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Thursday, January 30, 2025
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2024 Tour de France | 2024 Giro d'Italia
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Current racing:
- January 28 - February 1: AlUla Tour
- January 29 - February 2: Challenge Vuelta a Mallorca
- January 30: Surf Coast Classic
Upcoming racing:
- February 2: Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race
- February 2: GP La Marseillaise
- February 5 - 9 Etoile de Bessèges/Tour du Gard
Latest completed racing:
- January 17 - 26: Tour Down Under
- January 26: Classica Comunitat a Valenciana 1969
- January 25: Ruta de la Cerámica - Gran Premio Castellón
- January 3: X20 Trofee Koksijde-Vlaamse Druivenveldrit Cross
- January 1: GP Sven Nys Cross
- December 30: Diegem Cyclocross
- December 26: Gavere Cyclocross
We posted the stage tworeport from the race organizer with the results.
Here's the report from stage winner Tom Pidcock's Team Q36.5:
Tom Pidcock has won the second stage of the AlUla Tour, netting the first win of the season in his new Q36.5 Procycling Team colours. He is also the new race leader in the four-day stage race in Saudi Arabia.
The stage was both shortened and neutralized because of the road surface conditions but at the foot of the Bir Jaydah Mountain Wirkah, at five kilometers from the line, the peloton started racing again. At that time Pidcock still had Nick Zukowsky and Xabier Mikel Azparren with him, after a late flat tyre for Frederik Frison, to set the pace and protect him on the lower slopes.
As expected, it would come down to the final kilometer with an average gradient of 15%. Pidcock was well-positioned at the start of that final kilometer and launched his winning attack at 500 meters to go!
Tom Pidcock wins stage two.
Tom stated: “Today was super important for me; a new team and all these great people. I just wanted to do them proud. The team rode brilliantly and had full commitment for me. I was highly motivated for today.
"I knew I was in good shape, and I am in a really good place but after a winter you have not competed against anyone else and doing a lot of efforts on your own. It’s nice to get a bit of reassurance. Today we said we were going to try and to win the stage and it’s not about GC.
"In the final kilometer I felt the wind a bit so decided to wait a bit longer. I am just super happy. It’s easier to defend the race lead on day four. I hope we have a bit of a buffer now. It comes down to seconds and there is still all to play for but we are in a strong position.”
Here's the AlUla Tour stage two report from second-place Ranier Kepplinger's Team Bahrain Victorious:
Stage 2 of the AlUla Tour began in AlUla Old Town and concluded 130 km later at Bir Jaydan Mountain Wirkkah. The stage was shortened by 27 km due to a dangerous gravel section on the descent, resulting in a neutralised segment of the race. This brief pause allowed riders to catch their breath and recharge for the final 6 km of racing.
The team worked hard to keep Rainer Kepplinger safe in the reduced peloton, positioning him well for the finale. He had the legs to fend off Eddie Dunbar but couldn’t quite match the stage winner, Tom Pidcock.
Ranier Kepplinger finishes second. Photo: Massimo Fulgenzi/SprintCyclingAgency
Lead Sports Director Aart Vierhouten was pleased with the outcome and shared his insights on the finish: “Today was a climbing stage, but I was a bit surprised that we had to do one lap less—27 km shorter, including the final climb. But safety comes first, and the organisers made the right decision given the road conditions. We had to adapt, and we did it very well. The team stuck to the plan: positioning Rainer in the best possible spot for the final 3 km.
"Everyone worked hard throughout the stage, especially in the crucial final part. On the steepest section, where the gradient hit 7%, our guys were in the top 10, setting a strong pace with 1.5 km to go. That gave Rainer confidence as he sat behind two teammates. The speed was high, and only about 25 riders remained in the front group. We knew Rainer was in good shape, but we also respected the strength of the other contenders.
"What impressed me most was Rainer’s composure—he didn’t attack too early. With the final kilometre averaging 11%, it would have been a mistake to go too soon. Instead, he rode like a seasoned pro. When Pidcock made his move, Rainer stayed patient, waiting for Dunbar to chase. As soon as Dunbar surged, Rainer followed his wheel, executing the perfect strategy to secure second place—not far behind Pidcock. This result puts us second in the GC, which gives us a great position to build on.”
Team leader Rainer Kepplinger reflected on his performance:
“I’m super happy. I felt great before the race, and finishing second confirms that. It’s a big confidence boost heading into Friday’s Queen Stage, and now I start in second place overall.”
Stage 3 is long and flat—perfect for team sprinter, Bruttomesso, who will be hunting for a big result after finishing 8th on the opening stage of AlUla Tour.
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Here’s the AlUla Tour stage two report from Team Soudal Quick-Step:
The picturesque AlUla Old Town welcomed the riders for the start of the race’s second stage, a hilly one taking in several ascents of the Bir Jaydah climb, which promised not just fireworks, but also important changes in the overall ranking led by Tim Merlier.
It took only a couple of seconds for a breakaway to take shape, five riders opening a 3:30 gap before the first difficulty of the day. As the parcours became harder, the leading group began to fragment, leaving only two riders at the front with around 50 kilometers to go.
The route was changed in the final hour of the race, when the organisers decided to take out the last lap of the circuit due to surface issues. As a result, the race was temporarily stopped before being restarted just five kilometers from home, with only 30 seconds separating the remaining escapees from the peloton who was traveling at a different speed.
Tim Merlier is second in the points classification. With points leader Tom Pidcock wearing the GC leader's green jersey, Merlier will don the points leader's red jersey.
On the hard climb to the finish, the sprinters were quickly dropped and a small group rode into the closing kilometer. From there, Tom Pidcock (Q.365) accelerated and took the victory, moving into the leader’s jersey. Thomas Pesenti concluded the day as the best placed Soudal Quick-Step rider, while stage 1 victor Tim Merlier changed jerseys and will compete on Thursday clad in the red one.
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And here's the AlUla Tour report from Team Picnic-PostNL:
A tough finish climb awaited the peloton at the AlUla Tour on Wednesday, with steep ramps and gradients well into to double digits. Team Picnic PostNL rode strongly as group to support GC finisher Frank van den Broek throughout the day, keeping him safe and in a good position. After the first passage of the finish line the race was neutralised and one lap was removed, meaning that it would be a five kilometre battle to the line once things restarted.
The team reeled back in the break, before it became a rider against rider showdown on the brutally steep final climb. Van den Broek battled as hard as he could and gave everything to the line, finishing just outside the top ten on the stage and holding onto a ninth place on GC.
Van den Broek said: “I punctured while the race was neutralised but had no problem getting back to the bunch for the last 5 kilometres of racing. The guys positioned me towards the front of the bunch and then essentially it was an all-out effort to the finish for me. I stuck with the pace until the last kilometre where I couldn’t follow the accelerations at the front so just emptied the tank to the finish.”
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We posted the report from winner Jan Christen's UAE Team Emirates with the results.
Here's the report from second-place Christian Scaroni's XDS Astana Team:
The series of one-day races under the collective name Challenge Mallorca has begun in Spain, on the Balearic Islands. Today, the first race, Trofeo Calvià, took place, where XDS Astana Team rider Christian Scaroni secured a second-place podium finish. Another team rider, Simone Velasco, finished in 7th place.
Jan Christen won the race.
XDS Astana Team put on an aggressive performance, attacking throughout the second half of the race. Christian Scaroni, Clément Champoussin and Anton Charmig were consistently at the front, frequently involved in breakaways. In the final kilometers, Scaroni managed to stay ahead, fighting for victory and ultimately finishing second. Additionally, Christian won the King of the Mountains classification.
“Once again, I was close to victory, but I just fell short. Still, I'm happy with how I raced – I gave it everything I had. I’ve managed to start the season well and come into these first races in great shape, which was my goal after a not-so-successful last year. Our team had a great day; we were always at the front. With 25 km to go, I attacked on a climb alongside Clément Champoussin, and a Red Bull rider joined us. Then he counterattacked, and we had to spend a lot of energy to neutralize his move. In the end, I just didn’t have enough left in the legs for the sprint. But overall, it was a really good day. I’m happy with my form, and we still have chances to fight for a win, so we’ll keep pushing”, – said Christian Scaroni.
“I think our team was outstanding today. The guys raced brilliantly – they were aggressive, in control, and always at the front. It was a short and explosive race with a lot of attacks, and we had to use a lot of energy before the finale to keep things under control. Maybe that cost us the victory, but we can be proud of how we raced today. There are still four more race days ahead, and we’ll fight in every one of them”, – said Peter Kennaugh, XDS Astana Team Sports Director.
And here's the Trofeo Calvià report from fourth-place Frederik Wandahl's Team Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe:
To prepare for the season, Frederik Wandahl spent much of the winter in Mallorca. At the first stage of the Challenge Mallorca – the Trofeo Calvià – the Dane made the most of this “almost” home advantage and secured an impressive fourth place.
After a highly aggressive 149-kilometer one-day race filled with attacks, Wandahl made his move 23 kilometers from the finish, going all-in. With a determined acceleration, he broke away from the lead group and quickly built a gap of more than 20 seconds. For over ten kilometers, the 23-year-old rode solo at the front, but he was ultimately unable to hold off the chasing competitors. Twelve kilometers from the finish, Italy’s Christian Scaroni caught up, followed later by Jan Christen (Switzerland) and António Morgado (Portugal). In the end, Wandahl finished a strong fourth behind Christen, Scaroni, and Morgado—proving that his winter training on the Balearic island had paid off.
“I felt really good and knew the course all the way to the finish, so I just went for it. But in the final kilometer, I didn’t have the legs to respond,” said the Dane at the finish. Despite his strong performance, there was a hint of disappointment in his words: “With legs like these, I was hoping for a little more, but I gave it my all. A fourth place is a super good start into the season. In any case, I want to thank the team for their support—it was fantastic.”
With Roger Adrià (10th), another Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe rider secured a spot in the top ten. Adrien Boichis also put in a strong performance: The Frenchman, making his debut in a pro race alongside the WorldTour squad as part of the U23 team Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe Rookies, crossed the finish line in 28th place.
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