Last month, Uijtdebroeks was getting ready for the Giro, his main goal this season, through an altitude training on 'El Teide.' "I have a free role and aim for a good result in the GC. That's my personal goal. The team's goal is to get as many stage wins as possible. With Olav Kooij, Christophe Laporte and Koen Bouwman we have suitable riders for that," Uijtdebroeks shares.

In preparation for this Tour of Italy, Uijtdebroeks did O Gran Camino, Tirreno-Adriatico and the Volta a Catalunya. In the first two races he felt strong and helped Jonas Vingegaard to get the overall victory. The Volta a Catalunya he had to abandon. "I got a little sick a few days before the start. During the race I recovered badly and when it also got cold, it went completely downhill," explains the Belgian, who was able to quickly move on. "I know that this bad result did not come because of a poor condition. The germs that emerged at that time played a much bigger role in it," Uijtdebroeks says.

This season, the young Belgian made the move to Team Visma | Lease a Bike. A choice with which he is extremely happy. "It is a super professional team that suits me very well, both as a rider and as a person. Everything is well considered to the smallest details and we as a rider don't have to worry about practical matters. This allows us to focus better on our training and resting periods," the young Belgian stresses.

"I'm also a rider who attaches a lot of importance to data and values. Science plays an increasingly important role in cycling today and I don't think I could have been with a better team in that than Team Visma | Lease a Bike," the climber says. "I'm someone who likes structure, but also has his own opinion. That's why I think it's great that as a rider we have a say in decisions. I really like that culture of consultation."

Looking at the course, we see that, as is often the case, the decisive point lies in the final week of the Giro. "That final week is really cruel. Especially the triptych of stages fifteen, sixteen and seventeen will provide a real battle of attrition. There the general classification can still be completely turned upside down," Uijtdebroeks says.

"Furthermore, it is important to get through the first two weeks as economically as possible and avoid crashes. You won't win the race there, but you can already lose it," clarifies the rider from Team Visma | Lease a Bike. The Tour of Italy will start in Turin on Saturday, May 4, and finish in Rome on Sunday, May 26

Cian Uijtdebroeks makes his Giro debut together with Olav Kooij. Both are starting their first grand tour. Discover also the article with Olav here on our website now. Furthermore, we spoke to sport director Marc Reef. The Dutchman talks about the team's ambitions and preparation in an extensive Giro preview. Read it here!