It was a rough day of racing in Denain, as besides the race win we have seen several Tour de France contenders on the startline to test their classics racing. Primoz Roglic excelled, as he was not only part of the race but actively fighting for the victory.
"It was a special and difficult day, but it went well. It's totally different, riding on cobblestones. I learned things I wasn't used to, like the nervousness before the cobbled sections. Positioning is essential, which also makes it dangerous. I am not dissatisfied with the final result, because the result was not the main goal for today;" Roglic said after the race. Although he was in Denain to test himself, he had the legs to follow the collective INEOS attack with 30 kilometers to go and was part of the group that almost made it to the finish, showing confidence in the rough sectors the race had to offer.
As for Jonas Vingegaard he was distanced from the peloton after suffering a puncture in a crucial moment of the race, not being able to latch back on to the group.
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Stage five of the Tour de France will take place in northern France with several cobbled sectors to be tackled. Jumbo-Visma and INEOS Grenadiers came to Denain with the purpose of studying the sectors in a recon ride some days ago, and today at the race they were keen on testing everything in race environment.
Team DS Grischa Niermann was also satisfied with the outcome of today's race: "We were here to test the guys and the equipment, and Primoz did a super job. We learned a lot concerning the cobbled stage in the Tour de France. Racing on cobblestones is different than reconnaissance. Jonas was without a chance after his puncture in the second local lap. Apart from Lennard's crash, we can reflect on today with satisfaction because we did what we came for. Today has made us much better with a view to the summer."
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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