Bicycle Racing News and Opinion,
Sunday, February 9, 2025
Back to news and opinion index page for links to archived stories | Commentary | Our YouTube page
2024 Tour de France | 2024 Giro d'Italia
A woman drove me to drink and I didn't even have the decency to thank her. - W. C. Fields
Les Woodland's book Dirty Feet: How the Great Unwashed Created the Tour de France is available in print, Kindle eBook & audiobook versions. To get your copy, just click on the Amazon link on the right.
Current Racing:
- February 5 - 9 Etoile de Bessèges/Tour du Gard
- February 5 - 9: Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana
- February 8 - 12: Tour of Oman
Upcoming racing:
- February 14 - 16: Tour de la Provence
- February 15: Vuelta Ciclista a la Region de Murcia
- February 16: Clásica de Almeria
Latest completed racing:
- February 7: Muscat Classic
- February 1 & 2: Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race
- February 2: GP La Marseillaise
- January 29 - February 2: Challenge Vuelta a Mallorca
- January 28 - February 1: AlUla Tour
- January 30: Surf Coast Classic
- January 17 - 26: Tour Down Under
- January 26: Classica Comunitat a Valenciana 1969
- January 25: Ruta de la Cerámica - Gran Premio Castellón
We posted the race organizer's report with the results.
Here's the report from stage winner Olav Kooij's Team Visma | Lease a Bike:
The fourteenth edition of the Tour of Oman started with a 177-kilometre stage towards Bimmah Sinkhole. After a hilly opening phase, an almost flat finale awaited. In the peloton, Team Visma | Lease a Bike - with an notable Pietro Mattio - took control in service of sprinter Kooij. Some 20 kilometres from the finish line, the last remaining breakaway riders were caught, as the sprinters were gearing up for a first bunch sprint.
With Daniel McLay and U23 world champion Niklas Behrens, Kooij could count on two new additions to his sprint train. The duo piloted the Dutchman to the front at the right time. Kooij - who took eight victories in 2024 - then sprinted convincingly to his first win of the season and the leader's jersey in the five-day stage race.
Olav Kooij takes the first stage.
"I am satisfied that I could immediately take my first win of the year here", Kooij responded afterwards. "Before the start of this race we had marked this stage, so we took our responsibility in the bunch. We executed everything perfectly today. I definitely have to thank my teammates. They made sure I could start my sprint in an ideal position. It felt great. I am looking forward to riding in the leader's jersey. Although the next stages will be tougher than today's."
Sports director Maarten Wynants looks back on the first road victory of the season for Team Visma | Lease a Bike with satisfaction. "We are glad to get off the mark", the Belgian smiles. "With Daniel and Niklas, we had a brand-new lead-out for Olav today. Daniel is very experienced in this kind of work, while Niklas is only just up and coming. We were curious to see how that combination would work out. We can conclude that it worked very well. It was not an easy day for us. Pietro, who will get the chance to show himself at the WorldTeam as a U23 rider, did an excellent job in the peloton. It was a victory for the whole team. That makes it even more beautiful."
Here's the Tour of Oman report from second-place Pavel Bittner's Team Picnic-PostNL:
After the Muscat Classic on Friday, the Tour of Oman got underway on Saturday with a 177 kilometre kilometre long stage from Bushar to Bimmah Sink Hole. Despite some climbs in the earlier part of the route, the day seemed destined to end in a bunch sprint with the peloton always in control of the breakaway. Team Picnic PostNL rode well as a unit to keep each other safe throughout the day, before turning their attention to the fast finish once those out front were caught.
Holding their position at the head of the bunch from around 15 kilometres to go, the team stayed out of danger on the twisting roads, bringing fast finisher Pavel Bittner to the fore. The final few kilometres took place on a mostly arrow-straight road so the proverbial washing machine was in full effect but going under the flamme rouge the team could hold Bittner in the first ten riders. The fight for position was fierce and just as he was about to open up his sprint Bittner had to check ever so slightly, before stamping on the pedals. Going all-out to the line he crossed the finish in a strong second place on the day; giving confidence for the sprint chances to come.
The peloton racing across Oman
Bittner expressed: “It was the first stage here in Oman so we had the joint goals of keeping our GC guys safe and then going for it in the sprint with me. It was a pretty easy day in the bunch, but as we got closer to the final it got more and more hectic. We had a clear plan for how we wanted to do things and everyone stayed on the same page and we kept a cool head. The boys did a really good job and I was in a position where I could sprint and I tried to find a good way in the final to be on a fast wheel. I had to do a bit of an extra detour in the sprint but I felt really strong. In the end Kooij was faster but it’s nice to start with a second place and some good teamwork, so we just need to continue with that in the next days.”
Team Picnic PostNL coach Phil West continued: “The goal today was to sprint with Pavel, and keep Kevin and Warren out of trouble. It was a pretty steady day in the peloton. There was a small break from the start and it was a steady ride towards the final. We were really focused towards those final 30 kilometres and the team were really where they needed to be. The guys communicated well and could bring Pavel into a position where he could sprint, where he took second in the end. It’s a nice start for us here in Oman and we’re looking forward to getting stuck in tomorrow in what should be another grippy final.”
Content continues below the ads
Team Soudal Quick-Step posted this Tour of Oman report:
The Tour of Oman, our second race of the season in the Middle East, got underway Saturday with a 177.7 stage between Bushar and Bimmah Sink Hole. The route was flat and ideal for the sprinters, who knew this was going to be their biggest chance of success at this 14th edition.
The first stage offered an unchallenging profile.
For that reason, the breakaway didn’t stand a chance, despite at one point having a five-minute advantage. The escapees were easily brought back by the peloton, the last of the leaders being reeled in just second after the last intermediate sprint of the day. The victory went to Olav Kooij (Visma-Lease A Bike), while British Champion Ethan Hayter was the first Soudal Quick-Step rider home.
On Sunday, the peloton will take on a much hillier terrain, a total of four classified climbs being spread out on the course. Everything is set to culminate with the showdown on the short but steep Yitti Hills ascent, where the general classification should see some important changes.
We posted the report from stage winner Kévin Vauquelin's Team Arkea-B&B Hotels with the results.
Here's the report from fourth-place Kevin Geniets' Team Groupama-FDJ:
As if the queen stage wasn’t enough in itself, the riders of the Étoile de Bessèges also had to deal with terrible weather this Saturday towards Le Mont Bouquet. Very reduced since the day before, the peloton still arrived together in the final climb, where Kevin Geniets gave his all to take fourth place, forty-seven seconds behind the winner and new leader Kévin Vauquelin. Rémi Cavagna finished just outside the top-10 while the Luxembourger climbed to third place overall on the eve of the closing time trial.
Kévin Vauquelin wins the stage. Sirotti photo
One hundred and fifty-five kilometres were initially planned on the fourth and penultimate stage of the Étoile de Bessèges, this Saturday. In the end, the runners “only” covered one hundred and twenty, because of the terrible weather conditions that followed them from kilometre 0 to the summit of Mont Bouquet.
“It rained a lot all day,” explained Frédéric Guesdon. “On top of that, it was four degrees. Even though things got lively at the start, the boys quickly felt cold with their wet clothes, and it quickly turned into a miserable day for them. The organizer reacted well, however, first by removing a twenty-kilometre loop even before the start, then during the race by shortening the stage. Twenty kilometers more wouldn’t have changed anything to the day’s outcome. Throughout the day, the guys cheered on each other. To tell them that the course was shortened, that hot tea was waiting for them a few kilometers further on, also helped to boost their morale a bit. Then, once they got into the last twenty-five kilometers, the race really started, the intensity went up a notch, and they forgot the struggles of the beginning of the stage.”
Kevin Geniets finishes fourth with Dylan Teuns right behind him. Sirotti photo
On the race side, a five-man breakaway established itself after about thirty minutes at the start, but the peloton remained in control all day and finally caught the last attackers at the foot of Mont Bouquet (4.6 km at 9.1%). Groupama-FDJ positioned perfectly with their leader Kevin Geniets, who was able to follow the first accelerations. Rémi Cavagna came back on the leading group at his own pace after a kilometre of climbing, but no one was able to react to Kévin Vauquelin’s attack 2,500 metres from the summit.
The Luxembourg champion then found himself in a second group and was forced to let two other competitors slip away as he approached the finish. He then claimed fourth place on the day. “I was extremely cold during the stage, but I didn’t let it get me down,” he said. “I told myself that I just had to give it my all on the last climb, and that’s what I did. I tried to find my pace, and it went pretty well considering the day we had.” “We can’t have regrets,” confirmed Frédéric. “We were obviously looking at Vauquelin, but when he attacked, Kevin didn’t have the legs to go with him. He’s where he’s supposed to be.”
Rémi Cavagna also fought well to take eleventh place in this summit finish. “It shows that he’s in good shape,” added Frédéric. “I think he wants to take confidence, and it’s good that he’s doing it in the first stages to keep his momentum going in the next races.” The former French champion will also be expected tomorrow in the time trial, which will finish with a climb. “We’re hoping for good performance by Rémi and also by Kevin, who will aim for second place overall,” added Frédéric. “The others will also do their best. It’s always interesting to do it properly, especially since it will be their first race on the new Supersonica SLR time trial bike.” Before this final act, Kevin Geniets is in third place overall, fifty-seven seconds behind Vauquelin, but only six behind second place.
Content continues below the ads
We posted the race organizer's report with the results.
Here's the report from winner Santiago Buitrago's Team Bahrain Victorious:
It was another fantastic day for Bahrain Victorious at La Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana, as the team secured a second extraordinary victory with Santiago Buitrago on stage 4 (Oropesa del Mar – Portell de Morella, 181km). Most importantly, the Colombian climber is now the new overall leader.
In an explosive finale, Buitrago reeled in the late attack of Jefferson Cepeda (Movistar) before launching the decisive counterattack with 2 km to go, powering to victory with a 6-second gap over Jonathan Milan and Jakob Söderqvist (both Lidl-Trek).
Santiago Buitrago will start the final stage in yellow.
“I can’t describe how happy I am. Today, I was mainly focused on gaining bonus seconds to take the leader’s jersey, and to be honest, the win was quite unexpected,” said Buitrago after celebrating his second stage victory in this year’s race.
“We thought it would be a day for the sprinters, like our former teammate Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek), but in the finale, I was at the front with Pello (Bilbao), and we decided it was worth trying. I accelerated, went all in, and made it happen. It’s incredible—we thought it would be difficult to take back seconds in the GC, and instead, we took both the stage win and the leader’s jersey.”
Bahrain Victorious riders were attentive all day, managing the breakaway and staying in control of the race. On Alto de Vistabella del Maestrat, the final major climb of the stage, Lenny Martinez tried to get away with another rider, but the peloton didn’t let them go. Only Pablo Castrillo (Movistar) managed to escape, bridging to the only remaining member of the breakaway before attempting a solo attack with 60 km left. However, he was caught with 9 km to go. In the technical and challenging finale, Cepeda made a bold move, gaining a maximum of 15 seconds, but Buitrago timed his effort perfectly, catching the Ecuadorian just before the final steep ramp. Milan tried to create a gap, but in the end, Buitrago was simply the strongest, taking the win and the leader’s jersey.
Heading into the final stage, Buitrago leads the General Classification, with João Almeida (UAE) trailing by 18 seconds. He also retains the points classification jersey.
“There’s one more day, and it will be a hard one, but we have a strong team that can support me to defend this jersey,” Buitrago said. Bahrain Victorious will also look to secure Bilbao’s podium position (3rd overall, +29”) and maintain their lead in the team classification.
Reflecting on the team’s effort, Sports Director Roman Kreuziger praised the squad’s execution:
“Hats off to our boys for how they handled today’s stage. Movistar made the race hard, attacking and keeping the pace high, but we managed it well. We initially aimed for bonus seconds, but when the gap was too big, we regrouped and adjusted our strategy. The guys followed orders perfectly and played it smart in the finale. Result-wise, it was an excellent day. I couldn’t be happier.
"Tomorrow, we have one last challenge—it will be a tough job, but we’re confident that we can finish strong.”
Content continues below the ads
Here's the Valenciana report from second-place Jonathan Milan's Team Lidl-Trek:
Lidl-Trek set themselves a tough challenge to try to set up a bunch sprint on a day with over 3500 meters of climbing and it *almost* succeeded.
Strong teamwork has been the theme of Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana and Stage 4 was no different with Lidl-Trek going all-in to try to set Jonathan Milan up for the finish on a day when most would have thought it was only a day for the climbers.
Milan made it over the top of the four categorized climbs, including two category 1 ascents, with the majority of his team still around him even after helping to close down the day’s breakaway, that at point had an advantage over more than eight minutes.
Going into the last couple of kilometers, Milan was still accompanied by Lidl-Trek Future Racing rider, Jakob Söderqvist, who proved his strength and by, Milan’s own admission, was the strongest of the Team at the end.
With 500 meters, Milan let a gap open up with the belief that Söderqvist could make it all the way to the line but Santiago [Buitrago, Bahrain-Victorious] launched a stinging move that saw him overtake the young Swedish rider and take the win.
Milan tried to launch his own sprint to catch his former teammate but it was just a touch too late and the Lidl-Trek duo went second and third, respectively.
Jonathan Milan and Jakob Söderqvist finish second and third.
Jonathan Milan:
It was a super tough day. We managed the day really well as a team, I was dropped a few times, I think three, but the guys always brought me back. I was always on the limit, really, always, and in the end, we were in a good position. I could see that Jakob had really good legs today and, I left a little gap in the last 500 meters, more or less, and I believed he could arrive at the finish because I knew he was feeling better than me. At that moment, I saw Santiago [Buitrago, Bahrain-Victorious] coming from behind, super fast, so I tried to take my own pace for the last 400 meters. We raced super strong as a team today and now, we focus on tomorrow's last stage.
And here's the Valenciana report from fourth-place Thymen Arensman's Team INEOS Grenadiers:
Thymen Arensman retained fourth overall at the Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana with Carlos Rodriguez seventh on GC ahead of Sunday's final stage.
Arensman finished in a small GC group that finished 10 seconds behind Santiago Buitrago, whose late attack saw the Bahrain - Victorious rider earn the stage win and overall lead.
Rodriguez was in the next chase group, finishing 11th on the stage and is now 54 seconds behind Buitrago, with Arensman 42 seconds adrift of the race leader.
Earlier, AJ August had tried to escape the peloton by getting in an early break, but his group was caught. The pace then remained high until a trio of riders, deemed not to be a threat to the race leader, managed to go clear.
This group led over the stage's four categorised climbs until counter-attacks began behind, with Pablo Castrillo's (Movistar) acceleration threatened to take the stage win and gain significant time on GC.
However, a number of teams worked to catch the Spanish rider, with Bob Jungels and Tobias Foss then pushing the pace for the INEOS Grenadiers to reduce the peloton further.
Arensman and Rodriguez were then part of an ever-dwindling GC group which had to react quickly to limit losses when a late attack from Buitrago saw him distance the group to claim both the stage win and overall lead with one day remaining.
Back to news and opinion index page for links to archived stories | Commentary