Quick-Step DS: "A good Alaphilippe will race again with Van der Poel and Van Aert in the classics"
Cycling
Julian Alaphilippe has started his season at the Tour Down Under and was in contention for victory at the Old Willunga Hill. Now with a different role at Soudal - Quick-Step, the Belgian team is hoping to get him back on track to fight for victories in the spring with the current day's stars.
“When Julian got on the plane on Tuesday morning, he said that he really enjoyed being here and that he left with a very good feeling. He was very happy to have done the Tour Down Under instead of training in and around Calpe, as he had done for ten years," team DS Geert van Bondt told Het Nieuwsblad. “I am convinced that a good Alaphilippe will race again with Van der Poel and Van Aert in the classics. After the Omloop and the Strade Bianche we know how he stands.”
The former World Champion will be back in action in Belgium now at the Opening Weekend. He will likely follow a calendar of one-day races now throughout the spring, having the Tour of Flanders as his big goal. There he will face the likes of Mathieu van der Poel and Wout van Aert, in a field that grows ever strong as the years go by. For Soudal - Quick-Step, the Australian experiment was a success.
“A happy Alaphilippe, even though he didn't win: that was what we had in mind. We want him to ride finals again instead of throwing himself into hopeless escapes," van Bondt continues. "That he learns to compete for victory again. Because in the end that's what it's all about. The fewer the results, the less the confidence. The Tour Down Under has been a very good test. I know from my own experience that once you get off to a good start, the rest becomes easier. The doubts are gone.”
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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parisbound0008-11-2026 - there needs to be space in life for pointless comments!Ketterechts08-11-2026
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