"My attack on the penultimate climb was not really planned" - Jack Haig shows good form and almost benefits from aggressive Tour of the Alps opener
Cycling
Jack Haig is building towards the Giro d'Italia and on the opening day of the Tour of the Alps he showed his work is bringing the results. He was the most decisive attacker on the finale of the opening day but saw his chances fade inside the difficult final kilometer into Alpbach.
As INEOS Grenadiers tried to keep several riders after the main climb of the day the pace slowed down and Haig went on the attack. As Santiago Buitrago sat on the wheels behind, the Australian built a gap of around 25 seconds, was briefly joined by Jefferson Cepeda but made most of the effort alone. “I tried to manage my effort and save some energy for the final climb. I didn't want to give everything in the flat before the final climb," Haig said in a post-race interview.
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"My attack on the penultimate climb was not really planned, but I saw four more INEOS Grenadiers riders in the first group. I had to try something so they couldn't take advantage of an overage situation," he explained. "I was actually hoping for the company of two or three riders so that we could help each other in the valley, but I was now completely on my own.”
The 29-year old's effort was strong but not enough to take the stage win, as his rivals soared up the final kilometer as he held on for life. He crossed the line tenth 14 seconds down on Tao Geoghegan Hart but takes motivation from his gutsy ride. “We now have to take it day by day. The plan is to race aggressively. If I have good legs, I'll compete for the GC. If that is not the case, I will still leave this round with a good feeling," he concluded.
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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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🇮🇹🇦🇹 #TotA 📰 A brave effort from @jackhaig93 on the opening stage of @Tourof_TheAlps saw him caught in the final kilometre. He took 10th place, just behind his teammate @SantiagoBS26. #RideAsOne #LiveUphill 📸 @SprintCycling
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