Julian Alaphilippe has had a very difficult 2022 season but he's looking to bounce back. The former World Champion is targeting wins at the Tour des Flanders, Strade Bianche and Milano-Sanremo this spring and has revealed his schedule.
Whilst Liège-Bastogne-Liège was previously mentioned as a major goal, it's absence from a social media post from Soudal - Quick-Step this morning was noticeable. The team had it's official presentation this morning in Belgium and Alaphilippe's plan of action for the upcoming months has been revealed.
Whilst he plans on having his best form for the Tour des Flandres, his early months will include a mix of one-day races and stage-races, beginning at the Mallorca classics in late January in Spain. After a month with a large training block, he returns to competition at the Faun-Ardèche Classic and the Drôme Classic, before racing Strade Bianche where he crashed spectacularly over the bars last year at high-speed.
He will then follow his traditional approach to the spring, racing Tirreno-Adriatico before Milano-Sanremo where he is expected to be among the favourites. It is unsure if he will opt out of the cobbles until Flandres itself, but at the time being the Frenchman is believes to move from the first to second monument without any racing inbetween.
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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)...
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Check out the calendar of double World Champion @alafpolak1 for the first months of his tenth season with Soudal Quick-Step👇 Challenge Mallorca Ardèche Classic Drôme Classic Strade Bianche Tirreno-Adriatico Milano-Sanremo Ronde van Vlaanderen Photo: @BeelWout
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