Tom Pidcock started his season with a fifth place at the Volta ao Algarve's opening sprint stage, but was however relegated later on. The INEOS Grenadiers aims very high this spring, and the Portuguese race serves as a warm-up for a spring where he seeks big wins.
“From the Omloop to Liège-Bastogne-Liège, he wants to play with his condition and participate everywhere for a win," coach Kurt Bogaerts told Het Laatste Nieuws. “Compared to previous years, he was in the direct duels with Van Aert and a top-level Van der Poel, but he was well in between."
Pidcock did not attempt to defend his cyclocross World title recently, as he looked to prepare the spring classics. It was a big focus for the Briton, who because of cyclocross hadn't been able to have an ideal preparation for the months of March and April. This year that changes, with the Briton testing himself.
“And that in a training phase. He has drawn satisfaction and confidence from that. But he is already better than last year. Last week he had to deal with some stomach problems, although without a day of training. We'll see. There is currently no pressure to perform. The intention is that he will grow progressively in the season from now on," Bogaerts said on his season's start in the Algarve.
Strade Bianche, Milano-Sanremo, Tour des Flandres and Liège-Bastogne-Liège will be among his goals for the spring, a big form peak that he must have to perform all-round, even if he will have more opportunities to take wins inbetween all these races. His spring campaign starts at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad where he will be an outsider, and from there on Pidcock follows the traditional run-up to the Tour des Flandres contenders.
“If you want to be good in the Strade Bianche one week later, a decent level in Omloop Het Nieuwsblad is already necessary," he continues. "This is followed by alternating cobbled and climbing classics. With numerous possibilities until the end of April. A period in which he can play with his condition and must be able to compete everywhere to win."
Bogaerts ended the interview by saying that "he will continue to walk two paths for the time being" as an answer to Tirreno-Adriatico, where the Briton may test his overall classification qualities as he finishes his preparation for the spring classics.
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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.
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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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