Marta Cavalli has been one of the headliners this spring as she has taken Amstel Gold Race and Flèche Wallone into hers and FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope's palmarès, in equally impressive performances. Today, she beat Annemiek van Vleuten in the summit finish at the Mur de Huy.
"After the Amstel and Roubaix, I can't believe I had these legs today. It's not easy to beat Annemiek. Everyone knows how strong she is, and I was able to attack her in the last hundred meters to win this race. For me this is the best emotion there is. I've worked hard, it's deserved," Cavalli said in a post-race interview. She responded to the moves at the Côte de Cherave in the final kilometers, but it was in the steep gradients of Huy that the race, like every year, was decided.
She had a lot of praise to give to her teammates who were a crucial part in Cavalli's win today: “Today we worked very well together. We talked a lot and they protected me. Also in the dangerous moments, like in the more open and windy spots, before we got to the first local lap. Then they also closed the gap with the leading group. So I have to say a big thank you to the team. Not only the riders, but also the staff.”
With the Movistar rider taking control of the reduced group early in the ramps, it perhaps made the difference as Cavalli paced her effort perfectly, letting van Vleuten's wheel go at the steepest 18% gradients, but pulling herself back to the front, and then having the legs to outsprint her in the end.
“It was not easy because it is very steep. The first part I had to hold back, I stayed in Annemiek's wheel. There I waited until the last meters, because there it becomes a bit flatter. With heavy legs and after a heavy effort you can still make a big difference there. And that happened," the Italian 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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💪 @marta_cavalli98 remporte la Flèche Wallonne ! 🏆
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