Yves Lampaert’s Inspiring Biography: More Than a Cyclist

Yves Lampaert was present last week at the Belgian book fair. That’s no coincidence: the 34-year-old rider from Soudal Quick-Step co-wrote a biography with TV producer Wouter Deboot. HLN was there and asked the cyclist about his book ‘Forza Lampaert, more than just a farmer’s son from Belgium’.

"Sales are going like wildfire," Lampaert says. According to the man from Izegem, 3,500 copies were sold in the first week alone. The winner of the opening time trial in the 2022 Tour de France never expected that.

When TV producer and writer Deboot approached the classics specialist about two years ago to collaborate on a book, Lampaert looked at him in disbelief. "I’d understand if it was a book from Wout van Aert or Remco Evenepoel, but from me?"

Lampaert experienced the highlight of his career in Copenhagen, where he won the opening time trial in the 2022 Tour – photo press agency Cor Vos

The modest Lampaert was surprised that a book was being written about a rider with 'only' sixteen wins. At first, he wasn’t very enthusiastic. Ultimately, he agreed on the condition that the book would not be written in the first person.

So said, so done. Deboot calls the final result a ‘coming-of-age story.’ "The book shows the development from a small tenant farmer who barely dared to ride alongside Tom Boonen, to the man who took the yellow jersey in the 2022 Tour and taught people what skarten is." Moreover, it contains numerous full anecdotes with the help of 25 ‘guest speakers.’

This anecdote didn’t make it into the book
However, Lampaert also had to cut an anecdote from the book. "Teammate X and I noticed that teammate Y was unstoppable and quickly retreated to his room after breakfast," says the two-time winner of Dwars door Vlaanderen. When Lampaert, with a teammate and rolling camera, stormed into the hotel room, they saw 'Teammate Y passionately thinking of Mother Nature.'

"For those kinds of stories with names and all, people should read Thomas Dekker’s book," Lampaert laughs. Another difference with Dekker’s book is that doping is not addressed in the Belgian’s biography. "I’ve always ridden in a team that won a lot, but one that enforces zero tolerance (...) I’m convinced that I’m experiencing the cleanest era in cycling."