Bicycle Racing News and Opinion,
Wednesday, September 24, 2025
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2024 Tour de France | 2024 Giro d'Italia
In three words I can sum up everything I've learned about life: it goes on. - Robert Frost
Bill & Carol McGann's book The Story of the Tour de France, 2021: The Little Cannibal Dominates is available in both Kindle eBook & audiobook versions. To get your copy, just click on the Amazon link on the right.
Current racing:
- September 21 - 28: World Cycling Championships
Upcoming racing:
- September 28 - October 5: Tour de Langkawi
- 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 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
- September 13: Memorial Marco Pantani
- September 12: Grand Prix Cycliste de Québec
- September 2 - 7: Tour of Britain
The team sent me this schedule:
Omloop van het Houtland, SEPT 24
Roy Curvers - Team Picnic PostNL coach:
"Omloop van het Houtland is a traditional Belgian autumn race where the weather often dictates how the day unfolds. In calm conditions it typically ends in a bunch sprint, but heavy winds or rain can tip the balance toward the attackers. We bring a solid and motivated team ready to be active in any moves, and with Casper at the start we also have a strong option if the race comes down to a sprint."
Line-up:
Julius van den Berg (NLD)
Johan Dorussen (NLD)
Enzo Leijnse (NLD)
Tim Naberman (NLD)
Pavel Sumpik (CZE)
Casper van Uden (NLD)
Thom van der Werff (NLD)
Casper van Uden will be at the Omloop van het Houtland. Here he is winning stage four of the 2025 Giro d'Italia. Sirotti photo
Arno Wallaard Memorial, SEPT 27
Bennie Lambregts - Team Picnic PostNL coach:
"This is a true Dutch polder classic, featuring a varied course with sections along dykes and the typical exposed roads of the lowlands. The wind will be the key factor: strong winds could turn it into a tough echelon battle, while calmer conditions might lead to a more controlled race and a bunch sprint. We bring a well-balanced and motivated squad ready for both scenarios. Solid teamwork will be essential to deliver a top result, and the riders are eager to make their mark on this classic."
Line-up:
Johan Dorussen (NLD)
Ko Molenaar (NLD)
Xander Scheldeman (BEL)
Pavel Sumpik (CZE)
Steyn van der Veen (NLD)
Mees Vlot (NLD)
Thom van der Werff (NLD)
Paris-Chauny, SEPT 28
Joey van Rhee - Team Picnic PostNL coach:
"Paris-Chauny has often finished in a bunch sprint in recent years, but the course remains interesting with numerous short, punchy climbs of around one kilometre in length. We bring a versatile line-up that allows us to play different cards. With riders like Sean and Nils we have options to join dangerous breakaways, while Tobias is our finisher if it comes down to a sprint. We’re looking forward to an open race and the opportunity to make our mark on it."
Line-up:
Tobias Lund Andresen (DNK)
Vincent Bodet (FRA)
Jacob Bush (GBR)
Nils Eekhoff (NLD)
Sean Flynn (GBR)
Tim Naberman (NLD)
Jurgen Zomermaand (NLD)
Tour de Langkawi, SEPT 28 - OCT 05
Pim Ligthart - Team Picnic PostNL coach:
"We’ll take it day by day in Langkawi, and look carefully for our opportunities. With Juan coming straight from his first Grand Tour at the Vuelta, we’ll see how his condition translates when it comes to the general classification. In the sprints we have several cards to play, and riders who usually serve as lead-out men will have the chance to chase their own results here. A special mention goes to Matt, who returns to racing after two years away. We’re very excited to have him back with us on the road, as he resumes competition here without any pressure on results or performance."
Line-up:
Dillon Corkery (IRL)
Matthew Dinham (AUS)
Patrick Eddy (AUS)
Juan Guillermo Martinez (COL)
Oliver Peace (GBR)
Christiaan van Rees (NLD)
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Here’s the team roster and the races
Several riders from Team Visma | Lease a Bike have been selected by their national federations for the World Championships in Rwanda. Discover here who will be racing, when, and where.
Time trial women U23 (22 September)
Linda Riedmann (Germany)
Viktória Chladoňová (Slovakia)
Mixed Relay (24 September)
Victor Campenaerts (Belgium)
Road race women U23 (25 September)
Marion Bunel (France)
Linda Riedmann (Germany)
Viktória Chladoňová (Slovakia)
Imogen Wolff (Great Britain)
Road race men U23 (26 September)
Tim Rex (Belgium)
Pietro Mattio (Italy)
Road race elite women (27 September)
Pauline Ferrand-Prévot (France)
Road race elite men (28 September)
Victor Campenaerts (Belgium)
Cian Uijtdebroeks (Belgium)
Attila Valter (Hungary)
Menno Huising (The Netherlands)
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Here’s the team’s news:
Eight riders of Intermarché-Wanty have been selected to represent their countries at the Cycling World Championships in Kigali, the capital of Rwanda. This is the first time in history that the African continent is hosting such an event, marking a historic moment for the world of cycling.
THE COURSE
The Kigali circuit is particularly demanding, with an impressive 5500 meters of elevation gain to conquer over the 267-kilometer Elite race. The peloton will complete sixteen local 15-kilometer laps, each featuring the Côte de Kigali Golf (800m at 8.1%) and the cobbled Côte de Kimihurura (1.3km at 6.3%), at the top of which the finish line is located. After the first nine laps, a brief 42-kilometer detour will take the peloton to the climb of Mount Kigali (5.9km at 6.9%) and the Mur de Kigali (400m at 11%), before rejoining the initial circuit.
ELITE
On Wednesday 24th of September, Jonas Rutsch will be the first Intermarché-Wanty rider to compete in the mixed team relay. As a member of the German team, he will contest this time trial on a 21-kilometer course. Four days later, on Sunday 28th of September, he will participate for the second time in the men’s elite road race with his national team alongside national champion Georg Zimmermann, who finished fifteenth in the previous edition in Zurich and is making his fifth World Championships appearance.
The other three representatives of the Walloon World Team in the Elite road race are Biniam Girmay (Eritrea), currently the top-ranked African rider in the UCI standings, who returns to Rwanda where he claimed one of his first professional victories in 2019, puncher Louis Barré (France), who earned his first Elite selection with the French team as a reward for his exceptional season, and Alexander Kamp (Denmark), who will support one of the race’s outsiders, Mattias Skjelmose.
Biniam Girmay at the start of 2025 Tour de France stage two. Sirotti photo
JUNIOR & U23
On Friday 26th of September, two talents of Wanty-NIPPO-ReUz will compete in the U23 road race: Simone Gualdi (Italy) and Halvor Dolven (Norway), who will have to complete eleven laps for a total of 165 kilometers. On the same day in the Junior category, Édouard Claisse will once again represent Belgium after finishing eleventh last year. He will face eight laps of the circuit, covering 119 kilometers.
"I've raced regularly with the French team in the youth categories, but this first Elite selection is a great reward for my season with Intermarché-Wanty. In my eyes, it’s a very important goal. Before the summer, I received the confidence of the national coach, Thomas Voeckler, which is why my trainer Frederik Veuchelen and I took this opportunity into account in my schedule between my major end of the season goals: Canada and Il Lombardia. My recent performances in Brittany and Montreal confirmed my selection."
"With the French team, we're lining up a strong squad with an offensive mindset. To get the best possible result on this very difficult course, I feel we’ll need to attack from a long way out. The absence of radio communication could play a role. I'm curious to see the urban course in Kigali, to see if the roads are wide or more technical. My first altitude training camp with Intermarché-Wanty in May was a good experience, so I think these conditions could suit me. I'm used to the heat, but with the humidity in Kigali, it remains an unknown factor. In any case, Frederik Veuchelen and I have done everything to ensure I'm in the best possible condition at the start." - Louis Barré
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Here’s the team’s announcement:
Bahrain Victorious is pleased to announce the signing of Alessandro Borgo for the next three seasons. The talented Italian rider will step up from the Development Team to the WorldTour team, confirming the team’s mission of providing a clear development pathway for emerging talents to progress toward the UCI WorldTour and underlining its commitment to nurturing the next generation of cyclists.
Now in his second season with the U23 squad, the twenty-year-old earned his place on the WorldTour team thanks to both his talent and a series of standout results. Among his highlights this year are the Italian U23 Road Race Championship title and a prestigious victory at U23 Gent–Wevelgem, where in 2024 he had already finished 5th. In 2025 he further impressed at the Giro Next Gen, taking second place on the stage to Acqui Terme.
Alessandro Borgo
A sprinter with a classics profile, Borgo has also shown the ability to handle climbs, as recently demonstrated at the Tour de l’Avenir. This season he has already gained experience racing with the Bahrain Victorious WorldTour squad at several events, including the Tour de la Provence—where he made his seasonal debut with the team with a top-ten result—the Tour de Wallonie, and one-day races such as Grand Prix Criquielion, Grote Prijs Jean-Pierre Monseré, Danilith Nokere Koerse, De Brabantse Pijl, and Boucles de l’Aulne.
His talent has also been recognised by the Italian National Team, which selected him to compete in both the U23 time trial and the U23 road race at the World Championships in Rwanda.
Alessandro Borgo shared his enthusiasm about joining the WorldTour squad:
“I’m grateful to join the WorldTour Team. It has been a dream since I was a kid, and now it has come true. However, as I always say, this is not a point of arrival but a starting point, because I have big ambitions and will work hard to achieve important goals with the team in the upcoming years. I’m determined to succeed and thankful to all the people who have supported me—my family, friends, and all the teams I rode for as I grew through the youth categories. If I am here today turning professional, it is not only because of me but thanks to everyone who has surrounded and supported me along the way.”
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