From Remco Evenepoel's domestique to Primoz Roglic's potential right-hand man - "I accepted the team's proposal almost immediately"
Cycling
Gianni Moscon took on a new role this past year with Soudal - Quick-Step and saw his career revitalized after a great experience. He got motivation for the sport once again, did a great job together with Remco Evenepoel and now he can become a luxury domestique for Primoz Roglic.
"After that I will go to altitude training camps to prepare for the first classics of the season. I will ride the Strade Bianche, Tirreno-Adriatico and the Sanremo. From there we will evaluate together with the team whether I am more useful for the Giro or the Tour de France," Moscon said in an interview with Bici.Pro.
"I rode some great races and the season was positive. That's why I got the call from Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe at the end of the Tour de France. They explained their project to me and indicated that they were looking for someone like me: with experience".
Moscon was on the verge of retiring at the end of 2023 but got the call from Patrick Lefevere who suggested signing him to a domestique role, as he'd been with Team Sky earlier in his career. He supported Remco Evenepoel throughout Paris-Nice, Criterium du Dauphiné and Tour de France, being an important support rider for the flat and hilly days.
He is an experienced and versatile rider, and at the end of his one-year contract he already had interest from another top team. "I accepted the team's proposal almost immediately. My role in the first half of the season will mainly be to bring the right experience to the team and support the leaders in the big stage races. The main goal is to contribute the right bit to the team, we'll see about the rest. Also because I'm one of the oldest riders in the team".
"Exactly that: offering the right support to the ambitions of the leaders such as Roglic, Hindley and Martinez. There are many young, strong riders here, but experience was lacking and I feel that I am in the right place. I have learned a lot over the years, also because of my age".
With him being Italian, after a year where he proved himself in the role, and even with a gravel stage likely to be included in the Giro, Moscon is very likely to be present in the first Grand Tour of the season with Roglic.
"Personally, I have always known which path I had to follow, but without the right context it is difficult to get that support. Soudal - Quick-Step is a big team and the riders have everything they need. Here I see that there is a lot more staff compared to other teams, something that comes from a higher budget, but also the guidelines of the team," he shares. "Now I feel that I have a specific role and that I don't have to do three things at the same time".
Chasing his own individual results will be a tough task, specially as every year it takes more and more to be able to climb alongside the best in the classics. "With experience and racing insight I might still be able to achieve something in certain races, but for Flanders or Roubaix it is difficult. Even on the bergs it is about watts per kilo, and if you don't have the legs, you can't do much".
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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.
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.
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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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