In 2015 Jurgen Van Den Broeck will not be at the start of the Tour de France. The Lotto rider claims that the team suggested him to change his program but manager Marc Sergeant tells Sporza that both parties agreed. "He had already made the decision himself," he says.

"This year some elements went wrong," Lotto manager Marc Sergeant tells Sporza. "Things didn't go well in the Tour and in the Vuelta, things didn't go well at all. Then you cannot have the usual expectations. It is better to choose another program and go for another challenge."

Was it necessary for Sergeant to discuss the topic with Van Den Broeck for a long time? "No," he says firmly. "I had asked him to think carefully about what he wanted to do in 2015. It was important that we could find a good solution together.

"I then introduced him to my ideal program: many WorldTour races. He felt that it was a good schedule. When it was revealed that the Tour was not in his program, he immediately said: " I've already decided that myself." There was no need to convince him."

Tim Wellens has made it clear that he is aiming at a Tour stage win in 2015. The youngster is not a second option as GC rider. "But I could not send Jurgen to the Tour without any domestiques. He was once third and fourth. I've a lot of respect for him because I know what he has done. I don't want to assign him a job with less respect."

Is it possible that Jurgen Van Den Broeck's absence from the Tour will only last for one year? "That's surely a possibility. Look at Nairo Quintana. Last year he was second in the Tour but this year he chose to go to the Giro and he won.

"In the Giro, it is mainly important that Jurgen gets a good start.

"The Giro is especially important that Jurgen good start. He is firmly convinced that he can. I have also given him the advice to quickly go to Tenerife for altitude training because he really wants to be good in the Tirreno and in Catalonia."