Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team are heading to Liège-Bastogne-Liège with Julian Alaphilippe and Remco Evenepoel leading in, and the Belgian talent has talked about his ambitions and what role he can play in the team's strategy.
"Liège suits me better than Flèche Wallonne. One and a half hour of racing more, more altitude metres, longer climbs, less recuperation moments. We have two leaders. I'll get my chance tomorrow," Evenepoel told Het Nieuwsblad on the eve of the fourth monument of the season. After missing out on contention for Flèche Wallone - with Julian Alaphilippe finishing fourth - the duo have refocused on Liège-Bastogne-Liége, the final step in their spring campaign.
"I've learnt a lot about positioning. People often said I couldn't steer, but in Flèche Wallonne I was always in the first 30 riders of the bunch, also on the chaotic moments. I've made huge steps on that matter," he added.
In the spring classics that is an important skill to have, however many times these two classics are decided in very specific moments. Evenepoel will be hoping to calculate his efforts to perfection for the win tomorrow: "Winning a Monument is definitely a big goal in my career, especially Liège and Lombardia. The others suit me less and I'm also less motivated for those races. It doesn't necessarily have to be this year of course."
With wins at the Volta a Valencia, Volta ao Algarve and a strong performance at the Itzulia Basque Country recently, Evenepoel is riding according to expectations. However he mentions that he knows more is expected from him, in which he says: "I won youth GC at Itzulia but few people talked about it. They expect big things from me, but you can't say what I do isn't good, comparing me to other riders at the age of 22. All went fast for me, maybe that's why they expect more."
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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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- I see (elsewhere) that Alaphilippe had more to say than what got relayed in this stub. Me: he was very good early but his latter third trajectory was the pits. His old boss did what he could (huffed and puffed) but Julian couldn't get his greatness back. Sometimes I wonder if crashes that didn't look like much changed the course of the rider.flyer14-11-2026
- I wouldn't classify it as a gift because the nasty consequences of taking it from Sepp would have been great and would persist and he knew it.flyer14-11-2026
- Ok. Tratnik's good and Red Bull's better so Tratnik may get what he wants.flyer14-11-2026
- Ok. So just saying he wasn't enjoying racing anymore is some kind of explanation? Me saying I don't enjoy his explanation is more explaining than he did.flyer14-11-2026
- Buitrago, was he their best rider in 2026? He's the chief loss for them and Martinez and Tiberi (especially) have to step up or they will be overtaken by Bahrain's younger riders like Omrzel. I'm still somewhat high on Martinez but Tiberi, after showing signs of promise, has fizzled. Bahrain still has a good team but they need to improve and exceed expectations. I'd be happy if Mohoric could manage to return to his better form for maybe one last year at least.flyer14-11-2026
- Hmmm, "... I just gained 30 seconds purely off the bike. Because it's really a big, big improvement compared to the previous bike". Is that marketing for Specialized or serious valid hype, or something in between? Very likely the former.flyer14-11-2026
- Nothing revelatory or controversial. Why do we have to report on Bruyneel's or Armstrong's thinking. It's a shame and enough that the Move's on TV and that people watch it .flyer14-11-2026
- Makes sense that training from home is a big asset or advantage but it's still remarkable that he can put in three quality majors and not pay some heavy price for the exertion. I wish he would have won that tour stage that his crash while leading allowed Carapaz the win. He's a darn good rider and teammate.flyer14-11-2026
- Sounds like we all agree with the over under exaggeration: "The German’s signing does not guarantee that Evenepoel will win the Tour in 2027. "flyer14-11-2026
- Seixas appears to be that good but if he isn't (an absolute rival to Pogacar) he would have plenty of company in rising stars that did not go on to fully meet the expectations of many. That Pogacar wasn't the greatest (as great) sooner can't be transposed onto another's development. It may be not that simple.flyer14-11-2026
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