Lesser known races 2025 edition

[Dazed and Confused]

No live pics from France, but action in Belgium is live now.

 

[Samamba]

Abrahamsen about to solo this on the Muur. As expected I guess.

 

[RedheadDane]

Did someone turn off the light?
Got turned back on.

 

[Samamba]

Abrahamsen almost touching the breaks to keep Donovan with him for some reason

 

[Rob5091]

So the UNO-X chase for UCI points carries on ...

 

[Dazed and Confused]

Godon wins in France. Bunchsprint.

 

[Samamba]

Abrahamsen solo, what a surprise

 

[Dazed and Confused]

Chase group can't mess around, gotta get the job done boys.

 

[RedheadDane]

Uno-X just bullying everyone.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

Abra too strong, wins solo from break. Donovan 2nd.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

Kadabra (I believe he has earned enough XP/UCI points by now to evolve) is one well oiled machine.

Démare seems to be hunting the prestigious most second places without a win trophy.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

A little consolation for Demare, he gets to wear the leader's jersey for the TT as a result of some minimal placement math.

 

[Ilmaestro99]

Just me or is the top-10 for these august Belgian one-day races basically the same every race?

 

[Samu Cuenca]

Just me or is the top-10 for these august Belgian one-day races basically the same every race?

How can you tell when you don't know the real names of (m)any riders?

 

[Squire]

Just me or is the top-10 for these august Belgian one-day races basically the same every race?

Yes. Pretty much all of them from the end of the spring classics until the end of the season.

The Uno-X A team and the Lotto A team (minus De Lie usually) toying with the others. And always some token point hunters from teams like Q36.5 and Astana in addition to some lower-budget PCT guys like Kubis who is having a stellar season. We're just missing the usual Alpecin second-tier rider getting a top 5.

But the races are usually great, though!

 

[Samamba]

Just me or is the top-10 for these august Belgian one-day races basically the same every race?

Literally only the UNO X guys who come with their A team to these races have been in the top 10 in both Franco Belge and this one. And no one from Renewi has been in the top 10 in one of the other 2 races.

So yes it's you.

 

[Ilmaestro99]

Literally only the UNO X guys

But that's like most of the top 10 anyway bro

 

[Samamba]

But that's like most of the top 10 anyway bro

It's 3 guys out of 10. Also there has literally been 2 Belgian smaller races this month...

 

[Armchair Cyclist]

And you get reminded of a bunch of CX names if you look at the breakaway riders on PCS live coverage.

 

[RedheadDane]

And you get reminded of a bunch of CX names if you look at the breakaway riders on PCS live coverage.

Are you... starting the "Come Join the CX Game" nudging early?

 

[Samu Cuenca]

Hell must have frozen over today as Yacine Hamza and Madar actually managed to win a race in Europe.

 

[QueenStagiaire]

Hell must have frozen over today as Yacine Hamza and Madar actually managed to win a race in Europe.

It‘s quite ridiculous that a UCI-sanctioned normal stage race don‘t have a Minimum number of participants because 43 is very few.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

It‘s quite ridiculous that a UCI-sanctioned normal stage race doesn‘t have a Minimum number of participants because 43 is very few.

I thought there were requirements for smaller men's races, too, but there only seem to be for the WT and ProSeries and for all women's races (for class 2 races it's 40, so 43 would have been enough if the rules were similar).

 

[Rob5091]

If someone down the pub asks if you're interested in a new super bike on the cheap ...
https://cyclinguptodate.com/cycling...ganized-crime-continues-to-affect-pro-cycling

"The TotalEnergies team suffered the theft of 20 bicycles last night during the Tour Poitou-Charentes," a statement issued this morning by the team read. "Despite the incident, the team will continue competing in today's time trial".

In their own words on X HERE

 

[tobydawq]

Kadabra (I believe he has earned enough XP/UCI points by now to evolve) is one well oiled machine.

Démare seems to be hunting the prestigious most second places without a win trophy.

But he'll have to be traded to a new team to become Alakazam.