"Pogacar and Van der Poel are without a doubt the top favorites" - Visma and Van Aert realistic into Paris-Roubaix
Cycling
Team Visma | Lease a Bike have their lineup confirmed and ready for Paris-Roubaix. Whilst the team's plan to ride special equipment this Sunday has been terminated by the UCI, the team will nevertheless stand good chances of finishing high in the standings, with Wout Van Aert in the lead.
“I still feel a huge drive heading into this race. It will be my seventh participation, but this race remains special," Van Aert said in a press release. "The nervousness and unpredictability make Paris–Roubaix so beautiful".
Van Aert was third at Milano-Sanremo and fourth at the Tour of Flanders, entering Roubaix on top form, and perhaps with the best chances of winning out of all the 'big five' races in cycling. In Roubaix, pure power rules over W/Kg which opens things up, however luck is also a key requirement and he's not always had it.
However if the pieces fall together tomorrow, Van Aert can absolutely be within a shot of victory. "Since the Italian races, I’ve been feeling good, and I was able to carry that into the Flemish classics. Now I’m determined to seize my last opportunity for a win this spring.”
Visma under no mistake, they are not the favourites
However the Belgian has to face two generational leaders on the top of their game and form: Tadej Pogacar and Mathieu van der Poel. There's no mistaking that the responsibility to chase and attack will be on those two men, whilst everyone else is an outsider.
“Paris–Roubaix is one of those races where luck plays a role. In the past weeks, it became clear who we’ll have to watch. Pogacar and Van der Poel are without a doubt the top favorites, but on this terrain the differences between riders will be smaller than in recent races," team DS Grischa Niermann added.
Visma has lost Dylan van Baarle, Tiesj Benoot and previously the van Dijke twins - as well as having Matthew Brennan out of form - however they still enter the race with some depth. Van Aert is the leader, but this is a race where having cards matters.
"Our strength lies in the collective. Alongside Wout, Christophe Laporte and Per Strand Hagenes can also play important roles in how the race unfolds. Both have already proven in the past that they are strong in the cobbled classics. Winning Roubaix remains a big dream for the team, and we are ready to do everything we can to make that dream come true.”
The Norwegian rider is making his third appearance in the Hell of the North. “My goal is to play a role in the finale. I’ll do everything I can to stay in the front as long as possible and support Wout," he adds. "I believe he can compete with the other favorites. He’s shown a lot of good things in recent weeks. In Roubaix, the race often explodes from far out nowadays, so I’m preparing for a long, tough battle.”
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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.
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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- Why should he 'let it go' ! Because you said so? Anytime LA Doper is called out is a win win !frieders302-11-2026
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- 'The Slovenian has collected four Tour de France titles' ... '[Kieran Wood's] ... reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis'. i would say that is pretty inaccurate accurate coverage, kieran wood ... too bad that AI's knowledge often lags several months behind ... but proof reading is certainly part of accurate coverage, isn't it? but fortunately does Kieran Wood place 'strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.' i would say the fifth tdf title is pretty new (and even verified) information, so feel free to update this article.Ketterechts01-11-2026
- You are wrong, they are already working on his new tt position. And yes, Trump does love you 😂👍🏼awp01-11-2026
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Rafionain-Glas01-11-2026 - Perhaps he has what Mark Cavendish had, the Epstein-Barr Virus. It caused him severe and unexplained chronic fatigue. I hope he gets better.
parisbound0001-11-2026
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