"I can either follow or I can’t" - Tom Pidcock direct with his chances of success at Tour of Flanders
Cycling
Tom Pidcock comes into the Tour of Flanders as a big outsider. A rider who can both fight for the win or be out of contention early on, the Briton will be an unpredictable figure in the Belgian race. As always, he was quite direct with his words ahead of his first monument of the year.
“It’s not complicated, I can either follow or I can’t. So I hope it’s the former," Pidcock said this Friday. He's one of the riders who has in the past battled with van Aert, van der Poel and Pogacar who are set to be the main favourites in Flanders. Those three have shown that they’re all in top shape, and they made the race in E3. I think everyone expects them to make the race on Sunday, and I know I want to be with them as well, in the final.”
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The Briton suffered a concussion at Tirreno-Adriatico, breaking the form he had gathered until then which saw him win Strade Bianche. He returned to racing only at the recent Dwars door Vlaanderen where he looked to be competitive but couldn't make the decisive split and finished within the peloton. He is a rider to take into consideration, but won't be the sole leader in an INEOS lineup that also features Jhonatan Narváez and Ben Turner.
“I think I just missed the top end really, but I always struggle in my first race after a little period away," he said of his recent outing. "The lead into Dwars was not what we had planned so it wasn’t ideal, but not bad. I think I did some good training in the last week, and there’s no reason why it will be bad on Sunday. I think only time will tell.”
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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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De Ronde. Enough said. We'll see you on Sunday in Flanders 👊🇧🇪 #RVV23
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