Bicycle Racing News and Opinion,
Sunday, September 28, 2025
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2024 Tour de France | 2024 Giro d'Italia
Never lose an opportunity of seeing anything beautiful, for beauty is God's handwriting. - Ralph Waldo Emerson
Bill and Carol McGann's book The Story of the Giro d'Italia, A Year-by-Year History of the Tour of Italy, Vol 2: 1971 - 2011 is available in print, Kindle eBook and audiobook versions. To get your copy, just click on the Amazon link on the right.
Current racing:
- September 21 - 28: World Cycling Championships
- 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 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
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Here’s the team’s update:
One week from his third consecutive triumph in the time trial, Remco Evenepoel will pin on a number for the demanding 267.5km race at the end of which the winner of the prestigious rainbow jersey will be crowned. Featuring 35 climbs, many of them cobbled, and an elevation gain of more than 6000 meters, this is set to be one of the toughest World Championships editions in history.
Evenepoel, winner of the gold medal three years ago in Wollongong, is one of our ten riders – representing seven different countries – at the start of the World’s final event. Mattia Cattaneo, Gianmarco Garofoli, James Knox, Luke Lamperti, Valentin Paret-Peintre – winner of the Tour de France Mont Ventoux stage this year – Casper Pedersen, Martin Svrcek, Ilan Van Wilder, who took a fantastic bronze medal in the time trial last Sunday – and Louis Vervaeke are the other Soudal Quick-Step riders who’ll tackle Sunday’s race.
Remco Evenepoel winning the World Road Championships in 2022. Sirotti photo
“The course is a hard one, with a lot of climbing. It should spark a big selection and it will be important to manage your efforts during this long race, where the high temperatures and the humidity will take their toll on the body. The cobbles will also be a factor on Sunday, making the tyre selection important; they are difficult and rough and are sure to have an impact on the final loop.”
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“We could see some of our riders there go in the breakaway, depending on their teams’ strategy. This won’t be the case for Belgium, where we have three guys. It’s clear that the squad’s main goal will be to bring Remco as fresh as possible for the final part of the race. He is one of the main favourites on the course. We’re also curious to see a guy like Valentin on a course like this, it’s a route that suits him and he is part of a team that has what it takes to steer the race into a different direction. This being said, it should be an exciting day, and we hope to have some of our guys in the mix for medals”, said Soudal Quick-Step sports director Tom Steels.
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Here’s the team’s news:
Up to seven sprint finishes and a mountain top finish for the general classification make up the menu for the Malaysian event, Polti VisitMalta’s next big goal.
With memories of the team’s strong performance in Langkawi in 2024, with Manuel Peñalver finishing on the podium almost every day and Fernando Tercero fighting for the general classification, Polti VisitMalta faces the eight stages of the Tour de Langkawi with confidence in its sprinter, who will have up to seven sprint finishes.
2024's Tour de Langkawi had some tough weather. Let's hope the sun shines in 2025.
Beyond the finish at Fraser’s Hill on the fifth stage, which will determine the overall classification, the rest of the stages present a very favourable profile. The two climbs in the final stage in Kuala Lumpur could also break up the race.
The line-up for the Tour de Langkawi is led by Manuel Peñalver, who will be the reference in all the sprint finishes, with the support of all his teammates, but especially Gabriele Raccagni in the final metres. Davide Bais and Germán Gómez are guaranteed to play a leading role in the race, working towards the team’s objectives, while Fernando Tercero will be responsible for the general classification with the help of fellow climber Álex Martín.
Manuel Peñalver: “We arrived in Langkawi with a good team both to fight for the victories in the sprint and also for the general. We really want to be in front, to score points, and of course to raise our arms, which is the only thing we missed last year.”
Jesús Hernández, sports director: “We want to repeat last year’s good performance, both in the sprints with Manuel Peñalver and in the race itself, to secure a good position in the general classification. The fight for points continues, and I am confident that our participation in Langkawi will help us achieve that great goal at the end of the season”.
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