Wout van Aert has changed his mind about the cyclocross World championships and will line up with the current rainbow jersey, Mathieu van der Poel on Sunday in France. We also have all the race reports, results and vidoes from the Santos Tour Down Under, UCI World Cup cyclocross races in Hoogerheide and Maasmechelen, Clàssica Comunitat Valenciana 1969 – Gran Premio V and the Gran Premio Castellón – Ruta de la Cerámica.
TOP STORY:
- Adrie van der Poel thinks that cyclocrossers deserve more attention and Wout van Aert will ride the cross Worlds
Rider news:
- Rohan Dennis case postponed until April 14
- Juan Pedro Lopez expelled from the Tour Down Under for sticky bottles
- Fine and suspended prison sentence for Marion Sicot
- Marc Madiot appreciates Jonas Vingegaard’s statements on carbon monoxide
- Alejandro Valverde looking forward to being Spanish national coach
Team news:
- Caleb Ewan Signs for the INEOS Grenadiers
- A partnership built to last: FDJ-SUEZ and SHIMANO power forward, extending partnership an additional four years
Race news:
- Rik Bossuyt and his scooter on the Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne poster
- Extra gravel section in Strade Bianche route
- Tour of Catalonia ‘Wildcards’
19-year-old Italian cyclist dies after training crash.
TOP STORY: Adrie van der Poel Thinks that Cyclocross Riders Deserve More Attention
In 2000, Van der Poel rode his last cyclocross in Hoogerheide, but now he organises the event, the GP Adrie van der Poel, the largest Dutch cyclocross race of the season. Not what he imagined during his career. “I didn’t want too many obligations, reporting for Eurosport was great for me, for example,” he told BN De Stem.
In 2000, father Van der Poel, ended his cyclocross career in Hoogerheide in North Brabant, but not with a victory. Richard Groenendaal, who is now the team manager of the Ridley Racing Team, took the win that day. “I wasn’t interested in that victory, I just wanted a nice farewell,” Adrie said about the day. Fifteen thousand people wanted to see Van der Poel do his last event on a cyclocross bike, but at that time did he have plans for after his career? “No, nothing at all actually.” The six-time Dutch Champion didn’t want to make any commitments and reporting for Eurosport with Danny Nelissen seemed perfect.
After the farewell cross, the KNWU (the Dutch cycling federation) and the UCI hoped that the success in Hoogerheide could be continued. Since then, Van der Poel has been the advisor and course builder for the race. And the winner of the Tour of Flanders and Liège-Bastogne-Liège, takes his job very seriously. “If you do something, try to make the best of it. I always look at what can be improved. As a rider, I saw things that could be improved.” The race organisation introduced safety zones and protected inner bends in 2002. In addition, Van der Poel tries to build a nice course; turning and turning from tree to tree is not part of that, according to him.
In Hoogerheide, World champion Mathieu van der Poel was at the start, but Wout van Aert only raced on Saturday. But even if the two top riders don’t appear at the start, a lot of people come to cyclocross races, according to Van der Poel. “When men like Eli Iserbyt and Michael Vanthourenhout ride, a lot of spectators come. Those men may not get enough attention and appreciation for what they do, globally.”
Adrie van der Poel – Give cyclocross riders more attention:
Wout van Aert Surprises Everyone and will Compete with in the 2025 Cyclocross World Championships
A big surprise: Wout van Aert will compete in the 2025 Cyclocross World Championships. The Visma | Lease a Bike rider had ended his season after Maasmechelen, but next Sunday in Liévin, France, he will battle with Mathieu van der Poel for the World title. “The idea only came to me very recently.”
“I feel good, and my winter training has gone very well so far,” Van Aert said on the Visma | Lease a Bike team website. “The idea of participating in the World championship only came to me very recently. After Maasmechelen, the Belgian national coach Angelo De Clercq, my coach Mathieu Heijboer and I decided to participate. I’m looking forward to taking part in such a great race, and I think this extra incentive will do me good in the run-up to my bigger goals on the road. Of course the preparation has been very different, but I will of course do my best,” said Van Aert, who will have a tough time at the World championships with defending champion and record hunter Mathieu van der Poel.
An unexpected Van Aert and Van der Poel Worlds battle:
Santos Tour Down Under 2025
France’s Bryan Coquard claimed the Santos Tour Down Under Hahn Men’s Stage 4 with a brilliant tactical last kilometre to beat Phil Bauhaus and Jhonatan Narvaez in a sprint finish at the Esplanade, Victor Harbor on Friday. Coquard’s victory saw Javier Romo Oliver hold onto the Santos ochre leader’s jersey as the Hahn stage 4 Glenelg to Victor Harbor belonged to the sprint kings. Romo Oliver is four seconds clear of his biggest GC threat Narvaez.
“Very happy to win, it’s my best chance to win here and it’s a perfect day,” Coquard said. “I love this country and at the start of the season I started good. I used my (track) experience to do a good sprint from about 300m, it’s perfect.”
With Coquard claiming his second Santos Tour Down Under stage after winning at Willunga in 2023, Javier Romo Oliver held onto the Santo’s ochre leader’s jersey. The Spaniard is 10 seconds clear of Narvaez (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) with the Think! Road Safety stage 5 McLaren Vale to Willunga Hill looming to be the most critical to General Classification contenders.
The Hahn stage 4 Glenelg to Victor Harbor was expected to be calculated and tactical – and it was. An early breakaway led by Jayco AlUla’s Mauro Schmid powering over the Snapper Point, Aldinga finish line saw the Swiss rider dominate TV air time for at least two hours before the worked hard to bring back the breakaway as Victor Harbor approached. Schmid won the Ziptrak intermediate sprint #1 bonus ahead of Belgian Junior Lecerf (Soudal Quick-Step) and Italy’s Giosue Epis (Akrea-B&B Hotels) which at that point of the race didn’t bother the sprint kings nor the general classification contenders including Santos leader Romo Oliver.
The race then settled into a predictable pattern. However, as the second efex King of the Mountain was approaching at Nettle Hill, 21.3 km before the Esplanade, the teams started making moves to position either their best sprinter and overall contender. The gap closed in the Inman Valley to less than a minute about 27.7km from Victor Harbor as Romo Oliver’s Movistar team were chasing down the breakaway. Romo Oliver at that stage of the race was 1 min 05 sec behind the breakaway with Movistar teammate, Eritrea’s Natnael Tesfazion chasing the then stage leaders. Tesfazion, who earned was second on the general classification at the 2024 Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race put rivals on the peloton on notice.
Ziptrak® Sprint #1 — Esplanade at Snapper Point near Butterworth Road, Aldinga Beach 35.0km
The race went to script after the Glenelg start. Jayco AlUla’s Swiss rider Mauro Schmid powered over the Snapper Point, Aldinga finish line ahead of Belgian Junior Lecerf (Soudal Quick-Step) and Italy’s Giosue Epis (Akrea – B&B Hotels). The trio led the breakaway which didn’t disturb Friday’s Santos leader Javier Romo Oliver (Movistar) or other GC contenders.
Ziptrak® Sprint #2 — Main South Road, Yankalilla at property #109 71.5km
The 2024 national Swiss road champion, Schmid earned maximum bonuses again, but Lecerf and Epis traded places for second and third place. The main peloton kept a check on Romo Oliver and Movistar as the breakaway led by 1 min 16 sec before the first efex King of the Mountain Parawa Hill was the next challenge.
efex King of the Mountain #1 — Parawa Hill 2 7.0% 13.4% 2.90km 87.0km
XDS Astana’s Dutch rider Ide Schelling joined the breakaway as Red Bull-BORA-Hansgrohe protected its Australian gun Sam Welsford for a potential sixth stage win after already claiming two stage wins during the 2025 edition. However, Schmid claimed the maximum KOM seven points for the first time during the race. Epis earned five points; Schelling came in third while Taco Van Der Hoorn (Intermarche-Wanty) was fourth.
The quartet then opened a 2min 12sec gap from the main peloton.
efex King of the Mountain #2 — Nettle Hill 1 8.1% 17.7% 1.90km 136.4km
Schmid was first up the climb and at that point was the favourite to claim the Yamaha most competitive jersey. Schelling was second, Van Der Hoorn was third and joined by Schmid’s Australian teammate Luke Plapp. Canada’s Michael Woods (Israel-Premier Tech picked up the final KOM point. The peloton split in the lead up to the KOM with Welford and his team dropped to the back of the race.
Santos Tour Down Under Stage 4 Result:
1. Bryan Coquard (Fra) Cofidis in 3:55:15
2. Phil Bauhaus (Ger) Bahrain Victorious
3. Jhonnatan Manuel Narváez (Ecu) UAE Emirates XRG
4. Liam Walsh (Aus) Australia
5. Samuel Watson (GB) INEOS Grenadiers
6. Tobias Lund Andresen (Nor) Team Picnic PostNL
7. Corbin Strong (NZ) Israel-Premier Tech
8. Tim Torn Teutenberg (Ger) Lidl-Trek
9. Henri Uhlig (Ger) Alpecin-Deceuninck
10. Dorian Godon (Fra) Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale.
Santos Tour Down Under Overall After Stage 4:
1. Javier Romo Oliver (Spa) Movistar in 14:09:06
2. Jhonnatan Manuel Narváez (Ecu) UAE Emirates XRG at 0:04
3. Patrick Konrad (Aust) Lidl-Trek at 0:10
4. Finn Fisher-Black (NZ) Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe
5. Bastien Tronchon (Fra) Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale at 0:12
6. Magnus Sheffield (USA) INEOS Grenadiers at 0:15
7. Withen Albert Philipsen (Den) Lidl-Trek
8. Jay Vine (Aus) UAE Emirates XRG
9. Remy Rochas (Fra) Groupama-FDJ
10. Chris Harper (Aus) Jayco AlUla.
TDU’25 stage 4:
Jhonatan Narváez is looming as the first Ecuadorian to claim a prestigious Santos Tour Down Under UCI WorldTour crown after winning an incredible stage atop Willunga Hill on Saturday. Narváez claimed THINK! Road Safety Stage 5 when he soloed about 300m from the top of the summit to take the win. The victory propelled Narváez to head of the general classification.
The 27-year-old said his team had targeted an overall victory before arriving from its European preseason – either for his Australian teammate Jay Vine, who won the race in 2023, or himself. Narváez will wear the Santos Ochre Leader’s jersey on Sunday for the final Schwalbe Stage 6 on the streets of Adelaide. “I was feeling well at every stage; Jay wasn’t feeling so good he had a crash (on Friday),” Narvaez said. “That was our tactic, to win the race with me or him (Vine).”
Narváez has a nine-second lead over Spain’s Javier Romo Oliver, who has worn the leader’s jersey since winning efex Stage 3 from Norwood to Uraidla on Thursday. Romo Oliver was four seconds ahead of the Ecuadorian on Saturday morning before the race produced fireworks. Five-time Santos Tour Down Under stage winner Sam Welsford crashed for a second time during the race, but the Australian dusted himself down and was checked by the Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe doctor before jumping back on his bike. Welsford said he now wants to add another stage to his impressive CV, with the final Schwabe Stage 6 pedalling off in the city streets of Adelaide on Sunday afternoon.
Ziptrak® Sprint #2 — Esplanade at Snapper Point near Butterworth Road, Aldinga Beach 96.6km
Four riders continued to lead the stage heading towards the coastal Snapper Point at Aldinga. Ben Swift (Ineos Grenadiers) earned a valuable bonus for being first, followed by Jayco AlUla’s Michael Hepburn and ARA Australia’s Oliver Bleddyn. Teams and riders started preparing to tackle the steep side of Willunga Hill after the second intermediate sprint of the stage. After going over the top of Santos Tour Down Under legend Richie Porte’s favourite climb into the Willunga township – essentially the other way around before the two intermediate sprints – the men enjoyed a very rapid descent on Old Willunga Hill Road. However, this time they tackled the famed hill – dominated seven times by Porte – for efex King of the Mountain bonuses and the chance to make history in the grand finale.
efex King of the Mountain #2 — Willunga Hill 1 7.4% 11.0% 3.00km 123.0km
The main peloton pedalled hard to chase down an attack which had a lead of 1 min 35 sec with 35.1km to go before the finish. The quartet were all swallowed up by the main peloton about 500m from the Willunga Hill summit before Jayco AlUla’s Chris Harper and Swiss teammate Mauro Schmid battled for pole position. Schmid, who won Friday’s Yamaha Most Competitive Rider title, prevailed over Harper.
efex King of the Mountain #3 — Willunga Hill 1 7.4% 11.0% 3.00km 145.6km
Saturday’s Santos Ochre Jersey leader Javier Romo Oliver soloed to the top of the final Willunga summit of the day. However, inside the final 300m Narvaez used his Ecuadorian climbing experience to claim the famed queen stage atop Willunga Hill. Oscar Onley (Picnic PostNL) was second and Finn Fisher-Black (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe) was third.
Santos Tour Down Under Stage 5 Result:
1. Jhonnatan Manuel Narváez (Ecu) UAE Emirates XRG in 3:17:02
2. Oscar Onley (GB) Team Picnic PostNL
3. Finn Fisher-Black Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe
4. Luke Plapp Jayco AlUla at 0:03
5. Javier Romo Oliver Movistar
6. Michael Woods Israel-Premier Tech at 0:06
7. Thomas Gloag (GB) Visma | Lease a Bike
8. Magnus Sheffield Ineos Grenadiers
9. Bastien Tronchon Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale
10. Patrick Konrad Lidl – Trek at 0:15.
Santos Tour Down Under Overall After Stage 5:
1. Jhonnatan Manuel Narváez UAE Emirates XRG in 17:26:02
2. Javier Romo Oliver Movistar at 0:09
3. Finn Fisher-Black Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe at 0:12
4. Oscar Onley Team Picnic PostNL at 0:15
5. Bastien Tronchon Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale at 0:24
6. Luke Plapp Jayco AlUla
7. Magnus Sheffield Ineos Grenadiers at 0:27
8. Thomas Gloag Visma | Lease a Bike
9. Patrick Konrad Lidl-Trek at 0:31
10. Michael Woods Israel-Premier Tech at 0:47.
TDU’25 stage 5:
Jhonatan Narváez was crowned 2025 Santos Tour Down Under champion after a cautious last day in the saddle today. The UAE Team Emirates-XRG gun said it was the biggest UCI WorldTour win of his career. Narváez becomes the first Ecuadorian to claim the coveted stage race. He held a nine-second advantage over Spanish young gun Javier Romo Oliver at the start of the stage following a brilliant win at the Willunga Hill summit on Saturday.
Narváez maintained the gap, praising his team for a good day’s work. “It wasn’t easy, it was a bit dangerous and we ended up winning the race,” Narváez said. “It’s one of the nicest races on the calendar.” With Narváez containing his delight, Australia’s sprint king Sam Welsford moved closer towards Santos Tour Down Under legend status after claiming Schwalbe Stage 6 on the streets of Adelaide on Sunday.
Welsford, 29, (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe) earned his third Santos Tour Down Under stage win to back up the three victories he had in South Australia last year. “I didn’t think three (stage wins) was possible going into this race; I knew it was going to be a hard tour and challenging stages,” Welsford said. “The team really believed in me and backed me in stages. We knew this last one was a good one for us, a big power circuit. The boys did an amazing job, (teammate) Danny Van Poppel dropped me off (as the lead-out man) about 200 metres from the finish. I am really happy with this tour.” Welsford finished ahead of Thursday’s stage winner: Bryan Coquard of Cofidis and Phil Bauhaus (Bahrain-Victorious).
Ziptrak® Sprint #1 — King William Road, Adelaide at Finish Arch Lap 4 18.0km
The peloton’s average speed was clocked at 47km/h average before the first preme sprint of the afternoon. Breakaway race leaders Casper Pedersen (Soudal-Quick Step) crossed the line first, followed by Australians Kelland O’Brien (Jayco AlUla) and Damien Howson who appeared to be having fun but at the same time red lining in the heat.
efex King of the Mountain — Montefiore Hill 3 4.0% 6.5% 567m Lap 8 36.0km
Howsen, Pedersen and O’Brien stayed out in front to catch more bonuses. Although it’s not a taxing KOM, Santos Tour Down Under legend Andre Greipel described it as difficult because of the lack of recovery time before the finish line. The two-time Santos Tour Down Under champion and Germany’s national road cycling coach should know as he has claimed wins on the same circuit several times.
Ziptrak® Sprint #2 — King William Road, Adelaide at Finish Arch Lap 12 54.0km
The leading trio traded places for the second preme sprint of the afternoon. Howsen took the maximum bonus ahead of Pedersen and O’Brien. The trio at that point has a lead of 38 seconds.
efex King of the Mountain — Montefiore Hill 3 4.0% 6.5% 567m Lap 16 72.0km
Nothing changed with Howsen still taking maximum points ahead of Pedersen and O’Brien. The trio had a 24-second gap with 18 km before the line. Questions were asked to whether they were strong enough to finish with a breakaway or if was it a plan for their respective team members to barnstorm home.
Santos Tour Down Under Stage 6 Result:
1. Sam Welsford /Aus) Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe in 1:53:14
2. Bryan Coquard (Fra) Cofidis
3. Phil Bauhaus (Ger) Bahrain Victorious
4. Rui Filipe Oliveira Alves (Por) UAE Emirates XRG
5. Danny van Poppel (Ned) Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe
6. Henri Uhlig (Ger) Alpecin-Deceuninck
7. Tobias Lund Andresen (Den) Team Picnic PostNL
8. Tim Torn Teutenberg (Ger) Lidl-Trek
9. Matt Walls (GB) Groupama-FDJ
10. Andrea Raccagni Noviero (Ita) Soudal Quick-Step.
Santos Tour Down Under Final Overall Result:
1. Jhonnatan Manuel Narváez (Ecu) UAE Emirates XRG in 19:19:16
2. Javier Romo Oliver (Spa) Movistar at 0:09
3. Finn Fisher-Black (NZ) Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe at 0:12
4. Oscar Onley (GB) Team Picnic PostNL at 0:15
5. Bastien Tronchon (Fra) Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale at 0:24
6. Luke Plapp (Aus) Jayco AlUla
7. Magnus Sheffield (USA) INEOS Grenadiers at 0:27
8. Thomas Gloag (GB) Visma | Lease a Bike
9. Patrick Konrad (Aust) Lidl-Trek at 0:31
10. Michael Woods (Can) Israel-Premier Tech at 0:47.
TDU’25 stage 6:
UCI World Cup Cyclocross – Hoogerheide Men 2025
Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) won the Hoogerheide World Cup on Sunday. A week before the Cyclocross World championships, the current World champion left all the competition behind after just 5 minutes of the race. Michael Vanthourenhout (Pauwels Sauzen-Cibel Clementines) finished second and was winner of the World Cup. Lars van der Haar was third.
There were still several things at stake in Hoogerheide for the men. The victory, for which World champion and home favourite Mathieu van der Poel was the biggest contender. And in the battle for the final victory of the UCI World Cup, Michael Vanthourenhout looked to have that as good as sowed up. It was also a good training day for the World championships in Liévin. The best start was for Mathieu van der Poel, who was on the front row due to his recent performances. Michael Vanthourenhout took the lead, but after five minutes of racing he saw the rainbow jersey disappear up the course. Van der Poel got a small gap and took full advantage and soon had a lead of more than 20 seconds. Vanthourenhout and Lars van der Haar followed, but because they looked at each other, the rest returned, but the gap to Van der Poel became even bigger.
Missing from the chasing group was European champion Thibau Nys, who skipped Maasmechelen as a precaution due to the fear of illness. He started well, but quickly dropped back outside the top 20 and dropped out in the second lap. Vanthourenhout, Van der Haar, Joris Nieuwenhuis and Emiel Verstrynge were fighting for second place. There was no stopping Van der Poel, who tested his legs several times on the asphalt strip to the finish. Partly because of that, he gradually increased his lead. Behind him, Vanthourenhout was clearly the best of the rest, but halfway through the race, the World champion’s lead had already grown to a minute. The battle for the last podium place was the most interesting, which took place almost two minutes behind the leader.
Van der Poel had such a big lead that he could afford to entertain the audience with a big jump on one of the bridges. Lars van der Haar had broken away from the rest in the battle for third place, which also puts him in the running for a podium place at the World championship in Liévin. In the final laps, he was riding faster than Vanthourenhout, which meant that second place was possible. The difference between Vanthourenhout and Van der Haar remained around 20 seconds, which meant that the podium was set. At the front, Van der Poel had plenty of time to celebrate. Vanthourenhout, Van der Haar, Toon Aerts and Joran Wyseure completed the top 5.
Race winner, Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck): “As I said, I prefer this type of race to a super-fast circuit. I’m happy with the feeling, especially after yesterday, because I’ve recovered well. That’s why I’m just happy. My rib didn’t bother me too much, but I can still feel it. It’s definitely not going to slow me down next week. Apart from that, everything is going according to plan. I’m looking forward to next week. I hope so. It looks good, but it’s a new race and the World championship is always special. I’m going to fight as hard as I can for it. It was incredibly difficult and I had the intention to start a bit more relaxed, but I immediately had a gap at the end of the first lap. The lap is so difficult that it was a matter of riding at a fast pace, from start to finish. That’s why I rode another hour to reap the rewards next week. It was fun, I enjoyed myself and I’m happy with the result of all the hard work. I’m happy with the feeling and ready for next week. I think what we wanted to do worked out. I hope to ride my best cross of the season next week.”
2nd, Michael Vanthourenhout (Pauwels Sauzen-Cibel Clementines): “It is my first big victory in a classification, it is great to win that. The World Cup is one of the biggest classifications you can win, so I am very happy. It was still exciting for a while, but okay, I dotted the i’s today and pulled the classification towards me. I was also able to ride freely and that immediately resulted in a good result. When he went, I wanted to ride towards him, but you could immediately see that he was much too strong. After that I rode the entire race in second place, that was also very difficult, but I am happy with my race. The form is improving and I hope to have the best legs next week. We still have a good training day, then we will take it a bit easier and then we will go reconnaissance on Saturday. It will be a tough cross and that is the most fun for the World championships. That is the most fair. I hope to start on Sunday with good legs, then I can compete for that podium. Today was good and I hope that it will be the same next week.”
3rd, Lars van der Haar (Baloise Glowi Lions): “I didn’t expect this on this course. The reconnaissance didn’t go well and that’s why I thought: I just have to focus on myself today. And at the end I still had something left in the tank. I decided to wait until the last two laps and then went for all or nothing. That resulted in a third place. For me this is a surprise. I’ve been riding with good legs for a while and then it’s nice that it comes out. I really had a surplus in the last two laps. It’s also nice to finish a race without a mechanical. If it’s muddy, then the tactics are easy. Then you mainly have to pay attention to yourself. But if it gets fast, then it becomes more tactical”
UCI World Cup Cyclocross – Hoogerheide Men Result:
1. Mathieu van der Poel (Ned) Alpecin-Deceuninck in 57:00
2. Michael Vanthourenhout (Bel) Pauwels Sauzen-Cibel Clementines at 1:42
3. Lars van der Haar (Ned) Baloise Glowi Lions at 1:57
4. Toon Aerts (Bel) Deschacht-Hens-FSP at 2:21
5. Joran Wyseure Alpecin-Deceuninck Development Team at 2:28
6. Eli Iserbyt (Bel) Pauwels Sauzen-Cibel Clementines at 2:33
7. Emiel Verstrynge Alpecin-Deceuninck 2:41
8. Joris Nieuwenhuis Ridley Racing Team at 2:43
9. Jens Adams Lotto-X-Oats Athletes For Hope at 2:51
10. Ryan Kamp Fenix at 3:02.
UCI World Cup Cyclocross – Hoogerheide Women 2025
Lucinda Brand showed her form for the World championships next week with a powerful solo victory in the Hoogerheide World Cup. The Baloise Glowi Lions rider was already certain of the final victory in the World Cup, but she was flying in the Brabant cross. Brand had a perfect race, in contrast to Puck Pieterse (third) and Fem van Empel (fourth), who saw Blanka Vas come second.
The battle for the final overall of the World Cup had already been settled after the round in Maasmechelen: Lucinda Brand was the final winner of the series this season. Everyone was looking to see who would show themself in Hoogerheide, a week before the World championships.
Hélène Clauzel surprisingly had the best start in the GP Adrie van der Poel, but Fem van Empel and Puck Pieterse also got off to a good start in the heavy mud. The Dutch champion quickly took the initiative, together with Brand. Behind them followed Blanka Vas, Zoe Bäckstedt and a group with Van Empel, Ceylin Alvarado and Inge van der Heijden. Marianne Vos dropped out early with a possible injury. At the end of the second lap, Brand was riding alone in the lead, because Pieterse fell away in a group with Vas and Van Empel. Brand’s lead grew steadily to more than 20 seconds. The fact that Pieterse and Van Empel fell again in the chase gave the leader even more of a lead. Vas was on her way to second place due to the mistakes of Pieterse and Van Empel.
At the start of the final lap, Brand had a 27-second lead over Vas. Pieterse and Van Empel were already more than 45 seconds behind the leader. Brand kept increasing her lead and sent a strong signal to the others for the World championships next week in Liévin. She also consolidated her World Cup win.
Race winner, Lucinda Brand (Baloise Glowi Lions): “It is great to end the World Cup season like this. My start was good, but not great. After that I worked with Puck Pieterse and I felt good. I wanted to continue together, but she made a mistake. Then I had to take my chance and keep riding. And the rest didn’t come back. I knew I had to push through, so they had a hard time coming back, and that showed. We just say that all the pieces of the puzzle are falling into place at the moment, so I am definitely going to the World Championship with confidence.”
2nd, Kata Blanka Vas (SD Worx-Protime): “I started the race very badly. The running passages don’t suit me as much anyway and they were really hard. But somehow I found the right rhythm. Lucinda Brand really was flying today, so this second place was the highest possible. This was a great weekend. Whether this puts me among the favourites for next weekend? I don’t count myself among them. The other riders were better than me if you look at the season. The form is good, though. I also need to see the course. I’ve already seen some pictures, but I need to explore the course myself first to assess my chances. I’m hoping for a course similar to this weekend’s. Maybe a little less running, but still tricky and technical. Anyway, this weekend gives me confidence.”
3rd, Puck Pieterse (Fenix-Deceuninck): “I am happy with the podium, because it was close with three riders for the podium. That is why I am happy to still be third and I am happy with the feeling. I felt much better than last week and I am happy with the great battle we had. I think everyone was riding at the limit, then a mistake is easily made. If you see the gap Lucinda still has. I rode full throttle the whole race and she kept pulling away, so it wasn’t just the crashes. It can only get better. If I do good things, I can go to the World Championships with confidence. I am still focusing a bit more on recovery, so I won’t be riding too much”
UCI World Cup Cyclocross – Hoogerheide Women Result:
1. Lucinda Brand (Ned) Baloise Glowi Lions in 47:47
2. Kata Blanka Vas (Hun) SD Worx-Protime at 0:28
3. Puck Pieterse (Ned) Fenix-Deceuninck at 0:38
4. Fem van Empel (Ned) Visma | Lease a Bike at 0:53
5. Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado (Ned) Fenix-Deceuninck at 1:31
6. Zoe Backstedt (GB) Canyon//SRAM Racing zondacrypto at 1:48
7. Sara Casasola (Ita) Crelan-Corendon at 1:57
8. Inge van der Heijden (Ned) Crelan-Corendon at 2:05
9. Amandine Fouquenet (Fra) Arkéa-B&B Hotels at 2:11
10. Isabella Holmgren (Can) Lidl-Trek at 2:20.
UCI World Cup Cyclocross – Maasmechelen Men 2025
Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) won again on his return to cyclocross. The World champion rode almost the entire Maasmechelen World Cup race solo, after Wout van Aert made a lot of mistakes in the early part of the race. The Visma | Lease a Bike rider did finish second, but more than a minute behind Van der Poel. Joris Nieuwenhuis (Ridley Racing Team) was third.
The Maasmechelen World Cup was billed as a duel between Mathieu van der Poel and Wout van Aert for the last time this cyclocross season. Wout ended his cyclocross campaign in Maasmechelen, as Van der Poel wanted to sharpen his form before the World championship in Liévin. It was important for Van der Poel, because the Dutchman revealed before the start that he had suffered a rib fracture in the Loenhout cross.
Van der Poel didn’t have a great start in Maasmechelen and lost a few positions on the starting straight. Van Aert also did get off to a good start. The Visma | Lease a Bike rider had to start a bit further back, but quickly moved up. Too quickly, as Van Aert collided with a pole. In the meantime, Van der Poel had started his race proper. He quickly moved up to second place behind Joris Nieuwenhuis, who had passed best starter Emiel Verstrynge at the front. Nieuwenhuis and Van der Poel started the second lap with a small lead. Van Aert was in a group behind them, but didn’t stay there. He rode to the front and tried to cross to the leading duo. He succeeded. Michael Vanthourenhout also joined him, after which Van Aert settled into the lead. He clearly had good legs and put the rest under pressure. That didn’t last long, because he fell on a descent. Van der Poel saw his chance and went off on his own. When Nieuwenhuis also fell behind him, Van der Poel quickly had a big gap, and he quickly expanded that gap. At the second crossing of the finish line, he already had 18 seconds on Van Aert, who hadn’t given up yet, but kept making mistakes. The Belgian got stuck in a group with Nieuwenhuis, Vanthourenhout and Joran Wyseure. Later, Lars van der Haar and Toon Aerts also came back to them.
Van Aert was clearly the best of the chasers. After three of the seven laps, he came through in second place, 37 seconds behind Van der Poel. In the next laps, the difference grew further and further, until it was over a minute when the bell rang. Van der Poel was therefore able to take it relatively easy in the final lap and rode to victory without any problems. Van Aert had meanwhile gained more and more time on the pursuers, which secured him second place. The battle for third place was more exciting. Nieuwenhuis and Wyseure stayed close to each other for a long time. The Dutchman had a small lead at the start of the final lap and would eventually maintain his lead. He crossed the finish line in third place. For Van der Poel it was his sixth race and sixth victory of the current cyclocross season. He will start in the Hoogerheide World Cup on Sunday and then the World championships in Liévin next weekend. In the World Cup standings, Toon Aerts (5th today) came a little closer to leader Michael Vanthourenhout (6th), but the difference between them is 32 points. Vanthourenhout has almost secured the final victory. Aerts can only win if he takes the day’s victory on Sunday, in the last round in Hoogerheide, and Vanthourenhout stays outside the points, which is unlikely.
Race winner, Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck): “It was okay. I still felt it (the rib), but maybe that was a good thing, so that I didn’t think too much about my legs. I’m happy. I enjoyed this race. It was super beautiful, also with the audience. It was a real cross today. It seems that I’m always pretty good when I come back from a training camp. Even when I have a lot of training load in my legs. I think a course like that is better after a training camp than a fast cross. You just have to pick your own pace. Technically I was also good today, so I’m happy with this victory. It’s Remco’s birthday today. I sent him a message this morning to congratulate him. He asked me to do this if I won today. Hence this gift. Should he do something like that for me in return, for example in Liège? I’ll think about it, I’ll see if I can come up with something for him. But maybe that was just right. Call received bro”
2nd, Wout van Aert (Visma | Lease a Bike): “I felt like I could do it. It was definitely a great race, because of the conditions today, it was a very tough course. This was the best I could do today. Maybe. I was determined to get to the front quickly at the beginning of the race because I was never in the race last week in Benidorm due to my bad starting position. I really tried to get to the front as quickly as possible. When I attacked in the second round, I made a stupid mistake. I think that’s a shame. Mathieu eventually rode far away from me, but I would have preferred to fight for a while. I did feel like I could do it. After that, it was difficult. Would I have been closer without that crash? Of course I would have been closer, but I’m not going to say that I could have won when I’m a minute behind. It did throw me off balance for a bit. It’s different when you can race for the win than when you’re immediately forced to chase again. I made the best of it and had a nice race afterwards. I liked the lap we were allowed to do the first time, without the sloping side, better. I didn’t really like the feeling there. Then it’s in your head and it only gets worse. I wasn’t afraid of falling, because the speed was very low. But no, it wasn’t my favourite part. It was a short winter. It wasn’t the season I was hoping for, but given the injury I ended the previous road season with, it was wise to minimise the number of races. I really enjoyed the races I did do. I also achieved good results, so I look back with a good feeling. I had years when I rode everything, up to Oostmalle. I really enjoyed that. When I get back on the cross and meet all the supporters, I would like to ride a lot more, but my goals are also on the road now. There will be a future when I will do more cyclocross again, but now I also have to use my common sense every now and then.”
Joris Nieuwenhuis (Ridley Racing Team): “This was the highest possible today. No, I had to start from the third row. So my first goal was to start really well. Because on this lap it gets pretty tough when you’re further along. I tried to follow Mathieu and Wout a bit, but I also knew that I had to ride at my own pace. It was quite a tough battle with Joran (Wyseure) in the end, but luckily I was able to get a podium place.”
UCI World Cup Cyclocross – Maasmechelen Men Result:
1. Mathieu van der Poel (Ned) Alpecin-Deceuninck in 57:51
2. Wout van Aert (Bel) Visma | Lease a Bike at 1:14
3. Joris Nieuwenhuis (Ned) Ridley Racing Team at 1:53
4. Joran Wyseure (Bel) Crelan-Corendon at 2:05
5. Toon Aerts (Bel) Deschacht-Hens-FSP at 2:16
6. Michael Vanthourenhout (Bel) Pauwels Sauzen-Cibel Clementines at 2:54
7. Lars van der Haar (Ned) Baloise Glowi Lions at 3:12
8. Laurens Sweeck (Bel) Crelan-Corendon at 3:24
9. Kevin Kuhn (Sui) Charles Liégeois Roastery CX at 3:36
10. Thomas Mein (GB) Hope Factory Racing at 3:37.
Maasmechelen’25
UCI World Cup Cyclocross – Hoogerheide Women 2025
Blanka Kata Vas (SD Worx-Protime) won the Maasmechelen World Cup. After an exciting battle, she narrowly beat Zoe Bäckstedt (Canyon//SRAM Racing zondacrypto). Lucinda Brand (Baloise Glowi Lions), who did secure the overall victory in the World Cup, finished third. Fourth place went to Puck Pieterse (Fenix-Deceuninck).
Fem van Empel, Lucinda Brand, Puck Pieterse and all the other big names in women’s cross were there in Maasmechelen for the penultimate round of the World Cup.
Van Empel had the best start: she was the first to go off-road. Puck Pieterse and Marianne Vos were a lot further back after the start. In the meantime, Vas took over the lead from Van Empel. She briefly gave it up to Alvarado, but at the end of the first lap the Hungarian was back on the front. The quartet Vas, Alvarado, Van Empel and Lucinda Brand had created a small gap on the others. Pieterse’s deficit remained limited to seven seconds, Vos followed 23 seconds later. But at the beginning of the second lap the situation changed again. Van Empel slid down on the adverse camber, causing her to lose some positions and see Pieterse pass her. Vas and Brand took advantage and rode away together. Soon Vas, who clearly had good legs, was left alone. Brand fell back to Bäckstedt and Pieterse. The Dutch champion then chased for the Hungarian leader on her own, but Bäckstedt came back. In the third of five laps the British rider went past Pieterse and rode towards Vas. Bäckstedt was not satisfied and she put the pressure on again. She gained a few metres on Vas, who saw Pieterse and Brand come back. Van Empel followed, at half a minute, in fifth place.
The World champion seemed to be getting into the race, but when turning onto the adverse camber, she fell again. This was the final blow for her. She would not get back to the front, where Bäckstedt had also slopped. The British rider lost her lead over Brand, Pieterse and Vas, who found it increasingly difficult after her fast start. The opposite was true for Brand. She took the lead for the first time and immediately rode hard. It kept changing places at the front, because after her acceleration Brand suddenly fell back to fourth place. Now it was Bäckstedt who seemed to have the upper hand again. At the start of the final lap she had a lead of up to 8 seconds over Pieterse, Vas and Brand. The differences became smaller when Bäckstedt, while running, slipped away again on the sloping section. Vas profited the most from this. The SD Worx-Protime rider raced to the front and created a gap on the pursuers. With only a few minutes left in the race, we still had four contenders. Three of them remained when Pieterse fell at the beams. Bäckstedt and Brand kept up the pressure, but Vas held strong. However, Bäckstedt in particular came very close. The British rider was almost on Vas’ wheel on the final straight, but the Hungarian managed to sprint to victory. Bäckstedt came second, Brand third. With that finishing place, Brand secured the final victory in the World Cup, the final round is in Hoogerheide on Sunday.
Race winner, Blanka Kata Vas (SD Worx-Protime): “After three years, I am finally back at the top. I always kept believing in it. I made a lot of sacrifices and the hard work was all worth it. This win feels like the reward for all my hard work. Where, among other things, did I make the difference? On the technical tricky passage. I had practised this one hard. Yesterday I did a reconnaissance of the course and I did that passage five times in a row to get the hang of it. It was also smart that I only changed bikes once. That’s how I managed to get back to the front in the end. It was a really close battle with Zoe Bäckstedt and Lucinda Brand. Just before the last ascending run section, I thought for a moment that I had the win inside. But after the descent I looked back and saw Zoe coming much closer again. Fortunately, I still had the legs to squeeze out a good final sprint. Whether I will enjoy it now? Not yet. Tomorrow with Hoogerheide a new World Cup and next week the World Championships are on the programme. So the focus now is mainly on recovery. Once the World Cup is over, I will take the time to enjoy myself for a few days. Because this win means a lot to me.”
2nd, Zoe Bäckstedt (Canyon//SRAM Racing zondacrypto): “I am a bit disappointed. I was so close at the end, but I made a few too many mistakes in the final. But it was probably my best cross of the season, together with Dendermonde. I am completely covered in mud. This is one of the most fun things to do. Last week, in Benidorm, it was just a gravel race. Now we are back in Belgium and we had real cyclocross weather. I fell on the slope and decided it was better to change bikes. If something was broken, I would need a new bike. It was a precaution. How difficult was that slope? Very difficult. The corner where you turned onto the slope was very difficult. You had to go super slow or walk, so it was a bit of a gamble in the final. The decision has already been made (for the World champs). It is also going to be a big fight for the U23s. It is definitely not going to be easy. I am really looking forward to it. Tomorrow I will also do my best for the win in Hoogerheide, but first I have to recover from this.”
3rd, Lucinda Brand (Baloise Glowi Lions): “It is great to win this classification (the UCI World Cup) after the tough, but also fun fight today. I had a very strange feeling, on the first part of the course I felt very good, but on the second part I had some trouble. It was difficult to get something out of this. But the other girls were also super strong.”
UCI World Cup Cyclocross – Maasmechelen Women Result:
1. Kata Blanka Vas (Hun) SD Worx-Protime in 48:58
2. Zoe Backstedt (GB) Canyon//SRAM Racing zondacrypto at 0:01
3. Lucinda Brand (Ned) Baloise Glowi Lions at 12
4. Puck Pieterse (Ned) Fenix-Deceuninck at 28
5. Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado (Ned) Fenix-Deceuninck at 1:17
6. Fem van Empel (Ned) Visma | Lease a Bike Women at 1:23
7. Manon Bakker (Ned) Crelan-Corendon at 1:38
8. Inge van der Heijden (Ned) Crelan-Corendon at 1:45
9. Marie Schreiber (Lux) SD Worx-Protime at 2:03
10. Sara Casasola (Ita) Crelan-Corendon at 2:04.
Maasmechelen’25
Clàssica Comunitat Valenciana 1969 – Gran Premio V 2025
The 1969 Clàssica Comunitat Valenciana was won by Marc Hirschi (Tudor) on Sunday. After a difficult 184-kilometre race, the new Tudor rider was the best of an elite group of three, who had broken away on the last climb of Alto de Turrón Duro and split up in the final. Hirschi beat Christian Scaroni (XDS Astana) in a sprint. Third place went to Antonio Morgado of UAE Emirates-XRG.
After victories by Arnaud De Lie and Dylan Groenewegen, the race organisers had made the race more difficult for sprinters. Where the Alto de Barx (6km at 5.6%) was often the last categorised climb, it was now the first climb of the day. Then came the famous Coll de Rates (6.6km at 5.3%) in the run-up to the steepest climb of the day: the Alto de Turrón Duro (3.5km at 9.5%), about 10 kilometres from the finish.
The break of the day consisted of Eric Fagúndez (Burgos-Burpellet-BH), Baptiste Veistroffer (Lotto), Martin Pedersen (Lidl-Trek Future Racing) and Xavier Cañellas (Sabgal-Anicolor). The Uruguayan from Burgos-BH then dropped back, leaving three leaders. Their lead fluctuated between 2 and 3 minutes for a long time, because Bahrain Victorious and Tudor controlled the bunch. Tudor newcomer Marc Hirschi was the big favourite, but he had to deal with Santiago Buitrago, Jan Christen, Matej Mohorič, Alex Aranburu and Antonio Morgado. The favourites got the chance to fight for the victory, because just before the Coll de Rates the last escapees were caught. A thinned out peloton came over the top and headed for the steep last climb of the day.
Due to the high pace, a group of eight riders rode away in the run-up to the Alto de Turrón Duro, but they did not stay in front. It became a battle of the titans on the steep climb. Buitrago attacked early, forcing Christen, Hirschi and Christian Scaroni to respond. It became a man-to-man fight, in which Christen attacked just before the top and rode away from the rest. Scaroni fought back and Hirschi also joined just before the descent. The three leaders dived down the steep descent towards the finish in La Nucia. On the flat roads it then became a tactical game. Scaroni tried to play the Swiss off against each other and rode away, after which Hirschi was the only one able to make the jump to the Italian. Christen had no answer and was even caught by Buitrago and his teammate Antonio Morgado. They arrived too late to catch Hirschi and Scaroni, who sprinted for victory in the final straight and the Tudor rider was much too fast, so he took his first victory for his new team. Scaroni in turn took important UCI points for XDS Astana and Morgado came third behind them. The Portuguese rider won the GP Castellón in the Valencia region on Saturday
Race winner, Marc Hirschi (Tudor): “I had a good feeling all day. The plan was to go solo in the super steep last climb but the legs didn’t allow it. I knew I am pretty good in sprinting so I kept calm and waited until then. It worked well and I am very happy I could take my first win in the Tudor Pro Cycling jersey. I trained well this winter but the first race is always special, you never really know where you stand. I now look forward to next week in Mallorca where we have a strong Team.”
10th, Davide Piganzoli (Polti VisitMalta): “We did a good job, we started the last climb, which was hard, well placed and with a good feeling, crowning among the best. The legs are good, we played for the place at the finish in a reduced sprint. The performance was good.”
Clàssica Comunitat Valenciana 1969 – Gran Premio V Result:
1. Marc Hirschi (Sui) Tudor Pro Cycling Team in 4:26:31
2. Christian Scaroni (Ita) XDS Astana at 0:02
3. Tomás António Morgado (Por) UAE Emirates XRG at 0:07
4. Santiago Buitrago (Col) Sanchez Bahrain Victorious
5. Jan Christen (Sui) UAE Emirates XRG at 0:25
6. Anthon Charmig (Dan) XDS Astana at 0:26
7. Clément Champoussin (Fra) XDS Astana
8. Alessandro Pinarello (Ita) VF Group-Bardiani CSF-Faizanè
9. Jack Haig (Aus) Bahrain Victorious
10. Davide Piganzoli (Ita) Team Polti VisitMalta.
Clàssica Valenciana’25:
Gran Premio Castellón – Ruta de la Cerámica 2025
António Morgado won the Gran Premio Castellón (1.1). The Portuguese rider of UAE Emirates-XRG was the fastest of a small group that escaped in the final and narrowly stayed ahead of the peloton. Eric Antonio Fagúndez (Burgos Burpellet BH) was second, Clément Champoussin (XDS Astana) third.
The European cycling season opened on Friday with the Classica Camp de Morvedre (1.2), but the higher category, Gran Premio Castellón (1.1) was on Saturday. This 171-kilometre one-day race could suit the sprinters if they can get over the final climb. In the finale, the Collado de Ayódar (5km at 4.4%) was the biggest threat for fast men. Michael Matthews, who won the first edition last year, was once again the top favourite.
Early in the race, a leading group of eight broke away. Carlos García Pierna (Burgos Burpellet BH) was solo for a while, but was joined by Baptiste Veistroffer (Lotto), Jokin Murguialday (Euskaltel-Euskadi), Unai Esparza and Sergio Trueba (Illes Balears Arabay), Kévin Avoine (Van Rysel Roubaix), Harrison Wood (Sabgal/Anicolor) and Jack Brough (AVC Aix Provence Dole). They built up a maximum lead of 3 minutes.
In the peloton, Cofidis, Q36.5 and Jayco AlUla were in control. They kept the break close and Lotto’s Veistroffer was the last rider to be caught, early on the Collado de Ayódar. The riders of UAE Emirates-XRG started the battle. Alessandro Covi and António Morgado escaped together with Davide Formolo (Movistar), Christian Scaroni, Clément Champoussin (XDS Astana) and Eric Antonio Fagúndez (Burgos Burpellet BH). They were the first to start the descent to the finish line. Behind, Jayco AlUla, Cofidis and Bahrain Victorious tried to close the gap, but they were just too late. The leaders sprinted for the victory on the uphill finish. Morgado had the best finish to won his first race of 2025. Fagúndez sprinted to second place, and Champoussin crossed the line in third place. Matevž Govekar won the bunch sprint in sixth place.
Race winner, Tomás António Morgado (UAE Emirates XRG): “It was a very hard race. At the top of the climb I managed to get to the front but I had to suffer a lot, I’m not a pure climber. Over the top myself and Covi ended up in a small group and we gave everything until the finish. It was a big fight in the end. I’m tired but I’m very happy to start the year with a win, it’s a great start for the team so far.”
Gran Premio Castellón – Ruta de la Cerámica Result:
1. Tomás António Morgado UAE Emirates XRG in 3:59:14
2. Antonio Eric Fagundez Lima (Uru) Burgos Burpellet BH
3. Clément Champoussin (Fra) XDS Astana
4. Alessandro Covi (Ita) UAE Emirates XRG
5. Christian Scaroni (Ita) XDS Astana
6. Matevz Govekar (Slo) Bahrain Victorious
7. Davide Formolo (Ita) Movistar
8. Mike Teunissen (Ned) XDS Astana
9. Sandy Dujardin (Fra) TotalEnergies
10. Jenthe Biermans (Bel) Arkéa-B&B Hotels.
GP Castellón’15:
Rohan Dennis Case Postponed Until April 14
The case against Rohan Dennis over the death of his wife Melissa Hoskins has been postponed again. Dennis was supposed to be sentenced on Friday, but the case will now be heard on April 14.
Melissa Hoskins, 32, who was also a top cyclist, was hit by a pick-up truck just metres from her family home on Saturday 30 December 2023. She was then taken to the Royal Adelaide Hospital in critical condition, where she passed away. Dennis is said to have been behind the wheel of the vehicle. The Australian was arrested that same day for causing death by dangerous driving. He was later released on bail and was able to attend his wife’s funeral with his children.
The case has been postponed several times, the last time in December. Dennis was initially charged with three counts: dangerous driving, careless driving and endangering human life, resulting in death. The prosecutor dropped the previous charges on that last occasion. Dennis did plead guilty to the aggravating charge of ‘creating the likelihood of harm’. Dennis also pleaded guilty to that charge during the most recent hearing on Friday. The judge will deliver a verdict on 14 April. Dennis, the World time trial champion in 2018 and 2019, faces seven years in prison and a five-year driving ban.
All very sad:
Juan Pedro Lopez Expelled from the Tour Down Under for Sticky Bottles
Juan Pedro López was not at the start of the final stage of the Tour Down Under on Sunday. The Spaniard of the Lidl-Trek team was disqualified. López received a sticky bottle twice during the fifth stage to Willunga Hill. This was clearly visible on the TV screen, after which the jury intervened and removed him from the race.
Images show how López tries to return to the leading group in the Queen stage of the Tour Down Under, on the road to Willunga Hill. The 27-year-old managed to rejoin after a while, but with a lot of help from a neutral bike. López’s sticky bottles were clearly visible on the screen by the television motorcyclist, but this was initially not noticed by the officials. After the race, the jury was confronted with the images and felt compelled to intervene: López was disqualified and taken out of the race.
Lidl-Trek, López’s team, accepted the decision of the jury. “Lidl-Trek has received a message from the jury of the Tour Down Under that Juan Pedro López was taken out of the race prior to the final stage, due to irregular supplies during the fifth stage,” the team announced via social media. “Lidl-Trek accepts and respects the jury’s decision in this case.” López has also apologised. “I want to apologise to everyone for my actions on Saturday. I made a stupid decision in the heat of the moment and I regret it very much. I take responsibility for my mistake and will learn from it,” he wrote on X (Twitter).
Juan Pedro Lopez out of the TDU:
Fine and Suspended Prison Sentence for Marion Sicot
Marion Sicot has been sentenced by the court of Montargis to a suspended prison sentence of 10 months and to pay a fine of €5,000. The French woman previously admitted to having used doping several times between 2016 and 2019. After a positive doping test for EPO, she was already suspended for four years on sporting grounds, but she was also prosecuted for ‘possession and import of doping products’.
At the court of Montargis, the 32-year-old Sicot previously admitted that she used EPO and clenbuterol during her career. In those years, she raced for Servetto Footon, an Italian team, and also for Doltcini-Van Eyck Sport from Belgium for two years. After a positive test in 2019, she pleaded not guilty, but she subsequently admitted to having ordered EPO online.
Sicot pointed to then team manager Marc Bracke and filed a complaint of sexual harassment with the French court, but the court dismissed the case in 2022. The prosecutor in Montargis ruled that it could not be said that Bracke, who had been accused several times, had been guilty of sexual harassment. Bracke took his own life in October 2022.
Sicot’s doping suspension was initially two years, but after an appeal by the French anti-doping agency AFLD, this was extended to a four-year suspension in March 2022. That suspension has now expired, but Sicot still had a criminal case hanging over her for transporting doping substances. The public prosecutor demanded a one-year suspended prison sentence and a fine of €5,000.
The court in Montargis largely agreed with the public prosecutor and so Sicot was sentenced to a suspended prison sentence of ten months and a fine of €5,000.
A friend and former amateur cyclist – who facilitated the EPO – has been sentenced to a ten-month suspended prison sentence and a fine of 10,000 euros. The doctor who prescribed the EPO also received a ten-month suspended prison sentence, as well as a fine of 20,000 euros. He is also banned from practising his profession for six months.
Ban for Marion Sicot:
Marc Madiot Appreciates Jonas Vingegaard’s Statements on Carbon Monoxide
Jonas Vingegaard recently called for a crackdown on carbon monoxide abuse. Much to the satisfaction of Marc Madiot, the Groupama-FDJ team manager told Eurosport that he appreciated Vingegaard speaking out.
Vingegaard and his team Visma | Lease a Bike also inhale carbon monoxide themselves, but other teams use the method to unfairly improve their performance, the two-time Tour winner recently told Le Monde. “My team uses carbon monoxide to measure blood volume and total haemoglobin mass,” said Vingegaard, who pointed out a difference with other teams. “Some teams abuse it by regularly inhaling low doses of carbon monoxide, which leads to a significant improvement in the performance of their riders. This is unfair and the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) should ban it.”
Madiot says it is ‘very good’ that Vingegaard is raising the issue. “I would like to congratulate him,” he told French Eurosport. “It is rare that a rider of his level takes a credible position. Especially in this area,” Madiot said. “I think it is good that he speaks out. Whether he used it or not is not important. What matters is that riders will no longer use it. That is why I appreciated his words.”
Madiot himself believes that the use of carbon monoxide should be completely banned. “It should be banned. I have been saying this for several months and I even sent a message to David Lappartient who read it out at the World Tour general meeting. Let us be smart and all say: we will stop doing this. That is all and that is it.”
Madiot believes that the UCI will actually take action. “Lappartient will include it in the rules so that it is banned. He will put it in the rules that it is banned. I’m sorry, but we’re not going to let riders breathe gas. That’s nonsense. Imagine if you let this kind of thing happen. The public sees the riders on TV, knowing that in the evening they’re going to breathe carbon monoxide. It’s a deadly gas. What message do you send out?”
Marc Madiot not happy with carbon Monoxide use:
Alejandro Valverde Looking Forward to Being Spanish National Coach
The official announcement is not expected to come until next week, but Alejandro Valverde has confirmed that he will be taking over as Spanish coach. Some details still need to be worked out, but he expects the four-year contract to be signed soon, he told Marca.
“It’s an exciting step,” Valverde admits. “We’ve been working on this for a while and we have four years of hard work ahead of us. We have great riders, so I’m stepping in at the right time.”
The reason for the delay in the announcement is that Valverde wants to combine several roles. The idea is that he will also remain an ambassador, advisor and gravel rider at Movistar. “I think that can go together. In any case, things are gradually taking shape. I’m really looking forward to it. Whether or not I continue working for Movistar, it’s still my team.”
Valverde also looked ahead to the World Championships in Rwanda. He thinks he has several riders who can do well there. “Ayuso for example, who is definitely part of my preliminary plans. And we also have Enric (Mas), Carlos Rodríguez, Landa… But it is still a long season until then. Although these are our best riders on paper, they still have to show themselves.”
New Spanish coach Alejandro Valverde:
Caleb Ewan Signs for the INEOS Grenadiers
Australian sprinter and multiple Grand Tour stage winner, Caleb Ewan, has signed a one-year contract with the INEOS Grenadiers for the 2025 season.
The dynamic 30-year-old brings a decade’s worth of experience at the very highest level and boasts an impressive palmarès that includes over 60 professional victories.
Renowned for his blistering speed, the Sydneysider has claimed five Tour de France stage wins, five Giro d’Italia stage victories and a stage triumph at La Vuelta a España.
Ewan’s also won multiple stages at the Tour Down Under, UAE Tour and the Tour of Britain along with twice finishing on the podium at Milan-San Remo.
Caleb Ewan said: “This is a really exciting new challenge for me and a fantastic opportunity to get back to my best with the incredible support of the INEOS Grenadiers. In 2025, my goal is to return to winning big races. It’s been a few years since I’ve won some of those major events but I firmly believe I have it in me. I’m still only 30, and with the right guidance and the expertise that INEOS brings, I believe I can rediscover my best form here. We haven’t finalised my race programme yet, but I’m looking forward to having those discussions with the team. It will be exciting to combine their ideas with my ambitions and together create an exciting race calendar. While the INEOS Grenadiers are often seen as a GC-focused team, I see huge potential in the wider group they have to support a sprinter. Over the past few years, I would often reference INEOS in sprint stages because their riders consistently positioned themselves perfectly in the decisive moments. That’s exactly the kind of expertise I’m excited to work with. Joining a new team always comes with adjustments, but I already know many of the guys, and everything I’ve heard about how the team operates gives me confidence that the integration will be smooth. I can’t wait to get started and see what we can achieve together.”
Dr. Scott Drawer, Performance Director, INEOS Grenadiers, said: “Caleb’s palmarès, talent and ability to win big races speaks for itself. In our discussions with him we clearly understand where he’s currently at and what his ambitions are. We know that we have work to do together to achieve these, but both relish the opportunity. We have made significant changes to our performance team for 2025 and that expertise will be key in enabling not only Caleb but all our riders, to be in the best possible position to challenge at every race. Caleb will go straight into a team camp and thanks to our world-class staff we expect his integration to be quick and seamless. We’re all very excited to welcome him and look forward to seeing what we can achieve together this season.”
John Allert, CEO, INEOS Grenadiers, said: “Caleb is a proven winner and one of the great sprinters of this generation. Together we want to write an exciting new chapter for Caleb as an INEOS Grenadier, and the hard work required to achieve this starts today.”
A Partnership Built to Last: FDJ-SUEZ and SHIMANO Power Forward, Extending Partnership an Additional Four Years
Shimano deepens support towards women’s racing, combining elite performance with rider-driven innovation to inspire the next generation
In a sport where teams and sponsors can move and change as quickly as any racecourse, SHIMANO announces its continued partnership with the UCI Women’s WorldTour Team, FDJ-SUEZ.
Since 2023, Shimano has been the team’s constant companion and will remain the official technical partner into the 2025 and 2026 road cycling seasons, with a commitment by both organisations to extend for two additional years.
Shimano will provide FDJ-SUEZ its latest products and technologies including its DURA-ACE Di2 wireless groupset, which will support the team’s ambitious racing calendar. With the most advanced shifting and braking experience, FDJ-SUEZ will benefit from DURA-ACE’s lightning-fast, accurate and reliable shifting performance, supplying the team with the competitive edge it needs to tackle the biggest races.
The addition of top riders to this year’s roster, including Demi Vollering, winner of the 2023 Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, and no less than four consecutive stage race wins in 2024, alongside French National Champion, Juliette Labous, Elise Chabbey, and Ally Wollaston will mean even greater ambitions and targets for the coming season.
FDJ-SUEZ picked up 13 victories in 2024, including two national titles, numerous stage wins across several General Classification races, and two One-Day Classic races.
Stephen Delcourt, General Manager of FDJ-SUEZ, said: “In a period where the team has experienced significant changes in sponsorships, it was crucial for us to preserve this incredible journey with Shimano. This brand not only represents technical excellence but also stands as a long-term partner with whom we’ve built strong connections over the years. Extending this partnership was a priority for us, as it reflects our shared values and commitment to performance and innovation.”
Yuzo Shimano, Senior Executive Officer, Vice President, Bicycle Marketing Department and Planning Department, Shimano said: “The extraordinary growth of the Women’s WorldTour has shown us what’s possible in a short amount of time. What we’re seeing today, in terms of tactical brilliance, fierce competition and a growing global audience, represents a new era in the sport of cycling.”
Rik Bossuyt and his Scooter on the Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne Poster
In the 2024 Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne, the big moment was when steward, Rik Bossuyt, stole the show by accompanying winner Wout van Aert to the interview zone on his scooter. This image, which went viral, is on the poster for this year’s race.
“One man, one legend: our head steward Rik Bossuyt!”, wrote the Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne organisers when announcing the poster on social media. On the poster, we see Bossuyt, on his scooter, riding over the Flemish roads. ‘Always one step ahead’, is written on the tarmac.
“This year, we are putting Rik in the spotlight as the face of Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne”, explained the organisers. “Thanks to Rik and our volunteers, #KBK continues to excel. Together we make the race stronger, faster and better.”
In an interview with Het Nieuwsblad, Bossuyt described the attention he received following the scooter moment as ‘unbelievable’. He received hundreds of messages and even Wout van Aert shared a funny, edited photo on Instagram. “It’s nice that Wout can laugh about it, because I already felt a bit uncomfortable about it. It should be about him, not about me. I was just doing my job,” said Bossuyt, who was annoyed by some ‘rude comments’ on social media. “They were about my weight. As if you can’t do anything physically if you are a bit heavier.”
Rik and his scooter:
Extra Gravel Section in Strade Bianche Route
The route of the 2025 Strade Bianche has been announced. The Italian one-day race might be even harder, an extra gravel section has been added. In total, the riders will have to tackle sixteen gravel sections this year. The new gravel section is the Serravalle section, 9.3 kilometres of gravel. The section is just before the crucial Sante Maria section. That is where Tadej Pogačar attacked last year and left everyone behind.
Due to the addition of the new gravel section, the men will have to cover 81.7 kilometres of gravel. The total distance of the Strade Bianche has not changed. The peloton will still have to cover 213 kilometres. The section to Serravalle is also on the program for the women this year.
More gravel in Strade Bianche:
Volta a Catalunya ‘Wildcards’
The organisers of the Tour of Catalonia has announced the teams that will start in the next edition of the seven-day stage race. In addition to the eighteen WorldTeams, there are the two best ProTeams on the 2024 UCI ranking and four Spanish teams.
Burgos Burpellet BH, Caja Rural-Seguros RGA, Equipo Kern Pharma and Euskaltel-Euskadi have received a ‘wildcard’ from the race organisers. Just like Lotto and Israel-Premier Tech, but these teams are automatically invited because of their position on the 2024 UCI Ranking. Uno-X Mobility, the third ProTeam on the list in eighteenth place, is only certain of a ‘wildcard’ for WorldTour one-day events and will not be in the Catalan tour. The race will take place from 24 to 30 March this year.
The organisers announced the stage schedule for the 104th edition at the end of last year. The Tour will, as in previous years, start with a stage, starting and finishing in Sant Feliu de Guíxols. On day two, there will be a stage from Banyoles to Figueres. Stage three will be the first mountain finish. The finish is on La Molina (12.2km at 4.4%). The day after the finish on La Molina, there is a new mountain stage, to the monastery of Montserrat (8.5km at 6.7%). After the fifth stage, from Paüls to Amposta, the last mountain stage to Queralt is on Saturday. The final climb is 6 kilometres long at an average of 7.2%. If the race isn’t decided after this stage, the traditional final stage around Barcelona with the famous Montjuïc climb, will-
Last year, Tadej Pogačar won the final overall, with four stage wins. The Slovenian will not be there this year, but Jonas Vingegaard will be at the start with Visma | Lease a Bike.
Teams for the Tour of Catalonia (24-30 March):
WorldTeams
Alpecin-Deceuninck
Arkéa-B&B Hotels
Bahrain Victorious
Cofidis
Decathlon Ag2r La Mondiale Team
EF Education-EasyPost
Groupama-FDJ
Ineos Grenadiers
Intermarché-Wanty
Jayco AlUla
Lidl-Trek
Movistar
Picnic PostNL
Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe
Soudal Quick-Step
Visma | Lease a Bike
UAE Emirates XRG
XDS Astana Team.
ProTeams
Burgos Burpellet BH
Caja Rural-Seguros RGA
Equipo Kern Pharma
Euskaltel-Euskadi
Israel-Premier Tech
Lotto.
Volta Ciclista a Catalunya Stages:
24.03 Stage 1: Sant Feliu de Guíxols – Sant Feliu de Guíxols
25.03 Stage 2: Banyoles – Figueres
26.03 Stage 3: Viladecans – La Molina
27.03 Stage 4: Sant Vicenç de Castellet – Monasterio de Montserrat
28.03 Stage 5: Paüls – Amposta
29.03 Stage 6: Berga – Nuestra Senore de Queralt
30.03 Stage 7: Barcelona – Barcelona.
Tadej Pogačar winning stage 3 of the Volta a Catalunya 2024:
19-year-old Italian Cyclist Dies after Training Crash
Italian cyclist, Sara Piffer, has died after a collision during training. The 19-year-old Piffer was cycling in her home region on Friday morning when she was hit by a car. Piffer died from her injuries.
Tuttobiciweb reported that Piffer was cycling with her brother Christian, an amateur rider. The two were hit by a car that was overtaking another car. Sara Piffer was in a serious condition, her brother Christian suffered minor injuries. The 19-year-old woman, who rode for the Italian Team Mendelspeck, was resuscitated by the emergency services, but unfortunately it too late.
Taken too young:
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