The story of Niklas Behrens is an interesting one. The 21-year old only began racing at a high level last year and after being scouted through social media, in 2024 he got a spot at Lidl-Trek's development team. He has stormed to a brilliant world title in Zurich and Team Visma | Lease a Bike knew of this great talent beforehand, a transfer that was brilliantly outlined according to Jan Bakelants.
“They picked up Trek Futures U23 world champion Niklas Behrens from Lidl. He is someone who can handle a variety of courses and physiologically – a bold statement, I realize – has potential Wout van Aert qualities," Bakelants told Het Laatste Nieuws. The German rider is (according to ProCyclingStats) 1.95 meters tall and 80Kg heavy. The weight of a track rider, sprinter or time-trialist usually; but Behrens won the world title in a course that suited the classics specialists and climbers.
His victory in Zurich was quite impressive and the way he climbed with some great climbing talents in the steep ascents proved his versatility. There is certainly an immense potential in the Dutch team's new rider who may become a big star in the coming years if he can perform the same way.
Alongside Victor Campenaerts and Axel Zingle the German will provide more firepower for the team's classics block, but the Belgian doesn't believe the team needed to improve, but instead more importantly avoid injuries and illnesses that ruined their 2024 spring. “We just hope now that the classic core will also be spared from crashes, injuries and illness. So that the collective strength can be optimally played out and the main bird can finally be shot, especially in the Tour of Flanders and/or Paris-Roubaix.” Of course, Wout van Aert being the priority still, but plenty other riders having the ability to win big.
He is also very keen on the signing of Simon Yates, who he believes could even provide some insight into UAE Team Emirates who they will want to beat at the Tour de France: “Then you are not only buying the classification rider and a piece of the internal kitchen from Jayco-AlUla, but also indirectly from UAE Team Emirates. I assume that Simon still keeps in touch with his twin brother Adam, one of Pogacar's master domestiques, on a regular basis. And that can provide some useful knowledge transfer in that way.”
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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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- many people advise him to grow slowly and rather do giro and/or vuelta instead of tdf. but i can totally understand that he is not satisfied with taking over once pogi declines, but instead beat him in his prime. so if he goes for tdf again, i‘m all for it. let‘s hope that pogi recovers soon!Ketterechts07-11-2026
- So gracious to offer something no-one would be prepared to pay for. The Giro is not the Tour and doesn’t command the same interest or attract the same “elite” (those willing to pay to be a part of something they consider has ego boosting potential). Roadside viewing will always largely remain free for everyone outside circuits. Introduction of a symbolic entrance to mountain climbs is worthy of exploration. Asking 1-2€ isn’t going to repulse real fans (most will spend 50-100€ on their outing that day all things included) but will prevent a portion of the total knobhead thrillseekers who will join in any large gathering as long as it’s free, just because they’re attracted to crowds, without which it it difficult for them to work up their anti-social behaviour.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- How is radio going to help when someone went over a cliff or bridge or off the roadside into a forest unnoticed and is laying there unconscious?Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- Yep, next we’ll be accusing F1 drivers of avoiding Le Mans.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- But on what is that opinion based? Are you holding him to a different standard than others? Are you saying he should do learn to like something he doesn’t Are you saying he hasn’t achieved enough Are you saying he pretends to be better than his results? It’s actually a really strange opinion to oust if you consider it objectively or rationally. Try applying it to others or yourself by asking if not EVERYONE should then be doing more? Nobody in athletics or swimming gets criticism for not expanding their repertoire when a rival or someone else does. In fact, most who move to another event get accused of running from their rival. Opinions are boring, the reasons behind them are what count.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- for a medical chief to throw things like is just bad. There are already radios which were banned for spectacle. allow radios. Gps trackers are not a complete solutionabstractengineer07-11-2026
- Yeah man...PogiSloFans07-11-2026
- any rider less than 25 whether they are really ready for the position of leadership of GT is probably not the case. I think Pogi himself suffered when he was defeated by Jonas in the TDF twice. But that would be the team's job to ensure support so that they can bounce back. It requires a team and time to get back up and win after getting knocked down.abstractengineer07-11-2026
- I'm very glad he got the big late Quickstep Vuelta win and I hope he has a few left for Euskaltel-Euskadi.flyer07-11-2026
- My memories of Ivan Basso aren't good but I liked his sister Elisa ok.flyer07-11-2026
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