Van der Poel rides Gravel and Vermeersch debuts rainbow jersey - "It's great to end the Italian trip like this"
Cycling
The Alpecin-Deceuninck duo of Mathieu van der Poel and Gianni Vermeersch rode to success on the recent Gravel World Championships, and yesterday they've ridden the Serenissima Gravel where the team's new rainbow stripes were on display.
“Mathieu and I raced together, after which we took the lead fairly quickly with a large group. Halfway through the race I had to adjust those efforts a bit," Vermeersch said after the race. This was his debut in the same equipment, with van der Poel joining in what was a special race for the team, to conclude their stint in Italy.
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The race was won by Swiss rider Robin Froideveaux, whilst Vermeersch finished the race in third place, and van der Poel finished eighth. The results was not the most important however, as the Belgian showed off his world champion equipment, before the two take on some rest after a long season, before the start of their winter cyclocross program.
“I was surprised by an attack and I was afraid I was in a lost position. However, with the rainbow jersey on my shoulders, I wanted to fight back. It's great to end the Italian trip like this," he concluded.
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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.
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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)...
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While @Sere_Gravel is in full swing, we couldn’t wait to share with you the pre-start photos of @GVermeersch in his new @Kalas_cc Gravel World Champion suit! 🤩 #AlpecinDeceuninck
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