There is no doubt that the name of Thomas Silva must be counted among the great revelations of this season. Having moved this year to XDS Astana, the twenty-four-year-old Uruguayan has amazed everyone since April onwards, displaying remarkable effectiveness at the highest level and, above all, stringing together a series of victories that have definitively put him on the map.

Among these, clearly, stands out the one he achieved (along with the pink jersey) at the last Giro d'Italia, a success that Silva "without a doubt will remember forever" but which has not at all exhausted his appetite, given that, returning to racing at the end of July, the South American rider immediately secured two consecutive victories at the Clásica de Ordizia and the Clasica Castilla y Leon: such achievements had the effect of immediately bringing attention back to his profile from the cycling world and, secondly, catapulting him to the Arctic Race of Norway with the status of great favorite for the final victory.

It is undoubtedly true, therefore, that in a short time, Silva's career and life have taken on a new and different dimension compared to just a few months ago, a turning point that came thanks to his move to a new structure and through the expertise that this team has been able to put at his service.

"Since I moved to the World Tour with Astana, I've changed practically everything: team obviously, coach, nutritionist…" the class of 2001 told us in Norway. "The calendar has also changed but I believe we've managed it very well because the choices we made have borne fruit. In short, it was quite an important change that I had to face but I'm super happy about it".

Driven by this wave full of novelties, Silva didn't take long to make a clear step forward compared to 2025, revealing qualities and obtaining results that, as he himself admitted, have ended up changing even the way he is now watched in the peloton.

"Yes, I think something has changed. After all, we've proven we can win at the highest levels and this, also for the confidence I now have in myself, counts a lot and I think it helped us take a step forward" revealed the former Caja Rural rider, now also the object of a completely different type of attention and scrutiny from media and fans.

"Popularity? After the Giro d'Italia things have certainly changed a bit, but ultimately I'd say the pressure hasn't increased. Personally, I'm trying to enjoy the moment, along with the greater confidence I've gained" confessed a Silva for whom, once the stage race beyond the Arctic Circle is archived, the program for the remaining months of the season has already been defined.

"After the Arctic Race I'll do an altitude training camp to fine-tune my condition ahead of the Canadian races and the World Championships. After that I'll finish the season by competing in the Italian classics".

Classics where, if he were to present himself with the same form of recent months and the drive to confirm the good work done up to this point, it is almost certain that the winner of the last Tour of Hainan could gain further satisfaction, further swelling the number of trophies on a shelf that, after the victories achieved this year, will have been appropriately extended.