Aleksandr Vlasov had his run-up to the Tour de France spoilt due to a Covid-19 infection whilst he was leading the Tour de Suisse, however the Russian rider managed to ride consistently at the Tour to finish a strong fifth place in Paris.
"The Tour is different to all the other races. Everyone tells you that before their first Tour, but it's hard to grasp this until you experience it yourself," Vlasov said in a press release after reaching Paris. "This was my first Tour and it's really true: the Tour has its own way of racing. The level is extremely hard every day, there are no easy stages and every day in the peloton is quite stressful."
After coming into the race with an unknown level, Vlasov shed a lot of time at Planche des Belles Filles indicating he was far from his best level. He managed to briefly get in the Top10 in the Alps, but the race was going far from plan before reaching the Pyrenees. A crash on stage six saw him slightly injured aswell, however he recovered towards the decisive final week.
"I started the race in good shape and was confident, even though I had Covid after the Tour de Suisse, which was certainly not optimal. My preparation was otherwise very good, so we did everything right. Unfortunately, then I had the crash and from then on, this Tour was a real struggle for me. I really suffered a lot," Vlasov explained. "But I think my fighting spirit and my teammates, who were always there for me, kept us in the race."
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"After my crash, I never really had the feeling that I was able to deliver a performance that was at the level of my true form. I had good days and bad days, but I was never really at the place where I was beforehand in this season," he said, lamenting his performances were below the expected level. Nevertheless the Russian showed good form in the Pyrenees jumping into the Top10, and in the final time-trial put on a strong performance that saw him climbing to fifth, a good result taking into account his words.
"In the end, fifth place is still a good result and I'm almost a little surprised that it was possible under these circumstances to be so high in the overall standings. I am pleased with the result and I think we can be proud of it as a team, and particularly of the way we fought for this result," he continued. Whether he will return or not, he hinted: "Should I return back here next year, I know what to expect and that will certainly make a difference".
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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