"If any teams are still looking for a good lead-out, they are in our team" - Emotional Sasha Weemaes makes heartfelt plea after win in Langkawi amidst rider uncertainty
Cycling
Human Powered Health sprinter Sasha Weemaes took the first professional victory of his career on stage 7 of the Tour de Langkawi and afterwards, the emotion of the occasion overcame him.
"I had a very bad year, with many health problems. So this victory means a lot to me, but also to the team," said the impassioned 25-year-old Belgian in his post-stage interview. "They are all friends and some riders are still without a contract, so if any teams are still looking for a good lead-out, they are in our team."
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Whilst some chatter around which team Rog, Remco et al, might ride for next year, it isn't same for every rider 😥@sashaweemaes @hphcycling wins in Langkawi and includes this sobering thought
— John Maguire 🇺🇦 (@velo_bristol) September 29, 2023
Well done on the win Sasha 👏 pic.twitter.com/lr058LXqdL
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
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- I wonder if he'll race Challenge Mallorca
Rafionain-Glas19-10-2026 - Head to head time-splits: Jay Vine vs Remco Evenepoel: 10.5 km - Vine lost 45 seconds to Evenepoel 34.2 km - Vine lost a further 1:10, and was caught in the vicinity of that checkpoint. Note: I remember Vine getting caught before the second checkpoint, and ProCyclingStats log supports that, however, the gap at the second checkpoint was less than 2 minutes. 45.4 km - Vine lost only 16 seconds Of course, Vine lost less time in the middle section than the early section, but at the final segment rate, he'd have lost 15 seconds in the opening section and and 34 seconds in the middle. It is possible that Vine paced himself very well but that seems unlikely. In comparison with Stefan Küng: Kung lost: 26 seconds at T1. A further 1:11 by T2. A further 40 seconds by the finish. Relative to Evenepoel, Küng did slow down by the end. Maxime Decomble: Lost 47 seconds at T1. A further 1:20 by T2. A further 26 seconds by the finish. Mikkel Bjerg: Lost 37 seconds at T1. A further 1:34 by T2. A further 46 seconds by the finish. It is not concrete evidence that Vine cheated though it certainly doesn't absolve him. However, watching the race, I am 100% sure that Vine did not pull over and follow a different line when Remco passed him. Remco pulled away quite quickly, but the gap did not balloon and Vine definitely got aero assistance.Rafionain-Glas19-10-2026
- That ship has sailed years agovappaxbipmv19-10-2026
- He doesn't have to. I'd be perfectly happy if he loses SB if he then wins everything elsevappaxbipmv19-10-2026
- Please don't put Remco in the same sentence as Tadej. It's disrespectful to Tadej. Please make a note of this.KissinKate19-10-2026
- ....and you just described how americans are fleecing american fans as well. We don't even get the eurosport coverage you get. What you see on yurrup HBO is not available in this country. Trust me, being a cycling fan sucks everywhere.KissinKate19-10-2026
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- The article makes it sound like a great thing and something to be applauded. The reality is is gives the Americans another 6 years to fleece European cycling fans or force them to hunt around Europe with VPN’s for free feeds. Not something to be celebrated in my book. Before someone points out that coverage of this depth costs money, yes, I agree but not £30+ per month a fee I will wager will gradually increase now this deal has been cemented.Paul53119-10-2026
- Great. Thrilled. (Satire) Oh, how I miss the days of GCN. Still wear my GCN hoodie with pride.anonymouscyclist19-10-2026
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