"You get wheel spin, you lose traction" - Alberto Contador on the particular challenges of the mighty Colle delle Finestre
Cycling
Alberto Contador has analyzed in Eurosport stage 20 of the Giro d'Italia 2025, the final competitive day of the race and the one that could potentially decide it as Isaac del Toro and Richard Carapaz enter with 43 seconds separating them.
Contador has ridden this climb combination on two occasions, at both the 2011 and 2015 Giro d'Italia editions, both of which at the time of racing, he had won the overall classification. And he has experienced first hand how much you can struggle and even lose time to rivals on the colossal pass.
"It's the last stage, the last chance, the judge will be Finestre. Watch out for the first part of the stage, always a slight climb, which is sure to be very fast and with many riders wanting to filter into the breakaway for their leaders, but of course Finestre will mark the stage."
He makes it clear that Finestre is a very hard, different, particular port, in which many things can happen and in which teammates will be of little use. Not just for it's steepness, but also the presence of the long gravel area which also makes line selection necessary.
"A climb that is characterized by the percentages it has but also for that sterrato in the final part. It has 18.5 km and a 9.2 average gradient and that land that I mention. You stand up, the wheel slips, you lose traction and it's even more complicated to tackle those curves".
Just in case nothing happens in Finestre, he warns that, depending on the wind, Sestrière (second category, 16 km at 4% and where the stage ends) can also be dangerous:
"It doesn't end there, then we have Sestrière, where the stage will end. It's a pass that doesn't have the percentages of Finestre, with a wider road, like a ski resort. But be careful, if the wind goes against you and you're alone without your teammates, you can lose a lot of time. If it's favorable, it's much better";
Alberto Contador on the Colle delle Finestre with the maglia rosa, 2015
👀 Por si no estáis lo suficientemente familiarizados con la Colle delle Finestre...
— Eurosport.es (@Eurosport_ES) May 30, 2025
🔥 @albertocontador nos trae un análisis completísimo de uno de los puertos más míticos del ciclismo. #GirodItalia pic.twitter.com/3Q55HSOnHT
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
- Roglic could not have won anyway, after Jonas followed him when Roglic decided it was his turn for a stage win. Jonas had already attacked Kuss twice, so it was Jonas who was within seconds of taking the lead before Kuss was 'gifted' the win. It felt a bit like Roglic was being thrown under the bus when the team made his unhappiness public.Hills3314-11-2026
- POG1, another nice doc about our favourite, I watched most of it with a big smile on my face (except for the bits about his crashes 😢 obvs!).Lozza14-11-2026
- Martinez had a good year! 5th at the Tour was a great result for him, albeit largely through getting in successful breaks, but he held it better than Pidcock who’d done the same.Lozza14-11-2026
- guess what Valgren, you're 34, and no you're not good enough. sorry to say.mij14-11-2026
- I'm a sepp fan and like to think he earned that LOL, indulge me : ) I think Jonas was fine. Roglic did not want to concede to Sepp. and I don't think you ever attack your own teammate in the leaders jersey if he is holding his own, which Sepp just about was.mij14-11-2026
- enough time? he's 24 years old. He's won 10 races over the last 2 years and some are significant. I won't argue about his attitude being good - it needs to improve. But with some coaching and mentorship he has a lot of winning ahead of him and has plenty of time to win a GT. I don't think he will ever beat Tadej, but everyone else is fair game Look at Mas and Valverde - they were 31 and 29, respectively, when they won the Vuelta.mij14-11-2026
- Pogacar has a fine head on his shoulders.Careful investments and a couple of coffee shops sounds like a wonderful way to chill after an intense career.Stay healthy GOAT.
Brucegel14-11-2026 - I live in Maribor.PogiSloFans14-11-2026
- I live in Ljubljana and often go on trips in the surrounding area, where I frequently see young cyclists in 'Pogi Team' jerseys training, either alone or in groups. By simply motivating so many young people to take up cycling, Tadej has already achieved something truly significant.Velijo14-11-2026
- That's an excellent point. It's interesting that Vader came to that realization only after he learned that his contract wasn't going to be renewed.
santiagobenites14-11-2026
Loading
Write a comment