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Thursday, October 16, 2025
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2024 Tour de France | 2024 Giro d'Italia
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Current racing:
- October 14 - 19: Tour of Guangxi
- October 14 - 19: Tour of Holland
Upcoming racing:
- October 19: Veneto Classic
- October 19: Japan Cup
- October 19: Chrono des Nations
Latest completed racing:
- October 15: Giro del Veneto
- October 12: Paris-Tours
- October 11: Il Lombardia
- October 9: Gran Piemonte
- 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
We posted the report from stage winner Paul Magnier's Team Soudal Quick-Step with the results.
Here's the report from Peter Oxenberg's Team INEOS Grenadiers:
Peter Oxenberg moves up to fourth on GC and secures the King of the Mountains jersey after being in the break all day on the second stage of Tour of Guangxi.
Oxenberg was quick to react to early attacks on the 178km stage, and was part of the six man break established in the opening 10 minutes.
The Danish rider continued to ride strongly, pushing on with two others as they scaled the category two climb. A sprint from Oxenberg saw him secure the maximum points and the lead of the King of the Mountains.
It was Paul Magnier who won stage two.
With the peloton chasing hard, Oxenberg sat up inside the final 15km. Kim Heiduk did all he could in the bunch sprint to the finish, taking the top place for the team with 15th place.
Tomorrow will see the riders take on a punchy 214km stage from Jingxi to Bama.
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We posted the report from stage winner Tim Merlier's Team Soudal Quick-Step with the results.
Here's the report from second-place Olav Kooij's Team Visma | Lease a Bike:
Olav Kooij came agonisingly close to taking the win in the first road stage of the Tour of Holland. The Dutch sprinter of Team Visma | Lease a Bike seemed on his way to victory in Dordrecht, but saw Tim Merlier surge past him in the final metres. Thanks to his second place, Kooij moves up a few spots in the general classification.
Tim Merlier (blue kit) just beats Olav Kooij for the stage win. Photo: Cor Vos
With only 118 kilometres on the menu, it was written in the stars that the stage would end in a bunch sprint. A breakaway of four riders animated most of the day, but the sprint teams never allowed the gap to grow too much and kept control in the peloton.
In the closing phase, Christophe Laporte — wearing the red jersey after his fighting ride on the opening day — did an excellent job for his teammate. The Frenchman guided Kooij through the tricky finale and dropped him off perfectly for the sprint. Kooij launched from the front and looked set to take the win, but Merlier had other plans.
“We can’t blame ourselves for anything today”, Kooij said afterwards, proud of the team’s work. “We did everything right in the finale. I was in a great position and knew I’d be close to the win. Tim came closer and closer and eventually drew level. In the final metres he just had that extra bit of speed to edge past me. We both gave everything, and that made it a thrilling sprint. The stage win was absolutely the priority for me and the team today. After tomorrow’s time trial, we’ll see where we stand in the overall.”
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We posted the report from winner Isaac del Toro's UAE Team Emirates-XRG with the results.
Here's the report from Romain Grégoire's Team Groupama-FDJ:
Although the cycling season is about to end, Romain Grégoire’s ambitions remain high. So, on Wednesday, in the Giro del Veneto, the young French rider risked it all in the final towards Verona. On the last climb of the day, he was the only rider to hold Isaac del Toro’s wheel for a few hundreds of meters. The Mexican ultimately managed to pull away, and Romain Grégoire had to settle with seventh place in a small chasing pack. On Sunday, he will conclude his season on the Veneto Classic.
Isaac del Toro wins the 2025 Giro del Veneto
A year after his third place in Verona, Romain Grégoire was back on the “Giro del Veneto” this Wednesday, but on a new route. Instead of Monte Berico, it was the longer (4 kilometers) but less steep (5%) Salita delle Toriccelle that had to be crossed five times in the second half of the race, meaning in the last 80 kilometres. The early breakaway had the chance to cover the first laps in the lead but was logically caught with about thirty kilometres to go, approaching the penultimate climb. This is where the first real selection took place in the bunch, and Romain Grégoire, perfectly positioned by his teammates, was immediately able to react to the first attacks, including that of Pavel Sivakov.
The rider from Besançon then remained at the forefront until passing the summit, then it was a peloton of around forty riders that entered the final lap a few minutes later. The Groupama-FDJ’s leader could still count on Lorenzo Germani, who proved quite valuable right up to the first few hundred metres of the final climb. “The day was very fast and there was great teamwork all day,” said Stéphane Goubert. “In the final, the goal was of course to follow Del Toro. We knew he was the favorite, but we hoped it would be possible to keep up with him on these gradients.”
Nearly three kilometres from the summit, eleven kilometers from the finish, the Mexican launched the anticipated attack, and Romain Grégoire was the only one to catch his wheel. “The day unfolded as we expected,” said Romain. “We did what we could with our strengths, and the team did a great job, always putting me in the right position. Then it was just about the legs. I tried to follow Del Toro, at the risk of blowing apart, but it wasn’t enough.”
After a few seconds in the UAE rider’s wake, Romain Grégoire lost a few metres and found himself isolated, ten seconds behind. “For a moment, I still believed in it,” Stéphane Goubert said. “Romain needed to catch his breath, he really limited the gap, but unfortunately it didn’t last very long, Del Toro continued to push forward, and then it was over.” Caught as he approached the summit by a handful of riders, Romain Grégoire then saw the chasing group grow to twenty riders on the descent. “We could have also raced in a conservative way, played with the risks of the sprint, but we preferred to try to be in front and maybe follow Del Toro, or at least go for second place,” Stéphane added. “We tried, but it didn’t work.”
At the finish, Isaac del Toro secured his victory, while Pavel Sivakov took second place after a late attack. Romain Grégoire took fifth place in the sprint, making him seventh in the race. “He might have finished 4th or 5th if he had raced conservatively, but we had to give it a try given the hard work the guys put in,” added Stéphane. “We chose that option and I approve it 100%. In any case, the team’s spirit was really good, everyone did a great job, and they communicated a lot, which is really important.” “I have to be content with a top-10, which isn’t obviously what we came for, but UAE is so strong this year that it’s difficult to do something else,” added Romain. “We’ll have one last chance this Sunday.”
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Here’s the team’s announcement:
Lidl-Trek is pleased to announce that Italian all-rounder Matteo Sobrero will join the Team on a three-year deal, which will see him riding in the iconic red, blue, and yellow through 2028
Sobrero arrives at Lidl-Trek after six seasons in the WorldTour, during which he claimed several standout victories — the final-stage time trial of the 2022 Giro d’Italia, the Italian National Time Trial Championship, and a stage win at the Tour of Austria.
Matteo Sobrero winning stage 4 of the 2023 Tour of Austria.
A rider with a broad range of strengths, Sobrero combines his time-trialling power with climbing ability that makes him a dangerous contender in week-long stage races and a dependable teammate in the hilly classics. His versatility and selfless racing style make him a natural fit within Lidl-Trek’s team-oriented environment.
“For sure, I’m really looking forward to joining Lidl-Trek because from the outside it really looks like there is a good atmosphere amongst the riders,” said Sobrero. “Everybody is fully committed to the team spirit, and that’s something I’ve been looking for. I’m really excited to be teammates with a lot of strong Italian riders at Lidl-Trek. It’s one of the best teams, and for the next three years I’m looking forward to developing further, aiming for some personal results, and helping our leaders achieve big victories.”
“Matteo is a well-rounded rider who brings a lot of value to our structure,” said Luca Guercilena, Lidl-Trek General Manager. “He has a great engine and can perform across many terrains — from time trials and stage races to the hilly classics. Beyond his physical qualities, Matteo also has the right mentality: team-focused, analytical, and ambitious. We believe that in our environment he can continue to grow and reach a very high level. We’re excited to welcome him on board.”
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