Lesser known races 2025 edition

[RedheadDane]

No love for the sprinters in the Tour of Austria. LOL.
Nice Parcours.

Course designed by @Divergence.

 

[Unchained]

Just enjoying the live chat of mostly Mexicans absolutely staggered as to why Del Toro isn't there.

Not only is he there, when the uphill chugging of the chase started he did 3,4 hard ones on the front.... Massive breakaway mostly just sluffing off conti riders who were too excited.. and second counter break had Son of Vino, a funny four riders, 3 WTs and a conti kid who wouldn't pull through, just tried to suck wheel for @20+k..looked like he would get punched a couple of times.. EF and Trek rider yelling at him..Beloki really jumpy ..when group wouldn't work he went alone, 2 or 3 times, couldn't sustain it, came back ..@8k to go a hard skinny street right turn and a leg breaker.. Not that steep but just a wasteland of blown bike riders!! Archie Ryan tried to channel his inner Carapaz..but the spirit never fully materialized!! Instead UAE used Polish engine, Austrian in tow!! Last @20k of race are worth watching!! Super sad for Archie!! 2 UAE riders jump him..they make him close the gap, he can't.. UAE 1,2, and things go good for UAE in field sprint for close following group.. Del Toro unable to win it!! Gutsy try by Ryan!!

 

[YavorD]

Happy for Felix Großschartner. He is one of the riders on the brink of getting dropped by UAE for next year (was already close this winter). And I think he is actually better than given credit often. Also wonder why he is not used more for GTs (probably none this year). Always loyal, and while weaknesses in the high mountains, a two time top 10 finisher in the Vuelta himself. But with UAE's packed roster, Tour of Slovenia (also just because Pogi was not there this year) or Tour of Austria are pretty much his only races where he can go for results himself.

He is signed for 2026 and 2027 actually.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

Last 15km of stage 5 in China. Reduced bunch sprint coming up.

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[RedheadDane]

That was magnificent from the Petrolike(?) guy.
Not so magnificent from the moto in the middle of the peloton with less than a K to go.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

Yep, the Meixcan youngster, Garcia, takes the win. Photo inspection needed to determine 1-2.

 

[danielzu]

Disappointing performance from astana in china. Harold Martin Lopez didn't manage to make any impact. Neither going clear on the mountains or helping mulu for the sprints

 

[yaco]

Disappointing performance from astana in china. Harold Martin Lopez didn't manage to make any impact. Neither going clear on the mountains or helping mulu for the sprints

What do you expect? You can't be at peak performance coming into the seventh month of the season. At some stage the dam wall had to break.

 

[danielzu]

At least him chasing for mulu. Mulu said in an interview a few days ago he had great legs but had to chase all alone and to sprint from 1k, finishing third and two seconds behind two escapers. He had lopez in that group, so he shouldnt do all the work by himself

 

[elguapo]

If the 18 year old Hector Alvarez could sustain his form over the mountainous 2nd stage today by finishing with del Toro's group, then Trek could structure his training with Mads Pedersen and Skjelmose for bigger plans.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

ToA, stage 2:

Race starts in a few moments: 12:15 local, but stream won't be available for about 1h.

 

[aruipksni]

 

[Dazed and Confused]

7km to go in Austria. 2km (7%) climb to the line. Go Kemna.

 

[Didinho]

Del Toro controlled it and wins the Mur sprint.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

Stage:

1	del Toro Isaac	UAE Team Emirates - XRG	14	20		3:04:59
2	August Andrew	INEOS Grenadiers	5	12		,,
3	Álvarez Héctor	Lidl - Trek	3	7		,,
4	Großschartner Felix	UAE Team Emirates - XRG		5		,,
5	Covi Alessandro	UAE Team Emirates - XRG		4		,,
6	Engelhardt Felix	Team Jayco AlUla		3		,,
7	Langellotti Victor	INEOS Grenadiers		2		,,

 

[Tim Cahill]

They say Del Toro is like AJ August, but with more power

 

[Unchained]

Del Toro controlled it and wins the Mur sprint.

Wow did we watch a different race..UAE playing a very dangerous game!! Let Jayco and EF do almost all of the work for the catch!! Breakaway looked excellent and UAE almost miscalculated barely getting contact with the break just in last Ks.. And UAE lead out the sprint and first rider completely blew up, Del Toro takes the win almost as an afterthought!! Del Toro is a pretty good sprinter !!
Del Toro with the win moves up one position in GC with Austrian holding on to top spot..but Covi came really really close!!
Polo and Alpecin are probably super disappointed with getting 99.9% of the way and race got away from them. The 2 teammates in breakaway rode a great race..
The helicopter shots of finish line area were really awesome!! Very beautiful town!! Overall the landscape is pristine almost perfect setting for the race!!

 

[Samamba]

They say Del Toro is like AJ August, but with more power

Damn he must be the new Pogacar then.

 

[Didinho]

Wow did we watch a different race..UAE playing a very dangerous game!! Let Jayco and EF do almost all of the work for the catch!! Breakaway looked excellent and UAE almost miscalculated barely getting contact with the break just in last Ks.. And UAE lead out the sprint and first rider completely blew up, Del Toro takes the win almost as an afterthought!! Del Toro is a pretty good sprinter !!
Del Toro with the win moves up one position in GC with Austrian holding on to top spot..but Covi came really really close!!
Polo and Alpecin are probably super disappointed with getting 99.9% of the way and race got away from them. The 2 teammates in breakaway rode a great race..
The helicopter shots of finish line area were really awesome!! Very beautiful town!! Overall the landscape is pristine almost perfect setting for the race!!

I only watched the last 3km’s and Del Toro controlled the riders behind his attacking teammate. And won the sprint.

 

[yaco]

I only watched the last 3km’s and Del Toro controlled the riders behind his attacking teammate. And won the sprint.

Unchained is right. I watched the last 20kms and there was no sign of UAE until 5kms to go. Where UAE was smart was shooting Baroncini up the road in the last km making the other teams ride and once he was caught, then Del toro was always going to win.

 

[Unchained]

I only watched the last 3km’s and Del Toro controlled the riders behind his attacking teammate. And won the sprint.

I am not certain, but the entire race might be available on YouTube.. Stage one was..fairly boring first half..
And final @60 kilometers are fun to watch because breakaway working great together.. Looked more like a precision TTT, everyone was just flying and flowing.. Personally I was sure win was going to come from the break.. UAE proved me wrong!!
UAE is going to have a emotional disaster when they pick Vuelta squad!! I don't know how many years Rafal Majka has left, his form is fantastic. Don't know just how much Del Toro is learning from him, but the 35 year old accomplished veteran rides in real harmony with 20 year old Mexican!! Majka is having a really good year so far!!
Speaking of old guys..38 year old Rui Costa was showing a little bit stage one.. Turned out to be nothing, he finished 36th..and today tumbled a little finished 59th..His contract with EF Easy Post is up this year....

 

[elguapo]

Stage:

1	del Toro Isaac	UAE Team Emirates - XRG	14	20		3:04:59
2	August Andrew	INEOS Grenadiers	5	12		,,
3	Álvarez Héctor	Lidl - Trek	3	7		,,
4	Großschartner Felix	UAE Team Emirates - XRG		5		,,
5	Covi Alessandro	UAE Team Emirates - XRG		4		,,
6	Engelhardt Felix	Team Jayco AlUla		3		,,
7	Langellotti Victor	INEOS Grenadiers		2		,,

Steady Alvarez and still in front. Kamna should help instead the kid.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

Steady Alvarez and still in front. Kamna should help instead the kid.

Nah, Kemna is on a recovery path. Besides, both will just have to hang on the UAE train on the last climb and see how it goes.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

Meanwhile in China: Stage 6 - "queenstage"

approx. 40km to go:

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[Dazed and Confused]

​

Mulubrhan takes the stage win from a small group. Race lader came 2nd. Awaiting GC impact....