"I'm not giving up" - Stijn Steels looks to stay in the peloton following contract issues and severe injuries
Cycling
Stijn Steels has found himself in a very difficult situation, following a brutal crash at the Six Days of Ghent which have left him with many injuries, in a year where he does not yet have a public contract signed into 2023.
Steels suffered three broken ribs, two broken vertebrae and a lung contusion in a recent crash on the track. “It looked good though, I had some good contacts,” he said in an interview with Het NIeuwsblad from the hospital bed. “So I wanted to prove during the Six Days that I can still ride a bike. I had trained hard and told my teammate Silvan Dillier how important this race was. It could be my very last.”
“We also started very well. Until disaster struck. I'm not going to wait forever," he continued. After several years at riding Continental and Pro Continental level in Belgium, Steels signed a contract with Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team in 2020, where he has had a domestique role until this year.
"And it's beautiful what I've already experienced. Cycling has been my life since I was born and it also has a great impact on my family. But I'm not giving up," he admits. He revealed that he is connected and may have signed with B&B Hotels-KTM, but amidst the team's chaotic financial situation, it might not have: "I was close to a team from the WorldTour, but due to the vicissitudes at B&B Hotels, many teams are now waiting."
“I am not a rider with striking results, but a loyal servant with a lot of experience. To the outside world that may not be well known, but in the belly of the peloton it is. That gives me confidence. I am not angry with Patrick Lefevere either, but grateful that I was able to drive in his top team for three years," he 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.
claps 0visitors 0
Just in
Popular news
Latest comments
- A great route, much more exciting than the Tour de France. Monte Livata is an interesting one, because they experimented with it at the 2026 Baby Giro, and it was fantastic. 4 km at 10%, then 10 km at 6.5% made for a great spectacle. The stage 16 is horrible
Rafionain-Glas03-11-2026 - I remember when Mark went through that. He was really experiencing lows and thought about quiting many times. It took him a long time to recover. I, like many others were overjoyed when he came back. I hope Lafay has been tested. I wish him the best.Paggss03-11-2026
- That sucks for him. I've always wondered what guys like him do after retiring from cycling - go back to uni? He's still a very young manCrashjames03-11-2026
- Good Point, I wonder if he's been testedmhfrvz03-11-2026
- A busy boy!Lozza03-11-2026
- I hope 2027 is his year.mij03-11-2026
- why does he have to? many GT riders from Froome to Contador to Indurain didn't do them.mij03-11-2026
- I think Jonas would have lost the TDF by 4+ minutes (at the least) and might not have even been in the top 3. Too much talent in the younger riders to say anyone not named Pogačar would have been top 3md197503-11-2026
- this is just stupid. you already have 23%, gravel is over the topabstractengineer03-11-2026
- There was once a time when Lance was supremely popular and he used his artificial "It's Not About the Bike: My Journey Back to Life" persona to lead his mob in going after Greg. There was no one Lance did not abuse in protecting his phony hero image. Lance promoted himself as a divine megastar and he let down millions of cancer victims and gullible devotees who clung far too long to the charade. Lance is the epitome of a corrupt person and because of his power, many around him, including business enterprises, succumbed to the evil. All who got in Armstrong's way were mercilessly attacked by him and his minions. This remarkably continues today with a new generation. LeMond was a number one enemy and paid a huge price. Who do you think slandered who?Yepperoni03-11-2026
Loading
Following his crash in #zesdaagsegent, @StijnSteels was examined last night. He has a lung contusion, broken three ribs and two vertebrae. The fractures are stable & as of this moment no operation or further intervention is required. Join us in wishing Stijn a complete recovery
1 Comments