15/03/2026 - Vermarc Grand Prix (U23/Elite)

What initially seemed like a day full of expectations and uncertainty ultimately turned into a race that primarily demonstrated character and perseverance. A tough challenge lay ahead for Gilles: a race of no less than 166 kilometers in the U23/Elite category. That was considerably more than his previous longest race distance of 125 kilometers. Moreover, it was only his second race in the U23 category, and as if that weren't enough, an impressive field of participants lined up at the start. Teams such as Lotto Doornny, Alpecin-Deceuninck, and Baloise Trek Lions were present, making it immediately clear that the pace would be particularly high.

The race, however, started with a setback. In the first two laps, Gilles rode into a pothole in the road surface each time, resulting in two bike changes. Each time, he had to rejoin the peloton between the support vehicles, an effort that cost him extra energy. As if that were not enough, his saddle subsequently tipped over. Nevertheless, he chose not to change bikes again and to finish the race with the equipment he had.

Despite the turbulent opening phase, Gilles managed to keep riding at the front impressively. Until two laps before the end, he could consistently be found in the top twenty of the peloton. However, due to the commotion at the start of the race, he had neglected to eat and drink in time, and as the kilometers progressed, his legs slowly began to give out.

Yet he held his ground. Gilles managed to finish the race and came in a group behind the peloton, good for 123rd place out of 170 riders. On paper, perhaps not a result that immediately catches the eye, but in a race with numerous professional riders at the start — including track cyclist Juul Hesters and even a stage winner from the Tour of Oman — that performance undoubtedly deserves respect.

The question remains, of course, what would have been possible without the bad luck in the opening phase. We will never get an answer to that. What is certain, however, is that in this tough race, Gilles once again showed that he possesses the perseverance needed to compete at this level. Richer in experience and with his head held high, he can look back on a race that above all demonstrated character.