Van Eetvelt shares a behind-the-scenes look at Lotto Dstny and talks about his "nightmare"

When asked about his year, Van Eetvelt opened with a smile. "I actually look back on it with a lot of pride and a good feeling. I have had a lot of ups and downs, but to be honest, the downs don't bother me that much," he says, full of resilience. However, when asked about an "unforgettable moment," Van Eetvelt is still pretty hard on himself. The second place in the fourth Vuelta stage, behind Primoz Roglic, lingers. "I won't forgive myself for that, I guess. It was a nightmare, that second place," he recounted, cheering too early and being passed by Roglic on the finish line. Nevertheless, Van Eetvelt also has happy memories, especially his victory in the UAE Tour, where he surprised everyone. "I didn't expect that, especially so early in the season. It was an unexpected, nice surprise."

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In addition to his victories, Van Eetvelt struggled with knee problems that kept him out of action for an extended period. "It was a difficult time because we didn't know where the pain was coming from, even after surgery. I thought this was the end, but luckily, the pain disappeared, and I could start training again."

Part of the problem lay in Van Eetvelt's training. "I returned from the UAE Tour on Monday and started training for six hours on Wednesday. That was with Maxim Van Gils. I trained with the same power the whole time: hard but not extreme. Only Maxim rode two gears bigger uphill. And neither of us gave up. That training was almost as hard as the race. I like to start a race a little tired, but in hindsight, it wasn't the best idea," he admits. The team also took some measures afterward. "At the time, no one said I shouldn't do it. Now, they are more strictly monitoring what I do, but that also came about because of that knee injury. If I say I want to train seven hours, I train seven hours. I still have that freedom, but there is more feedback."

In the Dutch podcast De Rode Lantaarn, he also gave an additional look behind the scenes at Lotto Dstny. When Van Eetvelt went to training camp for the first time in 2021, he was still shocked. "I must honestly say that I had doubts about the team afterward. Not that I had any regrets. Maybe that was more in the summer after I had a good last year at U23. I was pleased in that team, but in the press, you read this and then that. If I compare the internships then with today, a lot has changed, too. Back then, nobody would weigh his food, while now even the sprinters do that."

Lotto Dstny has been stepping up, which is also necessary to keep all the Belgian talents on board. Something that doesn't seem to be working with Van Gils, however. Still, that level of professionalism is essential. 'When I started, there was a lot of confusion and chaos,' Van Eetvelt indicates. "But now everything is much more professional. The way we work has improved a lot, and you notice that in your performance." That is why the Belgian also signed on early this year through 2026. "I'm ready for it. I have my goals in focus, and I feel stronger than ever," Van Eetvelt concluded.