De Gendt’s Tour legacy: King of Ventoux, race striker and lolbroek | Journey

Thomas de Gendt made his tour debut in a Cansole costume. However, his debut in France does not go as desired: after a fall in the first week, he has a broken collarbone, and he also suffers from groin inflammation.

But boss character De Gendt shows his fighting spirit for the first time in a stunning finale weekend. On stage nineteen towards Alpes d’Huez, he crossed the line in sixth with Cadel Evans and the Schleck brothers. In the last test in Grenoble, he was faster than world champion Cancellara. That fourth place was converted into his first place on the podium after Alberto Contador was eliminated.

De Gendt is skipping the 2012 tour because he’s getting married. A year later, he was not lost in the Grand Départ. On the eleventh stage, he can once again show his test legs: at Mont-Saint-Michel, he just has to put up with time-tested world champion Tony Martin and later overall winner Chris Froome.

Le Lioran at Massif Central has a place in collective memory, especially thanks to Greg Van Avermaet. On Col du Perthus, he left his companion Thomas De Gendt behind and rushed into the yellow jersey. But De Gendt was not left empty-handed: he defeated the polka-dot shirt and received the Fighting Spirit Award.

On Mont Ventoux, De Gendt wrote one of his most beautiful chapters in the story of his tour. In the legendary Kale Berg in Provence, he plunged fellow countryman Serge Bowles into mourning and ascended to perhaps the most famous victory of his career. Reclaiming the polka jersey is an added bonus point for the first Belgian Ventoux winner since Eddie Merckx.

Thomas Degendt? In 2017, peloton seemed surprised when they heard this name. The racing striker can always be found in the leading group. He will fight for a minimum distance of 1280 kilometers in the round, spread over 11 stages.

His tireless efforts yield no more than fifth place. He didn’t even get the Super Fighting Award, it goes to Warren Bargill. Lance Armstrong also couldn’t believe his ears: “There is only one person who deserved the award,” he said.

In 2019, De Gendt will once again live up to its name as the King of Escape. In Saint-Étienne, he gave an unexpected number, which is good for his second stage win on the Tour. “My best win ever,” he says. Perhaps a Lifetime Strijdlust Award for De Gendt?

Thomas de Gendt, a 34-year-old man who has fought many wars, faces a harsh reality. “Yesterday (Stage 8, Editor) I pushed the escape values, only finished in 28 minutes. But I’m just as tired as after the flight.”

“This is a difficult outcome. Then I have to draw my conclusions and cancel my contract and then it’s time for something else. If it’s better, so be it.”

As a joke, you can always knock on Thomas de Gendt’s door during the tour. In a roundabout way, he always expressed his pure opinion about the course in front of the microphone or on Twitter. In 2020, for example, after a failed attack attempt, he sold a “set of legs with light signs of use” and this year withdrew his crystal ball to predict the future of the Tour.