Nathan van Hooydonck tells his favourite for Paris-Roubaix - And it's not Pogacar, van der Poel, van Aert or Pedersen...
Cycling
Nathan van Hooydonck is a former right-hand man for Wout van Aert and still a member of Team Visma | Lease a Bike to this day. In his Paris-Roubaix preview he got emotions out of the way and talked about who he considers to be the main favourite, and he's got an interesting opinion.
"I'm not completely ruling him out, but it will be much more difficult for him to drop the others than in the Tour of Flanders," van Hooydonck argued in words to Het Laatste Nieuws regarding Tadej Pogacar. "There are no hills where he can use his weight to his advantage." However, the Slovenian will start amongst the very main favourites, and only four years ago Sonny Colbrelli also achieved a victory on his debut in the Hell of the North. That will be a tough task for the World Champion however according to van Hooydonck.
"Small, light riders will tend to jump on the cobblestones. Whereas heavier riders will automatically press their bikes down more due to their weight, which means they are more stable on the cobblestones and slide more. For someone who weighs 65 kilos, it's more of a constant struggle and hard work on the bike."
Hence heavier riders such as Wout van Aert and Mads Pedersen could have a slight advantage over the other two, however as we know bike handling skills are crucial and Mathieu van der Poel is almost unmatched in this regard. However the Belgian rider looks towards a particular rider as a potential winner of this race despite the incredible competition.
"Filippo Ganna is my top favorite. He is like a truck on cobblestones: once he gets up to speed, he doesn't stop," he argues. "Uphill it's about watts per kilo: the lightest rider who can pedal the hardest goes up the hill the fastest. On the flat, it's about absolute wattage: the more power you have, the faster you go".
"Weight is much less of a limiting factor. Or, to put it the other way around, ten kilos of extra muscle is more of an advantage. Big, muscular athletes are often stronger."
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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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