And the veteran is certain he can continue thriving in this task. “If I want to continue next year, it’s because I’m still convinced about my value, I still know I can do something and I still have the passion. But if you’re stressing the whole time, then you don’t switch off and your performance will be less the following year.
This isn’t Vermote’s first rodeo in the contract hunt
However it is not the third time the Belgian enters November, where most World Tour riders are enjoying a well-deserved time away from the bike and trying to relax, stressed about his future.
“The second time (looking for a contract last-minute, ed.), it was also crazy because I went to amateur level again, but I was really locked in, and I was kind of convinced that something would come of it. But both times taught me a lot of lessons in life. In cycling, you think you’re part of a big group, but then when you’re out, you’re out…”
“My goal isn’t just to be a rider next year. I still want to be a rider, but I want to be a good rider. I don’t want to be a cyclist just to be a cyclist, I want to add value to a team, and I believe that I can.” But there are less top teams in the Belgian market now with the merger of Intermarché – Wanty and Lotto, both of which could’ve on paper been his new team.
Vermote racing for Team Visma | Lease a Bike in 2025. @Imago
But he finds a different problem this time around, in a cycling that often values UCI points more than ever before. “The smaller teams are looking for young riders to score some points, whereas in bigger teams, they have a leader and they want to give him some support. So I think my value is more for the bigger teams”.
“They know I have experience and they can use me in races across the whole season. I’m more consistent now than I was in my younger years, and you can’t blame young riders for not being consistent,” he adds. “I just think you need a good mix, so you need experienced riders that can guide the young guys and give them advice.”
But signing for a continental team at this point in his career is now what he looks for, taking into consideration his skillset. “No, I won’t do this. In theory, it would be possible, but that was a different time in my life. If I continue, I want to do it at a proper level, and not do it just to keep myself busy. Because there are enough different things in life I can do, there’s another life besides cycling. With my brother, we have like a sports medical centre in Kortrijk, and I have a bike shop with my brother and my brother-in-law, so there are different things to do when it is over,” he concluded.