"I was really afraid of failure" - Evenepoel's teammate describes final Vuelta a Espana mountain showdown
Cycling
Remco Evenepoel has had an outstanding season, and his most impressive achievement may very well have been his Vuelta a Espana win, the first Grand Tour he completed, despite the intense pressure from the outside. Two of his teammates have talked about the stress of the final days of the race.
In an interview with Wielerrevue, Ilan van Wilder said that “that day there was a big contrast with the rest of the stages. Before that ride it was very quiet in the bus and you could feel the stress." Evenepoel eventually sustained it, but for the second half of the race was under the pressure of attacks from Primoz Roglic and Enric Mas, but most importantly of himself, as there was no knowing when and if Evenepoel would struggle in the final week of the race.
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Louis Vervaeke described that “before that last mountain stage I had a lot of stress. I was really afraid of failure that I wouldn't be at the appointment. That Mas would attack us and that Remco would be isolated. There was a lot at stake and I have to admit I was really nervous that ride.”
That day Evenepoel resisted the attacks of Enric Mas to seemingly comfortably hold on to the red jersey. It was the day where the weight came off the Belgian team's shoulders, and where Evenepoel fully proved to be a Grand Tour rider. "You also noticed the discharge after the finish. A brick seemed to have fallen from our shoulders."
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"Remco said afterwards that he was very nervous, but I had to say that I did not experience it that way. To be honest, I didn't notice any stress with him. He still put on his loud music, like he does every day," van Wilder revealed.
“What strikes me is that those guys just really like the game. You certainly had that feeling with Mathieu [van der Poel]. Also in training it was not about numbers or blocks, but about hurting each other. What amazes me, above all, is how calm these guys remain under pressure. You should not underestimate how much pressure is put on them. It makes a big difference how they deal with that," 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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