Another full EUROTRASH Thursday: Two more stages of the Giro d’Italia – A time trial and a hilly stage to shake things up a bit. All the news from Italy with video, race reports, results and what the riders think. Plus the USA Time Trial Titles – Pro Road National Championships 2025.
TOP STORY:
- The final stage of the Tour de France with three cobbled climbs to Montmartre is not popular with everyone
Rider news:
- Johan Museeuw accepts disqualification in Marly Grav: “If that’s cheating for them, okay…”
- Tom Dumoulin on Chris Froome: “Too bad he keeps racing”
- Enric Mas renews with Movistar Team until 2029
- Wout van Aert takes Mathieu van der Poel’s KOM in Siena
- André Greipel steps down as German national coach
Team News:
- Visma | Lease a Bike Development Team strengthens with promising Brit
- Lotto Cycling Team and Vermarc Sport extend partnership by two years
Race news:
- 90 years of La Vuelta, an opportunity to look to the future
- Lloyds Tour of Britain Women race jerseys revealed as Ale partnership for race announced
Plus:
- Video of Wout van Aert’s top 10 wins of all time (out of 50!)
EUROTRASH coffee time.
TOP STORY:
Final Tour de France Stage of Tour de France to have Three Cobbled Climbs to Montmartre
ASO, the Tour organiser, announced last week that the route of the final stage will tackle the cobbled climb to Montmartre, but on Wednesday they released all the details and the cobbled climb will have to be climbed three times.
The cobbled climb to Montmartre, the Butte Montmartre, was used in the 2024 Olympic road race. This cobbled climb to the Sacré-Cœur is 1.1 kilometres long and has an average gradient of 5.9%. Mathieu van der Poel made a break here, but it was Remco Evenepoel who soloed to the gold medal in the men’s race. Kristen Faulkner won the women’s race.
The Tour de France has usually finished with a bunch sprint on the Champs-Élysées. This year, the Tour will finish with a few laps on the wide avenue in the 8th arrondissement of Paris, but before that, the peloton will have to climb the Butte Montmartre three times. That should ensure that the usually unexciting final stage will be more spectacular and the attackers will have more chance of a win. The first passage of the Butte Montmartre is 40 kilometres from the finish, the second is 23 kilometres out and the last time over Butte Montmartre it is only 6 kilometres from the finish.
2025 Tour de France stage 21 profile:
Wout van Aert Fears Chaotic Montmartre Stage in the Tour
For Wout van Aert, the route offers him different opportunities for victory, but the Belgian is not impressed by the Montmartre stage. Van Aert: “I’m not really a fan of it,” the Visma | Lease a Bike rider told Sporza before the start of the eleventh stage of the Giro d’Italia. “I think it will be a dangerous ride. The course is obviously something that suits me, especially when that last climb is six kilometres from the finish. That opens up perspectives for classic riders like me. But they are ignoring the fact that we arrived there in the Games with a peloton of fifty riders and now with an entire Tour peloton, where many classification riders still have something to defend. I expect chaos if they take the same narrow streets towards the climb (the approach to the slope is not exactly the same as during the Olympic Games). Then I think it’s a shame that we are going to look for that. I understand that the organisers thought: ‘that looks cool, we should try to use that’. But in recent years, safety has become more and more of an issue and this choice for Montmartre ignores that.”
Van Aert and Van der Poel in Paris:
Jonas Vingegaard is Also Not in Favour of the Cobbled Climb to Montmartre
Jonas Vingegaard also isn’t keen on the Montmartre Finish. “Honestly, I don’t need it,” two-time Tour winner Jonas Vingegaard said in an interview with Het Laatste Nieuws. “During the Olympic Games it looked good: lots of people, great atmosphere, beautiful images. But then there were only fifty riders in the race, this summer 150 riders will want to choose a position on a very narrow climb. That could cause more stress than they actually want. In this way, it could be that the last stage is suddenly important for the classification. But more details are needed first. We don’t know enough yet. We know that we have to go over Montmartre, but is that ten kilometres from the finish or do we have to ride laps on the Champs Elysées afterwards? That’s a big difference.”
Vingegaard prefers the final stage on the Champs-Élysées:
Remco Evenepoel Also Doesn’t Want to Climb Montmartre in the Tour
Remco Evenepoel previously also spoke out about including the cobbled climb in the Tour de France route: “Don’t make it too complicated and just stick to that local circuit. I think there will be enough battle for positioning in the first week of the Tour. With Montmartre added, that would mean we have to do the same on the last day. We will be tired enough by then,” he said to Sporza. “Every year, the sprinters get a big chance to sprint for a stage win on the Champs-Elysées. That chance is then somewhat taken away from them by having to make three three-minute efforts. In my opinion, Montmartre is an unnecessary obstacle.”
Evenepoel attacking in Paris:
Giro d’Italia 2025
Daan Hoole (Lidl-Trek) was the surprise winner of the second individual time trial Stage 10 of the Giro d’Italia. The Dutch time trial champion beat the obvious pre-stage favourite; Joshua Tarling (INEOS Grenadiers) in Pisa. In the battle for the overall, Primoz Roglič (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe) put up the best time, but Isaac Del Toro (UAE Emirates XRG) held the pink jersey.
A time trial awaits the Giro peloton after the second rest day. The race against the clock is between Lucca and Pisa and described as ‘very fast and ridden in a south-westerly direction’. The route is much the same as the time trial that was won by the Norwegian Knut Knudsen in the 1977 Giro. There isn’t much uphill, but towards the Foto di San Guilano tunnel the road does climb, before levelling off towards the San Guilano Terme. The riders enter the city of the leaning tower via the Pisa Aqueduct.
Due to the rain in the Pisa area, the roads were very slippery. Primoz Roglič crashed before the time trial while riding the route in the morning, slipping on a right-hand bend. Fortunately for the Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe leader, it was a relatively harmless crash and the damage was limited. The time trial was opened by Alexander Krieger (Alpecin-Deceuninck) at 13:20. The first target time came from Ethan Hayter. The British time trial champion set a final time of 32:40 after fast intermediate times, at an average speed of 52.530kph. Hayter sat in the ‘hot seat’ and watched the other time trialists: Josef Černý (33:54) and Edoardo Affini (32:54) fall short, but then Daan Hoole manage to wipe the Briton’s time off the table. The reigning Dutch time trial champion of Lidl-Trek was 10 seconds faster than Hayter at the finish line with 32:30 and looked to serious challenger to top favourite Joshua Tarling.
Tarling was looking fats at the first intermediate point. After 8.3 kilometres he was 17 seconds faster than Hoole. Van Aert was already at this point, as the Belgian had already lost 20 seconds to Tarling. Was it going to be a walk-over for the young Brit? No, because Tarling had clearly done too much at the before first timing point and lost his power in the second part of the time trial. Tarling lost 4 seconds to Hoole at the second intermediate point in Asciano after 20.5 kilometres and couldn’t make it back up before the finish. The top favourite for the stage win, eventually finished 7 seconds down on Hoole, who looked on the way to the stage victory. With Tarling and Van Aert, his biggest competitors, already finished, Hoole still had to wait for the GC men. Marco Frigo and Mattia Cattaneo went under the Dutchman’s time at the first intermediate point, but couldn’t hold their pace and came up well short at the finish line. The next worry was Mathias Vacek. Hoole’s Czech teammate was 5th in the first time trial in Tirana, he started very fast today, but also was not as fast over the final kilometres as Hoole.
The first GC riders were out on the flat course, but they had to contend with much worse conditions than Hoole, as the rain had started to fall. This was to the advantage of the Netherland champion, who had ridden in the dry. This was evident from the intermediate times of Derek Gee, Thymen Arensman, Primoz Roglič and Brandon McNulty. These normally fast-men against the clock didn’t come close to Hoole’s time. The battle for the stage victory seemed to be over and so the attention turned to the battle between the riders looking for a final top overall placing. Juan Ayuso was looking the best of the GC men. The Spaniard rode a particularly strong time trial and was faster than the others, including Roglič, but the heavy rain started again. As a result, he lost quite a bit of ground to the Slovenian in the final section. Roglič made a big jump in the overall rankings. The Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe leader is now up to fifth overall. His now only at 1:18 down Isaac Del Toro, who managed to keep the pink jersey with a strong ride. The Mexican’s teammate, Ayuso is at 25 seconds, Antonio Tiberi 1:01 and Simon Yates 1:03. Further down is Brandon McNulty at 2 minutes, Adam Yates at 2:06, Giulio Ciccone 2:07, Richard Carapaz 2:10 and Thymen Arensman at 2:27. The Dutchman started the day in 13th place, but moved into the top 10. His INEOS-Grenadiers teammate, Egan Bernal, dropped to eleventh.
# You can see more photos in the full ‘PEZ Stage Report’ HERE. #
Stage winner, Daan Hoole (Lidl-Trek): “I didn’t mind the rain. I just focused on this TT. Once on the hot seat, I asked the team how the weather would be later. It rained for the GC guys, but I couldn’t change anything. Had you asked me yesterday who’d win the TT, I’d have said Josh Tarling because he’s the best time triallist at the moment. Primoz Roglič also did well recently. I made the difference on the hill. I started fast but kept something for this small drag up, then I pushed and the numbers were good. It feels surreal. To win a stage of the Giro is incredible. It’s something you dream about a lot of times. I didn’t know I was going to achieve it one day. I’m just super happy and proud, also because in TT you have to do it by yourself. A lot of people told me to believe in it. It’s quite funny to win here. I attended one wedding and it was in Pisa. Italy is such a beautiful country. I’m happy to win here. It’s crazy and unexpected.”
Overall leader, Isaac Del Toro (UAE Emirates XRG): It’s been a good day because I didn’t crash. I didn’t take risk in the corners. The race is putting everyone in his position, all of us from UAE Team Emirates XRG are up there on GC. It’s amazing for the team. That means a lot. It’ll be the decision of team managers and sports directors to tell me to try and maintain the Maglia Rosa or race for my team mates. I’m fine with everything. It depends on how the race unfolds. I want to believe that I can win the Giro, but I’d need to have my best legs ever, like on the stage to Siena. I hope to have other days like that. It isn’t a problem for me to wake up with the Maglia Rosa, it’s a problem to fall asleep.”
4th overall, Simon Yates (Visma | Lease a Bike): “It was definitely a good day. After changing teams, it took me a while to adapt to the new time trial setup, which I’m actually very happy with. That adjustment period is paying off now. I think I can still improve, but considering the conditions, it was a good day. It’s great to have moved up to fourth. I want to stay focused and hopefully play a strong role in the mountains during the final week. There’s still a long way to go in this Giro, but so far, everything is going according to plan.”
3rd overall, Antonio Tiberi (Bahrain Victorious): “The conditions were really bad. I started from Lucca and faced the most technical section in the rain. Then, in the middle section, the road was almost dry, but at the end, on another technical section, the rain returned. I was very scared on the corners; from the beginning, leaving the walls of Lucca, I felt the asphalt was very slippery and the bike was going to give way. I rode with the goal of not crashing, so I lost some time in the corners, but where I could push, I felt I had good legs. I knew from the start that Ayuso or Roglič could gain some time on me; I had that in mind, but I want to see how I stack up against the other competitors.”
4th overall, Simon Yates (Visma | Lease a Bike): “It was definitely a good day. After changing teams, it took me a while to adapt to the new time trial setup, which I’m actually very happy with. That adjustment period is paying off now. I think I can still improve, but considering the conditions, it was a good day. It’s great to have moved up to fourth. I want to stay focused and hopefully play a strong role in the mountains during the final week. There’s still a long way to go in this Giro, but so far, everything is going according to plan.”
5th overall, Primoz Roglič (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe): “The reconnaissance was more challenging” “I did well today and I’m happy with my performance. Luckily, the reconnaissance of the time trial was also in the pouring rain, which made it actually more challenging than the real time trial, which only had a few wet parts here and there. Every meter that was dry today made me happy.”“I’m in balance now”“On Sunday I fell on my left side, today I slid a bit on my right side. We’ll see. As we say here: pain that doesn’t reach the heart is not worth mentioning. Actually, only my shoulder hurts.”“It’s going to be a tough ride. It’s up to me to recover a bit for the even tougher stages. I don’t have a choice, because we’re here now and we have to keep going. A lot is still going to happen and I’m going to do my best, it’s that simple.”
3rd on the stage, Ethan Hayter (Soudal Quick-Step): “Leaving Lucca, the roads were still a bit wet from the rain this morning. There were a few corners where I could have gone faster, and the wind was also a factor today, but overall, it was a good time trial for me. I was hoping for a good result, but I didn’t think I’d end up on the podium. It’s my first top-three finish in a Grand Tour stage, and the fact that it was in a time trial makes me happy. It’s a result that gives me a lot of confidence for the upcoming stages.”
5th on the stage, Edoardo Affini (Visma | Lease a Bike): “I’m quite satisfied with my time trial. It was a fast course, and I think I rode a good race. There were just some stronger riders today. The credit goes to them.”
10th on the stage, Xabier Mikel Azparren Iruzun (Q36.5): “The preparation for this race started many months ago. This time trial was always a big goal for me and the team. My main objective was to win, and that’s what we train for. At this level, everything has to go perfectly, and today we had some small issues. I think a top-five finish was really possible if everything had gone perfectly. I’m very happy with the legs I had today. They were great, and that gives me a lot of confidence for the coming days. I hope to win a stage and be there for Tom and Matteo as much as possible.”
Wout van Aert (Visma | Lease a Bike): “Not a fun time trial to have bad legs” “I suffered”“It’s not a fun time trial to have bad legs”“I got the intermediate times and I also had the feeling that I wasn’t up to it.”“Is this due to the efforts on Sunday? “I think so”“I had hoped that I would have recovered better, but it wasn’t going to happen.”“Yes, I had that feeling too, but it’s still too soon after the finish to analyse this.”“It could also just be that my legs weren’t good enough. I can’t explain it. The riders in front of me were just better”
Egan Bernal (INEOS Grenadiers): “I crashed at the start of the stage, so it’s normal that I lost some time. The course was tricky, with roads made slippery by the rain. I’m still riding high on adrenaline, so I haven’t fully felt the effects of the crash yet. So far, the time loss has been the worst consequence. The Giro is a race that always has to be taken day by day, and we’ll continue to do so.”
Giro d’Italia Stage 10 Result:
1. Daan Hoole (Ned) Lidl-Trek in 32:30
2. Joshua Tarling (GB) INEOS Grenadiers at 0:07
3. Ethan Hayter (GB) Soudal Quick-Step at 0:10
4. Mattia Cattaneo (Ita) Soudal Quick-Step at 0:23
5. Edoardo Affini (Ita) Visma | Lease a Bike at 0:24
6. Jay Vine (Aus) UAE Emirates XRG at 0:37
7. Luke Plapp (Aus) Jayco AlUla at 0:44
8. Marco Frigo (Ita) Israel-Premier Tech at 0:47
9. Michael Hepburn (Aus) Jayco AlUla at 0:50
10. Xabier Mikel Azparren Iruzun (Spa) Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team at 0:54.
Giro d’Italia Overall After Stage 10:
1. Isaac Del Toro Romero (Mex) in 34:11:37
2. Juan Ayuso Pesquera (Spa) UAE Emirates XRG at 0:25
3. Antonio Tiberi (Ita) Bahrain Victorious at 1:01
4. Simon Yates (GB) Visma | Lease a Bike at 1:03
5. Primož Roglič (Slo) Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe at 1:18
6. Brandon McNulty (USA) UAE Emirates XRG at 2:00
7. Adam Yates (GB) UAE Emirates XRG at 2:06
8. Giulio Ciccone (Ita) Lidl-Trek at 2:07
9. Richard Carapaz (Ecu) EF Education-EasyPost at 2:10
10. Thymen Arensman (Ned) INEOS Grenadiers at 2:27.
Giro’25 stage 10:
The hilly Stage 11 of the Giro d’Italia was won by Richard Carapaz (EF Education.EasyPost). The Ecuadorian rode away from the other favourites on the final climb and then soloed to victory. Isaac Del Toro (UAE Emirates XRG) led-in a chase group 10 seconds later, to hold the leader’s pink jersey. Giulio Ciccone (Lidl-Trek) and Tom Pidcock (Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team) were third and fourth on the stage.
The stage starts relatively easily, but after 80 of the 185 kilometres the route gets much harder. After about two hours of racing, the Giro starts the Alpe San Pellegrino (14.2km at 8.7%). It is a difficult Cat 1 climb with ramps of up to 20%. After a long, twisty descent, there are the climbs to Toano (11.2km at 4.9%) and the Pietra di Bismantova (6.5km at 5.2%). After the summit, there are 5 kilometres of undulating roads before the finish in Castelnovo ne’ Monti. A stage for a break? The GC men might have tired legs after the time trial.
A battle was expected for the early break. Wout van Aert made the first attack of the day, after which there was a big group of over 80 rider who attempt to ride away from the peloton. In that group was Bart Lemmen, Daan Hoole, Mads Pedersen, Milan Vader, Mattia Cattaneo, Wilco Kelderman, Steven Kruijswijk, Wout Poels and overall leader Del Toro. Although after 60 kilometres there was still no escape. Before the climb of the San Pellegrino, Poels and Kelderman managed to get away. Then around 30 riders managed to cross at the start of the climb. Among them were Luke Plapp, Lorenzo Fortunato, Filippo Zana, Nairo Quintana, Daan Hoole, Mads Pedersen, Matias Vacek, Bart Lemmen and Steven Kruijswijk. Kruijswijk rode at a stiff pace up the San Pellegrino and the gap quickly grew to more than 1 minute. Halfway up the climb, Fortunato attacked. Egan Bernal rode hard on the San Pellegrino in the peloton. The Colombian thinned out the group of favourites to about 10 riders. One by one, the early escapees were caught, except for Poels, Plapp, Fortunato, Quintana and Pello Bilbao. One of the victims of Bernal’s attack was Thymen Arensman. The Dutchman was dropped quite quickly, but was able to recover quickly on the descent and return.
The new lead group of five took more time on the group of favourites, where more and more riders were able to come back. With 55 kilometres to go, Poels, Plapp, Bilbao, Fortunato and Quintana had a 2:20 lead on the peloton and might just have a chance to fight for the stage win. It looked for a long time like they would succeed. Pedersen had his men work on the front of the peloton with 45 kilometres to go, but it didn’t look like Lidl-Trek would be able to close the gap. Until Pedersen decided to pull hard himself. At the foot of the final climb, the gap was now only 20 seconds and it was the end of the story for the five riders at the front. Poels made one last bid for glory at the front, but it was too late. Richard Carapaz then attacked on the Pietra di Bismantova and immediately had a gap on the other GC riders. The Ecuadorian soon had a 30 second lead on the peloton and the stage victory was in sight. In the last 5 kilometres, Carapaz was flying and nothing was going to stop him. In Castelnovo ne’ Monti, he took his first stage victory in the Giro d’Italia in six years. Del Toro and Giulio Ciccone finished in second and third place, with Tom Pidcock in fourth.
# You can see more photos in the full ‘PEZ Stage Report’ HERE. #
Stage winner, Richard Carapaz (EF Education-EasyPost): “This stage being a quite difficult one and many people suffering since the first climb, I had good legs and I caught the opportunity to attack at the indicated moment. It could have split the group and I found myself alone, so it’s been a time trial for me till the finish line. I wasn’t disappointed yesterday. I know time trialing isn’t my forte. I saved everything I could. It gave me confirmation that I have good legs and I can continue fighting. It’s something special and emotional to win this stage because it comes after a lot of work and I wanted to please my family, my friends. I’ll try till the end to win the Giro. We have great opponents. I won’t stop fighting until we arrive in Rome.”
Overall leader and 2nd on the stage, Isaac Del Toro (UAE Emirates XRG): “Today the team did a great job, I couldn’t be more proud to be around this group and the help they give me. When Carapaz went we waited and set a steady, hard pace behind but he was flying and hard to bring back. I managed to take some seconds from our rivals so we are on the front foot heading into the next days.”
4th on the stage, Thomas Pidcock (Q36.5): “Carapaz’s ride was impressive. I owe it to Damo (Howson) and Mark (Donovan) that this race was still within reach for me. I got dropped on the long climb and they got me back up. I wasn’t near my best on that long climb. It was one of these days we thought it could be a breakaway day but it ended up being a GC day making it very tough. I asked Mark and Damo to pull and see what would come of it. That attack by Carapaz was pretty impressive to be honest. For me, I still take this race day by day.”
10th overall, Thymen Arensman (INEOS Grenadiers): “I felt really bad at the San Pellegrino. I knew I wasn’t well from the moment I got up in the morning. I felt very swollen and congested, but Egan wanted to attack. Although I had to drop, luckily I had the confidence to recover after that and was able to maintain my pace on the steep climb. The climb was at least a good refresher for the body. In the final stretch, I felt good again, especially when Carapaz attacked. Yes, I really improved a lot during the day.”
16th on the stage, Davide Piganzoli (Polti VisitMalta): “It was the hardest stage so far in the Giro d’Italia. The pace was very high in San Pelegrino and there was a selection, but I was able to get back to the main group and I stayed with them until the finish. In a stage with more than 3,000 metres of elevation gain, seeing that I can be with them fills me with ambition for the tough stages to come.”
41st on the stage, Wilco Kelderman (Visma | Lease a Bike): “I finally got a good night’s sleep last night. That’s good for me today. The plan was to be with some guys in the breakaway, although it also depended on Simon Yates’s condition.”
Break rider, Luke Plapp (Jayco AlUla): “When you’ve already won a stage, you can gamble a bit more. The others were a bit more determined to make the breakaway work. I tried to gamble and keep my cards close to my chest. I tried to pretend I was really bad, but I actually felt really good. But even if I had been riding full throttle, I don’t think we would have stayed ahead. So it was worth gambling and going all in for the win. On the final climb I was happy that I could still help Chris (Harper). I had fun pretending not to feel good, I have some friends at home with whom I’ve talked a lot about this. You’re just a lot more relaxed when you’ve won a stage. And a happy cyclist is a fast cyclist, so I really tried to enjoy it.”
Damien Howson (Q36.5): “It was very fast at the start. I had never done that climb before but it was pretty much a 45-minute threshold effort and then some more after that. It was super demanding. I had a minute head start on the climb which enabled me to crest it at the front. Then it was about staying composed. Tom showed his class at the finish again so all-in all a good day out.”
Giro d’Italia Stage 11 Result:
1. Richard Carapaz (Ecu) EF Education-EasyPost in 4:35:20
2. Isaac Del Toro Romero (Mex) UAE Emirates XRG at 0:10
3. Giulio Ciccone (Ita) Lidl-Trek
4. Tom Pidcock (GB) Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team
5. Egan Arley Bernal Gomez (Col) INEOS Grenadiers
6. Antonio Tiberi (Ita) Bahrain Victorious
7. Juan Ayuso Pesquera (Spa) UAE Emirates XRG
8. Einer Rubio Reyes (Col) Movistar
9. Derek Gee (Can) Israel-Premier Tech
10. Diego Ulissi (Ita) XDS Astana.
Giro d’Italia Overall After Stage 11:
1. Isaac Del Toro Romero (Mex) UAE Emirates XRG in 38:47:01
2. Juan Ayuso Pesquera (Spa) UAE Emirates XRG at 0:31
3. Antonio Tiberi (Ita) Bahrain Victorious at 1:07
4. Simon Yates (GB) Visma | Lease a Bike at 1:09
5. Primož Roglič (Slo) Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe at 1:24
6. Richard Carapaz (Ecu) EF Education-EasyPost at 1:56
7. Giulio Ciccone (Ita) Lidl-Trek at 2:09
8. Brandon McNulty (USA) UAE Emirates XRG at 2:16
9. Adam Yates (GB) UAE Emirates XRG at 2:33
10. Thymen Arensman (Ned) INEOS Grenadiers.
Giro’25 stage 11:
USA Time Trial Titles – Pro Road National Championships 2025
Day three of the 2025 USA Cycling Pro Road National Championships kicked off Wednesday morning with the Under-23 and Elite Men’s and Women’s Individual Time Trials. Throughout the day, intermittent rain created unpredictable course conditions.
Elite Men
Twenty-two athletes took to the streets of Charleston, each battling the clock for a shot at the National Title. On a damp course, riders completed 33.4-kilometers alongside the Kanawha River. It was anybody’s race, especially with the ever-changing course conditions. After the second wave of Elite Men, Anders Johnson (Huntsville, Utah) settled into the hot seat with a blistering time of 39:09.49. Ultimately, Johnson was dethroned by Artem Shmidt (Cumming, Ga.; Ineos Grenadiers) who took the course by storm, posting both the fastest intermediate split of the day and winning time of 39:03.08. After the race, Shmidt said, “It was a super-fast course. Pretty windy this year compared to last year, and it was a very close race.”Joshua Lebo (West Simsbury, Conn.; CS Velo Racing) had a great ride, crossing the line in 39:21.29 to round out the podium.
Results:
1. Artem Shmidt (Cumming, Ga.; Ineos Grenadiers)
2. Anders Johnson (Huntsville, Utah)
3. Joshua Lebo (West Simsbury, Conn.; CS Velo Racing)
Elite Women
The Elite Women’s Time Trial was stacked with 23 riders, including Paris 2024 Olympic Road Race gold medalist Kristen Faulkner (Homer, Alaska; EF Education-Oatly) and 2024 Under-23 National Champion Betty Hasse (Providence, R.I.; Hess Cycling Team). As each rider rolled through and completed their 33.4-kilometer effort, all eyes were on Faulkner as she rode down the start ramp. However, Emily Ehrlich (Slater, S.C.; Virginia’s Blue Ridge TWENTY24) was flying through the course, clocking the fastest intermediate split of 21:23.35, over two seconds ahead of Faulkner. Ehrlich continued to gain on Faulkner through the second half of the course, finishing in a time of 43:04.01 and earning herself the National Title. Faulkner rode strong, finishing 27.51 seconds behind to claim silver. Alia Shafi (Seattle, Wash.; Fount Cycling Guild) put down impressive split times to round out the podium with a bronze.
“Today, what can I say, it was awesome,” said Ehrlich. “I’ve been working really hard for this for the past few years just trying to get better and better at this discipline as much as I can. It kind of felt like things were starting to finally come together this year, and I’m really happy to say that it looks like it really is.” She continued, “This is everything for me. If there was one thing in cycling when I started riding and racing that I wanted to do, this was it. This really feels like a culmination of it all for me.”
Results:
1. Emily Ehrlich (Slater, S.C.; Virginia’s Blue Ridge TWENTY28)
2. Kristen Faulkner (Homer, Alaska; EF Education-Oatly)
3. Alia Shafi (Seattle, Wash.; Fount Cycling Guild)
Emily Ehrlich:
Under-23 Men
Thirty-six athletes lined up for the Under-23 Men’s Time Trial, ready to take on the 33.4-kilometer, two-lap course in pursuit of the Stars and Stripes jersey. With energy conservation and pacing key on this course, riders had to navigate shifting winds and time their efforts strategically. Cole Kessler (Thousand Oaks, Calif.; Lidl-Trek Future Racing) delivered the ride of the day, edging out Owen Cole (Chapel Hill, N.C.; Team Winston Salem – Flow) by nearly 50-seconds to claim the National Title. Kessler stopped the clock at 39:11.46, earning him the coveted jersey.
“I had a solid plan going in,” said Kessler. “I wanted to hold a consistent power early on. The wind picked up toward the end, so I took advantage of the tailwind on the way out and saved everything for the headwind coming back. I emptied the tank from the last roundabout.” Kessler went on to say, “I haven’t won a race in four years, so this feeling is amazing.”
Results:
1. Cole Kessler (Thousand Oaks, Calif.; Lidl-Trek Future Racing)
2. Owen Cole (Chapel Hill, N.C.; Team Winston Salem – Flow)
3. Garin Kelley (Fort Worth, Texas; XSpeed United Continental)
Under-23 Women
Fourteen Under-23 Women raced one lap of the 16.7-kilometer time trial course. Chloe Patrick (Carson, Calif.; Cynisca Cycling) improved on last year’s second place performance, stopping the clock at 22:24.19, earning gold. Mia Aseltine(Littleton, Colo.; Competitive Edge Racing) rode a strong race to finish in second place with a time of 22:36.12. Jorja Bond (Golden, Colo.; CCB p/b Levine Law Group) secured the bronze medal.
“This means a lot to me after getting second place last year,” said Patrick. “I’ve been thinking about it all year. It’s been a big motivator for my training and I’m really excited to have pulled it off in the end.”
Results:
1. Chloe Patrick (Carson, Calif.; Cynisca Cycling)
2. Mia Aseltine (Littleton, Colo.; Competitive Edge Racing)
3. Jorja Bond (Golden, Colo.; CCB p/b Levine Law Group)
Up Next
Racing continues tomorrow evening in downtown Charleston with the Junior and U23 Criteriums for both men and women.
Follow along throughout the week on social media @USACycling, along with the live timing and livestream on FloBikes. Learn more about how to watch the events here.
USA Cycling’s supporting partner for this event includes HOVERAir, the Official Flying Camera of USA Cycling, who shares our mission to elevate the sport and inspire the next generation of cyclists.
Artem Shmidt:
Johan Museeuw Accepts Disqualification in Marly Grav: “If That’s Cheating for Them, Okay…”
Johan Museeuw was at the start of Marly Grav, a gravel race in Valkenburg, earlier this month. The 59-year-old Lion of Flanders finished 17th in his age group, but was subsequently disqualified for ‘cuting off part of the course’. The former World champion told his story to Het Nieuwsblad.
According to Museeuw, there were simply too many riders. This resulted in a traffic jam. “I think the organisers could have avoided this,” said the three-time winner of both the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix. “We stood there for half an hour, at least. And then I just drove on. I tried to continue cycling, but apparently that wasn’t on the course. You know, for me it’s mainly a story of mine to amuse and what my place or result is doesn’t really matter to me.”
Last week Museeuw received a phone call from the organisers. He was informed that he was disqualified. “When they called me, they asked if I had followed the road. Yes, I followed the road, but when we stopped, I tried to drive through the forest without standing still and that was apparently wrong. If that’s cheating for them, okay… For me it is mainly a story of fun and I will continue to do it, but in my own way. I don’t feel like thinking about that for a long time either. There was a bit of chaos at that time, but I didn’t give any defence either when they asked me if I had driven through that forest like many others. Yes, I did.”
Museeuw DQ’d:
Tom Dumoulin on Chris Froome: “Too Bad he Keeps Racing”
Chris Froome celebrated his 40th birthday on Monday. The four-time Tour winner is still a professional cyclist with Israel-Premier Tech, but has been ‘filling the numbers’ for a couple of years. His former colleague Tom Dumoulin thinks the British/Kenyan rider is afraid to quit.
“I personally think it’s a shame he keeps racing,” Dumoulin said to De Grote Plaat, when asked how he views Froome now. “I want him to have his fun. If he still enjoys it, who am I to take away his fun. But I can’t help but get the impression that he doesn’t really enjoy it anymore. It seems like he keeps cycling out of habit and is afraid to quit.”
“Of course he still earns a lot. But then I think: man, does he need that? He’s earned millions a year for almost ten years. I don’t know how many houses you need to live in? The fact that he’s driving around at this level now takes the shine off it for me. Actually, that’s been the case since his fall in 2019. He’s never been at his level again.”
Time to hang the bike up, Chris?
Enric Mas Renews with Movistar Team Until 2029
With this new agreement, the Mallorcan rider will complete 10 seasons with Eusebio Unzué’s team
Enric Mas (born January 7, 1995) joined Movistar Team in 2020, and during his nearly six seasons with the Spanish squad, he has claimed a spot on the La Vuelta a España podium three times — finishing 2nd in 2021 and 2022, and 3rd in 2024.
In 2025, Mas has already secured two overall podium finishes in WorldTour stage races: 2nd at Itzulia Basque Country and 3rd at the Volta Ciclista a Catalunya.
Enric Mas: “I’m very grateful for the trust placed in me for the next 4 years, and honestly, I’m super happy. It gives me the motivation I need to keep growing within this team. By the time this contract ends, I’ll be 34 years old and will have completed 10 seasons with Movistar Team. So, I want to thank both Eusebio and the Telefónica brand for believing in me, and I hope to repay that trust with strong results. One of my main goals, along with the Tour, will be La Vuelta. I have a bit of a thorn in my side after reaching the podium several times, and I’d love to win a Grand Tour for Movistar Team.”
Wout van Aert Takes Mathieu van der Poel’s KOM in Siena
After a fierce battle, Wout van Aert beat Isaac Del Toro on Sunday on stage 9 of the Giro d’Italia. This not only earned the Belgian the stage victory in Siena, but also the Strava KOM on the segment from the Via Santa Caterina to the finish line on the Piazza del Campo. Mathieu van der Poel was the previous holder.
Mathieu van der Poel took the KOM segment in Strade Bianche 2021. The Dutch champion shot past Julian Alaphilippe and Egan Bernal to take victory in Siena. His time was 1:22 for the steep Via Santa Caterina and the final stretch to the finish line on the Piazza del Campo. Van Aert flew up the 630 metres with its 36 metres of vertical climbing even faster on Sunday’s ninth Giro stage, three seconds faster.
Van Aert had to ride flat out all the way to the finish line, because Isaac Del Toro was fighting for the stage win. Van der Poel had already dropped his opponents at the top of the Via Santa Caterina, which allowed him to take it relatively easy in the final metres. Van der Poel already had a Classic in his legs when the Strade Bianche hit the final climb. Although the ninth stage of the Giro wasn’t an easy one either and after more than a week of racing, most of the freshness will have gone.
Strava KOM:
André Greipel Steps Down as German National Coach
André Greipel is stepping down as coach of the German national cycling team. The German Cycling Federation (BDR) announced this on Tuesday. The former top sprinter has been working as national coach since 2023.
Greipel looks back on his time as national coach with great pleasure and pride. “I am grateful for the experience I have gained as national coach, but due to lack of time I can no longer perform this function,” the former rider said in a statement from the German Cycling Federation.
The now 42-year-old Greipel succeeded Jens Zemke in 2023, who will now take over the position from his compatriot. When he was appointed, Greipel described his new job as a “great challenge”. “I am really looking forward to working with the riders and want to get the best out of them. This generation of German cyclists is very good. It will be a challenging task to forge a close-knit team from them.” Greipel ended his exceptionally successful cycling career in 2021. His list of achievements includes 158 professional victories: he won eleven stages of the Tour de France, seven in the Giro d’Italia and four in the Vuelta a España. His best years were with the Lotto Soudal team.
Greipel stepping down as German coach:
Visma | Lease a Bike Development Team Strengthens with Promising Brit
Henry Hobbs will be riding for Visma | Lease a Bike Development next year. The 18-year-old rider currently rides for the British club team Fensham Howes-MAS Design-CAMS. The promising British rider has been working hard in the junior ranks for the past two seasons. In 2024, he rode to top ten rankings in the Guido Reybrouck Classic and the Fokker Slag om Woensdrecht. He also has very good results in British races.
In 2025 he has been riding well again. Hobbs started his season with a sixth place in Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne, then came second in Nokere Koerse and was eighth in the Guido Reybrouck Classic. He was also 8th in the junior Paris-Roubaix.
Hobbs – who has already been spotted on a Visma | Lease a Bike team bike, is not the first young Briton to make the switch to the Dutch team. The current selection of the development team already includes four British riders: Jed Smithson, William Smith, Elliot Rowe and Tomos Pattinson.
Big future for Hobbs:
Lotto Cycling Team and Vermarc Sport Extend Partnership by Two Years
Vermarc Sport will remain the official clothing sponsor of the Lotto Cycling Team for the next two years. The extension confirms the mutual and, above all, long-standing trust between the two Belgian parties.
From the Belgian tricolors of Arnaud De Lie, Philippe Gilbert, or Jens Debusschere, to the recently released ‘legacy shirt’ celebrating 40 years of Lotto in the peloton, the rainbow jersey of Cadel Evans, and even the very first Lotto jersey from 1985: each piece was created by Vermarc. When you say Lotto, you say Vermarc, and vice versa. For 23 seasons now, the Belgians have formed a perfect tandem in the peloton.
That collaboration is now reaffirmed, as Vermarc Sport will remain on board until 2027. Marc Verbeeck, CEO of Vermarc Sport: “Our story with the Lotto Cycling Team is unique in the cycling world. We were there right from the beginning and, after a short break, have now been the team’s uninterrupted clothing sponsor for 23 years – since Lotto-Domo in 2003. We are therefore especially pleased to continue this partnership now that the team is making its return to the World Tour.”
Kenny Provyn, CCO of Lotto Cycling Team: “We’re delighted to keep Vermarc on board as a reliable partner who knows exactly what our riders need. In close collaboration with our performance team, they develop the best possible kit to compete at the highest level. Their cycling apparel combines technological innovation with Belgian pride, just like our team.”
90 Years of La Vuelta, an Opportunity to Look to the Future
- La Vuelta celebrated its 90th anniversary with sponsors and the media in the Casa de Campo.
- During this event, the race organisation presented La Vuelta es Más, along with the new image of the race – a reflection of its diverse, passionate and inspirational character.
In 1935, the very first stage in the history of La Vuelta took off from Puerta de Hierro in Madrid and headed to Valladolid. This took place on the 29th of April, marking the start of an edition featuring 14 stages that concluded in Madrid’s capital, at the Casa de Campo. 90 years later, the organiser of La Vuelta has celebrated its 90th anniversary with sponsors and the media.
One of the key moments of the day was the presentation of La Vuelta es Más, that seeks to take the event to another level: to be more than just a cycling competition. This new program, which aligns with La Vuelta’s social and environmental commitment, is based on four pillars:
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Más bici en tu vida, promoting cycling at all ages as a sustainable sport and lifestyle.
Más Solidaria, reinforcing our commitment to social causes.
Más es menos, increasing our efforts to reduce the race’s environmental impact.
Más por descubrir, positioning La Vuelta as an ambassador for cycling tourism and for the promotion of the Spanish territory.
Going one step further in its commitment to promote daily bicycle use, La Vuelta has presented its Más bici quality seal – a distinction available to cities that host the race and that will be debuted by five cities that formed part of the very first edition, and will be present in the men’s and women’s editions in 2025: Zaragoza, Bilbao, Valladolid, Madrid and Barcelona.
Hand in hand with its history and its identity, it looks to the future with a renewed corporate identity – an image that reflects what the event is truly about: a diverse, passionate, surprising, memorable, strong and inspirational celebration of sports.
‘La Vuelta was born as a cycling race. However, today, 90 years later, it’s so much more than a sports competition,’ said Javier Guillén, General Director of La Vuelta. ‘The Casa de Campo was the final finish-line of our very first edition and today, it welcomes us once again to mark our 90th anniversary. We begin a new stage, reclaiming our past and looking to the future with the ambition to become much more to society than just a sports competition, and to care for our playing field: our urban and natural environments. Our efforts to bring the event closer to the people have led to the creation of La Vuelta es Más, an initiative that will allow us to be present in people’s lives beyond just those summer afternoons.’
Lloyds Tour of Britain Women Race Jerseys Revealed as Ale Partnership for Race Announced
The new look green Lloyds jersey for the leader of the Lloyds Tour of Britain Women has today been revealed, as premium cycling clothing and custom kit brand, Alé, are confirmed as the Official Jersey Supplier to next month’s event. The design of the jersey showcases the Lloyds signature green palette and proudly features the iconic black horse, Cancara.
The jersey will be awarded for the first time in Redcar at the end of stage one on Thursday 5 June, as the race to succeed Lotte Kopecky as Lloyds Tour of Britain Women champion gets underway in North Yorkshire and the Tees Valley.
In addition to the race leader’s jersey, the three other designs created by Alé have also been revealed for the event, which forms part of the annual UCI Women’s WorldTour calendar of the biggest races around the world.
Riders in the Lloyds Tour of Britain Women will compete at nine designated Queen of the Mountains climbs across the four stages for the blue Mountains jersey, won in 2024 by Britain’s Lizzie Deignan, while the distinctive red points jersey will be awarded to the rider who collates the most points across stage finishes and intermediate sprints.
A white jersey will also be awarded to the leading young rider (under 23), whose past winners have included Demi Vollering (2019) and Hannah Barnes (2015 & 2017).
Combining the best Italian tailoring with quality materials, Alé continue to offer an ever-changing range of vibrant designs for both professionals and amateurs, knowing that visible colours are also synonymous with safety on the road.
Alé will also supply the illustrious leaders’ jerseys for both the men’s races this 2–7 September, that will see the world’s best male cyclists competing for the same green jersey and the right to succeed Stevie Williams as champion.
Commenting on the jersey designs and Alé partnership, Darren Henry, Chief Commercial Officer, British Cycling, said; “We are delighted to welcome Alé as our partners for the Lloyds Tour of Britain and to reveal the stunning new jersey designs, as we build-up to June and this summer’s edition of the race. These partnerships highlight the continued growth and development of the event and are key to the successful delivery of the Lloyds Tour of Britain Women. We are sure that this year’s jerseys designs will be popular with both the competing riders and the thousands of fans watching at the roadside in June and September.”
The Lloyds Tour of Britain Women gets underway in the Tees Valley and North Yorkshire on Thursday 5 June, with a stage between Dalby Forest and Redcar across the North York Moors National Park, before the second stage from Hartlepool ends with an uphill finish at Saltburn-by-the-Sea.
The race concludes with a pair of stages in Scotland, the first in the Scottish Borders, starting and finishing in Kelso, before the final stage in Glasgow on Sunday 8 June, that will also see the Lloyds Tour of Britain Family Cycling Festival, giving everyone the chance to ride on the traffic free, closed road, centre circuit themselves.
Leader’s jersey for 2025:
Wout van Aert’s Top 10 Wins of All Time (Out of 50!)
Wout van Aert secured his 50th career victory with an impressive win in Stage 9 of the Giro d’Italia 2025. To celebrate this milestone, we asked Wout to rank his top 10 wins of all time, from Tour de France stage victories to classics like Milano Sanremo, Strade Bianche and E3 Saxo Classic. In this video, we relive the biggest moments of Wout’s career, ending with a look at win number 50.
Wout’s Top 10:
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