Thomas De Gendt made a reputation for himself throughout 16 seasons racing with ProTeam and WorldTour squads, largely with Lotto-Dstny, as a breakaway artisan. He scored stage victories in all three Grand Excursions, together with a Tour de France win atop Mont Ventoux, and completed third total on the 2012 Giro d’Italia.
After retiring final season, he adopted the trail to gravel racing like many different professionals, making his first begins for the Labeled X Rose Workforce with off-road stage races Santa Vall and Sahara Gravel. Even with only a brief introduction to his new profession, the place he instructed Cyclingnews “I have to study the whole lot once more”, De Gendt did discover some acquainted turf.
“It’s kind of like within the Classics, however you need to try to keep within the prime 10 the entire time so you possibly can bounce within the strikes which might be occurring and that approach you do not have to dash after each nook, both, as you do additional again. In order that’s the most important lesson for subsequent time, a minimum of for races the place there’s loads of uphill and downhill: at all times keep on the entrance,” De Gendt mentioned in a column for Cyclingnews in February after his gravel debut at Santa Vall.
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There have been no large outcomes for De Gendt, however he went on to Sahara Gravel to complete fifth total, then took tenth at a moist and muddy The Hills Gravel and third on the primary stage of Gravel Tierra de Campos, each a part of the Gravel Earth Collection.
There was no extra time for a studying curve, as subsequent up comes Unbound Gravel 200. It won’t solely be De Gendt’s first time racing Unbound but additionally his first time racing gravel in North America.
“In any case these years on the roads, it was time for one thing new, and gravel takes you on the roads that you’ve got by no means been earlier than. Then I do climbs from a special facet. It is the extra adventurous a part of gravel that drew me additionally to this race,” he mentioned in a digital press convention, attended by Cyclingnews, 5 days previous to Unbound.
“I hope I a minimum of can end it [Unbound 200]. That may be already a pleasant victory for myself. It is extra of a race towards myself as a substitute of a race towards others. I am not anticipating an enormous consequence for myself, however you by no means know.”
It is going to be the longest race of his intensive profession to this point, each in distance and in time within the saddle. He was excited in regards to the problem and new territory.
“The longest race I feel on the street was 300 kilometres, in Milan-San Remo and it was solely six hours, 30 [minutes] or one thing, so this will likely be subsequent degree.”
With just some days for scouting the Flint Hills area of Kansas for a primary take a look at the terrain, De Gendt reacted immediately when requested how the course differed from the handful of off-road occasions he has ridden to begin the season, notably that the “roads are a lot wider”.
“Now we have the identical form of gravel in Europe, however particularly the large roads and the lengthy straight elements [in the US] makes it perhaps a bit simpler to journey in a bunch. So preventing on your place isn’t at all times that vital. The place in Europe, a lot of the races are determined by your place, and right here you possibly can nonetheless make up a mistake.”
Already in his abbreviated five-event gravel profession begin, the Belgian mentioned that the ways for gravel had been on a special degree and he didn’t plan to journey with the identical aggression as customary on the street.
“No, no. No, my degree isn’t the identical as just like the final years,” he mentioned with a small chortle in response to a query on the digital press gathering about being in a breakaway at Unbound 200. “To coach a lot tougher than I did [before] to realize that degree, I used to be simply not up for it, to have that form of dedication once more this 12 months. I anticipated it to be a bit simpler in gravel racing. However the degree is simply tremendous excessive. And I am getting older. I am not into intervals anymore. So I do not suppose it is going to be a breakaway day.”
A number of days of heavy rain have fallen in jap Kansas within the days main as much as race weekend, leaving potholes crammed with water and dust changing into sticky. However the solar was anticipated to return by Friday and assist dry the low-lying areas of the course.
“In Belgium, it is a actually large race [Unbound]. It appeared like one thing enjoyable to do. Now that I am right here, it simply appears very onerous, particularly with the rain it is going to be a particular form of day on Saturday, so I hope it dries up a bit bit.”
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