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Wednesday, August 6, 2025
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2024 Tour de France | 2024 Giro d'Italia
I think the first duty of society is justice. - Alexander Hamilton
Les Woodland's book Dirty Feet: How the Great Unwashed Created the Tour de France is available in print, Kindle eBook & audiobook versions. To get your copy, just click on the Amazon link on the right.
Current racing:
- August 4 - 10: Tour of Poland
- August 5 - 9: Vuelta a Burgos
- August 6 - 8: Tour de l'Ain
Upcoming racing:
- August 7 - 10: Arctic Race of Norway
- August 12 - 16: Tour of Denmark
Latest completed racing:
- August 3: Circuito de Getxo
- August 2: San Sebastian Classic
- 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 announcement:
A new chapter begins for one of the most defining riders of his generation: Remco Evenepoel will wear the Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe jersey from the upcoming season onward.
The Belgian phenomenon has already carved his name into cycling history at a young age: World Champion, Olympic gold medalist, Grand Tour winner, Monument victor – few riders have achieved such an impressive résumé in just a few seasons.
Remco Evenepoel with two-time Tour winner Bernard Thevenet after stage five of the 2025 Tour de France. Sirotti photo
“Remco brings not only exceptional athletic talent, but also a remarkable mindset. His determination, professionalism, and relentless drive to succeed are truly inspiring.” - Ralph Denk
With his move to Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe, the 25-year-old now sets his sights on the next phase of his career. Together with his new team, he aims to take on the sport’s biggest challenges – with the clear ambition to fight for victories in the most prestigious races and captivate fans around the world with attractive racing.
“Remco stands for ambition. He doesn’t just want to ride – he wants to shape cycling,” says Ralph Denk, CEO of Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe. “He brings not only exceptional athletic talent, but also a remarkable mindset. His determination, professionalism, and relentless drive to succeed are truly inspiring.”
Remco Evenepoel’s arrival marks more than just a milestone for Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe – it is a clear signal. With renewed confidence and bold ambition, the team is setting its course to become one of the most attractive forces on the international cycling stage in the years to come.
Here's is the statement from Evenepoel's current team, Soudal Quick-Step:
Soudal Quick-Step can announce that Remco Evenepoel will leave the team at the end of the current season, when he will join the Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe team.
Representatives of Remco informed the team’s management that he did not wish to discuss an extension of his current agreement, which expires at the end of 2026. After taking some time to consult with our sponsors and partners, the team’s ownership and management have decided that it is in best interest of everyone to agree that Remco can move at the end of the current 2025 season.
Remco Evenepoel after winning the 2018 junior men's world road championship. Sirotti photo
Since its inception in 2003, our team has seen many iterations and changes, while continuing to develop into one of the most successful teams in the history of professional cycling and recently became the first professional cycling team to reach 1000 UCI wins. While we regret Remco’s decision to leave, we will foster the memories that we have made and will continue to strive together to achieve some significant results for the rest of the season.
We strongly believe in the team spirit that earned us the title of the Wolfpack and we will continue to strive to be a collective that is stronger than any one individual. We would like to place on record our thanks to our sponsors and partners that have supported us throughout this process and will continue to do so in the future.
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We posted the report from second-place Mathias Vacek's Team Lidl-Trek with the results.
Here's the Tour of Poland report from sixth-place Jan Christen's UAE Team Emirates-XRG:
On stage 2 at the Tour de Pologne, Jan Christen made a bold attack with 400m of the final climb to go, before succumbing to fifth place over the line. It was not the result that the young Swiss rider had hoped for, but the UAE Team Emirates-XRG rider showed a fine display of aggression and now sits fourth overall as the race rumbles on.
After Monday’s stage showdown, stage 2 brought the first uphill finish of the race, with a 3.1km-long climb bringing proceedings to a close in Karpacz. It was on these tough slopes that the Emirati squad forced the pace, teeing up Christen’s acceleration some 400m from the line. His surge was ultimately made a little early, with Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale’s Paul Lapeira timing his move to perfection and taking the stage honours.
Paul Lapeira wins stage two. Sirotti photo
Nevertheless, Christen continued to show the strong form that delivered him to a runner-up spot at last weekend’s Clásica San Sebastián, whilst both Brandon McNulty and Rafał Majka finished inside the top 10 for UAE Team Emirates-XRG.
With their display, the trio of riders ensured that UAE Team Emirates-XRG would end the day at the top of the team classification. Holding a 14-second advantage over Bahrain Victorious, Sports Director Manuele Mori led his riders, Julius Johansen, Filippo Baroncini and Majka to the podium at the end of the stage. To his credit, Majka’s presence was already required to collect his prize as the top Polish rider on the day.
Beginning each day to a fanfare of spectators gathered around the Emirati squad’s bus, Majka is determined to finish his final Tour de Pologne in style, as the Polish national road race champion. On the eve of the race, the 35-year-old announced that this season would be his last as a professional, bringing to a close an illustrious career both as a winner and as a teammate.
Spending the last five years of his career with UAE Team Emirates-XRG, Majka has found his calling as a trusted teammate of Tadej Pogačar, and more recently, Isaac del Toro. The man from Zegartowice helped Pogačar to his Tour de France title in 2021, before supporting Del Toro in his history-making Giro d’Italia earlier this year. In his time with the Emirati squad, Majka has won a stage of the Vuelta a España, two stages at the Tour of Slovenia, a memorable stage win at his home Tour de Pologne, and of course, his second national title earlier this season.
With three stage wins and two King of the Mountains classifications from the Tour de France also on his palmarès, the Polish rider will be fondly remembered for his tremendous climbing, selfless teamwork, and a warmth that can be felt on every start line he graces. But before he hangs up his cleats for good, the 35-year-old will continue to seek success with UAE Team Emirates-XRG in his home race.
Between Majka, McNulty and Christen, the Emirati squad is well placed heading into the five stages to come. Reflecting on his performance on Tuesday afternoon, Christen was keen to heap praise on his teammates and take the positives from his display.
Christen: “We had a good plan and the team did a super pace, an amazing job by all of the team in the last 20km. Then we set a hard pace, made the final super hard and in the end, I went a little bit too early and lost my legs in the last 100m. Some guys caught me and passed me, but the feeling was all in all good, and we are ready for the next days.
“For sure, now it is important to be attentive over the next days, go for the stages and try to catch as many seconds back as possible before the final TT.”
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Here's the Tour of Poland report from Team Visma | Lease a Bike:
Team Visma | Lease a Bike were unable to contend the stage victory in the second stage of the Tour of Poland. On the tough uphill finish, it was Paul Lapeira who proved the strongest. The Frenchman also took over the leader’s jersey from Olav Kooij.
On day two, the peloton faced a hilly stage with both start and finish in Karpacz. Along the way, four categorised climbs had to be tackled, and the final kilometres also went uphill. Olav Kooij began the stage as overall leader following his win in yesterday’s opening stage.
Stage one winner Olav Kooij gets his bike before the race. Sirotti photo
From the start, Team Visma | Lease a Bike took control of the peloton. A strong performance from Niklas Behrens, among others, ensured that the gap to the early breakaway remained manageable. On the final climb into Karpacz, the last remaining escapee, Max Walker, was caught by what was by then a heavily reduced peloton. In the tough finale, Team Visma | Lease a Bike pinned their hopes on Matthew Brennan, but it proved just too much for him and the rest of the team.
“This was unfortunately not the result we had hoped for,” sports director Jesper Mørkøv said afterward. “We rode strongly throughout the stage but came up short in the final kilometres. Niklas did an excellent job at the front of the peloton in support of Matthew Brennan. Matthew was determined to be in the mix today, but in the end he simply didn’t have enough left. Tomorrow presents another good opportunity for him to show what he can do, and we’re looking forward to that.”
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And here's the Tour of Poland report from sixth-place Rudy Molard's Team Groupama-FDJ:
At the top of a three-kilometre hill in Karpacz, a first battle took place on Tuesday between the Tour de Pologne’s top punchers, and Rudy Molard was right up there. The experienced Frenchman indeed secured a very solid sixth place, four seconds behind winner Paul Lapeira, while his young teammate Thibaud Gruel also managed to crack the top 20 (18th).
Around Karpacz, over just 150 kilometres, the Tour of Poland peloton was set to face the first climbs of the 2025 edition this Tuesday. Above all, an uphill finish, after a three-kilometre climb averaging 7%, served as a real test for the GC competitors, while also offering some punchers the opportunity to go for victory. Before that, a four-rider breakaway went on the attack from the start and got a lead of up to four minutes in a scenario just as clear as the previous day.
Team Groupama-FDJ before the stage start. Sirotti photo
However, on the final circuit, Max Walker got rid of his breakaway companions to make his attempt last a bit longer. The British rider managed to tackle the foothills of the final climb with a small lead, but the fight for position within the peloton meant his advantage was drastically reduced. For Groupama-FDJ, Enzo Paleni got in the front to protect and reposition Thibaud Gruel. “The guys went to recon the climb this morning, since we were staying nearby,” said Jussi Veikkanen. “On paper, it seemed doable for Thibaud, but the goal was also to keep Rudy close to the best for the overall standings.”
On the first part of the Karpacz climb, the peloton gradually thinned out, and the sole survivor of the early breakaway was caught about five kilometres from the finish, shortly before entering the toughest section (3.1 km at 6.7%). Enzo Paleni entered it in second place within the pack, which broke apart on the steepest slopes, and even took a short pull before the final fight fired up in the final kilometre. Part of a small group of around thirty riders, Rudy Molard and Thibaud Gruel then fought hard to the finish line, and the oldest of them was able to get in the mix in front before claiming sixth place on the day, after a tough effort.
“In racing pace, the last ramp eventually suited more Rudy than Thibaud, who got a bit stuck in at the very end,” commented Jussi. “You couldn’t hide in a finish like this,” added Rudy. “I’m very happy to take sixth in the WorldTour, on a hard finish like today. It was nice to be back fighting with the best; it’s been a while since I’ve done that. I’ve had good feelings since the French championship, I worked hard in July to prepare for the second half of the season, I was very motivated, and I see that it’s paying off today. It gives me confidence for the stages to come. Wednesday’s finish won’t be located at the top of a hill, but countless climbs will feature on the course."
“With Saturday’s stage, it’s the biggest day for the punchers/climbers,” concluded Jussi. “We don’t know these roads very well, but there’s 3,500 metres of elevation gain, so it’s going to be very hard. We will need to support Rudy as well as possible because the overall will be partly decided tomorrow. He’s gained confidence today. That’s a good sign, and the other six are doing well too”. “We have a good group here and I think we can do great things in the days to come,” Rudy added.
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