"No one acts superior" - Alpecin teammate on the environment at the table with Mathieu van der Poel and Jasper Philipsen
Cycling
The Tour Auvergne - Rhône Alpes could've seen Ramses Debruyne of Alpecin-Premier Tech in the yellow jersey. In the absence of the Belgian team's major leaders, the young all-rounder was able to reach the spotlight in a rare position of leadership. He describes this moment and his point of view with teaming up with Mathieu van der Poel.
Breakthrough Auvergne for Debruyne
"I am a rider who can handle many courses. I am an all-rounder, puncher, and climber," Debruyne said in words to Sporza. A product of the team's development in 2024, he turned pro last year and stood out as one of the team's very few climbers. He's had opportunities because of it, and this year he is grabbing them with both hands.
Top25 results at La Flèche Wallonne and Liège-Bastogne-Liège were good benchmarks, and at Auvergne he was part of the late GC move in the peloton over the final kilometers. He sprinted to second on the day, only behind breakaway winner Alex Baudin. This had him in the race's green jersey and a position he hasn't yet been before at World Tour level.
"So, a bit broad. I have already ridden a few good races in the U23 category, but it remains to be seen how you end up in the pros, because it is three levels higher". The team struggled through the TTT and he lost a few positions in the overall classification, however he heads into stage 4 in 19th place.
Debruyne on teaming up with Mathieu van der Poel
But the Belgian, despite being on a separate block as that of Mathieu van der Poel and Jasper Philipsen, has met up with them on occasions and has spent training camps with the superstar duo. The 23-year was asked about the environment in the team with their presence, and the feedback is only positive.
"They are all great guys in our team. When we sit at the table, there is always laughter. No one acts superior. It is really a good time," he concluded.
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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