Ilan Van Wilder is part of the unit built around Remco Evenepoel at Soudal-QuickStep, but while others went to flank the world champion at the UAE Tour, Van Wilder got a rare taste of freedom at the Volta ao Algarve.
The Belgian caught most of his attention for his premature celebration atop the Alto da Foia on stage 2 of the five-day Portuguese race, but he went on to place third on the Alto do Malhão and seventh in the final-day time trial to end the week third overall.
He emptied himself on the final day to the extent that he took several minutes to recover supine on the Lagoa tarmac, and given he missed out on the overall title by 15 seconds, he wasn't left to rue the four bonus seconds he potentially missed with that mistaken celebration.
"If you had told me before this week that I would end on the podium at the end of the race I wouldn’t believe it," Ilan Van Wilder said.
This was the first stage race podium of Van Wilder's young career, and his first since racing the 2019 Tour de l'Avenir as an under-23. He turned professional with Team DSM in 2020 but his relationship with the team soured in 2021 to the point where he broke his contract and joined QuickStep that November.
He suffered a broken jaw at Liège-Bastogne-Liège in the spring before helping Evenepoel win his first - and the team's first - Grand Tour title at the Vuelta a España.
"This is the first time in three years I think that I'm able to go for my chance in GC. Especially in this team, that's not easy and I'm really grateful for that chance," Van Wilder said.
"I'm just happy after two difficult years that I'm back on a level and where I want to be as a GC rider and a helper."
Van Wilder, a short but muscular rider, has long been considered a future stage racing prospect for Belgium, with strong time trialling pedigree to go with his solid climbing ability. Grand Tours have always been a dream, but for now he is, as he poetically put it, helping someone else's come true.
"Maybe later it's possible, but now it's too soon. We have one of the best guys in world in Remco Evenepoel so I'm happy to help him chase his dreams.
"Then I'm sure in this team there is also space to go for my chances in smaller races and, who knows, in couple years, in a Grand Tour.
"I'm still 22, I think people forget this - they think I'm 30 or something. I didn't have easy years but I'm glad to be back."
Van Wilder did not want to publicly confirm he'll be part of Soudal-QuickStep's Giro d'Italia squad, but it has already become clear it will be a near carbon copy of the squad that took Evenepoel to victory in Spain last September. In any case, he confirmed that, after racing the Ardèche and Drôme Classics this weekend, he'll be off to train at altitude with Evenepoel.
As for his own chances, it remains to be seen when they'll resurface but, after bagging his first podium but missing out on a first professional victory, what's certain is he won't let it slip away in the same manner.
"It was my own mistake. I take full responsibility for this," Van Wilder said of his premature celebration on Foia. "I will not make this mistake twice in my career."
