‘White jersey would be a dream’ – Cian Uijtdebroeks ready for Pogačar offensive at Giro d’Italia

Belgian Cian Uijtdebroeks of Visma-Lease a Bike pictured at the start of the second stage of the Tirreno-Adriatico cycling race, from Camaiore to Follonica (198km), Italy, Tuesday 05 March 2024. BELGA PHOTO DIRK WAEM (Photo by DIRK WAEM / BELGA MAG / Belga via AFP)
Belgian Cian Uijtdebroeks of Visma-Lease a Bike finished fifth overall at Tirreno-Adriatico (Image credit: Dirk Waem / Belga via AFP/ Getty Images)

In a season as attritional as this one, Giro d’Italia plans carefully drawn up at winter training camps were never likely to survive intact until May. Visma-Lease a Bike’s squad has been recast several times in recent weeks, with a litany of misfortunes ruling out Wout van Aert, Wilco Kelderman and Koen Bouwman.

Like-for-like replacements are hard to come by, even on a roster as deep as theirs. When Bouwman was forced out by illness this week, the former Giro king of the mountains was replaced in the lineup by Tim van Dijke, a man better suited to serving as part of sprinter Olav Kooij’s lead-out train.

Barry Ryan
Head of Features

Barry Ryan is Head of Features at Cyclingnews. He has covered professional cycling since 2010, reporting from the Tour de France, Giro d’Italia and events from Argentina to Japan. His writing has appeared in The Independent, Procycling and Cycling Plus. He is the author of The Ascent: Sean Kelly, Stephen Roche and the Rise of Irish Cycling’s Golden Generation, published by Gill Books.