Jenthe Verstraete
Hometown
Izegem, Belgium
Date of birth
4 February 2006
Languages
Flemish, Dutch, West-Flemish, English, a touch of French
Nicknames
The tjoek tjoek trein
Nineteen-year-old Jenthe Verstraete is EF Education-Aevolo’s Flandrien. He grew up in Belgium’s bike racing mad region – Flanders – and has been riding kermis races and youth classics over the climbs of De Ronde van Vlaanderen ever since he was a kid. Jenthe’s first sport was swimming though, and then he took up triathlon, before deciding that the bike was his favorite sport of the three.
He went to a cycling school that allowed him to combine his studies with racing. He and his schoolmates would train together on the the track in Gent, dreaming of making it to the pros.
Jenthe is well on his way. He a banner year in 2024 when he won Roosdaal-Pamel, the mountains classification at Aubel-Stavelot Juniors, a stage and the GC at Triptyque Ardennais Juniors, and stood on the podium at Liège-Bastogne-Liège. The previous season, he had won the GC at Elewijt, Wijnendale-Torhour, and Mesen,taken the points jersey at Penn Ar Bed-Pays d’Iroise and got the victory on the first stage of La SportBreizh Juniors.
He is an attacker, who loves a big, aggressive day out in the mountains. This year, he is really looking forward to racing the top U23 stage races, where he wants to show what he can do and earn a WorldTour contract.
To help him on his way, he is currently studying sports science at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel. His goal is to apply everything he learns there at the Tour de France.
Questions & Answers
What is your favourite climb? What makes it special?
Zilverberg. It's a little cobbled hill in Roeselare. This climb has an emotional background. My friends and I go riding there and have fun together. It's also the testing loop of my old school. I did my first TTs on that loop and still to this day I have the KOM and school record.
If you weren't a professional cyclist, what would you be? Why?
I would like to do something in exercise physiology as a coach.
Who is your favourite athlete? What do you admire about them?
David Goggins. His mindset is absolutely nuts. I love the extreme.
What is your favourite word in your native language? What does it mean? What do you like about it?
Being completely “choco.” It means you're completely empty after a big sesh or race.