Tadej Pogačar showed us in Flèche Wallonne that he’s still Mr. Dominant, as Puck Pieterse did the same in the woman’s edition, plus the Tour of the Alps, all with videos, reports, results and the rider’s take on the racing.
TOP STORY:
- ‘Lucho’ Herrera investigated for forced disappearance in Colombia
Rider news:
- Jan Bakelants sees Wout van Aert as ‘moral winner’ of Amstel Gold Race
- Giulio Ciccone fined for throwing away his sunglasses at the finish of the Tour of the Alps stage 1
- Natnael Tesfatsion, Ewen Costiou and Simon Carr out of action
- Toon Aerts’ road race schedule with Lotto
- Nathan Van Hooydonck has a new daughter
Team news:
- UAE Emirates XRG and Tadej Pogačar all set to chase third Liège-Bastogne-Liège title
- Visma | Lease a Bike: You can shape our Tour de France jersey!
Race news:
- La Vuelta and Land Life plant 700 native trees in Picón Blanco in order to promote biodiversity
Thursday EUROTRASH coffee time.
TOP STORY: ‘Lucho’ Herrera Investigated for Forced Disappearance in Colombia
The winner of the Vuelta a España in 1987 and multiple stage winner in the Grand Tours, faces an investigation for alleged responsibility for the forced disappearance of four people in Colombia. Luis Alberto “Lucho” Herrera, a legend of Colombian cycling, is being investigated by a justice for his alleged involvement in a case of forced disappearance that occurred in 2002. The information was revealed by Noticias Uno, a media that had access to judicial statements from two former paramilitaries, who point to the former cyclist as instigator of the crime.
According to the testimonies of two former members of the Casanare Peasant Self-Defenses, Herrera would have directly asked the then head of the armed group to make four people disappear who were supposedly going to kidnap him. According to one of those involved, alias Menudencias, the bodies would have been buried on a farm where Herrera allegedly had properties. The former member of the Self-Defense confirmed to the Colombian media that they discovered that the victims were not militiamen, but that they were in a land conflict with the former cyclist. A court in Fusagasugá ordered an investigation against Luis Alberto “Lucho” Herrera. The court also referred the case to the Prosecutor’s Office to initiate a formal investigation.
Luis “Lucho” Herrera was one of the best climbers in the 80s, a Colombian idol and pioneer in Europe. He won the Vuelta a España in 1987, becoming the first Colombian and South American to achieve a Grand Tour win.
Luis Herrera Responds to Allegations of Atrocities
Former cycling hero Luis ‘Lucho’ Herrera is suspected of ordering the killing of four people. The Vuelta winner and two-time KOM in the Tour de France has reacted and denied the allegations from ex-paramilitaries who say Herrera was the client of the gruesome murder of four of his neighbours. Herrera claimed that these were guerrillas, but these turned out to be neighbours who did not want to sell their land to the former cyclist.
Herrera has since issued a communiqué which he addresses all allegations. “They are based on statements from people who have previously been convicted of serious crimes and who, after serving a sentence, now point to my alleged involvement. These are individuals who were part of illegal armed groups and whose claims I absolutely reject. In light of these facts, I would like to say the following: I have never been part of a criminal organisation and it was not my intention to harm anyone. I have dedicated my life to the sport and, after my retirement as a professional cyclist, to earning a fair living. I strongly blame the accusations that want to tarnish my name and my record as a citizen, employee and father. I have a lot of respect for the role of the media and the right of citizens to be informed. Therefore, I am willing to make public statements as soon as I know what the accusations are and can prove my complete innocence. I have informed the Public Prosecutor’s Office that I am willing to cooperate with the legal system and comply with any judicial request. I would like to thank the people who have expressed their support and the media for their reporting. Once the legal proceedings are completed, I will be ready to make the necessary statements.”
Herrera – A hero in Colombia:
Flèche Wallonne 2025
Tadej Pogačar won the 2025 Flèche Wallonne, taking the victory on the Mur de Huy for the second time in his career. The UAE Emirates XRG rider was particularly dominant on the final climb of the Huy and won with a comfortable 10 second lead over Kévin Vauquelin (Arkéa-B&B Hotels) and Tom Pidcock (Q36.5), in second and third places. Remco Evenepoel (Soudal Quick-Step) was ninth.
Race organisers, ASO, have redesigned the course of the Flèche Wallonne for 2025. The finish is still on the famous Mur de Huy for the fortieth time. Only the approach to it is different. On the final circuit, the Côte de Cherave returns between the Côte d’Ereffe and the final climb to the Mur de Huy, so the finale is the same as in 2023. Last year, ASO removed the Cherave from the final lap, but included a fourth climb of the Mur de Huy. This year returns to the older route. There are eleven climbs, including the trio of Ereffe-Cherave-Muur van Huy. The start has been changed. The men will not start from Charleroi, but in Ciney, near Namur. After just ten kilometres, they hit the first climb of the day, the Côte de Ver (1.4km at 4.6%). Next there are some uncategorised climbs and the Côte de Petite Somme (1.2km at 8.8%). Shortly afterwards, after a hundred kilometres of racing, they start the finishing circuit, which has to be ridden three times. This year, in addition to the Côte d’Ereffe (2.1km at 5%), the circuit will also include the Côte de Cherave (1.3km at 7.6%). The top of this climb is just six kilometres from the finish, but in the past, no one could get away here and stay away to the top of the Mur de Huy (1.3km at 9.7%). The wide lanes towards Huy are not good for attackers. If anyone reaches the start of the Mur de Huy with a lead, they still have a tough job ahead of them. Especially between 800 and 200 meters from the finish, the climb is very steep. The percentages are rarely below 15% and on the inside of the bends it is nearer 20%. Timing is crucial, because in the last 200 meters the road flattens out and riders can come back.
Normally, Flèche Wallonne is decided on the last climb of the Mur de Huy. But with Pogačar and Evenepoel at the start, the race could be won in an earlier attack, but we would have to wait and see. There was always the chance of a surprise winner, don’t forget Sunday’s Amstel Gold Race won by Mattias Skjelmose.
In the opening part of the race, there was an early break of five riders: Siebe Deweirdt, Tom Paquot, Ceriel Desal, Artem Schmidt and Simon Guglielmi escaped from the peloton and managed to take 2 minute lead. Not everyone in the peloton were happy with the situation and with 140 kilometres to go, Robert Stannard and Tobias Foss jumped out of the peloton and a little later, Andreas Leknessund and Frederik Dversnes to join the front group. It was too fast for Deweirdt, so he had to let the group go. In the final 100 kilometres the race was a war of attrition due to the bad weather. In the leading group one rider after the other were dropped and eventually only the Norwegians, who must be used to the cold weather, were left: Foss, Leknessund and Dversnes. With 7 kilometres to go, they were caught by a thinned out peloton, where the Amstel winner, Skjelmose, was missing due to a crash.
The top favourites would have to wait for their moment. It was not until the Côte de Cherave that the peloton started to get interested, young Swiss rider Jan Christen took a strong turn at the front for his team leader, Pogačar. Although the peloton was thinned out even further, Pogačar’s attack didn’t come… just yet. Only thirty riders would eventually start the final and decisive climb of the Mur de Huy. On the Mur de Huy, Pogačar didn’t wait too long. The World champion soon had ten seconds on his competitors and won the race with an easy lead. Evenepoel eased off as soon as Pogačar’s attack and finished ninth. Kevin Vauquelin and Tom Pidcock were second and third behind Pogačar.
# You can see more photos in the full ‘PEZ Race Report’ HERE. #
Race winner, Tadej Pogačar (UAE Emirates XRG): “It is a really great feeling to win again here on this tough final. It is a beautiful climb, but as a cyclist you don’t like it so much. Also today the weather was not the best, so it was a really tough race and to pull it off with the win means a lot. It was tough conditions on the race and one of the hardest final kilometres in cycling. It was a bit cold and tough conditions in general. I am really really happy that I could win today because the team came here to work for this goal, and I am really happy that I could deliver for them. I had a really good lead-out to the final few hundred metres with Brandon and Jan. When Healy came to my left, I sped up a little bit, looked under my shoulder and saw that nobody was sticking to the wheel. I tried to make a first acceleration and when I saw that nobody was following, I committed to the top. Of course, we raced really well together as a team today. We stuck to the plan, but it was a hard race and the guys had super good legs. More or less, we have the same team for Sunday and I think we can do a great race again on Sunday and try to win there as well.”
2nd, Kévin Vauquelin (Arkéa-B&B Hotels): “It has been an exceptional day. There was a great field at the start-line. Delivering a second place again is a confirmation of what I did last year, and that is the main takeaway for me. These last few weeks have not been easy for me from a mental perspective. Even today I was struggling on the bike, yet I kept pushing because I didn’t want to have any regrets. This performance is going to be of great help. Landing a great result is difficult, but landing a second one is even more difficult because you ask yourself a lot of questions in the meantime. There have been very hard moments. My loved ones, my teammates and the staff of my team are the ones who cope with all my struggles and my doubts. Today’s performance is a reward for all of us. I tried to approach the final climb on the wheel of the best riders. I knew that I didn’t want to unleash my effort too early, because I could overcook myself like last year. When Ben Healy and Remco Evenepoel started to lose ground, I took off. I didn’t look back for a single second, but I was afraid to get overtaken. This is a very important result for Arkéa-B&B Hotels, as it shows we can be present in WorldTour races. The teamwork today has been excellent, with Simon [Guglielmi] up front and Raúl García Pierna positioning me ahead of the final climb. Without them, I wouldn’t be here. As for Sunday, Liège-Bastogne-Liège is a completely different race – longer, more demanding. I need not to feel any complex in order to do my best and not have any regrets at the finish.”
3rd, Tom Pidcock (Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team): “I was concentrating on staying warm because it was cold but I had lots of layers on. We are racing hard and seem to be faster every year so it’s harder to take clothes off. The team did a great job in making sure I was warm and in good position, especially Xabier Mikel, Mark, Nick and Marcel. Marcel is relatively inexperienced but he did a great job. Then on the Mur, my hands were too cold so I couldn’t really change gear. So I was under geared and then over geared. I had to pick one. I felt better than I normally do in the rain and in the cold which is a good sign. It was a good result. Every race I get a bit better so that gives me great confidence for the weekend.”
4th, Lenny Martinez (Bahrain Victorious): “It was a hard race with the rain for half of the day, and the last climb is always brutal. We were close to the podium – it’s okay. The guys did a great job controlling things and setting us up. It’s a good result with both Santi and me in the top six.”
6th, Santiago Buitrago Sanchez (Bahrain Victorious): “After a day like this, this is a super result. I’m really happy for Lenny, 4th on the Mur is something to be proud of. And for me, it’s a good sign of form heading into Liège–Bastogne–Liège. We’re building something strong here.”
8th, Thibau Nys (Lidl-Trek): “The rain today caused a much greater wear and tear than the power along the way. I really struggled with the clothing. Sometimes I had too much on, sometimes too little. Sometimes it was too warm and then too cold. In the final, it was important to get rid of as many clothes as possible, but I quickly noticed that the cold had hit my legs. My legs just closed up because of the cold, but physically I was fine. In the final, I felt that I could no longer accelerate on the climbs. It is what it is, that’s racing. It was a fight against myself. Tadej was the only one with an acceleration left in his legs, I think the rest were also blocked by the cold. I will come back here in the future for a better result, I am already looking forward to that.”
9th, Remco Evenepoel (Soudal Quick-Step): “It was a very difficult race. It was the first time I cycled in the rain again and I actually felt great all day. That is why we set a very high pace for the race with the team. I was cold in the final and I lost energy. I can only blame myself for that. When Tadej went, my legs locked up. I can only blame that on the cold, because before that I felt great. The feeling was good and the team was good. Only the last kilometre and a half was tough, but for the rest I am satisfied. That is only motivating for Sunday.”
33rd, Marcel Camprubí (Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team): “I felt really good and very motivated fort his race. This has always been one of my favourite races because I saw Purito Rodriguez win here on TV. Riding here was a great opportunity for me, despite the weather. We thought at the start it wouldn’t be so bad but I was really happy I chose the Vampir rainjacket [team prototype] because it was also cold. In these conditions the racing is even harder in this race and you can really make a difference. My job was to go with a bigger move but that didn’t go so I stayed with Tom. I helped him position before the climbs. There was even some wind so we helped get him back after a split. It’s great that he got onto the podium. I wanted to be there in the final and if I had raced smarter I could have, but I am proud of how I could help Tom. My legs are a bit sore now because I raced a lot already this season but I just heard I get to do Liège-Bastogne-Liège as well and that is also a dream coming true. So now it’s time to recover and get ready one more time for a big Monument.”
Flèche Wallonne Result:
1. Tadej Pogačar (Slo) UAE Emirates XRG in 4:50:15
2. Kévin Vauquelin (Fra) Arkéa-B&B Hotels at 0:10
3. Tom Pidcock (GB) Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team at 0:12
4. Lenny Martinez (Fra) Bahrain Victorious at 0:13
5. Ben Healy (Irl) EF Education-EasyPost
6. Santiago Buitrago Sanchez (Col) Bahrain Victorious at 0:16
7. Romain Gregoire (Fra) Groupama-FDJ
8. Thibau Nys (Bel) Lidl-Trek
9. Remco Evenepoel (Bel) Soudal Quick-Step
10. Mauro Schmid (Sui) Jayco AlUla at 0:19.
Flèche Wallonne’25:
Flèche Wallonne – Women 2025
Puck Pieterse finally took her big victory of the spring. The Fenix-Deceuninck rider won the women’s Flèche Wallonne on Wednesday ahead of Demi Vollering (FDJ-SUEZ) at two seconds and Elisa Longo Borghini (UAE Team ADQ) at six.
There was quite a bit of criticism of the 2024 route, mainly due to the Côte de Cherave being removed. In the past, especially in the women’s race, things have really started on this climb just before the Mur de Huy. But now the Cherave is back. The rest of the route has also been changed considerably. Instead of a south-western approach circuit, this year it comes from the south-eastern approach. This runs counter-clockwise. After the first flat kilometres along the banks of the Meuse, it climbs for the first time. The Côte de Bohissau is 2.2km at 5.5%, but after the mountain points have been awarded, it goes a bit further. 5km at 4.1% would be closer to the truth. Via Havelange, Maffe and Baillonville, the route continues on almost continuously undulating roads towards Durbuy. Just before the ‘smallest city in the world’, a left turn is made for the next climb: the Côte de Petite Somme (1.2km at 8%). This isn’t the whole story either, because after the KOM, there is an annoying offshoot. In addition, the section immediately before the KOM line is quite steep, with a gradient of 15% to 16% on the steepest part. All this uphill ensures that the riders have already climbed 1,250 metres in the run-up phase of 78.5 kilometres. There was still 1,050 metres of climbing to go, all on the circuit with three climbs: the Côte d’Ereffe, the Cherave and the Mur. The Côte d’Ereffe is the first climb on the circuit. This is 2.1km at 5%. A nice warm-up. The last eight kilometres of the race will be decisive. Starting with the Côte de Cherave (1.3km at 8.1%), then descending towards Huy and the final killer to the finish line.
Seven-time Flèche Wallonne winner, Anna van der Breggen, had to give the 2025 edition a miss. The 35-year-old Van der Breggen was struggling with the after-effects of an illness and couldn’t start the Walloon classic. Despite Van der Breggen’s absence, there was an impressive field was at the start in Huy on Wednesday afternoon, with Vollering, Lotte Kopecky, Elisa Longo Borghini, Katarzyna Niewiadoma and Puck Pieterse. In a very wet Ardennes, there were many attacks in the first hour of racing, but all were short-lived. Maaike Coljé and Anne van Rooijen went on the attack for a while, as did Julie De Wilde, but none were a real early break. Behind them, the peloton was shrinking.
Anne Knijnenburg did manage to get away with 72 kilometres to go and was off the front for a long time. The Dutch rider was joined, after almost 20 kilometres, by Cédrine Kerbaol, but she was dropped with 45 kilometres to go and also couldn’t hold onto the peloton shortly afterwards. Kerbaol managed to stay off the front for a long time. But on the Côte de Cherave, with 7 kilometres to go, she was caught.
About 35 riders, including all the big names, eventually started the final climb of the Mur de Huy. French champion Juliette Labous set the pace in the group of favourites in the first few hundred metres of the Mur, while Lotte Kopecky had to let go quite early. With 300 metres to go, Vollering launched her attack. However, Pieterse managed to follow and then put in an attack of her own, after which Vollering cracked. Although the difference between Vollering and Pieterse never really that big, Pieterse was the clear winner on the summit of the Mur de Huy. After a strong spring full of top places, the Dutch rider finally secured her big Classics victory.
# You can see the full ‘PEZ Race Report’ for more photos HERE. #
Race winner, Puck Pieterse (Fenix-Deceuninck): “In a race like this, it was actually quite easy to stay calm because I think almost all the teams wanted to wait until the last climb. So it was just a case of waiting and I knew that before, so we tried to just wait a lot and just stay active during the race, not falling asleep before important points, but luckily the team was always there to give me a good lead out. Demi (Vollering) got a really good lead out from Juliette (Labous) and I decided to stick on the wheel and just wait, wait, wait a bit longer and then I think halfway through the Mur, I was like, ‘they should be hurting a lot’, but I still felt quite good actually. I knew I just had to wait until around 150 metres to go to really make the next acceleration. After that, I did not look back, so I don’t know how close it was in the end.”
2nd, Demi Vollering (FDJ-SUEZ): “Juliette (Labous) did a very strong job on the last climb, so I’m really grateful for what she did there and also my other teammates earlier in the race. They did really good teamwork in the beginning by always putting us in the front and following the first attacks. Then later in the race, Lea (Curinier) and Elise (Chabbey), who started to chase very, very strong and Evita (Muzic) and Juliette bringing me in position for the final. Juliette did a really, really strong last climb so it’s really nice to have a teammate like that who can pace it very well for you. It’s also a bit easier because suffering in the wheel of your teammates, which is always different than suffering in a wheel from a rival. It’s nicer to suffer in your teammates wheel. Puck (Pieterse) is very strong, so today she showed what she can do and I think it’s a nice win for her. I think it doesn’t have to do anything with the tactics, it was just who can still go strong in the last few hundred metres. You need to be able to do that and she was able to do that today and I couldn’t follow her there.”
3rd, Elisa Longo Borghini (UAE Team ADQ): “I felt good and that’s also thanks to the work of my teammates. They made sure I was positioned really well, especially in Cherave and at the foot of the Mur. I gave everything I had 100 metres from the finish, I was pushing hard, and I’m very happy with my third place. I arrived here as an outsider, and I will be again for Liège-Bastogne-Liège. I feel in very good shape, I feel fresh, mentally and physically. On Sunday, I hope it will be decided in La Redoute; it would be a more favourable scenario, the right place to attack. Because in La Roche-aux-Faucons, it will probably be too late for me. I can’t wait for Sunday.”
Flèche Wallonne – Women Result:
1. Puck Pieterse (Ned) Fenix-Deceuninck in 3:53:25
2. Demi Vollering (Ned) FDJ-SUEZ at 0:02
3. Elisa Longo Borghini (Ita) UAE Team ADQ at 0:06
4. Katarzyna Niewiadoma (Pol) Canyon//SRAM zondacrypto
5. Liane Lippert (Ger) Movistar at 0:11
6. Kimberley Le Court de Billot (Maur) AG Insurance-Soudal at 0:14
7. Juliette Labous (Fra) FDJ-SUEZ at 0:15
8. Nienke Vinke (Ned) Team Picnic PostNL
9. Niamh Fisher-Black (NZ) Lidl-Trek at 0:20
10. Mijntje Geurts (Ned) Visma | Lease a Bike.
Flèche Wallonne’25:
Tour of the Alps 2025
Giulia Ciccone (Lidl-Trek) returns to winning ways on home soil, claiming the opening Stage 1 of the Tour of the Alps and responding to friendly teasing from tennis star Jannik Sinner. Behind him, strong rides from Decathlon-AG2R’s Felix Gall and rising French prospect Paul Seixas. Encouraging signs from Bardet and Hindley, while last year’s winner, Lopez, Tiberi, and Geoghegan Hart lost time.
The 48th edition of the Tour of the Alps began with a minute of silence, observed by the entire peloton, following the news of Pope Francis’s passing just moments before the start.
100 riders rolled out from San Lorenzo Dorsino, kicking off the five-day race across the Euregio region of Tirol–Südtirol/Alto Adige–Trentino. The action began early, with Davide Bais (Polti-VisitMalta), AJ August (INEOS Grenadiers), and Finlay Pickering (Bahrain Victorious) forming the first breakaway. Their lead peaked at 4 minutes and 30 seconds before the field, led by Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe and then Lidl-Trek, reeled them back ahead of the Passo Duron. Another move by Pickering and Eddie Dunbar didn’t stick either, and a subsequent attack by Cepeda (EF Education), cresting the second-category climb with a 15-second lead, was also neutralised before the final 10km. Mattia Bais launched a solo move on familiar roads and briefly gained a 15-second advantage, but he was caught with 2km to go.
The uphill finish in San Lorenzo Dorsino seemed tailor-made for Giulio Ciccone’s explosive climbing style, and the Italian made good on those expectations. Ciccone stormed to victory in the opening stage of the 48th edition of the Tour of the Alps, ending a 22-month winless streak and showcasing his trademark panache. Ciccone held off strong competition from Decathlon-AG2R’s duo: Austrian Felix Gall and emerging French talent Paul Seixas, underlining the race’s reputation as a launchpad for cycling’s future stars.
Among those keeping pace in the final climb was Romain Bardet (Team Picnic PostNL), who finished fourth and confirmed his credential on these roads after winning the 2022 edition. Rounding out the top ten were Florian Stork (Tudor Pro Cycling Team), Jai Hindley (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe), Michael Storer (Tudor), Max Poole (Team Picnic PostNL), Jefferson Cepeda (EF Education-Easypost), and Matthew Riccitello (Israel-Premier Tech). Further down the standings, defending champion Juan Pedro Lopez (LIDL-Trek) and Italian Antonio Tiberi (Bahrain-Victorious) lost 14 seconds, Derek Gee (Israel Cycling Academy) ceded 35, and Tao Geoghegan Hart dropped 1 minute and 8 seconds—though he’ll take solace in LIDL-Trek’s team success.
Stage winner and overall leader, Giulio Ciccone (Lidl-Trek): “I’m really happy to be back racing after a long altitude training camp—and to start with a win here in Italy makes it even more special,” said a visibly emotional Ciccone. “This was a much-needed result, especially mentally, after a tough 2024 where I came close several times but couldn’t quite finish it off. Just yesterday I was chatting with my friend Jannik Sinner—we’ve been training together on the bike recently—and he joked that after driver Antonio Giovinazzi’s win at the 24 Hours of Imola, I was the only one of our group still winless this year. Not anymore! Now we’re all square. I’m sure he’s watching and will keep following the race, even more as we’ll soon pass by his hometown, Sesto Pusteria. In professional sport, whatever the discipline, it’s never easy to stay 100% focused—especially during high-altitude training when you’re away from your loved ones. Having a friend like Jannik helps keep your spirits up. I feel like I started this season on the right foot. I’ve worked hard, especially on time trials, which have always been a weak point for me. After a frustrating 2024, this win means a lot. Now I just want to stay calm and focused as we approach the Giro—knowing I’m back at 100%. But first, there’s the Tour of the Alps—and we’re just getting started. Today’s stage showed how deep and competitive the field is. Not everyone has played their cards yet. I’m feeling good and confident.”
Davide Bais (Polti VisitMalta): “As always, a tough route — even more challenging and exciting with two strong breakaway companions and an amazing crowd along the roads. We care a lot about honouring our home race, we’ll try again for sure.”
Mattia Bais (Polti VisitMalta): “I knew it was going to be a hard move to pull off, I hoped the others would hesitate behind me. With a headwind and alone I couldn’t make it, but I’m happy to feel good legs again after the training block on Mount Teide.”
Tour of the Alps Stage 1 Result:
1. Giulio Ciccone (Ita) Lidl-Trek in 3:42:10
2. Felix Gall (Aust) Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale
3. Paul Seixas (Fra) Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale
4. Romain Bardet (Fra) Team Picnic PostNL
5. Florian Stork (Ger) Tudor
6. Jai Hindley (Aus) Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe
7. Michael Storer (Aus) Tudor
8. Max Poole (GB) Team Picnic PostNL
9. Jefferson Alexander Cepeda (Ecu) EF Education-EasyPost at 0:05
10. Matthew Riccitello (USA) Israel-Premier Tech.
Tour of the Alps Overall After Stage 1:
1. Giulio Ciccone (Ita) Lidl-Trek in 3:42:00
2. Felix Gall (Aust) Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale at 0:04
3. Paul Seixas (Fra) Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale at 0:06
4. Romain Bardet (Fra) Team Picnic PostNL at 0:10
5. Florian Stork (Ger) Tudor
6. Jai Hindley (Aus) Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe
7. Michael Storer (Aus) Tudor
8. Max Poole (GB) Team Picnic PostNL
9. Jefferson Alexander Cepeda (Ecu) EF Education-EasyPost at 0:15
10. Matthew Riccitello (USA) Israel-Premier Tech.
Alps’25 stage 1:
Michael Storer’s late attack stunned the top favourites in Tour of the Alps Stage 2. The Tudor Pro Cycling Team rider digs deep on the Obertelves/Telves di Sopra climb to claim a solo victory in Sterzing-Ratschings/Vipiteno-Racines and seize the Melinda Green Jersey. Frenchmen Seixas and Bardet complete the podium, while former GC leader Ciccone finished fifth.
The breakaway formed immediately after the start in Mezzolombardo, with Koen Bouwman (Jayco–AlUla) and Lukas Meiler (Team Vorarlberg) going clear at kilometre 1, they were soon joined by Fran Miholjevic (Bahrain–Victorious). The first half of the stage, the longest and featuring the most climbing (3,750 meters) in this year’s race, was tough for both the leaders and the peloton. Meiler dropped out of the break after 72km, while Lidl–Trek controlled the bunch, keeping the escapees on a short leash. The break reached a maximum advantage of 5:06 at 86km.
A crash in a tunnel near Brixen/Bressanone took out Salvatore Puccio (INEOS Grenadiers), who fractured his left wrist and withdrew. Minutes later, Antonio Tiberi also abandoned, unable to continue due to persistent stomach issues. The break was reeled in with around 50km to go, shortly before the first pass through the finish line in Sterzing-Ratschings/Vipiteno-Racines, before two final laps featuring the Obertelves/Telves di Sopra climb (4.2km at 7%). On the first ascent, Polti–VisitMalta and then Decathlon–AG2R set a hard pace, but eased off after the summit, allowing dropped riders to rejoin. The real selection came on the second climb. Decathlon–AG2R launched a one-two attack, first with Gall and then Seixas, causing significant damage. Storer countered powerfully, forming a select group with Gall, Seixas, and Ciccone, while Hindley opted to climb at his own pace.
Not content, Storer attacked again—this time decisively. Cresting the summit with a 10 second lead, he pushed hard on the descent while the chasing group of Seixas, Bardet, Piganzoli, Ciccone, Hindley, Gall, Caruso, and Cepeda—struggled to get organised, losing precious seconds. Storer finished solo in Sterzing-Ratschings/Vipiteno-Racines, claiming one of the most memorable wins of his career, with a 41-second gap. It was one of the finest victories of the 28-year-old Perth native’s pro career. Based in Italy for several years, Storer now also dons the Melinda Green Jersey as the race’s GC leader. With the overall lead in hand, the Tudor Pro Cycling Team rider now faces the challenge of defending it in the intense battles to come before the finale in Lienz.
The sprint for second place was won by promising youngster Paul Seixas (Decathlon–AG2R), who had already taken third in San Lorenzo Dorsino the previous day. He edged out veteran countryman Romain Bardet (Picnic–PostNL). Fourth place went to Davide Piganzoli (Polti–VisitMalta), followed by Monday’s winner Giulio Ciccone (Lidl–Trek), Jai Hindley (RedBull–BORA-hansgrohe) in sixth, and Austrian climber Felix Gall (Decathlon–AG2R) in seventh. In the general classification, Storer leads by 41 seconds over both Seixas and Ciccone, with Gall at 45 seconds, Bardet at 47 seconds, and Hindley at 51 seconds.
Stage winner and overall leader, Michael Storer (Tudor): “I started today with the goal of attacking on the final climb, but first I needed to see whether I was the strongest up there. After the first acceleration, I could tell I was feeling good—after the second, I knew I had something extra compared to the others. This has arguably been the best start to a season in my career, with a stage win at Paris–Nice and now this result here at the Tour of the Alps. My team’s support has made a huge difference. We’ve worked incredibly hard to prepare for this race, and today it really paid off. This win gives me great confidence—I feel like I’m getting closer to the top climbers in the peloton, and I’m excited to prove it in the coming weeks. The tough part starts now: all the other teams will try to attack us, and every rider in the top 10 still has a legitimate shot at the overall win. We’re in for some intense days, but having a 41-second cushion is much better than having to chase.”
4th on the stage and 9th overall, Davide Piganzoli (Polti VisitMalta): “We faced steep roads and technical descents, showing improving form. I’m happy with how my body responded after three weeks on Teide. I care a lot about this race full of climbing — we’ll take it day by day.”
Tour of the Alps Stage 2 Result:
1. Michael Storer (Aus) Tudor Pro Cycling Team in 5:00:02
2. Paul Seixas (Fra) Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale at 0:41
3. Romain Bardet (Fra) Team Picnic PostNL
4. Davide Piganzoli (Ita) Polti VisitMalta
5. Giulio Ciccone (Ita) Lidl-Trek
6. Jai Hindley (Aus) Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe
7. Felix Gall (Aust) Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale
8. Damiano Caruso (Ita) Bahrain Victorious
9. Jefferson Alexander Cepeda (Ecu) EF Education-EasyPost
10. Max Poole (GB) Team Picnic PostNL at 0:43.
Tour of the Alps Overall After Stage 2:
1. Michael Storer (Aus) Tudor Pro Cycling Team in 8:42:02
2. Paul Seixas (Fra) Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale at 0:41
3. Giulio Ciccone (Ita) Lidl-Trek
4. Felix Gall (Aust) Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale at 0:45
5. Romain Bardet (Fra) Team Picnic PostNL at 0:47
6. Jai Hindley (Aus) Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe at 0:51
7. Max Poole (GB) Team Picnic PostNL at 0:53
8. Jefferson Alexander Cepeda (Ecu) EF Education-EasyPost at 0:56
9. Davide Piganzoli (Ita) Polti VisitMalta at 1:00
10. Damiano Caruso (Ita) Bahrain Victorious at 1:05.
Alps’25 stage 2:
Marco Frigo (Israel-Premier Tech) launched a long-range attack, soloed over Furkelpass/Passo Furcia and Vierschachberg/Monte Versciaco to claim his maiden pro win on Stage 3 of the Tour of the Alps. The GC battle remains largely unchanged as Hindley won the sprint from the chasers. The Tour of the Alps continues to deliver excitement, surprises, and a cast of riders determined to defy expectations.
The race rolled out from Sterzing-Ratschings/Vipiteno-Racines at 10:30 AM and was animated from the start, with teams aggressively chasing the day’s break. After 18 km of attacks and counterattacks, Zoccarato (Polti-VisitMalta) initiated the move that eventually saw 21 riders go clear, including Kämna (Lidl-Trek), KOM leader Pickering (Bahrain Victorious), Hamilton (Picnic PostNL), Wandahl, Zwiehoff, Jasch (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe), De Marchi (Jayco AlUla), August (INEOS Grenadiers), Prodhomme (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale), Valgren (EF Education-EasyPost), Frigo (Israel-Premier Tech), Stork (Tudor), Pinarello, Tarozzi (VF Group-Bardiani CSF-Faizanè), Zoccarato, Davide Bais, Muñoz (Polti-VisitMalta), Stehli (Team Vorarlberg), Garibbo, Raccani (JCL Team Ukyo), and Paumann (Austria).
With Stork, a teammate of GC leader Storer, just 1’09” down, Lidl-Trek led the chase, keeping the gap around 1’20” for most of the stage. Stehli and Paumann were dropped on the Untermoi/Antermoia climb, while Hugh Carthy (EF Education) bridged across to the break. It was on the final ramps of Untermoi/Antermoia that Frigo launched his solo move, passing the summit of Furkelpass/Passo Furcia with a growing lead. At the top, he had 44” on Pickering, 1:30 on a chase group including Hamilton, Wandahl, Jasch, August, Prodhomme, Carthy, Stork, Tarozzi and Raccani, and 2’30” on the Storer group.
After a first pass through the San Candido finish, the peloton began to close the gap, reabsorbing all chasers except Frigo, who celebrated alone in the heart of Innichen/San Candido. The only notable action from the GC men’s group came from Frigo’s teammate Riccitello, but he was caught on the Vierschachberg/Monte Versciaco descent. Hindley took the sprint ahead of Gee, Ciccone, and Poole. Storer finished eighth, still in control of the GC. The Australian leads the general classification by 41 seconds over Giulio Ciccone and Paul Seixas (Decathlon–AG2R), 45 seconds over Jai Hindley and Felix Gall, and 47 seconds over Romain Bardet (Picnic–PostNL).
Stage winner, Marco Frigo (Israel-Premier Tech): “We knew this stage could be good for a long-range move, and I was focused on making the right break. The group was large, but I was committed to trying solo if the opportunity came. Last year I lost a Vuelta stage by hesitating, and I’ve struggled with the surges in recent days. My best shot was to ride my pace solo – that suits my characteristics best. I may not have a climber’s build, but I’ve got the mindset of someone who never gives up. That’s why I go well on long climbs: I can set my rhythm and grind it out. In the future, I hope to target GC in shorter stage races. I still have things to improve, but I’m on the right path. Comparisons with Alessandro De Marchi? I’d be honoured to follow in his footsteps. We raced together for a season – he taught me a lot. He’s not only a great rider but a great person.”
Overall leader and 8th on the stage, Michael Storer (Tudor): “Today’s stage played out exactly as we planned with the team directors. It was important to save our legs for the final two stages, which will be more tactically unpredictable. We’re in a good position with our lead intact – now it’s about defending it. Personally, I think I’m in the best shape of my career. I want to make it count.”
Fran Muñoz (Polti VisitMalta): “It was a tough day. We managed to stay with three team-mates in the breakaway, it was a very big group complicated to manage, we couldn’t make our way, but once we were neutralised and we had already overcome some of the climbs, we helped Piga to maintain his good general classification.”
Tour of the Alps Stage 3 Result:
1. Marco Frigo (Ita) Israel-Premier Tech in 3:47:10
2. Jai Hindley (Aus) Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe at 0:19
3. Derek Gee (Can) Israel-Premier Tech
4. Giulio Ciccone (Ita) Lidl-Trek
5. Max Poole (GB) Team Picnic PostNL
6. Paul Seixas (Fra) Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale
7. Damiano Caruso (Ita) Bahrain Victorious
8. Michael Storer (Aus) Tudor
9. Nicolas Prodhomme (Fra) Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale
10. Romain Bardet (Fra) Team Picnic PostNL.
Tour of the Alps Overall After Stage 3:
1. Michael Storer (Aus) Tudor in 12:29:31
2. Giulio Ciccone (Ita) Lidl-Trek at 0:41
3. Paul Seixas (Fra) Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale
4. Jai Hindley (Aus) Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe at 0:45
5. Felix Gall (Aust) Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale
6. Romain Bardet (Fra) Team Picnic PostNL at 0:47
7. Max Poole (GB) Team Picnic PostNL at 0:53
8. Jefferson Alexander Cepeda (Ecu) EF Education-EasyPost at 0:56
9. Davide Piganzoli (Ita) Polti VisitMalta at 1:00
10. Damiano Caruso (Ita) Bahrain Victorious at 1:05.
Alps’25 stage 3:
Jan Bakelants Sees Wout van Aert as ‘Moral Winner’ of Amstel Gold Race
Wout van Aert didn’t win a Classic this spring, but was always near the front. He was also in the finale of the Amstel Gold Race last Sunday, but he had to settle for a fourth place. “But this will do him a lot of favour,” said his good friend and training partner, Jan Bakelants.
The former rider was present at the Limburg classic on Sunday as an analyst for Sporza and spoke about the race and the performance of Van Aert. According to Bakelants, the fact that the 30 year-old Classics specialist managed to take the sprint from the chase group after a tough race is a big upturn towards his upcoming goals.
“Among the ordinary mortals, Wout van Aert is the moral winner of the race”, Bakelants said. “He won another sprint after a tricky race against fast men like Michael Matthews and Tom Pidcock. It was for fourth place, but it will do Wout a lot of favour. I think his confidence in his own sprint was so low that this is huge,” Bakelants continued his analysis. “We had to establish that Wout was very often in the oppression in those ‘Sunday races’ such as the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix. He was always allowed to sprint for a podium place, but was passed every time. Especially by Mads Pedersen.”
However, Van Aert did show on Sunday that he still has his sprint. “Matthews is the type of rider who has a solid sprint in his calves after such a race. In Milan-Sanremo, he won the sprint for fourth place against Kaden Groves, among others. Then you can’t just relativise Van Aert’s strong sprint.”
Is Van Aert over his problems?
Giulio Ciccone Fined for Throwing Away his Sunglasses at the Finish of the Tour of the Alps Stage 1
Giulio Ciccone has been fined for throwing his sunglasses as he crossed the finish line of the opening stage of the Tour of the Alps on Monday. Ciccone had made a bit of a trademark of throwing his glasses, but he is now being punished by the UCI.
A fine of 250 Swiss francs and a 15 UCI point penalty was given to him by the race jury after stage 1. “Carelessly throw away an object (sunglasses) at the finish”, is the reason given by the UCI. The violation of UCI rule 2.12.007 / 8.3. According to the UCI, this is the first time that this ‘violation’ has been registered. UCI regulations also include a yellow card as an option, but Ciccone is spared that. In the event of a second fault, there is a threat of disqualification or a yellow card for the Lidl-Trek rider. He will also receive a fine of 500 Swiss francs and 30 penalty points.
Ciccone has been ‘celebrating’ his victories for years by throwing away his glasses, like when he took his Giro victories in 2019 and 2022, and his victory in the Tour of Valencia in 2023. Ciccone has said that he ‘does not intend to adjust his way of cheering’.
“I hadn’t thought about it. It’s… I don’t want to say ridiculous, but it’s hard to say anything about it because the rules change every year. My mistake was that I hadn’t studied the rules, but now I know. I’m not going to continue with it anymore,” Ciccone said. It gave his victory a bitter aftertaste. “It’s weird to get a fine if you win the race anyway. I don’t agree, but I can’t change anything about it.”
No more throwing glasses:
Natnael Tesfatsion, Ewen Costiou and Simon Carr Out of Action
We will not see Natnael Tesfatsion, Ewen Costiou and Simon Carr racing for a while. Tesfatsion suffered multiple fractures in a crash during the Amstel Gold Race, Costiou was injured in the Classic Grand Besançon Doubs and Carr is struggling with a serious knee injury.
Several riders fell in the Amstel Gold Race last Sunday, but most riders escaped unscathed. However, Natnael Tesfatsion crashed and broke his right shoulder blade in two places. “This was discovered after medical examinations at the UMC+ hospital in Maastricht,” his Movistar team wrote in a press release. “We thank the medical staff for the care they provided. Natnael does not need surgery, but he will have to rest for the next few days. We will closely monitor his medical progress.”
Where Tesfatsion crashed on Sunday, were as Ewen Costiou fell two days earlier in the Classic Grand Besançon Doubs. The promising Frenchman has broken a carpal bone and is also out of action for a while. It is still unclear when the 22-year-old Costiou will be able to race again.
Simon Carr underwent surgery on Friday for a knee injury he sustained during a training camp with his new team Cofidis in January. The 26 year-old British climber, who has not yet competed this season, will be out of action for at least four weeks. He will have to wait three months for his return. Carr will miss the Tour de France and other important races in the summer.
Broken shoulder blade for Natnael Tesfatsion:
Toon Aerts’ Road Race Schedule with Lotto
Lotto manager Kurt Van de Wouwer and Toon Aerts met last week to discuss the road program of the cyclocross rider. The 31-year-old Aerts will make his debut for the ProTeam on May 18 in the Rund um Köln, the team confirmed to WielerFlits.
Aerts, like Victor Van de Putte, will complete his road program with Lotto this summer as a result of a collaboration with cyclocross team Deschacht-Hens-FSP. Lotto want to offer promising road cyclists who are also active in cross the opportunity to do their thing in the winter, while someone like Toon Aerts can also race with the road team. The management of the Deschacht-Hens-FSP team had been looking for a partner for some time to share both costs and expertise, as far as the ambitions of their riders on the road are concerned.
After Cologne, Aerts will be competing in the Heistse Pijl, Antwerp Port Epic, Dwars door het Hageland and the Baloise Belgium Tour. Races of the .1 and .Pro level, in particular the two one-day races on cobbled roads should be the best suited to Aerts.
Toon Aerts to race on the road:
Nathan Van Hooydonck has a new daughter
Great news from the Van Hooydonck family. Nathan Van Hooydonck and his wife Alicia have had a baby girl. The 29-year-old ex-pro, who had to end his cycling career in 2023 due to heart problems, announced the new arrival via his Instagram.
Van Hooydonck and Alicia lost their newborn son Thiago in 2021. Two years later, in September 2023, their son Alessio was born. Now the couple welcomes daughter Isabella.
Alessio and Isabella:
Tadej Pogačar all Set to Chase Third Liège-Bastogne-Liège Title
UAE Team Emirates-XRG squads announced for the Vuelta Asturias and Liège-Bastogne-Liège, as Ardennes Classics come towards a close
Three weeks after the last of his eight Monument victories to date, Tadej Pogačar will lead UAE Team Emirates-XRG at this weekend’s Liège-Bastogne-Liège in Belgium. The grand old race will round out this year’s spring Classics and see the world’s best go head to head once more before attention turns to the Grand Tour season.
With a second-place finish at the Amstel Gold Race on Sunday, Pogačar showed himself up for the fight in the Ardennes, with some of the region’s toughest climbs to come over the double-header of La Flèche Wallonne and the Monument known as La Doyenne. In Spain, meanwhile, UAE Team Emirates-XRG will head to the Vuelta Asturias Julio Alvarez Mendo, with an eye on retaining the title won through Isaac del Toro last season.
Although sitting as the final race of the week, Liège-Bastogne-Liège is likely to be the most hotly anticipated, with the 133-year-old race proving the oldest of cycling’s five Monuments. Over the years, Pogačar and UAE Team Emirates-XRG have won two editions, with victories in 2021 and 2024 serving as revenge for a third place in 2020 and the season-altering crash in 2023.
This time around, the Slovenian has enjoyed an uninterrupted Classics campaign that has seen him win Strade Bianche and the Tour of Flanders, adding to podium finishes at Milano-Sanremo, Paris-Roubaix and the Amstel Gold Race. The world champion took the cycling world by storm in finishing second at Paris-Roubaix on debut, but he will be on more familiar terrain in La Doyenne.
Taking in 4,400m of climbing across 251.8km, the route for Liège-Bastogne-Liège remains the same from recent years, with nine of the eleven categorised climbs falling within the final 100km of racing. In days gone by, it was the Côte de Stockeu which would be most feared by all, with Eddy Merckx making this particular climb his playground in his heyday.
However, there has been a shift towards using La Redoute as a launchpad for solo victories over the past three editions, with Remco Evenepoel using the 1.6km climb to full effect in 2022 and 2023, before Pogačar followed suit last season. With an average gradient of 9.4%, La Redoute is more than hard enough to create a race-winning move, with only 34km to ride from its summit to the finish in Liège.
Should the preceding climbs not prove decisive, there will no doubt be attacks flying from all angles on the final categorised ascent, the Roche-aux-Faucons. Extending for 1.3km at 11%, the Roche-aux-Faucons is where Pogačar went clear along with four other riders in 2021, before winning a five-up sprint to take what was his first Monument win.
Now sitting on eight Monument victories, the world champion is looking forward to another couple of one-day showdowns before all attention turns to this summer’s Tour de France preparation.
Pogačar: “I’ve enjoyed this Classics campaign a lot so far. I came into this period with a lot of goals and ambitions and there are still two left, with the biggest of them next Sunday. The most suited race for me is probably Liege so I’m really looking forward to it in particular, but every race is important. I’ll aim for a couple of easier days now and open the legs up again in Fleche – Wallonne on the Mur de Huy. I think things are on track for a good race in Liege-Bastogne-Liege which is the main goal for this part of the season in the Ardennes.”
The full UAE Team Emirates-XRG lineup for Liège-Bastogne-Liège is as follows:
– Felix Großschartner (AUT)
– Vegard Stake Laengen (Nor)
– Brandon McNulty (USA)
– Domen Novak (Slo)
– Tadej Pogačar (Slo)
– Pavel Sivakov (Fra)
– Florian Vermeersch (Bel).
As the Ardennes Classics continue in Belgium, UAE Team Emirates-XRG will also contest an important stage race in Spain between Thursday, 24 April and Sunday, 27 April. The Vuelta Asturias Julio Alvarez Mendo is a four-day stage race that brought the Emirati squad much success in 2024.
Proving the strongest on the opening stage, Isaac del Toro claimed his first stage race victory as a neo-pro, whilst his teammates António Morgado and Finn Fisher-Black won stages 2 and 3 to secure a UAE Team Emirates-XRG lockout in Spain. A year on, the 67th edition of the Vuelta Asturias will be held over four stages, beginning and ending in Oviedo.
UAE Team Emirates-XRG return with another strong squad that includes Morgado, Julius Johansen, Marc Soler and recent Giro d’Abruzzo stage winner Alessandro Covi. The four WorldTour riders will be joined by a trio of talents from the Gen Z squad, in Al-Ali Abdulla Jasim, Adrià Pericas and Enea Sambinello.
For Soler, it will be his first outing at the Vuelta Asturias since 2016, with the Spaniard already enjoying plenty of success on home soil in the 2025 campaign. Finishing as the best Catalan rider, the 31-year-old helped Juan Ayuso to a memorable stage win and second overall at the Volta a Catalunya in March, before supporting João Almeida to his victory at Itzulia Basque Country earlier this month.
As they go in search of defending their crown from 2024, the full UAE Team Emirates-XRG squad for four hilly stages at the Vuelta Asturias is as follows:
– Alessandro Covi (Ita)
– Julius Johansen (Den)
– António Morgado (Por)
– Marc Soler (Spa)
– Al-Ali Abdulla Jasim (UAE) (Gen Z)
– Adrià Pericas (Spa) (Gen Z)
– Enea Sambinello (Ita) (Gen Z).
You can shape our Tour de France jersey!
This year’s Tour de France promises to be an epic battle once again. With you as a fan, we’ll face the challenges together. That’s why this year’s limited edition Tour de France jersey is inspired by The Swarm.
A testament to the power of unity in motion, harnessing its collective strength to achieve what no single bee could do alone. Perfectly synchronized, each movement focused on dominating every challenge. This is the inspiration for our Tour jersey this year.
La Vuelta and Land Life plant 700 native trees in Picón Blanco in order to promote biodiversity
- The race and the reforestation company joined forces for the 2024 edition in order to reverse the mountain’s degradation and repair damage caused to the natural areas that are so characteristic of La Vuelta, such as Picón Blanco.
- Since 2019, Land Life has planted around 200,000 trees across 127 hectares of Espinosa de los Monteros, to create a resilient forest that will promote biodiversity on the degraded land.
Land Life Iberia, an intelligent and precision reforestation company based in Burgos, and La Vuelta planted 700 native trees this week near the Picón Blanco, one of the most emblematic mountain passes for our national cycling and a stage finale in the 2024 edition. This initiative, included within the ‘Mountain Passes and Forests’ project, reflects the companies’ joint commitment to the visibility, protection and environmental restoration of degraded natural areas.
La Vuelta and Land Life have come together to plant 700 native trees (one hundred in each of the seven mountain passes that were climbed during the Picón Blanco stage of La Vuelta 24) around Espinosa de los Monteros. These include birch, wild apple, pine, black poplar, cherry, oak and rowan trees. This project seeks to restore an area that was damaged due to recurring fires, where natural regeneration has not taken place.
Land Life has carefully selected species that are well-adapted to the environment in order to restore a healthy and diverse forest mass. This restoration will aid in the recovery of part of the landscape’s tree cover, favour soil fixation and generate future benefits to the ecosystem.
The planting is part of a 127-hectare restoration plan initiated by Land Life in 2019 in the municipality of Espinosa de los Monteros. Since then, the reforestation company has planted nearly 200,000 native trees to create a resilient forest that is able to adapt to such adverse conditions as fires, drought or pest infestations. This environmental recovery strategy will help protect the ecosystem and will strengthen its capacity for natural regeneration over time.
Land Life’s reforestation project has been carried out in the Public Utility Forest no. 388 and features the collaboration of the Council of Espinosa de los Monteros and the Castilla y León Regional Government’s Environment, Housing and Spatial Planning Department.
Francisco Purroy, Director of Land Life in Spain and Portugal: ‘We’re so happy to be collaborating with La Vuelta. Joining the most important cycling race in Spain gives us the opportunity to show the importance of restoring our degraded forests and ecosystems. The reforestation of the Picón Blanco was necessary in order to restore such a special area, particularly after the fires that have ravaged it in recent years. This commitment to environmental restoration, in a place that is as emblematic to La Vuelta as Picón Blanco, allows us to connect with cycling fans and raise awareness regarding the need to protect our environment for future generations.’
Javier Guillén, General Director of La Vuelta: ‘La Vuelta is set in nature and we’re acutely aware of our responsibility to care for it. This is why 700 trees have been planted by Land Life, a company with roots in Burgos that specialises in environmental restoration as part of an initiative to contribute to the restoration of such natural areas as the Picón Blanco. This collaboration goes beyond just a symbolic gesture, instead representing our true commitment to restoring nature and preserving the very areas in which cycling is both experienced and enjoyed.’
About Land Life in Spain
Land Life is an environmental restoration and precision reforestation company that creates mixed native forests with a focus on biodiversity and resilience to climate change, relying on technologies such an artificial intelligence, data analysis and drones, all of which are applied throughout the entire planting process. Land Life’s mission is to help restore the world’s 2 billion hectares of degraded land. By planting trees where they are most needed, Land Life’s projects restore ecosystems, improve biodiversity and generate social and economic benefits for local communities. The company offers other companies and organisations a sustainable and transparent way in which to undertake climate action initiatives through the restoration of natural areas. It currently has reforestation projects in 14 Spanish provinces, carried out with the collaboration of municipal owners, land managers, regional governments, institutions and local communities. For further information, visit: https://landlifecompany.com/es
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