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Tuesday, March 18, 2025
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2024 Tour de France | 2024 Giro d'Italia
The universe we observe has precisely the properties we should expect if there is, at bottom, no design, no purpose, no evil, no good, nothing but blind, pitiless indifference. - Richard Dawkins
Les Woodland's book Tour de France: The Inside Story - Making the World's Greatest Bicycle Race is available in print, Kindle eBook and audiobook versions. To get your copy, just click on the Amazon link on the right.
Upcoming racing:
- March 19: Danilith Nokere Koerse
- March 19: Milano-Torino
- March 20: GP de Denain
- March 21: Bredene Koksijde CLassic
- March 22: Milano-Sanremo
Latest completed racing:
- March 9 - 16: Paris-Nice
- March 10 - 16: Tirreno-Adriatico
- March 8: Strade Bianche
- March 5: Trofeo Laigueglia
- March 4: Le Samyn Classic
- February 26 - March 2: O Gran Camiño
- March 2: Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne
- March 2: Faun Drôme Classic
The team sent me this schedule:
Milano - Torino - MAR 19
Phil West - Team Picnic PostNL coach:
"Milano-Torino is a race that reinvents itself year after year. Sometimes it's one for the sprinters, other times the climbers take centre stage, but this edition features a hilltop finish. With a mostly flat run-in before a highly explosive final 30 kilometres, it promises to be a spicy one. For us, the key will be how we function as a team throughout the race. Energy management is crucial, and we want to arrive late into the final with as much firepower as possible. If we can position Kevin, Juan, and Bjoern well going into those decisive climbs, we can give Kevin the chance to really race. Above all, our biggest focus will be executing our plan as a unit, building into the race step by step. We're excited for the challenge ahead!"
Line-up:
Vincent Bodet (FRA)
Bjoern Koerdt (GBR)
Niklas Märkl (DEU)
Juan Guillermo Martinez (COL)
Kevin Vermaerke (USA)
Bram Welten (NLD)
Bram Welten is scheduled to ride Milano-Torino
Danilith Nokere Koerse WE - MAR 19
Albert Timmer - Team Picnic PostNL coach:
"Nokere Koerse is a race that always delivers dynamic and unpredictable racing. With a mix of cobbled sectors, short climbs, and a fast, technical finish, positioning and race craft are key to success. We’re lining up with a young squad, and our focus will be on performing the basics well. If we get that right, we can be in the mix deep into the final. Josie and Silje are both strong finishers, and with the rest of the team, we aim to be active and race aggressively. It’s all about learning, growing, and making the most of our opportunities."
Line-up:
Silje Bader (NLD)
Ella Heremans (BEL)
Juliana Londoño (COL)
Josie Nelson (GBR)
Esmée Peperkamp (NLD)
Abi Smith (GBR)
Danilith Nokere Koerse - MAR 19
Roy Curvers - Team Picnic PostNL coach:
"Nokere Koerse always delivers a fierce battle between attackers and sprinters, played out on the cobbles and twisting roads around Nokere. While the race often ends in a reduced bunch sprint, the unpredictability keeps everyone on their toes. This year’s final is slightly different from previous editions, but it should suit Pavel very well. Our goal is clear: to support him throughout the race and put him in the best possible position for the finish. With smart teamwork and the right execution, we can give him the chance to fight for a top result. It’s also nice to have Nils back racing with us after his crash in AlUla Tour."
Line-up:
Pavel Bittner (CZE)
Robbe Dhondt (BEL)
Patrick Eddy (AUS)
Nils Eekhoff (NLD)
Tim Naberman (NLD)
Timo Roosen (NLD)
Oliver Peace (GBR)
Youngster Coast Challenge - MAR 21
Joey van Rhee - Team Picnic PostNL coach:
"Youngster Coast Challenge can unfold in many ways. If the wind picks up, it will be a brutal echelon battle where teamwork is key. If conditions are calmer, we’re likely heading for a sprint. With Christiaan and Johan, we have two fast finishers who can be in the mix. We’ve started the season well, and the goal is to keep that positive feeling going with another strong performance."
Line-up:
Johan Dorussen (NLD)
Ryan Gal (NLD)
Ko Molenaar (NLD)
Christiaan van Rees (NLD)
Pavel Sumpik (CZE)
Matteo Vanhuffel (BEL)
Jurgen Zomermaand (NLD)
Bredene Koksijde Classic - MAR 21
Roy Curvers - Team Picnic PostNL coach:
"In the western part of Flanders, the wind will always play a role, so it’s up to us to be ready for a big battle. With Casper, Fabio, Tobias, and Nils – who makes his return from injury - we have plenty of fast legs to fight for the win after a tough day. While in a more controlled scenario, they should be able to combine forces well as a unit and contest the sprint as a team."
Line-up:
Tobias Lund Andresen (DNK)
Julius van den Berg (NLD)
Alex Edmondson (AUS)
Nils Eekhoff (NLD)
Fabio Jakobsen (NLD)
Casper van Uden (NLD)
Mees Vlot (NLD)
Milano-Sanremo - MAR 22
Phil West - Team Picnic PostNL coach:
"This is one of the great early-season classics; nearly 300 kilometres from Milan to the coast at Sanremo. Our focus will be on teamwork—how we navigate the key moments and get to the final in the best possible way. With John, Sean, Kevin, and Warren, we have a strong and experienced group that can go deep into the race. It’s all about working together step-by-step to maximise our chances.”
Line-up:
Warren Barguil (FRA)
Romain Combaud (FRA)
John Degenkolb (DEU)
Sean Flynn (GBR)
Chris Hamilton (AUS)
Bjoern Koerdt (GBR)
Kevin Vermaerke (USA)
American rider Kevin Vermaerke racing in the 2024 Tour of Lombardy. Sirotti photo
Milano-Sanremo Donne - MAR 22
Callum Ferguson - Team Picnic PostNL coach:
"With the long-awaited return of Milano-Sanremo Donne, we’re excited to take on this iconic race. The course will test both endurance and race instincts, especially in the final when the famous climbs start to shake up the peloton. We have strong options for different scenarios. With Nienke and Marta, we have the climbing power to follow when the race opens up on the key ascents. If it all comes back together, Megan gives us a solid card to play in a sprint. It’s all about reading the race and making the right moves at the right time."
Line-up
Francesca Barale (ITA)
Marta Cavalli (ITA)
Pfeiffer Georgi (GBR)
Megan Jastrab (USA)
Franziska Koch (DEU)
Nienke Vinke (NLD)
Wim Hendriks Trofee - MAR 22
Joey van Rhee - Team Picnic PostNL coach:
"Wim Hendriks Trofee will be a mixed race for us, as we line up with four of our own riders alongside two from Dutch Food Valley Cycling Team. The weather will play a big role—if the wind picks up, we’re ready for an echelon battle, and if not, we’ll focus on a sprint with Johan or Christiaan. We’ve been building strong momentum over the past weeks, and the goal is to keep that going with another solid performance."
Line-up:
Jacob Bush (GBR)
Johan Dorussen (NLD)
Christiaan van Rees (NLD)
Thom van der Werff (NLD)
Volta Ciclista a Catalunya - MAR 24 - MAR 30
Pim Ligthart - Team Picnic PostNL coach
"We're heading to Catalunya with a clear ambition: to fight for stage success. In the sprint opportunities, Pavel will be our focus, supported by Timo, Pat, and Nils who can position him well in the finals. On the tougher days, we aim to race aggressively, and Frank will be our key rider to go on the attack. It’s all about making the most of our chances throughout the week."
Line-up:
Pavel Bittner (CZE)
Frank van den Broek (NLD)
Romain Combaud (FRA)
Robbe Dhondt (BEL)
Patrick Eddy (AUS)
Nils Eekhoff (NLD)
Timo Roosen (NLD)
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Faulkner’s Team EF Education-Oatly sent me this:
After delaying the start of her 2025 season in order to recover from a concussion, Kristen Faulkner is excited for her first race of the year: Milano-Sanremo.
“I’m finally feeling better, which is so nice,” Kristen said regarding the concussion she suffered after a crash while training last December. “The recovery process was very up and down. I thought I was good and then I went to team camp and I had to leave team camp early. From the team’s standpoint, it was better just to make sure I was fully recovered and not put a timeline on it, not put pressure on me to perform at any upcoming race. Just be 100 percent healthy and ready by the time I get back. I felt like I was allowed to let my body heal on its own timeline which is really important. I appreciate that the team said, ‘No pressure. Let’s let your body do what it’s going to do and we’ll put you in racing when you’re healthy.’ So I didn’t have any stress or pressure to get back to racing right away.”
Kristen Faulkner racing the 2023 Strade Bianche.
While Kristen had initially hoped to return to racing sooner, she does see an upside to starting her season later than usual.
“It means I’ll have a better second half of the season. Normally, I’d come in and have a good classics campaign and this year I’m actually sitting out of the cobbled classics and focusing more on the Ardennes and the Vuelta. So, Milano-Sanremo will be a really good chance for me to get back in the peloton a little bit later than normal,” she said.
For her first race to be the inaugural modern edition of Milano-Sanremo just makes Kristen’s return to racing that much sweeter. She appreciates what it means to be part of history and recognizes its significance in the greater context of women’s sports.
“It’s a race I’ve really wanted to do since I heard it was going to happen this year. It’s just really exciting to be at Milano-Sanremo and be a part of the revived women’s edition. In my cycling career, I came into the sport at a really interesting time because there have been a lot of firsts: the first Paris-Roubaix, the first modern Tour de France, the first modern Milano-Sanremo. Every year there’s some new race added to the calendar and it’s really exciting to be a woman in cycling because of that. Having Milano-Sanremo added to the calendar just furthers the legitimacy and professionalization that’s happening in women’s sports. I’m really excited that I can be part of the first edition and part of the bigger movement that’s much greater than any individual’s performance on the bike,” Kristen said.
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Making her 2025 debut at a race that no one has ever ridden before means no one can predict how the day will unfold, but Kristen takes the unknown in stride.
“There’s all the hype and all the excitement, but it’s also really good that I’m not a designated lead rider because I can have the pressure off while still wanting to go in full form, wanting to make it to the finale to help the team or do something really useful. I think having all the hype around it, being part of the first edition is super exciting. For me, it’s really motivating. It gives me something to work really hard for in training. I find I’m more motivated and more focused when I have a clear goal and so just having this on the calendar since last year and having it as a goal, regardless of my role, has been something that has been the light at the end of the tunnel from my concussion.”
Another reason for motivation is the strength of her teammates.
“Noemi Rüegg has clearly come into the season in really good form,” Kristen said. “To see Noemi do so well in Australia makes me really excited to support her because I feel like she’s ready to deliver. That’s really motivating for me because it makes me feel like if I can do my job, I’m really confident that she will do hers. It puts pressure on me but it’s also a good pressure. It’s a really motivating pressure. I feel like we can get a result if we execute really well.”
Looking ahead, Kristen sees opportunities for her to grow in her spring schedule.
“I’m doing Brabantse, Amstel, Liège, and then the Vuelta. The shorter climbs at the Ardennes are something I really like. Last year in the Liège stage at the Tour, I did pretty well. I’m trying to become a better climber and I think the Ardennes are a really good chance for me to practice those tough, shorter climbs, which is the climbing that I really like. And I haven’t gone through all the Vuelta stages yet but I know that the climbing stages are incredibly steep and hard. For me, I’m looking forward to going for stages at the Vuelta.”
With Kristen back to racing, there’s a lot to look forward to.
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Lipowitz’s Team Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe posted this
Florian, second overall in GC and the white jersey—was this what you could have ever expected coming into the race?
Florian: Coming into the race, I had higher expectations of myself than I did last year, but I never imagined standing on the final podium. My goal was to fight for a top ten in GC, and I was focused on taking things day by day. But as the race went on, I kept feeling better, and the team did an incredible job supporting me, both on and off the road. So to finish second overall is something really special.
Florian Lipowitz in the best young rider's white jersey at the 2024 Vuelta a España. Sirotti photo
At what point did you start to believe that a podium finish was possible?
Florian: I knew the final weekend would be really tough, but after Saturday’s stage, I realised I had the legs to stay with the best. That’s when I thought, okay, if I can do the same tomorrow, I can finish on the podium. Sunday was full gas racing, but I managed to hold on, and when I crossed the line in Nice, it was pure relief.
The weather was relentless all week. How did you handle those conditions?
Florian: Yeah, it was a tough week for everyone. The wind, the rain, the cold… it was brutal at times. But I think that’s where mentality plays a big role. Staying focused, making the right decisions in the crosswinds, and keeping the body fuelled well in those conditions are just as important as having good legs. The team kept me in the right places when it mattered, and that made a huge difference.
What does a result like this do for your confidence moving forward?
Florian: I’ve confirmed here that I can consistently perform at this level, that my performances last year weren’t only one-off. It gives me a lot of confidence heading into the next races for sure.
What’s one thing you’ll take away from this race for the future?
Florian: I know that I can handle the pressures of GC racing. I learned that I can manage it and still perform, both physically and psychologically. It’s not just about the legs - it’s about managing everything around it, staying calm, and performing when it counts. This week tested everyone in the peloton quite a lot, and I’m really happy with how I handled it.
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