"Quite dangerous" - Lorena Wiebes takes a comfortable sprint win but run-up to the finish was anything but that
Cycling
Lorena Wiebes is the strongest sprinter in the women's peloton at the time being and in what was predicted to be the Tour de France Femmes' first bunch sprint, the Team SD Worx - ProTime rider did not disappoint. Wiebes rode to victory in Angers and has taken the green jersey in the process.
On stage 1 the plan for the Dutch team was to work for Lotte Kopecky but the World Champions struggled on the Cõte de Cadoudal and Wiebes didn't have the legs to be in the fight for victory. On stage 2 Wiebes did have them, but Mavi García's late attack anticipated the GC favourites and she managed to get away with the victory whilst the European Champion had to settle for second.
Third time's a charm for the 26-year old who had good positioning in the dangerous and fast finale. “The team worked hard all day. They chased the early breakaway for a long time. Anna [van der Breggen] and Lotte [Kopecky] then set me up well for the sprint. Anna did a perfect job in the last three kilometers," Wiebes said in a post-race interview. "After that, I followed Lotte and we were continuously in the top five in the last few kilometers. She set me up very well".
Wiebes certainly didn't have an easy task, but having gotten to the final sprint in the ideal conditions, she was able to unleash her powerful sprint and take a strong victory ahead of Marianne Vos. "It was quite chaotic in the final. The corners were quite dangerous. Fortunately, we got through it well and I was able to finish it off," she described. "I now have the green jersey on my shoulders and we'll take it day by day. Tomorrow is basically another sprint stage, so that offers new opportunities".
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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- So?Jumpyjohn08-11-2026
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