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Lotto boss gives De Lie a vote of confidence for the Tour: 'He'll be there'
Arnaud De Lie has had a frustrating first half of the 2025 season, but Lotto manager Stéphane Heulot has confirmed to Belgian radio outlet RTBF that his team will be taking the fast-finishing Walloon to the upcoming Tour de France.
"He'll be there," Heulot said. "The timing was tight. There was the false start in Cologne, the setback in Mayenne. But he didn't have a forced break in his training. Otherwise, he would never have finished the Tour de Suisse, given its difficulty. We took advantage of every window of opportunity we had. He's ready for this Tour de France." [RTBF]
Three Grand Tour winners and Vingegaard at the helm: Visma confirms Tour squad
Visma-Lease a Bike has confirmed its roster for the upcoming Tour de France and, as expected, it's a star-studded lineup to support team leader Jonas Vingegaard. The two-time Tour de France winner will have Grand Tour winners Sepp Kuss and Simon Yates as well as Wout van Aert, Tiesj Benoot, Victor Campenaerts, Matteo Jorgenson, and Edoardo Affini for company in the sport's biggest race.
"With these eight very strong riders, we believe in the plan we made for the Tour de France," said Grischa Niermann, Head of Racing, via a press release. "From day one we will have to be there as a team to optimally assist Jonas in the GC. In addition, there will be opportunities for several riders to go for stage wins."
Orbea introduces Terra Race gravel bike
Giro d'Italia Women unveils team selection for 2025
Organizers of the Giro d'Italia Women have unveiled the team selection for this year's event, which runs from July 6 to 13.
Joining the 15 WorldTeams in the Italian stage race will be two squads from the ProTeam level, EF Education-Oatly and Laboral Kutxa-Fundación Euskadi, as well as five Continental outfits: Aromitalia 3T Vaiano, Bepink-Imatra-Bongioanni, Isolmant-Premac-Vittoria, Mendelspeck E-work, and Top Girls Fassa Bortolo.
Alpecin's Oscar Riesebeek is first rider suspended under new yellow card rules
Oscar Riesebeek of Alpecin-Deceuninck has been suspended for seven days in keeping with the UCI's new yellow card framework. Riesebeek was the recipient of two yellow cards in separate incidents at the Baloise Belgium Tour this past week, earning his first on stage 2 and his second on stage 5, both times for the "use of sidewalks/pavements, paths or cycle lanes that do not form part of the race route."
According to the new yellow card framework, a rider who receives two yellow cards in one race is subject to a seven-day suspension. Riesebeek's will bar him from racing the upcoming Dutch national championships.
Wilier unveils new Rave SLR ID2 gravel race bike
Wilier Triestina has announced the launch of the Rave SLR ID2, a redesigned gravel race bike built for riders “seeking speed and competition." Developed in collaboration with elite gravel racers, including Ivar Slik, the ID2 is a performance-focused evolution of the original Rave SLR. Wilier claims aerodynamic refinements developed through wind tunnel testing can save over 50 seconds across a 70 km course at racing speeds (claimed 5.3 watts at 35 km/h). The new design also features clearance for 52 mm tyres, an improved stiffness-to-weight ratio, fully integrated hose routing, UDH dropout, and updated gravel geometry, promising sharp handling and strong acceleration.
Beyond performance, the Rave SLR ID2 is available in four distinct colourways: Pixel Green, Glitch Black, Neon Purple, and Byte Cream, which Wilier says are a nod to underground rave culture and digital design from the 1980s and 90s. Prices start at €4,400 with a GRX build and Miche Graff XL wheelset, and top out at €9,900 with a SRAM Red XPLR AXS 1x13 and Miche Graff Aero 48 wheelset.
“I’m not the new Pogacar,” says Baby Giro champ Ormzel
Slovenian talent Jakob Ormzel claimed the overall win at the Giro Next Gen on Sunday, edging out pre-race favorite Luke Tuckwell in a nail-biting finale. But don’t call him the next Pogacar.
“I’m the young Ormzel,” said the 19-year-old Bahrain Victorious rider, answering cycling journalism's most obvious question of any rising Slovenian talent.
Ormzel sealed his first U23 GC title with help from stage winner Jørgen Nordhagen.
The Norwegian Visma climber, 20, lit up the final climb to win the last stage and finish fourth overall. “This saves the Giro for us,” he said. “Ormzel was with me for the GC—we worked well together. I’m proud of him.”
Ormzel, still recovering from a serious crash earlier this season, said the win hadn’t sunk in yet. “I didn’t expect this. But hard work pays off.”
Ormzel joins a prestigious list of recent Baby Giro winners, including Juan Ayuso, Tom Pidcock, Pavel Sivakov, and Aleksandr Vlasov.
La Planche des Belles Filles wants cyclo-cross in the Winter Olympics
The Haute-Saône region is pushing for La Planche des Belles Filles to host cyclo-cross at the 2030 Winter Games, according to a report in L'Equipe.
The site, made famous by the Tour de France, is backed by ex-pro Lucie Lefèvre and Thibaut Pinot, who joked about a comeback of sorts: “One day in February 2030, I’ll finally win at La Planche.”
Cyclo-cross has support from UCI president David Lappartient and Olympic adviser Michel Barnier.
The IOC will decide in early 2026, ahead of the next Winter Games.
Joao Almeida grabs Suisse win in final TT
UAE Team Emirates-XRG's Joao Almeida snatched the overall victory at the Tour de Suisse from Arkea-Samsic's Kevin Vauquelin, winning a difficult uphill time trial and pulling nearly two minutes out of the Frenchman.
If Vauquelin could have held on to his overnight lead he would have been the first Frenchman to win a World Tour-level stage race since Christophe Moreau won the Criterium du Dauphine in 2007.
Both Vauquelin and Almeida are headed to the Tour de France in two weeks' time. Almeida will be riding in support of his team leader Tadej Pogačar and Vauquelin will seek to repeat his stage win in stage 2 of last year's race.
Oscar Only (Picnic-PostNL) moved up into third overall, with Decathlon-AG2R's Felix Gall behind in 4th.
Skjelmose wins Andorra Clàssica on return from illness
Mattias Skjelmose (Lidl-Trek) won the first edition of the Andorra MoraBanc Clàssica on Sunday, his first race since Liège–Bastogne–Liège. The Dane outsprinted Cristián Rodríguez (Arkéa-B&B Hotels) and Enric Mas (Movistar) after 115km of mountainous racing.
The 1.1 event was shortened and moved up an hour due to forecast storms. Despite the changes, riders faced 3,500m of elevation, including the Port d’Envalira and a summit finish on the Coll de la Botella.
Skjelmose attacked with 6km to go, was briefly distanced, but clawed back in the final 2km before winning from a five-man sprint. Tom Pidcock (Q36.5) and Esteban Chaves (EF Education-EasyPost) also featured in the lead groups.
The return to form is timed well. Skjelmose is slated to start the Tour de France on July 5th, racing alongside Trek's sprinter, Jonathan Milan.
Jordi Meeus (Red Bull–Bora–Hansgrohe) took a surprise win at the inaugural Copenhagen Sprint on Sunday, just 24 hours after pulling out of the Tour de Suisse to replace an injured teammate.
The Belgian came through late in a chaotic sprint, beating Alexis Renard (Cofidis) and Emilien Jeannière (TotalEnergies) after a crash inside the final 10km split the peloton and disrupted lead-out trains.
Dylan Groenewegen launched first but faded to seventh. Mads Pedersen and Arnaud Démare also made the final selection in a reduced front group of around 50 riders.
Belgian phenom Jarno Widar crashes out of Giro Next Gen
Belgian climbing talent Jarno Widar (Lotto Dstny) has abandoned the Giro d’Italia Next Gen after crashing hard on Saturday’s stage to Prato Nevoso. The 19-year-old, fourth overall at the start of the day, went down with 33km to go after reporting a flat tire. He remounted and finished, but 26 minutes behind leader Luke Tuckwell.
Lotto confirmed Widar suffered no fractures but has elbow and hip swelling. He will skip Sunday’s final stage and return to Belgium for further checks.
Widar had already won a stage at this year’s race and remains a top prospect, with eyes on the Tour de l’Avenir and a pro debut in 2026.
Wiebes blasts to Copenhagen Sprint victory
Lorena Wiebes (SD Worx–Protime) left no doubt about who owns the fastest finish in women’s cycling, dominating the inaugural Copenhagen Sprint for her 104th career win.
Elisa Balsamo (Lidl-Trek) and Chiara Consonni (Canyon–SRAM zondacrypto) rounded out the podium after a crash on the final lap split the bunch. Wiebes was expertly led out by Barbara Guarischi and launched her sprint early, but no one came close.
“It feels really great… the crowds were amazing,” said Wiebes, who added to a 2025 tally that already includes Gent-Wevelgem and Classic Brugge–De Panne.
Abrahamsen’s Tour de France hopes still alive despite collarbone break
Jonas Abrahamsen (Uno-X Mobility) is not yet ruled out of the Tour de France despite fracturing his collarbone in a crash at the Baloise Belgium Tour, according to his team. New scans suggest the break is less severe than feared, and surgery may not be needed.
The Norwegian, a standout attacker and KOM jersey wearer at last year’s Tour, is already back training on the turbo, just 17 days out from the Grand Départ in Lille. “The chances remain very slim,” Uno-X said, “but he’s motivated to do everything possible to be ready.”
Team staff emphasized that his long-term health will dictate any final decision.
He’s not alone: Louis Vervaeke (Soudal–QuickStep) is also on a recovery race after breaking his collarbone at the Critérium du Dauphiné. With the clock ticking, both riders are clinging to slim but hopeful timelines.
Almeida sprints to Suisse stage 7 win, Vauquelin defends yellow into final TT
João Almeida (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) outkicked his rivals on the uphill finish in Emmetten to win stage 7 of the Tour de Suisse, but yellow jersey Kevin Vauquelin (Arkéa-B&B Hotels) held firm and will carry a 33-second lead into Sunday’s final time trial.
Vauquelin was the first to attack in the final kilometre, only to be passed by Almeida and Oscar Onley (Picnic-PostNL) in the sprint. The time bonuses—10 seconds for Almeida, six for Onley, four for Vauquelin—tightened the GC but didn’t change the lead.
Almeida, a strong time trialist, will still need to pull out something special to topple Vauquelin over the 10km uphill test in the finale. Julian Alaphilippe (Tudor) sits third overall at 41 seconds after finishing fifth on the stage.
Novak wins queen stage at Giro Next Gen, tightens GC battle ahead of finale
Pavel Novak (MBH Bank Ballan CSB) claimed a breakthrough win on stage 7 of the Giro Next Gen, dropping his breakaway companions one by one to take the race’s queen stage—and vault into GC contention. A late puncture for Aubin Sparfel (Decathlon-AG2R U23) cleared Novak’s path to victory and moved him up to third overall, just 27 seconds off pink.
Race leader Luke Tuckwell (RedBull-Bora Rookies) clung to the maglia rosa despite sustained pressure from Jakob Omrzel (Bahrain-Victorious U23) and Jorgen Nordhagen (Visma-Lease a Bike). Omrzel, now just 11 seconds back, remains the biggest threat heading into Sunday’s finale around Pinerolo.
Defending champion Jarno Widar (Lotto Dstny Development) crashed with 33km to go and was unable to rejoin the GC group, ending his title defense.
Nys pulls out of Belgium Tour with stomach bug, TDF debut still on track
Thibau Nys (Lidl-Trek) abandoned the Baloise Belgium Tour ahead of Saturday’s queen stage due to gastrointestinal issues. The 22-year-old Belgian had impressed in Friday’s time trial and was expected to contend for the overall, but team staff opted for caution.
“He had a bad night, but he’s not seriously ill,” said Lidl-Trek DS Maxime Monfort. “He should be able to get back on the bike on Sunday.”
Nys, seen as a rising star and Tour de France debutant in July, is still expected to be part of Lidl-Trek’s squad for the Grand Départ. The team has yet to announce its full lineup.
He wasn’t the only one sidelined—teammate Tim Declercq also withdrew with stomach issues, while Andrea Bagioli (Tour de Suisse) and Alex Kirsch (Belgium Tour) faced similar problems earlier in the week.
Hayter tops Ganna in Baloise Belgium Tour TT
Ethan Hayter (Soudal-Quick-Step) won the stage 3 time trial at the Baloise Belgium Tour, covering the 9.7 km from Tessenderlo to Ham four seconds faster than former teammate Filippo Ganna (Ineos Grenadiers). Florian Vermeersch (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) took third on the day.
Hayter now leads the general classification with two stages to go.
Meeus sprints to stage 6 victory at the Tour de Suisse
Jordi Meeus (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) sprinted to victory on stage 6 of the Tour de Suisse in what was his first WorldTour win since he won on the Champs-Élysées at the 2023 Tour de France.
The 26-year-old Belgian topped Davide Ballerini (XDS-Astana) and Lewis Askey (Groupama-FDJ) in a bunch kick in Neuhausen am Rheinfall, where the day's breakaway was caught with less than a kilometer to go. All of the big GC names finished safely in the peloton, leaving the top of the overall leaderboard unchanged.
Parlee launches new Z-Zero GT and $30k anniversary build
Parlee Cycles has introduced an all-new Z-Zero GT road bike to its top-tier Z-Series. Handbuilt in Massachusetts, US, the Z-Zero GT claims to be lighter (187 grams, to be precise), stiffer, and faster than any Parlee bike before. It features first ever Parlee-made fork, has clearance for 40mm tyres, UDH rear dropout, T47 bottom bracket, and an integrated cockpit.
Prices start at US$12,490 for the frameset and US$16,490 for complete builds.
Alongside the basic model, Parlee is also releasing a limited 25th Anniversary Edition of the Z-Zero GT, built to honour founder Bob Parlee, who passed away in 2024. There will be just 25 of these available, each featuring Campagnolo Super Record Wireless 13-speed drivetrain, custom paint with gold leaf inlays, and hand-picked premium components. Each will retail for $29,990, but for that, you do get the bike plus custom Lake shoes, a matching Silca floor pump, and a set of signed Silca tools in a wooden box. [parleecycles.com]
Canyon’s €1,000 Endurace AllRoad bike
The global consumer-direct bike brand, Canyon, has just announced a new price-focused do-it-all dropbar bike – the Endurace AllRoad.
With an aluminium frame and carbon fork, the bike can accommodate up to 40 mm tyres and has mounts for fenders and racks. It's available in seven sizes, with the German company claiming to fit riders from 159-204 cm (5' 3" to 6' 6").
Complete bikes start from €1,000 / £950, featuring wide-range Shimano CUES 2x10-speed shifting plus hydraulic brakes. The stock tyres are 35 mm Schwalbe G-One Comp. The bike is more expensive in the USA, priced at US$1,400.
Escape Collective has enquired about getting a bike for review.
Scarab Cycles adds to Páramo gravel lineup
Colombian bike brand Scarab Cycles debuted a new addition to its Páramo line of gravel bikes with the Páramo Integrated, unveiled today. The new bike sits between Scarab's adventure-focused Páramo Ultra gravel and Apüna all-road models.
The Párama Integrated is built with Columbus steel and features integrated cable routing with Enve's InRoute system (the existing Páramo with partly internal routing is currently still listed on Scarab's web site). The new bike can clear up to 50 mm tires, features a T47 bottom bracket and a UDH rear dropout. Framesets start from US$3,850. [Scarab Cycles]
Philipsen sprints to victory on stage 2 of the Baloise Belgium Tour
Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck) took his first win since March on the second stage of the Baloise Belgium Tour. The 27-year-old Belgian outsprinted Juan Sebastián Molano (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) and Jenno Berckmoes (Lotto) in Putte.
Molano, who finished second on stage 1 as well, now leads the race.
Onley outkicks Almeida to win stage 5 of the Tour de Suisse
Oscar Onley (Picnic-PostNL) topped João Almeida (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) at the line on stage 5 of the Tour de Suisse after the pair left their rivals behind in an uphill finale. Felix Gall (Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale) took third on the day, 22 seconds later.
Overnight leader Romain Grégoire (Groupama-FDJ) was dropped well before the line and ultimately dropped out of the GC top 10 with Kévin Vauquelin (Arkéa-B&B Hotels) moving into the leader's jersey in his stead, though Almeida continues to surge up the rankings and could find more time in the days to come.
UFO Ultra Endurance is CeramicSpeed’s first DIY hot melt wax
CeramicSpeed has arguably been selling hot-melt wax longer than any other business, and yet, until now, you could only buy the wax as a pre-treatment on a chain aimed at racing.
New UFO Ultra Endurance is a do-it-yourself hot-melt wax product focused on single-application longevity versus the absolute lowest watts. The new wax is claimed to last up to 1,000 km in dry conditions and up to 750 km in wet conditions in a single application. Those chasing race-day watts within the CeramicSpeed product line should still look to the pre-treated chains.
CeramicSpeed will sell its wax in bio-based bags for use with electric wax pots (starting from US$43 / €40 for 400 grams). Alternatively, they also offer the wax as a kit in a plastic container, with a chain holding tool, which can be used within a simmering pot of water (US$53 / €50, including 400 grams of wax). The new wax, like CeramicSpeed’s UFO drip wax lubes, is non-toxic and biodegradable.
Jonas Abrahamsen breaks collarbone, likely ruling out Tour de France start
The Tour de France participation of Jonas Abrahamsen (Uno-X Mobility) is in serious doubt, following a fractured collarbone at the Baloise Belgium Tour.
"After further discussions with a specialist, Jonas will require surgery to fix his collarbone. He is in great shape and remains highly motivated for the Tour de France, but we all accept that the chances of him being on the start line in Lille are very small," a team spokesperson told Escape Collective.
The Norwegian rider was one of the sensations of the 2024 Tour de France, courtesy of a mind-boggling 1,948 km in breakaways throughout the race – including 140 km solo on stage 8.
Uno-X Mobility was the first team to release its full Tour de France lineup on Monday, with a list comprising:
Magnus Cort
Søren Wærenskjold
Andreas Leknessund
Tobias Halland Johannessen
Anders Halland Johannessen
Jonas Abrahamsen
Markus Hoelgaard
Stian Fredheim
In the event that Abrahamsen is unable to recover in time, Uno-X Mobility told Escape Collective that his replacement will come from one of four reserve riders: Fredrik Dversnes, Johannes Kulset, Rasmus Tiller, and Alexander Kristoff, the team’s veteran star who is racing his final season.
Merlier takes a convincing win on stage 1 of the Baloise Belgium Tour
With his first Tour de France start in four years just around the corner, Tim Merlier (Soudal-Quick-Step) flashed his form in an uphill sprint on stage 1 of the Baloise Belgium Tour.
The 32-year-old Belgian went long in Knokke-Heist and took a no-doubt victory, crossing the line well ahead of Juan Sebastián Molano (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) and Ethan Vernon (Israel-Premier Tech). More sprint opportunities await in the coming days.
Almeida goes solo to claim stage 4 of the Tour de Suisse
João Almeida stormed to a stage victory and made some big GC gains too on Wednesday's stage 4 of the Tour de Suisse. The UAE Team Emirates-XRG rider powered away from a much-reduced field on the Cat. 1 Splügenpass climb and soloed all the way to the line to win 40 seconds ahead of Oscar Onley (Picnic-PostNL) with Ben O'Connor (Jayco-AlUla) taking third on the day, 42 seconds back.
Romain Grégoire (Groupama-FDJ) remains atop the GC standings in Switzerland, though Almeida climbed up to seventh overall with his impressive ride, and the Portuguese all-rounder could be in for more time gains in the challenging days to come.
After taking his first career WorldTour victory in stage 5 of the Critérium du Dauphiné, Jake Stewart has signed an extension with Israel-Premier Tech that will keep him with the squad through 2028.
"It feels like I'm turning a new page in my career," Stewart said. "The goal for the future remains the same with IPT; developing me into a world-class lead-out rider. But I also get my own opportunities and I try to make the most of them."
Thomas abandons the Tour de Suisse after stage 3 crash
Geraint Thomas, who won the Tour de Suisse in 2022, pulled out of this year's race after a crash on Tuesday's stage 3. The Welshman said after the incident that he "hit a lip on the side of the road" with a little less than 60 km to go, and he hurt his knee and hamstring in the fall.
He finished the stage just over 15 minutes down, and the Ineos Grenadiers announced on Wednesday that he would not start stage 4 "as a precautionary measure."
