Lorena Wiebes head and shoulders above the rest at European Championships - "It was not perfect, it was really chaotic"
Cycling
She had done it previously in 2022 and last year was second to compatriot and teammate Mischa Bredewold. Lorena Wiebes has become European Champion once again this afternoon in Hasselt as she gave no chance to her rivals in the final sprint taking place in Hasselt.
The race saw some attacks but it was actually far from destroying the peloton. Only a few riders, at a time, managed to briefly escape the peloton but a bunch sprint always looked to be the most likely scenario. Wiebes had a full team around her in the final kilometers but they were overwhelmed by the Italian leadout.
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Wiebes had to move around in the much-disputed wheel of Elisa Balsamo, but in the final sprint she easily carved a gap to her rivals. "Well it was not perfect, it was really chaotic," the Dutchwoman said in a post-race interview. "The girls did amazing all race and in the last lap we took full control. I think for everyone it was a bit chaos in the sprint; I got a bit lost but I found the wheels of the Italian train. I had to go a bit early but I had the feeling that I needed to go with speed".
And with speed she did go, beating Elisa Balsamo and Daria Pikulik to her second European title on the road. "It's something special to wear this jersey during the races. It's always nice to have a special jersey and yeah it's a great feeling".
To conclude she was asked what she would still race this season, which is coming to a close, and the sprinting legend reveals her final appointments: "I will do some gravel races, the nationals and the World Championships. And then it's time for the last race of the season which is the Simac Ladies Tour and then it's time for the off season".
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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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The Dutch dominance in the European women's road race rolls on! Lorena Wiebes 🏆🚀 firstcycling.com/race.php?r=992…
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