The Tour de France is quickly approaching and Fabio Jakobsen has already been confirmed as the leading sprinter for Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team, as Patrick Lefevere is on the final details of selecting the lineup for the second Grand Tour of the season.
“It is no secret that we are going to sprint in the Tour with Fabio Jakobsen. Although I will continue to speak with two words until ad nauseam," he said in a column at Het Nieuwsblad. "Last year, Sam Bennett was also a certainty, so to speak, but in the end Cavendish went to the Tour."
Lefevere said he was in contact with Cavendish at the Giro d'Italia, having said "I talked to him on the last weekend of the Giro. Mark said there: I'm a pro, I'll be ready until the last day." Sure enough the British sprinter completed the race, having taken a stage win on day three of the race. At the Tour though the goals will be different, as the team will be eyeing more stage wins and also the points classification.
The final riders for the Tour will be selected over the coming weeks as the riders enter their final preparation races. “Obviously, if you're going with a sprinter, you also need a lead-out. Until further notice, Michael Morkov is the best in the world in that role. Yves Lampaert and/or Florian Sénéchal have their place on the train," he added. The trio are Jakobsen's traditional leadout and are all expected to be at the race, also due to the cobbled stage into Arenberg where a yellow jersey and stage win can be up for grabs for the classics specialists.
"And because as a sprinter team you have to control the race, you also need a profile like Tim Declercq or Josef Cerny. Unfortunately, the latter fell ill again in the Dauphiné," he informed - leading to the conclusion that Declercq is close to confirming his spot at the Tour aswell.
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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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- for what?frieders311-11-2026
- Blah blah blah!frieders311-11-2026
- Where Merckx just rode every single race he could and won all the time, Hinault won less often (percentage wise) because he was more judicious in what he raced. His palmares are nuts. He had amazing rivals, one to start his career and another to end it in the grand tours. His classics were solid. What sets him apart from Merckx and Pogačar are that he basically dabbled in the classics while the other two love(d) them. I used to compare Pogačar to Hinault for his grand tour record and occasional classics win, until I realized that the comparison was wrong. Pogačar loves the classics - ah, the memory of his reaction to finishing fourth in a 2 person sprint in Flanders in ‘22: utter domination in any one day race since then, even when he doesn’t win. Hinault lived for the grand tours and I don’t think anyone else will ever reach his record. 10 wins in 13 attempts? Good lord. An amazing rider. Wish there was more footage to watch.RidesHills11-11-2026
- I had no idea about that either.
santiagobenites10-11-2026 - great analysis thanks! appreciate you posting this. I didn't realize CX had a different standard for deviation. this is even more egregious it seems.mij10-11-2026
- As he isn't currently with Red Bull, I guess if he want to race for one more year he needs to find a team. He's 37 so this will be his last year I would guess, unless he wants to race for almost nothing like Froome did.awp10-11-2026
- I think some are making much ado about nothing. Even though Jonas is getting older, before his crash in the Tour, he looked like a solid 2nd all the way home. No one can really climb with Tadej until this year, Eric Mas showed himself which I think was a one off year for him and Paul Seixas has been able to be pretty close to him. Whatever stage race Jonas enters as long as Tadej is not there he is a favorite to win.awp10-11-2026
- Giro or not Giro, he won't win the Tour!MajorPayne10-11-2026
- Very true.awp10-11-2026
- Ciccone had a very strong end of season. Consistently attacking and livening up races. Hope he makes that last leap in progress and starts notching some significant wins. Great rider to watch.Occam10-11-2026
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