João Almeida and Mattias Skjelmose ruled out of Paris-Nice - Jonas Vingegaard's path cleared up for potential overall win
Cycling
Paris-Nice is having Jonas Vingegaard as its headliner, a rider who was not initially scheduled to be racing in France this spring. However, the Team Visma | Lease a Bike will not have as much competition as initially expected, as both João Almeida and Mattias Skjelmose have been confirmed to be absent from the race this year.
Both were strong GC options and candidates not only for the final podium but for victory. UAE Team Emirates - XRG have announced their '7' for the race, which did not include João Almeida, the designated leader. Hours before the race organizers published the preliminary startlist, which did not feature the Portuguese rider; according to Marca, this is because of the flu. He should return to racing at the Volta a Catalunya.
The Emirati team will be led by Brandon McNulty, who showed great form throughout the month of February, as well as Pavel Sivakov and Marc Soler, who should all have their chances to chase individual results. Ivo Oliveira, Rune Herregodts, Igor Arrieta and Nils Politt complete the lineup.
UAE Team Emirates - XRG to Paris-Nice
| Rider |
| Igor Arrieta |
| Rune Herregodts |
| Brandon McNulty |
| Ivo Oliveira |
| Nils Politt |
| Pavel Sivakov |
| Marc Soler |
Skjelmose also out of the race
Whilst the 'Race to the Sun' is usually characterised by the difficult weather conditions that see many riders fall ill and injured, many casualties are seen before its start. Lidl-Trek will not be able to have Mattias Skjelmose at the start line, a rider who would be a key figure and overall classification contender. Last year, the Dane was in a position to finish on the podium before he crashed out in the final days of the race.
The team will nevertheless have Lidl-Trek's Juan Ayuso as a prime contender for overall victory, likely able to challenge Vingegaard. Vingegaard won't be alone in his pursuit of the yellow jersey; Team Visma | Lease a Bike has surrounded the Dane with a powerhouse climbing squad, including Matteo Jorgenson (the defending champion) and Sepp Kuss, creating a 'Triple Threat' that looks even more daunting following the rival withdrawals.
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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