Lesser known races 2025 edition

[Libertine Seguros]

Volta de Santa Catarina starts in Brazil tomorrow and some interesting figures appearing on the startlist. Most notably the return of Alex Diniz, the partner in crime of Dani Díaz when Funvic went full hilarious in the Tour de San Luís back in the day. Diniz had already been suspended for testing positive for EPO in this very race back in 2009, so after being subjected to the biopassport for the first time in 2016 when Funvic jumped up to ProContinental, when he was busted on biopassport irregularities he copped an eight-year suspension and, already over 30, elected to retire. Except that suspension ran out in March and the 39-year-old Diniz is back, riding for Pindamonhangaba Cycling Club, the same team that used to be sponsored by Funvic...

A few of his old cohorts are back too; Caio Godoy and 42-year-old Roberto Silva are both back from their own suspensions in the late 2010s, while another old Funvic name, albeit without a suspension in his back pocket, Magno Prado Nazaret, is on hand as well, now 39 himself. But the true staying power belongs to Argentina's Matías Medici, making yet another comeback at the age of 50 on AVAI-Florianópolis. He rode for Funvic back in 2011 and it was assumed his career was probably over after he copped a two-year-ban in 2012 when already 37 years of age... but he came back and rode for two and a half more years, before disappearing again for six and a half years (hmm) and reappearing at 48 in 2023.

Plus ça change, as they say...

 

[Dazed and Confused]

The recent crash in Malaysia has not impacted Malucelli's ability to sprint and win stages in Asia. Took the first stage in Tour of Taihu Lake today. Three more opportunites left in the race.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

Later today we have another prelude to the last Monument of the season.: The 109th Gran Piemonte (1.Pro).

Top riders:

1	DEL TORO Isaac	UAE Team Emirates - XRG	2345	3
2	SCARONI Christian	XDS Astana Team	1268	18
3	POWLESS Neilson	EF Education - EasyPost	1224	21
4	GANNA Filippo	INEOS Grenadiers	951	36
5	MARTINEZ Lenny	Bahrain - Victorious	888	40
6	SIVAKOV Pavel	UAE Team Emirates - XRG	823	42
7	ARANBURU Alex	Cofidis	788	45
8	JOHANNESSEN Tobias Halland	Uno-X Mobility	779	47
9	ANDRESEN Tobias Lund	Team Picnic PostNL	775	48
10	BERNAL Egan	INEOS Grenadiers	745	53

Startlist via PCS: https://www.procyclingstats.com/race/gran-piemonte/2025/startlist

Its on the telly and should finish around 16.00 (local).

Lets go Aranburu.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

Medellín were in quite a hurry in Brasil. One of my picks in this year's emerging riders game, Pablo Bonilla, lost over an hour.

 

[Mayomaniac]

Volta de Santa Catarina starts in Brazil tomorrow and some interesting figures appearing on the startlist. Most notably the return of Alex Diniz, the partner in crime of Dani Díaz when Funvic went full hilarious in the Tour de San Luís back in the day. Diniz had already been suspended for testing positive for EPO in this very race back in 2009, so after being subjected to the biopassport for the first time in 2016 when Funvic jumped up to ProContinental, when he was busted on biopassport irregularities he copped an eight-year suspension and, already over 30, elected to retire. Except that suspension ran out in March and the 39-year-old Diniz is back, riding for Pindamonhangaba Cycling Club, the same team that used to be sponsored by Funvic...

A few of his old cohorts are back too; Caio Godoy and 42-year-old Roberto Silva are both back from their own suspensions in the late 2010s, while another old Funvic name, albeit without a suspension in his back pocket, Magno Prado Nazaret, is on hand as well, now 39 himself. But the true staying power belongs to Argentina's Matías Medici, making yet another comeback at the age of 50 on AVAI-Florianópolis. He rode for Funvic back in 2011 and it was assumed his career was probably over after he copped a two-year-ban in 2012 when already 37 years of age... but he came back and rode for two and a half more years, before disappearing again for six and a half years (hmm) and reappearing at 48 in 2023.

Plus ça change, as they say...

And the route isn't bad either for a stage race in Brazil.

 

[Ilmaestro99]

Amazing points battle sprint result in taiju lake with astana, lotto and cofidis all getting stuck in

 

[Samamba]

Amazing points battle sprint result in taiju lake with astana, lotto and cofidis all getting stuck in

Lotto points?

 

[Ilmaestro99]

Lotto points?

Don't they need points ? They are a bad team

 

[Samamba]

Don't they need points ? They are a bad team

They are literally 12th, like 7000 points above 19th place.

One and only reason they are in china is cause they got paid.

 

[Ilmaestro99]

They are literally 12th, like 7000 points above 19th place.

One and only reason they are in chine is cause they got paid.

I think I must have got them confused with arkea or intermarche, or just haven't been paying attention.

But seriously how do they have so many points? De lie?

 

[Samamba]

I think I must have got them confused with arkea or intermarche, or just haven't been paying attention.

But seriously how do they have so many points? De lie?

De Lie, Van Gils, Van Eetvelt mainly. But also good seasons from Berckmoes, Menten, Vermeersch and Kron among others the past 2 years. Even Caleb Ewan still scored like a 1000 points in 2023. They were 9th and 10th on the ranking in 2023 and 2024. Only this year has been bad cause lots of quality lost and De Lie and Van Eetvelt being out half the season.

 

[Rob5091]

Later today we have another prelude to the last Monument of the season.: The 109th Gran Piemonte (1.Pro).

Top riders:

1	DEL TORO Isaac	UAE Team Emirates - XRG	2345	3
2	SCARONI Christian	XDS Astana Team	1268	18
3	POWLESS Neilson	EF Education - EasyPost	1224	21
4	GANNA Filippo	INEOS Grenadiers	951	36
5	MARTINEZ Lenny	Bahrain - Victorious	888	40
6	SIVAKOV Pavel	UAE Team Emirates - XRG	823	42
7	ARANBURU Alex	Cofidis	788	45
8	JOHANNESSEN Tobias Halland	Uno-X Mobility	779	47
9	ANDRESEN Tobias Lund	Team Picnic PostNL	775	48
10	BERNAL Egan	INEOS Grenadiers	745	53

Startlist via PCS: https://www.procyclingstats.com/race/gran-piemonte/2025/startlist

Its on the telly and should finish around 16.00 (local).

Lets go Aranburu.

Thanks for the post! TV should start at 14.50 CET. The desperate hunt for UCI points goes on, and UAE march onto 100 wins this year.

 

[tobydawq]

Some break that has gotten away in Gran Piemonte, including Trentin, Tratnik and Langellotti.

 

[Ilmaestro99]

Langelotti in the break again! Tv superstar!

 

[Brullnux]

I wonder what Finn can do, it suits him more than the other 1.Pro/1.1 races he's done.

 

[Rob5091]

I wonder what Finn can do, it suits him more than the other 1.Pro/1.1 races he's done.

Does not look too good at the moment - dropped from the peloton as UAE crank up the speed.

 

[Brullnux]

I wonder what Finn can do, it suits him more than the other 1.Pro/1.1 races he's done.

Never mind

 

[Ilmaestro99]

Astana should have sent a rider with this move. Fausto would have been a good choicr

 

[Tim Cahill]

Ion Izagirre is fighting for Cofidis' life, he's podiumming Lombardia on Saturday

 

[Ilmaestro99]

Anyone got a live steam for piemonte? Only the 480 stream works for me at tiz and since I'm in office today I can't risk the pornographic pop ups

 

[Eddy Evenepoel]

Ion Izagirre is fighting for Cofidis' life, he's podiumming Lombardia on Saturday

With Leknessund and Johannessen crashing out and maybe missing Lombardia Cofidis still got a chance

 

[Cycling111]

UAE couldn't catch the break but team Vino came to help .
It was a mistake on their part not to put someone in the breakaway, they're making the race for Del Toro.

 

[Ilmaestro99]

Let's all go zambananas!!!!

 

[Breh]

former UAE 1.1 champion VS current UAE 1.1 champion

 

[Ilmaestro99]

Harry Potter getting dropped noooooooo (((((((((