Pello Bilbao came to the Tour de Pologne as one of the main favourites, and in today's steep finale at Przemysl the Basque climber put on a strong performance to finish second only behind Sergio Higuita.
“We are showing we are in good shape, with a good attitude, and the team is working really well every day," Bilbao said in a post-race interview. "Our goal was to fight on every single stage of the Tour of Poland, and to fight for the overall, but now we just need to hit the target!"
The third stage was all about the hilltop finish, in which Bilbao stayed relatively hidden until the final bend, where he emerged from the GC group with a powerful sprint. However, he left it too late, not having the road to catch up with Sergio Higuita who had been in the front before he made his acceleration.
Nevertheless, Bilbao now sits second in the overall classification only four seconds behind the BORA - hansgrohe rider, and will with no doubt be one of the main favourites to take the final yellow jersey. Tomorrow's stage provides another opportunity to attack as the race will once again ride around the hills of sourtheastern Poland.
"I’m happy because I can see that the work I’ve done in the past few weeks preparing for this race is working: I’m quite explosive, I feel fresh, so that’s really good news, and I’m pleased to feel these legs and this punch," he concluded.
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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🥈 @PelloBilbao1990 is second on the brutal final ramp on stage 3 @Tour_de_Pologne #RideAsOne #TdP22 📸 @SprintCycling
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