Alpecin-Deceuninck have hit the ground running in the transfer season, with the signings of Quinten Hermans, Soren Kragh Andersen, Jensen Plowright and perhaps the most important figure: Kaden Groves.
Although it can be contested, the Australian's responsibility will be very high within the Belgian team as he comes in to fill the spot left by Tim Merlier who's joining Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team. The 23-year old will be sharing leadership duties with Jasper Philipsen when it comes to the sprints, a side which the team has heavily focused and depended on for the last few years.
Whilst the remaining signing will focus on the classics Groves will have the role of taking wins throughout the year, mainly in World Tour races. He has already done so this years with a win at the Vuelta a Catalunya, aswell as another at the Tour of Turkey. However, he has shown very consistent results throughout the year and partially that also comes due to his capacity of going over the climbs better than most other sprinters.
With Philipsen and Jakub Mareczko alongside, the Belgian team will likely try and split the three riders throughout a lot of the calendar, but Groves will likely have freedom and leadership on the grand majority of his goals.
Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed.
Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate’s English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage.
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We are happy to announce our new signings from 2023 and onwards! #AlpecinDeceuninck
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