Pello Bilbao inspired by Wout van Aert's diversity: "He wins sprints, mountain stages, time trials and cyclocross races"
Cycling
Pello Bilbao has large years in the pro peloton already and has shown his qualities as a climber, Grand Tour rider, sprinter and a super descender. He takes inspiration from the versatility of Wout van Aert, and hopes to change roles often throughout the 2024 season.
"I want to discover where my limit lies. I would like to keep growing and try something different. With the 2023 level I can achieve great goals. The margin for further steps is small, we are aware of that," the Basque shared in words to Marca. "The ceiling is close, but there is always something to be gained in the light of experience and expertise. We will often aim for the classifications, although we don't necessarily have a man for the Grand Tours. In 2023 (at the Tour de France, ed.) we won three stages, which might be better than third place on the final podium."
The 33-year old continues to evolve throughout his career, and perhaps has had the best performance of his career at the 2023 Tour, where he won a stage and from a breakaway and finished sixth in the overall classification. He has in the past said that he wants to turn his consistency into big wins, and into the upcoming year that may very well be part of his plans. "I would like to win a one-week stage race, or for example the Clasica San Sebastián," he tells. "I have often competed for the top places and have always been close. But at the same time, those victories are still so far away."
With the departure of Mikel Landa from Bahrain - Victorious Bilbao takes up a bigger leading role in the team, but he believes he is best suited by changing from leader, to stage hunter, and domestique throughout the season, such as a rider he looks up to. "Personally, I am most impressed by Wout van Aert. He is so complete and can ride as a leader or as a domestique. He wins sprints, mountain stages, time trials and cyclocross races. He is a good reference for our sport."
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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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parisbound0008-11-2026 - there needs to be space in life for pointless comments!Ketterechts08-11-2026
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