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Thursday, October 9, 2025
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2024 Tour de France | 2024 Giro d'Italia
It is paradoxical, yet true, to say, that the more we know, the more ignorant we become in the absolute sense, for it is only through enlightenment that we become conscious of our limitations. Precisely one of the most gratifying results of intellectual evolution is the continuous opening up of new and greater prospects. - Nikola Tesla
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Current racing:
- October 9: Gran Piemonte
Upcoming racing:
- October 11: Il Lombardia
- October 12: Paris-Tours
- October 14 - 19: Tour of Guangxi
- October 14 - 19: Tour of Holland
- October 15: Giro del Veneto
- October 19: Veneto Classic
Latest completed racing:
- October 7: Binche-Chimay-Binche
- October 7: Tre Valli Varesine
- October 6: Coppa Bernocchi
- September 28 - October 5: Tour de Langkawi
- October 5: Coppa Agostoni
- October 4: Giro dell'Emilia
- October 3: Mûnsterland Giro
- September 21 - 28: World Cycling Championships
- September 17 - 21: Tour de Luxembourg
Here’s the team’s news:
Polti VisitMalta continues a great week of racing in northern Italy, with a succession of classics stopping in Piedmont this coming Thursday.
The 179-kilometer race between Dogliani and Acqui Terme will feature a hily route, but above all, four outstanding climbs to break up the race. The last of these, Castelletto d’Erro, just 15 kilometers from the finish, could break up a massive finish or form a small peloton to determine the race winner.
The Polti VisitMalta lineup is led by Ludovico Crescioli and Alessandro Tonelli, both repeating their efforts after the finish of the Lombard Triptych in Varese. Joining them will be Maltese champion Aidan Buttigieg and Italian gem Mattia Gaffuri, and rounding out the lineup will be Davide De Cassan, Pablo Garcia, and Diego Sevilla.
Alessandro Tonelli finishes stage 12 of the 2023 Giro d'Italia. Sirotti photo
Ludovico Crescioli: “After competing hard over this week, we’re breathing a little bit to face another classic with a challenging course that I enjoy, where we hope to once again play a leading role and achieve the team’s goals.”
Giovanni Ellena, sports director and a native of the area, analyzes the race: “It’s a quiet race, with fast riders who can have a good chance, and we trust in riders who climb well, like Crescioli and Tonelli, who can also achieve a good result with their speed.”
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The team posted this:
The season’s final Monument, and the last European World Tour race of the season, Il Lombardia returns to Como for the start of the 119th edition. The 238km route takes in seven climbs – Madonna del Ghisallo, Roncola, Berbenno, Passo della Crocetta, Zambla Alta, Passo di Ganda, and Colle Aperto – before the finish in Bergamo. The ascents will make for a total of 4400 meters of climbing, a relentless course that is sure to make a selection long before the final hill of the race.
Winner of four medals in as many races at the World and European Championships in the last couple of weeks, Remco Evenepoel will lead Soudal Quick-Step at Il Lombardia, where he is set to make his eighth Monument appearance. Runner-up at the previous edition after an impressive ride, the 25-year-old Belgian looks forward to Saturday’s appointment in northern Italy.
Remco Evenepoel finishes second in the 2024 Il Lombardia. Sirotti photo
“Lombardia is a beautiful race which brings a lot of memories from the previous participations. At the same time, it’s a hard race, where you have to be really strong in order to be in contention for a nice result, and I feel that I come here with both a good form and a solid team around me, and this makes me confident in my chances”, Remco said.
Joining Evenepoel on the Soudal Quick-Step roster will be Mattia Cattaneo, Gianmarco Garofoli, Mikel Landa – who finished third at the 2022 edition – former Piccolo Lombardia winner Junior Lecerf, Pieter Serry, and Louis Vervaeke.
“We have one last big race for this season, and we are keen on showing the Wolfpack spirit and the determination that have brought us so many great victories this season. Remco is motivated to end his season on a high note and we are motivated to give him the best support in order to get a good result in this prestigious race”, explained sports director Davide Bramati.
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Here’s the team’s news:
Lidl-Trek is pleased to announce that Lucinda Brand has signed a one-year contract extension, keeping her with the Team through the 2026 season. Brand will also continue racing her Trek bike in cyclocross with Baloise Glowi Lions
Since joining Lidl-Trek in 2020, Brand has built an impressive palmarès on the road, claiming stage and overall victories at the Thüringen Ladies Tour, Tour de Suisse, and Baloise Ladies Tour, as well as a one-day triumph at Dwars door het Hageland.
Alongside her road success, Brand remains one of the most dominant figures in cyclocross. During the 2024-25 season, she achieved a remarkable triple crown — winning all three major overall series: the UCI World Cup, Superprestige, and X2O Badkamers Trofee — and currently holds the #1 spot in the UCI rankings.
Lucinda Brand wins the 2022 Flandriencross
With her wealth of experience and all-round strength, Lucinda continues to be a cornerstone of Lidl-Trek, bringing depth, leadership, and consistency to every race she starts.
“Extending my contract with Lidl-Trek was a natural choice,” said Brand. “It’s felt like home over the last five years, and I’m really happy that our story can continue together. My role within the team has evolved, but I still feel just as valued. We have so many exciting young riders coming through, and I’m glad I get the chance to share my experience with them while continuing to perform at my best in the races.”
“Lucinda has been an integral part of our women’s program since the beginning,” said Luca Guercilena, Lidl-Trek General Manager. “Her professionalism, experience, and fighting spirit set an example for everyone in the team. We’re proud to continue this journey with her and look forward to seeing what she can achieve both on the road and in cyclocross over the next season.”
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Here’s the team’s update:
Bringing on board a variety of experience, Team Picnic PostNL are excited to announce the signings of Dillon Corkery, James Knox and Oliver Peace to their Men’s program for 2026. Corkery spent the second half of the season as a stagiaire with the team and is contracted through 2027. Peace, who makes the step-up after being part of the Development program and is the 23rd rider to do so, will also wear the two-stripes through 2027, while experienced strong climber Knox has a contract for 2026.
Dillon Corkery
Hailing from Ireland, Corkery is a late bloomer within the sport, having progressed steadily through the ranks in recent years, honing his trade on the amateur then Continental level racing scene in France. Formerly working part time as a tradesman alongside his cycling, Corkery has taken a step-up in 2025 and impressed many with strong performances in the opening part of the year. An attacking race saw him take sixth place at the cobbled GP de Denain against top quality opposition, and he’s shown versatility and a good kick with eighth place in La Roue Tourangelle and a third on the opening stage of Règion Pays de la Loire Tour. Those performances saw Corkery earn a stagiaire contract with the team, recently making his debut at Kampioenschap van Vlaanderen.
Corkery said: “I’ve always wanted to be part of a team that combines professionalism with the freedom to grow, and Team Picnic PostNL felt like the perfect fit. I’m especially excited to play a role in races I’ve dreamed of since I was a kid, like the Classics and maybe even a Grand Tour. I would describe myself as a punchy rider who loves a fast finish and can support our sprinters when it counts. My goal is to contribute to a winning environment and keep that momentum going throughout the season. On the bike I bring experience and tactical know-how, while off the bike I try to create a calm, relaxed atmosphere and have a bit of “craic” with the boys, as we say in Ireland.”
Team Picnic PostNL head coach Rudi Kemna added: “Dillon is a rider who has developed a little later, but his instincts for positioning and timing in a sprint are exceptional and immediately strengthen our Classics and lead-out group. We believe he has the raw qualities to become a key part of our sprint train while we help him explore the harder one-day races and discover exactly where his strengths can shine. Bringing him into our system gives us a rider who is hungry to prove himself and who will add depth and reliability to our fast-finishing squad.”
James Knox
Moving to the team for 2026, Knox brings a wealth of experience with him, having competed at the highest level of the sport since 2018 when he turned professional. A strong and reliable climber, Knox finds himself at home when the gradients get steeper; previously finishing 11th on GC at the Vuelta a España back in 2019 alongside several other good results throughout his career at World Tour and professional level. However, Knox is also known for being a committed team player and has fulfilled the role of climbing domestique to an impeccable standard throughout this career so far, helping his team to multiple successes over the years in some of the biggest races in the world.
James Knox in stage 9 of the 2019 Vuelta a España. Sirotti photo
Knox expressed: “What drew me to Team Picnic PostNL is the opportunity to join a team with a proven track record at the highest level, and to work with talented young riders like fellow Brits, Oscar Onley and Max Poole. I’m excited to become part of a strong team culture and contribute to its continued success. I would describe myself as an experienced and reliable rider in stage races and Grand Tours, someone who has been part of big victories and is eager to do so again with Team Picnic PostNL. My goal is always to achieve the best possible results in the biggest races, and on the bike, I bring strong support and consistency, while off the bike I aim to be a positive, motivating presence within the team.”
Team Picnic PostNL head coach Rudi Kemna added: “James adds the experienced climbing support that every GC team needs. He has shown year after year that he can deliver in the mountains, and we see an opportunity to help him rediscover fresh motivation and reach an even higher level. Our ambition is to guide him so that he can go deeper into the finales of the toughest stages and become an even more decisive presence for our finishers like Max and Oscar. His professionalism, calm under pressure mentality, and pure climbing talent will lift the entire group when the road tilts upward.”
Oliver Peace
Progressing through Team Picnic PostNL’s Development program, Peace has spent two good years with the team so far, plying his trade in a diverse mix of races and against a variety of opposition. 2024 saw him find his feet having made the step up from juniors, riding well in multiple different events and gaining invaluable experience racing alongside the Men’s program at events such as the Tour of the Alps and Tour of Britain. That was rounded out with a good sixth place through the vineyards of Paris-Tours Espoirs as this year has seen him continue to develop, taking a good 11th place on GC at the beginning of the year at Tour du Rwanda; before helping to contribute to the team’s goals and his national squad when he’s represented them in races such as the Tour de l’Avenir.
Peace said: “I’ve really enjoyed my first two years with the Development program, and the opportunities I’ve had with the WorldTour squad have been valuable. The belief the coaches and team have had in me has given me a lot of confidence. From the very beginning, I’ve felt really comfortable in this environment and I’ve already made a lot of great memories with the team. Racing in Rwanda at the start of this year was a special experience, and riding my first pro race at the Tour of the Alps last year was also a fun week, but my favourite memory so far must be riding on home roads at the Tour of Britain last year. Looking ahead I just want to continue developing with the team and really find my feet at WorldTour level; contribute to the team as much as possible while also learning as much as I can from the more experienced guys.”
Team Picnic PostNL head coach Rudi Kemna concluded: “Oliver’s progression through our Development program has been outstanding, and he now fully deserves this next step into the Men’s program. He is gifted both in climbing and time trialling, a combination that gives him the tools to grow into a GC rider over the coming years. Initially he will play an important support role in stage races, but we will give him every opportunity to continue developing the endurance, racing craft and consistency needed for the WorldTour. Watching him take on this challenge will be a proud moment for everyone who has worked with him.”
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