"I'm still looking forward to his comeback" - Remco Evenepoel's Soudal - Quick-Step teammate looking to capitalise on team leader's injury
Cycling
Remco Evenepoel’s training injury at the end of 2024 could
pave the way for more opportunities for his Soudal–Quick-Step teammate Ilan Van
Wilder in the early months of 2025. Speaking to Sporza, Van Wilder
shared his thoughts on the season ahead, outlining his ambitions and schedule.
"Everything is going very well," Van Wilder stated
as he looked forward to his season debut. His first race will be the Tour of
the Algarve, where he aims to start the year strongly. "I want to perform
well in Portugal, but I have a few extra weeks for a good build-up. That gives
me a little more time and a little more relaxation for a good base."
Van Wilder sees the early races as preparation for bigger
goals, explaining his focus on Paris-Nice. "I can use those first
kilometers as an incentive to be good in Paris-Nice. There I get the chance to
go for a good result. Then the Basque Country and perhaps the Walloon classics
follow." He also confirmed his programme leading up to one of cycling’s
most prestigious one-day races, saying, "Everything up to and including
Liège is more or less fixed."
When discussing the rest of his year, Van Wilder mentioned
his likely participation in the Tour de France. "There are a bit more
personal chances, but I'm still looking forward to his comeback. Then I can
fight with him for a good result."
Reflecting on his past experiences, Van Wilder highlighted
his history with Liège-Bastogne-Liège, a race that has shaped his career in
several ways. "I have a history with Liège. I broke my jawbone in that
massive fall a few years ago and a year later I launched Remco at La Redoute.
Hopefully we will be at the start together again."
With his sights set on a strong start to the season and
opportunities to lead in key races, Van Wilder is poised to make the most of
his early chances while eagerly awaiting Evenepoel’s return.
Fin MajorCycling Journalist
Fin Major is a UK-based writer at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2024. He is the site’s main writer for FAQs and evergreen explainers and has written around 2,000 pieces for the platform. Alongside this work, he focuses on in-depth analysis and covers the biggest races on the calendar, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, providing clear context around performance trends, tactics, and key storylines.
In his reporting, Fin uses reputable data sources such as ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available. Outside of writing, Fin is an active cyclist, which supports his practical understanding of the sport and its demands.
claps 0visitors 0
Just in
Popular news
Latest comments
- Pogi is a Goat. He has power numbers that are once in a century. Jonas is a once in a generation, He has power numbers 1 level lower than Pogi. Even if both are equal which they were before 2024, Pogi would have won on sprint bonuses. For Jonas to win he has to crack Pogi, which is impossible. Therefore Giro is a good option considering the TT in TDF. He cannot win but if something happens to Pogi , he should be still in a position to win the TDF, Giro or no Giro, because the others are a level below him.abstractengineer11-11-2026
- for what?frieders311-11-2026
- Blah blah blah!frieders311-11-2026
- Where Merckx just rode every single race he could and won all the time, Hinault won less often (percentage wise) because he was more judicious in what he raced. His palmares are nuts. He had amazing rivals, one to start his career and another to end it in the grand tours. His classics were solid. What sets him apart from Merckx and Pogačar are that he basically dabbled in the classics while the other two love(d) them. I used to compare Pogačar to Hinault for his grand tour record and occasional classics win, until I realized that the comparison was wrong. Pogačar loves the classics - ah, the memory of his reaction to finishing fourth in a 2 person sprint in Flanders in ‘22: utter domination in any one day race since then, even when he doesn’t win. Hinault lived for the grand tours and I don’t think anyone else will ever reach his record. 10 wins in 13 attempts? Good lord. An amazing rider. Wish there was more footage to watch.RidesHills11-11-2026
- I had no idea about that either.
santiagobenites10-11-2026 - great analysis thanks! appreciate you posting this. I didn't realize CX had a different standard for deviation. this is even more egregious it seems.mij10-11-2026
- As he isn't currently with Red Bull, I guess if he want to race for one more year he needs to find a team. He's 37 so this will be his last year I would guess, unless he wants to race for almost nothing like Froome did.awp10-11-2026
- I think some are making much ado about nothing. Even though Jonas is getting older, before his crash in the Tour, he looked like a solid 2nd all the way home. No one can really climb with Tadej until this year, Eric Mas showed himself which I think was a one off year for him and Paul Seixas has been able to be pretty close to him. Whatever stage race Jonas enters as long as Tadej is not there he is a favorite to win.awp10-11-2026
- Giro or not Giro, he won't win the Tour!MajorPayne10-11-2026
- Very true.awp10-11-2026
Loading
Write a comment