Bicycle Racing News and Opinion,
Friday, March 21, 2025
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2024 Tour de France | 2024 Giro d'Italia
Every child comes with the message that God is not yet discouraged of man. - Rabindranath Tagore
Bill & Carol McGann's book The Story of the Tour de France, 2020: The Tour During Covid-19, Better Late Than Never is available in both Kindle eBook and Audiobook versions. To get your copy, just click on the Amazon link on the right.
Current racing:
- March 21: Bredene Koksijde Classic
Upcoming racing:
- March 22: Milano-Sanremo
- March 24 - 30: Volta Ciclista a Catalunya
- March 25 - 29: Settimana Internazionale Coppi e Bartali
Latest completed racing:
- March 20: GP de Denain
- March 19: Danilith Nokere Koerse
- March 19: Milano-Torino
- 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
We posted the report from fourth-place Florian Vermeersch's UAE Team Emirates with the results.
Here's the report from winner Matthew Brennan's Team Visma | Lease a Bike:
Matthew Brennan impressively won the Grand Prix de Denain. The 19-year-old rider from Team Visma | Lease a Bike was the fastest in the sprint of a small group after an intense race. For Brennan, who also triumphed in two other French one-day races a fortnight ago, it was his third victory of the season.
Brennan managed to win the race in the sprint of a small group. "I'm very happy with this. It was quite difficult to control, but once we got to the finish line, I knew I had the fastest sprint of the guys there. That gave me confidence heading into the final."
Matthew Brennan wins in Denain.
In summer conditions, it was the perfect day to attack the French cobbles for the first time this season. After a quiet opening phase, four riders gained a few minutes' lead, but the high pace in the peloton meant they were reeled in well before the finish. A new leading group emerged on one of the first cobbled sections, which included Brennan.
The young Brit, who took second place earlier this season on his WorldTour debut in Australia, managed to position himself cleverly and reacted alertly to several attacks. With the finish line in sight, Brennan knew the eyes were on him. The Brit remained patient, played the game smartly and then sprinted convincingly to victory.
"The team did a great job today," Brennan said. "They put me in a perfect position and I was also well positioned when going up the cobbled sections. Then it's also easier to find your rhythm on those bad sections. I am very grateful to everyone for the work they did."
After victories in the Grand Prix de la Ville de Lillers and Le Tour des 100 Communes, Brennan could put his hands in the air for the third time this season.
"This was very impressive", sports director Robert Wagner praised the performance of his pupil, who was part of the Development Team last year. "Although Matthew has never ridden at this level before, he showed again today that he knows better than anyone else when to take action. He has a nose for the right moment and rode very attentively from the front. As the group got smaller and the finish line approached, we knew there was a good chance he would finish it off. He did that superbly!"
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Here's the GP de Denain report from Team Groupama-FDJ:
The Groupama-FDJ cycling team had high hopes on Thursday in the Grand Prix de Denain-Porte du Hainaut. Unfortunately, they never were in a position to achieve them. Caught off guard with sixty kilometres to go, the French team then didn’t manage to come back to the front. Victory went to Matthew Brennan in an eight-man group, while Lewis Askey still secured tenth place in the peloton.
A few weeks before the real “Hell of the North,” a small Paris-Roubaix was on the menu this Thursday. For several years, the Grand Prix de Denain-Porte du Hainaut has indeed made cobblestones its trademark, and in this 2025 edition, no fewer than thirteen sectors featured in the second half of the race, for a total of twenty-three kilometres of cobbles. On the tarmac, the race was also very intense at the start, as a lot of breakaway attempts occurred for around sixty kilometres.
The Gp de Denain profile showing the 13 cobbled sectors.
“The race was fast for a long time,” said Frédéric Guesdon. “The good move of four riders went after about an hour and a half of racing. It settled down a bit, but we almost immediately tackled the cobblestone sectors, so the pace picked up again. There was a crash in one of the first sectors, and a group of thirty broke away. Then small groups managed to bridge across, but it really opened up the race.” Until the real turning point came in the fifth sector, from Capelle to Ruesnes.
About twenty riders broke away from the bunch, without a single rider from Groupama-FDJ. “The positioning wasn’t good, maybe because we didn’t quite have the legs, and we found ourselves one step behind,” Frédéric explained. “Then there was a chance to rectify the situation, but we weren’t able to do it.” In one of the toughest sectors of the day, from Maing to Querenaing, Lewis Askey tried to close the thirty-second gap separating him from the leading group, but it proved unsuccessful. “We believed in it a bit when he went, because he made a strong attack, but they were working well together up front, and it got complicated for him,” Frédéric said. “We were never able to get back in the mix after that. There were too many teams represented at the front, and no one to really lead the chase in what was left of the peloton.”
Up front, the group gradually reduced by half, and there were only eight men left to fight for victory in the last ten kilometres. “In the final, some of the leading riders punctured or had mechanical issues, and some teams started to chase,” added Frédéric. “But we were no longer in control; everything depended on the others.”Eventually, the peloton battled for ninth place, thirty seconds after Matthew Brennan’s victory. Arnaud De Lie won the bunch sprint ahead of… Lewis Askey. “It’s good for Lewis, who deserved a result, but we were never in a position to have an impact on the race as we had hoped,” commented Frédéric. “It’s disappointing because we thought we would play a role in this race. We didn’t deliver as a team today. We must now analyse the reasons for it and absolutely bounce back.”
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Here's the team's update:
The 22nd edition of the Bredene Koksijde Classic has all the ingredients of a Belgian one-day race: climbs, cobbles, wind, and narrow roads which all promise to spice up the day and give the attackers a chance to foil the sprinters’ plans. The 200km course features two ascents of the iconic Kemmelberg, where the race could fragment, although given that the last ascent is tackled around 100 kilometers from the line, there’s a strong possibility for things to come back together. On the other hand, the wind could cause chaos on Friday and turn everything into an attritional race, especially on the famous De Moeren.
Here's the Bredene Koksijde profile.
Just like in Nokere Koerse, where we finished in the top three, our team will take on this race with a young and motivated team. Gil Gelders, Luke Lamperti, Andrea Raccagni and Warre Vangheluwe will be joined by two riders from our feeder squad – Federico Savino and Gauthier Servranckx – on the six-man Soudal Quick-Step roster for the Wolfpack’s final outing of the week on Belgian soil.
“We start with six riders and we are determined to leave everything out there. The hills on the course could play a role in the outcome, but the wind is the one that could end up being crucial on Friday. We go through De Moeren, which is famous for its crosswinds and where the race could split. In the final we have two laps, where there is a possibility for a regrouping and a bunch sprint, although it remains to be seen how big that group will be”, explained sports director Iljo Keisse.
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Here's the team's preview:
The first of the cycling year’s five ‘Monument’ races takes place this Saturday, March 22, with the 116th edition of Milano-Sanremo. Once again riders will set off from the historic centre of Pavia (as in 2024) and finish on the iconic Via Roma, 289km later. The distance of the route means ‘La Primavera’ maintains its tradition as the longest Monument and one of the most unpredictable races on the calendar.
Bahrain Victorious is no stranger to success in Sanremo, having celebrated two thrilling victories in eight appearances since joining the World Tour in 2017. Vincenzo Nibali took the title in 2018 and Matej Mohorič in 2022. Since his triumph, Mohorič has consistently sought another win, finishing in the top ten in the last two editions, making it five top tens from eight starts. This year, he lines up once again as a key contender, despite a challenging build-up to the race.
“I had a difficult approach to Sanremo this year,” admits Matej Mohorič. “I wasn’t at 100% during Opening Weekend and then got sick just before Strade Bianche. Hopefully, I’ve recovered in time for the first Monument of the season. This race will always be special for me, having won it in 2022. My goal on Saturday is to focus as if I can fight for the win in the final, like in the last couple of years. Whether that’s possible with my current condition remains to be seen on race day.”
Matej Mohoric wins the 2022 Milan Sanremo. Sirotti photo
Despite the setbacks, Bahrain Victorious Sports Director Franco Pellizotti is optimistic about Mohorič’s chances.
“Matej has faced a tough few weeks, but his last training sessions have shown that he has recovered well. That’s important for his confidence,” explains Pellizotti, who will be in the ‘Directeur Sportif’ role alongside Sonny Colbrelli. “What he’s missing is racing rhythm, the chance to directly test himself against his rivals. But he has already won Sanremo without racing Tirreno-Adriatico or Paris-Nice, which gives him confidence. The beauty of this race is its unpredictability. Even a champion like Tadej Pogačar hasn’t managed to win it yet, proving how difficult it is. But at the same time, it can also be one of the easiest Monuments to win.”
Although Milano-Sanremo is the longest Monument, its most decisive moments are concentrated in the final kilometres. After the long approach through Turchino (at 136km), the race truly begins with the Capi (Mele, Cervo, and Berta), followed by the crucial Cipressa and Poggio climbs.
“Last year’s new start in Pavia didn’t change the race’s dynamic, and this year’s slight alterations in the initial kms won’t either,” Pellizotti continues. “The most critical point remains the Cipressa. It’s essential to be at the front, especially if the weather is bad. Fortunately, the forecast looks better for Saturday. If no decisive move happens there, then the Poggio will be the key moment. That’s where everyone expects attacks. Matej tried again to make the difference on the descent last year but was caught. Let’s see how it plays out this time.”
Alongside Mohorič, the team has a strong backup plan with Fred Wright.
“Fred has had a great start to the season, showing strong form at Paris-Nice. If the race ends in a sprint, we can count on him,” Pellizotti adds.
Bahrain Victorious’ lineup for the first Monument of 2025 is a mix of experience and fresh talent, with two debutants Kamil Gradek and Edoardo Zambanini, Robert Stannard, Andrea Pasqualon (at his 9th participation), with road captain Damiano Caruso, who has ridden ‘La Classicissima’ 10 times already.
It’s a group who are ready for whatever the race may bring.
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