Lesser known races 2025 edition

[Devil's Elbow]

Bardiani and Polti both with two guys in the GC group, that might be that for the top-30 fight.

 

[Rob5091]

Matic Zumer is an hero, he's doing a stage race after Rwanda.



I think four. Can Magnier survive tomorrow's stage? Final climb 800m 6.3%

Start at 12.30 CET, and TV from 14.00 CET. An easier finish then yesterday, and the climbs are not difficult so if Magnier feels alright then he could well get the stage.

 

[Cycling111]

I think I overestimated today's stage. It'll be another sprint.

 

[RedheadDane]

Random thought:
At some point they should have a TT in the CRO race, with one of the intermediate times (or split times) being taken in... Split.

 

[QueenStagiaire]

Close one between Magnier and Cav from an alternate dimension.

 

[Tim Cahill]

Looked a bit like Magnier, hard from the headon shot

 

[QueenStagiaire]

Kwiatkowski as the last man is certainly an interesting choice.
Edit: should be double penalty if you celebrate when your teammate didn‘t win

 

[Rob5091]

Magnier again ... just! Turner a close 2nd.

 

[Alexandre B.]

Kwiatkowski did two mistakes: bridging to Heiduk, and celebrating too early.

 

[RedheadDane]

Edit: should be double penalty if you celebrate when your teammate didn‘t win

He should have his hair shaved off... oh, wait... nevermind.

 

[Berniece]

That's Magnier's 13th win already this season? And he's also doing China at the end of the season. Internal battle at SOQ for the most wins.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

Last bit of sprint action from the Cro race. Near perfect lead out from Ineos and Turner almost delivered. Yes, I'm late to the party....

View: https://youtu.be/YVxggT462Og?t=156

 

[Rob5091]

If you wonder why there are no top class sprinters at the Cro Race, well they're all at the Sparkassen Münsterland Giro (1.Pro) which is on Friday. 192 km from Stromberg to Münster with only a few bumps on the way.

Startlist at https://www.procyclingstats.com/race/munsterland-giro/2025/startlist ( all, or nearly all of your favourite sprinters - Philipsen, Merlier, Big Mads, Fretin, Van der Berg, Meeus, Big Max, Degenkolb, Kooij, Ackermann, Thijssen, De Lie etc etc) If there's not a bunch sprint it will be a major surprise.

Start at 13.15 CET and TV from km 0 at 13.05 (at https://www1.wdr.de/uebersicht-100.html ) or Eurosport 1 at 15.10 CET

 

[Dazed and Confused]

Would be pretty interesting to see if Ackermann can sneak into top 5. Based on recent form, I would have to go with de Lie ftw.

 

[QueenStagiaire]

If you wonder why there are no top class sprinters at the Cro Race, well they're all at the Sparkassen Münsterland Giro (1.Pro) which is on Friday. 192 km from Stromberg to Münster with only a few bumps on the way.

Startlist at https://www.procyclingstats.com/race/munsterland-giro/2025/startlist ( all, or nearly all of your favourite sprinters - Philipsen, Merlier, Big Mads, Fretin, Van der Berg, Meeus, Big Max, Degenkolb, Kooij, Ackermann, Thijssen, De Lie etc etc) If there's not a bunch sprint it will be a major surprise.

Start at 13.15 CET and TV from km 0 at 13.05 (at https://www1.wdr.de/uebersicht-100.html ) or Eurosport 1 at 15.10 CET

There is a top sprinter there.

 

[KZD]

8th sprint win in a row for Magnier, even on low quality fields its impressive.

 

[Escarabajo]

Delbove with quite the surprise!

And that's it. No more mountains or TT. So GC guys probably will have to start sprinting if they want to win. LOL.

 

[Rob5091]

There is a top sprinter there.

A good sprinter but he's Merlier's understudy. The only guy missing at Münsterland is Johnny Milan at Trek.

 

[RedheadDane]

all, or nearly all of your favourite sprinters - Philipsen, Merlier, Big Mads, Fretin, Van der Berg, Meeus, Big Max, Degenkolb, Kooij, Ackermann, Thijssen, De Lie etc etc

The only one mad enough to have ridden the EC ITT Wednesday, and will go back to France to ride the EC RR Sunday.

Aaand... he's out of both.

 

[Rob5091]

Cro race stage 4 means it's Friday and we're off from Krk to Labin which is 190.5 km for the guys to ride.
Start 11.10, TV from 14.00 CET

Yep, it's lumpy and long at 190 km with an uphill finish. UAE to drill it I expect but the top 56 guys on GC are seperated by only 30 seconds, so it'll be tough to control it all day.

 

[Rob5091]

The only one mad enough to have ridden the EC ITT Wednesday, and will go back to France to ride the EC RR Sunday.

Aaand... he's out of both.

Mad Mads not so mad after all, but I wondered why Milan was n't at Münsterland, and I see he's only got the Japanese race on his schedule, so he's basically already in holiday mode.

 

[RedheadDane]

Mad Mads not so mad after all,

He might be mad - in the unhappy sense - that he's unable to ride.

 

[Rob5091]

He might be mad - in the unhappy sense - that he's unable to ride.

Trek say he's ill, so that's it for this year.
https://cyclinguptodate.com/cycling...-championships-and-ends-season-due-to-illness

 

[QueenStagiaire]

Veerry few climbers in Croatia, Van Poppel jumping in moves from a 30-40 rider group.

 

[QueenStagiaire]

German commentators can‘t shut up about Paul Magnier coming back or not as if it had any relevance whatsoever.