Patrick Lefevere has talked about Julian Alaphilippe in a very strict tone in a recent interview, but regarding Remco Evenepoel the manager of Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team is clearly satisfied and has confirmed that currently the Belgian is on the right path.
“We don't want to cut corners with Remco, and neither does he," Lefevere told La Dernière Heure. "The goal is that he can, one day, play the leading roles in the Tour de France, but we have always said that he would first participate in the Vuelta and the Giro. He sticks to that and that's fine the way it is."
Although rumours emerged over his participation at the Tour de France, those were mostly due to his newly-acquired rainbow jersey. Taking his evolution step by step, racing the route that fits him the most with a massive difference in time-trialing kilometers, and allowing the team one more season to sign climbers to support him, have made the decision to ride the Corsa Rosa an easy one for Evenepoel who confirmed that goal earlier in November.
“You no longer have to limit yourself to winning the Tour de France to be one of the very best riders in the peloton," he said of the 22-year old. "The time when guys only raced 35 days a year depending on the Tour is over. Remco is capable of defending himself on all terrains, with the possible exception of a mass sprint. For me, he will one day be able to play a major role in the Flemish classics.”
Whilst his focus on the Giro d'Italia will naturally not allow him to carry the same form and preparation towards Liège-Bastogne-Liège - which he is the current champion of - he has pinpointed it as a race to target in 2023. His first part of the season will be fully focused in stage-racing except for those.
“He's going faster than I had imagined, he’s ahead of schedule," Lefevere commented, with Evenepoel winning the Vuelta a Espana on his first big tilt at a Grand Tour, and following that up with a world title. "He's a winner but probably won’t be nice when he has a bad day. But I have no doubt that he can handle that. Remco is calm, serene and down to earth. But he is a winner. Remco thinks of nothing but winning. It drives him on."
“Yes, but he remains humble but who says what he wants and feels. What is beautiful is that he always thanks his team a lot. It helps guys get down on their stomachs for him," he describes. Whilst he does not have the block as other World Tour teams do, he's managed to win the Vuelta nonetheless. The likes of Ilan van Wilder and Jan Hirt are expected to be his right-hand man in the mountains this year.
There were rumours of him signing for another team earlier in the year, but the money has been put aside in order to keep him as a leader in the team. “If he had gone, I would have been the richest in the pack, but I'm very glad he didn't. Lots of bonuses and bonuses. But this gives a lot of responsibility and confidence to the whole team," Lefevere concluded.
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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- I see (elsewhere) that Alaphilippe had more to say than what got relayed in this stub. Me: he was very good early but his latter third trajectory was the pits. His old boss did what he could (huffed and puffed) but Julian couldn't get his greatness back. Sometimes I wonder if crashes that didn't look like much changed the course of the rider.flyer14-11-2026
- I wouldn't classify it as a gift because the nasty consequences of taking it from Sepp would have been great and would persist and he knew it.flyer14-11-2026
- Ok. Tratnik's good and Red Bull's better so Tratnik may get what he wants.flyer14-11-2026
- Ok. So just saying he wasn't enjoying racing anymore is some kind of explanation? Me saying I don't enjoy his explanation is more explaining than he did.flyer14-11-2026
- Buitrago, was he their best rider in 2026? He's the chief loss for them and Martinez and Tiberi (especially) have to step up or they will be overtaken by Bahrain's younger riders like Omrzel. I'm still somewhat high on Martinez but Tiberi, after showing signs of promise, has fizzled. Bahrain still has a good team but they need to improve and exceed expectations. I'd be happy if Mohoric could manage to return to his better form for maybe one last year at least.flyer14-11-2026
- Hmmm, "... I just gained 30 seconds purely off the bike. Because it's really a big, big improvement compared to the previous bike". Is that marketing for Specialized or serious valid hype, or something in between? Very likely the former.flyer14-11-2026
- Nothing revelatory or controversial. Why do we have to report on Bruyneel's or Armstrong's thinking. It's a shame and enough that the Move's on TV and that people watch it .flyer14-11-2026
- Makes sense that training from home is a big asset or advantage but it's still remarkable that he can put in three quality majors and not pay some heavy price for the exertion. I wish he would have won that tour stage that his crash while leading allowed Carapaz the win. He's a darn good rider and teammate.flyer14-11-2026
- Sounds like we all agree with the over under exaggeration: "The German’s signing does not guarantee that Evenepoel will win the Tour in 2027. "flyer14-11-2026
- Seixas appears to be that good but if he isn't (an absolute rival to Pogacar) he would have plenty of company in rising stars that did not go on to fully meet the expectations of many. That Pogacar wasn't the greatest (as great) sooner can't be transposed onto another's development. It may be not that simple.flyer14-11-2026
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