Whatever happens from now until the end of October, it will have been a memorably different season for Thomas de Gendt. Instead of the Tour de France, he spent 10 days traveling from Belgium to Spain, with intense heat along the way.

After returning to racing at the Tour de Pologna, de Gendt did not compete in a single Grand Tour until the 2014 Giro d'Italia (in which Lot Destony did not participate this year). He then missed the Tour de France, telling the team he was "not ready."

So this July, de Gendt set out on a 2,000-km journey from Belgium to Calpe with fellow Belgian Yelle Wallez (Cofidis).

"The day we left Andorra, we finished somewhere in Catalonia. Suddenly, we lost altitude and rode 20 km into a headwind and the temperature was 47 degrees," de Ghent told Cycling News at the start of the first stage of the Pollogne.

"The other days it was 35 degrees, so it felt a little cooler. But 47 degrees that day was awful."

Other than that, de Gendt said it was a good ride. He said, "I went to the hotel, found some good food, washed my clothes myself, and mentally got into the racing zone. Then you make sure you have enough food and enjoy the ride on the road."

"It was unfortunate that there was a headwind the whole time. It was fun."

"It was fun.

Agreeing with cyclingnews, getting used to such extreme heat should help at the Vuelta a España. 2011 Vuelta finisher Bradley Wiggins, who finished second overall, set up his roller in a shed in his yard with two electric heaters running at full blast.

"So, I'm not sure how I'm going to do it," he said.

"That's why I stayed in Calpe after running in Calpe. After this race I will go back to Calpe to adjust to the heat," de Gendt told cyclingnews.

De Gendt is guardedly optimistic about making the break in his fourth Tour de Pollogne, but he also points to his team's obligations.

"If I have the chance and am allowed to, I will definitely try. Renate van Eotveld is young, but she will try to see how far she can go in a race like this."

Van Eotveld, 22, has already shined this summer in Romania in Central Europe, taking a stage win and second place overall. So we have to support him and some sprinters who need support," de Gendt said.

For de Gendt, the summer race, his first since the Belgian championships in late June, coincided with the real return of his compatriot Remco Evenpoel (Quick-Step Soudal). Even before Evenpoel's record third win, de Gendt had said that if he was betting on a winner in the next Vuelta, he would back the rider who won the Vuelta last year.

"I can't say yet, but the best players for the Vuelta are Geraint Thomas (Ineos Grenadiers), Primos Roglic (Jumbo Visma) and Evenpoel ....... In the case of Jonas Vingegaard, fatigue in the Tour may or may not catch up with him. I don't know."

"But if I really had to bet, I would bet on Evenpoel. I think he is the best prepared. And after the result in San Sebastian, many will follow de Gendt's betting preferences in La Vuelta as well.