Visma | Lease a Bike reassuring regarding injured riders and Uijtdebroeks: "White Giro jersey is very high quality"

A day without a fall is a day not fully lived! The team at Visma | Lease a Bike were relieved to finally make it through a stage on Thursday without any issues. On the Tuscan gravel, those who had fallen in the previous days tended to their wounds, while Cian Uijtdebroeks openly boasted about his great form so far.

Six days into the Giro, Uijtdebroeks is wearing the white jersey, trailing the leader Tadej Pogacar, who wears the pink jersey, by 55 seconds. It's an ideal situation for Visma | Lease a Bike, which has had a tough few days trying to provide support for Uijtdebroeks. Robert Gesink had to withdraw on the first day, Olav Kooij crashed on the second, followed by Attila Valter, who had yet another crash on Wednesday, along with Christophe Laporte.

"Attila is doing just fine, there’s nothing to worry about," team director Marc Reef started off the conversation with IDLProCycling.com with some good news. However, Laporte was worse off on Thursday, suffering from chest pain. "As for Christophe, it's amazing what he managed to do today. Even when the going got tough, he was still up there. It shows a slight improvement, but we'll have to see if it continues. The second day is often more painful, so we’ll have to see how he recovers for Friday’s time trial. He definitely felt the strain after dropping back today. Hopefully, he can keep going in the Giro."

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Uijtdebroeks continues to impress at Visma | Lease a Bike

Uijtdebroeks is likely a big help in soothing some of the pain for Visma | Lease a Bike these days. The young Belgian was on point during the opening weekend and was notably aggressive in Thursday’s gravel stage. "I think we as a team rode really well and kept Cian in a good position. Initially Edoardo Affini, then Attila later in the race, and others also helped out during the stage. In the finale, Cian showed he still had energy to spare, sticking with it when Bardet picked up the pace," Reef also noted.

"Considering the injuries we've had in the team from the crashes, I think we managed things really well today," Uijtdebroeks said just after finishing. "Affini, Laporte and Valter did a great job of positioning me in the final. I was caught up in a crash, with people tangling up around me. I had to dismount there, but I got back on, just riding on adrenaline. After that, I kept my cool and got back to the group."

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Does wearing the white time trial jersey disadvantage Uijtdebroeks?

Gravel was a new experience for Uijtdebroeks. He had scouted the sections, but still felt uncertain before starting. "I can’t say I was looking forward to it. But ultimately, it actually went very well. I even enjoyed it a bit, sliding on the gravel with all that dust... It was special," he said with his usual smile. Reef laughs when asked if Uijtdebroeks had commented on his gravel debut during the race. "There was no chance to talk and no time. The sections were loose, so it’s best to keep your hands on the handlebars!"

Once again we see smiling faces at Visma | Lease a Bike, and rightfully so. A 40.6-kilometer time trial is coming up on Friday. "Tomorrow will be about enjoying the ride and biking as hard as I can," Uijtdebroeks chuckles. When pressed, Reef stresses that it's not a big drawback for the team leader that Uijtdebroeks must wear a white jersey supplied by the organization due to his lead in the youth classification for the time trial to Perugia. "Overall, the quality of these jerseys is very high. But, of course, you'd prefer to wear your own jersey, into which you've put a lot of time and effort, especially in a long time trial."