"Take part in Paris-Roubaix again and be part of a winning team" - Visma youngster wants to build on the success of his first pro year
Cycling
Pietro Mattio has turned professional this year with Team Visma | Lease a Bike and has experienced a successful learning season. The Italian rider was part of Wout Van Aert's Paris-Roubaix-winning team and singles out the Hell of the North as a major goal for 2027 once again.
"I’m very happy with my first year as a professional. It was a long season, but I’m pleased with it because I was already able to take part in some major races," Mattio said in words In de Leiderstrui.
Visma is a team that in recent years has chased success in the cobbled classics and just being part of the lineup for a Tour of Flanders or Paris-Roubaix is an achievement. Mattio's role there was one of doing early work, positioning and covering attacks.
The Italian, 22 years in age, has succeeded in his duties throughout the spring. "The team has seen that I perform well, particularly in the Classics, so that was a great experience. I’ve learned so much—it’s hard to single out just one thing".
In his first year at the elite team, he is aware that he he has several leaders to work for, but understands that is the natural progression, quite professionally.
"The level in the World Tour is so high that, in the end, everyone on the team has a specific role. I’ve found mine: acting as a helper in the Classics. It’s an area where I can grow, and perhaps in some of the smaller races, I might be able to chase a result of my own."
Paris-Roubaix
He had begun his season at the Tour Down Under and raced the UAE Tour before the spring classics. Throughout the spring and summer he competed in plenty events and stage-races, finishing it now at the Eneco Tour with 66 race days in the tally.
Results-wise, the highlight will have been the victory at the youth classification of the World Tour-level Renewi Tour, which displayed his talent in the classics as an emerging rider.
Community wise, he is happy to join forces with several compatriots. "It’s wonderful that we already have four Italians in the group. The whole squad is very close-knit, but it’s nice to have a few Italian friends around," he joked. They are Davide Piganzoli - whose influence in the team grows, Edoardo Affini and Filippo Fiorelli.
Into 2027 there are no fixed plans but there is one race that is a clear goal for him. "I hope to take part in Paris-Roubaix again and be part of a winning team. Why not," he concluded.
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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