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Follow us on GoogleThe Giro d'Italia had a thrilling finale, which has been discussed from nearly every angle. Isaac Del Toro lost his pink jersey on day 20, Simon Yates surprisingly snatched it and won the Giro, and Richard Carapaz finished third. One question remains unanswered: why did Dries De Bondt (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale) suddenly start pulling for Carapaz from EF Education-EasyPost on the Colle delle Finestre?
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Wielerflits.be asked De Bondt for an explanation, as the 33-year-old Belgian seemed to have no advantage whatsoever in taking the lead on the Finestre at a time when Carapaz and Del Toro were together, and Yates was already out of sight. Did he just want to accelerate? Was he good friends with Carapaz? Was there a contract in the air at EF? Or does De Bondt dislike Simon Yates?
One assumption turned out to be true, as it now appears. De Bondt wanted to promote himself with his expiring contract in mind. Something that Jacopo Mosca of Lidl-Trek may also have wanted to try by riding for Yates on the Finestre. "That's why I let several teams know that I'm open to talks about a contract,” said De Bondt, who also contacted EF sports director Ken Vanmarcke. “If you're still looking for riders for 2026, I'm on the market," the message read.
Read more below the photo.
De Bondt hopes to sit down with EF Education-EasyPost
Who knows, De Bondt may have secured his future because Vanmarcke came up to him before the start of stage 20. "He said: "Are you planning anything today? It will be challenging for us to send riders in the early breakaway. But look: if you're there and can play an important role in the final result of the Giro, then this could lead to something serious." That inspired me to do what I did for Carapaz.
It is still unclear whether it's a contract or De Bondt will get another Ecuadorian PlayStation sent to him. Although he says he reduced the gap from 22 to 8 seconds, Del Toro and Carapaz didn't close the gap to Yates. "After that move, I got many questions about why I did it. And that was exactly what I wanted because it made it clear to everyone that I'm available. Whether I'll end up at EF Education-EasyPost, I don't know. If they invite me to sit down with the right people to talk, that's already a victory."
Bram van der PloegEditor-in-chief
Bram van der Ploeg (35) is the proud founder of In de Leiderstrui, IDL Pro Cycling's parent site, launched in 2018. Finally, he could create stories about the sport he had followed since childhood. He is the editor-in-chief on paper, but prefers to be with his recorder next to a rider, a team bus, or in the mud at a cyclocross race. Every year, from February to the end of May, Bram follows the entire Italian cycling season, from the Trofeo Laigueglia to the Giro d'Italia, with the grand finale in October in Lombardy. During that time, he lives in Tuscany, where he has since come to call Italy his 'home'.
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Latest Comments
- A fascinating career, but the article leans heavily on his side of the story. Were the three disqualifications all for the same equipment rule, or were there different issues each time?michael5412-11-2026
- I’m still not sure how the handlebar rules work. If another rider can rest their wrists on the bars, why was Van Schip disqualified for his position?jennifer1912-11-2026
- The UCI really needs clearer, consistently enforced rules on bike setups and riding positions. If Van Schip was being told different things from race to race, no wonder he got fed up.patriciaw12-11-2026
- Two world track titles and three pro wins is a serious career, whatever the controversies. Shame he felt the sport stopped listening to him. Hope Rotterdam gives him the send-off he deserves.tourdeforce912-11-2026
- If he finished ninth at the Tour, why didn’t he get a stage win too? I’m still trying to understand how the overall standings work.julien11-11-2026
- No ‘cross at all this winter? That’s a shame, but with his road season starting in February, I can see why he’d want a proper break. Does stepping away mean he’s done with cyclocross for good?gearguru3311-11-2026
- I like the honesty of that training post. Even the best riders feel the difference after a few weeks off, and he’s got plenty of time to build back up.samanthak11-11-2026
- Three sets of tyres in two days at the Nürburgring! The man clearly doesn’t do anything by halves. Bet a winter without cyclocross will feel strange, though.bikebuffj11-11-2026
- Fifth in the world rankings after that autumn run is some achievement. Pidcock was so aggressive at the Tour, too—hopefully he can turn a few of those near-misses into wins inpatriciaw11-11-2026
- Does XEFI’s investment mean the team will have more money to sign riders, or is it mainly a sponsorship and naming change? And is Roglič expected to race much next season?jeremya11-11-2026