Visma rider on Albanian Grande Partenza: "When I arrived here in the city, there was simply no sign that the Giro would start here"
Cycling
Team Visma | Lease a Bike are starting the Giro d'Italia with high ambitions taking into consideration Wout van Aert and Olav Kooij can battle for all kinds of sprint finishes whilst Simon Yates is gearing up for the GC battle. Dylan van Baarle, set to help all of them throughout the upcoming three weeks, has talked about the team's ambitions and the Albanian start to th erace.
"It was wonderful to have a spring without illness. It was very nice to start 2025 like this. Of course we expected and hoped for more. But it is what it is and now I am looking forward to the Giro d'Italia again, which I am really looking forward to," van Baarle said in the In Koers podcast.
"I feel very good. I have had some very nice days so far. In addition, I have also had a good feeling about my last classics. I feel that the hardness is returning, and I definitely need that to reach a high level. In any case, I am confident at the start".
Despite another collarbone fracture in January, the Dutchman has been able to resume training and racing at a high level for some months now and believes he is arriving at the Giro with better form than what he had in the classics. This would be important, taking into consideration today is a day where the pink jersey is possible but the team will need it's riders in top condition.
"When we were exploring the final of the first stage, we rode into the city and there were still large sections of asphalt gone. They were filling them in at their leisure," he joked. "The asphalt is okay on the climb, but not very wide. The descent is also quite dangerous. They really ride like crazy here. I think Max Verstappen defends less sharply in Formula 1".
He shared an interesting remark regarding the mood in the city of Tirana. "When I arrived here in the city, there was simply no sign that the Giro would start here. No advertising, nothing at all. During the team presentation, a Dutch-speaking man came up to us and asked if this was actually the highest level of cycling. He also thought we were team Netherlands, haha".
He believes his teammates can survive the main climb of the day which will be ridden twice in the finale, but a lot will depend on the small details. "We have reconnoitered the first stage, and with Wout and Olav we may have two men who can compete for the win. I think that the climb may not be the most important thing yet, but especially the position towards the climb and the descent can be crucial".
Whether van Baarle himself will be chasing stage wins depends a lot on what his leaders show throughout the three weeks: "With the team, we are of course there to win stages and to ride a good classification with Simon [Yates]. I myself hope to anticipate in some stages to join the breakaway, and from there try to win a stage. But if Simon does well, then it will of course become a more helping role, but otherwise I will definitely try".
Read also
🇮🇹 #GirodItalia
— Team Visma | Lease a Bike (@vismaleaseabike) May 9, 2025
The smiles fade into focus... It's almost go time. ⏳ pic.twitter.com/XSyCqGAWLN
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.
claps 0visitors 0
Just in
Popular news
Latest comments
- wtf dudemij07-11-2026
- big rival … ridiculous.Ketterechts07-11-2026
- It would be great if the World Champion's jersey could be rotated among McNulty, Simmons, and Jorgenson. They threaded the needle perfectly. If each hadn't done exactly what he did, exactly when he did it, the race would have gone to one of the more heralded superstars. That said, how nice that this humble and hardworking guy gets his moment in the sun.
MarkFour07-11-2026 - This is a really interesting idea, which, if well prepared could even be very successful. Very little money needs to be involved for a first season and any success could lead to rapid interest from sponsors.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- Hmmm, you seem to have a very convenient black and white view of things. Perhaps you haven’t been around much to discover how complex problems can become over time with people who know how to control, manipulate (or worse) others so gradually or subtly that you arrive at an irresolvable situation before you realise. This is how many inconveniences get introduced to the young, naïve, passionate or “desperate”, knowing they are not armed, protected or strong enough to defend themselves once it’s too late. Why do you think omerta culture is so widespread, why do you think so many people continue to go through so many awful things in life that others can’t understand anyone getting into? Life may be far more jolly for you but you would do well to understand (or reflect more on) the real world to refrain from being so quick to criticise those in a hard spot that may have genuine reason for speaking out.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- Seriously do you think when somebody gets into a serious accident, the ambulance is called by the hurt person?🤦 there is always a buddy system in place for a risky job. police , firefighters etc so that if someone gets hurt, the other call that in.abstractengineer07-11-2026
- I get the point totally. We live in the snowflake society where some riders forget they are getting paid to ride and get results. When they have a few issues they try to look outside of the real issue instead of themselves. It odd so many of the team are making no complaints and getting on with their job. If you do not like what you do find another job simples. Tough love as my mum would say.paultryan200207-11-2026
- many people advise him to grow slowly and rather do giro and/or vuelta instead of tdf. but i can totally understand that he is not satisfied with taking over once pogi declines, but instead beat him in his prime. so if he goes for tdf again, i‘m all for it. let‘s hope that pogi recovers soon!Ketterechts07-11-2026
- So gracious to offer something no-one would be prepared to pay for. The Giro is not the Tour and doesn’t command the same interest or attract the same “elite” (those willing to pay to be a part of something they consider has ego boosting potential). Roadside viewing will always largely remain free for everyone outside circuits. Introduction of a symbolic entrance to mountain climbs is worthy of exploration. Asking 1-2€ isn’t going to repulse real fans (most will spend 50-100€ on their outing that day all things included) but will prevent a portion of the total knobhead thrillseekers who will join in any large gathering as long as it’s free, just because they’re attracted to crowds, without which it it difficult for them to work up their anti-social behaviour.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- How is radio going to help when someone went over a cliff or bridge or off the roadside into a forest unnoticed and is laying there unconscious?Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
Loading
Write a comment