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Tuesday, July 1, 2025

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2024 Tour de France | 2024 Giro d'Italia

We must not confuse dissent with disloyalty. When the loyal opposition dies, I think the soul of America dies with it. - Edward R. Murrow

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Les Woodland's book Tour of Flanders: The Inside Story - The rocky roads of the Ronde van Vlaanderen is available in print, Kindle eBook and audiobook versions. To get your copy, just click on the Amazon link on the right.

Upcoming racing:

• July 5 - 27: Tour de France
• July 9 - 13: Tour of Austria

Latest completed racing:

• June 21 - 29: Most national road championships
• June 24: Giro dell'Appennino
• June 15 - 22: Tour de Suisse
• June 18 - 22: Baloise Belgium Tour
• June 8 - 15: Critérium du Dauphiné
• June 13: GP Kanton Aargau
• June 8: Brussels Cycling Classic
• May 9 - June 1: Giro d'Italia
• May 29 - June 1: Tour of Norway
• May 14 - 18: 4 Jours de Dunkerque
• May 18: Rund um Köln

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Teams announce Tour de France squads

Here's the roster from Team Picnic-PostNL:

Team Picnic PostNL announce Tour de France squad

Tour de France: June 30, 2025

• Tobias Lund Andresen
• Warren Barguil
• Pavel Bittner
• Frank van den Broek
• Sean Flynn
• Niklas Märkl
• Tim Naberman
• Oscar Onley

The Grand Départ returns to France this year with a start in Lille just under one week away, as Team Picnic PostNL today announce their eight-rider roster that is set to take on the wide variety of parcours on offer over the three weeks as they hunt stage success.

The opening stage looks set to give the sprinters a chance to wear the coveted Maillot Jaune, while the second day of racing could already see some GC action over the steep and punchy climbs into Boulogne-sur-Mer. This pattern continues in the first week with sprint opportunities and days that look perfect for the puncheurs of the peloton; although everyone will need to be wary on the exposed farm roads if the wind blows more than what’s normal in July. In an unusual turn of events, there are ten stages in a row before the first rest day, in this year’s edition of the race due to 14th of July festivities; with that opening “week” ending with a bang that includes 4500 metres of climbing.

The truncated week two sees a bit of everything with a few potential sprints, two summit finishes and a tough mountain time trial to Peyragudes. Week three gets underway with a Tour de France classic climb and a summit finish to Mont Ventoux, before an opportunity for the sprinters in Valence. The GC battle will be decided with two brutally tough back-to-back mountain stages where the peloton will be met with two days over 4500 metres of ascent. An opportunistic stage 20 follows, before the finish on the Champs-Élysées rounds out the race; but with three passages of the Montmarte, it is yet to be seen whether the normal procession will take place.

Looking to replicate their strong showing at the Giro d’Italia, Team Picnic PostNL head to the Tour de France with confidence after good recent performances; ready to show their colours at the head of the race over three weeks.

Team Picnic PostNL coach Matt Winston explained: “We head to the Tour de France with some great memories from last year’s campaign. We have a squad that has shown in recent races that they are performing well together as a group and picking up some really solid results along the way – so start the race with confidence. Our main goal for the race will be to hunt for stage success. Oscar showed recently at the Tour de Suisse that he is in great shape with some top results, so he will be one of our main finishing cards to play for the hilly and mountainous days.

Oscar Onley riding in stage 8 of the 2025 Tour de Suisse. Sirotti photo

"For those more rolling and intermediate type stages, Warren and Frank came out of Tour de Suisse in good shape too, so they provide us options there. In the faster finales we have two good options in both Tobias and Pavel, who with the support we have here, can be in the mix on different types of stages. Overall, we will take each stage as it comes and look for the opportunities that might suit us best over the course of the three weeks. If we continue to work well as a team, commit to each other and our objectives, then I am confident that we can contest for good results throughout the race, and hold our heads high as we cross the line in Paris.”

Here's Team Jayco-AlUla's Tour squad announcement:

Team Jayco AlUla will be led at the Tour de France 2025 by two former stage winners in Ben O’Connor and Dylan Groenewegen, targeting the overall classification and stage victories respectively.

Joining them on the well-rounded roster will be Luke Plapp, who is making his ‘Grand Boucle’ debut following a standout Giro d’Italia performance in the spring that saw him solo to his first Grand Tour stage win.

An Australian GC leader
With O’Connor at the helm, it will be the first time that Team Jayco AlUla has had an Australian leading its general classification charge since its inception in 2012.

The 29-year-old, who will be riding his fourth Tour de France this summer, has a rich Grand Tour pedigree. He’s finished in the top five overall in each of the three-week races, including a second place at last season’s Vuelta a España. He has also won stages in all the grand tours, adding the Vuelta to his palmarès in 2024.

Ben O'Connor in the red leader's jersey after stage 17 of the 2024 Vuelta a España. Sirotti photo

Backing O’Connor in the mountains will be compatriot Plapp and another Tour de France debutant, Eddie Dunbar. While Dunbar hasn’t ridden the French Grand Tour previously, he’s got a good history at three-week races with seventh overall at the 2023 Giro d’Italia and two stage wins at last year’s Vuelta.

Ben O’Connor:
“We have a really versatile team and I’ve performed well in Grand Tours in the past so I’ll do everything I can to get back to the top five, which I’ve been able to finish in at the Giro d’Italia, Vuelta a España, and Tour de France. We also have Dylan to go for the sprint stages, we pretty much have all kinds of stages covered. It’s always an exciting time, it’s the biggest race, and biggest stress, but it’s also the biggest reward.

“The route is a race of two halves. You have northern France with some extremely punchy stages and then pretty much, from stage 10 onwards, all of climbs are 30 minutes to one hour long. There are some really big cols and passes, so I think that’s where I will be enjoying the race a lot more. They’re the kind of mountain stages I really prefer. For me, it’ll be about getting through the first half and then executing in the second half.”

Sprint goals:
The in-form Groenewegen will be looking to add some stage wins to his palmarès with at least seven sprint opportunities this July. The Dutchman notched up his sixth Tour de France stage victory in last season’s race and has been on flying form lately with a double win at the Tour of Slovenia.

Supporting Dutch champion Groenewegen will be two very experienced lead-out men, Luka Mezgec and Elmar Reinders. The duo helped to lead Groenewegen to his win last year and are making their sixth and third appearances respectively.

Brent Copeland – General Manager:
“It’s time for one of the biggest and most prestigious events of the season, and we have been preparing for this year’s Tour de France for a very long time. Thanks to the hard work of our performance group, we believe we have put together our strongest line-up, well suited to this year’s edition. It is never an easy task to put together a team line-up with dual ambitions, however, we are confident we have a great balance of riders.

"As always, it will be an honour to see the team on the start line, this year in Lille on July 5th, and of course, we look to build on our achievements from the previous editions. For 2025, we also have the pleasure of supporting GreenEDGE Cycling’s first ever Australian general classification contender in Ben O’Connor.

"The whole world will be watching. The Tour de France means so much to our riders, staff, and of course, we would not be here without the ongoing support of our trusted and loyal partners. We can line up confidently knowing that no stone has been left unturned in our preparation and that we have the highest level of equipment and resources available thanks to the dedication of our partners.”

Packed with power:
Rounding out the team will be a mixture of experience and youth with Luke Durbridge set to line up for his 11th lap of France while Mauro Schmid is set to make his debut.

Australian road race champion Durbridge is an important linchpin for the squad, providing support for both its GC and stage ambitions as well as a wealth of knowledge. Meanwhile, recently crowned Swiss time trial and road race champion, Schmid provides the team with opportunities for success on the medium mountain days that lend themselves to breakaways.

Mathew Hayman – Sport Director:
“We’re really looking forward to getting on the road at the Tour de France with Dylan Groenewegen for the sprints and we’ve got Ben O’Connor for GC. We’ll have the national time trial champion and road race champion, Luke Plapp and Luke Durbridge, as Australians in the team, along with Ben, who is the first Australian GC leader for the team.

"The opening stage is a sprint stage and for a sprinter to be able to take the yellow jersey at the Tour de France, I’m sure that excites Dylan, and it would be a pretty crowning moment to take a win and the yellow jersey. Then, it’s a really challenging first 10 days. There’s quite a lot of punchy, classics-style stages and we’ve got a time trial in there before we move into the mountains. Overall, we’ve identified probably five or six stages that are too hard for the sprinters that could be potential breakaway or punchy days, then a couple of time trials, a flat one first and then a mountain time trial, and then some big mountain stages.

"It’ll be a stressful first 10 days for the riders and myself, particularly around the GC. We’ve seen in the past that the Tour de France is always stressful, it’s the biggest race and the riders become nervous. There’s always the potential for time gaps for the GC guys. You never know what’s going to happen in the Tour de France from day to day. I expect it to be superfast, I expect there to be a lot of eyes on that battle and hopefully because of that we can find some opportunities with our guys.”

Team Jayco AlUla line-up at the 2025 Tour de France
Eddie Dunbar (IRL) 1st appearance
Luke Durbridge (AUS) 11th appearance
Dylan Groenewegen (NED) 7th appearance
Luka Mezgec (SLO) 6th appearance
Ben O’Connor (AUS) 4th appearance
Luke Plapp (AUS) 1st appearance
Elmar Reinders (NED) 3rd appearance
Mauro Schmid (SUI) 1st appearance

Here's the Tour news from the Tudor Pro Cycling Team:

July is just around the corner, and for the first time in Tudor Pro Cycling’s history, the Team will spend it in France - competing in one of the most prestigious sporting events in the world: La Grande Boucle.

The Team was officially granted a wildcard entry in late March, but preparations had already begun months earlier, in late 2024, when Tudor Pro Cycling formally expressed its ambition to take part in the race.

As with every Grand Tour, eight riders will take the start line, united around one clear goal: winning a stage. To reach this milestone, the sports management has selected a strong and well-balanced squad, blending seasoned veterans with promising debutants.

Leading the Team is French national star Julian Alaphilippe, a six-time Tour stage winner and former yellow jersey holder. Coming off a strong performance at the Tour de Suisse, Julian will target the hilly stages where his explosive style can shine.

Julian Alaphilippe racing in stage 8 of the 2025 Tour de Suisse. Sirotti photo

He’ll share leadership with Marc Hirschi, stage winner in 2020, who returns to the Tour with renewed ambition and fresh with a 2nd place at Swiss National Championship. The pair is particularly excited about the first ten days of racing, which feature several hilly profiles suited to their strengths.

In the sprints, Alberto Dainese will be the leader. Backed by a powerful lead-out train, the Italian is aiming to claim a Tour de France stage and complete the rare feat of winning at all three Grand Tours.

Veteran Matteo Trentin will serve as road captain. With seven Tours de France and three stage wins (2013, 2014, and 2019) under his belt, the Italian Classics specialist brings invaluable experience and leadership across the three-week race.

Marco Haller, meanwhile, will celebrate a personal milestone - his 10th Tour de France start, ten years after his debut as Austrian Champion.

For the mountain stages, Michael Storer will lead the charge. After two consecutive Top 10 finishes at the Giro d’Italia, the Australian shifts focus to stage wins in France, targeting key breakaway opportunities.

To balance this wealth of experience, Tudor will debut two Tour rookies: Fabian Lienhard and Marius Mayrhofer. Lienhard, the Swiss domestique, has already raced the Giro and Vuelta and is eager for his first French Grand Tour. Mayrhofer, the youngest rider on the team’s line up, will also make his Tour debut.

Behind the wheel, the Team will be guided by a trio of experienced Sports Directors: Matteo Tosatto, Bart Leysen, and Sylvain Blanquefort.

Matteo Tosatto starts his third Tour as a director (and 15th overall, including his rider career), highlighted by a stage win in 2006 and finishing the race at age 42.

Bart Leysen brings even more experience, with 3 participations as a rider and 16 as a director - making 2025 his 20th Tour.

Sylvain Blanquefort will make his Tour de France debut, marking a major personal milestone. Having joined Swiss Racing Academy in 2020, he now steps into the sport’s biggest race alongside the Team he helped build from the ground up.

In addition to the 8 riders and 3 sports directors, a full support crew stands ready to make history - not just for Tudor Pro Cycling, but also for themselves:

Management:

• 1 Coach
• 4 Communications Officers & 1 photographer
• 2 Marketing & Hospitality Staff
• 2 Doctors
• 2 Chefs
• 1 Nutritionist
• 7 Soigneurs
• 1 Bus Driver
• 4 Mechanics
• 2 Assistants

Tudor Pro Cycling’s first Tour de France will be a collective adventure - and a new chapter in the Team's remarkable story.

And here's the Team Lidl-Trek Tour squad announcement:

Lidl-Trek is proud to introduce the eight Lidl-Trek riders that will head to Lille for the Grand Depart of this year’s Tour de France on Saturday (5 July):

• Simone Consonni (ITA, 30): One participation, 2020
• Jonathan Milan (ITA, 24): Tour de France debut
• Thibau Nys (BEL, 22): Tour de France and Grand Tour debut
• Quinn Simmons (USA, 24): Two participations, 2022 & 2023
• Mattias Skjelmose (DEN, 24): One Participation, 2023
• Toms Skujins (LAT, 34): Six participations, 2018-2022 & 2024
• Jasper Stuyven (BEL, 33): Eight participations, 2016 & 2018-2024
• Edward Theuns (BEL, 34): Four participations, 2016, 2018, 2020 & 2021

What did our Head Sports Director, Steven de Jongh say about the rider roster?
"We have an ambitious Tour de France team for 2025 with multiple goals that we want to fulfil over the upcoming three weeks of racing in France. Mattias Skjelmose will aim for the General Classification while Jonathan Milan will make his first appearance at the Tour de France for this year's sprint stages, especially stage one, which, of course, is super important.

Mattias Skjelmose at the 2025 Amstel Gold Race rider presentation ceremony. Sirotti photo

"There is the opportunity to win the first yellow jersey of the race and Jonny will have his lead out train with him: Jasper Stuyven, Edward Theuns and Simone Consonni. We have seen how well this group works together and they will take care of the lead out. Quinn Simmons, who is coming into the race off the back of a really great stage win at Tour de Suisse, will be the team's dedicated puller. So, he has to ride a lot of kilometers in front to make it possible to have a sprint while, Toms Skujins will do final positioning and he will also take care of Mattias.

"Then, finally we have Thibau Nys making a big step up by racing the Tour de France as his first-ever Grand Tour and there are definitely stages along the way that can suit him. The complete group has not raced a lot together but I am confident that we can make it work and have a great race and keep the momentum from an incredible Giro d'Italia going."

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