Foldager enters centre stage with Brabantse Pijl win - 'It proves I should believe in myself'

Anders Foldager (Jayco AlUla) wasn’t one of the pre-race favourites to win the Brabantse Pijl on Friday, but that’s exactly what the 24-year-old Dane did, sprinting to victory atop the S-Bocht climb in Overijse. 

Foldager, who joined Jayco AlUla as a stagaire in 2022, before turning full-time in 2024, had one prior UCI-level professional victory to his name, a stage win at the Tour de Slovakia. The talent that Foldager possessed had been evident at the under-23 level, with the Dane winning stages at both the Tour de l'Avenir and Giro Next Gen in 2023. 

Winning the Brabantse Pijl marks a significant step-up since making his professional debut and came as both a surprise and something he had sensed was possible.

“Maybe not, but I knew that I was in good shape,” Foldager told CyclingProNet when asked if he believed that he had the legs to win. “The way that the race turned out, with the fact we had nobody in the front group, we had nothing else to do other than try to close the gap and do the sprint.”

Foldager’s recent 4th place at the NXT Classic at the start of April was an indication that he could feature if the race came down to a sprint. On that occasion, he was second in the bunch sprint behind the front duo of Tibor Del Grosso (Alpecin-Premier Tech) and teammate Mauro Schmid (Jayco AlUla), who went clear.

The Swiss champion Schmid played an important role in the finale for Foldager, who helped bridge the gap to the dangerous group of six riders who were clear. Foldager appreciated the work of his Swiss teammate. 

“Mauro Schmid did it perfectly and closed the gap on the leaders," said Foldager. "At the foot of the final hill, I was perhaps a bit too far back. When I shot to the front, I had to give it my all and keep sprinting."

Adding a race with the ever-increasing prestige of Brabantse Pijl, with recent winners such as Mathieu van der Poel, Julian Alaphilippe, Tom Pidcock, and Remco Evenepoel, marks a significant moment in the career of the 24-year-old Dane.

"It proves that I should believe more in myself, that I should believe that I can take the win in these races, and also when we go to the WorldTour races, I believe that I can be in the front,” said Foldager. 

Asked if self-belief was something he lacked to an extent previously, Foldager suggested otherwise, but acknowledged the boost that winning Brabantse Pijl has given him.

“No, but I didn’t win a big race like this before. So before you do that, it’s difficult to know if you have the talent to do it.”

After a fine victory, attention quickly turns to the Amstel Gold Race on Sunday. Foldager has raced the previous two editions, and his recent win will boost his confidence of being in the mix significantly. 

The Dane explained that Schmid, who finished 15th last year, will lead Jayco AlUla, but Foldager’s fast finish will give the Australian team another card to play if needed.

"I dream of winning that race someday. But perhaps that is still a bit too soon, and on Sunday, we will turn the tables in service of Mauro Schmid,” said Foldager.

“I think we have a strong team. We also come in with a few fresh guys, like [Andrea] Vendrame, who have been strong this year. I think we have more cards to play,” he added.

Jayco AlUla secured a 5th place finish at Amstel last year with Michael Matthews, but will hold optimism that a podium finish could be in reach this Sunday.