The World champion, Remco Evenepoel (Soudal Quick-Step), showed his form in the fourth stage time trial of the Critérium du Dauphiné to take the stage, the overall lead and his team’s 1000th victory. But the mountains are on the horizon and the big stars are not too far behind him – We have all the video action, race reports, results and rider thoughts from France and the Antwerp Port Epic/Sels Trophy in a packed EUROTRASH Thursday.
TOP STORY:
- Thomas Dekker wanted to end his life, but that is behind him now
Rider news:
- Mathieu van der Poel sticks to his MTB plans
- Remco Evenepoel has a new tattoo
- Arnaud De Lie forced to abandon Antwerp Port Epic – Lotto optimistic
Team news:
- Soudal Quick-Step celebrates 1000 victories
- Unibet Tietema Rockets to change team name for a day
- Next races for Team Picnic PostNL
- Soudal Quick-Step Gil Gelders medical update
Race news:
- MyWhoosh announces official dates and format for the 2025 MyWhoosh championships
- 5th on Dauphiné stage 2 and 10th overall, Paul Penhoët declassed
- Classic Brugge-De Panne moves the dangerous finish from De Panne
- Doping case in the Tour of Hainan
EUROTRASH coffee time!
TOP STORY: Thomas Dekker Wanted to End his Life – But that is Behind him Now
Thomas Dekker thought about ending his life for a while. The former cyclist said this in the podcast De Grote Plaat. He is now doing better.
For years, Dekker was considered a top Dutch talent and had a lot of promise, until he was suspended just before the 2009 Tour de France due to a positive doping test in 2007. He made a comeback later, but never reached his old level. At the beginning of 2015, he finally stopped as a professional cyclist.
“I was completely unhappy,” Dekker looked back on his darkest period in his podcast. Not so much because of his doping, but more because of ‘what comes with it’, he struggled with life. “The bond with your parents, with journalists, with friends, you let everything go to waste, until you have nothing left. That is actually much bigger. That is your life. You are not a pleasant person then.”
Seven years ago, Dekker stopped drinking. For him, drinking often went hand in hand with cocaine use, he said. “If that stops, that’s a good solution, but then it starts. Then you have to work on yourself. With therapy and spirituality, I went overboard again, just to get something to hold on to and be able to continue with life. We’re still in the aftermath of that now.”
Dekker has ‘very often’ thought that he wanted to quit. “About five years ago, my parents came to Amsterdam. Then I told them: if this continues for a while, life will end for me. Then I’ll quit. Then of course you get the traditional reaction from your father: ‘You can’t do that to us.’ I immediately said: ‘It’s not going to be next month or in six months. But if this is still the case in two or three years… It was a period when I just lay in bed for months.”
Partly due to therapy, the bicycle and his girlfriend Debbie van Adrichem, Dekker emerged from his darkest period. He is doing better now. “I am going to be a father and I bought a house, so I am finally building a future again,” said the 40-year-old ex-pro, who already revealed the name of his son: Loet. Dekker also made another announcement: he and Van Adrichem are going to get married next year. The wedding will take place in Italy.
Thomas Dekker is in a better place now:
Critérium du Dauphiné 2025
When it comes down to raw power, Jonathan Milan is a special beast. Despite being dropped over the climbs of the day, the Italian sprinter was perfectly supported by his Lidl-Trek team to battle for victory in Issoire, at the end of Stage 2 of the 77th edition of the Critérium du Dauphiné, where nobody could come close to him. In his maiden participation, Milan already takes his first victory in the race, and his sixth of a season that sees him rise as one of the best sprinters in the world, if not the best. He also takes the yellow and white jersey from Tadej Pogačar (41st). On his childhood roads, Romain Bardet (Picnic PostNL) attacked in the finale, on the eve of the start from Brioude, his hometown.
The sun is out to accompany the 153 man peloton setting off from Prémilhat at midday, with 204.6km of racing ahead of them. The uphill start inspires attackers but the sprinters don’t want to let too big a group get away. After 8 kilometres of battle, Paul Ourselin (Cofidis) gets away, alone.
The leader of the KOM standings opens a gap as high as 6:30 (km 25) and makes the most of this opportunity to rack up 6 points atop the Côte de la Font Nanaud (cat. 4, 33.4km), Côte de Saint-Priest-des-Champs (cat. 4, 50.5km), Côte des Rivauds (cat. 3, 61.1km) and Côte de Saint Jacques d’Ambur (cat. 3, 71.8km) to all but secure the polka-dot jersey for another day.
Behind Ourselin, several riders try to counter-attack but Jonathan Milan’s Lidl-Trek and Mathieu Van der Poel’s Alpecin-Deceuninck join forces to control the day. Atop the Côte de Saint Jacques d’Ambur, the gap is still up to 5:05. It drops down to 1:15 at the intermediate sprint in Olby (km 102), halfway through the stage. Three counter-attackers set off to join Ourselin a handful of kilometres further: Romain Combaud (Picnic PostNL), Victor Guernalec (Arkea-B&B Hotels) and Chris Juul-Jensen (Jayco AlUla). The peloton only trail by 20 seconds at km 106 but the leaders push the gap back up to 1:35 with 70km to go.
Onto the main ascent of the day, the cat.2 Côte du Château de Buron (3.3km at 6.9%), Juul Jensen ups the ante. Guernalec goes first over the top while Ourselin and Combaud are caught by the bunch, trailing by 55 seconds. The road keeps rising and Milan is dropped with 55 kilometres to go. After a 10-km pursuit with four Lidl-Trek teammates, the Italian powerhouse gets back to the bunch as they enter the final 42.9km circuit. On his childhood roads, Romain Bardet (Picnic PostNL) attacks up the Côte de Nonette (Cat.4) and opens a gap of 8 seconds at the summit (17.9km to go). The Frenchman pushes his lead to 20 seconds but he’s caught just inside the last 10 kilometres. Lidl-Trek took the helm of the bunch inside the last 3 kilometres to go to lead out Milan. Mathieu Van der Poel followed the Italian’s wheel, but nobody could match Milan’s power when he put the hammer down. Fred Wright (Bahrain Victorious) and Van der Poel follow him in the stage’s top-3. With Tadej Pogačar coming 41st, Milan also takes the yellow and blue jersey.
Stage winner and overall leader, Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek): “It was really tough! I came here to keep building up the condition and get some nice results after altitude training. Yesterday, I really suffered, it was my first race in a long time… And I suffered a lot again today. It will take me a bit to recover after this day but this victory gives me a big smile and a lot of confidence. I got dropped at one point and I was really on the limit to come back. I have to say a massive thanks to my teammates. If I had been alone, it would have been really complicated to come back but with a team like that supporting you, believing in you, it becomes much easier. They gave me extra-motivation. We knew we had to take the last corner at the front and it was just a perfect lead-out. It’s nice to also take the yellow jersey. It means a lot, not just for me, but for the whole team. We’ll see if I can also have it in the Tour. Let’s take things step by step!”
2nd on the stage and 4th overall, Fred Wright (Bahrain Victorious): “I knew there was one wheel to pick on that kind of bunch sprint. Having been teammates with Jonny, I know he’s got something quite special in terms of sprinting. Rob put me perfectly on his wheel, but unfortunately not much more I could have done to be honest, but yeah, second — I am really happy with it. We rode really well today, I think. We kept the GC boys in front and then, yeah, to get a result in a sprint like that, I’ll take it – I’m happy with that. It was hot and pretty lumpy all day, that’s where I knew I had a bit of motivation going into a sprint like that, because the real fast boys can lose a bit of their kick and I tend to keep mine when it’s still quite hard. I said to Rob, there is going to be a pause into the last km because it sort of drags over the bridge — stick me on Jonny’s wheel. To be honest I think looking at the start tomorrow, it might be quite a big fight for the breakaway. You saw today people getting quite excited, trying little moves here and there. Lidl-Trek will try and control, but the start is solid, so we could have a breakaway day — so maybe I’ll mix in with that as well.”
Points leader, 3rd on the stage and overall, Mathieu Van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck): “I’m pretty happy with these two days I had, it was better than I expected. This is also exactly what I needed in terms of shape and there’s a few more days to try and win a stage. Yesterday, normally, I should have been able to win this sprint but given the circumstances, I was already happy to be in the front group. And today, a sprint was inevitable. There was a battle to follow Milan’s wheel. Everybody knows he’s fastest. And I knew it would be hard to beat Milan, one of the best sprinters in the world. It’s almost impossible for me to beat him in a sprint like that so I’m happy with my performance.”
KOM, Paul Ourselin (Cofidis): “At the start of the stage, I was in a slightly more attacking state of mind, but in the end I found myself alone at the front. That allowed me to pick up the points for the first four climbs, so it was the right strategy. It’s true that being alone made it feel a bit long but after all it was nice, the weather was good. And then after that I was in the company of three other riders, which was quite nice. Even though I quickly realised that I couldn’t go much further and that I wouldn’t be taking the points on the cat-2 climb. Now I can say that I’m getting the hang of it and I’ve thrown some strength into the battle. So I think I can try to keep the jersey until the stage after Mâcon.”
Critérium du Dauphiné Stage 2 Result:
1. Jonathan Milan (Ita) Lidl-Trek in 4:54:49
2. Alfred Wright (GB) Bahrain Victorious
3. Mathieu van der Poel (Ned) Alpecin-Deceuninck
4. Stian Edvardsen-Fredheim (Nor) Uno-X Mobility
5. Emilien Jeannière (Fra) TotalEnergies
6. Bastien Tronchon (Fra) Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale
7. Yevgeniy Fedorov (Kaz) XDS Astana
8. Matis Louvel (Fra) Israel-Premier Tech
9. Clement Venturini (Fra) Arkéa-B&B Hotels
10. Matteo Trentin (Ita) Tudor.
Critérium du Dauphiné Overall After Stage 2:
1. Jonathan Milan (Ita) Lidl-Trek in 9:34:51
2. Tadej Pogačar (Slo) UAE Emirates XRG
3. Mathieu van der Poel (Ned) Alpecin-Deceuninck at 0:02
4. Alfred Wright (GB) Bahrain Victorious at 0:04
5. Jonas Vingegaard (Den) Visma | Lease a Bike
6. Hugo Page (Fra) Intermarché-Wanty at 0:08
7. Anders Foldager (Den) Jayco AlUla at 0:09
8. Nils Politt (Ger) UAE Emirates XRG
9. Bastien Tronchon (Fra) Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale at 10
10. Emilien Jeanniére (Fra) TotalEnergies.
Dauphiné’25 stage 2:
An exhilarating day of racing towards Charantonnay saw Ivan Romeo (Movistar) make the most of his budding talent to claim victory on day 3 of the Critérium du Dauphiné. The young Spaniard (21 years old) powered away from an impressive breakaway featuring the likes of Mathieu van der Poel and Florian Lipowitz and never looked back, eventually claiming the stage but also the yellow and blue jersey. Already a winner in the area during the Tour de l’Avenir 2023, he will enjoy a special day on Wednesday. From Charmes-sur-Rhône to Saint-Péray (17.4km), it will be all about the most powerful rouleurs and the GC contenders, with a highly anticipated individual time-trial. And Romeo is an expert of the matter too – he’s the reigning UCI ITT U23 World Champion!
153 riders line up at the start in Brioude, where local icon Romain Bardet receives warm thanks and encouragement from his home town and the Critérium du Dauphiné organisation as he gets ready to retire at the end of the week. The leader of Picnic PostNL is one of the many attackers participating in the breakaway attempts on the côte de Cornille (8,9km) and the côte de la Barbate (18km). Mathieu Van der Poel, Louis Barré and Van Gils are particularly active. But all these initiatives are nullified, while the size of the peloton halves, losing not only the leader of the overall standings Jonathan Milan but also the wearer of the polka-dot jersey, Paul Ourselin, and strong climbers like Ben Healy, Guillaume Martin-Guyonnet and Magnus Sheffield.
The intermediate sprint at La Chaise-Dieu (29.4km) provides an opportunity for Tadej Pogačar and Remco Evenepoel to chase a handful of bonus seconds (4 for the Slovenian, 2 for the Belgian), while Louis Barré launches a new move. After several waves of counter-attackers join him, the leading group features 13 riders, with Axel Laurance, Michael Shea Leonard (INEOS Grenadiers), Ivan Romeo (Movistar), Brieuc Rolland (Groupama-FDJ), Florian Lipowitz (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe), Julien Bernard (Lidl-Trek), Harold Tejada (XDS Astana), Mathieu Van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck), Andreas Leknessund (Uno-X Mobility), Ed Dunbar (Jayco AlUla), Louis Barré (Intermarché-Wanty) and Anthony Turgis (Total Energies).
Van der Poel is the best classified rider in the overall standings, only trailing by 2 seconds. And GC teams are also wary of riders such as Lipowitz (2nd of Paris-Nice 2025), Romeo (4th of the UAE Tour 2025), Dunbar (11th of last year’s La Vuelta, with 2 stage wins), Harold Tejada (8th of Paris-Nice)… Tadej Pogačar’s UAE Team Emirates-XRG, Remco Evenepoel’s Soudal Quick-Step and then Jonas Vingegaard’s Visma-Lease a Bike work together to control the day. The gap never gets higher than 2:35 (73km) but it’s still up to 50 seconds at the bottom of the last climb: the Cat 3 Côte du Château Jaune (1.2km, 9.2%), to be summited with 19km to go.
Lipowitz puts the hammer down at the bottom of the climb. Over the top, the German rider is accompanied by Tejada, Bernard and Leknessund. Van der Poel and Barré join them with 13km to go. And then Romeo, Laurance, Dunbar and Rolland make it a 10-man group with 11km to go. Meanwhile, the gap to the bunch goes back up to 1:15. Attacks fly and Romeo eventually manages to open a gap with 6km to go. The Spaniard keeps pushing all the way to the finish, where he takes a most significant victory, 14 seconds ahead of Tejada, Barré and Lipowitz. He also takes the yellow and blue jersey while the peloton finish with a gap of 1:06. But Wednesday’s ITT is set to turn the tables upside down again.
Stage winner, overall leader and best young rider, Ivan Romeo Abad (Movistar): “An exhilarating day of racing towards Charantonnay saw Ivan Romeo (Movistar) make the most of his budding talent to claim victory on day 3 of the Critérium du Dauphiné. The young Spaniard (21 years old) powered away from an impressive breakaway featuring the likes of Mathieu van der Poel and Florian Lipowitz and never looked back, eventually claiming the stage but also the yellow and blue jersey. Already a winner in the area during the Tour de l’Avenir 2023, he will enjoy a special day on Wednesday. From Charmes-sur-Rhône to Saint-Péray (17.4km), it will be all about the most powerful rouleurs and the GC contenders, with a highly anticipated individual time-trial. And Romeo is an expert of the matter too – he’s the reigning UCI ITT U23 World Champion!”
4th on the stage and overall, Florian Lipowitz (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe): “We wanted to get Maxim into the breakaway. He really wanted to get into the right breakaway, but at one point I accidentally got into it. Because the group was so big and everyone worked well together, it worked out well. But in the end it was every man for himself for the win. I still felt good so I tried to follow the good attacks and get away a few times myself. Unfortunately that didn’t work out as planned, but I’m very happy with how the race went. Of course I had the general classification in mind, but when you’re in a leading group like that you also want to fight for the win. I think we all know who will end up on the final podium, so I have to ride for these kinds of opportunities too.”“We have to wait for the big climbs, but I don’t look at them (Pogačar, Vingegaard and Evenepoel), they ride at a different level. I have to focus mainly on getting into the top 10 and “focus on the next stages.”
3rd on the stage, Louis Barré (Intermarché-Wanty): “I’m proud to have contended for the stage win and to wear the white jersey in such a prestigious race. I launched my first attack on the initial climb, about 10 kilometres into the stage, but the peloton reeled me back in. I tried again before the intermediate sprint, and my persistence paid off, as several riders joined me shortly after. It was a tough start to the stage; it took nearly an hour to form the day’s breakaway. I was part of a strong leading group, surrounded by powerful riders, and we had a serious chance of making it to the finish. But since we never gained a significant gap, we weren’t sure if we’d be racing for the win. That’s why we pushed the pace incredibly hard all day. In the final hour, I was at my limit, partly because of the heat. So, in the tactical finale, I gambled on waiting until the last two kilometres to make my move. It was the right decision, because when I attacked, I broke clear with Tejada and Lipowitz to fight for the podium.”
Points leader, 5th on the stage and overall, Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck): “It was one of the toughest days ever on the bike. I am super happy with my form, but it is also difficult to finish it off in these kinds of situations. Then everything has to go perfectly. It was a bit of a gamble at the end, but I can look back on a very nice day. Many riders were looking at me, but of course you also have to look at your fellow escapees if you want to win the stage. It is not up to me to respond to all attacks. I did respond a few times, but not to all accelerations. Today we rode at an average of 45 kilometres per hour, in a stage with three thousand metres of elevation. That says enough. We already thought that the leading group had a good chance of winning, but we did not get much of a lead. That had to do with the presence of Florian Lipowitz in our group. That was a shame, but we rode hard all day to get it. It is good that I still scored some points for the points jersey. Today’s stage is also important with the eye on the Tour de France, for my form. In training you can’t imitate this kind of effort”
Critérium du Dauphiné Stage 3 Result:
1. Ivan Romeo Abad (Spa) Movistar in 4:34:10
2. Harold Alfonso Tejada Canacue (Col) XDS Astana at 0:14
3. Louis Barré (Fra) Intermarché-Wanty
4. Florian Lipowitz (Ger) Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe
5. Mathieu van der Poel (Ned) Alpecin-Deceuninck at 0:27
6. Axel Laurance (Fra) INEOS Grenadiers
7. Brieuc Rolland (Fra) Groupama-FDJ
8. Julien Bernard (Fra) Lidl-Trek
9. Andreas Leknessund (Nor) Uno-X Mobility
10. Eddie Dunbar (Irl) Jayco AlUla at 0:29.
Critérium du Dauphiné Overall After Stage 3:
1. Ivan Romeo Abad (Spa) Movistar in 14:09:01
2. Louis Barré (Fra) Intermarché-Wanty at 0:17
3. Harold Alfonso Tejada Canacue (Col) XDS Astana at 18
4. Florian Lipowitz (Ger) Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe at 0:24
5. Mathieu van der Poel (Ned) Alpecin-Deceuninck at 0:29
6. Brieuc Rolland (Fra) Groupama-FDJ at 0:37
7. Andreas Leknessund (Nor) Uno-X Mobility
8. Eddie Dunbar (Irl) Jayco AlUla at 0:39
9. Tadej Pogačar (Slo) UAE Emirates XRG at 1:06
10. Alfred Wright (GB) Bahrain Victorious at 1:12.
Dauphiné’25 stage 3:
The big showdown anticipated for Stage 4 of the Critérium du Dauphiné 2025 smiled on Remco Evenepoel (Soudal Quick-Step), powering to an impressive victory in Saint-Péray. Over the 17.4km course of the ITT, the Olympic and World champion gained 21 seconds on Jonas Vingegaard, 38 on Matteo Jorgenson and 49 on Tadej Pogačar. Just like he did last year, the Belgian swaps his rainbow jersey for the yellow and blue jersey, ahead of Florian Lipowitz (at 4 seconds) and former leader Ivan Romeo (at 9 seconds). Evenepoel says he feels much stronger than a year ago ahead of the upcoming climbing challenges. The battle is full on and there won’t be many respites until the end of July!
The sun was out for a highly anticipated showdown pitting the riders of the Critérium du Dauphiné 2025 against the clock in a 17.4km time-trial from Charmes-sur-Rhône to Saint-Péray. The course was straight but demanding, with a 2km climb halfway through the stage to sap the legs. Such a challenge is bound to deliver a major battle between the likes of Remco Evenepoel (winner of the ITT of the Critérium du Dauphiné 2024, Olympic champion and 2 time World champion), Tadej Pogačar and Jonas Vingegaard. Ivan Romeo (the 2024 U23 ITT World champion) wants to make the most of his abilities to defend the yellow and blue jersey claimed on Tuesday. Paul Seixas (2024 Junior World champion) completes an extraordinary rainbow cast.
Domen Novak (UAE Emirates-XRG) was the first rider off the ramp, at 14:15. His time at the finish (24:43) was quickly beaten by Norwegian national champion Soren Waerenskjold (Uno-X Mobility), setting a reference of exactly 23 minutes. It takes a major effort from his countryman Tobias Foss (INEOS Grenadiers) to edge him from the hot seat. Remco Evenpoel’s predecessor, crowned ITT world champion in 2022, clocks a time of 22:00 (47.4 km/h). Foss’ time resists until Rémi Cavagna (Groupama-FDJ) reminds everyone why he’s known as the “TGV from Clermont-Ferrand” (“high speed train”). After 10.5km, the French specialist is 17 seconds ahead of Foss. At the finish, he maintains a gap of 3 seconds, with an average speed of 47.6 km/h. The “Clermont-Ferrand TGV” enjoyed half an hour in the hot seat, but was knocked off the top spot by Matteo Jorgenson (Visma-Lease a Bike), who raised the bar even higher by improving the time to beat by 28 seconds.
However, we enter another dimension when Remco Evenepoel set off from Charmes-sur-Rhône, passed the intermediate time check 30 seconds ahead of the American rider from Visma-Lease a Bike, and crossed the finish line with a total lead of 37 seconds. It seemed certain that the world champion had taken a step towards victory on the day, but his two prestigious rivals may well have what it takes to respond. However, it is clearly too much for Jonas Vingegaard, who lost 20 seconds on the Belgian leader. The gap was even bigger for Tadej Pogačar, who dropped out of the podium places, 11 seconds behind Jorgenson and 49 seconds behind Evenepoel. The battle for the overall classification is still wide open at this stage, given that Ivan Romeo is also the reigning U23 World champion in the discipline. At the start, he needed to finish no more than 1:17 behind Evenepoel to keep his yellow and blue jersey. The Spaniard, tired from his efforts the day before, lost 1:25 which still allows him to remain on the provisional podium, in third place behind Florian Lipowitz, who posted the fifth fastest time of the day.
Stage winner, overall leader and best young rider, Remco Evenepoel (Soudal Quick-Step): “It was actually tough, with a steep climb. My goal, was to go as fast as possible until the intermediate and then keep a steady pace. I had an advantage with a lot of headwind in the valley so I used that to make the most of my position, and then I went as fast as possible on the climb with a perfect pacing strategy. I’m very happy with this victory, it’s the 1000th of the team. It’s a special day, I’m very proud to have done it. I’m surprised with the gaps. It’s quite big on quite a short TT so I’m very happy to have put over a second per kilometre on everybody, and even two seconds per kilometre on some. I’m feeling good and it’s always nice to bring home a World Tour victory. In terms of weight, I’m already good, better than I was last year at this point. I’ve been working super hard behind the scenes, day by day, trusting the process, and today was a day I wanted to perform. Then we can focus on the week-end and try to defend the jersey until Sunday. I need to test myself against Tadej [Pogačar] and Jonas [Vingegaard] on the high mountains. That’s what I worked for. The climb today was already a bit of a test. I think I did it how I wanted I’m feeling happy, I’m feeling goof on the climb and the flat as well. It’s good for what we have ahead of us this week-end and next month. I knew I had to do a very good TT to get past Tadej and Jonas and it was also quite close with Florian Lipowitz. It was a perfect day.”
2nd on the stage and 5th overall, Jonas Vingegaard (Visma | Lease a Bike): “To be honest, I can be happy with how it went today. Remco is the best time trial rider in the world. If you only lose twenty seconds to someone like that, that’s very decent. I also gain time on Tadej: I have to be happy with that. This is a big difference on such a short time trial. I had no problems with shifting, but I was a few gears short. Maybe I should have taken a bigger chainring up front, but I don’t think it would have changed the result much. On the really fast parts I needed a gear that was a little bit bigger. But in total, it wouldn’t have made a five-second difference. It’s always better to be seconds ahead than to be behind, but I’m still a few seconds behind Remco. I have to make up time on him, but we’ve seen often enough in the past years that this is possible in the mountains. These are going to be interesting days.”
Points leader, 6th on the stage and 4th overall, Mathieu Van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck): “I’m really happy with my performance today, especially after spending so much energy yesterday in the breakaway. During the recon and also the warm up, I felt it in my legs but I was motivated to give it my all in this TT. I didn’t think about the overall lead at all. I knew that guys like Remco [Evenepoel] and the other GC favourites would gain a lot of time today so the yellow jersey was not in sight. It was just for myself, I wanted to do a good TT. I asked [Evenepoel] a few weeks ago if he thought I could finish within a minute from him. It was close [1:02] but I still have some work to do!”
Critérium du Dauphiné Stage 4 Result:
1. Remco Evenepoel (Bel) Soudal Quick-Step in 20:50
2. Jonas Vingegaard (Den) Visma | Lease a Bike at 0:21
3. Matteo Jorgenson (USA) Visma | Lease a Bike at 0:38
4. Tadej Pogačar (Slo) UAE Emirates XRG at 0:49
5. Florian Lipowitz (Ger) Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe at 0:57
6. Mathieu van der Poel (Ned) Alpecin-Deceuninck at 1:02
7. Stian Edvardsen-Fredheim (Nor) Uno-X Mobility at 1:07
8. Eddie Dunbar (Irl) Jayco AlUla at 1:10
9. Tobias Foss (Nor) INEOS Grenadiers
10. Paul Seixas (Fra) Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale at 1:12.
Critérium du Dauphiné Overall After Stage 4:
1. Remco Evenepoel (Bel) Soudal Quick-Step in 14:31:08
2. Florian Lipowitz (Ger) Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe at 0:04
3. Ivan Romeo Abad (Spa) Movistar at 0:09
4. Mathieu van der Poel (Ned) Alpecin-Deceuninck at 0:14
5. Jonas Vingegaard (Den) Visma | Lease a Bike at 0:16
6. Eddie Dunbar (Irl) Jayco AlUla at 0:30
7. Harold Alfonso Tejada Canacue (Col) XDS Astana
8. Tadej Pogačar (Slo) UAE Emirates XRG at 0:38
9. Matteo Jorgenson (USA) Visma | Lease a Bike at 0:39
10. Louis Barré (Fra) Intermarché-Wanty at 1:03.
Dauphiné’25 stage 4:
Antwerp Port Epic/Sels Trophy 2025
Belgian, Timo Kielich of the Alpecin-Deceuninck team was the winner of the Antwerp Port Epic, with a thrilling finale. A two-man break consisting of Kielich and Dane Rasmus Wallin of Uno-X Mobility always looked like they were going to be caught. However, they never lost confidence and held on until the finish line. Kielich launch the sprint to score a decisive victory. A the finish line neither of them knew who had finished first, but thanks to the photo finish the decision went to the Belgian.
Tim Merlier (Soudal Quick-Step) showed his current form by winning the bunch sprint, 3 seconds behind the two leaders. Laurenz Rex (Intermarché-Wanty) and Tibor Del Grosso (Alpecin-Deceuninck) were fourth and fifth. This was Kielich’s biggest win of his career.
Earlier, the race had to be stopped for a while. A large part of the peloton had ridden the wrong way, after which there was some confusion about the correct direction. The peloton followed a motorcyclist who turned left, when they should have gone straight on, about 90 kilometres from the finish. Almost everyone went with the motorcyclist, but a few realised that this was not the correct route. The rest of the peloton then turned round, although not everyone immediately realised what was going on. The organisers decided to stop the race, so that everyone could rejoin. A few riders who had already been dropped were able to benefit from this. The three leaders: Filip Maciejuk, Tuur Dens and Valentin Retailleau, also had to stop. They were set off again with their original lead of 2:30.
Race winner, Timo Kielich (Alpecin-Deceuninck): “And as a former cyclo-cross rider, a gravel race like this suits me anyway. We never got into the defensive and always raced aggressively. It’s a typical race where you can really use the strength of your team. I attacked at a dead moment. I got a few meters and thought I had to push through. Last year, Juri Hollmann tried a bit of the same thing, and after his heavy crash in the Giro d’Italia, I was thinking about it. I thought about him a lot when I was riding in front.”“If you have someone with you, it’s easier to keep your legs still. In the beginning, there were still quite a few bends and gravel sections, which allowed you to ride from bend to bend. But in the final, it was disappointing with more long, straight roads, where there was also a headwind. It was my salvation that Rasmus Wallin joined me. He got the pace back and my legs could relax a bit in his wheel. I know the Antwerp Port Epic like no other. I had already ridden here twice and had come to reconnoiter before the Giro. As a former cyclo-crosser, a gravel race like this suits me anyway, it is something I look forward to every year and where I like to come back. Luckily I came out of the Giro well. My first week was not so good, but in the last two I had the good feeling again. Now I have been able to take good care of myself for a week and train a bit. A bit of super compensation. Last year it was completely the opposite, then I could not move forward an inch. Now I will even continue until the Baloise Belgium Tour and the BK, before I take a bit of rest.”
3rd, Tim Merlier (Soudal Quick-Step): “We were confident in our chances to close the gap, but the crash changed everything. Prior to that, I was thinking of joining those at the front, but it wasn’t possible afterwards. It wasn’t to be for me today, but I hope the team will soon celebrate our 1000th victory. The important thing for me is that I felt good also today and the way I’m feeling makes me confident for the next appointments of the month.”
5th, Tibor Del Grosso (Alpecin-Deceuninck): “I misjudged a bend. I confused it with another bend and then I also slid away. Then the ditch came close very quickly. For the rest, I could use my cyclo-cross experience a bit. I went through the bends quite well. The damage is also not too bad. Unfortunately, I got a puncture afterwards and when I fell seven kilometres from the finish, I was out again. We were all there. I was disappointed with how the other teams raced. Of course we had confidence in Timo, but I don’t understand why everyone was so hesitant about racing. They just rode to the finish line with Tim Merlier. It was quite optimistic of Timo to go there on his own. But we couldn’t do anything else than make it work for him. It worked out well for our team. Things are going well and the form is there. I was also looking forward to it in Antwerp, but I would have liked to race a bit more. That will be the last race of this block for me. It is a nice goal to finish, but first I focus on Dwars door het Hageland and the Copenhagen Sprint.”
Antwerp Port Epic/Sels Trophy Result:
1. Timo Kielich (Bel) Alpecin-Deceuninck in 4:12:06
2. Rasmus Bøgh Wallin (Den) Uno-X Mobility
3. Tim Merlier (Bel) Soudal Quick-Step at 0:03
4. Laurenz Rex (Bel) Intermarché-Wanty
5. Tibor Del Grosso (Ned) Alpecin-Deceuninck
6. Luca Mozzato (Ita) Arkéa-B&B Hotels
7. Gleb Syritsa (-) XDS Astana
8. Stan Van Tricht (Bel) Alpecin-Deceuninck
9. Stanislaw Aniolkowski (Pol) Cofidis
10. Jens Reynders (Bel) Wagner Bazin WB.
Antwerp’25:
Mathieu van der Poel Sticks to his MTB Plans
Mathieu van der Poel will continue mountain biking despite his crash in Nové Mesto. He spoke about it again in an interview with the AD. His crash in the Czech Republic left him with a broken wrist, but it has not changed his plans. “That certainly remains the goal,” he said about his ambition to become World champion on the mountain bike on September 14.
“That last crash a blow? That is saying a lot. It is especially a shame, because I wanted to go mountain biking,” said Van der Poel, who has already experienced setbacks on the mountain bike before. He crashed in the Tokyo Olympics and again during the 2023 World championships. It earned him criticism: shouldn’t he stop mountain biking? But Van der Poel is not bothered. “I don’t care that much about other opinions. I do what I have in mind. After the Tour, I will prepare myself as well as possible for the Mountain Bike World Championships. Setbacks are part of it. It only makes me more determined to do better next time.”
Van der Poel does not think he should focus more specifically on mountain biking by removing road races from his program. “I rode the course in Nove Mesto a hundred times, so to speak. Also at race pace and that all went perfectly. It is a bit of an unfortunate coincidence.”
Van der Poel doesn’t yet know exactly what kind of program he will have before the World championships. First the Tour, then the rest will follow. “It is ideal that I can prepare for the World championships after the Tour. And hopefully do a few more races. I do not yet know exactly what that route will look like. First see how I come out of the Tour. But I will have the time. It is up to me to prove that I still have mountain biking in me. I still find it way too much fun to do anyway.”
MvdP still riding MTB:
Remco Evenepoel Has a New Tattoo
Remco Evenepoel is competing in the Critérium du Dauphiné with a news tattoo. He has had the name of his wife, Oumi, tattooed in Arabic on his right wrist. “A small tattoo,” he grinned after the third stage in an interview with Sporza. “I am not the first and certainly not the last with a tattoo. It is beautifully written.”
New tattoo for Remco:
Arnaud De Lie Forced to Abandon Antwerp Port Epic
Arnaud De Lie is having a tough time. The Belgian champion had an encouraging third place in the Brussels Cycling Classic on Sunday, but on Monday he crashed in the Antwerp Port Epic and had to abandon the race.
De Lie crashed before the halfway through the race, together with one other rider, when he crashed into a pole. He tried to continue in the race, but his right arm/wrist was too painful for him to handle and he got into the ambulance. The injuries from his crash were not known at first.
After the race, the damage turned out to be not too bad. “I just spoke to Arnaud,” said DS Kurt Van de Wouwer. “He thinks he will get away with just a fright and that it will be okay.” At first, it looked worse. “The race doctor called us and said it might be a fracture. That can sometimes be difficult to see at first glance, but now that Arnaud says it’s not that bad, we’re not assuming the worst. He’s going to have scans taken tomorrow to be sure, but it looks good. There’s no reason to panic.”
Lotto and De Lie can still build on the good signals in the Brussels Cycling Classic. “We’ll remember the positive balance. His values were already good in training, but the fact that he’s now also shown in the race that he’s fine is a boost for himself and the team. We can now build on the Belgian Championship and the Tour de France via the Tour of Switzerland.”
This is another setback for De Lie. The Belgian champion has not been at his best since mid-February, but in the Brussels Cycling Classic there were positive signals again. His third place was a good sign for the Tour de France. In the run-up to the Tour, De Lie was also scheduled to compete in the Tour of Switzerland (15-22 June). It is not yet known whether changes will have to be made to his programme after the Antwerp Port Epic.
Another problem for De Lie:
Soudal Quick-Step Celebrates 1000 Victories
An unforgettable day and achievement for our team in France
The moment Remco Evenepoel crossed the line Wednesday afternoon at the end of Critérium du Dauphiné stage 4, the entire Wolfpack nation knew history had been written. Less than six months into its 23rd season, Soudal Quick-Step reached an incredible milestone, one that not many teams in the history of this sport we all passionately love have achieved: 1000 victories!
When we kicked off this adventure more than twenty years ago, we didn’t even dare to dream about winning some of the biggest races in the world. But that’s what we just did: we quickly found our place in the peloton and started winning, and once we got the ball rolling, we never stopped. We continued racking up victories all over the world and creating indelible memories.
Our road to this staggering number started on 4 February 2003, when Servais Knaven arrived alone at the finish of the Tour of Qatar stage 5 to deliver our squad’s first ever success, thus kicking off this epic journey that over the years has brought so many incredible emotions, unforgettable moments, and landmark wins.
Just a couple of weeks later, Paolo Bettini captured our first Monument, Milano-Sanremo, and from then on, the team began racking up more and more wins in these races, some of the most prestigious in the world. A total of 22 Monuments, including 8 Ronde van Vlaanderen and 6 Paris-Roubaix – seven of which wore the signature of Tom Boonen – followed since, our team being currently the only one in the World Tour to have won cycling’s five major one-day races, and not just once, but multiple times – another truly astounding feat.
Soudal Quick-Step’s success didn’t limit just to the Classics, as our squad wrote some beautiful and memorable pages of history also in the Grand Tours. Victories or distinctive jerseys brought by the likes of Julian Alaphilippe, Mark Cavendish, Philippe Gilbert or Marcel Kittel enhanced our ever-growing palmarès and paved the way for one of the most remarkable exploits in the history of The Wolfpack – Remco Evenepoel’s astonishing overall success at the 2022 Vuelta a España, a towering achievement which rewrote cycling’s history books and put the team into a completely different dimension.
But maybe the most important thing is that we always produced raw emotion and transcended sporting results during this journey, because each of these 1000 victories brought by 109 different riders comes with a unique story, something that makes it special for us and for the amazing sponsors and loyal fans whose unwavering support we have felt from our first day of racing.
“I’m happy with this victory, especially as it came after a hard stage! My goal was to go as fast as possible from the start and then keep a steady pace until the finish. I am proud everything went perfect and that I delivered the team’s 1000th victory! This win is for Patrick Lefevere, for everything he has done for this squad and achieved over the past twenty years. It’s an outstanding milestone and the entire Wolfpack nation can be happy and proud of it”, said in Saint-Péray an elated Remco Evenepoel, who also took over the yellow jersey of the Critérium du Dauphiné.
Speaking of the achievement, Soudal Quick-Step CEO Jurgen Foré said: “To reach 23 years and 1000 victories, at the highest level is an achievement that we are hugely proud of. It is a milestone that is only made possible by years of dedication, teamwork, and unlimited passion. Each win tells a story in its own right, but the ethos of the team is that it’s never been about one individual. These 1000 victories combine to make a story about the collective, a team standing for each other in the spirit of The Wolfpack. It is a tribute to every rider, every staff member and all our fans: this achievement belongs to all of you. It is a tribute to all the sponsors and partners supporting the team, and especially our main partners Soudal, Quick-Step and Specialized: your ongoing commitment and vision have been instrumental in making this happen. I do need to address two people individually; our team owner, Mr. Zdenek Bakala: without your support it would have been impossible. And of course, to Patrick Lefevere, the founding father of this team. These 1000 victories are a gift from the team to you, to thank you for your life’s work. While we will celebrate the past, our eyes remain on the road ahead: with new talent, continued innovation, and the unbreakable unity of The Wolfpack. Today is the first day on the journey towards the 2000 victories milestone. Let’s go!”
None of this would have been possible without the steadfast commitment of our sponsors and partners, who have stood with us through every success and challenge. From the very beginning, Quick-Step has been an integral part of our journey, sharing in every victory and milestone. Their enduring support has helped shape the identity of the team and build a true “house of trust” that continues to thrive to this day. Together with Soudal, Specialized, and the many valued partners who have joined us over the years, they have helped power The Wolfpack to this incredible achievement.
Speaking of the momentous day, Ruben Desmet, President at Unilin Flooring, said: “We are incredibly proud to have been part of this extraordinary journey from day one. Reaching 1000 victories is a testament to the team’s relentless drive, spirit, and unity – values that resonate deeply with us at Quick-Step. Over more than two decades, we’ve built more than just a sponsorship; we’ve built a partnership based on trust, shared ambition, and a passion for excellence. On behalf of everyone at Unilin, congratulations to the entire Wolfpack – here’s to the next 1000.”
The team plans to celebrate our achievement with their 1000 and beyond series, which include interviews, articles and podcasts, with stars of the team past and present.
Unibet Tietema Rockets to Change Team Name for a Day
The Unibet Tietema Rockets team is giving fans the chance to put their name on the team jersey for one race. The current named partner, founder Bas Tietema, is not contributing enough, the team joked on social media. That is why ‘Tietema’ will be changed for one race. Not for a new sponsor, but for a fan.
Anyone who buys something for at least 25 euros from the Unibet Tietema Rockets webshop between 8 and 15 June has a chance to become the team’s named partner. The campaign is intended to give the team budget a boost and involve fans in the team in a fun way. “We are looking for someone who does contribute something,” the team announced on social media.
The winner will be chosen after 15 June and the fan will see his or her name on the Unibet Tietema Rockets jersey for a race yet to be determined. Whether it is a first name, nickname or company name, the fan can say they are a sponsor of a professional team.
Tietema team to have a different name for a day:
Next Races for Team Picnic PostNL
Tour de Suisse Women – JUNE 12 – JUNE 15
Albert Timmer – Team Picnic PostNL coach: “This edition of Tour de Suisse looks set to be a challenging one, with opportunities every day. The parcours promises action from start to finish, and we’re ready to take it on with ambition and flexibility. Marta will be our finisher for the GC, and we’ll support her in the fight for a strong overall result. At the same time, the rest of the team will look to race aggressively and make the most of any chances that arise along the way. We’ll take it day by day and aim to be in the mix throughout the race.”
Line-up:
Francesca Barale (ITA)
Marta Cavalli (ITA)
Eleonora Ciabocco (ITA)
Juliana Londoño (COL)
Becky Storrie (GBR)
Nienke Vinke (NLD).
Dwars door het Hageland – JUNE 14
Roy Curvers – Team Picnic PostNL coach: “Omloop van het Hageland promises a challenging day between Aarschot and Diest, with iconic gravel sectors that demand full focus from start to finish. At 180 kilometres long, it’s a race where positioning, teamwork, and resilience will be key. The final climb to the Citadel of Diest is a punchy finish that suits both Tobias and Nils well, so our strategy will be built around keeping them in contention. With strong teamwork and smart racing, we’re aiming to be in the mix when it matters most.”
Line-up:
Tobias Lund Andresen (DNK)
Patrick Eddy (AUS)
Nils Eekhoff (NLD)
Christiaan van Rees (NLD)
Timo Roosen (NLD)
Bram Welten (NLD)
Thom van der Werff (NLD).
Giro d’Italia Next Gen – JUNE 15 – JUNE 22
Joey van Rhee – Team Picnic PostNL coach: “After a year of absence, we’re thrilled to be back at the Giro Next Gen, one of our biggest goals of the season. It’s a long and demanding race, but we’re coming in well-prepared and highly motivated. Part of our line-up recently raced Alpes Isère Tour, where we delivered a strong collective performance and raced aggressively from day one. That same mindset will guide us in the Giro: to be present in the race every day and to take our chances wherever possible. With Jacob, Oliver, and Matteo, we have multiple riders capable of a strong GC, and we’ll do everything we can to fight for a top result throughout the week.”
Line-up:
Jacob Bush (GBR)
Oliver Peace (GBR)
Pavel Sumpik (CZE)
Matteo Vanhuffel (BEL)
Jurgen Zomermaand (NLD).
Tour de Suisse – JUNE 15 – JUNE 22
Rudi Kemna – Team Picnic PostNL coach: “Tour de Suisse promises to be a demanding edition this year, and we’re heading into it with clear priorities. Going for the overall classification with Oscar as our finisher is our main focus, and we’ve built the team around that goal. He’s ready, and so is the group supporting him. At the same time, we’ll be looking for opportunities in the stages themselves: Sean and Frank will be targeting stage wins on the rolling terrain, while Pavel will aim to be in the mix when it comes down to a sprint. It’s a well-rounded squad, and we’re going into the race with confidence and ambition on all fronts.”
Line-up:
Warren Barguil (FRA)
Pavel Bittner (CZE)
Frank van den Broek (NLD)
Alex Edmondson (AUS)
Sean Flynn (GBR)
Oscar Onley (GBR)
Tim Naberman (NLD).
Onley and Van der Broek to the Tour de Suisse:
Gil Gelders Medical Update
Following his crash in today’s Antwerp Port Epic, Gil Gelders was taken to hospital where it was revealed that he has suffered a broken collar bone. He will now visit the hospital in Herentals, where a further assessment and a plan for his recovery will be made.
Everyone at Soudal Quick-Step wishes Gil a speedy and health recovery.
Gil Gelders out with a broken collar bone:
MyWhoosh Announces Official Dates and Format for the 2025 MyWhoosh Championships
MyWhoosh, the leading free-to-use virtual cycling platform, is excited to announce that its flagship event, MyWhoosh Championships 2025, will begin on August 12, 2025. The first edition of this $1 million prize pool event was held in 2023, which set a benchmark in esports cycling.
Building on the success of its inaugural edition, MyWhoosh looks forward to welcoming virtual riders from across the world to compete for the largest prize pot of $1 million in Esports cycling, which will be equally split between both men and women.
Race Format & Courses
The 2025 MyWhoosh Championships will take place from August 12 to August 19, 2025. The event will feature an eight-day, seven stage category-based format, covering 440km with over 5000m of elevation gain for men and 340kms with over 3800m of elevation gain for women.
Both men and women riders across six-categories will compete separately across a variety of terrains, from flat sprints to mountain climbs and time trials. Here is the detailed schedule for the 2025 MyWhoosh Championships.
Rewards
With this year’s championship, MyWhoosh continues its commitment to inclusivity and fairness, with the $1 million prize purse being split equally between men and women. All finishers of the Championship will also earn an exclusive MyWhoosh Championships kit.
Top riders across six categories with the fastest cumulative time across all seven stages will be crowned the title of MyWhoosh Champion 2025. The top 10 individuals and the top 7 teams in the General Classification from each category will be rewarded. Riders will also compete for daily and overall Sprint, KOM/QOM rewards, along with the top 3 stage finishers.
Special recognition will be given to standout athletes including top master rider (aged 45+), top youth rider (U23) and top GCC rider.
Registration & Qualification Process:
Registrations to MyWhoosh Championships will begin on June 23, 2025, and will end on August 3, 2025. All interested riders are required to register on MyWhoosh Championships page on MyWhoosh website.
All registered participants must take the MyWhoosh Power Passport Test to be eligible to race in the championships. Riders who race or have raced SRC (Sunday Race Club) in the last three months, will automatically be eligible to race in the MyWhoosh Championships without a new power passport test.
For more information and updates, check out MWC – Roadbook.
5th on Dauphiné Stage 2 and 10th Overall, Paul Penhoët Declassed
The race jury was busy after the second stage of the Critérium du Dauphiné. Paul Penhoët, who finished fifth in the final sprint, was declassed due to an ‘illegal sprint’, according to the jury. The Groupama-FDJ sprinter was put back to 116th place on the stage result and dropped from 10th to 55th overall.
Images show Penhoët fighting for his position at the start of the last kilometre. The Frenchman comes into contact with Emilien Jeannière and Mathieu van der Poel several times, but no one crashes. Penhoët is behind Jonathan Milan, who was the fastest in the sprint, to finish fifth. According to the race jury, the 23-year-old rider took it too far and has been penalised.
Penhoët was put back in the stage result, to last place in the peloton. The jury report states that he also received a yellow card, a fine of 500CHF and a points competition penalty of 6 points. Van der Poel and Jeannière, who fought with Penhoët for the wheel of top favourite Milan, finished third and sixth. Jeannière moved up one place and took 10th overall.
Paul Penhoët down to last place:
Classic Brugge-De Panne Moves the Dangerous Finish from De Panne
Race organiser, Golazo, will move the dangerous finish in Brugge-De Panne. In recent years, there has always been a finish in De Panne, which this year was, not for the first time, marred by a massive crash in the final kilometre. The race is now saying goodbye to that run-in, because the finish will now be in Bruges from now on. The race will now be called The Ronde van Brugge.
The first editions of the Ronde van Brugge will take place on 25 and 26 March 2026. The men will race on Wednesday and the women will race on Thursday. The race is made for the sprinters, but with maximum attention to safety. The race is the brainchild of organiser Golazo, cycling club KVC Panne Sportief (KVCPS) and the city of Brugge.
The race will be on the race calendar until at least 2031. “With the Tour of Bruges, we are going for a strong and safe project,” Christophe Impens of organiser Golazo told Sporza. “We are offering the best sprinters in the world the opportunity to compete in a top race at WorldTour level for the next six years.”
Carnage in the 2025 Classic Brugge-De Panne:
Doping Case in the Tour of Hainan
The fifth placed rider in the 2025 Tour of Hainan 2025 has tested positive for doping. Luis Carlos Chia Bermudez (28) from Colombia, who races for the Chinese continental team, Huansheng-Vonoa-Taishan Sport Team. Traces of the stimulant Phentermine were found in his system during the Tour of Hainan. The UCI has provisionally suspended Chia.
The UCI states that on April 10, 2025, a sample was taken from Luis Carlos Chia in which traces of Phentermine were found. This drug is in principle used as an appetite suppressant and is therefore intended to help with weight loss, but also has properties that are comparable to amphetamines, which can increase alertness, heart rate and blood pressure and affect endurance.
The doping test was taken on April 10, on the fourth stage of the Tour of Hainan, in which Chia finished third. In four of the five stages that week, the Colombian finished in the top 10 and he finished fifth in the final overall classification. The 28-year-old Chia has been riding for the continental Huansheng-Vonoa-Taishan Sport Team from China for the past two seasons. In 2017 and 2019, he raced for the Manzana Postobon team in Colombia. Due to the provisional suspension from the UCI, he is not allowed to compete at the moment.
Luis Carlos Chia Bermudez (Huansheng-Vonoa-Taishan Sport Team) provisionally suspended:
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