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Bicycle Racing News and Opinion,
Tuesday, February 18, 2025

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2024 Tour de France | 2024 Giro d'Italia

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Bill and Carol McGann's book The Story of the Tour de France, Vol 2: 1976 - 2018 is available in print, Kindle eBook & Audiobook versions. To get your copy, just click on the Amazon link on the right.

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UAE Tour stage one reports

We posted the race organizer's report with the results.

Here's the report from stage winner Jonathan Milan's Team Lidl-Trek:

Jonathan Milan and his sprint train got their lead-out on the right track at Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana and today, they proved that it's a force to be reckoned with.

It wasn’t a straight forward opening day UAE Tour with a lumpy circuit towards the end of the day and a completely uphill final kilometer but the Lidl-Trek squad were motivated right from the start. The Team helped control the race all day, keeping their leader safe when echelons threatened chaos, and made sure they could put the young Italian super sprinter into the perfect position for him to power to an impressive victory.

Jonathan Milan takes the first stage. Photo: Sprint Cycling

Quotes from the race winner:
"I’m brutally tired. I think the temperature and this last 700 metres and all the race was really tough. It was a pretty intense day. In the beginning it was a bit quiet, also with the headwind and we went in the circuit and there was some echelons and then everyone came back again. I have to say thank you to my guys because like every race they control, support me and then they lead me out like this so yeah, first a big thanks to them. I’m super happy about it, really tired now.

"Tomorrow we will try to defend the leader's jersey but until then I will try and just rest as much as possible. I think the time trial of tomorrow is not super long, of course, we have super strong guys who are more specialists than me, but I have a jersey to defend and I will give my best to do it.

"It was [very tactical] in the last few km’s. We tried to be not too much in the back or on the front so we just had the perfect position to be able to do this last 250 meters in the best position. It was a different finish from what I’m used to, so it was important to take it from a good spot. It was important also to not go too deep in the beginning, to still have the power to do the last 200m sprint."

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Here's the UAE Tour report from second-place Finn Fisher-Black's Team Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe:

The opening stage of the 2025 UAE Tour featured an unpredictable finale on the rolling dunes of Liwa, which culminated in a demanding uphill sprint.

With a host of strong sprinter teams in attendance, there was no shortage of squads attempting to bring about a fast finish at Liwa Palace, however, the fast men were tested on the 8 percent steep ramps up the finishing straight.

Finn Fisher-Black, fresh off his podium performance at the Tour Down Under, was positioned well and ready to take advantage of the tough finish. He displayed excellent form in the chaotic final metres, securing second place behind Jonathan Milan, an impressive start to the race.

The New Zealander also snatched bonus seconds with his podium place on the stage, and now sits second overall, heading into tomorrow’s race against the clock with confidence and ready to build on a promising start to the UAE Tour.

Stage one gets started. Photo: Sprint Cycling

Finn Fisher-Black:
Looking at the profile, it was one of those stages that could go either way, so we had to be ready to take advantage of that. Sam was our main goal for today, but I had in the back of my mind that if the finale was 10 seconds or so too long for the sprinters, then I might be able to take my chances and make the jump. In the end, it proved to be a tough finish, and I was right up there, but ahead of the line I had nowhere to go. In terms of the GC, I’m feeling good and that gives me a lot of confidence, so we’ll be looking to make the most out of it this week.

Shane Archbold, Sports Director:
Today was an interesting one. We had a look at the final kilometre and it appeared to be pretty tough. Obviously Sam was Plan A for today, with all the teams being pretty motivated to have the day end in a sprint. Milan was the fastest but Finn put in an excellent performance today. He was always cautious about it, but he knew how hard the finale was, and that there was the possibility to take some bonus seconds. It turned out well, with him taking second, and with that some bonus seconds heading into the rest of the week. The plan is to take as much time on stage two and three as possible with him, so it’s off to a good start.

Here's the UAE Tour report from third-place Tobias Lund Andresen's Team Picnic-PostNL:

The UAE Tour got underway on Monday afternoon with a stage through the desert before a tough uphill finish at Liwa Palace; where the riders would be faced with a four percent incline for the closing one-and-a-half kilometres. Rolling out of Madinat Zayed Shams Solar Park, Team Picnic PostNL set out with the dual goals of protecting GC finisher Oscar Onley; while looking to set up Surf Coast Classic winner Tobias Lund Andresen for the final punch to the line, with the Dane finding the uphill drag suited to his characteristics.

Tobias Lund Andresen winning Australia's Surf Coast Classic in January

From the flag drop a three rider move went clear and the race fell into a familiar pattern, with the peloton keeping tabs on those ahead, but riding at a steady pace into a headwind. Team Picnic PostNL kept themselves safe and sheltered in the bunch, before moving up towards the front in the last 20 kilometres once the break was caught.

Some good positioning work by the team saw Lund Andresen to the fore once through the final roundabout, as the pace remained high. Coming onto the uphill drag to the line, those in front of Lund Andresen peeled off quickly and he was left on the front of the bunch. Last lead-out, Niklas Märkl tried to come back around him to give one final pull but he was unable to squeeze through the gap. Nonetheless, Lund Andresen pivoted onto other wheels as the sprint opened up, but he had to kick hard after losing some momentum. Oscar Onley showed some speed and produced a good sprint effort, while also giving Lund Andresen a wheel to follow, with Lund Andresen ultimately crossing the line for what would be third on the stage while Onley finished just behind in fifth.

Speaking after the stage Lund Andresen expressed: “We had a headwind for most of the day, so the race ended up being slower than expected. The final started after the laps and we got organised pretty fast as a team, and we hit our key points all the way to the roundabout. Unfortunately, I got the front too early and I didn’t hear Niklas behind me, so I thought I was alone. In the end I had to drop back too much just before the other guys kicked towards the finish line. I’m happy with my sensations though and to get a podium in the end, and I think the results also show how tough the sprint was today.”

Team Picnic PostNL coach Roy Curvers added: “Today was a tricky final with an almost one-and-a-half kilometres uphill section until the line. Up front we made a good plan to try and put Tobias in position to be able to contest for the win. The whole team worked well together throughout the stage and that meant we were basically always where we needed to be. In the end Tobias was in the wind a little too early, however finishing third shows he can compete with the best on a final like this, but to beat the likes of Milan on an uphill kick like this everything has to be 100 percent perfect. With Oscar also finishing in fifth and without time loss, it was also a good day GC wise for us too.”


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Here's the UAE Tour report from Olav Kooij's Team Visma | Lease a Bike:

The UAE Tour did not start as hoped for Olav Kooij. The opening stage presented an immediate opportunity for the sprinters, but the 23-year-old Dutchman was not feeling well and struggled in the peloton. Thomas Gloag ultimately sprinted to an impressive eleventh place, while Jonathan Milan claimed the stage victory.

The seven-day stage race in the United Arab Emirates kicked off with a short stage to Liwa. In the lead-up to the anticipated bunch sprint, Kooij spent a long time at the back of the peloton. The Team Visma | Lease a Bike sprinter was dealing with illness symptoms and had to drop from the peloton more than thirty kilometers from the finish. He crossed the line fifteen minutes after stage winner Milan.

Meanwhile, Team Visma | Lease a Bike positioned itself for the sprint. Daniel McLay and Niklas Behrens did solid preparatory work leading into the final kilometer. On the uphill finishing stretch in Liwa, Gloag sprinted to eleventh place. The 23-year-old Brit, aiming for a strong overall classification, thus got off to a promising start.

The peloton races across the desert.

“It’s impressive that Thomas was able to contest the sprint for the top positions,” said sports director Jesper Mørkøv afterward. “Thomas and Bart Lemmen will have the opportunity to compete for the general classification this week. Today was a good opener. As for Olav, I’m glad he made it to the finish. We knew beforehand that he wasn’t feeling well, so the main goal was just to get through this stage.”

Editor's note: Olav Kooij has been pulled from the race by his team to let him recover. He will not start stage two.

And here's the UAE Tour report from Tim Merlier's Team Soudal Quick-Step:

A rather short – just 138 kilometers in length – opening stage awaited the peloton Monday, when the fifth edition of the UAE Tour got underway with a trek from Madinat Zayed Shams Solar Park to Liwa Palace. Three men jumped right after the start, forming a breakaway that was kept in check by several riders, including Soudal Quick-Step’s Ayco Bastiaens – the Belgian working tirelessly behind this small group.

On paper, it should have been a day for the pure sprinters and a good opportunity for them to take the first red jersey of the race, but long before the final kilometer, they all knew the long uphill drag there – which featured gradients of 8% – could complicate matters.

Stage one was almost completely flat.

As a result, unlike the previous editions, this wasn’t the straightforward bunch sprint everybody was hoping for, as the uphill ramp to the finish brought into contention also the puncheurs and even the general classification men. Tim Merlier tried to give his best out there, but the gradients were a bit too much for the Belgian, who will now look to the other opportunities the fast men will have this week, the first of which comes on Thursday.


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Team Picnic-PostNL's upcoming racing

The team sent me this schedule:

Volta ao Algarve em Bicicleta - FEB 19 - FEB 23

Pim Ligthart - Team Picnic PostNL coach:
"Volta ao Algarve is always a dynamic race, offering opportunities for sprinters, punchers, and GC contenders. We line up with a well-balanced squad, ready to make an impact. In the sprint stages, Casper will be our main focus, with Bram and John supporting to position him perfectly. For the GC, we’re counting on Frank, Max, and Romain. For the latter two, it will be a chance to try their legs after their altitude camp, with this being the start of Romain’s final season on the road. One thing is clear: with this team, we aim to be in the mix for stage wins every day."

Line-up:
Romain Bardet (FRA)
Frank van den Broek (NLD)
Romain Combaud (FRA)
John Degenkolb (DEU)
Max Poole (GBR)
Casper van Uden (NLD)
Bram Welten (NLD)

Romain Bardet is headed to the Algarve, Portugal. Sirotti photo

Tour du Rwanda - FEB 23 - MAR 02

Asbjørn Kragh Andersen - Team Picnic PostNL coach:
"We’re excited to kick off our season at Tour du Rwanda with a strong group of riders. In this first race of the season for our Development program, our main focus is, as always, on growth. We’ll take it day by day, making the most of every opportunity to learn and improve. While we have two riders who could perform well in the GC, we’ll see how things unfold throughout the week."

Line-up:
Jacob Bush (GBR)
Juan Guillermo Martinez (COL)
Oliver Peace (GBR)
Pavel Sumpik (CZE)
Mees Vlot (NLD)

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