"It is really difficult specially when we race against riders like Remco" - Simone Velasco comes close to first victory in Italian tricolore at Figueira Champions Classic
Cycling
The Figueira Champions Classic was a race headlined by Remco Evenepoel from start to finish, but behind some quality figures took the opportunity. Simone Velasco finished on the podium of the Portuguese classic and comes closer to his first win as the Italian national champion.
The Astana Qazaqstan Team rider was one of the riders who survived the many sharp and explosive climbs that the Portuguese race had to offer, managing to find himself in the chasing group behind Remco Evenepoel after the three laps that were raced around Figueira da Foz. Together with Christian Scaroni, the two riders from the Kazakh team worked together to find themselves in a position to fight for the podium - and ultimately, Velasco was only beaten by Vito Braet.
Read also
"Yeah I will try to take finally a win with this special jersey, but it is really difficult specially when we race against riders like Remco," Velasco said in words to CyclingUpToDate. "Today Remco was impressive, and we try to do our best and finally we took a podium that is good, it's good enough." With a smart ride, the 28-year old packed the necessary punch he needed for a sprint and a motivating trip to the podium.
With this result, he puts himself in a position of leadership into the Volta ao Algarve, where he will have opportunities to show his worth on the summit finishes to the Alto da Fóia and Alto do Malhão. "I have to wait to increase the shape, and I think we will try again to do something, something good," he concluded.
Read also

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.
claps 0visitors 0
Just in
Popular news
Latest comments
- Pidcock finished 9th place, 29 minutes down. he is a helluva rider, so gutsy. and he is amazing at all disciplines. but this headline is . . .mij09-11-2026
- I know, watch the video. and listen to her competitors. it was a tricky tacky call at best. WTF is this guy talking about??? my original comment was from the picture it didn't look like anything.mij09-11-2026
- I dunno what you're talking about. you make no sense. MS's competitor and the competitors coach said it was BS. she didn't deviate in a way that relegation should be required. revel LOL. you're so cool, in your own mind.mij09-11-2026
- deviation lol, watch the videomij09-11-2026
- the 'No different than women who follow and discuss celebs through gossip magazines' comment was unfortunately a bit off. didn't you just boast about your principles in the comments section of another article?Ketterechts08-11-2026
- Are you MrMauMau 2.0? Nothing you are saying is really relevant. Vaguely connected, but irrelevant. The conversation is whether Schreiber impeded Brand or not.
Rafionain-Glas08-11-2026 - He is boring
leedorney08-11-2026 - To Twoje przemyślenia te bla, bla :)
Dariusz08-11-2026 - Uwielbiam patrzeć, jak wyjeżdża na czoło peletonu i zaczyna się rzeź...
Dariusz08-11-2026 - Yeah, unreal.
parisbound0008-11-2026
Loading
🇵🇹 RESULT: #FigueiraChampionsClassic @simovelasco takes third place in Portugal! 🥉 Good result for his first race of the season. Bravo Simone! 👏 #AstanaQazaqstanTeam
Write a comment








