Bicycle Racing News and Opinion,
Friday, July 4, 2025
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2024 Tour de France | 2024 Giro d'Italia
Adults are obsolete children. - Dr. Seuss
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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
Here’s the team’s news:
Factor Bikes and Israel – Premier Tech celebrate partnership extension with special edition swap out for the Tour de France
Israel – Premier Tech riders will race in special edition kit and aboard unique, hand-painted Factor bikes at the Tour de France as a celebration of the partnership’s extension.
The special edition jersey, designed by Élie Desgreniers of Premier Tech, takes inspiration from Factor’s Never Status Quo matra and has been designed to match the OSTRO VAM Watercolour edition which will be raced by IPT in France.
Drawing on the pink and blue colour palette of the bike’s design, the jersey celebrates Factor’s commitment to continuous innovation and development, engineering the fastest bikes in the professional peloton. The electric pink combines with IPT’s signature blue to create a visually striking clash of colours, while the broken grid and distorted pattern embody the idea of disruption and a refusal to settle for the status quo.
Israel-Premier Tech riders in their special Tour de France kits riding their TDF-painted bikes.
Sylvan Adams, Israel – Premier Tech owner, says: “Factor has been a great partner since we began our relationship four years ago. With this new, perpetual renewal, our partnership is solidified into a permanent one, as important mutual stakeholders. This will permit both Factor and IPT to work together towards our joint goals.
“IPT is not only a key marketing vehicle for Factor, but also an important element in Factor’s manufacturing, whereby our riders are giving direct feedback to facilitate Factor’s research and development. With their emphasis on performance and pursuit of constant innovation, I believe that Factor produces the fastest and best bikes in the world.
“I am proud of our special relationship, which is unique in the pro cycling world. Both Factor and IPT have a long term vision, expressed perfectly by this renewal. I am confident that this partnership will bring us both many victories in the future.”
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Kjell Carlström, Israel – Premier Tech General Manager, adds: “It gives us great pleasure to announce the renewal of the partnership between IPT and Factor, on the eve of the Tour de France. Factor’s commitment to world-class bike design and pushing the boundaries has been instrumental in IPT’s success over the last four years, as we saw recently with Jake Stewart’s win at the Critérium du Dauphiné.
“We are excited to see our partnership go from strength to strength and continue working with Rob and the Factor team to achieve our mutual goals, starting here at the Tour de France where our riders are racing with a special edition jersey and Factor OSTRO VAM Watercolour to celebrate the partnership renewal.”
Rob Gitelis, Factor Bikes and Black Inc Founder, says: “We are delighted to continue our partnership with Israel – Premier Tech. There is no greater testing ground than the biggest races in the world, and no better inspiration than seeing our bikes ridden by the best athletes. This partnership is where innovation meets reality, and that’s where Factor thrives.”
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Here’s the team’s news:
MSC Cruises has partnered with Tudor Pro Cycling to become its Official Main Partner debuting at the Tour de France 2025 starting July 05.
The partnership was officially unveiled today ahead of the Tour de France Official Team Presentation in Lille, where Team jerseys are seen for the first time, ahead of the Grand Départ in Lille, France on 5 July.
MSC Cruises will have strong visibility across the Tudor Pro Cycling Team’s kit, with branding featured prominently on rider jerseys as well as on team vehicles, including support cars and team buses. Audiences will see the new branding for the first time at the 2025 Tour de France which starts this Saturday.
MSC on the new Tudor jersey.
Pierfrancesco Vago, Executive Chairman MSC Cruises: “We are proud to partner with the Tudor Pro Cycling Team as Official Main Partner at the start of this exciting new chapter for the Team as they are participating for the first time in the world’s biggest cycling event. We look forward to supporting the Team as they race across the world—and introducing our brand to a new global audience that follows this exciting international sport.”
The move is MSC Cruises’ first involvement in the world of professional cycling, and the latest sports partnership for the Cruise Line that also includes Formula 1 and some of the world’s leading football clubs.
Raphael Meyer, CEO Tudor Pro Cycling: "We are honored and excited to welcome MSC Cruises as new Main Partner of Tudor Pro Cycling. Their support comes at a truly historic moment for our team, as we prepare to compete in our very first Tour de France. This milestone marks a bold new chapter in our journey, and we are thrilled to have MSC Cruises on board with us. Together, we share a commitment to excellence, innovation, and pushing boundaries, values that will drive us forward both on and off the road."
With MSC Cruises headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland and Tudor Pro Cycling proudly a Swiss Team, the partnership reflects a shared national heritage and a focus on high operational standards. Both organizations place strong emphasis on planning, technical expertise, and reliable execution, whether managing complex cruise operations or supporting elite athletes on the road.
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Here’s the team’s post:
A first-year U23 rider, Jasper Schoofs scored his maiden victory in the Soudal Quick-Step Devo Team’s jersey at the Course de côte Herbeumont, making it a hat-trick of wins for our squad at the one-day race, following the victories brought here by Junior Lecerf and Leander Van Hautegem in the past two seasons.
Jasper Schoofs
Wednesday’s 118.9km event was a hard and spectacular one at the same time, as countless attacks split the peloton and made things very difficult to control. After the first big lap, Jasper Schoofs attacked together with teammate Gauthier Servranckx and bridged to the original breakaway. The newly-formed group worked well together, and in the final part of the race, Jasper pulled clear together with two other riders. In the small sprint that determined the winner, the Belgian was the strongest and powered to our Devo Team’s sixth success of the season.
“It was very tough and very hot out there. We had a plan and we did a great job sticking to it. When I went together with Gauthier, we believed in our chances of bridging across to the leaders, and once we got there, we put in some long pulls to make sure we remained ahead. In the finale, I felt good and started the sprint with a lot of confidence. I am happy I came out on top, it feels great to take my first win for this fantastic team, to whom I am grateful for all their support”, said the 19-year-old after the race.
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