ProTeam Confident Jenno Berckmoes looks ahead to Grand Prix de Québec: “I think I can show something nice here”
Berckmoes travelled to Canada at the beginning of the week full of confidence. After a stage win and second place overall at the Renewi Tour at the end of August, as well as a good feeling at the Bretagne Classic in Plouay, he hopes to carry that same momentum across the Atlantic. “I did leave Plouay with the feeling that much more had been possible,” Jenno Berckmoes admits. “Liam Slock had done a lot of work throughout the day and, with five or six kilometres to go, I lost focus for a fraction of a second… At exactly that moment, a decisive group got away.”
Berckmoes therefore still has unfinished business and hopes to make up for it in Canada. It will be his third appearance at the Grand Prix de Québec, and he has fond memories of his previous two. Flash back to 2024, when Tadej PogaÄar attacked on the final lap and only Arnaud De Lie, Maxim Van Gils and Jenno Berckmoes were able to follow. “Last year, I was also in a good position in the race. Julian Alaphilippe was up the road and I did a lot of work for Arnaud in the chase, before he eventually finished seventh,” Berckmoes says. “The first time, when the three of us from the team were right at the heart of the finale, the finish was a little different. Since last year, we have had to go a bit further and the finish is now in the park. The old finish suited me better, but my legs are better now (laughs).”
Berckmoes also lines up in a different role this time. While he rode in support of his teammates in his previous appearances, he and Lennert Van Eetvelt will share leadership duties for the Canadian double-header. “Friday is a race that suits me, while Sunday is tailor-made for Lennert Van Eetvelt. If we are both good and both manage to get the maximum out of ourselves, I believe we can show some nice things. There is certainly no shortage of competition here, and Québec is far from an easy race. Those four kilometres along the water are like a motorway. It is not easy to get away there. Of course, if they go full gas for five laps… You have to be switched on all the time. I can see it ending in a sprint from a small group. Or perhaps we arrive at the foot of the final climb with a reduced group… It could play out in several ways, and I am confident going into the race.”
Picture: PhotoNews
