Lennert Van Eetvelt aims to 'prove himself again' in UAE Tour after tough period

After a season full of bad luck and a withdrawal in the recent Santos Tour Down Under, Lennert Van Eetvelt is eager for new sporting success. In the UAE Tour – the race he still managed to win in 2024 – the climber from Lotto-Intermarché hopes to shine once again. "The switch has now been flipped."

With Het Nieuwsblad, the 24-year-old Van Eetvelt looked ahead to the upcoming race week in the Middle East, while also shedding some light on a difficult period. "It was strange not to race for so long," he refers to his period of inactivity.

"I wanted so badly during that whole time to get back on the bike to train and race, but it wasn’t possible. That’s frustrating. But the switch has been flipped. I feel good now."

So he looks ahead with confidence to the upcoming stages of the UAE Tour, but what can we expect from the 2024 overall winner? "Creating memories as good as back then won’t be easy," Van Eetvelt seems to temper expectations a bit. "But it’s great to be here again and to race against guys like Remco (Evenepoel, ed.)."

In good company
Van Eetvelt’s name is already on the UAE Tour honor roll. The climber is in good company, as Evenepoel, Primoz Roglic, Adam Yates, and Tadej Pogacar have all been past winners of this stage race.

"Those are indeed big names. In a way, that gives confidence. But it’s been a while since I stood among them, so I want to prove myself again first. I’m taking it race by race. With that time trial, it won’t be easy for me to finish very high in the overall. But with a strong day in Wednesday’s mountain stage, a lot is possible. Finishing fifth here would already be great."