De Gendt prefers Vuelta over Tour and looks ahead to Asian adventure: "As Europeans, it's not on our radar"

"It's all still subject to change, but normally I will start the season with the GP of Valencia (January 20, ed.)," he began his account at the beginning of 2024. "The day after, I will then ride the GP of Castellón, followed by some of the races in Mallorca. After that, there's the Tour of Oman, the UAE Tour and the Tour of Catalonia. And then after that, my schedule is still wide open, although it won't be too different from other seasons. So, I expect to do the Tour of Normandy, followed by either the Critérium du Dauphiné or the Tour of Switzerland. And then, hopefully, the Vuelta."

You read that right: 37-year-old De Gendt hopes not to participate in the Tour de France in his farewell year, but rather in the Tour of Spain. "I prefer to skip the Tour," he says, which sounds quite remarkable. But De Gendt wouldn't be De Gendt if there wasn't a well-thought-out idea behind it. "It's a big struggle every year to make it into that selection. I don't want to try at all. You have to train very specifically for it. And if you end up not making the selection, you're left with a peak in your form that is of no use. During that time, there are no substitute races. You'll be in good form but without races to ride."

So, TDG strongly hopes for a three-week trip to Spain. "The Vuelta is only a month and a half later. Otherwise, you would have to stretch things out a lot after the Tour. I don't find it professional to chase something when I already know I won't make the cut. So, it's better for me to take a break after the Dauphiné or Switzerland, and then focus everything on the Vuelta. If I were to perform exceptionally well and win a stage in the Dauphiné, which I think is very unlikely, it would be foolish not to focus on the Tour. But it's definitely not in my plans."

When asked about his specific goals for the Vuelta, De Gendt, who is entering his tenth year with the current Lotto-Dstny team, is clear. "I would really like to win a stage there again. That's actually my big goal for this year. I will even train extensively towards that in July and August. If I succeed, I will have won two stages in each Grand Tour. That would be a nice number to conclude my career with."

De Gendt is completely certain in his choice to retire as a professional cyclist. However, he certainly doesn't rule out a Continental adventure. In fact, that possibility is quite likely. "But that's, of course, a world of difference, both in terms of preparation and sacrifices," he nuances things. "In that case, I would like to compete in a few Asian races. For example, a Tour of Taiwan or a Tour of Japan. In that region, there are plenty of races. They are professional competitions, but on a completely different level with totally different teams and riders. It's a different aspect of cycling, something that we, as Europeans, don't have on our radar. To us, even the Tour of Guangxi is quite exotic."

"I would really like to explore that part outside of Europe," he emphasizes once again, before offering a practical example. "Raymond Kreder, a former teammate of mine, rides for a Japanese team. He has only great things to say about it. He has to go over there, for example, two months a year. The rest of the year he is here, and they pretty much leave him alone. However, nothing concrete has been decided yet. So, it could also be that nothing comes of it at all. But it's certainly an idea that is floating around in my head."

But why choose 2024 as the year to call it quits? "Actually, I wanted to retire after 2022. But that year, I won a stage in the Giro d'Italia. At that time, I thought: maybe my form and level are still a bit too good to stop. I might regret it later. When you can still win in a Grand Tour, you shouldn't just give that up. It's not that I don't enjoy cycling anymore, but those long periods away from home and all the sacrifices have become a bit too much. So, I had to set a final date for myself, to work towards that and to know when I can ease off. That's when we decided to choose the end of 2024 as the right time to retire. That meant I got another two-year contract. Even if I win a stage in this year's Vuelta, 2024 will still be my last year."

It is clear: we mostly spoke with De Gendt about the future, which makes sense. And about the Vuelta and the road ahead. However, he also gave us a broader outlook on 2024. "In principle, I have been a domestique for the past two years. Occasionally, I have a free role, but that's only sporadically. So, in 2024, I will still ride in that domestique capacity," he says, revealing that there won't be much change in terms of his role. "In some races, I will also act as a road captain. In the stages that suit me well, I can chase my own success. But it's getting harder and harder."