Bicycle Racing News and Opinion,
Thursday, February 6, 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
In the 20th century, the United States endured two world wars and other traumatic and expensive military conflicts; the Depression; a dozen or so recessions and financial panics; oil shocks; a flu epidemic; and the resignation of a disgraced president. Yet the Dow rose from 66 to 11,497. - Warren Buffett
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:
- February 5 - 9 Etoile de Bessèges/Tour du Gard
- February 5 - 9: Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana
Upcoming racing:
- February 7: Muscat Classic
- February 8 - 12: Tour of Oman
- February 14 - 16: Tour de la Provence
- February 15: Vuelta Ciclista a la Region de Murcia
- February 16: Clásica de Almeria
Latest completed racing:
- February 1 & 2: Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race
- February 2: GP La Marseillaise
- January 29 - February 2: Challenge Vuelta a Mallorca
- January 28 - February 1: AlUla Tour
- January 30: Surf Coast Classic
- January 17 - 26: Tour Down Under
- January 26: Classica Comunitat a Valenciana 1969
- January 25: Ruta de la Cerámica - Gran Premio Castellón
We posted the report from winner Paul Magnier's Team Soudal Quick-Step with the results.
Here's the report from second-place Jordi Meeus' Team Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe:
This is what a successful start to the season looks like: Jordi Meeus finished second in his first race of the year for Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe on the first stage of the Etoile de Bessèges. However, the almost exclusively flat 159-kilometre section around Bellegarde ended on a final climb of around 800 meters. There, Meeus was only caught by Paul Magnier (Soudal Quick-Step) in the final meters. On behalf of the Frenchman, Meeus will take the points jersey on stage 2.
Jordi Meeus (on left, head down) came close...
Like the Belgian, his compatriot Maxim Van Gils also presented himself with good legs. He ultimately finished fourth on the final hill. Jan Tratnik also made it into the Top 10, crossing the finish line in eighth place, two seconds behind Meeus. Both rounded off the strong team result on their first day of racing for Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe at the start in the south of France.
Here's the Etoile de Bessèges stage one report from 11th-place Kevin Geniets' Team Groupama-FDJ:
As in recent years, an uphill sprint in Bellegarde hosted the finish of the Étoile de Bessèges’ first stage this Wednesday. In the punchy final, Kevin Geniets and Paul Penhoët tried to sneak into the first row, but both finished just outside the top 10, in eleventh and fourteenth positions respectively, two seconds behind the winner Paul Magnier. A more traditional sprint is expected tomorrow in Marguerittes.
The Groupama-FDJ team being presented before the stage start. Sirotti photo
Three different loops around Bellegarde therefore made up the opening stage of the 2025 Étoile de Bessèges on Wednesday. On the menu, nearly 160 kilometres and an explosive finish (600m at 9%) in Bellegarde. The morning breakaway, which formed quite early with Victor Vercouillie, Axandre Van Petegem, Célestin Guillon and Axel Mariault, didn’t get a strong chance of succeeding today, especially with ten WorldTeams at the start and the weather conditions for this first act.
“It was a very nervous day in the peloton,” confirmed William Green. “All the riders knew that there was going to be a risk of crosswinds today. We had three critical points for the day, and one was fifty kilometres to go. We knew that it would be very exposed, and the bunch did indeed slip apart. As a result, we had six riders in front, we were very safe and comfortable. Other teams not so much. We were really confident.”
This acceleration meant the peloton caught the day’s breakaway more than thirty kilometres from the finish. The pack eventually reformed before heading back towards Bellegarde, and the approach was once again very stressful. “In the final, we had good placement at the beginning, in the crosswind section, thanks to Rémi,” William said. “However, by the looks of it, we lost the position with four kilometres to go. We tried to come back before the corner at 1,6km, but the team lost each other a bit. This meant Paul started the final climb around twentieth position and had to make an effort to move up before the steep section.”
Slightly boxed-in before the last few hundred metres, the French sprinter was eventually unable to join the fight for victory, finishing in 14th place while his teammate Kevin Geniets took 11th. “They finished just outside the top 10,” William said. “It’s not bad, it’s not good. Kevin just lost two seconds on GC on Van Gils. It was an ok day for the team. Normally, this will be a sprint tomorrow, and we will discuss with the guys to make some improvements.”
On Thursday, ten kilometers before the finish in Marguerrites, the peloton will only have to get over the very rolling climb of the Côte Cabrières (4.7 km at 3.2%).
Content continues below the ads
Here's the report from 12th-place Kévin Vauquelin's Team Arkea-B&B Hotels:
A nervous first stage to launch the Etoile de Bessèges
The peloton had to deal with the wind on the first stage of the Etoile de Bessèges. The Arkea-B&B Hotels team were well supported by Kévin Vauquelin, 12th today in Bellegarde, and are looking ahead to the next few days in the Gard.
The peloton climbs the Cote de la Tour. Sirotti photo
Kévin Vauquelin:
It was a very nervous 1st leg, but we saw a really solid Arkea-B&B Hotels team, which knew how to be in the right places at the right times. I'd like to thank everyone for the great job they did for me.
Yvon Ledanois, Sports Director:
We had confirmation that it was going to be a nervous day. We knew before the start that this is the kind of stage where you can unfortunately lose everything as well as gain a lot. The aim was to stay close to Kévin. We're here to get a good result in the final overall classification. The Arkea-B&B Hotels team worked hard for him today. The result? 12th at the finish, beaten by the strongest, there's nothing to be said for it. We're already looking ahead to tomorrow and the rest of the Etoile de Bessèges.
Content continues below the ads
We posted the report from stage winner Team Lidl-Trek with the results.
Here's the report from second-place Team Jayco AlUla:
Team Jayco AlUla got the Volta Comunitat a la Valenciana off to a flying start with solid second place in the opening team time trial.
With ambitions in the general classification, the fast, rolling 34.5km race against the clock was an important day for the squad. The stage also marked the first outing in team colours for new signing Ben O’Connor.
Going out early, the Australian squad laid down a strong benchmark and set the provisional fastest times at the intermediate check and the finish line.
After a long wait, only one team could better their time of 40:06, putting team leader O’Connor into a strong position heading into another crucial day on stage two.
In purple and moving fast, the four Jayco AlUla finishers who remained together
Jelte Krijnsen:
“The team time trial was quite a tough one and we lost three guys earlier than planned, which made it quite challenging but, in the end, we still managed to get second, so I think it’s not a bad starting point. Personally, I’m feeling quite strong, and in the end, it was a good day for me to start with.”
David McPartland (Sport Director):
“The race started off on the right foot for us today. The four that went to the line rallied together and really finished off a solid job. We are now sitting in a pretty good position with Ben. We’re 46 seconds back on Trek, but more importantly we already have five seconds on UAE Team Emirates and Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe, so I’m quite satisfied with that ride today.”
Here's the Valenciana report from third-place UAE Team Emirates-XRG:
UAE Team Emirates-XRG began the 2025 Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana with a strong third-place result in the opening team time trial (TTT) on stage 1.
Raced over 34.3km, the stage 1 team time trial was the longest TTT seen at this level of racing in almost seven years, challenging the riders with a flat parcours that would also be dictated by the wind conditions. Ostensibly beginning and ending in Orihuela, the route would take the riders south from the start town to a finish by the coast in Dehesa de Campoamor.
The UAZE Team Emirates-XRG squad on their ride.
Coming across the line in a time of 40:10, UAE Team Emirates-XRG averaged 51.24kph over the 34.3km course, with all four of its climbers – Pavel Sivakov, Felix Großschartner, João Almeida and defending champion Brandon McNulty – well placed ahead of stage 2.
Joined by Ivo Oliveira, Julius Johansen and Filippo Baroncini on the start line, UAE Team Emirates-XRG knew that the time to beat had been set earlier in the afternoon by the eventual stage winners, Lidl-Trek. Unable to match the American team’s benchmark of 39:20, Jayco AlUla placed second and UAE Team Emirates-XRG kept Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe off the day’s podium.
However, all three teams and their respective GC favourites ended the day split by less than five seconds, with everything to play for in the battle for the overall win.
Tomorrow, the peloton will be met by a 166km-long test from La Nucía to Benifato, with three categorised climbs and a summit finish on the menu in the first of three stages in the mountains. It will be over these three days that the winner of this year’s edition will emerge, with stage 5 likely to finish in a bunch sprint on Sunday.
With his riders placing highly on stage 1, sports director Marco Marzano is full of optimism when looking back at the opening day and eyeing up the challenges to come on Thursday.
“In the end, we are happy because the team is already together as a unit and has produced a good performance on the road,” he reflected. “Tonight, we will analyse the team’s performance and make sure that we are ready to take on the first real challenge of the race tomorrow. Stage 2 looks to be an interesting test and it can be an opportunity to set the tone for the week.
“But for now, we are pleased that our guys had a good feeling in the legs and tomorrow will be a new day to chase a top result.
And here's the Valenciana report from fifth-place Team INEOS Grenadiers:
The INEOS Grenadiers kicked off their first European stage races of 2025 with competitive outings at both Volta a la Valenciana and Etoile de Besseges.
In Spain, the action commenced in Valencia with a lengthy 34.3-kilometre team time trial. The team came home fifth in Orihuela amid a tight battle for the podium places - with positions second through fifth separated by just six seconds.
Lidl-Trek produced an impressive early benchmark which proved good enough for victory by 46 seconds. The Grenadiers came home 51 seconds back, with the race set to hit the mountains on Thursday with a first-category summit finish.
The Ineos Grenadiers on their way to fifth place.
On the opening TTT, Tobias Foss told Eurosport: "We executed well – I think we did a good job. We went fast, but clearly not fast enough. There’s probably only me and Bob (Jungels) that are over 70 kilos in this team – so we were missing some proper flat guys. I’m proud of what we did and it was a really strong effort by everyone. I think we should be happy.
"It was a headwind all the way so it was about trying to find a solid, hard pace, keeping it steady and then going a bit harder when it went uphill. The last 10km went really fast so I was quite empty at that point. But [the stage was] quite easy to pace actually.
"It’s nice to finally start [the season]. It’s been a short but long winter. It’s been going well. I’ve been taking steps and getting stronger and more healthy with each month. I’m very happy and looking forward to a nice season."
Over in France, Axel Laurance sprinted to ninth place on the tough uphill conclusion to stage one.
The Frenchman was piloted well by Filippo Ganna in the closing stages, but was forced to battle back from being edged off the road with 1.5km to go.
The day saw a constant threat of crosswinds, but with no major splits the action came back together for the uphill kick, won by Paul Magnier (Soudal Quick-Step).
Content continues below the ads
Here’s the team’s schedule:
UAE Tour Women: FEB 06 - FEB 09
Albert Timmer - Team Picnic PostNL coach:
"We are looking forward to racing in the United Arab Emirates with our Women’s program, it’s a race we have fond memories of success at. We have multiple ambitions in this race: in the three flat stages, we aim to strengthen our sprint train and ultimately sprint with Charlotte as our finisher. The riders in the sprint train have been working together for a long time, so the focus will be on fine-tuning the lead-out. Additionally, Nienke will get her chance to shine on the climb to Jebel Hafeet and hopefully aim for a good position in the general classification. Teamwork will be the key to making this week a success."
Line-up:
Rachele Barbieri (ITA)
Pfeiffer Georgi (GBR)
Megan Jastrab (USA)
Franziska Koch (DEU)
Charlotte Kool (NLD)
Nienke Vinke (NLD)
Muscat Classic: FEB 07
Phil West - Team Picnic PostNL coach:
"Returning to Oman is always special, and we’re excited to start with the Muscat Classic. The race offers multiple opportunities, and in an ideal scenario, we aim to create a sprint with Pavel as our finisher. At the same time, we have strong options if the race becomes more selective, with Kevin and Warren ready to cover the climbing moves. With a well-balanced team, we’re prepared for different race scenarios."
Warren Barguil at the start of the 2024 Tour of Lombardy. Sirotti photo
Line-up:
Warren Barguil (FRA)
Pavel Bittner (CZE)
Sean Flynn (GBR)
Robbe Dhondt (BEL)
Tim Naberman (NLD)
Timo Roosen (NLD)
Kevin Vermaerke (USA)
Tour of Oman: FEB 08 - FEB 12
Phil West - Team Picnic PostNL coach:
"The Tour of Oman features two sprint stages for Pavel and two key climbing stages where we want to be at our best, with Kevin and Warren targeting the GC. Warren showed strong form here last year with sixth place overall, and we’re eager to build on that. It’s a race that can be unpredictable, with little control in the peloton, so teamwork will be essential. Staying sharp and racing smart will be key, and we’re looking forward to taking on the challenge together."
Line-up:
Warren Barguil (FRA)
Pavel Bittner (CZE)
Sean Flynn (GBR)
Robbe Dhondt (BEL)
Tim Naberman (NLD)
Timo Roosen (NLD)
Kevin Vermaerke (USA)
Back to news and opinion index page for links to archived stories | Commentary