"It was a big moment in the development of our squad" - Fabian Cancellara proud of how Tudor Pro Cycling rode their first Tour of Flanders
Cycling
In his column for Cyclingnews, Tudor Pro Cycling's mentor Fabian Cancellara looked back at his team's debut at the Flemish Monument, highlighting the importance of this experience for riders involved. Despite the fact that team encountered mix of unluck and bad days.
"At Tudor Pro Cycling Team, we made our debut at the Tour of Flanders, and that was a big moment in the development of our squad. It wasn’t the best day we’ve had in the Classics this Spring, but it was still a very important experience for everybody."
"Even if we didn’t get the outcome we wanted in terms of a result, the process was still a good one. We had a plan and the team executed it, despite the miserable weather and some bad luck. Marius Mayrhofer, for example, had a couple of punctures at really bad moments. You can’t come back from that, but that’s just sport."
"We were aiming for a top 10 finish, but we had to settle for 19th with Matteo Trentin. He didn’t have his best day, and he said as much afterwards. If he had been on a normal day in a race like this, then he would definitively have been up there with the guys riding for the places in the top 10. At the end here, he was suffering, and he wasn’t even able to do the sprint with his small group. That happens, and Matteo was still happy with how the team has progressed in these races. That’s what counts."
Ondrej ZhasilCycling Journalist
Ondřej Zhasil is a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2023. He is based in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, and covers professional cycling across the main UCI competitions, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. A key focus of his work is startlist analysis and pre-race coverage, where he examines team selections, rider line-ups, and tactical scenarios ahead of major events.
Alongside WorldTour coverage, Ondřej has developed specific expertise in junior cycling and in racing across East Asia, including competitions in China and Japan. He also maintains a broad working knowledge of other disciplines and levels, including cyclocross, while continuing to expand his understanding of mountain bike racing.
Ondřej holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, which supports his analytical, data-driven approach to performance and race analysis. In his reporting, he regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
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