Patrick Lefevere: "No one would have thought that the virus would have such an impact on our organism"
Cycling
The general manager of Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team Patrick Lefevere has spoken out about the risks and procedures within the team regarding possible after-effects of Covid-19 infections in the peloton in light of Sonny Colbrelli's recent cardiac arrest; related with a recent bronchitis.
“I don't have much contact with the rest of the peloton, but I'm afraid for my team and my riders. Because I know what the consequences of covid can be, Lefevere said in an interview with Wielerflits.
“In my day, if you had a fever or the flu, you took a few aspirins and just rode on. That's how it went. But over the years I learned in Italy, first at GB-MG, later at Mapei, not to let sick riders race. They didn't want that there, especially not with a fever," he added.
"But with covid we are now going one step further. No one would have thought that the virus would have such an impact on our organism," Lefevere points out. Several riders in the last couple of years have reported consequences post-Covid.
“For some it is on the lungs, for others on the heart, like with Tim Declercq. Some, such as Yves Lampaert, Julian Alaphilippe and Mattia Cattaneo, you notice that they have to take much longer than usual. Others don't feel it at all. For others it comes in waves. One day they are better, the next they are back in bed," he adds.
Within Quick-Step, there is a clear routine for riders to follow after they have been infected with Covid-19, as Lefevere explains: “That's why we work differently now than before. After getting sick, our riders have to go to the cardiologist for the necessary tests. The situation calls for extreme caution. Look at society. Why should it be any different in sports? There are young riders who die in their sleep, footballer collapse on the field. There is also no age. That is why I advocate even more heart screening for young riders.”
“We were indeed one of the first to take Brugada with the team three days a year to detect cardiac arrhythmias. That costs me a few cents, but no human life is worth not investing in. In the meantime we have also discovered a few, such as Gianni Meersman at the time and Zdeněk Štybar. Brugada is also arguing for even more screenings among young athletes and I fully support him in this," he concluded.
Within the team, Tim Declercq has been forced to miss the classics season - or most of it at minimum - due to long-term consequences of a Covid-19 infection. Later this year, Kasper Asgreen and Davide Ballerini also saw their preparations for the classics affected by it.
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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🏥 MEDICAL UPDATE Following the end of Stage 1 of @VoltaCatalunya, our medical team can confirm that @sonnycolbrelli suffered from an unstable cardiac arrhythmia that required defibrillation. 🔗 bit.ly/3isBgz9
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