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Monday, January 19, 2026

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2025 Tour de France | 2025 Giro d'Italia

Human kindness has never weakened the stamina or softened the fiber of a free people. A nation does not have to be cruel to be tough. - Franklin D. Roosevelt

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Bill and Carol McGann's book The Story of the Giro d'Italia, A Year-by-Year History of the Tour of Italy, Vol 1: 1909 - 1970 is available in print, Kindle eBook & audiobook versions. To get your copy, just click on the Amazon link on the right.

Current racing:

• January 17 - 25: Tour Down Under

Upcoming racing:

• January 25: Classica Comunitat Valenciana 1969-GP Valencia
• January 28 - February 1: Challenge Ciclista Mallorca
• January 29: Surf Coast Classic
• February 1: Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race

Latest completed racing:

• January 1: GP Sven Nys
• December 30: Superprestige Diegem
• December 29: Trofee Loenhout-Azencross
• December 26: World Cup Gavere
• December 23: Superprestige Heusden-Zolder
• December 14: World Cup Namur
• November 16: Trofee Hamme-Flandriencross
• November 1: Trofee Oudenaarde-Koppenbergcross
• October 26: Superprestige Overijse-Vlaamse Druivencross
• October 14 - 19: Tour of Guangxi
• October 14 - 19: Tour of Holland

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Women's Tour Down Under stage two team reports

We posted the organizer's report with the results.

Here's the report from third-place Josie Nielson's Team Picnic-PostNL:

The second day of action in Australia saw the typical summer sun blaze down over Team Picnic PostNL in the peloton as they headed towards Paracombe and a rolling finish circuit. Immediately the pace was on from the start on the longest climb of the day with the bunch splintering into pieces, with Josie Nelson and Juliana Londoño making the reduced front peloton. Things settled down though, with everyone returning, and the race fell into a more familiar rhythm. Unfortunately, Becky Storrie was involved and a crash and although she could continue, her group was too far behind as they hit the local laps around Paracombe so they DNF’d.

Back in the peloton, the team did well to help control a few attacks, in particular pulling hard in the finale to bring back a dangerous five rider move that was up the road with only a few kilometres remaining. Nelson then surfed the wheels excellently as the road gradually kicked upwards in the final kilometre, biding her time well before unleashing a strong effort to take third place on the day.

Ally Wollaston wins stage two. Sirotti photo

Nelson reflected: “The race kicked off right from the first kilometre on the climb but we got over it well. The weather was even hotter today so it made the undulating course even harder, so it was important that we kept cool. The whole day was hard and it was quite tough staying together over all the climbs. Unfortunately Becky crashed and had to abandon the race so we’re wishing her a quick recovery. The circuit was pretty full gas with lots of attacks but we stayed near the front and the girls helped pull back a break of five that went away in the final lap. I positioned myself well going into the final kilometre and backed up yesterday’s result with another podium today so I’m really pleased. We’re sat second on GC so the pressure is on for tomorrow but I’m looking forward to seeing how my climbing legs are, and giving it my best shot.”

Team Picnic PostNL coach Matt Winston continued: “It was another good job from the team overall today. We made a few small mistakes going into the local laps and were out of position when the attacks started and the bunch split, but we showed some good teamwork to bring it back together and get Josie back in the front. Things then settled for a bit, before some more attacks, and we helped close down the strong five rider move in the final to set up a sprint, but it was super hard in the 38 degree heat; everyone was on their limit. In the end Josie could take third so another podium is a nice result for us, and we’ll see how things go tomorrow.”

Here's the Down Under report from Queen of the Mountains Paula Blasi's UAE Team ADQ:

Three UAE Team ADQ riders finished inside the top 10 at the end of Stage 2 of the Santos Women’s Tour Down Under, with Paula Blasi also taking the lead in the QOM Classification and wearing the Green Jersey. It was another strong team performance in Australia, ahead of tomorrow’s final and decisive stage.

The 130.7 km stage from Magill to Paracombe featured a challenging finale, with a rising road in the closing kilometres. UAE Team ADQ riders were active from the very first moments of the race, particularly young Spanish rider Paula Blasi. After entering the QOM Classification yesterday, Blasi fought today to take over the leadership, winning three QOM sprints and finishing second in another. Her consistent effort throughout the stage was rewarded at the end of the day, as she stepped onto the podium to pull on the Green QOM Jersey.

The peloton goes over rolling terrain. Sirotti photo

The stage was animated by several attack attempts, with the final move neutralised in the closing kilometres before the peloton regrouped for the sprint finish. For the second consecutive day, victory went to New Zealand’s Ally Wollaston (FDJ United – SUEZ), who also confirmed her lead in the general classification.

UAE Team ADQ once again showed great consistency, placing three riders in the top 10 on the stage: Paula Blasi finished fourth, Dominika Wlodarczyk fifth, and Mavi Garcia tenth.

The race will be decided tomorrow on the final and demanding stage, covering 126.5 km from Norwood to Campbelltown, a route expected to play a key role in the overall outcome of the Santos Women’s Tour Down Under.

After the stage, Paula Blasi said: “It wasn’t in the plans to fight for this jersey, but yesterday I got involved and picked up my first points. Today I tried to make the most of my chances at the QOM sprints and it went well. It’s a nice competition with Alessia Vigilia and Gaia Realini, and tomorrow I will definitely do my best to win this jersey. Tomorrow will be a very important day for our team. It’s a tough stage and I believe that with Dominika and Mavi we can fight for the win, and all together we will work for that.”

Australian Brodie Chapman tried to hold on, but was forced to abandon the race due to illness she had been suffering from in recent days.

Here's the Tour Down Under stage two report from seventh-place Alexandra Manly's AG Insurance-Soudal Team

Alexandra Manly took a solid seventh on the uphill finish in Paracombe.

A hot day, with almost 2000 vertical meters and temperatures above 30 degrees Celsius, awaited the Tour Down Under peloton as they rolled out from Magill. The second stage of the Tour Down Under had little flat terrain, which made for an action-packed opening hour; a flurry of attacks split the bunch before a breakaway finally formed, putting more than a minute into the chasers after 50 kilometers.

A lovely, but very warm day for a bike race. Sirotti photo

The peloton was back as one only on the last classified climb of the day, but not for long, as more attacks came, this time inside the closing 25 kilometers of the stage. The up-and-down roads helped a five-rider group go clear, among those to book a place there being also AG Insurance - Soudal’s Mireia Benito. The leaders carried a 17-second gap in the final five kilometers, but they were caught before the flamme rouge, and the win went again to Ally Wollaston.

Alexandra Manly was there for the team, sprinting on the uphill drag to the line to seventh place from a reduced bunch that included also Mireia, who is now our best placed rider on the general classification ahead of the last stage.

And here's the Women's Tour Down Under stage two report from Team Visma | Lease a Bike:

Sarah Van Dam showed her strength again in the second stage of the Tour Down Under. The 24-year-old Canadian was part of a small leading group in the final that was caught just before the finish. Ally Wollaston sprinted to another stage victory.

In the second stage of the Australian stage race, the attacks came thick and fast. One rider managed to build up a significant lead, but was unable to make it to the finish line solo. With ten kilometres to go, Van Dam and four other riders saw their chance to break away from the peloton.

Sarah Van Dam before the start of stage one. Sirotti photo

The five gained a lead of about twenty seconds, but that proved insufficient to compete for the stage victory. In the final kilometre, they got caught, after which Wollaston took the victory. Van Dam, who had already sprinted to fifth place yesterday, moved up to sixth place in the general classification. 

"We can look back on this stage with a good feeling", said sports director Jos van Emden. "We wanted to make the race tough from the start, and Maud and Rosita in particular did that very well. In the final, Sarah attacked twice. She had the chance to win the stage, but unfortunately she was caught at the end. It shows that she is in good shape."

According to Maud Oudeman, the heat made it a tricky day on the bike. "It was a typical Australian summer day. We had to cool down and drink a lot along the way", she said. "Our plan was to break open the race from the start and cause some fireworks. We certainly did that. Unfortunately, it didn't result in a leading group, but it did make for a tough race."

"On the local laps, I tried to break away again, but nothing stuck. Sarah ended up in a nice group at the end, but that didn't last either." With one stage to go, the classification could still go either way. "Tomorrow will be a very tough day. We are all in good shape and going for the highest possible result."

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