Dries van Gestel has returned to the spotlight this week as he rode into second place at the Eurométropole Tour, another proof that the Belgian has stepped up his game this season and is carrying ambitions much higher than before.
"Correct. Over the years I have shown a few times that I was strong and had potential, but I was never consistent enough. After a good performance I was often a bit too fragile and I felt that the legs no longer turned," he revealed in an interview with Wielerflits. "Now everything runs much smoother. I feel much better, on and off the bike.”
With consistency now not a flaw anymore since joining TotalEnergies, the Belgian rider has been enjoying a successful season with podium results at Gent-Wevelgem and the recent Eurométropole Tour, aswell as a win at the Profronde van Drenthe. His improvement on the bike may also be the result of small changes however, as he explains.
"Last winter we had a bike fit done at Specialized, and a few things have come out that make me more comfortable cycling. I now also use a different type of saddle. That may seem trivial, but in practice it makes a big difference to me," he explains. He was asked about Peter Sagan's presence in the team and what it changed. Besides the Specialized bikes that the French team now use, he says the transfer was an improvement for the team overall.
“...When you get someone around you who has won just about everything there is to win, it does a lot with motivation. Everyone seemed to be getting a boost. Turgis was second in San Remo, I was third in Gent-Wevelgem. We won in Paris-Nice. And that good start kept the team going," he detailed. Van Gestel had several other strong performances throughout the season, as did the team - for example at the Critérium du Dauphiné where they won two stages and wore the yellow jersey.
As for van Gestel however, he will still be hunting wins in these last few months of the season, and he's carrying form to be able to succeed. "We start with the Schaale Sels and the Druivenkoers, and from September there will be even more races in our own country. I hope I can continue the good line of the past few months.”
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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