Before retiring, one of Visma's veterans will teach young teammates how to race a Grand Tour - "Do the right things, make the right choices..."
Cycling
Steven Kruijswijk joined the professional peloton 20 years ago already in 2006, and jumped to World Tour level in 2010. He is one of the riders who has lasted the longest in the modern peloton and, at age 39, he will do his final race as a professional at the Vuelta a España. He will be a key member to Team Visma | Lease a Bike, supporting its leaders and teaching its youngsters how to do a three-week race.
Retirement brings excitement back into Kruijswijk's final races
"It's maybe with the same feeling as I had when I started as a professional, you know," Kruijswijk said in words to Domestique. "You're looking forward to the first race you do, and now it's the other way around. It's the last race I'll do as a professional. So it's a good feeling, but also a strange feeling."
With only two professional wins but a very illustrious career both as a leader and a domestique at Visma, spanning its third decade now, Kruijswijk believes it is the right time to hang up the wheels.
The Dutchman has ridden 23 Grand Tours throughout his career, finishing on the podium of the 2019 Tour de France and coming close to winning the Giro d'Italia back in 2016, before a crash into a snow bank took the pink jersey away from his shoulders. For many years he is now in a supporting role on the team that has marked his career, and the decision on when he would retire became clear once he learned of his schedule for the year.
"When I heard last year the Vuelta would start in Monaco, I said that would be the perfect moment for me, as a rider, to have my last race there," he explains. "A nice opportunity, close to my family. We have been living here for ten years in the area, in Monaco."
Steven Kruijswijk will retire at the 2026 Vuelta a España
20 years in the peloton worth of experience
"I'm feeling pretty well. I had a good preparation as well in the months of June and July, towards these races," he assures. The Vuelta was always the plan, and the veteran was able to finish every race he started this year, meaning that most aspects have gone according to plan for the Dutch team.
"In Burgos, we went there with a few guys who will go to the Vuelta, so it was good racing and to get back into the routine," he added. There he teamed up with Ben Tulett and Matthew Brennan, the team's young leaders for the Vuelta.
"Also, the heat there was already like temperatures of 40 degrees, so it was good to adapt, and we had some nice successes with Matthew".
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The team will have Wout Van Aert as well, likely in a leadout role for the bunch sprints, stage hunter on a few specific days and potentially domestique for his GC leaders as well. Both Tulett and Jorgen Nordhagen should have freedom to pursue it.
"My main goal will be helping the guys get stage victories and achieve a good result in the GC, being supportive in any way I can. We have some experience, myself of course, but also with Wout there. And a few guys will be doing their first Grand Tour, so I’d like to share my experience."
With 23 Grand Tours ridden, Kruijswijk has experience and knowledge that can't be learned in any other way. Taking into consideration the team is backing up riders doing their first, the presence of riders such as him is invaluable towards the learning process.
"Especially the young guys, who sometimes are a bit excited, maybe going too much into details. In the end, it’s a long race. It’s three weeks, and especially with the heat, it takes a lot out of you. I hope I can help the guys stay calm, do the right things, make the right choices, and give them confidence in the race."
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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