In a fully-packed EUROTRASH Monday, we have the first Grand Tour of 2025 β La Vuelta Femenina, kicked off on Sunday with a team time trial in Barcelona. Plus the final stages of the Tour de Romandie and the Eschborn-Frankfurt one-day Classic in Germany, all with video, race reports, results and the riderβs thoughts.
TOP STORY:
- Chaos at the start of Vuelta Femenina causes problems for some teams
Rider news:
- Juan Ayuso: βI want to win the Giro dβItaliaβ
- Tiesj Benoot explains Visma | Lease a Bikeβs poor spring
- Derek Gee looking forward to the Giro dβItalia
- Olav Kooij might sign a multi-million contract with Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale
- Warren Barguil: βWe havenβt had any luck yetβ
- Dylan Groenewegen close to leaving Jayco AlUla
- Patrick Lefevere sees Remco Evenepoelβs contract situation as a dilemma for Soudal Quick-Step
Team news:
- Egan Bernal and Thymen Arensman lead the INEOS Grenadiers at the Giro dβItalia
- Tudor Pro Cycling β Heading To our second Giro dβItalia
- Dual Ambitions for Team Jayco AlUla at the Giro dβItalia
- Nooijen extends contract with Team Visma | Lease a Bike Women
- Vito Braet extends with IntermarchΓ©-Wanty
Race news:
- Giro dβItalia 2025: Entry list and key information
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TOP STORY: Chaos at the Start of Vuelta Femenina Causes Problems for Some Teams
The Vuelta EspaΓ±a Femenina started chaotically. Several teams started the team time trial in Barcelona with some members missing, due to problems with the time trial bike checks. Visma | Lease a Bike and Uno-X Mobility started late or incomplete.
βWhat the fuck! How can the organisation of a grand tour be so amateurish?β asked Paris-Roubaix winner Pauline Ferrand-PrΓ©vot on social media, the message has since been deleted. βWere the judges asleep when they had to check our bikes? We were there 20 minutes before the start, for the check, and two of our riders werenβt ready in time. We kept telling the judges to go, but it looked like they were just chilling.β
Ferrand-PrΓ©vot also has nothing good to say about the UCI judges. βWe put so much preparation and effort into it, for nothing. Now weβre losing so much time in the general classification. Hey UCI, you want a fair sport, but this is not the way to do it,β the French team leader wrote.
Uno-X rider Anouska Koster also spoke out about the situation to ProCyclingUK: βDue to one of the teams in front of us, we arrived late at the start. We were at the bike check more than fifteen minutes beforehand, but because another team arrived later, we had to wait and our checkpoint wasnβt ready in time. We had no idea that we had to start already, because no one indicated the time. So we were not yet in the starting grid, so we were not yet clicked in and there was no countdown. In the end, we left ten seconds late.β
WielerFlits report that the problem, which cost several teams time, was the mandatory checks of the bikes took too long. Movistar was too late at the check point and the jury fined all riders and the team management, this caused a traffic jam. The Spanish team was only just able to start with all riders at the same time. But three minutes later, Uno-X Mobility had to start and that time was not enough to check all the bikes of the Norwegian team. Especially the leader Katrine Aalerud had little time to get to the starting podium. Another three minutes later Visma | Lease a Bike started and thatβs where it all went wrong, because at 13:27pm the team had to start and only five riders were ready. TV images showed that Imogen Wolff didnβt start from the podium, but came through the team cars.
After the team time trial Visma | Lease a Bike and Uno-X Mobility went to the race management to complain. They acknowledged that some procedures had not been followed correctly. In addition, the UCI commissaire who had to check the bikes was on his own, which made it impossible to check all the bikes in such a short time. Visma | Lease a Bike eventually finished tenth and Uno-X Mobility eleventh, 21 and 23 seconds behind the winning team, Lidl-Trek. Movistarβs team manager Kelvin Dekker acknowledged his teamβs mistake, but stated on social media that his team also had problems. βWhen our riders arrived, the jury was still busy with the team in front of us, they came onto the podium 10-20 seconds before the start, our last rider came onto the podium 5 seconds before the start. After that, it got worse and worse. We werenβt on time, but we still waitedβ¦β
Team Visma | Lease a Bike Women Files Complaint after Procedural Error at Start of La Vuelta Femenina Team Time Trial
Team Visma | Lease a Bike was disadvantaged during the opening stage of La Vuelta Femenina due to errors in the UCIβs team time trial start procedure. The team filed an official complaint with the UCI jury immediately after the stage. They acknowledged that mistakes were made in the organisation of the start process but stated that no further action would be taken.
Although the riders arrived well in time for the mandatory bike check prior to the team time trial, delays occurred due to another team arriving late. In addition, the check was initially carried out by only one official, further extending the wait time. A second inspector was deployed later, but by then, Team Visma | Lease a Bike Women was no longer able to benefit from the extra capacity. As a result, some riders received their bikes back so late that they could not reach the start on time.
Team Visma | Lease a Bike Women will Pursue Further Steps and File a Formal Complaint with the UCI Management
Jacco Verhaeren, Head of Coaching at Team Visma | Lease a Bike Women, expressed his disappointment: βI went straight to the UCI jury after the stage. They too admitted that this was not handled properly. We operate in elite sport, and this is one of the major races on the calendar. Of course, we congratulate todayβs rightful winners, Lidl-Trek, on their victory. At the same time, we want to stress that sport is about fair play for all teams. Sadly, that was not the case today, and we deeply regret it.β
Visma |Β Lease a Bike lost time before the start:
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La Vuelta Femenina by Carrefour.es 2025
Lidl-Trek set the fastest time in the Stage 1 team time trial of La Vuelta Femenina, just like they did last year. Ellen van Dijk crossed the finish line first to pull on the first leaderβs red jersey. SD Worx-Protime and Liv AlUla Jayco finished second and third, both at 3 seconds.
The 2025 Vuelta Femenina started with a team time trial, as it did in 2024. The route was of just over 8 kilometres in the streets of Barcelona, ββwith a flat profile. The result was expected to be close between the teams, due the short distance and the lack of climbing.
Lotto was the first team to start, after which the teams started at 3 minute intervals. The Lotto riders finished in 10:07, at an average of 48.4 kph. Cofidis were 10 seconds faster than the Belgian team, but Picnic PostNL set a much faster time. Eleonora Ciabocco, Megan Jastrab, Mara Roldan, Franziska Koch, Pfeiffer Georgi, Josie Nelson and Nienke Vinke, set a speed of over 50 kilometres per hour, with a final time of 9:39. Human Powered Health and AG Insurance-Soudal didnβt come close and home team Movistar also failed to beat the time of Picnic PostNL.
Visma | Lease a Bike, the team of Pauline Ferrand-PrΓ©vot and Marianne Vos, were 12 seconds down after a crazy start, where they were late due the very slow UCI bike checks. Seven teams were still to finish: Fenix-Deceuninck, Liv AlUla Jayco, CANYON//SRAM zondacrypto, EF Education-Oatly, Lidl-Trek, UAE Team ADQ, SD Worx-Protime and FDJ-SUEZ. Jayco-Alula Jayco were 6 seconds faster after the 8.1 kilometres. CANYON//SRAM zondacrypto were at 4 seconds and EF Education-Oatly at 12 seconds.
Lidl-Trek had time trialists Ellen van Dijk, Riejanne Markus and Anna Henderson and they set the fastest time at the finish with 9:30, the team was three seconds faster than Jayco AlUla for the stage victory. The two teams that could still achieve something: SD Worx-Protime and FDJ-SUEZ, came in just a little too slow. SD Worx-Protime manage to take second place ahead of Jayco AlUla. FDJ-SUEZ, the team of last yearβs winner and top favourite for the final victory, Demi Vollering, were 4 seconds slower. The French team didnβt have a perfect ride, time trial specialist Vittoria Guazzini crashed, but managed to limit the damage. Lidl-Trekβs Ellen van Dijk had crossed the finish line first in Barcelona, to be the first overall leader of this yearβs race.
Stage winning team and overall leader, Ellen van Dijk (Lidl-Trek): βIβm super happy, because we really wanted this win. Itβs always super close in this kind of team time trial. Itβs so fast and so short, that everything needs to go well. We are just really happy that we could deliver after all the work all the team put on this day. Thereβs so many people involved in this special win. My focus was mainly on this TTT, I really wanted to do well here, but we have way more goals with the team in this race. I think there are some stages where a lot of different things can happen β maybe echelons, and hopefully a lot of action. We also won the TTT last year, but I had a bad crash and was forced to leave La Vuelta, so I donβt hold the best memories. But I love TTTβs, especially with this team. I know it is Motherβs Day in Spain, but in the Netherlands it is next week! Iβll be home for Motherβs Day in the Netherlands, so I have two Motherβs Day this year. The team director Jeroen (Blijlevens) told me this morning that, if I could, I was going to be the one to pass the finish line first. I see it as an honour because this particular leader jersey is not my jersey, but a teamβs jersey. Iβm honoured that they want me to wear it.β
Stage winning team and 2nd overall, Riejanne Markus (Lidl-Trek): βOf course it was really hard, but we trained a lot for this, also in the winter. Itβs 10 minutes of racing full gas, so it always hurts, but it was really nice. We spoke about the order at the finish line before the race, and it happened indeed as we agreed. You always need to keep in mind that it may not be possible to finish like you wish, but it turned out well this time and itβs great. From a GC perspective, it is important to start off like this. I wish this team time trial had been longer, because then it could have really made differences in the GC. Now everyone is within 10 seconds, so there are no big gaps. I donβt think todayβs TTT will really influence the race, but itβs nice to start on a good note.β
Best young rider, Justyna Czapla (Canyon//SRAM zondacrypto): βI would say we produced a good effort as a team. We rode hard from start to finish. We took really good turns, fighting until the end with everyone giving their best. ChloΓ© Dygertβs turns did hurt our legs a lot! She is a really strong TT rider. We were happy to have her in the squad. She was very important for us today as she took long, hard turns that enabled us to recover on her wheel. We can be proud of our performance as a team. I am very pleased I stood on the podium to claim the best young rider jersey. This is my first-ever leader jersey in a stage race. Iβm proud and I want to keep it until the end of the race.β
La Vuelta Femenina by Carrefour.es Stage 1 Result:
1. Lidl-Trek in 9:30
2. SD Worx-Protime at 0:03
3. Liv AlUla Jayco
4. FDJ-SUEZ at 0:06
5. Canyon//SRAM zondacrypto at 0:08
6. Team Picnic PostNL at 0:09
7. Movistar at 0:16
8. EF Education-Oatly
9. Human Powered Health at 0:20
10. Visma | Lease a Bike at 0:21.
La Vuelta Femenina by Carrefour.es Overall After Stage 1:
1. Ellen van Dijk (Ned) Lidl-Trek in 9:30
2. Riejanne Markus (Ned) Lidl-Trek
3. Niamh Fisher-Black (NZ) Lidl-Trek
4. Anna Henderson (GB) Lidl-Trek
5. Shirin van Anrooij (Ned) Lidl-Trek
6. Mischa Bredewold (Ned) SD Worx-Protime at 0:03
7. Anna van der Breggen (Ned) SD Worx-Protime
8. Femke Gerritse (Ned) SD Worx-Protime
9. Femke Markus (Ned) SD Worx-Protime
10. Georgia Baker (Aus) Liv AlUla Jayco.
La Vueltaβ25 stage 1:
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Tour de Romandie 2025
Lorenzo Fortunato won Stage 2 of the Tour de Romandie. The Italian of XDS Astana, attacked from a leading group of five, who had ridden away from the top favourites in the final. Alex Baudin (EF Education-EasyPost) who was also one of the escapees and finished second on the stage, is the new overall leader. Junior Lecerf (Soudal Quick-Step) was third on the stage and is now second overall.
The 157 kilometre second stage of the Tour de Romandie had a flat final, but the early part of the stage was difficult. From the start it went up the Col de la Tourne (7km at 7.7%) almost immediately.
On the first climb of the day, the attack was made at top speed. Remco Evenepoel briefly joined in the action, but it was Ben Zwiehoff (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe) who was the first over the top. The German KOM was also in the mix when the early break finally came together on the descent. He was joined by Welay Hagos Berhe (Jayco AlUla), Julien Bernard (Lidl-Trek), RaΓΊ GarcΓa Pierna (ArkΓ©a-B&B Hotels) and Hugh Carthy (EF Education-EasyPost). Overall leader, Matthew Brennan was in trouble early in the stage on the climb to Mauborget (9.8km at 5.4%). He was able to return to the peloton, where Soudal Quick-Step took control in the flatter intermediate part. The lead had been reduced to 1 minute when they started Les Grattes (5.8km at 5.9%), the penultimate climb of the day, more than 70 kilometres from the finish.
Evenepoel let his team set the pace, but there was no attack, but there was one at the front. Hugh Carthy took off. Only Julien Bernard was able to go with him. Zwiehoff, Hagos Berhe and GarcΓa Pierna had to let them go. Brennan also couldnβt hold on to the peloton, which lost ground to Carthy and Bernard. The two attackers extended their lead to almost 2 minutes, but there was still the climb to Chaumont, which was a 3 kilometre climb at 11.4%. In the first metres of the very steep slope, Carthy dropped Bernard. Behind Carthy, nothing much happened. Junior Lecerf rode on the front for Evenepoel, but eventually Jay Vine took over for JoΓ£o Almeida. Despite the Australianβs high pace, Carthy was the first to the summit. After Carthy, there was a break by Evenepoel, just before the top. The double Olympic champion, with the other favourites on his wheel, caught Carthy and then kept up the pressure on, on the descent. Once at the bottom, he eased off, after which Vine and Juan Pedro LΓ³pez created a gap.
Vine and LΓ³pez rode ahead of the Evenepoel group for a while, but with 31 kilometres to go it was all back together. Alex Baudin then attacked. The EF Education-EasyPost Frenchman was joined by Lecerf and LΓ³pez (again). Next, Lennert Van Eetvelt and Lorenzo Fortunato crossed to make a lead group of five. They gained more than 1 minute on the chasers, where the pace had dropped. Van Eetvelt, Lecerf, LΓ³pez, Baudin and Fortunato fought it out for the stage win. There was a lot of looking at each other in the final kilometres. Fortunato was able to create a gap. The Italian continued his effort and managed to hold on to the finish. He won the stage with a 2 second lead. Alex Baudin sprinted to second place and took the overall lead from Brennan. Lecerf is second at 5 seconds, Van Eetvelt third at 6 seconds. The chasers, including Evenepoel and Almeida, finished 56 seconds behind Fortunato. Evenepoel won the sprint, is now sixth overall, 52 seconds behind Baudin. With three stages still to go, including a tough mountain stage to Thyon 2000 and a 17.1 kilometre time trial, there is still time for change.
Stage winner and 4th overall, Lorenzo Fortunato (XDS Astana): βAfter the final climb, there werenβt many of us left in the front group, so when the attacks started, I gave it a try too, and five of us got away. At first, I was just thinking about gaining some time in the General Classification. But as we neared the finish, we realised the chasers wouldnβt catch us, and that the stage win would be decided among our group. I took a risk and attacked with one kilometre to go: I thought Iβd either win or finish last among the five. But everything worked out, and I won. Iβm really happy, this is an important victory in my career. Iβd like to dedicate it to my wife Veronica, and also to the entire XDS Astana Team.β
4th on the stage and 3rd overall, Lennert Van Eetvelt (Lotto): βA lot of riders suffered because of the heat. Me too. I suffered quite a bit todayββI expected the race to be much harder on the last climb, but I think everyone struggled.ββNobody wanted to attack, except Remco. But he is kind of cursed. Everyone knows he is so strong on the flat, so nobody wants to go with him. I knew I had to be in a group in front of him, because if he was there, there would be no cooperation. With a bit of luck I did get into this group, but in the end it was a game and I lost.ββIt is always difficult. You think about the GC, but you also want to win the stage. I expected Alex Baudin to jump with me when Fortunato went. That would have been great, then I had a chance. But yeah, that didnβt happen and in the end I finished fourthβ¦ I did gain a lot of time in the GC, so I am also happy.β
6th on the stage and overall, Remco Evenepoel (Soudal Quick-Step): βThey may not be the most dangerous names, but they are people you have to take into account He is in good shape (Evenepoelβs teammate Junior Lecerf), so I think it was a successful day for us. We set a high pace and in the end we had someone in the leading group with Junior and someone in the second group with me. It was great to see that Lecerf did so well. I had a super good feeling myself, so I was very happy. Everyone did their job and I am happy that I was still able to ride my sprint in the second group. We will now try to keep Junior at the front of the classification for as long as possible. I think the time trial on Sunday should also suit him, with the uphill part. I have to make sure that I do not lose any time and then try to pull out all the stops in the time trial on Sunday. I think I can gain a big lead on the men in front of me there. I donβt want to celebrate too soon, but I have the feeling that the dip in LiΓ¨ge is over. I feel good and I hope that I can continue to make progress.β
Tour de Romandie Stage 2 Result:
1. Lorenzo Fortunato (Ita) XDS Astana in 3:54:40
2. Alex Baudin (Fra) EF Education-EasyPost at 0:02
3. Junior Lecerf (Bel) Soudal Quick-Step
4. Lennert Van Eetvelt (Bel) Lotto
5. Juan Pedro Lopez Perez (Spa) Lidl-Trek
6. Remco Evenepoel (Bel) Soudal Quick-Step at 0:56
7. Harold Alfonso Tejada Canacue (Col) XDS Astana
8. Javier Romo Oliver (Spa) Movistar
9. Cristian Rodriguez Martin (Spa) ArkΓ©a-B&B Hotels
10. Eddie Dunbar (Irl) Jayco AlUla.
Tour de Romandie Overall After Stage 2:
1. Alex Baudin (Fra) EF Education-EasyPost in 8:41:53
2. Junior Lecerf (Bel) Soudal Quick-Step at 0:05
3. Lennert Van Eetvelt (Bel) Lotto at 0:06
4. Lorenzo Fortunato (Ita) XDS Astana at 0:17
5. Juan Pedro Lopez Perez (Spa) Lidl-Trek
6. Remco Evenepoel (Bel) Soudal Quick-Step at 0:52
7. Jay Vine (Aus) UAE Emirates XRG at 0:53
8. JoΓ£o Almeida (Por) UAE Emirates XRG
9. Lenny Martinez (Fra) Bahrain Victorious at 0:56
10. Harold Alfonso Tejada Canacue (Col) XDS Astana.
Romandieβ25 stage 2:
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Jay Vine (UAE Emirates XRG) won the Third Stage of the Tour de Romandie on Friday. The Australian was the best on a slightly uphill finish. Lenny Martinez (Bahrain Victorious) and JoΓ£o Almeida (UAE Emirates XRG) sprinted in at the front of the peloton 2 seconds after Vine. Alex Baudin (EF Education-EasyPost) held onto the overall lead.
It looked like stage three would be a transition stage, but the stage was far from easy. The start and finish were in Cossonay, with a tough route over the second Cat Col de Mollendruz (14.6km at 3.4%), 40 kilometres from the finish and in the last 2 kilometres the road went up hill at an average of around 7%.
he early break formed almost immediately after the start: Bauke Mollema (Lidl-Trek), Huub Artz (IntermarchΓ©-Wanty), Stefan KΓΌng (Groupama-FDJ), Tobias Bayer (Alpecin-Deceuninck) and KOM, Ben Zwiehoff (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe) made up a strong escape. Bayer had to drop out and Zwiehoff was in trouble, leaving the two Dutchmen with the Swiss rider KΓΌng. They were no danger to EF Education First-EasyPost and overall leader Alex Baudin, who let the three take a 6 minute lead. Home rider, KΓΌng, took the KOM points and intermediate sprints. Going to the final, the peloton started to eat away at the lead, and so the three only had 3 minutes lead as they started the Col de Mollendruz. KΓΌng attacked and the two Dutchmen didnβt have an immediate answer. Artz came back at his own pace, but for Mollema it was too fast.
Artz was dropped before the top. KΓΌng did everything he could to hold his lead, but there was little he could do against the speed in the peloton. His 2 minutes were soon 1, Picnic PostNL and Visma | Lease a Bike were chasing hard. With 10 kilometres to go, KΓΌng was caught. The thinned peloton thundered towards the final climb at high speed, with Picnic PostNL and INEOS Grenadiers on the front. The pace was high at the beginning of the final climb, due to Soudal Quick-Step. Remco Evenepoel and top favourite Matthew Brennan were in good positions. Jay Vine attacked with less than a kilometre to go, Evenepoel and the other GC favourites looked at each other. Brennan was at his limit and had to let go. Vine never looked back, for a surprise victory. Two seconds later Lenny Martinez sprinted to second place ahead of JoΓ£o Almeida.
Stage winner and 6th overall, Jay Vine (UAE Emirates XRG): βItβs pretty incredible, itβs been a long road back to recovery from my neck (injury) last year and hopefully Iβll be starting my second Giro in a couple of daysβ time. Three wins so far this year and my first World Tour win in a long time, so Iβm really happy and I know my son and wife are watching at home. Itβs all to play for tomorrow and on the time trial.β
2nd on the stage and 8th overall, Lenny Martinez (Bahrain Victorious): βVine attacked a bit earlier on the climb. I was thinking, I go, I donβt go. I was a bit behind the guys and a bit blocked also, and I was thinking in the end the group could close on him. He was strong, and okay, second place with a sprint a bit on the flat like this is not too bad at the end. Another stage tomorrow, super hard with one-hour climb, and we will see how the body reacts on this long climb.β
7th on the stage and 9th overall, Remco Evenepoel (Soudal Quick-Step): βI had a pretty good feeling today, I was right up front. I only missed maybe a little bit of the last punch. I was hesitating to go myself, but Higuita set a strong pace and then it was difficult to do anything. Then I focused on staying in the same time as the men in front of me. We tried to save our legs as much as possible with the team today throughout the stage. In the end we got the maximum out of it, I am happy with the final that I rode.β
Tour de Romandie Stage 3 Result:
1. Jay Vine (Aus) UAE Emirates XRG in 4:03:35
2. Lenny Martinez (Fra) Bahrain Victorious at 0:02
3. JoΓ£o Almeida (Por) UAE Emirates XRG
4. Louis BarrΓ© (Fra) IntermarchΓ©-Wanty
5. Alberto Bettiol (Ita) XDS Astana
6. Javier Romo Oliver (Spa) Movistar
7. Remco Evenepoel (Bel) Soudal Quick-Step
8. AurΓ©lien Paret-Peintre (Fra) Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale
9. Oscar Onley (GB) Team Picnic PostNL
10. Mathys Rondel (Fra) Tudor.
Tour de Romandie Overall After Stage 3:
1. Alex Baudin (Fra) EF Education-EasyPost in 12:45:30
2. Junior Lecerf (Bel) Soudal Quick-Step at 0:05
3. Lennert Van Eetvelt (Bel) Lotto at 0:06
4. Lorenzo Fortunato (Ita) XDS Astana at 0:17
5. Juan Pedro Lopez Perez (Spa) Lidl-Trek
6. Jay Vine (Aus) UAE Emirates XRG at 0:41
7. JoΓ£o Almeida (Por) UAE Emirates XRG at 0:49
8. Lenny Martinez (Fra) Bahrain Victorious at 0:50
9. Remco Evenepoel (Bel) Soudal Quick-Step at 0:52
10. Harold Alfonso Tejada Canacue XDS Astana at 0:56.
Romandieβ25 stage 3:
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Lenny Martinez won Stage 4 of the Tour de Romandie. In the Queen Stage 4 to Thyon 2000, he beat JoΓ£o Almeida in a two-man sprint. The Frenchman of the Bahrain Victorious team also took the overall leaderβs jersey. Remco Evenepoel couldnβt hold the pace halfway up the final climb and lost time.
On the penultimate day of the Tour de Romandie, the GC riders had to show themselves. There were three Cat 1 climbs, the first to Anzère (14.6km at 6.9%) was soon after the start in Sion. This was followed by the climb to Nax (11.4km at 6.9%) and the final climb to the ski village of Thyon 2000, 20 kilometre climb at 7.6%.
Many riders wanted to start the final climb to Thyon 2000 with a lead, so there were a lot of attacks from the start. Sam Oomen and Mauri Vansevenant, and others, tried, but in the end it was Louis Barré (Intermarché-Wanty), Julien Bernard (Lidl-Trek) and KOM Ben Zwiehoff (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe) who got away. They crossed the summits of Anzère and Nax with a lead and Zwiehoff secured the final victory in the KOM classification. The escapees were not going to take the stage victory, because they never had more than 2 minutes. UAE Emirates XRG for João Almeida, together with Remco Evenepoel, the big favourite for the final victory, took control. UAE made sure that the two leaders, Zwiehoff had dropped back, started the final climb with only a 30 second lead. On the final climb, Lotto and Bahrain Victorious for Lennert van Eetvelt and Lenny Martinez, took over from UAE Emirates XRG. The pace was high, but most riders were able to follow. Although the yellow jersey, Alex Baudin, was dropped. The rest of the top 10 were able to follow, until the gap started to widen with 10 kilometres to go. With just under 9 kilometres to go, Evenepoel also dropped back.
The double Olympic champion was towing his young teammate Junior Lecerf, who was second overall. but both lost contact. UAE Emirates XRG saw their chance. Almeida first came through, after which Vine attacked. His move left only five riders at the front: Almeida, Vine, Lenny Martinez, Lorenzo Fortunato and Juan Pedro LΓ³pez, who soon had to let go. Fortunato, the best overall of the four leaders, also had a hard time. After an attack by Almeida, the Italian had to let them go, together with Vine. At the front, Almeida tried to ride Martinez off his wheel. The Frenchman wasnβt going to let that happen and the two started the final kilometre together. Almeida didnβt work, so Vine, Fortunato and Carlos RodrΓguez got a bit closer, but coming back was not possible. It would be between Almeida and Martinez for the stage victory. In the sprint, the Frenchman was faster than the Portuguese. Martinez also took the overall lead. Fortunato finished third, but that was 29 seconds later. Thanks to the bonus seconds, Martinez moved ahead of him overall. The difference between the two was now 2 seconds. With only a 17.1 kilometre time trial to go, Almeida looks to be the favourite. He is now third at 3 seconds. Remco Evenepoel can probably forget about the final victory. He finished eleventh on the stage, almost one and a half minutes behind Martinez and Almeida and is now ninth overall. His teammate Junior Lecerf dropped to fifth.
Stage winner and overall leader, Lenny Martinez (Bahrain Victorious): βYeah I feel okay on the last climb, all the team did a great job, the same as yesterday also. Yesterday second place I wanted to win. This morning I woke up and I was thinking maybe I can win today also. I tried the best I could do and in the end I won so Iβm super happy. I feel super good with this team, they did a super amazing job every day for me. They give me a lot of confidence on me like a leader and Iβm just super proud of the team.β
2nd on the stage and 3rd overall, JoΓ£o Almeida (UAE Emirates XRG): βI think overall today was good, the team did an amazing job. Since the start my teammates were controlling and that gives you a lot of motivation to push harder and keep going to finish the job to the end. I feel like we maximised our situation. I was good but maybe not feeling 100% and in the end Lenny was stronger so congrats to him. Weβll go all-in tomorrow for the time trial. In terms of the GC guys I think myself and Jay have a good chance to do well but we still need good legs and to push as hard as we can.β
11th on the stage and 9th overall, Remco Evenepoel (Soudal Quick-Step): βThe climb became a bit steeper and I know that if Iβm not in top form yet, Iβll have a hard time on those parts a bit quicker. When I saw that Junior was also sagging a bit, I asked him what pace he wanted. That was 390 to 400 watts for me, 300 watts for him since he only weighs twenty kilos or so (laughs). We picked up a lot of guys, so itβs not like I completely exploded. Thatβs a good sign anyway. My feeling is better than last week.β
Tour de Romandie Stage 4 Result:
1. Lenny Martinez (Fra) Bahrain Victorious in 3:43:46
2. JoΓ£o Almeida (Por) UAE Emirates XRG
3. Lorenzo Fortunato (Ita) XDS Astana at 0:29
4. Jay Vine (Aus) UAE Emirates XRG at 0:31
5. Carlos RodrΓguez Cano (Spa) INEOS Grenadiers
6. Cristian Rodriguez Martin (Spa) ArkΓ©a-B&B Hotels at 1:11
7. Mathys Rondel (Fra) Tudor at 1:13
8. JΓΈrgen Nordhagen (Nor) Visma | Lease a Bike at 1:17
9. Sergio Andres Higuita (Col) XDS Astana at 1:29
10. Junior Lecerf (Bel) Soudal Quick-Step.
Tour de Romandie Overall After Stage 4:
1. Lenny Martinez (Fra) Bahrain Victorious in 16:29:56
2. Lorenzo Fortunato (Ita) XDS Astana at 0:02
3. JoΓ£o Almeida (Por) UAE Emirates XRG at 0:03
4. Jay Vine (Aus) UAE Emirates XRG at 0:32
5. Junior Lecerf (Bel) Soudal Quick-Step at 54
6. Carlos RodrΓguez Cano (Spa) INEOS Grenadiers
7. Juan Pedro Lopez Perez (Spa) Lidl-Trek at 1:06
8. Mathys Rondel (Fra) Tudor at 1:37
9. Remco Evenepoel (Bel) Soudal Quick-Step at 1:41
10. Cristian Rodriguez Martin (Spa) ArkΓ©a-B&B Hotels at 1:46.
Romandieβ25 stage 4:
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JoΓ£o Almeida (UAE Emirates XRG) is the final overall winner of the 2025 Tour de Romandie. In the Stage 5 time trial of 17 kilometres through Geneva, the Portuguese rider took the overall victory, beating Lenny Martinez and taking his yellow jersey. The stage victory went to World time trial champion Remco Evenepoel (Soudal Quick-Step), who also moved up to a final 5th overall.
The climax of the Tour de Romandie took place around Geneva, with a time trial of 17.1 kilometres. Soon after the start there was a short climb of 300 meters at 7.8% and the only intermediate timing point was after 11.5 kilometres at the top of a longer climb of 1.5 km at 5%. The route then went downhill to the centre of Geneva, where there was a short climb of 600 meters just before the finish.
The overall competition was close, with Lenny Martinez as leader and Lorenzo Fortunato and JoΓ£o Almeida within 3 seconds. Jay Vine was at 32 seconds, Junior Lecerf and Carlos Rodriguez were both at 54 seconds, all were within a minute of Martinez. Top favourite, Remco Evenepoel, looked to have no chance of winning the final overall as he was at 1:41. The first top time was set by Johan Price-Pejtersen, with 21:11, he held off Stefan KΓΌng, Remi Cavagna and Matthew Brennan. Surprisingly, Thibault Guernalec was the first to beat the time of the Dane, but Alberto Bettiol was even better with 20:51. The ?Top 10β² were expected to knock Bettiol off the hot seat, starting with World champion Evenepoel. The Belgian was 10 seconds faster than Bettiol at the intermediate point and clocked 20:33 at the finish, an average speed of 49.3kph. Evenepoel looked to have the stage win in his pocket and moved up the GC.
Everyone was looking at Almeida, Fortunato and Martinez in the battle for the final overall victory. Almeida was only 11 seconds slower than Evenepoel at the intermediate point and he was now the favourite for the overall win. Martinez was 14 seconds down on the Portuguese rider at the intermediate point. Fortunato was no danger as he lost more than a minute and would lose his podium place to Vine. Almeida continued his strong ride and hardly lost any time in the second part of the test. He lost 11 seconds to Evenepoel at the finish, for second place in the stage result. His ride was enough to secure the overall victory. Martinez fought his way to second place overall, while Vine moved on to the podium at the expense of Fortunato with a good final day. Evenepoel was fifth and Junior Lecerf eighth on the final classification.
Stage winner and 5th overall, Remco Evenepoel (Soudal Quick-Step): βIβm happy with this win. We were lucky with the weather, as we didnβt have the rain that was initially predicted. The first four kilometres of the race were rather technical, then everything was pretty straightforward until the finish line. I am delighted with my performance, and especially with the feeling I had in my shoulder, in the corners and on the straight lines. I can look back on these last couple of weeks with satisfaction. I took two wins since returning to competition and found the rhythm again. Not everything went as I had wanted and hoped in some of the races, but itβs only normal after so much time off the bike. I will now recover a bit and then continue my preparations for the summer.β
Final overall winner and 2nd on the stage, JoΓ£o Almeida (UAE Emirates XRG): βOf course, I feel very happy. The goal was to win the race. Unfortunately, I didnβt win a stage, but we were always in the front, and thatβs what matters. Iβm super happy for the overall win. I need to thank the whole team; they did a really good job, and we can be proud of it. What counts is the last day, right? So I think it was the right day. To be honest, I was struggling the whole week; I was never feeling 100 per cent, but I gave my best, and I never gave up. Sometimes itβs all about your mindset.β
2nd overall and best young rider, Lenny Martinez (Bahrain Victorious): βIt was a super hard day. I wanted a spot on the GC podium and I think I can be proud of this 2nd place behind Joao Almeida. I went full gas in the TT but couldnβt make up 30 seconds. Ending the week with a stage win and 2nd overall feels really nice. Big thanks to the staff and my teammatesβIβm super proud of this team! Now, we look ahead to the CritΓ©rium du DauphinΓ© and keep building.β
Tour de Romandie Stage 5 Result:
1. Remco Evenepoel (Bel) Soudal Quick-Step in 20:33
2. JoΓ£o Almeida (Por) UAE Emirates XRG at 0:12
3. Alberto Bettiol (Ita) XDS Astana at 0:18
4. Jay Vine (Aus) UAE Emirates XRG at 0:24
5. Aleksander Vlasov (-) Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe at 0.27
6. Raul Garcia Pierna (Spa) ArkΓ©a-B&B Hotels at 0:32
7. Thibault Guernalec (Fra) ArkΓ©a-B&B Hotels at 0:33
8. Johan Price-Pejtersen (Den) Alpecin-Deceuninck at 0:38
9. RΓ©mi Cavagna (Fra) Groupama-FDJ at 0:39
10. Stefan KΓΌng (Sui) Groupama-FDJ.
Tour de Romandie Final Overall Result:
1. JoΓ£o Almeida (Por) UAE Emirates XRG in 16:50:44
2. Lenny Martinez (Fra) Bahrain Victorious at 0:26
3. Jay Vine (Aus) UAE Emirates XRG at 0:41
4. Lorenzo Fortunato (Ita) XDS Astana at 1:22
5. Remco Evenepoel (Bel) Soudal Quick-Step at 1:26
6. Carlos RodrΓguez Cano (Spa) INEOS Grenadiers at 1:31
7. Juan Pedro Lopez Perez (Spa) Lidl-Trek at 2:05
8. Junior Lecerf (Bel) Soudal Quick-Step at 2:16
9. Mathys Rondel (Fra) Tudor at 2:43
10. Javier Romo Oliver (Spa) Movistar at 2:58.
Romandieβ25 stage 5:
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Eschborn-Frankfurt 2025
Michael Matthews (Jayco AlUla) won Eschborn-Frankfurt on Thursday. The Australian was the fastest in the sprint from a small peloton after 198 kilometres. Thibau Nys and Jasper Philipsen, who were top favourites, were not in the leading group. Magnus Cort Nielsen (Uno-X Mobility) was second and Jon Barrenetxea (Movistar) third.
The 2025 Eschborn-Frankfurt was 198 kilometres long and mainly had a difficult middle section, with the Feldberg (7.6km at 6.5%) and three times over the Mammolshain (2.3km at 8.3%). From the last time over the Mamolshain, there were 36 kilometres to the finish.
Laurence Pithie (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe) and Pierre Thierry (ArkΓ©a-B&B Hotels) were off the front for a long time. The two built up a maximum lead of 6 minutes, but there was a regrouping halfway through the race. Thierry, who had dropped Pithie, was caught just after the second time on Mammolshain. A large peloton then started on the Feldberg. In particular Uno-X Mobility and Jayco AlUla, the teams of Magnus Cort and Michael Matthews, pushed hard on the climb. This led to many riders being dropped, including favourites Jasper Philipsen and Thibau Nys. Both teams also kept pushing after the climbs, which meant that the dropped riders couldnβt come back. So a thinned out peloton started the last time up the Mammolshain. Neilson Powless started the action on the climb. Albert Withen Philipsen jumped on his wheel and came through, but many riders were still able to follow. An attack by Alessandro Covi also didnβt come to anything. Maximilian Schachmann did manage to create a gap. The German crossed the top with Gregor MΓΌhlberger and Andreas Leknessund with a lead of 10 seconds.
The three held on for quite a long time, despite Leknessund not working because Uno-X Mobility still had Cort in the group behind. Things remained restless in that peloton and several riders tried to cross to Schachmann, MΓΌhlberger and Leknessund. That did not work, but the pace remained high due to the many attacks. So there was a regrouping with about 20 kilometres to go and it looked like a sprint finish. Jayco AlUla and Uno-X Mobility wanted a sprint and so they took control. Emil Herzog (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe) tried again, but couldnβt get away. Cort started a long sprint, but Matthews was faster. The Australian took his first victory of the season. Cort was second and Jon Barrenetxea was third.
Race winner, Michael Matthews (Jayco AlUla): βI think my shape through the spring was good, I just wasnβt on the top step. Itβs nice to finish off this block with a win here in Frankfurt. Itβs a race that has really suited me for a lot of years and I havenβt been able to win it, so to come here with the team and the way we rode β we rode perfectly β and to execute a performance like my team did today it was the icing on top of the cake. I didnβt expect my team to go so hard on the second long climb, but we split the bunch a lot and got rid of a lot of the fast guys, which was the goal. I think the teamβs performance was exceptional and to finish it off the way I did, Iβm so thankful to my teammates.β
Eschborn-Frankfurt Result:
1. Michael Matthews (Aus) Jayco AlUla in 4:38:33
2. Magnus Cort Nielsen (Den) Uno-X Mobility
3. Jon Barrenetxea Golzarri (Spa) Movistar
4. Neilson Powless (USA) EF Education-EasyPost
5. Frederik Wandahl (Den) Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe
6. Withen Albert Philipsen (Den) Lidl-Trek
7. Stefano Oldani (Ita) Cofidis
8. Marc Hirschi (Sui) Tudor
9. Nico Denz (Ger) Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe
10. Warren Barguil (Fra) Team Picnic PostNL.
Eschborn-Frankfurtβ25:
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Juan Ayuso: βI Want to Win the Giro dβItaliaβ
The 108th edition of the Giro dβItalia will start in DurrΓ«s, Albania on Friday the 9th of May. Primoz RogliΔ looks to be the top favourite and his biggest challenger should be Juan Ayuso. The Spaniard has made no secret of his ambitions.
The 22-year-old Ayuso will start the Italian Grand Tour as leader of the UAE Emirates XRG team. The Spaniard has had a good start to the 2025 season. He was successful in the Faun Drome Classic and Trofeo Laigueglia, won the final classification of Tirreno-Adriatico and was second in the Tour of Catalonia, although that was to Primoz RogliΔ.
Ayuso has been training in Spain for his Giro bid. βIt goes without saying that racing is the best thing, but I also enjoy the process leading up to a race more every year,β Ayuso said in a Spanish TV interview. βI really enjoyed my training camp in the Sierra Nevada. You see how your condition can change in three weeks,β the Tour rider continues. βWhat also helps, of course, is that everything went well during that period.β
And so Ayuso is ready to play a leading role in the Giro dβItalia this month, but he will face some strong competitors, including the other Slovenian. βAll eyes are on me and Primoz RogliΔ,β Ayuso said. βBecause we have achieved the best results so far. There are many more competitors, but Primoz is of course the main challenger. The man to beat. I see him as the big favourite, also because he has already won the Giro once. So he knows what needs to be done. However, I am going there to win. I will not settle for just a podium place. I want to be victorious. But if this does not happen, that does not necessarily mean that my Giro has failed.β
Ayuso also spoke of the Giro dβItalia route. βI do not really see a challenging stage in the first two weeks. We will have to wait for the third week. I hope that I can gain time in the two time trials and the gravel stage to Siena. That is a beautiful stage, but perhaps not decisive for the classification. Anything can happen, but the decision will be made in the third week.β
Juan Ayuso to win the Giroβ25?
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Tiesj Benoot Explains Visma | Lease a Bikeβs Poor Spring
Tiesj Benoot knows why Visma | Lease a Bike had a less than good spring campaign. The Belgian rider explained in the podcast In de Waaier that the Dutch team missed a fit Dylan van Baarle and Christophe Laporte in the spring races. βWout van Aert will also have been a bit scared after his crashes last year.β
Visma | Lease a Bike was unable to win any major classics in the 2025 spring classics. They also failed to make it to the podium in the monuments, a blow to the team. βThere were several factors that contributed to us not being able to play a leading role. Dylan van Baarle crashed immediately in the Tour Down Under, which means heβs going into the classics with more fear.β
βChristophe Laporte was unable to ride any races in the spring due to illness. Those are two extremely important links that you miss at crucial moments. Wout (van Aert) will still be a bit scared after his crashes last year, and of course the level of the opponents is always getting stronger, and the races are also getting tougher.β
Benoot Explains Vismaβs poor spring:
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Derek Gee is Looking Forward to the Giro dβItalia
Derek Gee is aiming for a good final overall place in the 2025 Giro dβItalia. In the Tour of the Alps, the 27-year-old Canadian was able to compete with Michael Storer, Jai Hindley, Thymen Arensman and Giulio Ciccone. In an interview with WielerFlits, Gee says that a lot of new things have come his way on the way to that Giro.
βThe most important thing about the Tour of the Alps was to build my form for the Giro. I wanted to get those stages in my legs and be on the road with the team. And all that in the process of being a classification rider,β said Gee. His goal was to look for the right vibe. βHopefully I get positive signs towards the Giro, and if thatβs not the caseβ¦ Then the third week of the Giro dβItalia is still far away. Hopefully I can also work on my form in the Giro.β
Things turned out well for Gee in the Alps. He finished third in the final overall, behind Storer and Arensman, but also well ahead of other climbers such as Ciccone, Damiano Caruso, Max Poole, Romain Bardet and Hindley. After the Tour of the Alps he had two more weeks until the start of the Giro in Albania.
βI stayed calm after the first few days and had faith in the process, so Iβm happy that my legs got better every day. Now we can work towards the Giro with a lot of confidence,β he said after the final stage.
Gee looking forward to the Giro:
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Olav Kooij Might Sign with Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale on a Big Contract
Olav Kooij looks to be signing a three-year contract with Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale. The final details are to be discussed in the coming weeks, according to many media sources. It is rumoured that Kooij has been offered a multi-million contract by the French team to be their top sprinter and have his chances in the Classics.
Like Tiejs Benoot, Kooij will be out of contract with Visma | Lease a Bike at the end of the year. Kooij was seen as a promising rider with the Dutch team, but there has always been a clash between the teamβs GC ambitions in the Tour de France with Jonas Vingegaard and the sprint train that is needed for Kooij.
Decathlon AG2R will be strengthening the team considerably for 2026. Benoot will be with the French team for the next three years and with Kooij the team is bringing in a real winner. This year, Kooij has won three races; two stages in the Tour of Oman and a stage in the Tirreno-Adriatico. He was also second in Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne and eighth in Milan-Sanremo. In Gent-Wevelgem he was at the front on the Plugstreets with Mads Pedersen and Jasper Philipsen until he crashed and broke his collarbone.
The 23-year-old Kooij is very popular on the transfer market. He is one of the fastest sprinters in the peloton and has demonstrated his potential in the Classics. Visma | Lease a Bike wanted to keep Kooij, but the Dutch WorldTeam canβt compete with the multi-million contract that the French team has offered him. Plus the back-up and freedom to race that Decathlon AG2R Mondiale offers, cannot be given to him by Visma.
Sam Bennett is the sprinter with Decathlon AG2r at the moment. His contract expires at the end of the year. Whether it will be extended is not known. There could be a possibility that the Irishman could be a lead-out for Kooij.
Kooij off to Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale:
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Warren Barguil: βWe Havenβt had any Luck Yetβ
Warren Barguil ended his spring season on Thursday with a tenth place in Eschborn-Frankfurt. A boost for the 33-year-old Frenchman, who had a disappointing start to 2025 with his team Picnic PostNL. The Dutch team is even facing relegation from the WorldTour, but Barguil hopes that he and his teammates can still turn the tide.
βIt wasnβt easy,β Barguil wrote on Instagram about the first part of the season. βI had to deal with a series of setbacks, got sick before several races and we also had a lot of bad luck with the team. But we persevered. The fact that I end this block with a top ten ranking is very good for my morale, especially after my crash in LiΓ¨ge-Bastogne-LiΓ¨ge.β
Barguil will now βrecharge his batteriesβ during a short break. After that, he intends to really score again with Picnic PostNL. βWe hope that the tide will finally turn, because we havenβt had any luck yetβ¦ Together with the team, we remain motivated. We are determined to reverse the trend.β
Picnic PostNL has dropped to the eighteenth and last place in the UCI rankings that decide on a WorldTeam license for 2026, 2027 and 2028, and many teams are coming up hard from behind.
Warren Barguil hoping the turn the teamβs luck:
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Dylan Groenewegen Close to Leaving Jayco AlUla
It seems only a matter of time before Olav Kooij signs a three-year contract with Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale, so the sprinterβs transfer market merry-go-round has started turn. It is rumoured that Dylan Groenewegen will not extend his expiring contract with Jayco AlUla.
Groenewegen is in his fourth season with the Australian team. His contract expires at the end of 2025. The chance that he will stay is zero, although Jayco AlUla does want to continue talking about a contract extension with the fast-man from Amsterdam. Groenewegen has had an attractive offer from two teams and insiders think that it is only a matter of time before he signs with one of these teams.
At Jayco AlUla, they see Sam Welsford as a reinforcement for next year. The 29-year-old Aussie currently rides for Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe. He won three stages in the Tour Down Under this year and is high on the wish list of the Australian team. The arrival of Welsford must come from the likely departure of Groenewegen.
Sprinters Jonathan Milan (Trek-Lidl), Tim Merlier (Soudal Quick-Step), Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck), Juan Molano (UAE Emirates XRG) and Søren Wærenskjold (Uno-X Mobility) still have current contracts, as do Fabio Jakobsen and Casper van Uden (Picnic Post NL), Arvid de Kleijn, Rick Pluimers and Maikel Zijlaard (Tudor) and Marijn van den Berg (EF Education-EasyPost).
The riders whoβs contract runs out at the end of this season are: Sam Bennett (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale), Caleb Ewan (INEOS Grenadiers), Matteo Moschetti (Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team), Fernando Gaviria (Movistar), Pascal Ackermann and Hugo Hofstetter (Israel-Premier Tech) among others.
Dylan Groenewegen leaving Jayco AlUla:
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Patrick Lefevere Sees Remco Evenepoelβs Contract Situation as a Dilemma for Soudal Quick-Step
Remco Evenepoel is under contract with Soudal Quick-Step until the end of 2026, but the 25-year-old Belgian has been linked to other teams in the past and was even in talks with Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe last year. According to Patrick Lefevere, the former team manager of Soudal Quick-Step, the Belgian team is facing a dilemma.
In his weekly column for Het Nieuwsblad, Lefevere discusses the future of Soudal Quick-Step. According to the former team boss, seventeen riders have an expiring contract. Evenepoel has an ongoing contract, but Lefevere points out: βIn any case, Remco is the most important contractual issue for the team:β
βHis contract doesnβt expire until the end of 2026, but in the meantime cycling has evolved so much towards football that you are already faced with a dilemma. Of course everyone wants to keep Remco with the team, our sponsors are very clear about that. But what if supply and demand are too far apart? Or if the other party doesnβt want to extend?β
βThen you want to βcash inβ β following the example of Lotto and Maxim Van Gils β with a sale in the year before the contract expires. If no additional sponsors come along, the team could use that money, but the real question is: how much team will be left without Remco?β
What next for Evenepoel and Soudal Quick-Step?
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Egan Bernal and Thymen Arensman Lead the INEOS Grenadiers at the Giro dβItalia
The INEOS Grenadiers have selected a dynamic and versatile eight-man squad for the 2025 Giro dβItalia, led by former winner Egan Bernal and Dutch climber Thymen Arensman, who has twice finished sixth overall.
Joining them on the start line are Brandon Rivera, Lucas Hamilton, Josh Tarling, Jonathan Castroviejo, Ben Turner, and Kim Heiduk β a blend of climbing strength, time trial talent, and seasoned leadership.
The demanding parcours is packed with high-altitude challenges, summit finishes and two individual time trials, so the Grenadiers have built a team designed to be competitive across all terrains over the three weeks.
The race kicks off on Friday 9 May in Albania with the opening three stages, before crossing into Italy.
Egan Bernal, the 2021 Giro dβItalia winner: βThe Giro holds a special place in my heart. Itβs where I reached one of my greatest milestones in my career in 2021 and Iβm both motivated and grateful to be back and leading the team again alongside Thymen. This season hasnβt been the most straightforward given my broken collarbone after the crash in ClΓ‘sica JaΓ©n in February. But we had a good rehab plan and I was able to get back on the bike quickly afterwards. Iβve had a solid block of training, and I feel strong heading to the Giro. Weβve got a really balanced squad for this yearβs edition, with guys who can support in the mountains and others who can look for opportunities for stage wins. The team is hungry and we are going to be coming out fighting every day.β
Thymen Arensman, who delivered a strong performance in the Giro last year and finished sixth overall, is aiming to take another step forward this year: βThe Giro has been a big goal for me since the winter. I have some great memories from this race and always really love racing in Italy. The route is challenging but exciting, with a good mix of terrains and some interesting time trials, so Iβm really happy to be going back and to be racing alongside Egan and such a strong group of riders. My 2025 season has been quite good so far. I feel stronger and more consistent in races, and Iβve had some nice results which I am proud of, including my first win with the team. That result came in a really special way and has given me a good boost coming ahead of the Giro. I am now focused and looking forward to getting racing. The team brings together a strategic balance of youth, experience and different strengths. Josh Tarling is set to make his Giro dβItalia debut, while seasoned campaigners like Jonathan Castroviejo will provide invaluable support in the mountains and against the clock.β
Performance Director, Dr. Scott Drawer: βThis Giro team is a strong blend of experience and emerging talent. Weβre here to race smart, race hard, and to try to put ourselves in contention for the Maglia Rosa. Egan and Thymen give us real depth and leadership in the GC battle. Eganβs journey back to top form has been nothing short of incredible, and his experience at a race like the Giro is invaluable for the rest of the team. Thymenβs progression this season has been great to see and we believe heβs ready to take another step forward at this race. Alongside them, weβve selected a group thatβs not only capable of supporting a GC challenge but also dynamic enough to take opportunities across a really demanding and unpredictable route. Josh will be targeting strong performances in the time trials, Castro will be invaluable in the high mountains and riders like Lucas, Brandon, Kim and Ben will be crucial in the key transitional stages. Weβve been racing this season with a bit more freedom, creativity and adaptability and this Giro squad and the staff supporting them will be carrying that momentum into the race.β
INEOS Grenadiers line-up at the 2025 Giro dβItalia:
Thymen Arensman (Netherlands)
Egan Bernal (Colombia)
Jonathan Castroviejo (Spain)
Lucas Hamilton (Australia)
Kim Heiduk (Germany)
Brandon Rivera (Colombia)
Josh Tarling (Great Britain)
Ben Turner (Great Britain).
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Tudor Pro Cycling β Heading To Our Second Giro dβItalia
With just a few days remaining before the Giro dβItalia kicks off in Albania, Tudor Pro Cycling has officially announced its eight-man squad for its second participation in the race. Australian rider Michael Storer will lead the teamβs General Classification ambitions, following his impressive victory at the Tour of the Alps.
The Giro dβItalia marks the first of two Grand Tours for Tudor Pro Cycling this season. βAfter making our debut last year, weβre ready for another three weeks of aggressive racing,β said Fabian Cancellara, Owner of Tudor Pro Cycling. βCompeting in the Giro dβItalia is a true honour, and weβre deeply grateful to RCS for their trust. This second participation is an important step in the continued development of the Team. Weβre coming with our Born To Dare spirit, ready to leave our mark.β
Coming off a top-10 finish in 2024, Storer returns to the Giro aiming to improve on that performance. βIβm in great shape and high spirits,β he said. βThe hard work we put in during altitude training with the team, combined with our win at the Tour of the Alps, gives me a lot of confidence heading into this yearβs Giro dβItalia. Iβve always loved this race, and Iβm approaching it with a balanced mix of calm and excitement.β
Storer will be backed by a strong support team, including experienced riders Alexander Krieger, Florian Stork, and Larry Warbasse β the latter two having recently trained with him in Sierra Nevada and competed alongside him at the Tour of the Alps.
Beyond the General Classification, Tudor Pro Cycling is also targeting a stage win, with several riders capable of making their mark.
German national champion Marco Brenner returns to Grand Tour racing three years after his appearance in the 2022 Vuelta a EspaΓ±a. Three riders β Dutchmen Rick Pluimers and Maikel Zijlaard, along with Swiss climber Yannis Voisard β will be making their Grand Tour and Giro dβItalia debuts.
Notably absent from the final lineup is Marc Hirschi, who was originally slated to participate. Both he and the team had high hopes for his Giro debut, but recent performances at the Ardennes Classics showed he isnβt currently in shape to contend for the Maglia Rosa in the opening week. βIβm really disappointed not to be racing the Giro,β Hirschi said. βItβs a beautiful race, one that makes me dream and that I was excited to debut in. Itβs frustrating not to be at the level we had planned for.β
The 108th edition of the Giro dβItalia kicks off on Friday 9 May in DurrΓ«s, Albania and will end three weeks later in Roma, Italy, after 21 stages, 3β410 kilometres and 52β500m of elevation gain. It is set to be one of the most demanding in recent years.
2025 Giro dβItalia Line Up:
Marco Brenner (GER)
Alexander Krieger (GER)
Rick Pluimers (NED)
Michael Storer (AUS)
Florian Stork (GER)
Yannis Voisard (SUI)
Larry Warbasse (USA)
Maikel Zijlaard (NED).
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Dual Ambitions for Team Jayco AlUla at the Giro dβItalia with Harper, Plapp & Zana headlining
Team Jayco AlUla are set to be at the start of the 108th edition of the Giro dβItalia with an ambitious and combative team line-up. The squad will line-up in Albania with dual ambitions as they attack both the overall classification and stage success across the three weeks of racing.
Strong climber Chris Harper will lead the Australian outfitβs vision in the general classification, while the rest of the team look to take advantage of all the opportunities that the 21 stages will offer. Former Italian champion and winner of a stage in 2023, Filippo Zana will be looking for his own moment to shine alongside Australian time trial champion Luke Plapp, who recently won a stage at the Tour of Hellas and came very close to taking a stage victory in the 2024 edition.
Three younger riders will make their debuts at the Giro this season; Briton Paul Double, Italian rider Davide De Pretto and German rider Felix Engelhardt. The trio each bring different characteristics and strengths yet are all well suited to fast or uphill finishes.
The experienced Australian Michael Hepburn will be the teamβs road captain as he takes to the start for his 10th appearance at the Italian Grand Tour, while the eighth and final rider will be Dutchman Koen Bouwman; a double stage winner and winner of the blue jersey for the best climber at the 2022 Giro dβItalia.
Team Jayco AlUla at the Giro dβItalia 2025:
Koen Bouwman (NED) 7th appearance
Davide De Pretto (ITA) Debut appearance
Paul Double (GBR) Debut appearance
Felix Engelhardt (GER) Debut appearance
Chris Harper (AUS) 2nd appearance
Michael Hepburn (AUS) 10th appearance
Lucas Plapp (AUS) 2nd appearance
Filippo Zana (ITA) 6th appearance
Brent Copeland (General Manager): βIt has always been a great thrill for us to announce the team that will race the Giro dβItalia. The Italian race is not only one of the main events on the international cycling calendar, but it is also an event which we feel particularly attached to from a sporting and emotional point of view. The βpink raceβ always provides a mix of emotions and those who love this sport cannot help but love the Giro.
The selection of the riders for such an important race is never an easy task with it being such a prestigious race. However, our performance staff have put a lot of effort into selecting a team that they feel best fits for this yearβs three-week race.
We will be at the start of the Grande Partenza in Albania with a team ready to do battle in every stage. The preparation for a Giro dβItalia began a long way back in winter and I am sure that our athletes are prepared to put on a great show every day. I expect a determined and aggressive team that will be able to performance well together with our sponsors, fans and all the staff that are part of the GreenEDGE family.β
Chris Harper: βIβm very happy to be at the start of the 2025 edition of the Giro dβItalia. It will be my second participation in the event after my debut in 2020. I think I have reached a good level of preparation, and my intention is to gradually grow throughout the three weeks of the Giro and then really give it my all in the last week when the Alps will be very decisive. The route is, like always, very selective, and each stage can hide pitfalls. My goal is to do well in GC, and I am sure that with the team we have we can achieve a lot and the team will give me a lot of great help.β
David McPartland (Sport Director): βWe have a very strong group going to the Giro this year. Itβs a race that is super important for us and where we had a lot of successes over the years. Chris Harper will be our leader for the GC, the goal with him is the top ten and we believe heβs capable achieving that. For the rest of the team, we have a really aggressive line-up with many guys who have a chance to win a stage.
The Giro has a spectacular start in Albania and then the route reflects the traditions with a really challenging second part of the race between the Dolomites and the Alps. Before we get there, we have two very important individual time trials with more than 42 km and the very interesting gravel stage in Tuscany, which is harder than last year and very important for anyone with GC ambitions.β
Luke Plapp to the Giro again:
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Nooijen Extends Contract with Team Visma | Lease a Bike Women
Lieke Nooijen has extended her contract with Team Visma | Lease a Bike Women by two years. The 23-year-old Dutch rider achieved several impressive victories last year in her debut season and proved to be a key rider in the spring classics. Nooijen is currently working hard on her comeback after suffering a fractured vertebra earlier this year during a training camp.
Nooijen joined Team Visma | Lease a Bike Women last season. The strong time trialist immediately claimed six victories, including two stages and the overall win in the Princess Anna Vasa Tour. She also secured the silver medal at the Dutch National Time Trial Championships.
βIβm extremely proud to continue developing with this team,β Nooijen says. βIn my first season with Team Visma | Lease a Bike Women, I made great progress right away. Of course, I hope to continue that in the coming years. The team offers me a nice environment to grow. In addition, I highly value the close ties with my teammates and staff members. That makes it a joy to give my all every day. The team is clearly in an important growth phase. Iβm very delighted to be part of it.β
In January, Nooijen suffered a fractured vertebra during a strength training session at training camp. After a successful surgery, she began a lengthy rehabilitation process, which is still ongoing. She is working step by step toward her return to the peloton. βIβm doing well,β she says. βThe recovery from the fracture is going smoothly, and little by little I can increase my training load. I canβt wait to race again and fight for victories with this team.β
Nooijen extends with Visma | Lease a Bike:
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Vito Braet Extends with IntermarchΓ©-Wanty: βA Logical Choiceβ
Belgian rider Vito Braet has extended his contract with Intermarché-Wanty for an additional two seasons, tying his future to the structure of Jean-François Bourlart until at least the end of 2027.
Immediately upon his arrival in the World Tour with the Walloon team in 2024, the 24-year-old showcased his talent by securing podium finishes at the Figuera Champions Classic, second behind Remco Evenepoel, at the Volta Valenciana where he was only beaten in the sprint by Jonathan Milan, and also in his first Grand Tour with a third place in the bunch sprint in La Vuelta in the streets of Santander.
Vito Braet has also established himself as a reliable member of the classics squad, achieving notable results such as fifth place in Bredene-Koksijde, ninth in the Brabantse Pijl, twelfth in Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne, and thirteenth at the Amstel Gold Race. He is also valued by his leaders for his role in the sprint trains alongside Gerben Thijssen and Biniam Girmay, as well as for his attacking prowess, as seen in the most recent Tour of Flanders.
Vito Braet: βContinuing my career with IntermarchΓ©-Wanty was a natural decision. The way the team operates gives me a lot of confidence, Iβm thinking about the performance plan that allows me to be in top form during key periods. With my coach Adriaan Helmantel, we followed this strategy focusing on the classics, and it worked well. I also regularly have the opportunity to play my own card, which motivates me even more to give my all in training and for my teammates in competition. Biniam Girmayβs victory in the Circuit Franco-Belge and Laurenz Rexβs win in Le Samyn are unforgettable moments, because it was new for me to be part of a winning team, but especially because the presence of our sponsors made these successes unique. The family atmosphere within the structure is really special, and as a Belgian rider, I appreciate this environment with a strong cycling tradition. Finally, we have high-quality equipment that allows us to compete with the worldβs best. After the Brabantse Pijl, I took a few days of rest before preparing for my second competition block of the season. With the preselection for the Tour de France, weβre heading to a high-altitude training camp in Andorra, and then Iβll resume racing at the Boucles de la Mayenne. In June, we have several classics planned before the Belgian championship in Binche, where we intend to shine on the home ground of our historical sponsor Wanty.β
Aike Visbeek (Performance Manager): βThroughout the spring, Vito Braet has confirmed the consistent progress he made last season, a direct result of his attentive adherence to the training plans and strategy of our Performance Team. Thatβs why we quickly considered extending his contract. Vitoβs role is focused on the Flemish classics, in the team around Biniam Girmay, but he also receives the freedom to seize his own opportunities. His team spirit combined with his ability to achieve results makes Vito an important element of our team. He excels in positioning and brings a certain calmness to our classics group; heβs capable of maintaining an overview and quickly adapt in difficult situations. Thatβs a remarkable quality at his young age. The Flemish classics constitute his main objective for the years to come, while at the same time he demonstrated last year that he was capable of playing a role in the finales of selective races like the Amstel Gold Race and Brabantse Pijl. In the future, we envision a role for him in races like Milan-Sanremo.β
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Giro dβItalia 2025: Entry List and Key Information
The list of riders expected at the start line on May 9 in Albania is led by PrimoΕΎ RogliΔ and Juan Ayuso. Other top contenders for the Maglia Rosa include Mikel Landa, Egan Bernal, Richard Carapaz, Adam Yates, Simon Yates, Giulio Ciccone and Antonio Tiberi. Wout Van Aert, Mads Pedersen, Thomas Pidcock, and Olav Kooij are among the most anticipated riders for the sprint finishes and intermediate stages. Donβt miss the Top Riders Press Conference, scheduled for May 8 in Tirana at the Race Headquarters
Nairo Quintana (2014), Richard Carapaz (2019), Egan Bernal (2021), Jai Hindley (2022), and PrimoΕΎ RogliΔ (2023) have already etched their names onto the Trofeo Senza Fine.
Downloads:
On Friday the Giro dβItalia kicks off from Albania, and the 23 teams taking part in the Corsa Rosa have officially confirmed their riders. Plenty of stars are expected at the start of an edition featuring no fewer than five former Giro dβItalia winners: Nairo Quintana (2014), Richard Carapaz (2019), Egan Bernal (2021), Jai Hindley (2022), and PrimoΕΎ RogliΔ (2023).
Among them, itβs the Slovenian β fresh off a win at the Volta a Catalunya β who stands out as the top contender for the overall victory. RogliΔ, leading an ambitious Red Bull β BORA β hansgrohe team alongside the aforementioned Hindley and Daniel Felipe MartΓnez (runner-up in 2024), shares the role of pre-race favorite with Juan Ayuso, who has enjoyed a brilliant start to the season with five victories, including the Tirreno-Adriatico.
The Spaniard, also a top contender for the White Jersey, will be supported by fellow debutant Isaac Del Toro and Adam Yates, making his second Giro appearance after finishing ninth in 2017.
Mountain Contenders
Among the key names to watch in the battle for the general classification are Mikel Landa (twice on the podium, in 2015 and 2022), Simon Yates (third in 2021), Antonio Tiberi (Maglia Bianca in 2024, though recently hampered by physical issues at the Tour of the Alps), Pello Bilbao (twice in the top 5), Derek Gee (winner at O Gran CamiΓ±o), Romain Bardet (racing his final Giro), and David Gaudu, making his Giro dβItalia debut.
Also capable of making their mark in the mountains: Giulio Ciccone, Thymen Arensman, Max Storer, Einer Rubio, Damiano Caruso, Max Poole, Davide Piganzoli, Lorenzo Fortunato, Wout Poels, Georg Steinhauser, Johannes Staune-Mittet, Koen Bouwman, and Filippo Zana.
Stage Hunters, Sprinters & Time Trials
The list of riders targeting stage wins β whether on mixed terrain or flat profiles β is also long and full of big names. The Giro dβItalia will mark the debut of three stars from the one-day classics scene: Wout Van Aert, Thomas Pidcock, and Marc Hirschi.
Mads Pedersen will be lining up for his third Giro, having claimed victory in Naples in 2023 and arriving in top form after a strong spring campaign. Among the most promising stage hunters on hilly terrain are Diego Ulissi, Quinten Hermans, Taco van der Hoorn, Jakob Fuglsang, Dorian Godon, Davide Formolo, Marco Frigo, Marco Brenner, and Martin Marcellusi.
Also in Naples, Olav Kooij earned his first Giro stage win. Already with three victories in 2025, he leads the pack of sprinters expected at the race. His main rivals include Kaden Groves, Paul Magnier, Matteo Moschetti, and a returning Sam Bennett, whoβs shown excellent form so far this year.
Other strong finishers who could surprise include Rick Pluimers, Casper van Uden, Filippo Fiorelli, Luke Lamperti, Giovanni Lonardi, Enrico Zanoncello, and Orluis Aular.
The two time trials scheduled for the race will be prime opportunities for the disciplineβs specialists. Lining up at the start will be the last two European champions, Edoardo Affini and Joshua Tarling, as well as Mattia Cattaneo, Brandon McNulty, Jay Vine, and Daan Hoole.
Giro dβItalia 2025 map:
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