Jan Bakelants facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Jan Bakelants

Bakelants at the 2013 Tour de Romandie
Personal information
Full name	Jan Bakelants
Nickname	Baki
Born	(1986-02-14) 14 February 1986 (age 39) Oudenaarde, Flanders, Belgium
Height	1.77 m (5 ft 10 in)
Weight	67 kg (148 lb; 10.6 st)
Team information
Current team	Retired
Discipline	Road
Role	Rider
Rider type	Puncheur
Major wins
Grand Tours Tour de France 1 individual stage (2013) One-day races and Classics Gran Piemonte (2015) Giro dell'Emilia (2015)

Jan Bakelants (born February 14, 1986) is a Belgian former professional road racing cyclist. He competed as a professional rider from 2009 to 2022. Jan was known for his strong riding style. He often attacked during races to try and win.

Jan Bakelants' Cycling Career

Bakelants at the 2017 Tour de France

Jan Bakelants had many important wins during his career. In 2008, he won the Tour de l'Avenir. This is a big race for young cyclists.

One of his most famous wins was in 2013. He won Stage 2 of the 2013 Tour de France. He attacked near the end of the race. He won by just one second! This amazing win also earned him the yellow jersey. The yellow jersey is worn by the leader of the Tour de France. He wore it for two days.

Jan also rode in the 2010 Giro d'Italia. This is another major cycling race. He finished 36th overall in that race.

Over the years, Jan Bakelants rode for several different cycling teams. He moved to Omega Pharma–Quick-Step in 2014. Then, in 2015, he joined AG2R La Mondiale. He stayed with this team for several years.

Overcoming Challenges

In 2017, Jan faced a serious challenge. He had a bad crash during the 2017 Giro di Lombardia race. He fell into a deep ditch while going downhill very fast. He broke several bones, including seven ribs and parts of his spine.

Luckily, he did not lose consciousness. He was taken to the hospital right away. After the crash, Jan spoke out about making cycling safer. He wanted to help prevent other riders from getting such serious injuries.

He worked hard to recover from his injuries. He hoped to race again in March 2018. And he did! He returned to racing at the Classic Loire Atlantique in France. This showed his amazing strength and determination.

Major Achievements and Results

Jan Bakelants achieved many great results in his career. Here are some of his most important wins and top finishes:

Racing in Grand Tours

Jan Bakelants competed in several Grand Tours. These are the biggest and longest cycling races. They include the Giro d'Italia, Tour de France, and Vuelta a España. The table below shows his overall results in these tough races.

Grand Tour General Classification Results
Grand Tour	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020	2021
Giro d'Italia	36	22	34	—	—	—	—	—	—	43	—	—
Tour de France	—	—	—	18	24	20	50	22	—	—	—	48
Vuelta a España	18	31	22	—	—	—	17	—	—	—	—	—

See also

In Spanish: Jan Bakelants para niños