With Loockx, Tour de Tietema has a real chameleon in its ranks: "Cyclo-cross, but also spring classics and Gravel World Championships"

We spoke with Loockx on Thursday, December 7, in his Tour de Tietema camper, just after he returned from a reconnaissance lap on the West-Brabant course. Just over two hours later, the man from Bertem would finish fourth, more than three-quarters of a minute behind winner Ryan Kamp. At first glance, a fine result, except that Loockx had a hard fall midway through the race. "That even meant a trip to the hospital," he later wrote on Instagram. "I felt strong and, despite a few small mistakes at the start of the race, I was always able to keep up with the race leaders. So, I am in alright shape," he sounded quite optimistic.

However, cyclists are by no means weak, and Loockx is living proof of that. The resilient Belgian was back at the starting line just two days later, this time for the Exact Cross of Essen, won by Wout van Aert. After spending some time in the wheel of the Jumbo-Visma star, Loockx eventually sped his way to another fourth-place finish in Essen. The day after that race on the Belgian-Dutch border, a trip to Spain was on the calendar for Loockx and his teammates. In Spain, they will spend two weeks on their road bikes - eagerly anticipating top results on the tarmac. In short, it is a busy time for Tietema and his men, and especially for Loockx, who upon returning home will undertake some cross-specific training sessions (he is also the only cyclo-crosser in the selection).

"It makes sense to have a training period and to slowly but surely start preparing for the road cycling season," says Loockx, who had just mentioned that he would return to the field on December 27. "The past few weeks have been incredibly busy." When we ask the former Pauwels Sauzen rider to evaluate his cyclo-cross season so far, he responds optimistically. "I'm actually having a pretty good season. It's going a bit better than last year, and making progress every year is very important to me."

Progress in terms of cyclo-cross results is the top priority for the modest Loockx, who says he usually aims for a top ten finish in televised races. And that is something he has already achieved, for example, at Koppenberg and Merksplas. "With occasional surges towards the top five, my season would be an absolute success. I managed that at the very beginning of the year in Beringen. That was a nice start. A few more results like that would definitely complete the picture, although I can't complain about my results so far."

Many cyclo-cross riders end their season after the World Championships in Tábor (during the weekend of February 3 and 4). However, Loockx will do so earlier. "I still have some busy weeks ahead, but my cyclocross year will end on January 20. This will allow me to start preparing for the road season a bit earlier." Because that road season is also important for the man from Flemish Brabant. "I don't have any concrete plans yet regarding my racing schedule. That will have to be worked out in further detail during our training camp. But the goal is definitely to start the year somewhere in March."

Does this mean we should expect a lot from Loockx - who represented the colors of Deschacht-Hens-Maes until last September 30 - in the 2024 cycling season? "This summer is primarily about discovering what I can do at the highest level," he says, managing expectations. "After all, I have never raced at the ProTour level. In 2025, the goal is to really pursue specific results. If I gain enough experience in 2024, that will allow me to better determine in which races I could perform best in 2025," he continues, hinting at the team's explicit ambition to participate in Monuments in 2025 and even head to the Tour de France in 2026.

Are those goals even realistic? Loockx believes so. "I really think we can grow to that level. In my opinion, it is a realistic goal. It would be nice if we could ride a few WorldTour races in 2024. I actually feel confident in that. A race like the Amstel Gold Race should definitely be in the cards, although it is also a matter of lobbying." Setting high goals could of course bring a huge amount of pressure. "In 2024, I will not put too much pressure on myself," he addresses this. "A good result is always a bonus, although that is certainly not the main goal. On the other hand: I am someone who wants to show what I can do in every race. So, in a way, that pressure to perform is always there."

Last year, Loockx already demonstrated that he is a jack-of-all-trades. Gravel racing, road cycling and cyclo-cross: the cheerful rider did it all. In 2024, he is likely to follow a similar path. "I will again participate in gravel races in 2024. So, the summer agenda will be packed again, although I don't think it will be too busy. But, for example, the Gravel World Championships are just five kilometers from where I live. So, I've definitely made that a goal, especially since the last Gravel European Championships (on virtually the same course, ed.) also went well and I finished ninth there. I would also like to ride the Belgian Gravel Championships and the race in Valkenburg. Gravel is a sort of combination of road cycling and cyclo-cross. That's partly why it suits me so well, I guess."

Recently, the premiere of the documentary about the first year of the TDT-Unibet cycling team took place in a sold-out AFAS Circustheater in Scheveningen, the Netherlands. Loockx, who has been part of the progressive brigade for only two months, was also present. "The riders had already seen the film beforehand, but it has certainly turned out great. The end result is definitely something to be proud of. They've done a great job," he praises the one-and-a-half-hour video. "The team immediately felt as welcoming as a warm bath to me. You can see that in the documentary. It's still a matter of getting to know each other at times, as some guys have only just joined the team. But, for example, the team building day was already super fun. So that is very promising."