Vermeersch on racing against Van Aert and Van der Poel: "You shouldn't be impressed or intimidated then"

Let's rewind to Thursday, December 28, 2023. In the evening cross at Diegem, won by Van der Poel, Vermeersch secured a  twenty-fifth place. Following the sand race, we caught up with the Flemish cyclist at his bus. His race analysis revealed, "I always have to start from the back row of the starting grid, so for me, it's always a bit of riding my own race, slowly moving up and finding a good group." He added, "There was progress, though, so I'm satisfied. The power was definitely there. It was mostly lacking in technique when I race at high intensity. That's when I make some mistakes that need to be ironed out. However, my cross program is too short for that. Still, it's nice to get back to my roots," referencing his successful cyclocross past in his youth.

There was no doubt that his cross-country program could be described as short but powerful. Before Diegem, Vermeersch had only participated in Heusden-Zolder and Mol, and the day after Diegem, Loenhout was on the list. However, things took a wrong turn at the start for the amicable Belgian, who crashed hard on the Loenhout tarmac during a mass rally. Disturbing images of a pained Vermeersch - who had to leave the race immediately, were the unfortunate result.

Those who subsequently feared that Vermeersch's early-season preparation was compromised were in for a surprise. At the media day of the Belgian ProTour formation organized on Friday, January 5, an apparently fully recovered Vermeersch took ample time for a chat with the press. IDLProCycling.com was there as well. "Fortunately, I didn't sustain any damage from that fall in Loenhout, so I'm completely ready for the road season," the mid-twenties cyclist confided to us when asked.

Well, onto the road season then. The spring classics will logically be Vermeersch's top priority once again. In addition to that silver in the 'Hell of the North' in 2021, he has already secured several other impressive results in one-day races. Take, for instance, his second-place finish at the most recent European Gravel Championships, not to mention his triumph in the 2021 Antwerp Port Epic. In short, Vermeersch is likely to be someone to be more than reckoned with again in the classic spring.

However, there is a catch: superstar Arnaud De Lie, from whom much is expected, rides for the same team. "I believe in the collective strength of our team," Vermeersch said. "With that, it will have to happen. We would be wrong to go into a certain race with one leader for 100 percent. If we always put Arnaud forward as the absolute leader, we put a lot of pressure on such a young boy very early on. Arnaud and I can be very complementary."

Will playing two trump cards then become the key to classic success for the Lotto-Dstny men? It just might. Is anticipation with Vermeersch and De Lie behind for a possible sprint then the concrete recipe? That, too, seems to be the case. "So I can be a bit of an asshole," Vermeersch laughs broadly. "Anticipating is the code word, though I say that every year. Still, it really is. These days, anticipation is crucial. First of all, you have to have the legs anyway. Maybe I am a shadow leader behind Arnaud. But over the past few years, I've already earned my stripes in the classics to the point where I'm pretty much guaranteed a place in this year's classics core. That, in itself, is a luxurious starting position."

So, what is the concrete goal of Vermeersch, who last year consistently secured places of honor? "My ambition is to finish in the top ten of the most important classics, with hopefully an occasional top five. Essentially the same as in 2023, but just a little bit better. Competing in finals is a goal in itself. A place on the podium would be fantastic." Partly for this reason, Vermeersch is following a similar program to last year, one that goes against the scientific approach of teams like Visma | Lease a Bike. Indeed, Vermeersch is skipping stage races such as Tirreno-Adriatico or Paris-Nice. Only one-day races are on his agenda in the first quarter of 2024.

"My program is almost the same as last year. Until the Brabantse Pijl, I'll probably participate in eleven or twelve races," he explained. "I will most likely only select the very biggest races, with one or two exceptions that are not WorldTour races. I had a good feeling throughout last spring, and I was in all the races. The outlier was missing, but the form was very good. Between the one-day races, I try to maintain good training and stay calm. By avoiding stage races, I can stay fresh for all the major classics."

Say spring, and you think of Mathieu van der Poel, Wout van Aert, and Tadej Pogacar. Vermeersch will primarily face MVDP and WVA in the spring next season. Does racing against such classics bring a certain pressure? You ride with and against the big champions. "Then you shouldn't be impressed or intimidated, so to speak. First and foremost, you have to try to ride your own race and get the best possible result out of it. That's why you shouldn't focus too much on the competition but mainly on yourself," is the firm conclusion of the versatile Vermeersch.

"I've had the opportunity to experience a few times in recent years what it's like to be there in the ultimate final," he continues about competing against riders like Van der Poel, referring especially to his third-place finish in last year's Super 8 Classic (which Van der Poel won). "In such races, and certainly in that Super 8 Classic, for example, I sometimes feel that there is more in it for me. But it did teach me not to worry too much about Van der Poel or another world champion in certain races. Our sports director Nikolas Maes helps me with that too," concludes Vermeersch, who expresses his desire to compete in the Tour de France again.