27/08/2026 - Baardegem (R)

Baardegem organised its local race for the 75th time. 117 kilometres, nothing spectacular on paper, until you realised that the course was rolling, featuring a slight climb at the moment when the wind was blowing strongly into the faces towards the finish. From the start, it was flat out. The first kilometres, there was really no opportunity to quietly get your legs going. Gilles felt it soon enough – and honestly admitted that his legs weren't exactly turning in top form.

Halfway through the race, the peloton was already scattered into five pieces. Two large breakaway groups tried to finish it off alone, while the rest of the 102-rider peloton broke into three groups.

Gilles's salvation? A targeted refuelling strategy. Some water, some energy, and suddenly he was alert again at the front of the peloton, literally in position at the moment when the back door was still open.

Despite those weaker legs, Gilles managed to stay with the peloton – but that was where it ended. Group after group escaped, but he didn't dare to follow. Better to sit tight. That uncertain thought took over: what if his legs ran out?

Until the final lap. He attacks away from the remaining peloton and finishes solo in a respectable 39th place. Not exactly a resounding result, but for someone without top legs and with far more defence than attack in the legs? More than satisfactory.

As Gilles analysed the result, one thing was crystal clear: there was more in him. The strength was there, the experience was there, even the luck of that late attack was there. There was only one thing missing: more courage. Because that's cycling in a nutshell – you sometimes have to trust your legs before your head approves it.