"Kastelijn, this is so incredibly stupid" - Dutch pundit suggests Dutch rider may have been payed to chase down Shirin van Anrooij at Gravel World Championships
Cycling
The outcome of the Gravel World Championships was not a fully unexpected one with Lorena Wiebes taking the victory over Marianne Vos after the two were part of a select group that made it through the gravel sectors of the race in Limburg, however the way in which these two arrived at the first places was very controversial. After the chasing down of Yara Kastelijn to her compatriot, there are questions on why that was the case.
Over social media there was heavy criticism immediately over the work of Kastelijn in the last few kilometers which brought back her compatriot Shirin van Anrooij, for no apparent reason, as she burned her chances of taking a medal and chased down a teammate to favour two other teammates.
Many members of the Dutch community specifically, despite having a first and second at the end of the day in the results sheet, were very unhappy with the way the final kilometers played out and how van Anrooij had the victory taken from her in such an unusual way.
"With this action, at this point in the race, I don't think Kastelijn is riding for herself. But for whom? That's the question," Roxane Knetemann said in the Het Wiel podcast. "I was watching too and thought 'Kastelijn, this is so incredibly stupid'. But she's being called such a scumbag now, which I find scandalous. She doesn't deserve that."
Was Kastelijn potentially influenced to ride?
Ultimately it is hard to understand the reasons behind the Fenix-Deceuninck rider's tactics, as an attack would've been her sole chance at a medal in that group, and she was not teammates on the road with either Wiebes or Vos - besides being literal teammates with van Anrooij only two weeks ago at the Kigali World Championships.
"I do hope she analyzes this herself and looks back. If it had been her own action, she should have chosen a different moment in those last 11 kilometers. Or she rode for Wiebes or Vos and got paid. I think she simply lost it and didn't ride for anyone, because what she did in the 500 meters was ridiculous."
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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