"This is one of the hardest races to win" - Mathieu van der Poel takes on World Championships with careful tactics
Cycling
Leading the Dutch team is Mathieu van der Poel. Dylan van Baarle and Olav Kooij provide cards for the Netherlands to play but most eyes will be on the Alpecin-Deceuninck rider who will have a suiting explosive circuit.
“This is one of the hardest races to win. Nobody knows what to expect today, especially on this race. Neither do I. Whether I will immediately jump in the local round? If it's a dangerous group, I'll have to be considerate," van der Poel told Wielerflits. "But it will also be important to stay calm and not lose your strength too soon.”
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It will be a difficult race to play tactically. The distance and toughness of the final circuit will thin down the field, however when it comes to strategy the race has been hinted to be decided from an early attack, as having an efficient chase on the roads of Glasgow will be hellish for those given the task. Van der Poel needs to find a balance between saving his legs for as late as possible but make sure that he makes it into the right moves.
“I'm not going to be able to ride every climb full, but no one will be able to. After a while it starts to hurt so much for everyone," he says. "It could have happened suddenly at a strange moment. How I feel? I slept well (in contrast to last year's Wollongong controversy, ed.), but for me it is still a bit of a question mark. I hope to be good.”
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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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