Vermeersch enters the spring season as Pogacar's lieutenant: "It can only be an advantage for me"

After leaving Lotto Dstny, Florian Vermeersch will be part of a formidable spring classics squad at UAE Team Emirates. With riders like Nils Politt, Mikkel Bjerg, Tim Wellens, and, of course, Tadej Pogacar, there's no shortage of contenders. The heavy lineup and stiff competition don't faze Vermeersch. He is fully committed to helping his team leader secure victories, while also keeping an eye out for his own opportunities.

Pogacar announced earlier this week that he would first compete in Milan-San Remo and Strade Bianche before heading to Flanders for the cobblestone classics. "I think we’ll race the Tour of Flanders, E3 Saxo Classic, and Strade Bianche together," Vermeersch told HLN about his overlapping schedule with Pogacar. "Those are already very important races, but it’s exciting. His presence can only be an advantage for me. I see it as nothing but a positive thing."

Normally, one might assume that having Pogacar as a leader leaves little room for personal ambition, but the 25-year-old Belgian sees it differently. "We’re going all-in for victory with him, but that doesn’t mean I can’t achieve a strong result myself or find myself in a good situation. Racing has evolved in recent years to favor strength in numbers during the finale. You often see that strength prevailing, and I don’t think that will change in the coming years. I’m really looking forward to it, especially with such a top-class rider."

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Tadej Pogacar won the Tour of Flanders in 2023.

Flanders in support, but not Roubaix: Possibly the Tour?

After the Tour of Flanders, Pogacar will shift his focus to preparing for the Tour de France, which means he won’t be racing Paris-Roubaix. This opens up an opportunity for Vermeersch to aim for a strong performance there, albeit with different teammates. "I think I’ll race alongside Nils, and of course Bjerg and Morgado—those are incredibly strong guys, real wattage machines, so to speak. I think we’ll have a strong team there as well. We’ll give it our all to take our chances."

The 2021 Paris-Roubaix runner-up also revealed that he might have an exciting summer ahead: he’s listed as the first reserve for the Tour de France. "Yes, that’s correct. Being the first reserve for the Tour is already an achievement in this team. It makes me happy. We’ll see what the summer brings. I’d love to race a Grand Tour, so if it’s not the Tour, then maybe the Giro or the Vuelta. But the Tour is still a long way off; we’ll see how things look in April."