Bicycle Racing News and Opinion,
Friday, August 22, 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
We are all here on earth to help others; what on earth the others are here for I don't know. - W. H. Auden
Bill & Carol McGann’s book The Story of the 2023 Tour de France, 2023: The Viking Again Conquers the Tour is available in both 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
- August 20 - 24: Renewi Tour
Upcoming racing:
- 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
We posted the report from stage winner Olav Kooij's Team Visma | Lease a Bike with the results.
Here's the report from Tim Merlier's Team Soudal Quick-Step:
Ardooie is one of the traditional finishes at the Renewi Tour, a town where the race has finished on numerous occasions, bringing the sprinters to the fore. It wasn’t any different this Thursday, when the peloton concluded there after a stage which should have been quiet, on paper, but turned out to be very stressful because of the wind.
As soon as the peloton caught the breakaway with 100 kilometers to go, numerous riders tried to split the bunch in the echelons, some of them even opening a gap. Soudal Quick-Step remained attentive the whole time, shutting down these attacks and keeping things together, even after the Green Kilometer, where the general classification riders fought for bonus seconds.
Olav Kooij wins Renewi Tour stage two.
The stage continued to be a fast one, and this ended up taking its toll on some riders in the sprint, where the lead-out trains had a hard time organising themselves. Olav Kooij (Visma-Lease a Bike) took the victory, while GC leader Tim Merlier finished sixth – a result which will see him start the stage to Geraardsbergen with the leader’s jersey on his shoulders.
Content continues below the ads
We posted the report from stage winner Paul Lapeira's Team Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale with the results.
Here's the report from Rémy Rochas' Team Groupama-FDJ:
After two difficult first days, the Groupama-FDJ cycling team tried to regain momentum on Thursday in the Tour du Limousin – Périgord – Nouvelle Aquitaine. This resulted in Rémy Rochas being part of the day’s breakaway, although the French rider was unable to make it to the end. Tom Donnenwirth was forced to withdraw from the race on the eve of the closing stage in Limoges.
Paul Lapeira wins stage three.
Down to four riders and out of the GC battle since Wednesday, the Groupama-FDJ team needed to be opportunistic to get something out of stage 3 of the Tour du Limousin – Périgord – Nouvelle Aquitaine. After 182 grueling kilometres, a 1100-metre climb averaging 8% was set to decide the winner. “We wanted to keep Tom for the finish, because we felt he could take the win in that scenario,” explained Benoît Vaugrenard. “However, we knew that Arkéa-B&B Hotels could let the breakaway fight for the bonus seconds. So it was interesting to enter a strong group, especially with Rémy. The final climb suited him too, but there were still riders faster than him in the peloton. If we wanted to give ourselves a chance of winning, we thought it would be a good idea to put Rémy in the breakaway and keep Tom for the final.”
After some twenty kilometres, the first objective was met, as the French climber managed to slip into a nine-man breakaway, whose gap quickly stabilized at around 3’30.
However, the second part of the initial plan vanished around the halfway point when Tom Donnenwirth was forced to abandon. “He didn’t have good feelings, he felt empty,” Benoît said. “It’s very disappointing because the Tour du Limousin really suits him. He had the characteristics to shine in a race like this.” At the front, Rémy Rochas entered the final fifty kilometres with a two-minute lead over the pack, but the latter then came back really close.
“It got complicated because some teams had interests and came to chase, which ruined the breakaway’s chances,” Benoît added. “That said, they didn’t work very well together at the front. I think there would have been a great opportunity if they had cooperated better.” With thirty kilometres to go, Rémy Rochas momentarily broke away with Quentin Bezza at the front of the race, before being caught by the bunch around fifteen kilometres from the finish line. The last fugitives were caught at the flamme rouge, and the uphill finish saw Paul Lapeira claim victory. On Friday, Groupama-FDJ will head to Limoges with three riders. “The finish could suit Lewis [Bower], but we’ll need to see how he feels,” concluded Benoît. “The breakaway could also go far if there is a good composition. We’ll try again, that’s all we can do.”
Content continues below the ads
Here’s the team’s update:
The INEOS Grenadiers are pleased to confirm their eight-man line-up for the 80th edition of La Vuelta a España, with Egan Bernal leading the team in the final Grand Tour of 2025.
Egan Bernal at the 2025 Giro d'Italia teams presentation ceremony. Sirotti photo
For the first time the Vuelta will start in Italy, with Turin hosting the opening stage before the race winds through three demanding weeks and concludes with the traditional finale in Madrid.
A versatile and powerful team has been selected alongside Bernal, including former world road race champion Michal Kwiatkowski and world time trial champion Filippo Ganna.
Bob Jungels, fresh from a stage win at the Tour of Austria, and Magnus Sheffield, a Paris-Nice stage winner, add substantial firepower to the line-up. Victor Langellotti, a recent stage winner at the Tour of Poland, makes his Grand Tour debut as a Grenadier.
With nearly 54,000 metres of elevation gain across the race, Brandon Rivera and Lucas Hamilton - who both raced this year’s Giro d’Italia alongside Bernal - are set to play key roles in supporting him across the three weeks.
Egan Bernal said: “I’m relishing the challenge of leading the INEOS Grenadiers at this year’s Vuelta. It’s a race that always delivers aggressive, unpredictable racing - which is what I enjoy. My preparation has been good, and with the team we’re bringing - a mix of Grand Tour winners, strong support and guys hungry to show themselves - we can be confident. Starting in Italy also gives me extra motivation after so many special moments racing there.”
Performance Director Dr. Scott Drawer added: “La Vuelta always produces unpredictable, aggressive racing and this squad gives us a variety of options. Egan comes into the race as our leader, supported by a group that mixes climbing strength, time trial power and experience. It’s a team that can fight for opportunities and race in a style that’s been consistent with our approach at both the Giro and the Tour de France. We can’t wait to get racing.”
INEOS Grenadiers - Vuelta a España 2025:
- Egan Bernal (Colombia)
- Filippo Ganna (Italy)
- Lucas Hamilton (Australia)
- Bob Jungels (Luxembourg)
- Michal Kwiatkowski (Poland)
- Victor Langellotti (Monaco)
- Brandon Rivera (Colombia)
- Magnus Sheffield (USA)
Content continues below the ads
Here’s the team’s announcement:
Lidl-Trek is pleased to announce that Simone Consonni has signed a two-year contract extension, keeping him with the Team through 2027.
Consonni joined Lidl-Trek in 2024 alongside Jonathan Milan, with whom he shared Olympic and World Championship titles in the Team Pursuit with the Italian national squad. He arrived with a clear mission: to help pilot Milan to sprint success. The partnership has exceeded expectations. Alongside Edward Theuns—who also recently extended his contract—Consonni has been a vital part of nearly every one of Milan’s triumphs. From three stage victories and the Ciclamino Jersey at the Giro d’Italia to the Green Jersey and two stages at the Tour de France, Lidl-Trek has built a winning sprint train with Consonni, Theuns, and Milan.
Simone Consonni wins stage five of the 2023 Soudi Tour.
“I am really happy to have extended my contract with Lidl-Trek until 2027. It’s a place that has quickly come to feel like home, and that means so much to me,” said Simone Consonni. “I could not imagine myself anywhere else right now. The professionalism here is incredible, and the staff deserve a lot of praise. I want to thank them from the bottom of my heart for everything they continue to do for us.
“The belief and confidence the Team and management have shown in me gives me a lot of motivation, and I’m really excited about what we can keep achieving together. We’ve found a great rhythm in the sprint train, and overall, Lidl-Trek is a special group to be part of. We’ve gelled so quickly—we have fun together, but we also work and race hard together. That’s a winning combination for me.”
“Simone has been the perfect addition to our sprint group,” said Luca Guercilena, Lidl-Trek General Manager. “His qualities and character match seamlessly with Jonny, and together with Eddie they have built one of the strongest lead-out trains in the peloton. Simone celebrates each Lidl-Trek victory as if it were him crossing the line first—that’s the mark of a true teammate. With Simone committed for two more years, I’m confident we will continue building on this success.”
Back to news and opinion index page for links to archived stories | Commentary