"He's so strong it's scary, I wouldn't feel comfortable if I was one of his rivals including Juan Ayuso" - Johan Bruyneel on Isaac del Toro
Cycling
Johan Bruyneel has analyzed one more day of the Giro d'Italia 2025, the chaotic stage 11, on The Move podcast where he talked about his feelings regarding Isaac del Toro who looks very comfortable in the pink jersey thus far.
The former directeur sportif in his glory days talked about the incredible strength of the UAE team compared to the rest of the peloton and what is happening for the overall between Isaac del Toro, Juan Ayuso and Primoz Roglic.
On UAE, he was very impressed with what he saw throughout the day, first in San Pellegrino and then in the rest of the day, highlighting Majka returning to his best sensations: "On the climb Primoz Roglic was isolated, UAE was setting a pace to avoid attacks. Egan Bernal tried and then UAE set a pace to avoid breaking their block by attacks. Rafal Majka returning to his prime set a pace that no one could hold".
"So, UAE was very strong and very conservative. If you see what happened after the San Pellegrino climb, UAE pulled themselves together and had all 8 riders together. You can't understand how it makes you feel as a team, the comfort it gives you, to see that everybody is suffering and tired and you have your 8 riders there. That gives a sense of security. UAE was very strong, with every attack or selection they had 3 or 4 guys, or even more".
He also said that Ayuso and Roglic didn't have their best day and that Del Toro was a bit accelerated. However, seeing the level of the Mexican, he does not rule him out at all to win the Giro d'Italia: "I think Primoz Roglic and Juan Ayuso didn't have a great day, when Del Toro went, Ayuso didn't follow his wheel and had to wait for someone else to close the gap, if he had been good he would have done it".
"On Roglic the same, he was a bit behind and didn't react fast. When Del Toro went off Caruso and Tiberi went with him, so it was no big deal. I still don't know why he did it, inexperience and excitement makes you do this kind of thing, what is for sure is that he is incredibly strong, he was second at the end, he has the biggest punch at the end, in this kind of stages he goes without a chain. He's so strong it's scary, I wouldn't feel comfortable if I was one of his rivals including Juan Ayuso."
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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.
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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)...
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