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Friday, November 7, 2025
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2024 Tour de France | 2024 Giro d'Italia
The noblest pleasure is the joy of understanding. - Leonardo da Vinci
Les Woodland's book Paris-Roubaix: The Inside Story - All the bumps of cycling's cobbled classic is available in print, Kindle eBook & audiobook versions. To get your copy, just click on the Amazon link on the right.
Upcoming racing:
- November 16: Trofee Hamme-Flandriencross
- December 14: World Cup Namur
- December 23: Superprestige Heusden-Zolder
- December 26: World Cup Gavere
- December 29: Trofee Loenhout-Azencross
- December 30: Superprestige Diegem
- January 1: GP Sven Nys
Latest completed racing:
- November 1: Trofee Oudenaarde-Koppenbergcross
- October 26: Superprestige Overijse-Vlaamse Druivencross
- October 14 - 19: Tour of Guangxi
- October 14 - 19: Tour of Holland
- October 19: Veneto Classic
- October 19: Japan Cup
- October 19: Chrono des Nations
- October 15: Giro del Veneto
- October 12: Paris-Tours
Syritsa’s Team XDS Astana posted this:
After the 2025 season spent with the continental squad XDS Astana Development Team, Gleb Syritsa is returning to the WorldTour with XDS Astana Team, where he will compete in the 2026 season.
The 25-year-old rider had a strong year, racing both with his continental team and alongside the WorldTour squad, where he regularly supported the team’s sprinters, Max Kanter and Matteo Malucelli. Gleb also achieved several personal results, including a victory in the prologue of the Tour of Rhodes, podium finishes on stages of the Tour of Hellas and the Czech Tour, as well as several Top-10 finishes in one-day races with XDS Astana Team.
Gleb Syritsa wins stage two of the 2023 Tour de Langkawi. Sirotti photo
“I think the season was very productive for me. Of course, most of the races I did with the WorldTour team, where my role was to support the leaders and lead out our sprinters in the final kilometers. That was the plan before the season, and I’m glad I was able to help my teammates achieve both victories and podiums in several races. At the same time, I had my own chances, both with the WorldTour and Development teams, where I managed to win and take some podium places. In any case, I’m happy to return to the main roster of our team, and next year I’ll continue giving my best to help us achieve our goals”, – said Gleb Syritsa.
“Over the past season, Gleb has made great progress in teamwork and in helping the leaders both during the race and in the final sprints. He delivered a series of strong performances that often resulted in victories or podiums for the team. I think his partnership with Max Kanter this year was very effective. Next season, we’ll be able to count on Gleb again for WorldTour races, where his support will be equally valuable”, – said Alexandr Vinokurov, General Manager of XDS Astana Team.
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The team sent me this news:
Hot off the press: EF Education-EasyPost has signed 19-year-old Matthias Schwarzbacher for 2026 and beyond. Matthias becomes the first-ever Slovakian rider to sign for the team.
Matthias has emerged as one of the most highly tipped and exciting U23 riders this season, securing victory in several prestigious races and attracting the interest of various WorldTour teams. We are delighted to announce that Matthias has signed with us and will join our elite men’s team next season.
Matthias Schwarzbacher
The versatile athlete from Brezno in central Slovakia switched to cycling after initially competing in biathlon, but quickly developed a passion for road racing from a young age after watching Slovakia’s top star on the international stage.
“I actually began in biathlon, but then I started following cycling because of Peter Sagan and started going to races. I was cycling more and more, and it really just went from there. I must have been about 12 or 13 when I started,” Matthias told us.
The last few seasons have seen Matthias progress through the junior and U23 ranks, but 2025 was unquestionably a breakthrough season for our new recruit. He finished sixth in the U23 version of Paris-Roubaix before winning the opening stage of the Giro d'Italia Next Gen. That victory against the clock was the most significant moment of Matthias’s emerging career, and more success followed with a win in the elite men’s time trial at the national championships, where Slovakian and Czech riders competed over the same course. That victory came against WorldTour-level riders and confirmed what was already a remarkable season.
“Until this year, I would have described myself as a punchy rider, and maybe even someone with a strong sprint, but this season I’ve performed well in the time trials, too. That’s been a bit of a surprise for me, but I still think that I can perform on various terrains. The entire season has been a welcome surprise for me, particularly in terms of my development. I didn’t expect such a good year, considering I was sick a lot last year. I was hoping for some good results this year, but I wasn’t expecting to make such a big step,” he said.
“For me, the highlight of the year was my Giro stage win. I went into that race with good form, but I’d not done any big trials all season. I’d done a few prologues, but that was it. I knew that I could do well, but I never had it in my mind that I could beat some of the best time trialists in the U23 peloton. It was an amazing win, and one that gave me huge confidence,” Matthias added.
Matthias’s first face-to-face meeting with his new teammates will take place later in the off-season at EF Education-EasyPost’s training camp. This will be a chance for Matthias to settle into his new environment, get to know everyone on the team from riders to staff, and, of course, set some goals for an exciting year ahead. He’s eager to begin a new chapter in his career and to connect with a team he has admired for some time.
“When it came to joining the team, I was drawn to EF Education-EasyPost's style and how they present themselves on social media. The jersey looks cool, and the videos look really great. That made a really good first impression for me, and from there, I had a really good conversation with Jonathan Vaughters about my development and how, in the future, I could target races like Paris-Roubaix. I don’t know anyone on the team yet, but I’m really looking forward to joining my new teammates,” he said.
“I think that next year is going to be a bit like a big school year for me. I’ll need to learn and adapt to the WorldTour. I’ve done some big races already, but tackling a whole calendar like that will be a different story. It’s going to be a big year of learning and developing as a rider,” Matthias said.
EF Pro Cycling CEO Jonathan Vaughters is excited to bring Matthias into the fold next season, having watched him evolve over the last couple of seasons.
“Matthias can really impress in those short time trials, but he’s also a super versatile rider. He’s extremely strong on the flats and is a very effective sprinter, and he was already on my radar before he won at the Giro this year. The result in the national time trial championships was outstanding, and he beat some top-level WorldTour riders. He was also sixth in U23 Paris-Roubaix despite some serious bad luck, so I can see him as being both an invaluable lead-out rider, an incredible time trialist, but also having this dream of competing in those Paris-Roubaix or Gent-Wevelgem style of races. That’s not going to happen immediately, of course, but he’s got that short five-minute power that’s irreplaceable,” Vaughters said.
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Here’s the team’s update:
Gaëtan Pons will join Team Visma | Lease a Bike as a sports director from next season. The 32-year-old Luxembourger has spent the past two years at Unibet Tietema Rocket and already has six years of experience behind the wheel despite his age.
Starting January 1st, Gaëtan Pons will be handing out instructions from the car behind, and the former professional is welcomed with open arms into the Dutch team.
Gaëtan Pons
“Gaëtan is a young, talented, and ambitious sports director. He already has a lot of experience in the car, and we’re happy to have him on board. We look forward to a great future together,” Grischa Niermann, Head of Racing, remarks.
Pons himself has just become a father for the second time and therefore already has his hands full. Nonetheless, he doesn’t hide his excitement about stepping up to the WorldTour as a sports director after spending four years with Leopard Pro Cycling and two with the rapidly growing Unibet Tietema Rockets.
“I’m really excited to be joining the team. I can’t wait to meet everyone. It’s a big new challenge, and I have to get used to fighting to win the Tour de France and not just fighting to get a spot there. But I think that suits me really well, as I always want to win. I love the adrenaline that comes with victory, so hopefully I’ve come to the right team,” Pons laughs.
“When I met with Grischa Niermann and Jacco Verhaeren, we were quickly aligned. My experience as a rider just below WorldTour level taught me how it feels to be on the bike, which helps when talking with the riders. At the same time, I want to bring a good atmosphere to the team. I always try to bring people together, as I believe they perform better in a safe environment.”
‘Ponsi’, as he is often called by colleagues and friends, rode for Continental teams like Wallonie-Bruxelles and Leopard Pro Cycling in his early twenties before deciding to hold the radio in his hands rather than put it in his ears. Leopard encouraged him to try himself out as a sports director for their team of unpolished talents, which he agreed to. He fell in love with the role right away. In 2024, Pons moved to Unibet Tietema Rockets and saw them grow into a team now competing for a spot at the 2026 Tour de France. Everywhere he goes, he brings his passion for the sport, and he assures that will also be the case at Team Visma | Lease a Bike.
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The team posted this:
The promising Frenchman, who racked up strong results on the road and track, steps up to the U23 ranks with our squad.
Luc Royer will be a member of our feeder squad in 2026. The 18-year-old joins us after two impressive seasons in the junior category, during which he won the general classification at the Trophée Sébaco Juniors and Penn Ar Bed-Pays d’Iroise, as well as the Bretagne ITT Champion title.
Luc Royer. Photo: ©Sport Vision
A strong time trialist and a rider who likes solo efforts, Royer started cycling at the age of ten, after previously doing judo, and joined the VC Mévennais club. Step by step, he progressed and made it to the VC Pays de Loudéac, combining road cycling with track, which helped him develop both physically and tactically. On the velodrome, he took silver in the individual pursuit at this year’s European Championships that took place in Anadia before powering to gold at the French Nationals held in October, thus capping off a remarkable final season in the junior ranks.
“I’m really enthusiastic and proud to be joining this team. It’s a team that I’ve always dreamed of since being a kid, and it’s truly an honour to be able to wear this beautiful jersey next year. I’ve always been a big admirer of The Wolfpack, and as I grew up, I came to respect the squad’s prestige, as well as the collective spirit and panache they show when they compete. I can’t wait to get started and show myself in races next season”, an excited Luc said.
“Luc was among the strongest riders in his category in France last season, and he has proven his quality also on the track numerous times. Next year, we will allow him to develop gradually in the early races, but we are confident it won’t take a lot before seeing him in the front group, as he has the engine and versatility for that. It makes us happy that he will ride for us”, added Soudal Quick-Step Devo Team sports director Kevin Hulsmans.
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