In this roundup of cycling news: The stretch between the Tour and the Vuelta affords some of the world’s top cyclists a chance to wake their legs, test injury recovery, sharpen training — and of course showcase sponsors. This EuroTrash shares racing updates on Van der Poel, Roglic, Ferrand-Prévot, Onley, Pedersen, Philipsen and others, as well as team shakeups, transfers — and an early look at the Vuelta route. Plus a new feature — What can we learn from riders’ social media? Enjoy!
TOP STORY:
- Tour de France & Tour de France Femmes Protagonists in Action this Pre-Vuelta Week
Race News:
- Tour of Denmark Update After Two Stages
- Tour de Pologne Women Checkin
- Key TDFFAZ Contenders to Tour de Romandie Féminin
- Canadian Road Championships Crowns Multiple Masters Champions
- ADAC Cyclassics Brings Together WorldTour & Recreational Cyclists
- Previewing the Vuelta, Travelogue-Style: La Vuelta de los Secretos
Rider and Team News:
- Philipsen Already Racing at Tour of Denmark
- Transfer News: Vermaerke to UAE Team Emirates-XRG & Others (Plus Commentary from eTrash Mike)
- Pogaçar Counting the Days to Retirement — But Is Far from Finished
- What can we learn from Tom Pidcock’s Instagram page?
Tour de France & Tour de France Femmes Protagonists in Action this Pre-Vuelta Week
Haven’t heard of the Profronde Etten-Leur? Well, neither had we, and we’re deep in this world. But several top global cycling stars will be at the starting line in both the men’s and women’s races, including 2023 World Champ Mathieu van der Poel and Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift winner Pauline Ferrand-Prévot.
In addition to Van der Poel, the men’s race will feature Tour stage winners Thymen Arensman and Tim Wellens, as well as GC contenders Oscar Onley and Primoz Roglic .
On the women’s side, the race includes “PFP,” as well two other Tour de France jersey winners: Lorena Wiebes (green jersey) and Nienke Vinke (white jersey) will be competing on Sunday, as will world champions Lotte Kopecky and Anna van der Breggen.
The women will ride a criterium in Etten-Leur lasting about an hour and a half, while the men will compete in an omnium of sorts, consisting of a flat stage, a time trial, and a points race.
Whether the racing at the Profronde Etten-Leur will be “real” remains to be seen, but when cycling-mad Holland puts a bike race on offer between Grand Tours, the big names show up.
RACE NEWS
Tour of Denmark Update After Two Stages
Scandinavian riders are divvying up the podium spots at the Tour of Denmark, with Dane Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek) winning the lumpy first stage and Norwegian Søren Wærenskjold (Uno-X Mobility) stealing the sprint in Stage 2.
In Stage 1, Pedersen emerged powerfully in the closing meters from a group of nine that had broken away on the route’s earlier climbs. Rounding out the podium were Lukáš Kubiš (Unibet Tietema Rockets) and fellow Danish rider Conrad Haugsted (Team ColoQuick).
Stage 2 saw Wærenskjold best Steffen De Schuyteneer (Lotto) and Alex Zingle (Visma | Lease A Bike) in a classic bunch sprint. Uno-X’s leadout train was nearly broken by late attacks from Picnic PostNL rider Nils Eekhoff. Pedersen retained the leader’s jersey heading into the third of five stages.
Tour de Pologne Women Checkin
After two stages of the 2025 Women’s Tour of Poland, the race has already provided exciting and tactical sprint finishes.
On stage 1 in Zamość, Chiara Consonni (Canyon-SRAM zondacrypto) claimed victory in a group sprint, taking valuable time bonuses and pulling on the leader’s yellow jersey. The first stage covered 105.6km and ended with a high-speed dash for the line, with sprinters’ teams controlling the race to set up their leaders for the finale.
Stage 2, a 99.5km circuit beginning and ending in Chełm, saw a change in script thanks to a demanding, slightly uphill cobbled finish. Linda Zanetti (Uno-X Mobility), sixth on the first day, powered clear in the closing group sprint, taking the win ahead of Marie Le Net (FDJ-Suez) and Sofia Bertizzolo (UAE Team ADQ). Early attacks, including a strong move from Alison Jackson (EF Education-Oatly), animated the day, but the peloton was determined the stage should end with a sprint. Consonni claimed three bonus seconds by winning the intermediate sprint at 30km to go, which helped cushion her overall race lead.
In the general classification after two stages, Consonni remains in yellow, five seconds ahead of Zanetti and ten seconds clear of Le Net, setting up a tense final showdown for the title with one stage to go.
Key TDFFAZ Contenders to Tour de Romandie Féminin
Starting Friday, August 15, the Tour de Romandie Féminin will pit some of the world’s top female cyclists against one another, including 2024 Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift winner Kasia Niewiadoma and climber extraordinaire (but descender tentativitaire) Sarah Gigante, as well as Pauliena Rooijakkers , Niamh Fisher-Black , Mischa Bredewold , and Yara Kasteli.
Demi Vollering has pulled out of Romandie with illness, however, and Pauline Ferrand-Prévot is following a typically less traditional race schedule, possibly including the World Gravel Championships.
The Tour de Romandie includes a 4.4-kilometer uphill prologue, climbing over three hundred meters. Stage 2 travels a relatively flat parcours before reaching the final ascent to La Tzoumaz (12.8 km at 8.1%). Stage 3 features five categorized climbs, capped off by short-but-steep Antagnes (1.2 km at 9%), roughly ten kilometers from the finish.
Canadian Road Championships Crowns Multiple Masters Champions
Canada’s masters’ cyclists lit up the streets and hills of Victoria, BC this past weekend at the 2025 Canadian Masters Road Championships.
The Championships kicked off with the Time Trial in North Saanich, where racers took on a challenging 6.71 km loop with 300m of elevation. Benoit St-Hilaire and Courtney Lang claimed top spots in the Master A categories, while Isaac Beall surged to Master B Men, an incredible result after returning to racing after six years.
On Day Two, the Road Race in Metchosin saw riders tackle a rolling 10 km circuit with 152m of elevation per lap. The racing was fierce as riders braved the course. Courtney Lang (Master A Women) and Debra Parker (Master B Women) doubled down with back-to-back wins, while Bruce Bird (Master C Men), Andrew Conley (Master B Men), and Brian Countryman (Master D Men) powered through to take their categories. Jerome Mcnicoll (Master A Men), Nathalie Champagne (Master C Women), and Barb Morris (Master D Women) also delivered strong performances, rounding out a day that showed strategy, stamina, and grit.
The weekend wrapped with a high-octane Criterium in downtown Victoria, where racers flew around a 1.0 km circuit surrounding the BC Legislature. With tight corners and roaring fans, it was a thrilling finale. Clayton Hiltz (Master A Men), Greg Boileau (Master B Men), Maurice Worsfold (Master C Men), Daniel Blanche (Master D Men), and Nathalie Champagne (Master Women), who earned multiple podiums across the weekend, closed out the Championships in style.
Cycling Canada wishes to extend a huge thanks to the volunteers who made this a successful weekend.
ADAC Cyclassics Brings Together WorldTour & Recreational Cyclists
More than ten thousand cycling enthusiasts will assemble at the ADAC Cyclassics in Hamburg, Germany this weekend — alongside 161 professional riders, including some of the world’s best sprinters.
The 207-kilometer route will start in Lower Saxony, in the historic town of Buxtehude. Once the peloton crosses into Hamburg, the remaining 170 kilometers will stay entirely within the “Active City.” Along the way, riders will pass the finish line twice before the final dash for victory, with the iconic Waseberg climb featuring five times – a true challenge for the pros and a highlight for fans lining the route.
Even though the Waseberg has to be tackled twice more than last year – giving the race a more “classic” character – the sprinters have not shied away from committing to the event: last year’s winner Olav Kooij (Team Visma | Lease a Bike), Tour de France green jersey winner Jonathan Milan (Lidl – Trek), and Biniam Girmay (Intermarché – Wanty) will all return, meaning last year’s complete podium is back on the start line.
Before the elite field arrives in Hamburg, the city belongs to the mass participation riders. This year, the two courses over 60 and 110 kilometers will be held separately. Both offer a professional racing experience: the shorter loop covers familiar terrain through Hamburg’s west and follows the finale of the elite race, while the long course leads from HafenCity to Buxtehude and through the districts of Stade and Harburg before returning to Hamburg. For the long-distance riders, this means twice crossing the iconic Köhlbrand Bridge – shortly after the start and again in the closing kilometers – with panoramic views of the port from both sides.
Previewing the Vuelta, Travelogue-Style: La Vuelta de los Secretos
Viewers of the Grand Tours know that the Big Three serve not just as three-week bike races, but also as spectacular travelogues for Italy, France and Spain. Notwithstanding Spanish protests of hypertourism in Barcelona the Balearic Islands, La Vuelta has produced a series of videos showcasing the race’s “sporting and touristic elements.”
Dubbed La Vuelta de los Secretos, the video series features the landscapes, monuments and diversity of the national and international territories covered by the Spanish tour. La Vuelta de los Secretos traces a story connecting Piedmont (Italy) – the location for the Official Departure – the Pyrenees, the Tierras del Ebro, Valladolid and Salamanca.
Check out the first video below — and be sure to follow along during the Vuelta (beginning August 23!) Also watch PEZ for a full Vuelta preview.
RIDER & TEAM NEWS
Philipsen Already Racing at Tour of Denmark
Just weeks after suffering a broken collarbone and fractured ribs — shortly after winning a stage in the Tour de France — Jasper Philipsen (Team Alpecin–Deceuninck) is back to racing at the Tour of Denmark.
“The rehabilitation went faster than the doctors and I expected,” Philipsen said. “In Herentals [the hospital where Philipsen was treated], they suggested staying off the bike for two weeks, and only returning to outdoor training after four weeks. Ultimately, after one week, I was back on the rollers for an hour a day, and after two weeks, I could train outdoors.”
While the ace sprinter was not a factor in the first Tour of Denmark stage, which featured several significant climbs, he contested the sprint at the end of flatter Stage 2, finishing fourth, behind winner Søren Wærenskjold (Uno-X Mobility).
Transfer Updates! Vermaerke to UAE Team Emirates-XRG and More
- Superteam UAE Team Emirates-XRG has announced the signing of American Kevin Vermaerke to a two-year contract. The all-rounder joins from Team dsm–firmenich PostNL. Vermaerke recently posted strong results in the Clásica San Sebastián (4th, 2024) and a podium at the Arctic Race of Norway (3rd, 2024, as well as 6th, 2025).
- Team Bahrain Victorious has signed 22-year-old Belgian rider Alec Segaert. Known for his solid performances in time trials and one-day races, Segaert will bolster the team’s Classics squad while also playing a pivotal role in supporting GC contenders in stage races.
- Alberto Dainese is the latest rider to commit to Soudal Quick-Step,. The Italian has made a name for himself in the sprints, racking up impressive victories, including three in Grand Tours (Giro d’Italia ’22 and ’23, Vuelta a España ’23).
- Team Jayco AlUla welcomes newly crowned Italian Road Race champion Filippo Conca. The 26-year-old, who currently rides for Swatt Club, spent the majority of the 2025 season racing gravel events. The talented climber stunned the competition and the tifosi with a surprise win at the national championships earlier this summer.
- eTrashMike sez: While these mostly-domestique transfers proceed apace, rumors are swirling about bigger names switching teams — rumors largely triggered by Remco’s signing with Red Bull, and the subsequent frustration that many fans are certain has lodged in the heads of the two other members of its leading triumvirate. Lipo? Yes, he may well be looking elsewhere; after all, he’s just 9 months younger than Evenepoel, and figures he just performed a whole lot better at the Tour. But Primoz? Not judging by the way he rode in France: He seems now to be thinking of himself as a mentor/superdomestique. As to whether he’s willing to perform those duties in the shadow of Remco’s rather imposing ego…remains to be seen.
Pogaçar Counting the Days to Retirement — But Is Far from Finished
World and Tour de France champion Tadej Pogaçar again raised the spectre of early retirement, telling the Slovenian press, “It may seem funny to most people that I’m already counting down to retirement, but the fact is that a sports career isn’t very long.”
Speaking at a criterium in his home town of Komenda, Slovenia — which he naturally won — the G.O.A.T. went on to explain, “On the one hand, I know that my sports career will not be long, but on the other hand, I am aware that I can enjoy the level I am at now for a few more years.
“I will probably return to the Tour, in principle it is the biggest race and I don’t think the team will leave me at home.” Pogačar said.
eTrash Mike asks, Probably?? Watching our top athletes step down anywhere near their careers’ pinnacles is entirely unfamiliar to us. Is it refreshing? Exasperating? Here’s one take on what makes the idea of Pogi’s “boredom” frustrating to cycling fans: https://pezcyclingnews.com/features/the-trouble-with-bored-pogacar/ .
What can we learn from Tom Pidcock’s Instagram page? 
In this new recurring feature, we’ll conduct a quick examination of a rider’s social media and ask…What can we learn?
We’ll start with Tom Pidock’s Instagram page, because we can learn a lot.
Recall that the British mountain-road-cross killer combo signed with Q36.5 to accelerate the upstart team’s rise in the World Tour ranks, and to focus on road racing, especially Grand Tours. So…does his IG profile illustrate just such a focus?
Our review suggests not.
“Pidders’” ‘gram mostly shows Olympic mountain bike photos, wheelies, endos, and stills from his famously freaky descents, plus some goofy shots with partner Bethany Louise Zajac.
Meanwhile, one of the only actual race photos depicts a mid-race pileup and reads in block letters, “ROAD RACE.” Hardly an endorsment.
eTrashMike’s conclusion: If Pidcock’s IG is any indication, every minute he spends on his road bike, he’s dreaming of sitting astride his Pinarello cross-country rig or tearing down a twisty plunge with a moto-mounted camera behind him. Keep an eye on his profile during the Vuelta; if we don’t see a shift, expect Tom to steer back towards mountain biking and even cyclocross.
Watch the PEZ YOUTUBE Channel here
Follow PEZ INSTAGRAM here
The PEZ NEWSWIRE!
Don’t forget to check the “NEWSWIRE” section, you can find it on the homepage, just above the PEZ Shop section. The bits of news that missed the EuroTrash deadline are in there, plus any news as-it-happens will be added there too.
The post EUROTRASH: Big Names at Small Races — MVDP, Primoz, Ferrand-Prévot et al in Action this Week appeared first on PezCycling News.
