"The team told me to use my instincts, so I did" - Dylan van Baarle wins on day 1 with Jumbo-Visma
Cycling
Dylan van Baarle had raced with Jumbo-Visma in the past, but with a completely different structure. A lot has changed since he departed, but his return could not have been any better as he immediately soared to victory at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad.
It was a classic van Baarle win, with a solo move. After an aggressive start where Jumbo-Visma was always on the front foot, it was time for the Dutchman to make an attack of his own. "Instinct. The team told me to use my instincts, so I did. I saw my moment and grabbed it with both hands," he tells after crossing the line first in Ninove.
The Dutch team attacked several times, and then began covering attacks as van Baarle went up the road with just under 40 kilometers to go. He dropped everyone who kept up with him, and then went solo off the front in the Muur de Geraardsbergen. With the roads and weather favouring a group finish, it was a brilliant performance for van Baarle to resist the moves of all of those who came from behind.
“That also fitted in with our plan to make it a tough race. I was sometimes a bit more from the back, but that doesn't matter if the rest of the guys were in front. They really did an incredible job," he describes.
"We had a very good training camp and my legs are great, so let's make the best of it," he concluded. The first day of racing in 2023, van Baarle comes into the spring with soaring form after an altitude camp. Not only him, but Christophe Laporte sprinted to third after blocking the counter-attacks, whilst the remaining team was active all day long.
It is a warning shot fired at the competition as Jumbo-Visma dominated the first big cobbled classic of the year. At Kuurne - Bruxelles - Kuurne there will be another battle tomorrow, although this one favours more the sprinters.
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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Finishing solo in the opening classic. Great effort, @DylanvanBaarle! 👏 #OHN23 #OHNmen
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