Lesser known races 2025 edition

[RedheadDane]

He found the finish.
Girmay second.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

Nice solo win by Mayhofer. Girmay won the peloton sprint.

 

[danielzu]

Coquard with a last push in the last meters passes Lapeira and secures the gc win for Astana. Unbelievable

 

[Squire]

Coquard with a last push in the last meters passes Lapeira and secures the gc win for Astana. Unbelievable

Lapeira would have needed to win the stage, so Gate's win was never really in danger unless Gruel somehow got 2nd place. Gate took 3 extra seconds in the first intermediate sprint today, so the difference to Lapeira was 7 seconds.

 

[RedheadDane]

Stage:

1. Mayrhofer
2. Girmay
3. Coquard
4. Lapeira
5. Penhoët
(That settles who's the best Paul.)

GC:

1. Gate
2. Gruel
3. Latour
4. Lapeira
5. Cosnefroy
(Gate just breaking French hearts.)

 

[danielzu]

According to time keeping the result from the first intermediate sprint was wrong, gate got only one second. So a second place would have been enough, but yeah, he had to pass bini as well

 

[yaco]

Since the update to the new player T*z has been completely useless for me. Such a shame, as it worked brilliantly the whole spring season.

Agree. This season had been the most consistent of Tiz's history until the second rest day of the Giro. I was unaware of the new player. My experience is that updates and or new players often fail.

 

[GenericBoonenFan]

Something caught my eye in the Tour of Lithuania

Energus cycling team is participating. And Remi De Mey aswell on a CLUB-team, he rides for them...
Also seems like half the Lithuanian selection are former Energus riders that left the team on the 31st of March

Edit: Remi posted on his Instagram that he left them 3 days ago aswell, mutual decision apparently

 

[tobydawq]

Belgian Katowice race coming up today. Totally flat all day apart from a tiny climb with top one kilometer from the finish, then a descent from that leads to the finish. Wtf?

Okay, at least it seems like there will be some turns which maybe will dial the danger a bit down.

 

[search]

Looks like it's the same finish as usual?! The narrow climb before normally stretches out the bunch enough

View: https://youtu.be/fe8IEeIcvKc?t=6118

 

[tobydawq]

Looks like it's the same finish as usual?! The narrow climb before normally stretches out the bunch enough

View: https://youtu.be/fe8IEeIcvKc?t=6118

Fair enough, I don't think I've ever watched the race and I only judged it by the profile which looked dire.

 

[Armchair Cyclist]

GC:

1. Brennan
2. Langelotti
3. Christen
4. Lund
5. Del Grosso

Langelotti best-ever Monegasque result in a pro race

Brennan equals best-ever British result in a pro race.

 

[Mayomaniac]

Looking at the average speeds the sprint stages in the Tour of Lithuania are being raced absurdly hard for a 2.2 stage race. Stage 2 was 176kms long with an average speed of 49.66 km/h and stage 3 was 160.8kms long with an average speed of 49.85 km/h. Martin Laas from the Quick Pro Team (formerly known as the Ferei Quick-Panda Podium Mongolia Team) was 2nd on stage 2 and won stage 3.
Such high speeds for +3.5h/+3h are actually demanding, you need enough strong rouleur domestiques to keep the tempo up and even in the bunch the power needed might not be a problem for the sprinters and bigger guys, but the small lightweight climbers will actually get worn down by tempo since their raw power output is much lower, pretty much forcing them to ride one zone higher for the duration of the race.

 

[RedheadDane]

Brennan equals best-ever British result in a pro race.

Hate to break it to you, but I'd argue... I dunno... winning a GT, or two, or 7 is slightly better.

 

[Armchair Cyclist]

Hate to break it to you, but I'd argue... I dunno... winning a GT, or two, or 7 is slightly better.

The best result in a race is first

 

[GenericBoonenFan]

Thijssen can't catch a break

 

[Samamba]

Such a moronic race.

These races always end up in 20 crashes, everyone fresh, peloton with a lot of riders who don't ride in these kind of pelotons often and it's important for pro teams cause of the points.

 

[Roku]

Thijssen can't catch a break

His performance has been dismal since Scheldeprijs 2024 and he has always been crash prone, which has even increased this season. Let's hope Bini and Rex deliver today, otherwise things will continue to look grim.

 

[Samamba]

De Lie is alive

 

[Samamba]

In Brussel there's a 7man early break with a minute advantage to a very strong second group (Abrahamsen, Rex, Van Dijke, Van Gestel, Livyns, Townsend, Planckaert & Andresen). Peloton 30" further on the road with Israel and Cofidis trying to close it. 1 Muur and 1 Bosberg to go, last 60 km are flat-ish.

EDIT: everything probably coming back together before last Muur. Was 45s at some point but onlu 15s now. moto before peloton doing its work.

 

[Samamba]

Abrahamsen, Planckaert en Van Dijke are the 3 left. Behind that a 30man group, but no cooperation so probably will get bigger again before they start chasing. Merlier was in like 60th position.

De Lie has teammates in the first peloton, but not sure if they are confident enough to ride. Girmay is there too but only 1 or 2 teammates. Andresen without teammate. Merlier, Bittner and Fretin are all in 2nd peloton 25s behind first peloton (who are 17 behind the front 3)

 

[Samamba]

As expected, 2nd peloton join first peloton, meaning a lot of sprinters and domestiques came back. Probably a bunch sprint. Strong 3 are strong of course, but too many teams who want a sprint here.

 

[RedheadDane]

Merlier just untouchable.

 

[Devil's Elbow]

I get that some teams need the points, but it should never be the case that everyone just rolls over for Merlier in a race like this. That was a non-contest.

 

[GenericBoonenFan]

Lotto farming