"It was my dream to win it and it's true now" - Tearful Magdeleine Vallieres shocks to win world title in Kigali
Cycling
The World Championships are for many the highlight of the year and a race where many prepare so well and in such a difficult course, there weren't many chances of a surprise. But this did happen. Magdeleine Vallieres entered the race as a relative unknown but won the race after a masterclass in tactics but also having the strongest legs out of the winning group.
It was hard for the Canadian national team to grasp what had just happened as the 24-year old crossed the line in Kigali first, celebrating her second pro win and first world title. "I was really... The girls believed in me so I believed in myself and I really committed to going for it. I prepared well so I knew I was on good form so I just tried and told myself I wasn't going to have any regrets. And I dont!"
Vallieres, representing the Canadian national team, was perhaps the smallest of names out of the five that went into the final two climbs of the day in the leading group, and ended up being the strongest. Whilst behind many raced tactically and against their direct rivals, the front group would go on to collect all the medals. But even in this circumstance, few would've expected Vallieres to drop Niamh Fisher-Black and Mavi García on the cobbles of the Côte de Kimihurura, and solo to a career-changing victory.
"I knew I probably wouldn't win in a sprint against Niamh because she is so strong. We were both committed to this break, working really hard, and then I saw that she was fading a little bit so I told myself I just have to go all-in now and yeah it all worked out in the end," she described.
It is a victory that will take a while to understand. "No I don't believe it yet no, for sure not". And next year in Montreal, the defending World Champion will be racing close to home after 12 months spent in the rainbow jersey. "Yeah it's great to do it here, and with the worlds next year in Montreal... It's perfect".
After the shock of the 2021 Olympic Games triumph from Anna Kiesenhofer, Vallieres' victory doesn't stand too far way from one of the biggest surprises in modern cycling. "I've been dreaming about it for a while now, it was a big goal of mine for this year so I prepared well and at altitude. With my coach we knew this would be a big goal so with the team with focused on it. It was my dream to win it and it's true now," she concluded.
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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