"Of all the riders I've met in my career, Van der Poel is the most impressive I've ever seen" - John Degenkolb
Cycling
There is currently a generation of supertalents in cycling, riders that will make the history books - both in terms of performances, but also the palmarès they have built. John Degenkolb and Tim Wellens were asked about the most impressive rider in the peloton and they have agreed that Mathieu van der Poel is one of a kind.
Degenkolb, 'Mr. Roubaix', is far past his prime but still performs in what is his favourite race, almost cracking the Top10 this year. He recalls seeing Mathieu van der Poel's performance in the 'Hell of the North' earlier this year and what he felt regarding it. "There was nothing you could do about it today. At least in this peloton. Because you can't forget who couldn't participate. The peloton has lost quite a lot of quality in recent weeks," the German said in words to Het Laatste Nieuws.
Degenkolb, himself a winner of Paris-Roubaix, Milano-Sanremo and stages in all Grand Tours, has no reservations when stating that "of all the riders I've met in my career, Van der Poel is the most impressive I've ever seen. Not just today, everything he's touched in the past two years has turned to gold."
That can be attested by his results, including two Paris-Roubaix wins, one Tour of Flanders, one World title on the road, one in Gravel, two in Cyclocross, a Milano-Sanremo and more. It's a streak that is only not taken into consideration more because equally the sport has seen another untouchable talent such as Tadej Pogacar take to the road simultaneously.
"I don't think it's possible to do anything about it, but I'm not frustrated when I have to race against a rider like that," Wellens says of the Alpecin-Deceuninck rider, knowing the sheer talent that van der Poel holds. "I look at it with admiration. It's not like Mathieu is sitting at home on the couch and then comes to win. We also have one like that in the team, he's also at a different level," he refers to Pogacar. "Van der Poel probably works the hardest of them all. I see that with Tadej too."
Wellens complements the two, arguing that the amount of training and work put in between races really does set them apart from many others. "Everyone always talks about his super talent, but at the end of the year he always has the most kilometers, the most hours on the bike and the highest 'training stress score'. It doesn't just happen."
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Legendary moments of the 2024 cycling season: the incredible atmosphere on Montmartre during the Olympic road race in Paris. 😍🇫🇷 Mathieu van der Poel and Wout van Aert flying up this hill was a nice bonus.pic.twitter.com/3s4c7OnhIK
— Mihai Simion (@faustocoppi60) December 28, 2024
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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