Arkéa Samsic are in search of good UCI points and they will be hunting them down at the Vuelta a Espana. A strong lineup from the French team, they come with Kévin Vauquelin, Cristián Rodríguez and Hugo Hofstetter to search for wins.
It is unlikely that the GC will be a goal. Rodríguez was second at La Route d'Occitanie as well as having some strong performances in the summer, but has saved his Grand Tour focus towards his home country. Meanwhile, Kévin Vauquelin, winner of the Tour des Alpes Maritimes and the Tour du Jura, has recovered from the injury that kept him from the Tour de France and with a strong performance this past week seems to be back in form to hit the high notes at the Vuelta.
Hugo Hofstetter will in the meanwhile aim for the sprint stages, the 29-year old is a rider who can usually handle the climbs so the rugged Spanish roads will be well suited to him. Kévin Ledanois, Mathis Le Berre, Élie Gesbert, Michel Ries and Lukasz Owsian complete a lineup that will surely be a constant figure in the breakaways.
Arkéa Samsic for Vuelta a Espana:
Kévin Ledanois, Cristián Rodríguez, Hugo Hofstetter, Kévin Vauquelin, Mathis Le Berre, Élie Gesbert, Michel Ries and Lukasz Owsian.
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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- Giro or not Giro, he won't win the Tour!MajorPayne10-11-2026
- Very true.awp10-11-2026
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- Me too!!!!!Occam10-11-2026
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santiagobenites10-11-2026
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