Lennert Van Eetvelt fustrated ahead of Tour: "A month at altitude to gain 5%, and then you lose 10% with a crash"

The 23-year-old climber has been knocking on the door for several years but is also an example of a career that, despite his young age, has already gone through its fair share of ups and downs. For example, he did not complete many race days in 2024 due to a prolonged illness and a collision; however, he still won two major WorldTour races and finished eleventh in Strade Bianche, third in Clásica San Sebastián, and seventh in the Tour of Lombardy.

On the other hand, there was the Vuelta, where Van Eetvelt started quite well but ultimately had to give up. Things are not going smoothly in 2025 either. The results are not bad, with top ten finishes in Strade Bianche, the UAE Tour, and Catalonia; however, he also suffered a broken foot that affected him for a long time. Just when everything seemed to be going well for the Tour, Van Eetvelt crashed during the Belgian Championships—another setback.

On the Wednesday evening before the Tour de France, Lotto held its press conference just west of Lille. Van Eetvelt entered with bandages on his legs, so the logical first question was: how are you doing? “My back is bothering me a bit. I hope it will be okay by Sunday,” said the Belgian, who wanted to show himself for the first time in Boulogne-sur-Mer.

Van Eetvelt took it easy after the Tour de Romandie and prepared meticulously for his Tour debut. “You spend a month at altitude to gain five percent, and then you crash and lose ten percent,” explained the young rider. “It's a real shame, but I hope it won't be too bad and that I can still recover.”

“After the spring, it was excellent for me to take it easy, also because of my broken foot,” said Van Eetvelt. “I was finally able to train consistently for a few weeks, and the team really gave me the time to do that in preparation for the Tour. I also spent a week scouting the stages for this Tour. Before the crash, my preparation was perfect.”

“The first day after a crash like that is always the worst, but things are slowly starting to improve. I don't have any major abrasions, but my muscles are a bit stiff and swollen from the impact,” said the Belgian, who is certain he will start on Saturday.

What was/is Van Eetvelt's tactic before this Tour? “I always wanted to compete for the GC in another Grand Tour before going to the Tour. But last year, circumstances somewhat ruined the Vuelta, and I haven't yet shown what I would like to show in terms of the GC, but given the way racing is done these days, I don't know what else I could do.”

“I wouldn't like to start with the idea of letting it go and then getting into a breakaway because the chance of getting into one of those right breakaways is so small,” he says. “I'd rather go for the GC. If I come up against myself, then so be it. But I'll try to get as far as possible and also race actively.”

“If I can compete for two weeks and then lose it in the last week, so be it. I'd rather that than keep a low profile,” says Van Eetvelt, who also explored the more challenging stages in the first weeks. “Many of those stages are difficult to assess, but the Mur de Bretagne, for example, should suit me well. They are technical finishes. That will be great to see on TV, but very hectic.”

Arnaud De Lie and Jenno Berckmoes should also be able to handle those finishes. “That's more of a luxury,” says Van Eetvelt. “There are a lot of finishes that could suit all three of us, and that can only work to our advantage.”