Bicycle Racing News and Opinion,
Wednesday, January 29, 2025
Back to news and opinion index page for links to archived stories | Commentary | Our YouTube page
2024 Tour de France | 2024 Giro d'Italia
Ending a sentence with a preposition is something up with which I will not put. - Winston Churchill
Les Woodland's book Cycling Heroes: The Golden Years is available in the print, Kindle eBook & audiobook versions. To get your copy, just click on the Amazon link on the right.
Current racing:
- January 28 - February 1: AlUla Tour
- January 29 - February 2: Challenge Vuelta a Mallorca
Upcoming racing:
- January 30: Surf Coast Classic
- February 2: Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race
- February 2: GP La Marseillaise
- February 5 - 9 Etoile de Bessèges/Tour du Gard
Latest completed racing:
- January 17 - 26: Tour Down Under
- January 26: Classica Comunitat a Valenciana 1969
- January 25: Ruta de la Cerámica - Gran Premio Castellón
- January 3: X20 Trofee Koksijde-Vlaamse Druivenveldrit Cross
- January 1: GP Sven Nys Cross
- December 30: Diegem Cyclocross
- December 26: Gavere Cyclocross
We posted the report from stage winner Tim Merlier's Team Soudal Quick-Step with the results.
Here's the race organizer's report:
Victorious in two stages on last year’s Al Ula Tour, Tim Merlier started his 2025 campaign in style by conquering the opening stage of the event. As expected on this fairly flat day, the decision was made in a bunched sprint. After 6 riders enjoyed a long breakaway, the peloton bunched up together again once on the final circuit. Belgian specialist Tim Merlier of Soudal-Quickstep powered to the line beating Juan-Sebastian Molano of UAE Team Emirates - XRG and Maikel Zijlaard of Tudor. As well as his stage success, Merlier also conquers the first overall leader’s Green Jersey.
Stage winner Tim Merlier. Photo: AlUla Tour/Pauline Ballet
After a splendid opening ceremony yesterday evening at Thanaya, it was time for racing as the 118 riders gathered by the old Al Manshiyah train Station for the start of stage 1. On the menu of the day: a 142-km loop going through some of the picturesque sites of the Al Ula region. The peloton of this 2025 edition took off just before 1 PM in ideal weather conditions and not too much wind.
6 MEN IN THE LEAD
After five kilometres, six riders managed to power away from the bunch. In this entirely Asian breakaway were the following riders: Alexandre Vinokourov (XAT) from Kazakhstan, Al Abdulmunim and Al Kulaif (SAU) from Saudi Arabia, Yamamoto (JCL) from Japan, Rosli (TSG) from Malaysia and Thimachai (ROI) of Thailand. The front six enjoyed a gap of 1’35” at km, that then reached a maximum 2’10” five kilometres later when the sprinter’s teams (Jayco-AlUla, Tudor and Soudal-Quickstep) decided to take on the chase.
KRISTOFF AND DE KLEIJN CRASH
While Masaki Yamamoto was the last escapee to be caught, the peloton bunched up together again just after the first passage on the line with around fifteen kilometres to go. At the second crossing on the line, the bonus sprint of the day was claimed by Dversnes (Uno X Mobility) ahead of Reinders (Wagner Bazin WB) and Van den Broek (Picnic Post.nl). Under the control of the sprinter’s teams, the pack remained compact until the final moments. With five kilometres to go, a crash saw stage contenders Alexander Kristoff (Uno X Mobility) and Arvid De Kleijn (Tudor) hit the ground.
MERLIER UNTOUCHABLE
No further incidents troubled the pack before the final showdown. Well led out by his Soudal-Quickstep team mates, Tim Merlier launched his sprint from far out never to be overtaken. The Belgian 32-year-old crossed the line victoriously ahead of Colombian Juan-Sebastian Molano and promising Dutchman Maykel Zijlaard (Tudor). Thanks to his first success of the season, the 51st of his career, Tim Merlier, the reigning European Champion captured the overall leader’s Green Jersey. He also leads the points classification while Frank Van Den Broek (Picnic Post.nl) claims the best young rider’s White Jersey. Malaysia’s Rosli takes command of the Most Active rider classification thanks to the five points he collected on the day.
Here's the report from second-place Sebastian Molano's UAE Team Emirates:
Sebastian Molano showed a quick turn of pace to finish a close second on stage 1 of the AlUla Tour which got underway in Saudi Arabia today. Stage 1 took the riders on a flat loop around the ancient oasis city of AlUla, starting and finishing at Al Manshiyah Train Station (142.7km).
As the speed increased in the final kilometres, Molano, guided by his trusted leadout man Ivo Oliveira placed himself onto the wheel of Tim Merlier (Soudal-Quickstep), though the kick from the Belgian would prove too strong and he would stay clear for victory with Molano behind in a close 2nd.
Tim Merlier wins the stage ahead of second-place Sebastian Molano. Photo: AlUla Tour/Pauline Ballet
On the final run-in there was a crash inside -5km involving several riders including Rafal Majka and Adria Pericas who both came down. Majka was the worse-off of the pair with an impact to his ribs and some abrasions to his right knee. Both riders finished the stage and are expected to be okay for tomorrow’s stage 2 from AlUla Old Town to Bir Jaydah Mountain Wirkah (157.7km).
Molano: “It was a very fast finish. I knew Merlier would be the man the watch and I managed to get on his wheel on the final straight.
"He was very strong today and I couldn’t get around him. I’m satisfied with the result although I’m eager and hungry to get the first win of the season on the board. Overall I’m happy with my shape and I’ll be looking for more opportunities this week. We had a couple of our guys caught up in a crash at the end but hopefully it’s nothing too serious and we’ll live to fight another day.”
Content continues below the ads
Here’s the AlUla Tour report from Fabio Jakobsen’s Team Picnic PostNL:
The AlUla Tour got underway on Tuesday with a predominantly flat stage, starting and finishing in Al Manshiyah. Team Picnic PostNL rode strongly as a unit to keep the breakaway in check, with Enzo Leijnse helping to set the pace on the front of the peloton. With the break caught in the last 30 kilometres the team set up GC finisher Frank van den Broek, who was able to take one bonus second at the intermediate sprint.
Stage one had an unchallenging profile allowing a sprint finish.
From there, their attention fully switched to positioning fast finisher Fabio Jakobsen for the finale with the team producing an excellent lead-out in the closing ten kilometres, with everyone contributing to it. Casper van Uden, Nils Eekhoff and John Degenkolb all set a strong tempo, keeping the team well positioned at the front as the kilometres ticked down and ensuring they were at the front ahead of tight hairpin, before last man Niklas Märkl took over around the last curve. With Jakobsen in a prime position at around 200 metres to go, in the end it wasn’t his day and he crossed the line in 11th place. With this strong lead-out the team can take confidence and look forward to the next sprint opportunities.
Road captain Degenkolb said: “It was the first race of the season for us all in Saudi Arabia. All-in-all it was a good start, the team worked really well together and we could set up a nice lead-out and prepare the finish with Fabio in a good way. We still have to analyse the stage but I think we can be happy with how we rode as a team and our start here. Tomorrow is a lot harder than today so it will not be a bunch sprint but we also have Frank, who took some bonus seconds today, so we’re in a good position to support him as much as we can as a team to go for it in the stage and then overall GC.”
Content continues below the ads
Vos’ Team Visma | Lease a Bike posted this bad news:
Unfortunately, Marianne Vos will not participate in the Cyclocross World Championships in Liévin this weekend.
She sustained a calf injury after her crash in Maasmechelen, and although progress has been made, it hasn’t recovered sufficiently. To avoid taking any risks and because this injury makes running difficult, the decision has been made for Marianne to sit this one out.
Marianne Vos after the 2024 World Road Race Championships. Sirotti photo
Wishing Marianne a speedy recovery!
Content continues below the ads
The team posted this news:
Intermarché and professional cycling team Intermarché-Wanty announced this Monday, January 27th the renewal of their partnership until the end of 2028. As title partner of the UCI World Team led by Jean-François Bourlart since 2021, Intermarché continues its commitment to the first Walloon team in the World Tour, which has achieved numerous successes in 2024, much like the Groupement Mousquetaires.
Intermarché-Wanty riders in their 2025 racing kits.
On the eve of Intermarché-Wanty’s first race of 2025 in Europe at the Challenge Mallorca, Intermarché and the World Team announced the continuation of their partnership for three more years in Paris, at the Terrasse des Champs-Élysées. In the presence of riders Biniam Girmay, Adrien Petit, and Hugo Page, the President of the Groupement Mousquetaires Thierry Cotillard, the Intermarché company manager in charge of sponsorship and partnerships Sébastien Borg, and the General Manager of Intermarché-Wanty Jean-François Bourlart met to formalize the continuation of this partnership, which has accumulated historical achievements since its beginning in 2021, thanks to an effective long-term development strategy and the construction of a solid and promising team.
Together since 2021, Intermarché and its cycling team have won more than 60 victories, including nine successes in the three Grand Tours, including a triple stage win in the Tour de France, the prestigious green jersey for best sprinter, and the Gent-Wevelgem classic. In each race, the team showcases its colors with an attractive racing style, cultivating the values of solidarity, proximity, and professionalism, managing to reach first place in the UCI rankings in January 2023. At the start of its fifth season at the highest level of cycling, Intermarché-Wanty presented a new Verge Sport kit reflecting this strengthened partnership with Intermarché.
Sharing the values of mutual aid and team spirit promoted by sport, Intermarché implements a sports sponsorship policy focused on football, rugby, and cycling, three major popular sports. In parallel with the partnership with Intermarché-Wanty in cycling, the Intermarché brand is proud to be an Official Partner of the French Football Federation (FFF) and all the French national teams, as well as a major partner of the men’s and women’s Coupe de France. Intermarché honors amateur clubs with the “Petit Poucet Intermarché” (Intermarché Little Thumb) and promotes amateur women’s football since 2022 through the “Sensationnelles” (Sensational) program. In rugby, Intermarché has been an official partner of the TOP 14 and Pro D2 via the National Rugby League (LNR), the two professional French rugby championships, since 2020.
Intermarché develops sports partnerships at the national level but also locally, as the business leaders are local economic players. Proximity, event organization, and the differentiation of the 2,100 Intermarché points of sale through sport are more than ever part of Intermarché’s DNA.
"We are pleased to continue our partnership with Intermarché-Wanty in the coming seasons and to contribute to their growing international presence. We share the same values: team spirit, perseverance, and solidarity. The team made a strong impression on the 2024 Tour de France, wearing the sprinter's jersey for several weeks. This achievement reflects the 'sprint year' we experienced within the Groupement in 2024, as well as the integration of almost 300 new stores." - Thierry Cotillard (Chairman Groupement Mousquetaires)
"Cycling is a popular sport that unites people and conveys values to which we are attached: discipline, teamwork... In our Groupement, as in a cycling team, success is collective and everyone contributes to it. We have faced many challenges in 2024, each on our own side, and we will continue our development." - Christophe Chineau (Chairman Intermarché)
"We are incredibly pleased and proud to continue our long-standing partnership with Intermarché. This renewed partnership allows us to keep growing and build our future together. Winning and building is our vision for what lies ahead. With such a talented team and riders like Biniam Girmay, we are confident we can reach new heights. Our ambition is to shine in the Grand Tours, including the Tour de France, and compete for victory in the most prestigious classics, such as Milan-San Remo, the Tour of Flanders, and Paris-Roubaix. All united, we can achieve it." - Jean-François Bourlart (General Manager)
Here’s the update from Démare’s Team Arkea-B&B Hotels:
As in 2024, Arnaud Démare will start his season on the Challenge Mallorca, on the occasion of the Trofeo Palma on Sunday February 2.
Raúl Garcia Pierna who has a great deal of experience in Mallorca also tells us about the particularity of this race which is run à la carte.
Arnaud Démare before the start of the 2024 Milano-Torino. Sirotti photo
Arnaud Démare:
The Challenge Mallorca will mark the beginning of my 2025 season, as it did last year. The difference is that this year, by choice of the team and myself, I'll only be taking part in the final race, the Trofeo Palma, because after that I'll be doing the Etoile de Bessèges. It's a race, the Trofeo Palma, that I contested last year, which takes place on a circuit. It's quite technical. It'll be a first test of the lead-out train before the rest of the season.
Raúl García Pierna:
It's an à la carte event, which is good for the start of the season. I like the courses and there are three days that could suit me. The climbs aren't very steep and they're punchy. There's a difficult day, but that might suit me too. It's a difficult race because the roads can slip. Everyone knows that. Victory isn't decided on the descents, but they are still strategic moments in the race. That's why positioning at the top of the bumps is so important. You always have to be very concentrated. I hope to do well as an individual, because Mallorca is in Spain, so it's home for me, but I also hope that it will be a good collective recovery for the Arkea-B&B Hotels team.
Roger Tréhin, Sports Director:
Majorca marks the start of the season for many of the riders in the ARKEA-B&B HOTELS team, and we'll have a very strong line-up for this event, with seasoned riders who will be keen to make the Arkea-B&B Hotels jersey shine. The event will also mark the professional debut of a number of young riders from the Arkea-B&B Hotels Continental Development team, including Swann Gloux, Emmanuel Houcou, Baptiste Poulard and Italian U23 Champion Edaordo Zamperini.
Back to news and opinion index page for links to archived stories | Commentary