Several high profile riders have this morning been confirmed to miss Strade Bianche which is set to take place tomorrow. Tom Pidcock and Lennard Kämna are between them, but Tom Dumoulin will miss the race as he is faced with an unexpected positive test for Covid-19 which will take him out of competition for a few weeks.
Dumoulin has struggled with back issues at the UAE Tour's summit finishes but with an impressive third place at the race's time-trial he seemed to be back to competition in great form. This morning Jumbo-Visma issues a press release with Tiesj Benoot's ambitions and the lineup did not include the Dutchman, which has in the meantime tested positive for Covid-19 this morning according to Wielerflits.
“I have a good feeling about my first races for the team. You can train well and feel good during a training camp, but it is important to see this confirmed in races. Although I joined the team rather late, my preparation went smoothly," said Tiesj Benoot who will be leading the team tomorrow in hopes of matching his win of 2018. He has recently debuted at Jumbo-Visma at the opening weekend where he showed great form and was on the attack at both Omloop Het Nieuwsblad and Kuurne - Bruxelles - Kuurne.
"The altitude training in Tenerife has certainly paid off. The atmosphere in the team was excellent and we are well attuned to each other. We brought those good mechanisms to the races, which was nice to see. It gives me confidence for what will follow," he concluded.
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.
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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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- maybe this is something else they can protest in the streets of France.mij04-11-2026
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- Orts was a super smart signing with the new rules regarding cross and UCI pointsmij04-11-2026
- yeah... you're right...PogiSloFans04-11-2026
- Podcast sounds great. Two so called experts stating the f*cking obvious.wrsty04-11-2026
- A mindset that reminds me of Tim Declerq. I loved watching that guy just pound away the kilometers, hours at the front, holding an entire breakaway in check on his own. Bjerg seems like a similar guy. Curling, the team sport.RidesHills04-11-2026
- He will be lol, but he can still win on the climbs hahaawp04-11-2026
- I would love to have his inconsistency. How many wins this year? 2 TdF stages, a WC, a Euro championship, San Sebastian, multiple wins early year. Monument podiums. I'd take it. I don't think he has a chance in the TdF, but he is still amazing.mij04-11-2026
- He's not going to win the TdF. Maybe if they make every single stage a TT he could win. But I still believe Tadej would just sharpen his TT skills and win.mij04-11-2026
- You beat me to it. Should he make a full recovery (likely) and go light early in the year. One, two, three. Don't ask me, I don't give a damn. Should he be on a Feel-Like-He's-Fixin'-to-Die High.Yepperoni04-11-2026
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.@tom_dumoulin is not fit and therefore won't start in Strade Bianche.
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