"I don't know what I'm happier about, winning the stage myself or seeing Simon win the Giro" - Chris Harper
Cycling
30-year old Chris Harper came into the Giro d'Italia aiming for a good position in the overall classification but his ambitions faded halfway through the race. However, the Team Jayco AlUla rider made a perfect comeback, in time to win the queen stage of the race in style.
"It has been a mentally and physically very difficult Giro. I felt good in the first week, but got sick on the second rest day. In the second week I didn't feel good because of that, and I slipped out of the classification. Then it was purely about recovering, and seeing if I could win a stage," the Australian said in a post-race interview.
It was a double celebration day, as he managed to share the victory with the rider whom he was a right-hand man for several years Simon Yates in Sestrière. "I don't know what I'm happier about, winning the stage myself or seeing Simon win the Giro. He's a great guy, and I've had the pleasure of riding with him for a few seasons. We've raced a lot together, and I don't think anyone deserves it more than he does".
Harper was part of the day's breakaway of around 30 riders and to his luck, it didn't involve many of the outsider names that could fight for the stage win. It was the perfect group for Harper that distanced the peloton substantially during the day, but then lacked the men that could match him on the Colle delle Finestre.
"It wasn't really the plan. I wasn't really sure how it would go," he admits. "I thought it might be a big fight between the GC riders, and that they would go for the ride. But I got away with a nice big group, and then I rode my pace on the Finestre and went solo. Then I had to divide myself well, and hope that I could keep it up".
However the victory was glorious, the best of his career up until now. "I didn't believe it until 1.5 kilometres before the finish. Up until then I was suffering enormously, and I knew Simon was coming from behind. We have been teammates for a long time and I knew how strong he can be. That's why I was a bit afraid that he would catch me," he concluded.
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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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