Wout van Aert has been steadily improving during the first week of the Giro d'Italia and today he had a stage win in front of his eyes. Although the Team Visma | Lease a Bike did show good legs in the finale towards Napoli, he regrets having moved off the front in the final kilometer instead of doing the planned leadout for Olav Kooij.
It was a day where Visma avoided the bad luck that other teams couldn't, and in words to CyclingPro.net, the Belgian commented on the crash that was the unfortunate highlight of the day. "It rained for quite a long time and suddenly it was very slippery on that descent".
Jai Hindley crashed and abandoned, whilst several other big names also hit the deck after a Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe crashed at the head of the peloton and took several riders out. "Crashes like this can always happen, but I think the organization made a good choice by neutralizing it and letting everyone come back".
Then in the finale there was about half peloton moving towards the finish, and Visma took responsibility for much of the chase. Van Aert was set out to try and leadout Olav Kooij - something he didn't manage to do on stage 4 - but ultimately, what he did was different.
Likely not the planned decision, but one done under pressure after an Alpecin-Deceuninck rider moved off the front and threatened to escape with the win. Van Aert took off in pursuit without OLav Kooij in the wheel. "That was a mistake. I thought we were closer to the finish and I could have held back and brought Olav closer at the last moment".
Van Aert hung on but was brought back in time for the bunch sprint. Olav Kooij was towards the front, but ended up seeing his chances fade as he was blocked against the barriers. "I saw that he was completely boxed in and that he couldn't really do his sprint," van Aert said of his teammate. "That's a shame, because he couldn't really participate. Although Kaden Groves is also a strong guy, of course".
Wout van Aert did briefly find himself alone in the last kilometre. #DomestiqueLive #GirodItalia pic.twitter.com/IDytidSnyi
— Domestique (@Domestique___) May 15, 2025
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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- i did not see it. was the relegation justified or an overly hard decision? and don‘t cross riders deviate from straight lines all the time? bumping into each others when they cut corners, etc … why being more strict with the rules on the finish sprint?Ketterechts08-11-2026
- seems like we are advertising the website with pointless comments…Ketterechts08-11-2026
- So?Jumpyjohn08-11-2026
- The UCI do have their favorites.
Front24208-11-2026 - On a positive note, you maybe notice turning this topic into a discussion has the benefit of eliminating certain participants who do not see how they can turn it back to their sole interest ;-)Jumpyjohn08-11-2026
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- And we, what are we doing?Jumpyjohn08-11-2026
- And yet, it attracts people, even you. What’s more, it attracts the rival fanboys to fill cyberspace with endless pointless my hero is better than your hero blabla that’s all been heard before and only helps sell the site as an advertising platform. You know what the solution is but most can’t resist. No different than women who follow and discuss celebs through gossip magazines.Jumpyjohn08-11-2026
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