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Bicycle Racing News and Opinion,
Friday, September 5, 2025

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2024 Tour de France | 2024 Giro d'Italia

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Vuelta a España stage 12 reports

We posted the race organizer's report with the results.

Here's the report from GC leader Jonas Vingegaard's Team Visma | Lease a Bike:

Victor Campenaerts finished fourth in the twelfth stage of the Vuelta a España. The 33-year-old Belgian from Team Visma | Lease a Bike was part of a large breakaway group. The stage victory went to Juan Ayuso. Overall leader Jonas Vingegaard had a trouble-free day in the peloton.

The stage took the peloton from Laredo to Los Corrales de Buelna over a distance of 145 kilometres. Along the way, the riders had to tackle two categorised climbs. Early on, a group of twenty riders formed the day's breakaway. Shortly after, a second group of thirty riders, including Campenaerts, bridged across. Campenaerts set his own pace on the final climb but was able to rejoin the chasing group behind the race leaders.

On the final climb, Ayuso and Javier Romo surged from the breakaway group. They fought it out amongst each other for the stage win, with Ayuso emerging victorious. In the final kilometres, the chasing riders closed in. Campenaerts surprised his fellow breakaway riders with a late attack, riding solo to claim fourth place.

In the peloton, Team Visma | Lease a Bike controlled the pace. On both climbs, the general classification riders remained calm. Vingegaard’s lead in the overall standings remains fifty seconds ahead of first pursuer João Almeida. Tomorrow, the gruelling stage with finish atop the Angliru awaits.

Early in stage 12 Jonas Vingegaard is being protected by his Visma teammates. Sirotti photo

“We stayed very focused all day,” said Vingegaard afterwards. “The main goal today was to get through the stage unscathed, and we managed that. Tomorrow, we face a tough challenge. The Angliru is a monstrous climb, which I know well from my first Vuelta in 2020 and the 2023 edition. It’s an iconic climb, and I’ll do everything I can to try to win.”

“We can look back on a successful day,” added sports director Jesper Mørkøv. “We had control in every area. In the peloton, the guys did excellent work for Jonas. With Victor, we were represented in the breakaway, in case Jonas needed him on or after the final climb. It’s great that Victor was able to reward his effort with a fourth-place finish.”

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Here's the Vuelta a España report from Team Soudal Quick-Step:

Gianmarco Garofoli, Mikel Landa, Mauri Vansevenant and Louis Vervaeke all booked a place in the mammoth 53-man group that established itself as the break of the day after another furious start to the stage in Cantabria, which the race visited during this short stage 12. As the peloton had no real interest in chasing them down, especially as their mind was more on Angliru, the infamous which will be tackled at the end of Friday’s stage.

The T-Rex Quick-Step riders were active in this group that worked well together, and by the time they all arrived at the bottom of the final climb, the lead was of almost six minutes, more than enough for the escapees to fight for the stage win without having to think of the chasers. Collada de Brenes had the potential to break the race apart, and did just that, as soon as the fireworks began four kilometers from the top.

The day's break 82 km into the stage.

Two riders went clear, while behind the others tried to join them or at least reduce the gap. Landa, who was in the break for the second day in a row, launched a strong attack and escaped from the fragmented chasing group, cresting the ascent in third position, but the others came back in the descent. Among those who rejoined with 20 kilometers to go was also Vervaeke, and the Belgian ended up just outside the top ten at the finish, where Juan Ayuso (UAE Team Emirates) took the win for a handful of seconds.

“It was a very hard and fast day, but our team did a good race and tried to be present at all times in the main moves. I tried to follow the others on the final climb, but I missed a bit there and couldn’t join them. On the other hand, it was good to have Louis join together with that group, and he had a strong sprint in the final. The best thing is that we showed a great team spirit and we’ll continue to try to get a stage victory”, Mikel explained in Las Corrales de Buelna.


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Tour of Britain stage three reports

We posted the report from stage winner Matthew Brennan's Team Visma | Lease a Bike with the results.

Here's the report from fourth-place Hugo Hofstetter's Team Israel-Premier Tech:

IPT’s eye-catching record in the Lloyds Tour of Britain continued on Thursday as Hugo Hofstetter finished fourth on stage 3 in Ampthill, Bedfordshire, following a stage that took in teammate Ethan Vernon’s home roads.

Hofstetter came third in Tuesday’s opening stage, and his strong finish following another technical sprint means that IPT riders have placed in the top 4 in 11 of the last 15 stages the team has ridden in the UK’s only international men’s stage race.

The Frenchman narrowly missed out on the podium, as Matthew Brennan (TVL) took his first win in his home race. Alberto Dainese (TUD) and Rui Oliveira (UAD) completed the top 3.

Matthew Brennan wins stage three. Hugo Hofstetter (in blue jersey) is throwing his bike .

Hofstetter says: “I think it was a good sprint for me. I like this sprint with the speed and [one where you need] also to keep the position.

“I was too far behind at 1km to go, but I got back to the front after the long left turn. And then I just made a mistake – I was a bit scared of the last right corner, and then I braked too much. I lost 2 or 3 positions and my sprint was changed by this.

“I could have fought, I think, for the win or second today. So I’m a bit disappointed with this.”


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And here's the Tour of Britain stage three report from Team Groupama-FDJ:

The Tour of Britain peloton reached the halfway point of the race on Thursday. In Ampthill, a third sprint in as many stages concluded the day after 123 kilometres. Matthew Brennan claimed the win while Matt Walls finished just outside the top-10. Starting Friday, Romain Grégoire and his teammates will tackle a hillier terrain.

A final opportunity was up for grabs for the sprinters taking part in the Tour of Britain on Thursday. From Milton Keynes to Ampthill, a relatively flat route was once again on the menu, and a bunch sprint was expected. “The start was still fast due to the rain and a small tailwind,” reported Jérôme Gannat. “In the end, four riders broke away at kilometre 12, but with the stage being quite short and the wind quite favourable, Visma-Lease a Bike didn’t leave much of a room to the breakaway. It was a fast day eventually”.

After getting a maximum lead of 1’30, the fugitives were caught eleven kilometres from the finish, due to some attacks in the peloton. “On the way to Ampthill, there was a bit of action,” confirmed Jérôme. “Remco Evenepoel attacked in a small group, but everything was quickly back together.” Entering the final ten kilometres, a complete peloton therefore headed towards the sprint.

Matthew Walls at the 2021 Tour of Piedmont. Sirotti photo

“The final was quite technical; the goal was to position Matt for the sprint, and that’s what Olivier did very well at first,” added Jérôme. “He was at the front of the pack in the final, but with two kilometres to go, things got complicated. In a straight, slightly uphill road, some riders came back from behind and Matt was beyond tenth place before the last kilometre. Then, the sprint was a little more difficult than the last few days because it was on a false flat.”

Within a very stretched out peloton, the British rider didn’t manage to move back up and had to settle for thirteenth place. “We could have hoped for a little better but given the field, he’s pretty much where he belongs,” Jérôme said. Matthew Brennan won the day, Romain Grégoire secured his place in the pack. “We’re already halfway through the Tour of Britain, and we’re changing profile starting tomorrow, even if we’re not talking about mountains,” Jérôme added. “The goal was not to lose time in these sprint stages, that was done, and now a new race begins. We will focus on Romain for finishes that suit him well.” On Friday, the fourth stage will conclude with a 900-metre hill averaging 7.5%.

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