Cian Uitjdebroeks back to training ahead of La Vuelta - Belgian hopes to save Movistar's Grand Tour season
CyclingTuesday, 11 August 2026 at 15:15
Cian Uijtdebroeks was Movistar's major signing for this season, but his season hasn't gone all to well when it came to its key moment. The Belgian rider was forced to abandon the Tour de France due to illness and the brutal weather, conditions, but is preparing for the Vuelta a España where he will be one of Movistar's leaders.
Uijtdebroeks aims to bring light to maiden season at Movistar
Uijtdebroeks was the face at the Movistar team presentation last December in Valencia, bringing in a different nature to an otherwise almost fully-Spanish block. The transfer in itself was a major catch for the Spanish team, who worked behind the scenes to sign a rider that was still under contract with Team Visma | Lease a Bike.
They brought in a leader, an Uijtdebroeks who was back to full health after over a year of problems in the Dutch team. He was fifth at Milano-Torino, eighth at the Volta a Catalunya and 12th at Itzulia Basque Country - like Primoz Roglic, losing several positions on the final day.
Uijtdebroeks had the Ardennes classics and the Tour de France set up as his big goals. He rode to seventh place at the Tour Auvergne - Rhône-Alpes, assuring that his goal of a Top10 was viable after strong performances in the mountains. But at the Tour, the race did not go his way.
After the two stages in Barcelona, Movistar explained the reasoning behind his modest performances: "Cian Uijtdebroeks has been dealing since yesterday with a feverish process that has forced him to ride the last two stages far from his best condition. It is not the Tour de France start we expected, but Cian has the support of all his teammates and staff during these difficult days. The team will continue to monitor his evolution over the coming stages.”
Eventually, he dropped out of the race on stage 6, having struggled early on in the mountains of the Pyrenees. His health at the time was already worrying, as DS Jurgen Roelands explained:
“The heat and his stomach problems meant he could not keep enough fluids or energy inside. After he vomited on the descent of the Aspin, we told him that it had been enough.”
Cian Uijtdebroeks abandoned the Tour de France
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The Belgian hasn't raced since and has been training at altitude in Andorra. He has confirmed that he will be one of Movistar's riders at the upcoming Vuelta a España.
"After leaving the Tour due to illness, we started together with @xamuot (coach Xabier Muriel, ed.) and the team a rebuild and preparation for La Vuelta," he shared in an Instagram post. "Day by day and step by step we work to be 100% at the start in Monaco. Looking forward to be in the peloton again soon!"
For the Spanish team, the Vuelta is naturally a major goal. The startlist gains shape but in the meantime, Movistar's lineup is almost fully confirmed. Enric Mas will join Uijtdebroeks in pursuit of a strong overall classification result.
Einer Rubio and Nairo Quintana will link up in the mountains as key support men as well as stage hunters on the mountain days; whilst the trio of Iván Romeo, Pablo Castrillo and Raul García Pierna will also be present - all of them strong contenders to win on hilly days through breakaways. Only one more rider will be added to the lineup.
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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- did he watch Sunday's race? Demi blew her away. Kasia was never going to win this.mij11-08-2026
- this guy is a joke and an excuse waiting to happen.mij11-08-2026
- yawn brightest young prospects? he is 28 this year.mij11-08-2026
- Could Primo win a Grand Tour—the Giro or the Spanish version—without Pogi or Jonas on the start list? I think that’s the risk they’re taking: betting that he can. Could he have won this year’s Spanish Grand Tour if Pogi had stayed home and played house with his mate who just finished the Tour de France?wambo11-08-2026
- ive read alot of people online on reddit and other social media that these guys are essentially just visma pundits in 90% of their articles. So wouldnt bother much. I wouldnt watch women cycling its obvious not the same but to a minority vs the men cycling that likes it proabably and thats fine. Cannot compare the interest though, men cycling clears it easily. But yeah wouldnt bother ive read so many on reddit and other places say their just visma pundits more or less so no wonder they dont like to watch the men cycling in that sense honestly visma a disaster there now so it make sense.miguel11-08-2026
- JOKE OF THE YEAR: "I don't think it's too controversial to say that the women's Tour is much better view than the men's." .. LOL ... Oh yes my dear Rúben Silva and Kieran Wood, it is controversial. Just imagine, the mens race had the G.O.A.T. racing against everyone. The Goat's biggest rival was Jonas Vingegaard. It's well known that Pogi and Vinnie are the biggest rivals in the history of TdF. We had Remco, the former Belgian kid prodigy... we had Del Toro, the new Mexican star that will take over after Pogi leaves UAE... we had Seixas, the new French mega star, comparing him to young Pogi.... But like @paultryan2002 said, the women spend more time catfighting than racing. Ad acta!!! PS: Let's not forget Pogi's Alpe d'Huez record climbing achievement, passing his rivals like he had a motor-bike. I heard the Italians say: "Pantani turned over in his grave." ... Watching history in the making beats any race.PogiSloFans11-08-2026
- In 2024, before the third week in TdF, Jonas said: "Yes, we can still beat Pogačar. We didn't come here for second place. I'm riding my best numbers" In 2025, going into the last week of TdF, Jonas said: "Yes, I will fight to the end, it's not over yet. We've beaten Pogačar before, we can do it again." In 2026, while being down 4:35 minutes, Jonas kept saying: "We can still win. My legs are improving day by day." ... Well, Jonas was optimistic again and the poor boy crashed out. It was a shame, but we all know he had no chance against the Slovenian "alien." What's Jonas going to say before the WC in Montreal? "Although I don't race one day races... although Pogačar is the no.1 classics cyclist in the world and the previous back to back World Champion, I think I can still beat him." ... Common, let's get serious and stop joking around!!! Capish?PogiSloFans11-08-2026
- And what a crash, pinwheeling against a wall of snow like that.RidesHills11-08-2026
- Please tell me you are joking . It was like a UK 4th cat race . They do half the distance and they spend more time catfighting than racing. Sorry it was boring snoozefest.paultryan200211-08-2026
- agreed great guy. one of the funniest stories was when he beat MVDP in Liege and his Romain's son was in shock his Dad beat MVDP.mij11-08-2026
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