"You can quickly become depressed by that" - How the Tour de France's GC outsiders steer away from looking at Pogacar
CyclingTuesday, 07 July 2026 at 15:15
The 2026 Tour de France is becoming an important stepping stone in the career of Ilan van Wilder, who is taking up leadership at Soudal - Quick-Step and aiming for GC after the departure of Remco Evenepoel. The Belgian rider outlines the importance of following his own path and doing his own race, instead of focusing on the men fighting for the yellow jersey who are a level above.
Van Wilder does not focus on Tadej Pogacar
Van Wilder has for several years been riding at a high level, developing as a stage-racer and obtaining a lot of experience performing in the week-long races. This summer, he is testing himself in a three-week race for the first time, aiming to finish high in the overall classification.
However, he knows that he should not be overly ambitious. "You can quickly become depressed by that, because there are guys who stand out so fiercely. And certainly one in particular," van Wilder said on the Vive le Vélo show, referring to Tadej Pogacar.
"If you start fixating on that, you might as well stop cycling. You have to be happy with the rider you are and the things you do. And that is me."
Van Wilder has ridden a strong start to the Tour and enters stage 4 - the first beginning on French territory - in the race's Top10, 1:17 minutes away from Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard. He sits directly above riders such as Tom Pidcock, Richard Carapaz and Mattias Skjelmose who are much more renowned riders in this type of event.
Ilan van Wilder was third at last year's time trial World Championships
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Van Wilder seizing leadership at Quick-Step
The 26-year old, podium finisher at last year's time trial World Championships in Kigali, rode to fifth at the recent Tour de Suisse and has had a specific preparation to aim for the final classification at the Tour. Soudal - Quick-Step is prioritizing stage wins with the likes of Tim Merlier and Valentin Paret-Peintre, but is providing him with freedom to aim for his own goals.
"We don't have an absolute leader for the podium in Paris. That gives a lot less stress. I do see myself as a team leader, but not at Remco's top level. That is not how I see myself, but that is not necessary either," he argues.
"I am a lot more relaxed and happier at the start than last year. In the bubble, it is often easy to forget that as a little kid, it was your dream to ride the Tour. I sometimes reflect on that."
Whilst performing in the mountains is crucial, the Belgian knows that there are different ways of achieving his goal by the time he reaches Paris.
"If I can still aim for a good general classification by playing it smart and gaining back time in breakaways, then I will be satisfied. And if I drop down in the general classification, there are plenty of opportunities to do great things in the stages."
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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