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Wednesday, October 1, 2025
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2024 Tour de France | 2024 Giro d'Italia
Music is a moral law. It gives soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and charm and gaiety to life and to everything. - Plato
Roman philosopher Seneca’s Letter to his Friend Lucilius and an Essay Addressed to Emperor Nero is available in both audiobook and Kindle eBook versions. To get your copy, just click on the Amazon link on the right.
Current racing:
- September 28 - October 5: Tour de Langkawi
Upcoming racing:
- October 3: Mûnsterland Giro
- October 4: Giro dell'Emilia
- October 5: Coppa Agostoni
- October 6: Coppa Bernocchi
- October 7: Binche-Chimay-Binche
- October 7: Tre Valli Varesine
- October 9: Gran Piemonte
- October 11: Il Lombardia
- October 12: Paris-Tours
Latest completed racing:
- September 21 - 28: World Cycling Championships
- September 17 - 21: Tour de Luxembourg
- September 20: Super 8 Classic
- September 19: Kampioenschap van Vlaanderen
- September 17: GP de Wallonie
- August 23 - September 14: Vuelta a España
- September 14: Grand Prix Cycliste de Montréal
- September 14: GP de Fourmies
- September 14: Trofeo Matteotti
We posted the report from the race organizer with the results.
Here's the Tour de Langkawi stage three report from fourth-place Manuel Peñalver's Team Polti-VisitMalta:
In a somewhat more technical and complicated finish than previous days, well positioned by his teammates in the final stretch, Manuel Peñalver followed Kristoff’s wheel to launch the sprint 250 meters from the finish line. It was a very close finish that was decided by a photo finish. Italian Malucelli (XDS Astana) won by the narrowest of margins, with just half a bike space ahead of Peñalver.
Matteo Malucelli wins Tour de Langkawi stage three.
Manuel Peñalver: “The stage start was tough; the climb was fast, and the heat also affected some sprinters, leaving them behind. It was a technical finish, where we were well positioned and came very close to the podium and the win. I also want to praise my teammates, who pushed hard to prevent the dropped sprinters from coming in behind and thus boosted our chances at the finish.”
Jesús Hernández, Sports Director: “The team was fantastic, and we also had more luck today, which is a very important factor in these finishes. We were in the fight, close to the win, and we’ll keep fighting because we have opportunities and motivation to raise our arms in Langkawi.”
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Here’s the team’s news:
Tudor Pro Cycling is delighted to announce the long-term contract extensions of Michael Storer and Maikel Zijlaard, strengthening the team’s future ambitions across all terrains.
Australian climber Michael Storer joined Tudor Pro Cycling in 2024 after six years at the WorldTour level. His first season brought consistency, and 2025 marked a true return to winning form with standout performances: a stage victory at Paris–Nice, followed by both a stage win and the Tour of the Alps GC title. Those triumphs set the stage for an ambitious campaign at both the Giro d'Italia and the Tour de France. Most recently, Storer added another highlight with the victory at Memorial Pantani.
Michael Storer winning the 2025 Memorial Pantani.
Reflecting on his growth, Storer shared: "I feel stronger as a rider and more complete overall - I've really developed into an all-rounder and I enjoy stepping into a leadership role. My highlights so far are definitely the Tour of the Alps and the Memorial Pantani."
On his environment at Tudor Pro Cycling: "I love racing with this team - we have a fantastic group of riders and staff, and I feel I have everything I need here to reach my full potential."
Looking ahead, Storer has clear ambitions: "My goal is to keep competing at the highest level - competing for wins and enjoying racing. There's always room for improvement, and I want to continue making progress. Winning stages at the Giro d'Italia and the Tour de France would be a dream to add to my Vuelta a España stage victories."
Dutch powerhouse Maikel Zijlaard has been with Tudor Pro Cycling since the project’s early days in 2022 and has become a cornerstone of the team’s sprint train. As lead-out man for Arvid de Kleijn, he played a decisive role in five of De Kleijn’s victories in 2023. The following year, he showcased his versatility by winning the opening prologue at the Tour de Romandie, a milestone for the team. In 2025, he made his Grand Tour debut at the Giro d’Italia, finishing third in a bunch sprint.
Zijlaard is motivated by the team’s long-term commitment: “It’s exciting to extend my contract and make it seven years with Tudor. I truly believe this is one of the fastest-growing teams in cycling, and I’m proud to grow together with them.”
On his steady development: “When I joined in 2022, the idea was to discover what type of rider I could become. At first, we realized I was strong in lead-outs, and that worked perfectly with Arvid. Later, I found that prologues suited me, and this year I’ve shown I can also fight in the sprints. Step by step, it is all coming together.”
Beyond performance, he values the team’s culture: “I feel I’m evolving not just as a rider but as a person. The bonds we’ve built within this team are special - it’s not just about results, but about the environment that helps you give your best every day.”
Looking ahead, Zijlaard has clear ambitions: “The Prologue win in Tour de Romandie, second place at Tirreno–Adriatico, and the Giro d’Italia sprints this year are big highlights. But for me, the journey to those results is just as important. In the future, I want to keep growing in every role the team gives me - and who knows, maybe even lead a Grand Tour that starts with a prologue.”
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Here’s the team’s announcement:
We are thrilled to announce that world junior cyclocross champion Mattia Agostinacchio has joined EF Education-EasyPost on a long-term contract.
The 18-year-old from Aosta, Italy, will join the WorldTour team in 2026 but will race in our team colors in the coming weeks as he embarks on a soon-to-be-announced cyclocross project.
Mattia is a complete all-rounder, having come through cycling as a mountain biker before taking up cyclocross and, more recently, road racing. This season, Mattia has achieved several impressive wins on the road and is determined to hit the ground running with his first pro team.
Mattia Agostinacchio
“This year has been great. I’m happy with how I’ve raced and some of my wins and results. I came into the season on the back of my world championships win in cyclocross, and I worked a lot for that win. I still don’t have the words to describe how I felt after that victory, but right now I’m looking to the future and joining EF Education-EasyPost,” he told us from his home in Italy.
“I think that EF Education-EasyPost is going to be the perfect team for me. It’s a good team for young riders to join because I think they are very strong when it comes to rider development. I had conversations with Jonathan Vaughters in the spring, and he made a very good impression. I genuinely believe that I’ll learn a lot from the team and become a better rider. In my first year, I want to improve on the bike but also get to know everyone on the team and have some fun. I think that’s really important for young riders, having that chance to enjoy cycling while you learn,” he added.
Mattia is no stranger to learning, having taught himself English by watching YouTube and TikTok videos. A keen cyclist since his early childhood, it was his father who first introduced him to the sport - initially as a recreational pastime, and later as a way to compete.
“My dad raced a few races as an amateur, so I’ve been on the bike since an early age. I started with mountain biking, and then about four or five years ago, I started cyclocross. Then, four years ago, I did my first race, and from 2024 I started to take road racing a lot more seriously. I’m an allrounder and right now one-day races suit me the best. On shorter climbs, I think I’m good but I still have a lot of improvements to make. That’s where the team can help me, when it comes to nutrition, training, and racing,” he said.
Commentators have compared Mattia to Mathieu van der Poel, another rider who made a significant impact on the cyclocross scene as a junior before becoming one of the most successful riders in the world. Mattia is obviously flattered by the comparisons to a multiple-time world champion and spring classics specialist, but he also understands that his personal development remains his main focus for the years to come.
“Growing up, I was a big fan of Mathieu van der Poel. Lots of people say I look like him, but I really don’t think so. On the bike, people also compare me with him, but honestly, if I could be anything like him as a rider I’d be super happy. We’ll have to see in the future. In the short term, I’m just looking forward to meeting my new teammates and wearing the EF Education-EasyPost kit,” he added.
EF Pro Cycling CEO, Jonathan Vaughters, has been monitoring Mattia’s progress for some time, and after meeting the rider and his family earlier this year, the boss was immediately attracted to the Italian’s outlook, determination, and obvious talent on the bike.
“This kid is crazy intelligent. He learned English from YouTube and TikTok, and that impressed me. The second thing that impressed me was that when I met and had dinner with his entire family, I got to know his background. That’s always very important when you’re taking on young riders. So, his dad is a police officer, his mom is a school teacher, and on the cycling side, he didn’t have a power meter until a year ago. He doesn’t have a deep history in cycling; he’s just a kid from the Italian mountains, and his dad’s love of mountain biking got him into the sport. His dad coached him from books, and his dad coached him to win at Worlds, and I can guarantee that no other kid at the Worlds had their dad coaching them as a side hobby before coming away with the rainbow jersey. To me, that tells me there’s a lot of untapped potential still to come,” Vaughters said.
“When it comes to watching Mattia race, the first thing that stood out to me was the way in which he wins races. In cyclocross, his skill is that he can pick one climb, or one moment, and just be massively explosive for two minutes and create a gap, and that gap never comes back. That super explosive power, lasting 45 seconds to two minutes, is something that not many riders possess. It’s natural and really hard to train. You’ve either got it or you don’t, and in modern cycling, that’s how you win races, by creating that separation,” Vaughters added.
Mattia’s road race program will be decided later in the year, after he meets with the coaches, directors, and his teammates at EF Education-EasyPost’s winter training camp. What’s clear is that while Mattia will be part of the men’s WorldTour squad next season, he will also join the EF Education-Aevolo development team for several races throughout the coming season.
“We’re not going to push on him too hard, so he will race on the development team, but he’ll also race as part of the WorldTour squad,” Vaughters said.
“Here and there, we’ll put him into a few WorldTour races, just to start learning. We won’t overcook him, but when we can, and when we think he’s ready, we’ll race him up on the WorldTour team so that he can gain that vital experience. The sooner he understands how races like the Tour of Flanders or Amstel Gold work, the sooner he can start finding success in them.”
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Here’s the team’s news:
Owain Doull will race for Team Visma | Lease a Bike for the next two seasons. The British former Olympic team pursuit champion brings experience to both the classics squad and the sprint train.
Doull is an experienced British all-rounder. After becoming Olympic champion in the team pursuit on the track in 2016, he shifted his focus fully to the road. In the nine years he has competed at WorldTour level, Doull has taken two professional victories, but has especially distinguished himself in a supporting role in the classics, sprint preparation, and Grand Tours.
Owain Doull racing in stage 14 of the 2024 Vuelta a España. Sirotti photo
“I’m very excited about the opportunity I’m getting here with one of the best teams in the world,” Doull said about his transfer. “I’m already highly motivated when I think about next season. I’m looking forward to supporting Matthew Brennan in the flat sprints, playing a role in his lead-out and in the classics. At the same time, I also want to discover how much room for growth I still have myself. Physically, I’m still getting stronger, even after nine years in the WorldTour. Last season was my best so far, and I expect that I can take another step forward with this team.”
Head of Racing Grischa Niermann is equally confident about Doull’s arrival. “With his experience at the highest level, he will absolutely strengthen our team,” said the German. “Owain showed last year that he can still be competitive in the spring classics. We also expect that he can continue to improve physically within our team. But his most important role will be to guide our young talents in the classics and sprints.”
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