UAE Team Emirates faced tough competition towards the end, but having had strength in numbers and quality, the team managed to fill all three spots of the podium, with Jan Polanc emerging the big winner from the hilly race.
It took a while for a breakaway to settle in the race but eventually a group containing Gil Gelders (Bingoal Pauwels Sauces WB), Lorenzo Roda (Biesse - Carrera), Ricardo Tosin (General Store Essegibi F.lli Curia), Jacopo Cortese and Francesco Carollo (Mg.K Vis-Color for Peace-VPM) went off, later to be caught with 66 kilometers to go as the pace ramped up in the peloton and shortly after a small group split off the front of the peloton containing multiple riders of several of the main teams, with Trek - Segafredo having to chase - unsuccessfuly - in the peloton.
As the riders entered the final circuit around the town of Laigueglia the race began being attacked harshly as UAE Team Emirates began deploying their strength in numbers. No attack however succeeded in escaping as INEOS Grenadiers also had a large number of riders and managed to control all move until the final laps, which had seen in the meantime a crash from one of the pre-race favourites David Gaudu putting him out of contention for the race contention.
In the final ascent, despite UAE's best efforts to uncoordinate the remaining group, they saw Lorenzo Rota lead the entire ascent not allowing for any attacks to fly off, taking both UAE's Covi and Ayuso with him, both of whom attacked Rota but without success on the run-up to the finish. Insid the final kilometer Carlos Rodriguez and Jan Polanc returned to the front of the race and the Slovenian launched a piercing attack, which despite some chase from his own teammates in a sprint, maneged to take what was a very big win, his first since 2017.
Alessandro Covi and Juan Ayuso finished second and third in the sprint behind, making it an inconceivable complete podium for UAE Team Emirates.
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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#TrofeoLaigueglia 🇮🇹 🏆 Victory for Jan Polanc! Top 3 for UAE! #DomestiqueLive
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