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Bicycle Racing News and Opinion,
Wednesday, August 13, 2025

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2024 Tour de France | 2024 Giro d'Italia

I want a man who's kind and understanding. Is that too much to ask of a millionaire? - Zsa Zsa Gabor

Stoic philosopher Epictetus' Golden Sayings is available in both audiobook & Kindle eBook versions. To get your copy, just click on the Amazon link on the right.

Current Racing:

• August 12 - 16: Tour of Denmark

Upcoming racing:

• August 15: Circuit Franco-Belge
• August 17: Hamburg Cyclassics
• August 17: La Polynormande
• August 20 - 24: Renewi Tour

Latest completed racing:

• August 4 - 10: Tour of Poland
• August 7 - 10: Arctic Race of Norway
• August 5 - 9: Vuelta a Burgos
• August 6 - 8: Tour de l'Ain
• August 3: Circuito de Getxo
• August 2: San Sebastian Classic
• July 26 - July 30: Tour de Wallonie
• July 27: Vuelta a Castilla y Leon
• July 5 - 27: Tour de France

We posted the report from winner Mads Pedersen's Team Lidl-Trek with the results.

Here's the news from Team Visma | Lease a Bike:

Team Visma | Lease a Bike failed to make an impact in the first stage of the Tour of Denmark. On the second climb of the Helligpeder, the Dutch team had no answer to an attack by Mads Pedersen, who took the stage win. Axel Zingle came in twelfth.

Mads Pedersen wins stage one. Lars Rønbøg photo

The Danish stage race started on the island of Bornholm, where a leading group of five riders formed early on. With 45 kilometers to go, the riders began the first of a total of three local laps. Team Visma | Lease a Bike was well represented in the first group after the first climb of the Helligpeder, but on the second passage, the team was unable to respond to an attack by Pedersen.

This led to a final attempt by the team on the last climb, causing the depleted peloton to split up again. Dylan van Baarle tried to catch up with the leading group with an acceleration over the top, but failed in his mission. After a 175-kilometre ride, Zingle ultimately had to settle for twelfth place.

"We hoped to sprint with Axel on the tough course, but it turned out to be even more difficult than expected. Especially because Pedersen went full throttle on every climb", sports director Maarten Wynants said. "Axel was close, but not directly on the wheel, which meant we ended up falling behind a little. Many of our riders have just returned from altitude training, so they are still lacking a bit of rhythm. I expect things to improve over the next few days."

Tomorrow's flat finish promises opportunities for the fast men in the peloton. "Tomorrow will be a day for the pure sprinters. We will do our best to achieve a good result."

Team Lotto posted this piece about Alec Segaert and the Tour of Denmark just before the Tour of Denmark began.

The Tour of Denmark is just around the corner. After Arnaud De Lie’s victory last year, Lotto Cycling Team is once again eager to achieve a great result this year. Alec Segaert (22) looks ahead: "The time trial is made for me, and I also want to aim for a good GC here."

Arnaud De Lie will not be present in Denmark this time, opting instead for the Bemer–Renewi combination after an exhausting Tour de France. One rider who will be there is Alec Segaert. He’s swapping Renewi- where he claimed his first WorldTour victory last year in the time trial- for the Tour of Denmark this year. "The Renewi Tour doesn’t have an individual time trial on the program this year," explains Alec Segaert. "That made us decide to change the planning."

Alec Segaert after winning the 2022 Mens U23 World Time Trial Championships. Sirotti photo

For Segaert, Denmark will be his first race since the Belgian Championships at the end of June. "After that, I took some rest and then went on training camp and altitude, first in Portugal, then in Sestriere, Italy. After such a long period without racing, it’s always a bit of a question how the legs will feel, but I’m looking forward to it. Denmark reminds me a bit of Flemish racing: lots of twists and turns, narrow roads, short climbs, and wind that can play a role… The Tour of Denmark really has that Flemish style and that suits me."

Unsurprisingly, Segaert has also set his sights on the 14-kilometre time trial in Kerteminde, scheduled for day three. "We have a course with few corners, almost flat, not too difficult or technical. There’s strong competition, also for the GC, with riders like Mads Pedersen, Mattias Skjelmose, Johan Price-Pejtersen… There are some strong blocks at the start. I expect that especially in stage four, the longest one at nearly 230 kilometres, the GC could be shaken up. But with a good time trial, it’s always possible to aim for a strong overall result."

And Team Bahrain Victorious posted this news today about signing Alec Segaert for 2026

Team Bahrain Victorious is pleased to announce the signing of 22-year-old Belgian rider Alec Segaert. Known for his solid performances in time trials and one-day races, Segaert will bolster the team’s Classics squad while also playing a pivotal role in supporting GC contenders in stage races.

Alec Segaert on his way to winning stage two of the 2024 Renewi Tour. Sirotti photo

Segaert’s 2024 season included a standout victory in the ITT at the Renewi Tour, where he also claimed an impressive 2nd place in the General Classification. He excels across varied terrain and will be a valuable asset for the team’s ambitions in both single-day and multi-stage events.

“Alec is a young rider with huge potential, and we believe he will play an important role for us both in the Classics and in supporting our GC ambitions,” said Managing Director Milan Eržen. “He has the talent, mindset, and work ethic we value at Bahrain Victorious, and we look forward to helping him continue his progression at the highest level.”

Speaking about his move, Alec Segaert said:

“Team Bahrain Victorious is the ideal next step in my personal development as a WT rider. The team is professional and ambitious. I am too, and I hope this move will help me achieve new goals in my career. I am convinced that I will fit in well with the Classics team and be a valuable asset to the GC riders in the stage races.”

Here’s the team’s announcement:

UAE Team Emirates-XRG is pleased to announce the signing of Kevin Vermaerke, who will join the team on a two-year contract. The American all-rounder brings WorldTour experience, tactical strength, and a proven ability to support leaders in the toughest races on the calendar.

Vermaerke, 24, joins from Team dsm–firmenich PostNL, where he developed a reputation as a hardworking and reliable presence in stage races and classics alike. His palmarès includes a victory at Liege-Bastogne-Liege Espoirs in 2019 and more recent strong results in San Sebastián Classic (4th,2024) and a podium at the Arctic Race of Norway (3rd,2024).

Kevin Vermaerke finishes the 2024 Clasica San Sebastian. Sirotti photo

The move adds to UAE Team Emirates-XRG’s roster depth heading into the 2026 season, particularly in support of its stage racing ambitions and classics campaigns.

Mauro Gianetti: (CEO & Team Principal, UAE Team Emirates-XRG) : We are very pleased to welcome Kevin to our team. He’s a young, versatile rider and has already shown he can compete at the highest level. We believe he can continue to grow in our environment and become an important part of our team structure, both in stage races and the one-day calendar.”

Kevin Vermaerke: “I am incredibly excited to join UAE Team Emirates-XRG next year and start a new chapter in my career. I’ve grown a lot over the last few years but I feel that the team environment of UAE with the level of the riders and attention to detail on the team will be the change I need to take the next step. I’m really looking forward to learning from the best in the world and contributing to the team’s success next season.”

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