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Thursday, November 13, 2025
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2024 Tour de France | 2024 Giro d'Italia
We could have saved the Earth but we were too damned cheap. - Kurt Vonnegut
Bill and Carol McGann's book The Story of the Tour de France, 2019: A Year of New Faces is available in both Kindle eBook and audiobook versions. To get your copy, just click on the Amazon link on the right.
Upcoming racing:
- November 16: Trofee Hamme-Flandriencross
- December 14: World Cup Namur
- December 23: Superprestige Heusden-Zolder
- December 26: World Cup Gavere
- December 29: Trofee Loenhout-Azencross
- December 30: Superprestige Diegem
- January 1: GP Sven Nys
Latest completed racing:
- November 1: Trofee Oudenaarde-Koppenbergcross
- October 26: Superprestige Overijse-Vlaamse Druivencross
- October 14 - 19: Tour of Guangxi
- October 14 - 19: Tour of Holland
- October 19: Veneto Classic
- October 19: Japan Cup
- October 19: Chrono des Nations
- October 15: Giro del Veneto
- October 12: Paris-Tours
Here’s the team’s post:
As our partnership with SCOTT draws to a close, we take time to reflect on an epic three-year journey. From the outset in 2023, SCOTT has stood by our side as we pushed boundaries, chased results, and built momentum together. It’s only fitting we say: thank you.
2023 – A Breakthrough Season
We were a new team on the rise, full of ambition and potential. The SCOTT Foil RC was our race bike of choice, fast, efficient, ready for sprint finishes and classics alike. In that year, our sprinter Matteo Moschetti claimed our first victory in the Clásica de Almería, marking a statement for what was to come. His power and speed on the SCOTT Foil RC highlighted the vision of the partnership.
Matteo Moschetti wins the 2023 Clasica de Almeria Photo: Sprint Cycling
Throughout the spring and summer, the team raced hard. SCOTT’s engineering gave us the full set of tools; our riders and staff added the fine-tuning and execution. It wasn’t just about the bike, it was about everything behind it: preparation, detail, support, from our state-of-the-art service course to the parking lots along the race calendar.
2024 – Evolution and Depth:
For the 2024 season, SCOTT introduced their latest innovation with the new SCOTT Addict RC, which was tested by the team throughout the year. The frame demonstrated a promising blend of climbing agility and sprinting stiffness. Meanwhile, the SCOTT Plasma RC remained a key asset in time trials, contributing to David de la Cruz’s triumph in the Spanish Time Trial Championship.
That year, our mechanics and performance staff worked together, understanding every nuance of the bikes. Although injuries and setbacks made 2024 a challenging season, it still provided opportunities for growth and learnings for the future.
2025 – Peak Moments & Milestones:
2025 marked a year of defining moments. Tom Pidcock’s arrival and the season start in Saudi Arabia saw rider and machine at their best.
The AlUla Tour in February set both the tone and expectation for the remainder of the season. Tom Pidcock put on a dominant performance, winning stage 2 and going on to claim the overall. This whole team performance was capped off on stage 5 when, Matteo Moschetti delivered one of the fastest sprints ever seen: clocking a maximum speed of 83 km/h over the final 500 metres. In that moment bike, team, strategy and rider all converged to deliver something incredible.
At our final Grand Tour of the season, three years of progress and refinement came together as Tom Pidcock rode to a podium finish at La Vuelta a España. Each bike in the SCOTT range played a pivotal role in the team’s results, from the super-lightweight Addict RC on the steepest gradients of L’Angliru, to the Foil RC that delivered 16 top-10 finishes in the sprints, and the Plasma RC that powered us to an unprecedented 8th place in our first Team Time Trial.
Beyond the Bike – The People, The Trust, The Journey:
Partnerships in cycling aren’t just about logos on the frame or names on the saddle. They’re about shared ambition, trust, and the belief that each race matters. SCOTT’s team of engineers, designers, support staff, whether they were in the workshop, on-site at races or during Training Camps, shared in our progress.
Through the desert winds of AlUla, the mud and cobbles of the Classics, and the climbs of the La Vuelta a España, SCOTT’s bikes carried our riders. Every gram saved, sprint won, and podium reached was part of that shared effort
As we close this chapter, we do so with immense gratitude. To SCOTT, thank you for your innovation, partnership, and commitment. From the Addict RC as we climbed to new heights, the Plasma RC in the race of truth, to the Foil RC used in the fastest sprint we’ve ever seen, SCOTT has been there.
Here’s to the memories made and the milestones achieved.
Thank you, SCOTT.
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Here's the team's announcement:
Adding to their Men’s program, Team Picnic PostNL are thrilled to announce two new Dutch additions to the team. Both Frits Biesterbos and Timo de Jong are set to wear the two-striped jersey through the 2027 campaign.
Timo de Jong wins stage four of the 2025 Tour of Holland.
Frits Biesterbos:
Apeldoorn native Biesterbos is a late comer to the road racing scene, having previously focused predominantly on mountain biking at a younger age and in the U23 categories. 2024 saw Biesterbos take some good results and wins on the Dutch national racing seen which saw him get a stagiaire contract with BEAT Cycling Club for the second half of the year, and he ultimately joined them fully for 2025. Continuing his development, two second places in Slovenia in March kick started his year well.
In July, Biesterbos took his first podium place in a .1 level event with second place on the final day time trial in the Sibiu Cycling Tour, just a few hundredths of a second behind the day’s winner. His autumn campaign saw several tricky one-day races on the menu, but Biesterbos showed his staying-power by finishing in the top 25 in each of the five Belgian races. However, the two highlights of his season came on home Dutch soil where he won the Dutch gravel national championships in Aalten before going on to be part of the national team at the World Championships. There, he impressed many by sticking with seasoned and strong WorldTour pros over the challenging Limburg terrain – ultimately going on to take a brilliant silver medal and second place.
Biesterbos said: “Joining Team Picnic PostNL feels like a natural next step for me. The team’s long-term vision and sustainable way of developing riders really stand out. There’s a strong focus on helping riders grow step-by-step and constantly improving everything around the team. You can see that success here often comes from riders who have been part of the system for years, and that shows it truly works. I’m really looking forward to being part of that journey myself. I’m still quite new to the road scene, so together with the team I want to find out what kind of rider I really am and what races suit me best.
"So far, I’ve done well in hilly races, but I’m always eager to learn and listen to the people around me; that’s what’s helped me develop quickly so far. My goal is to keep improving and contribute to strong results as a team. On the bike, my technical skills are probably my biggest strength, coming from my mountain bike background and off the bike… I make a pretty good cappuccino!”
Team Picnic PostNL head coach Rudi Kemna added: “It might look opportunistic that we signed Frits right after the Gravel World Championships, but in reality, he was already on our radar much earlier in the year. We first noticed him during the Belgian 1.1 and 1.2 races where he rode against our team, and that’s where he really caught our attention. Before the Gravel Worlds we had already reached out to his management, because we could see the potential straight away.
"He’s a punchy rider with an explosive kick on short efforts, and his background in mountain biking has given him great endurance and strength. We believe he can handle the harder races too. Not just in Flanders, but also in the Ardennes and possibly in shorter stage races. It’s going to be a real journey of discovery with him. He’ll race a wide and varied program to find out where his true strengths lie, and we’ll make sure he has the time and structure to grow steadily. His results at the Dutch and World Gravel Championships only confirmed what we already saw: a rider with the potential and engine to go very far with us.”
Timo de Jong:
Born in Goes on the Zuid-Beveland in Zeeland, De Jong’s journey to the professional ranks has been one of perseverance and a never-give-up attitude. Plying his trade with VolkerWessels Cycling Team for the past six seasons, De Jong has impressed on the challenging Dutch racing scene alongside some strong performances on international events throughout Europe. 2025 has been a stand-out year for the tall and powerful Dutchman, who claimed a stage win and second place overall at the Olympia’s Tour in March while in July could raise his arms in the air at Midden-Brabant Poort Omloop.
Those results secured him a stagiaire contract with Team Picnic PostNL for the second half of the year, where he gained valuable experience and proved to be a strong teammate in multiple Pro level races. De Jong’s crowning glory was at the recent Tour of Holland where riding for his current team, he beat strong opposition after a big day out in the breakaway to take the win on the VAM-berg, on his way to take seventh place overall on GC.
De Jong expressed: “After my stagiaire period with Team Picnic PostNL, it was a really easy decision to stay. From the very first day, the way I was welcomed by both riders and staff gave me a great feeling, and it immediately felt like the right place for me. I’m looking forward to helping the team achieve great results together and to keep developing myself as a rider. I see myself as a classics-type rider with good positioning skills, and I think my race insight is one of my main strengths. I want to use that to support my teammates at the key moments and make a real difference in the races that matter.”
Team Picnic PostNL head coach Rudi Kemna added: “We got to know Timo during his stagiaire period this season, and that experience confirmed what we already thought: he’s an incredibly smart and skilled racer. His race intelligence and technical ability really stood out, which made it an easy decision to bring him on board full-time. We see him playing an important role in the classics and in the lead-out. His ability to read races and make good tactical decisions will be a big strength for our team.”
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Ed: Valter signed a 3-year contract starting in 2026 with Bahrain Victorious
Here’s the team’s retrospect:
For three years, Attila Valter has represented Team Visma | Lease a Bike in his Hungarian champion’s jersey at some of the biggest races in the world. The versatile climber has played an important role in Grand Tours, week-long stage races, and hilly classics. Now, it’s time to look back on Attila’s seasons with the team.
Valter in the GC leader's jersey after 2023 Vuelta a Burgos stage 2. Sirotti photo
2023:
Attila hit the ground running as soon as he joined Team Visma | Lease a Bike. The Hungarian served as the final domestique for Jonas Vingegaard at O Gran Camiño, setting the Dane up for victory on both mountain stages before finishing fourth overall himself. A week later, he took fifth in his favorite race, Strade Bianche. More strong showings followed in Itzulia Basque Country and La Flèche Wallonne, and he also added another top-five finish at the Tour of Norway. Victories in both the national road race and time trial championships ensured that he would wear the red, white, and green jersey at the Vuelta a España, where he helped the team achieve a memorable podium sweep, with Sepp Kuss taking the overall win. A hugely successful first season with the team was complete for Attila.
2024:
Just as 2023 had ended on a high with the victory at La Vuelta, 2024 began strongly for Attila. He took an impressive fifth overall at the UAE Tour and helped Jonas Vingegaard to yet another win, this time at Tirreno–Adriatico. He continued racing in his beloved Italy at the Giro d’Italia, where he joined several breakaways during what proved to be an unlucky race for the Bees. Racing for his home country, Attila produced one of the biggest performances of his career by finishing fourth in the Olympic Road Race over the summer. Perfect preparation for another appearance at the Vuelta a España, where he worked hard for Wout van Aert before a double crash took the Belgian out of the race. After making it to Madrid, Attila ended his season in the Italian autumn classics.
2025:
Attila’s 2025 season was largely dedicated to domestique duties, helping riders like Matthew Brennan and Olav Kooij to multiple victories in races such as the Tour de Pologne, Renewi Tour, Tirreno–Adriatico, and Tour of Norway. He also delivered another strong performance at Strade Bianche, though he finished outside the top ten in a grueling edition. In 2026, Attila will race in the colors of Bahrain Victorious. We want to thank him for three great years and wish him the very best of luck in this next chapter of his career.
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Here’s the post from Savino’s Team Soudal Quick-Step:
The 21-year-old Italian talked about how much he has improved in the past couple of years and his hopes for the coming season.
Since joining our feeder team ahead of 2023, Federico Savino has racked up several victories and top-ten overall placings that underlined his potential and versatility, in both stage and one-day races. Now, as he prepares to start his fourth season with the Soudal Quick-Step Devo Team, he is determined to show how much he has progressed under our tutelage and take some strong results in the biggest races on the calendar.
Federico Savino. Photo: Dario Belingheri / Getty Images
“Last season was my third with the team, and although I was hoping for more on a personal level, I am happy with it. One of the reasons for that is that I kept improving and learning; I learned how to read a race and ride smart, but I also improved my positioning, especially in the final part of a race.
“Another important thing for me was that I got to compete together with the World Tour team in a number of races, such as O Gran Camiño, Coppi e Bartali and Slovakia. It was great to do that and live so many beautiful moments with the more experienced guys. It was a dream to be on the same squad as them and I loved every single moment of it.
“I got some good results in the Circuit des Ardennes and the Tour de Bretagne, but the one that stands out is by far my overall victory at the West Bohemia Tour. We triumphed there in 2024, and it was amazing to repeat that success. I built my win early in the week, by going in the breakaway on the first stage, and together with the strong outing I had in the prologue, this propelled me into yellow. With the help of my incredible teammates, I defended the yellow jersey and took the victory, which was amazing.
“I will enter next season with a lot of ambitions, as I want to do well in a number of races, from Liège-Bastogne-Liège to the Giro Next Gen and the Tour de l’Avenir. I also hope to get some more chances to ride together with the World Tour team, because this is something that I know will help me become better.”
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