“It was a very tough day, but I’m really happy that we managed to pull it off”, Van Kerckhove says from Croatia. “We truly did it together as a team today, and that’s what I’m most proud of. These are my first victories with the team, and I see them as an important step in my career.”

The nineteen-year-old Belgian was referring to his stage win on Saturday and the general classification victory in the Istrian Spring Tour. From next year on, he will move up from the Team Visma | Lease a Bike Development Team to the WorldTeam. “I have already had the chance to do a few professional races, and I learned a lot from them. That’s paying off now. This season is mainly about development for me”, Van Kerckhove explains.

Sports director Sierk Jan de Haan was proud of his team’s performance. “It was anything but easy this week. Everyone sacrificed themselves today to defend Matisse’s leader’s jersey. We were under pressure with attacks coming from all directions. Defending the leader’s jersey was something new for the guys. It was a great learning experience, with a fantastic end result.”

The sports director immediately thought back to exactly one year ago after Van Kerckhove’s victory. “Back then, Matisse was sitting next to me in the team car during the final stage because he had abandoned the day before due to an injury. One year later he wins the race. He has made tremendous progress.”

“He has already had a taste of racing with the WorldTeam. After a strong winter training block, he arrived here in good shape as well. This week Matisse was racing against riders his own age, and then you still have to prove yourself. He didn’t just do that with his performances, but also by taking on a real leadership role within the team and guiding his teammates. I really enjoy seeing that”, De Haan concludes.