Two more stages of the Giro d’Italia, plus the first stage of the Quatre Jours de Dunkerque – Grand Prix des Hauts de France, the new one-day race, the Classique Dunkerque and the Navarra Women’s Elite Classic. All with video action, race reports, results and ‘what the rider’s think’.
TOP STORY:
- Bradley Wiggins struggled with a serious cocaine addiction after his career
Rider news:
- Rohan Dennis given suspended prison sentence
- Chris Hoy stable after cancer treatment
- Mads Pedersen commits to Lidl-Trek for the rest of his career
- Mathieu van der Poel not racing MTB this weekend
- Mikel Landa able to return home
- Arnaud De Lie makes long-awaited comeback this week
Team news:
- Alpecin-Deceuninck to Lose Vermeersch
- Netherland’s National coach Laurens ten Dam: “If it doesn’t work out in Rwanda, I’ll be the one to blame”
- The Next Races for Team Picnic PostNL
- CERATIZIT to conclude sponsorship of CERATIZIT Pro Cycling at the end of 2025 season
Race news:
- Maryland Cycling Classic Announces Initial Women’s Teams for 2025
- Montmartre and the Champs: a unique stage for the Tour’s Paris Finale
- ‘Te estaba esperando’, by Antonio Orozco, will be the official song of La Vuelta 25
Giro EUROTRASH cappuccino time!
TOP STORY: Bradley Wiggins Struggled with a Serious Cocaine Addiction after his Career
The 2012 Tour winner revealed details of his cocaine addiction in a candid interview with The Observer. Wiggins managed to kick the habit on his own a year ago, he said. He will publish an autobiography later this year, entitled The Chain, about his childhood traumas, turbulent cycling career and subsequent drug addiction.
“There were days when my son thought I would be found dead in the morning,” Wiggins said. “I was a functioning addict. People didn’t realise it. But I was high on drugs most of the time. I was taking enormous amounts of cocaine. I had a serious problem. My children wanted me to go to rehab. I was walking a tightrope.”
At one point, Wiggins knew he had a huge problem. “I had to stop. I’m lucky to still be here. I’ve been a victim of my own choices for many years. I already had a lot of self-loathing, but now I made it worse. It was a form of self-harm and self-sabotage. I wasn’t the person I wanted to be. I realised that I was hurting the people around me.” One of the people Wiggins has had help with various problems from is Lance Armstrong. Although he wasn’t always easy to help. “He walked a similar path with Jan (Ullrich). They tried to reach me, but couldn’t find me. My son (Ben Wiggins, who rides for Hagens Berman Jayco) speaks to Lance a lot. He would ask my son how I was, but Ben would have to say: ‘I haven’t heard from him for a few weeks and all I know is that he’s living in a hotel.’”
“Sometimes they didn’t hear from me for days. I can talk about it openly now. But back then there was an element of living a lie, of not talking about it. With me, there’s no middle ground. I can’t have one glass of wine. If I have a glass of wine, I’m buying drugs. My tendency towards addiction helped to ease the pain I was living with.”
Part of that pain also came from an incident that is still spoken about. During the Critérium du Dauphiné, Wiggins received a mysterious package. Dave Brailsford, then Team Sky team principal, claimed the package contained the expectorant Fluimicil, but this could never be definitively determined. Doping rumours continued to circulate. “I was in the eye of the storm,” said Wiggins, who claims he doesn’t know what was in the package. According to him, there are different versions of the story. “I would like to know somehow what really happened.”
Wiggins: ‘Lucky to still be here’:
Giro d’Italia 2025
On the first day for the ‘pure’ sprinters, we had a surprise winner in a chaotic bunch sprint finish of Stage 4. Casper van Uden of Team Picnic PostNL beat top favourite Olav Kooij (Visma | Lease a Bike) and Maikel Zijlaard (Tudor) in Lecce, for an all-Dutch podium. Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek) finished fourth to hold the pink jersey.
After a rest day, the Giro crosses the Adriatic Sea to Puglia for a 187km stage from Alberobello to Lecce, and probably the first bunch sprint. Alberobello, famous for its UNESCO trulli, offers a picturesque start. The route is mostly flat, with only one Cat 4 climb, so the sprint teams can control the race. The riders head east to the coast and then south to Lecce, where there is a local circuit. Lecce has been a sprinters playground in the past, Alessandro Petacchi beat Mario Cipollini here in 2003.
Francisco Muñoz (Team Polti-VisitMalta) went on a solo adventure early in the stage and the peloton wasn’t interested. It was going to be a lonely day for the Spanish rider as no one made any moves to join him. Muñoz’s lead quickly increased to over 4 minutes. The solo leader was an ideal situation for the sprinter’s teams. It was easy for Lidl-Trek for pink jersey wearer Mads Pedersen and Alpecin-Deceuninck for Kaden Groves, to keep Muñoz in control. At the intermediate sprint in Polignano a Mare there was a sprint for the points. Surprisingly it was Plowright who was the fastest, ahead of Kooij and Pedersen. Nothing much was happening in the fairly predictable stage. Then there was a bit of a commotion in the peloton. With 125 kilometres to go, several riders crashed. Mads Pedersen and Giulio Ciccone, two Lidl-Trek leaders, were involved. The Danish pink jersey wearer and Italian climber were quickly back on their bikes. It wasn’t so good for Canadian Nickolas Zukowsky, the Q36.5 Giro debutant had to abandon with a suspected broken collarbone.
The other fallen riders were quickly back on their bikes and were able to get back to the peloton, which was on its way to the Red Bull kilometre in Ostuni. Muñoz was the first to pass through and collected 6 bonus seconds, but there was a battle for the remaining 4 and 2 seconds in the bunch. Isaac del Toro was next across the line, ahead of Primoz Roglič, who took 2 seconds for the GC. After the sprint, the peloton calmed down and it was a matter of waiting for the solo Muñoz to be caught. This happened 56 kilometres from the finish. He had ridden off the front for most of the stage. At the second and final intermediate sprint in San Pancrazio Salentino; Kooij narrowly beat Pedersen. After this test of strength between the two top sprinters, we had to wait for the real duel in Lecce. In the run-up to the sprint, the pace increased considerably, but it didn’t go smoothly. Lidl-Trek suffered another crash. Søren Kragh Andersen came down and Pedersen and Ciccone were held up again. They managed to return to the peloton in time, but it wasn’t easy to move up in the bunch. The battle for the top positions had already started, causing the peloton to be pulled into a long line. Led by Decathlon AG2R, INEOS Grenadiers with a strong Joshua Tarling and Alpecin-Deceuninck, the pace remained high.
As the peloton was approaching the final kilometre and the run-up to the sprint, everyone was looking at Visma | Lease a Bike and top favourite Kooij. Although there was no expected lead-out by Wout van Aert, as he was nowhere to be seen. Edoardi Affini took over Van Aert’s role and Kooij looked to be in an ideal position for the sprint. Kooij had the problem of being boxed in at an important point of the sprint and couldn’t immediately respond to the attack of Casper van Uden. The fast-finisher of Picnic PostNL came out with a big kick and immediately had a big gap for his first stage win in a Grand Tour. Kooij had to settle for second place and Maikel Zijlaard crossed the line third for a Netherlands podium. Mads Pedersen finished fourth and held the pink leader’s jersey.
# You can see more photos in the full ‘PEZ Stage Report’ HERE. #
Stage winner, Casper van Uden (Team Picnic PostNL): “I didn’t do it alone today, we did it with the whole team. All the people, all the staff back at our HQ – they did super work. I didn’t have to take any wind until 200 metres to go. I know I have a good long sprint so just went all-out for it and gave it everything I had to the line. We knew that this season we’ve done a good job with the lead-outs but missed that final bit. In Türkiye last week the boys did a good job and I know that I just have to follow Bram and them. The whole team did a super good job today; I’m just really happy to give them something back to them. I know the boys and the team really believe in me, and sometimes I have to find that belief myself a little bit, but this helps. Everyone from the team does a really good job helping me believe in myself and now it pays off.”
Maglia Rosa and 4th on the stage, Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek): “I expected every sprinter to be there to win. It was quite an easy day, it doesn’t surprise me at all that all the sprinters were in contention. My team-mate Soren Kragh Andersen crashed, it caught me behind and I had to chase for 15km to make it back to the front. There we had to use some energy we didn’t want to. Daan Hoole had to use all his energy to bring us back, so we lost the train, basically. It is what it is, we managed quite well to finish and get some points for the Maglia Ciclamino. It was special to wear the Maglia Rosa in a road race today and not in a time trial that lasted fifteen minutes or so on Saturday. This jersey is so special for Italy. It’s an incredible experience. I really enjoyed it.”
2nd on the stage, Olav Kooij (Visma | Lease a Bike): “Edoardo did a fantastic job, putting me right where I needed to be in the final kilometre. Unfortunately, I got boxed in during the chaos. There was a moment of hesitation, and the speed dropped. I got stuck and couldn’t break free in time. That meant I launched my sprint too late and couldn’t come around Casper anymore. He’s definitely a deserved winner. It was a very technical finish, and I think there might have been more in it for us today.”
3rd on the stage, Maikel Zijlaard (Tudor): “Of course I would have liked to finish it off for the team, but it’s never easy to win a bike race. It was a hectic final, as we expected. There were a few corners in the last kilometre and a half that made it a nice sprint, but also caused some chaos. But that’s something I like. What we showed as a team was great. We were in control during the whole stage and that’s why I would have liked to finish it off. We have a mentality that we always want to give everything until the finish. Sometimes that pays off, but sometimes it doesn’t. That’s why I think we can be happy with today. Hopefully this is the start of something even better. We had to watch our leader Michael Storer and Maikel Zijlaard. Maikel is very good at positioning, with his experience on the track, and we know he’s a strong lead-out. Because De Kleijn was missing in Tirreno-Adriatico, that gave a chance for Maikel, in the run-up to the Giro. He did very well today, especially when you know that he is not a pure sprinter. This top 3 is therefore a nice result.”
10th on the stage, Matteo Moschetti (Q36.5): “It was a hectic start of the day with that crash. Nick had an injury and had to leave. I was also in that crash but am okay, only a bit sore. I was still motivated for the final. In the end we took the front at 15 kilometres to go and we had a good position thanks to the boys who did a great job. It was a big fight for position but I was still well positioned in the final kilometres. In the end I missed the legs I think. A tenth place is not what I wanted but it’s like this. I look forward to the next opportunities.”
Solo break rider, Francisco Muñoz (Polti VisitMalta): “When I saw no one followed me as I attacked from the start, I shook my head a bit because with today’s wind I think a larger group could have done something. Still, I went for it — to honour the Giro d’Italia and our presence here — and it turned out to be a good day of racing. I’m also relieved I didn’t suffer any consequences from the crash I was involved in with the maglia rosa and others 22km from the finish.”
Giro d’Italia Stage 4 Result:
1. Casper van Uden (Ned) Team Picnic PostNL in 4:02:21
2. Olav Kooij (Ned) Visma | Lease a Bike
3. Maikel Zijlaard (Ned) Tudor
4. Mads Pedersen (Den) Lidl-Trek
5. Kaden Groves (Aus) Alpecin-Deceuninck
6. Sam Bennett (Irl) Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale
7. Paul Magnier (Fra) Soudal Quick-Step
8. Ben Turner (GB) INEOS Grenadiers
9. Matteo Moschetti (Ita) Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team
10. Enrico Zanoncello (Ita) VF Group-Bardiani CSF-Faizanè.
Giro d’Italia Overall After Stage 4:
1. Mads Pedersen (Den) Lidl-Trek in 11:44:31
2. Primož Roglič (Slo) Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe at 0:07
3. Mathias Vacek (CZ) Lidl-Trek at 0:14
4. Brandon McNulty (USA) UAE Emirates XRG at 0:21
5. Isaac Del Toro Romero (Mex) UAE Emirates XRG at 0:22
6. Juan Ayuso Pesquera (Spa) UAE Emirates XRG at 0:25
7. Max Poole (GB) Team Picnic PostNL at 0:33
8. Antonio Tiberi (Ita) Bahrain Victorious at 0:34
9. Michael Storer (Aus) Tudor at 0:36
10. Giulio Pellizzari (Ita) Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe at 0:40.
Giro’25 stage 4:
Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek) added the Fifth Stage of the Giro d’Italia to his palmarès. The Danish pink jersey wearer had a hard time in the difficult final kilometres to Matera, but he did cross the finish line just ahead of Edoardo Zambanini (Bahrain-Victorious) and Tom Pidcock (Q36.5). Of course Pedersen held the overall lead.
The fifth stage from Ceglie Messapica to Matera is short at 145km, flat to start with and a hilly finale. The climb to Montescaglioso (2.8km at 8.6%) comes 30 kilometres from the finish and a 7.1km climb at 3.5% to Tramontano will be important. Then there is a steep climb of 700m at 7.9%, with the summit 1.7km from the finish, makes the finale in Matera suitable for attackers like Van Aert or Pedersen. Although it was Arnaud Démare who won here in 2020.
It was Giosue Epis (Arkéa-B&B Hotels) and Davide Bais (Polti-VisitMalta) who were first to set up an early break of the day. Lorenzo Milesi (Movistar) also joined them a little later. The were no problem for Lidl-Trek, the team of pink jersey Mads Pedersen, who let the three go. Jacopo Mosca did most of the work, but four Visma | Lease a Bike riders took over at the intermediate sprint in Massafra. Pedersen shot to the front and took the 3 remaining points for the points classification ahead of Jensen Plowright (Alpecin-Deceuninck). At the second intermediate sprint, the result was the same. The peloton pushed on at a steady pace, as the leaders were giving their all towards the steep Montescaglioso climb, which started the finale. As expected, Lidl-Trek increased the pace. This got rid of the first sprinters; Milan Fretin (Cofidis) and Gerben Thijssen (Intermarché-Wanty). It was also a bit too hard for Olav Kooij (Visma | Lease a Bike) and Sam Bennett (Decathlon AG2R).
The other fast-finishers tried to hang on. Casper van Uden (Picnic PostNL) must have had confidence from his stage win on Tuesday and was there for a long time, as did Kaden Groves (Alpecin-Deceuninck). Only when UAE Emirates-XRG added to the speed with the summit in sight, they too were dropped. They lost more than a minute in a short time, and the main group now consisted of only 40 riders. Milesi took 18 KOM points at the top of the Montescaglioso, Bais was still hanging on. But the lead had shrunk considerably due to all the work behind and soon the escapees were in trouble. The peloton eased a little, allowing the group with Groves to rejoin. About 100 riders headed for the last difficult sections.
The first bit of false flat caused a few to be dropped. Wout van Aert dropped back 4 kilometres from the finish after strong lead work for his GC man, Simon Yates. But the steep final climb in the last 2.5 kilometres was still to come. Pedersen was perfectly positioned for the finale, but the first hard push came from Primoz Roglič. The move didn’t work for the Slovenian and Mathias Vacek took over for Pedersen. The white jersey wearer didn’t see that his leader, Pedersen was in trouble due to that high pace. On the slightly flatter section with 1.5 kilometres to go, Vacek had to counter several attacks. Pedersen was able to move up again in the meantime. The Czech domestique managed to put in a perfect lead-out for his Danish leader. Pedersen was also the first to sprint, but Tom Pidcock (Q36.5) and then Edoardo Zambanini (Bahrain Victorious) come very close. In the end, the pink jersey had just a few centimetres on Zambanini and won his third stage in five days.
# You can see more photos in the full ‘PEZ Stage Report’ HERE. #
Stage winner and Maglia Rosa, Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek): “We wanted to be as good as possible and wear the Maglia Rosa in Albania. Now with three wins out of five stages, it’s bigger than our dream. It makes me super proud of the team that were so committed to make it possible. When Primoz [Roglic] went, I told Mathias Vacek to stay with him. Primoz is a racer. I understand that he wants to make action and win, if I was in his shoes I would have done the same. Had they gone away, Vacek could have had a chance of winning. He also deserves that. I was suffering. He slowed down when the road flattened, then I could come back in a corner. His long lead out was incredibly good. This win is definitely a good sign of how the team is working. But I’ve had to go really deep to make this happen today.”
2nd on the stage, Edoardo Zambanini (Bahrain Victorious): “Roglič tried three kilometres from the finish, but the pace was so high that it was impossible to get away. After that, I was always in the top fifteen or twenty. I still felt good in the sprint. I always enjoy these types of finishes, so I just gave it my all. It was a tough final. I timed my sprint well and I was on Mads’ wheel, but I had to slow down a bit to try to pass him. That didn’t work anymore. I should have maybe passed him straight away. On the climb, I was just too far away to try anything myself, so I limited myself to following. In the last kilometre, I couldn’t have done much more either. With someone like Vacek in front, you can only experience the race. The finish wasn’t perfect for me either. But all in all, it certainly wasn’t bad.”
3rd on the stage, Tom Pidcock (Q36.5): “Unfortunately [he came back], it was a hard final. I was on his wheel and let the pace go a bit. I should have gone straight past but it was a long way so I went around him. This finish was perfect for me, very explosive. Third is not bad. It was a hard final. They race so hard these days that there are still a hundred left up there. You have to be very focused all the time. I don’t think we as a team could have done anything different. You have to go with the race. I was a bit far back on the climb and maybe wanted to try something at the top but it was too short a climb and everyone had the same pace there.”
Break rider, Davide Bais (Polti VisitMalta): “It was my turn to get into the break, and I made it! With 40 km to go I pushed again and only Milesi came with me – I’m happy we managed to go that far. I’m now second in the breakaway classification, behind my teammate Alessandro Tonelli, and you’ll definitely see me attacking again soon.”
Giro d’Italia Stage 5 Result:
1. Mads Pedersen (Den) Lidl-Trek in 3:27:31
2. Edoardo Zambanini (Ita) Bahrain Victorious
3. Tom Pidcock (GB) Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team
4. Orluis Alberto Aular Sanabria (Ven) Movistar
5. Filippo Fiorelli (Ita) VF Group-Bardiani CSF-Faizanè
6. Michael Storer (Aus) Tudor
7. Quentin Pacher (Fra) Groupama-FDJ
8. Brandon Rivera (Col) INEOS Grenadiers
9. Damiano Caruso (Ita) Bahrain Victorious
10. Isaac Del Toro Romero (Mex) UAE Emirates XRG.
Giro d’Italia Overall After Stage 5:
1. Mads Pedersen (Den) Lidl-Trek in 15:11:52
2. Primož Roglič (Slo) Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe at 0:17
3. Mathias Vacek (CZ) Lidl-Trek at 0:24
4. Brandon McNulty (USA) UAE Emirates XRG at 0:31
5. Isaac Del Toro Romero (Mex) UAE Emirates XRG at 0:32
6. Juan Ayuso Pesquera (Spa) UAE Emirates XRG at 0:35
7. Max Poole (GB) Team Picnic PostNL at 0:43
8. Antonio Tiberi (Ita) Bahrain Victorious at 0:44
9. Michael Storer (Aus) Tudor at 0:46
10. Giulio Pellizzari (Ita) Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe at 0:50.
Giro’25 stage 5:
Quatre Jours de Dunkerque – Grand Prix des Hauts de France 2025
Axel Zingle took his first individual victory for Visma | Lease a Bike. In the first stage of the Four Days of Dunkirk, the Frenchman was the fastest at the finish, he also took the overall lead. Tobias Lund Andresen (Team Picnic PostNL) and Stian Edvardsen-Fredheim (Uno-X Mobility) were second and third on the stage, Ben Swift (INEOS Grenadiers) and Per Strand Hagenes (Visma | Lease a Bike) are second and third on GC tanks to bonus seconds.
The day after the Classique Dunkerque, won by Pascal Ackermann, the Four Days of Dunkirk started. It is a stage race that lasts five days this year. The tough opening stage was from Sainte Catherine to Amiens. At the end of the stage there were two laps of just over 11 kilometres round Amiens.
The day’s break included: Gil Gelders (Soudal Quick-Step) and Luca De Meester (Wagner Bazin WB), who was also at the front in the Classique Dunkirk. they were joined by Joren Bloem (Unibet Tietema Rockets), but he didn’t last long and with just under 100 kilometres to go, he dropped back. Danny van der Tuuk (Euskaltel-Euskadi), Per Strand Hagenes (Visma | Lease a Bike) and Ben Swift (INEOS Grenadiers) were also in the escape group. At the first of three passes through the finish, the gap was still 1:30, so the sprinter teams had to work hard. In the last lap around Amiens, all the escape riders had been caught and so the sprinter’s teams could start getting ready.
Axel Zingle (Visma | Lease a Bike) turned out to be the best. He was able to do a long sprint to Jake Stewart, who tried to do a lead-out for Ackermann. Zingle then managed to hold off Tobias Lund Andresen (Picnic PostNL) in the final metres. Stian Fredheim (Uno-X Mobility) finished third.
Stage winner and overall leader, Axel Zingle (Visma | Lease a Bike): “I’m not the fastest sprinter at the start, but I know I can position myself well in the final kilometres. Thankfully, everything went perfectly today. I’m incredibly happy with this win, especially after being involved in a crash at the finish yesterday. We came here as a team aiming for stage wins, and it’s fantastic to already have one in the bag. With both Per and myself well-placed in the GC, it would be great if we could hold onto those positions in the coming days.”
Quatre Jours de Dunkerque Stage 1 Result:
1. Axel Zingle (Fra) Visma | Lease a Bike in 3:51:10
2. Tobias Lund Andresen (Den) Team Picnic PostNL
3. Stian Edvardsen-Fredheim (Nor) Uno-X Mobility
4. Pascal Ackermann (Ger) Israel-Premier Tech
5. Martijn Budding (Ned) Unibet Tietema Rockets
6. Jason Tesson (Fra) TotalEnergies
7. Jon Aberasturi Izaga (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi
8. Matt Walls (GB) Groupama-FDJ
9. Jenno Berckmoes (Bel) Lotto
10. Mike Teunissen (Ned) XDS Astana.
Quatre Jours de Dunkerque Overall After Stage 1:
1. Axel Zingle (Fra) Visma | Lease a Bike in 3:51:00
2. Ben Swift (GB) INEOS Grenadiers at 0:02
3. Per Strand Hagenes (Nor) Visma | Lease a Bike at 0:03
4. Tobias Lund Andresen (Den) Team Picnic PostNL at 4
5. Stian Edvardsen-Fredheim (Nor) Uno-X Mobility at 0:06
6. Gil Gelders (Bel) Soudal Quick-Step at 0:07
7. Pascal Ackermann (Ger) Israel-Premier Tech at 0:10
8. Martijn Budding (Ned) Unibet Tietema Rockets
9. Jason Tesson (Fra) TotalEnergies
10. Jon Aberasturi Izaga (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi.
Dunkerque’25 stage 1:
Classique Dunkerque – Hauts de France 2025
Pascal Ackermann (Israel-Premier Tech) was the fastest on Tuesday in the first edition of the Classique Dunkerque. Ackermann was faster than Biniam Girmay (Intermarché-Wanty) and Alberto Dainese (Tudor) in the final sprint and took his first victory in two years.
The Four Days of Dunkirk causes confusion every year. The stage race has been run over six days since 2017. This year that has changed. The organisers decided to shorten the stage race to five days, with the Classique Dunkerque the day before stage 1. By canceling one stage, the organisers had space for a one-day race at 1.Pro level. This way, riders can earn more UCI points in the Classic than in a normal stage. The new one-day race was just under 194 kilometres long and was made for the sprinters with a flat final to Lens.
Four riders made up the ‘break of the day’. Abram Stockman (Unibet Tietema Rockets) was joined by Luca De Meester (Wagner Bazin WB), Kenny Molly (Van Rysel Roubaix) and Similien Hamon (CIC-U-Nantes). The peloton let them go, but kept the gap within limits. The lead was at one point about 2 minutes, but this was not enough to make it to the finish. At the start of the last 50 kilometres, attacks started in the peloton, but these attempts were quickly shut down. These accelerations caused the lead to disappear. With 30 kilometres to go, the last early escapee, Stockman, was caught. This was the signal for three riders to make their move. Per Strand Hagenes (Visma | Lease a Bike), Samuel Watson (INEOS Grenadiers) and Robbe Dhondt (Picnic PostNL) escaped for a while, but they didn’t hold out for long. It was starting to look like the race would end in a bunch sprint.
Cofidis were working for a sprint for Bryan Coquard. The French team kept the pace high on the run-in to the final kilometres and hoped to discourage any attackers, but Unibet Tietema Rockets had other ideas. Axel Huens made an attempt to surprise the sprinter’s teams, but failed. His attack increased the nervousness in the peloton and there were some crashes. After Cofidis had done a lot of the work, Israel-Premier Tech took over. The Israeli team gave its fast-man, Pascal Ackermann, an ideal lead-out and the 31-year-old German finished the job off. For Ackermann, who has only just returned from a broken collarbone, it is his first victory since July 2, 2023, when he won a stage in the Tour of Austria. It is his 41st professional victory. Ackermann beat the fast finishing Biniam Girmay and Alberto Dainese in the sprint. Arnaud Démare and Coquard filled the top 5. Cees Bol finished sixth, giving his team XDS Astana team important UCI WorldTour points.
Race winner, Pascal Ackermann (Israel-Premier Tech): “It was an amazing team performance today. Yesterday I saw the start-list and I thought that I should be able to win today. Today the team rode so strongly from the front and I was like: ‘if the team is riding like this, I should be the strongest rider! I felt super good on the climbs and the team gave me all their trust, especially after my injuries in the last few weeks and months. I’m super happy to finish it off. I didn’t win any races in the last two years. I had a lot of injuries, also in the last weeks, and some bad times. But this week started super nice – my brother and his wife have had two twins, so congratulations to them – and I think that was good motivation for me to restart my cycling life.”
2nd, Biniam Girmay (Intermarché-Wanty): “I was happy to return to France and discover this new race, the Classic Dunkirk, but after the two intense days in Brittany with the Grand Prix Morbihan and Tro Bro Léon, today was far from easy. The torrential rain that suddenly appeared in the final also complicated things, causing a few crashes. With the team, we took control from the start of the race, and my teammates did everything possible to support me. I’m hungry for victory, which is why I’m disappointed to finish second, just like in the Algarve. But I’m happy to be back on the podium. I hope to reach the top step soon, my eyes now set on my next race in Cologne on Sunday.”
Classique Dunkerque Result:
1. Pascal Ackermann (Ger) Israel-Premier Tech in 4:14:55
2. Biniam Girmay Hailu (Eri) Intermarché-Wanty
3. Alberto Dainese (Ita) Tudor
4. Arnaud Démare (Fra) Arkéa-B&B Hotels
5. Bryan Coquard (Fra) Cofidis
6. Cees Bol (Ned) XDS Astana
7. Tobias Lund Andresen (Den) Team Picnic PostNL
8. Emilien Jeannière (Fra) TotalEnergies
9. Matt Walls (GB) Groupama-FDJ
10. Jon Aberasturi (Spa) Izaga Euskaltel-Euskadi.
Classique Dunkerque’25:
Navarra Women’s Elite Classic 2025
Cat Ferguson (Movistar) has shown again that she is considered one of the biggest talents in the international women’s peloton. In Pamplona, she convincingly won the Navarra Women’s Elite Classic, a tough Spanish one-day race at Pro level. She out-sprinted Soraya Paladin (Canyon//SRAM zondacrypto) and Ruth Edwards-Winder (Human Powered Health).
The one-day race in Navarra traditionally has many possibilities, in the past riders have won solo; Riejanne Markus in 2023 and also in a sprint from a thinned-out group. But on Wednesday, no one managed to successfully ride away in the rainy 134.4 kilometre race. This despite nine vicious climbs on the route.
Movistar, which has its ‘service course’ in Egüés, just outside Pamplona, were looking at their young superstar Cat Ferguson at the finish, because she is used to rain and cold in her home of Yorkshire. The home team’s confidence was not unfounded, as the British rider finished it off with a great display of power. Ferguson, who has just turned 19, secured her first victory of 2025. Soraya Paladin (Canyon-SRAM Zondacrypto) came in second, Ruth Edwards (Human Powered Health) was third.
Race winner, Cat Ferguson (Movistar): “I’m happy to win my home race in Navarra. The girls did a fantastic job, keeping me in a good position and following all the attacks, even when the weather deteriorated. We stayed at the front, following our plan. Aude took the launch, and I was able to win in front of our home crowd, which is very special.”
2nd, Soraya Paladin (Canyon//SRAM zondacrypto): “We had different cards to play, of course, with Cille and Toni. We were hoping for an aggressive race. We knew that Liv AlUla Jayco had Trinca-Colonel and she was one of the strongest on the climbs, so the plan was for Toni to follow her and make the group smaller, or force a breakaway. If nothing was happening with two kilometres to go, I asked Cille to set a hard pace into the last kicker before the finish line. She did it perfectly. Then, Cat was just the strongest today. In the last kilometre, I was focused on Cat’s wheel. I knew Cille was helping me, and I really wanted to repay that with a good result. Of course, second place is always a double feeling. When I crossed the finish line, I wasn’t really happy, but for how we raced and how she won, I think we can be proud. We’ll take this as a positive into Itzulia, with a strong team ready to race well again.”
3rd, Ruth Edwards-Winder (Human Powered Health): “I was unsure of how I’d race today after the crash at Strade took me out for a while. Barbara could see me struggling on a climb, and she told me I could do this, and that helped motivate me in that moment to get me over the climb. From there, I felt a lot better and was able to play the game, and it was fun to have the team really represented. It was a wet finish. The last two kilometres were kind of a blur. I was just trying to get in a good position, and I ended up right there on good wheels. Every race is a new day, and it’s great to get a result for the team. We rode well together and communicated well, so the team result shows that.”
5th, Giada BorghesiHuman Powered Health): “I’m happy with the team’s performance. Ruth took third place and I took fifth. It was great to be together on the podium and take the prize as the first team today in Navarra, even more satisfying because it was a tough race and we were there.”
Navarra Women’s Elite Classic Result:
1. Cat Ferguson (GB) Movistar in 3:39:43
2. Soraya Paladin (Ita) Canyon//SRAM zondacrypto
3. Ruth Edwards-Winder (USA) Human Powered Health
4. Caroline Andersson (Swe) Liv AlUla Jayco
5. Giada Borghesi (Ita) Human Powered Health
6. Monica Trinca Colonel (Ita) Liv AlUla Jayco
7. Ane Santesteban Gonzalez (Spa) Laboral Kutxa-Fundacion Euskadi
8. India Grangier (Fra) Team Coop-Repsol
9. Tiril Jørgensen (Nor) Team Coop-Repsol
10. Ava Holmgren (Can) Lidl-Trek.
Navarra’25:
Rohan Dennis Given Suspended Prison Sentence
Former cyclist, Rohan Dennis, has been given a suspended prison sentence for the collision that killed his wife Melissa Hoskins. Dennis, 34, previously pleaded guilty to part of the charges.
Melissa Hoskins, 32, who was also a cyclist, was hit by a pick-up truck just metres from her home on Saturday 30 December 2023. She was taken to the Royal Adelaide Hospital in critical condition, where she died of her injuries. Dennis was driving the pick-up and was arrested the same day.
The prosecution initially charged Dennis with ‘dangerous driving causing death’ and ‘driving without due care’, but the Australian is not being held responsible for Hoskins’ death. The former cyclist has pleaded guilty to one of the charges, ‘creating a likelihood of harm’.
Dennis, the 2018 and 2019 world time trial champion, was facing a prison sentence of up to seven years. However, he has now been sentenced to a suspended prison sentence of 16 months and 28 days, with a probation period of two years. The sentence was shortened by ten months because he had pleaded guilty. In addition, his driver’s license will be revoked for five years.
Hoskins’ parents had previously indicated that they believed Dennis had not wanted to hurt his wife. Amanda Hoskins, Melissa’s mother, said she believed it was a ‘tragic accident’, but also pointed out Dennis’ responsibility. “Your temperament is your weakness and that needs to be pointed out,” she said to the former rider. The parents are happy that the case has now been concluded. “We miss our daughter terribly. She was special,” they told Australian media after the judge’s verdict. “We will now have to come to terms with this and get on with our lives. Melissa would have liked that too.”
The Dennis family in better times:
Chris Hoy Stable After Cancer Treatment
Chris Hoy announced in February, 2024 that he had been diagnosed with prostate cancer, at the end of the year it turned out that the cancer had spread and that he has a maximum of two to four years to live. The 49-year-old former track cyclist is not giving up the fight and doing well under the circumstances.
Hoy has spoken to British Sky Sports about his present condition: “I am currently in a kind of stability phase. I feel good. I exercise, cycle, am busy and, most importantly, my illness is not the first thing I think about when I wake up in the morning and it is not the last thing I think about when I go to bed at night. I do take medication and I am constantly being treated, but it does not really disrupt my life too much. The most important thing is that it works, so I am currently stable. I cannot believe the situation I am in now compared to 18 months ago,” Hoy clarified. “I never thought I would reach the point where I would just live. That I would be able to enjoy the little things and appreciate everything about life. Never mind tomorrow, enjoy today.”
Hoy is one of the top track cyclists of all time. He was World champion eleven times and won six Olympic titles. In 2013, he decided to retire as a racing cyclist and has mainly worked in the media, as an analyst and as a podcast presenter.
Chris Hoy – Still fighting:
Mads Pedersen Commits to Lidl-Trek for the Rest of his Career
Mads Pedersen has been racing for Lidl-Trek since 2017 and will not be going anywhere else. Following the examples of Mathieu van der Poel, Wout van Aert and Marianne Vos, the Dane has committed himself to the team for the rest of his career.
The 29-year-old rider, who is currently leading the Giro d’Italia, made the announcement in a press release: “The decision to stay at Lidl-Trek for the rest of my career was actually very easy for me. Since my arrival in 2017, I have always felt very welcome and supported by everyone on the team. Because I really like everyone on the team, it was always easy to renew my contract. I can always count on the full commitment and trust of the team. If you get that confidence from a team manager, the performance group, staff members and you name it, it’s easy to decide to stay with the team. And now we have ended up in a situation where I will stay here for my entire WorldTour career. Of course I am very proud of that: writing a piece of history with Trek.”
The former World champion has won a lot of great races during his career, but still has a wish list. “I definitely hope to win a monument. I continue to fight for that and I really believe it is possible, with the support of the team. It’s definitely one of my biggest goals for the coming years, but I also want to achieve as many victories as possible, be a good leader and help young riders on their way to success.”
Luca Guercilena, the team manager of Lidl-Trek, has a lot of admiration for Pedersen. “Seeing Mads grow into the rider he is now has been one of the biggest privileges in my career. From day one it was clear that he was special. He is not only a phenomenal talent on the bike, but also a leader who can inspire the people around him. You see it during his races; he gives everything for the team and his teammates give everything back. I have no doubt that Mads will continue to push himself and his teammates until the day he decides to stop. With his loyalty and dedication, he helped shape the culture of Lidl-Trek. We are incredibly proud that he will stay with us for a long time.”
Mads Pedersen to stay with Lidl-Trek for the rest of his career:
Mathieu van der Poel Not Racing MTB this Weekend
In mid-April, the organisers of Bike the Rock in the Germany, proudly announced that Mathieu van der Poel would be at the start of their race. As it turns out, they spoke too early, because the 30-year-old leader of Alpecin-Deceuninck will not be in Germany this weekend (May 18). According to WielerFlits, he will make his comeback in the World Cup of Nové Mesto, a week later in the Czech Republic.
“Mathieu van der Poel is coming to Heubach!”, the organisers wrote on April 15. According to the Germans, he would make his comeback in mountain biking in the Bike the Rock after the Olympic test event in Paris on September 24, 2023. “The perhaps most complete cyclist of all time is breathing in the MTB air with us again and we are delighted to welcome him!” Van der Poel will not be there this weekend and it had never been confirmed by his team either.
However, according to WielerFlits, we don’t have to wait long for Van der Poel’s return to the mountain bike. A week later, the weekend of 23 to 25 May, he will be riding the Nové Mesto World Cup. The Dutchman won in 2019 and in his last participation, in 2021, he narrowly finished second behind Tom Pidcock. He also won the Shortrace twice and came second once in Nové Mesto, but that is only reserved for mountain bikers from the top 40 of the UCI ranking. Van der Poel is not in that ranking and so he will not be riding it.
Bike the Rock is not part of the World Cup, but of the MTB Bundesliga in Germany. Although the winner of Milan-Sanremo and Paris-Roubaix will not be there, World champion, Puck Pieterse, will be there. She will ride the German race in preparation for the World Cup in Nové Mesto, who celebrated her 23rd birthday on Tuesday the 13th of May, immediately won her first World Cup two years ago during her debut with the elites. Last Friday, the super talent of Fenix-Deceuninck won the Dutch Short Race title.
No MTB for Van der Poel yet:
Mikel Landa Medical Update – Basque Rider Able to Return Home
Following his accident on Friday’s opening stage of the Giro d’Italia, Mikel Landa has been able to travel home, where he can begin his recovery.
After accident, Mikel was transferred to hospital in Tirana, where he underwent a CT scan, that revealed a stable fracture to the TH 11 vertebra.
Mikel spent the night in an ICU ward, but after suffering no further complications, he was moved to a normal hospital room and arrangements were made of his return home, where he can begin his recuperation. He is said to be in good spirits and optimistic for the future.
Speaking on his return, Mikel said “I would like to thank everybody for the messages of support and the love that I have received. I would also like to thank the medics both at the scene of the accident and at the hospital in Tirana, and to everybody at Soudal Quick-Step who has taken care of me and helped me to return to my home. It will be a long recovery but the support that has been shown to me will strengthen me on my journey.”
Everyone at Soudal Quick-Step would like to add our thanks to the medics and staff both at the site of the accident and at the hospital in Tirana for the care and attention given to Mikel
Landa able to go home after his crash:
Arnaud De Lie Makes Long-Awaited Comeback
Arnaud De Lie’s comeback should be this week. “The intention is that he will start in the Rund um Köln next Sunday”, Kurt Van de Wouwer, sports direteur of the Lotto team, told WielerFlits.
The De Lie issue is quite delicate. The Belgian champion should have been Lotto’s big asset in the spring Classics, but for the second year in a row it was a disappointing campaign without results in the top Classics. After abandoning Gent-Wevelgem, De Lie was, just like the year before, not on the start line for the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix.
Lyme disease was mentioned as a possible cause a year earlier, the team had to admit that this time it had no concrete reason. “Arnaud has done everything in terms of training, but cycling is more than just training. It is not enough to live 90% for your sport. Cycling requires 110%. With Arnaud, certain factors and details can be improved. It is time to work on that,” the DS said after the classics.
De Lie asked for and was then given time to recharge his batteries. Lotto let him break off his collaboration with his regular coach Gaëtan Bille, to work with an internal trainer from the team and prepare himself for the second part of the season, starting in Cologne. Van de Wouwer: “He is doing better now. But to be honest, we do not want to communicate too much about that, certainly not to put too much pressure on him. That would not be fair, if he has been out for so long.”
It seems significant that the comeback took a few weeks longer than a year earlier, then it was on 28 April in the Famenne Ardenne Classic. “It took longer to get him ready. But that is in line with what we had in mind for him right after the spring. We didn’t want to put a time limit on when we wanted him back in the race. We first had to be sure that he was completely ready, and that is now the case.”
But it is clear that De Lie’s real goals lie later in the year. “Last year we were also in sackcloth and ashes after Gent-Wevelgem, but afterwards he became Belgian champion and rode a good Tour de France. I want to sign for that right now. There are still some great races coming up. The Belgian Championship is a goal again, the Tour too. That talent is not gone. He will definitely become the Arnaud we know again,” said Van de Wouwer.
In order to help De Lie on his way to a full recovery, the team also does not want to set a 100% program yet. “But it will be pretty obvious. The Tour de Suisse worked out well last year as a final preparation towards the two main goals of the summer, the intention would be to do it the same way this year, if everything goes well.”
Another Lotto rider will resume this weekend after a long inactivity. Jenno Berckmoes had a bad crash in the Tour of Flanders, and he was only able to resume training fairly recently. However, the Four Days of Dunkirk will once again be his baptism of fire. “It will still take some time to get back to level, but if that works out, he can also become a points winner for our team,” concludes Van de Wouwer.
Arnaud De Lie back at the weekend:
Alpecin-Deceuninck to Lose Vermeersch
Gianni Vermeersch is close to moving from Alpecin-Deceuninck to Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe, according to Het Laatste Nieuws. They also report that Vermeersch’s teammate Timo Kielich is also looking for a new team. He is said to have already reached a verbal agreement with Visma | Lease a Bike.
The 32-year-old Vermeersch has been riding for the Roodhooft brothers’ team for years. He joined the then Beobank-Corendon in mid-2017 and has seen all the developments of the team from Continental to the WorldTour. In recent years, he has been an important lieutenant of Mathieu van der Poel in the Classics. But he is said to be on his way to Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe. The German team has confirmed to HLN that they are interested in Vermeersch.
HLN are sure of Kielich’s departure from Alpecin-Deceuninck. The 25-year-old Belgian, who won the Volta NXT Classic last year and rode well this spring, is said to have already reached a verbal agreement with Visma | Lease a Bike. He is also said to have been of interest to Soudal Quick-Step, but is more attracted to the performance plan of Richard Plugge’s Dutch team.
As for Alpecin-Deceuninck, it is still questionable whether Quinten Hermans and Xandro Meurisse will still be riding for the team next year. Both have expiring contracts and according to HLN, they both have an offer from Q36.5.
Gianni Vermeersch off to Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe:
Netherland’s National Coach Laurens ten Dam: “If it Doesn’t Work Out in Rwanda, I’ll be the One to Blame”
The Dutch women won all individual stages in La Vuelta Femenina last week. This creates high expectations for the World championships in Rwanda, the new national coach Laurens ten Dam realises. “If it doesn’t work out in Rwanda, I’ll be the one to blame,” he said during a special episode of the WielerFlits Podcast.
“They may not listen to me, but if it’s good, the women will implement my tactics there,” Ten Dam continued. “That also means that you can hold me accountable for that. And not the rider in question. If she’s riding in front and it looks strange, while I said it should be done, then it’s my responsibility. I want to make that clear.”
Last year, things went wrong at the World championships under then national coach Loes Gunnewijk. Demi Vollering was the leading woman for the Netherlands at the time, but made a few tactical mistakes in the final. Despite a good starting position in the final, the Netherlands ‘only’ finished fifth in the global title race. According to Ten Dam, the tactical mistakes were due to the pressure on Vollering’s shoulders.
“But last year was also a strange year,” the national coach believes. “Last year she had to make up for her entire season in Zurich – in her opinion. The Tour was lost, the classics may not have gone as she wanted. I hope she has already won a few races before the World championship. That also means that the pressure is a lot less. Because yes, under that pressure she made the wrong choices in the final last year.”
Ten Dam emphasises that Vollering was not the only one who made mistakes in Zurich. “Certainly not. It’s not just Demi, but the whole process. The riders also agreed to a tactic that wasn’t quite right. All seven were there at that time. The group needs to mature enough to have the right tactics in advance and to be on the same page. They shouldn’t say ‘yes’ and think: I don’t really know. That all needs to be discussed thoroughly.”
For Ten Dam, everyone starts with a clean slate now that he is national coach. “Everyone starts from scratch. Before you go to Rwanda, you know what your role is going to be. You have to agree to that.”
The Dutch national team boss Laurens ten Dam:
The Next Races for Team Picnic PostNL
Itzulia Women – MAY 16 – MAY 18
Callum Ferguson – Team Picnic PostNL coach: “Another race in Spain and another opportunity to build on the strong collective performance we showed during the Vuelta Femenina. We want to keep the momentum going with focused teamwork and we come here with a clear GC ambition. Eleonora will be our finisher for the overall classification, and we’re excited to see if she can take another step forward following her result in the Vuelta. Beyond the GC, this race is also a chance for each rider to continue progressing, both individually and together as a team.”
Line-up:
Eleonora Ciabocco (ITA)
Ella Heremans (BEL)
Juliana Londoño (COL)
Esmée Peperkamp (NLD)
Abi Smith (GBR)
Becky Storrie (GBR).
Rund um Köln – MAY 18
Bennie Lambregts – Team Picnic PostNL coach: “We line up for Rund um Köln with the same clear ambition as last year: sprint for the win. While last year’s winner Casper won’t be on the start line, we’re lining up with Pavel Bittner as our finisher, ready to fight for another top result. Our team may be young, but it’s packed with talent and motivation. We believe we have the strength and unity to deliver Pavel into the final and go for back-to-back victories in this beautiful German classic.”
Line-up:
Pavel Bittner (CZE)
Bjoern Koerdt (GBR)
Juan Guillermo Martinez (COL)
Tim Naberman (NLD)
Pavel Sumpik (CZE)
Thom van der Werff (NLD)
Jurgen Zomermaand (NLD).
Becky Storrie to the Itzulia:
CERATIZIT to Conclude Sponsorship of CERATIZIT Pro Cycling at the End of 2025 Season
Reutte, Austria: After a decade of support for women’s professional cycling, the Ceratizit Group has announced that it will conclude its sponsorship of the CERATIZIT Pro Cycling team at the end of the 2025 season.
Since the team’s founding in 2014, both the Ceratizit Group and the team behind CERATIZIT Pro Cycling have proudly contributed to the growth and visibility of women’s cycling, helping to develop world-class talent and achieving remarkable success, including 65 road victories, 13 WorldTour wins, 16 world titles on the track, and four Olympic medals.
The team, currently ranked among the top eight in the world, is actively exploring new sponsorship opportunities for the next UCI Women’s WorldTour license period (2025–2027) and remains firmly committed to continuing its presence at the highest level of women’s professional cycling.
CERATIZIT sponsorship to end:
Maryland Cycling Classic Announces Initial Women’s Teams for 2025
CANYON-SRAM zondacrypto and EF Education-Oatly Highlight Eight Initial Teams Announced for Inaugural 2025 Maryland Cycling Classic Women’s Race
The Maryland Cycling Classic, America’s biggest and highest-ranked professional women’s road race, announced the participation of eight teams including top-ranked women’s World Tour team CANYON-SRAM zondacrypto (GER) and UCI Women Pro Team EF Education-Oatly (USA) as well as six other initial teams for the inaugural women’s race. The 2025 Maryland Cycling Classic will be held in Baltimore, Md. on Sept. 6, and for the first time will feature both men’s and women’s races.
“We’re happy to announce we’ll be back racing in the United States for the first time since 2019,” said Ronny Lauke, CEO and Team Manager of CANYON//SRAM zondacrypto. “With many of our team partners having either headquarters or a strong presence in the U.S., it’s exciting for us to finally bring our team back for the UCI 1.1 Maryland Cycling Classic. We look forward to showcasing our racing style and connecting with the fans.”
Also announced as competing in the race were the American continental teams Cynisca, Virginia’s Blue Ridge TWENTY28, Team USA, which will be a composite of top young Americans, The Cyclery Racing Team (CAN) and top USA club teams CCB and L39ion of Los Angeles.
“The inaugural women’s Maryland Cycling Classic will feature some top world teams, and we couldn’t be happier,” said Terry Hasseltine, the President & CEO of the Sport & Entertainment Corporation of Maryland, the event’s owner and producer. “The women’s race has been several years in the making and it’s wonderful to see it finally materialising with elite-level teams.”
A total of 15 teams of six riders are expected to comprise the women’s field. The nine initial women’s teams represent a unique composition of elite teams and riders. The World Tour team CANYON-SRAM is the squad of Chloé Dygert, winner of four Olympic medals including a bronze medal in the 2024 Paris Olympics Individual Time Trial on the road. EF Education-Oatly is the squad of Kristen Faulkner, who won two Olympic gold medals including one in the Road Race at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
“I am thrilled to finally feature a women’s race at the Maryland Cycling Classic. We have worked from the beginning to make this a reality, and this year’s quality field of riders will produce incredible racing,” said John Kelly, the Chairman of the Maryland Cycling Classic. “Many American women are being featured in races around the world, and it will be great to see these world-class athletes and their teams compete in the United States.”
The women’s race will be contested on Sept. 6, the same day as the men’s race and will utilise the same route. The exact course, distance, start and estimated finish times will be announced along with the full calendar of race week events in June.
Maryland Cycling Classic:
Montmartre and the Champs: A Unique Stage for the Tour’s Paris Finale
To mark the 50th anniversary of the first final finish on the Champs-Élysées, and one year after the excitement and cheers of the Paris 2024 Olympic road race, the peloton will return to the capital on a route that passes through the heights of Montmartre. The City of Paris, the Prefecture of Police, and the Tour de France organisers are coming together to create a truly unique event.
The year 1975 marked a turning point in Tour de France history with the introduction of the polka dot jersey, the white jersey for the best young rider, and for the very first time, the final stage finish on the Champs-Élysées. After the Parc des Princes and the Cipale velodrome, the world’s greatest race had finally found a fitting stage for its grand finale and the celebration of its champions. To commemorate the 50th anniversary of this iconic moment, an exceptional route has been designed, inspired by the course of the 2024 Olympic road race, which drew over 500,000 spectators last August. Riders will climb the Montmartre hill and pass beneath the Sacré-Cœur before battling it out on a stage that may break from the traditions established over the past 50 years in the heart of the capital.
The full details of the route will be revealed during a press conference on May 21.
‘Te estaba esperando’, by Antonio Orozco, will be the Official Song of La Vuelta 25
Unipublic and Antonio Orozco have presented the official song of La Vuelta 25: Te estaba esperando. One of the most recognisable voices in Spanish music will join the list of great performers who have sung the race’s official song in an edition that will begin in Piedmont on the 23rd of August and conclude in Madrid on the 14th of September. The song is part of Antonio Orozco’s latest album, El tiempo no es oro, and will accompany La Vuelta’s peloton as it travels through four countries: Italy, France, Andorra and Spain.
“There are moments in life that make you feel like you’re part of something truly important, and this is one such moment for me. To be part of La Vuelta with this song is something I just can’t explain, it’s an honour, it’s just crazy. La Vuelta isn’t just a race, it’s hard work, it’s the drive to improve yourself, it’s passion for what you love. To know that my music will accompany each pedal stroke, each emotion, gives me goosebumps. I hope my song entitled ‘Te estaba esperando’ conveys all the hope and strength that we feel when we long for something great. Because that’s what La Vuelta is, an event that we long for with our hearts.” – said Antonio Orozco.
Antonio Orozco is one of the most outstanding artists in the Spanish music scene, with a career that celebrates its 25th anniversary in 2025 – a career marked by his talent, hard work and the way he connects emotionally with the public. He has sold over 1.5 million records and has received such important accolades as the Ondas Award, and has even been nominated for a Latin GRAMMY®. His role as a coach in La Voz has brought him even closer to a mass audience, strengthening his popularity on social media where millions of followers follow his artistic and personal evolution.
‘To have Antonio Orozco sing the official song is a significant boost for this edition,’ says Javier Guillén, General Director of La Vuelta. ‘His music has the power and the emotion that characterises our race. We are thrilled to have the opportunity to work with an artist that will connect with the fans from the get-go.’
More information about La Vuelta: www.lavuelta.es.
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