{"id":27681,"title":"Lennert Teugels: Professional Cycling's Late Bloomer","description":"Meet Lennert Teugels, the contended late-blooming professional cyclist who rides for Bingoal WB. He\u2019s not sure how much he earns but it doesn\u2019t matter as he wouldn\u2019t change a thing even if he had a million Euro.","content":"

Published in<\/strong>: COBBLES & CLASSICS<\/strong><\/a><\/p>

Meet Lennert Teugels, the contended late-blooming professional cyclist who rides for Bingoal WB. He\u2019s not sure how much he earns but it doesn\u2019t matter as he wouldn\u2019t change a thing even if he had a million Euro.<\/p>

\"ImageLennert Teugels winning at the Tour of Hellas. Image: \u0394\u0395\u0397 International Tour of Hellas<\/a><\/p>

At the age of twenty-nine, Lenner has broken through into tier two of cycling\u2019s professional hierarchy. It\u2019s a remarkable achievement given that most riders are written off if they\u2019ve not made it by twenty-three.<\/p>

We sat down with the Bingoal WB ProTeam professional cyclist to discover more about his journey and what motivates him.<\/p>

A Love of Cycling<\/h3>

Like most boys in Belgium, Lennert grew up playing football but by the time he reached 16, he\u2019d lost his enjoyment for the game and switched to cycling. Long summer holidays were spent on his grandparents\u2019 farm whilst his parents were at work.<\/p>

\u201cWatching the race with his grandfather is a cherished memory\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>

From his grandfather, he developed a love of cycling. Together, they\u2019d be transfixed by the drama of the Tour de France as its story evolved on the television screen. Watching the race with his grandfather is a cherished memory for Lennert.<\/p>

After a while, he found riding on his own boring so he joined a local club that catered for under-18s. Racing was just for fun and consisted mainly of kermesses which are the staple diet of Flemish cycling.<\/p>

\"ProfessionalThe spoils of victory. Image Image: \u0394\u0395\u0397 International Tour of Hellas<\/a><\/p>

It\u2019s one reason why Flanders produces so many fine classic riders, with climbers tending to be exceptions. To excel at Kermess racing, you need to be able to corner well, power on the flat in a cross-wind and possess a strong sprint.<\/p>

Hard Worker<\/h3>

Lennert worked hard at school, making his parents happy with his diligent studying, and was accepted onto a five-year course to become a land surveyor. He continued cycling, combining his studies with 15 to 20 hours of training per week.<\/p>

\u201cHow much could he improve?\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>

After four years of studying, he decided to dedicate more time to training to see what level he could achieve. His results were good but not world-beating. How much could he improve? He decided to split his final year into two to spend more time cycling.<\/p>

By now he was riding for Profel United CT, an amateur club but one that gave him the chance to ride Interclub and stage races rather than purely kermesses. He scored nine victories during this time, including a stage of the Tour de La Province de Namur.<\/p>

One of those that he bettered that day was Derek Gee, now riding for Israel - Premier Tech and one of the stars of the 2023 Giro d\u2019Italia.<\/p>

Lack of Recovery<\/h3>

Looking back, he realises now that his issue was not lack of training, but lack of recovery. He\u2019d finish lectures at 7 pm then go out training until late. He was self-coached which meant that his training was not as time effective as it could have been.<\/p>

\"LennertIn the Mountains Jersey at the Tropicale Amissa Bongo. Image La Tropicale Amissa Bongo<\/a><\/p>

Lennert just loves riding his bike and exploring. If he had an afternoon free, he\u2019d just go out for five hours. He tried every road and lane around his neighbourhood and out into the countryside. He\u2019s a bit sad now that he\u2019s covered all the roads near where he lives.<\/p>

\u201cdiscovery, serendipity and beauty\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>

Some riders will ride 150 km in a square box of 20 km but that\u2019s not Lennert\u2019s style. For him, it\u2019s about discovery, serendipity and beauty.<\/p>

His training is much more polarized now and says he can achieve more in two and a half hours with intervals than five unstructured hours.<\/p>

Trainee Professional Cyclist<\/h3>

By August 2017, Lennert had finished his studies and was a free man. Through his good friend, former Belgian champion and recent Antwerp Port Epic winner, Dries De Bondt, he secured a trainee place on the ProTeam V\u00e9randas Willems-Crelan.<\/p>

\"ImageOn the way to victory. Image: \u0394\u0395\u0397 International Tour of Hellas<\/a><\/p>

Even though he was unpaid, it seemed like a dream come true. It was even better when he finished an impressive thirteenth at the Druivenkoers Overijse where he was battling against World Tour teams and finished a few places behind Victor Campenaerts.<\/p>

\u201call was not well within the team\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>

But all was not well within the team and many of the riders were suffering poor motivation. Lennert quickly realised that he was there was no prospect of an extension into 2018 and he was there as a gap-filler.<\/p>

Apparently, it\u2019s quite common for teams to use the trainee or stagiaire positions as a means of filling gaps in the team during the busy August to October period.<\/p>

For V\u00e9randas Willems-Crelan it was a particular issue as included in their ranks, they had cyclocross stars Wout van Aert and Tim Merlier.<\/p>

Valuable Experience<\/h3>

Lennert never rode with either as they were busy preparing for the impending cyclocross season. It was a valuable experience nonetheless even if many of the races he was told to ride were unsuited to his talents.<\/p>

It confirmed that he was more suited to the hilly races rather than the flat, windy races he\u2019d been accustomed to riding. He finished all but one race for the team including his final one Ronde van Zeeland.<\/p>

\u201cLast perhaps, but ahead of many who\u2019d retired.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>

It\u2019s a race that screams \u201cflat and windy\u201d as it\u2019s based in the exposed Dutch coastal region of Zeeland which consists of islands and peninsulas interconnected by bridges. Despite this, he finished. Last perhaps, but ahead of many who\u2019d retired.<\/p>

It demonstrated his other qualities - staying power and reliability.<\/p>

Even if he wasn\u2019t offered a contract for the following year, Lennert is grateful for the experience. It gave him a much better idea of his strengths and weaknesses and whether he was really good enough.<\/p>

Although some of the riders themselves lacked motivation, they were eager to offer advice and encouragement to Lennert.<\/p>

\"VisualUCI Cycling Teams <\/em>Explainer<\/em><\/strong><\/h3>

The controlling body of international cycling, the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) defines three tiers of men\u2019s elite cycling teams.<\/em><\/p>

At the top are the eighteen UCI WorldTeams that are guaranteed a place at the most prestigious races, such as the Tour de France. Such races are classified as World Tour races and these teams are often referred to as World Tour teams.<\/em><\/p>

The next level down are the eighteen UCI ProTeams who get a limited number of wild card entries to World Tour events. They were formerly known as Pro Continental teams and are often referred to as Pro-Conti.<\/em><\/p>

The bottom rung is the UCI Continental teams which are registered with individual countries\u2019 cycling federations. Unlike the top two levels for which the UCI dictates minimum rider salaries, it\u2019s up to individual cycling federations to set such rules. Many federations do not set minimum levels.<\/em><\/p>

\"Visual<\/em><\/p>

Decision Time<\/h3>

With the V\u00e9randas Willems-Crelan adventure over, he stood at a critical point. Should he take up a safe well-paid job as a Land Surveyor or gamble on the chance of a professional career?<\/p>

\"ImageLennert (second right) rides behind Laurens Sweeck. Image: Rijden<\/p>

His parents agreed that he should try for one year. Lennert says that they\u2019ve always been supportive but suspects that his mum worries about him as any other mother would.<\/p>

\u201csecond behind Nico Denz\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>

In 2018 he signed a one-year unpaid contract with the UCI Continental team Cibel-Cebon. He had one year to prove himself or he\u2019d been looking at adverts for land surveyors.<\/p>

Perhaps the highlight of his year was his final ride at the Tour de Vend\u00e9e where he finished second behind Nico Denz. Denz was riding for AG2R La Mondiale but is now with Bora-Hansgrohe and has won two stages of the Giro d\u2019Italia.<\/p>

Minimum Wage<\/h3>

It was enough to convince Cibel to sign Lennert for a second year and pay him the minimum wage which is \u20ac20,000 for Belgian riders. In the hillier races he performed well, such as at the Volta Limburg Classic 1.1 classified race where he finished seventh.<\/p>

\u201cbrought down to earth\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>

Lennert admits that he was \u201cbrought down to earth\u201d when he was used for races that didn\u2019t suit him and he struggled.<\/p>

Despite this, he recorded only two DNFs in just over fifty professional races. He excelled at his country\u2019s national stage race - the Baloise Belgium Tour when he finished thirteenth overall.<\/p>

The Tour of Belgium likes to provide a mini-version of all the different types of races that the country has to offer. Lennert took fourteenth place on the mini-Tour of Flanders stage behind a rampant Remco Evenepoel and seventeenth on the mini-Liege Bastogne Liege stage.<\/p>

\"ImageLennert has enjoyed success at the Tour of Iran which has its own unique character. Image: Tour of Iran<\/a><\/p>

Coupled with a decent time trial and a lack of wind on the mini-flatlands stage, Lennert demonstrated his capability and bagged a handful of those invaluable UCI points that should have seen his worth increase for 2020.<\/p>

Half a Wage<\/h3>

It was not to be. Cibel ceased as a team at the end of 2019 and Lennert\u2019s only option was a part-time contract with Tarteletto-Isorex.<\/p>

Despite the UCI not dictating minimum salaries for the men\u2019s Continental level, Belgium law, considers the riders to be employees and subject to the same minimum wage.<\/p>

\"VisualFind out more about Rijden. We\u2019re based in the UK but our hearts are in Belgium and we have a passion for cobbles, classics and cyclocross.<\/a><\/p>

\"amk0k8kibdhf6fioohsdii5rlh8eefsxnes9tz095c2q3dcs.jpg.jpg?w=1140&v=2\"<\/u><\/a>\"VisualBut UCI Continental teams operate on the whole on tight budgets. To \u201cbalance the books\u201d they can either not give a rider an employment contract so they are unpaid or offer them a part-time contract where they\u2019re paid only \u20ac10,000.<\/p>

Of course, to be competitive the riders have to effectively be full-time. As we will discover, Lennert is not a materialistic individual but by now he\u2019d moved out of his parent's house and \u20ac10,000 doesn\u2019t go very far when you have a home to run.<\/p>

\u201cher job kept them financially afloat\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>

Fortunately for Lennert, he\u2019d set up home with his girlfriend Laura Vainionp\u00e4\u00e4 and her job kept them financially afloat<\/span>.<\/p>

Laura rides for the Carbonbike Giordana<\/a> women\u2019s team which was established by friend and former Tarteletto-Isorex teammate Julien Van den Brande<\/a>.<\/p>

When he\u2019s not racing and training himself, Lennert is often seen at races handing up bottles to Laura who originates from Finland.<\/p>

Zwift Racing<\/h3>

For the next three years, he raced for Tarteletto. He might still be riding for them now if it wasn\u2019t for Covid. With the curtailment of racing, Lennert like many others joined the ranks of Zwifters.<\/p>

\u201cLennert\u2019s record on a turbo trainer was an hour.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>

Not only did it provide him with the opportunity to earn some prize money to supplement his salary but it meant that his training became more intense. Prior to racing on Zwift, Lennert\u2019s record on a turbo trainer was an hour.<\/p>

Intensely hard Zwift races helped him to increase his VO2 Max. Coming out of Covid lockdown in 2021, he started to reap the benefits. Fourth in the mountains category at the 2.Pro, Volta Comunitat Valenciana was an immediate reward.<\/p>

This was followed by the points and mountains jerseys at the Tour of Rwanda and an impressive eleventh in the hilly GP de Wallonie at the same time as winner Christophe Laporte.<\/p>

At the Tour of Hellas in Greece, he won a stage and finished second overall and at the Tour of Iran he was victorious on the third stage and claimed fourth overall.<\/p>

\"ImageRiding in the Mountains Jersey at the Tour of Iran. Image: Tour of Iran<\/a><\/p>

Combined with strong results elsewhere, such as ninth at the Circuit de Wallonie, it was his best year yet. You\u2019d think that one of the ProTeam or even World Tour team managers might come knocking at his door.<\/p>

The Continental Rut<\/h3>

Over five years he\u2019d proved his worth as a dependable rider. Despite his 2022 season lasting from January to October, he\u2019d once again failed to finish in only two races. Lennert is realistic that he\u2019s not the next Remco but he\u2019d make an excellent team rider.<\/p>

But by now, Lennert had also realised that no one is likely to come knocking at his door. Team scouts are looking primarily at the junior ranks. If you finished in the top five at the junior Ronde van Vlaanderen or Liege Bastogne Liege then they might notice you.<\/p>

\"VisualWe try life on Flander\u2019s North Sea coast, enjoying the sun, and the beer, and watching the Belgian National Road Race Championships. Get the experience with our picture story special.<\/a><\/p>

\"Visual<\/u><\/a>\"VisualOnce you\u2019ve passed 25 your chances of getting picked up by a top team are extremely slim. Lennert estimates that maybe two or maybe three riders in Continental teams over the age of twenty-five are signed by ProTeam or World Tour teams each year.<\/p>

In fact, the chances that you\u2019ll make it all from Continental to a higher-level team are slight. World Tour and ProTeam teams tend to take riders straight from the under-23 amateur, and increasingly junior, ranks rather than scouring the Continental teams.<\/p>

\u201cThe odds are stacked against Continental riders.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>

The odds are stacked against Continental riders. Not only do the ProTeam and World Tour teams have greater resources at their disposal and consequently better support for their riders but how they race matters too.<\/p>

For most of the Continental teams, their lifeblood is TV time. Their riders are unlikely to make the podium in televised races so sponsors want a return on their investment through TV exposure.<\/p>

\"YoungLennert enjoyed the atmosphere at the Tour of Iran. Image: Tour of Iran<\/a><\/p>

Hence the ubiquitous presence of Continental team riders in the day\u2019s early break which almost always results in failure. Anyone who\u2019s watched the first hour of a professional race will know that the struggle to be in the break can be intense.<\/p>

Lennert describes it as exhausting. You get in the break but you\u2019re already worn out. Worse still, you fail to get into the break and have burnt your energy reserves, but the team still wants you to get a result.<\/p>

Lennert is quick to reassure me that he has fond memories of riding for Tarteletto-Isorex over three seasons. He enjoyed the racing and if his career had ended at the end of 2022 he\u2019d have had no regrets. What they might lack in resources, they make up for in spirit.<\/p>

Riding the Tour of Hellas this season, he found he was staying at the same hotel as his former teammates and manager. Seeing all his friends, it felt to him like a homecoming.<\/p>

Signing for Bingoal WB<\/h3>

If you\u2019re in the Continental team rut, you\u2019ve got to \u201chave the balls\u201d and just badger the teams and hope you get lucky that you\u2019re able to convince them to sign you. It\u2019s exactly what Lennert did and at the end of 2022, he signed for the established ProTeam Bingoal - WB.<\/p>

\"TeamLennert now rides for Bingoal WB. Image: Bingoal WB<\/a> \/ Vincent Kalut<\/a><\/p>

I suggested to Lennert that he must feel much more comfortable financially since ProTeam riders are guaranteed a minimum wage of \u20ac32,000, a tripling of his previous salary. His reaction was to laugh and say that he doesn\u2019t even know how much he earns.<\/p>

\u201cIf he had a million Euro, he wouldn\u2019t change his lifestyle.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>

Apparently, he never discussed salaries with his new team and just signed the contract when they sent it to him. He explained that neither he nor his girlfriend Laura are materialistic. If he had a million Euro, he wouldn\u2019t change his lifestyle.<\/p>

He\u2019s happy with his lot and would rather go for a bike ride than shop for designer clothing or pay for expensive nights out.<\/p>

As well as his girlfriend, he shares his home with a cat, two rabbits and a brood of chickens. The rabbits are appropriately Flemish Giants.<\/p>

\"ImageLennert\u2019s rabbits appear as contented as he is. Image: Lennert Teugels<\/p>

Originally bred for their meat, this pair may grow up to 1.3 metres (4 feet) long but they\u2019re safe with Lennert as they are pets.<\/p>

I\u2019m relieved to hear that the chickens are safe too as they provide a regular supply of eggs.<\/p>

Contentment<\/h3>

I asked if he was concerned about earning enough money to cushion the impact of his career coming to an end. After all, he\u2019s already 29 and even Alejandro Valverde had to retire eventually. Lennert\u2019s response was pragmatic and honest.<\/p>

\u201cthe day after he stops racing professionally, he\u2019ll have to go to work.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>

He fully accepts that the day after he stops racing professionally, he\u2019ll have to go to work. It\u2019s clearly something that he\u2019s comfortable with. He\u2019s already achieved his ambition of becoming a professional cyclist and anything else is a bonus.<\/p>

I wanted to know if he\u2019d found it a step-up riding for a ProTeam team as opposed to his previous Continental team. Was the transition difficult? Quite the reverse apparently. Not only is he riding a similar standard of races but the team is better funded and better organised.<\/p>

\"ImageLennert (right) riding the Belgian Championships in his last season for Tarteletto-Isorex. Image: Rijden<\/p>

His new team Bingoal WB quickly realised which races he was better suited to and he spends less time riding the ones he was likely to get a battering in. He also gets a greater choice in which races he\u2019s selected for.<\/p>

Additionally, no longer is he in a team where everyone is told to try and get in the break. The team is usually split into half with the target of the break and the other half to save themselves and get a result.<\/p>

On a slight downside, if it can be considered that, he has less flexibility than before. He can no longer join a Zwift race when he wants. There\u2019s more structure and expectation to undertake the training outlined by the team\u2019s coach and attend training camps.<\/p>

Lennert still uses Zwift when the weather is bad outside and to achieve the degree of intensity that Zwift competition offers.<\/p>

Riding Outside of Europe<\/h3>

Lennert has raced in some exotic locations as a professional cyclist. As well as the Tour of Hellas in Greece, the Tours of Iran and Rwanda, he rode the Tropicale Amissa Bongo in Gabon at the start of 2023.<\/p>

\u201ctwo of his best-ever cycling adventures.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>

Was it his choice? I wanted to know. Although it\u2019s the team\u2019s decision, he relishes racing in new places. Racing in Gabon and Rwanda was, for him, two of his best-ever cycling adventures. Not only did he experience new cultures and the countryside but it felt like racing \u201cas it used to be\u201d.<\/p>

Less pressure, more relaxed and without all the usual infrastructure, and riders looking out for one another. These forays to the further corners of the cycling world seem to suit him too. As well as his previous successes at the Tours of Hellas, Iran and Rwanda he picked up the mountain\u2019s competition at this year\u2019s Tropicale Amissa Bongo.<\/p>

\"Iran\u2019sIran\u2019s National team lead the bunch. Image: Tour of Iran<\/a><\/p>

One might assume that perhaps the standard is not very high in such places but as well as racing against other ProTeams and European Continental teams, Lennert has found that some of the local riders are extremely hard to beat.<\/p>

Generally, the overall standard is lower at present but thinks they have the potential to outperform their European counterparts with sufficient support and infrastructure.<\/p>

What does the rest of the racing year have in prospect for Lennert? A bit of a well-earned rest before the Tour of Slovenia in mid-June followed by more stage races.<\/p>

Before the start of the Giro, Lennert had clocked up the greatest number of UCI racing days amongst all the professional men.<\/p>

Our thanks to Lennert for his time. We wish him well for the rest of the season. Out thanks too to Julien Van den Brande<\/a> for arranging the interview.<\/p>


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\"VisualJulien Van den Brande spent ten years pursuing his dream of becoming a professional cyclist. He reflects on a decade of sacrifice and looks forward to the future.<\/a><\/p>

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