PREVIEW | Tour des Alpes Maritimes et du Var 2023 stage 3 - Queen stage has Kévin Vauquelin battling to save race lead
CyclingPreview. Throughout the 17th to 19th of February the French peloton will take on the Tour des Alpes Maritimes et du Var, based on the southeastern tip of France and based around the region of Nice, a race full of climbing tests. Stage 3 will be the final day of the race and decide the overall classification.
The final and queen stage should be a chaotic. Only 139 kilometers on the menu, it is a little appetizer for the final day of Paris-Nice, taking place in the same roads. It immediately starts with an ascent that should see a lot of attacks and chaos spread. 6.9 kilometers at 5.1% and 6.9Km at 6.3% in the opening third of the stage will open many opportunities to turn the GC on it's head.
However if all is controlled the stage should be decided in the approach to Vence where the day and race will end. A 4.2-kilometer long climb at 4.5% will end with only three kilometers to go, providing more room for attacks, as is the case with the flat run-up to the line.
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Stage 3: Villefranche-sur-Mer - Vence, 139 kilometers
Prediction Tour des Alpes Maritimes et du Var 2023 stage 3:
*** Neilson Powless, Mattias Skjelmose
** Kévin Vauqeuelin, Romain Bardet, David Gaudu
* Thibaut Pinot, Benjamin Thomas, Rudy Molard, Andrea Piccolo
** Kévin Vauqeuelin, Romain Bardet, David Gaudu
* Thibaut Pinot, Benjamin Thomas, Rudy Molard, Andrea Piccolo
Pick: Neilson Powless
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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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🏅🇩🇰Mattias Skjelmose (@TrekSegafredo) gana la Etapa 2 del Tour de los Alpes Marítimos 2023🇫🇷 #Tour0683 #Ciclismo #Noticiclismo
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