As we near the end of the 2024 season, there are so many races! In a very full EUROTRASH Monday we have all the videos, reports, rider quotes and results from the men’s and women’s Giro dell’Emilia and UCI Gravel World Championships, plus the Cro Race, Paris-Tours, Coppa Agostoni and the Sparkassen Münsterland Giro.
An emotional plea after the death of Muriel Furrer: “Sorry, this is also our fault” – TOP STORY.
Rider news: Q36.5 wants to sign Tom Pidcock before 2025, Patrick Lefevere: “It’s hard to compete against the money of UAE Team Emirates”, Wout van Aert’s first bike ride since his Vuelta crash, new role for Nathan Van Hooydonck with Visma | Lease a Bike, Kasper Asgreen couldn’t ride his chosen last race for Soudal Quick-Step and former Colombian champion Marlon Pérez killed in a violent robbery.
Team news: Lachlan Morton sets the around Australia record, Natnael Tesfatsion: African talent into 2025 Movistar team roster, Brambilla, Moschetti and Parisini extend with Q36.5, U23 World Champion Behrens Signs with Team Visma | Lease a Bike, Diego Pescador: Movistar team continues to bet on Latin America’s talents and Keije Solen joins Charles Liégeois Roastery CX Team.
Race news: Brabantse Pijl to be on a Friday from 2025, Ronde van Limburg to be in the spring, European road season to kick off even earlier in 2025 with new Spanish race and the men’s and women’s 2025 WorldTour race calendar.
Plus: A farewell video from Merijn Zeeman Sportive Director with Team Visma | Lease a Bike.
Coffee time!
TOP STORY: Raccagni Noviero made an emotional plea after death of Muriel Furrer: “Sorry, this is also our fault”
It has been a week since Swiss rider Muriel Furrer passed away. There are still many questions about the circumstances of her death. Despite this, media attention is decreasing, something that Andrea Raccagni Noviero finds difficult. The young rider made an emotional plea on social media.
Raccagni Noviero is a 20-year-old rider from Italy. He has been racing with the Soudal Quick-Step training team since last year. He was also racing in the World championships in Zurich.
He wrote on his Instagram: “I wanted to make nice post with some pictures of my experience at the world championship, but since the beginning I thought that it was not right. Now one week has gone, and (except some articles) no one is speaking about that anymore.”
“There is just one sure thing now, a rider like me has been abandoned to die alone for more than one hour, under cold and rain, during the most important race of the year. Maybe this post will not be helpful as I would like to, but at least it will give me the possibility to apologise to Muriel and her family. Cause as I said, this is also my fault and fault of all the other riders who have never spoken in front of clear safety issues.”
Sorry Muriel:
Giro dell’Emilia 2024
Tadej Pogačar won his first race as World champion. The Slovenian attacked with around 40 kilometres to go in the Giro dell’Emilia and was not seen again by the peloton until the finish. Tom Pidcock (INEOS Grenadiers) was second and Davide Piganzoli (Polti Kometa) third.
The Giro dell’Emilia has its murderous final circuit, but before that there is the Samone (6km at 7.6%) and the Monte Nonascoso (5.9km at 7.1%). After 165 of the 206 kilometres, the riders hit the final laps in Bologna and the climb of the San Luca (2.1km at 10%), which had to be ridden four and a half times. A battle between Primoz Roglič, Remco Evenepoel and World champion Tadej Pogačar was expected on the final climbs, but…
The early breakaway consisted of 6 riders, but on the first climb of the day, it was too fast for Dimitri Peyskens. The Bingoal WB rider, who retires at the end of the season, had to let Benjamin Thomas (Cofidis), Roberto Carlos González (Corratec-Vini Fantini), Ander Ganzabal (Laboral Kutxa-Fundación Ciclista Euskadi), Alessio Martinelli (VF Group-Bardiani CSF-Faizanè) and José Ramón Muñiz (Petrolike) go. The leading group, which had a maximum lead of 7 minutes, was eventually down to only Thomas, Ganzabal and Martinelli. Before the first of four climbs of the San Luca, they were also caught. On the first climb of San Luca, Pogačar took the lead, but Evenepoel wanted to be on the front. The Belgian rode hard for a while, but didn’t continue his effort and Cristian Scaroni (Astana Qazaqstan) took over and only Pogačar followed him. The World champion then put the hammer down and he was gone.
Matteo Jorgenson made an attempt to follow, but the rainbow jersey was much too fast and he fell back to what was left of the peloton. Pogačar started the second time up the San Luca, he had a lead of 30 seconds on the chasers, but by the summit he had 1 minute. Tom Pidcock was leading the group as Remco Evenepoel had dropped out of the race. Florian Lipowitz went on to chase Pogačar on his own, but the lead increased. Despite not taking any risks on the wet roads, the World champion had a comfortable lead of more than 2 minutes at the foot of the San Luca for the final time. At the finish he sill had nearly 2 minutes and could celebrate his first victory in the rainbow jersey. In the battle for second place, Lipowitz looked good, but he was caught by a chasing group with a kilometre to go. Pidcock was too fast for Davide Piganzoli (Polti Kometa) and Michael Woods (Israel-Premier Tech) in the sprint.
Race winner, Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates): “I must admit I felt really good all week since the Worlds and then when the rainbow kit arrived, I felt a bit of pressure to perform but thankfully it went well. I gave my all today to show off the jersey. I’m very thankful to all the fans who were out there cheering in the rain for everybody. It was really amazing. Today we had a plan to keep it hard until the last two lap but, in the end, Remco moved, and it unfolded a lot earlier. Then there were attacks and I responded and pushed on but didn’t think it would go as it did. There are just two races left now this season and I’m looking forward to them.”
3rd, Davide Piganzoli (Polti Kometa): “It’s a race that I really like and I’m looking forward to it. The team worked perfectly and in the end I gave everything to get the best possible result. I’m really happy to be on the podium of the Giro dell’Emilia.”
Giro dell’Emilia Result:
1. Tadej Pogačar (Slo) UAE Team Emirates in 5:14:43
2. Tom Pidcock (GB) INEOS Grenadiers at 1:55
3. Davide Piganzoli (Ita) Polti Kometa
4. Michael Woods (Can) Israel-Premier Tech
5. Simon Yates (GB) Jayco AlUla at 2:04
6. Roger Adria Oliveras (Spa) Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe at 2:04
7. Wilco Kelderman (Ned) Visma | Lease a Bike
8. Enric Mas Nicolau (Spa) Movistar at 2:08
9. Archie Ryan (Irl) EF Education-EasyPost at 2:13
10. Lorenzo Fortunato (Ita) Astana Qazaqstan at 2:15
Emilia’24:
Giro dell’Emilia Internazionale Donne Elite 2024
Elisa Longo Borghini (Lidl-Trek) won the women’s Giro dell’Emilia for the fourth time. On the steep San Luca in Bologna, no one could follow the Italian. Evita Muzic (FDJ-SUEZ) finished second, Juliette Labous (dsm-firmenich-PostNL) third and fourth place went to Urška Žigart (Jayco AlUla).
The Giro dell’Emilia Internazionale Donne Elite started in Vignola and finished on the San Luca climb in Bologna, the same as the men’s race, although the approach to San Roma was completely different for the women. The women had to ride 100 kilometres to the start of the San Luca (2.1km at 10%) and then climb it twice. The finish line was at the summit after 113.8 kilometres.
The weather was bad when the race started and so there was not much enthusiasm to attack. It wasn’t until just after halfway that the race had a break by two riders of Top Girls Fassa Bortolo. Marta Pavesi and Chiara Reghini built up a lead of almost 3 minutes. At the start of the first climb of the San Luca, they had less than 1 minute. Cédrine Kerbaol had joined the two, but they were caught on the climb. Due to the high pace set by Lidl-Trek, the peloton started to split. At the front were Gaia Realini, Elisa Longo Borghini (Lidl-Trek), Juliette Labous and Nienke Vink (dsm-firmenich-PostNL). This group reached the foot of the final climb together, where Longo Borghini attacked. The Italian champion soon had a good gap and wouldn’t be caught. She won the Giro dell’Emilia for the fourth time, after wins in 2015, 2016 and 2022. Evita Muzic and Juliette Labous were second and third. Urška Žigart came in fourth.
Race winner, Elisa Longo Borghini (Lidl-Trek): “Today it was a beautiful race, although after the cold I suffered through at the Worlds in Zurich, I would have liked some sunshine. For me it is always a pleasure to race and win in my country, wearing the tricolore jersey. It always has a special feeling, I never get tired of it. Today, I particularly wanted to win. These [today and then Simac Tour] are my last days with Lidl-Trek. Today, was the last race with Ina in the team car. I want to close this chapter in the best possible way. And then, there was also Luca [Guercilena] with us at the race. He clearly asked us to win, I couldn’t, and didn’t want, to disappoint him [laughing].”
“Of the four victories at Giro dell’Emilia, I think the first one was the most beautiful, also because back in the day [2015] I didn’t win often… Today’s was different, because usually everything is resolved in the final climb to San Luca, whereas today I managed to go alone on the descent and then, seeing that the gap was big enough, I took the chance to ride straight to the finish. I love the Giro dell’Emilia, I think it is one of the most beautiful races, a true autumn classic. I am happy that the organisers took up my suggestion to make it more challenging. Putting a climb in the middle was impossible, so the double climb of San Luca was a winning choice. Despite the tough conditions, I had good feelings all day. That’s certainly not to be taken for granted at the end of the season, when you feel the fatigue of the whole year setting in. I still have the Simac Tour to race and I want to do my best to help the team achieve something great again. Besides, I like riding bike, racing and doing it while always aiming for the biggest goal, whether it’s mine or the team’s. If I think back to myself a year ago, I was an athlete that needed to be rebuilt, who got tired within an hour of riding. I never imagined I would have such an important season, the best of my career, and still be here fighting.”
Giro dell’Emilia Internazionale Donne Elite Result:
1. Elisa Longo Borghini (Ita) Lidl-Trek in 2:53:20
2. Evita Muzic (Fra) FDJ-SUEZ at 0:09
3. Juliette Labous (Fra) dsm-firmenich-PostNL
4. Urska Zigart (Slo) Liv AlUla Jayco at 0:16
5. Mareille Meijering (Ned) Movistar at 0:24
6. Nienke Vinke (Ned) dsm-firmenich-PostNL at 0:36
7. Monica Trinca Colonel (Ita) BePink-Bongioanni
8. Katrine Aalerud (Nor) Uno-X Mobility Women
9. Maeva Squiban (Fra) Arkéa-B&B Hotels Women at 0:41
10. Cedrine Kerbaol (Fra) Ceratizit-WNT.
Emilia’24:
Men’s UCI Gravel World Championships 2025
Mathieu van der Poel is the 2024 World gravel champion. The Dutchman rode away from Florian Vermeersch in the final and left the Belgian behind 13 kilometres from the finish and soloed to victory. The silver medal went to Vermeersch, the bronze to Quinten Hermans.
Many top road riders had come to Flanders on Sunday for the World gravel title. Mathieu van der Poel, Jasper Stuyven and defending champion Matej Mohorič were at the start of the 180 kilometre race, starting in Halle and finishing in Leuven.
The peloton stayed together in the first kilometres, but after an hour of racing the race split. At first there was a group of about 40 riders at the front, then a leading group of 7 got away from that group. Mathieu van der Poel, Matej Mohorič, Tiesj Benoot, Jasper Stuyven, Gianni Vermeersch, Florian Vermeersch and mountain biker Kevin Panhuyzen. After 65 kilometres, Van der Poel put in a big attack. He was on his own off the front and kept going. Jasper Stuyven chased for a while, but he dropped back the group behind, which had about 20 riders. Van der Poel was caught by the chase group, which now down to 10 riders, including Mohorič, Stuyven, Florian Vermeersch and Gianni Vermeersch, Xandro Meurisse, Toon Aerts, Timo Kielich and Quinten Hermans. With 90 kilometres to go, Dutchman Rick Ottema joined, together with Tim Merlier, Matevz Govekar, Lawrence Naesen, Jonas Lindberg and Kevin Panhuyzen. Tiesj Benoot had a puncture.
Sixty kilometres from the finish, there was another attack from Van der Poel. Only Connor Swift (Great Britain) was able to follow him. Then defending champion Mohorič, Stuyven, Hermans and the two Vermeersch were able to fight back too them, after a lot of effort. Seven men started the last 50 kilometres together. The Belgians had numbers on their side. Gianni Vermeersch attacked when entering Leuven and Stuyven came through on the Ramsberg, but Van der Poel had everything under control. Florian Vermeersch attacked with 40 kilometres to go and the Dutchman was immediately on his wheel. The two of them soon had a gap on the other five riders.
The co-operation in the chase did not good, which meant that the two leaders quickly gained more than 20 seconds. Stuyven and Gianni Vermeersch tried to chase, but Mohorič closed the gap. After that, the five lost more ground. With 25 kilometres to go, the difference was already 1 minute. Mohorič then tried to drop the others, but couldn’t get away. Vermeersch had trouble following Van der Poel, but the two stayed together until 13 kilometres from the finish. On a short climb, the ex-World road champion put in his move and created a huge gap very quickly, Vermeersch had nothing left. The difference between the two was already more than half a minute with ten kilometres to go. In the kilometres that followed, Van der Poel only increased his lead. The difference to Vermeersch was nearly 1 minute with 1 kilometre to go. Van der Poel could coast to his World gravel title to add to his six cross World titles and his road title of last year. Florian Vermeersch took the silver medal. The battle for bronze was between Swift, Mohorič, Stuyven, Hermans and Gianni Vermeersch, who had not been able to escape each other. The sprint in Leuven for third place was started by Mohorič, but Hermans came past for third place, ahead of Stuyven, Gianni Vermeersch and Swift.
World Gravel champion, Mathieu van der Poel (Netherlands): “I rate this victory highly, it was a big goal for me. It is super nice to add another rainbow jersey to the collection, in another discipline too. So I am super happy with this victory. It is of course super nice, also to end the season like this. I wanted to make the race as hard as possible, because I knew that it could be a difficult situation for me, if we came with a large group on the finishing circuit. That is why I tried to force everyone towards the limit. When Florian Vermeersch attacked and we were left with the two of us, we worked well together. It was a super tough race, but I enjoyed it. I have to say that my legs also hurt. In a sprint you never know, especially not on a gravel bike. That is why I tried it one more time on the most difficult part of the course. I ended up alone in front. It’s always nice to celebrate like this. The road one might be even higher, but I’m really happy with this one. I didn’t have this one yet. It’s nice to tick that one off. Gravel is becoming immensely popular and I do it a lot myself, so yes, it’s really nice.” Will he ride more gravel races? “I’m going to enjoy this first. Who knows.”
2nd, Florian Vermeersch (Belgium): “When I was in front with Mathieu, I knew it was going to be tough. It was a tough race from the start. The pace was very high and when we arrived at the circuit, there were only a few riders left. I knew that when we were seven riders, I had to be one of the first to jump away. Ideally, I would get Mathieu or someone else with me. At that moment, it was all about who was the strongest. And I think everyone saw who that was. You always hope, of course, but I knew pretty quickly that he was better than me. His turns were longer and faster. I knew then that it was probably going to be for second place. This second place feels incredibly good. You can’t imagine that.”
3rd, Quinten Hermans (Belgium): “The plan was to ride together as a team. I think we did quite well, but when Mathieu attacked with about 120 kilometres to go, you could already feel that it was going to be a tough race. We started the last lap with seven or eight riders. They were all strong riders, so you know it’s going to be hard to keep it together. Then Mathieu went again, which made it hard to go for first or second place. But I’m happy to still finish third. I knew my form was good. Last week, at the World Road Championships, I also had really good legs. But to say that I would be on the podium here today… There were really strong riders at the start and when we went to the sprint, I certainly wasn’t sure that I was going to win that sprint. Those other guys were also fast. But I was able to play the game a bit at the end and stay on the wheels a bit longer. Then I just had that final shot. It was very nice, but also very tough. In gravel it is actually every man for himself, there is almost no team tactic. The legs do the talking. But it was a very nice event, especially here in Belgium, with all that audience. Maybe I will skip this winter. It has been a very busy summer, with a lot of racing days. That also weighs on me. I will let my body recover for a while and then we will see.”
Men’s UCI Gravel World Championships Result:
1. Mathieu van der Poel (Netherlands) in 4:41:23
2. Florian Vermeersch (Belgium) at 1:03
3. Quinten Hermans (Belgium) at 3:47
4. Jasper Stuyven (Belgium)
5. Gianni Vermeersch (Belgium) at 3:48
6. Connor Swift (GB)
7. Matej Mohorič (Slovenia)
8. Tim Merlier (Belgium) at 4:15
9. Timo Kielich (Belgium)
10. Toon Aerts (Belgium).
Gravel Worlds’24:
Women’s UCI Gravel World Championships 2025
Marianne Vos is the Women’s gravel World champion. After an exciting duel with Lotte Kopecky, the 37-year-old Dutch rider proved the strongest in the sprint. It was Vos’ fourteenth world title of her richly filled career. Amongst others, Marianne Vos, Riejanne Markus, Fem van Empel and Femke de Vries defended the Dutch colours during the World Gravel Championships. The riders faced 140 kilometres filled with gravel roads in and around Leuven.
With more than 50 kilometres to go, Vos found herself in the front together with road World champion Kopecky. The duo left fellow breakaway riders Lorena Wiebes and Soraya Paladin behind. Vos and Kopecky worked together well right away. They quickly gained a comfortable lead over the chasers. In the final, the two were unable to drop each other. In a sprint-à-deux, Vos placed a sharp acceleration. The Dutchwoman convincingly won her first world gravel title.
World Gravel champion, Marianne Vos (Netherlands): “It was a true battle of attrition. Lotte and I quickly found ourselves in the front. I knew right away that it would be a tough race, but it quickly became clear that we would sprint for the title. After a race like that, the question was how explosive my sprint would still be. Lotte is also a very strong rider. I tried to attack on the last hill in the final kilometres, but I didn’t want to blow myself up. Then I hoped there would be something left in the legs. I went full with 200 metres to go. Fortunately, I was able to hold on until the end. Along the way, I never thought about it. Only this title counted today. It’s definitely a special world title. Any championship you can win is special. I’m very satisfied that I could finish it off.”
Women’s UCI Gravel World Championships Result:
1. Marianne Vos (Netherlands) in 4:01:07
2. Lotte Kopecky (Belgium at 0:01
3. Lorena Wiebes (Netherlands) at 3:57
4. Puck Pieterse (Netherlands) at 4:09
5. Romy Kasper (Germany) at 4:15
6. Soraya Paladin (Italy) at 6:00
7. Riejanne Markus (Netherlands) at 6:04
8. Femke Markus (Netherlands) at 08:52
9. Emma Norsgaard – Bjerg (Denmark)
10. Lucinda Brand (Netherlands) at 08:53.
Gravel Worlds’24:
Cro Race 2024
Brandon McNulty (UAE Team Emirates) won the shortened Stage 3 of the Cro Race. The American crossed the finish line solo after a 89.5 kilometre shortened stage. He is also the new overall leader on the general classification.
The third stage was originally 154 kilometres long, starting in Ototac and finishing in Opatija. However, due to strong wind on the first part of the route, the organisers decided to shorten the stage. The riders only had to cover 89.5 kilometres. From the start in Novi Vinodolski, they rode to Opatija on undulating roads. After the first crossing of the finish line there was a circuit of 10 kilometres, with the Opatija wall (500 metres at 11%) to split the race. Riders with GC ambitions didn’t have to worry about possible loss of time after the first crossing of the finish line, as the times were taken there. After that, the battle was for the stage victory.
The race started in the rain. That didn’t stop the attacks. KOM, Axel van der Tuuk (Metec Solarwatt p/b Mantel) took 6 mountain points and extended his lead. Many riders also tried to escape in the first hour, two riders finally got away: Brandon McNulty (UAE Team Emirates) and Kim Heiduk (INEOS Grenadiers). Heiduk had to let McNulty go with around 40 kilometres to go.
McNulty had to change bikes in the final, but still held on. The UAE Team Emirates rider was still in the lead at the first crossing of the line in Opatija. Because the times were recorded here, McNulty moved up in the GCC. He crossed the finish line almost half a minute ahead of the chasers and took the leader’s jersey before he crossed the finish line. In the final lap, McNulty increased his lead over the chasers, where there was still a fighting on the final climb of the Opatija wall. It was Pablo Castrillo who attacked and took Filippo Ganna with him. The stage victory was no longer available, as that went to McNulty. The American is now the big favourite for the final overall win with three stages to go of the CRO Race.
Stage winner and overall leader, Brandon McNulty (UAE Team Emirates): “Today was a really good day , I felt strong. Things were a bit confusing with the race shortened but I found myself in a move off the front and just decided to push on. Then the gap held and kept going for the stage and managed to keep the margin. I’m really happy with the race and hopefully we can defend the lead until the end.”
6th on the stage and 7th overall, Mirco Maestri (Polti Kometa): “It was a cold and wet day, shortening the course was the right call because a slippery descent with strong winds would have been very risky for us. Knowing that the times would be neutralised at the entrance to the circuit, it became a battle to chase down the leader and I managed to stay at the Ineos’ wheel. I could have positioned myself better in the sprint, but I got held up a bit by Castrillo’s (Kern) crash in front of me on one of the last tight corners. Still I’m looking at the glass half full, at least I didn’t crash!”
Cro Race Stage 3 Result:
1. Brandon McNulty (USA) UAE Team Emirates in 1:47:33
2. Igor Arrieta Lizarraga (Spa) UAE Team Emirates at 0:26
3. Tobias Lund Andresen (Den) dsm-firmenich-PostNL
4. Filippo Ganna (Ita) INEOS Grenadiers
5. Sakarias Koller Loland (Nor) Uno-X Mobility
6. Mirco Maestri (Ita) Polti Kometa
7. Pier-André Coté (Can) Israel-Premier Tech
8. Warren Barguil (Fra) dsm-firmenich-PostNL
9. Pablo Castrillo Zapater (Spa) Kern Pharma
10. Kim Alexander Heiduk (Ger) INEOS Grenadiers.
Cro Race Overall After Stage 3:
1. Brandon McNulty (USA) UAE Team Emirates in 7:56:38
2. Giovanni Lonardi (Ita) Polti Kometa at 0:30
3. Tobias Lund Andresen (Den) dsm-firmenich-PostNL at 0:36
4. Igor Arrieta Lizarraga (Spa) UAE Team Emirates
5. Cyrus Monk (Aus) Q36.5
6. Alfred Wright (GB) Bahrain Victorious at 0:38
7. Mirco Maestri (Ita) Polti Kometa at 0:40
8. Fran Miholjevič (Cro) Bahrain Victorious
9. Kim Alexander Heiduk (Ger) INEOS Grenadiers
10. Anders Foldager (Den) Jayco AlUla at 0:41.
Cro Race’24 stage 3:
Tobias Lund Andresen won the Fourth Stage of the Cro Race. The dsm-firmenich-PostNL rider was the fastest on a punchy finish. Edoardo Zambanini (Bahrain Victorious) and Odd Christian Eiking (Uno-X Mobility) were second and third, Brandon McNulty (UAE Team Emirates) finished 7th and held the overall lead.
The fourth stage of the Cro Race was one of 160 kilometres from Krk to Labin over tough terrain. There was the HC climb of the Poklon and two difficult climbs in the final 10 kilometres.
The difficult terrain didn’t stop attackers and there was an early break by Tim Marsman (Metec-SOLARWATT), Andreas Leknessund (Uno-X Mobility), Ryan Mullen (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe), Robert Stannard (Bahrain Victorious) and Hugo Aznar (Kern Pharma). The five had a good lead, but on the climb of the Poklon the peloton quickly closed them down. Leknessund, Stannard and Aznar were able to hold them off for a while. There was a big acceleration in the peloton by UAE Team Emirates. This caused quite a few riders to be dropped and a group of 8 favourites reached the top together, including overall leader, Brandon McNulty, plus Filippo Ganna, Pablo Castrillo and Frederik Wandahl. Ganna was riding well on the climb, but the Italian crashed hard on the descent. The group didn’t work well together after Ganna’s crash and many riders were able to return, after which they chased the last two remaining escapees.
Leknessund and Stannard were eventually caught with 20 kilometres to go. Next was the climb of Labin (1.8km at 5.7%). This climb was at the end of the circuit and had to be ridden twice. The thinned out peloton stayed together on the first climb of Labin. Ben Turner tried to slip away in the last 10 kilometres. The strong British rider realised that he wouldn’t make it on the final climb, so he sat up. UAE Team Emirates and dsm-firmenich-PostNL saw the danger and started the chase. Turner was caught with less than 2 kilometres to go. The thinned out peloton hit the final climb together. It was leader McNulty who was the first to attack in the final kilometre, but the American couldn’t get away. Fred Wright did manage to take a gap when he attacked. It looked good for Wright for a while, but he lost his momentum in the last few hundred metres. His teammate, Edoardo Zambanini, was the first to catch him, but Tobias Lund Andresen still had a jump in his legs. The young rider of dsm-firmenich-PostNL sprinted to victory.
Stage winner and 2nd overall, Tobias Lund Andresen (dsm-firmenich-PostNL): “It feels amazing, I didn’t really expect this. The team put a lot of faith in me. I didn’t win today; it was my team. From the plans we made before the start, to the pacing we did on the climb and my teammates bringing me back. I would never have been there if it wasn’t for the guys. Today I had trust and faith in what we were trying to do. I was dropped by quite a bit on the big mountain, but the guys stuck with me and brought me back. I think today is one of the best days I’ve had on the bike. In the final I knew I had to do my own pace on the cobbles as I did the race last year so knew what to expect. When you see the finish line and you’re a sprinter like me, then you don’t feel your legs anymore and just go. I’m so happy to have been able to finish it off.”
2nd on the stage and 3rd overall, Edoardo Zambanini (Bahrain Victorious): “It was a hard-fought race from the start, with many teams trying to get a rider in the breakaway. We planned to do the same, and we succeeded with Stannard. Throughout the race, my teammates supported me very well, and I have to thank them for that. On the long climb, I felt strong and confident. We made a selection, and at the top, five of us were in the lead, with Robert still in front. After the descent, the group caught up with us, but I was still feeling strong heading into the final circuit. We stuck to our plan to go for the sprint. Fred was with me, and we were well-positioned. Up until 150 meters to go, we were in the lead and had a chance for a 1-2 finish, but unfortunately, a rider from DSM overtook me and claimed the victory. I’m still happy with my performance and want to thank the team for their great support.”
Cro Race Stage 4 Result:
1. Tobias Lund Andresen (Den) dsm-firmenich-PostNL in 3:58:38
2. Edoardo Zambanini (Bahrain Victorious)
3. Odd Christian Eiking (Nor) Uno-X Mobility at 0:03
4. Alfred Wright (GB) Bahrain Victorious
5. Pablo Castrillo Zapater (Spa) Kern Pharma
6. Pier-André Coté (Can) Israel-Premier Tech
7. Brandon McNulty (USA) UAE Team Emirates
8. Warren Barguil (Fra) dsm-firmenich-PostNL
9. Frederik Wandahl (Den) Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe
10. Anders Foldager (Den) Jayco AlUla.
Cro Race Overall After Stage 4:
1. Brandon McNulty (USA) UAE Team Emirates in 11:55:19
2. Tobias Lund Andresen (Den) dsm-firmenich-PostNL at 0.25
3. Edoardo Zambanini (Ita) Bahrain Victorious at 0:11
4. Alfred Wright (GB) Bahrain Victorious at 0.33
5. Anders Foldager (Den) Jayco AlUla at 0:39
6. Pier-André Coté (Can) Israel-Premier Tech at 0:40
7. Pablo Castrillo Zapater (Spa) Kern Pharma at 0:11
8. Frederik Wandahl (Den) Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe at 0:14
9. Warren Barguil (Fra) dsm-firmenich-PostNL
10. Mattia Bais (Ita) Polti Kometa at 0.15.
Cro Race’24 stage 4:
Alexander Kristoff won Stage 5 of the Cro Race, to go with his stage 1 victory. The 37-year-old Norwegian beat Oded Kogut (IPT) and Giovanni Lonardi (Polti Kometa) in a bunch sprint. Tobias Lund Andresen of dsm-firmenich-PostNL was fourth, but did take bonus seconds during the stage. He is now only 14 seconds behind GC leader, Brandon McNulty (UAE Team Emirates).
The fifth stage was to start from Ozalj for a stage of 167 kilometres to Karlovac. Due to heavy rain, they had to change the plan. Many roads were flooded, which forced the organisers to shorten the stage to 100.5 kilometres. The new start was in Bosiljevo, after which the ride was faster towards the circuit in Karlovac. On the relatively flat course, a bunch sprint seemed the most likely finish.
Jordan Habets (Metec Solarwatt p/b Mantel) was on an early attack with Tomasz Budziński (Mazowsze Serce Polski) and Charles Paige (Tour de Tietema-Unibet). When they were caught, Jelle Johannink (Tour de Tietema-Unibet) and Tim Marsman (Metec Solarwatt p/b Mantel) attacked. Due to the work of dsm-firmenich-PostNL, their escape was soon over. Tobias Lund Andresen, the dsm-firmenich-PostNL sprinter and second overall, won an intermediate sprint for 3 bonus seconds, after he had already taken 2 seconds earlier in the stage. The difference between overall leader, Brandon McNulty, was now reduced to 17 seconds. With more intermediate and final sprints to come, Andresen still had a chance of the final overall victory.
Jelle Johannink made another attack. After the second intermediate sprint he went again and this time he was solo. He had a lead of about 40 seconds on the peloton, where dsm-firmenich-PostNL still set the pace. On the way to the Carevo Selo (1km at 7.5%), the last climb of the day at 25 kilometres from the finish, Metec Solarwatt p/b Mantel took over control of the peloton. They caught Johannink and KOM, Axel van der Tuuk was the first to reach the top and secure the victory in the climbers classification. The peloton stayed together on the road to the finish in Karlovac. At the intermediate sprint, McNulty got involved, but he was outside the top three as Andresen won the sprint, picking up 3 more bonuses seconds and closing the gap to within 14 seconds. Towards that final sprint, dsm-firmenich-PostNL were no longer in control. It was now Uno-X Mobility for Alexander Kristoff. The Norwegian was perfectly led-out in the finishing straight to take the win. This was his second victory in this Cro Race, after previously winning the opening stage. Oded Kogut finished second, Giovanni Lonardi third. In fourth place was Andresen, who missed out on more bonus seconds.
Stage winner, Alexander Kristoff (Uno-X Mobility): “I felt better today. I’ve been struggling a bit the last days, but today I felt from the start I had more normal legs and I could sit in the front all day. It was a short stage, normally I’m not super in that, but today the team put me in a really good position for the final kilometres. I for sure had the easiest run in, and at the end I managed to hold them behind me. I’m very happy I got a perfect lead out from all the guys, and I’m very grateful.”
Cro Race Stage 5 Result:
1. Alexander Kristoff (Nor) Uno-X Mobility in 2:12:24
2. Oded Kogut (Isr) Israel-Premier Tech
3. Giovanni Lonardi (Ita) Polti Kometa
4. Tobias Lund Andresen (Den) dsm-firmenich-PostNL
5. Ben Turner (GB) INEOS Grenadiers
6. Tord Gudmestad (Nor) Uno-X Mobility
7. Mirco Maestri (Ita) Polti Kometa
8. Sam Welsford (Aus) Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe
9. Campbell Stewart (NZ) Jayco AlUla
10. Alberto Bruttomesso (Ita) Bahrain Victorious.
Cro Race Overall After Stage 5:
1. Brandon McNulty (USA) UAE Team Emirates in 14:07:46
2. Tobias Lund Andresen (Den) dsm-firmenich-PostNL at 0:14
3. Edoardo Zambanini (Ita) Bahrain Victorious at 0:28
4. Alfred Wright (GB) Bahrain Victorious
5. Anders Foldager (Den) Jayco AlUla at 0:35
6. Pier-André Coté (Can) Israel-Premier Tech at 0:37
7. Pablo Castrillo Zapater (Spa) Kern Pharma
8. Warren Barguil (Fra) dsm-firmenich-PostNL
9. Frederik Wandahl (Den) Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe
10. Mattia Bais (Ita) Polti Kometa at 0:41.
Cro Race’24 stage 5:
The Final Stage 6 of the Cro Race was won by Oded Kogut. The Israeli was too fast for Alexander Kristoff in a bunch sprint. Tobias Lund Andresen, second overall, collected 6 bonus seconds during the stage, but missed out in the final sprint for more seconds. The final overall victory went to Brandon McNulty (UAE Team Emirates).
The sixth and final stage of the Cro Race was flat and so it would be another day for the sprinters. The difference between first and second overall, Brandon McNulty and Tobias Lund Andresen, was only 14 seconds at the start of the stage. During the stage there were three intermediate sprints with bonus seconds and also at the finish line. Andresen still had a chance of winning the final overall.
At the first intermediate sprint, which came soon after the start, Andresen beat Juan Sebastián Molano and took another 3 seconds on McNulty. The difference was now 11 seconds. Andresen needed more bonus seconds, but dsm-firmenich-PostNL let five riders escape: Casper van der Woude (Metec Solarwatt p/b Mantel), Charles Paige (Tour de Tietema-Unibet), Matthias Schwarzbacher (ATT Investments), Konrad Czabok (Mazowsze Serce Polski) and Kacper Maciejuk (Santic-Wibatech). They never had a big lead, but the move suited McNulty as the took the bonus seconds at the second intermediate sprint.
dsm-firmenich PostNL pulled the break back 20 kilometres from the finish, before the last intermediate sprint, but new attacks came immediately. Everything came together again for the bonus sprint 10 kilometres from the finish. Andresen won the sprint, took 3 bonus seconds and closed to 8 seconds behind McNulty. If he won the stage and McNulty was out of the top three, he would also take the final overall victory. There were a few more attack attempts, but there was going to be a bunch sprint. Uno-X Mobility controlled everything for Alexander Kristoff. The Norwegian was then perfectly led-out in the finishing straight, but he was no match for Oded Kogut. The Israel-Premier Tech rider convincingly won the sprint. Kristoff was second, ahead of his teammate Tord Gudmestad. Andresen was 13th and didn’t get any bonuses. McNulty was the final overall winner of the 2024 Cro Race.
Final overall winner, Brandon McNulty (UAE Team Emirates): “In my last race of the season it’s nice to end on a high. The team worked really good defending the jersey all week and covering the bonus sprints etc. so all in all it’s been a really nice week and a super season for me and the team. Looking back on this season I think I can be really pleased.”
3rd, Fred Wright (Bahrain Victorious): “It was nice for Zamba and me to be up there in the general classification. In the end, I managed to pick up a second so I finished in third place. We can be really proud of how we rode overall in this race. I spent the whole race collecting bonus seconds. Today we had to make sure no one could jump us for the podium in the final, especially in that last bonus sprint. In the end, it was a good race. It’s a shame we didn’t get a stage win, but we raced well and I’m happy to have found some good legs at the end of the season.”
Cro Race Stage 6 Result:
1. Oded Kogut (Isr) Israel-Premier Tech in 3:16:07
2. Alexander Kristoff (Nor) Uno-X Mobility
3. Tord Gudmestad (Nor) Uno-X Mobility
4. Ben Turner (GB) INEOS Grenadiers
5. Alberto Bruttomesso (Ita) Bahrain Victorious
6. Orluis Alberto Aular Sanabria (Ven) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA
7. Jakub Kaczmarek (Pol) Mazowsze Serce Polski
8. Sebastian Molano (Col) UAE Team Emirates
9. Sam Welsford (Aus) Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe
10. Robin Froidevaux (Sui) Tudor.
Cro Race Final Overall Result:
1. Brandon McNulty (USA) UAE Team Emirates in 17:23:53
2. Tobias Lund Andresen (Den) dsm-firmenich-PostNL at 0:08
3. Alfred Wright (GB) Bahrain Victorious at 0:27
4. Edoardo Zambanini (Ita) Bahrain Victorious at 0:28
5. Pier-André Coté (Can) Israel-Premier Tech at 0:34
6. Anders Foldager (Den) Jayco AlUla at 0:35
7. Pablo Castrillo Zapater (Spa) Kern Pharma at 0:37
8. Warren Barguil (Fra) dsm-firmenich-PostNL
9. Frederik Wandahl (Den) Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe
10. Mattia Bais (Ita) Polti Kometa at 0:41.
Cro Race’24 stage 6:
Paris-Tours 2024
In the 118th edition of Paris-Tours it was Christophe Laporte (Visma | Lease a Bike) who took a classy victory in front of the fans on the Avenue de Grammont, out-sprinting young Czech rider Mathias Vacek (Lidl-Trek) to the line. That pair had made it to the front of the race towards the end of the gruelling ride through the hills and vineyard paths en route to Tours and Laporte was just too much for Vacek at the finish. Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck) was the best in the sprint behind the front two, crossing the line third at 21 seconds, just ahead of Mike Teunissen (Intermarche-Wanty) and Alexis Renard (Cofidis).
The kilometre 0 marker was crossed on the way out of Chartres with 156 riders present at the start. The quartet of Edoardo Affini (Visma | Lease a Bike), Mikel Retegi (Kern Pharma), Ceriel Desal (Bingoal WB) and Enzo Boulet (CIC-U-Nantes Atlantique) formed a breakaway after 13km and their lead grew to over 5 minutes by 43.9km, at the end of the first hour of racing, despite a headwind.
The peloton increased their pace and the advantage of the break had been reduced to 3:25 by 75km, with another minute shaved off at 95km. After a crash for Desal, he fell back from the break and was caught by the peloton before the half way point of the race, with the trio of Affini, Retegi and Boulet remaining at the front of the race. They managed to stay ahead all the way to the first of the vineyard paths, even if their advantage over the peloton was only 1:35 by the time the race reached the first gravel sector (146.7km – Chemin n°10: Limeray, 0.9km). Shortly before that Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek) went on the attack and he had closed to within a minute of the break as he took on the first gravel sector. Pedersen pushed on, getting closer to the leading trio (+30 seconds) and with a 36 seconds lead over the peloton with 60 kilometres to go, at the exit of vineyard path n°9 (152.3km – Chemin n°9: Pocé-sur-Cisse, 1.1km). In a full demonstration of his talent, the Dane made it alone to join the leading trio with 56 km to go, making up a gap of 2 minutes in just 14 kilometres, with the peloton still 1 minute behind.
Unfortunately for Pedersen, though, what became briefly a leading quartet did not collaborate and only Affini was left on Pedersen’s wheel on vineyard path n°8 (Grosse Pierre), 50km from the finish. Under the impetus of Lewis Askey (Groupama-FDJ) the peloton came back to within 20 seconds of the leading pair, but Pedersen would not relent and got the hammer down again. Pedersen and his companion Affini, who continued to sit on his wheel, had a lead of about 30 seconds at the exit of the Château de Valmer gravel path (n°7), 45km from the finish. Christophe Laporte (Visma | Lease a Bike) and Mathias Vacek (Lidl-Trek) counter attacked to join the front group, which was subsequently reduced to three riders, as Affini was dropped on the Côte de la Rochère, with 28km to go. Approaching the 20km to go point Pedersen could not hang on with the front two and a group led by Valentin Madouas (Groupama-FDJ) was chasing hard, 20 seconds behind the two remaining attackers Vacek and Laporte. After increasing the intensity the two leaders left the tenth and final vineyard path with a 35 second lead over a counter-attacking group of around 30 riders, with just 13km left to race. In the end Laporte used his experience and race craft to outfox the young Vacek at the finish, much to the delight of the passionate French crowd in Tours.
Race winner, Christophe Laporte (Visma | Lease a Bike): “I’m very happy, I almost didn’t hope for this victory anymore. I haven’t won since the European Championships last year. I didn’t manage to win in the European champion’s jersey unfortunately, it wasn’t an easy year. I have the small satisfaction of the Olympic Games [3rd], the big satisfaction I want to say. I hadn’t won, the feelings were there but for the motivation, it was more difficult with this difficult season. Today I was motivated. These are conditions that I like, too, the gravel paths, the mud. I wanted to finish the season as well as possible and that’s the case. [Mads Pedersen] He really attacked far from the finish. It’s always a bit like that at Paris-Tours, it gets a bit crazy in the first sectors but it doesn’t break down that early so I stayed back a bit. Then I came back, I didn’t want to let Alpecin-Deceuninck and Lidl-Trek control the race like that so I attacked. There was a Lidl-Trek rider with me, I made a big effort to get back to Edo [Edoardo Affini, his teammate] and Pedersen. Then we lost Edo then Pedersen, who had made a big effort. [Mathias] Vacek was with me, he was very strong. In the last kilometre, I had to play a bit. I turned around, I saw a big gap. I’ve already been caught out in a finale like that at Ghent-Wevelgem, there were three of us and I had waited to launch. The guy who had launched, [Biniam] Girmay, had won. I wanted to launch first today and that’s what I did.”
2nd, Mathias Vacek (Lidl-Trek): “I’m pretty satisfied, although I was second. In the end it was a fight between me and [Christophe] Laporte. It was 50-50, we worked together pretty well. I think in the end it was just whoever had the better sprint and he managed to beat me. Tactically as a team we did it perfectly, with Mads [Pedersen] attacking a bit earlier in the race, we managed to catch the group of Affini and then Laporte attacked off one of the climbs and I was able to go with him. Then Mads was already a bit on the limit and he dropped on one of the sectors and me and Laporte went to the finish. In the end it was a great job by everybody. [On Pedersen’s attack] As a team we did a perfect lead out for the first sector and Mads had good legs, he felt good, he tried and in the end it was a race. He did also really good and then there was still me there to go to the finish line with Laporte so as a team we did really well.”
Paris-Tours Result:
1. Christophe Laporte (Fra) Visma | Lease a Bike in 5:00:27
2. Mathias Vacek (CZ) Lidl-Trek
3. Jasper Philipsen (Bel) Alpecin-Deceuninck at 0:21
4. Mike Teunissen (Ned) Intermarché-Wanty
5. Alexis Renard (Fra) Cofidis
6. Cees Bol (Ned) Astana Qazaqstan
7. Arnaud De Lie (Bel) Lotto Dstny
8. Tom Van Asbroeck (Bel) Israel-Premier Tech
9. Fabio Christen (Sui) Q36.5
10. Anthony Turgis (Fra) TotalEnergies.
Paris-Tours’24:
Coppa Agostoni 2024
Marc Hirschi (UAE Team Emirates) has added the Coppa Agostoni to his palmarès. The Swiss rider was the fastest in a sprint from a group of four. Romain Grégoire (Groupama-FDJ) came in second, Paul Lapeira (Decathlon-AG2R-La Mondiale) third and Alex Aranburu (Movistar) fourth.
The Coppa Agostoni had a very hard mid-section. There were four laps with three climbs: the Sirtori (1.5km at 5.6%), the Colle Brianza (3.7km at 6.3%) and the Lissolo (2km at 6.6%). After the last climb, there were 40 kilometres to go to the finish.
There was a lot of break attempts in the early part of the race, but there was no early break. The peloton did split into several pieces during the first of four laps. The first group consisted of 33 riders and gained almost 1 minute on the second group, with UAE Team Emirates leading the chase. Marc Hirschi, and others, had missed the move. Thanks to his team, the chasers got closer, but the gap didn’t close immediately. Filippo Conca (Q36.5) had escaped at the front. The Italian rode solo for a while, until five riders came across. Guillaume Martin (Cofidis), Vincenczo Albanese (Arkéa-B&B Hotels), Rémy Rochas (Groupama-FDJ), Filippo Magli (VF Group-Bardiani CSF-Faizanè) and Aurélien Paret-Peintre (Decathlon-AG2R) were caught again with 40 kilometres to go, after which Conca went on his own again. At the foot of the last climb of Lissolo, his solo was over.
Marc Hirschi had returned to the first large group and immediately attacked. Only three riders were able to follow the Swiss rider: Alex Aranburu (Movistar), Romain Grégoire (Groupama-FDJ) and Paul Lapeira (Decathlon-AG2R). Aranburu was in trouble just before the top, but he recovered. Four riders would fight it out on the road to Lissone. The co-operation between the four was not good, while the second group was working well. The nine pursuers were 1 minute behind at one point, but came within 20 seconds, 10 kilometres from the finish. However, the gap would not get much smaller, despite some dawdling at the front. There would be a sprint between the four for the victory. Hirschi had a battle with Grégoire, but the Swiss rider came out on top, taking his 9th victory of the season. Grégoire had to settle for second place, Lapeira was third and Aranburu finished fourth.
Race winer, Marc Hirschi (UAE Team Emirates): “With a four man group it’s always difficult to get a good collaboration as everyone is playing for the podium spots. I knew Aranburu was probably the fastest but I think maybe his legs were heaviest. He attacked but we spoke behind and worked to bring him back which was good. It was a long final with a slight headwind and we nearly got swallowed up by the group behind, but thankfully I could hang on for another win.”
Coppa Agostoni Result:
1. Marc Hirschi (Sui) UAE Team Emirates in 3:59:08
2. Romain Gregoire (Fra) Groupama-FDJ
3. Paul Lapeira (Fra) Decathlon-AG2R-La Mondiale at 0:01
4. Alex Aranburu Deba (Spa) Movistar at 0:09
5. Vincenzo Albanese (Ita) Arkéa-B&B Hotels at 0:31
6. Mathieu Burgaudeau (Fra) TotalEnergies at 0:32
7. Aurelien Paret-Peintre (Fra) Decathlon-AG2R-La Mondiale
8. Davide De Pretto (Ita) Jayco AlUla
9. Filippo Conca (Ita) Q36.5 Continental Cycling Team
10. Alessandro Tonelli (Ita) VF Group-Bardiani CSF-Faizanè.
Agostoni’24:
Sparkassen Münsterland Giro 2024
Jasper Philipsen won the Sparkassen Münsterland Giro on Thursday. The Alpecin-Deceuninck rider was the fastest in a bunch sprint. Jordi Meeus (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe) was second and Milan Fretin (Coridis), third. Biniam Girmay (Intermarché-Wanty) came fourth.
The route of the Sparkassen Münsterland Giro was slightly different from last year. The middle section still contained some climbing, but a lot less than 2023. The final was still relatively flat. There was a very good chance that there would be a bunch sprint in Münster after 201 kilometres.
Although the escape seemed unlikely to succeed, seven riders took the lead early in the stage: Tosh Van der Sande (Visma | Lease a Bike), Adrien Maire (Tour de Tietema-Unibet), Jannik Steimle (Q36.5), Arno Claeys (Flanders-Baloise), Jarno Grixa (P&S Metalltechnik Benotti), Sebastian Niehues (REMBE Sauerland) and Luca Dreßler (Lotto Kern-Haus PSD Bank) built up a lead of 3 minutes. In the hilly section, there were attempts from the peloton to break away by Mike Teunissen and last year’s winner, Per Strand Hagenes, but no one could manage. The peloton was so fast that Fabio Jakobsen was in trouble for a while, but was able to return. The 6 leaders, Niehues had been dropped, saw their lead drop to less than 1 minute. But the sprinter’s teams, Intermarché-Wanty and Alpecin-Deceuninck, let them stay out front for a while longer.
The last four in the break; Van der Sande, Maire, Steimle and Dreßler, were eventually caught 23 kilometres from the finish. This was mainly due to the work by Lotto Dstny. The Belgian team pulled hard through narrow, winding roads. Peace returned afterwards, but there were still a few riders who wanted race. Laurenz Rex (Intermarché-Wanty) and Julius van den Berg (dsm-firmenich-PostNL) made a move. Van den Berg was given freedom, because Jakobsen had been dropped again. Once the sprinter’s teams restored order, it was mainly Israel-Premier Tech that took control at first, but at the start of the last kilometre it was Lidl-Trek and Uno-X Mobility that were fighting for dominance. Alpecin-Deceuninck and Intermarché were also still at the front with Jasper Philipsen and Biniam Girmay. It was Danny van Poppel who positioned Jordi Meeus, his Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe sprint leader, to the perfect position. Meeus was excellently dropped off, but he had Philipsen on his wheel and he turned out to have the fastest legs. Philipsen had a gap after his jump and won by several bike lengths. It was his first victory since August 31, when he won the fourth stage of the Renewi Tour. Meeus had to settle for second place in Münster. Milan Fretin (Cofidis) came third.
Race winner, Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck): “We made it an attractive race. The team kept me well in front all day. The final was hectic, like every year here, but I knew this finish from a few years ago, so I knew what I had to do. They also had a very good lead-out. I knew that I had to have his wheel (Jordi Meeus) in the last few hundred meters. I’m happy that I could start my sprint and take the win. I can be satisfied (with his 2024 season). Winning a monument was the highlight for me. And I’m happy that the form is still there in October and that I was able to win today.”
2nd, Jordi Meeus (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe): “It was a very hectic race with a lot of wind. Our goal was to focus everything on the sprint, and we succeeded. Danny gave me a perfect lead-out, but unfortunately, another rider was just a bit faster than me today. I’m happy with this podium finish.”
Sparkassen Münsterland Giro Result:
1. Jasper Philipsen (Bel) Alpecin-Deceuninck in 4:22:51
2. Jordi Meeus (Bel) Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe
3. Milan Fretin (Bel) Cofidis
4. Biniam Girmay Hailu (Eri) Intermarché-Wanty
5. Max Walscheid (Ger) Jayco AlUla
6. Danny van Poppel (Ned) Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe
7. Pascal Ackermann (Ger) Israel-Premier Tech
8. Nils Eekhoff (Ned) dsm-firmenich-PostNL
9. Luke Lamperti (USA) Soudal Quick-Step
10. Tom Van Asbroeck (Bel) Israel-Premier Tech.
Münsterland’24:
Q36.5 Wants to Sign Tom Pidcock Before 2025
Q36.5 wants to sign Tom Pidcock. The Swiss team, which is very active on the transfer market at the moment, wants the British rider to make the switch for next year, despite a contract with INEOS Grenadiers until 2027. According to journalist Ciro Scognamiglio.
Pidcock has been with INEOS Grenadiers since 2021 and still has a few years left on his contract. However, that could change, writes Scognamiglio. Q36.5 is said to be interested in signing the Briton. Talks are said to be underway between the two. Q36.5 is one of the teams that is very active on the transfer market. It was recently reported by WielerFlits that Milan Vader and Harm Vanhoucke have signed a contract. It was also previously announced that Sjoerd Bax and Emils Liepins are moving to the ProTeam.
Pidcock to Q36.5?
Patrick Lefevere: “It’s Hard to Compete Against the Money of UAE Team Emirates”
UAE Team Emirates won for the 20th time this season with a different rider last week. That is a record, one that they took from Mapei Quick-Step in 2000. Patrick Lefevere, the boss at Soudal Quick-Step, sees it as the ideal subject for his column in Het Nieuwsblad.
“Of course, the power of money plays a role in the dominance of UAE. It is no secret that their domestiques would be leaders in most other teams,” Lefevere gets straight to the point. “At the same time, I do not want to minimise the merit. The UAE team is also cleverly put together, with many young talents. In racing, the money from the Middle East plays a different role than in football.”
“Qatar and Saudi Arabia attract the stars from the traditional football countries, which allows those clubs to cash in on stars who may just be past their prime. That’s how it works for the time being, until lawyer Jean-Louis Dupont takes the transfer system to the ground. In that case, I say to my many football friends: welcome to our world, where transfer money has never existed.”
The manager of Soudal Quick-Step gives some compliments to his competitors from the United Arab Emirates. “UAE Team Emirates does not invest in stars, but rather invests very hard in young talent. The list of their twenty winners includes names such as Isaac Del Toro, Jan Christen and Antonio Morgado, who are all twenty years old. With Tadej Pogačar, they have the greatest talent at the top of the pyramid, but they also invest a lot in the base.”
“That makes it difficult for the rest of the teams to compete. I am not doing the truth any harm when I say that most of those talents are also on the radar of other teams. Joxean Matxin, the sporting manager of UAE, is a good scout, but so is our Johan Molly. We also spoke to Antonio Morgado. If I am well informed, Jan Christen was very close to the Roodhooft brothers, if he had not already signed a contract with them. We also knew Pogačar and Mikkel Bjerg, but they were not feasible in terms of budget.”
“Ultimately, it is often money that determines the choice of riders. Nothing to be silly about. A family that has around 70,000 euros in the bank will of course accept a contract proposal where the sixteen-year-old son can suddenly earn a multiple. I understand that, but at the same time I think it is a shame that the romantic idea of ‘discovering a rider’ is gradually disappearing,” wrote Lefevere.
Lefevere can’t compete with the Arab money:
Wout van Aert’s First Bike Ride Since his Vuelta Crash
Wout van Aert is back on his bike! On Friday the Belgian rode his first kilometres since his crash in the Vuelta a España.
The 30-year-old Classics specialist is progressing well. Less than two weeks ago, Van Aert was walking on crutches. “My knee was quite damaged,” said Van Aert, who then said that his injuries were greater than initially thought. “There was a dent on the side of the joint. That explains the pain and why it is still difficult to put weight on my right leg.”
On September 25th, Van Aert went for his first walk with his wife and wrote on his Strava account about ‘baby steps’. Now that he has got back on his bike, the end of his rehabilitation seems to be in sight. Van Aert completed a ride of just over an hour in his home region around Herentals, a distance of 32.6 kilometres. “Woo-hoo”, wrote a very happy Van Aert on Strava.
The Visma | Lease a Bike rider previously indicated that he has plans to race cyclo-cross again next winter, but has not yet given dates or cyclo-crosses he might ride.
Van Aert’s first ride:
New Role for Nathan Van Hooydonck with Visma | Lease a Bike
A year ago, Nathan van Hooydonck was forced to end his cycling career at the age of 27 due to heart problems. After his career, he stayed involved with the Visma | Lease a Bike team in hospitality during races. Now he will take on a new role within the commercial team.
After a season in hospitality, Van Hooydonck is ready for a new step as an employee of the commercial department. “I am someone who wants to continue to challenge myself in the business field,” the Belgian said on the Visma | Lease a Bike website. “A job in the commercial team of Team Visma | Lease a Bike is the ideal step in my development. Richard Plugge and commercial director Sander Kruis already suggested it to me in November last year, but I was not ready for it yet.”
“After the last Tour de France, we talked about it again. We then drew up a plan in which I was given the opportunity to get to know the commercial department and its working methods. From partnerships and merchandise to communication. My field of interest is broad, so I want to wait and see what suits me best. Then we can decide which role I will fill exactly. But I like to talk to existing and new partners. As a team, we really have a great story and I like to create value for our partners through our team. I like personal contact, so that is why I like to visit potential new partners.”
Last season, Van Hooydonck was often at races, in a new role. He took VIP guests on the road to give them an unforgettable experience in the wake of the riders. “Guiding the hospitality guests during the races played a major role in my processing process,” said Van Hooydonck. “In the months after the accident, I found it difficult to accept that I was no longer a rider. The fact that I was often present at the events helped me enormously.”
Van Hooydonck is extremely grateful to the team for the support and new opportunities. “I feel a close bond with Team Visma | Lease a Bike. I feel safe here. If you perform well as a rider, you are always valuable to a team. Then they will do everything to keep you. Once you stop, those capacities disappear. That is why I am grateful to the team and especially Richard and Sander, that they also see the value in me as a person. They look further than just the rider Nathan van Hooydonck and that is special.”
New role for Nathan Van Hooydonck:
Kasper Asgreen Couldn’t Ride His Chosen Last Race for Soudal Quick-Step
Kasper Asgreen has ridden his last race for Soudal Quick-Step. The Dane was supposed to start the Münsterland Giro on Thursday, but appendicitis stopped him.
“Kasper Asgreen didn’t appear at the start of the Münsterland Giro. After being ill all night, he was taken to hospital. There it was determined that he has appendicitis, which requires surgery. We wish Kasper a speedy and full recovery!” Soudal Quick-Step announced via social media.
The 29-year-old classics specialist now faces a longer rehabilitation period: after an appendectomy, you are not allowed to do intensive sports for four to six weeks. Asgreen will now not be in action this season and the collaboration between Asgreen and Soudal Quick-Step comes to a sad end. The Dane made his professional debut with the Belgian team in 2018 and grew into a successful Classics rider with Patrick Lefevere. In 2019 he was second in the Tour of Flanders. A year later, Asgreen won his first Classic, Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne, but his greatest successes came in 2021, with a victory in the E3 Saxo Bank Classic and the Tour of Flanders. In De Ronde he beat Mathieu van der Poel in a two man sprint.
After more than six seasons at Soudal Quick-Step, Asgreen leaves for the Swiss Tudor Pro Cycling team. The transfer has not yet been made public, but Lefevere let it slip in August.
Kasper Asgreen leaves Soudal Quick-Step without a final race:
Former Colombian Champion Marlon Pérez Dies in Violent Robbery
Former cyclist Marlon Pérez was killed in a violent robbery in Colombia, he was 48 years-old. The fatality was reported on the website of the Colombian cycling federation.
The robbery took place last Thursday in the northwest of Colombia, not far from Medellín. “We say goodbye to a great champion, but above all to an exceptional person. His smile, camaraderie and fighting spirit will always be a source of inspiration for all of us,” wrote the Colombian federation.
Pérez raced in Europe for many years. He started his professional career in 2001, with the British Linda McCartney team, together with Bradley Wiggins and Maximilian Sciandri. The Colombian then rode for 05 Orbitel (2001-2003), Colombia-Selle Italia (2004-2005), Tenax-Salmilano (2006), Team Universal Caffe’-Ecopetrol (2007) and Caisse d’Epargne (2008-2009). Pérez was national time trial champion three times, Pan-American time trial champion and rode the Olympic Games in 1996, 2000 and 2004. He also started the Giro d’Italia three times, in 2004, 2005 and 2008, he finished in 2004 and 2008, he had to abandon on stage 6 in 2005.
RIP Marlon Pérez:
Lachlan Morton Sets the Around Australia Record
The Australian completed 14,200 kilometres in just over 30 days
Thirty days, 9 hours, 59 minutes. That’s the time it took Lachlan to ride one lap of Australia, just over 14,200 kilometres.
Turning the pedals was about more than just about setting a new record. Lachlan collaborated with the Indigenous Literacy Foundation, an organisation focused on providing books and learning resources to Indigenous children living in remote communities across Australia. Lachlan’s efforts have raised over $127,000 AUD ($86,000 US) from individuals across the world. There’s still time to donate.
“Being able to use something that’s a passion for me to help people’s lives in some way is always special and I think being able to have some impact on some of the places we’ve traveled through means a lot to me. I think on the whole, the cycling community is always pretty generous. It’s an expression of that,” Lachlan said of the funds he’s raised this past month.
Lachlan set out from his hometown of Port Macquarie on September 5th at 04:00 a.m. local time for a counter-clockwise loop of the country in an attempt to set the fastest known time (FKT) for the Around Australia Record. In accordance with the rules for the record attempt, he had to ride for at least 14,200 kilometres and pass through at least six of the following cities: Adelaide, Brisbane, Broome, Darwin, Esperance, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney. And 31 days later, he rolled back into Port Macquarie having shaved close to an entire week off the previous FKT.
To accomplish this feat, Lachy averaged over 450 kilometres a day. Most days saw him starting his ride around midnight and then hopping off around 5 or 6 p.m. when he’d grab some food, a shower, and then get some sleep, only to repeat the process again the next day. This schedule allowed him to avoid the late afternoon heat in northern Australia and helped minimise the time he shared the road with heavy trucks and commuter traffic.
Along the way, Lachlan encountered no shortage of physical and mental obstacles. The Australian weather conditions ran the full spectrum from the pounding rain to the baking sun, from relentless headwinds to, fortunately, the occasional helpful tailwind. The road itself, some days maddeningly straight and seemingly infinite, was a unique brand of mentally tedious at times. The odd animal held up Lachy’s progress, too. In the first week, he had a close call with a kangaroo and was dive bombed by the infamous magpies. Despite this, Lachlan didn’t hesitate to pull over and help an injured bird 21 days into his ride.
Lachlan is no stranger to endurance cycling and to pushing himself – mentally and physically – but attempting the Around Australia Record was something even he found to be particularly taxing.
“Mentally, it’s a lot of time to be focused,” Lachlan said. “And every morning you wake up and your body is kind of like destroyed and you push through, it just chips away at you so definitely the last four or five days were a pretty big challenge mentally. You’re just trying to keep showing up and doing it every day. It got pretty tough. I was definitely in a state of fatigue that I hadn’t really reached before so I had to lean on the crew and rally to get home. Just dedicating such a massive amount of time to pushing yourself every day. That is the real challenge I think of the Around Australia Record. I’ve never been so relieved to finish something as I was today.”
But Lachlan didn’t experience this ride alone. A dedicated support crew followed him, composed of his wife – Rachel Peck, brother – Angus Morton, childhood coach – Graham Sears, his longtime mechanic – Tom Hopper, and a pair of close friends – Karter Machen and Athalee Brown. They prepared his meals, washed his kit, gave bottle hand ups, found motels whenever possible, maintained his bike, and tended to a host of additional responsibilities so that Lachlan could focus on riding.
On the road, he was joined by countless dot watchers and well wishers. Having that company boosted Lachlan’s spirits beyond words. He rolled into Sydney on Friday, accompanied by a growing throng of old friends and new, and stopped to share a coffee in the shadow of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. It doesn’t get more iconic than that.
The solo hours on the bike also brought Lachlan plenty of moments to savour.
“The memories I have of riding through the outback in the north at night and having those sunrises up there is something that I think I’ll carry with me for a long time. As hard as they were, the big long headwind days were for me probably what I was most scared of and intimidated by and to be able to tackle 16, 17 hours of just riding straight into a headwind knowing that nothing’s going to change. You’ve just going to keep trucking your way into it, trying to cover as much distance as you can. For me, personally, it was a highlight to be able to manage that,” he said.
Riding into Port Macquarie was a powerful and sentimental moment for Lachlan.
“I made the route into town to take in a lot of the roads I grew up training on. I went past the house I grew up in. It just brought back a huge amount of memories that made today very special. And then just seeing lifelong friends come out, and a bunch of new faces who have all just been following my journey, it was an incredibly special feeling to be able to pull off something like that in your own hometown. It’s a feeling that I think is pretty hard to replicate,” he said.
Now that Lachlan has made it safely back to Port Macquarie, he’ll take some time to rest and let the enormity of what he’s just accomplished sink in.
Stay tuned for the full film with Thereabouts from which will come in January.
Chapeau, Lachy.
Soudal Quick-Step to Coppa Bernocchi
Remco Evenepoel is ready to lead the team at the 105th edition
Once again starting and finishing in Legnano, Coppa Bernocchi will mark our team’s first outing of next week in Italy, where we are also scheduled to race the Tre Valli Varesine and Il Lombardia, which will bring to a conclusion our European season. As has happened in the past, the parcours is built around the hilly circuit in Valle Olona, where the peloton will tackle the Caramamma climb – also known as the Piccolo Stelvio (1.5km, 6.6%) – a total of seven times.
Three years ago, after spending the entire day in the break, Remco Evenepoel attacked from the distance, dropped his companions and soloed to what was at that time his first victory in a one-day race on Italian soil. Recently crowned ITT World Champion for the second year in a row, a success that came just six weeks after the took a pair of gold medals at the Olympics in Paris, the 24-year-old Belgian will be in action on Monday, together with Mattia Cattaneo, Antoine Huby, Fausto Masnada, Andrea Raccagni, Pepijn Reinderink and Mauri Vansevenant.
“In the past three seasons, we won twice and racked up a total of four podium finishes in Bernocchi, so it goes without saying this is a race we like a lot and where we hope to be again in contention for a good result, on what will be a demanding and quite selective parcours. Things didn’t go as planned for us in Emilia, but that’s cycling, and this only motivates us even more for Monday”, said Soudal Quick-Step sports director Davide Bramati.
Remco Evenepoel to ride the Coppa Bernocchi:
Natnael Tesfatsion: African Talent into 2025 Movistar Team Roster
Eritrean national champion, 25, set to add his quality and two years of WorldTour experience to Telefónica’s squad starting next season
A long list of thirty-one nationalities which, starting in 2025, will be joined by Eritrea. The signing of Natnael Tesfatsion (Asmara, ERI; 1999), part of the men’s Movistar Team from next year after two seasons at Lidl-Trek, will mark the first African signing for the Eusebio Unzué-led squad in almost half a century of existence.
“I had the opportunity to know the team better in Australia this year as we both raced the Tour Down Under, and the feeling couldn’t be better,” explains Tesfatsion, who competed last Sunday at the World Championships road race in Zürich. “They’re a strong group of guys, really fun, and I’m really looking forward to bringing my effort to the team and continue to improve results. I consider myself a strong rider for short climbs, also with a good sprint, and I want to keep exploiting those abilities. Hopefully I can get my first victory in the WorldTour next season – I was so close earlier this year, when I finished 2nd at the Cadel Evans Road Race, so I hope I can return the confidence the Movistar Team is putting on me with some good results.”
A notable under-23 competitor, he obtained encouraging results during his years with Qhubeka (2019-20) and Androni (2021-22), with two GC victories at the Tour of Rwanda and second-place finishes at Italy’s Adriatica Ionica Race and Giro dell’Appennino. His two-year WorldTour adaptation spell includes, other than 2nd in Geeling, a 3rd spot -behind Julian Alaphilippe and Richard Carapaz- at a stage of the 2023 Critérium du Dauphiné. He’s the reigning Eritrean road race champion, a flag he’ll carry alongside the ‘M’ on his shoulders in 2025.
Natnael Tesfatsion in 2025 Movistar:
Brambilla, Moschetti and Parisini Extend with Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team
We’re happy to announce that Italians Gianluca Brambilla, Matteo Moschetti and Nicolò Parisini have extended their contracts and will race in Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team in 2025.
37-year-old Brambilla has emerged as a beacon of leadership over the past two seasons, showcasing his competitive spirit at the sport’s most prestigious races. In 2024, he secured an impressive 11 top-10 finishes, proving his ambition remains unwavering. As road captain, the seasoned Italian has been a guiding force for our younger riders, and he’s eager to keep racing at the top level in 2025.
“I’m really happy to extend my career with Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team,” said Brambilla. “Entering my 16th season as a professional cyclist is exciting, and I’m motivated to work hard and achieve great things in 2025. I take pride in mentoring the younger riders and contributing to the team’s growth. I truly feel at home here and can’t wait to fight for victories one more year.”
At 28, Matteo Moschetti has proven his sprinting pedigree in our team’s colours, marking a historic moment by clinching the first victory in Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team’s history back in February 2023. Since then he’s added to his win tally and built on that success with several top-10 and podium finishes.
Although a serious training accident sidelined him for much of this season, his dedication to recovery has been commendable, and he is eager to return to competition.
“It’s a privilege to continue with the team next season,” Moschetti expressed. “I feel at home in this environment, and I’m excited to pursue my goals here. I was performing well before my accident and was knocking on the door of a victory Unfortunately, my season took an unexpected turn, but I’m on the mend and can’t wait to get back to racing. My aim for next season is to hit the ground running, achieve some wins, and repay the support I’ve received during this difficult time.”
Nicolò Parisini, our promising neo-pro, has secured a new two-year extension, committing to Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team through 2026. At just 24, he has made remarkable strides in his first two professional seasons, emerging as a solid classics contender. After claiming his first pro win in 2023, he’s hungry to build on that success.
“I’m really happy to stay with the team that gave me my chance to turn professional,” Parisini said. “I’ve grown a lot during my time here! Although I faced some bad luck during the classics this year, I can’t wait to return to Belgium Classics next season and show what I’m capable of. I’m focused on finishing this season strong and preparing during the winter to make next year a success. I believe 2025 will be a fundamental year in my cycling career.”
For Doug Ryder, General Manager of Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team, these three Italian riders are invaluable as the team continues to evolve. “We’re thrilled to extend the contracts of these three talented Italian riders, each of whom has played a crucial role in our team over the past two seasons. Gianluca Brambilla has excelled as a road captain, consistently delivering top results and guiding our younger riders. Despite a challenging season after a mid-year crash, Matteo Moschetti, our standout sprinter, has a proven track record, and we’re confident he’ll return stronger and add more victories in Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team colours. Lastly, Nicolò Parisini has impressed with his solid performances in his first two years, including his first professional win last season, and we’re excited about his future. With Brambilla’s leadership, Moschetti’s sprinting prowess, and Parisini’s rising potential, we’re confident we’ve secured a strong foundation for continued success. Their experience and drive will be pivotal as we aim for even greater achievements in the seasons ahead.”
The extensions of Brambilla, Moschetti, and Parisini highlight Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team’s commitment to fostering talent and building a competitive squad for the future with a blend of seasoned leadership and emerging potential.
Brambilla, Moschetti, and Parisini extend with Q36.5:
U23 World Champion Behrens Signs with Team Visma | Lease a Bike
Niklas Behrens (20) will race for Team Visma | Lease a Bike for the next three years. The Dutch WorldTeam sees significant potential in the young German cyclist, who took the world U23 title past week, and will guide him in taking the next step in his career.
Behrens has only been fully focused on cycling for three years. Before that, he was a swimmer and triathlete. During his three years as a cyclist, Behrens has shown impressive development that caught the attention of Team Visma | Lease a Bike even before he became world champion past week. With the Dutch WorldTeam, he will have the opportunity to continue his development for the next three years.
“I’m super happy to join Team Visma | Lease a Bike,” said Behrens. “This is a team I’ve always looked up to due to the high level of professionalism. I’m really looking forward to being part of such a great team.”
The young German excels on classic terrain and in time trials but stands out primarily because of his all-around profile. “I hope to discover my true specialty in the coming years with the help of the team. I believe I can perform well in classics, but I also want to further develop my time-trialing skills. Additionally, I’m not slow in a sprint, which is important for winning races.”
Grischa Niermann, on behalf of the sportive management of Team Visma | Lease a Bike, is pleased with the addition of his young compatriot. “Niklas is a rider with a lot of potential. He caught our attention over the past two years in several races, including the recent Tour de l’Avenir. He hasn’t been racing for long and has a lot of progression margin. We are confident that we can guide him to the next step in his still early career.”
Niklas Behrens to Visma | Lease a Bike:
Diego Pescador: Movistar Team Continues to Bet on Latin America’s Talents
19-year-old from Quindío, Colombia, lands in the WorldTour next year after a quick rise to the fore of the international under-23 peloton
Colombia and Latin America will remain an important part of the men’s Movistar Team project over the next few years. Diego Pescador (Quimbaya, Quindío, COL; 2004), a current member of the GW Erco Shimano squad in his home country, will make the leap towards the WorldTour with Eusebio Unzué’s squad. He has signed a three-year contract, ending in December 2027.
Two seasons in the Continental echelon have been enough for Pescador to show his quality as one of Colombia’s best prospects. Winner of the Young Riders’ classification at the Vuelta a Colombia and a stage of the Clásico RCN in 2023, Diego has shone bright in 2024 also abroad: 2nd overall at the Vuelta de la Juventud, 7th -third best under-23 rider- in the Tour de l’Avenir; and strong in the Giro Next Gen and the Course de la Paix (UCI Nations Cup).
Diego Pescador: “There’s been many enjoyable moments during this 2024 season for me. The spring races in Italy – the Trofeo Piva (3rd), Palio del Recioto (2nd) and the Settimana Coppi e Bartali – they were so exciting, I gained loads of experience and could show the team colours at the front. The Vuelta de la Juventud was the most important domestic race for us, and I ended it really satisfied, both with myself and the team’s performance. It was a big boost of morale heading into the U23 Giro, a super demanding race with a strong field of competitors, eight beautiful days under the heat, in the mountains – I didn’t have the best legs I could desire for, but it left me with a good fitness level for the Tour de l’Avenir, the biggest event of the season for me and the most important stage race as an under-23. It all went really well, thank God – I improved on my 2023 appearance, I was so proud to represent Colombia there, and making it into the top-ten overall, with the current level of the international peloton, is such a moment of satisfaction, after everything I’ve done from grassroots racing. The Tour has this mystic element – I’ve always enjoyed the race, and so many moments will remain in my heart for what’s to come.
“The Movistar Team has always been such a great support for Latin American riders – they’ve always kept their doors open to cycling in this continent. Starting this new story with them — to be honest, there’s some days I can’t believe myself when I wake up in the morning. It’s a WorldTour, but more than that, it’s the team of my hero, Nairo Quintana, someone I’ve always admired so much and watched on TV when I was a kid. Being part of the team he achieved his biggest victories at is unthinkable for me. It makes me so, so excited. I hope to learn a lot for everyone. They’ve got this winning mentality, and I want to be a great asset, achieve success together. I’m the first rider from Quindío to make it to the Movistar Team, and I think it’s going to be a huge step for the whole region (laughs).
“Above everything, I just want to improve as a person. Everything I’ve been taught at home, I want to put it in practice here. Leave an impression and show the whole process I’ve been through. Also, fight to be part of that ‘new generation’ the Colombian fans are asking us to be. I know I’m joining a big team, where I will get the support I need and people who will make my life easier for me to just focus on my performance. I’ve got to do things right, remain disciplined, ambitious, responsible, and always look ahead. I’m raring to go, really. I want to do my best already in 2025. I want to thank God, my team and my family – we’ve worked so hard for this. It’s a dream come true, especially as part of this team, where Colombia has always been important.”
Diego Pescador to Movistar:
Keije Solen Joins Charles Liégeois Roastery CX Team
Keije Solen, the 18-year-old Dutch Junior Cyclo-cross World Silver Medalist, is joining Intermarché-Wanty. He will compete with Charles Liégeois Roastery CX in cyclo-cross this winter and with Wanty-ReUz-Technord on the road starting in 2025.
In addition to his silver medal at the Tabor World Championships, Solen achieved thirteen other podium finishes in the 2023-2024 cyclo-cross season as a second-year Junior, finishing third overall in the World Cup and becoming Dutch Champion in 2022-2023.
On the road in 2024, he grew significantly and won a stage in the Côte d’Or Classic, finishing fourth in the Dutch Championships, fifth in the GP Rüebliland, and becoming a regular member of the Dutch national team, selected for events like Eroica Juniors and the recent European Championships.
The young Dutchman will make his debut in his new colours on October 17th with Charles Liégeois Roastery CX at the Exact Cross in Essen. He strengthens the 2024-2025 team led by Bart Wellens, which includes Thijs Aerts, Julie Brouwers, Kevin Kuhn, Gerben Kuypers, and Lauren Molengraaf.
Keije Solen: “After talking with Bart Wellens, I realised that the best option for my career was to join him and Intermarché-Wanty. It seems like the perfect place where I can grow as a rider. The project to develop young talents is perfectly suits my ambitions. I can continue my progression on the road with Wanty-ReUz-Technord and combine cyclo-cross with Charles Liégeois Roastery CX. I want to demonstrate what I’m capable of and learn as much as possible with a diverse racing program, because my personal goal is to become a professional cyclist in two years. I already know my compatriots Lauren Molengraaf and Wouter Toussaint, with whom I already have ties in both teams. My ultimate dream is to one day participate in the Tour de France, who knows, maybe one day with the Intermarché-Wanty jersey.”
Bart Wellens (sports director Charles Liégeois Roastery CX): “Keije is a very promising young talent, whom we have been following since he became Dutch Champion. We quickly realised that he had extraordinary talent, which he demonstrated at the Tabor World Championships. He has also been selected with the national team on the road for prestigious competitions in the Junior category, which is a testament to a potential that he can also develop in this area. Keije is very meticulous, constantly focused on cycling and always looking to improve. It’s a temperament that I appreciate, the characteristic of a good rider. Since the creation of our cyclo-cross team, we have always been committed to developing young riders under 23, and we are happy to welcome such a talented rider to our team. He will be able to develop within our team and learn a lot from our pro riders.”
Kevin Van Melsen (Sports director Wanty-ReUz-Technord): “Keije has accumulated impressive performances over the past year. Last winter, he distinguished himself among the best cyclo-cross riders in the world in the Junior category. It is clear that he has great potential. We have noticed that riders coming from cyclo-cross tend to also excel on the road, and there are many examples of this at the highest level. Even if his experience on the road is currently limited, we can expect a promising future on the road given what he has already accomplished. Take a look at his performances in the Grand Prix Rüebliland, a stage race in Switzerland, where he distinguished himself among the best young riders and finished fifth overall. He is a new asset for Wanty-ReUz-Technord and together, we will exploit all his qualities and help him progress.”
Brabantse Pijl to be On a Friday from 2025, Ronde van Limburg to be In the Spring
Two Belgian one-day races will be given different date in 2025. The Brabantse Pijl, which has been held on the Wednesday between Paris-Roubaix and the Amstel Gold Race, will be moved to Friday. The Wednesday will host the Ronde van Limburg, which used to always be in late May or early June.
The Brabantse Pijl will now be held two days before the Amstel Gold Race. “A first reason for the change is the Tour of the Basque Country, which takes longer than before. For those types, the Brabantse Pijl sometimes came too early,” Tomas Van Den Spiegel, CEO of organiser Flanders Classics, explained in an interview with Sporza. “In recent years, more and more riders have skipped that race. Organising it on Friday is a logical solution. That is not exceptional, look at the E3 Harelbeke two days before Gent-Wevelgem.”
“The second reason is that, following the European Championships in Limburg, we were looking for a better solution for what we have built up there. The freed-up Wednesday then offers possibilities. We are adding a nice race. The Tour of Limburg is indeed getting a nice upgrade. The race was on Whit Monday, but that date changes every year and that was difficult for the planning, certainly also for the teams. Now there is clarity and we are assuming a much better field of participants.”
Despite the fact that the UCI wants to completely reform the cycling calendar in 2026, the change that Flanders Classics has implemented seems to be one for the longer term. “That reform does not mean that a lot of tinkering has to be done. You can also play with the categories of the races,” said Van Den Spiegel. “We have mainly looked at how we can anchor our races in the Flemish spring. The intention is to keep it that way after 2025.”
Benoit Cosnefroy (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale) won the 2024 Brabantse Pijl:
European Road Season to Kick Off Even Earlier in 2025 with New Spanish Race
The European road season will start on the 17th of January in 2025. The first race is a new Spanish one-day, the Classica Camp de Morvedre. It is a UCI 1.2 race. This year, the Clàssica Comunitat Valenciana was the first race of the season and was won by Dylan Groenewegen. Not a lot is know about the Classica Camp de Morvedre, except that it will be held in the province of Valencia. It had eight editions in the 80’s under the name of ‘Vuelta Camp de Morvedre’ and had top riders on its start line. Bernard Hinault was 2nd in 1985 behind the Spanish rider Javier Castellar.
The new Spanish one-day race is one of the many changes on the UCI calendar for the 2025 road season. One of those changes to calendar is the dates of the Flemish ‘Opening Weekend’. Omloop Het Nieuwsblad and Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne will not be held until early March next year. This year, they were at the end of February. The Ronde van Nederland has also been given a place on the calendar.
The Omloop not till March in 2025:
The 2025 Race Calendar
The UCI announced the 2025 cycling calendar on Friday. Here are the WorldTour races for the men and women.
2025 Men’s WorldTour Calendar:
21-26/01 – Santos Tour Down Under
02/02 – Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race
17-23/02 – UAE Tour
01/03 – Omloop Het Nieuwsblad
08/03 – Strade Bianche
09-16/03 – Paris-Nice
10-16/03 – Tirreno-Adriatico
22/03 – Milan-Sanremo
24-30/03 – Volta Ciclista a Catalunya
26/03 – Classic Brugge-De Panne
28/03 – E3 Saxo Classic
30/03 – Gent-Wevelgem in Vlaanderen
02/04 – Dwars door Vlaanderen – À travers la Flandre
06/04 – Ronde van Vlaanderen
07-12/04 – Itzulia Basque Country
13/04 – Paris-Roubaix
20/04 – Amstel Gold Race
23/04 – La Flèche Wallonne
27 /04 – Liège-Bastogne-Liège
29/04-04/05 – Tour of Romandië
01/05 – Eschborn-Frankfurt
09/05-01/06 – Giro d’Italia
08-15/06 – Critérium du Dauphiné
15-22/06 – Tour de Suisse
22/06 – Copenhagen Race
05-27/07 – Tour de France
02/08 – Donostia San Sebastián Klasikoa
04-10/08 – Tour de Pologne
17/08 – BEMER Cyclassics
20-24/08 – Renewi Tour
23/08-14/09 – La Vuelta Ciclista a España
31/09 – Bretagne Classic – Ouest-France
12/09 – Grand Prix Cycliste de Québec
14/09 – Grand Prix Cycliste de Montréal
11/10 – Il Lombardia
14-19/10 – Gree-Tour van Guangxi.
2025 Women’s WorldTour Calendar:
17-19/01: Santos Tour Down Under
01/02 – Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race
06-09/02 – UAE Tour Women
01/03 – Omloop Nieuwsblad
08/03 – Strade Bianche Donne
16/03 – Miron Ronde van Drenthe
23/03 – Trofeo Alfredo Binda – Comune di Cittiglio
27/03 – Classic Brugge-De Panne
30/03 – Gent-Wevelgem in Flanders Fields
06/04 – Ronde van Vlaanderen
12/04 – Paris-Roubaix Femmes avec Zwift
20/04 – Amstel Gold Race Ladies
23/04 – La Flèche Wallonne Féminine
27/04 – Liège-Bastogne-Liège Femmes
05-11/05 – Vuelta España Femenina by Carrefour.es
16-18/05 – Itzulia Women
22-25/05 – Vuelta a Burgos Feminas
30/05-01/06 – Ford RideLondon Classique
05-08/06 – Tour of Britain Women
12-15/06 – Tour de Suisse Women
21/06 – Copenhagen Race
06-13/07 – Giro d’Italia Women
26/07-03/08 – Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift
19-24/08 – Tour of Scandinavia
30/08 – Classic Lorient Agglomération – Trophée CERATIZIT
05-07/09 – Tour de Romandie Féminin
07-12/10 – Simac Ladies Tour
14-16/10 – Tour of Chongming Island
19/10 – Tour of Guangxi.
The Santos Tour Down Under the first big race of the year again:
A Farewell from Merijn Zeeman Sportive Director with Team Visma | Lease a Bike
September 30 was Merijn Zeeman’s final day with our team. He left us with gratitude, unforgettable memories, and this beautiful message:
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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.
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