Inspiring ride and third place for Pim Ronhaar in Baal: "I could immediately join Mathieu and Wout"
Cyclocross
Pim Ronhaar has been having a breakthrough season this winter. A winner already in Dendermonde and Dublin, the Dutchman loves the muddy tracks, and was the only one able to keep up with Mathieu van der Poel and Wout van Aert in the opening section of the race.
“It was really tough. I couldn't go super deep, but my basic pace was very high. I could immediately join Mathieu and Wout. I wanted to join in, because it makes a difference if you can sit in the wheel on some parts and maintain the high pace," Ronhaar argued in a post-race interview. "I lasted quite a while. Wout fell through for a moment with Mathieu, but later he accelerated. Third was the highest possible.”
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Ronhaar still put a tough battle to the Team Visma | Lease a Bike rider, for second place. However the conditions were horrid and van Aert still had the form to be the best of the rest, behind an unbeatable van der Poel. “But I have really taken a step compared to last year," Ronhaar confirms.
"I can now ride above my speed in the first few laps and get back to a high pace. I don't fall silent anymore. At the beginning of the season there was the occasional bad race, but I am very satisfied with how things are going now. Although the X2O Badkamers Trofee is not a goal for him, he continues to be in a position where, on paper, a World Cup victory is possible as he and his Baloise - Trek Lions teammates Joris Nieuwenhuis and Lars van der Haar try to hunt down Eli Iserbyt.
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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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🎙️"Ik wilde zo lang mogelijk met Mathieu en Wout mee. Derde is het hoogst haalbare", blijft Pim Ronhaar nuchter na zijn podiumplaats in Baal. #X2ObadkamersTrofee #GPSvenNys #veldrijden #cyclocross
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