Mathieu van der Poel and Fem van Empel confirmed for Tabor World Championships - Netherlands aim for all rainbow jerseys
Cycling
The Netherlands are a superpower in cyclocross, and heading into Tabor they may take all four gold medals at elite and under-23 level. Mathieu van der Poel and Fem van Empel will both be the main favourites to revalidate their titles.
Van der Poel leads a very strong team for the men's elite race. He will certainly not have a race only against the Belgian competition. In fact during yesterday's World Cup in Hoogerheide, he was joined by compatriots Joris Nieuwenhuis and Pim Ronhaar on the podium - and they, alongside Baloise - Trek Lions teammate Lars van der Haar - will be aiming for the podium.
Netherlands for men's Elite race: Lars van der Haar, Joris Nieuwenhuis, Mathieu van der Poel, Pim Ronhaar, Ryan Kamp and Corné van Kessel.
The women's field will be dominated by the nation, with certainty. Fem van Empel and Lucinda Brand will be big favourites for the gold. Puck Pieterse and Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado have found health issues over the past week which may hamper them, but should be podium candidates nevertheless.
Netherlands for women's Elite race: Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado, Fem van Empel, Puck Pieterse, Lucinda Brand, Annemarie Worst, Inge van der Heijden, Manon Bakker, Denise Betsema and Aniek van Alphen.
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However it is not only in the elite events that the nation will aim high. In both men's and women's under-23 races the Netherlands will have strong lineups with Tibor del Grosso and Leonie Bentveld in the lead.
Netherlands for men's U23 race: Tibor del Grosso, David Haverdings, Danny van Lierop, Lucas Janssen, Bailey Groenendaal and Guus van den Eijnden.
Netherlands for women's U23 race: Leonie Bentveld and Lauren Molengraaf.
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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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- To Twoje przemyślenia te bla, bla :)
Dariusz08-11-2026 - Uwielbiam patrzeć, jak wyjeżdża na czoło peletonu i zaczyna się rzeź...Dariusz08-11-2026
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parisbound0008-11-2026 - there needs to be space in life for pointless comments!Ketterechts08-11-2026
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- Yes, so why not make comments less pointless?Jumpyjohn08-11-2026
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Rafionain-Glas08-11-2026 - There really was nothing in it. Schreiber was so much faster, and Brand was fighting to stay in the wheel in the sprint. Schreiber did move a bit, but to say she closed the door doesn't make sense because Brand couldn't enter it anyway, abd she wasn't impeded.Rafionain-Glas08-11-2026
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