point is that Van Eetvelt isn't riding those classics cause they don't have an extra leader.

I can't really see another role for Berckmoes, doubt he can finish top 10, even top 20 will be difficult. If LVE is only riding them for fun, and experience, I find it too risky, and a classic Lotto move.

 

[Samamba]

I can't really see another role for Berckmoes, doubt he can finish top 10, even top 20 will be difficult. If LVE is only riding them for fun, and experience, I find it too risky, and a classic Lotto move.

If letting one of your leaders choose the races he wants to do for whatever reason (his time being that he thinks he needs the experience for the future, and I don't think that's a bad reason at all) is classic Lotto ok. Sure, it's risky, but you literally whine about every decision Lotto makes without even thinking about the possibility that maybe the riders want it like that. You act like they pushed him into riding it, obviously they didn't.

 

[Rob5091]

Doing some Spring classics/races might well help in the first week of the Tour. Sure it might be risky, but we know what happened with Remco out training so it's "carpe diem"!
Will we get the big showdown in the "Battle of the Lennys" at the Tour?

 

[Berniece]

If letting one of your leaders choose the races he wants to do for whatever reason (his time being that he thinks he needs the experience for the future, and I don't think that's a bad reason at all) is classic Lotto ok. Sure, it's risky, but you literally whine about every decision Lotto makes without even thinking about the possibility that maybe the riders want it like that. You act like they pushed him into riding it, obviously they didn't.

I don’t whine about every decision Lotto makes. I think LVE’s schedule makes sense. Like I said before, if he does TDF for stages and not GC it’s fine.

 

[Tim Cahill]

He just saw what Pogacar was doing and said yeah I'll do those.

A mans man.

 

[Rob5091]

He just saw what Pogacar was doing and said yeah I'll do those.

A mans man.

"Pogacar is not that far away." Hope he stays fit so Pogi gets some real competition!
https://cyclinguptodate.com/cycling...velt-not-intimated-by-cyclings-best-into-2025

original at https://www.wielerflits.nl/nieuws/l...et-niet-veel-meer-bij-om-aan-de-top-te-komen/

Van Eetvelt will have a packed spring with stage-races, gravel, cobblestones and the Ardennes as well all present. Then he will make his Tour de France debut. "On the one hand it is a different world, but Pogacar is not that far away either.

Interesting that like the other Lenny (Martinez), he takes days off riding.

 

[Berniece]

"Pogacar is not that far away." Hope he stays fit so Pogi gets some real competition!
https://cyclinguptodate.com/cycling...velt-not-intimated-by-cyclings-best-into-2025

original at https://www.wielerflits.nl/nieuws/l...et-niet-veel-meer-bij-om-aan-de-top-te-komen/

Interesting that like the other Lenny (Martinez), he takes days off riding.

Even though it’s completely wrong, it’s at least the right mindset

 

[Rob5091]

https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/i-...defence-but-relishing-racing-against-pogacar/

The Belgian revealed that he has also been battling a mystery illness in the days leading up to the race and first four stages. He was thankful that the echelons formed on stage 4 didn't cause his GC bid to go up in smoke.

Interesting that it aint so manic as thought

"I was actually thinking my power meter was broken because the power was really not as high as I was expecting it to be, but I was still suffering," he told Cyclingnews. "So in the end, I was really surprised with the result I had because it didn't match my feelings.

 

[Samamba]

Has been riding with a broken foot since RVV apparently. He skipped the press moment 2 days before RVV due to "sickness" but looks like there was also a different reason.

Can't have a season without Van Eetvelt having some bad luck. Also always at the same moment every year it seems.

 

[Berniece]

Has been riding with a broken foot since RVV apparently. He skipped the press moment 2 days before RVV due to "sickness" but looks like there was also a different reason.

Can't have a season without Van Eetvelt having some bad luck. Also always at the same moment every year it seems.

Here's hoping he'll just have a normal buildup towards TDF. Is he doing altitude?

 

[Samamba]

Here's hoping he'll just have a normal buildup towards TDF. Is he doing altitude?

I'm assuming he will join the team on Sierra Nevada yes, but it could be that he prefers his usual Tenerife altitude tent prep. If I remember correctly he did that before Vuelta last year.

Anyways I don't know for sure, definitely not with the whole broken foot thing. Even tho I'm assuming it's not that bad, other wise he wouldn't be racing. It's not like anyone has seen him limping.

 

[Keldergoat]

All in all quite a horrendous season for Lotto so far. Their main two protagonists are not where they want to be and doubt if they will be in the near future. Also Berckmoes is having a more anonymous season than expected after his strong H2 2024. What happened to him?

 

[Samamba]

Also Berckmoes is having a more anonymous season than expected after his strong H2 2024. What happened to him?

Bacterial infection in Februari, and then just when he was getting back to normal level he crashed on his head in RVV, so severe concussion. Another cursed Lotto rider. The list of Lotto riders who have been injured or had something happening to them is pretty insane this season, it's like PicNic.

 

[Berniece]

Bacterial infection in Februari, and then just when he was getting back to normal level he crashed on his head in RVV, so severe concussion. Another cursed Lotto rider.

Maybe it’s not the riders that are cursed, but Lotto. Then again Van Gils also had his share of bad luck as an ex-Lotto rider

 

[Keldergoat]

Well I guess they're not the only one. The amount of teams with an off-season so far is quite astonishing: Lotto, Picnic, Intermarche, Jayco, Red Bull, Movistar, Tudor (although Storer could improve that Today) all look quite off from where they want to be atm.

 

[Samamba]

Maybe it’s not the riders that are cursed, but Lotto. Then again Van Gils also had his share of bad luck as an ex-Lotto rider

Oh for sure

• De Lie: whatever tf happened
• De Buyst: Long covid -> developed Asthma
• Van eetvelt: broken foot
• Giddings: Broken Collarbone in his first race as a pro
• Taminiaux: broken ribs + collapsed lung
• Berckmoes: bacterial infection + severe concussion
• Beullens: bacterial infection
• Van de Paar: knee is ***, hasn't raced
• Slock: knee surgery, hasn't raced
• Craps: knee surgery
• Orins: whatever is wrong with him, still not racing
• De Schuyteneer: light groin injury meaning he wasnt fit the past few weeks

Not the only reason they are *** tho. Don't want them to hide behind bad luck, even if it's an insane amount.

 

[Samamba]

2023: suspended due to a *** up by a French doping agency that has never even apologized for it, missed classics and Romandie
2024: serious knee injury, missed like 4 months of racing, followed by having to abandon the Vuelta due to sickness
2025: broken foot during the classics/Romandie...

... And now a crack in something attached to a vertebrea in his back due to his crash in the 2nd stage of the Tour. Resulting in abandoning the Tour AND also missing the Vuelta.

Wtf is this guys karma?

 

[Walter1234]

... And now a crack in something attached to a vertebrea in his back due to his crash in the 2nd stage of the Tour. Resulting in abandoning the Tour AND also missing the Vuelta.

That injury was still from Belgian Road championship .

 

[Samamba]

That injury was still from Belgian Road championship .

Didn't they go to hospital and take scans after Belgian nationals? Weren't they all "fine"?

Anyways, point remains the same. Insane amount of bad luck for him during his first 3 pro years. Hopefully he can recover quickly and start again in Canada or something like that. Not that much races for a type like him. Some Italian races or European Championships, but that's kinda it.