Belgian rider Axel Van Den Broek, who recently finished third in the Junior Paris-Roubaix, will step up to the U23 category in 2025 with Wanty-ReUz-Technord, the Development Team of Intermarché-Wanty led by Kévin Van Melsen.
The 17-year-old multidisciplinary talent for the Kempen region grew up on the BMX and won several national titles in cyclocross, mountainbike and on the road in the youth categories. He benefited from support of Charles Liégeois Roastery CX the past two winters, before shifting his focus to road cycling in 2024.
In addition to his prestigious podium in the Hell of the North two weeks ago, Van Den Broek also achieved good results in the spring classics for juniors this season, with an 8th place in Gent-Wevelgem, a 7th place in Nokere Koerse and 11th place in Kuurne-Kuurne.
He thus confirmed his results from 2023, when he showed that he can shine on all terrains, with victories in the hilly races in Couvin and Romsée and excellent performances in the Bernaudeau Junior (6th) and the three day stage race Aubel-Stavelot (7th) .
Last winter, Axel Van Den Broek received the opportunity to familiarise with the Walloon structure of Jean-François Bourlart thanks to participations for several training sessions of the World Team in the Flemish Ardennes and in Spain.
“The structure of Intermarché-Wanty believes in me for a long time already. It was a great honour for me to be coached by my cyclocross idol Bart Wellens from the age of sixteen. Shortly afterwards, Kévin Van Melsen also showed interested in my capabilities on the road. I have followed the performances of Wanty-ReUz-Technord in 2023 with great admiration. The fact that seven riders turned professional at the end of their first season with the team proves the quality of the development structure. I received the opportunity to experience this when I was invited to join the recon of the E3 Classic in the Flemish Ardennes in November and some training sessions during the team camp in Spain. I noticed the great professionalism, in terms of nutrition for example. I learned a lot from my example Arne Marit and his lead out Boy van Poppel, who lives in my region. I was warmly welcomed by the staff and all riders. I didn't want to miss the opportunity to join Wanty-ReUz-Technord for my transition to the U23 category. During my first year in this category I'll have to learn a lot, but at the same time I hope to perform in my favourite races, namely the classics and Paris-Roubaix in particular. But whatever the course, whatever my position in the race, I always strive for the best possible result. The biggest adaptation to my new category will probably be the teamwork, to learn how to contribute as good as possible to achieve our collective goals with the team. This is a process I'm looking forward to. Also, I can't wait to discover the Cube Litening C:68X, because the performances of the Cube Cross Race exceeded all my expectations! »
“Axel Van Den Broek managed to successfully combine different disciplines the past couple of years, benefiting from the support of our cyclocross structure Charles Liégeois Roastery CX. We also noticed his qualities on the road, which is why we invited him to the recon of the E3 Classic with the World Team in November, and later to soak up the atmosphere during our training camps in Alicante. His recent third place in Paris-Roubaix and top 10 in Ghent-Wevelgem show his particular talent on the cobblestones. I expect him to continue his momentum over the next two weeks in the E3 Classic and the Tour of Flanders. In addition to his race intelligence, he also has fast legs and qualities on hilly terrain. Axel will be an excellent reinforcement for our team for the classics, a complete rider who can show himself throughout the whole season. We're pleased that our team keeps attracting more talented junior riders, after Simone Gualdi, Felix Ørn-Kristoff and Edouard Claisse."
