Mathieu van der Poel victorious at the Zilvermeercross Mol - "It took a while before I really started riding through the sand well"
Cyclocross
Mathieu van der Poel won his comeback cross at the Zonhoven World Cup this Sunday and although he didn't have Wout van Aert competing next to him as initially forecast at the Zilvermeercross, he still found a strong rival in the sand filled track.
“The intention was to take it a bit easier in the first half. That worked out well," the World Champion said in a post-race interview with Wielerflits. As was the case often last season, he didn't look to attack early on, looking to not burn himself or take extra risks in a race that serves only as a build-up towards the World Championships.
However when he attacked on lap 4, he did find someone who matched him in Laurens Sweeck. “We all know that Laurens can ride through the sand very well. It wasn’t really a surprise, but he put up a good fight," the Alpecin-Deceuninck rider continued.
However on lap 6 he dealt the killer blow, and simultaneously began to tackle the sand sectors in the way he wanted. "It took a while before I really started riding through the sand well. I only started finding my good lines in the last four laps. Then it got better and better.”
Van der Poel knew that his biggest rival was himself this afternoon, but he pulled out of his second test in perfect form and with a second win. “I was mainly concerned with myself. I just didn't ride that well in the sand in the first part of the cross. It's also a bit more difficult in the wheels, than when you're riding in front. Then you make your own tracks and then it's a bit easier. It won't always be plain sailing," he concluded. He will return to competition now after Christmas day, with the Gavere World Cup.
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Another day of Mathieu van der Poel making cycling look easy 🫡 pic.twitter.com/gkAzlVJMu8
— Eurosport (@eurosport) December 23, 2024
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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