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Thursday, March 27, 2025
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2024 Tour de France | 2024 Giro d'Italia
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Bill & Carol McGann’s book The Story of the 2023 Tour de France, 2023: The Viking Again Conquers the Tour is available in both Kindle eBook & audiobook versions. To get your copy, just click on the Amazon link on the right.
Current racing:
- March 24 - 30: Volta Ciclista a Catalunya
- March 25 - 29: Settimana Internazionale Coppi e Bartali
Upcoming racing:
- March 28: E3 Saxo Bank Classic
- March 30: Gent - Wevelgem
- March 30: La Roue Tourangelle
- April 2: Dwars door Vlaanderen
- April 2: Paris - Camembert Lepetit
- April 4: Route Adélie de Vitre
- April 5: GP Miguel Indurain
- April 5: Volta Limburg Classic
- April 6: Ronde van Vlaanderen
Latest completed racing:
- March 26: Classic Brugge-De Panne
- March 22: Milano-Sanremo
- March 21: Bredene Koksijde Classic
- March 20: GP de Denain
- March 19: Danilith Nokere Koerse
- March 19: Milano-Torino
- March 9 - 16: Paris-Nice
- March 10 - 16: Tirreno-Adriatico
- March 8: Strade Bianche
- March 5: Trofeo Laigueglia
- March 4: Le Samyn Classic
We posted the report from stage winner Juan Ayuso's UAE Team Emirates with the results.
Here's the report from second-place Primoz Roglic's Team Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe:
Primož Roglič almost had victory within his grasp on Stage 3 of the Volta a Catalunya, finishing second in a photo finish sprint to the summit at La Molina. The Slovenian launched his sprint early, but was narrowly edged out in the final meters by Juan Ayuso, who claimed the stage win by the smallest of margins.
The 218.6-kilometre stage, featuring a gruelling 4,700 meters of altitude gain, culminated in a tense battle between the general classification contenders. Red Bull BORA-hansgrohe played their part in controlling the pace on the final ascent, ensuring Primož was well-positioned for the decisive moments of the stage. As the last attackers were swept up inside the final 500 meters, Primož surged ahead with 200 meters remaining.
For a moment, it seemed he had done enough to take the win, yet Ayuso responded with a powerful acceleration on the inside, drawing level and just managing to inch ahead at the line. The finish was so close that it required a photo finish, with Primož settling for second on the line.
A really close finish at the third stage of the Volta a Catalunya.
Despite the near miss, the result reinforced his form as he continues to build momentum in the race. He now moves to second place overall, at six seconds behind Ayuso in the general classification. With several decisive mountain stages still ahead, the squad remains focused on the upcoming stages.
At the finish line, Primož took the result in stride, reflecting on the stage as he waited for the result of the photo finish:
“How did it go? Well, we don’t know the result yet. But in the end, regardless of the result, whether I was first or second, I felt good. The guys were strong. There’s also a ski jump somewhere behind us, which is always nice. For sure there are so many very strong riders. So it wasn’t easy and was never going to be easy, but it’s going well.”
Here's the Tour of Catalonia report from third-place Mikel Landa's Team Soudal Quick-Step:
Mikel Landa climbed spectacularly in the overall standings of the seven-day race, one of the oldest and most prestigious in the world, after a rock-solid ride on the first of the three summit finishes scheduled this week.
Stage three of the Spanish race got underway from Viladecans and had all the ingredients of a big day in the mountains: 220 kilometers, 4800 vertical meters and four classified climbs, including a 21km special-category one that made sure of whittling down the peloton before the showdown on La Molina, which hosted a finish for the tenth time this century.
The Pyrenean ascent, where Remco Evenepoel took the victory two years ago, welcomed a reduced bunch numbering around 30 riders, including all of the pre-race general classification contenders. The finish line, located at an altitude of almost 1700 meters, came after 12 kilometers averaging 5%, and all the important GC guys kept their powder dry until the final 500 meters, when they ignited the fireworks.
A powerful acceleration netted Mikel his first podium of the season, behind winner Juan Ayuso (UAE Team Emirates), and put him in third place on the general classification, where Soudal Quick-Step teammate is fifth after an equally impressive ride.
“I am content with this result because it was a complicated finish and I didn’t know what to expect, so to be in the first three and gain a few seconds on the others is good for the morale. We have two more hard summit finishes this week and with two riders in the top ten we are confident in our chances of getting a good result in the standings”, said Mikel after the stage.
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Lennert Van Eetvelt's Team Lotto posted this Catalonia report:
On Monday, Lennert rode to a nice tenth place in the opening stage of Volta Ciclista a Catalunya. Today he managed to show himself and sprint to a strong fifth place in La Molina.
After his first top 10 result in the first stage of the Volta Ciclista a Catalunya, Lennert Van Eetvelt managed to sprint to a well-deserved fifth place in La Molina today. With this, he currently earned a ninth place in the General Classification. Because of the small, technical roads, it was very important for the team to be upfront. “The upcoming days will become very important”, says sports director Mario Aerts.
85 kilometers into stage three.
"It was a good first day in the mountains of Catalunya. The boys did a very good job and I am very happy to be able to finish their hard work of with a fifth place in today’s stage and a ninth place in the General Classification. I am looking forward to the upcoming days", says a happy Lennert Van Eetvelt
And here's the Volta a Catalunya report from Lorenzo Germani's Team Groupama-FDJ:
On Wednesday, Lorenzo Germani took advantage of the first mountain stage of the Giro d’Italia, heading towards La Molina, to join the breakaway. After a fierce battle at the start, the Italian was able to lead the way until the summit of the penultimate climb of the day. The favorites then battled for victory, taken by Juan Ayuso, while Rémy Rochas finished two minutes behind the Spaniard.
The day’s menu was quite heavy this Wednesday on the Volta a Catalunya. On stage 3, the riders had to cover nearly 220 kilometres, but also cope with nearly 4,800 metres of elevation gain towards the well-known La Molina, while also reaching an altitude of 1,900 metres. A first fight between the GC contenders was obviously expected, but Groupama-FDJ wanted to be on the offensive from the start in Viladecans.
Stage three had a very challenging profile.
“The team was very motivated this morning,” said Stéphane Goubert. “We had initially planned to join breakaways of at least 6-8 riders, but the riders themselves wanted to be involved in smaller moves. That’s a very good thing. It means the group is committed, and we were very proud of that with Jussi [Veikkanen]. They were all present and active at the start.” It actually took nearly forty kilometres for the good move to establish itself, with Lorenzo Germani, Bruno Armirail, Alex Molenaar, and Mats Wenzel.
“The goal was to put one guy in front, and we were in every move,” said the Italian. “We managed to get into the breakaway, even though it unfortunately wasn’t the best situation.” “Given today’s difficult course, the GC teams didn’t want to let a big breakaway go,” explained Stéphane. Therefore, a quartet led the day, with a maximum gap of almost seven minutes. “We rode well together and still had a good lead,” added Lorenzo. “The goal was to reach the top of the big climb in the lead, and we managed to do that. It was a great day at the front.”
Caught after the Coll de la Creueta, with about thirty kilometres to go, Lorenzo Germani then joined his teammates Rémy Rochas, Brieuc Rolland, and Clément Braz Afonso in a reduced peloton. “Lorenzo wasn’t feeling well yesterday, so he was supposed to be a little more conservative at the start,” Stéphane explained. “In the end, he had a great stage and was solid physically. It was a good day for the group life, and it shows that they want to have an impact on this race.”
In the peloton, Rémy Rochas and Brieuc Rolland held on until eight kilometres from the finish, before finishing just over two minutes behind winner Juan Ayuso. Another summit finish is planned on Thursday, but the day should be less gruelling.
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We posted the report from winner Juan Sebastian Molano's UAE Team Emirates-XRG with the results.
Here's the report from second-place Jonathan Milan's Team Lidl-Trek:
Jonathan Milan came close to victory after a chaotic edition of the Classic Brugge-De Panne but just couldn't take the win. The Italian sprinter finished second after a smart sprint by Juan Molano, who started early. Unfortunately, Edward Theuns was involved in one of the many crashes in the final 10 km.
At the start of the race, five riders formed the early breakaway, but the peloton always kept them within reach. The pace was high, helped by a strong tailwind. A powerful Tim Declercq and his colleagues made sure the breakaway never got too far.
Everyone was counting down to the much-anticipated bunch sprint, but it never really happened. Multiple crashes in the final kilometers disrupted the sprint and prevented a fair showdown. Unfortunately, Edward Theuns was caught up in one of the crashes. Further examinations will determine the extent of his injuries.
Juan Molano took advantage of the chaos, surprising the other sprinters with a long sprint from far out. The hesitation behind gave him an extra gap. Jonathan Milan chased hard but just ran out of road. The final result: a second place.
Juan Sebastian Molano beats Jonathan Milan.
Milan's Reaction:
"From the start of the day we helped control the race, so it’s a not super good to not give [the team] a victory. Molano was super strong, I was not expecting someone to come from behind so early at 400m to go. It was difficult to catch him but I did my best. Unfortunately we had many crashes, including before the last corner. I hope no one is bad. It was a difficult final, one of the most dangerous ones I have done. But yeah, second place, and now we keep going. The condition is good, I don’t feel the crashes from Tirreno anymore, I’m confident for Gent-Wevelgem.:
Here's the Classic Brugge-De Panne report from Olav Kooij's Team Visma | Lease a Bike:
The highly anticipated royal sprint in the Classic Brugge-De Panne did not take place. The finale was overshadowed by several major crashes. Olav Kooij was also involved in a crash, but the 23-year-old Dutchman managed to reach the finish line.
The 49th edition of the Classic Brugge-De Panne featured a strong lineup. The flat course of the Belgian spring classic traditionally offers an opportunity for the top sprinters. After the start in Bruges, five riders formed the breakaway of the day, but the peloton kept the group within reach. In that peloton, Team Visma | Lease a Bike contributed to the chase. Niklas Behrens – returning to competition after his collarbone fracture in the UAE Tour in February – did a lot of work at the head of the pack.
The sprint as see on TV
With the final kilometres approaching, the final remaining breakaway rider was caught by the nervous peloton. In the last two kilometres, the race was overshadowed by several heavy crashes. Kooij was among those involved but managed to cross the finish line battered and bruised. Juan Sebastián Molano was the surprising winner after a disrupted sprint.
Sports director Grischa Niermann reflected on a chaotic race. “As a team, we were in the right position, but a crash was unavoidable. The finale was simply too dangerous today. The road narrowings in the final kilometres led to some risky situations. Unfortunately, Olav also hit the ground, but the damage seems to be limited to abrasions. There are still some big goals ahead for him, so we’ll have to see how he recovers from this crash.”
And here's the Classic Brugge - De Panne report from Team Picnic-PostNL:
Classic Brugge-De Panne once again lived up to its reputation as a sprinter’s classic. The day began with a five-man breakaway going up the road, while the peloton kept the gap under control. Even with a north-easterly wind and echelons not playing much of a role, this pace was high all day. Team Picnic PostNL tried to stay together as much as possible to save energy for the inevitable sprint.
As the sprint preparation kicked into full gear, the final breakaway rider was reeled in with 3 kilometers to go. The closing kilometers saw several crashes that completely shook up the sprint. In the end, it was Tobias Lund Andresen who led the team over the line.
After the race, Lund Andresen said: “It felt like a final almost all day, with everyone pushing into every corner. We had some trouble staying together, but I was well-positioned towards the front in the crucial final 20 kilometers. With 2.5 km to go, we wanted to make our move, but just as Niklas and Bram launched, I got squeezed behind them. After that, I was caught behind the crash. It’s a real shame because I felt like we had the legs to go for a top result.”
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We posted the report from winner Paul Double's Team Jayco AlUla with the results.
Here's the report from third-place Diego Ulissi's Team XDS-Astana:
Stage Two of the Italian stage race Settimana Internazionale Coppi e Bartali took place, featuring a demanding course with nine short but steep climbs.
XDS Astana Team rider Diego Ulissi performed well in the final part of the stage, finishing third, which also moved him up to third place in the overall classification of the Italian race.
Paul Double wins the second stage. Sirotti photo
Another team rider, Simone Velasco, finished in 9th place.
“Of course, I always aim to fight for victory and the best possible result, but today I can say that, overall, I am satisfied with my third place. The beginning of the season was not very successful for me due to health issues. For a long time, I struggled to reach my optimal form, but now I feel that everything is improving, and I am gradually getting into a good racing rhythm. So, in the next stages, we will continue to fight together as a team”, – said Diego Ulissi.
Here's the Coppi-Bartali week report from Team INEOS Grenadiers:
Magnus Sheffield and Brandon Rivera crossed the line in the top 10 following a heavy day of climbing at Settimana Coppi e Bartali.
The second stage saw an elite lead GC group form in the closing stages ahead of the fourth and final ascent of the Sogliano al Rubicone climb.
Stage two had a lumpy profile.
Sheffield launched early on the final ramp in a bid to overhaul lone leader Paul Double (Jayco AlUla) and would eventually cross the line three seconds behind the victorious Brit.
Rivera was also present in the group and came home a further two seconds back. The result puts both Grenadiers firmly in the GC mix, with the climbing set to continue on Thursday.
Caleb Ewan began the day in the leader’s jersey following his sprint victory heroics on the opening day. The Australian will continue to rack up important race kilometres during the remainder of the race, helping his teammates ahead of the climbing tests to come.
Here’s the report from Asgreen’s Team EF Education-EasyPost:
Kasper Asgreen is rebuilding his form after a viral infection and will miss the classics, so he can return to racing in full health.
“Kasper had a very good winter of training, but at Paris-Nice he started feeling tired. His recovery markers that we monitor on a daily basis also reflected this," says EF Pro Cycling Head Doctor Jon Greenwell. "We monitor the resting heart rate, HRV and recovery score using Whoop each morning, and we saw that Kasper´s numbers were moving away from his normal range. Concerned about this, and the feedback we were getting from Kasper, the team decided to withdraw him from Paris-Nice, so we could investigate further and try to find a cause, and also make sure that we did not risk any longer term heart problems. The extensive investigations that were performed all came back as normal, and the conclusion was that Kasper had been exposed to a virus at some stage earlier in the year that had caused the fatigue.”
Kasper Asgreen on the Arenburg cobbles in the 2024 Paris-Roubaix. Sirotti photo
Kasper is disappointed to miss his favorite races of the season. He'll be cheering on his teammates this spring. Watching them race over the Belgian cobbles after completing his own training sessions will inspire him to come back stronger than ever. Kasper is thankful that he can build his form without rushing into races before he is ready.
“It’s going to hurt to miss the races I love the most, but I'm very, very grateful that I'm in a team where they see my best value as being the best version of myself,” Kasper says. “All winter, I've been on track towards a great classics campaign. Together with my team, we've built an incredible group of riders to tackle the best races of the season, and feeling their support and belief in me has been incredible. A couple of weeks back, I got an infection and after some rest, I thought we were back on track without losing too much. However in Paris-Nice, it started to worsen again and I had to take more rest. These breaks have come at the worst possible time, ruining all that hard work that everyone has done throughout the winter. Although I would be healthy enough to do the races, the shape is no longer what it has to be to be competitive. Therefore the team and I have decided that I should start refocusing on being the best possible version of myself and only then return to racing.”
Doctor Greenwell is optimistic that Kasper will be back in the peloton soon. Kasper is back training on the bike, but our medical staff still want to make sure that he takes a cautious approach to his recovery.
“After a period of rest we started some low intensity training earlier this week,” says Doctor Greenwell. “We will continue to monitor his progress closely and we want to make sure he is 100 percent recovered and fully healthy again before he returns to racing.”
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