Adrie van der Poel has nothing but compliments after World Championships road race: "They make cycling really attractive"
Cycling
Adrie van der Poel was vocal on how he believes that current cycling is harder than what was the case a few decades ago, and he also vastly complements the headliners of the recent World Championships road race after a spectacular race that ended with Mathieu's win.
“We will see that in the coming months, or maybe even next year. The fact that it has unleashed something in a lot of people, that is now slowly seeping through," Adrie told Wielerflits regarding the current state of Dutch cycling. “You can almost compare it to the Tour victories. We had a period between 1974 and 1979 when a number of Dutch world champions came one after the other."
He commented on Mathieu's run-up to the Worlds, which proved perfect, as was the case with Milano-Sanremo - both races where the endurance factor benefited him: “Super proud, of course! Mathieu rode a very strong spring. In the Tour he was actually only able to do half of his thing, also due to circumstances. He continued to fight in that Tour, to get rid of that cold."
"I saw that he was a lot better in the third Tour week, also uphill. Once out of the Tour, he made the decision very quickly to go to Spain, because the weather here was too bad to train in. He did his thing there. Then you come back, fingers crossed and hope all is well. In the end, the whole puzzle falls into place.”
The pieces of the puzzle fell in a way not many would've hoped for. It was a dominant win, that he took despite a crash in the final kilometers. Adrie van der Poel believes it was up to the best riders in the world and it is an incredibly prestigious win. “You are there with the three best riders. But I also want to include Mads Pedersen. I think he only got through this year, despite his previous world title."
"He is riding a super strong season. Just like Pogacar and Van Aert, Pedersen is a rider after my own heart. They race. They don't look at an effort more or less. They make cycling really attractive.”
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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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Grinta, passion and determination turned into perfection! 🥇 🌈 WORLD CHAMPION! 🌈 @mathieuvdpoel x @CyclingWorlds #GlasgowScotland2023 #MVDP #AlpecinDeceuninck
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