Bicycle Racing News and Opinion,
Monday, March 24, 2025
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2024 Tour de France | 2024 Giro d'Italia
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Current racing:
March 24 - 30: Volta Ciclista a Catalunya
Upcoming racing:
- March 25 - 29: Settimana Internazionale Coppi e Bartali
- March 26: Classic Brugge-De Panne
- March 28: E3 Saxo Bank Classic
- March 30: Gent - Wevelgem
- March 30: La Roue Tourangelle
- April 2: Dwars door Vlaanderen
- April 2: Paris - Camembert Lepetit
- April 4: Route Adélie de Vitre
- April 5: GP Miguel Indurain
- April 5: Volta Limburg Classic
- April 6: Ronde van Vlaanderen
Latest completed racing:
- March 22: Milano-Sanremo
- March 21: Bredene Koksijde Classic
- 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
Here’s the team’s news:
The five-day race takes place between 25-29 March.
One of the first Italian stage races of the season, Settimana Internazionale Coppi e Bartali runs its 40th edition this spring, and for the fourth consecutive year, the team time trial will be absent. Instead, the course will be stacked with climbs that are sure to shape the overall standings after a relatively quiet opening day that the sprinters will target. A demanding uphill finish in Sogliano al Rubicone after an up-and-down stage, followed by three days tailored to the puncheurs and climbers, will bring plenty of spice to the fight for the general classification, which promises to be again a fierce one.
2023 Coppi-Bartali winner Mauro Schmid. Sirotti photo
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Soudal Quick-Step, who sits on a total of eight wins there in recent years, will take on this edition with a nice mix of World Tour and Devo Team riders: Pascal Eenkhoorn, Thomas Pesenti, neo-pro Andrea Raccagni, Federico Savino, Gauthier Servranckx, O Gran Camiño best young rider Viktor Soenens and Mauri Vansevenant.
“We have a good team, capable of fighting for good results despite being a young one. There will be some opportunities next week and the guys are motivated to show themselves. For the Devo riders, it’s going to be an important opportunity to gain experience and discover how it is to race with the pros. We’ll see if we can be a factor also in the fight for the general classification, but we’ll know more about this after the Sogliano al Rubicone stage”, said Soudal Quick-Step sports director Dries Devenyns.
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Here’s the team’s news:
Following the first Monument of the season, Milano-Sanremo, the WorldTour calendar continues with the seven-day stage race, Volta a Catalunya, taking place from Monday, March 24, to Sunday, March 30, in the Catalan region of southeastern Spain.
Bahrain Victorious, the best team in the 2024 edition, returns with high ambitions, led by Lenny Martinez. The young French talent, fresh off a stage victory at Paris-Nice, is no stranger to success in Catalunya. In his third participation, he aims to improve on his 7th-place GC finish and white jersey win from last year.
Lenny Martinez wins 2025 Paris-Nice stage five.
This time, Martinez races the Volta a Catalunya in a Bahrain Victorious jersey, eager to take another step forward.
“It’s a race I really like. My teammates and I are highly motivated, and we’ll do our best to achieve a great result,” said Martinez.
TBV Sports Director Xavi Florencio backs his young leader:
“We have a clear leader in Lenny Martinez. He showed great form at Paris-Nice, and hopefully, he has recovered well. In Catalunya, the entire team will support him as we aim for a strong result in the general classification. We will give our best, and in Barcelona, we’ll see if we’ve met our target.”
The 104th edition of Volta a Catalunya will once again present a varied and challenging parcour, featuring traditional key stages. The race begins with the opening stage in Sant Feliu de Guíxols, a fast circuit-style course that has often produced a tense battle for the first leader’s jersey. Stage 2 from Banyoles to Figueres offers a chance for the sprinters, while Stage 3, finishing at La Molina, is the first true mountain showdown. This Queen Stage, covering 218.5 km with more than 5,000 meters of climbing, will be crucial for the GC contenders.
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The climbing challenges continue on Stage 4, which finishes atop Montserrat Millenari, followed by Stage 6 from Berga to Queralt, another decisive day for the overall standings, with steep climbs concentrated in the second half of the race. Meanwhile, Stage 5 from Paüls to Amposta should again favour the sprinters, though wind conditions could create unexpected challenges.
The grand finale takes place in Barcelona, where the short but intense Montjuïc stage will provide one last test for GC hopefuls. With six ascents of the iconic climb, the winner of Volta a Catalunya may not be decided until the final moments of the race.
“It’s a tough course with three uphill finishes and a high level of competition,” Florencio added. “As always, bonus seconds will play a key role. While three stages seem suited for sprinters, wind conditions could make them unpredictable. The final Montjuïc stage is short but demanding—until the very last finish line, the overall winner will remain uncertain.”
Bahrain Victorious brings a versatile and well-rounded squad to support Martinez. Matevž Govekar will target the sprint finishes, with Nicolò Buratti as his lead-out man. Fran Miholjević will serve as the team’s road captain, while Afonso Eulálio and Rainer Kepplinger will provide climbing support for Martinez in the key mountain stages. Finlay Pickering rounds out the lineup as an all-rounder, ready to join breakaways and assist throughout the week.
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