In the series 'The SEG Racing Years of,' IDL editor Jesper Rasch interviews several of his former teammates, with whom he rode in the SEG Racing Academy, a training team. These interviews explore the lives, choices, and dreams of several young, promising cyclists, who were part of what was then one of the best training teams in the world. One of them was Dries De Pooter, who is now a pro with Intermarché-Circus-Wanty.
As an 18-year-old, the young Belgian first joined the team during a team weekend in the hilly landscape of Limburg. At Watersley, only the Dutch and Belgian riders gathered, as foreign riders could not yet travel to Sittard due to a new wave of COVID-19.
Dries introduced himself and then threw his suitcases in the corner of our room. After a few minutes, he tipped over his suitcase, filled mostly with cycling clothes, starting a real mess in our shared room's corner. The contrast couldn't have been greater. While one had his clothing neatly organized and sorted, the team's new addition had to dive deep to find what he needed. "That was pretty intense," the cyclist admits several years later.
But the same question that was asked then is still relevant now: as a newcomer to the team, don't you want to show your best side? "Well, I've always had this thing about not trying to pretend to be someone else. I always try to be myself. Those room doors were always wide open. Normally, that wouldn't really draw attention, but in this instance, it was quite noticeable."
Not only his roommate noticed the mess Dries lived in during training camp, but the team management had also picked up on it. "They would drop hints in conversations. Especially Dries Hollanders. He would say things like, 'Before we talk about aero-tests, first clean up your mess.' That kept coming up."
But as the cyclist from Geel indicated: it's just who Dries is. "I'm quite messy and can live comfortably in clutter. My father can’t stand a mess, but I can. Until I think it's too much. It's gotten better over time, but I've met people who are even messier than me."
The ever-growing pile of clothes in the corner of our room wasn't the only thing that surprised everyone during Dries's first introduction. After his sports bag and bike, he pulled an unusual item out of his car: a dartboard. Complete with a bike stand (to clean your bike on), which was set up in the hallway to angle the board correctly. "I was so crazy about darts at the time; I couldn't go ten days without playing. And during that training camp, we didn't do much besides training, so I really entertained myself by playing darts."
Again, the contrast was stark. Dries was throwing darts in the hallway while all his teammates were resting in bed. "The stage was quite close to the season; we were going straight into some races. I had just come from the juniors, so I wasn’t so professional yet. You guys told me to rest, but for me, it was also a way to relax, especially mentally. Maybe it cost me a few percent, but I really enjoyed myself."
While the other riders were skeptical about the many hours Dries spent not resting in bed, the team management, according to the Flemish rider, saw it differently. He would play darts with team directors Pim Ligthart and Hollanders in his free time. "I remember Pim talking about corona and finding relaxation. He said, 'Look at Dries, play with him occasionally. It's good for relaxation.'"
The contrast between most of the riders and Dries became even more pronounced in the evenings. In our room, the lights would go off between ten and half-past ten. That was too early for my roommate, who decided to head to the living room where only the staff was present. "I would make a grilled ham and cheese sandwich," remembers the now 21-year-old cyclist. "The team management didn’t really say anything about it, just that I should go to sleep earlier."
"That was honestly the hardest part of moving from the juniors to a pro team like SEG. You could eat decent food, but there was just nothing tasty available. The only thing I could find was the protein brownie. That was the complete opposite of what I was used to. But then I suddenly realized that I could also make a grilled ham and cheese sandwich."
However, the young rider did find it impressive to see how seriously his teammates were about the sport, for example, by going to bed early. "I wasn’t concerned about that. I didn't see a problem going to bed at eleven or twelve. I was always the last one at breakfast, but we always left for training at the same time. Some were really focused in the morning, while I was still comfortably sleeping."
And even then, the team management had a ready response when Dries talked about better equipment. "They said maybe I should start working on my diet first. But also after training: I would relax on the sofa for about ten minutes. Some riders almost sprinted to the shower to get out of their race clothes. I had no idea back then."
It's quite clear by now: the step from juniors to a professional training team was a big one for Dries. "You can't really describe it. It was such a big change in my life. I wasn't focused on becoming a pro at all, and suddenly I was with the most professional training team, surrounded by a lot of guys under pressure. It was a huge adjustment."
Yet, the all-rounder looks back on it as a valuable learning experience. "Now I realize that everyone was trying to help me professionalize. It's nice to see that everyone had my best interests at heart. I still have some quirks, but less than back then."
Would Dries, with the knowledge he has now, have done things differently three years ago? "Not really. I think my laid-back attitude in some ways helped me get to where I am now. After my time with SEG, I also kept some really good friends who I still talk to often."
In 2024, Dries will begin his second full year with Intermarché-Wanty, after already completing two internship periods with the Walloon team. To what extent has his professionalism grown in the years since SEG Racing? "I think more about my recovery and try to go to bed earlier. I'm also more focused on nutrition, especially during the season. At SEG, I was professional with my training, which I executed perfectly to the minute. I couldn't improve on that, but I could on everything around it."
"I have also let people know that I am grateful to those who showed me there's more to life than just cycling. The life around it also has an influence. I was just eighteen years old; you have to learn that. Some were four years older, so they had four more years of life experience."
The big question, of course, is whether Dries still brings his dartboard to training camp, now that he's part of the WorldTour? "It just so happens that I was recently in a car with a team director who was also considering bringing one. But there's a dartboard in the team hotel, so of course, I'll keep playing. However, I always bring my own darts. I've also become a big fan of snooker."
So, Dries will certainly be found around the pool table during the training camp in Spain. "I've done that with many guys over the past years. Sometimes I like to play against myself. You're with those guys so much, then snooker or darts is a good way to relax."