Breaking: Tim Declercq out of Tour de France with Covid-19, Cavendish and Sénéchal possibly in for Quick-Step
Cycling
Covid-19 has caught up with Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team, as Tim Declercq tested positive after arriving in Copenhagen for the Grand Depart of the Tour de France. This leaves an open spot in Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team which can be filled by several riders who have their own arguments to be in the race.
Mark Cavendish and Florian Sénéchal had been riders that were mentioned as substitutes in case this were to occur. The Frenchman would be the obvious choice taking into account his role in Jakobsen's leadout, his newly acquired French national champion jersey and his availability to be in a domestique position. However Cavendish would be chasing for a 35th win which would be a record-breaking one, although it would be hard to imagine how the chemistry would be between the Briton and the rest of the team - besides not filling the hole left by Declercq.
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Julian Alaphilippe is also a possibility, the World champion was expected to be in Copenhagen but the team decided that it would give the Frenchman more time to recover from his injuries in order to prepare for the latter part of the season.
Sporza also named Rémi Cavagna and Josef Cerny as possible alternatives, more to replace the role of Declercq who will have long kilometers in the head of the peloton in the flat stages in order to chase for Fabio Jakobsen.
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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.
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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)...
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- I had no idea about that either.
santiagobenites10-11-2026 - great analysis thanks! appreciate you posting this. I didn't realize CX had a different standard for deviation. this is even more egregious it seems.mij10-11-2026
- As he isn't currently with Red Bull, I guess if he want to race for one more year he needs to find a team. He's 37 so this will be his last year I would guess, unless he wants to race for almost nothing like Froome did.awp10-11-2026
- I think some are making much ado about nothing. Even though Jonas is getting older, before his crash in the Tour, he looked like a solid 2nd all the way home. No one can really climb with Tadej until this year, Eric Mas showed himself which I think was a one off year for him and Paul Seixas has been able to be pretty close to him. Whatever stage race Jonas enters as long as Tadej is not there he is a favorite to win.awp10-11-2026
- Giro or not Giro, he won't win the Tour!MajorPayne10-11-2026
- Very true.awp10-11-2026
- Ciccone had a very strong end of season. Consistently attacking and livening up races. Hope he makes that last leap in progress and starts notching some significant wins. Great rider to watch.Occam10-11-2026
- Me too!!!!!Occam10-11-2026
- they can sign any 100 of top riders today but Pogi will win over Remco any time at the TDF unless something goes wrongabstractengineer10-11-2026
- the time for a GC rider to retire is when they cannot win stages, or have a significant level drop like from winner/podium into top 5/10 consistently. Roglic is still competitive and Froome raced even though he became pack fodder.abstractengineer10-11-2026
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Corona slaat toe nog voor de eerste rit is gereden: werkmier Tim Declercq mist de Ronde van Frankrijk sporza.be/nl/artikels/co… #TDF2022
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