XDS Astana Team are having a fabulous season and this afternoon at the Tour of Turkey their run of wis continues as Wout Poels took home the queen stage of the race. It was a very difficult summit finish that saw the two teams battling for the World Tour position go head-to-head with two riders each.
The queen stage of the race only had 115 kilometers in distance, however it packed difficult climbs from start to finish and the brutal summit finish at Akyaka (9.1 kilometers at 9.7%). Without a doubt, the most important stage of the race, and one in which the riders also faced bad weather, which caused an important crash right before the final ascent.
Gorka Sorarrain of Caja Rural was the last rider to get caught from the breakaway right inside the 7-kilometer to go mark, and very shortly after Astana's work turned into an offensive as Wout Poels attacked the steep climb. However he was followed by a Team Picnic PostNL rider, and soon a small group formed at the head of the race which would battle for the stage win. However with 2.5 kilometers to go the Dutchman would attack again and this time around he wasn't followed. Guillermo Juan Martínez put on a chase, with Poels' teammate Harold Martin López followed his wheel. Poels took the win, making it a one-two with López sprinting to second behind.
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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