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Monday, March 31, 2025
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2024 Tour de France | 2024 Giro d'Italia
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Upcoming racing:
- April 2: Dwars door Vlaanderen
- April 2: Paris - Camembert Lepetit
- April 4: Route Adélie de Vitre
- April 5: GP Miguel Indurain
- April 5: Volta Limburg Classic
- April 6: Ronde van Vlaanderen
Latest completed racing:
- March 24 - 30: Volta Ciclista a Catalunya
- March 30: Gent - Wevelgem
- March 30: La Roue Tourangelle
- March 25 - 29: Settimana Internazionale Coppi e Bartali
- March 28: E3 Saxo Bank Classic
- March 26: Classic Brugge-De Panne
- March 22: Milano-Sanremo
- March 21: Bredene Koksijde Classic
- March 20: GP de Denain
- March 19: Danilith Nokere Koerse
- March 19: Milano-Torino
- March 9 - 16: Paris-Nice
- March 10 - 16: Tirreno-Adriatico
- March 8: Strade Bianche
- March 5: Trofeo Laigueglia
- March 4: Le Samyn Classic
We posted the report from winner Primoz Roglic's Team Red Bull-BORA-hangrohe with the results.
Here's the report from second-place Laurens De Plus' Team INEOS Grenadiers:
Laurens De Plus sprinted to second place on the final day of the Volta Catalunya in Barcelona to finish sixth on the GC. Egan Bernal finished just behind on the GC in seventh, while Axel Laurance sprinted to ninth on the stage after a strong week for the Grenadiers.
A late attack from race leader Primoz Roglic (Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe) saw him take the win solo, with De Plus taking second after a two-up sprint with Lennert Van Eetvelt (Lotto).
Primoz Roglic wins the stage and the 2025 Volta a Catalunya
The final day in Catalunya saw the riders tackle 88 kilometres, concluding with six laps of the Montjuïc circuit, which included the second category climb, averaging 5%.
The second time up the climb, Omar Fraile led the charge, before Roglic attacked solo with 20km to go.
Enric Mas (Movistar) attacked, with Laurance straight on his wheel. The two were able to go clear with Van Eetvelt and Mikel Landa (Soudal Quick-Step), but were caught soon after.
Ascending the categorised climb for the final time, De Plus attacked, going clear with Van Eetvelt to chase Roglic. While unable to bridge over, De Plus launched his sprint perfectly to take second place on the stage.
Laurens De Plus: “It was super, super hard. It’s pretty special to have a two-hour stage – we’re used to having longer stages – but I was in a good position on the last climb and I felt like ‘why not?’ I just squeezed and suddenly I was off the front. I ended up seeing Roglic almost, so I was surprised by that.
“We all know Roglic is an incredible rider so I’m not surprised. Congrats to him. You always hope [for the stage win] but I was on my limit and Van Eetvelt did most of the work, so I was already happy to go for second place. I’m super happy with that, so I can end this week with a good feeling.”
Here's the report from GC second-place Juan Ayuso's UAE Team Emirates-XRG:
In a dramatic conclusion to the 2025 Volta a Catalunya, Juan Ayuso of UAE Team Emirates-XRG finished in second place overall after a thrilling final stage where Primož Roglič (Red Bull Bora Hansgrohe) made a late surge to claim the overall victory.
The final stage was a true test of endurance and tactics on the 88km circuit around the Catalan capital of Barcelona. With the general classification hanging in the balance, Ayuso entered the day leading by a single second meaning everything was to play for on the notoriously aggressive and unpredictable final stage.
The first intermediate sprint saw Roglič taking the full three seconds and his teammate Nico Denz coming through in second place, leaving just one second for Ayuso. This saw the race situation change with Roglic now taking the upper hand by just a single second.
From there, the bunch remained intact and UAE Team Emirates-XRG took control of the pace-setting, with the intention of avoiding a repeat of the first sprint, and Ayuso dug in to nullify the first battle, taking the full three second bonus and reclaiming the lead.
The efforts would prove futile in the end, as Roglič attacked at -20km at the steepest point of the climb to Montjuic with Egan Bernal (Ineos-Grenadiers) and Ayuso just losing contact with the Slovenian over the top, leaving Ayuso to settle for second overall in what was a gutsy and determined ride to the finish.
Despite hard pulls from the likes of Marc Soler and Adam Yates behind, the gap to Roglic remained intact and he soloed to stage and overall victory. Ayuso would slip to second in GC with Enric Mas (Movistar) taking third.
Soler also graced the final podium as best Catalan rider, a testament for his teamwork done throughout the week.
Juan Ayuso just beats Primoz Roglic at the end of stage three.
Ayuso: “I didn’t have the best legs but the team helped me from the beginning. It was a big battle all week and Red Bull played a smart race today. Roglic attacked and opened the gap and I couldn’t follow – he was the strongest today so chapeau to him.”
Here's the Catalonia Tour report from GC fifth-place Lenny Martinez's Team Baharin Victorious:
Bahrain Victorious wrapped up the seven-day Volta a Catalunya with a strong result, as Lenny Martinez successfully defended his 5th place in the General Classification after the challenging final stage in Barcelona.
Lenny Martinez winning 2025 Paris-Nice stage five.
As per tradition, the Catalan WorldTour race concluded with a spectacular showdown on the Montjuïc circuit, featuring six laps of the demanding climb. Though this 104th edition saw the course shortened to 88.2 km for logistical reasons, the stage remained true to its character—fast, intense, and decisive. The battle for overall victory came down to Juan Ayuso (UAE Team Emirates) and Primož Roglič (Red Bull BORA) with just one second separating them at the start of the day.
After fighting for crucial bonus seconds at the intermediate sprints, Roglič launched a decisive solo attack with 20 km to go, securing both the stage win and the overall victory. Laurens De Plus (INEOS Grenadiers) finished second, and Lennert Van Eetvelt (Lotto) third, both at 14 seconds behind Roglič.
Bahrain Victorious leader Lenny Martinez crossed the line with the first chasing group, 19 seconds behind the winner, ensuring he held onto his 5th place in the final GC.
“I’m very happy that we achieved our goal of finishing in the top five overall. I couldn’t make the difference today to fight for the podium, but with the team’s great work, we secured a strong GC result in a WorldTour race, so we can be satisfied,” said the 21-year-old French rider.
Bahrain Victorious Sports Director Xavi Florencio also reflected on the result:
“This 5th place overall makes us very happy because it was our target from the beginning. We’re pleased with both the result and the team’s performance. It’s Lenny’s first top-five finish in the GC of a WorldTour race, and he’s showing real progress in fighting for overall standings. These are great signs for the future.”
Meanwhile, Žak Eržen claimed victory for the second year in a row at the newly named “I Feel Slovenia VN Adria Mobil”, racing for Bahrain Victorious Development Team.
The 19-year-old Slovenian sprinter was positioned perfectly by his teammates, who controlled the race throughout the day, setting him up for a nice home victory.
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And here's the Volta a Catalunya final report from Team Visma | Lease a Bike:
The Volta Ciclista a Catalunya is in the books. Team Visma | Lease a Bike can look back on the Spanish stage race with satisfaction. The Dutch cycling formation managed to take two stage wins with sensation Matthew Brennan and won the team classification in Catalonia.
Matthew Brennan wins stage five.
The final stage of the 104th edition traditionally took place in and around Barcelona. The Montjuïc climb had to be conquered six times in the finale of the short stage. On the fourth passage of the Spanish hill, Primoz Roglic attacked. The former rider of Team Visma | Lease a Bike eventually hit a double with the stage victory and the overall win in the Volta Ciclista a Catalunya. Simon Yates finished eighth in the group behind.
The Brit thus ends ninth in the general classification. “That was all I could do for now. I did what I could and we have to be satisfied with that. Because of yesterday's shortened stage I didn't really have a chance to move up in the general classification. However, I did enjoy the short and powerful stage here in Barcelona today. Now it is time to go on altitude training and hopefully I will be ready for the Giro d'Italia, one of my biggest goals this cycling year”, Yates says.
Sports director Marc Reef looks back on a successful week in Spain. “Our set goal in advance - to win a stage and to finish in the top ten in the general classification - has been more than achieved. We can be proud of that. Matthew won two stages here in a fantastic way and really showed that we have a special rider in the team. In addition, he rode in the leader’s jersey for two days and also finished second in a stage once. He really took every opportunity this week. That’s impressive”, Reef tells.
“Simon's ninth place in the final classification is partly due to the good efforts of the team in the fifth stage full of echelons where we had five riders in the front. Our good team performance is ultimately confirmed by winning the team classification. All in all, we can look back on a great week here", the sports director concludes.
We posted the report from winner Mads Pedersen's Team Lidl-Trek with the results.
Here's the Gent-Wevelgem report from second-place Tim Merlier's Team Soudal Quick-Step:
Tim Merlier took his best ever result in a cobbled Classic at the end of Sunday’s relentless Gent-Wevelgem, which once again threw everything it had in the riders’ way, from its famous plugstreets to the three ascents of the iconic Kemmelberg, the last of which came with 35 kilometers remaining – all of these gradually whittling down the bunch.
The most successful sprinter of the season, the European Champion came at the start just four days after crashing out from Classic Brugge-De Panne due to a knee injury, and supported by a fantastic team, he remained in contention for a podium result, making the most out of this race in Wevelgem, where he emerged as the fastest from the peloton to take our team’s first top three finish there since 2020.
With the wind, echelons were the order of the day at Gent-Wevelgem.
The race was made even more difficult by the crosswinds which split the bunch with more than 120 kilometers to go, leaving several groups scattered across the road, including one that included Tim. Helped by the rest of the Soudal Quick-Step boys, the Belgian returned at the front and managed to remain there after each time up the Kemmelberg. This never-say-die attitude and the superb job of the whole Wolfpack behind Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek), who soloed to victory, set Merlier up for the sprint after 250 kilometers, and the 32-year-old didn’t disappoint.
“I’m glad that the team had confidence in me to start today after the crash in De Panne, and I want to thank our sports director Iljo Keisse for putting me on the start list here. The team left everything out there today. It was incredibly tough and fast the entire day, but we never gave up and did our best in these circumstances. In the final kilometer I just did a long sprint, as I knew that I was fast, and I am happy with this result. It was a good day for the team and we can be proud of ourselves”, Tim said after signing off Soudal Quick-Step’s 20th podium of the season.
Here's the Gent-Wevelgem report from fifth-place Hugo Hofstetter's Team Israel-Premier Tech:
Having finished on the podium at Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne to start his 2025 Classics campaign in style, Hugo Hofstetter showed his strength once again by coming fifth in Gent-Wevelgem on Sunday.
Hofstetter was only beaten by European champion Tim Merlier (SOQ), Jonathan Milan (LTK), and former winner Alexander Kristoff (UXM) in the bunch sprint for second after Mads Pedersen soloed to the victory.
Here's the race start.
In a relentless race notable for featuring a peloton that split frequently – thanks to windy conditions in Flanders, as well as the race’s noted climbs and Plugstreets – the Frenchman was consistently well placed.
“I’m proud of myself to finish fifth – I think it’s my biggest result in a Classic. Gent – Wevelgem for me is a huge race,” he said.
“There was a bit of pressure today because I had the lead from the team. Everybody was really committed around me – they were near me all day and I’m really grateful. I want to thank the team for this.”
This was Hofstetter’s fifth top-7 result of 2025, all of which have come in Belgian one-day races.
He adds: “These are the kind of races I like – always fighting, fighting, fighting until the end. I know I’m able to perform at my best here when I’m in shape. It was mentally hard today so I’m just glad that I had the chance to finish with a good result.”
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Here's the Gent-Wevelgem report for sixth-place Davide Ballerini's Team XDS-Astana:
XDS Astana Team rider Davide Ballerini delivered a strong performance at today's Gent-Wevelgem, securing sixth place in the prestigious Belgian classic.
The Belgian classic started in Ypres and finished in Wevelgem after 250.3 kilometers of racing in the Belgian region of Flanders. XDS Astana Team rider Davide Ballerini was active throughout the day, responding to the attacks, positioning himself at the front of the peloton and sprinting to a solid sixth place in the final.
It was Mads Pedersen who was first across the line in Wevelgem.
"Well, it was a long and tough day of racing today, but I am glad with how my teammates and I performed. Of course, Pedersen did an outstanding race today with his attack at around 70 kilometers to go. We did our best, I had the legs to respond to the accelerations during the final climb at Kemmelberg and pushed hard in the final sprint. In the begining of this week I did not feel quite good, but now I am glad with my shape and I look forward to the upcoming races", — said Davide Ballerini after finishing the race.
Other riders of XDS Astana Team Mike Teunissen and Yevgeniy Fedorov also made it to top 20, finishing 16th and 18th respectively.
Biniam Girmay's Team Intermarché-Wanty posted this report:
This Sunday March 30th, Intermarché-Wanty returned to the race that has marked its history in recent years, Gent-Wevelgem, a classic won by Biniam Girmay in 2022.
Biniam Girmay winning the 2022 Gent Wevelgem.
After a fierce battle through the winds in the Moeren and the different ascents of the Kemmelberg, the Walloon World Team managed to finish with its two leaders Girmay and Laurenz Rex in the top ten.
Finishing 49 seconds behind winner Mads Pedersen, Biniam Girmay and Rex respectively secured seventh and tenth place in the sprint for second place at the end of the 250 kilometer race.
“With these weather conditions we knew it would be a long relentless battle and with the team we were read to fight from the start. Our teammates sacrificed themselves to make sure Laurenz and me were well positioned all the time. This enabled us to continuously be present in the first group, in the crosswinds and on the climbs. Unfortunately we lacked manpower to chase Mads Pedersen. I felt better towards the end of the race, so Laurenz offered to do a lead out for me in the sprint. The podium felt within reach, and I’m initially disappointed with seventh place. But this will fuel my hunger. Dwars door Vlaanderen on my birthday and the Tour of Flanders await, and I’m ready.” - Biniam Girmay
"Biniam Girmay and I had a protected role in this Gent-Wevelgem, and together we were escaped several times with a group of strong riders. Unfortunately, we never succeeded in making the definitive difference. Therefore, we had to maintain constant focus to position ourselves as well as possible, which made it not only physically but also mentally an intense battle. Mads Pedersen managed to bridge the gap to the early breakaway, and because no team immediately took the initiative, I understood from that moment that we were probably fighting for second place. In the approach to the sprint, I gave Biniam Girmay a lead-out, and eventually, I also finished just inside the top ten. Considering the field of participants, we can certainly be satisfied with this. The team's confidence gives me wings; I want to shine in Dwars door Vlaanderen and the Tour of Flanders before my dream race, Paris-Roubaix." - Laurenz Rex
Eighth-place Jenno Berckmoes' Team Lotto posted this Gent-Wevelgem report:
Jenno Berckmoes finished an impressive eighth in Gent-Wevelgem, while Arjen Livyns also delivered a stellar performance. "We collectively covered everything and raced attentively at the front as a team," it was said.
Jenno Berckmoes in 2024.
"I’m close to my best form," Arjen Livyns stated earlier this week. And that was evident again today in Gent-Wevelgem. Livyns rode a strong race and spent some time alongside eventual winner Mads Pedersen. "I wanted to do more than just follow," said a happy Livyns. "If you don’t try, you always miss. If we just follow, you already know you’re racing for 20th place. I wanted to show more. But I couldn’t have predicted that I would end up riding with the eventual winner."
Jenno Berckmoes also had an excellent Gent-Wevelgem, securing an impressive eighth place. "We were simply strong as a team," Berckmoes reflected. "Admittedly, we missed the first echelon, but we stayed calm and didn’t panic. Once everything came back together and split up again several times, we managed to cover everything as a team and remained attentive throughout, allowing Arjen to make a super-strong move. He was simply among the best in the race. I also felt really good today. After losing half of my spring season due to illness, this is a real boost. I feel stronger with every race."
Livyns also looks back on his race with satisfaction. "Of course, it’s always a bit disappointing when my hard work isn’t rewarded with a strong result. In recent years, this race has usually finished with a select group. I had hoped for that again, as it could have led to a great result. But finishing with a large group seems to have been the trend in recent weeks. There are two more chances next week, and I hope to show my good form again."
Unfortunately, this edition of Gent-Wevelgem also had a downside. Arnaud De Lie had to withdraw early. He will take some time for a reset in the coming days and will therefore also skip Dwars door Vlaanderen and the Tour of Flanders.
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And here's the Gent-Wevelgem report from Team Picnic-PostNL:
Cobbled classic action continued at Gent-Wevelgem; where the peloton were set to battle it out over the cobbled climbs, dirt roads, and many wind-swept kilometres of Belgian countryside. A break established itself early into the day and built up a four minute lead, but in the peloton chaos started going through De Moeren; where the wind played havoc. John Degenkolb, Sean Flynn, Tobias Lund Andresen and Casper van Uden represented Team Picnic PostNL in the reduced front peloton.
From there it became a race of attrition as things thinned down further over each obstacle, and unfortunately Lund Andresen punctured out of the peloton over the last dirt road. Flynn and Van Uden then positioned Degenkolb who held on over the top of the last climb, as the race charged towards the finish in Wevelgem. Pedersen held on to win solo, while Degenkolb gave it everything he had in the sprint to the line, finishing just outside the top ten on the day.
Degenkolb reflected: “It was a typical Gent-Wevelgem. It’s a special race with a special character and you feel the stress right from the beginning. I think we did a really nice meeting yesterday and had a good team spirit today. We raced point to point and our first very important point, like everyone else, was De Moeren where the crosswind started. We could really use the whole team there, which was really nice; to feel that whole support from everyone. From that moment on I was in the first echelon, but things came back together a little. In the end we still could have been there with one or two guys more, Tobias had a flat tyre for example, but in these races something always happens. In the end I suffered through the pain and tried to do the best sprint possible.”
We posted the report from fourth-place Clément Venturini's Team Arkea-B&B Hotels with the results.
Here's the report from Team Groupama-FDJ:
Right up there in the final of La Roue Tourangelle this Sunday, Groupama-FDJ yet didn’t get rewarded with a convincing result in Tours. While local rider Thibaud Gruel launched two strong attacks in the final fifteen kilometres, he was unable to prevent a sprint from happening after 197 kilometres of racing. The sprint proved chaotic, and the penultimate corner notably ruined Matthew Walls’ hopes. Eddy Le Huitouze managed to stay in the first part of the peloton and secured tenth place.
Erlend Blikra won this year's La Roue Tourangelle
The fourth round of the FDJ French Cup, La Roue Tourangelle, was set to host another battle between punchers and sprinters this Sunday in Tours. First, however, three men took the lead early in the race with the breakaway. Quite in control, the peloton then cruised at around four minutes for much of the day. In the final hour of racing, the growing tension gradually made the gap smaller, without any real move taking place. “A lot of teams tried to block the race so that it would finish in a sprint,” explained Thierry Bricaud. “It was quite fast all day, but there wasn’t much action. We were hoping there would be a bit more of it in the last forty kilometres, to then make the race hard and be active with Thibaud. That’s what we did, but there were still a lot of riders in contention, and things never settled as we would have liked.”
Yet, the young French puncher did meet the expectations. He was part of a first move on the Côte de Bois Renault, fifteen kilometres from the finish. The peloton closed the gap after a few minutes of chasing, but the local rider went for it again on the Côte de l’Opale with five kilometres to go, taking four riders with him after a very strong attack. A small gap was made on the pack, but it wasn’t enough to stay away as multiple teams led the chase in the back. With just over two kilometres to go, Thibaud Gruel’s attack was neutralized. “He surely was strong,” Thierry Brieuc said. “Apart from the fact that he was motivated because he was on his training routes, it is a confirmation of his start to the season. We can see that he’s really starting to be at ease in these French Cup races. He should be able to win one fairly quickly because these races suit him.”
With the breakaway caught, a sprint was looming. “We initially played the Thibaud card, but we knew it could come down to a sprint, and in that scenario, we had the Matthew Walls card,” explained Thierry. “Until the penultimate corner, it all went very well, then there was a hard fight for positioning, and the peloton came out a bit scattered from this corner. Eddy followed the first part, while Lewis Bower and Matthew were caught behind small splits. The intention was good, the motivation was there, the timing may not have been perfect, but it was a pretty messy sprint.”
Eddy Le Huitouze then fought to take tenth place, while Lewis Bower (14th) and Matthew Walls (19th) finished a few seconds later. “We’re frustrated with the final, but it’s a bit like our last races,” concluded Thierry. “We’re there, but there’s just one little thing missing for things to turn out the right way. We have the potential to do much better. That said, we can’t complain about the attitude and commitment. The guys did what they had to do, especially for such a young squad.”
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