Alpecin's latest revelation Ramses Debruyne commits to the team through 2028

Team Alpecin-Premier Tech are above all known as a team profficient in Classics and sprint finishes, represented by star names Mathieu van der Poel and Jasper Philipsen at the two fronts, but the Belgian formation also seem to have a knack for finding climbing gems. Such as Ramses Debruyne.

It's not the first time Alpecin identified a big climbing talent - after all UAE's key mountain domestique Jay Vine was once scouted by Alpecin through Zwift academy - but it remains quite a rare occasion. However Debruyne is proving himself to be a name to count on in every start.

The 23-year-old's career started in Lotto's development team, before moving on to Alpecin's development programme where it took Debruyne one season to prove himself worthy of a WorldTour promotion.

From that point onward, Debruyne immediately fit in the puzzle with three World Tour top-10 finishes in his debut season, but it's only in 2026 that he's truly started to shine.

While not outstanding results in their own regard, two top-25 finishes at La Flèche Wallonne and Liège-Bastogne-Liège are an impressive record for such a young rider. And it did not take Debruyne long to prove it was not a fluke when he finished second in Tour Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes opening stage, losing only to the escapee Alex Baudin.

Furthermore, Debruyne maintained a steady level through the mountain stages to finish a solid 13th overall in the decimated field of the French race.

Despite an apparent interest from other teams, Alpecin did not hesitate to offer their rising young rider a contract renewal which will see Debruyne continue in the grey kit for at least two more seasons.

"I'm proud to extend my contract with Alpecin-Premier Tech. This team has believed in me from the start and has played a key role in my development. The trust and support I've received made this an easy decision, and I'm motivated to keep growing and contributing to the team's success in the years ahead," Debruyne said.