Bicycle Racing News and Opinion,
Wednesday, January 15, 2025
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2024 Tour de France | 2024 Giro d'Italia
No one should be ashamed to admit he is wrong, which is but saying, in other words, that he is wiser today than he was yesterday. - Alexander Pope
Bill and Carol McGann's book The Story of the Giro d'Italia, A Year-by-Year History of the Tour of Italy, Vol 2: 1971 - 2011 is available in print, Kindle eBook and audiobook versions. To get your copy, just click on the Amazon link on the right.
Upcoming racing:
- January 17 - 26: Tour Down Under
- January 25 - February 2: Challenge Vuelta a Mallorca
- January 25: Ruta de la Cerámica - Gran Premio Castellón
- January 26: Classica Comunitat a Valenciana 1969
- February 2: GP La Marseillaise
Latest completed racing:
- January 3: X20 Trofee Koksijde-Vlaamse Druivenveldrit Cross
- 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
Here's the team's announcement:
Team Visma | Lease a Bike has unveiled its plans for the 2025 season, setting ambitious objectives once again. This year, the team will focus on achieving success in the major spring classics, stage victories, top classifications in the Grand Tours, and the continued development of its young talents.
Classics: Van Aert leads a strong team in pursuit of victory
After missing part of the spring season last year due to injury, Belgian star Wout van Aert returns with renewed determination. Together with a powerful classics squad, Van Aert is aiming for victories in Paris-Roubaix and/or the Tour of Flanders. “Last year’s disappointment has only fueled my motivation for the monuments,” Van Aert stated. “I want to shine in the spring classics together with my team.”
Wout van Aert in red after stage three of the 2024 Vuelta a España. Sirotti photo
Giro d’Italia: Stage wins and GC ambitions
The Giro d’Italia promises to be an exciting goal, with the team fielding multiple strong contenders. Sprinter Olav Kooij, who claimed a stage win in Naples last year, is aiming for more victories. “That win last year gave me tremendous confidence and helped me grow as a rider. This year, I hope to replicate that success, and maybe even surpass it,” said the young Dutchman.
Wout van Aert will also compete in the Giro. “It’s a dream to win a stage in every Grand Tour. After victories in the Tour and Vuelta, I hope to complete my trilogy in Italy this season. Last year, I had to sit it out, but this year I’m ready to go,” said Van Aert.
Experienced climber and GC contender Simon Yates, a new addition to the team, bolsters the squad’s ambitions. The 2018 Vuelta a España winner aims for a strong overall result in the Giro. “With this new team, I feel incredibly supported. I’m looking forward to achieving something great together in the Giro,” said Yates.
Tour de France: Vingegaard targets third victory
After finishing second in 2024, Jonas Vingegaard is fully focused on winning his third Tour de France title in 2025. “I can’t wait to line up for the Tour again. It’s the race that means the most to me, and my goal is to win it for the third time,” said the Danish leader, who last year overcame a severe injury sustained in the Tour of the Basque Country.
Supported by former Vuelta winner Sepp Kuss and teammates like Matteo Jorgenson, Simon Yates, and Wout van Aert, Vingegaard is set to lead a formidable squad in France. “It’s great to see how the team has strengthened again. We’ll prepare optimally over the coming months and do everything we can to win the Tour,” Vingegaard emphasized.
Team Visma | Lease a Bike again focus on Grand Tour success: “Winning the Tour de France remains our biggest goal”
Vuelta a España: A new challenge for Vingegaard
Later this year, the team will aim for further success in the Vuelta, building a strong formation around Vingegaard. After the historic dominance of 2023, when the team swept the podium, Team Visma | Lease a Bike is eager for another stellar performance in Spain.
“We’ll define our specific goals later in the season. Last year proved that you can’t plan everything, but I never start a race without ambition,” Vingegaard remarked.
White Jersey Group: Spotlight on the future
In addition to its WorldTour goals, the team remains committed to developing young talent. The so-called White Jersey group, consisting of riders under 23, including U23 World Champion Niklas Behrens, Cian Uijtdebroeks, Matthew Brennan, and Jorgen Nordhagen, will have plenty of opportunities to showcase their potential in various races.
“We’ve crafted strong plans for the upcoming season. It’s important for young riders to have a race schedule tailored to their development, giving them opportunities to improve their skills and insights at the highest level, surrounded by experienced leaders like Jonas Vingegaard and Wout van Aert,” said Grischa Niermann, Head of Racing.
Additionally, the team wants these young talents, who often competed for victories in the junior ranks, to continue doing so as professionals. “That’s why we’ve adjusted our calendar compared to previous years,” Niermann explained. “We’ll participate in more smaller races to give our young riders the chance to compete for victories. We believe this will help accelerate their development.”
Ambition and motivation for 2025
With these goals, Team Visma | Lease a Bike is striving for success on all fronts. “Our main objective is to win the Tour de France again,” said Niermann. “Additionally, we hope to achieve our dream of winning the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix.”
CEO Richard Plugge: “For all these objectives, we have a strong mix of experienced riders and young talents, GC contenders and one-day specialists, time trialists, climbers, and sprinters. After a challenging and eventful 2024, we’re determined to aim for the very highest together this year.”
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Women’s Team
The women’s team of Team Visma | Lease a Bike made great strides last year, securing an impressive number of victories. This year, we aim to continue that trajectory with an ambitious program and goals like competing for the win in Paris-Roubaix and the first edition of Milano-Sanremo. But there is more. "In the Tour de France Femmes, our goal is to reach the podium," says Head of Coaching Jacco Verhaeren. Manager Rutger Tijssen adds: "With the arrival of Pauline Ferrand-Prévot, we’ve gained a strong rider who can compete with the world’s best. Of course, it will also take time for her to fully transition back to road racing after years of competing on the mountain bike, with last year’s Olympic title as the absolute highlight of her career."
Additionally, Marianne Vos had another outstanding year in 2024, claiming victories in races like Amstel Gold Race and Omloop het Nieuwsblad, along with a silver medal at the Olympics and a gold medal at the Gravel World Championships. "Marianne has set her sights on some great goals again this year, with Paris-Roubaix as a key focus," says manager Rutger Tijssen.
Marianne Vos after the 2024 World Road Championship. Sirotti photo
In addition to experienced leaders, the team also boasts promising talents like CX world champion Fem van Empel or Lieke Nooijen, who made significant progress last year. Newcomers Viktória Chladonová and Marion Bunel are eager to further develop within the team. Head of Coaching Jacco Verhaeren adds, "The significant growth and further professionalization of the women’s team last year will accelerate even more. With this fantastic mix of emerging young talents and strong, experienced riders, we’re excited for the upcoming season."
Team Visma | Lease a Bike Development Team
The Development Team once again delivered four riders to the WorldTeam this winter. Tijmen Graat, Menno Huising, Jorgen Nordhagen, and Matthew Brennan made the step up. "This is a fantastic testament to our philosophy," says Head of Development Robbert de Groot.
"These four riders knew last year that they would be transitioning this year, and they were able to get a taste of the higher level from time to time, which makes the transition easier now. Some riders left the devo-team for a professional opportunity elsewhere, and that’s why we’ve brought in some new riders to develop. That’s the primary goal of the Development program: to learn, to experience, and to do. We don’t attach big performance expectations or numbers to this, though we remain as ambitious as ever. We’re very curious to see which riders will step up and show their potential this year. It’s incredible to work with these young, eager talents and to prepare them for the highest level."
Final statement Richard Plugge
CEO Richard Plugge: “I am incredibly proud of these three teams. Each one is equally ambitious and driven to make 2025 a success, each with its own unique goals. As a team, we aim to win but also to inspire. We want to set an example for young people to get on their bikes, stay active, and live healthy lives. We achieve this through our performances, inspiring athletes and staff, and with our own side initiatives like Ready2Race to encourage young kids to ride a bike. I have great confidence in this new year, and I can’t wait for the road season to begin!”
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Here’s the update from Schachmann’s Team Soudal Quick-Step:
The German talked about being back with the Wolfpack and his first objectives of the season.
Having returned to the team with which he turned pro back in 2017, Maximilian Schachmann is excited to get things underway. The German – who recently turned 31 – will pin on a number for the first time this season on February 19, when he’ll line up at the start of the Volta ao Algarve, a race he concluded as runner-up in 2020.
Max Schachmann in yellow after stage 5 of the 2020 Paris-Nice. Sirotti photo
This year’s edition will once again feature the Alto da Foia and Alto do Malhão uphill finishes, with the mention that the latter will come at the end of a demanding individual time trial on the last day of the race.
“I think there’s something very special about this team, just the way it is organized and the mentality it has, and it makes me happy to be here. I have found a nice group and it was pretty easy to integrate, I feel really comfortable after the first couple of weeks. The two training camps so far have been pretty good, we had perfect conditions, and everything is going well. I am already looking forward to Algarve, which comes with a different route this year. In the past the parcours suited me and it would be nice to start the season well there and build a solid foundation for the next race”, said Max, who is currently in Calpe together with the rest of the squad.
After Portugal, Schachmann will travel to France a few weeks later for his fifth start in Paris-Nice, a race where he took back-to-back overall victories in 2020 and 2021, becoming the only German in history to win it more than once.
“I have a lot of great memories from there, it’s a prestigious event – at the same time, a hard one – and I would like to be in the mix for a good result. One week later, I will take on Milano-Sanremo together with the rest of the wolves, and despite the fact it will be just my second start, I’ll go there with a lot of confidence and motivation. Sanremo is a difficult race which usually comes down to the last 30 kilometers. Everything can happen there, so we’ll need to wait for the day of the race and see how things go, but I hope to help the team get a good result”, concluded Max, whose palmares counts 14 pro victories.
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Here’s the team’s news:
EF Education-Oatly brings a versatile squad to the Australian stage race
After months of off-season prep and a successful team camp, our six EF Education-Oatly riders can’t wait to get the 2025 season underway this Friday in Australia.
For Babette van der Wolf, Sarah Roy, and Henrietta Christie, the Tour Down Under will be their first race with our squad. Noemi Rüegg, Kim Cadzow, and Megan Armitage return for their second season. Our roster is a mix of strong climbers and savvy support riders. At three stages long, each stage suits a different type of rider. The race opens with a sprint stage, stage two is the queen stage and features a double ascent of Willunga Hill, and the final stage is a circuit that favors the pure climbers.
Hear from our riders about their hopes and goals for the race.
Megan Armitage:
My off-season has been good. I spend it in Australia each year, so it's been really great training in the heat and preparing for this Aussie block of racing. TDU and Cadel Evans’ Great Ocean Road Race are up there with my favorite races, and they mean a lot to me, so I'm excited to pin on a number again.
I think the stages are attritional and I hope it will be really hot – I love heat! I think our team can do a big result here and I'm ready to work hard to achieve this.
Kim Cadzow:
I think this year’s stages are really exciting. We’ve got a good team and I know we’re all hoping to see some koalas. This is my first time racing TDU and only my second time racing in Australia.
I have high expectations for myself and the team. I think we’re going to be really strong. For myself, I just want to go out there and enjoy racing on my side of the world.
Henrietta Christie:
I’m super excited. I really love the Tour Down Under. It’s a great race and a lot of fun, and you also have time in between races to get to know your teammates more, both on and off the bike.
My expectation for this race is to fulfill my role and do it at 110 percent. I’m ready to do what I need to do to help and support my teammates, both on and off the bike. We are coming here with a really strong team and I want to be able to support and be reliable for my teammates, keeping them cool in the Aussie sun, protecting them from the wind, and helping with lead outs! I truly believe we can do something special and I cannot wait for Friday.
Sarah Roy:
It was good to get two races in before TDU, with the crit and road race at nationals, to experience that race intensity and get familiar with the summer conditions here in Aus, as I spent the preseason in Spain. I was pleased to feel really comfortable in both races, but certainly missed having teammates so I am looking forward to joining the team in Adelaide. It’s always exciting and a good feeling to be with new people. After a really nice team camp in November, I’m keen to get down to business and race with my strong and talented teammates.
I love TDU because it’s in Australia. I think the shorter stages are a nice way to reintroduce yourself to WorldTour racing and I’m proud to show off our country to the peloton.
Sarah Roy racing in 2024.
Noemi Rüegg:
It’s super, super nice here. I really love it here. The rides and nature are super beautiful. Super hot weather too but it’s really nice for riding the bike. I prefer this to riding back home at minus five degrees! The coffees are also super nice. I’ve already had a few. You can have good coffee on every corner. Really good first impressions of Adelaide!
The most important are stages two and three. Stage two will result in some time gaps on the finish climb. I think the GC battle will begin then. But then I also think stage three will be a very tough day. It’s very up and down so maybe there’s the possibility for a small breakaway or a small group to get away which could be dangerous for the GC. We have our eyes on stages two and three where we can get the best result.
My personal goal is to focus on the final day. The course suits me perfectly and it’s an uphill finish which is good for me. I’m really excited. I think we have a super strong team here and everybody’s motivated.
Babette van der Wolf:
I expect myself to stay focused, be proactive, and work well for the team. We have a really strong group of teammates and I hope to support them in every way possible as we keep improving together.
I’m really excited to get back to racing, and doing it with my new team makes it even better. I can’t wait to see what we can achieve together.
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