"I want to be important there for Jonas" - Steven Kruijswijk hopes to launch Vingegaard to success at TIrreno-Adriatico but also Tour de France
Cycling
Steven Kruijswijk is in 15th season as a pro rider, and every single one has been with Team Visma | Lease a Bike. He looks to help the team's young riders with his experience but also to keep being a valuable asset to Jonas Vingegaard.
"Heading into the Tour de France you want a good level that you can build on. That's why we race a little less in the beginning," Kruijswijk says to In de Leiderstrui. "...The intention is that I grow to a good level uphill, especially in the stages that are scheduled here on Friday and Saturday. I want to be important there for Jonas [Vingegaard]. I will do a lot of races with him this year and I want to be important for him, because he can win wherever he starts. He needs the best help for that and for that I need my best level."
The 36-year old started his season in Italy this week, and will also be racing the Volta a Catalunya and Itzulia Basque Country. Itzulia, the Criterium du Dauphiné, Tour de France and Vuelta a España are all in his schedule and he should be a key climbing domestique for Vingegaard in every single one. He's a key part of the team that puts extra focus in the Dane now that Primoz Roglic is in a rival team.
"Of course you are missing a spearhead in the team, which is good for many victories per year. You just saw it coming that Jonas, especially with a view to the Tour, was the man in the team. Primoz chose himself and that was to be expected," he says of the winter's biggest transfer. "It is different, but we still have plenty of goals to achieve, and we are also busy training and preparing Primoz' successors. That continues as usual."
One of them is Cian Uijtdebroeks, who the team signed in early December following a breaking of his former contract with BORA - hansgrohe. Kruijswijk as a very experienced climber, stage-racer and Grand Tour contender - as well as now a supporter for some of the world's best - has a lot to teach the team's signings.
"There are so many things that are obvious to me, but not to new riders. Boys like Cian [Uijtdebroeks] and Ben [Tulett] are still young riders who have to get used to how they should develop in our team. I have experienced it from the beginning and know what it is now, but also especially what is in store for those boys."
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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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