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Saturday, August 2, 2025
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2024 Tour de France | 2024 Giro d'Italia
The trouble with setting goals is that you’re constantly working toward what you used to want. - Sarah Manguso
Bill and Carol McGann's book The Story of the Giro d'Italia, A Year-by-Year History of the Tour of Italy, Vol 1: 1909 - 1970 is available in print, Kindle eBook & audiobook versions. To get your copy, just click on the Amazon link on the right.
Current racing:
- August 2: San Sebastian Classic
Upcoming racing:
- August 3: Circuito de Getxo
- August 4 - 10: Tour of Poland
- August 5 - 9: Vuelta a Burgos
- August 6 - 8: Tour de l'Ain
- August 7 - 10: Arctic Race of Norway
Latest completed racing:
- July 26 - July 30: Tour de Wallonie
- July 27: Vuelta a Castilla y Leon
- July 5 - 27: Tour de France
- June 21 - 29: Most national road championships
- June 24: Giro dell'Appennino
- June 15 - 22: Tour de Suisse
- June 18 - 22: Baloise Belgium Tour
Here’s the team’s news:
Our team is back at the Vuelta a Burgos next week, a race which we won in 2020, and among the seven Soudal Quick-Step riders lining out at the start in Olmillos de Sasamon will be also Mikel Landa, in first outing since the crash that put an end to his Giro d’Italia hopes on the opening race of the event.
A two-time winner of the Spanish race, Mikel took his first ever victory there (and the KOM jersey), 14 years ago, when he tamed the steep gradients of the mythical Lagunas de Neila, in what was his debut season in the pro ranks. Now, the 35-year-old hopes for a smooth return to racing as he builds his form for the second part of the season.
Mikel Landa at the rider presentations ceremony before the start of the 2025 Giro d'Italia. Sirotti photo
“I’m a little bit nervous, as it’s been a long time since my last race. I am happy to pin on a number again, but at the same time, I don’t know what to expect because it’s my first race in three months and the injury I had was a difficult one. It will be an important test to see if I can ease back to racing. The plan is to just take it day by day and enjoy the race without any expectations”, said Mikel ahead of Burgos.
Joining Landa at the 47th edition of the five-day event – where Lagunas de Neila is once again expected to be decisive in the fight for the general classification – will be Gianmarco Garofoli, Antoine Huby, James Knox, Luke Lamperti, Pieter Serry, and Tour of Oman stage winner Louis Vervaeke, who also returns from injury.
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Here’s the team’s news:
Following last year's successful edition, Team Visma | Lease a Bike returns to the Tour de Pologne with a strong team. The Dutch formation aims to compete for stage victories with Olav Kooij and Matthew Brennan. Brennan and team leader Jesper Mørkøv look ahead.
For Team Visma | Lease a Bike, last year's edition was one with several highlights. Kooij sprinted to two stage wins, Jonas Vingegaard won the overall classification and Wilco Kelderman also made it onto the podium as number three in the classification. Although Vingegaard and Kelderman are not present this year, Team Visma | Lease a Bike is determined to prove itself once again.
Olav Kooij wins 2024 Tour of Poland stage seven.
"We will be going for stage wins coming week", sports director Jesper Mørkøv is clear about the ambitions. "Unlike last year, we don't have any GC riders with us, but we have a strong team around Olav and Matthew. Olav is our leader in the flat stages and Matthew will try to take his chances in the more difficult stages."
Mørkøv is convinced that the interaction between Brennan and Kooij, who will be riding together for the first time, will go well. "Besides the fact that Matthew can provide an excellent lead-out for Olav, it is beneficial for his development to learn how to set up a sprint. Of course, it remains to be seen how it will turn out, but I am confident that it will go well."
Brennan shares that confidence. The 19-year-old Brit, who already made a big impression in his first season with the WorldTour team, will be fully committed to supporting Kooij in the flat stages. "I'm looking forward to racing with Olav. He has proven himself to be one of the best sprinters in the world in recent years, so I'm sure I can learn a lot from him."
According to the youngster, the coming days will be a wonderful journey of discovery. "As a lead-out, you see the sprint from a different view and notice things you wouldn't normally see. Those are very valuable lessons. It's important for my development to see how a sprinter works and how he uses his abilities. Although it's a completely new experience for me, I think it will help me a lot in the future."
With nine victories and overall victory in the Tour of Norway, Brennan had a successful start to the season. The Brit looks back on the first block of races with pride. "I really enjoyed it. At the start of the season, my goal was to win a race, but I have far exceeded my own expectations. It's great that the team doesn't put any pressure on me and focuses on my development. That way, I can continue to make progress in the right direction."
In addition to Brennan and Kooij, Menno Huising, Steven Kruijswijk, Niklas Behrens, Attila Valter and Tosh Van der Sande are part of the seven-member selection of Team Visma | Lease a Bike.
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Here's the team's update:
IPT’s preparations for the Vuelta a España will take another step forward when the team lines up at the Tour de Pologne for the fifth time.
The team’s goal for the seven-day race, which begins in Wrocław on Monday (August 4), focuses on strong performances in stages as opposed to targeting the GC.
Volta a Catalunya stage winner Ethan Vernon, Marco Frigo, George Bennett, and Nadav Raisberg all feature in the IPT roster, which also includes recent Sibiu Cycling Tour winner Matthew Riccitello
.
Matthew Riccitello finishing third in 2024 Tour of Switzerland stage seven. Sirotti photo
The opening stage into Legnica is tailor-made for the sprinters, while stage 4 from Rybnik to Cieszyn could also end similarly despite more undulating terrain.
Meanwhile, there are uphill finishes on stages 2, 5, and 6, with the final stage comprising a flat, 12.5-kilometer ITT around the famous Wieliczka salt mine.
“The main goal is to get some good results from stages,” explains Sports Director Rene Mandri. “We have Ethan with us, and the race starts with a sprint, and there might be one or two more where he can make it to the finish.
“We bring a team which is ready to race actively, to go ahead on the climbs, and try to take another stage with guys like Bennett, Frigo, and Raisberg. We don’t put any big hopes on the GC at first, but we’ll see what the race brings us as it goes on.”
Vernon’s consistency in sprints throughout the 2025 season will mean he’ll be one to watch in Monday’s opening stage.
He says: “I’ve been training at altitude and I am starting to go really well.
“I’m excited to be back racing and using Poland as the final building block towards my Vuelta goals.
“Stages 1 and 4 look like good opportunities, and I will try for the TT as it’s the last stage, but as I have been focusing on sprint work I am not expecting too much there.”
After bouncing back from a crash at June’s Tour de Suisse by winning the Sibiu Cycling Tour at the start of July, Riccitello arrives in Poland with good legs after a productive block in Italy.
“Our recent training camp in Livingo went really well,” he says. “Everything’s been on track, and I feel I’ve been on a good trajectory all year.
“This might be one of my last races for the year, so I’m just looking to make the most of it and do my job as best as possible.”
IPT at the Tour de Pologne (Monday August 4 – Sunday August 10)
Riders: George Bennett (NZL), Pier-André Côté (CAN), Marco Frigo (ITA), Chris Froome (GBR), Nadav Raisberg (ISR), Matthew Riccitello (USA), Ethan Vernon (GBR)
Sports Directors: Rene Mandri (EST), Oscar Guerrero (ESP), René Andrle (CZE)
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Here’s the team’s announcement:
Team Bahrain Victorious is pleased to announce the signing of Attila Valter in a three-year contract, beginning in the 2026 season.
The 27-year-old Hungarian, a multiple-time National Road Race Champion, brings a wealth of experience and climbing strength that will see him play a key role in the team’s stage race and Grand Tour campaigns.
Attila Valter after stage three of the 2023 Vuelta a Burgos. Sirotti photo
Valter has established himself as one of the most consistent and versatile riders in the peloton, known for his ability to perform in the high mountains.
Valter expressed his happiness about joining TBV:“The team’s goals are perfectly matching with my personal ones. This gives me a lot of confidence and I’m excited to start this journey together with them!”
His career highlights include wearing the Maglia Rosa at the Giro d’Italia (2021) and delivering several top-ten finishes in WorldTour stage races. With strong all-round capabilities and tactical intelligence, Valter adds depth and leadership to the Bahrain Victorious roster.
Team Managing Director Milan Eržen commented:
“We are very pleased to welcome Attila to Bahrain Victorious. He is a rider we’ve followed for a long time and believe he has the potential to take another step forward with us. Over the next two years, we see him playing a crucial role in the mountains – supporting our GC leaders while also having the freedom to chase his own results.”
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