No Kubis, or any rider in fact - European nation deploy a soigneur to take part World Championships
Cycling
Vladimir Kovacik is an unlikely headliner for this year's World Championships. But one would be justified for not recognizing the name, as he is not a professional cyclist. But the 28-year old will be the only rider representing Slovakia at the men's elite road race, despite having travelled to Montréal as a soigneur.
Slovakia ran a risk of not having anyone race the men's elite road race this Sunday in Montréal. "For the national champion, the loss of points amounts to half the total; for the runner-up, it’s nearly two-thirds," team national coach Jakub Vanco told Sportsnet. "We’re talking about a loss running into the hundreds. That’s equivalent to winning a World Tour stage race—something beyond our reach".
The consequences of not having anyone present in the race would result in high consequences for the nation, who would be stripped of their riders' UCI points. But how could this be? Whilst the central European nation is not amongst the most prominent in the cycling world, in the women's under-23 race Viktória Chladonová has just taken a massive result; whilst a decade ago Peter Sagan was piling up world titles and rainbow jerseys.
It happened that the three riders shortlisted to take part can not take to the start. Martin Svreck and Matthias Schwarbacher - both World Tour riders - are both out with injury; whilst Unibet Rose Rockets' Lukas Kubis was not allowed by the team to make the trip so as to focus on the team's goals.
Slovakian headliner Lukas Kubis is absent from the World Championships
Slovakia deploy a soigneur to take part in the men's elite road race
But a solution has been found. "We therefore have to meet our UCI obligation to field a rider in the elite races. Our participation will be purely formal. We’ll be represented by someone who is already here and who formally meets the necessary criteria and licensing requirements".
That will be Vladimir Kovacik, a soigneur for the Slovakian national team. Whilst he has been a former professional rider, having been in a continental team back in 2016, he has not raced professionally since the following year. The 28-year old has remained connected with the cycling world strongly, and is now receiving the opportunity of a lifetime.
"We’re doing this for our talented cyclists; we need to keep them high in the rankings so that riders like Schwarzbacher, Kubis, Riska, Novák, Chladonova, Ungerova, and others can make it to the Olympics".
Lukas Kubis apologizes for Slovakia's chaotic situation
The absence of Kubis, a classics specialist and Slovakia's most prominent name, is a big hit for the team's ambitions. "I’m very sorry I can’t start on Sunday. On the other hand, I’m glad the federation found a solution to secure these important points for us—points that could prove crucial in the battle for rankings".
"Thanks to their participation, we aren't losing any important points, which will stand us in good stead for the future."
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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