EUROTRASH Monday: Rainbow Cross Champs on Fire!

As most of the cyclocross World champions held their rainbow jerseys for another year, we have all the excitement from the World cyclocross championships in Liévin. Plus the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race, Alula Tour and the French season opener, the Grand Prix Cycliste de Marseille La Marseillaise, all with video, race reports, results and what the riders have to say.

TOP STORY:

• UCI bans use of the carbon monoxide method

Rider news:

• Will Remco Evenepoel be training outdoors next week?
• ***UPDATE*** Remco Evenepoel made his first training ride on Saturday
• Álvaro José Hodeg finds a new team after a long search
• Zdeněk Štybar wants to bring the Czech Republic to the top of cyclocross

Team news:

• Soudal Quick-Step to Étoile de Bessèges
• Wahoo ELEMNT ACE reviewed and found permissible for use in UCI-sanctioned races

Race news:

• UCI denies rumours about moving World championships from Rwanda to Switzerland
• UCI publishes 2025-2026 cyclocross World Cup calendar
• Critérium du Dauphiné 2025 promises to keep and scores to settle

The last cyclocross coffee of the season.

TOP STORY: UCI Bans Use of Carbon Monoxide Method
The UCI is going to impose a ban on the use of devices that athletes can use to inhale carbon monoxide. Last summer it became known that several WorldTeams, including Visma | Lease a Bike and UAE Emirates, use these methods. The UCI wants teams to stop using them, and the method will be officially banned from 10 February 2025.

The UCI management committee made the decision this weekend at a meeting in France, at the cyclocross World championships. The decision to ban the inhalation of carbon monoxide is being made to protect the health of the cyclists. The UCI and MPCC (the movement for credible cycling), previously called for a ban, and several riders and team managers also spoke out about it.

The UCI is aware that carbon monoxide is used in sports medicine to measure blood values, among other things. “Especially to investigate the effects of endurance training and altitude exposure on oxygen capacity. Repeated inhalation can lead to acute and chronic health problems, such as headaches, lethargy, nausea, dizziness and confusion. Such symptoms can worsen at any time and develop into heart rhythm problems, seizures, paralysis and loss of consciousness,” the UCI said in a press release. “The new regulation prohibits the possession, outside a medical facility, of commercially available carbon monoxide rebreather systems connected to oxygen and CO cylinders,” the UCI wrote. The rule will apply to riders, teams, bodies under the UCI and anyone working for a team or rider.

Inhaling carbon monoxide will not be banned entirely. It is permitted under medical supervision and if there are medical reasons to use carbon monoxide. There is still the condition that only one inhalation is permitted to measure values. A second inhalation is only permitted two weeks after the first measurement, according to the UCI. Riders from WorldTeams, ProTeams and Women’s WorldTeams must have all inhalations recorded in a medical file.

The ban is separate from WADA and its own anti-doping regulations, but the UCI has asked the World Anti-Doping Agency to take a position.

Erik Dekker not using a carbon monoxide inhaler:

World Cyclocross Championships – Liévin Men 2025
Mathieu van der Poel is the elite men’s cyclocross World champion for the seventh time. In Liévin, France, Van der Poel made his move in the first lap and then soloed to victory without any problems. Wout van Aert, who had a bad start, finished second at 45 seconds. Thibau Nys was third. Van der Poel has now equalled the record of the late Erik De Vlaeminck, who was World cyclocross champion seven times.

It was a surprise when Wout van Aert announced at the last minute that he would ride the cyclocross World championships in Liévin. The cyclocross fans could then hope for an exciting rainbow battle. If anyone could put up a fight with Mathieu van der Poel for his seventh World title, it was Van Aert. Van der Poel was still top favourite after his unbeaten cross season.

Van der Poel started fast and immediately took the lead. The Dutchman was passed by Toon Aerts, but once they left the road, the defending champion took the lead again. Behind; Van Aert didn’t have a good start. The Belgian was on the fourth row and didn’t moved up in the early part of the race. Thibau Nys, the European and Belgian champion, also had problems. This gave Van der Poel the chance to put the pressure on. After just 3 minutes, he rode away from Michael Vanthourenhout, Felipe Orts and Laurens Sweeck, who had a gap on the others. Joris Nieuwenhuis managed to cross to them. After one lap, Sweeck had taken a small lead on the others, but they were already 20 seconds behind Van der Poel. Van Aert was in 16th place, at about 45 seconds.

In the second of eight laps, Van der Poel was flying and he extended his lead over the group of chasers. Orts had been dropped, but a few other riders were coming back. Nieuwenhuis had five Belgians with him: Vanthourenhout, Sweeck, Emiel Verstrynge, Thibau Nys and Wout van Aert, who had caught them at the end of the lap. He must have had a problem in the opening lap as his shorts were torn. At the end of the third lap, Van Aert took the lead and took a gap on the road section. Nieuwenhuis was able to close the gap, but when Van Aert missed out the pits, he had a gap again. Nieuwenhuis rode away from Nys and he got back to Van Aert. Van der Poel, who had a puncture in the third lap, still had 45 seconds. By the halfway point, the Dutchman had added a few more seconds.

In the fifth lap, Nieuwenhuis had to let Van Aert go again, and they both lost time on Van der Poel. After six laps, the difference between Van Aert and Van der Poel had increased to over 1 minute. By this point it was obvious that Van der Poel would win the World championship again and in the final laps the champion didn’t have any problems and he soloed to his seventh World title and equaled the record of Erik De Vlaeminck. Second place was going to be Van Aert’s, as he had a good lead over Nieuwenhuis and Nys, who fought for bronze. The battle was settled on the penultimate lap, where Nys rode away from Nieuwenhuis. In the final lap, the Belgian held his place to take the third step next to Van der Poel and Van Aert on the podium. Nieuwenhuis took fourth place and Emiel Verstrynge completed the top five.

World champion, Mathieu van der Poel (Ned): “But now I’m giving myself a week’s holiday. Yesterday I saw in the U23s, where Tibor del Grosso won, that it would be best to be at the front and just do your own thing, especially on this course, because it was very tricky. I wanted to quickly gain a lead to discourage the pursuers. In the first meters I was fast, but Toon Aerts was still able to pass me. I knew where I had to be at the front. I immediately created a nice gap, which gave me a lot of certainty for the rest of the race. I was afraid of a flat tyre. I had a flat tyre after passing the first pits, so I had to ride around with a flat front tire for a long time. That cost a lot of energy. After that I also asked for a higher tyre pressure to be sure. The record had been standing for a long time (Erik De Vlaeminck – 7 times World champion). In the past I hoped to equal that one day, but I could not have imagined then that I would succeed one day. That’s very special. I’m going to enjoy this one first. Afterwards I’ll start my preparation for Tirreno-Adriatico or Paris-Nice.”

2nd, Wout van Aert (Bel): “I was boxed in on the first part. In the first corner, someone almost fell or maybe I fell completely, on the inside. That’s why I was completely stationary at the fences and I was already far back. I arrived here at the podium and they said: ‘Your pants are torn.’ That’s when I realised it. By the way, I also lost my Garmin on the way. It was a typical World championship for me, with a crazy start. There’s real war going on in the back. I knew I had to be lucky to get into the race right away. It wasn’t, so that was a shame. Of course, I would have preferred a different scenario, where I could have entered the battle and been in the race right away, but it’s my own fault that I don’t have a better starting position. I consciously chose not to ride many races this season. Otherwise I would have been closer to the front. The other guys in front of me did ride those races. It’s a fair system, where everyone knows in advance how it works. Then you know you have to be lucky. The first races I rode this winter, I was lucky and I got out, but not today. Then there’s one thing you can do: stay calm and start your race when you’re out. It’s always a kick to ride a race like that. It’s the race of the year in cyclocross, with so many spectators. It was great to be part of it again.”

3rd, Thibau Nys (Bel): “It was great to end the cyclocross season. The last two weeks did not go smoothly. It was difficult to turn the switch in the right direction in the last five days. I felt that I was physically past my peak. I was fighting all sorts of things, illness and such. It never really broke through, but it was not ideal. You want to gain confidence in the last two weeks. A World championship like this is the right motivation to find something somewhere to still ride a good cyclocross. In the first lap I already felt that I could move up quite well. After that I immediately found the right pace. After that I struggled a bit for two or three laps with choosing the wrong pit area. But I did feel that my pace was high enough to still come third. I also had some bad luck with my bike once, which meant that I had to come in when I normally would not have had to. It did indeed take a while before I got into the right flow in that area, but I don’t think I lost it because of that. If I had handled those changes differently, I wouldn’t have been able to beat Wout either.”

4th, Joris Nieuwenhuis (Ned): “I have to be happy with this. That was for Mathieu van der Poel. He equaled the record number of World titles, that’s very impressive. Yes, and for Wout van Aert, Thibau Nys and everyone. I rode a good race, I’m happy with that. Nys just rode really well uphill. I came close, but in the end it was too late. If I wanted to drop him, I really have to ride a whole lap faster, because he is simply better on the explosive and technical parts. I worked really hard for this the past few months. From the moment I had a hard time, I looked at how I could come back. I got a little better every day, and that ultimately led to this fourth place. I wanted to be on the podium, but if there are three better I just have to accept that. After this season I have to be happy with that. I’m mainly looking at next year now”

World Cyclocross Championships – Liévin Men Result:
1. Mathieu van der Poel (Ned) in 1:02:44
2. Wout van Aert (Bel) at 0:45
3. Thibau Nys (Bel) at 1:06
4. Joris Nieuwenhuis (Ned) at 1:15
5. Emiel Verstrynge (Bel) at 1:53
6. Toon Aerts (Bel) at 1:56
7. Michael Vanthourenhout (Bel) at 2:00
8. Joran Wyseure (Bel) at 2:03
9. Lars van der Haar (Ned) at 2:09
10. Laurens Sweeck Bel) at 2:28.

Cross Worlds’25:

World Cyclocross Championships – Liévin Women 2025
Fem van Empel is the World cyclocross champion for the third time in a row. In Liéven, France, she was the best after an exciting battle with Lucinda Brand. Puck Pieterse was third for a complete Dutch podium.

The women’s World cyclocross championship promised to be a thrilling race in Liévin. In the run-up to the World championship, there was no rider dominating the racing and the current champion, Fem van Empel, was making mistakes in recent races. Lucinda Brand, Puck Pieterse and Kata Blanka Vas were among the favourites for the rainbow jersey.

From the start there were a lot of Nederland’s orange jerseys at the front, but the best start came form a French woman: Amandine Fouquenet, who was the first to go off road. Pieterse, Van Empel and Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado were close behind; Vas and Brand were a little further back. The course in Liévin was wide enough to move up during the race. Pieterse was the first to attack, she passed Fouquenet and pulled away. Van Empel followed, took over and put the pressure on. The defending champion and the Dutch champion escaped. Van Empel then took a few metres on Pieterse, but before the end of the opening lap the two were back together. Brand was 9 seconds behind, Vas followed at a further 5 seconds. Next was Alvarado, who was already almost half a minute down. In the second lap Brand got her engine going. She crossed to Pieterse, who had had to leave a small gap to Van Empel. The three kept each other in sight and came together after 15 minutes. Brand missed the a pit stop and went on the attack, but Van Empel quickly pulled her back. Pieterse looked to be having a hard time, but after a few strong sections the Dutch champion was back in the lead. Now Van Empel, who had trouble with her pedals, was in trouble.

On the third lap, everything changed. Pieterse lost her impetus and saw both Brand and Van Empel catch her and then drop her again. At the start of the fourth lap she was already 10 seconds behind and would lose more time. At the start of the fifth lap Van Empel attacked, but Brand returned. Then Brand attacked when Van Empel went into the pits. This time the defending champion had more trouble closing the gap, but on the asphalt section she sprinted. With one lap to go Brand’s lead was only 4 seconds. The final lap would decide the World championships. It took a lot of effort, but halfway through the lap Van Empel managed to catch Van Empel. She then tried to jump Brand, but the Baloise Glowi Lions rider fought off her first move. She kept the lead, but Van Empel tried again and managed to get past. She immediately created a gap, but Brand didn’t give up and passed Van Empel again. The battle was on as Van Empel came alongside her again. Brand lost some speed on a short slope, which allowed Van Empel to get away. She started the final metres with a lead and held it to the finish. Van Empel was crowned women’s World cyclocross champion for the third year in a row. Brand had to settle for second . A good minute after Van Empel, Pieterse finished third. Inge van der Heijden was fourth and Vas completed the top five. The retiring Sanne Cant finished ninth.

World champion, Fem van Empel (Ned): “Wow, it was a tough battle. It was also mentally tough after last weekend. This is very emotional. I don’t realise it yet, I had to dig deep for it. I expected it to be tough, and it was. Lucinda was a great opponent today. I really respect her. She rode a strong season, and I’m happy for her that she’s on the podium. Also for Puck who finished third. They did very well. The course kept changing in the last few days. That made it difficult. The weather had also changed after the reconnaissance. Then it is always tricky in the race, but after a few laps you know the circuit and then I found places where I was just a little bit better.”

2nd, Lucinda Brand (Ned): “I’m just really grumpy at the moment. It was a really nice race and we were really evenly matched. Everyone knows that Fem would normally have been stronger than me on the last stretch. I don’t know what to think about someone riding into the fences. To be honest, I thought it was a strange move at the European Championships too. That was probably just part of it, but I really didn’t think this was acceptable. I just think it’s a shame that it’s necessary. I think I was better on that technical sloping section. I quickly decided to walk so that I could go around it. She sees me coming and thinks: I’ll just steer all the way to the outside. I’m lucky that I don’t crash into a pole. We always ride at the limit and she’s basically faster than me. After a tough race, anything is possible, but normally she would have beaten me there too. I’ve also always said that this doesn’t make or break my season. But it could have made it even more beautiful. I really worked towards it. I don’t think I did anything wrong. Everyone around me helped me a lot, so I can just be very proud of that”

3rd, Puck Pieterse (Ned): “I was able to keep up for a long time and really put my cards on the table. I didn’t have the legs to follow, unfortunately. At one point I noticed that I lacked power on long stretches with thick mud. But I saw that they only really pulled away in the last two laps. Until then you have to keep your faith. Until one and a half laps before the end I still thought I had a chance of winning the title if it came to a standstill, but in the last lap I knew it wasn’t going to happen anymore. Then it’s all about riding for the podium. I tried to keep riding technically well, only in the final lap I really made a mistake, but then my focus is gone and they had already finished. Otherwise I rode a great race. With the legs I had I got the most out of it. You always go for the highest and then you go for gold, because everything is possible. I already have two beautiful World championship jerseys (2024 MTB and U23 Road World Championships), so to be on the cyclocross podium for the third time in a row and now on a World championships podium again, in such a short time, that is very special. I can be very proud of that.”

World Cyclocross Championships – Liévin Women Result:
1. Fem van Empel (Ned) in 54:29
2. Lucinda Brand (Ned) at 0:18
3. Puck Pieterse (Ned) at 1:09
4. Inge van der Heijden (Ned) at 1:31
5. Kata Blanka Vas (Hun) at 1:56
6. Sara Casasola (Ita) at 2:11
7. Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado (Ned) at 2:36
8. Hélène Clauzel (Fra) at 2:51
9. Sanne Cant (Bel) at 2:53
10. Valentina Cavallar (Aust) at 2:58.

Cross Worlds’25:

UCI Cyclocross World Championships – Liévin 2025 Results:
Mixed Elite Team Relay
1. Great Britain in 50:03
2. Italy at 0:02
3. France at 0:05.

Junior Women
1. Lise Revol (Fra) in 45:25
2. Barbora Bukovská (CZ) at 0:11
3. Rafaelle Carrier (Can) at 1:43.

Men Under 23:
1. Tibor Del Grosso (Ned) in 56:26
2. Kay De Bruyckere (Bel) at 0:56
3. Jente Michels (Bel) at 1:05

Junior Men:
1. Mattia Agostinacchio (Ita) in 45:47
2. Soren Bruyere Joumard (Fra) at 0:12
3. Filippo Grigolini (Ita) at 0:30.

Women Under 23:
1. Zoe Backstedt (GB) in 45:42
2. Marie Schreiber (Lux) at 0:39
3. Leonie Bentveld (Ned) at 1:20.

Tibor Del Grosso kept his U23 rainbow jersey:

Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race – Men 2025
Mauro Schmid won the ninth edition of the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race. The Swiss champion of the Jayco AlUla team attacked 9 kilometres from the finish and then soloed to victory. In Geelong, Schmid finished 3 seconds ahead of New Zealanders Aaron Gate (XDS Astana) and Laurence Pithie (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe).

On Sunday the pro men raced the ninth edition of the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race. In this one-day WorldTour race, there was a strong field, including defending champion Laurence Pithie, along side Albert Withen Philipsen, Corbin Strong, Tobias Lund Andresen, Danny van Poppel, Bryan Coquard, Mauro Schmid, Finn Fisher-Black and Javier Romo.

The race was set on the usual circuit in and around Geelong, although the race organisers had made some changes. This year the race went clockwise, like in the first years of the race. The local circuit in Geelong had not been changed, that had to be ridden four times, with Challambra Crescent (1.2km at 7.8%) each lap. Early in the race, 21 year-old Andrea Raccagni Noviero, jump away from the peloton after 20 kilometres and rode solo with a lead of around 8 minutes. It was a brave attempt by the Soudal Quick-Step neo-pro, but he had no chance. He was caught after a solo of more than 80 kilometres.

Next it was Noviero’s teammate, Pieter Serry who went away with Oliver Bleddyn (Australian Nat team), but that was short-lived. After Serry and Bleddyn had been caught, the attacks came in quick succession. Chris Harper (Jayco AlUla), Max Walker (EF Education-EasyPost), Rudy Porter (Australia) and Connor Swift (INEOS Grenadiers) tried their luck. This escape group did not stay together for long, because Harper decided to drop the others, hoping to finish in Geelong solo. The Australian started the last 20 kilometres with a lead of 30 seconds, but he still had the last passage over Challambra Crescent to go.

The climb was too much for Harper, who was caught on the Challamba Crescent by an elite group of around 10 men, including Javier Romo, Laurence Pithie (last year’s winner), Oscar Onley and Esteban Chaves. Mauro Schmid was also there. The Jayco AlUla Swiss champion saw his chance had come on the descent of the last climb and escaped. In the chasing group, no one was prepared to do the work and Schmid was able to extend his lead. The chase eventually got going, but it was too late and Schmid rode solo to the finish. The 25-year-old took his seventh victory of his professional career in Geelong. The sprint for second place was won by Aaron Gate, ahead of Pithie.

Race winner, Mauro Schmid (Jayco AlUla): “This is my first one-day WorldTour race victory, so it is very special for me, and it is an important race for the team, so I am super happy. Chris Harper did an amazing ride, and he was a big part of this win because I could just sit back and then when we caught him on the climb, I knew that now was the moment to go. I saw everybody was on the limit and I still had quite good legs on that final climb. I did a similar attack in this race before and got caught with 300 metres to go, so I knew that I had to just go super deep and that helped me today. The whole team was super motivated for this one, already in the Surf Coast Classic we were riding really well but didn’t get the result, so to win today is very special for us.”

2nd, Aron Gate (XDS Astana): “The whole team put in a huge effort today to set me up for the best possible position in the finale. Our plan was to be in the lead group and fight for the sprint. My teammates stayed with me the whole time, helping me position well before the circuit and then leading into the climb, so everything went as planned. It was extremely hot today, which made the race even tougher – many riders struggled in these conditions. On the final climb, only a few of us were left in the front group when Mauro Schmid attacked. We couldn’t close the gap immediately, and after that, it turned into a tactical battle. Of course, it would have been great to fight for the win, but in the end, we sprinted for second place, and I think it’s a solid result and a great step forward for the team. After our January training camp and this block of racing in Australia, I feel like I’ve built some good form. Now, I’ll focus on the New Zealand National Championships next week and then the UAE Tour, which will be my next race with the team. I know today is the final day of racing in Mallorca, so I want to wish our team success there.”

Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race – Men Result:
1. Mauro Schmid (Sui) Jayco AlUla in 4:26:07
2. Aaron Gate (NZ) XDS Astana at 0:03
3. Laurence Pithie (NZ) Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe
4. Javier Romo Oliver (Spa) Movistar
5. Andrea Bagioli (Ita) Lidl-Trek
6. Corbin Strong (NZ) Israel-Premier Tech
7. Magnus Sheffield (USA) INEOS Grenadiers
8. Remy Rochas (Fra) Groupama-FDJ
9. Oscar Onley (GB) Team Picnic PostNL
10. Finn Fisher-Black (NZ) Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe at 0:08.

Cadel Evans’25:

Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race – Women 2025
Ally Wollaston took her second victory of the season in Australia. The New Zealand rider won the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race in Geelong on Saturday, after having won the Surf Coast Classic a few days earlier. Karlijn Swinkels (UAE Team ADQ) finished second and Noemi Rüegg (EF Education-Oatly) was third.

In the Australian one-day race, the climb of Challambra Crescent (1.1km at 8.8%) at 29 and 8 kilometres from the finish was the deciding factor. On the first passage of the climb, the favourites held back, but shortly afterwards it was Maike van der Duin who attacked. The Dutch rider caught up with an early breakaway, but they didn’t get to the finish in Geelong.

The final climb of Challambra Crescent was too important and the favourites attacked. Silke Smulders, Chloé Dygert, Elise Chabbey and Niamh Fisher-Black were in the action, but they could not stop a group of twelve riders from sprinting for the win. The finish in Geelong was perfect for the Wollaston, who held off Swinkels and Tour Down Under winner Noemi Ruëgg in a long sprint.

Race winner, Ally Wollaston (FDJ-SUEZ): “I saw Chloe Dygert getting back into the lead and I just thought I had to be there. So I just hung on, pulled through and managed to get to the finish line for the second time. From that moment on I knew I was in a really good position. I just had to focus on myself. That’s what I did all day, I was in economy mode trying to stay out of trouble. I’m really proud to have won today (Saturday), the girls supported me really well throughout the race, we were really strong. Thanks to all my teammates and the organisers.”

Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race – Woman Result:
1. Ally Wollaston (NZ) FDJ-SUEZ in 3:59:43
2. Karlijn Swinkels (Ned) UAE Team ADQ
3. Noemi Rüegg (Sui) EF Education-Oatly
4. Chloe Dygert (USA) Canyon//SRAM Racing zondacrypto
5. Silke Smulders (Ned) Liv AlUla Jayco
6. Ruth Edwards-Winder (USA) Human Powered Health
7. Niamh Fisher-Black (NZ) Lidl-Trek
8. Dilyxine Miermont (Fra) Ceratizit
9. Barbara Malcotti (Ita) Human Powered Health
10. Mie Ottestad (Nor) Uno-X Mobility at 0:02

Cadel Evans’25:

AlUla Tour 2025
Tim Merlier won the Third Stage of the AlUla Tour, to go with his victory in the first stage. The Soudal Quick-Step rider was too fast for Dylan Groenewegen (Jayco AlUla) in a bunch sprint. Juan Sebastián Molano (UAE Emirates XRG) was third. Nils Eekhoff had a bad crash just before the sprint.

After the shortened and chaotic second stage won by Tom Pidcock, the fast men had a stage in the AlUla Tour. The third stage between the archaeological sites of Hegra to Tayma, had nothing to upset the sprinters. The last kilometres to the finish even were slightly downhill.

Seven riders escaped early in the stage. Jens Reynders (Wagner Bazin WB), who was also in the early breakaway on Wednesday was joined by Hugo Aznar (Equipo Kern Pharma), Javier Ibañez (Caja Rural-Seguros RGA), Yuma Koishi and Masaki Yamamoto (JCL Team UKYO), Andreas Miltiadis and Kane Richards (Roojai Insurance). The peloton let them go and their lead increase to 3 minutes. The sprinter’s teams kept the seven in sight, so they never really had a chance. With 50 kilometres to go, the lead was only 1 minute. The peloton was under control, but there was a lot of stress. Due to the wind, there was a chance of echelons.

The break had the peloton on their heels and had to push a bit harder. Reynders, Aznar, Ibañez, Koshi and Richards dropped Yamamoto and Miltiadis. The bunch was led by Soudal Quick-Step and Jayco AlUla. The five were caught more than 30 kilometres from the finish and then it was all hands on deck in the peloton. The peloton split into several parts, but most sprinters and GC leader Tom Pidcock were alert. Most of the dropped riders were able to return. Eddie Dunbar, 4th overall, would lose time. At the front, Picnic PostNL made another attempt to form an echelon, but without success, so there would be a sprint with a slightly thinned out peloton. Tom Pidcock was not in the group, because he had a puncture in the final. It happened within the last 3 kilometres, so he got the same time as the rest of the group.

There was a bad crash in the last kilometre. One of the two riders who crashed was Nils Eekhoff: the Dutchman from Picnic PostNL hit a lamppost and an ambulance was quickly on the scene. The 27-year-old Eekhoff was taken to hospital. Soudal Quick-Step was at the front when turning onto the final straight. Bert Van Lerberghe led-out the sprint for Tim Merlier, who finished the job off. Dylan Groenewegen was on the wheel of the Belgian, but couldn’t come round. The Dutch champion sprinted with a flat tire, he said later. The rest of the sprinters were at lengths. Juan Sebastián Molano crossed the line in third place.

Stage winner, Tim Merlier (Soudal Quick-Step): “I can’t say I was stressed in the echelons, because I had a good team around me and they put in another superb effort to keep me protected. I felt good today, the final kilometres were a bit hectic, but we remained calm despite some confusion there and Bert did a superb job once again. As I exited the last corner I just went full gas until the finish, and now I’m delighted that I could celebrate another win in this part of the world, where I enjoy racing”

2nd, Dylan Groenewegen (Jayco AlUla): “I was on the limit. At the roundabout I could already feel my front wheel slipping a bit. The tire was flat. But that’s also part of cycling. It’s a bit shit, but apart from that we did really well. I just had some bad luck with the front tire. It is what it is. We have one more chance. The motivation remains high. We still have the classification (Alan Hatherly 3rd) and one stage for the sprinters. We’re getting closer. Hopefully we won’t have any bad luck next time, we’ll keep going for it.”

3rd, Sebastian Molano (UAE Emirates XRG): “It was a hard and fast day with a lot of wind which caused big splits. Myself and Ivo (Oliveira) were attentive and managed to stay in the first group and fight for the sprint. It was a technical finish with a lot of speed bumps and rough surface which made it quite hectic. A wheel was lost in front of me on the last bend which made it very hard to close the gap to the two guys. At this level of sprinting everything needs to go perfectly. The form is good and we’ll have another go on the final stage.”

AlUla Tour Stage 3 Result:
1. Tim Merlier (Bel) Soudal Quick-Step in 4:16:23
2. Dylan Groenewegen (Ned) Jayco AlUla
3. Sebastian Molano (Col) UAE Emirates XRG
4. Matteo Moschetti (Ita) Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team
5. Pierre Barbier (Fra) Wagner Bazin WB
6. Marc Brustenga (Spa) Equipo Kern Pharma
7. Yevgeniy Fedorov (Kaz) XDS Astana
8. Florian Dauphin (Fra) TotalEnergies
9. Alberto Bruttomesso (Ita) Bahrain Victorious
10. Sebastian Kolze Changizi (Den) Tudor.

AlUla Tour Overall After Stage 3:
1. Tom Pidcock Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team in 10:44:49
2. Rainer Kepplinger (Aust) Bahrain Victorious at 0:08
3. Alan Hatherly (SA) Jayco AlUla at 0:13
4. Fredrik Dversnes Uno-X Mobility at 0:34
5. Yannis Voisard Tudor at 0:37
6. Ådne Holter Uno-X Mobility at 0:44
7. Frank Van Den Broek Team Picnic PostNL at 0:48
8. Calum Johnston Caja Rural-Seguros RGA at 0:50
9. Max van der Meulen Bahrain Victorious
10. Johannes Kulset Uno-X Mobility.

AlUla’25 stage 3:

Tom Pidcock (Q36.5) took his second stage win in the 2025 AlUla Tour. The 25-year-old finished solo at the end of Stage 4 in Skyviews of Harrat Uwayrid, after he attacked on a steep ramp with just over 9 kilometres to go and dropped everyone. He held the chasers off and increased his overall lead.

The battle for the final victory was on the menu on Friday. Just like in previous editions, a stage was to Skyviews of Harrat Uwayrid, which meant the sting was in the tail. Under 9 kilometres from the finish is the summit of a very steep climb (2.9 kilometres at 12%, maximum 22%), followed by a flat finale. Last year, Junior William Lecerf was the strongest, but Simon Yates ultimately won the day and the final.

After the first intermediate sprint of the day, 12 kilometres into the race, Alessandro Romele, Alexandre Vinokouro (XDS Astana) and again Jens Reynders (Wanger-Bazin-WB) formed a leading group of three. After more than 85 kilometres, the trio was joined by five others, but there were no big names among them. However, the eight never got a big lead. In the peloton, it was mainly Q36.5 Pro Cycling, Jayco AlUla and Bahrain Victorious who set the pace. Slowly but surely, more and more riders had to drop out from the break. On the first slopes of the only climb of the day, the remainder of the leading group was caught. With 10 kilometres to go, leader Tom Pidcock decided to go to the front and ride at his own pace. The peloton soon started to stretch. Rainer Kepplinger (Bahrain Victorious, 2nd overall), Alan Hatherly (Jayco AlUla, 3rd) and Eddie Dunbar (Jayco AlUla) offered some resistance.

Pidcock rode them off his wheel on the steepest part of the slope after 9 kilometres. The GC leader soon had 30 seconds, but there was still a tough job ahead: on the plateau there was a headwind for the last 7 kilometres. In the end, Pidcock had 12 seconds on the chase group with Kepplinger, Hatherly and the young Norwegian Johannes Kulset (Uno-X Mobility). First-year professional, Max van der Meulen (Bahrain Victorious) finished 10th. Frank van den Broek (Picnic PostNL) was also in that group, as was Adrià Pericas (UAE Emirates-XRG). Casper van Uden won the sprint from the group behind, who finished 50 seconds behind Pidcock.

Stage winner and overall leader, Tom Pidcock (Q36.5): “I had already looked at Saturday’s stage this morning, but I shouldn’t have done that. It’s going to be very windy and stressful, so this fight is definitely not over yet. I’ve trained a lot for these efforts. That really helps me a lot. I’ve already ridden new best 5 and 10 minute values ​​in the past period, so I’m in really good shape. I just rode at my own pace on the climb. Attack is the best defence, I think. Still, it was a long way, because I didn’t think there would be a headwind at the top. I’m very happy that my lead has increased and that I was able to win again on Friday”

3rd on the stage and 2nd overall, Rainer Kepplinger (Bahrain Victorious): “It was a fast and tough climb. When Pidcock attacked, it was impossible to follow, but I found myself in a strong group with two Jayco AlUla riders and an Uno-X rider. We worked well together, and in the end, I’m happy with 3rd place on this stage.”

AlUla Tour Stage 4 Result:
1. Tom Pidcock (GB) Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team in 3:09:46
2. Alan Hatherly (SA) Jayco AlUla at 0:12
3. Rainer Kepplinger (Aust) Bahrain Victorious
4. Johannes Kulset (Nor) Uno-X Mobility
5. Eddie Dunbar (Irl) Jayco AlUla at 0.16
6. Thomas Pesenti (Ita) Soudal Quick-Step at 0.24
7. Xabier Mikel Azparren Iruzun (Spa) Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team
8. Alessandro Fancellu (Ita) JCL Team Ukyo
9. Joris Delbove (Fra) TotalEnergies
10. Max van der Meulen (Ned) Bahrain Victorious.

AlUla Tour Overall After Stage 4:
1. Tom Pidcock (GB) Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team in 13:54:22
2. Rainer Kepplinger (Aust) Bahrain Victorious at 0:29
3. Alan Hatherly (SA) Jayco AlUla at 0:32
4. Fredrik Dversnes (Nor) Uno-X Mobility at 1:11
5. Johannes Kulset (Nor) Uno-X Mobility at 1:13
6. Yannis Voisard (Sui) Tudor at 1:14
7. Ådne Holter (Nor) Uno-X Mobility + 1:21
8. Frank Van Den Broek (Ned) Team Picnic PostNL + 1:25
9. Max van der Meulen (Ned) Bahrain Victorious + 1:27
10. Alessandro Fancellu (Ita) JCL Team Ukyo + 1:38.

AlUla’25 stage 4:

Tom Pidcock won the AlUla Tour overall. The Q36.5 Pro Cycling rider held his lead on Saturday in the final Stage 5, which was split by echelons. On the AlUla Camel Cup Track, it was his Q36.5 teammate Matteo Moschetti who won the stage. The Italian beat Dylan Groenewegen (Jayco AlUla) in the sprint and Sebastian Molano (UAE Emirates XRG) was third.

With a lead of 29 seconds on his closest rival Rainer Kepplinger, Pidcock started the final stage of the AlUla Tour on Saturday. It was a stage without much climbing, but Pidcock was worried. In an interview on Friday, Pidcock said he was scared of echelons.

Pidcock’s fears turned out to be justified, because echelons were set up early in the 170 kilometre stage by Bahrain Victorious and Uno-X. At that moment, there was a leading group with Mikkel Bjerg and Aivaras Mikutis off the front, but they were quickly caught by a 29 man echelon. Pidcock and Kepplinger were at the front, Alan Hatherly, 3rd overall, had missed the move. Due to a flat tire, Kepplinger eventually ended up in the second echelon, but fortunately for the Austrian, the race came together 92 kilometres from the finish, after which calm returned to the race and there was a break with Ceriel Desal, Nicolo Garibbo, Diego Uriarte and Mathias Breghnøj. The four only had a 1 minute lead over the peloton and so a sprint looked to be on the menu.

There were echelons again 30 kilometres from the finish. All the sprinters and Pidcock were there, while Kepplinger and Hatherly, 2nd and 3rd overall, were surprised and had to fear for their podium place in the AlUla Tour. At the front, the men of Uno-X Mobility saw their chance. They gave it their all for Fredrik Dversnes and Johannes Kulset, fourth and fifth on GC. In the final kilometres, it was a game of seconds. In the end, the men from Uno-X Mobility came out on top. Dversnes would move up to second behind Pidcock, Kulset third. The two Norwegians also owed this to the fact that the pace had considerably increased in the final kilometres. This was mainly due to Jayco AlUla, who led the sprint for Dylan Groenewegen. However, the Dutchman got boxed in, after which Juan Sebastián Molano started the sprint. The UAE Emirates-XRG Colombian looked to be on his way to victory, but Matteo Moschetti came past him like a rocket. The Italian of Q36.5 took the victory. Groenewegen was second, Molano third.

Stage winner, Matteo Moschetti (Q36.5): “It’s hard to believe. What a week. Our goal was to keep Tom safe. In the end he repaid us for all we did for him this week. I have to thank him and the entire team. When UAE launched the sprint, I was super close to the barriers, but I passed through with good speed and passed Molano in the last meters. What a sprint. Last year I went through a very hard time, and I cannot believe today.”

Final overall race winner, Tom Pidcock (Q36.5): “I am a bit emotional here because it’s almost a fairytale. To see how much it means to these guys is incredible, to finish it off like that is unbelievable. The way we rode as a team today! I didn’t know these guys before December or met some even only in January. What we already do together and how we ride together is just incredible. This overall win is a big step in my career, if I am honest. The amount of concentration it takes to defend a lead at this level. It’s not World Tour and it’s only five days but I realise how hard it is. It is a big step. I can’t really describe how I feel now. It’s like Red Bull gives you wings but so does Q36.5.”

3rd on the stage, Sebastian Molano (UAE Emirates XRG): “Credit to the team and especially to Ivo (Oliveira) today. It was a hard day out there with the wind and the group that came to the line was very small. I was placed perfectly for the sprint but just got swamped a bit on the line. No regrets, I gave it everything. I’m taking the good shape and the positives from the week into the next races where I hope to get my name on the board for a win.”

AlUla Tour Stage 5 Result:
1. Matteo Moschetti (Ita) Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team in 3:32:00
2. Dylan Groenewegen (Ned) Jayco AlUla
3. Sebastian Molano (Col) UAE Emirates XRG
4. Alexander Kristoff (Nor) Uno-X Mobility
5. Yevgeniy Fedorov (Kaz) XDS Astana Team
6. Florian Dauphin (Fra) TotalEnergies
7. Arvid de Kleijn (Ned) Tudor
8. Alberto Bruttomesso (Ita) Bahrain Victorious
9. Sasha Weemaes (Bel) Wagner Bazin WB
10. Marc Brustenga (Spa) Equipo Kern Pharma.

AlUla Tour Final Overall Result:
1. Tom Pidcock (GB) Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team in 17:26:25
2. Fredrik Dversnes (Nor) Uno-X Mobility at 1:09
3. Johannes Kulset (Nor) Uno-X Mobility at 1:12
4. Ådne Holter (Nor) Uno-X Mobility at 1:22
5. Frank Van Den Broek (Ned) Team Picnic PostNL at 1:26
6. Alessandro Fancellu (Ita) JCL Team Ukyo at 1:39
7. Diego Uriarte Belzunegi (Spa) Equipo Kern Pharma at 1:51
8. Jordan Jegat (Fra) TotalEnergies at 1:58
9. Mathias Bregnhoj (Den) Terengganu Cycling Team
10. Stefan De Bod (SA) Terengganu Cycling Team.

AlUla’25 stage 5:

Grand Prix Cycliste de Marseille La Marseillaise 2025
Cofidis’ Valentin Ferron won the GP La Marseillaise on Sunday. The Frenchman was the fastest of the peloton, which only caught the break in the last 400 metres. Belgian Vincent Van Hemelen of Flanders-Baloise was a very close second and Spaniard Francisco Galván of Equipo Kern Pharma was third.

The French season opening race was 165 kilometres long over a hilly course, starting and finishing in the port city of Marseille. The Route des Crêtes (4.1km at 7.6%) and the Col de la Gineste (2km at 6%) were the toughest climbs. From the last climb, there was 8 kilometres to the finish. The ‘break of the day’ included Rayan Boulahoite (TotalEnergies), Baptiste Veistroffer (Lotto), Michiel Lambrecht (Wagner Bazin WB), Morné Van Niekerk (St Michel-Mavic-Auber93) and Kenny Molly (Van Rysel Roubaix). With 26 kilometres to go, the leading group was caught and the finale was started by Axel Laurance of INEOS Grenadiers.

The Frenchman was joined by his teammate Joshua Tarling, Kévin Vauquelin of Arkéa-B&B Hotels, Paul Seixas of Decathlon AG2R and Timo Kielich of Alpecin-Deceuninck. Due to an attack by Laurance and Vauquelin, Tarling was dropped. Kielich and Seixas managed to rejoin with 8 kilometres to go. A little later, the same two tried again, but the chasers caught them. Kielich then tried again solo, but this attempt also failed. It now looked like we would have a sprint from the four riders for the win, but the peloton was getting closer. In the last 400 meters the leaders were caught, and Ferron was the fastest of the peloton. Van Hemelen had to settle for second place after the photo finish split the first two over the line. Francisco Galván was third.

Race winner, Valentin Ferron (Cofidis): “I launched my sprint a bit early, but I was lucky that the Flanders rider got in front of me quickly, so I took his slipstream and then used the energy I had left in the last 50 metres to pass him. The whole team was omnipresent, it’s a great collective victory.”

5th, Paul Seixas (Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale): “It was my first race, and I’m happy with what I did. The way we raced was different from the Juniors and that was new to me. We had a really good race with the team. At the bottom of the Route des Crêtes we were well placed, and as my sensations were good, I got away from the pack with a small group. We would have needed an extra 15-second lead to win, but I was still able to compete in the sprint and finish 5th.”

6th, Gotzon Martín (Euskaltel-Euskadi): “The balance is positive. I had to be the team’s asset because of the route and the uphill finish. My teammates and especially Paul (Hennequin) did a very good job on the descent before the decisive climb to get ahead. Then, it was about being attentive at the front and watching out for a large group. Going into the final sprint, I felt like I had good legs and with 300 metres to go I closed the gap with the first two, but it felt a bit long and in the last 50 metres three rivals passed me and I went from being third to sixth. Still, I’m very happy and I hope to continue like this.”

Grand Prix Cycliste de Marseille La Marseillaise Results:
1. Valentin Ferron (Fra) Cofidis in 3:57:53
2. Vincent Van Hemelen (Bel) Team Flanders-Baloise
3. Francisco Galván Fernandez (Spa) Equipo Kern Pharma
4. Eduard Prades Reverte (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA
5. Paul Seixas (Fra) Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale
6. Gotzon Martin Sanz (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi
7. Nicolas Prodhomme (Fra) Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale
8. Axel Laurance (Fra) INEOS Grenadiers
9. Pau Miquel Delgado (Spa) Equipo Kern Pharma
10. Alex Molenaar (Ned) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA.

GP Marseille’25:

Will Remco Evenepoel be Training Outdoors Next Week
The road season is in full swing and cyclocross is about to finish at the World Championships. Meanwhile, Remco Evenepoel, is confined to his house after his crash in December. This could all change this week, his Soudal Quick-Step team told WielerFlits.

At the team presentation in early January, the double Olympic champion gave an explanation. He could not be there himself because of an important hospital appointment, but he received good news, because on Thursday 8 January he had his first session with the physiotherapist. It is now more than a month after his accident, when he collided with the opening door of a Bpost van during one of his first training sessions of the winter. Evenepoel suffered multiple fractures and serious injuries.

“My rehabilitation can finally start now,” he said in January. “We are taking it day by day. We want to make sure that everything is 100% recovered. I have to strengthen my muscles. A nerve on the outside of my shoulder has been hit. That makes the outside feel a bit dead. The pain is bearable, except when I get up. Then it feels like twenty trucks have run over it. There is also no muscle reaction yet. We have to keep an eye on that. But the most important thing is that I can start now,” he said before he went to the physiotherapist.

During the interview, Evenepoel stated that he is aiming for a return to the Brabantse Pijl, and then to ride the Amstel Gold Race, the Flèche Wallonne and Liège-Bastogne-Liège. If he needs more racing, the Tour de Romandie will follow and then a copy of his preparation for the 2024 Tour de France. Two days later, there was an update in an interview with Sporza: “Normally, I would have trained on the rollers this weekend, but I am aiming for Monday. The outer muscles, I am not a physiotherapist, are a bit inactive. We have to work very hard to stimulate those muscles and let them live. So it will take a bit longer than hoped. We do not yet know whether this will have an effect on the spring classics.”

On Monday, January 13th, Evenepoel rode his bike for the first time, but on the home trainer. “My shoulder is not yet ready to absorb the shocks from the road. The doctors hope that I will be able to train outside for the first time on February 3 or 4,” he said. That hope has now been postponed to February 6. Evenepoel will have a new scan in the hospital the day before. If the results of the test are positive, he will be allowed to cycle outside for the first time.

Remco back on the bike soon?

***UPDATE***
Remco Evenepoel made his first training ride on Saturday
Remco Evenepoel is not putting on a race number yet, but the Belgian has taken his first bike ride since his training crash. The 25-year-old of Soudal Quick-Step has been confined to his house since his crash with the door of a post office van in early December, but he trained outdoors for the first time on Saturday.

The two-time Olympic champion had already said that he hoped to be able to cycle outdoors again in early February. This proved to be a correct, because the Belgian rode just over two hours on his bike on Saturday, just under 65 kilometres, with 413 metres of climbing. “Back outside”, Evenepoel wrote on Strava. “I am getting there very slowly, but surely.”

Remco back on the bike:

Álvaro José Hodeg Finds a New Team
Álvaro José Hodeg has found a team in the end. The 28-year-old Colombian who rode for UAE Team Emirates for the past three seasons is taking a big step back. The sprinter has signed with the Continental Team Medellín-EPM.

Hodeg is returning to Colombia after seven seasons in the WorldTour. The fast-finisher hopes to revive his career at a lower level. Hodeg developed into a top sprinter in his first professional years, but a very serious injury and subsequent rehabilitation. proved to be a turning point in his career.

The Colombian started his professional career in 2018 with Quick-Step and achieved a number of sprint victories for the Belgian team. In his first professional year, he won stages in the Tour of Catalonia, Tour of Poland and the Deutschland Tour and was the best in the Handzame Classic. Hodeg continued to win for Quick-Step in the following seasons. He raced to stage victories in the BinckBank Tour and the Tour de l’Ain and won the Grand Prix Marcel Kint. A breakthrough as a top sprinter seemed imminent, but Hodeg had a serious accident in Colombia at the end of 2021, just before his transfer to UAE Team Emirates.

Hodeg was hit by a car while training and taken to hospital. He underwent several operations on his ankle and wrist and due to several complications, experienced a very difficult time. His career as a cyclist was in danger. Hodeg finally made his comeback in the peloton in April 2023 after a rehabilitation period of one and a half years, but was never the same again. The sprinter has achieved a few top ten finishes in the past two seasons, but has remained far from his former self. UAE Team Emirates then decided not to renew his contract, but Team Medellín-EPM is now throwing him a lifeline.

Álvaro José Hodeg to race for Team Medellin:

Zdeněk Štybar Wants to Bring the Czech Republic to the Top of Cyclocross
Zdeněk Štybar is not sitting around after his career. The Czech cross and road, who was forced to stop in 2024 due to an injury to his femoral artery, will train new Czech cyclists and has a clear goal: “bringing the Czech Republic back to the top of cyclocross.”

“I can now place my farewell well,” Štybar told WielerFlits in Hoogerheide, where he became World champion in 2024. He did have a hard time coming to terms with the fact that he couldn’t find a new team after Jayco AlUla didn’t extend his contract at the end of his unlucky 2023 season.

“My farewell in Tábor at the World championships in 2024 was incredibly beautiful and that really helped me. Since then I have been busy as an ambassador and I am starting a full-time job to train young riders in the Czech Republic. I have also had offers to become a team DS with several WorldTeams, but I don’t like that.”

It is not yet fully known what Štybar’s new project will look like. “It is certainly not prepared down to the last detail, but the goal is of course to make it as big as possible. The training has started quietly, let’s say.” In recent years, the Czech Republic has steadily declined as a cyclocross country. The Toi Toi Cup no longer exists and among the men we only occasionally see a Czech rider in the top ten. Michael Boros is the best Czech in the UCI rankings at fourteenth place, but isn’t seen much on TV. This a lot different from when Stybar was at the top of cyclocross, with World titles in 2010, 2011 and 2014.

“Still, I see enough talent. At the Czech championship, there were many young riders in their early twenties just behind Michael Boros in the results, so I am not worried about the succession. With the right guidance, we will continue to build up even further,” he concluded and that is what Štybar wants to see.

Štybar wants to bringing the Czech Republic back to the top of cyclocross:

Soudal Quick-Step to Étoile de Bessèges
Paul Magnier will make his debut in a French stage race next week
02-Feb-2025: For the first time since the inception of our team, Soudal Quick-Step will be present at the start of the Étoile de Bessèges, the French race created in 1971 and held in the Gard department of the Languedoc-Roussillon region.

Mattia Cattaneo, Josef Cerny, Gil Gelders, former Belgian Champion Yves Lampaert, Paul Magnier – who last year scored five wins as a neo-pro – U23 World Championships silver medalist Martin Svrcek and newcomer Dries Van Gestel will make up the squad for Étoile de Bessèges, our first outing of the season on European soil, which gets underway with a fast stage for the sprinters.

The next two days are hilly and come with the promise of bringing some changes in the general classification before the uphill finish of Mont Bouquet, averaging an excruciating 9.1% over just 4.6 kilometres. The 55th edition of the French race will end with the demanding 10.7km individual time trial of stage five, concluding on the slopes of Alès, which could lead to important gaps between the contenders despite the short distance they’ll have to tackle.

“We hope to see Paul in the mix in the first days of the race, he has a nice chance of going for a good result. For the general classification, the last two stages will be important and we’ll see what we can do there with Mattia. It’s our first European race of the season, we have a solid team for it and we go there with huge motivation and with the desire of giving our best”, said Soudal Quick-Step sports director Klaas Lodewyck.

05.02–09.02 Etoile de Bessèges – Tour du Gard (FRA) 2.1
Riders:
Mattia Cattaneo (ITA)
Josef Cerny (CZE)
Gil Gelders (BEL)
Yves Lampaert (BEL)
Paul Magnier (FRA)
Martin Svrcek (SVK)
Dries Van Gestel (BEL).
Sports Directors: Dries Devenyns (BEL) and Klaas Lodewyck (BEL).

Yves Lampaert to Bessèges:

Wahoo ELEMNT ACE Reviewed and Found Permissible for Use in UCI-sanctioned Races
The all-new ELEMNT ACE is Wahoo’s largest and most powerful bike computer. Today, Wahoo can confirm that ELEMNT ACE has been reviewed and found to comply with current UCI Regulations, allowing its use in UCI-sanctioned events, subject to ongoing compliance with safety standards.

Wahoo-supported teams currently have ELEMNT ACE for testing and aid their training and data analysis. As a result of the UCI’s guidance, Wahoo-supported professional cycling teams will now be able to use the product in races in 2025 (see table on page 3 for detail).

With ELEMNT ACE, Wahoo has introduced a category first with an Integrated Wind Sensor which incorporates a revolutionary pressure sensor via a front-facing opening, enabling cyclists to measure the effects of air resistance in real-time with Wahoo Wind DynamicsTM (WWD) . This gives riders real-time insight into their AirBoost (when groundspeed is aided by tailwinds or drafting) & AirDrag (when groundspeed is hindered by headwinds).

In-ride data will help riders guide drafting positioning and quantify the sensation of wind felt by riders. In addition, Wahoo Wind DynamicsTM (WWD) will create the largest outdoor cycling real-world wind conditions dataset in the world, which will further enhance the ability to analyse athletic performance in relation to wind.

Many of the world’s best men’s and women’s pro teams will ride Wahoo computers in 2025 including UAE Team Emirates – XRG, LIDL – TREK, Team Picnic PostNL, Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale Team and EF Pro Cycling as well as more than 25 other UCI-registered teams.

Jeroen Swart – Head of Performance, UAE Team Emirates, said: “The new ELEMNT ACE is a great addition to the existing Wahoo ecosystem of devices. The larger format, the vibrant touch screen and the much longer battery life are all great features that make this device a pleasure to use every day. However, the ACE is not only a huge step up in terms of the device software and hardware but the additional metric of wind speed sets it apart from other devices in the game. Our riders are able to use real time data to optimise their position on the bike or their position in the bunch to save energy, providing them with valuable insights that they can translate into performance gains. We look forward to future updates where I’m sure this metric will evolve to offer even more insights”

Peter Schep, Head of Performance, EF Pro Cycling, said:, “The new ELEMNT ACE brings wind speed data in real-time which we think could be a game changer in drafting dynamics. It’s such a huge factor in how a race plays out, so we are very excited to be working closely with Wahoo on how to get the most out of the ACE’s wind sensor for training and appropriate races.”

More info on the Wahoo ELEMNT ACE at: www.wahoofitness.com.

It’s OK to use your Wahoo ELEMNT ACE:

UCI Denies Rumours about Moving World Championships from Rwanda to Switzerland
The UCI has no plans to move the 2025 World road championships from Rwanda to Switzerland. The cycling governing body announced in a press release. The UCI does say that it is closely monitoring the political situation in the African country.

In recent days, there have been several rumours that the UCI was looking for an alternative location for the World Championships due to the escalation of the war in Eastern Congo by Congolese rebels, who are supported by Rwanda.

According to the UCI, the rumours are untrue. “We want to make it clear that we currently have no plans to move the World Championships from Rwanda to Switzerland or any other country. The conflict is taking place in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda is currently completely safe for business and tourism,” the cycling union said.

Worlds 2025 still in Rwanda:

UCI Publishes 2025-2026 Cyclocross World Cup Calendar
The 2024-2025 cyclocross season reached its climax at the weekend with the World championships in Liévin, but the 2025-2026 season calendar has already been announced. The UCI published the 2025-2026 World Cup calendar on Saturday. There is still one spot to be filled and there are some changes to last winter.

The World Cup will again have twelve cyclocross events next season. It will start in Tábor, where a World Cup has been held sixteen times before. The last time was in 2022. Two years later, in 2024, the cyclocross World championships were held in the Czech city. The second cyclocross event in the 2025-2026 World Cup is in Flamanville and was part of the series in 2022 and 2023. It may be the only French World Cup cyclocross this season, because Besançon, where Mathieu van der Poel, is not on the list, so far.

The World Cup then moves to Cabras on Sardinia. Last season, the event had to be cancelled due to the weather conditions, but they will get another chance later this year. The first in Belgium is on 14th December and then the first double weekend is on the 20th and 21st, but where the race will be on the Sunday it not yet known. The probability is that it will be close to Saturday’s race in Antwerp. A return to Dublin seems unlikely.

There are a lot of cyclocross races over the Christmas and New Year period in Belgium: Gavere, Dendermonde and Zonhoven are on the programme, one after the other. The last three races of the series are the same as this season: Benidorm, Maasmechelen and Hoogerheide. There will only be one World Cup cyclocross in the Netherlands. Hulst, which hosted a World Cup cross last season, will be hosting the cyclocross World championships in 2026.

November
23-11-2025 (Sunday): Tábor (CZ)
30-11-2025 (Sunday): Flamanville (Fra).

December
07-12-2025 (Sunday): Cabras, Sardinia (Ita)
14-12-2025 (Sunday): Namur (Bel)
20-12-2025 (Saturday): Antwerp (Bel)
21-12-2025 (Sunday): TBA
26-12-2025 (Friday): Gavere (Bel)
28-12-2025 (Sunday): Dendermonde (Bel).

January
04-01-2026 (Sunday): Zonhoven (Bel)
18-01-2026 (Sunday): Benidorm (Spa)
24-01-2026 (Saturday): Maasmechelen (Bel)
25-01-2026 (Sunday): Hoogerheide (Ned).

Next winter’s UCI World Cup cross races:

Critérium du Dauphiné 2025 Promises to Keep and Scores to Settle

Key points:

• The route of the 77th edition of the Critérium du Dauphiné was revealed today at the seat of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Regional Council in Lyon, in the presence of the President of the Council, Fabrice Pannekoucke, and Christian Prudhomme.
• In a repeat of last season, the race will get going in the Allier department, but this time round, the inaugural stage will take the field from Domérat to Montluçon on 8 June. Romain Bardet will push the pedals in Auvergne in his last race as a pro before he hangs up his bicycle at the end of the Dauphiné.
• The French runner-up to Chris Froome in the 2016 Critérium du Dauphiné and Tour de France will be far from alone, with the entire podium of the 2024 Tour de France — Tadej Pogačar, Jonas Vingegaard and Remco Evenepoel— expected to take part. Their performances will be put under the microscope in the Saint-Péray time trial (stage 4), the battles at the Combloux (stage 6) and Valmeinier 1800 (stage 7) ski resorts and the climactic showdown on the Mont-Cenis Plateau.

The mountain air is invigorating at any time of the year, but when summer approaches, it carries a scent that draws in fans of cycling races. Granted, mountain maniacs lock horns more fiercely than ever in July, but their clashes in June are packed with surprises and breakout stars. At the Critérium du Dauphiné, people break down every detail of the performances of the big favourites, which can sometimes predict the future. The 2025 edition will rise in crescendo over eight stages. Stage 1 to Montluçon and stage 2 to Issoire are likely to go to a sprinter who can overcome the rolling terrain of the Allier and Puy-de-Dôme departments. In stage 3, shortly after the flag drops in Romain Bardet’s home town of Brioude, breakaway specialists will get an opportunity to land a one-two punch on the Côte de la Cornille and Côte de la Barbate, which come in the first 20 kilometres. If they manage to keep the pack at bay for 202.8 kilometres, a vicious ramp in the run-up to the finish in Charantonnay will be all that stands between the escapees and victory. The state of play will change in the Wednesday time trial. Stretching for 17.7 kilometres in the Ardèche department, stage 4 to Saint-Péray features a climb bang in the middle of the course that has the potential to overheat the biggest engines in the peloton.

Sprinters will get their last shot at victory in stage 5 to Mâcon before spending the rest of the race pacing themselves in the gruppetto. Big-framed riders will be out of their league once the road bends towards the sky for the final three days, starting with stage 6 to Combloux, which could set up a rematch between the top men of the 2023 Tour. The course is a world apart from the time trial in which Jonas Vingegaard steamrolled the opposition. Tadej Pogačar could use the Côte de Domancy, which leads straight to the final ascent on Côte de la Cry before plunging to the resort, as a launch pad to revenge. More opportunities will arise on the hectic stage 7 to Valmeinier 1800, stretching for 132.1 kilometres and packing an altitude gain of 4,700 metres. Coming after three hors catégorie mountain passes, the duel at the resort in Savoy will propel a leader to success. The man in the yellow jersey with a blue band will still have to defend it all the way to Plateau du Mont-Cenis (stage 8), conquering a 9.6-kilometre ascent at an average gradient of 6.9% and nearly 75 kilometres of virtually non-stop up-and-down racing from the Col de Beaune.

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