"The makers, in American style, are looking for sensation" - Jasper Philipsen doesn't like how he's portrayed in Tour de France documentary
Cycling
The Tour de France series 'Unchained' will have it's third and final season premier this 2nd of July and as has been the case in the past, Jasper Philipsen will be one of the headliners in the series. The Alpecin-Deceuninck sprinter doesn't however enjoy the fact that on the series' trailer he is portrayed as a rider who takes extreme risks and endangers others.
"The makers, in American style, are looking for sensation to boost the viewing figures. Because they provide promotion and reaction," Philipsen said in words to Het Laatste Nieuws. "We (the team, ed.) do not get a preview, while it does determine your name and image to some extent".
Sprints are inherently dangerous and the Belgian rider has often been involved in situations where he was criticized by other riders or pundits due to his movements in the peloton. His ability to surf the wheels in the peloton and fight for positioning is also part of his success as a sprinter, and to a certain degree, all fast men require this skill - as well as their leadout men.
The introduction of new rules look to make sprints safer, although thus far it must be said the difference can't be noticed. Yellow cards as consequences for the riders were also introduced to try and have riders take less risks in the sprints but Philipsen doesn't think it's becoming a solution. "And that they are looking for solutions to make it safer. But what is yellow and what isn't? It's sometimes hard to determine."
He gives the example of a recent sprint at the Baloise Belgium Tour, where he saw first-hand a case where he doesn't agree with an attributed yellow card: "After the crash at the end of the second stage of the Baloise Belgium Tour, Davide Bomboi was punished. While that boy had done nothing wrong. He only avoided Jonas Rickaert, who dropped out after his lead-out. He just cycled around him - what else was he supposed to do? Hop, yellow. Unjust and unnecessary."
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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Rafionain-Glas08-11-2026 - He is boring
leedorney08-11-2026 - To Twoje przemyślenia te bla, bla :)
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