Bicycle Racing News and Opinion,
Saturday, December 13, 2025
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2024 Tour de France | 2024 Giro d'Italia
People who think they know everything are a great annoyance to those of us who do. - Isaac Asimov
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.
Upcoming racing:
- December 14: World Cup Namur
- December 23: Superprestige Heusden-Zolder
- December 26: World Cup Gavere
- December 29: Trofee Loenhout-Azencross
- December 30: Superprestige Diegem
- January 1: GP Sven Nys
Latest completed racing:
- November 16: Trofee Hamme-Flandriencross
- November 1: Trofee Oudenaarde-Koppenbergcross
- October 26: Superprestige Overijse-Vlaamse Druivencross
- October 14 - 19: Tour of Guangxi
- October 14 - 19: Tour of Holland
- October 19: Veneto Classic
- October 19: Japan Cup
- October 19: Chrono des Nations
- October 15: Giro del Veneto
- October 12: Paris-Tours
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Here’s the team’s news:
British breakthrough rider Matthew Brennan has signed a new contract with Team Visma | Lease a Bike for the third time in just over two years. The 20-year-old rider, who won twelve professional races in his first WorldTour season, will remain with the Dutch WorldTeam until at least the end of 2029.
Brennan joined Team Visma | Lease a Bike’s WorldTeam at the beginning of 2025, after needing only one year with the Dutch team’s development squad to convince the cycling world of his abilities. The British top talent, who has a background in track cycling, immediately won his first two races of the season and a stage in the Giro NextGen. He also stepped onto the podium at the Circuit de Wallonie, a 1.1-level race.
Matthew Brennan winning stage three of the 2025 Tour of Britain. Sirotti photo
This season, Brennan continued to surprise both himself and the team in a positive way. His racing calendar was adjusted several times after he repeatedly showed he was capable of competing at a higher level. He started winning at the Tour des 100 Communes and the GP de la Ville de Lillers, races in which he still lined up alongside the Development Team. He then claimed victories at .Pro level in the GP de Denain and at WorldTour level in the Volta a Catalunya. His win tally ultimately stopped at fourteen victories in 2025, twelve of which were at professional level.
“Matthew has really surprised us in a positive way this season,” said Head of Racing Grischa Niermann. “Of course, we already knew him well, because he came through our own ranks. As a team, we constantly adapted to his level and offered him races and challenges tailored to him. He has made big steps in his development this season, but still has a lot to learn. We see working with him as a long-term project, and that is why we are so happy that he feels the same way. In the coming years, we want to help him take the step to the highest level in cycling. He may continue to surprise us.”
Brennan himself agrees with Niermann’s words and cannot imagine a better place to further build his cycling career. “The environment in this team is so unique: it is partly thanks to the team that I have already been able to develop myself so much. Everyone can help me become a better rider, both the staff and the other riders. And on top of that, I feel the trust I need here. I am happy here and very grateful for the opportunity to take the next steps in my career over such a long period and without pressure.”
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Here is a machine-translation of the team’s post:
The team, sponsored by Telefónica, presented a total of 56 cyclists at the Palau de Les Arts in the City of Arts and Sciences in Valencia. These cyclists comprise the team's structure, divided between the Men's Team, the Women's Team, and the Development Team.
Movistar Team unveiled its 2026 sporting project this Thursday in the Aula Magistral of the Palau de Les Arts in the City of Arts and Sciences in Valencia. The presentation was also broadcast live on the team's official YouTube channel to connect with fans and brought together sponsors, media representatives, prominent figures in the cycling world, and institutional representatives.
Three Teams, One Purpose
The 2026 Movistar jersey
The cycling team with the longest history in the international peloton, sponsored by Telefónica, will enter its 47th season in the world elite in 2026. During the event, the rosters for the Men's Team, Women's Team, and Development Team were officially presented, reaffirming the project's commitment to training, equality, and high performance.
This year, the men's WorldTour team adds Cian Uijtdebroeks (Belgium), Raúl García Pierna, Roger Adrià, Juanpe López (Spain), and Pavel Novák (Czech Republic). On the women's side, the main new addition is the Italian Francesca Barale.
World time trial champion Marlen Reusser will debut the rainbow jerseys in time trials, while Iván Romeo and Sara Martín will wear their Spanish champion jerseys.
In addition, the new Movistar Team Academy training project was officially launched, a platform through which the team reinforces its commitment to identifying and developing young talent across all cycling categories.
A new jersey for a new era
The event also served to unveil the new jersey designed by GOBIK. For the new Movistar Team kit, GOBIK sought a futuristic aesthetic, an evolution that projects innovation and performance on a white base. Technological textures, iridescent graphics, and transparencies combined to create a striking design that reflects the team's identity and avant-garde spirit.
A design based on the Nexflow jersey, developed exclusively for the team. Its aerodynamic and ultra-minimalist structure, along with the special fabric in the sleeves that optimizes airflow and the seamless bonded finishes, offers speed and a perfect fit. A jersey designed for competitions where every second and aerodynamics are crucial.
'The Least Expected Day' Returns in 2026
The Least Expected Day, an original TBS series, is back and will be available in Spain on Movistar Plus+ starting in January.
Movistar Team confirmed the highly anticipated return of The Least Expected Day, the documentary series that has allowed audiences to experience the challenges and emotions of professional cycling from the inside. The fifth season will premiere in 2026 and will once again showcase the team's most human and competitive side.
New Strategic Agreement with CUPRA
During the gala, a new collaboration agreement with CUPRA was also announced, making CUPRA the team's official vehicle supplier. This alliance reinforces Movistar Team's commitment to innovation, sustainability, and advanced mobility.
Support for Grassroots Cycling After the DANA Storm
The event was attended by representatives from several cycling schools affected by the recent DANA storm, which Movistar Team visited last year. The cycling team wanted to pay tribute to them, reiterating its support for grassroots sports and the recovery of the damaged facilities.
Institutional Statements
Borja Ochoa, President of Telefónica Spain, stated: “Movistar Team is one of Telefónica's greatest symbols. It's not only our longest-standing sponsorship, but also an alliance that represents who we are: collective work, innovation, and the ability to reach every home. Each cyclist wears the Movistar 'M' on their jersey, a history and set of values that define us, and we trust that they will defend it with professionalism, commitment, and team spirit.”
For his part, Eusebio Unzué, General Manager of Abarca Sports, affirmed: “We are facing an exciting new season alongside Telefónica, confirming their commitment to this project that we have shared for so many years. We are entering a renewed and ambitious phase, marked by the arrival of important signings that will strengthen our competitiveness in all areas and give a new boost to the team's sporting structure.”
The combination of a strengthened team, a renewed identity, and a firm commitment to developing young talent marks the beginning of a new era for Movistar Team. A project that looks to the future with ambition and responsibility.
MOVISTAR TEAM 2026
Roger ADRIÀ (New), Jorge ARCAS, Orluis AULAR, Jon BARRENETXEA, Carlos CANAL, Pablo CASTRILLO, Jefferson CEPEDA, Iván G. CORTINA, Davide FORMOLO, Raúl G. PIERNA (New), Michel HESSMANN, Juanpe LÓPEZ (New), Enric MAS, Lorenzo MILESI, Manlio MORO, Pavel NOVÁK (New), Nelson OLIVEIRA, Diego PESCADOR, Nairo QUINTANA, Iván ROMEO, Javier ROMO, Einer RUBIO, Pelayo SÁNCHEZ, Gonzalo SERRANO, Natnael TESFAZION, Albert TORRES, Cian UIJTDEBROEKS (New)
MOVISTAR TEAM WOMEN 2026
Francesca BARALE (New), Olivia BARIL, Aude BIANNIC, Cat FERGUSON, Sheyla GUTIÉRREZ, Liane LIPPERT, Carys LLOYD, Floortje MACKAIJ, Tota MAGALHAES, Sara MARTÍN, Mareille MEIJER, Paula OSTIZ, Marlen REUSSER, Laura RUIZ, Lucía RUIZ, Arlenis SIERRA, Claire STEELS.
MOVISTAR TEAM ACADEMY 2026 (New)
Markel ARANAZ, Sebastián CASTRO, Javier CUBILLAS, Daniele FORLIN, Jhonatan GUATIBONZA, Eric IGUAL, Lucas JACKSON, Filip NOVÁK, Roger PARETA, Tomás PIOMBO, Mattia PROIETTI, Ibai VILLATE.
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Here’s the team’s post:
Georgia Baker’s childhood in Launceston, Tasmania was an idyllic one.
When she wasn’t at school or playing one of the many sports she competed in growing up, she helped out on her family’s farm. Now spending much of her year in Europe while racing in as a pro, she reflects on that time with fondness.
“I really loved growing up in Tasmania and I was lucky to grow up here. When I was younger, I grew up on a farm and I lived there with my family,” Baker says from Tasmania, having returned home for the off-season. “Looking back, my childhood was so much fun. I was always outside, helping my dad on the farm and always doing something on the weekend.”
Georgia Baker wins the 2022 Santos Festival of Cycling Criterium. Getty Sport photo
Baker’s father wasn’t a farmer by trade – in fact he helped to run the family construction business as his full-time job. The farm was more of a passion project that much of the family happily got involved with.
“We had about 110 acres. On the farm, we had crops and we had sheep and cattle as well. My dad was a builder by trade. We had a company called the Baker Group so my dad would work full-time for the company and then on weekends he would farm,” she explains. “Farming was kind of a hobby. Our family helped, and a lot of our weekends were spent wandering around the farm and helping dad.
“My favourite thing was to drive the utes. When I was young, my dad would put his ute in neutral, and I could just see over the steering wheel, I would just have to steer the ute while dad fed the sheep off the back of the ute. I really loved doing anything with my dad and my family. I also loved it when we had shearing days. The shearers would come to the property, and I would help with the wool and marking the sheep.”
Leaving the farm
Life at the farm couldn’t last, though, as Baker and her sister got more involved in sports. In the end, it became too difficult for her parents to juggle full-time jobs and a farm while bringing their two daughters to the various sports they were involved in.
“The farm wasn’t too far away from town, but it was getting a bit hard for my parents to manage everything with our sports as well as the farm and normal work. I was really active as a kid and my parents encouraged it for us to try different sports and different things,” Baker says.
Before she discovered cycling, Baker was involved in a plethora of sports, from netball to swimming. Perhaps the most surprising one is taekwondo, where she achieved the rank of black belt.
“Nobody ever believes me, I always have to get my blackbelt out just to prove it. They’re always like ‘can you remember anything, can you remember any of your moves?’ but to be honest I don’t think I can. I was very young,” she says.
“I remember I was introduced at a race and they said: ‘Georgia Baker, also a black belt in taekwondo’. That was a lot of years ago, but I’ll take it.”
Like her teammate Amber Pate, Baker ultimately found a love of cycling through triathlon. By her own admission, the cycling leg wasn’t her strongest – not helped by the fact that she was doing it on her mountain bike – but it was definitely her favourite.
A chance to explore it further came when the Tasmanian Institute of Sport selected her as part of a talent identification programme. She was initially picked for rowing and basketball, but Baker was determined to do more cycling.
“I didn’t get selected for cycling because they didn’t want to intrude on any sports that you were already participating in,” she explains. “I asked if I could do the ‘cycling come and try day’ and they said that was fine. I wasn’t interested in basketball because I played netball and my parents were super against rowing because of the early mornings. So, I went up to the velodrome, the Silverdome, in Launceston and I really loved it. That’s how it all started.”
The moment it changed
As Baker got more into cycling, so did her family and her father bought his own bike so he could go riding with her.
“He hated me going out on the roads by myself in Tasmania so he got a bike to come with me. Then, my dad started racing, and my uncle got involved and my cousin and it ended up being a sport that a lot of my family started doing, which was really cool,” says Baker.
While Baker loved cycling, being a professional was not immediately on her radar. She just loved the sport and wanted to see how much she was capable on. Baker impressed early on, and it didn’t take long before she began to realise just how much the sport meant to her.
“I loved the Olympics, and I was obsessed with that when I was a kid, but at the time, I didn’t think I could go to the Olympics,” she says. “I remember the moment when I thought I wanted to do it as a job, it was my first national championships.
“I got selected for our state team and raced at track nationals. I got third in the scratch race and I was overwhelmed. I thought it was the best thing and I even cried because I got third and I was so happy. From that moment, I really wanted to make something out of it, and this was a sport I wanted to do.”
At the time, Baker was still competing regularly in netball, but she soon realised that if she wanted to make the most of her cycling talent then she’d have to go all in on it.
The decision to focus on cycling paid off for Baker and she eventually made her Olympic Games debut in 2016, before returning to take part in her second in 2021 in Tokyo and third at Paris 2024. Since 2022, she’s been racing with the Liv AlUla Jayco squad on the road, and she scored her first WorldTour stage win with the team this season at the Tour of Guangxi.
Spending time with the family
The road off-season means a well-earned trip home to Tasmania to spend time with her family. With a job that has her travelling the globe for much of the year, there aren’t too many opportunities to go back to Australia.
When Baker is at home with her family, it gives her the chance to do things she doesn’t get the chance to do when she’s in the thick of a season, such as baking.
“I really enjoy the process of baking, it’s really good for my mind and switching off a little bit,” Baker says. “When I’m at home, I like to cook and bake a lot more and then give them away to my family or people who come over. My favourite thing, which I do a lot with my sister around Christmas time, is to bake biscuits. We make kiss biscuits, which is a recipe that has been in my family for years and years.
“It was my great grandmother’s recipe. They’re two shortbread biscuits stuck together with raspberry jam and then icing and sprinkles on top. My great grandma used to make them for us at Christmas time so we would get a tin of them.”
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