Lesser known races 2025 edition

[Cycling111]

I am SO bored of Del Toro farming 1.1 races

This year, he's not the only young rider in races that are definitely too small for him.

Brennan and Magnier have also achieved several victories as farmers . All three have exceeded 10 wins this year.

We'll see what schedule have Magnier next year with Merlier. Brennan couldn't ride at the Tour de France in Visma, the same problem that Kooij. Del Toro will have Ayuso's schedule.

 

[ChewbaccaDefense]

Today's top 10 was the worst of this week. Rui Costa, but he isn't what he used to be.

1	del Toro Isaac	UAE Team Emirates - XRG	125	75	4:29:03
2	Costa Rui	EF Education - EasyPost	85	55	,,
3	Miquel Pau	Equipo Kern Pharma	70	40	,,
4	Hoelgaard Markus	Uno-X Mobility	60	32	,,
5	Delettre Alexandre	Team TotalEnergies	50	28	,,
6	Darder Sergi	Caja Rural - Seguros RGA	40	24	,,
7	Quartucci Lorenzo	Team Solution Tech - Vini Fantini	35	20	,,

SCARONI Christian
CARAPAZ Richard
CHRISTEN Jan
ULISSI Diego
ALBANESE Vincenzo

As well

Not an A level cast, but some strong legs there...and faulting him for being there and winning is pretty absurd.

 

[Rob5091]

Wednesday the 17th and it's the Grand Prix de Wallonie (1.Pro - lots of UCI points up for grabs) 187.1 km from Dison to Namur, start at 12.50 CET, TV from 16.00 CET (ladies race on first at 13.30 CET) -
info at https://www.trworg.be/la-course-a-la-succession-est-ouverte/

starlist at https://www.procyclingstats.com/race/gp-de-wallonie/2025/startlist
(Last year's winner Adrià is here together with "bad boy" Van Poppel, Wellens and Morgado for UAE, and everyone's favourite milkman, De Lie)

 

[Squire]

Wednesday the 17th and it's the Grand Prix de Wallonie (1.Pro - lots of UCI points up for grabs) 187.1 km from Dison to Namur, start at 12.50 CET, TV from 16.00 CET (ladies race on first at 13.30 CET) -
info at https://www.trworg.be/la-course-a-la-succession-est-ouverte/

starlist at https://www.procyclingstats.com/race/gp-de-wallonie/2025/startlist
(Last year's winner Adrià is here together with "bad boy" Van Poppel, Wellens and Morgado for UAE, and everyone's favourite milkman, De Lie)

That race has a great finish. Remember watching it for the first time in 2010. Riccó in a Vacansoleil jersey being led out by Björn Leukemans, but got beaten by Paul Martens in the sprint (actually didn't remember that Martens was the one who beat him, had to look that up )

 

[Wyndbrook]

That race has a great finish. Remember watching it for the first time in 2010. Riccó in a Vacansoleil jersey being led out by Björn Leukemans, but got beaten by Paul Martens in the sprint (actually didn't remember that Martens was the one who beat him, had to look that up )

Namur citadel is a great sporting venue, For almost 50 years it was home to the Belgian motocross grand prix until it was deemed to dangerous and race moved to a bulldozer made track.
Now also home to a round of the cyclocross world cup.

 

[Sciatic]

Namur citadel is a great sporting venue, For almost 50 years it was home to the Belgian motocross grand prix until it was deemed to dangerous and race moved to a bulldozer made track.
Now also home to a round of the cyclocross world cup.

Memorable to me because it was the 1st European castle/fortress I’d ever seen, on Day 2 of my 1981 Euro bike tour. I seem to remember there were rock-climbing on the cliff on one of the sides.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

A pic of the place seems to be in order.

The race sometimes offers pretty aggressive racing along the way.

 

[postmanhat]

Speaking of citadels, am visiting Luxembourg City for the first time, for tomorrow's stage. Have already seen a couple of riders stopping their recce to take some photos on Pont De Chateau. The views on either side are astonishing. Including Pablo Torres, who unfortunately, now seems to sporting the ubiquitous UAE moustache.

 

[Sciatic]

Speaking of citadels, am visiting Luxembourg City for the first time, for tomorrow's stage. Have already seen a couple of riders stopping their recce to take some photos on Pont De Chateau. The views on either side are astonishing. Including Pablo Torres, who unfortunately, now seems to sporting the ubiquitous UAE moustache.

Nice!

 

[RedheadDane]

The French guy, who used to be British, and has a partly Swedish-sounding name has gone solo in Slovakia.

 

[QueenStagiaire]

Visma trying some 1-2-3-4-5 attacking

 

[Berniece]

Controlled perfectly by SOQ, and great finish by Magnier

 

[Devil's Elbow]

And so begins the Paul Magnier Farmathon.

The good thing about him being here is that 40 seconds in bonifications should incentivise everyone else to race stage 5 aggressively, so that he doesn't make it to the bottom of the easy MTF.

 

[QueenStagiaire]

Behrens leads out an imaginary rider from 500 meters only to finish ~6th, Magnier wins easily

 

[Berniece]

And so begins the Paul Magnier Farmathon.

The good thing about him being here is that 40 seconds in bonifications should incentivise everyone else to race stage 5 aggressively, so that he doesn't make it to the bottom of the easy MTF.

If they make it hard enough I would imagine him also not being able to follow during stage 2 and 3. But it depends on how they race

 

[Samamba]

Yeah I'm not gonna lie did QS get some big cash to put Magnier there or what is this?

 

[Devil's Elbow]

If they make it hard enough I would imagine him also not being able to follow during stage 2 and 3. But it depends on how they race

I don't think 4-5% gradients are going to do much.

 

[Berflamand]

Yeah I'm not gonna lie did QS get some big cash to put Magnier there or what is this?

They're always sending a somewhat decent team to this race because of their Slovakian sponsor Janom. Alaphilippe's been here a few times in the past for example.

 

[GenericBoonenFan]

Yeah I'm not gonna lie did QS get some big cash to put Magnier there or what is this?

They have a Slovakian sponsor "Janom" so it's probably a bigger race for them than others.
It's the reason Svreck is on the team (he's good enough I don't mean that, but it's why they'll always have a token Slovakian)

 

[Samamba]

Allright I didn't even know they had a Slovakian sponsor tbh

 

[Samamba]

The GP Wallonie really really needs a new parcours. Finish on the Citadelle if sacred, but every year it gets more dull with more riders just waiting to do anything before cause the parcours is too easy (it's the easiest parcour every think this year)

 

[Netserk]

Don't really see anyone challenge De Lie here.

 

[RedheadDane]

Lafay sneaking away.

 

[Brullnux]

Superb moto-pacing, go go go!!

 

[QueenStagiaire]

Lafay sneaking away.

Cheesing his way to the win?