Lesser known races 2025 edition

[RedheadDane]

Even this thread couldn't keep up with the insanity that was today's schedule. No mention of Scaroni or whatever happened with Kooij and Brennan in France?

Excuse me! I totally mentioned Kooij.
BTW, Jeroen Meijers won the final stage in Huangshan, Daniel Cavia won the GC.

(I suspect the inability to keep up wasn't helped by the two World Championship races happening too.)

 

[Dazed and Confused]

Tiny bit of video of Scaroni's victory:

View: https://youtu.be/DrsLpxl9gH4

 

[yaco]

I was impressed with rafferty in the last stage of Slovakia. Did the lead out for Double and battled on well. Realistically, he should have been the one from Jayco's Devo team to be upgraded to the WT team.

 

[RedheadDane]

Realistically, he should have been the one from Jayco's Devo team to be upgraded to the WT team.

Isn't it still theoretically possible that they might choose to also upgrade him?

 

[yaco]

Isn't it still theoretically possible that they might choose to also upgrade him?

Jayco still have spots available on the roster, so it is possible.

 

[Rob5091]

Wednesday is time for Omloop van het Houtland (1.1) , 199 km from Eernegem to Lichtervelde. Start at 12.45 CET, TV from 15.15 CET (two streams - in Dutch at https://cycling.pickx.be/nl/?v5 or
in French at https://cycling.pickx.be/fr/?v5 )

roadbook at https://omloopvanhethoutland.be/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/OVHH_TechnischeGids2025.pdf

startlist at https://www.procyclingstats.com/race/omloop-van-het-houtland-lichtervelde/2025/startlist
(Sprint party by the looks of it - Merlier, Groenewegen (with last year's winner Big Max Walscheid), Gaviria, etc and the desperate hunt for UCI points continues)

 

[Dazed and Confused]

Wednesday is time for Omloop van het Houtland (1.1) , 199 km from Eernegem to Lichtervelde. Start at 12.45 CET, TV from 15.15 CET (two streams - in Dutch at https://cycling.pickx.be/nl/?v5 or
in French at https://cycling.pickx.be/fr/?v5 )

roadbook at https://omloopvanhethoutland.be/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/OVHH_TechnischeGids2025.pdf

startlist at https://www.procyclingstats.com/race/omloop-van-het-houtland-lichtervelde/2025/startlist
(Sprint party by the looks of it - Merlier, Groenewegen (with last year's winner Big Max Walscheid), Gaviria, etc and the desperate hunt for UCI points continues)

Difficult to avoid the bunch sprint, but lets see what the other 16 teams will do to prevent such a thing. Also, in case of a bunch sprint is Merlier back in business after showing some weakness last Friday?

 

[Rob5091]

re: Omloop van het Houtland - TV streams start 15.20 i.e. now!

 

[Dazed and Confused]

Chaos after a big crash.... 50km to go.

 

[Rob5091]

QS driving the peloton along - Merlier must feel good. Quite a few crashes. Expect UNO-X and Cofidis to get as many as possible in the top 20.

 

[Eddy Evenepoel]

Expect UNO-X and Cofidis to get as many as possible in the top 20.

Uno-X doesn’t even have a sprinter as Fredheim didn’t start. Bevort can maybe score a top 15?

 

[Samamba]

Uno-X doesn’t even have a sprinter as Fredheim didn’t start. Bevort can maybe score a top 15?

DS about to give his riders the instruction to just block Fretin and Renard.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

Merlier might even get a lead out...

 

[RedheadDane]

That's a Bol move!

 

[Dazed and Confused]

Easy win for Merlier from a depleted, crash impacted "peloton".

 

[Rob5091]

Yep, it was tough but Merlier wins, chapeau.

 

[Ilmaestro99]

BELGIAN HORSE

 

[Tim Cahill]

 

[Wyndbrook]

I hope there is no insunation that Timbo is a Belgian Draught horse.

 

[topcat]

The Irish national gravel championships are taking place at Shannapheasteen Forest, Galway Wind park in Connemara this weekend. This will significantly lower the viewing numbers for the wrr.

 

[RedheadDane]

Uno-X doesn’t even have a sprinter as Fredheim didn’t start. Bevort can maybe score a top 15?

Turns out, he could indeed score a top 15.

 

[Roku]

Tiny bit of video of Scaroni's victory:

View: https://youtu.be/DrsLpxl9gH4

The UKYO jersey with the bad quality image reminded me of the late 2000's and early 2010's Acqua Sapone of Stefano Garzelli