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Saturday, January 18, 2025
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2024 Tour de France | 2024 Giro d'Italia
There are two means of refuge from the miseries of life: music and cats. - Albert Schweitzer
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:
- January 17 - 26: Tour Down Under
Upcoming racing:
- 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
We posted the race organizer's report with the results.
Here's the report from third-place Kathrin Schweinberger's Team Human Powered Health:
Kathrin Schweinberger opened her account for Human Powered Health in style on her first day of racing by clinching third on stage 1 of the Tour Down Under.
Sprinting in high winds on the South Australia coastline, the 28-year-old made waves with the second WorldTour podium of her career at the end of the 102km stage from Brighton to Snapper Point.
Kathrin Schweinberger (far right) finsihes third.
“I’m really happy with the result today,” she said. “I immediately felt the trust of all my teammates. When we decided I would go for the sprint it was just a really nice feeling that I got the support from everyone.”
Stage winner Daniek Hengeveld (CERATIZIT-WNT Pro Cycling Team) attacked just inside 50km from the line, leading over the rolling parcours to finish solo.
Behind, the peloton lined up for the sprint with Schweinberger expertly weaving her way through to the front, before narrowly being pipped to second place by Ally Wollaston (FDJ – SUEZ). The seaside finish mirrored that of Daria Pikulik’s opening stage victory in 2023 with the athletes battling a strong crosswind on the final straight.
“My teammates all did an amazing job,” Schweinberger explained. “Especially Silvia. She dropped me off with one kilometer to go, kept me out of all the mess, and put me in a really good position.”
A great start for Schweinberger in her new team colors, she will take this confidence into the rest of the weekend.
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Here’s the Tour Down Under report from fifth-place Rachele Barbieri’s Team Picnic PostNL:
The 2025 season got underway on Friday with a rolling route, but one that one paper should have suited the sprinters. However, in the second half of the day attacks flew from the bunch and Hengeveld escaped solo. With the peloton easing off the pace initially, Hengeveld built up what would be an unassailable lead despite a frantic chase by the peloton the finale. For Team Picnic PostNL, Rachele Barbieri showed good speed to get up and take fifth place in the sprint from the main bunch.
Speaking after the stage road captain Eleonora Ciabocco said: “We raced well from the start and stayed together as a team, which was really good. The race exploded a bit on the climb but Rachele was strong to stay in the front part of the peloton so we stuck with her and tried to focus on the final but Hengeveld held on for the win. It was pretty chaotic in the peloton and we tried to wait until the last kilometre but it was crazy and hard to move up. Rachele launched her sprint early from behind and in the end took a top five which is something we can build on here.”
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Here’s the team’s post:
Traditionally, the new road season starts on Australian soil for Team Visma | Lease a Bike. With a mix of experienced forces and young talents, the team aims to assert itself in the 25th edition of the Tour Down Under. The Brits Thomas Gloag and Matthew Brennan look ahead to the first World Tour race of the calendar together with sports director Addy Engels.
Almost three months after the last road race, the Gree-Tour of Guangxi in China, the riders of Team Visma | Lease a Bike will pin on their race numbers again next week. For Gloag, the Tour Down Under comes at just the right time. He broke both elbows on a training ride at the end of August and his season ended prematurely. Disappointing for the Brit, as he had just before made a successful comeback after almost a year's absence due to injury.
Thomas Gloag wins the 2024 Czech Tour queen stage.
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In the Czech Republic, he won the queen stage in the Czech Tour on his comeback. “That was by far my best moment of 2024. Personally, it was already a big victory to be back on the start list of a race after a year of struggling. There is no better feeling to then also cross the finish line with your hands up jubilantly in the queen stage. With that win I gave something back to the people - family, friends and the team - who supported me during that difficult period. It was a very emotional moment”, Gloag says.
The rider is eager to race again and left early for southern Australia to train, in addition to a well-deserved holiday. “The disappointment was big at first when I got injured again. Since October I have been back on the bike and have had some very solid months of training behind me. I hope to turn that good feeling into a nice result in the general classification at the Tour Down Under”, Gloag looks ahead. “The first races of the season are always a bit nervous, that will be no different here. Of course, the high temperatures are also going to play a major role. Hopefully we can have a good first week of racing here. I can't wait to race again."
The yellow and black team does this with a squad full of talented riders. Menno Huising, Tijmen Graat and Brennan officially made the switch from the Development Team to the WorldTeam this winter. Last season they already got a taste in some combined races with the pros, but the Tour Down Under will mark their debut in the WorldTour. “Opportunities for our talents at the highest level fit completely into the philosophy of our team”, sports director Engels says. “Especially here in Australia there are plenty of opportunities for our young guys, because there is no absolute leader like Wout or Jonas.”
The 19-year-old Brennan is the youngest of the team in Australia and already had a great experience with Team Visma | Lease a Bike's WorldTeam at Paris-Tours in October, won by Christophe Laporte. “That was really fun. Only after the finish did I realize how big that race is. I went there with no pressure and that's how it will be for me at the Tour Down Under. This week is mostly about learning and getting used to the highest level. Everyone is expecting some fast and hectic finals. I hope to be able to achieve a good result in the sprint. It's nice to be here with Menno and Tijmen, two riders I know well from our time together at the Development Team.”
“Matthew showed a lot of great things last year. This race should suit him well with some tricky finishes where a powerful punch will make the difference. That's something he normally does well, but we're not going to put any pressure on him this week”, Engels tells. The Dutchman, who himself rode the Tour Down Under three times and has been coming there for years as sports director of Team Visma | Lease a Bike, goes into the six-day stage race open minded. “We hope Thomas Gloag will play a role in the general classification, but it is difficult to say exactly what level he is at after his injury. The race is often decided on Willunga Hill, this year's finish in stage five. That seems like a suitable finish for Thomas.”
In addition to Gloag, Brennan, Huising and Graat, the seven-man squad of Team Visma | Lease a Bike includes Dylan van Baarle, Julien Vermote and Loe van Belle. “Loe was here last year also and will be important for Matthew in the preparation for the sprint. In addition, we have the necessary experience with Dylan and Julien. Even though Dylan's big goals are later in the season, I think it's good for him to start here so early now after his unlucky year full of injuries. It's going to be a great trip for all of us. It's a nice race with varied stages in beautiful surroundings. I immediately get a warm feeling when I think about the Tour Down Under”, Engels concludes.
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