While Jonas Vingegaard’s solo victory on stage 2 of O Gran Camiño was the logical focus of interest on Friday, a fourth spot for new teammate Cian Uijtdebroeks on an ultra-hard day of racing through the hills of Galicia could hardly be ignored either.
Although not quite at the level of Vingegaard, Egan Bernal (Ineos-Grenadiers) and Jefferson Cepeda (Caja Rural-Seguros RGA), Uijtdebroeks dug deep on the winding, steep climb of San Pedro de Licora and finished the rain-soaked, freezing stage just 50 seconds down.
The 20-year-old’s fine effort in his first race of the season with his new squad not only netted him the best young rider’s white jersey, it also confirmed that the Belgian has come through his first winter training with the Dutch team in flying form after his last-minute transfer from Bora-Hansgrohe had sparked something of a media storm.
Uijtdebroeks can now look at the new season with heightened motivation, he told Cyclingnews at the start of stage 3, particularly as he had not expected to be in such good shape so soon. Or as he succinctly put it himself: “Now I can just race and rock and roll.”
“When Jonas attacked, I was just sitting behind, also to protect him a little bit, but I was feeling really easy and good,” Uijtdebroeks said.
“So I was also really happy with my shape because it was not my role to be good yet, my goals are later in the season with Catalunya and the Giro d’Italia.
“But it’s amazing to be able to feel like that, and to wear a jersey on s second day a new team is really nice, too.”
Uijtdebroeks spent January at altitude with Vingegaard and other teammates before hitting the race action in O Gran Camiño, and he said he had had a good winter, despite it being what he called ‘a bit hectic’ – his euphemism for transfer controversy – at the start.
“But then I got into a new routine and working with new people, it was sometimes a bit stressful but because everything had changed, but everything worked out well, and I had no sickness. So I hope to keep it like that,” he said.
Uijtdebroeks admitted that he had been somewhat nervous, too, because of the radical change in temperature compared to when he was training in Vingegaard in much warmer weather. Getting through such tough days will offer encouragement ahead of the Giro, where miserable conditions are so often a feature.
“Normally these stages are not great for me and we started training a bit differently compared to last year too,” he said.
“I was really scared because we came from Tenerife where it was 30 degrees, but also here in this team they really prepare their nutrition, so I’m already a bit more skinny and don’t need to lose too much when I get to the top races.
“So I was also not too fat and I was scared about that too. But finally I’m really happy that it went well, because I was stronger than expected and looking towards the Giro, it was good, because you have some days like that [with rain] there.”
After another remarkable show of strength by Vingegaard on stage 3, Uijtdebroeks crossed the finish line in 14th place and will now be looking to help Vingegaard defend his overall title on the final, demanding ascent of Monte Aloia.
“It was a really good day for me, quite punchy not so much my thing, but I was really happy,” the Belgian told Cyclingnews as he warmed down.
“When Jonas went, I tried to cover the guys behind. Ineos were pulling and I was sitting with an armchair ride all the way to the finish.
“I knew also this finish is too punchy for me, it’s too short and intense, I need at least like the Mur de Huy or something as a minimum. So I tried to stay as fresh as possible, and then it was a perfect day for us and for sure for the team with Jonas too.”
It remains to be seen if Vingegaard will take a final, third win, on the final ultra-rugged stage through south-west Galicia and the final ascent to Monte Aloia. But come what may, on Sunday afternoon Vingegaard will likely not be the only Visma-Jumbo rider judging O Gran Camiño as a notable success.
