"Mathieu missed a full winter last year takes time and we cannot just catch up" - Alpecin-Deceuninck manager attempts to put out fire following Mathieu van der Poel's back problems
Cyclocross
The X2O Trofee not only saw a dominant win from Wout van Aert, but also slight back pain in Mathieu van der Poel. Two blows in one day were a bad sign for the Dutchman who finds himself below the Belgian, but within Alpecin-Deceuninck there is work to try and remain calm.
“The fact that Mathieu missed a full winter last year takes time and we cannot just catch up. You see with several riders that they don't just get back to their old level. That also applies to Mathieu," Alpecin-Deceuninck Christoph Roodhoft told Het Nieuwsblad. "Van der Poel was riden by Wout van Aert in the Duinencross [Koksijde] on Thursday in a minute and a half. But is that more than twenty seconds?
The two have been very balanced throughout the past few weeks in the cyclocross calendar, however on occasion van Aert has dealt big blows, the latest being in Koksijde in the sand-filled course. However Roodhoft urges that the big gap created is not a reason for concerns on the side of Mathieu van der Poel.
“If you see that it's not your day, it ultimately doesn't matter how much difference you lose. In a mountain stage in a grand tour, one and a half minutes is a lot if you go for a classification. That doesn't count here. Mathieu is second here, but the difference is big," he argued.
His brother David van der Poel has agreed with the current situation out in the field. “Mathieu is not used to losing with so much difference, but Wout is just a little better at the moment. Mathieu was the better before New Year, but then did not find the courses to make the difference, now it is up to Wout."
And you really see that on courses like Koksijde. The World Championships is still a month away, so he certainly won't panic”
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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