Despite his struggles in the time-trials, Mikel Landa has been one of the most consistent Grand Tour riders of the last few years. He has now finished in the Top7 of his last six finished Grand Tours, and equaled his career best by finishing on the podium of the Giro d'Italia once again.
“I’m very happy to be back on the podium of a Grand Tour. I can’t hide the fact that I’ve done a lot of work and had a lot of subsequent attempts since I last finished on the podium in 2015. I’m very satisfied with how it’s gone,” Landa told Velonews after finishing the race with a modest performance in the Verona time-trial.
Landa has avoided crashing and badly-timed mechanicals. With his preparation strong, team in form and a climber-focused route, Landa stayed in contention for the Giro win until the last few days of racing. “It’s not been easy. I’ve had some good moments, some bad moments, and I’ve put a lot of effort in. But it’s a nice feeling, very gratifying that things have gone my way again at last," he said.
Having finished almost five minutes ahead of fourth place (Vincenzo Nibali) his podium was secure and evidence of his quality. Asked if he could've done better, he replied: “It might seem like there were opportunities, but it’s very difficult when you’re up against teams as strong as Bora and Ineos. In truth, I don’t think there was an opportunity anywhere that I missed."
With Pello Bilbao finshing fifth and Santiago Buitrago netting a stage win in Lavarone, it concluded a successful race for Bahrain - Victorious who lost Jan Tratnik immediately in the first days of the race.
“The fact that I’ve had to leave grand tours without being able to show what I’m capable of has been difficult, but this really gives me some motivation. I feel like things are on the up," Landa pointed out, in relief of what he's once again achieved.
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"I was convinced that I could finish on the podium, as long as I didn’t have any crashes or any catastrophes like those I’ve had in the past... In the end, I’ve managed to do that, I’ve given all I could, and I’m happy," he 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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