"The climb was not tough enough to create big gaps" - Mathieu van der Poel in form but laments rainy day's result at Tirreno
Cycling
With bad weather conditions, a few climbs and 240 kilometers in distance, stage 3 of Tirreno-Adriatico was perhaps the day that fit best the preparation towards the spring classics. Alpecin-Deceuninck's Mathieu van der Poel went out in search of a stage win and put on a very strong performance, but in the end it wasn't to be and he was left empty handed besides soaked.
“It was a really terrible day yesterday. Well, I felt good, but the climb was not tough enough to create big gaps,” van der Poel said in an interview with Het Laatste Nieuws.
The Dutchman, like many, was not happy to arrive at the finish in Colfiorito without a result after 6:30 hours on the bike. It was a tricky finale with a long climb that had two distinct sections, and in the second one action kicked off early and a fight between the GC men and puncheurs began. EF was the main player when attacking, as Ben Healy and Richard Carapaz attempted to make the difference, but van der Poel awas alive to the danger.
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After the Ecuadorian attacked with a Groupama rider, it was van der Poel himself who attacked off the peloton to bridge across successfully, great evidence of his current form in an ascent whose gradients were similar to the Cipressa which he will ride in the space of week and a half.
In the finale Filippo Ganna went on the attack, and fearing a solo win it was van der Poel himself who again attacked to bridge across to the Italian. It would be energy that ultimately had better purpose, as he burned his chances in a sprint. But then he also found some bad luck. “In the final, I wanted to sprint, but I was boxed in with 150 to 200 metres to go. As a result, I had to interrupt my attack for a moment. It's a shame, but that's how it goes in a race," he concluded.
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The new @canyon_bikes for 🇳🇱 Mathieu van der Poel, designed by Italian artist Elena Salmistaro! 🚀
— Domestique (@Domestique___) March 11, 2025
Thoughts? 🤔
📸 PhotoNews pic.twitter.com/GSEQk93S5r

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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