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Tuesday, August 19, 2025
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2024 Tour de France | 2024 Giro d'Italia
Civilization is like a thin layer of ice upon a deep ocean of chaos and darkness. - Werner Herzog
Bill & Carol McGann's book The Story of the Tour de France, Vol 1: 1903 - 1975 is available in print, Kindle eBook & audiobook versions. To get your copy, just click on the Amazon link on the right.
Current racing:
- August 19 - 22: Tour du Limousin
Upcoming racing:
- August 20 - 24: Renewi Tour
- August 23 - September 14: Vuelta a España
Latest completed racing:
- August 17: Hamburg Cyclassics
- August 17: La Polynormande
- August 12 - 16: Tour of Denmark
- 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
Here’s the team’s news:
Best sprinter of the year, Tim Merlier is ready to pin on a number again and take on one of the season’s final World Tour stage races, the Renewi Tour. Having scored a total of 12 victories since the start of the season, including a pair of Tour de France stages, the 32-year-old Belgian will look to add to this impressive palmares at a race where he has won twice in the past.
Tim Merlier wins stage nine of the 2025 Tour de France. Sirotti photo
Joining the European Champion on Soudal Quick-Step’s roster for the 20th edition of the Renewi Tour will be Ayco Bastiaens, former Belgian Champion Yves Lampaert, Paul Magnier – fresh off his third place in Hamburg – Dries Van Gestel, Bert Van Lerberghe and Warre Vangheluwe, who is back with the team for the first time since the Scheldeprijs crash that put an end to his Spring Classics campaign.
The first two stages of the race will bring as many opportunities for the sprinters, before the general classification men get to come into the spotlight for the famous stage to Geraardsbergen, which will see the peloton tackle more than a dozen climbs, including the mythical Taaienberg and Muur-Kapelmuur. Unlike other years, when it was scheduled on Sunday, this time the stage will be just an appetizer, as the last two days of the race will bring even more hills, ensuring the fight for the overall victory will go down to the wire.
“We have a good team, capable of going for more goals this week. Tim is our man for the bunch sprints, while Paul can be in action and fight for good results on some of the hilly stages. We’re also happy to have Warre back after all this time, it will be nice for him to race with the guys again. The squad is a strong and motivated one and that gives us confidence we can have a solid week”, said Soudal Quick-Step sports director Wilfried Peeters.
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Here’s the team’s post:
With Jonas Vingegaard as leader, Team Visma | Lease a Bike is setting its sights on another overall victory in the Tour of Spain. The Dane will be supported by a strong squad, including Matteo Jorgenson and former Vuelta winner Sepp Kuss. Vingegaard and Head of Racing Grischa Niermann look ahead.
The 2023 Vuelta a España podium, from left: Jonas Vingegaard (2nd), Sepp kuss (1st) & Primoz Roglic (3rd). Sirotti photo
For the third time in a year and a half, a Grand Tour will visit the Italian city of Turin. After the Grande Partenza of the Giro d’Italia in 2024 and the finish of the third stage of that year’s Tour de France, it is now the Vuelta a España that will start in the northern Italian city. Following four flat stages, ten hilly stages, five mountain stages, a team time trial, and an individual time trial, the race will traditionally finish in the Spanish capital, Madrid.
After winning the Giro d’Italia and finishing second overall in the Tour de France, Team Visma | Lease a Bike will also be aiming for overall victory in the third and final Grand Tour of the season. Jonas Vingegaard will be starting his third Vuelta and is the leader of the Dutch WorldTeam.
“I’m looking forward to this Tour of Spain,” said the 28-year-old Dane. “After the Tour, I first took some rest and then started my preparations for this next main goal of my season. In recent weeks, I’ve been on an individual training camp, with support from the team on site.”
The Vuelta holds special memories for Vingegaard. “I rode my first Grand Tour here in 2020, which we won with Primoz Roglic. In 2023, we completed our trilogy here and even stood together on the final podium in Madrid. Hopefully, we can add some more great memories this year.”
“The overall win is our big goal, there’s no need to be coy about that,” added Head of Racing Grischa Niermann. “Jonas is our leader and our biggest chance for the overall victory. But with Sepp Kuss, we have a former winner at the start, and Matteo Jorgenson has recovered well after the Tour de France. Together with Wilco Kelderman, Ben Tulett, Victor Campenaerts, Dylan van Baarle, and Axel Zingle, we have a team that can support Jonas in every situation.”
That will be necessary, as the Vuelta is once again characterized by numerous summit finishes. With a team time trial also on the program, the support of a strong team is essential. “We’ll have to be ready every day, but that’s what we expect in a Grand Tour,” said Niermann. “There are quite a few interesting stages, including the team time trial and the individual time trial in stage 18. And of course, the finishes on the Angliru and Bola del Mundo are always special.”
These are all moments Vingegaard is looking forward to. “I’m here for the overall win, and with this team supporting me, that seems like a realistic goal. There are many stages where differences can be made, so it’s important to be ready from the very start. I’m ready and would prefer to start racing right away.”
Here’s the team’s post:
The team confirms its roster for the Vuelta, consisting of Jai Hindley, Giulio Pellizzari, Giovanni Aleotti, Nico Denz, Finn Fisher-Black, Matteo Sobrero, Jonas Koch and Tim van Dijke.
The eightieth edition of the Vuelta a España features a team time trial in the opening week, ten summit finishes (including the Angliru and Bola del Mundo), up to six possibilities for bunch sprints, and a potentially decisive individual time trial in the final days before the race concludes in Madrid.
The squad will be led by Jai Hindley, the 2022 Giro d’Italia winner, who resumes Grand Tour leadership at the Spanish race. The Australian’s climbing pedigree and experience in three-week racing make him well-suited to a mountainous Vuelta route packed with altitude gain. At the same time, the team heads to Spain with a balanced line-up designed not only to support Hindley in the general classification, but also to race aggressively and pursue stage victories throughout the three weeks.
Jai Hindley after winning the 2022 Giro d'Italia. Sirotti phto
Giulio Pellizzari will line up for his second Grand Tour of the season after impressing in his debut at the Giro. The 21-year-old Italian is looking forward to taking the next step in his development at the Spanish grand tour, and learning from his Australian teammate’s vast experience.
The remainder of the squad brings depth and cohesion from the Giro d’Italia earlier this year, with Aleotti, Denz, Hindley and Pellizzari all returning for another Grand Tour campaign together. They will be joined by Finn Fisher-Black, Matteo Sobrero, Jonas Koch, and Tim van Dijke, providing a mix of climbing support and stage-hunting potential.
"For sure, we have Jai Hindley as our GC leader within a very balanced team. We will be competitive, trying to be in the action, race aggressively, and support Jai, but also looking for some stage victories. That’s a main goal for us as well. Jai is our leader, but with a balanced team we can be protagonists on several stages and aim to take some wins. While it’s not easy to pinpoint an exact expectation for Jai at the moment, he is a Grand Tour winner, a solid rider, and he has already shown that he has the legs to win a three-week race." - Patxi Vila, Sports Director
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Here’s the post from Wellens’ UAE Team Emirates-XRG
Heading in as the reigning champion of the last two editions, Belgium’s Tim Wellens is ready to defend his crown for UAE Team Emirates-XRG at the upcoming Renewi Tour. Taking place from Wednesday, 20 August, to Sunday, 24 August, the five-day event is the only WorldTour stage race to be held in the Benelux region of the Netherlands and Belgium.
Tim Wellens winning stage 15 of the 2025 Tour de France. Sirotti photo
Winner of the race in both 2023 and 2024 for the Emirati squad, Wellens will return to one of his favourite races of the season with a powerful set of teammates, who look capable of competing across all five stages. Complementing Wellens’ assets will be his compatriot Florian Vermeersch, who finished as the runner-up to Wellens in the general classification two seasons ago.
Wellens has enjoyed perhaps the best summer of his career to date, winning both the Belgian national road race championships and a memorable stage at the Tour de France. Heading into the race he has won four times across ten starts, the 34-year-old is full of optimism for the week ahead.
Wellens: “The Renewi Tour is the race where I’ve won most in my career and I’m always looking forward to going back and racing there. Coming into it this year, my level is a bit lower as I was sick for a period after the Tour with flu. But I hope to find my legs towards the end of the race.
“That’s not a problem, however, because I have very strong teammates like António Morgado who I think can play a role in the GC, and of course, Florian Vermeersch, my fellow Belgian teammate, is always very motivated for these races like myself, so I think he can do a nice result.”
For UAE Team Emirates-XRG, the two overall victories in as many years have been built on consistent results through the week, with Jasper Philipsen’s success in 2020 the team’s last stage win at the Renewi Tour. The Emirati squad will certainly aim to add to that tally this time around.
Joining Wellens and Vermeersch in the Benelux region will be Igor Arrieta, Julius Johansen, Sebastián Molano, António Morgado and Rui Oliveira. With at least two of the stages this year favouring a sprint finish, both Molano and Morgado will be men to watch, with the latter once more showing his talents with a seventh-place finish at the recent ADAC Cyclassics in Hamburg.
From the team car, the seven-man squad will be led by Sports Directors Fabio Baldato and Yousif Mirza.
Covering over 900km across the Netherlands and Belgium, the 2025 Renewi Tour will begin on Dutch roads on Wednesday, 20 August. Stage 1 will begin in Terneuzen and end with a likely bunch sprint in Breskens, given the lack of any real climbs across the 182.6km course.
Equally, stage 2 should see the sprinters come to the fore once more, with the race heading into Belgium for an exciting finish in Ardooie. With that said, the general classification contenders will have to be on their toes, with the stage start on the coast in Belgium promising the possibility of high winds and echelons.
For those well-versed with the Renewi Tour, stage 3 will be a familiar sight, with the stage featuring the historic Bosberg climb and ending halfway up the Muur van Geraardsbergen. Featuring iconic climbs from the Tour of Flanders’ past, Friday will certainly be the Queen stage of the race, and will see the riders tackle the likes of the Taaienberg, the Berg ten Houte and the challenging Donderoodberg.
Across these steep, narrow climbs, the Classics specialists will do battle to prove themselves worthy of the race’s leader’s jersey. Over the past two winning editions for Wellens and UAE Team Emirates-XRG, the Belgian has twice finished runner-up on the Muur, marking his path towards the title. The 34-year-old will aim for another consistent display this time out.
Meanwhile, his teammates, Molano and Morgado, will each look to stage 4 with intrigue. Standing at over 200km in length, including the neutral section, Saturday’s stage takes place across a difficult circuit north of Liège. Although earmarked for a sprint finish, stage 4 holds just as much climbing as the previous day to Geraardsbergen, and the Slingerberg (500m at 9.4%) will almost certainly tempt opportunists into attacks.
The final ascent of Slingerberg will top out with 28.5km to ride, preceding a flat run to home in Bilzen-Hoeselt. We may well see a sprint finish, but it will likely be amongst those fast men who are equally adept on short, sharp climbs.
To close the week out, the Renewi Tour will head to Leuven, where the race will incorporate the route of the now-defunct Tour of Leuven-Memorial Jef Scherens. Beginning and ending in the city of the 2021 World Championships road race, the fifth and final stage of this year’s race will complete four laps of the very same circuit used in Julian Alaphilippe’s acquisition of the rainbow bands.
With that race remembered for its explosive battles across hilly terrain, stage 5 of the Renewi Tour promises an exciting showdown between the general classification contenders. Each climb is short but steep, and the narrow, winding roads will make it possible for attacks to last the distance.
Here’s the team’s announcement:
Lidl-Trek is pleased to announce that Belgian rider Otto Vergaerde has signed a two-year contract extension that will see him remain with the Team through 2027.
Since joining Lidl-Trek in 2022, Vergaerde has been a reliable presence in the squad, bringing his Belgian Classics expertise to the fore in support of the Team’s ambitions. Having grown up on the cobbles, he knows the Spring Classics inside out, often leading the bunch in pursuit of breakaways or piloting leaders into key sections. Over the last two seasons, Vergaerde has successfully transitioned from the cobbles to the climbs, using his positioning and descending skills to support Mattias Skjelmose in stage races and hilly classics.
Otto Vergaerde. Getty Images
For the Team and me personally, we’re motivated to be on the podium of a Grand Tour. This is something we haven’t done since I’ve been in the Team. It’s an ambitious goal but for sure doable with the riders we have.
“Since I joined the Team we’ve made a lot of great memories,” said Otto Vergaerde. “Juanpe in the pink jersey and Ciccone winning a stage at my first Giro—helping these guys throughout the Giro was really nice and felt like a step up in my career. In 2024, Mads beat Van der Poel in Gent-Wevelgem and I’m proud of my little part in this. I also enjoyed doing the races with Skjelmose last year and this year, racing for GC goals, which started really well with his fifth place and the White Jersey at the Vuelta. Fighting for something over three weeks and really achieving it was amazing. This gives me motivation for my goals next year. This year, his win in Amstel Gold Race was incredible to be a part of. Winning such a Classic like Amstel and seeing Skjelly on the highest step next to Tadej and Remco was an amazing feeling.
“One of the nicest things during my time here has been seeing the Team develop and improve its professional side. More training camps, more altitude camps—beyond the training improvements, these periods really help you bond with your teammates. When you have that deep friendship, you can achieve more for each other in the races.
“For the future, I’ll again be racing more with Skjelly in the climbing and GC races. I feel appreciated by the Team for the work I do. Especially now, I feel like Skjelly really values my role, and I think in the past he missed this a bit. For the Team and me personally, we’re motivated to be on the podium of a Grand Tour. This is something we haven’t done since I’ve been in the Team. It’s an ambitious goal but for sure doable with the riders we have.”
“Otto is the kind of rider every successful team needs,” said Luca Guercilena, Lidl-Trek General Manager. “He is hardworking, loyal, and always puts the Team’s objectives above his own. That often means long hours at the front of the peloton, even before the television coverage begins, but his contribution is invaluable. Otto is also a reliable wheel in the bunch and someone our leaders, especially Mattias, trust completely. It’s clear he has raised his level since stepping into this important role, and we are very pleased to continue with him for another two years. I’m confident that together we can target even bigger goals.”
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Woods’ Team Israel-Premier Tech posted this:
Mike Woods is many things – a world-class bike rider, a Tour de France stage winner, a valued teammate, a phenomenal runner, but above all, a husband, a father, and a friend.
And, if you followed his blog during this year’s Tour de France, you would have discovered he can write well too. Mike invited fans to live behind the scenes of the Tour, with an honest account of what it takes at the toughest cycling race in the world
Now, three weeks later, it’s time for his final blog post. And it’s a big one.
Calling time on a career isn’t a decision that is taken lightly, but for Mike, it’s time. It’s been a privilege to have Mike race in IPT colors over the past five years and we’re going to make the most of his last months as a pro rider and celebrate his career as he so fittingly deserves.
Michael Woods before the start of stage 17 of the 2025 Tour de France. Sirotti photo
Read Mike’s words below.
Epilogue
Almost every time I race a bike, there is a point where I am flying along in a line of riders at 70 km/h, and I think, “A million years ago, we were monkeys.” Even if you dropped somebody from 100 years ago into the modern peloton, they would be so confused about what is going on. This sport is crazy, and has morphed into something so far from our original purpose as animals that anyone not born in the past century would not understand it. Every time I do a race, I feel an immense sense of luck to be doing it, as it is truly a pure luxury constructed by our own creativity. Riding around France, while literally billions of people watch, is my job, and that is nuts. What puts food on my table and a roof over my head has been riding a bike 30,000–35,000 km every year across all parts of the globe — for the entertainment of others.
As lucky as I have been to do this job, it also has its downsides. I have highlighted over the Tour, in this blog, that cycling is a ludicrously dangerous sport.
I once asked staff on my team: how much would they have to be paid, to drive around in a car at 50 km/h, 70 days a year, for 4-5 hours per day, in a T-shirt and shorts, and twice per year—with no control over when or where—they would be pushed out of the car? Statistically, that is roughly how many times the average pro rider crashes per season. Not one of the staff said less than 500k, and when I asked how many years they would do it, not one said more than two. I am now 11 years deep into doing this sport as a profession, and another two as an amateur. The toll it has taken on my health has been significant, and the time I have spent away from my family has been long.
Being a father, in particular, has shown me how at odds being one of the best riders in the world is with being a good dad. Unlike most sports, pro cycling, due to its extensive calendar, is a job that requires unending commitment. For the past five years, I have avoided giving my kids kisses when I pick them up from school in an attempt to prevent getting sick before a race. That is strange. More often than not, I sleep in another room, separate from my family, in an effort to optimize my sleep. Every aspect of my life has been examined and studied to maximize my ability to ride a bike. That all-encompassing pursuit I have loved and have no regrets doing, but it is something that can only be sustained for so long.
This maximal focus has taken me to winning a bronze medal at the World Championships, second place at a monument, and a stage victory at the world’s biggest bike race. Considering I started this sport at 25 years old, on a $1,000 bike gifted to me by my parents, knowing nothing about it, is insane. I thought, “I was once one of the best runners in the world—why can’t I be one of the best cyclists in the world?” Through an incredible amount of support from many people—including my wife, my parents, my coach and mentor of 12 years, Paulo Saldanha, my team, my boss and biggest supporter, Sylvan Adams, my main man and soigneur Jon Adams, my many great teammates—particularly the guy who suffered most with me over the past five years, Guillaume Boivin — and incredible staff, the Ottawa cycling community, people like Luc Mahler who convinced me to start racing, the numerous great directors, like Juanma Garate, who taught me how to be a true pro, and organizations, sponsors, and teams like B2Ten, Vince Caceres and The Cyclery, Louis Garneau, Bruno Langlois, Jonas Carney, and Jonathan Vaughters, who thought outside the box and took a chance on signing me—I was able to realize that goal. I managed to become one of the best cyclists in the world, and it is a journey I am damn proud of.
As they say, though, all good things must come to an end. I still have big ambitions and plans for the coming years that will involve exploring new arenas in endurance sports (I’ve got some epic plans, so stay tuned for these). But, for the reasons mentioned above, I have made the decision to retire from professional road cycling at the end of this season.
There was a time in my life when I would lie in bed at night, staring up at the ceiling, thinking, “What have I done? Where did I go wrong?” To go from that place to where I am today, I feel eternally grateful. So, to all the people who have helped me along the way—whether it was a simple encouraging message, cheering me on from the side of the road, or individuals like Nick Vipond and Kevin Field, who didn’t burst into laughter when I told them I wanted to make the Olympics in 2016, or Paulo and Sylvan, the two people who changed the trajectory of my entire life—I want to say thank you. Thank you for it all.
Here’s the team’s announcement:
Eddie Dunbar has signed a two-year contract with Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team for the 2026 and 2027 seasons. The Irishman from Banteer, County Cork, boasts top-ten Grand Tour finishes (7th in the 2023 Giro d’Italia, 11th in the 2024 Vuelta with two stage wins), strong time-trialling and an attacking style across one-day and short stage races. Reuniting with Kurt Bogaerts and riding alongside Tom Pidcock, he’s ready to contribute immediately in 2026.
Eddie Dunbar at the 2024 Vuelta a España. Sirotti photo
Eddie Dunbar:
“The Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team is obviously a team on the up which is a good sign. They are really competitive in races, take it on even if they don’t win and create a good racing atmosphere riding as one.
“When Kurt Bogaerts – who I know well from my time at Ineos – joined, my interest was sparked even more. I know how he works. I also spoke to Doug Ryder on how the team is going and what they expect. In Tom they have a clear leader which is always good for any team so it seems like a good moment now to join with my knowledge and experience.”
“Grand Tours suit me well because I always get better towards the end. I absorb the workload of a three-week race well. There have been glimpses of what I can do but due to crashes and illness I haven’t reached my full potential there yet. That’s something for the next two years. The team has already done some big races, and I hope I will play my part in the future ones. Winning a race is never easy but when there is an opportunity, I am ready to take my chance”
“Eddie is a very interesting rider I know well. He can climb, time trial and is punchy by nature. He has already shown great things in smaller stage races but also won two stages in the Vuelta and has ridden in support of team leaders often too. He is versatile and quite adapt to hard races. I am happy he will be with us,” Bogaerts stated.
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