At the Etixx-Quick Step training camp in Spain, Iljo Keisse is making the transition from the track to the road. In mid-February, the World Championships takes place in France, close to his home country. With or without Iljo Keisse? “I would have liked to be there but at the moment, I am not thinking about it at all.”

One week ago Iljo Keisse won the Six-Days of Rotterdam with his teammate Niki Terpstra. One day lated, the duo had already travelled to Spain to join their Etixx-Quick Step teammates at the team training camp.

Sporza asked Keisse who is now preparing for the road season, whether he plans to make a small excursion to the track. In mid-February, the French velodrome in Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines will be the scene for the World Championships.

"I would have liked to be there," said Keisse. "But at the moment I am not thinking about it at all. If someone withdraws shortly before the Worlds and they need a replacement, I would possibly do it.

“But I cannot allow myself not to do the World Cups in Colombia and Mexico during the winter months. To do the Worlds, you don’t need to go to the World Cups but there are riders who sacrifice their entire winter to be there. Then it is hard for me to knock on the door.

“If someone like Jasper de Buyst asks me to ride the madison at the Worlds, it’s another story. But that is not on the agenda yet.

“I hope that I will be asked at least once because the Worlds is a gap on my palmares. I want to close that gap. I would be happy to be world champion on the track but I have no idea when that will be the case.”

Keisse is very clear about his priorities. “As long as it goes well on the road, it will be the priority. But the track can always be a safety net because something can always happen. In that case, I can still have a career on the track.”

Is it starting to get a bit difficult to combine the track and the road? “At my age, I feel better if I can stay active and do both. It is also mentally different. If I am fed up with the road, I am happy on the track. But now I am a bit fed up with the track and again look forward to jumping on my road bike.