"It's a pass that can make quite a difference" - Alberto Contador previews tricky Giro stage 15
Cycling
Alberto Contador has analyzed in Eurosport the stage 15 of the Giro d'Italia 2025 that takes place today, Sunday, and that will be the first of the 4 high mountain stages that await the cyclists between now and the arrival in Rome in a week.
The Madrid native highlighted 2 key points to be taken into account at the outset: "We're going to analyze what for me are the 2 key sites of the stage. First, above all, that Monte Grappa and then, of course, that second-category pass, Dori."
On the first, Monte Grappa, he warned that it is not the same climb that was climbed last year and that the summit will be far from the finish line. That said, depending on the pace, it can leave the cyclists very touched (25.1 km at 6%):
"Monte Grappa, a pass known by a large part of the peloton, was already climbed last year where Tadej Pogacar showed off the hardest part, this year it won't be climbed on that part, but it's still 25 km at a high percentage with your strength already low."
However, Contador makes it clear that the key point of the day is the second pass that is crowned about 30 kilometers from the finish (Dori 16 km at 5%):
"The most important pass of the day will be Dori, the second one, it's in the last part of the stage, we have a lot of curves, high mountain road and at the right time to test the cyclists' strength and because it's before a rest day".
The two-time Giro d'Italia winner thinks that the constant ramps that the riders will encounter in Dori may cause some favorites to get droppped.
"We are talking about a pass that is around 7 and 8 percent all the time, if you add this to Monte Grappa and the great mileage that the riders are going to carry it is a pass that can make quite a few differences."
And not only that, the fact that it does not end near the finish line gives it an extra danger, since an isolated rider with many kilometers to go could leave a minute behind:
"This does not end here, depending on where the riders are they will have to manage, because there are still about 27 kilometers to go and it is not a flat terrain by any means, maybe it is interesting to put men in the breakaway of the day so that they can help you in that terrain because the one who fails in this second pass with the Red Bull Kilometer can leave a lot of time in the finish of Asiago."
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🩷👀 Lo que se nos viene en el #GirodItalia en la etapa 15@albertocontador nos cuenta las tres claves sobre esa brutal jornada que se avecina en el Monte Grappa#LaCasadelCiclismo pic.twitter.com/MZ7eCNc8wE
— Eurosport.es (@Eurosport_ES) May 24, 2025
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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