Who is Sprint revelation Piet Allegaert? Awareness of duty and made for Paris Roubaix | Vuelta

We return to Paris-Roubaix 2017. Twelve seconds after Greg Van Avermaet makes the gesture of victory at the Vélodrome, the elite group is allowed to run for sixth place. Neopro Piet Allegaert is the surprise rider for Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise in that company. He finished 17th.

Hans De Clercq was the captain of the Allegaert team in that edition. “I definitely see Piet in the near future rising to high peaks at Paris-Roubaix. He doesn’t even have to expect that by slipping in flight, Piet is already able to slide alongside the best in the final.”

“If Piet has a good winter, he can take part in races like Omloop and Dwars door Vlaanderen for victory. Finishing in Harelbeke, Gent-Wevelgem and Ronde van Vlaanderen is another pair of sleeves.”

Allegaert hails from an athletic family. Together with his brothers Matisse and Watt, he first tasted athletics.

“It soon became clear that Pete had the most talent out of the three of us,” his brother Waut says.

Allegaert won the West Flemish title with the Free Athletes in the cross country race. When he was 10 years old, this earned him the title of Sportsman of the Year in his municipality.

You don’t need to teach Allegaert much more than that when it comes to nutrition. He studies Nutrition and Dietetics and recently passed his Bachelor’s thesis. “Now Pete can focus more on racing,” Brother Watt says.

“Knowledge from his studies takes Pete to the race. He sticks to a very measured diet. When my parents have a barbecue, Pete is always fit.”

Allegaert will probably get it wrong at the end of October. Watt laughs: “Pete then marries his fiancée Celeste. It should be possible to have a beer.” “The season is already over for a while.”

This year, Allegaert regularly shared a room with his Cofidis teammate Jelle Walays for a match. “In the evenings, Pete always does the exercises that his physical therapist or orthopedic specialist prescribes him,” Wallis says.

“He is very professional in his profession and would never move in training. Pete is very conscientious.”

Allegaert is not a room noise maker. “He’s a very calm boy,” Wallis says. “He’s probably too weak for the cycling world.”

Brother Watt asserts, “Beth is quiet by nature and always keeps his feet on the ground. He’s not the one who’s going to start dreaming.”

The number of professional cyclists with a past in the field can no longer be counted on 4 hands. Pete Allegert also caused a stir in his youth at the Cross.

When he led the first Belgian Tour Championships for hopefuls, Allegart had to take his place in the last row of the grid. With a lightning fast start flashing into the field as the first. Allegaert finished second and unexpectedly shone with a BK medal around his neck.