Bicycle Racing News and Opinion,
Sunday, March 2, 2025
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2024 Tour de France | 2024 Giro d'Italia
People understand me so poorly that they don't even understand my complaint about them not understanding me. - Soren Kierkegaard
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Current racing:
- February 26 - March 2: O Gran Camiño
- March 2: Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne
- March 2: Faun Drôme Classic
Upcoming racing:
- March 4: Le Samyn
- March 5: Trofeo Laigueglia
- March 8: Strade Bianche
Latest completed racing:
- March 1: Omloop Het Nieuwsblad
- March 1: Faun Ardèche Classic
- February 17 - 23: UAE Tour
- February 19 - 23: Volta ao Algarve
- February 22 - 23: Tour des Alpes-Maritimes
- February 14 - 16: Tour de la Provence
- February 16: Clásica de Almeria
- February 15: Vuelta Ciclista a la Region de Murcia
- February 8 - 12: Tour of Oman
We posted the report from third-place Davide Piganzoli's Team Polti-VisitMalta with the results.
Here's the O Gran Camiño report from Team Soudal Quick-Step:
Soudal Quick-Step youngsters shined Saturday afternoon: less than two hours after Paul Magnier powered to a remarkable podium finish in Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, Viktor Soenens put in a convincing ride in the mountains on the penultimate stage of O Gran Camiño, moving to the top of the youth classification with one day to go.
Sergio Chumil (left) just beats GC leader Derek Gee for the stage four win.
The 19-year-old, who last year scored a total of nine top-ten places in the jersey of our Devo Team – including a win from a reduced bunch at the Grand Prix de Honnelles – climbed superbly on stage four, which featured the classified ascents of Alto Catroventos, Alto A Pitinidoira and Alto do Cebreiro and enjoyed a surge up the rankings. The important gains he made in the general classification – where he sat 11th after the individual time trial – will see Soenens start the final stage of the race in seventh place.
“The race was quite quiet until the climbing began. When they brought back the group at the front and the big attacks began flying, I just decided to ride my own pace. When I entered the final kilometer, I sprinted with the last resources of energy I had and I finished ninth, which made me happy. It’s crazy to race against guys who I know from the TV, and to be in the first ten and with the white jersey on my shoulders in such a hard race. On Sunday, I will try to give my best again, as it would be a dream to take the jersey home”, Viktor explained after the stage.
The young Belgian is joined in the top ten overall by his countryman Mauri Vansevenant. The 25-year-old went on the attack more than 30 kilometers from the finish together with a small group and continued to push even after remaining alone at the front, before being caught on the penultimate climb. For his effort, he was rewarded with the most combative rider prize.
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We posted the report from second-place Paul Magnier's Team Soudal Quick-Step with the results.
Here's the report from fourth-place Brent Van Moer's Team Lotto:
Today, the classics season got kicked off at ’t Kuipke in Ghent. A strong Brent Van Moer immediately delivered with a lovely fourth place.
Brent Van Moer is on the far right. You can see "Lotto" on his sleeve.
As expected, the Flemish hills and cobbled sections delivered a tough race in which the wind was a very decisive factor. Brent Van Moers great legs ultimately guided him to an impressive fourth place in the Omloop het Nieuwsblad. “There was a strong wind near the end, but I had a sense that my legs were feeling strong. So when it came down to the sprint at the end, I grabbed my chance. Fourth was the best result possible today” says a happy Brent Van Moer.
"Arnaud had some bad luck and was forced to switch bikes, which caused him to chase the peloton in order to rejoin. A crash at the foot of the Molenberg caused a bigger delay, forcing him to chase once again and expend valuable energy. “Before the Eikenberg, I was already struggling a bit and because of the crash at the foot of the Molenberg the gap to the peloton became even bigger. But in the end we can still say that we had a decent day with Brent securing a fourth spot."
Here's the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad report from fifth-place Sam Watson's Team INEOS Grenadiers:
Sam Watson put in a superb front-foot performance at Omloop Nieuwsblad to claim fifth place.
The Brit impressed throughout the tough, 197-kilometre event, positioning himself well with the help of his INEOS Grenadiers teammates.
Watson was present at the front of the race as the peloton split in two following the famed Molenberg sector, and was the third rider to crest the Muur as the race entered its closing stages.
After a strong lead-out from Josh Tarling, Watson opened up his sprint early in Ninove, holding on for an impressive top-five.
The big scramble to the finish line. Sirotti photo
Tarling had been in the thick of the action prior to that, launching clear on his own with 51km to go across the Holleweg cobbled sector.
The Welshman opened up over 30 seconds on the chasing pack, but would eventually be reeled back in atop the Berendries climb with 31km remaining.
Tarling's presence up the road ensured Watson had an armchair ride in the lead chase group, alongside teammate Ben Turner.
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Here's the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad report from Team Picnic-PostNL:
The Classics got underway on Saturday with the first race of Opening Weekend – Omloop het Nieuwsblad. Taking place on a familiar route, the peloton would tackle many cobbles and climbs throughout the race. Team Picnic PostNL started the day with the goal of getting into the break in anticipation of the race opening up in the final, and have extra support for finishers John Degenkolb and Sean Flynn.
The race gets started.
Doing just that, Enzo Leijnse and Julius van den Berg infiltrated the front group of seven. Working well together, the break built up an advantage that peaked at just over seven minutes. As the kilometres ticked by, the gap came down as the pace in the peloton increased. Unfortunately, both Degenkolb and Flynn were caught behind a touch of wheels on one of the climbs at around 50 kilometres to go and had to unclip; and after that they never returned to the main peloton. Out front, Leijnse and Van den Berg were caught with 30 kilometres to go and fought hard to try and hold on but they had to let go of the front of the race on the famous Muur; before riding it in to Ninove together.
Van den Berg said: “It was the plan to have a couple of guys in the break today with the purpose of anticipating before the final began, so we could be up the road to help John and Sean later in the race. Enzo and I managed well to be in the break and could save energy throughout, and the break worked well together. In the final the guys had some bad luck so they unfortunately weren’t in the main bunch once we got caught. Although the plan didn’t fully work out, it was also a nice day to be in the front; and I enjoyed it with all of the fans cheering us on.”
And Here's the report from Team Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe:
Day 1 of the opening weekend - and Belgium once again showed why it is the home of the spring classics. The euphoria of the fans, the raw fascination of the cobbles, the excitement in the air - all of this will carry us through the next six weeks.
The 80th anniversary edition of Omloop Nieuwsblad was more than just a race. It was the start of the classics campaign, the moment when the season really gets going for the one-day specialists. But this time it was different: no snow, no rain, no whipping winds. Instead, sunshine, spring-like temperatures and perfect conditions for a spectacle on the legendary roads of Flanders.
Midway into the race, racing on cobbles.
The weather left its mark on the race. "The start was surprisingly calm - not the usual chaos we often experience here," recalls last year's winner Jan Tratnik. But if you thought it would stay that way, you were wrong.
With the combination of Molenberg and Leberg, the typical chaos of the classics broke out. The peloton broke up and the pace exploded. "From then on it was Belgium as we know it. Every climb was full gas - and I was able to keep up without any problems," said Jan.
He was joined by Tim van Dijke, Mick van Dijke and Roger Adrià in the two groups that would decide the race. But for Tratnik the day came to a bitter end on the famous Muur van Geraardsbergen. A mechanical caused him to fall back at the crucial moment. "Unfortunately I couldn't test myself in the end," he said disappointedly.
But he still has good memories: "Even though I was not able to perform in the end, it was an incredible feeling to start with number 1".
Tim van Dijke finished in 15th place as the best Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe rider. "I ended up in 15th place, but I don't think that really reflects the race I rode. But yeah, that's cycling - you can't always control how the race goes. It was a good performance for my first race. We can build on that now," said the rookie.
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We posted the report from from third-place Lorenzo Fortunbato's XDS Astana Team with the results.
Here's the report from winner Romain Grégoire's Team Groupama-FDJ:
A year after finishing second, Romain Grégoire finally got his victory in the Faun-Ardèche Classic. After a great team race on Saturday, and after putting in a lot of effort in the last thirty kilometres, the young Frenchman claimed victory in Guilherand-Granges, collecting his very first victory of the season. This is the second one for the Groupama-FDJ cycling team in 2025.
Romain Grégoire can stand up and celebrate his win.
Fifth in 2023, second in 2024, Romain Grégoire was lining up for only one thing in the Faun-Ardèche Classic on Saturday afternoon. “After his great Tour of the Algarve, he came here with high ambitions,” introduced Yvon Caër. “He put pressure on himself, and so did we. We wanted to take our responsibilities for a rider who keeps on growing. We had a great team on paper, but for us there was no doubt: it was all for Romain.” That’s why Groupama-FDJ quickly took control of the peloton on the hilly course around Guilherand-Granges.
“The team had complete confidence in me in this race, they were all around me,” confided Romain. “It could put a bit of pressure on me, but I like racing like this. It really gives me confidence, and I feel indebted, so it gives me that little extra to push myself even deeper. We took our responsibilities all day. I was even afraid halfway through the race that we were doing too much, but no, the guys held on.” At mid-race, the young rider from Besançon could still count on all of his teammates at the head of the pack, then he was attentive on the descent of Saint Romain de Lerps sixty kilometres from the finish, where some splits occurred.
The peloton more or less bunched up after the second time on the finish line, with thirty-five kilometres to go, while the morning breakaway had only a very small gap left. The Mur de Cormas (2 km at 8%) and the climb of Saint Romain de Lerps (6 km at 7%) then came on their way, which meant the leading group was caught while Romain Grégoire proved extremely active. The 22-year-old made several attacks himself, but also followed most of his rivals’ ones.
“I wanted to make the difference because I felt good, but I think I wasted a bit of energy for nothing because the headwind was blocking the race a bit,” he said. “Maybe I should have been a bit more patient.” “There was also a high level, which meant it ended up being more tactical,” Yvon added. Lorenzo Fortunato took advantage of the big favourites marking each other to come over the last big climb with a lead of around twenty seconds. “However, there were teams represented by two riders, so we knew they were going to pull to get back,” added Yvon.
Groupama-FDJ also found itself in this situation, since Guillaume Martin-Guyonnet came back to give a hand to his young leader. The climber thus tried to lead out his puncher teammate at the bottom of the Val d’Enfer hill (1.5 km at 10%), with about seven kilometres to go. “Luckily he was there,” claimed Romain. With a handful of riders, Romain Grégoire then got closer to the leading riders, before twelve riders got back together following the last downhill, three kilometres from the line. “We didn’t manage to make a difference on the climbs, and teams were leading out for the sprint, so there was no point in anticipating,” said Romain.
The young man therefore tried to position himself for this small-group finish. Yet, he didn’t have to deliver his best sprint to cross finish line victoriously a few moments later, after several of his competitors took the wrong route. “They turned right at 350 metres while we had already crossed the finish line three times,” he said. “I think they weren’t clear-headed anymore. Fortunately, I was careful. I knew it was straight ahead.” Although he did celebrate his first victory of the season, Romain Grégoire admitted to a “somewhat strange feeling” at his arrival: “It’s a bit strange not to have won in the sprint, but it’s part of racing. I won, and that’s what matters!”
Once the adrenaline had passed, the Groupama-FDJ puncher was more able to fully enjoy a well-deserved victory, regardless. “It’s a race that I really had in mind” he said. “I’ve really wanted to win it for a few years. It’s done, so I’m obviously very happy. I also have to thank the team for the work they’ve done. I really owe them this victory. And then, this is my first win of the year! It’s a relief. Whether for me or for the team, it can start a very nice momentum. I hope we’ll keep on going after this good start to the season.” “Romain has reached a milestone,” said Yvon. “It’s good that it paid off today, because he’s a young man who provides himself with the means to succeed, who is very demanding of himself, and who can do very good things at the international level with a bit more confidence. He also has a very busy schedule ahead of him and that is why he will be resting tomorrow. If he is at this level on the Strade Bianche, Tirreno-Adriatico and Milan-San Remo, we can hope for anything.”
And here's the Faun Ardèche Classic report from Team Visma-Lease a Bike:
The riders of Team Visma | Lease a Bike put on a strong performance in the Faun-Ardèche Classic. Ben Tulett remained in contention for a long time in the final phase of the race but ultimately fell short of a top result. Roman Grégoire proved to be the strongest in the south of France.
In the French one-day race, six riders attacked on the first climb of the day. The breakaway built up a three-minute lead but was reeled in with 30 kilometers to go by the heavily reduced peloton. On the penultimate climb, the Saint Romain de Lerps, the pace surged.
The peloton climbs the Cote du Pin. Sirotti photo
Several attacks caused the peloton to split into pieces. Multiple riders from the yellow-and-black team showed strength at the front but were unable to make a decisive difference on the climb. In a chaotic finale, where some riders once again took a wrong turn in the final kilometer, Grégoire sprinted to victory.
"If you can't stay with the best in the final moments, then we have to be honest and admit there simply wasn’t more in it today", sports director Maarten Wynants reflected realistically. "It was only natural that on such a tough course, the strongest riders would remain. Ben held on for a long time and rode a strong race, but unfortunately, he eventually had to let go of the group of favorites. Sadly, we weren’t able to compete for a top result."
Tomorrow, the Faun Drôme Classic is on the schedule—another challenging one-day race in France. Despite the difficulty, Wynants sees more opportunities than today. "The course is still tough, but I expect more chances for us. It suits Axel (Zingle) and Ben well, so I’m curious to see what they can do. In any case, we will give everything to achieve a strong result."
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