JENS REYNDERS

The Belgian talent who’s joined Axel Merckx’s Hagens Berman Axeon team

What do we need to know?

Belgian Jens Reynders is sticking with what he (and lots of other Belgians) knows best; getting good at riding on the cobbles. The 21year-old from Tongeren, Limburg, in the southeastern corner of Flemish Belgium, has been honing his trade at Leopard Pro Cycling and the Wallonie-Bruxelles Development Team, before transferring to the highly rated Hagens Berman Axeon, run by Axel Merckx, for this year.

How’s getting to grips with the cobbles going?

Well, last year alone Jens finished third at both U23 Gent-Wevelgem and Paris-Roubaix Espoirs, so that’s a pretty decent sign. His biggest talent, his new team say, is being able to sprint after a long day of racing which suits the arduous classics to a tee.

Has he had any other wins or noteworthy results?

Jens won five races in 2019, among which was the GP de la Ville de Pérenchies, a 1.2-ranked race in Northern France whose previous winners include sprinters Arnaud Démare and Timothy Dupont. Add to this his two stage wins at the Triptyque Ardennais, a stage race in Belgium whose roll call of winners includes no less than Philippe Gilbert. He was also runner-up in the Belgian U23 road race in 2018.

What does the future hold?

Jens seems to have a steady head on his shoulders. He was offered the chance to turn pro for 2019, but decided against signing the contract, instead opting to stick to racing at U23 level for longer to develop alongside his peers. Perhaps the biggest indicator of his potential is that he was the first rider Merckx signed for 2020 to his team. The Hagens Bermans squad is notorious for spawning riders who go on to be successes in the WorldTour. Merckx said: “[Jens has] huge potential and he could actually be a WorldTour rider already.”

What does Jens say?

This year is all about fine-tuning his talent. “I want to become a better time-triallist and learn how I can improve my ability to successfully finish off a race,” he said.