Paris-Nice, nicknamed the Race to the Sun, is one of the biggest one-week stage races on the men’s WorldTour calendar with Tour de France hopefuls using it to test early season shape or just to get into the swing of things once more. The 2025 edition returns from 9th-16th March.

Last year’s race was won by Matteo Jorgenson by 30 seconds ahead of Remco Evenepoel. Stage 7 had to be altered with a different finishing point up Madone d’Utelle due to fears of snow at Auron, which will feature in the 2025 race.

Jorgenson will be back alongside leader Jonas Vingegaard and new teammate Victor Campenaerts. Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe are bringing Aleksandr Vlasov, winner of the shortened Stage 7 in 2024, while UAE Team Emirates XRG, victorious in the team time-trial last time out have the strong (and in-form) duo of João Almeida and Pavel Sivakov.

Paris-Nice 2025 key information

• Date: 9th-16th March 2025
• Start: Le Perray-en-Yvelines
• Finish: Nice
• Stages: 8
• Distance: 1,212.6km
• 2024 winner: Matteo Jorgenson (Visma-Lease a Bike)
• UK television coverage: TNT Sports

Paris-Nice 2025 route and stage-by-stage preview

Beginning in Yvelines just west of Paris once again, the race will take riders down central France and towards the southeast to finish in Nice.

Stage 1, Sunday 9th March: Le Perray-en-Yvelines – Le Perray-en-Yvelines, 156.1km

The 2025 Paris-Nice kicks off with a flat stage around Le Perray-en-Yvelines in northern France. A flat stage with plenty of small lumps, there are three Category 3 climbs to scale with maximum 15% gradients, the last one coming just over 20km from the finish line. Olav Kooij took stage honours last year on a similar parcours to Les Mureaux, beating Mads Pedersen in the sprint.   

Stage 2, Monday 10th March: Montesson – Bellegarde, 183.9km

Stage 2 is another for the sprinters with a 183.9km stretch from Montesson to Bellegarde. There’s only two climbs on the menu but they’re not difficult and come early.

There’s an intermediate sprint point of the race 20km from the finish as the peloton head onto a circuit for a loop before the stage winner is decided.

Stage 3, Tuesday 11th March: Circuit Nevers Magny-Cours – Nevers, 28.4km (TTT)

The team time-trial is 28.4km in length and features a short uphill climb towards the intermediate time check. The Côte de la Pisserotte near the end of the course reaches a gradient of 11%.

In 2024, UAE Team Emirates XRG won the TTT stage by 15 seconds ahead of Jayco-AlUla.

Stage 4, Wednesday 12th March: Vichy – La Loge des Gardes, 163.4km

The first of two big summit finishes of Paris-Nice arrives on Stage 4, the Category 1 La Loge des Gardes, which comes after five other climbs in the 163.4km.

Stage 5, Thursday 13th March: Saint-Just-en-Chevalet – La Côte-Saint-André

Stage 5 is a long one at just over 200km and backloaded with a fierce number of short, steep climbs in quick succession.

The day ends with a punchy uphill finish on the 1.7km Côte de Notre-Dame-de-Sciez, which hits a maximum 18% gradient in the final kilometre.

Stage 6, Friday 14th March: Saint-Julien-en-Saint-Alban – Berre l’Étang, 209km

Some brief respite before a mountainous weekend, this should be the last opportunity for the sprinters. The trio of Category 3 climbs shouldn’t cause any problems.

Stage 7, Saturday 15th March: Nice – Auron, 147.8km

Here’s where things really start to get serious. The first proper mountain stage of the 2025 Paris-Nice finishes with a one-two punch of Category 1 climbs starting with La Colmiane, which featured on the penultimate stage of last year’s Tour de France. On the road to the finish line, the harshest section of the final climb to Auron will hit a little before the flamme rouge, with its 9% gradient eventually giving way in the last 300m.

Stage 8, Sunday 16th March: Nice – Nice, 120km

A trio of Category 1 climbs is on the cards for the final day of racing: the Col de la Porte, Côte de Peille and Col des Quatre Chemins. The latter coming in the last 10km of the stage, hitting 16% before the descent to the finish where the winner will be crowned.

Paris-Nice 2025 favourites

After winning the first stage race he entered this year in the Volta ao Algarve, Jonas Vingegaard has a big target on his back heading into Paris-Nice. But he’ll face strong competition from João Almeida, who is itching to claim a stage race this year having finished second overall at both the Volta ao Algarve and Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana.

Cyclist‘s ratings

• ★★★★★: Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike)
• ★★★★: Aleksandr Vlasov (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe), João Almeida (UAE Team Emirates XRG), Matteo Jorgenson (Visma-Lease a Bike)
• ★★★: Santiago Buitrago (Bahrain Victorious), Ben O’Connor (Jayco-AlUla), Felix Gall (Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale)
• ★★: Pavel Sivakov (UAE Team Emirates XRG), Max Schachmann (Soudal-QuickStep)
• ★: Neilson Powless (EF Education-EasyPost), Thymen Arensman (Ineos Grenadiers), Lenny Martinez (Bahrain Victorious)

How to watch Paris-Nice 2025

Viewers in the UK can only watch Paris-Nice on TNT Sports, which is available to be streamed through Discovery+. FloBikes has the coverage across Canada, it’s NBC Sports and Peacock for the US and in Australia it’s on SBS. Check below for a full broadcaster list.

If Paris-Nice isn’t being broadcast in your country, or you are travelling abroad, a VPN will allow you to hide your device’s location to access content that is normally geo-blocked. One such VPN provider is ExpressVPN, which is well reviewed, helps users to find free to watch cycling, and costs start from around £5 per month.

• Read more: How to watch cycling for less in the UK
• Read more: Live cycling moves to TNT Sports premium subscription

UK TV times

Stage 1, Sunday 9th March

TNT Sports 1: 12:30-14:30

Stage 2, Monday 10th March

TNT Sports 2: 13:45–15:45
TNT Sports 1: 15:15–15:45

Stage 3, Tuesday 11th March

TNT Sports 2: 13:45–15:45
TNT Sports 1: 15:15–15:45

Stage 4, Wednesday 12th March

TNT Sports 2: 13:45–15:45
TNT Sports 1: 15:15–15:45

Stage 5, Thursday 13th March

TNT Sports 2: 13:45–15:45
TNT Sports 1: 15:15–15:45

Stage 6, Friday 14th March

TNT Sports 3: 13:45–15:45
TNT Sports 1: 15:15–15:45

Stage 7, Saturday 15th March

TNT Sports 3: 12:30–14:30

Stage 8, Sunday 16th March

TNT Sports online: 14:25–16:25
TNT Sports 3: 15:15–16:30

International broadcasters

• Australia: SBS
• Basque Country: EITB
• Belgium: RTBF, VRT
• Canada: FloBikes
• China: Zhibo TV
• Denmark: TV2DK
• Europe: Eurosport (not UK)
• France: Eurosport, France TV
• Italy: Rai Sport
• Japan: J Sports
• Latin America: DirecTV
• Latin America & Caribbean: ESPN International
• Luxembourg: RTL
• Middle East & North Africa: Abu Dhabi Sports
• Netherlands: NOS
• New Zealand: Sky Sport
• Norway: TV2
• South East Asia: Eurosport
• Spain: Teledeporte
• Sub-Saharan Africa: Supersport
• Switzerland: SRG SSR
• United States: NBC Sports

Paris-Nice 2025 start list

The post Paris-Nice 2025 preview: Route, favourites, how to watch and start list appeared first on Cyclist.

Tirreno-Adriatico is Italy’s first WorldTour stage race of the year. The week-long test – known as ‘the Race of the Two Seas’ and with an incredible trident trophy – has evolved into a key warm-up race for Grand Tour favourites, particularly those going to the Giro d’Italia in May. Tadej Pogačar, Primož Roglič and Jonas Vingegaard have all won the race since 2021, but this year will give another rider a chance at glory when the race kicks off on Monday 10th March in Tuscany.

Last year, Jonas Vingegaard dominated proceedings once the race reached the mountains, taking two stage wins and the victory trident. Behind the Dane, Juan Ayuso and Jai Hindley filled the other steps on the podium, while Jonathan Milan cleaned up the sprints, claiming three stages throughout the week.

Vingegaard has opted for the clashing Paris-Nice this year. Pogačar is also giving the Italian race a miss, but his teammate and 2024 runner-up Juan Ayuso will be there alongside Adam Yates. Red Bull’s Hindley is also returning to Tirreno-Adriatico in preparation for the Giro, as are fellow Giro contenders Richard Carapaz and Simon Yates.

Tirreno-Adriatico 2025 key information

• Date: Monday 10th-Sunday 16th March 2025
• Start: Lido di Camaiore
• Finish: San Benedetto del Tronto
• Stages: 7
• Distance: 1130.9km
• 2024 winner: Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike)
• Television coverage: TNT Sports, Max, FloBikes, SBS

Tirreno-Adriatico 2025 route and stage-by-stage preview

Tirreno-Adriatico will, as its name suggests, stretch across the Italian mainland from the Tyrrhenian Sea to the Adriatic. The parcours endures seven stages, including one summit finish, one individual time-trial and a handful of hilly profiles.

As has become customary, the action begins in Lido di Camaiore on the Tuscan coast with a brief 11km time-trial built for the powerhouses. The day after the sprinting begins as the race moves southwards. The peloton will head into the hills on Stage 3’s mammoth 239km-long stage up to the uphill drag to Colfiorito.

Sticking inland, riders will then weave around Abruzzo and the Marche for Stages 4 and 5, both of which offer chances for hardy riders, puncheurs or the breakaway. Stage 6 is the only summit finish of the week. It’s a tough 8% incline and it will, no doubt, influence the final state of affairs in the GC standings.

The racing will conclude along the Marchese coastline on Stage 7 with a processional sprint – not too dissimilar to the Champs-Elysées treatment at the Tour de France.

Stage 1, Monday 10th March: Lido di Camaiore – Lido di Camaiore, 11km (ITT)

The Tuscan seaside resort of Lido di Camaiore will host the opening stage for the fifth year in a row. Over the past three editions, the opening stage has offered a time-trial similar to this one. The pan flat course is built for the engines, especially with its short 11km length. Ineos’s Pippo Ganna has won on this course twice before (2022 and 2023) and has the chance to add a third prologue win to his Tirreno-Adriatico haul.

Stage 2, Tuesday 11th March: Camaiore – Follonica, 189km

The first road stage will offer a chance for the sprinters on a flat profile along the Tuscan coastline. The arrival city of Follonica featured on the route in 2023 and 2024. On both occasions, it ended in a sprint, won by Fabio Jakobsen and Jasper Philipsen respectively. On the 2025 startlist, we have Jonathan Milan, Olav Kooij, Biniam Girmay and Dylan Groenewegen already in the line-up.

Stage 3, Wednesday 12th March: Follonica –Colfiorito (Foligno), 239km

Stage 3 will be the longest in this year’s race – and by quite a fair margin. This goliath of a day will take the peloton across the Italian mainland, crossing some bumps along the way. The final obstacle of the day will be the 16km-long Valico di Colfiortio. This ramp could thin out the field for a reduced sprint once we reach Colfiorito.

Stage 4, Thursday 13th March: Norcia – Trasacco, 184km

The climbing comes right out of the gun on Stage 4. We pass the 1,000m altitude marker twice during the opening half of the stage. After the climbing there’s a long downhill to give the peloton some time to prepare for a false flat finish in Trasacco.

Stage 5, Friday 14th March: Ascoli Piceno – Pergola, 196km

Another rolling day comes on Stage 5, with a couple of short and steep inclines. The final two climbs could offer a launchpad for puncheurs or GC contenders to spring away. Perhaps Tom Pidcock can continue his good form with a stage victory in Pergola.

Stage 6, Saturday 15th March: Cartoceto – Frontignano, 166km

The only summit finish of the 2025 race will see the riders tackle the ramp to Frontignano. The lack of mountainous prelude to this final challenge will mean that the climb will be ripped to shreds by the GC squads like UAE Team Emirates and Visma-Lease a Bike. Given this is the only mountain stage on the menu, the GC will be decided here.

Stage 7, Sunday 16th March: Porto Potenza Picena – San Benedetto del Tronto, 147km

The final stage will be a procession-style sprint into the coastal town of San Benedetto del Tronto, the traditional host of Tirenno-Adriatico’s grand finale. The sprint here can often be chaotic, but the GC should remain intact.

Tirreno-Adriatico 2025 favourites

For the first time since 2020, Tirreno-Adriatico’s startlist will not include Tadej Pogačar, Primož Roglič or Jonas Vingegaard. With them out of the picture, the race is fairly open.

UAE Team Emirates XRG are bringing two strong cards in Juan Ayuso and Adam Yates. The pair have already taken wins in 2025 and they’re hoping to get their legs in gear in time for the Giro d’Italia in two months’ time. Ayuso was particularly strong here last year, having taken the opening time-trial and an eventual second place in GC.

Visma-Lease a Bike will be interesting to watch here. They have a multi-faceted squad filled with top sprinter Olav Kooij and two GC leaders in Simon Yates and Cian Uijtdebroeks. Yates will be making his debut for the squad at Tirreno-Adriatico, so plenty of eyes will be on him.

Jai Hindley and Richard Carapaz are two riders also hoping to show some signs of form before the Giro. The previous maglia rosa champions will spearhead their squads. The Basque riders will also be out in full force – Pello Bilbao and Mikel Landa both have a good shot at reaching the final podium.

Cyclist’s GC ratings

• ★★★★★: Adam Yates (UAE Team Emirates XRG), Juan Ayuso (UAE Team Emirates XRG)
• ★★★★: Pello Bilbao (Bahrain Victorious), Jai Hindley (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe)
• ★★★: Richard Carapaz (EF Education-EasyPost), Simon Yates (Visma-Lease a Bike), David Gaudu (Groupama-FDJ), Mikel Landa (Soudal-QuickStep)
• ★★: Cian Uijtdebroeks (Visma-Lease a Bike), Laurens De Plus (Ineos Grenadiers)
• ★: Max Poole (Picnic-PostNL), Derek Gee (Israel-Premier Tech)

How to watch Tirreno-Adriatico 2025

Viewers in the UK can only watch Tirreno-Adriatico on TNT Sports, which is available to be streamed online through Discovery+. FloBikes has the coverage across Canada and the US, but American fans can also watch the race on Max. In Australia, it’s on SBS, and it’s available to watch on Staylive around the world – check which countries here.

If Tirreno-Adriatico isn’t being broadcast in your country, or you are travelling abroad, a VPN will allow you to hide your device’s location to access content that is normally geo-blocked. One such VPN provider is ExpressVPN, which is well reviewed, helps users to find free to watch cycling, and costs start from around £5 per month.

• Read more: Which countries can watch cycling for free in 2025
• Read more: How to watch cycling for less in the UK

Stage 1, Monday 10th March

Discovery+: 12:00 – 15:15
TNT Sports 1: 12:15 – 15:15

Stage 2: Tuesday 11th March

Discovery+: 12:05 – 15:15
TNT Sports 1: 12:15 – 15:15

Stage 3, Wednesday 12th March

Discovery+: 12:00 – 15:15
TNT Sports 1: 12:00 – 15:15

Stage 4, Thursday 13th March

Discovery+: 12:05 – 15:15
TNT Sports 1: 12:15 – 15:15

Stage 5, Friday 14th March

Discovery+: 12:00 – 15:15
TNT Sports 1: 12:00 – 15:15

Stage 6, Saturday 15th March

Discovery+: 13:15 – 16:20
TNT Sports 1: 13:15 – 16:15

Stage 7, Sunday 16th March

Discovery+: 12:05 – 15:15
TNT Sports 3: 12:15 – 15:15

Tirreno-Adriatico 2025 start list

The post Tirreno-Adriatico 2025 preview: Routes, favourites, how to watch and start lists appeared first on Cyclist.

To some, Angers is the forgotten city of France’s Loire Valley. Unfairly overshadowed by its chateau-abundant sisters Tours and Saumur, as well as Joan of Arc’s Orléans and cosmopolitan Nantes, Angers is trying to forge an identity for itself as the Loire’s cycling capital. The ace up its sleeve: the gravel festival called Nature is Bike.

Bidding to be cycling’s equivalent to Glastonbury, there are seven rides on the festival’s weekend-long programme. It caters for all abilities, from the casual 40km Guinguette to a competitive 200km race and a two-day bikepacking expedition. To add to the pageantry, there’s a festival village equipped with live entertainment, music and a bike exhibition at the race HQ based on the edge of a lake not far from central Angers.

To round out the cycling jamboree, the event’s most popular sportive takes place on the final day: the Gravel 100. This festival headliner sees 600 riders take to testing off-road tracks through provincial villages and vineyards, and Cyclist is with them on the start line.

Getting sausaged

It’s a grey Sunday morning in June on the outskirts of Angers. As I look around, I notice a real mix of ages, riders and styles on the start line. Some are kitted out head to toe in gravel gear, while a handful of optimists have donned Hawaiian shirts in this overcast weather. Together, we wait in anticipation for the MC to get us underway. There’s no ribbon-cutting here, just a countdown over a grainy microphone.

‘Trois, deux, un – c’est parti!,’ he shouts, triggering a harmony of clicking pedals that rings around the festival village. Volunteers line the route, ushering us towards the edge of Lac de Maine where the festival sets up camp. Think of it as Angers’s own Worthy Farm.

It’s not long until we’re directed away from the comfort of the tarmac, funnelled onto tracks along mud-caked trenches and farmers’ fields. With each rugged turn, the pack becomes more strung out, or saucissé (sausaged) as the French would say.

The suburbs gradually thin out, then after around 20km we reach the town of Savennières. I’ve been told this is one of the few winemaking villages north of the Loire river. For the geology fans out there, Savennières sits on the geological border between north and south France at the point where the bedrock transitions away from the Armorican Massif, which stretches out to the English Channel. Apparently it’s the secret to the high-quality dry white wine produced here.

We slip between houses with wooden shutters coated in ivy, and a woman wielding a baguette shouts ‘bon courage’ as we pass. Exiting Savennières, we pass over the region’s artery, the Loire, via an iron mesh of a bridge called the Pont de Béhuard. On the other side, we’re directed southwards, channelled along riverside towpaths towards the rolling countryside ahead. Just as the course starts to become punchier in profile, we approach Saint-Aubin-de-Luigné, a bitesize village of only a thousand residents, which is decked out in bicycle paraphernalia in preparation for the arrival of hundreds of hungry cyclists.

‘C’est le ravito là,’ a rider calls out. For anyone doing sportives in France, ravito is a useful word to know, as it is short for ravitaillement, meaning refuelling. A brass band plays on the village green as riders tuck into baguettes filled with pork pâté and olive tapenade. Volunteers hastily fill paper cups with sugary soft drinks in an attempt to match the flow of riders pouring into the village. Next to a hamper of fruit compotes and madeleine cakes, a rainbow of sweets gets poured into buckets on the table. Riders are quick to buzz around them, eager for a calorific fix.

Not long after the soft drink bubbles have settled in my stomach, the grey clouds above release an unwelcome drizzle. This change in weather comes as we reach the wine-abundant Layon Valley. The vines aren’t quite ready to be picked by this point in June. Even so, I’m told the locals are pessimistic about this year’s vintage when it comes to harvest season in the autumn, thanks to the poor weather.

Type two fun

Victim to the rugged route, an untimely mechanical leaves me in a chasse-patate between two groups near Beaulieu-sur-Layon. Slithering between vineyards while trying to read my rain-spattered bike computer, I eventually catch up with a couple of riders from nearby Nantes who seem more accustomed to the route than myself, so I tuck in behind them. They apologise for the weather, saying this is uncommon for June. I assure them that it’s perfectly normal for June in Britain.

Eventually, we roll into Saint-Aubin-de-Luigné for a second visit to the now-sodden picnic table, and I tuck into a soggy selection of crudités while trying to shelter from the rain under a gazebo. My ride companions are slightly keener than me to get going again, so by the time I get back underway, I’m left to tackle the muddy slopes and rocky ravines around Rochefort-sur-Loire on my lonesome.

The river comes back into focus as I pass through Sainte-Gemmes-sur-Loire, the last port of call before the Loire meets the Maine river that passes through the centre of Angers. The off-road towpath has transformed into something swamp-like and I’d need the bike-handling skills of Mathieu van der Poel to get through this without at least a dash of panic.

Negotiating the untested mud, I desperately try to correct my line on a particularly slimy corner before sliding towards the water’s edge and being bucked from my saddle like a helpless rodeo. As I lift my head, I spot that my knees are now submerged in a puddle of thick stodgy earth. I extricate myself from the mud, hose myself down with a bidon and get back under way again. At least now I am back on the outskirts of Angers and it isn’t long before the road spits me out into the city centre.

Angers management

In Angers, from the Place de l’Académie we swing past the massive medieval walls of the Château d’Angers and onto Boulevard Roi René, named after René d’Anjou who reigned over this region during the 15th century. Once we cross the fast-flowing Maine river, all that remains is a couple of kilometres of bike lanes and tram tracks before we make it back to the race’s HQ at Lac de Maine.

The thumping bass of the finish line entertainment returns as I roll through one final lap of honour around the festival village. Arriving on the home straight, the lights from the finish line gantry glisten on the wet roads while the applause of supporters and race organisers is muffled by a mismatched canopy of umbrellas along the roadside.

Once I cross the line I’m handed a drink and a hearty offering of lukewarm sausage and pasta. I’m damp, tired and muddied, but console myself that this is really no different to any festival in Britain, plus I have been able to experience a beautiful region of France that is often overlooked in favour of the usual cycling hotspots of the Alps and Pyrenees.

Is nature bike? It’s a philosophical question that I’m not sure I’m able to answer in my current state, but I’m happy to have been able to explore one using the other.

The details

What Nature is Bike, Gravel 100
Where Angers, France
Next one TBC
Distance 104km
How much €37 per rider
More info natureisbike.com

The post Mud and wine at the Nature is Bike sportive appeared first on Cyclist.

Whether you’re in the market for a new bike or just want to try out some of the world’s very best, Cyclist Track Days offer a unique experience to test the latest top-end bikes from the leading brands on the market. 

Next up in our run-through of some of the incredible bikes that you can test ride at this years Track Days is the Scott Addict RC.

Released in 2024 to much hype because of its claimed 5.9kg total bike weight, the Scott Addict RC will be ridden by Tom Pidcock and the Q36.5 Pro Cycling team this year.

Cyclist deputy editor James Spender recently reviewed the new Scott Addict RC and said it was the best Addict so far (more on the bike’s history here).

James tested the build with a SRAM Red AXS groupset and Syncros Capital SL wheels, which came out to a total weight of 5.87kg in a size medium. The build that Scott is bringing to Cyclist Track Days this year is the Scott Addict RC 10, which comes with a Shimano Ultegra Di2 groupset and Syncros Capital 1.0s wheels. That spec retails for £6,599 and is said to weigh 7.1kg.

You can read James’s full review here. 

The Scott Addict RC will be at the following Track Days events:

26^th April 2025, Odd Down Cycle Track Bath,
17^th May 2025, Lee Valley VeloPark London,
7^th June 2025, The Brownlee Centre, Leeds

For more information on Cyclist Track Days click here.

BOOK YOUR TICKET HERE

The post Cyclist Track Days 2025 bikes #7: Scott Addict RC appeared first on Cyclist.

Taking place on Saturday 8th March, Strade Bianche is the second significant one-day road race of the season, coming the weekend after the spring Classics opene at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad last weekend.

The youngest of the spring Classics, the Italian race Strade Bianche has enjoyed a meteoric rise in fame and prestige since its inception in 2007, including promotion to WorldTour level in 2017. Famous for its gravel sectors, this long loop out from Siena through the beautiful Tuscan countryside is favoured by one-day specialists who aren’t fazed by its sharp, punchy (and mostly gravel) climbs. 

The name comes from the Italian for ‘white roads’, referring to the gravel that makes this race so difficult (and exciting and unpredictable). Both the men and women’s races see a slight increase in gravel – 16 sectors for the men totalling 81.7km in their 19th edition, and 13 for the women reaching 50.3km in their 11th edition. 

In 2024, Tadej Pogačar notched his second victory in the race with a 81km solo attack in the men’s race, while Lotte Kopecky powered away from Elisa Longo Borghini up the brutal Via Santa Caterina climb into Siena for her second win in the race.

Strade Bianche 2025 key information

• Date: Saturday 8th March 2025
• Start: Siena, Tuscany
• Finish: Siena, Tuscany
• Distance: Men’s 213km; Women’s 136km
• Gravel Sections: Men’s 16; Women’s 13
• UK television coverage: TNT Sports, TNT Sports 1, TNT Sports 3

Strade Bianche 2025 routes

The men’s route departs from Siena and heads south before travelling east and circling back. The first two gravel sectors come in quick succession, 11km into the day. The middle section – from the 72km point – contains the longest sectors ranging from 8km to 11.9km, with the five-star 11.5km Monte Sante Marie being the hardest rated. This is where Pogačar said launched his move in 2024.

The final third packs in more shorter gravel sections on the run-in to the Via Santa Caterina, which hits a max gradient that no one seems to agree on, but it’s close to 20%.

The route this year stretches over the 200km mark for the second time in its history, totalling 213km. The new gravel sector for the men’s race is Sector 7, Serravalle, a three-star section lasting 9.3km.

The women’s race is 136km, slightly shorter than last year’s 137km route, but packs in an increased 50.3km of gravel to contend with. Like the men’s course, the peloton will depart Siena and head south before circling back into Siena via the Via Santa Caterina with the inclusion of the new Serravalle sector before the five-star Strada di San Martino in Grania.

Both the men and women’s races end on the same 20km, with gravel sectors hitting max gradients of 15% and 18% before the Via Santa Caterina. There’s a short 30m descent to the line afterwards, which produced a memorable sprint finish between teammates Vollering and Kopecky in 2023.

Strade Bianche 2025 favourites

Defending champion Lotte Kopecky will not be on the start line for Strade Bianche, but her SD Worx still packs firepower in Anna van der Breggen and Mischa Bredewold. 2023 winner Vollering will be here for new team FDJ-Suez, as will Elisa Longo Borghini, Kasia Niewiadoma and multi-discipline star Puck Pieterse.

For the men, Pogačar returns looking for a third title with UAE Team Emirates XRG teammates Tim Wellens and Isaac del Toro alongside him. There’s also former gravel world champ Matej Mohorič, two-time winner and winner of the pro road calendar’s other gravel race, Clasica Jaen, just last month Michał Kwiatkowski and 2023 winner Tom Pidcock, who has been enjoying quite the start to the season. Keep an eye on Ben Tulett and Marc Hirschi too.

Cyclist‘s men’s ratings

• ★★★★★: Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates XRG)
• ★★★★: Matej Mohorič (Bahrain Victorious), Tom Pidcock (Q36.5 Pro Cycling), Michał Kwiatkowski (Ineos Grenadiers)
• ★★★: Maxim Van Gils (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe), Valentin Madouas (Groupama-FDJ)
• ★★: Ben Healy (EF Education-EasyPost), Marc Hirschi (Tudor Pro Cycling), Mathias Vacek (Lidl-Trek)
• ★: Christian Scaroni (XDS-Astana), Ben Tulett (Visma-Lease a Bike), Attila Valter (Visma-Lease a Bike)

Cyclist‘s women’s ratings

• ★★★★★: Demi Vollering (SD Worx-Protime)
• ★★★★: Elisa Longo Borghini (UAE Team ADQ), Kasia Niewiadoma (Canyon-SRAM-Zondacrypto), Puck Pieterse (Fenix-Deceuninck)
• ★★★: Kristen Faulkner (EF Education-Oatly), Marlen Reusser (Movistar), Anna van der Breggen (SD Worx-Protime)
• ★★: Liane Lippert (Movistar), Silvia Persico (UAE Team ADQ), Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig (Canyon-SRAM-Zondacrypto)
• ★: Justine Ghekiere (AG Insurance-Soudal), Thalita de Jong (Human Powered Health), Fem van Empel (Visma-Lease a Bike)

Strade Bianche 2025: How to watch

Viewers in the UK can only watch Strade Bianche on TNT Sports, which is available to be streamed through Discovery+. FloBikes has the coverage across Canada and the US, but American fans can also watch the race on Max. In Australia, it’s on SBS, and it’s available to watch on Staylive around the world – check which countries here.

If Strade Bianche isn’t being broadcast in your country, or you are travelling abroad, a VPN will allow you to hide your device’s location to access content that is normally geo-blocked. One such VPN provider is ExpressVPN, which is well reviewed, helps users to find free to watch cycling, and costs start from around £5 per month.

• Read more: Which countries can watch cycling for free in 2025
• Read more: How to watch cycling for less in the UK

UK TV times

Women’s race

TNT Sports: 10:30-13:00
TNT Sports 3: 10:30-13:00

Men’s race

TNT Sports: 13:00-16:30
TNT Sports 3: 13:00-16:30
TNT Sports 1: 15:15-16:30

Strade Bianche 2025: Men’s start list

Strade Bianche Donne 2025: Women’s start list

Strade Bianche men’s previous winners

• 2024: Tadej Pogačar (SVN) UAE Team Emirates
• 2023: Tom Pidcock (GBR) Ineos Grenadiers
• 2022: Tadej Pogačar (SVN) UAE Team Emirates
• 2021: Mathieu van der Poel (NED) Alpecin-Fenix
• 2020: Wout van Aert (BEL) Jumbo–Visma
• 2019: Julian Alaphilippe (FRA) Deceuninck-QuickStep
• 2018: Tiesj Benoot (BEL) Lotto-Soudal
• 2017: Michal Kwiatkowski (POL) Team Sky
• 2016: Fabian Cancellara (SUI) Trek-Segafredo
• 2015: Zdenek Stybar (CZE) Etixx-QuickStep
• 2014: Michal Kwiatkowski (POL) Omega Pharma-QuickStep
• 2013: Moreno Moser (ITA) Cannondale Pro Cycling
• 2012: Fabian Cancellara (SUI) Radioshack-Nissan
• 2011: Philippe Gilbert (BEL) Omega Pharma-Lotto
• 2010: Maxim Iglinsky (KAZ) Astana
• 2009: Thomas Lovkvist (SWE) Team Columbia-HTC
• 2008: Fabian Cancellara (SUI) CSC ProTeam
• 2007: Alexandr Kolobnev (RUS) CSC ProTeam

Strade Bianche women’s previous winners

• 2024: Lotte Kopecky (BEL) SD Worx-Protime
• 2023: Demi Vollering (NED) SD Worx
• 2022: Lotte Kopecky (BEL) SD Worx
• 2021: Chantal van den Broek-Blaak (NED) SD Worx
• 2020: Annemiek van Vleuten (NED) Mitchelton–Scott
• 2019: Annemiek van Vleuten (NED) Mitchelton-Scott
• 2018: Anna van der Breggen (NED) Boels-Dolmans
• 2017: Elisa Longo Borghini (ITA) Wiggle-High5
• 2016: Lizzie Deignan (GBR) Boels-Dolmans
• 2015: Megan Guarnier (USA) Boels-Dolmans

The post Strade Bianche 2025 preview: Routes, favourites, how to watch and start lists appeared first on Cyclist.

The best gravel adventure bikes will take you into more extreme gravel terrain and allow you to set up for bikepacking expeditions.

While a few years ago the best gravel bikes were do-it-all machines, the popularity of gravel racing and the emergence of gravel racing pros has seen brands increasingly differentiate their gravel bikes.

Bike makers that used to have just one gravel bikes now often offer two gravel bike platforms, one for gravel racing and another for adventure gravel riding. Examples are the BMC Kaius and URS and the Cannondale SuperX and Topstone.

There are still plenty of find do-it-all gravel bikes though, if you’re not sure where your gravel allegiances lie. Adventure gravel bikes won’t hold you back unless you’re on the pointy end of gravel racing. Indeed, Matej Mohorič even won the 2023 UCI Gravel World Championships on a Merida Silex, one of the bikes below.

But adventure gravel bikes are designed to offer a stable geometry and tyre clearance now often exceeds 50mm. Wider tyres still on 650b wheels may be an option. You’ll get a full set of mounting points for bags and bottles and maybe internal routing for dynamo cables.

Below are our picks of the best gravel adventure bikes we’ve reviewed at Cyclist and further down you’ll find a short buyer’s guide to what to look for in an adventure gravel bike.

Reviews of the best gravel adventure bikes

1. 3T Exploro Ultra – read our full review
2. 3T Extrema Italia – read our full review
3. Cannondale Topstone Carbon – read our full review
4. Canyon Grizl – read our full review
5. Fara F/Gravel – read our full review
6. Giant Revolt X – read our full review
7. Merida Silex – read our full review
8. Open Wide – read our full review
9. Specialized Diverge STR – read our full review

Why trust Cyclist‘s advice?

We like a bit of adventure at Cyclist. We’ve been riding and reviewing gravel bikes since the outset and they’re a major part of our drop bar bike coverage. We’ve watched as the original general purpose gravel bikes have morphed into differentiated gravel race and gravel adventure bikes and our testing has reflected this change.

All the bikes and cycling paraphernalia we review are independently chosen and we’re not paid for our reviews, so you can trust us to provide an unbiased opinion.

The best gravel adventure bikes reviewed by Cyclist

3T Exploro Ultra

£2,447 frameset | View offer

• Designed to be fast on road but still handle well on technical gravel
• Low weight and aero tuned for wide 650b tyres

The Exploro Ultra (now just known as the 3T Ultra) has big tyre clearance, although not quite the match of the 3T Extrema Italia, below. That allows you to fit 46mm 700c or the preferred 650b tyres in 61mm width, with 3T saying the Ultra is for riders looking for in-town as well as gravel performance. As with the Extrema Ultra, the Ultra’s frame is aero tuned for the wide tyres, while the geometry leads to a fast ride on tarmac, with the 419mm chainstay length short for a bike with so much clearance.

3T makes a lot of the components on our test bike, including the 1x Torno carbon crankset and the wheels, contributing to a low 8.4kg bike weight, even with the dropper post. With the wide tyres, there’s enough cushioning to offset the frame stiffness and the Ultra is adroit on tougher terrain, although it’s not quite as off-road oriented as the 3T Extrema Italia.

• Read our full 3T Exploro Ultra review
• Buy now from 3T (frameset £2,447)

3T Extrema Italia

£4,868 (frameset) | View offer

• Huge 57mm 700c tyre clearance gives MTB trail capability
• Feels rather niche, heavy and slow on climbs and on road

Looking for massive tyre clearance, even with a 2x groupset? The 3T Extrema Italia is the bike for you, with 57mm 700c tyre clearance while still offering claimed aero benefits. That opens up MTB terrain, while the massive 75mm wide down tube is claimed to still be aero.

The frame is built to order in Italy and can be configured for different groupsets. There’s internal cable routing, although it’s still easy to disassemble the bars for travel.

The geometry leads to a planted, deft feel and fast riding on MTB trails, with huge grip from the equally huge tyres. Stock builds get a mullet drivetrain for plenty of lower gear ratios, although we reckoned the dropper post was unnecessary for UK riders.

The downside of the 3T Extrema Italia’s competence on MTB trails is a 9.9kg weight that makes climbing hard work and progress slow on tarmac, even if it’s smooth and comfy. We reckon it’s a bit of a niche bike, but great if you want monster truck off-road capabilities.

• Read our full 3T Extrema Italia review
• Buy now from 3T (frameset £4,868)

Cannondale Topstone Carbon

£4,500 | View offer

• Kingpin rear suspension aids traction and comfort without excess weight
• Specs available with full suspension and without SmartSense lighting

Cannondale’s Kingpin rear suspension provides around 30mm of linkage-free, low maintenance rear travel to the Topstone Carbon and you can add the same amount of front end travel by choosing a spec with Cannondale’s Lefty Oliver single leg suspension fork, for a fully suspended gravel bike. Even with just the rear suspension, there’s plenty of gravel comfort on offer, while the Out Front steering geometry makes for confident handling.

The 45mm tyre clearance feels about right to put enough rubber on the trail for grip and isolation from bumps and the longer reach and short stem aid flickability. We’re not fans of Cannondale’s SmartSense lighting, which makes up around 500g of the bike’s 9.6kg weight and adds to the messy front end cabling. Fortunately, you can find many specs without it.

• Read our full Cannondale Topstone Carbon review

Canyon Grizl

From £2,349 | View offer

• Allows you to tackle rougher terrain, with clearance for wide 50mm tyres
• Clean looks and quality specs

While the Canyon Grail focusses on faster gravel rides, the Grizl is designed for adventure off-road. Its 50mm tyre clearance and full set of mounting points allow you to explore tougher terrain and we reckon that the worse it gets, the better the Grizl performs. It’s hugely competent off-road, although a little slow-feeling on tarmac.

The Grizl’s clean looks shine too, although the short reach and high stack leave you quite upright and the 9.3kg weight slow things down on climbs. But the fairly steep angles and short stem add sharp handling on tight trails and there’s plenty of rigidity in the frame, offering good power transfer. In typical Canyon fashion, the specs on offer are high value, with options from all the main groupset makers and quality wheels, so there’s little cause to upgrade.

• Read our full Canyon Grizl review
• Buy now from Canyon (from £2,349)

Fara F/Gravel

From £3,381 | View offer

• Long ride credentials but still fast-handling
• A few spec niggles which could be avoided with the custom build option

Norwegian brand Fara aims at long distance off-road adventurers with the third generation F/Gravel, while its geometry and low weight make it lively enough to be engaging on shorter rides and equip it for gravel races as well. There’s a range of bike bags available for load carrying, attached by Fidlock magnets, as well as a full set of bosses and in-frame storage.

50mm tyre clearance allows you to set the bike up for bigger off-road adventures, although the supplied Panaracer GravelKing SK+ tyres aren’t really up to the job and would need an upgrade for most UK riding. The Fulcrum wheels on the spec tested are underwhelming too. Go for a custom build and both can be swapped out though, along with the cockpit and other components.

We found the F/Gravel fast, comfortable and compliant, although held back a little by the near 2kg weight of the wheels.

• Read our full Fara F/Gravel review
• Buy now from Fara (from £3,381)

Giant Revolt X

£6,499 | View offer

• Great ride on rough non-technical paths thanks to suspension fork and dropper travel
• Not so good on MTB-style descents

The Revolt X adds a 40mm travel suspension fork, a dropper post with 25mm travel built in, and more tyre clearance to the standard Revolt, for added capability on rough terrain. While the Revolt saw an upgrade in 2024, the X still has non-integrated cabling and lacks down tube storage. As with the non-X bike, a flip chip in the rear dropout allows you to increase the wheelbase, fit tyres up to 53mm wide and add extra stability.

Hit rutted, rocky sections and the suspension does a great job of smoothing things out, making the bike good for longer bikepacking excursions, although the riding position isn’t great for steeper, fully MTB terrain. The added mechanicals push the weight close to 10kg too. We reckon the standard Revolt makes more sense for most riders.

• Read our full Giant Revolt X review

Merida Silex

£5,250 | View offer

• MTB-like geometry offers great handling on both techy and non-technical gravel
• Cruisy on tarmac thanks to long trail and wheelbase and 9.8kg weight

The Merida Silex is far more akin in its geometry to a hardtail MTB than many gravel bikes, even if its 45mm tyre clearance is no greater. The long top tube, short stem, slack 69.5 degree head tube angle and long trail add off-road stability and you can swap in a suspension fork, should you wish. Merida puts a multitool under the saddle.

Riding on tarmac, the Silex feels a little ponderous, although it has a smooth momentum. Once on gravel paths though the bike’s ride-smoothing abilities and long wheelbase shine, with handling that adds grip and speed. 180mm brake rotors and cooling fins on the frame add extra heat dissipation for longer, hotter descents, where the Silex excels. It’s no wonder Matej Mohorič won the 2023 Gravel World Championships on one.

• Read our full Merida Silex review

Open Wide

€2,800 (frameset) | View offer

• 60mm tyre clearance on 650b wheels, 46mm on 700c
• Versatile, rigid and fun

Along with 3T, Open is led by Cervélo co-founder Gerard Vroomen, who continues to push the envelope in bike design. The Wide gravel bike has space for 650b tyres over 60mm/2.4 inches in width, although the 46mm 700c clearance is now more conventional. The Wide’s handling is lively, without detriment to stability, so it’s easy to weave your way along technical trails and downhills. There’s road bike performance on roads and less technical gravel too.

Vroomen has championed 1x and there’s no front mech hanger on the Wide. We didn’t miss a double crankset; with enough gear range and low weight the Open Wide can tackle pretty much any terrain. It’s a tuned performance bike, but still fun and versatile.

• Read our full Open Wide review
• Buy now from Open (frameset €2,800)

Specialized Diverge STR

£4,699 (RRP: £6,250) | View offer

• Front and rear Future Shock suspension smooth the ride
• Rather over-engineered for tamer gravel riding 

The Diverge STR adds rear Future Shock suspension to the Future Shock 2.0 headset found on the non-STR bike, allowing 30mm of tuneable movement at the saddle without affecting saddle height or causing the bike to bounce when out of the saddle. In-frame storage and 45mm tyre clearance add versatility and the geometry lends itself to faster handling, although it’s not as progressive as many competitors.

The top spec S-Works bike comes with SRAM mullet gearing and is spendy, but we reckon the Expert offers better value. As with many highly engineered gravel bikes, we’d question whether many riders need so much capability though. We were impressed by the Diverge STR’s capacity to smooth the terrain when seated, although there’s some work required to tune the suspension to get the best ride.

• Read our full  Specialized Diverge STR review

Gravel adventure bikes: what to look for

Here are the key features to look for in a gravel bike geared for adventure, rather than one aimed at gravel racing and fast gravel rides.

Stable handling

A gravel adventure bike will usually have geometry that makes for a stable ride. That usually equates to a long wheelbase, slack head tube angle of around 70 degrees, and longer trail. The chainstays will often be a little longer too, in part to accommodate wider tyres, in part to aid stability.

The bike’s stability will set it up for rides on trickier terrain and steeper descents. It’s also useful when you’re loaded up with bikepacking bags.

Big tyre clearance

Tyre clearance for adventure gravel bikes is getting ever-wider. While a few years ago 40mm was considered wide, now it’s not uncommon to see 50mm clearance or more. The extra rubber on the trail aids grip and rollover of obstacles and helps on climbs and descents. It also allows you to lower tyre pressure for more ride comfort.

650b wheels and tyres are still an option, although they’re falling out of favour and many of the best gravel adventure bikes now sport 700c wheels. The smaller 650b wheel size typically allows you to fit even wider tyres, although with modern wide-range gravel bike gearing the argument that these will provide a similar rolling radius to a narrower tyre on a 700c wheel and hence similar gearing is now less significant.

Wide range gearing

Which brings us to gravel bike gearing. Almost all gravel groupsets now provide gear ratios down to 1:1 and usually below that, thanks to subcompact cranksets and wide-range cassettes. Gear range (the difference in ratios between the highest and lowest gears) is now typically over 400%, so you’re not too compromised on faster sections or when riding on tarmac.

1x gearing is an alternative to 2x for almost all gravel bike groupsets, often offering as much or more range than a 2x set-up, with small jumps in ratios thanks to 12 or 13 sprockets in the cassette. Shimano, SRAM and Campagnolo all offer 1x gravel bike groupsets, with Shimano and SRAM also selling 2x options for gravel. If you want lower gearing, a mullet build can take your ratios even lower.

Suspension

Many brands incorporate suspension systems in their adventure gravel bikes. Rather than the heavy, long travel suspension systems seen on mountain bikes, these typically offer around 30 or 40mm of travel, with little weight penalty. Examples are Cannondale’s Kingpin rear suspension and Specialized’s Future Shock system, seen at the front in the standard Specialized Diverge and both front and rear in the Diverge STR.

A short travel suspension fork is also an option, such as on the Giant Revolt X. Even if a bike doesn’t come with one, many now have a shorter head tube so that they’re forward compatible with a suspension fork, should you wish to upgrade.

Even if there’s no active suspension system, adventure gravel bike frames typically include compliance zones and features in the rear triangle, such as that seen in the GT Grade Carbon, designed to provide passive ride smoothing.

Dropper post compatibility

Many adventure gravel bikes are compatible with a dropper seatpost and provide ports for internal cable routing. Some are sold with a dropper post already installed.

We’ve questioned the need for a dropper post for most UK riding, although it might be handy if you’re planning to ride your gravel bike somewhere more extreme. Some dropper posts have a small amount of travel built in when they’re locked out, aiding saddle comfort.

Mounting points

Expect a full set of mounting points on a gravel adventure bike, so you can lash a set of bikepacking bags to your bike for the myriad bikepacking essentials. That usually includes fork leg mounts, as well as frame mounts and three sets of bottle bosses. You’ll often have scope for internal dynamo cable routing through the right hand fork leg and sometimes the frame too.

In contrast, gravel race bikes may forego some mounting points, particularly those on the forks and may not be compatible with mudguards to preserve their close clearances.

The post Best gravel adventure bikes 2025 reviewed appeared first on Cyclist.

Whether you’re looking for a new bike or just want to try out some of the best bikes in the world, Cyclist Track Days offer a unique experience to test the latest top-end bikes from the leading brands on the market. 

The next bike in our run-through of some of the incredible bikes that you can test ride at this years Track Days is the Condor Leggero.

Produced by legendary London brand Condor, the Leggero is an all-round road bike with its light weight and aero-accented frame.

Cyclist‘s writer Laurence Kilpatrick reviewed the Condor Leggero last year and liked its ‘considered combination of cycling heritage and modern racing sensibilities’.

Laurence tested the build with a Campagnolo Super Record Wireless groupset and Campagnolo Bora Ultra WTO 45 wheels, which is priced at £11,593, and it weighed in at 7.3kg.

You can read Laurence’s full review here. 

The Condor Leggero will be at the following Track Days events:

26^th April 2025, Odd Down Cycle Track Bath,
17^th May 2025, Lee Valley VeloPark London,
7^th June 2025, The Brownlee Centre, Leeds

For more information on Cyclist Track Days click here.

BOOK YOUR TICKET HERE

The post Cyclist Track Days 2025 bikes #6: Condor Leggero appeared first on Cyclist.

Continental has launched the Grand Prix TR tyre. Available in four widths, 25mm, 28mm, 30mm and 32mm, and with black or transparent sidewalls, it’s designed to offer a more affordable tubeless tyre option than the top spec GP5000 S TR and GP5000 AS TR tyres. There’s also a revised Grand Prix tyre for use with tubes, that’s available in 28mm and 30mm widths.

Recommended price for the Grand Prix TR tyre is €61.95 and for the new non-tubeless Grand Prix €45.95, with immediate worldwide availability.

Dependable all-rounder

Conti’s tubeless tech has previously been confined to its top tier Grand Prix 5000 tyres, but the new Grand Prix TR offers a tyre that it describes as an entry-level tubeless-ready option. It says that the new Grand Prix TR tyre is designed to offer a dependable tyre for training, commuting and long-distance rides.

The tyre uses Conti’s BlackChili rubber compound, as found in its other performance road tyres, but Conti says it’s developed a new four-ply 60 TPI casing to offer low weight with good rolling resistance and puncture protection. There’s a similar Lazer Grip-style tread pattern to Conti’s other road tyres.

According to Hannah Ferle, Road Product Manager at Continental Tyres: ‘With the Grand Prix TR, we’ve brought tubeless-ready technology, strong puncture protection, and excellent rolling resistance to a wider audience.’

There’s a good range of sizes for the new Grand Prix TR too, starting at 25mm and including 28mm, 30mm  and 32mm options. You can also choose between black or transparent sidewalls. Conti claims weights starting from 310g for the 25mm width and 345g for the 28mm tyre. That contrasts with a claimed 250g weight for the 25mm Grand Prix 5000 S TR tyre and 300g for the 25mm Grand Prix 5000 AS TR tyre.

With pretty much every road wheelset sold stand-alone or fitted to a new bike now tubeless-ready, Conti’s new tyre should broaden the appeal of ditching inner tubes to a wider range of cyclists. All that should be needed to set up tubeless is a set of valves and tubeless sealant, with Conti recommending at least 30ml of sealant per tyre. Many tubeless tyres can nowadays be seated with a standard track pump and some elbow grease.  

The new tyre is also stated to be compatible with hookless rims in all widths, including the narrowest 25mm.

If you do want to stick to the tubes, the new Grand Prix tyre is available for use with inner tubes in 28mm and 30mm widths. The tube-type casing has three 60 TPI plies instead of four, which helps lower the weight to a claimed 285g for the 28mm tyre with black sidewalls.

The new Grand Prix tyre is available worldwide from today, with a suggested retail price of €61.95 per tyre for the tubeless option and €45.95 for the tube-type. That contrasts with prices starting at around €85 for the Grand Prix 5000 TR range.

The post Continental extends its tubeless-ready tech to the Grand Prix tyre appeared first on Cyclist.

Whether you’re looking for a new bike or just want to try out some of the best bikes in the world, Cyclist Track Days offer a unique experience to test ride the latest top-end bikes from the leading brands on the market. 

The next bike in our rundown of the incredible bikes available to test ride at this years Track Days is the Trek Madone SLR.

Ridden by the Lidl-Trek men’s and women’s team, the Madone is Trek’s all-round road race bike, having undergone a radical transformation from aero bike to do-it-all bike just last year.

Cyclist editor Pete Muir reviewed the Madone just a few months ago and was taken aback by its speed. He was impressed by Trek’s ability to maintain the previous Madone’s aero credentials while significantly dropping its weight, and praised the new bike’s mix of rear-end comfort and front-end stiffness.

The bike you’ll be testing at the Cyclist Track Day in London will be the Trek Madone SLR 7 Gen 8, courtesy of Balfe’s Bikes, which is built with a Shimano Ultegra Di2 groupset and Bontrager Aeolus Pro 51 aero wheels. Its claimed weight is 7.31kg for size ML and it’s on sale from Balfe’s Bikes for £8,000.

You can read Pete’s full review here. 

The Trek Madone SLR will be at the following Track Days event:

17^th May 2025, Lee Valley VeloPark London

For more information on Cyclist Track Days click here.

BOOK YOUR TICKET HERE

The post Cyclist Track Days 2025 bikes #5: Trek Madone SLR appeared first on Cyclist.

Welcome back to another edition of Pro Log. Here’s a rundown of the latest results before we get started:

• Faun Drome Classic, Sun 2nd Mar: 1st Juan Ayuso, UAE Team Emirates XRG, 4h 31min 48sec; 2nd Mattias Skjelmose, Lidl-Trek, +23sec; 3rd Ben Tulett, Visma-Lease a Bike, +1min 15sec.
• Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne, Sun 2nd Mar: 1st Jasper Philipsen, Alpecin-Deceuninck, 4h 42min 24sec; 2nd Olav Kooij, Visma-Lease a Bike, +00sec; 3rd Hugo Hofstetter, Israel-Premier Tech, +00sec.
• O Gran Camiño, Overall, Sun 2nd Mar: 1st Derek Gee, Israel-Premier Tech, 15h 21min 23sec; 2nd Davide Piganzoli, Team Polti VisitMalta, +35sec; 3rd Magnus Cort, Uno-X Mobility, +38sec.
• O Gran Camiño, Stage 5, Sun 2nd Mar: 1st Magnus Cort, Uno-X Mobility, 3h 43min 52sec; 2nd Carlos Canal, Movistar, +00sec; 3rd Giovanni Lonardi, Team Polti VisitMalta, +00sec.
• Men’s Omloop Nieuwsblad, Sat 1st Mar: 1st Søren Wærenskjold, Uno-X Mobility, 4h 37min 53sec; 2nd Paul Magnier, Soudal-QuickStep, +00sec; 3rd Jasper Philipsen, Alpecin-Deceuninck, +00sec.
• Women’s Omloop Nieuwsblad, Sat 1st Mar: 1st Lotte Claes, Arkéa-B&B Hotels, 3h 53min 43sec; 2nd Aurela Nerlo, Winspace-Orange Seal, +00sec; 3rd Demi Vollering, FDJ-Suez, +3min 25sec.

UK set to host both Tour de France Grand Départs in 2027

Great Britain is set to host the Grand Départs of the 2027 Tour de France and Tour de France Femmes according to the BBC and Yorkshire Post. The men’s race last visited Britain in 2014, when Stage 1 and 2 took place in Yorkshire and Stage 3 went into London. Those reports have suggested the men’s Grand Départ will be in Edinburgh, while the women will start from Leeds.

UK Sport said, ‘We have made no secret of our ambition to host the Tour de France Grand Depart in Britain – to inspire more people to enjoy cycling and bring lasting benefits to communities.

‘However, we respect this is a matter for the ASO and we remain committed to working hard to develop opportunities that can bring the joy of cycling to everyone.’

It comes off the heels of the fact there will be no free-to-air TV coverage of the Tour from 2026 after the double blow of ITV losing broadcast rights and Discovery+’s coverage moving onto the £30.99 a month TNT Sports subscription.

The underdogs win big at Omloop Nieuwsblad

It was quite the unexpected start to Classics season at Omloop Nieuwsblad (the ‘Het’ has officially been dropped). In the men’s Omloop, a large bunch sprint would decide the victor with Uno-X Mobility’s Søren Wærenskjold taking the biggest win of his career ahead of Soudal-QuickStep’s young talent Paul Magnier and former green jersey winner Jasper Philipsen.

The women’s edition didn’t go according to the script either. Arkéa-B&B Hotels’ Lotte Claes and Winspace-Orange Seal’s Aurela Nerlo were part of the day’s breakaway and rode clear on the slower slopes of the Muur van Geraardsbergen with 17km to go. By this point they still had over five minutes’ lead on the main peloton, who had failed to get organised in time, and the duo would head into the finale with a famous win secured.

Once they’d safely reached Ninove together, Nerlo tried to launch at 1km to go but Claes responded and was too strong for Nerlo in the sprint to the line.

Jasper Philipsen nets first victory of year at Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne

Despite striking out at the UAE Tour, Jasper Philipsen scored his first win of the season on his 27th birthday at Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne. After a perfect leadout from Kaden Groves, Philipsen comfortably beat Visma-Lease a Bike’s Olav Kooij and Israel-Premier Tech’s Hugo Hofstetter in the sprint.

It wasn’t all good news for Alpecin-Deceuninck. Groves was issued a yellow card, fined 500CHF (approx £439) and relegated down from tenth to 57th place for his movement after pulling off to let Philipsen go clear and celebrating while riders behind him were still sprinting. The new rule from the UCI is for those ‘decelerating during a sprint and endangering other riders’ by ‘knowingly staying within the line of other riders, celebrating in the bunch, talking on the radio or taking hands off handlebars while in the bunch.’

Magnus Cort runs riot at O Gran Camiño

MAGNUS CORT MAKES IT BACK-TO-BACK WINS!

The Uno-X Mobility rider is victorious once again at O Gran Camino as he dominates the sprint! #OGC25 pic.twitter.com/B0iq8Ngsdx

— Cycling on TNT Sports (@cyclingontnt) February 27, 2025

It was a successful week at O Gran Camiño for Uno-X’s new signing Magnus Cort. The Dane took the lead with a long sprint to victory on the opening stage and doubled up the next day on a short climb to the finish. He then won again on the fifth and final day to Santiago de Compostela to secure the points classification and a general classification podium, 38sec behind winner Derek Gee.

See you next week.

The post Pro Log: UK to host both 2027 Tour de France starts; Underdogs rule Opening Weekend; Magnus Cort nets three wins in five days appeared first on Cyclist.

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