Algemeen Staff Stories - soigneur Seppe Vangheluwe: "Being able to follow the journey towards a performance from the front row is the most rewarding thing there is."
“Of course, a victory is a beautiful thing. When Lennert (Van Eetvelt) won in the UAE Tour, I was front row as the soigneur. It’s a wonderful moment to witness, especially since it came as a surprise. But what I find even more rewarding is the journey leading up to such a performance. The path Florian Vermeersch took after his crash in Murcia to get back to where he is now, Alec Segaert’s dedication leading up to the Belgian time trial championships… As a soigneur, I feel deeply connected to the riders. At moments like these, you truly feel like you’ve made a valuable contribution to their success. And that’s what I love the about this job.”
Seppe Vangheluwe (28) was a cyclist himself just two years ago. “I quickly realized that I wouldn’t make it to the professional level, but I loved the adventure, the traveling, and discovering the world. During that time, I raced frequently in South America and Africa. And when I officially ended my cycling career in the winter of 2022 in Guadeloupe, I decided to train as a cycling soigneur. I’ve always been interested in sports—I also studied sports sciences. The following season, I was able to work as a freelance soigneur with Uno-X, but I already had my eye on Lotto Dstny. I had a few friends there from my earlier days in cycling and had always admired the team.” As often happens in cycling, Seppe ended up joining the team just a year later.
Since the start of this season, he’s been a full-time soigneur, which means he spends 180 days a year at races. “In short, a soigneur ensures that the rider has nothing to worry about except the bike. To start with, we organize many things at the hotel. We prepare room lists, check the rooms, and coordinate with the restaurant. On race day, our morning starts early. We prepare lunch packages for the staff and make sure the bottles for the riders are filled and ready. After that, there’s always a short meeting to review the bottle points—the feed zones. During the race, we drive from point to point to hand out bottles, and then head to the finish line to meet the riders there. We’re ready with recovery drinks, jackets, and more. Once back at the hotel, we finish the day with massages for the riders. It’s true that these are long days, but you’re always on the move, discovering new places and visiting areas where others never go… The day flies by.”
Picture: Brecht Steenhouwer
