Ide Schelling wants to shine again Down Under: "Being part of the madness"

Calling this Tour Down Under a trip down memory lane for Schelling might be stretching it a bit, but the fact is that he is returning to the place where he made his pro debut five years ago on behalf of BORA-hansgrohe. With that German formation, he developed in four seasons into a man who always knew how to ride his results. He won the GP des Kantons Aargau - don't underestimate that race - and stages in the Tour of Slovenia and the Basque Country.

Last season, Schelling completed his first year on behalf of his new employer, Astana, but it didn't all go smoothly. The man from The Hague started well in Oman but struggled with a virus for part of the season and never fully recovered. With a (cycling) vacation in Thailand, he recharged his batteries and planned a training block towards his first race of the season: the Tour Down Under.

"Yes, being part of the madness. You can't call it like that, either, but it's becoming normal by now. I won't change an awful lot of things. It also had to do with the fact that last year was terrible for me. I was completely out for two and a half months because of a virus."

"A mix of everything. If you have to sum it up, it's more funding. That brings with it more professionalism, which is reflected in the sport. Now, it extends beyond where it used to be figured down to the comma."

Were you able to implement some changes last season?
"No, during the season, not anymore. During training sessions, it was okay, but in races, I wasn't good enough to compete."

How did that evolve during the offseason?
"I do feel that I am strong on the bike. But anyway, that's training now. Riding a race is different. After the Tour Down Under, I can tell you more about that."

Do you have ambitions for the trip to Adelaide?
"Definitely! I had already known for several months that I would go there, and my trainer communicated that to me very early on. That's very nice. That also allowed me to prepare for it."

What else would you like to accomplish in 2025?
"I just want to compete in races again. That's why I became a cyclist: because I enjoy racing. Competing, that's what it comes down to. And if that works out, there's always a chance here and there that I can win."

And a grand tour?
(Big smile) "Definitely not specified yet. We made the schedule up to Switzerland, but I want to put myself back on the map first."

How do you intend to do that?
"By riding results, of course. If you're good enough in Australia, there will already be opportunities. It's pretty hilly there."

Is it nice that the team has to gather points? Then a seventh place becomes worth more than with another team?
"Definitely. They will be less angry with you if you choose for yourself for once and pick a result. That we ride more races? I am unsure about that, and you must also be careful not to ride too much. Last year, I did ride races like Quinghai Lake and Langkawi, but I thought that was cool."

Quinghai Lake is above 4,000 meters, and that for a guy who doesn't like high-altitude races?
"Last year I did it for the first time, but sitting up there on that mountain, I did think: now I know why I've never liked this so much. It's kind of boring. Sitting on a mountain like that is the same thing every day. It will never be my greatest love." (shaking his head with a laugh)

Can it help that XDS Astana is getting a ton of money out of it?
"You can see that, yes. There is no extreme difference visible, but of course, we have a lot of new guys. You get to know everyone quickly at a training camp."

Some of the Kazakhs are gone.
"True, we went from eight to three. We speak much more Italian now than last year because we have more Italians."

But three more Dutch riders have also arrived.
(laughs) "So now we can make our own little group. That's nice; they are just some Dutch neighbors. The five of us stay after dinner to chat at a training camp."

"True, but then I missed that big group of eighteen."

Is it annoying for you, as a type of rider, that the Tadej Pogacars and Remco Evenepoels are opening up the race with their teams earlier and earlier?
"That's not necessarily an advantage, no. It then becomes a W/kg game much faster than a tactical game. If I want to ride good results, it's more likely to be tactical or with a good finish."

Do you feel it is becoming more frequent?
"That is slowly evolving, but of course, everyone knows it. 95 percent of races are won by, say, the same five riders, whereas five years ago, it was a group of 20 riders."

Finally, your contract is near the end. Are you working on that?
"Not really, no. I just want to show myself again."