"Jumbo-Visma is going with a mastodon of a team" - Patrick Lefevere reacts to Jonas Vingegaard's Vuelta a Espana announcement
Cycling
Jonas Vingegaard has announced that he will ride the Vuelta a Espana alongside Primoz Roglic and that puts Jumbo-Visma in a unique position going into the race, now perhaps as the team to beat. Patrick Lefevere was surprised to hear of it and casts his opinion on how it can change the race.
"I was also a little shocked by it. Jumbo-Visma is going with a mastodon of a team, but it still has to be ridden. Perhaps it can be an advantage that we ride completely for Remco and they have two leaders," Lefevere told VTM. After abandoning the Giro d'Italia, the World Champion is switching his gears towards the Vuelta, before travelling to the Tour de France next year.
The team is currently very active in the market, with Mikel Landa being widely mentioned as a possible signing to support Remco Evenepoel in the mountains. That is the biggest focus of the team currently, however Lefevere says that the Basque rider is not the only rider in Soudal - Quick-Step's cards.
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"Maybe I'll shake up one or two more secret weapons. I had three managers over every day during the Tour. It's up to me to make the right decisions. I absolutely don't want to make bad purchases, but I'm entitled to one mistake a year."
He's also responded to the rumours that the team would be sold, he denies it, explaining that "basically, I'm not going to sell my shares. I have 20 percent, Zdenek Bakala 80 percent. He doesn't need money and neither do I until further notice. My being CEO has nothing to do with my stock. I remain CEO. Until someone taps me on the shoulder and says it's time to go".
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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)...
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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