Bicycle Racing News and Opinion,
Friday, January 3, 2025
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2024 Tour de France | 2024 Giro d'Italia
It has been said that man is a rational animal. All my life I have been searching for evidence which could support this. - Bertrand Russell
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Current racing:
Upcoming racing:
- January 18 - 26: Tour Down Under
Latest completed racing:
- January 1: GP Sven Nys Cross
- December 30: Diegem Cyclocross
- December 26: Gavere Cyclocross
- December 27: Exact Cross Loenhout-Azencross
- December 15: Namur Cyclocross-Citadelcross
- November 17: Flandriencross
- November 3: European Cyclocross Championships
- November 1: X20 Trofee Oudenaarde-Koppenbergcross
Emile Idée was a five-time winner of the Critérium National (a race that saw its name changed to Critérium International in 1979), a record he shares with Raymond Poulidor and Jens Voigt.
Emile Idée in an undated photo.
In 1949 he won the 289-kilometer long thirteenth stage of the Tour de France, beating Roger Lambrecht, Marcel Dupont, Tino Ausenda and Lucien Teisseire in a 5-man sprint
He finished second in the 1948 Paris–Roubaix.
Idée died on December 30, 2024, at the age of 104. At the time of his death he was believed to have been the oldest Tour de France stage winner.
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Here’s the team’s post:
The Italian Pro Team, set to compete in prestigious races on the Italian and international calendar, aims to continue its upward trajectory in both performance and results, at both professional and youth levels, with riders such as Mirco Maestri and Davide Piganzoli leading the charge.
The signature color is undoubtedly red, which will once again dominate the kit this year. Specifically, the 2025 design places the bold red of title sponsors Polti and VisitMalta on a clean white background, while the sleeves are adorned with Kometa’s green, still a main partner of the team.
The 2025 kit.
The chest proudly showcases the logos of prestigious brands, including Fineco, Skoda, Lechler, Solo Caffè, and GSport of course. Meanwhile, the vibrant VisitMalta logo graces the sides. And on the collar, Yamamay and Carpisa. The solid red shorts maintain the squad’s distinctive identity, perfectly aligning with Polti’s branding.
As always, the kit will stand out in the peloton for its elegance and recognizability. These high-quality garments are designed to deliver top performance in all conditions — whether cold and rainy or during scorching stages where breathability is key.
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Ivan Basso, Team Principal of Polti Visit Malta: “Unveiling the new kit is always a special moment and feeling because it fully represents our identity to fans and stakeholders. We’ve made some adjustments to reflect our sponsors’ colors and we’re thrilled to see our red-and-white ‘block’ racing united, honoring the team’s identity and all who represent and support us.”
Francesca Polti, CEO of Polti Spa: “A new year, a new kit, and the same deep emotion. As Polti and Solo Caffè Monorigine, we feel represented by this kit and are honored to embark on this new chapter alongside VisitMalta and other new sponsors. Together, they’ve blended their colors with ours in a harmonious, clean and captivating design. How could we not fall in love with it immediately?”
This is how Carlo Micallef, CEO of VisitMalta, expressed it: “We are thrilled about the collaboration with Team Polti VisitMalta as co-title sponsor for the upcoming season. This partnership represents our shared passion for excellence, teamwork and pushing boundaries. Cycling embodies the spirit of determination and innovation that defines VisitMalta in the tourism world, and we look forward to supporting the team in achieving new milestones both on and off the road. Together, we aim to inspire communities and champion the values of resilience and sustainability.”
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The team posted this:
The 2025 season will be a landmark for XDS Astana Team. The Astana project, which began in 2006, will celebrate its 20th anniversary, while the new main sponsor, the Chinese company XDS, founded in 1995, will mark 30 years.
“We are starting our jubilee 20th season in the top league of world cycling. Who could have imagined that in the rapidly changing world of professional cycling, our project would continue, grow, and achieve victories for two decades. This is a reason for pride. The Astana project has a glorious history, and we have undoubtedly left our mark on the sport of cycling. However, 20 years is only an intermediate milestone, not the end. I am confident in that. We are entering a very challenging season for us, and we know it will be tough. But everything is in our hands, and we will do everything possible to make this jubilee season for Astana a success in every respect”. - said Alexandr Vinokurov, General Manager of XDS Astana Team
The 2025 Astana kit and bike
“We are entering this year hand in hand with our new major partner, XDS, a powerful industrial giant from China. Like our team, XDS will celebrate its anniversary in 2025, marking 30 years since its founding, which is an impressive milestone. It is symbolic that we have united our efforts in such a significant year. Ahead of us lies a lot of work, effort and nerves, but together we can achieve success so that at the end of the season we can proudly celebrate both jubilees” – added Alexandr Vinokurov.
“XDS is a family business with a great history. Over the past 29 years, our sole focus has been on making bicycles. In the upcoming year we are preparing to celebrate the 30th Anniversary. We are not just an assembly plant. We have our own carbon tech factory, magnesium alloy technology factory, and aluminum alloy factory. Currently, we have five major production bases around the world, with a total workforce exceeding 14,000 people. Our research in material applications gives us an absolute advantage in product performance. The lightest M-size carbon fiber road bike frame weighs only 560 grams, and the aluminum frame weighs just 1,100 grams. Moreover, our strong production capacity and high rate of self-manufactured components result in very short production costs and cycles. This is also the main reason why we have strongly won the Chinese market in 2022-2024”. – said Tan Yancong, CEO of Shenzhen Xidesheng Bicycle Co., Ltd.
“X-LAB was founded in 2022, dedicated to creating the most professional racing bicycles. XDS has poured nearly 30 years of top-tier technology into X-LAB products. We are looking forward to seeing the start of the new season and we hope that our top-tier bikes will help XDS Astana Team reach the pinnacle again, and that the partnership with this project will assist XDS in aggressively expanding into the global market”. – concluded Tan Yancong.
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