Only a few days to go before the biggest bike race on the planet starts in Lille, and we have loads of news from the race, the riders and the teams. The National road and time trial championships were last week and we have as many of the results as we could fit in an enormous EUROTRASH Monday.
TOP STORY:
- It’s Tour time, baby!
2025 Tour de France news:
- Richard Carapaz out of Tour de France due to illness
- David Gaudu to miss the Tour de France
- No place for Tao Geoghegan Hart in the Lidl-Trek Tour de France team
- UAE Team Emirates-XRG and Tadej Pogačar aim for fourth Tour de France title
- Blending experience and fresh talent: Primož Roglič leads Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe at the Tour de France
- Intermarché-Wanty: A youthful Tour selection resolutely focused on stage victories
- Bahrain Victorious Head to the 2025 Tour de France with High Hopes
- IPT chasing stage victories at the Tour de France
Rider news:
- Dorion Godon to sign with INEOS Grenadiers
- Attila Valter to leave Visma | Lease a Bike
- Christos Volikákis Banned for Three Years for Doping
Team news:
- INEOS Grenadiers and TotalEnergies announce jersey partnership
- Emīls Liepiņš extends contract with Q36.5
- INEOS Grenadiers sign young Spanish talent Benjamín Noval
Race news:
- Derek Gee Wins Canadian National Championships
- 2025 Arctic Race of Norway: 18 teams set to tackle the northernmost race in the world
- ADAC Cyclassics: 23 Teams and a New Route
- Crest-Voland pays tribute to Gino Mäder
Plus:
- In 2002 I wrote my first ‘Spanish Shorts’, which morphed into ‘EUROTRASH’. After 23 years this is my last ‘EUROTRASH’, I’m going to sit-up and drop to the back of the PEZ peloton, but I won’t abandon the race, I’ll still be contributing to PEZ. Don’t worry, it’s not the end of ‘EUROTRASH’, Chris Seldon, who has been a PEZ editor and worked on every part of the site over the years, will be bringing you the top news stories every Monday and Thursday. Thanks for joining me on the ride, it has been great. All the best, Alastair.
Have a EUROTRASH coffee on me.
TOP STORY: It’s Tour Time, Baby!
The ASO has put together a balanced route for the 2025 Tour de France. There is something for everyone and the fans of Tadej Pogačar and Jonas Vingegaard will have plenty to look forward to.
After three Grand Départs outside of the home country, Florence in 2024, Bilbao in 2023 and Copenhagen in 2022, the Tour will start in France again in 2025. Lille is the setting for the start of La Grande Boucle in 2025, where the sprinters will have an almost unique chance to wear the yellow jersey, as there is hardly any climbing in the opening stage. The sprinters will probably not hold on to the jersey for very long. The opening week of the Tour in 2025 has many Classic stages. Riders like Mathieu van der Poel and Wout van Aert should be in their element in the Normandy hills. In the first few days, the stages to Boulogne-sur-Mer, Rouen and Mûr-de-Bretagne, where Van der Poel took the yellow jersey four years ago, the Muur is in the seventh stage.
From stage twelve, the Tour heads into the mountains. For sure, Tadej Pogačar will have gone for a stage win several times by then, but it will only be on Thursday 17 July that we will know how the race is going, when they hit the climb to Hautacam. The Tour then has really started, as it will be in the Pyrenees for a few days, when there is a mountain time trial to Peyragudes and a stage to the Superbagnères.
The final week of the 2025 Tour de France is extremely tough. The sprinters might as well go home on the rest day, because they don’t get any more chances. There are two transition stages; stages 17 and 20, but the others are all climbing. There is the Mont Ventoux again and there is also the Col de Loze, which this year is also in combination with the Col de la Madeleine and then stage 19 goes to La Plagne. The final stage is in Paris after missing the capital last year, but it isn’t the same. ASO has added the climb to Montmartre to the route, so, unless it rains, will see a race right up to the last finish line. The top of the last climb of Montmartre is 6.5 kilometres before the finish on the Champs-Élysées.
2025 Tour de France teaser:
Canadian Road Race Championship 2025
We may only be halfway through 2025 but it has already been a stellar season for Derek Gee.
A stage win and overall victory at O Gran Camiño, third overall at Tour of the Alps, a career-best Grand Tour GC result with fourth overall at the Giro d’Italia and now, for the first time in his career, Gee has been crowned the Canadian road race champion.
Having twice won the time trial championship in 2022 and 2023, Gee will now have the honor of wearing the Canadian jersey for the next year, inheriting the maple leaf from teammate Mike Woods.
“I’m unbelievably excited to wear the maple leaf for the next 12 months,” says Gee. “That’s something I have always envied when I have seen it on other people, so I’m very excited to have that chance now.”
After driving the chase behind the first breakaway of the day, Gee made a move in the early stages of the 199-kilometer race, joining teammates Hugo Houle and Luke Valenti in a group that would prove decisive.
With strong IPT representation up front, Gee and Houle played off each other with multiple attacks, before Gee made the winning move ahead of the fifth and final lap and quickly extended his lead to 1:30 as he made his way back to the finish in St-Georges.
Behind, Houle managed to distance Michael Leonard and crossed the line in second place to make it a back-to-back one-two for IPT after Woods and Pier-André Côté achieved the same feat last year.
“It was a super hard race in super miserable conditions but we had a good team and we played the numbers,” Gee adds. “We ended up getting in a breakaway with Hugo and myself, and Luke Valenti and we raced really well together. Michael Leonard from Ineos was in great form so we had to use the numbers to our advantage and I ended up going solo with about 70 kilometers to go. I managed to bring it home and Hugo made it a one-two so that was pretty special.”
Belgian Road Race Championship 2025
Tim Wellens impressively won the Belgian road championships. The 2025 Belgian Champs were held on the Classic roads of Binche and it turned into a war of attrition with a leading role for Remco Evenepoel, but he had no answer to an attack by Wellens, 41 kilometres from the finish. With a long solo, the UAE Emirates XRG rider managed to take the champs jersey. Evenepoel was second and Jasper Philipsen, third.
Two laps from the finish, Evenepoel put in a big attack, only Philipsen could follow him. Wellens was holding his ground well and was 30 seconds ahead of the two chasers. The gap grew to 45 seconds, after which the Alpecin-Deceuninck sprinter started to work. That didn’t help, because Wellens continued to increase his lead. At the start of the final lap of 16 kilometres, the difference had dropped to 40 seconds, but Evenepoel and Philipsen were running out of steam. They couldn’t do anything Wellens and saw the difference increase again towards 1 minute. Tim Wellens was crowned the new Belgian champion after a strong solo ride. Evenepoel dropped Philipsen in the final kilometre in the battle for silver. Livyns and Vermeersch finished fourth and fifth. For 34-year-old Tim Wellens, it is his second victory in the national championship, after he was time trial champion in 2024, which was also in Binche. Wellens will go to the Tour de France next week in the tricolore, where he will support Tadej Pogačar in his hunt for the final victory.
Belgian Road Race Championship Result:
1. Tim Wellens (Bel) UAE Emirates XRG
2. Remco Evenepoel (Bel) Soudal Quick-Step
3. Jasper Philipsen (Bel) Alpecin-Deceuninck.
New Belgian champ Tim Wellens:
Spanish Road Race Championship 2025
Iván Romeo won the Spanish road title on Sunday. The 21-year-old Movistar rider had team superiority on a difficult course around Granada and crossed the finish line alone after a solo of 20 kilometres. Romeo is in his third year with Movistar and at the end of last season he won the World U23 time trial in Zurich and this year he has also won a stage in the Tour of Valencia and fourth in the UAE Tour, 21st in Paris-Nice and a stage victory in the Critérium du Dauphiné. Earlier this week Romeo finished fourth in the Spanish time trial championship, which was surprisingly won by Abel Balderstone. Behind the solo winner, Fernando Barcelo (Caja Rural-Seguros RGA) finished in second place. Roger Adria (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe) finished third.
Spanish Road Race Championship Result:
1. Ivan Romeo Abad (Spa) Movistar
2. Fernando Barcelo Aragon (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA
3. Roger Adria Oliveras (Spa) Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe.
New Spanish champion Ivan Romeo:
French Road Race Championship 2025
Dorian Godon is the new French men’s champion. The Decathlon-AG2R rider beat Romain Gregoire and Kevin Vauquelin after a tough attacking race.
At the foot of the final climb, the race was still open. Defending champion Lapeira had a lead of about 10 seconds. Louis Barré was the first rider from the chasing group to cross to Lapeira. The Intermarché-Wanty rider went past the previous champion. At 1.2 kilometres from the finish, Gregoire made the crossing to Barré and he was joined by a Decathlon-Ag2R train for Dorian Godon. After a lead-out by Prudhomme, Godon finished it off.
French Road Race Championship Result:
1. Dorian Godon (Fra) Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale
2. Romain Gregoire (Fra) Groupama-FDJ
3. Kévin Vauquelin (Fra) Arkéa-B&B Hotels.
French champ Dorian Godon:
Italian Road Race Championship 2025
Filippo Conca is the new Italian road champion. The 26-year-old rider used to ride for Lotto and Q36.5, but achieved the biggest victory of his career while riding for Swatt Club. Conca beat Alessandro Covi (UAE Emirates XGR) in the sprint from the leading group. Thomas Pesenti of the Soudal Quick-Step Devo Team was third.
Italian Road Race Championship Result:
1. Filippo Conca (Ita) Swatt Club Racing Team
2. Alessandro Covi (Ita) UAE Emirates XRG
3. Thomas Pesenti (Ita) Soudal Quick-Step Devo Team.
Italian champ Filippo Conca:
Great British Road Race Championship 2025
The British Championship was won by Samuel Watson. The INEOS Grenadiers rider launched a successful attack at the start of the final lap. In the chase, all eyes were on top favourite Matthew Brennan who seemed the strongest man in the race, but he finished second. Ethan Vernon (Israel-Premier Tech) was third.
When the bell rang, Samuel Watson (INEOS Grenadiers) tried to sneak away from the now thinned out leading group. In the chase, it was up to the trio of Israel-Premier Tech and Brennan to close the gap, but that didn’t work. The doubts in the chasing group ensured that Watson had a 20-second lead in no time. It was Brennan who accelerated on the last climb of the day. He put the fast-finisher Stewart under pressure, but couldn’t close the gap to the lone leader. The other pursuers mainly looked at the 19-year-old, until reigning champion Hayter launched a counter-attack. The Soudal Quick-Step rider didn’t get away and he had left it too late. Watson successfully completed his solo attack. Behind, Brennan sprinted to second place ahead of Vernon.
Great British Road Race Championship Result:
1. Samuel Watson (GB) INEOS Grenadiers
2. Matthew Brennan (GB) Visma | Lease a Bike
3. Ethan Vernon (GB) Israel-Premier Tech.
GB champ Sam Watson:
The Netherlands Road Race Championship 2025
Danny van Poppel will be at the Tour de France wearing the Dutch champion’s jersey. The Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe rider beat Olav Kooij in the sprint in Ede with a last lung for his first red-white-blue jersey. Kooij had to settle for a silver medal again and Dylan Groenewegen crossed the finish line in third place.
The Netherland’s road champion, Danny van Poppel (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe): “Fuck, unbelievable! I never thought it would happen. They often say that you fly when you become a father. That’s true. I was on Olav’s wheel. After Hungary I learned to stay calm. I did that again. I come here to win, otherwise not. You have to have confidence in yourself. I still can’t really believe it. It’s unreal. I haven’t competed for five years, I thought I’d try again, maybe it’ll work.”
The Netherlands Road Race Championship Result:
1. Danny van Poppel (Ned) Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe in 3:10:24
2. Olav Kooij (Ned) Visma | Lease a Bike
3. Dylan Groenewegen (Ned) Jayco AlUla.
Van Poppel – Dutch road champ:
Norwegian Road Race Championship 2025
Andreas Leknessund is the new Norwegian road champion. The 26-year-old rider from Uno-X Mobility defeated an army of teammates and the odd one out, Tobias Foss. Anders and Tobias Halland Johannessen finished second and third respectively.
Uno, second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth. It took some searching, but only in seventh place in the results of the Norwegian championship – or should we say club championships of UNO-X Mobility? – is a rider listed who does not ride for the Scandinavian formation. While Andreas Leknessund managed to win his first national road title ahead of teammates Anders and Tobias Halland Johannessen, Tobias Foss was the first competitor to cross the finish line, more than three minutes behind the winner. Leknessund succeeds teammate Markus Hoelgaard (6th today) as national champion and will be allowed to show his jersey during the Tour de France from next week.
Norwegian Road Race Championship Result:
1. Andreas Leknessund (Nor) Uno-X Mobility
2. Anders Halland Johannessen (Nor) Uno-X Mobility
3. Tobias Halland Johannessen (Nor) Uno-X Mobility.
Andreas Leknessund Norwegian champion:
Danish Road Race Championship 2025
Soren Kragh Andersen is the new Danish champion. The Lidl-Trek rider crossed the finish line 25 seconds ahead of teammate Mads Pedersen. It is his first national title on the road with the pros. The title comes at a good time for Kragh Andersen, as he underwent a successful operation last winter after he was diagnosed with a benign tumour. After a comeback in the peloton in Eschborn-Frankfurt, he prepared for the Giro d’Italia, although he had to abandon after the fourth stage. The new Danish champion beat his teammate Mads Pedersen, who is the new time trial national champion in the time trial. A successful week for the Danes from Lidl-Trek. Casper Pedersen (Soudal Quick-Step) was third.
Danish Road Race Championship Result:
1. Søren Kragh Andersen (Den) Lidl-Trek
2. Mads Pedersen (Den) Lidl-Trek
3. Casper Pedersen (Den) Soudal Quick-Step.
Danish champ Kragh Andersen:
German Road Race Championship 2025
In Germany, Georg Zimmermann (Intermarché-Wanty) was faster than Felix Engelhardt (Jayco-AlUla) and Anton Schiffer (BIKE AID). Despite the course being less than 200 kilometres long, there were 3,485 metres of climbing. The German champion’s jersey will be seen in the next weeks, because the German from Intermarché-Wanty has been selected for his fourth Tour de France.
German champion, Georg Zimmermann (Intermarché-Wanty): “Today was a real roller coaster of emotions. When I got a flat tire at the crucial moment, I honestly thought about giving up. But I managed to motivate myself again, thanks to the exceptional support from my teammate Jonas Rutsch. In the end, everything just clicked for me. When Engelhardt attacked, I kept a cool head and stayed on his wheel, and in the final meters, I was able to use that last bit of power I had left to win this German Champion title. It’s fantastic, it’s a huge achievement to have the honour of wearing the jersey for a year; it was one of my career goals. Now, I still have the dream of winning a stage at the Tour de France and participating in the Olympic Games someday…”
German Road Race Championship Result:
1. Georg Zimmermann (Ger) Intermarché-Wanty
2. Felix Engelhardt (Ger) Jayco AlUla
3. Anton Schiffer (Ger) Bike Aid.
German champ, Zimmermann, to the Tour de France:
Slovakia National Road Championship 2025 Result:
1. Lukas Kubis (Slov) Unibet Tietema Rockets in 4:15:13
2. Martin Svrček (Slov) Soudal Quick-Step at 1:59
3: Matthias Schwarzbacher (Slov) UAE Team Emirates Gen-Z at 6:27.
Slovenian National Road Championship 2025 Result:
1. Jakob Omrzel (Slo) Bahrain Victorious Development Team
2. Jaka Marolt (Slo) Factor Racing
3. Matevz Govekar (Slo) Bahrain Victorious.
Switzerland National Road Championship 2025 Result:
1. Mauro Schmid (Sui) Jayco AlUla in 4:25:29
2. Marc Hirschi (Sui) Tudor
3. Valentin Darbellay (Sui).
Austrian National Road Championship 2025 Result:
1. Tim Wafler (Aust) Tirol KTM Cycling Team in 3:36:56
2. Felix Grossschartner (Aust) UAE Emirates XRG
3. Tobias Bayer (Aust) Alpecin-Deceuninck.
Poland National Road Championship 2025 Result:
1. Rafal Majka (Pol) UAE Emirates XRG
2. Pawel Bernas (Pol) Mazowsze Serce Polski
3. Mateusz Gajdulewicz (Pol) Mazowsze Serce Polski.
Luxembourg National Road Championship 2025 Result:
1. Arthur Kluckers (Lux) Tudor
2. Luc Wirtgen (Lux) Tudor
3. Alexandre Kess (Lux) Team Lotto Kern-Haus PSD Bank.
Swedish National Road Championship 2025 Result:
1. Hugo Forssell (Swe) in 4:21:49
2. Lucas Eriksson (Swe) Tudor
3. Ville Merlov (Swe) at 0:01.
Latvian National Road Race Championship 2025 Result:
1. Toms Skujins (Lat) Lidl-Trek in 3:57:37
2. Krists Neilands (Lat) Israel-Premier Tech at 2:04
3. Kristians Belohvosciks (Lat) Monzon-Incolor-GUS at 6:07
Portugese National Road Race Championship 2025 Result:
1. Ivo Emanuel Oliveira Alves (Por) UAE Emirates XRG in 4:23:02
2. Pedro Silva (Por) Anicolor/Tien 21
3. Pedro De João Medeiros (Por) Credibom/La Alumínios/Marcos Car at 0:23.
Czechia Road Race Championships 2025 Result:
1. Mathias Vacek (CZ) Lidl-Trek in 4:15:13
2. Matyas Kopecky (CZ) Team Novo Nordisk at 0:53
3. Tomás Pridal (CZ) Elkov-Kasper at 0:56.
Czechia road champ Vacek:
Belgian Women’s Road Race Championship 2025
Justine Ghekiere is the new Belgian woman’s road champion. The AG Insurance-Soudal rider beat Fien Van Eynde (Fenix-Deceuninck Development) in a sprint, after the two had ridden away from the peloton in the final. Third place went to Fleur Moors. Lotte Kopecky, who had to do a lot of work on her own, was not in contention in the final.
Belgian Women’s Road Race Championship Result:
1. Justine Ghekiere (Bel) AG Insurance-Soudal in 3:18:24
2. Fien Van Eynde (Bel) Fenix-Deceuninck Development Team
3. Fleur Moors (Bel) Lidl-Trek at 0:05.
Ghekiere Belgian champ:
The Netherlands Women’s Road Race Championship 2025
Lorena Wiebes won her second Dutch pro title in Ede. The European champion of SD Worx-Protime sprinted to the red-white-blue after a sprint duel with Charlotte Kool (Picnic PostNL). Nienke Veenhoven (Visma | Lease a Bike) took the bronze, after her leader Marianne Vos had fallen to the ground.
The Netherlands Women’s Road Race Championship Result:
1. Lorena Wiebes (Ned) SD Worx-Protime in 2:43:51
2. Charlotte Kool (Ned) Picnic PostNL
3. Nienke Veenhoven (Ned) Visma | Lease a Bike.
Wiebes Dutch national champ:
Italian Women’s National Road Championship 2025
Elisa Longo Borghini will be wearing the Italian champion’s jersey for another year. The rider of UAE Team ADQ managed to defend her title on Saturday. The Italian women were presented with a difficult route, starting and finishing in Darfo Boario Terme. There were no tough climbs, but the race had some short and nasty climbs. This turned out to be tailor-made for Elisa Longo Borghini. The 33-year-old rider, who hopes to shine in the Giro d’Italia and Tour de France Femmes this summer, soloed convincingly to another Italian title. Monica Trinca Colonel (Liv AlUla Jayco) came in second, almost a minute behind, while third place went to Eleonora Ciabocco of Picnic PostNL.
Italian Women’s National Road Championship Result:
1. Elisa Longo Borghini (Ita) UAE Team ADQ
2. Monica Trinca Colonel (Ita) Liv AlUla Jayco
3. Eleonora Ciabocco (Ita) Team Picnic PostNL.
Longo Borghini – Italian champ again:
French Women’s National Road Championship 2025
France had a surprising winner. Marie Le Net crossed the finish line first in Les Herbiers. The 25-year-old rider was part of a leading group that managed to hold off the favourites This is only Le Net’s second professional victory in her career. In the final, Le Net was on the road with her teammate Léa Curinier and Julie Bego. FDJ-SUEZ managed to play off this numerical advantage in the final. Le Net rode away on the last climb and proved strong enough to continue her efforts towards the finish. Curinier sprinted to the silver medal, ahead of Bego, who took bronze.
French Women’s National Road Championship Result:
1. Marie Le Net (Fra) FDJ-SUEZ in 3:13:18
2. Léa Curinier (Fra) FDJ-SUEZ at 0:39
3. Julie Bego (Fra) Cofidis at 0:41.
French champion Le Net:
Great Britain Women’s National Road Championships 2025
Millie Couzens has won the British Women’s Championship. The Fenix-Deceuninck rider was the fastest of a leading group of four, including two Picnic PostNL riders. Four riders rode together at the front in the final of the British Championship in Aberystwyth. They were Anna Henderson (Lidl-Trek), Millie Couzens (Fenix-Deceuninck), Josie Nelson and Pfeiffer Georgi (both Picnic PostNL). A group including Cat Ferguson and Zoe Bäckstedt came close for a while, but in the flat final the four extended their lead again. This was mainly due to Nelson, who sacrificed himself for Pfeiffer by keeping up the pace. The latter had to finish it off in the sprint, but was beaten by Couzens and had to settle for second place. Henderson came third.
Great Britain Women’s National Road Championships Result:
1. Millie Couzens (GB) Fenix-Deceuninck
2. Pfeiffer Georgi (GB) Team Picnic PostNL
3. Anna Henderson (GB) Lidl-Trek.
GB champ Couzens:
Spanish Women’s National Road Championships 2025
In Spain, Ane Santesteban (Laboral Kutxa-Fundación Euskadi) was in the lead in the finale, but she crashed 13 kilometres from the finish on a descent. Four riders were then in the lead; Mavi García, Mireia Benito, Sara Martín and defending champion Usoa Ostolaza. García and Martín managed to get away, to battle for the victory. In the sprint, Martín was the fastest.
Spanish Women’s National Road Championships Result:
1. Sara Martín Martín (Spa) Movistar
2. Margarita Victoria Garcia (Spa) Liv AlUla Jayco
3. Usoa Ostolaza Zabala (Spa) Laboral Kutxa-Fundacion Euskadi.
Spanish champ Sara Martín:
German Women’s National Road Championships 2025
In Germany there was also a solo win, but the riders were close. Franziska Koch (Picnic PostNL) won with a 14 second lead over Antonia Niedermaier (Canyon//SRAM zondacrypto)
German Women’s National Road Championship Result:
1. Franziska Koch (Ger) Team Picnic PostNL
2. Antonia Niedermaier (Ger) Canyon//SRAM Racing zondacrypto
3. Rosa Klöser (Ger) Canyon//SRAM zondacrypto.
German champ Koch:
Polish Women’s National Road Championship 2025
Kasia Niewiadoma took the national title in Poland. She finished 2 minutes ahead of Dominika Włodarczyk (UAE Team ADQ). Third, Agnieszka Skalniak-Sójka (Canyon//SRAM zondacrypto) finished more than 7 minutes down.
Polish Women’s National Road Championship 2025
1. Katarzyna Niewiadoma (Pol) Canyon//SRAM Racing zondacrypto
2. Dominika Wlodarczyk (Pol) UAE Team ADQ
3. Agnieszka Skalniak-Sojka (Pol) Canyon//SRAM zondacrypto.
Polish champ Niewiadoma:
Norwegian Women’s National Road Championship 2025 Result:
1. Mie Ottestad (Nor) Uno-X Mobility
2. Katrine Aalerud (Nor) Uno-X Mobility
3. Kamilla Aasebø (Nor) Uno-X Mobility.
Slovenian Women’s National Road Championship 2025 Result:
1. Eugenia Bujak (Slo) Cofidis
2. Nika Bobnar (Slo) Nexetis
3. Spela Kern (Slo) Cofidis.
Luxembourg Woman’s National Road Championship 2025 Result:
1. Marie Schreiber (Lux) SD Worx-Protime
2. Nina Berton (Lux) EF Education-Oatly
3. Liv Wenzel (Lux) Hess Cycling Team.
Austrian Woman’s National Road Championship 2025 Result:
1. Kathrin Schweinberger (Aust) Human Powered Health in 2:30:56
2. Elisa Winter (Aust) Wheel Divas Cycling Team
3. Carina Schrempf (Aust) Fenix-Deceuninck.
Hungarian Woman’s National Road Championship 2025 Result:
1. Kata Blanka Vas (Hun) SD Worx-Protime
2. Petra Zsanko (Hun) Ceratizit
3. Szonja Greman (Hun) Keukens Redant Cycling Team.
Hungarian champ Kata Blanka Vas:
Belgian National TT Championship 2025
Remco Evenepoel powered to victory at the ITT National Championships, held in Brasschaat over a 40.5km flat course suited to the specialists of the discipline. The last starter Friday afternoon, Evenepoel gave absolutely no chance to the other riders, putting more than a minute into runner-up Florian Vermeersch (UAE Team Emirates) on the way to his 57th success in the Soudal Quick-Step jersey.
The World Champion, winner of this race back in 2022 and medalist on two more occasions, had a storming start and posted a sensational time of 10:26 at the first checkpoint to move to the top of the leaderboard. As the kilometres ticked down, Evenepoel continued to keep the speed and increase his lead over the others, setting a blistering time at the next splits before clocking a winning time of 44:43. For Remco, this was the 20th victory of his career in a time trial – out of 44 starts – and the third of the year, after the ones he took at the Tour de Romandie and Critérium du Dauphiné.
“I’m happy with this win – my first since completing the altitude training camp – especially as it came on a hard course where you couldn’t really recover, only a bit on the technical sectors. I tried to keep a steady pace, and as I had a good feeling from the beginning, I gave my best. I am delighted with the outcome, with getting the jersey again and with winning the final ITT test before the Tour de France. It’s a result that gives us even more confidence for Sunday. It will be a different parcours, with many strong riders at the start, but we go with a solid team to the road race, we have more cards to play there and we are motivated to get the most out of it”, Remco Evenepoel said after his victory.
Belgian National TT Championship 2025
1. Remco Evenepoel (Bel) Soudal Quick-Step in 44:43
2. Florian Vermeersch (Bel) UAE Emirates XRG at 1:11
3. Alec Segaert (Bel) Lotto at 1:32.
Belgian TT champ – Evenepoel:
German National TT Championship 2025
Maximilian Schachmann took his maiden victory at the National ITT Championships, after stopping the clock in 27:47 at the end of the 22.5km race held Friday around Ramstein. It was a well-deserved success for the German, a stage winner and third overall earlier this season at Itzulia Basque Country, who had finished on the podium at the previous two editions.
The course was flat, with the exception of a 2.6km climb averaging around 6% that came in the first half of the day, and Max had a flying start that allowed him to set an early mark for success. Having cleared the most difficult part of the race, Schachmann maintained the tempo on the subsequent downhill and the flat 7km final section to beat Miguel Heidemann (REMBE | rad-net) by a comfortable margin and rack up the 16th pro victory of his career.
“I was very motivated, because things didn’t go as planned for me in the Dauphiné and I was determined to put that hard week behind. I knew that in the first nine kilometres, with that hill and the headwind, it was important to gain time, so I went all-in there. I found a good rhythm, and although it wasn’t easy, I kept the pace and did a good race. It’s my first time trial title in nine seasons as a pro and it makes me very happy to celebrate it as part of Soudal Quick-Step”, said Max Schachmann after signing off the team’s 73rd win at the National Championships.
German National TT Championship Result:
1. Maximilian Schachmann (Ger) Soudal Quick-Step in 27:47
2. Miguel Heidemann (Ger) REMBE|rad-net at 0:17
3. Lennard Kämna (Ger) Lidl-Trek at 0:25.
German TT champ – Maximilian Schachmann:
French National TT Championship Result:
Bruno Armirail held his French time trial champion’s title. The 31-year-old Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale rider beat Kévin Vauquelin and Paul Seixas in Les Herbiers.
French National TT Championship Result:
1. Bruno Armirail (Fra) Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale in 32:16
2. Kévin Vauquelin (Fra) Arkéa-B&B Hotels at 0:21
3. Paul Seixas (Fra) Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale at 0:43.
Bruno Armirail French champ again:
Italian National TT Championship 2025
Filippo Ganna successfully defended his Italian time trial title. The 28-year-old INEOS Grenadiers rider beat Filippo Baroncini and Mattia Cattaneo on Thursday. It is the sixth time that Ganna has won the Italian time trial championship.
Italian National TT Championship Result:
1. Filippo Ganna (Ita) INEOS Grenadiers in 30:35
2. Filippo Baroncini (Ita) UAE Emirates XRG at 0:46
3. Mattia Cattaneo (Ita) Soudal Quick-Step at 0:56.
Ganna – Italian TT champ again:
British National TT Championship 2025
Ethan Hayter confirmed both the good form that saw him take a stage win and finish runner-up at last week’s Tour of Belgium and his prowess against the clock, capturing the third title of his career in the individual time trial race.
The 41km-long parcours between Ffos-y-ffin and Aberaeron was a hilly one, featuring a couple of short but steep climbs, where the difference could be made. Buoyed by his recent results in the Soudal Quick-Step jersey, Hayter rode a perfect race on this tough route, concluding the day in just over 54 minutes. His margin over Samuel Watson (INEOS Grenadiers) and Oliver Knight (Cofidis), the two riders that rounded out the podium, was a comfortable one, thanks to an impressive average speed of almost 45.5km/h.
“It was a really hard course. I went very first in the first lap and gained some time, but then I began suffering in the second part of the race. Luckily, I managed to recover a bit and hold on. It feels great to win another race for the team and now I can’t wait to showcase this beautiful jersey in the next twelve months”, a happy Ethan said. “I look forward to Sunday’s road race now. The parcours is to my liking, but the nationals are always a lottery and you never know how things can go. I’m here without teammates, but I will give my best and see what I can do.”
Hayter’s victory was Soudal Quick-Step’s fourth medal of the day, following the ones brought by Mattia Cattaneo (bronze), Josef Cerny (silver) – who racked up his seventh podium at the Nationals – and Martin Svrcek (bronze), who took his first top-three finish of the year.
British National TT Championship Result:
1. Ethan Hayter (GB) Soudal Quick-Step in 54:08
2. Samuel Watson (GB) INEOS Grenadiers at 0:29
3. Oliver Knight (GB) Cofidis at 0:47.
GB TT champ – Ethan Hayter:
Danish National TT Championship 2025
Mads Pedersen beat the specialists in Denmark. Not Kasper Asgreen, Mikkel Bjerg or Johan Price-Pejtersen won the Danish time trial championship, but Mads Pedersen. The Lidl-Trek rider surprised the specialists in a flat time trial of 41 kilometres in Aalborg. It was not exciting, because Pedersen was more than 20 seconds faster than Niklas Larsen in second place and Kasper Asgreen in third..
Danish National TT Championship Result:
1. Mads Pedersen (Den) Lidl-Trek in 47:11
2. Niklas Larsen (Den) BHS – PL Concrete Bornholm at 0:25
3. Kasper Asgreen (Den) EF Education-EasyPost at 0:44.
Danish TT champ – Pedersen:
Spanish National TT Championship 2025
Big surprise time trial winner in Spain. It was a chaotic time trial, because there were no times to be seen for a long time. In the end it was Abel Barderstone who took the Spanish time trial champion’s title. The Caja Rural-Seguros RGA rider beat Raúl García Pierno and Iván Romeo, the current U23 time trial World champion.
Spanish National TT Championship Result:
1. Abel Balderstone Roumens (Spa) Caja Rural-Insurance RGA in 29:27
2. David De La Cruz Melgarejo (Spa) Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team at 0:22
3. Raul Garcia Pierna (Spa) Arkéa-B&B Hotels at 0:25.
Surprise – Abel Balderstone:
Richard Carapaz Out of Tour de France Due to Illness
Giro podium finisher and reigning Tour mountain classification champ to remain in Ecuador to recover
Richard Carapaz will miss the 2025 Tour de France after developing a gastrointestinal infection while training at home in Ecuador.
Richard finished the Giro d’Italia more motivated than ever and had his sights set firmly on the Tour de France. But last week, he began experiencing abdominal pain and a high fever. He underwent several rounds of tests that revealed a gastrointestinal infection, which was confirmed by additional scans and imaging. The medical staff in Ecuador started him on antibiotics and medication to manage the pain and fever.
Our medical team, together with his doctors in Ecuador, have advised against long-haul travel and competition at this time. As a result, Richard will not take part in this year’s Tour de France.
“We’re all gutted for Richard,” said Jonathan Vaughters, EF Pro Cycling founder and CEO. “He came out of the Giro with amazing form and was setting career-high power numbers in training. He sacrificed a lot to get to that level, so the timing really couldn’t be worse. We know how much the Tour means to him, so to lose him this close to the race is a real blow. He’s a champion in every sense, and knowing him, I have no doubt this setback will only motivate him to come back stronger.”
The prognosis for a full and swift recovery is good. Richard will take a few weeks off to let his body fully recover from the infection and then, once cleared, will resume his training. His goal? Win the Vuelta a España.
Everyone at EF Pro Cycling wishes Richie a speedy recovery. We look forward to having our Ecuadorian condor back soon.
No Tour’25 for Carapaz:
David Gaudu to Miss the Tour de France
David Gaudu will not be at the start of the Tour de France this year, the Frenchman told to the AFP news agency. According to him, his form is not good enough to ride the Tour.
“Given my current level, I have been transparent with the team,” said the 28-year-old climber. “They know my data, so we decided together to skip the Tour this year.”
Gaudu is having a difficult year. He started the season with a stage win and third place in the final classification of the Tour of Oman, but crashed in both Strade Bianche and Tirreno-Adriatico. In the second one, he broke a metacarpal bone, after which he had to undergo surgery. In the months that followed, he never returned to his previous level. Gaudu did finish the Giro d’Italia, but was fairly invisible.
Groupama-FDJ has suffered another setback in the run-up to the Tour de France. Stefan Küng, who rode the last eight editions of the Tour de France, crashed during training on Wednesday. He will miss the Swiss championships and it is still unclear what consequences the crash will have for his participation in the Tour. Groupama-FDJ has yet to announce its selection for the French tour.
No Tour for David Gaudu:
No Place for Tao Geoghegan Hart in the Lidl-Trek Tour de France Team
Tao Geoghegan Hart will not be at the start of the Tour de France on Saturday. The Lidl-Trek rider prepared for the Tour in the Tour de Suisse, but was ill. After a difficult week, he has chosen to rest and focus on goals later in the season.
“I really enjoyed the first stages of the Tour de Suisse, back in a WorldTour peloton for the first time this year in a serious way,” Geoghegan Hart wrote on Instagram. “Unfortunately, I became ill for the last five days with a mild chest infection and felt increasingly worse towards the end of the week, even just to finish the race.”
Hart had a bad crash in the 2023 Giro, after which he had a long recovery. Since then, he has been looking for good form. “At times the body feels like it is coming back to a level that I was at before, and I certainly see flashes of that, but it is proving quite difficult to get all the pieces of the puzzle in place at the same time. I am looking forward to a week of rest and then consistent training, before I start racing again in August.”
Lidl-Trek will have other top riders; Jonathan Milan for sprint wins, plus GC rider Mattias Skjelmose and Thibau Nys can win on harder days. The final selection has not yet been announced, but Jasper Stuyven, Edward Theuns, Simone Consonni and Julien Bernard look like they will be in Lille on 5 July for the Grand Départ. With Hart out of the race, there will be one spot left. This may go to Quinn Simmons. The American champion impressed in the Tour de Suisse, where he was in the early break on several days and managed to win the third stage.
Tao Geoghegan Hart not in the Tour:
UAE Team Emirates-XRG and Tadej Pogačar Aim for Fourth Tour de France Title
Pogačar set to be supported by five teammates from Critérium du Dauphiné success, with João Almeida and Adam Yates rounding out impressive squad
Heading to the Tour de France in search of a fourth title in six years, UAE Team Emirates-XRG can confirm the squad that will support Tadej Pogačar in July.
With a lineup that is strongly packed with both rouleurs and climbers, the eight-man Emirati squad will head into the Tour full of confidence after their recent Critérium du Dauphiné victory.
Five riders who supported Pogačar’s victory earlier this month will be alongside the Slovenian once again, with Marc Soler and Nils Politt two of the most experienced riders within the squad.
Elsewhere, Tim Wellens and Jhonatan Narváez will hope to replicate the impact they had on Pogačar’s stage 6 victory in the Dauphiné, with Pavel Sivakov more than earning his place with an instrumental role in the world champion’s victory on the following stage. Joining the Dauphiné winners at the start of the Tour de France will be two climbers who finished fourth and sixth at last year’s Tour, respectively.
João Almeida will be raring to go as one of the most in-form riders of the year, having become the first man since Bradley Wiggins (2012) to win three of cycling’s ‘big seven’ stage races in the same season. Coming off the back of victories in Itzulia Basque Country, the Tour de Romandie and the Tour de Suisse, the Portuguese rider takes career-best form into July, where he will look to support a Pogačar title push for the second year in succession.
Meanwhile, Adam Yates will return to the race in which he claimed a podium finish in 2023. The British climber memorably won the opening stage and claimed the race’s first yellow jersey that year, before going on to help Pogačar to a third title last summer.
On the hunt for a fourth Tour de France success this time around, Pogačar will be hoping to add to his 17 stage victories to date, having enjoyed an exceptional season that has thus far included victories at the Dauphiné, the Tour of Flanders and Strade Bianche.
With a strong team at his side, the Slovenian is looking forward to what will be his sixth successive Tour de France.
Pogačar: “I’m excited for the Tour to start. I’m lucky to have had close to the perfect preparation this year — everything has gone really smoothly, especially coming off a great altitude camp with my teammates. The vibes in the team are amazing right now, and that gives me a lot of confidence. Of course, you can never be fully prepared for something like the Tour de France — it’s unpredictable, and that’s part of what makes it so special. I’m expecting a very high level from all the other top riders. The first few days should be really exciting for the fans with some open, aggressive stages, and the last week is very climbing-heavy with some iconic stages. It’s going to be a big fight all the way to Paris, but I’m ready to give everything. It’s hard to believe it’s already my sixth Tour de France, time flies.”
Led by Sports Manager Joxean Matxin Fernández and Sports Directors Andrej Hauptman (Slo), Marco Marcato (Ita), and Simone Pedrazzini (SUI), the UAE Team Emirates-XRG lineup is as follows:
– João Almeida (Por)
– Jhonatan Narváez (Ecu)
– Tadej Pogačar (Slo)
– Nils Politt (Ger)
– Pavel Sivakov (Fra)
– Marc Soler (Spa)
– Tim Wellens (Bel)
– Adam Yates (GBR)
Wearing the world champion’s bands and the Ecuadorian national champion’s jerseys, respectively, both Tadej Pogačar and Jhonatan Narváez will stand out from the pack in France, but so too will their UAE Team Emirates-XRG teammates. Supplied by historic Italian brand Pissei, the Emirati squad will wear a special-edition kit at this year’s Tour.
As the team’s first special-edition kit for a Grand Tour, the Pissei design will certainly turn heads across the 21 stages, with all to be revealed later today.
Raced over 3,336.4km, this year’s Tour de France will be the first since 2020 to take place entirely within French territory. There is no shortage of climbing in this year’s route, with 53,538m of elevation gain spread out among the 21 stages, including six summit finishes.
Those six summit finishes will take place on the Puy de Sancy (stage 10), Hautacam (stage 12), Luchon-Superbagnères (stage 14), Mont Ventoux (stage 16), the Col de la Loze (stage 18) and La Plagne (stage 19). Standing at 2,304m, the Col de la Loze will mark the highest point of this year’s race.
Alongside the tests in the mountains, the riders will be subject to two individual time trials, the first being a flat 33km course in Caen, before stage 13’s 10.9km-long uphill TT on Peyragudes.
To allow for racing on Bastille Day, the first rest day of the race will not take place until after stage 9, falling on Monday, 14 July, before the second and final rest day on Monday, 21 July. As for the final day of racing, a traditional finish on the Champs-Élysées awaits on Sunday, 27 July, though the route will be anything but.
After its success in last year’s Olympic Road Race, the ASO have decided to include three laps of the local Côte de la Butte Montmartre circuit. Standing at 5.9% for 1.1km, the Montmartre climb is no small speed bump, and with its final ascent topping out with a little over 6km to ride, stage 21 of this year’s Tour de France might well have a decisive say on the race’s overall winner.
Before Paris, however, there are three distinctive weeks which will serve to sort out the contenders from the pretenders.
Beginning in Lille on Saturday, 5 July, the first week of this year’s race will guide the riders across the north of France through a series of nerve-jangling stages, all of which could leave their mark on the general classification. In the first nine days, there are, of course, five stages that might result in a bunch finish, but each of them bears the potential for crosswinds and echelons.
If the unpredictable weather across Normandy and Brittany doesn’t cause tension to rise within the bunch, then puncheur-friendly finales on stages 2, 4, 6 and 7 certainly will do.
Amongst their number lay a finish atop the Mûr‑de‑Bretagne on stage 7, the site of Dan Martin’s memorable stage victory for UAE Team Emirates-XRG in 2018.
Looking past the first rest day, the second week of racing will see the peloton head south with a summit finish at Puy de Sancy, before transitioning into the mountains of the Pyrenees. Here, they will be faced with two fearsome summit finishes at Hautacam and Luchon-Superbagnères, along with a short but steep time trial at Peyragudes.
Between Muret to Carcassonne, the stage to Luchon-Superbagnères will be followed up by a hilly day out on stage 15 before the final rest day.
As if a third-week showdown in the Alps was not enough, the final week of racing will begin with the stage to Mont Ventoux, a legendary peak which has come to define many editions of the Tour de France in days gone by. It is a mountain that last featured in the Tour in 2021, with Pogačar on his way to a second successive title. The Emirati squad will hope this proves a good omen as the peloton climbs the ‘Giant of Provence.’
Stage 18 will be designated as the race’s Queen stage, finishing atop of the mighty Col de la Loze, with stage 19 giving no room for a breather on the following day. La Plagne will host the final summit finish of this year’s race, but stage 20 is no easy task. Taking place across the Jura, there are enough hills on the penultimate day to cause an upset should the general classification remain tight.
All in all, including the addition of the Côte de la Butte Montmartre on stage 21, this year’s Tour de France looks incredibly climber-friendly. With that being said, the first week of racing will see the rouleurs and puncheurs prove essential to help navigate their team leaders through tricky terrain and unpredictable weather conditions.
Blending Experience and Fresh Talent: Primož Roglič Leads Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe at the Tour de France
Primož Roglič headlines the Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe roster for the 112th edition of the Tour de France. A four-time Vuelta winner and Giro d’Italia champion, Roglič is one of the most successful Grand Tour riders of his generation – and he has a clear goal: securing his ninth Grand Tour podium.
Joining the Slovenian Grand Tour star are Jordi Meeus, Gianni Moscon, Danny van Poppel, and Aleksandr Vlasov – four riders with a wealth of Grand Tour experience, bringing a combined 14 Tour de France starts. As at the Giro d’Italia, Gianni Moscon will again take on the role of road captain. Vlasov’s season has been carefully built to peak in the second half of the Tour. Meeus and van Poppel, known for their physical presence and Classics pedigree, are expected to play a key role early on – and as a well-drilled duo, they could be crucial in delivering early results for the team.
Fresh talent for France
For the first time in eight years, the team is fielding three Tour de France debutants – a strong signal toward the next generation. Laurence Pithie, Florian Lipowitz, and Mick van Dijke will all make their first appearance on cycling’s biggest stage in Lille.
The young New Zealander Pithie, who turns 23 on Stage 12, is expected to shine on the Classics-style terrain of the opening week. Lipowitz will use his Tour debut to gain valuable Grand Tour experience alongside Primož Roglič. For van Dijke, the Grand Départ will feel almost like a home race – with Lille just 150 kilometres from his hometown, he’s looking forward to strong fan support right from the start.
Voices on the line-up
Rolf Aldag, Chief of Sports at Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe: “We’re heading into this Tour extremely well prepared. Every stage has been reconned, analysed, and simulated. Our team strength will be especially critical in the first half of the race – five riders are dedicated to guiding our three climbers safely toward the Pyrenees. In the high mountains, individual class will make the difference. That’s our race plan – and our guiding principle for the next three weeks.”
“With Primož, we have the luxury of having one of the most successful Grand Tour riders in our team. He’s focused, motivated, and in top form. When Primož Roglič lines up for a Grand Tour, the podium is always the goal. To get there, we’ve taken a very individualised approach to preparing all eight riders – whether through altitude training, race intensity, or deliberate recovery time with their families. Everyone is arriving in the best possible shape.”
Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe x Tour de France 2025:
Primož Roglič, Florian Lipowitz, Jordi Meeus, Gianni Moscon, Laurence Pithie, Mick van Dijke, Danny van Poppel, Aleksandr Vlasov
A Youthful Selection Resolutely Focused on Stage Victories
This Saturday 5th of July, Intermarché-Wanty returns to the Tour de France after leaving its mark on the last edition, securing three stage victories and a historic green jersey thanks to Eritrean sprinter Biniam Girmay. At the Grand Départ in Lille, not far from the Belgian border and the service course of the World Team in Tournai, the team of Jean-François Bourlart begins its eighth participation with the ambition of continuing the momentum from 2024.
The Route
The 2025 Tour de France kicks off from the European metropolis with a stage favourable to sprinters. To reach Paris and its Champs-Élysées three weeks later, riders will need to conquer twenty-one stages, including seven categorised as flat, six hilly, six in the mountains (with five summit finishes), and two individual time trials.
Among the main attractions of this 2025 Tour are Mont Ventoux, returning for the first time since its double ascent in the 2021 edition, explosive finishes at Mûr-de-Bretagne, and high-altitude arrivals at Superbagnères, Hautacam, and Col de La Loze. The first timed effort, a completely flat 33-kilometre individual time trial, takes place in Caen on day five, while the second tackles the slopes of Peyragudes over 11 kilometres on day thirteen.
The 3320-kilometre route unfolds entirely within French territory, a first in five years. As a conclusion on Sunday 27th of July, the selection led by Aike Visbeek, Dimitri Claeys, and Pieter Vanspeybrouck will have to reach the Avenue des Champs-Élysées via a renewed route, which includes the Butte Montmartre, featured in the recent Olympic Games.
The Selection
The reigning points classification winner, Biniam Girmay Hailu, the first African cyclist to claim a distinctive jersey, is set to compete in his third consecutive Tour de France, having already secured five podium finishes since the start of the season. Alongside him are two loyal stalwarts: Hugo Page and Laurenz Rex, who played a key role in his historic hat-trick last year. Both men have shown ascending form as they approach their second Tour. Page, wearer of the white jersey at the Dauphiné, recently clinched sixth place in the new World Tour classic in Copenhagen, while Rex has consistently landed in the top 10 at Paris-Roubaix, Gent-Wevelgem, and Bruges-De Panne.
The sprint train built around Girmay is bolstered by Belgian Vito Braet and Dutchman Roel van Sintmaartensdijk, the first talent from development structure Wanty-NIPPO-ReUz to discover the Tour de France. The squad can also count on the tireless Jonas Rutsch, who has made a strong impression since joining the team this season with several breakaways, notably securing sixth place at Paris-Roubaix.
A fresh face in the Tour, just like Braet and Van Sintmaartensdijk, Louis Barré embodies the revelation of the spring. The 25-year-old Frenchman is continuously pushing his limits since joining the Walloon team, achieving a remarkable sixth place at the Amstel Gold Race and wearing the white jersey thanks to his first World Tour podium at the Dauphiné.
Finally, Georg Zimmermann makes his fifth Tour de France selection with Intermarché-Wanty. The 27-year-old German climber, who contributed to Girmay’s success last summer, has regularly distinguished himself in attacks in his previous participations, even coming close to victory in 2023 with a second-place finish in Issoire. Last April, he reached a new milestone in his career by winning his first stage race, the Giro d’Abruzzo.
Aike Visbeek (Performance Manager): “To build on our success from the 2024 Tour de France, we started working back in August to assemble a team squarely focused on stage victories for the 2025 edition. Biniam Girmay is naturally our spearhead for sprint finishes and stages with tricky finals. We’ve strengthened the core around him by integrating Jonas Rutsch into our team, alongside Laurenz Rex and Hugo Page, and by regularly having talents like Vito Braet and Roel van Sintmaartensdijk race with Biniam.”
“Roel’s selection marks an important moment for our structure. In 2023, he was the first young talent to raise his arms with our U23 Continental Team. Now, he’s the first from our development structure to make his debut in the Tour de France, which speaks volumes about the progress made and the hard work of our staff. Vito is a quiet but powerful force, capable of performing well in the sprint stage with tough profiles. Both are invaluable assets for Biniam’s lead-out train. Jonas highlighted his potential at Paris-Roubaix; he’s one of our options for stage hunting through aggressive racing.”
“We also have two other serious contenders for stage wins with Georg Zimmermann, who’s riding his fifth Tour with us, and Louis Barré, the revelation of the first season half. Both are ready to animate the stages. Louis is making his Tour debut, and we’re eager to see what he can achieve, especially after what he recently demonstrated at the Dauphiné.”
Roster:
Louis Barré
Vito Braet
Biniam Girmay
Hugo Page
Laurenz Rex
Jonas Rutsch
Roel van Sintmaartensdijk
Georg Zimmermann.
Sports Directors: Aike Visbeek, Dimitri Claeys and Pieter Vanspeybrouck.
Bahrain Victorious Head to the 2025 Tour de France with High Hopes
In the cycling world, July means just one thing: The Tour de France. With the 2025 ‘Grand Boucle’ (Big Loop) just days away, anticipation and excitement is growing ahead of this year’s ‘Grand Depart’ next Saturday.
While it is not the oldest race on the calendar (Milano-Torino takes that honour, dating back to 1876, and Liège-Bastonge-Liège & Paris-Roubaix also had their began before Le Tour), it is without question the biggest, most prestigious, and best known. It remains, after all, the largest annual sporting event on the planet!
This will be the 112th Tour de France. 185 riders from 23 teams will start in Lille, hoping to complete a 3336.8km route to the Champs Élysées in Paris on Sunday 27th.
Following his impressive top ten overall last year, Team Bahrain Victorious will be led by Colombian Santiago Buitrago, with an experienced group of seven alongside him. The 25 year old is looking forward to once again testing himself against the best riders in the world: “We start this 2025 Tour with lots of hopes, actually, to be honest, expectations. I’ve been training for this year’s Tour since the end in Nice last year. I wanted to prepare myself in the best way and be in the best condition. Everything has been going well this season – we’ve worked hard on every aspect, and we’ve had some good results in the team, which has given me a lot of confidence for the three weeks ahead.”
The stages can be more or less categorised as seven flat, six hilly, and six in the mountains, plus two individual time trials on stage 5 (flat 32.9km) and stage 13 (10.9km steep uphill to Peyragudes). For those faster, flatter finishes, Bahrain Victorious will have sprinter Phil Bauhaus, riding here for a third time. Having previously achieved four stage podiums, the German is seeking that elusive Tour victory. The majority of the opportunities for the quick men will be before the first rest day, which this year only comes after ten stages have been completed, due to ‘Bastille Day’ falling on a Monday. Helping Phil to be in the right position to fight for that win will be Fred Wright and Robert Stannard. Fred has been close to a maiden Grand Tour success many times, with four stage podiums and ten top ten results. Despite being just 26, the former British champion arrives at the Tour for a fifth time. Conversely, Australian Stannard is the only member of the lineup making his Tour debut, and he and Wright will also be tasked with protecting Santi in the bunch.
Day one starts and finishes in the centre of the northeastern city of Lille and is a straightforward 184.9km circuit, while the following day, crosswinds and three climbs in the last 34km mean that puncheurs will fancy their chances. That pattern is replicated on stages three (Valenciennes – Dunkerque, 178km, flat) and four (Amiens Métropole – Rouen, 173km, hilly), before the first time trial which starts and ends in Caen. The opening phase of this edition continues with two more hilly stages: Bayeux to Vire Normandie, 201km, and Saint-Malo to Guerlédan, 194km. Despite not being a bona fide ‘mountain stage’, Friday’s finish up the Mûr-de-Bretagne may well see the first forays of the GC contenders. Stages eight and nine are both flat, and both just over 170km, with finishes in Laval and Châteauroux.
July 14th is one of the most important public holidays in France, commemorating the storming of the Bastille in the 1789 French Revolution. Mirroring history, July 14th could be an important date in the 2025 Tour de France, as the bunch attempt to ‘storm’ eight little-known climbs of the Massif Central. It is only 163km long but includes 4,400 metres of climbing, and ends with a 3.5km climb to Le Mont-Dore Puy de Sancy, which averages 8%.
Nearly half of the 21 days could potentially influence the overall General Classification, and Sports Director Roman Kreuziger believes the chosen riders have all the attributes to take on the wide range of parcours: “For this new Tour de France, I think we have a very nice, balanced team around Santiago with Phil as a clear sprinter, and then some jokers for the stages. Compared to 2024, I think 2025 is a bit different. Elevation wise, very similar, but in the first nine days, almost no mountain finishes. Of course, there are many punchy finishes that could suit our riders, but also some windy stages and sprints, so it’s going to be a typical start to the Tour de France, with tension in the bunch. Let’s hope that we come out of that part unscathed.”
Buitrago knows that the start holds many challenges: “It’s a very different route from last year. We begin with 10 very complicated days in a row, where you can’t gain much but if you make a mistake you can say goodbye to the GC. Luckily we have a very complete team to be able to fight and have options.”
Buitrago’s main support in the mountains will come from a pair of riders at very different phases of their careers. Jack Haig has five Tours under his belt already, and will be road captain on mountain days, while Lenny Martinez will be the first Frenchman to ride for Bahrain on the home roads of this most legendary of races. Martinez – who celebrates his birthday on stage seven – is here for a second time, and has had a phenomenal first half of his first season in our colours. Victories at Paris-Nice, the Tour of Romandie and most recently (and significantly), the Critérium du Dauphine, prove the 21 year old is going to be a crucial asset over the next three weeks.
Kreuziger believes that will be the case both on and off the bike: “I think it’s nice to have a French rider in the team on a Grand tour for the first time. So we are looking forward to having Lenny there and seeing how he can go. He can also be the right added motivation for the guys in the team, because normally it always adds something extra.”
Buitrago agrees. The pair have raced together seven times already this season, including at Paris-Nice and the Dauphine. “This year we have Lenny in the team. Without a doubt he is going to help a lot. He’s a young rider with much much talent, and I believe that the Tour is a great opportunity for him to show the qualities that he has.”
‘Week’ two has The Pyrenees at its centre, with three mountain finishes, including that eye-catching mountain time trial on stage 13. Kreuziger expands: “From stage 10, our tour starts a bit more with the climbers. In the second week we are in the Pyrenees with a spectacular uphill time trial, and 2 mythical finishes. Firstly. Hautacam, and later on Superbagnères.”
Stage 11 is a 154km loop around Toulouse which could suit the sprinters if they can cope with the five categorised climbs along the way. The following day is the first big mountain challenge, with the Col du Soulor before the summit finish at Hautacam, and after the ITT there is no let up. The 180.6km from Pau to Luchon-Sperbagnères also contains the Tourmalet, Aspin, and then Peyresourde, before the long climb to the line, which has a middle section that really bites. With those fabled climbs and 5000m of elevation gain, this is arguably the ‘Queen Stage’ this year. A hilly profile from Muret to Carcassonne leads into the second rest day.
On the rolling and flat stages, the team’s road captain will be triple Tour stage-winner, Matej Mohorič. Having also taken victories at both the Giro d’Italia and the Vuelta a España, as well as Milan-Sanremo in 2022, the Slovenian will also have some freedom to try to add another win to his already impressive palmarès. Key support on the flat will also come from Pole Kamil Gradek; a ‘veteran’ at 34 years of age, a stalwart of the team, and a man who does a huge amount of largely unseen work for our leaders.
Week three will likely be pivotal in deciding the final standings. It begins with a start in Montpellier, and 134 pan flat kilometres, before one of the most famous climbs in cycling. Mont Ventoux provides the climax to a stage for the first time since 2013, and at 15.7km at 8.8% will present a demanding examination of who still has the legs to be involved in the final reckoning. Having completed ten Tours himself, Kreuziger understands well what the final week means: “After the second rest day we move up to the coast, but from the coast quickly to the hills and to the famous Mon Ventoux. And from there on, we are in the Alps. It’s a very intense few days up there. We have reconned the stages, so we know what to expect. It’s going to be a lot about strength, what’s left in the body, and definitely for the fans they are going to be spectacular stages to see on the road or on TV.”
Stage 17 should offer some respite, as the sprinters’ teams will be in action on an unchallenging 161km between Bollène and Vallence, before the GC battle recommences with a brutal 18th stage. There are three ‘Hors Categorie’ climbs on the last Thursday: the Col du Glandon (21.7km @ 5.1%), the Col de la Madeleine (19.2 km @ 7.9%) and concluding with the long road up to Courchevel and on to the Col de la Loze. That denouement is 26.2km at an average of 6.5%, and will be one of the longest finish climbs in the Tour’s 122 year history.
The closing high mountain trial comes on stage 9. Starting from Albertville for the ninth time, there are five categorised climbs over 129.9km, but it is the final one that will be conclusive: 19km at over 7% up to La Plagne.
The penultimate day’s racing will be in the Jura mountains. The profile is undulating enough to give hopes to a breakaway, and after the finish in Pontarlier there remains just the closing Sunday in Paris. But this year the race organisers have decided that stage 21 will not be the procession into the city centre that we have become used to. Kreuziger explains the changes: “We cannot forget that the Tour is coming back to Paris after one year in Nice because of the Olympics, but not with the normal finish on Champs Élysées, with three laps there as in the past. The new route includes a much longer lap which is the climb from the Olympic road race. I would say it’s not guaranteed that it will be a sprint, so it might be one extra opportunity and one extra effort for the guys. So if in the past after stage 20 we were saying, ‘you can take it easier and let’s see what happens on the last stage’, this year, again, it’s full focus till we cross the line in Paris close to the Arc de Triomphe.”
The 2025 Tour de France is a high-altitude test for the pure climbers, with five summit finishes, four major mountain ranges, and 43.9km against the clock. It includes many of the most celebrated climbs in our sport, and promises to be – as always – a roller-coaster month of sporting drama and excellence.
Kreuziger wants Bahrain Victorious to be active and opportunistic throughout: “I think our motto should be, ‘Let’s be racers and enjoy the race with ambition.’ Of course, with realistic goals, with our feet on the ground to protect Santi, to do a good GC, be fighters. I’m pretty sure there are going to be some chances on the road and we have to try to take them.”
As for Santi himself, his ambitions are to improve on his excellent Tour de France debut in 2024: “I would like to improve on my top 10 position from last year. I’m hoping for the chance to fight for a stage, but the principal objective is to get move higher on GC. We have worked so hard as a team to try to get in the top 5, or even on the podium.”
IPT chasing stage victories at the Tour de France
After targeting the GC at May’s Giro d’Italia, a strategy that saw Derek Gee record the team’s best result in the race, Israel – Premier Tech’s attentions will turn to stage victories at the Tour de France.
IPT’s team for its sixth participation in the world’s biggest race, which starts in the Northern city of Lille on Saturday July 5, features climber Mike Woods, sprinter Pascal Ackermann, and Critérium du Dauphiné stage winner Jake Stewart.
“It’s simply said, yet difficult to achieve: we want to win a stage. We’ve assembled the best team from our current healthy roster with the aim of achieving this goal,” says Sporting Manager Steve Bauer. “It’s a common goal for every team, and that’s where the challenge lies at the highest level of our sport. We have to be sharp from day one and, in particular, through the first 10 days, we’ll analyse how we can have a shot at nearly every stage, because we can’t afford to let any opportunities go. We have the riders who can be in the mix to win. Our day-to-day tactics will be very important, along with how we manage the guys.”
Kazakh Alexey Lutsenko will make his first Tour de France start in IPT colours, having previously won a stage of the 2020 edition, one of his previous nine participations. Guillaume Boivin and Krists Neilands will both compete in their fifth Tours, all of which have been with the team, and Matîs Louvel will become the first Frenchman to be selected for IPT in the race since 2020.
Debutant Joe Blackmore completes the eight-man line-up, less than a year after winning the Tour de l’Avenir, historically considered the under-23 equivalent of the Tour.
Bauer adds: “We have several guys who will have opportunities in the first week. Stages one, two, and three will be intense. Certainly, Ackie and Jake will be key men, backed up by a solid support group. There could be a couple of potential breakaway stages before the first rest day, too, depending on how the peloton reacts and the race evolves. It will be important for our guys to be ready to go hunting for victories when these opportunities come. In the high mountains, Mike is our best climber, and he’s proven he can win Grand Tour stages. We’ll look to keep him out of trouble in the first few days, and then we’ll utilise his strengths as we go forward.”
Woods returns to the Tour two years on from a historic stage victory on Puy de Dôme. The Canadian also remains the last IPT rider to win a Grand Tour stage, having triumphed at Puerto de Ancares in the Vuelta a España last August. The 38-year-old showed promising form at this month’s Tour de Suisse before illness forced him out of the race.
Woods says: “I’m really excited about racing my fifth Tour. It’s a crazy race and it’s the last race on the calendar that I do that scares me – in a good way, but it’s such a challenging race. The level is so high. The risks are so big, but the rewards are so incredible. Winning a stage there in 2023 was the crowning achievement of my career. Given the level of excitement around that win and the support I’ve received since I achieved it, I can say it changed my life. For all of those reasons, I can say I’m looking forward to returning to the Tour. Everything from stage six onward I’m excited about. Don’t expect to see me at all during those opening stages – I want to try and stay safe. The only Tour I’ve won a stage in was the only one I didn’t crash in. If I can stay upright in the first week, then there are opportunities in the second and third weeks for stage wins.”
Ackermann is still hunting his Grand Tour hat-trick, having won three Giro and two Vuelta stages so far during his career. The German recorded three third-place finishes in last year’s race, but, having taken his first victory for IPT at the Classique Dunkerque in May, he enters the 2025 edition with greater desire than ever before. “I am really excited to be at the start of the Tour, especially after the season so far – I’ve had a lot of bad luck this year, so now it’s time to get back to the sunny times and fight for a stage victory,” says the 31-year-old. “There are many chances to get an opportunity for sprints this year. How great it would be to win a stage and get the yellow jersey!”
This year’s only Tour newcomer for IPT is Blackmore, whose remarkable career trajectory continues with his selection for the race. Two years ago, the British rider was a near-unknown in road cycling, having largely focused on cyclo-cross. However, the 22-year-old has been selected following a good start to his first full season with IPT’s ProTeam, which included top-15 finishes in both Amstel Gold Race and Flèche Wallonne.
“It’s an incredible opportunity,” says Blackmore. “It’s going to be special with the Grand Départ being so close to home – my parents, grandfather, girlfriend, and friends will be watching roadside for the first few days, which is really cool. There are a few stages in the first week with punchy uphill finishes that I think I can be competitive in. I hope to help Pascal in the sprint stages, and Mike in the second and third weeks, but I want to be around the guys as much as I can from the start of the race and see what I can do to help them and the team’s chances.”
Bauer adds: “Joe is in great shape – it’ll be an experience to see how he manages his first Grand Tour. This year we’ve raced him in the Classics and he’s coped with everything we’ve given him, so he’s shown us both the capability and capacity to be with the best.”
Israel – Premier Tech at the Tour de France (Saturday July 5 – Sunday July 27)
Riders:
Pascal Ackermann (GER), Joe Blackmore (GBR), Guillaume Boivin (CAN), Matîs Louvel (FRA), Alexey Lutsenko (KAZ), Krists Neilands (LAT), Jake Stewart (GBR), Michael Woods (CAN)
Sports Directors: Steve Bauer (CAN), Dror Pekatch (ISR), Sam Bewley (NZL)
Dorion Godon to Sign with INEOS Grenadiers
Dorian Godon is close to a transfer to INEOS Grenadiers, according to L’Équipe. The 29-year-old Frenchman’s contract with Decathlon AG2r ends this year.
L’Équipe reports that Godon also had talks with Groupama-FDJ and EF Education-EasyPost, but negotiations with INEOS are now at an advanced stage. Godon initially also considered a longer stay with Decathlon AG2r, but they couldn’t reach an agreement on the salary.
Godon is a strong rider who is on his way out of Decathlon AG2R, but a big name is joining: Olav Kooij. The Dutchman, who is with Visma | Lease a Bike at the moment, was offered a million-euro contract by the French team, where he will be the top sprinter. Benoot also received a big offer from the French team. According to the rumours, Kooij will also have a number of other strong riders around him, because Daan Hoole (Lidl-Trek), Cees Bol (XDS Astana), Robbe Ghys (Alpecin-Deceuninck) and Tobias Lund Andresen (Picnic PostNL) are also said to be on their way to Decathlon AG2R.
Godon to INEOS?
Attila Valter to Leave Visma | Lease a Bike
Attila Valter is in his last season with Visma | Lease a Bike. The 27-year-old Hungarian’s contract expires at the end of this year and was waiting to possibly stay with the team longer, but the climber has decided not to wait. He will be moving to Bahrain Victorious for next season, WielerFlits reports.
The Dutch team had Valter on its radar for several years, before he came from Groupama-FDJ in the winter of 2022/23. Visma | Lease a Bike saw him as a possible future leader for the Tour and the hilly Classics. Valter was never able to live up to those expectations. In his time, he did finish fourth in Strade Bianche in 2023, eleventh in the 2023 Flèche Wallonne, fifth in the UAE Tour 2024 and fourth during the Olympic road race in Paris. Valter also rode the Vuelta a España twice and the Giro d’Italia once.
The Hungarian has now reached an agreement with Bahrain Victorious. This makes him the fourth rider to leave Visma | Lease a Bike at the end of 2025. It is also rumoured that Tiesj Benoot and Olav Kooij are both leaving for Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale. Dylan van Baarle is also changing team, Soudal-Quick Step seems to be his destination. The departure of the four riders is offset by the arrival of Davide Piganzoli, Timo Kielich and Pietro Mattio.
Attila Valter to change team:
Christos Volikákis Banned for Three Years for Doping
Four-time Olympic track cyclist Christos Volikákis (37) has been banned for three years by the UCI. The Greek rider, who has since retired, tested positive for doping last year during re-analyses of samples from the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.
Selective androgen receptor modulators (SARMs) were found in the sample, which are supposed to promote muscle growth and fat loss. The samples taken from each Olympic Games are kept for up to ten years and are routinely re-analysed as part of a programme commissioned by the IOC.
The aim of this is to identify athletes who are still active prior to an upcoming Games and have not been caught in the past. The programme allows for further testing based on updated information thanks to research and improved detection methods.
Based on a re-analysis of a sample taken on 16 August 2016, Volikákis has now been banned for three years. Volikákis is one of the first athletes to be found guilty of banned substances based on the retests of the Olympic Games in Rio. His suspension will expire on March 14, 2027, as he was already provisionally suspended for a year.
Volikákis won medals for Greece in track cycling at World and European championships, but failed to win any medals at the Olympic Games. He was selected for the Games in Beijing, London, Rio and Tokyo.
Volikákis banned:
INEOS Grenadiers and TotalEnergies Announce Jersey Partnership
The INEOS Grenadiers Cycling Team has announced a jersey partnership with leading global integrated energy company, TotalEnergies.
The sponsorship agreement builds on the strong existing industrial relationship between the team’s owners, INEOS, and TotalEnergies, and reflects their shared passion for professional cycling.
John Allert, INEOS Grenadiers CEO, said: “We are proud to announce this new jersey partnership, which marks an important milestone in the close relationship between INEOS Grenadiers and TotalEnergies in elite cycling. It provides us with the opportunity to pursue our shared goals and ambitions at the highest level of the sport we love — competing at the top while developing the next generation of world-class riders.”
Patrick Pouyanné, TotalEnergies CEO said: “We are very happy to support the INEOS Grenadiers team through this jersey sponsorship, which reflects the broader industrial cooperation between INEOS and TotalEnergies on a global scale, in particular in Europe and Saudi Arabia. This partnership also expresses our shared interest for the Tour de France and elite cycling.”
Emīls Liepiņš Extends Contract with Q36.5
Our Latvian champion Emīls Liepiņš will be part of the Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team in 2026. Liepiņš joined in 2025 after five years in the World Tour and has proven to be a great asset to the team. The adventure all started with the vibes he saw at the team’s dinner table the year before he joined.
Liepiņš said: “I chose this team this year because from the outside they looked like a happy team with good vibes at the dinner table when we shared hotels during races. I can tell you now that from the inside it is true. This team is my happy place where both staff and riders are joyful. Happy riders, happy staff, good results, and it shows. My power is higher than ever and I feel much stronger too. People around me see it too: I am in a good place so signing for another year was an easy decision.”
The letters of Emīls form the word ‘smile’ and that is what characterises the 32-year-old rider. He is a rider who adds to the Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team culture on and off the bike.
“I have work to do every day,” he smiles. “I am often the road captain, help with the lead-out for Matteo Moschetti, help Tom Pidcock before the climbs and think about the strategy. I also love coaching the younger riders because I have been a pro for many years and know how this – sometimes very hard world of cycling – works. Every time when I am called up for a race, I am happy to pack my bags and see my colleagues and our staff again. We are a great team and I am happy to be part of it.”
General Manager Doug Ryder on Emīls Liepiņš’s contract renewal: “Building a successful team isn’t just about signing riders who finish on the podium—it’s also about those who contribute to the foundation and growth of the team. Emīls is one of those riders. His constant positivity and friendly presence with staff, sponsors, and teammates are invaluable off the bike, while his tactical awareness and strength on the bike make a real impact in races. He’s incredibly versatile and continues to develop, so I’m pleased he’s staying with us as we keep building the Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team.”
Another year for Emīls Liepiņš:
INEOS Grenadiers Sign Young Spanish Talent Benjamín Noval
Highly promising junior rider Benjamín Noval will ride for the INEOS Grenadiers from 2027 following the completion of his junior programme.
The teenage talent from Asturias in Spain currently rides for the MMR Cycling Academy and has emerged as one of the sport’s most exciting young riders and future stars. The son of former pro Benjamín Noval, the 16-year-old has been turning heads on the junior circuit with his natural racing instincts, climbing strength, tactical intelligence and maturity.
Noval has racked up a series of impressive wins in 2025 including the GC and youth classifications at both Vuelta Ciclista al Besaya and G.P. F.W.R Baron, as well as strong performances at other races including Paris-Roubaix Juniors.
With an impressive natural ability and a passion and dedication for performance well beyond his years, Noval is one of the most promising young riders in the sport and his trajectory marks him as a future standout rider in the professional ranks.
INEOS Grenadiers will continue to work closely with Benjamín and his support network over the coming seasons to ensure he arrives at the WorldTour fully prepared and ready to make his mark on the biggest stage.
Benjamín Noval said: “Joining the INEOS Grenadiers is a dream come true for me. This is one of the best cycling teams in the world and I’m very happy to join its ranks so they can help me develop my qualities to their full extent. I want to thank the team for believing in me, and I hope to pay them back in the near future.”
Scott Drawer, Performance Director at INEOS Grenadiers, said: “Benjamín has all the hallmarks of a rider who can develop into something very special. He’s intelligent on the bike and driven off it, and he has already shown a real edge in competitive environments. We’re excited to support his transition to the WorldTour and look forward to helping him fulfil his potential within our performance system.”
John Allert, CEO of INEOS Grenadiers, added: “At the heart of our team is a belief in long-term development and investing in the next generation of talent. Benjamín represents that future – and we’re delighted he’s chosen to grow and develop with us. The foundations we will put in place for him ahead of 2027 will be designed to support performance but also his growth as an athlete and individual.”
2025 Arctic Race of Norway: 18 Teams Set to Tackle the Northernmost Race in the World
Key points:
- Ten 2025 Tour de France teams are on the start list for the twelfth edition of the Arctic Race of Norway, scheduled for 7 to 10 August.
- Four Norwegian teams, including the national team, will defend the honour of the host nation against the international competition.
The twelfth edition of the Arctic Race of Norway will take 18 teams on a magical tour of Troms County, north of the Arctic Circle.
Cofidis, Team Jayco AlUla, Arkéa–B&B Hotels, Intermarché–Wanty, Team Picnic PostNL and XDS Astana Team will be the six WorldTeams rolling out of Borkenes. A total of ten teams in the Grande Boucle will set out to tame the Arctic on 7 August, embarking on an adventure through stunning fjords and jaw-dropping landscapes.
As usual, the Arctic Race of Norway will shine a light on homegrown talent, with four squads on the start list: Uno-X Mobility, Team Coop–Repsol, Lillehammer CK and the Norwegian national team. Uno-X Mobility, which claimed victory last season with Magnus Cort, will be eyeing a new triumph on home soil when the race winds to a close.
Team Jayco AlUla, the winners of the team classification of the 2024 Arctic Race of Norway, are returning to defend their title on the gruelling roads of the High North. Meanwhile, the local outfit Lillehammer CK will get its first taste of the event this year.
Teams in the 2025 Arctic Race of Norway:
UCI WorldTeams (6):
Cofidis
Team Jayco AlUla
Arkéa–B&B Hotels
Intermarché–Wanty
Team Picnic PostNL
XDS Astana Team
UCI Continental Teams (8):
Burgos Burpellet BH
Equipo Kern Pharma
Israel–Premier Tech
Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team
Team Flanders–Baloise
TotalEnergies
Tudor Pro Cycling Team
Unibet Tietema Rockets
Uno-X Mobility
Continental Teams (2):
Team Coop–Repsol
Lillehammer CK
National team:
Norwegian national team
Stages of the 2025 Arctic Race of Norway:
Thursday, 7 August 2025, stage 1: Borkenes (Kvæfjord) > Harstad (182 km)
Friday, 8 August 2025, stage 2: Tennevoll (Lavangen) > Sorreissa (153 km)
Saturday, 9 August 2025, stage 3: Husoy (Senja) > Malselv (Alpine village) (182 km)
Sunday, 10 August 2025, stage 4: Tromso > Tromso (141 km)
ADAC Cyclassics: 23 Teams and a New Route
On August 17, the ADAC Cyclassics will experience a special edition: with Buxtehude as the new starting location and a revised route in and around Hamburg, the historic race is set for exciting new features. A total of 23 teams, each with seven riders, have confirmed their participation.
All 18 teams from the UCI WorldTour as well as five teams from the UCI ProSeries will be participating. In addition to Israel – Premier Tech and Lotto, who will take advantage of their automatic starting rights, Uno-X Mobility and the two Swiss teams Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team and Tudor Pro Cycling Team have also been invited. As a result, the field remains unchanged compared to last year – but the route is presented in a completely new guise.
Ten years after the first start outside Hamburg, the race begins again beyond the Elbe metropolis: Buxtehude hosts the peloton and sends it on a 207-kilometre course – the longest Cyclassics edition in the past five years. The first 30 kilometres lead through the districts of Stade and Harburg before the peloton reaches Hamburg city area. From there, it’s full speed ahead:
With the return of the Köhlbrand Bridge, an icon of the Cyclassics makes its comeback. A novelty is that the Waseberg will be climbed already in the first half of the race – a total of five crossings are scheduled. The finale promises high tension, as the winner will be crowned as usual on Mönckebergstraße.
Since its founding, the ADAC Cyclassics has belonged to the highest category of international cycling, the UCI WorldTour. Last year, Olav Kooij triumphed in the Sprint Royale on Mönckebergstraße, leaving behind Giro and Tour de France sprint stars Jonathan Milan and Biniam Girmay.
Crest-Voland Pays Tribute to Gino Mäder
A rising star of international cycling who tragically passed away during Stage 5 of the 2023 Tour de Suisse
On 25 July 2025, in Crest-Voland, as the Tour de France passes through, the Savoie village of Val d’Arly will pay tribute to Gino Mäder, a young cycling prodigy who tragically lost his life in 2023.
It was in Crest-Voland that Gino Mäder achieved one of his first major victories, winning a decisive stage of the Tour de l’Avenir in 2018—an early sign of his rise in professional cycling.
As part of its ongoing two-year artistic Street Art initiative, the village of Crest-Voland will unveil a monumental mural dedicated to cycling and portraying Gino Mäder, created by artist Alan Esur.
The tribute ceremony will take place on Friday, 25 July at 1:30 p.m., in front of the mural, in the presence of Gino’s relatives, representatives from the cycling world, and local officials.
Through this powerful gesture, Crest-Voland forever inscribes on its walls the memory of a rider whose meteoric journey continues to inspire a whole generation.
Watch the PEZ YOUTUBE Channel here
Follow PEZ INSTAGRAM here
The PEZ NEWSWIRE!
Don’t forget to check the “NEWSWIRE” section, you can find it on the homepage, just above the PEZ Shop section. The bits of news that missed the EuroTrash deadline are in there, plus any news as-it-happens will be added there too.
The post EUROTRASH Monday: The Tour is On the Start-Line! appeared first on PezCycling News.
