The mountain has a reputation. A bike ride took place on his back that made the largest nation in Europe completely crazy about cycling within a few kilometres, within a few minutes of TV coverage. But the young man knows nothing of this when he asks his father to unload his aluminium racing bike from the pannier on the way home from his family holiday in Spain. It's raining and hailing. But the 13-year-old offspring now wants to ride up this Pyrenean mountain himself, where he had just watched a colourful field of professional cyclists.
Cian Uijtdebroeks on his way to Andorra
The father does as instructed, the teenager pedals uphill - the senior follows in the car. Cian Uijtdebroeks climbs up a long, high mountain to Andorra-Arcalis on a bike for the first time in his young life on this day on the sidelines of the Tour de France 2016. He loves it. The weather? Doesn't bother him. On the mountain where Jan Ullrich rode into the yellow jersey in 1997 and laid the foundation for the first and only overall victory by a German in the Tour de France. "I had no idea about that," says Uijtdebroeks, still shaking his head seven years later, "it's good to know that now." And laughs. Just as he constantly laughs as he talks - about his beginnings and his future plans in cycling.
Vuelta a Espana 2023: Tough test for Bora-Hansgrohe pro Cian Uijtdebroeks
Now Cian (the C is pronounced like K) is set to return to Andorra - on stage 3 of the Vuelta a Espana, the finish line of which is not in the ski resort of Arcalis, but in the neighbouring village of Arinsal. 28 August, the day of the first mountain stage in the Pyrenees, will be a kind of first test for Uijtdebroeks. The 20-year-old Belgian has long been regarded as one of the greatest talents in professional cycling. He is now under contract with Team Bora-Hansgrohe and is due to complete his first three-week stage race at the Tour of Spain. He is to show how well he can climb uphill with the best, fighting his way over highs and through lows for three weeks - the next step in his racing career.
The aim is for him to develop into a top tour specialist in the long term in the jersey of the German racing team. "I think he's capable of a podium in a Grand Tour," says team boss Ralph Denk, who had his eye on the talent from the neighbouring country very early on.
Cian Uijtdebroeks: Great expectations in Belgium
But Denk is not the only one who believes or hopes that Uijtdebroeks once embarked on a successful cycling career on the road to Andorra-Arcalis. One that sweeps an entire country along with it. "He is the improved version of Evenepoel," Jef Robert, the boss of the Acrog-Tormans junior team, for which the two highly talented Belgians once rode, once said. By comparing them to the world champion and last year's Vuelta winner Remco Evenepoel, he did the two of them, who are three years younger, no favours. After almost half a century of waiting, the cycling nation of Belgium is almost desperate to celebrate a compatriot winning the Tour de France again. Lucien Van Impe was the last to bring yellow back to Belgium from Paris - that was in 1976. Uijtdebroeks knows the expectations in his home country - and the pressure that comes with them.
Last year, he was the youngest ever to win the Tour de l'Avenir, the Tour de France for young riders. A glance at the list of winners is enough to give you an idea of the predictions that can be derived from this success. Nairo Quintana, Egan Bernal, Tadej Pogacar - these are just the most famous names in the list of winners over the past decade.
The talented cyclist has avoided this pressure - by travelling to Germany. "I didn't want to be the centre of media attention, as would have been the case with Quick Step. That's why I switched to a foreign team," he says, explaining why he started his career in a neighbouring country. First with the U19 racing team Auto Eder, the junior division of Bora-Hansgrohe, and since last year in the World Tour selection. "I felt right at home and had good conversations - nowhere was I as relaxed as in the talks with Ralph Denk and Dan Lorang," says Uijtdebroeks.
Bora-Hansgrohe has a clear plan
"We invested a lot of time in discussions," says Bora team boss Ralph Denk. Even the teenagers are no longer satisfied with the prospect of their first professional contract, their first money. They want to know what the career plan looks like, what opportunities they will be offered. The days when young professionals had to earn their first spurs as water carriers are long gone. And so Denk prevailed against almost a dozen competitors among the top teams. It was the beginning of a possible concept for success.
"It's best when you train the boys yourself. But it's also the most difficult," emphasises the racing team boss, adding: "If you buy Pogacar or Vingegaard, there's a good chance that he'll be riding for the Tour victory again next year. But these riders don't grow on trees and usually have long-term contracts." The market in professional cycling has also forced the German racing team, which is unable to keep up with the heavily rich teams such as Jumbo-Visma or UAE Team Emirates when it comes to salary poker, to take the initiative. The interests of the young Belgian and the German racing team were a good match.
Cian Uijtdebroeks on the rear wheel of Remco Evenepoel
The long-term goal is clear: Uijtdebroeks should be at the front of the Tour de France, Vuelta a Espana or Giro d'Italia in the coming years, preferably in the Bora-Hansgrohe jersey. And the forecasts are currently good. The season has been successful so far. The Belgian, who grew up in Wallonia as the only child of parents of Flemish origin, fought his way into the top ten at the Tour of Catalonia and Tour de Suisse. In Switzerland, he was often behind Evenepoel in the mountains. "That was more of a coincidence. But Remco is a good reference, simply because he's one of the best in the world - every step I get closer to him is good," he says, but also emphasises: "But I'm a different type of racer."
He sees his strength in long mountains. Evenepoel is currently well ahead of him in the battle against the clock, which was also evident in Switzerland - and his domestic rival is likely to remain so. Nevertheless, Uijtdebroeks is glad to have his successful compatriot. In the shadow of the star, he can hide from the expectations of the Belgian public for the time being. As the current number two among Belgium's top talents.
Cian Uijtdebroeks: Chris Froome as a role model
In the meantime, he has made the leap from talented cyclist to strong professional. This is probably also due to the fact that he combines talent with precocious professionalism. His role model: Chris Froome, who impressed him with his attention to detail in cycling. Rice, pasta, chicken, salmon - the Bora-Hansgrohe talent weighs up almost every bite he eats. His mum sometimes has to tell him to leave out the olive oil. "I take a very scientific approach to cycling," says the young cyclist, who initially tried his hand at studying psychology before switching to biology and agricultural science. He has always loved country life at home in the village of Abolens, the animals and driving tractors. He finds peace and quiet when feeding the chickens or taking a selfie with cows during training rides.
Vuelta a Espana 2023: Cian Uijtdebroeks with a free role at Bora-Hansgrohe
Training with an eye on wattage figures, detailed calorie counting before every meal, route inspections of the most important mountain stages, extensive altitude training - his debut in a Grand Tour is already well prepared. At 1.84 metres tall, he will be travelling to the start with a body weight of 65.5 kilograms at best. "Cian has goals, he has a free role in the team - subconsciously he is aiming for an overall placing in the top ten," says his coach John Wakefield, who enthuses about his athlete's ambition and professionalism.
Alongside captain Aleksandr Vlasov, the young rider will try to keep up with the world's best over 21 stages - Jonas Vingegaard, Primoz Roglic, the Spanish talent Juan Ayuso and defending champion Evenepoel will presumably be the yardsticks on the roads of the Iberian Peninsula. "They used to send the youngsters to the Vuelta for a fortnight to learn. Now they go and win - that has definitely changed," says Wakefield. And it sounds as if the Grand Tour apprenticeship could turn into a successful journeyman's test. The day in Andorra could have been the start of the climb to the top of the world.
Andreas Kublik
Editor
