Jungels fears cycling is reaching a limit: "I’m a bit sceptical if we can still push it a lot more"

We witnessed it recently: some talents of Soudal Quick-Step gave up their dream. After all, it was no longer a dream; the pressure was too high, and the intensity of life as a rider was not sustainable. Jungels understands this. "I don't think it's going to be a thing where people say we don't want to ride like this anymore, but you see it already with younger riders saying it's not for me anymore. You didn't really have this in the past. I believe, and I hope I'm wrong, that careers will be shorter because the intensity is not sustainable," he says of the increased pressure on riders, partly due to technological advances.

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Talent emerges at a young age, and that worries Jungels. "I think nowadays the pursuit of success is a lot more unforgiving for younger riders. It's a feeling that I have that teams sometimes take less care in building a rider up. It's a personal feeling, but it will be interesting to see what will happen in the next seasons."

The Luxembourger added more about the topic. "I think we will reach a limit at some point of mental strength and mental capacities of riders," he says. Are we asking a lot of riders? "I think so. There is a lot less downtime, more time at altitude camps, and all year round you're required to take care of nutrition and this or that. It's becoming a tough year every year. I believe there is a time for everything – time to have beers with mates, time to weigh your rice. To have a long-lasting career, you have to find your own balance."