'They all think they might miss the next Pogacar or Evenepoel' - Vermote critical of teams’ obsession with youth and data

“I haven’t given myself a deadline to find a new team,” Julien Vermote says in an interview with Het Nieuwsblad. “Because if you do, you’re basically admitting it’s over after that.”

The experienced Belgian’s tone is calm but determined. He’s been here before, without a contract and waiting for a call that may never come. “I still feel I can be of value to a team,” he explains. “I can ride for different leaders and support wherever needed. There aren’t that many riders left who can actually win races. And I can help make riders win.”

But as October ends, Vermote remains without a team after Visma | Lease a Bike chose not to renew his contract. Together with his brother and manager Alphonse, he is searching for a solution. “The market was frozen for a long time because of the merger between Lotto and Intermarché, and some teams are disappearing,” he says. 

“It could not have come at a worse time. Some teams still think they can pick up riders from Lotto or Intermarché Wanty on the cheap. And my age does not help either.”

He sees a pattern emerging. Teams are signing riders younger and younger, leaving fewer spots for those in their thirties. “They all think they might miss the next Pogacar or Remco,” Vermote says. “Sure, every generation has talent, but there aren’t fifty of those guys around. We don’t race on indoor trainers where only the watts matter. But it is heading that way. Teams focus more and more on data and forget things like race craft and positioning.”

“Science is important, of course. Weighing your food has its value. But I’m not sure it’s sustainable. You can do it for a year, maybe two or three, but at some point, something snaps mentally, and then it’s over. Riders start younger, reach a higher level faster, but it’s harder to keep going long term. You need balance. Moments where you follow your feeling and stay in shape that way, too. That’s the beauty of cycling, trying to make yourself a bit better every day.”

Vermote has lived through this cycle before. In 2021, he signed with the Roodhooft brothers only in April, when the season was already underway. In 2023, he had to create his own one-man team, racing local events just to stay fit, before Visma Lease a Bike offered him a lifeline that December. “I still believe it can turn around quickly,” he says. “I’ve seen it happen before.”

Still, he is realistic. “I won’t spend another year training without a team,” he admits. “I could keep fit by racing as an amateur, but I don’t think a pro team would come calling after that. There are other things I could do, like working in our sports medical center Vitori or our bike shop Secteur with my brother and brother-in-law. But adjusting to normal life will take time.”

What he’ll miss most is the rhythm. “The beautiful thing about being a pro cyclist is that every day starts with a purpose. You finish training, check it off, and you’ve done your job. That gives so much satisfaction. It won’t be easy to find something in daily life that gives me that same feeling. And I’ll miss being on the road with teammates. The whole package of being a rider is just beautiful.”

For now, he is not ready to let it go. “I know a sports career has an end, and you have to make peace with that when it comes. But I’m not giving up easily,” he says. “I’ve worked too hard to just let it slip away.”