ProTeam Lennert Van Eetvelt reflects on the first week of the Vuelta: “The heat has taken a heavy toll on everyone.”
The scorching heat—the thermometer hit 40 degrees multiple times last week—knocked him out of the top ten on the day before the rest day, but Van Eetvelt is determined to fight back. “In those first days in the heat, the racing was still ‘cautious,'” Van Eetvelt explains. “You ride less hard, but it’s just as tough. But every day, I felt the pace pick up. And every day, it became harder to cool down. I struggled more and more to recover. My food barely digested. And that’s what did me in on Sunday.”
Van Eetvelt spent almost the entire first week in the top ten and looks back with overall satisfaction. “It’s unfortunate that I took a hit on Sunday going into the rest day. My second place in stage four, when Roglic narrowly won, now gives me mixed feelings. Initially, I didn’t mind. ‘There will be more stages,’ I thought. And after all, I finished second. But now it’s starting to gnaw at me. If I had won then, I would have worn the white jersey for a few days. That didn’t happen, but I know I should still be happy with that first week of the Vuelta.”
After a well-deserved rest day, the batteries are recharged, and Van Eetvelt is determined to fight his way back into the top ten in the coming two weeks. “I want to keep trying,” he says. “I didn’t come here with the plan to fight for the general classification through breakaways, but so many GC contenders have already done that… Half of the riders ahead of me gained time in a breakaway. This whole Vuelta has been a surprise so far, so I’m really curious to see how things will unfold in the coming days.”
Van Eetvelt is well-prepared. “Last month, I scouted the final seven mountain stages. Tough and beautiful, I can say. And it’s going to be less hot, which is good news. I hope my body stays strong for as long as possible. I’m looking forward to pushing myself to the limit again, and I just want to enjoy it and learn a lot.”
Picture: Harry Talbot
