"Speechless, I am. I really can't believe this" - Georg Zimmermann shocked with Criterium du Dauphiné triumph
Cycling
Georg Zimmermann had before won a stage at the 2021 Tour de l'Ain, however this afternoon he took the biggest win of his career at the Criterium du Dauphiné. The German puncheur has been left very emotional after crossing the line in a very tough finale.
“Now it's the other way around and I win the sprint. It's really incredible. Speechless, I am. I really can't believe this. I tried everything to be here as possible and it worked. I felt incredibly strong," Zimmermann said in a post-race interview. The Intermarché-Circus-Wanty rider worked his way into the 14-rider breakaway which would go on to fight for the stage win, and then had good legs and good timing in the moments that mattered.
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He managed to bridge across to to Jonathan Castroviejo and Mathieu Burgaudeau at the Col des Aravis, but despite struggling in the descent he stayed in the front. He had the legs, and with 1.9 kilometers to go he launched an attack. Burgaudeau was measuring his efforts and attacked over the gap already inside the final kilometer. It seemed to be game over for the German, but after the TotalEnergies' sprint didn't manage to distance him, the table turned once again.
Zimmermann still had a bit of energy in the final few hundred meters and in the run-up to the line he was the one who survived the pace the best. “I am very proud of myself. If this was it, I'm still very happy. But I am motivated for what is to come," he concluded. This comes as a motivating step ahead of the Tour de France where he will make his third appearance.
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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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We deserve it 🥹🥇 #Dauphiné
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