As the road season gets into full swing, EUROTRASH has all the news from the AlUla Tour and Surf Coast Classic with video, results, reports and rider quotes.
*** A slightly different looking EUROTRASH Thursday due to technical reasons. ***
TOP STORY:
- Wout van Aert now on shorter cranks
Rider news:
- Dispute between Wout van Aert and Nick Nuyens settled
- Nuyens also wants β¬662,000 from Visma | Lease a Bike in the Van Aert case
- Elia Viviani considers quitting
- Marianne Vos has to miss the cyclocross World championships
- Doubts about Thibau Nys riding the cyclocross World championship
- Lennard KΓ€mna looks forward to his comeback after rehabilitation
- Stefano Oldani suffers multiple fractures in ClΓ ssica Comunitat Valenciana crash
- Postman steals β¬9,000 from Remco Evenepoel
Team news:
- Cycling Canada announces 2025 UCI Cyclocross World championships roster
- Q36.5 is partner of the 2025 AlUla Tour for the leader jerseys
- Alejandro Valverde, Movistar Team ambassador
- IntermarchΓ© extends its partnership with team IntermarchΓ©-Wanty until 2028
- Shimano and UCI renew their partnership for the 2025-2028 period β Celebrating a partnership of over a quarter of a century
Race news:
- Paris-Roubaix 2025 & Paris-Roubaix Femmes avec Zwift 2025 team selection.
EUROTRASH coffee time!
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TOP STORY:
Wout van Aert Now on Shorter Cranks
Wout van Aert has changed his bike set-up for this season. The Visma | Lease a Bike rider has changed his crank length from 172.5mm down to 165mm. It was spotted in photos of his 2025 bike and was confirmed by his team to WielerFlits.
Recently riders have been turning to shorter cranks. Tadej PogaΔar was one of the first and obviously the most successful rider to go for the short cranks, he now races with 165mm cranks. Now Visma | Lease a Bike is also trying the same thing. Last year, the Dutch team said they were not interested and wouldnβt be going down that road. But now Van Aert has fitted shorter cranks. On the Belgianβs social media you can see the change has been made. Visma | Lease a Bikeβs component provider, SRAM, uses a colour code on the inside of their cranks for the different lengths. From yellow for 175mm to blue for 160mm.
Previous seasons, Van Aert used 172.5mm cranks. However, images on his social media show that he has switched to 165mm cranks. On his Instagram, a red line can be seen on the cranks of his CervΓ©lo R5-CX cross bike. Those cranks are 7.5 millimetres shorter, 15mm from top to bottom and a much smaller circle for the pedals.
Woutβs Cervelo:
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AlUla Tour 2025
Tim Merlier won the opening Stage 1 of the AlUla Tour. He beat Juan SebastiΓ‘n Molano (UAE Emirates XRG) in a bunch sprint. Arvid de Kleijn crashed in the run-up to the sprint, but his Tudor teammate Maikel Zijlaard was third.
The AlUla Tour started with a stage to and from Al Manshiyah Train Station, in the city of AlUla. The road was mainly flat, which made it likely that there would be a bunch sprint after 142.7 kilometres. Tim Merlier, Dylan Groenewegen, Fabio Jakobsen and Arvid de Kleijn were the main favourites before the start.
The βbreak of the dayβ was made up of six riders. Alexandre Vinokurov, the 22-year-old son of the London Olympic champion, who rides for the Astana XDS Development team, but was with the WorldTour team in AlUla. The Kazakh was joined by Masaki Yamamoto (JCL UKYO), Muhammad Nur Aiman ββBin (Terengganu), Kongphob Thimachai (Roojai Insurance) and two riders from the Saudi national team: Azzam Alabulmunim and Alhur Alkulaif. The two Saudis were still there when the lead increased to a maximum of 2:30. But with 50 kilometres to go, the two were dropped. At that point, the difference had been reduced to less than 1 minute. Soudal Quick-Step, Jayco AlUla, Picnic PostNL and Tudor were working for their sprinters.
With 20 kilometres to go, the last of the break was caught. Everyone was now getting ready for the sprint finis, but Arvid de Kleijn and Alexander Kristoff would not be in the battle, because they were involved in a crash 5 kilometres from the finish. Rafal Majka also crashed and could forget about a good overall. At the start of the last kilometre, Picnic PostNL were on the front. Jakobsen was in a good position in the final straight, but then riders came round him. Tim Merlier came past on the left and no one was a match for the European champion, who took the win. Juan SebastiΓ‘n Molano was able to keep his wheel, but couldnβt come past. Maikel Zijlaard was third after his sprint leader, Arvid de Kleijn, crashed.
Stage winner and overall leader, Tim Merlier (Soudal Quick-Step): βItβs always great to start the season with a victory, especially on your first day of racing. I like this event and the weather and Iβm happy I could win on the first day here. I knew I was in a good shape coming to the start, but I wanted to see exactly where I was after the winter, and Iβm delighted with the outcome. Getting a victory early in the season is good because it motivates the team even more. The sprint was nervous and it wasnβt easy to get everything in place, but we managed it in the end. The guys did a tremendous amount of work controlling the breakaway and Bert provided another perfect lead-out when it mattered. I lost him a bit with two kilometres to go, but came back in his wheel in the U-turn and he took me in an ideal position from where I started my sprint at the right moment. Iβm happy with this result, itβs a really nice confidence-boost.β
2nd on the stage and overall, Sebastian Molano (UAE Emirates XRG): βIt was a very fast finish. I knew Merlier would be the man the watch and I managed to get on his wheel on the final straight. He was very strong today and I couldnβt get around him. Iβm satisfied with the result although Iβm eager and hungry to get the first win of the season on the board. Overall Iβm happy with my shape and Iβll be looking for more opportunities this week. We had a couple of our guys caught up in a crash at the end but hopefully itβs nothing too serious and weβll live to fight another day.β
3rd on the stage and overall, Maikel Zijlaard (Tudor): βIt was a great start of the season. We felt like we were in control of the race all day, because of the way we worked together, but with five kilometres to go, Arvid crashed. We tried to make the best of it after that. I went for the sprint and that resulted in a great third place. Itβs nice to start the season like this. Weβll try again in the next sprint stages with Arvid.β
5th, Dylan Groenewegen (Jayco AlUla): βA first sprint is always hectic. With five kilometres to go, I was behind the crash. The team managed to get me back in position, but at the U-turn I lost my teammates a bit. I was a bit stuck, but in the final straight I almost rode back to the rear wheel of Max Walscheid. A rider from Picnic PostNL then swerved a bit too much to the right. We were so stuck and then it was too late to correct anythingββI did have the legs to do even better in the sprint. I hope that it will come out in the coming days.β
AlUla Tour Stage 1 Result:
1. Tim Merlier (Bel) Soudal Quick-Step in 3:10:21
2. Sebastian Molano (Col) UAE Emirates XRG
3. Maikel Zijlaard (Ned) Tudor
4. Matteo Moschetti (Ita) Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team
5. Dylan Groenewegen (Ned) Jayco AlUla
6. Max Walscheid (Ger) Jayco AlUla
7. Pierre Barbier (Fra) Wagner Bazin WB
8. Alberto Bruttomesso (Ita) Bahrain Victorious
9. Sasha Weemaes Wagner (Bel) Bazin WB
10. Andrea DβAmato (Ita) JCL Team Ukyo.
AlUla Tour Overall After Stage 1:
1. Tim Merlier (Bel) Soudal Quick-Step in 3:10:11
2. Sebastian Molano (Col) UAE Emirates XRG at 0:04
3. Maikel Zijlaard (Ned) Tudor at 0:06
4. Fredrik Dversnes (Nor) Uno-X Mobility at 0:07
5. Jens Reynders (Bel) Wagner Bazin WB at 0:08
6. Frank Van Den Broek (Ned) Team Picnic PostNL at 0:09
7. Matteo Moschetti (Ita) Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team at 0:10
8. Dylan Groenewegen (Ned) Jayco AlUla
9. Max Walscheid (Ger) Jayco AlUla
10. Pierre Barbier (Fra) Wagner Bazin WB.
AlUlaβ25 stage 1:
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Stage 2 of the 2025 AlUla Tour was won by Tom Pidcock (Q36.5). He was the best on the uphill finish Bir Jaydah Mountain Wirkah. The 25-year-old left Rainer Kepplinger and mountain biker Alan Hatherly behind him. Pidcock also took the leaderβs jersey from Tim Merlier. The final was confusing, because the race organisers decided to cancel the last local lap in the final due to a bad road surface on the last descent.
The opening part of the stage from AlUla Old Town turned out to be relatively easy, but after about 100 kilometres, the riders came to a difficult local lap, which they originally had to complete three times. The lap included Jaydah Mountain Wirkah (2.9km at 9.2%), a very steep climb with a maximum gradient of 15%. The finish line was on this 923-metre-high climb. In the early stages of the race, five riders escaped: Simone Raccani (JCL Team UKYO), Jens Reynders (Wagner-Bazin-WB), Malaysians Muhammad Shahmir Aiman ββAbd Halim and Muhammad Nur Aiman ββRosli from Terrenganu and Kongphob Thimachai (Roojai Insurance) from Thailand. The last two were dropped, the other three built up a maximum lead of almost 4 minutes. In the peloton, Picnic PostNL, Jayco AlUla and Q36.5 Pro Cycling did most of the work.
On the descent after the passage of the final climb and the finish, the surface was like gravel. This caused discussion in the peloton. The stage was neutralised a short time later. The leading group, now only of Reynders and Raccani, had to drop back into the peloton, after which the peloton rode the descent together. This led to a lot of confusion and stress in the peloton. Eventually, the race was restarted at 5.8 kilometres, but Reynders and Raccani only had 20 seconds of their lead, which at the time of the neutralisation was 1:30. Picnic PostNL immediately took the lead when the race started again, after which it became clear that the break had no chance. The race proper started a3.5 kilometres from the finish. Jayco-AlUla and Bahrain Victorious did the work, after which the pace increased in the last kilometre. Pidcock looked at the situation from the front and then launched his attack 500 metres from the finish. That was too much for everyone, Hatherly, who was third behind Pidcock in the Olympic Games mountain bike race) and Kepplinger were second and third.
Stage winner and overall leader, Tom Pidcock (Q36.5): βThis is a very important victory. How does this victory taste? I can taste the blood right now. Today was very important to me. I am now racing for a new team, with great people. I wanted to make them proud today. The team rode great and played my card completely. I was very motivated. I knew that my form was good, but it is a completely different situation. If you look at it objectively, I am currently in a very good position. But after a winter without competition, you train a lot on your own and you donβt know exactly where you stand. This is a confirmation and that is very nice. My first attack was more to test my legs. The goal was really to win the stage. Not so much the general classification, but to win a stage. Because of the wind, I decided to wait a bit longer with my attack. With 500 meters to go, I took advantage of a left turn and a slightly flatter passage. I started very quickly, but I held on. Today was the day to seize power. Itβs easier to control the race from now on than to gain time in the fourth stage. I have a buffer now, in a race where seconds matter. Everything is still possible, but itβs a very good starting position.β
2nd on the stage and overall, Rainer Kepplinger (Bahrain Victorious): βIβm super happy. I felt great before the race, and finishing second confirms that. Itβs a big confidence boost heading into Fridayβs Queen Stage, and now I start in second place overall.β
AlUla Tour Stage 2 Result:
1. Tom Pidcock (GB) Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team in 3:18:15
2. Rainer Kepplinger (Aust) Bahrain Victorious at 0:04
3. Alan Hatherly (SA) Jayco AlUla at 0:07
4. Eddie Dunbar (Irl) Jayco AlUla at 0:18
5. Stefan De Bod (SA) Terengganu Cycling Team at 0:21
6. Fredrik Dversnes (Nor) Uno-X Mobility at 0:27
7. Yannis Voisard (Sui) Tudor
8. Rafal Majka (Pol) UAE Emirates XRG
9. Hugo Aznar Vijuesca (Spa) Equipo Kern Pharma at 0:30
10. Alessandro Fancellu (Ita) JCL Team Ukyo at 0:34.
AlUla Tour Overall After Stage 2:
1. Tom Pidcock (GB) Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team in 6:28:26
2. Rainer Kepplinger (Aust) Bahrain Victorious at 0:08
3. Alan Hatherly (SA) Jayco AlUla at 0:13
4. Eddie Dunbar (Irl) Jayco AlUla at 0:28
5. Stefan De Bod (SA) Terengganu Cycling Team at 0:31
6. Fredrik Dversnes (Nor) Uno-X Mobility at 0:34
7. Yannis Voisard (Sui) Tudor at 0:37
8. Γ
dne Holter (Nor) Uno-X Mobility at 0:44
9. Frank Van Den Broek (Ned) Team Picnic PostNL at 0:48
10. Unai Iribar Jauregi (Spa) Equipo Kern Pharma at 0:50.
AlUlaβ25 stage 2:
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Surf Coast Classic β Women 2025
Ally Wollaston won the Surf Coast Classic in Australia on Wednesday. The FDJ-SUEZ rider won the sprint from the peloton in the streets of Torquay after 120 kilometres. She beat Chloe Dygert (Canyon//SRAM Racing zondacrypto) into second place and Georgia Baker (Liv AlUla Jayco) was third.
The Surf Coast Classic (UCI 1.1) is on the womenβs calendar for the first time this year and was created by the organisers of the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race to fill the week between the Tour Down Under. The Great Ocean Road Race for women is on Saturday.
The race had almost 1,300 metres of climbing, most of which were at the beginning of the race. There were also three small hills in the final, but the difference could not be made there either. In the mass sprint, the 24-year-old Wollaston was then clearly the fastest, ahead of Dygert and Baker.
Race winner, Ally Wollaston (FDJ-SUEZ): βI felt really, really strong today. The last few races Iβve been struggling mentally. Iβve found it hard to be present in the race and stay alert. I also didnβt have enough confidence that I was good enough to be there in the finals. But as soon as we started climbing today, I knew I was close to winning.β
Surf Coast Classic β Women Result:
1. Ally Wollaston (NZ) FDJ-SUEZ in 3:02:40
2. Chloe Dygert (USA) Canyon//SRAM Racing zondacrypto
3. Georgia Baker (Aus) Liv AlUla Jayco
4. Clara Copponi (Fra) Lidl-Trek
5. Alexandra Manly (Aus) AG Insurance-Soudal
6. Karlijn Swinkels (Ned) UAE Team ADQ
7. Teuntje Beekhuis (Ned) Uno-X Mobility
8. Lucie Fityus (Aus) St Michel-Preference Home-Auber93
9. Kathrin Schweinberger (Aust) Human Powered Health
10. KristΓ½na BurlovΓ‘ (CZ) Ceratizit.
Surf Coast Classicβ25:
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Tadej PogaΔar Talks About his Training
Tadej PogaΔar had a very successful 2024. In an interview with CyclingWeekly, the Slovenian opens up about his physical and mental training for his top year.
PogaΔar had a new trainer in 2024. He previously worked with Inigo San Milan, but started working with Javier Sola last year. βHe talks to me every day, so I can never slack off,β said the World champion. βNot that I ever slacked off, but it feels good to always have someone with you that you can trust and with whom you communicate really well. I also train a little differently: itβs more specific, more focused on the races that are coming up. I have some input for him, he has some input for me β certain new methods and new ways of training. So far itβs working well.β
What was his new training? βWe did a lot of VO2max work this year. And also a lot of Zone 2, where you work on your fatigue resistance,β the UAE Emirates leader talked about his ability to hold his power at the end of the race. βI think thatβs where Iβve improved the most: when Iβm tired, I donβt lose as much of my explosiveness anymore. Thatβs really an improvement for me.β
PogaΔar also did a lot of strength training in 2024, but not with a lot of weight, he pointed out. In addition, he has become βa bit more seriousβ when it comes to nutrition. And the three-time Tour winner now uses βmental techniquesβ to prepare for races. βI donβt talk to myself in a mirror, but sometimes, when I canβt sleep or before a race, I imagine a race situation. I imagine what could happen. So many things can happen in cycling that you have to be mentally prepared.β
New coach and mental training for PogaΔar:
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Dispute Between Wout van Aert and Nick Nuyens Settled
The dispute between Wout van Aert and Nick Nuyens has been settled. The Court of Cassation has confirmed an earlier ruling by the labor court in 2021. Nuyens will not receive his hoped-for β¬1.1 million in damages, but will have to make do with the β¬662,000 that Van Aert previously paid.
On September 17, 2018, Van Aert broke his contract with Sniper Cycling BVBA, the team Van Aert rode for at the time, to move to Jumbo-Visma. Nuyens didnβt agree with the move and took further action. The former rider took Van Aert to the labour court in 2018, after Van Aert had terminated his contract with the Verandaβs-Willems team and Nuyens βdue to urgent reasons and a breach of trustβ.
Nuyens demanded compensation of β¬1.1 million, but Van Aert was acquitted on 26 November 2019 at the labour court in Mechelen. The court in Mechelen ruled that there were indeed urgent reasons for dismissal for Van Aert, which is why the Lille resident was acquitted. However, Nuyens could still appeal to the Labour Court in Antwerp. He did so, successfully.
The Labour Court largely agreed with Nuyens. The termination of the employment contract was declared unfounded. The Labour Court ruled that the termination of the employment contract due to urgent reasons was unjustified and that Van Aert had to pay his former employer compensation. The sum was set at 662,041.31 euros, while Nuyensβ defense claimed 1.2 million euros in the appeal. Van Aert, who has been racing with Visma | Lease a Bike since 2019, then transferred this amount almost immediately.
Both parties nevertheless went to the Court of Cassation. Nuyens was of the opinion that the severance payment was too low and hoped for compensation of β¬1.1 million in this way. An official ruling has now been made in the case. βOn January 13, 2025, the Court of Cassation ruled in the case of cyclist Wout van Aert against his former employer/cycling team. The Court of Cassation rejected the cassation appeals of both parties against the judgment of the Antwerp Labor Court of 9 June 2021,β the Court announced.
βWith that ruling, the labor court sentenced Wout Van Aert to pay a severance payment of 662,041.31 euros because he had wrongfully terminated his employment contract for urgent reasons.β So, the previously transferred compensation of six hundred thousand euros remains in place, but Van Aert does not have to pay any more money.
Wout in deep water:
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Nuyens Also wants β¬662,000 from Visma | Lease a Bike in the Van Aert Case
The case between Wout van Aert and Nick Nuyens could have an unpleasant aftermath for Visma | Lease a Bike. The Court of Cassation confirmed an earlier ruling on Monday, meaning that Van Aert will not get back an amount of β¬662,000 that has already been transferred. Now that this decision has been made, Nuyens also wants to receive 662,000 euros from Van Aertβs Visma | Lease a Bike team via the UCI.
βItβs actually quite clear,β said Rudi Desmet, the lawyer for Nuyens and Sniper, in an interview with Het Laatste Nieuws. βA team that gives a rider a contract while he is actually still bound by a contract with another employer, must pay that initial employer compensation. According to the UCI regulations, that amount is the same as the severance payment for which the Labour Court convicted Van Aert.β
Van Aertβs lawyer Walter Van Steenbrugge has spoken to HLN. βThat is purely to destabilise Wout and his team. Typical Nuyens,β he says. βI have been working with Wout for six years. He does not let this throw him off balance.β
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Elia Viviani Considers Quitting
Elia Viviani may have ridden his last race. According to several Italian media, the 35-year-old rider is seriously considering hanging up his bike for a new job in cycling.
Viviani has had a long and successful career, and the Italian initially had no intention of hanging up his bike. The sprinter still had ambitions and dreams, as he said in an interview with Bikechannel in October. Viviani had to leave INEOS Grenadiers, but was said to be in talks with Q36.5 Pro Cycling, but does nothing seemed to come of it.
According to Tuttobiciweb, a farewell as a professional cyclist is βmore than likelyβ. If Viviani does indeed announce his retirement, there are two scenarios according to the Italian cycling website: A return to INEOS Grenadiers as a DS, or as coach of the Italian national team, particularly with the track squad.
Viviani was one of the fastest sprinters in the peloton, taking 89 professional wins. He won five stage wins in the Giro, three stage in the Vuelta and a stage in the Tour, won the Cyclassics Hamburg three times and was European champion in Alkmaar in 2019. He was also very successful on the track: World champion in the elimination race in 2021 and 2022 and won Olympic silver in the madison last year and Olympic gold in the omnium in 2016.
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Marianne Vos has to Miss the Cyclocross World Championships
Marianne Vos will not be in France for the Cyclocross World championships at the weekend. After her crash in the Maasmechelen World Cup, she suffered a calf injury. Although progress has been made, her recovery is not yet sufficient. Aniek van Alphen has now been called up as her replacement.
Marianne Vos didnβt have an ideal run-up to the Cyclocross World championships. After the eight-time World champion showed that she was coming into cross form with a fourth place in the Benidorm World Cup, she was hit by a calf injury last weekend. This resulted in an early withdrawal from the Hoogerheide World Cup cross last Sunday.
βMarianne has a painful calf after her fall in Maasmechelen. That was already the case during the warm-up. In the end, we taped her calf and agreed that if she really didnβt feel well, she would stop as a precaution, with the World Championship next week in mind,β team DS, Jan Boven told WielerFlits after the cross in Hoogerheide.
Vos hoped to be able to prepare for the Worlds, but the calf injury is currently slowing her down too much. In order not to take any risks and because the injury makes running difficult, it was decided that the Visma | Lease a Bike rider would not start the World Cyclocross championship. βOf course we find this incredibly unfortunate,β responded national coach Gerben de Knegt on the KNWU website.
βAs eight-time world champion, we would have liked to see Marianne make a bid for a new title, although we knew it would be difficult after her fall. We wish Marianne a speedy recovery.β Vos will not be making a bid for a ninth World title on Saturday. Now that Vos has decided to skip the upcoming Cyclocross World Championships, Aniek van Alpen will be in LiΓ©vin. The 25-year-old of Seven Racing was eligible for World championship selection, but lost out to Denise Betsema. Now Van Alphen will now be in the team.
No cross Worlds for Vos:
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Doubts about Thibau Nys Riding the Cyclocross World championship
Thibau Nys, the European and Belgian champion has been sick since last week and so didnβt start in Maasmechelen on Saturday and dropped out the next day, in Hoogerheide, after just two laps. He now has doubts about riding the World championship in LiΓ©vin on Sunday, according to his team.
Nys did not sound too optimistic before the start in Hoogerheide. βMy body is a bit at its limit. If I were to ride twice, I might completely ruin my World championship. At least it was not going well during the reconnaissanceβ, he told Het Laatste Nieuws.
Last Sunday, Nys started off quite well, he quickly fell away. After two laps he gave up. Nys was too disappointed to speak to the press afterwards and, according to information from Het Laatste Nieuws, already discussed with his trainer whether it would be useful to start at the World championship. βThibau is not going to a World championship to finish seventh at most,β the team said. They will wait and see in the coming days and only then will they assess whether Nys can still manage to do something in LiΓ©vin.
Thibau Nys sick:
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Lennard KΓ€mna Looks Forward to his Comeback after Rehabilitation
Lennard KΓ€mna will race again. The 28-year-old German, who had a serious training crash on Tenerife on 3 April 2024 and subsequently had to undergo months of rehabilitation, will make his comeback in the Tour of Catalonia (24-30 March).
Ten months ago, KΓ€mna was involved in a serious accident on the island of Tenerife while he was training. After a collision with a car, the rider spent several days in intensive care. He was then transferred to a normal hospital ward. There he was further treated for his injuries: several broken ribs and a contused lung. The all-rounder, Lidl-Trek rider, faced a long and tough rehabilitation, but there is now light at the end of the tunnel. βMy return to the peloton is getting closer. I am very happy about that. Things are going very well for me. I am on the right track and I have a very good feeling about it now,β he told Ciclo21.
Despite all the difficult moments in recent months, KΓ€mna continued to work on his recovery. βThe idea of ββquitting never really occurred to me, but it was a close call. It took a while, both physically and mentally, before I could convince myself that I really wanted to return to professional cycling 100%. With all the risks that entails. However, I now have a good feeling about racing again. I donβt think it has completely disappeared. In training I feel like I can get back to my old level. I look forward to the season with optimism and a very good feeling.β
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Stefano Oldani Suffers Multiple Fractures in ClΓ ssica Comunitat Valenciana Crash
Stefano Oldani has had a bad start to his season. The Italian of the Cofidis team suffered a heavy crash last Sunday in the ClΓ ssica Comunitat Valenciana, one of the first European races of the 2025 season. The 27-year-old rider is now out of action with multiple fractures.
Oldani fell very early in the ClΓ ssica Comunitat Valenciana. He crashed at 60kph early in the race, after a rider in front of him fell. The former Alpecin-Deceuninck rider suffered a triple fracture of his radius, a complicated fracture of his scaphoid, one of the carpal bones, and a fracture of the ulna. βIt goes without saying that I am demoralised,β Oldani said to Tuttobiciweb. βI will use all my energy to come back stronger than ever before. I want to thank the team for always being by my side. The people within the team have already helped me to recover as quickly as possible.β
Oldani moved from Alpecin-Deceuninck to Cofidis at the end of 2023. After some good performances with the Belgian team, including a stage win in the Giro dβItalia, the Italian hoped to step up French team. Last year Oldini broke his metacarpal bone in a crash in the GP La Marseillaise at the beginning of 2024, after which he had to undergo surgery, then in the Giro dβItalia he had to abandon the race due to illness.
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Postman Steals β¬9,000 from Remco Evenepoel
Remco Evenepoel was the victim of theft. A postman opened mail for Evenepoel, stole his new credit card and withdrew β¬9,000 euros. The perpetrator was arrested and was in court in Anderlecht.
Evenepoel was not the only victim. The postman, who used the money to finance his gambling addiction, stole several debit cards and codes. In total, he stole β¬19,500, according to the Belgian justice department. During a house search, the police found dozens of stolen cards. Among them was a credit card that was intended for Evenepoel. It was a card from a company in which the double Olympic champion was a shareholder.
The ball started rolling when a woman from Schepdaal did not receive her new debit card in the mail. In the meantime, however, money had been withdrawn from her account. Camera footage showed the postman in question at an ATM. The Belgian justice system is demanding 18 months in prison for the postman. A large part of that is conditional. The verdict will be given on 27 February.
Lost credit card for Remco:
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Cycling Canada Announces 2025 UCI Cyclo-Cross World Championships Roster
Cycling Canada has selected 22 athletes to represent the country at the 2025 UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships in LiΓ©vin, FRA, from Jan. 31 to Feb. 2.
Two-time World Mountain Bike Champion in the Women U23 category, Isabella Holmgren, will be on hand to add another jersey to her growing collection. In 2022, Holmgren won Junior Womenβs Cyclo-cross World Championships. She will be joined by Canadian Champions Ian Ackert, Γmilien Belzile and RafaΓ«lle Carrier, who sits atop the UCI Junior Womenβs Cyclo-cross rankings after several World Cup podiums.
βWe have another strong team ready for this yearβs Championships,β said National Team Coach, Michael Van den Ham. βAfter Carrier became the first ever Canadian to win a Cyclo-cross World Cup overall title last weekend and a number of other athletes earned personal best World Cup performances, Iβm excited to see what everyone is able to achieve both this weekend and in the future.β
Pan-American Champion Sidney McGill, bronze medalist at the Canadian Championships, will also be participating, accompanied by Alexander Woodford and Tyler Clark, who also stood on the podium at Nationals.
Racing starts on Jan. 31 with the Team Relay and continues with individual races over the weekend. Live timing will be available here.
Team Canada:
Ian Ackert β Severn, ON
Emilien Belzile β Sherbrooke, QC
Christiane Bilodeau β St. Albert, AB
RafaΓ«lle Carrier β Lac-Beauport, QC
Tyler Clark β Mono, ON
Mia De Martin β Saint-Colomban, QC
Sagan Goertz β Waterloo, ON
Aislin Hallahan β Peterborough, ON
Ava Holmgren β Orillia, ON
Isabella Holmgren β Orillia, ON
Nico Knoll β Calgary, AB
Farland Lamont β Midland, ON
Lily-Rose Marois β Lac-Beauport, QC
Sidney McGill β Edmonton, AB
DorothΓ©e Perron β Gatineau, QC
Monty Rigby β Vancouver, BC
Cody Scott β Courtenay, BC
Marie-Fay St-Onge β St-Denis-de-Brompton, QC
Maxime St Onge β St-Denis-de-Brompton, QC
Tristan Taillefer β Saint-Denis-de-Brompton, QC
Maya TassΓ© β Mendham, NJ
Katelyn Walcroft β Collingwood, ON
Alexander Woodford β Ottawa, ON.
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Q36.5 is Partner of the 2025 AlUla Tour for the Leader Jerseys
The Bolzano-based company Q36.5 is the official partner of the AlUla Tour 2025: the riders of the circuit compete for the leader jerseys signed by the brand.
At the AlUla Tour 2025 Tom Pidcockβs debut in the Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team. This year, Q36.5 is also a partner of the Tour of Oman.
Bolzano, 28th January 2025 β Q36.5, the Italian brand leader in technical cycling apparel, is the official partner of the 2025 AlUla Tour and Tour of Oman.
Q36.5 is providing the leader jerseys for both races. The overall leaders will wear the iconic Gregarius Pro Jersey by the Bolzano-based brand.
The two stage races will take place in Saudi Arabia from January 28 to February 1, 2025, and in Oman from February 8 to February 12, 2025.
In line with Q36.5βs commitment to keeping the cyclistβs body at a temperature of 36.5Β°C, the Gregarius Pro Jersey features an aerodynamic design, thanks to its modern raglan cut and the ribbed fabric on the sleeves, which follows the bodyβs mapping for a comfortable fit. The ultra breathable material of the front panels is combined with a honeycomb-structured fabric on the back to provide optimal thermoregulation, supporting the athlete through the most intense rides.
Weighing just 112 grams and suitable for temperatures above 18Β°C, the jersey is also equipped with Q36.5βs signature three-pocket system, offering space to store items without adding bulk or causing aerodynamic drag, as the mesh expands when needed and hugs the back when not in use.
The AlUla Tour features the Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team, with Tom Pidcock making his debut with the team.
The leader jerseys of the AlUla Tour, designed by Q36.5, are distinguished by four colours:
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β’ Green Jersey: General individual time classification Leader
β’ Red Jersey: General point classification Leader
β’ White Jersey: Best Young Rider
β’ Orange Jersey: Most Active Rider
Luigi Bergamo, CEO and Head of Research & Development at Q36.5 states: βWe are excited to sponsor this race for the first time! As always, it is an honour to have the opportunity to equip the best athletes in the world, offering them a jersey that, I hope, makes them βfeel the differenceβ of Q36.5 from the very first momentβ a difference driven by superior thermoregulation combined with cutting-edge aerodynamics and Italian craftsmanship.β
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Alejandro Valverde, Movistar Team Ambassador
The Spaniard will continue his role as an ambassador for the team of his life.
Next Sunday, he will take part in the first round of the Gravel Spanish Cup in Tres Cantos with the Movistar Team Gravel Squad.
Alejandro Valverde Belmonte (Murcia, 1980) retired as a professional cyclist in 2022 and has remained the same ever since: passionate about the sport that gave him everything and loyal to the team he rode for during 18 seasons (2005β2022).
Valverde, the face of Movistar Team
The Murcian cyclist will continue as an ambassador for the Movistar Team while also exploring other activities within the cycling world. Among his primary roles, he will continue to represent the team and participate in various Gravel races.
Specifically, next Sunday, Valverde will compete in the first round of the Gravel Spanish Cup, held in the Madrid town of Tres Cantos.
Alejandro Valverde (Movistar Team Ambassador): βI am very happy to continue as an ambassador within the Abarca Sports structure. In the end, itβs my family, my lifelong team, and itβs a source of pride for me to continue for another season. I will participate in Gravel races with the team and collaborate in activations presented alongside the teamβs sponsors.β
Eusebio UnzuΓ© (General Manager, Abarca Sports): βAlejandro is part of the Movistar Team family, and itβs a great honour for all of us to have someone of his human and sporting caliber. Itβs been nearly 20 years together, and we hope for many more to come.β
Valverde β Team ambassador for life:
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IntermarchΓ© Extends its Partnership with Team IntermarchΓ©-Wanty Until 2028
Intermarché and professional cycling team Intermarché-Wanty announced this Monday, January 27th the renewal of their partnership until the end of 2028. As title partner of the UCI World Team led by Jean-François Bourlart since 2021, Intermarché continues its commitment to the first Walloon team in the World Tour, which has achieved numerous successes in 2024, much like the Groupement Mousquetaires.
On the eve of IntermarchΓ©-Wantyβs first race of 2025 in Europe at the Challenge Mallorca, IntermarchΓ© and the World Team announced the continuation of their partnership for three more years in Paris, at the Terrasse des Champs-ΓlysΓ©es. In the presence of riders Biniam Girmay, Adrien Petit, and Hugo Page, the President of the Groupement Mousquetaires Thierry Cotillard, the IntermarchΓ© company manager in charge of sponsorship and partnerships SΓ©bastien Borg, and the General Manager of IntermarchΓ©-Wanty Jean-FranΓ§ois Bourlart met to formalise the continuation of this partnership, which has accumulated historical achievements since its beginning in 2021, thanks to an effective long-term development strategy and the construction of a solid and promising team.
Together since 2021, IntermarchΓ© and its cycling team have won more than 60 victories, including nine successes in the three Grand Tours, including a triple stage win in the Tour de France, the prestigious green jersey for best sprinter, and the Gent-Wevelgem classic. In each race, the team showcases its colours with an attractive racing style, cultivating the values of solidarity, proximity, and professionalism, managing to reach first place in the UCI rankings in January 2023. At the start of its fifth season at the highest level of cycling, IntermarchΓ©-Wanty presented a new Verge Sport kit reflecting this strengthened partnership with IntermarchΓ©.
Sharing the values of mutual aid and team spirit promoted by sport, IntermarchΓ© implements a sports sponsorship policy focused on football, rugby, and cycling, three major popular sports. In parallel with the partnership with IntermarchΓ©-Wanty in cycling, the IntermarchΓ© brand is proud to be an Official Partner of the French Football Federation (FFF) and all the French national teams, as well as a major partner of the menβs and womenβs Coupe de France. IntermarchΓ© honours amateur clubs with the βPetit Poucet IntermarchΓ©β (IntermarchΓ© Little Thumb) and promotes amateur womenβs football since 2022 through the βSensationnellesβ (Sensational) program. In rugby, IntermarchΓ© has been an official partner of the TOP 14 and Pro D2 via the National Rugby League (LNR), the two professional French rugby championships, since 2020.
IntermarchΓ© develops sports partnerships at the national level but also locally, as the business leaders are local economic players. Proximity, event organisation, and the differentiation of the 2,100 IntermarchΓ© points of sale through sport are more than ever part of IntermarchΓ©βs DNA.
Thierry Cotillard (Chairman Groupement Mousquetaires): βWe are pleased to continue our partnership with IntermarchΓ©-Wanty in the coming seasons and to contribute to their growing international presence. We share the same values: team spirit, perseverance, and solidarity. The team made a strong impression on the 2024 Tour de France, wearing the sprinterβs jersey for several weeks. This achievement reflects the βsprint yearβ we experienced within the Groupement in 2024, as well as the integration of almost 300 new stores.β
Christophe Chineau (Chairman IntermarchΓ©): βCycling is a popular sport that unites people and conveys values to which we are attached: discipline, teamworkβ¦ In our Groupement, as in a cycling team, success is collective and everyone contributes to it. We have faced many challenges in 2024, each on our own side, and we will continue our development.β
Jean-FranΓ§ois Bourlart (General Manager): βWe are incredibly pleased and proud to continue our long-standing partnership with IntermarchΓ©. This renewed partnership allows us to keep growing and build our future together. Winning and building is our vision for what lies ahead. With such a talented team and riders like Biniam Girmay, we are confident we can reach new heights. Our ambition is to shine in the Grand Tours, including the Tour de France, and compete for victory in the most prestigious classics, such as Milan-San Remo, the Tour of Flanders, and Paris-Roubaix. All united, we can achieve it.β
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Shimano and UCI Renew Their Partnership for 2025-2028 β Celebrating a Partnership of Over a Quarter of a Century
SHIMANO and the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) are proud to announce the continuation of their long-standing partnership. The renewal is made as the organisations celebrate working together for more than 25 years and both the UCI and Shimano look forward to working closely together for another four-year period (from 2025 to 2028).
As in the past four years, Shimano will continue to hold the status of UCI World Cycling Partner, in addition to being the UCIβs official Neutral Service Partner at the UCI World Championships for various disciplines.
The Shimano Neutral Service mechanics and drivers β easily recognisable thanks to their iconic blue cars β provide an important service to riders in major international events.
The UCI World Cycling Partner status reflects Shimanoβs shared values with the UCI, its passion for cycling and its strong involvement in the majority of UCI World Championship events including road, para-cycling road, track, para-cycling track, mountain bike, mountain bike marathon, BMX Racing, urban cycling (BMX Freestyle and trials), cyclo-cross, gravel and cycling esports.
UCI Director General, Ms. Amina Lanaya and UCI President, Mr. David Lappartient (right), stand alongside Shimano Europe President, Marc van Rooij, signalling their shared commitment to the sport of cycling for the next four years
Shimano will also be the main partner of the 2027 UCI Cycling World Championships, which will bring together some 20 UCI World Championships for different disciplines in Haute-Savoie, France.
Shimano Neutral Service and the UCI World Championships
Shimano is also the UCIβs official Neutral Service Partner for the UCI World Championships for road, para-cycling road, mountain bike (Olympic cross-country, cross-country short track, and downhill), mountain bike marathon, BMX Racing, urban cycling, cyclo-cross, and gravel, as well as for the 2027 UCI Cycling World Championships.
In this capacity, Shimano provides its Neutral Service and Technical Service to riders encountering mechanical difficulties during UCI World Championships, especially to competitors from National Cycling Federations that may not have the full resources to support their riders at such events.
UCI President, David Lappartient, said: βWe are delighted to renew the close and long-standing partnership between the Union Cycliste Internationale and Shimano, world leader in bicycle components. To be able to count on a partner of such stature represents a huge asset for our Federation and our sport, not only when it comes to our major events, but also for the development of cycling in countries that need help to get more of their riders to the top level.β
Shimano President, Taizo Shimano, said: βThe past 25 years of partnership with the UCI have been a remarkable journey of collaboration, innovation, and mutual growth. At Shimano, we are deeply committed to supporting cycling across all disciplines and levels. We are thrilled to renew our partnership to help shape the future of sport together. It is a privilege to contribute to cyclingβs evolution and success on the world stage.β
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Paris-Roubaix 2025 & Paris-Roubaix Femmes avec Zwift 2025 Team Selection
Paris-Roubaix Femmes avec Zwift website
Paris-Roubaix website
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