Profiles. On the weekend of the 29th and 30th of April the women's peloton face off in Luxembourg, as they ride the two-day Ceratizit Festival Elsy Jacobs.
Estimated start and finish times for Ceratizit Challenge Elsy Jacobs:
Stage 1: 13:30 - 16:15CET
Stage 2: 13:30 - 16:20CET
Stage 1: Luxembourg - Steinfort, 108 kilometers
Stage 1 of the race will be quite difficult. Both days will be hilly and with circuit finishes. The opening day has 108 kilometers in length but they will difficult from start to finish. The riders will climb Cote de Septfontaines which is 1.3 kilometers long at 8%. This will be the key ascent of the day which will be ridden three times, the final of which close to the finish, before a tricky uphill drag to the line in Steinfort.
Stage 2: Luxembourg - Garnich, 116.4 kilometers
The second day of the race is a little longer with 116 kilometers on the menu. It's another treacherous one but with even more climbing. The final circuit has five laps and include two ascents. Rebierg is the categorized one, 1.5 kilometers at 4.7%. Not a brutal circuit but a very explosive one where tactics and form will be crucial, before the finale into Garnich.
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)...
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Here the teaser of @Festival_Elsy 2023 that will take place the 29th and 30th of april. #felsy #UCIProSeries @Ceratizit_Tools Thanks to Motomediateam youtu.be/1TiluwyXPmo via @YouTube
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