Lotto Dstny's new star has a clear goal for the upcoming spring: "My dream remains Paris-Roubaix"
Cycling
Lotto Dstny can only be praised by the work they've done over the past years developing top talents, all Belgian. Whilst Maxim van Gils' departure came as a tough hit, the team managed to secure under-23 star Jarno Widar recently for several years. The team is led by Arnaud de Lie and Lennert van Eetvelt but now also Alec Segaert, who hopes to have a breakthrough this upcoming spring.
Having turned pro in 2023, he made an impression by finishing second to Remco Evenepoel and Wout van Aert respectively at the road race and time-trial national championships in Belgium. He went on to win the under-23 European Championships later in the year.
In 2024 he took another step with the ProTeam, winning the GP Criquielion and the time-trial at the Renewi Tour. He led the World Tour race until the final day and finished second in GC, putting in a stunning performance on the Geraardsbergen circuit. This ride gave him grand hopes of taking strong results in the spring classics. Segaert also won the European ITT under-23 championships once again later on.
“It was undoubtedly the best moment of my year. I didn’t expect my first victory in a WorldTour race," Segaert said in an interview with RTBF regarding the Renewi Tour. "For the first time I was able to compete at this level and I could have even won the general classification. It gave me a lot of confidence for next spring."
Segaert has shown real talent away from the time-trial bike as well there, and backed that up with a third place at the under-23 Worlds in Zurich where he was in the fight for the win, and was the first rider to cross the line after Niklas Behrens and Martin Svreck. Segaert knows he can have a leading position these upcoming months in the team if he plays his cards right.
"After the departure of Victor Campenaerts and Florian Vermeersch, I will have a different role and will be more preserved for the finale. My dream remains Paris-Roubaix," he admits. "Since I made my debut there as a junior, where I finished second in my first appearance. But everything must go according to plan".
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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.
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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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