In another full EUROTRASH Monday we catch up with the final night of the Lotto ‘Six Days Vlaanderen – Gent’ and cyclocross action from the X²O Badkamers Trofee – Flandriencross in Hamme and the Telenet Superprestige – Aardbeiencross in Merksplas. All with video, reports, results and the rider reactions.
TOP STORY:
- Still bitterness between Tom Pidcock and INEOS Grenadiers
Rider news:
- Kasia Niewiadoma reflects on awkward moment with Demi Vollering after Tour victory
- British Cycling pays tribute to Lizzie Deignan’s sensational career
- Egan Bernal to captain INEOS Grenadiers in the 2025 Giro d’Italia
- Florian Vermeersch on leaving Lotto Dstny
- Tom Pidcock might return to cyclo-cross during the Christmas period
- Demi Vollering seeks ‘quiet place’ at FDJ-SUEZ where they ‘respect’ riders
- Remco Evenepoel undergoes surgery
- No more track world championships for Filippo Ganna
- Franck Bonnamour ends fight against doping suspension and ends professional career
- Sep Vanmarcke to Take a Step Back from Cycling
Team news:
- Tom Pidcock’s Devo Trinity Racing Team stops
- Movistar confirm Nairo Quintana for 2025
- Alastair MacKellar rises to the WorldTour with EF Education-EasyPost
- UAE Team Emirates can’t do anything with stories about Pogačar and Ayuso
- Astana Qazaqstan has a new name
- Long delay for UCI statement on ketones
- Lorenzo Lapage, Peter Kennaugh and Dario Cataldo – The new Sports Directors of Astana Qazaqstan Team
Race news:
- XPO Logistics partners with the Tour de France for the long haul with a six-year extension
Plus:
- Merci, Loulou! Video by Soudal Quick-Step
- Watch “One to go” on YouTube
EUROTRASH coffee time….
TOP STORY: Still Bitterness Between Tom Pidcock and INEOS Grenadiers
Not all the problems between Tom Pidcock and INEOS Grenadiers have been sorted out yet. In an interview with Matt Stephens during Rouleur Live, the British rider answered resolutely with ‘no’ when whether he was already in a ‘happier place’ than last year. At the same time, Pidcock did indicate that he sees ‘a lot of positive changes’ in the team.
Pidcock and INEOS Grenadiers have not seen eye-to-eye over the past year. This became obvious in the run-up to Il Lombardia. INEOS didn’t field the 25-year-old rider, despite his good form, after which the multi-talent rider showed his displeasure on social media. Pidcock’s contract runs until the end of 2027, but for a while it looked like he would move to Q36.5. In the end INEOS pulled out of the negotiations. In early November, Pidcock attended a team outing to watch Manchester United.
At Rouleur Live, Pidcock was asked about the situation between himself and INEOS Grenadiers. “I’m not going to lie,” he said. “So yes, it’s true: we’ve had a difficult year, I’ve had a difficult year. It’s not what we wanted. But I see a lot of positive changes.” He also admitted to Stephens that he was not yet in a ‘happier place’ ‘in terms of goals and clarity’ and with a view to the coming seasons. “But I see a lot of positive changes,” he added. “And everyone accepts that it’s difficult. That’s the first thing you have to do, if you want to change it. I can definitely see some of those changes happening and I hope that I can turn it around next year.”
Pidcock did not have his best season in 2024, but he did win the Amstel Gold Race and the Olympic mountain bike race in Paris. However, he did not only have good memories of that last race, he admitted. “Everyone might be a little surprised by it, but to be honest, I did not enjoy that race. Not at all.” That was because of the pressure, he explains. “In the build-up, I put too much pressure on myself.”
The Tour de France was also no fun this year, according to Pidcock. “My first Tour (2022) was fantastic. I experienced it for the first time, won a stage, G (Geraint Thomas) was on the podium, it was great. But the last two years I honestly did not really enjoy it. It was difficult. I did not win a stage and as a team we did not have as much success as we were used to. I have to find the feeling of those first years again.”
What Pidcock wants most of all is to enjoy cycling more again. “I think the expectations have increased in the last two years and I have not been able to meet them for various reasons. Then it is not so much fun. Even if you’re riding the biggest race in the world and thousands of people are cheering you on.”
Pidcock still not happy:
Lotto ‘6 Days’ Vlaanderen – Gent 2024
Fabio Van den Bossche and Benjamin Thomas won the Six Days of Gent. In the final Madison, defending champions Robbe Ghys and Lindsay De Vylder were in the lead for a long time, but in the finale Van den Bossche and Thomas turned the tables. Third place went to Jules Hesters and Aaron Gate.
After five days of racing, Hesters and Gate were still in the lead in the Six Days of Ghent with 264 points. The Germans Roger Kluge and Theo Reinhardt had ‘only’ 109 points, but still followed in the same round. Defending champions Robbe Ghys and Lindsay De Vylder had to make up a round, but were in a good position in terms of points, on 298. Benjamin Thomas and Fabio Van den Bossche still had a chance of winning the final. They had 276 points and were also one lap behind Hesters and Gate. Yoeri Havik was no longer in the race. The Dutch track star had to give up on Saturday, day five, due to illness. His Dutch track partner Vincent Hoppezak was still in the race. On the final day, he formed an occasional duo with the Belgian Nolan Huysmans, but didn’t compete for the podium.
Before the final Madison, Ghys and De Vylder took a lap back and seized the lead. However, everything was still to fight for. After the start, the four top teams were on the same lap. Ghys and De Vylder still had a lead in terms of points, but their opponents tried several times to take another lap. Every now and then they succeeded, but Ghys and De Vylder always pulled a lap back. Kluge and Reinhardt were having a hard time. Of the initial contenders, they were the only top team at a lap at the start of the last 50 laps. It was now a three-way battle. Van den Bossche and Thomas in particular frequently chose to attack. Creating a big gap wasn’t easy, but with seventeen laps to go, Thomas made a devastating jump. It turned out to be the decisive break. Ghys and De Vylder initially kept Thomas and Van den Bossche within half a lap, but eventually the French/Belgian couple managed to cross over to the big group. They took a lap. And in the remaining laps, they didn’t give up that lead. And so Thomas and Van den Bossche won the 2024 Six Days of Gent.
Lotto ‘6 Days’ Vlaanderen – Gent Final Result:
1. Benjamin Thomas (Fra) – Fabio Van den Bossche (Bel) – 338 points
2. Lindsay De Vylder (Bel) – Robbe Ghys (Bel) – 370 points at 1 lap
3. Jules Hesters (Bel) – Aaron Gate (NZ) – 317 points at 1 lap
4. Roger Kluge (Ger) – Theo Reinhardt (Ger) – 134 points at 2 lap
5. Mark Stewart (GB) – Philip Heijnen (Ned) – 150 points at 15 lap
6. Yanne Dorenbos (Ned) – Jan-Willem van Schip (Ned) – 169 points at 19 lap
7. Oscar Nilsson (Fra) – Julien-Valentin Tabellion (Fra) – 144 points at 33 lap
8. Noah Vandenbranden (Bel) – Gianluca Pollefliet (Bel) – 243 points at 34 lap
9. Clement Petit (Fra) – Michele Scartezzini (Ita) – 69 points at 37 lap
10. Milan Van den Haute (Bel) – Sebastian Mora Vedri (Spa) – 82 points at 38 lap.
6 crazy nights:
X²O Badkamers Trofee – Flandriencross – Hamme Men 2024
Niels Vandeputte won the X2O Trophy in Hamme. The Alpecin-Deceuninck rider beat Eli Iserbyt in the final lap and the Belgian champion had to settle for second place. Felipe Orts was third. European champion Thibau Nys was at the front in the final lap, but crashed after a collision with a spectator. Lars van der Haar remains in the lead of the X2O Trophy.
The top riders who competed for victory in the Superprestige Merksplas on Saturday, were also in Hamme on Sunday for the Flandriencross. Laurens Sweeck wanted a two-in-a-row, while Eli Iserbyt, Michael Vantourenhout, European champion Thibau Nys and X2O Trophy leader Lars van der Haar were also looking for a win.
Victor Van de Putte was the best out of the starting blocks. The Deschacht-Hens-Maes rider took the lead in the first straight as Pim Ronhaar was the last onto the off-road. Toon Aerts also had a bad start. The other favourites were at the front. After one lap, Niels Vandeputte had taken over the lead from Van de Putte. The Alpecin-Deceuninck rider took 15 bonus seconds for the X2O Trophy. 10 and 5 seconds went to Laurens Sweeck and Van de Putte. There were some small differences, but on the second lap it all came back together again and there was a small peloton together on the third of eleven laps. Four riders then got away due to a crash by Eli Iserbyt, who crashed while in fifth position. Vandeputte, Felipe Orts, Michael Vanthourenhout and Thibau Nys took advantage and came to the front together. In the large group behind them were also Aerts and Ronhaar, after a long, hard chase. It was Van der Haar who took the initiative. The X2O Trophy leader broke away from the rest together with Jente Michels at the end of the fifth lap.
Van der Haar left Michels and crossed over to the leading group on his own. Vanthourenhout had to pass for a while, but was able to return and then took the lead. The Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal rider seemed to slow the pace a bit, which was good for his teammate Iserbyt, as he was given the chance to return. Vanthourenhout then gave it another go and he made a gap together with Nys and Orts. Together they started lap eight. Although, Orts attacked on the finish line. Nys and Vanthourenhout hesitated for a moment and the Spaniard went into the lead. It then took Nys a lap to catch Orts. Vanthourenhout, Iserbyt and Vandeputte also returned to the front, Van der Haar followed a few metres back. Those few metres quickly increased. Van der Haar started to lose a lot of ground compared to the first group, where Iserbyt now took the lead. The second placed rider in the X2O Trophy classification stepped on the gas to put the leader in trouble.
Iserbyt kept putting the others under pressure, until Vandeputte took over in the final lap. After a slip by Iserbyt, in second position, the Alpecin-Deceuninck rider had a gap. But Iserbyt and Nys were able to get back to him, while Orts and Vanthourenhout were also still close. In the end it would come down to a duel between Vandeputte and Iserbyt. Nys made a few mistakes, after which he also crashed when he collided with a spectator, that finished his race. Orts and Vanthourenhout were too far back to catch the leaders; Iserbyt and Vandeputte. Vandeputte had a few meters, but had to give it everything until the finishing straight to keep the Belgian champion at bay. The Alpecin-Deceuninck rider won his first classification cross of the season. Iserbyt came second, Orts third. Iserbyt just missed out on the victory, but he did very well in the X2O Trophy ranking. The Belgian is now 2 seconds behind Lars van der Haar, who crossed the line in fifth place. Toon Aerts is third in the trophy, but is almost 2 minutes behind.
Race winner, Niels Vandeputte (Alpecin-Deceuninck Development Team): “This feels really good. After yesterday I really had feelings of revenge. Today I wanted to show how good my form is. To finish it off like this, in a duel with Eli (Iserbyt), feels really good. I know that I usually have a good final lap. At the beginning of the race I had taken the lead, after which we rode away with four because of a mistake by someone behind us (Iserbyt). That was actually a very good situation. Only on the road it kept getting quiet, which allowed Eli and Lars (van der Haar) to come back. At that moment I also made a mistake, which caused me to sit a bit too far in the group. But I was able to make up for that spot by spot. Then I started the final lap in second place, which was perfect. I was able to make my break along the water. That reached the finish line. I think I’m just growing year by year. I had a really good summer and started the season with a lot of confidence. Of course, we have to wait and see what that will bring in the races, but I think I’ve shown that I’ve become stronger again. That’s now being rewarded with a victory. I hope I can continue this line and that there will be more duels like this.”
2nd, Eli Iserbyt (Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal): “I think a spoke hit my finger. You don’t really see it on TV, but I was completely caught by a photographer. That made me shoot out of that track at high speed, I fell and everyone rode on me. We briefly rode against the wire and the photographer bent over with the first four. Then he grabbed me by my shoulder, so that’s a real shame. You don’t expect someone to get that far over a wire. Certainly not with a camera that’s half a meter long. I was actually always looking for Lars’ wheel for the classification. He was close to me after my crash and he actually brought me to that leading group. I just wanted to ride at the front to keep Lars a bit behind me. That was kind of my approach. In the last lap I saw that the day’s victory was possible, but it was a shame that I couldn’t finish it off. I didn’t expect that halfway through the race. It was really hard work and perseverance. But eventually the barrel in my head starts to run empty. Every time I was in the lead, I could ride my line really nicely and put the rest under pressure. It’s a matter of going to the front and trying. It feels good to be second here again. I needed that, I think. Now we can work towards that first World Cup.”
3rd, Felipe Orts (Ridley Racing): “It was another super tough race. On the last lap I thought the podium was impossible, because I lost some metres. But in the last part of the lap it went a bit better and in the end I finished third. That’s super good. I’m happy. I attacked on the finish line. I created a small gap, but I had to recover a bit. So I dropped back to the group. But I don’t think I lost much energy there. I always try to fight for the win. I hope to win a big race one day.”
Late crash victim, Thibau Nys (Baloise Trek Lions): “It was a very hard blow, but all in all it could have been worse. My knee is a bit stiff and my neck took a little knock. But it wasn’t too bad. It was a seriously hard blow, but nothing more than that. I shot out of my lane at high speed and I think I hit a post with my handlebars or pedal. Then I went flying. At that point the race was already over for me. I made far too many technical mistakes in the last lap. That was probably also because I was physically at my limit. I was really looking forward to it. I also felt pretty good. I didn’t have a super day, but I was at my level. I also went into the last lap with the feeling that I could win, but I also felt that I was a bit at my limit. It’s a shame that you come out of this weekend without a win, if you have two good days. But on to next week. I will take away from the coming weeks that I am in good physical condition.”
X²O Badkamers Trofee – Flandriencross – Hamme Men Result:
1. Niels Vandeputte (Bel) Alpecin-Deceuninck Development Team in 1:00:49
2. Eli Iserbyt (Bel) Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal at 0:02
3. Felipe Orts Lloret (Spa) Ridley Racing Team at 0:08
4. Michael Vanthourenhout (Bel) Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal at 0:11
5. Lars van der Haar (Ned) Baloise Trek Lions at 0:25
6. Toon Aerts (Bel) Deschacht-Hens-FSP at 0:47
7. Cameron Mason (GB) Cyclocross Reds at 0:56
8. Joran Wyseure (Bel) Crelan-Corendon at 1:08
9. Pim Ronhaar (Ned) Baloise Trek Lions at 1:21
10. Jente Michels (Bel) Alpecin-Deceuninck Development Team at 1:23.
Hamme’24:
X²O Badkamers Trofee – Flandriencross – Hamme Women 2024
Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado won the X2O Trophy in Hamme. The Dutch rider started the final lap together with Lucinda Brand and Sara Casasola and beat the others in the finale of the race. Brand was second, Casasola third.
Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado and X2O Trophy leader Lucinda Brand were the top favourites for the Flandriencross in Hamme. The best start went to Zoe Bäckstedt, who was the first off-road. Alvarado was on her wheel, but had to leave a gap. Brand was even further back, around eighth place. The Dutch champion had moved up to third place after one lap. She was 5 seconds behind Alvarado and 13 seconds behind leader Bäckstedt.
At the start of the second lap, Brand joined Alvarado together with Sara Casasola and Annemarie Worst. Casasola had good legs and went after Bäckstedt. After the second of seven laps she was 2 seconds behind, while Brand, Alvarado and Worst were still chasing. On lap three, the first five riders in the race came back together again. But that didn’t last long. Due to a mistake by Worst, who had to get off her bike and held up Bäckstedt, Brand, Alvarado and Casasola, they were slightly behind at the start of lap four. Bäckstedt stayed close to the three leaders, but Worst was gone. Brand took the initiative from the front. While Casasola followed, Alvarado had a harder time. The Fenix-Deceuninck rider had to close a gap more than once. She always succeeded, partly because Brand and Casasola sometimes looked at each other. Bäckstedt also managed to keep a podium place in sight.
In the penultimate lap the picture changed. Alvarado now took the lead and tried to put the others under pressure, but Casasola was not troubled. She took over and then attacked. Brand was at a few metres due to a slip, but was able to rejoin just after the start of the final lap. In the seventh and final lap, she got a gap again, after she went into the pits for a bike change. Casasola held on, but she saw Alvarado create a gap. Casasola couldn’t close the gap, but Brand still tried. The Dutch champion was almost on the wheel when coming onto the finishing straight. Brand did everything she could to catch Alvarado, but couldn’t. Alvarado took the victory, while Brand was second and Casasola, third. Brand remains the leader of the X2O Trophy.
Race winner, Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado (Fenix-Deceuninck): “I went to hell and beyond. I really suffered today. I certainly didn’t have the impression that I was the better rider today. It was chasing, chasing and closing gaps the whole time. But I never gave up. I always kept believing. But I never expected it to be like this on the last lap.”“They announced that Lucinda had changed. That may not have been her smartest move. She was in a gap. I kept riding and gave it a bit of gas, so that she had to close the gap. She finally closed it when turning towards the finish. I knew it was going to be tough, because I was also in a state of exhaustion. It was a matter of gritting my teeth until the finish. It was the toughest race of the season for me. I’m very happy with that. I’m definitely keeping my feet on the ground, because things can change so quickly. I just hope it continues like this. Hopefully I can continue this line. Whether I am already thinking about the X2O Trophy? I don’t really know. Not all heats are on my program because of the busy Christmas period, but who knows.”
2nd, Lucinda Brand (Baloise Trek Lions): “I am satisfied. I think Sara (Casasola) was very strong today. It was not really possible to lose her. Ceylin was extremely strong in character. And she knows what to do in such a final lap. I would rather not have done it either, but it skipped on certain gears. I knew it was going to be a very difficult final. If it skips all the time, you are not very happy about that. I did not have the tire pressure increased. It was purely because of that skipping. It was a risk, because usually you come out of the pits with a gap. Now too. But luckily I was able to close that. I still had high hopes then. It seemed as if Ceylin was very much on the limit, because I was also getting closer. But I don’t know where she got it from, because she was able to go very deep today. That is always a bonus. I gained five seconds in the first bonus sprint and then a few more seconds at the finish line.”
3rd, Sara Casasola (Crelan-Corendon): “I felt really good today. I felt strong and I could respond to some attacks from Lucinda in the beginning. In the final I was a bit short on legs, but Ceylin did a really strong last lap. Third was the best I could do. I tried to stay on the wheels, because I knew it was a long straight line. But then I was too far behind and I got boxed in. I had to come back. That feels good. Today I could fight for the win. So I am getting closer and closer, but there is still something missing for the win.”
X²O Badkamers Trofee – Flandriencross – Hamme Women Result:
1. Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado (Ned) Fenix-Deceuninck in 43:53
2. Lucinda Brand (Ned) Baloise Trek Lions at 0:01
3. Sara Casasola (Ita) Crelan-Corendon
4. Zoe Backstedt (GB) Canyon//SRAM at 0:43
5. Annemarie Worst (Ned) Cyclocross Reds at 1:04
6. Marie Schreiber (Lux) SD Worx-Protime at 1:27
7. Inge van der Heijden (Ned) Crelan-Corendon at 1:33
8. Manon Bakker (Ned) Crelan-Corendon at 1:39
9. Fleur Moors (Bel) Baloise Trek Lions at 1:59
10. Laura Verdonschot (Bel) De Ceuster-Bouwpunt at 2:12.
Hamme’24:
Telenet Superprestige – Aardbeiencross – Merksplas Men 2024
The men’s Superprestige Merksplas 2024 was won by Laurens Sweeck on Saturday. The Aardbeiencross was ridden at high speed and so there was large group fighting for the victory. Sweeck accelerated in the final lap and outwitted the others. Toon Aerts was second and Lars van der Haar third, as his teammate, Thibau Nys let him pass in the final metres.
European champion, Thibau Nys, was probably the top favourite along with Eli Iserbyt and Niels Vandeputte. The fastest start in Merksplas came from Vandeputte, followed by Michael Vanthourenhout and Iserbyt. None of them had yet won a classification cross this winter for Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal.
Sweeck was also with the leaders, but not far behind was a large group. It was Nys who led the chase and brought everyone back to the front group. The new course was very fast, which made it difficult for anyone to escape. Felipe Orts tried on the fourth lap of nine, which pulled the race into a long line. The Spanish champion kept the pressure on and created a gap at the front. Vanthourenhout, Toon Aerts and Vandeputte went with him, but the rest closed on them again halfway through the race. On the sixth lap, Vanthourenhout made a move, with which he forced Nys, Iserbyt, Aerts and Van der Haar to chase. The rest lost time, but didn’t give up.
The next to go was Aerts, but his attempt didn’t come to much. Eventually, a group of 10 riders started the last laps, with Orts, Joran Wyseure and Jente Michels at a disadvantage. Aerts, Vanthourenhout, Sweeck, Iserbyt and Nys fought hard for the best place in the final lap. In the forest, Vanthourenhout took the lead from Aerts, after which he tried to jump away. That didn’t work, after which Sweeck chose his moment and attacked. With a small lead, he raced towards the last sand section, while Nys and Aerts got in each others way. Aerts came close to Sweeck, but the gap was gone. This was Sweeck’s second victory in a week, after he had won on Monday in Niel. Second place went to Aerts, who was with Nys. He looked back on the finishing straight and sat up to let teammate Van der Haar take third. This put Lars van der Haar in the lead of the Telenet Superprestige after four rounds, with Niels Vandeputte on the same points.
Race winner, Laurens Sweeck (Crelan-Corendon): “I can now say that I did everything right, but it wasn’t easy. The winner is always right in the end. It just worked out well. I didn’t have the legs to maintain my position at the front for the entire race, but at the right moment I found a bit of breath to make the move to the front. The last lap was just trying to keep my position, to launch an attack in the last half and hope that no one would get past me. I had a good line on the right side on that part where I attacked. Things went a bit better there and I felt that no one really rode there during the race. From there on you couldn’t really overtake anymore. There was also something on my attack and it was the right defence. I didn’t think that the difference would be made in the sand, because everyone rode through it very quickly. I had to try to be in that position. Michael Vanthourenhout had already attacked, Toon Aerts too, and those two plateaued a bit when I attacked. I just didn’t doubt anymore.”
3rd, Lars van der Haar (Baloise Trek Lions): “A present! It is very nice that I get such a present from Thibau. Before the cross we had said that he would let me go ahead if the chance was there and it was for an unimportant place in the results. I had told him that he could always take a podium place himself. But he didn’t do that. He allowed me to come third. I am now the leader in two classifications and that is nice. We will see after the Christmas period how we are doing then.”
4th, Thibau Nys (Baloise Trek Lions): “I’m angry with myself for going into the last lap so passively. It’s a course where it’s hard to make a difference. In the last lap I constantly had the feeling that I could win the race. I had the legs to really explode, but because of the bumps and because I was too lax, I wasn’t in the position where I should be. What Laurens is doing is a textbook example of how it should be done. This is not my habit, but it hurts. I think I’m handling the race perfectly until the last half lap. I should have been two places more forward. I passed Toon before the sand, but I missed there. It was my last move, because after that it was too short to do anything. I’m happy that I can give Lars that extra point for the Superprestige. I wanted to go for the sprint, but got stuck behind Toon’s wheel in the last corner. That’s when I decided to help Lars.”
Telenet Superprestige – Aardbeiencross – Merksplas Men Result:
1. Laurens Sweeck (Bel) Crelan-Corendon in 1:01:04
2. Toon Aerts (Bel) Deschacht-Hens-FSP
3. Lars van der Haar (Ned) Baloise Trek Lions at 0:04
4. Thibau Nys (Bel) Baloise Trek Lions
5. Michael Vanthourenhout (Bel) Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal
6. Niels Vandeputte (Bel) Alpecin-Deceuninck Development Team at 0:06
7. Eli Iserbyt (Bel) Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal at 0:09
8. Felipe Orts Lloret (Spa) Ridley Racing Team at 0:14
9. Joran Wyseure (Bel) Crelan-Corendon at 0:22
10. Jente Michels (Bel) Alpecin-Deceuninck Development Team at 0:29.
Merksplas’24:
Telenet Superprestige – Aardbeiencross – Merksplas Women 2024
Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado won the Superprestige Merksplas 2024 on Saturday. After an exciting Aardbeiencross, in which a large group rode together for a long time, the Fenix-Deceuninck leader was the first to cross the finish line. In the finale, Lucinda Brand chased, but she was unable to catch Alvarado. Marie Schreiber finished third.
Lucinda Brand and Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado were the favourites for the day, but the best start on the changed Aardbeiencross course went to Marie Schreiber, ahead of Sara Casasola. The Luxembourger shot out of the starting blocks and created a gap in the opening lap. A group formed behind, from which Alvarado and Brand accelerated in the second lap.
They joined Schreiber on the third of six laps. Not far behind them followed Zoe Bäckstedt and Casasola, with Inge van der Heijden, Annemarie Worst, Manon Bakker and Leonie Bentveld also following at a small gap. The cross proved not to be difficult enough to cause major differences, which resulted in a leading group of seven halfway through. On the climb, Brand was the first and only one to ride up and tactically brought all the pursuers to a standstill. The Dutch champion created a gap on the fourth lap, but Alvarado and Van der Heijden were able to join her two laps before the finish. Schreiber, Casasola and Worst didn’t give up and the race kept changing.
On the penultimate lap, Alvarado took advantage of a crash right behind her. The Fenix-Deceuninck leader started the final lap with a lead over Schreiber and Brand. With another acceleration, Brand hoped to get closer, but it was too late. A less than good sand passage by Alvarado ensured that Brand came closer. It became exciting for a moment, but Alvarado had just enough lead to win, just ahead of Brand and Schreiber. It meant Alvarado’s third victory of the Superprestige, after her victories in Ruddervoorde and Niel. She now leads Brand by 1 point.
Race winner, Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado (Fenix-Deceuninck): “We already saw in Lokeren that Lucinda and I are evenly matched. I took that moment, but the last lap was really tough. I was tired and was still thinking that I had to get through that sand passage one more time to win, but then it went wrong halfway and I lost focus. I ran as fast as I could, but that was not fast anymore. Lucinda was almost on my wheel, but I just kept riding until the finish because the sprint was too short to really be able to sprint. I had to dig deep, but that gap meant that I had to take my moment. I knew that on such a fast circuit it would be difficult to close the gap, unless you have super legs.”
Telenet Superprestige – Aardbeiencross – Merksplas Women Result:
1. Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado (Ned) Fenix-Deceuninck in 45:39
2. Lucinda Brand (Ned) Baloise Trek Lions at 0:03
3. Marie Schreiber (Lux) SD Worx-Protime at 0:08
4. Sara Casasola (Ita) Crelan-Corendon at 0:13
5. Inge van der Heijden (Ned) Crelan-Corendon at 28
6. Annemarie Worst (Ned) Cyclocross Reds at 0:47
7. Zoe Backstedt (GB) Canyon//SRAM at 0:55
8. Manon Bakker (Ned) Crelan-Corendon at 0:59
9. Leonie Bentveld (Ned) Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal at 1:03
10. Laura Verdonschot (Bel) De Ceuster-Bouwpunt at 1:10.
Merksplas’24:
Kasia Niewiadoma Reflects on an Awkward Moment with Demi Vollering after her Tour Victory
The denouement of the Tour de France Femmes 2024 was nerve-wracking. After a crash by Demi Vollering in the fifth stage of the French stage race, the Dutch rider lost a lot of time. The final stage became a game of seconds, with Kasia Niewiadoma emerging as the winner. However, the Polish rider did have mixed feelings about the moments after her victory.
During the Rouleur Live cycling event, the Polish rider opened up about winning the yellow jersey. The Polish rider felt euphoric after her victory. Vollering was frustrated after the race, after losing the Tour de France by the smallest margin in history. Niewiadoma described the awkward moment she met Vollering in the changing room to change for the podium.
“I stormed in there. Super happy, ready to celebrate, but there was a funeral atmosphere there,” Niewiadoma remembers. “I looked at the faces and I saw Demi, no one spoke. I said: ‘Well done, girls. Congratulations on a tough stage’. I didn’t get a reaction then. I thought: I’m leaving. So I changed outside. I was surprised that I had won the yellow jersey, but it was a bittersweet moment. I saw that my team was so happy and that many friends were celebrating, but I could also feel this bitterness from Demi, from SD Worx or Demi’s fans,” said Niewiadoma.
The Polish winner got the feeling that the SD Worx-ProTime camp was placing some blame on her for the crash of their leader. “It felt strange in some ways, because none of us made her fall. The whole stage was very hectic and it was all about positioning the whole day. Crashes happen. Nobody is mad at Remco for coming third in the Tour de France because of Roglič’s crash. I also think that in a way it’s all about life and how karma comes back to you.”
“Annemiek crashed in the last stage of the first edition of the Tour de France and SD Worx was the team that went full throttle to drop her,” the Canyon//SRAM rider continued. “Nobody remembers that because Annemiek then chased us and attacked us from behind. I remember every race very vividly. Besides being strong, you also need luck.”
Niewiadoma added that she respects her rivals whether she wins or loses. She also wants to avoid any form of conflict. “I respect Demi too, but I definitely got a strange feeling from her. Maybe it’s because we’re different. I wasn’t looking for drama. I wasn’t looking to play a mental game with her towards the end of the Tour, because for me the only thing that mattered was: is my team in the yellow jersey?”
Kasia Niewiadoma: Four Seconds Changed Everything…
British Cycling Pays Tribute to Lizzie Deignan’s Sensational Career
British Cycling has paid tribute to Lizzie Deignan MBE who today announced her intention to hang up her wheels and retire from professional cycling at the end of the 2025 season, calling time on an impressive 20-year career with the Great Britain Cycling Team.
Performance Director for the Great Britain Cycling Team, Stephen Park CBE said: “Lizzie is one of Britain’s most decorated and influential cyclists and will be remembered for a boundary-pushing career of iconic cycling moments. Whether it’s representing her country at the highest level or performing at the forefront of the women’s pro peloton, Lizzie has done it all. With the Great Britain Cycling Team, we’ve seen her win iconic rainbow jerseys on both the road and track, as well as a sensational silver medal at the London Olympic Games and we will all be supporting her over the coming months, as she completes what will be her 18th season in the pro peloton. What stands out most in Lizzie is her impact across the entire women’s peloton, and the work she’s done to pave the way for many young riders. Her iconic performances on the bike and advocacy for women‘s sport off the bike have inspired many, and she has been cited as the direct inspiration for many of the young women coming up through the GBCT pathway. Professional and driven, Lizzie has been an asset to GBCT over the years and it has been a joy to see the pride she radiates when putting on a GB jersey – qualities we aim to instil in every single member of our squad. Lizzie’s legacy in the sport cannot be underestimated and we wish her the best of luck in her final season and onto the next stage of her career.”
On announcing her retirement, Deignan reflected: “I feel really fortunate that I’m stepping away still very much in love with the sport. I love cycling and all the things it’s given me and I certainly won’t be one of those people who never looks at a bike again, I really want to stay involved. Women’s cycling is on an upward trajectory and I’ve been a part of that. I feel I have some expertise in that area and I’d be crazy not to try and share that with the next generation.
On her fondest memories on the bike, Lizzie Deignan said: “Without a doubt London 2012 was an incredible experience as both a person and athlete. To live through a home Games and become GB’s first Olympic medallist, sharing that with everyone from teammates to the owner of the corner shop, it just felt so big in our country and being at the forefront of that was really special. Winning the world title was a dream come true and to have those rainbow stripes for the rest of my life, nothing compares. Looking to the next season, results are less the priority but if a young rider turns to me and says ‘thank you for helping me’ I can be really happy with that.”
Having been spotted in 2004 by British Cycling’s Olympic Talent Team at school, Deignan’s trajectory as a young rider was exponential, winning a scratch race silver medal at the 2005 Junior Track World Championships less than a year later.
This kicked off a stellar career on the track, which saw her amass several medal successes for Great Britain, most notably five elite world championship medals including the 2009 team pursuit world title alongside Joanna Rowsell and Wendy Houvenaghel.
After moving her focus to the road, Deignan won the 2008 under-23 National Road Race Championships before taking a silver medal in the road race at the 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games; a feat she would better in Glasgow in 2014 where she claimed the victory.
By 2012, Deignan had amassed several professional wins, including two of the spring classics as she built that year’s campaign around the London 2012 Olympic Games. It was here that she cemented her place in British cycling history, delivering one of the sport’s most iconic moments winning a silver medal on the Mall in the women’s road race, becoming the first Briton to win a medal at those Games.
Following London 2012, Deignan’s career went from strength to strength, with wins at the Women’s Tour in 2016 and 2019, and an inspirational season in 2021, where she won the first ever Paris-Roubaix Femmes. Having already picked up victories at the 2016 Tour of Flanders and the 2020 Liege-Bastone-Liege, Deignan is the only woman to have won the ‘triple crown’ of all women’s Monument classics.
Representing Great Britain, Deignan went on to win the 2015 road race world title in Richmond, Virginia, USA in spectacular style, becoming only the fourth British woman ever to win the title. She also represented Team GB at the summer Olympics in three further Games, the most recent being Paris 2024.
Deignan has also been crowned the national road race champion four times, with the final win being in 2017, as well as finishing third in this year’s race. In the 2023 New Years Honours list, Deignan was appointed as MBE for services to cycling.
Outside of cycling, Lizzie has been a trailblazer for women and mothers in sport, having given birth to her two children in September 2018 and 2022, returning to the pro peloton in time for the spring season on both occasions.
One last year for Lizzie Deignan:
Egan Bernal to Captain INEOS Grenadiers in the 2025 Giro d’Italia
Egan Bernal can count on the leadership of the INEOS Grenadiers team in the Giro d’Italia next year. This was reported by La Gazzetta dello Sport at the weekend. It would mean a return to the Giro d’Italia for Bernal, which he won in his first and only participation in 2021.
There is still a lot of uncertainty about the route of the 2025 Giro, but many teams are already busy drawing up the broad outlines of the programs of their riders. Within the significantly changed staff of INEOS Grenadiers, Bernal is said to have been spoken to about a leadership role in the Giro. This autumn, the Colombian climber spoke about the goal of winning the Vuelta after the Giro and Tour final victories, but in 2025 his first focus may be in Italy.
In the run-up to the Giro, Bernal is said to be thinking about a season debut in his own country, with the Tour Colombia and the national championships. Strade Bianche and several Italian spring races are also said to be on his programme. Choosing Bernal for the Giro d’Italia would also give INEOS Grenadiers the opportunity to give Carlos Rodriguez the lead in the Tour de France, although those plans are still unclear.
La Gazzetta previously reported that organiser RCS Sport is doing everything it can to get the ‘Big Four’ at the start of the Giro 2025, referring to Tadej Pogačar, Remco Evenepoel, Jonas Vingegaard and Primož Roglič. According to the Italian sports-paper, Vingegaard and Roglič are ‘seriously considering’ their participation, while Pogačar has not yet decided whether he will ride the Giro.
Bernal back to the Giro:
Florian Vermeersch on Leaving Lotto Dstny
In August of this year it was announced that Florian Vermeersch would be moving from Lotto Dstny to UAE Team Emirates. Rumours have been circulating around the Belgian team for some time that things aren’t always going well behind the scenes. Vermeersch opened up in an interview with Het Nieuwsblad. The negotiations with his former employer did not go as he had anticipated.
“I have always been treated super correctly,” said the 25-year-old Belgian. “The team has always supported me very well. But there is one thing that I was very disappointed about. It is not that the team wanted me to leave, because we had negotiations in which they said that they wanted to keep me.”
However, an extension did not come. According to Vermeersch, it remained empty words from his former employer. “In the end they didn’t offer me anything. The choice was actually made for me. That is the only thing that makes me a little sad, that it had to happen this way. But look, that’s racing. I can relate to that.”
The Belgian is now continuing his career with UAE Team Emirates. Vermeersch likes the spring Classics and will join the strong core of the team, such as Nils Politt, Tim Wellens and… Tadej Pogačar. In the spring he will be given a free role, unless Pogačar is at the start.
Was it purely about the sporting ambition or did the money play a major role? “Let me say that I will earn more than what I have earned so far. But I didn’t sign for the money. I also had other opportunities where I could earn just as much, but I sincerely chose the team. 25 is the ideal age to get out of your comfort zone. It is also the best team in the world and they still had a gap in their spring core. All that together… Actually it was a no-brainer.”
Florian Vermeersch leaving Lotto Dstny:
Tom Pidcock Might Return to Cyclo-Cross During the Christmas Period
Will we see Tom Pidcock in a cyclo-cross race this winter? The British rider doesn’t know yet, when asked during the Rouleur Live cycling event whether he had plans for cyclo-cross this winter? “Not at the moment, but maybe.”
Pidcock rode eight cyclo-cross races in the winter of 2023/24. He won the cyclo-cross in Namur on 17 November 2023, but after that, victories did not come. He didn’t ride the World championship in Tábor. The INEOS Grenadiers rider, who was World cyclo-cross champion in Fayetteville in 2022, started his road season in February in the Volta ao Algarve. His season ended on 10 October with the Gran Piemonte.
“It has been a long year,” said Pidcock, who for that reason will not be taking to cyclo-cross in the coming weeks. “I needed a long break, far away from everything. But there is a possibility that I will do some cyclo-cross around Christmas and the New Year. But we can look at that later.”
Whether the current World champion Mathieu van der Poel will ride cyclo-cross this year is also not certain. In his entourage it has been said for weeks that a decision would only be made after his holiday, but Van der Poel made an earlier statements in RIDE Magazine that he would also not want to do cyclo-cross for a winter. Wout van Aert, who had a lot of bad luck during his road season, did express his ‘desire’ to cross again this winter. That will not be until the World Cups on December 21 and 22 in Hulst and Namur at the earliest.
Some cross this Christmas?
Demi Vollering Seeks a ‘Quiet Place’ at FDJ-SUEZ Where they ‘Respect’ Riders
The FDJ-SUEZ team will change in 2025. The biggest addition to the team is Demi Vollering, who signed a two-year contract with the French team. Team manager Stephen Delcourt explained in an interview with Velo how Vollering’s move from SD Worx-Protime to FDJ-SUEZ came about. “A year ago, I couldn’t imagine having Demi,” says Delcourt. “But we started talking in the spring and a month later it was all over. We had a good conversation about what she wanted and expected, about her dreams. And when we shared our values, our story and our vision for the future and compared them with hers, we were very motivated to sign her. She has the same values as us: our mission is to inspire the next generation,” Delcourt explains. “And she wanted a quiet place, a place where they respect the rules, the contract and above all, the riders.”
Delcourt states that FDJ-SUEZ has signed the best rider in the world with Vollering. “Certainly the best classification rider. She lost the Tour de France this year, but we must not forget the atmosphere and context: SD Worx knew that there was no deal (where Vollering would stay). It was a complicated year for her, but if we analyse it, we see that she won the Vuelta, just like all the other Spanish stage races. And although falling is part of cycling, in my opinion she was the best in the Tour de France.”
Signing Vollering is therefore a big thing for Delcourt and FDJ-SUEZ. “It is great for French cycling in general, because it is the first time in modern cycling that a Tour de France winner has signed with a French team,” she says. “We want to be able to win the three Grand Tours in the next four or five years and also triumph in the classics. Recruiting Vollering is a big step in that direction.”
While Vollering strengthens the team, FDJ-SUEZ loses Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig, Marta Cavalli and the retiring Grace Brown. Uttrup Ludwig moves to Canyon//SRAM zondacrypo, Cavalli is linked to dsm-firmenich PostNL. The departure of these two stalwarts is offset by the arrival of Juliette Labous, Elise Chabbey and Ally Wollaston. Évita Muzic, also a potential winner of a Grand Tour, is still contracted until the end of 2027. FDJ-SUEZ is also a team to be reckoned with in terms of breadth.
“On paper, we certainly have one of the best teams,” says Delcourt. “But we will only get the real answer on the road. We will have a feeling for our position in the ranking after Omloop Het Nieuwsblad and Strade Bianche. But the main goal is of course the Tour de France. And the Vuelta is also important.”
FDJ-SUEZ looking forward to having Demi Vollering:
Remco Evenepoel Undergoes Surgery
Remco Evenepoel resumed training for the 2025 season last week, but during the first days of his preparation he had to undergo surgery. The double Olympic champion had his wisdom teeth pulled. He revealed this in a video on TikTok.
The video shows that Evenepoel’s jaws have swollen considerably due to the surgery. But he does not seem to have lost any energy. During the video he goes completely crazy, after successfully completing a TikTok challenge. It is not clear whether Evenepoel had to miss training sessions due to the surgery, but he hasn’t posted any training data online on Strava since Sunday 10 November, the day after his first ride. His last post was a 10K run with a group. He did that in 56 minutes and 45 seconds.
Dental surgery for Evenepoel:
No More Track World Championships for Filippo Ganna
Filippo Ganna has won a lot of medals at track World championships, but from 2025 he will no longer compete in Worlds in the velodrome. The Italian told the Italian news agency Adnkronos, that he wants to focus entirely on road races.
Ganna also missed the track cycling World championships in 2024, but won seven World titles between 2016 and 2023. One in the team pursuit, six in the individual pursuit. There were also four bronze medals and three silver medals. For the time being, he will no longer compete for more medals. “I will no longer participate in track world championships. I may train a bit more, so that I can improve on the road.”
Until the last Olympic Games, the 28-year-old Ganna held the World record for the four-kilometre individual pursuit. In Paris, Jonathan Milan took the record from him. At the last Games, Ganna only competed in the team pursuit, where he won bronze with Italy. Three years earlier, in Tokyo, he and his compatriots won Olympic gold.
No more track Worlds for Ganna:
Franck Bonnamour Ends Fight Against Doping Suspension and Retires
Frank Bonnamour’s cycling career is over. The 29-year-old Frenchman was provisionally suspended by the UCI at the beginning of this season due to abnormal blood values and has now accepted that suspension. He denies having used doping, but claims that it has become too expensive to defend himself. The former Decathlon AG2R rider told Ouest-France of his decision.
The UCI decided to provisionally suspend Franck Bonnamour at the beginning of February. The French rider had abnormalities (Adverse Analytical Finding) in his biological passport. “Based on checks that were carried out before his arrival with the team on 1 January 2023”, Decathlon AG2R wrote in an initial statement at the time. The team first suspended Bonnamour, but then terminated his contract at the end of March.
Bonnamour has always maintained his innocence. The rider wrote on X (Twitter) that he had ‘always respected the rules’. He said he had not used any banned substances and wanted to prove this with the help of his lawyers. However, he has now decided to give up the fight. “The defence is becoming too expensive”, he said in an interview with Ouest-France. The French newspaper writes that Bonnamour is ‘bitter’ by the course of events and feels that he has been wronged.
Bonnamour joined Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale in 2023. Before that, he rode for B&B Hotels-KTM and Arkéa-Samsic. His palmarès includes one professional victory. In 2022, the French all-rounder was the best in La Polynormande. Bonnamour stood out in the 2021 Tour de France, when he was voted the most combative rider.
Franck Bonnamour retires under a cloud:
Sep Vanmarcke to Take a Step Back from Cycling
Following a successful career as a cyclist and an impressive debut as a Sports Director with Israel – Premier Tech, Sep Vanmarcke has made the decision to step back from his role ahead of the 2025 season.
Having been forced to end his cycling career abruptly due to heart problems during the 2023 season, Vanmarkce quickly transitioned to a staff role in the team and excelled in the role of Sports Director in 2024.
Vanmarcke’s decision to step away from his role stems from a desire to spend more time with his family and pursue other endeavours.
“The past one and a half years have been a roller coaster,” explains Vanmarcke. “I jumped from being a pro rider to a Sports Director after I was diagnosed with heart problems and having to stop in this way had always been something difficult to accept. I tried to be the best DS I could be but, in my head, I need space so I feel the need to slow down for a while, spend some time with my family and find new goals in life. I have therefore made the difficult decision to leave my current position at Israel – Premier Tech. I am very thankful for the chances the team gave me, and even more, I appreciate the understanding they have with my current situation and decision. I will always support the team and wish everyone the best for the 2025 season. Cycling will always be a big part of my life so I look forward to cheering from the sidelines for now.”
IPT General Manager Kjell Carlström says the door is always open for Sep to return. “Sep was a great rider and a brilliant Sports Director so we are sad to see him go but we have the utmost of respect for his decision, knowing that it takes a lot of courage to step away from the world that has been his life for the last decades,” adds Carlström. “I can say with certainty that the door will always be open for Sep to return to IPT as a Sports Director should he decide this is the right move for him. We wish Sep all the best with his future endeavours and have no doubt that Sep will remain close with his IPT family.”
Sep Vanmarcke taking a rest from Cycling:
Tom Pidcock’s Devo Trinity Racing Team Stops
Bad news for British cycling: The development team, Trinity Racing, will no longer have a road team in 2025. The team may remain active in mountain biking.
Trinity Racing was founded in 2018 as a cyclocross team around Tom Pidcock. From 2020, the team was also active on the road and in mountain bike races. In recent years, Trinity Racing has been known as the best development team in British cycling. Not only Pidcock, but also riders such as Ben Turner, Ben Healy, Luke Lamperti, Thomas Gloag, Paul Magnier, Lukas Nerurkar and Max Walker have passed through the team.
The team was struggling with financial problems and has not recovered, team manager Peter Kennaugh told Cycling Weekly. “I think Trinity will continue, but only as a mountain bike team,” said Kennaugh, who is moving to Astana Qazaqstan. “It’s not confirmed yet, but I’m saying that based on the last few conversations I’ve had with some of the people who work there. It will be a kind of small development team for Specialized Factory Racing, I think.”
Many of Trinity Racing’s riders have yet to find a new team for 2025. “I spoke to some of them recently and they still didn’t have teams. That’s a huge shame,” said Kennaugh. A few lucky riders have found teams; Robert Donaldson is turning pro with Jayco AlUla, Callum Thornley, Adrien Boichis and Luke Tuckwell are moving to the Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe development team. William Smith has signed a contract with Visma | Lease a Bike Development. Luca Unwin is also reportedly moving to the Dutch team, according to Cycling Weekly.
No more Trinity:
Nairoman Re-Sign Through 2025
The legend Nairo Quintana will complete his tenth season with Telefónica’s squad.
The Cóndor of Cómbita renews with Movistar Team with the goal of continuing to fight in every competition, bringing all his experience, and earning as many points as possible for the team.
In 2024, Nairo Quintana (Cómbita, COL; 1990) thrilled us once again with his return to racing. He shone in the Giro d’Italia, marking the 10th anniversary of his victory with a superb performance in the queen stage, finishing in Livigno-Mottolino.
This season, the Boyacá native couldn’t avoid several crashes that affected his performance, but he was able to close the season with 69 days of competition. For 2025, Nairoman hopes to make a leap in quality with greater consistency.
Nairo Quintana: “2024 has been a good year. Personally, I had some setbacks throughout the season, starting with COVID, followed by a sternum fracture, and then a fracture of the metacarpal in my right hand. These incidents, along with a few more crashes, meant I couldn’t be at 100% at key moments, but we were able to get back up and do a quick rehab to help the team. The renewal for 2025 aims to achieve better continuity, to compete head-to-head in every race, and to support Enric as much as possible in the three-week races. Throughout the season, we will also focus on securing the highest score possible, as this is the last year of this ranking cycle, to keep the team in the best position.”
Another year with Movistar for Quintana:
Alastair MacKellar rises to the WorldTour with EF Education-EasyPost
Australian talent will make his debut in 2025
Aussie talent Alastair MacKellar will make his WorldTour debut with EF Education-EasyPost in 2025.
Alastair secured his pro contract with a win on the fourth stage of the Alpes Isère Tour as well as top-class results in races such as Flèche Ardennaise and the Giro Ciclistico della Valle d’Aosta – Mont Blanc. He is the 2023 Australian under-23 road and time trial champion and a consistent competitor in the world’s hardest amateur races. Making it to the WorldTour has been his goal ever since he moved to Europe when he was 19 years old.
“I’m stoked,” Alastair says. “This has been a dream of mine since I started riding as a junior. I did all four years of my time as an under-23 in Europe, trying to work towards this, so to finally make it in my last year is not only a big relief. It’s an honour. I’m super happy to have the opportunity and trust from the team.”
EF Pro Cycling founder and CEO Jonathan Vaughters sees great potential in Alastair.
“Alastair has a strong motor,” Vaughters says. “In the under-23 ranks, he has shown that he can make a break stick after a hard, hilly day of racing and he has been doing a lot of work on his time trialing. He is going to be a strong asset for us in mountainous stage races. We think he can develop into the kind of rider who can compete in the finales of the Ardennes classics. We’re really looking forward to working with him as he makes the step up to the WorldTour.”
Alastair’s WorldTour ambitions were first sparked when he went to watch the Tour Down Under as a child. His dad was a cyclist and would take Alastair and his mates to see the race from the roadside.
“I was just getting into cycling and we used to ride out to the race,” Alastair says. “It’s filthy hot down there, like 40 degrees Celsius, and you’d be suffering and then you’d sit on the side of the road and wait 30 minutes for the race to come past. But when you saw the helicopter in the sky, the big peloton coming through with all the follow cars, it was like, ‘Wow, this is a big thing.’ You got your camera out and then the peloton would pass in 20 seconds, but it was like, ‘That was really cool. I want to be able to do that one day.’ From then on, the last eight years of my life, that’s where I’ve wanted to be.”
Starting next year, the WorldTour is where Alastair will be. All of the work he has put in to make his dream come true has paid off.
“I’ve been racing Continental/Continental Pro since I was 19,” Alastair says. “I didn’t start at 12 years old, going, ‘I’m going to go to the WorldTour,’ but when I moved to Girona when I had just turned 19 and saw how the pros do it and the lifestyle, I was like, ‘Yeah, this is the dream.’ The last four years have been head down, bum up, doing everything I could to get there.”
For his first WorldTour season, Alastair is going to focus on controlling what he can control and making the most of every chance he gets.
“It will be my first year as a neo-pro,” Alastair says. “I could put a lot of pressure on myself, but I think I really want to go in with a little bit of weight off my shoulders and just train hard and be physically in the best shape I can and let it come as it comes. There are going to be a lot of really important, special opportunities for me next year. When they arise, I just want to be in the best possible shape I can be and then do the best I can. I think that’s all I can ask of myself for the first year. I don’t need to say I need to win a pro race in my first year, but if it does happen, it will be like, ´Wow!’”
Long term, Alastair’s great ambition is to race the Tour de France. He would also love to close the circle and compete in the WorldTour peloton at the Tour Down Under.
“It’s a race I grew up watching and traveling down to and watching on the side of the road. So, if I get the opportunity to race it, that would be a really big, special, special moment for me. I did it through COVID when it was more of a national race, but never as a pro.”
After his first EF Pro Cycling Oatly Performance Camp, Alastair will return home to Australia to prepare for the year ahead. He has spent the off-season there, hanging out on the beach and rallying cars with his mates. Before the end of the Aussie summer, he’ll head back to Europe, where he now lives, just outside of Nice, France.
“I’m from the Sunshine Coast in Australia, so I grew up by the beach, surfing,” Alastair says. “Being back by the beach feels a bit more like home. The Côte d’Azur is a really special, beautiful part of the world. I moved there and almost instantly fell in love with the area. Just training on those roads with the scenery is pretty special. So many of the best pro cyclists in the world live in Monaco, so to make friends with a few of those guys and train with them is also special.”
You’re one of them now, Alastair. Welcome to EF Education-EasyPost!
Alastair MacKellar to EF Education-EasyPost:
UAE Team Emirates Can’t Do Anything with Stories About Pogačar and Ayuso
Radio Peloton has been talking about the alleged tense relationship between Tadej Pogačar and Juan Ayuso, but Joxean ‘Matxin’ Fernández, the sports manager of UAE Team Emirates, dismisses these rumours in an interview with sports newspaper AS.
According to ‘Mou’ on X (Twitter), Ayuso and Pogačar have been on tense terms for some time. Mou is an anonymous account that provides ‘inside information’ about Pogačar and his UAE Team Emirates on social media. In February the mysterious man/woman predicted, based on confidential training files, that the Slovenian would reach an unprecedented level in 2024.
With his insights, Mou, who now shares his information on X, managed to grow into an internet phenomenon in a relatively short time. According to the mysterious cycling insider, Ayuso is ‘very jealous of Pogačar’ and the Spanish GT GC rider is not prepared to accept a domestique role.
UAE Team Emirates manager Fernández paints a completely different picture. “The people who say that they cannot race together are far removed from reality. Juan will play an important role within the team again next year. It is an important cycling season for him. I have blind faith in Juan. He will of course appear at the start of a race, with the aim of helping Tadej. But he also gets chances for himself,” Fernández continued. “If we take Tadej to a race that he can win, we try to play Juan off in another race. As a team, we want to book as many big victories as possible and then it is important to start with a leader everywhere.”
Ayuso working for Pogačar in the 2024 Tour:
Astana Qazaqstan Has a New Name
Astana Qazaqstan will be known as XdS (Carbon-Tech)-Astana Qazaqstan from next year, according to La Gazzetta dello Sport. XdS is the new main sponsor of the team of Alexander Vinokourov. The Chinese company will invest in Astana Qazaqstan. XDS, a manufacturer of carbon products, has committed to the WorldTour team for at least five years. The intention is for the Kazakh team to become one of the top teams in the WorldTour.
“Since 2022, we have been looking for an opportunity to be involved in the WorldTour,” Yancong Tan, CEO of XDS, said in July. “We were very lucky to meet Astana Qazaqstan this year at a show in Shanghai. During the talks, we knew for sure that Astana was the team we wanted.”
“For the coming seasons, XDS will be the strongest sponsor of the team. We will make sure that the team has enough budget and the best possible technical support.”
Vinokourov is happy with the arrival of XDS. “We were looking for an investor who was able to take the team to a higher level. We are happy that the management of XDS shares our goals and vision for the future. XDS is ready for a long-term investment. Part of that includes a partnership with a new bicycle brand,” Vinokourov is probably referring to X-Lab, which is made by XDS.
With the Chinese investment, there appeared to be more money to attract riders for the coming seasons. The team currently has 29 riders under contract for 2025. In recent months, twelve new names have been signed, including Wout Poels, Mike Teunissen, Darren van Bekkum, Diego Ulissi, Sergio Higuita and Fausto Masnada.
Next year’s Astana bike?
Long Delay for UCI Statement on Ketones
The use of ketones has been a topic of discussion in the cycling peloton for some time now. More and more riders and teams are using the substance, which is not banned by WADA and the UCI. The MPCC (Movement for Credible Cycling) has been seriously concerned about this development for some time now and is once again sounding the alarm.
The use of ketones has been on the MPCC’s agenda since 2019, due to the health risks and possible performance-enhancing effects. The Movement for Credible Cycling is still waiting for the results of UCI studies, which are not expected until the end of 2025. “We cannot accept such long delays, given the problems in the field of public health and the credibility of our sport,” it said in a press release. The MPCC is making an urgent appeal to the international cycling union. “Either the UCI is certain that the use of ketones is acceptable. In that case, the cycling union will have to communicate this clearly. If this is not the case, the UCI must communicate this clearly and discourage or even prohibit the use of ketones.”
There is division within cycling about ketones. Some professional teams are strongly opposed to their use, while other teams, such as Visma | Lease a Bike, see no objection to them. The substance is therefore not currently on the UCI list of prohibited substances and methods, although the cycling union does call on riders to stop using ketones. Ketones are endogenous fuels, but are also used in exogenous (non-endogenous) form in the cycling peloton. “It is a legal food, but at the same time too little is known about the possible consequences for health. That makes it a grey area. So it is not on the doping list, but when we receive questions from athletes we advise them not to use ketones,” the Dutch Doping Authority said in early 2020. A comprehensive investigative story by Radio France about doping use in cycling has reignited the discussion about the use of ketones. According to several recent studies, ketones would have the same effects as EPO. In 2023, Belgian and British scientific studies were published that conclude that taking ketones ‘increases the concentration of EPO’ in a body. In this way, it also increases the volume of red blood cells and has partly the same effects as EPO.
In its latest press release, the MPCC also warns against the misuse of carbon monoxide, which entails health risks and may be in conflict with the World Anti-Doping Code. “Given the health risk and the complex and artificial technical aspect (misuse of technical and therapeutic means to artificially create physiological changes), the MPCC can only strongly advise against using this technique… until it is prohibited.” Visma | Lease a Bike and UAE Team Emirates use a method to test blood values that is relatively new in cycling. According to cycling website Escape, it is a carbon monoxide rebreather, also known as a re-inhaler, with which carbon monoxide can be dosed and accurately introduced into the lungs, and important blood values can be measured. However, the equipment is capable of more, including increasing oxygen uptake, which also entails risks. The use of this carbon monoxide equipment is called controversial and potentially dangerous by Escape, because carbon monoxide (CO) is a deadly gas. With the same equipment, in addition to using it as a rebreather, you can also do CO inhalation, which is a risky method and can be used for performance-enhancing purposes. It can thus increase maximum oxygen uptake and, for example, influence VO2max values.
Where does the UCI sit on ketones?
Lorenzo Lapage, Peter Kennaugh and Dario Cataldo – The New Sports Directors of Astana Qazaqstan Team
In the 2025 season, three new specialists will join Astana Qazaqstan Team as Sports Directors: Belgian Lorenzo Lapage, Briton Peter Kennaugh, and Italian Dario Cataldo, who competed as a rider for the Kazakh team from 2015 to 2019.
“Alongside the Performance Group, which we have significantly strengthened, changes will also affect the Sports Directors in the 2025 season. Our team will welcome three new directors. We know Lorenzo Lapage very well; he is an experienced and responsible Sports Director with an excellent vision of the race, as well as a great administrator and team coordinator off the bike,” commented Alexandr Vinokurov, General Manager of Astana Qazaqstan Team.
“In addition, we have two young Sports Directors: Peter Kennaugh and Dario Cataldo. Both are former professional riders with a fresh perspective on modern cycling. Peter Kennaugh already has some experience as a Sports Director, while Dario Cataldo is transitioning directly from being a rider to this new role. That said, he knows our team very well, having spent several years with us, so he will be able to contribute not only to Astana Qazaqstan Team but also to our Development Team in his work with the riders,” said Alexandr Vinokurov.
Peter Kennaugh to Astana as DS:
XPO Logistics Partners with the Tour de France for the Long Haul with a Six-Year Extension
XPO Logistics has been the indispensable Official Transport Partner of the Tour de France for 45years, hauling essential material and equipment stage after stage. It takes care of barriers, handling equipment, the podium, arches, gates, painted road markings, prefabricated elements for the villages, audio and video equipment, floats, goodies handed out by race partners and much more. From downtown cities to mountain passes, everything needs to be delivered on time and specific challenges need to be overcome. XPO Logistics puts together a hand-picked team of drivers who receive special training for the event.
Furthermore, XPO Logistics has rolled out targeted measures to mitigate the environmental footprint of the Tour de France, the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift and the other races in which XPO Logistics serves as a partner. Supporting the Tour de France’s own approach, XPO Logistics has recently taken multiple steps to decarbonise Tour freight operations. In 2025, it will continue to use LESS® HVO, an in-house solution based on the HVO biofuel that slashes CO₂ emissions by up to 90%. Its use during the 2024Tour de France and Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift saved 215 tons in CO₂ emissions. In 2025, XPO Logistics will step up its commitment with the introduction of fully electric lorries in certain stages of the Tour. The Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift will also benefit from these innovations to ensure that the two races move in lockstep in their endeavour to reduce their environmental footprints.
In addition to its partnership with the Tour de France and Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, XPO Logistics will serve as the Official Transport Partner for the following events: Paris–Nice, Paris–Nice Challenge, Paris–Roubaix, Paris–Roubaix Femmes avec Zwift, Paris–Roubaix Challenge, La Flèche Wallonne, La Flèche Wallonne Femmes, Liège–Bastogne–Liège, Liège–Bastogne–Liège Femmes, the Critérium du Dauphiné, L’Étape du Tour de France and Paris–Tours.
Luis Gómez, President, XPO Logistics Europe: “We are especially proud to continue to serve as the Official Transport Partner of the Tour de France and the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift in the next six years. Our partnership with the Tour de France underscores our commitment to overcoming logistical challenges while mitigating the carbon footprint of world-class events. We are delighted to renew this relationship grounded in trust and look forward to celebrating the golden jubilee of our joint adventure.”
Bruno Kloeckner, Managing Director, XPO Logistics France: “The extension of our partnership is also a recognition of our expertise and flair for innovation. It is a source of great pride for our teams, which have been working hard for 45 years, both on the roads and behind the scenes, to guarantee the success of these hugely popular competitions. Our shared values with the Tour de France are all about commitment, passion, excellence and responsibility, particularly when it comes to safety and the environment.”
Christian Prudhomme, Director of the Tour de France: “The Tour de France and XPO Logistics have been growing together for almost 45years. XPO Logistics is extremely reliable and tremendously nimble, making it a key factor in the success of the organisation of our events. This extension reflects our mutual trust and acknowledges the top-notch work performed by the logistical teams. Moreover, XPO Logistics has been innovating all this time to support the aspirations of the Tour de France in the area of sustainable development. The specific measures taken have convinced us to continue the adventure.”
Key points:
- XPO Logistics, a partner of the Tour de France for almost 45years, will continue to serve as the Official Transport Partner of the event for another six years.
- Thanks to its expertise, the organising teams can ship the equipment required for bicycle races to go smoothly to each start and finish area.
- In addition to the Tour de France, the XPO Logistics professionals support the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift and another twelve (professional and amateur) bicycle races organised by Amaury Sport Organisation (ASO).
Merci, Loulou!
The embodiment of panache and a rider who has produced some inspiring, jaw-dropping, tear-inducing, and exhilarating wins that have lifted him to truly historic territory throughout the years, Julian Alaphilippe will say goodbye to the team at the end of this year after more than a decade.
In this beautiful documentary covering his time with the Wolfpack, Loulou and his Soudal Quick-Step teammates and staff look back on how he came into the squad ahead of the 2014 season, his rise through the ranks, the victories that have left an indelible mark on the world of cycling, and favourite memories of the last 11 years.
Goodbye Alaphilippe:
Watch “One to go” on YouTube
Seventy-four time national champion. Winner of the Ronde van Vlaanderen. Invaluable teammate. Bike racer. That’s just the beginning with Coryn Labecki. Watch “One to go,” our newest Explore film presented by Wahoo celebrating a legend in our sport.
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