Patrick Lefevere trying to push 'new Merckx' pressure from Evenepoel to Tadej Pogacar: "That's clear now"
Cycling
Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team manager Patrick Lefevere has talked about the expectations being put on Remco Evenepoel's shoulders after his recent performance at Tirreno-Adriatico, as well as Tadej Pogacar's.
“He keeps questioning himself and everything he does, handles the situation very well and has one thing in mind: to keep working hard,” Lefevere told Het Laatste Nieuws regarding Remco Evenepoel. Evenepoel recently rode Tirreno-Adriatico where he was an active figure, frequently on the attack in the hilly stages, but encountered difficulty in the queen stage to Carpegna with the steep climbs and technical descents.
“The fact is, anyone who made him ‘the new Merckx’ was grossly mistaken in person. Not him, but Tadej Pogačar is ‘the new Merckx’. That’s clear now, I think," he added. Possibly understanding that this expression has had a negative effect on Evenepoel, Lefevere was now keen on it's use for the Slovenian talent.
As for Evenepoel, he stated that it's not yet known what are Evenepoel's clear specialities and that he's still finding his way through the pro cycling ranks: “Whether there is a strong classic one-day racer in him, rather than a Grand Tour rider? That should become apparent very soon. But what if he is also dropped in Flèche-Wallonne and Liège-Bastogne-Liège? What are they going to make of it then?”
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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.
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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)...
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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