"It has has never been the perfect match for me" - Steff Cras admits to be not overly fond of Tour de France
Cycling
Steff Cras leaves TotalEnergies after three seasons at the French ProTeam. A strange period for the 29-year-old Belgian in which he secured his first professional victory at Vuelta Asturias this year, and finished 11th at the Vuelta a Espana (in 2023). And while on the bike, things have been moving in the right direction (except the unfortunate crash at Itzulia Basque Country 2024), off the bike Cras had to deal with being the only non-French rider at the team. And so his move to Soudal - Quick-Step doesn't come as much of a surprise.
"I don’t feel like they blame me," he said to Het Nieuwsblad. "The team has been correct in recent months. There are just not many races left on the program that suit me."
One regret of Cras is that his team won't ride the final Monument of this season given his good sensations. "Not riding Il Lombardia is a pity. My condition is currently better than before the start of the Tour. It would be a shame not to do something with it. My season has fallen into a gap and that bothers me."
The Belgian looks back on his years in France with mixed feelings. "Within French teams there is a different culture," he explained. "There was not really a language barrier, but going to the race felt more like going to work. At The Wolfpack I mainly hope to rediscover the joy. In terms of atmosphere it will be much better."
Back in spotlight
"I want to put myself back in the spotlight and I would also like to be at the start of races like the Vuelta or the Volta a Catalunya again. In recent years I often rode those small French stage races, nobody follows that."
Tour de France is not necessarily high on Cras' wishlist for next years though. "It has has never been the perfect match for me. I’m not the biggest fan. I’ve ridden it four times, reached Paris only once. I have to admit that the Tour and Steff Cras are not the best combination. And yes, I have had my share of misery in recent years. I assume that period is behind me. Both physically and mentally I have become stronger."
Ondrej ZhasilCycling Journalist
Ondřej Zhasil is a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2023. He is based in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, and covers professional cycling across the main UCI competitions, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. A key focus of his work is startlist analysis and pre-race coverage, where he examines team selections, rider line-ups, and tactical scenarios ahead of major events.
Alongside WorldTour coverage, Ondřej has developed specific expertise in junior cycling and in racing across East Asia, including competitions in China and Japan. He also maintains a broad working knowledge of other disciplines and levels, including cyclocross, while continuing to expand his understanding of mountain bike racing.
Ondřej holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, which supports his analytical, data-driven approach to performance and race analysis. In his reporting, he regularly uses 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.
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