NINETEEN YEARS YOUNG WHEN he made his World Tour debut, the results from his 2019 season could easily have been the palmarès of a top-20 pro in their pomp. Two general classification victories, five stage wins, a solo victory at the Clásica Ciclista San Sebastián (a one-day WorldTour race held a week after the Tour de France), and a silver medal in the time trial at the road world championships.
The question as to whether he needed a year or two as an espoir (Under-23) before joining the big boys was answered with an emphatic “Neen!”. (I’m showing off my rudimentary Flemish but that’s ‘No way, mate!’ in our lingo.)
The next year proved it was no fluke: four stage race wins from four attempts including overall victory at the World Tour-ranked Tour de Pologne.
