Bicycle Racing News and Opinion,
Saturday, August 16, 2025
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2024 Tour de France | 2024 Giro d'Italia
Is it worthwhile to observe that there are no Venetian blinds in Venice? - William Dean Howells
Les Woodland's book Tour de France: The Inside Story - Making the World's Greatest Bicycle Race is available in print, Kindle eBook and audiobook 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 17: Hamburg Cyclassics
- August 17: La Polynormande
- August 20 - 24: Renewi Tour
Latest completed racing:
- August 15: Circuit Franco-Belge
- 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
We posted the report from eighth-place Dylan van Baarle's Team Visma | Lease a Bike with the results.
Here's the Tour of Denmark report from stage winner Mads Pedersen's Team Lidl-Trek:
With two stage wins already achieved and the leader’s jersey on the back of Mads Pedersen, all eyes were on Lidl-Trek to control the 227km Queen Stage of the Tour of Denmark. After the early break was established, so began a long day for Martin Pedersen and Ryan Gibbons, who between them rode on the front of the peloton for over 100km.
After some probing attacks and a regrouping, Albert Philipsen began to drive the pace on the front, with four Lidl-Trek riders lined up behind. As the young Dane emptied the tank and pulled aside, Pedersen launched his big move. The former World Champion went clear with Blume Levy, combining well until they caught the breakaway. Behind, teams in the peloton struggled to put together a cohesive chase, and any attempts to jump across were nullified by Pedersen’s teammates.
Pedersen reached the tiring peloton, adding some strength to the group but eventually dropping all but Würtz Schmidt as they worked towards the final circuit in Vejle. On the first ascent of Kiddesvej to the finish Pedersen dropped his compatriot, leaving him with a solo time trial to the line over the final 30km.
In the end, Pedersen finished 31 seconds ahead of second place. He heads into the final stage leading the race by 58 seconds.
A victory like this can't be done without the Team.
Mads Pedersen solos across the finish line.
In Mads’ words:
“A victory like this can’t be done without the Team,” said Mads Pedersen. “Even when you’re gone alone, it’s super important to have teammates behind, you know, being present all the time and showing that we are a unit and to take out the joy of trying from the other teams, so it’s super important to have a super committed team all the way through and the boys were just amazing today. They were there every time someone tried from behind so, yeah, what a team effort, all the way from pulling from kilometer zero to the finish line. Wow.
“Ryan and Martin had a tough day. We knew that no other team wanted to help us so, they had to control this big and strong break and they did really well, and then Albert, he was setting it up. He told us he wasn’t feeling great, but, you know, with a bit of pressure and, you know, if you have to fill in a specific and important role, sometimes even if you don’t feel good, you find something extra and he definitely did today. Impressive by the young gun and then still, you know, Söderqvist, Skjelly and Søren in the back there all the time, this is one big team victory.
“The moment I went was spontaneous, I would say. I’m not a big calculator, you know, and sometimes it goes well and sometimes it doesn’t but, in this given moment, I had William Blume from Uno-X with me and he was in GC, so he was willing to work as well. The moment we caught up with the break, then Mats Würtz was there, you know, still also in a good position in GC, so he was willing to work as well. Actually, every time we caught up with someone, they were willing to race and work also, so in the end, it was quite ideal to move up.
“The last three laps on the circuit were horrible and really hard. I was digging really, really deep, so that was just everything I had.
“It’s super, it’s lovely to be back home in Denmark and do these races, and especially here on this course, you know, this is like the Danish World Championships so thanks to everyone who came out to support us today.”
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We posted the report from second-place Corbin Strong's Team Israel-Premier Tech with the results.
Here's the report from Team Picnic-PostNL:
One-day racing returned for the Men’s program on Friday afternoon as they took on the punchy hills of the Wallonia region, which included several ascents of the famous Knokteberg and a leg-sapping uphill kick to the line in Mont-de-l’Enclus. It was a controlled start to the day with a break of five going clear, but with a shade over 100 kilometres to go their gap was only at two minutes and the attacks started in the peloton.
The aggressive style of racing continued for the majority of the rest of the day, with Team Picnic PostNL alert and present in several moves; with Frank van den Broek and Bjorn Koerdt. Due to the hilly and hard nature of racing, fast finisher Pavel Bittner had to let go of the bunch on the penultimate lap; as a group of around 50 riders headed into the last 20 kilometres. Both Koerdt and Van den Broek attacked multiple times but a trio managed to go clear, with a quartet in pursuit. However, going under the flamme rouge on the uphill drag the peloton just made contact with the leaders as the gradients started to kick. Koerdt gave it his all on the leg-sapping rise to the line, taking a credible 11th place come the finish.
Jonas Abrahamsen wins the Circuit Franco-Belge.
Koerdt said: “It was a pretty long and hot day out. Straightaway the guys put us into position, as we knew it would be a tough final and section of loops, so we needed to be right up the front and everyone did a good job at that. Initially we had the plan to go for Pavel but with such an attritional race and with all these short, steep kickers it left quite a select group of riders with myself and Frank in there. Unfortunately it was a little bit too much to get away after trying quite a bit but we got organised and headed into the final ramp up to the finish. I was there or thereabouts but didn’t quite have it to finish it off on the day, but I’m moving in the right direction and looking forward to the next ones.”
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Here’s the update from Lipowitz’s Team Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe:
Twenty-five days after his podium finish at the Tour de France, Florian Lipowitz is back – and this time in front of his home crowd. For Florian, the Deutschland Tour is more than a return to racing.
On Wednesday, he’ll roll down the start ramp in Essen for the prologue. It’s a debut and at the same time the launch of his decisive end-of-season run. In fact, Lipowitz will be competing at the Deutschland Tour for the very first time – and apart from the national championships, he hasn’t raced a German UCI event in over two years. The timing and the stage couldn’t be better.
Florian Lipowitz after stage 14 of the 2025 Tour de France in the Best Young Rider's white jersey. Sirotti photo
For every German rider, racing in Germany is something special. And for me, this year it’s even more so. At the Tour de France, there were so many German fans along the route – I can’t wait to see what the atmosphere will be like next week.
The euphoria of the Tour de France has left its mark. Florian Lipowitz wants to give something back to the fans in Germany – a personal thank-you for their passionate support in France. The Deutschland Tour is the perfect opportunity for him to do just that – and to repay his teammates as well.
“I had two weeks off. For me, the Deutschland Tour is the start of the next block of the season. The course suits our sprinters and classics specialists more – with Jordi, Danny, and Laurence we’re perfectly equipped for every stage. But I want to give something back to the guys and help them score results.” - Florian Lipowitz
After racing in Germany, five demanding race days remain until the end of the season – and he’s fully focused on them: in September, the WorldTour classics in Québec and Montréal. Then in October, the Italian classics block with the Giro dell’Emilia, Tre Valli Varesine – and as a grand finale, the Monument Il Lombardia. A fitting conclusion to what has been a remarkable year for Florian Lipowitz
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Here’s the team’s news:
This Sunday August 17th sees the 28th edition of the Hamburg Cyclassics. After departing from Buxtehude, the 207.4 km route takes the bunch into the Waseberg circuit, featuring its iconic steep climb (700m @10%, with ramps up to 16%) 5 times. On the final loop, the crest comes just 16 km from the finish, which is a gently undulating run-in on Mönckebergstraße with five technical turns in the last five kilometres. We will surely see sprinters’ teams and breakaway specialists fighting for the win, at high speed on the narrow road.
Phil Bauhaus lines up as Bahrain Victorious’ designated ‘fast man’, making his 5th appearance in Hamburg. Having placed 7th in 2022, he will be supported by Matevž Govekar as a lead-out man, while Matej Mohoric, Fred Wright and Robert Stannard are set to race aggressively into the second part of the parcours. Kamil Gradek and Alberto Bruttomesso round up our 7-man roster, and will play key roles in positioning. It is an experienced group, many of whom are familiar with the event, having ridden Hamburg Cyclassics before.
Phil Bauhaus after stage 3 of the 2024 Tirreno-Adriatico. Sirotti photo
Aart Vierhouten, lead Sports Director in Germany, explains that there are some differences to the profile this year: “This year it’s a bit of a different parcour. The organisers made some changes. They have made it a bit more difficult for a bunch sprint in the finale, so they will elimate some of the sprinters with the very technical 11km circuit which includes the Waseberg climb.
Going over the Waseberg multiple times makes it a different race in the final. From the last time uphill, we will have 16km to the finish. It’s not too far, so it challenges the riders to attack. Anyway it will be a nice race to watch on television for sure.”
“For us as a team we are ready. Of course when the sprinters come off and come back in the end, there will be other teams to close the gap to the breakaway riders. We have Phil Bauhaus in that case together with Matevž. But before of course we want to race and be part of the race with our leader Matej Mohoric. He came good from Tour de France and has new goals for the last part of the season, and also of course in Hamburg. Besides Matej, we have Fred Wright and Rob Stannard, so those 3 guys are pure classic racers, and they will love this new circuit at the end deep in the final. So it’s up to them to race and to be sure they are part of the breakaway. I have a strong feeling this year the breakaway will go to the end and fight for the win at the line, considering the other years. I am pretty confident with our riders. And if the race comes back with a group of 30-40 riders, then it’s up to Phil Bauhaus to be there together with Matevž, who will lead Phil in the final sprint.”
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