Spin Cycle is Escape Collective’s news digest, published every Monday and Friday. You can read it on this website (obviously) or have it delivered straight to your inbox.
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Welcome back to Spin Cycle, Escape Collective’s news digest.
There are multiple moments when you can declare road cycling as back during the first few months of the year. The first pedal stroke of the Tour Down Under, or for sticklers, the flag drop at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad on Opening Weekend.
But a peruse of today's TV guide showing the UAE Tour, Vuelta a Andalucía and Volta ao Algarve all running concurrently this week really feels like we are now up and running. The return of doomed breakaways, race results coming out the yin yang. Superb.
But before that, one (probably) final piece of cyclocross news to bring you ...
A fond farewell to cyclocross 👋
While we (maybe prematurely) declared the end of cyclocross season as soon as Mathieu van der Poel had crossed the finish line of the World Championships, there were of course a few final races going on before the season was officially done. And technically, we're still not done, with another, probably final race (the Internationale Sluitingsprijs Oostmalle, of course) taking place this coming Sunday.
Turns out it's a good thing we weren't done just yet, as Pbearski on Discord alerted us to this phenomenal video of some hot air balloon misadventure at Saturday's Exact Cross.
Pogi-Roubaix 🪨
As Tadej Pogačar arrives in the United Arab Emirates for the home race of his paymasters, the only thing anyone wanted to ask him about in the pre-race press conference is the potential Paris-Roubaix participation he had teased on social media only a few days before.
“No comment. I am here for this race," he answered. "Let's just focus on the UAE Tour and not on Paris-Roubaix.”
A plea that would have been made much easier had he not sent the cycling internet into delirium at the prospect of Pogačar on cobbles.
The dogged newshounds at Het Laatste Nieuws weren't taking no for an answer, however, instead cornering UAE team boss Mauro Gianetti. "It was a joke. Roubaix is not on his schedule," Gianetti explained. "Tim Wellens just went to recon Paris-Roubaix and Tadej had to train that day anyway, so he went along."
In that case, what did Wellens make of his teammates performance on the cobbles?
"Paris-Roubaix has 29 sections this year. And [Pogačar] rode me down 29 times, so that wasn't good for my motivation," Wellens told Wieler Revue.
"If Tadej starts - which I don't know - then of all the UAE riders he has the best chance of winning in Roubaix."
And anyway, Gianetti, couldn't Pogačar's plans change between now and April?
"You know, it's complicated. Of course it's a race that Tadej loves, it's a dream, but it's also Roubaix: not a race you start without good preparation. To just beat Mathieu van der Poel , Wout van Aert and Jasper Philipsen there ... We have to be realistic and respectful."
Of course, Van der Poel was also asked his opinion, and the shrug of his answer is some very nonchalant but very real fighting talk.
"Not really a special feeling, I don't know his schedule or plans, we will see ... but not really something that keeps me awake at night."
Feed Zone 🥖
🐶 You may have thought Alejandro Valverde's elevation to Spanish men's national team coach may have finally put an end to the 44-year-old's racing ways, but no! This weekend he won the first race of the UCI Gravel World Series in 2025 in Castellón, near Valencia, a 97km course with 2,500 metres of elevation.
🏴 Phwar, Geraint Thomas has announced he will retire at the end of the year. "Even in my wildest dreams I couldn’t have imagined that I would be a professional cyclist for nineteen years," he wrote on social media. "There will be plenty of time to reflect, but first I have a few big races to prepare for.”
🇵🇹 UAE Team Emirates-XRG's António Morgado won his home Figueira Champions Classic with an attack from more than 20km out, beating the likes of Filippo Ganna, Julian Alaphilippe, Biniam Girmay, Rui Costa and Dylan Teuns.
🥇 Greg Van Avermaet has set up his own gravel team of three riders, himself, Julian Siemons, and former professional footballer Jelle van Damme. Fancy guessing the name of the team? GVA Gold Gravel of course!
🙏 The Mark Cavendish of the East, Jakub Mareczko, has found a team for 2025 at beyond the last minute, with the 30-year-old signing for Polish continental outfit Mazowsze Serce Polski.
🔇 Here's a fun lost in translation video between Mads Pedersen and the post-race interviewer at the Tour de la Provence.
🇦🇪 Jonathan Milan won the first stage of the UAE Tour, with Tadej Pogačar featuring in the uphill sprint for the line. Jasper Philipsen was relegated for deviation meaning Finn-Fisher Black was bumped up to second place.
Cycling on TV 📺
Tuesday February 18th
UAE Tour - Stage 2 (ITT)
(04:00-06:50 ET/09:00-11:50 GMT/20:00-22:50 AEDT) 🇬🇧Eurosport/Discovery+,🇺🇸Max, 🇨🇦FloBikes, 🇦🇺Staylive
Wednesday February 19th
UAE Tour - Stage 3
(02:50-07:50 ET/07:50-12:50 GMT/18:50-23:50 AEDT) 🇬🇧Eurosport/Discovery+,🇺🇸Max, 🇨🇦FloBikes, 🇦🇺Staylive
Vuelta a Andalucía - Stage 1
(08:00-10:00 ET/13:00-15:00 GMT/00:00-02:00 AEDT) 🇬🇧Eurosport/Discovery+, 🇺🇸Max, 🇨🇦FloBikes, 🇦🇺Staylive
Volta ao Algarve - Stage 1
(10:00-12:00 ET/15:00-17:00 GMT/02:00-04:00 AEDT) 🇬🇧Eurosport/Discovery+, 🇺🇸Max, 🇨🇦FloBikes, 🇦🇺Staylive
Thursday February 20th
UAE Tour - Stage 4
(03:00-07:50 ET/08:00-12:50 GMT/19:00-23:50 AEDT) 🇬🇧Eurosport/Discovery+,🇺🇸Max, 🇨🇦FloBikes, 🇦🇺Staylive
Vuelta a Andalucía - Stage 2
(08:00-10:00 ET/13:00-15:00 GMT/00:00-02:00 AEDT) 🇬🇧Eurosport/Discovery+, 🇺🇸Max, 🇨🇦FloBikes, 🇦🇺Staylive
Volta ao Algarve - Stage 2
(10:00-12:00 ET/15:00-17:00 GMT/02:00-04:00 AEDT) 🇬🇧Eurosport/Discovery+, 🇺🇸Max, 🇨🇦FloBikes, 🇦🇺Staylive
Friday February 21st
UAE Tour - Stage 5
(03:35-07:50 ET/08:35-12:50 GMT/19:35-23:50 AEDT) 🇬🇧Eurosport/Discovery+,🇺🇸Max, 🇨🇦FloBikes, 🇦🇺Staylive
Vuelta a Andalucía - Stage 3
(08:00-10:00 ET/13:00-15:00 GMT/00:00-02:00 AEDT) 🇬🇧Eurosport/Discovery+, 🇺🇸Max, 🇨🇦FloBikes, 🇦🇺Staylive
Classic Var
(08:20-10:40 ET/13:20-15:40 GMT/00:20-02:40 AEDT) 🇬🇧Eurosport/Discovery+, 🇺🇸Max, 🇨🇦FloBikes, 🇦🇺Staylive
Volta ao Algarve - Stage 3
(10:00-12:00 ET/15:00-17:00 GMT/02:00-04:00 AEDT) 🇬🇧Eurosport/Discovery+, 🇺🇸Max, 🇨🇦FloBikes, 🇦🇺Staylive
🤦♂️ Cycling safety shitshow of the week 🤦♂️
Look, we know our 'of the week' tag is regularly mis-used for things that don't occur on a weekly basis. However, so far all the data points towards us actually being able to pull off a cycling safety shit show every week of the racing season.
Today, we bring you scenes from Sunday's final stage three of the Tour de La Provence (the stage won by Sam Bennett and the overall by Mads Pedersen) but more pertinently, who the hell puts a speed bump on a flat sprint finish with 100 metres to go?!
Safety matters 2.0.#TDLP25 pic.twitter.com/KS9HJNN0iI
— Domestique (@Domestique___) February 16, 2025
And finally ...
We laughed and joked about Demi Vollering's revenge tour at Valenciana and her first outing for FDJ-Suez, which she did win, but then she used her podium high-ground to douse former teammates Anna van der Breggen and Marlen Reusser with champagne from point-blank range.
Sure, you could say Van der Breggen shot first, but then watch VdB run for her life after her former trainee no-look pops her right in the eyes, an evil smile on her face, before Reusser too takes a direct hit to the eyeholes, but at least the new Movistar leader exacts her own revenge.
Yes, we're hamming this up. Yes, we probably won't stop, at least for a while. Real beef, fake beef, who's to know anymore! We just want MORE.
Demi Vollering properly caught Marlen in the face with the podium champagne but the Swiss rider more than got her own back 🍾#SetmanaCiclista pic.twitter.com/bbwXURhSEa
— Mathew Mitchell (@MatMitchell30) February 16, 2025
🧺 Send us yer laundry pics
"This laundry is in Rotorua, New Zealand (Sam Bewley's home town)," writes in Mark Adamson, attaching today's featured laundromat. "We never use one but are away on holiday so naturally I thought of you."
As always, we are accepting your laundry photos (especially ones with the doors open so we can Photoshop riders inside the drum) to star in Spin Cycle. Either send them via the Discord or shoot me an email: jonny.long@escapecollective.com
Until next time …
That’s all folks! Thanks to Pbearski and Mark Adamson for contributions to today’s edition and a big thank you to all of you who have signed up as Escape Collective members. If you haven’t there is no time like the present. To smooth the process just click this link here and hit the Join Today button in the top right of the page.
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