It has been a spring to forget for Sep Vanmarcke. A series of bad luck incidents, as is traditional to the Belgian classics specialist, has completely ruled him out of contention for the race he was targeting the most this campaign.
"As a rider who loves the classics, that sucks. A spring to quickly forget. I had to process a few viruses and bacteria in quick succession and my body could not handle that," Vanmarcke shared on Instagram.
After missing on the opening weekend due to Covid-19, he didn't manage to recover his form until the Tour des Flandres, where he was not allowed to start as illnesses prevented Israel - Premier Tech from having enough riders to take to the start. His last opportunity came as Paris-Roubaix, but he fell ill once again and couldn't take to the start.
He concluded, on his social media post: “Thank you so much to the people who continue to support me. I really really appreciate it! To the people who react firmly: I understand your reaction. I myself always hope for even more, even better. I can only say that I have done my very best throughout my career, with or without setbacks. This spring it was clearly disappointing. I have to accept it, move on and set new goals.”
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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