There is nothing to be done, he may not be the best Thomas De Gendt, but he always finds a way to make his breakaway. In recent decades, few riders can boast a tactical sense, an ability to get into a breakaway, an understanding of when to move, like that of Lotto Soudal‘s Flemish rider. He has never been dominant in one terrain rather than another, but he has always been a complete rider, capable of riding strong everywhere. And he has exploited all these qualities to become an extraordinary stage hunter.
A stage hunter, however, with a sophisticated palate, since of his 17 career victories, no fewer than 15 have come in WorldTour races, and since 2011 he has only ever won in races on the highest circuit. He therefore prefers to display his tactical sagacity on the big stages; in the other races he is happy to leave room for his teammates. The Sint-Niklaas native is part of the small circle of riders capable of winning stages in all three Grand Tours. One stage at the Vuelta, two at the Tour de France and now two at the Giro d’Italia. Incidentally, the almost 10 years between his first pink success and today’s have brought him very close to the record for the distance between the first two Giro victories, still held by Alfredo Sivocci (1920s), which stands with just under 11 years.
