Battle for Quick-Step in 2023 Tour de France selections? "It is up to the team management to map it out" Jakobsen says amidst Evenepoel's debut rumours
Cycling
Remco Evenepoel and Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team have for a long time hinted the Belgian would return to the Giro d'Italia in 2023, but rumours of decision changes have been ongoing, with a Tour de France debut being suggested. That could clash with Fabio Jakobsen's ambitions at the Grand Boucle.
“I can imagine that you want that as a world champion," Jakobsen told In De Leiderstrui. "To be honest, I haven’t thought much about it yet. It will become clear this winter. I don’t know what Remco would like, but I can imagine that you want to go to the Tour as a world champion.”
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Jakobsen was already involved in tensions this year as Mark Cavendish looked to get into the Tour de France lineup, and throughout much of the 2022 season there was internal drama from within the team with the Manxman not hiding his dissatisfaction. Jakobsen won a stage at the Tour, but has throughout the season proven to be one of the best sprinters in the peloton, and will be joining forces - albeit with expected separate calendars - with Tim Merlier in the coming season.
His return to the Tour de France is seemingly something that is widely agreed upon in the Belgian team, however with the recent rumours that Evenepoel could join in too, it could make things more difficult in terms of support for both their leaders. Following Binche-Chimay-Binche, Evenepoel said no plans were drawn out for the coming year. The routes of the Grand Tours for 2023 are yet to be announced aswell, however there is an ongoing effort to collect the views towards his possible debut at the Grand Boucle.
“That’s not for me to decide. I do know that I am not Wout van Aert, so that will be difficult. In principle it should be possible, but what I say? It is up to the team management to map it out," Jakobsen continued. “That will start with Patrick [Levere], who will take the lead. He’s good at that, so I’ll hear about it in the winter.”
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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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