Bicycle Racing News and Opinion,
Tuesday, August 12, 2025
Back to news and opinion index page for links to archived stories | Commentary | Our YouTube page
2024 Tour de France | 2024 Giro d'Italia
Do I not destroy my enemies when I make them my friends? - Abraham Lincoln
Plato's dialogue Phaedo is available in both audiobook & Kindle eBook versions. To get your copy, just click on the Amazon link on the right.
Current Racing:
- August 12 - 16: Tour of Denmark
Upcoming racing:
- August 15: Circuit Franco-Belge
- August 17: Hamburg Cyclassics
- August 17: La Polynormande
- August 20 - 24: Renewi Tour
Latest completed racing:
- August 4 - 10: Tour of Poland
- August 7 - 10: Arctic Race of Norway
- August 5 - 9: Vuelta a Burgos
- August 6 - 8: Tour de l'Ain
- 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
Here’s the team’s update:
Team Polti VisitMalta is competing in the Tour of Denmark, five nerve-wracking stages with final circuits and a time trial on the third stage that could make a difference in the overall standings.
The first day is perhaps the most demanding, with the final circuit featuring three climbs to Helligpeder for the cyclists. The very long fourth stage, with 227 kilometers and up to seven hills, including the final turns, will decide the standings, which will already begin to take shape with the almost completely flat 14-kilometer time trial. The steep finish in Silkeborg on day four and the shorter 110-kilometer stage on day two seem to be the clearest options for the sprint.
Team Polti VisitMalta’s lineup will consist of Mirco Maestri as road captain, as well as veteran Alessandro Tonelli. Along these lines, it will be ideal terrain for Fran Muñoz and also for the combative Gabriele Raccagni. The lineup will be completed by Maltese Aidan Buttigieg, sprinter Manuel Peñalver, and stagiaire Giovanni Bortoluzzi.
Mirco Maestri on the podium of 2025 Giro d'Italia stage 12. Sirotti photo
Originally from San Daniele del Friuli, Bortoluzzi completed his entire U23 career with several Italian continental teams. This year, in his first season as an elite cyclist, wearing the General Store jersey, he won the Coppa Caduti di Reda and the Trofeo Città di Brescia, in addition to achieving several podium finishes, including the final stage of the Giro d’Abruzzo among top-level professionals. These performances demonstrate a budding maturity and convinced Ivan Basso and the Contador brothers to give him this opportunity with Polti VisitMalta.
Mirco Maestri: “It’s an important race for the team, one of quality and prestige. We’re here after a long and intense workout at altitude, so we hope to see how this work pays back. After this break, we’re ambitious to return to competition with the best possible results from the start on a course I like and can handle.”
Giovanni Ellena, Sports Director: “It’s our first time in Denmark, and I think Mirco Maestri and Alessandro Tonelli will be our references. There are no mountains, but we have plenty of challenging terrain on which to showcase the quality of our riders. On the fastest days, Manuel Peñalver will certainly be able to fight in the sprints. I want to highlight the debut of stagiaire Giovanni Bortoluzzi, who we trust will give us a leading role and help us learn in the race.”
Content continues below the ads
Here’s the team’s news:
Lidl-Trek is excited to announce that 23-year-old Czech champion Mathias Vacek has signed a new long-term contract, committing him to the team through the end of 2029.
Since joining Lidl-Trek in 2023, Vacek has shown impressive growth and versatility. His breakout season came in 2024, when he played a key support role in the Classics alongside Mads Pedersen and Jasper Stuyven, before delivering a standout climbing performance at the Tour de Hongrie in support of overall winner Thibau Nys.
Later that year, Vacek made an impressive Grand Tour debut at the Vuelta a España, finishing second in the opening time trial — just two seconds off victory — and wearing the best young rider jersey for three days.
The momentum continued in 2025. In his second Grand Tour, the Giro d’Italia, he again wore the white jersey and proved himself as a versatile lead-out man, helping Pedersen secure multiple stage wins.
Vacek in the best young rider's white jersey after stage 5 of the 2025 Giro d'Italia, Sirotti photo
After claiming both the Czech national road race and time trial titles in June, Vacek earned his first win for Lidl-Trek outside national championships at the Tour de Wallonie, where he also finished runner-up overall.
“It’s now my third year in the Team and I’m super happy with how I’m developing,” said Mathias Vacek. “If I look back now at how I started and what level I was back then, and where I am now, I really couldn’t imagine that I would do such a jump like this and could be now on the top level. An important thing was definitely that I had so much trust in the Team and the Team trusted me, so I really had the support and freedom to take the wheel in my hands and do everything possible to reach the level I am now, and even further.
“I’m really happy that the team saw the potential in me and I can now pay back to the team with results. Step by step I’m getting to where I want to be and for sure even bigger results will come in the future. Of course, everything has to go well and I need to keep my focus and be patient, but I’m feeling really confident to be here in this team, which is also developing every year and doing everything possible for the riders to be the number one in the world. For this I’m really grateful.
“For the next years I definitely have big ambitions, of course, it would be nice to race the Tour de France in the future, maybe even next year. I would love to win a stage at the Tour, I know it’s a big task but I am really motivated and looking forward to working hard to reach my best. I’ve already worn the White Jersey in the Vuelta and the Giro, now it would be nice to wear it at the Tour. I’m confident that the next years will be really good. The classics are some of my favorite races to do and there I want to also be really good. I know I have the power in myself and now I have to still gain experience and learn how to be a big leader and put myself in the big player game. I know that I’m close and know that if I work well and stay focused it will come.”
“Mathias has all the makings of a big champion,” said Luca Guercilena, Lidl-Trek General Manager. “His work ethic, the way he learns from those around him, and also how he treats his teammates and staff speaks volumes about his character. I believe that these qualities, combined with his physical ability, will take him very far. His performances over the last two years especially show that he is on the verge of some big wins. We’re excited to discover his full potential as we continue to work together over the next four years.”
Content continues below the ads
Here’s the team’s news:
UAE Team Emirates-XRG is proud to announce the promotion of rising Spanish talent Adrià Pericas to its elite WorldTour roster for the upcoming 2026 season on a five-year deal. Pericas, 19, makes the step up from the UAE Team Emirates Gen Z development team following a standout year marked by consistent performances and major breakthroughs on the U23 circuit.
Pericas, a native of Tona in Catalonia, has shown strong development within the UAE development program since joining in 2023 and this season made a number of outings with the WorldTour team where he gained valuable experience. His results this season include a top-10 at the Giro d’Italia U23 and a stage victory at the Istrian Spring Tour in Croatia. His next major challenge will be the Tour de L’Avenir in August.
Adrià Pericas
Mauro Gianetti (CEO & Team Principal, UAE Team Emirates-XRG) : “ We are very pleased to welcome Adria to the World Tour team for next season. We’ve watched his development closely through the Gen Z structure, and we believe he has the qualities to be a part of our long-term project. The focus over the next years will be for him to continue to grow with us, both as a rider and as a person. His step-up is another positive development in the success of our Gen Z pathway.”
Pericas expressed excitement about the next chapter of his career.
Adrià Pericas: “This season on the Gen Z team has been an incredible experience. I have really enjoyed being with my teammates, learning and growing every day, both inside and outside of the competition. Making the jump to the World Tour is a dream come true, and I face this new stage with great enthusiasm. I hope to continue learning from the great riders and staff with whom I am going to share a team, continue enjoying cycling as before and be able to develop in the long term as a cyclist in this structure.”
The move aligns with UAE Team Emirates-XRG’s long-term strategy of developing homegrown and international talent through its Gen Z team, bridging the gap between youth and elite competition in a high-performance environment.
Content continues below the ads
Here’s the team’s news:
Q36.5 Pro Cycling are happy to announce the addition of two new stagiaires for the remainder of the season. Martijn Rasenberg (Netherlands) and William Colorado (Colombia) will get the chance to race in our beautiful Q36.5 kit in a variety of races. William and Martijn are two very different riders who will fit right into the varied program we have for August, September and October.
Martijn Rasenberg from Terheijden, Netherlands started riding his bike when he was just seven years young. The moment Martijn could start to race his granddad bought him a bike and he never stopped since.
Martijn Rasenberg winning the Battle of Woensdrecht bike race. Photo: Peter Van Trijen/pix4profs
This year the 23-year-old rider who represents Parkhotel Valkenburg made waves by winning the ‘Slag om Woensdrecht’ in the Netherlands. It was a solo win that prompted Jan Janssen (1968 Tour de France winner) to state: “I am impressed with how he races, and I hope he will turn profesionnal soon.”
“I am a rider who likes hard races,” Martijn admits. “I attack, make the races, try solos or can even win a sprint of a small group. The harder the race, the better.”
Rasenberg not only won Slag om Woensdrecht but also Omloop der Kempen, Ronde van de Achterhoek and the general classification of Flèche du Sud. His audacious attack at the national road championships in June almost gave him the red white and blue jersey
“I like winning for myself but I also love winning with the team. Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team is a team where you can really grow as a rider. I want to give the team my best. Having this place hopefully gives me the chance to show the same and make my biggest dream come true: to become a professional cyclist.”
The second stagiaire is William Colorado from Pereira in Colombia. The 21-year-old represents GW Erco Shimano and has represented Colombia on the international stage as well.
William said: “I feel really quite happy to be part of the Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team. I could say that this is the opportunity I have always wanted. I am extremely motivated and eager to do an excellent job and contribute as much as possible to achieve success as a team. As a rider I would say I am quite complete with good climbing skills and a good time trial.”
William was the runner-up this year in the Colombian U23 road race and has done well in many races on home soil. He also raced consistently in the Giro NextGen and Course de la Paix. In 2021 he won an important junior race in Italy called La Ciociarissima.
“My best memory was becoming national champion of Colombia and winning my first classic race in Italy. I started cycling thanks to my dad, who liked me to accompany him on his rides. That’s where my love for cycling was born. My biggest dream is to succeed in European cycling and make my family proud.”
Head of Racing Alex Sans Vega said on the two new arrivals:
“Incorporating stagiaires into the team is a great way to test new riders. The success of a rider is not only the list of results on statistics websites or FTP numbers. In race situations we can see how these two guys fit into a team. Do they do their job well? Do they follow instructions? How do they get along with fellow riders and staff? Those are also important parameters, and this trial period gives us that opportunity.
In Martijn and William we have two very different profiles. Martijn is a Dutch rider who does well in hard, flatter races under challenging weather. He will do a program where strength and aggressive racing is important. William is a climber type who will do well in the hillier races we have on the program this autumn.
I am looking forward to working with these two riders and see what we can achieve together.”
Back to news and opinion index page for links to archived stories | Commentary