Belgian talent who climbed with the Dauphiné's best has been rewarded by Alpecin-Premier Tech

Many young climbers made an impression at the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, from winner Isaac Del Toro and top talent Paul Seixas to Cian Uijtdebroeks and surprise contender Luke Tuckwell. But in the shadow of all that excitement, a Belgian made his mark on the climbers’ scene. Ramses Debruyne put in a strong performance and has been rewarded by Alpecin-Premier Tech with a new contract.

The 23-year-old Debruyne is only in his second season as a professional cyclist. After years with the Lotto–Soudal development team, he chose to join Mathieu van der Poel’s team, where he made the transition to the pros after a year in the U23 ranks. In his first year, he showed flashes of potential in the high mountains, such as during the UAE Tour. He then backed that up with a strong autumn season.

He continued that upward trend in 2026. He finished 14th in the Étoile de Bessèges and 18th in Liège–Bastogne–Liège, but he saved his best performance for the Tour d’Auvergne–Rhône-Alpes. He finished second in the opening stage, after which he held his own impressively in the fierce general classification battle: with a twelfth-place finish in the final stage, he finished the stage race in thirteenth place.

The young Belgian climber is slowly making a name for himself. With his strong performances in the Walloon hills, Debruyne is also a versatile rider who will be a great asset to Alpecin-Premier Tech in the future. That is why the Roodhooft brothers have decided to renegotiate the young talent’s contract and extend it through 2028.

"I'm proud to have been able to extend my contract with Alpecin-Premier Tech," Debruyne said in a statement on Instagram. "This team has believed in me from the start and has played a crucial role in my development. The support I’ve received made this an easy decision. I’m motivated to keep growing and to continue contributing to the team’s success in the years to come.”

Author: David Bavin-Hobbs | LinkedIn | Email