The Monday after the opening weekend of a Grand Tour always makes for an exciting EuroTrash β especially when that Grand Tour coincides with other races pitting big names against one another. Vingegaard, Philipsen van der Poel, Van Aert β practically everyoneΒ but PogaΓ§ar was at it this week, and fireworks ensued. Enjoy!
TOP STORY:Β
- Philipsen and Vingegaard Outgun Vuelta Fields in Opening Stages
Race News:
- Norwegian Talent Shines in Deutschland Tour
- De Lie, van der Poel Battle at Renewi Tour
- Stateside: Boswell, Gardner Take Tough Mt. Washington HC Titles
- Canada Well Represented at Tour de lβAvenir and Tour de lβAvenir Femmes
- Fangeat Takes Bronze at Junior Track World Championships
Rider and Team News:
- Zingleβs Crazy Day at the Vuelta: Two Dislocations and a Stolen Bike
- Visma Adds Triathlete Schiffer
- Kenyan Cyclist Sule Kangangi Dies after Crashing in Vermont Gravel Race
Philipsen and Vingegaard Outgun Vuelta Fields in Opening Stages
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The 80th edition of the Vuelta a EspaΓ±a made history with its first-ever Italian start, beginning in Turin and delivering immediate excitement across two contrasting stages.
Stage 1: Why the Torino Fixation?
The Vuelta opened with a spectacular Gran Salida from Turinβs Reggia di Venaria to Novara, marking a historic first Italian departure for La Vuelta, and the third time a Grand Tour has started in the Italian city in recent years. Flat as a shroud, the 180-kilometer parcours was perfectly suited for the sprinters to showcase their speed.
Doubts abounded as to whether Jasper Philipsen of Alpecin-Deceuninck would rebound from injuries suffered early in the Tour de France, where he won the opening stage β doubts that the Belgian addressed by commandingly winning the Vueltaβs opening stage. The Belgian sprinter was delivered perfectly by his leadout train, securing not only the stage win but also the first red leaderβs jersey of the race. This victory continued Philipsenβs excellent form in Grand Tours, demonstrating why he remains one of cyclingβs premier sprinters, even when dealt a collarbone-breaking blow.
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Stage 2:Β A Sign of Things to Come?
The second stage provided a dramatic contrast, taking riders from Alba to the summit finish at Limone Piemonte over 160 kilometers via whatβs become a conventional Vuelta stage shape, the βhockey stickβ β or perhaps the βcrow bar,β as from such stages we can pry some perspective on the GC.Β 
In a thrilling, gutty finale, Jonas Vingegaard of Team Visma-Lease a Bike narrowly edged out Giulio Ciccone in a photo finish at the mountaintop. Despite being caught up in a crash on wet roads earlier in the day, the Danish star showed remarkable resilience not just in claiming victory and moving into the red jersey as the overall leader, but in returning to the peloton post-crash, flashing a thumbs-up sign and blowing a kiss to the trailing camera.
This early mountain stage immediately established the hierarchy among the GC favorites, with virtually all of the pre-race protagonists finishing within two seconds of the leading four β Vingegaard, Ciccone, David Gaudu(!) and Egan Bernal β and with a few, including Tom Pidcock and Marc Soler, attacking boldly in the steep, final 500 meters.
eTrashMike asks: Were those cracks we saw in the UAE armor worn by Ayuso and Almeida, seemingly losing the wheels of the front four when the race came to a head? Or were these Iberians playing it cool, knowing that even 10 bonus seconds werenβt worth the extra effort required to hang with Vingegaard, Ciccone, Gaudu and Bernal, all of whom are out to prove something? My guessβ¦the former β because Ayuso and Almeida have something to prove here as well.Β
RACE NEWS
Norwegian Talent Shines in Deutschland Tour
With respect to Thor Hushovd, 2025 is shaping up to be the year that riders from Norway broke through: The 2025 Lidl Deutschland Tour delivered thrilling racing across five stages in early August, showcasing world-class cycling talent on German roads. Norwegian rider SΓΈren WΓ¦renskjold of Uno-X Mobility made an impressive start by winning the prologue in Essen, and went on to win Stage 3 β and the General, Points and Young Rider Classifications.
The race featured a competitive field with notable stars including Wout van Aert, Florian Lipowitz, and Jonathan Milan among the top competitors. Rapidly rising phenom Matthew Brennan (Visma | Lease A Bike) was the raceβs other double-stage winner, taking stages 1 and 4.
WΓ¦renskjoldβs stage three victory came after the initial winner, Danny van Poppel, was relegated for irregular sprinting (eTrashMike sez: very irregular sprinting β totally deserved).
Brennan impressed by taking stage wins on both the first road stage and the finale in Magdeburg, adding excitement to the sprint finishes and contesting fiercely for the points classification. Jhonatan NarvΓ‘ez from UAE Team Emirates also made a significant impact, winning stage 2 and finishing second overall.
The final dayβs 163.7-kilometer route from Halle to Magdeburg was marked by crashes and aggressive sprints, but WΓ¦renskjold managed to protect his lead and cross the finish line safely to claim the overall title by a 25-second margin.
Final Results (from procyclingstats.com)
| 1 | Β WΓRENSKJOLD SΓΈren | Uno-X Mobility | 16:29:58 |
| 2 | Β NARVΓEZ Jhonatan | UAE Team Emirates β XRG | 00:00:16 |
| 3 | Β SHEEHAN Riley | Israel β Premier Tech | 00:00:19 |
| 4 | Β BRENNAN Matthew | Team Visma | Lease a Bike | 00:00:25 |
| 5 | Β WATSON Samuel | INEOS Grenadiers | 00:00:31 |
| 6 | Β VAN AERT Wout | Team Visma | Lease a Bike | 00:00:33 |
| 7 | Β MAYRHOFER Marius | Tudor Pro Cycling Team | 00:00:35 |
| 8 | Β VAN POPPEL Danny | Red Bull β BORA β hansgrohe | ,, |
| 9 | Β HALLER Marco | Tudor Pro Cycling Team | 00:00:37 |
| 10 | Β EENKHOORN Pascal | Soudal Quick-Step | 00:00:41 |
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DeLie, van der Poel Battle at Renewi Tour
β¦with De Lie edging out the 2023 World Champion in what shaped up to be a summertime classic.
De Lie (Lotto) clinched the overall victory after a dramatic final day in Leuven, after five days of back-and-forth with van der Poel (Alpecin β Deceuninck). De Lie, who has endured a tough year filled with injuries and illness, surprised many by holding off MVDPβs. The talented Belgian rider secured the win by a mere three seconds, thanks to a powerful sprint finish on the final uphill stretch β and some thoughtful tactics.
The race spanned several stages with intense competition across a mix of sprint finishes and hilly terrain. Tim Merlier from Soudal Quick-Step dominated the true sprint stages, winning two stages. Meanwhile, the queen stage in Geraardsbergen tested the contenders on the iconic cobbled Vesten climb, where van der Poel demonstrated his climbing prowess.
On the decisive final stage, De Lie showcased smart race tactics by patiently marking attacks and unleashing a strong acceleration in the closing meters to win the stage and the general classification. Dries De Bondt of Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale took third on the final day, after mustering an audacious late attack, adding to the excitement of the finale.
Tim Wellens rounded out the podium, finishing third overall, 31 seconds behind the winner. De Lie celebrated his first WorldTour stage race victory as a major comeback achievement, highlighting the emotional significance of the win after a challenging season. Van der Poel, meanwhile, stated that his performance suggested that he was returning to full strength after leaving the Tour de France with pneumonia, and that he was thus feeling optimistic heading into the World Championships (the World Mountain Bike Championships, that is).
Final Results (from procyclingstats.com)
| 1 | Β DE LIE Arnaud | Lotto | 19:24:42 |
| 2 | Β VAN DER POEL Mathieu | Alpecin β Deceuninck | 00:00:03 |
| 3 | Β WELLENS Tim | UAE Team Emirates β XRG | 00:00:31 |
| 4 | Β WRIGHT Fred | Bahrain β Victorious | 00:00:55 |
| 5 | Β KOOIJ Olav | Team Visma | Lease a Bike | 00:00:57 |
| 6 | Β BITTNER Pavel | Team Picnic PostNL | 00:00:59 |
| 7 | Β DE BONDT Dries | Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale Team | ,, |
| 8 | Β BETTIOL Alberto | XDS Astana Team | 00:01:00 |
| 9 | Β DEL GROSSO Tibor | Alpecin β Deceuninck | 00:01:03 |
| 10 | Β SKUJIΕ Ε Toms | Lidl β Trek | 00:01:07 |
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Stateside: Boswell, Gardner Take Tough Mt. Washington HC Titles
The 52nd Mount Washington Hillclimb saw record-breaking performances from Ian Boswell and Illi Gardner on one of North Americaβs toughest climbs. Boswell, a former WorldTour rider turned gravel racer, completed the 7.6-mile, 6,288-foot ascent in 50:15, beating Phil Gaimonβs 2022 record by 23 seconds. Peter Stetina and Jack Kuenzle followed in second and third. In the womenβs race, British National Hill Climb Champion Illi Gardner set a stunning new record of 58:01, shattering the previous mark by 11 minutes. Lydia MacKenzie and Aimee Vasse completed the podium. Both Boswell and Gardner praised the challenge and electrifying atmosphere of the iconic climb.
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Canada Well Represented at Tour de lβAvenir and Tour de lβAvenir Femmes
Cycling Canada will field strong rosters at the Tour de lβAvenir Femmes and the Tour de lβAvenir, known as the Tour de France for U23 riders. Running August 23β29 across the French Alps, the competition will feature some of the worldβs best young talent, testing athletes with punishing mountain stages and tactical sprint finishes.
Team Canadaβs rosters include:
Women
Alexandra Volstad (Calgary, AB)
Anabelle Thomas (Calgary, AB)
Ava Holmgren (Oro-Medonte, ON)
Isabella Holmgren (Oro-Medonte, ON)
Mairen Lawson (Grande Prairie, AB)
Kiara Lylyk (Guelph, ON)
Men
Carson Mattern (Ancaster, ON)
JΓ©rΓ΄me Gauthier (Amos, QC)
Jonas Walton (Vancouver, BC)
Leonard Peloquin (MontrΓ©al, QC)
Luke Valenti (Orangeville, ON)
Samuel Couture (Rosemère, QC)
The Tour de lβAvenir Femmes and the Tour de lβAvenir consistently offer challenging routes and stiff competition. With consecutive days of racing through the Alps, including summit finishes and unpredictable weather, the event demands fitness, tactics, resilience and teamwork of up-and-coming riders.
Fangeat Takes Bronze at Junior Track World Championships
More for our Canadian followers: Alexandra Fangeat of St. Thomas, Ontario, captured the bronze medal in the Womenβs Junior Points Race at the 2025 UCI Junior Track World Championships in Apeldoorn, Netherlands.
Competing against a deep field of global talent, Fangeat scored points in multiple sprints and held her position through a fast and tactical final. Her performance earned her third overall, securing Canadaβs first endurance medal of the championships. Fangeat finished behind Anna Dubier of Australia and Polina Danshina of the Individual Neutral Athletes team.
This result follows a standout year for the 17-year-old, who claimed eight medals at the Canadian U17/Junior Track Championships earlier this season.
RIDER & TEAM NEWS
Zingleβs Crazy Day at the Vuelta: Two Dislocations and a Stolen Bike
Visma | Lease A Bikeβs Axel Zingle was probably previously known for his deft bunny hop over Mads Pedersen in the 2024 Tour de France. While his escapades last weekend might not have been quite as enjoyable to watch, theyβre no less story-worthy.
The French sprinter suffered the worst consequences in the Stage 2 crash that also took down teammate Jonas Vingegaard, Q36.5βs Tom Pidcock and others: Zingle dislocated his shoulder, an injury that he deemed βNothing serious.β With medical help, the shoulder relocated, and Zingle continued riding.
Next comes a moment mostly known just to masters riders who struggle to retrieve anything from a jersey pocket: As he pulled out a gel, Zingleβs shoulder again dislocated. He again stopped and went to the ambulance, asking a bystander to hold his bike.
After replacing the shoulder, Zingle emerged from the ambulance, only to find the bystander β and his bicycle β missing. After mounting a new bicycle, he struggled on, and finished the stage 24 minutes behind his teammate β beaten, but not bowed, and in fact probably with a new sense of confidence and pride.
eTrashMike sez: Iβm such a sucker for the rallying-cyclists-vs.-crying-footballers memesβ¦And now we have more fodder. Onward, Axel Zingle!
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Visma Adds Triathlete Schiffer
In the latest example of WorldTour teams mining cycling-adjacent sports for aerobic anomalies, Visma | Lease A Bike has signed former triathlete Anton Schiffer. The 25-year-old German rider will make his debut for the Dutch WorldTeam in October.
Schiffer turned his focus to cycling relatively late: in 2022, he transitioned from triathlon to cycling, and by mid-2023 he had joined the continental-level Bike Aid team.
βThis step may come as a surprise to the outside world, but given how this season has progressed, it doesnβt surprise me as much,β said a delighted Schiffer about his move to the WorldTour. βBeing able to fully focus on my sport, combined with the support from internal experts, the use of the Athleteβs FoodCoach, the equipment, and the teamβs experience are all things I hope will help me grow as a rider.β
eTrashMike sez: Hmmmβ¦Have we seen this work yet? Interesting that this signing comes just as runner-turned-cyclist Mike Woods departs the peloton for fear of crashing. But if any team can take this risk, itβs Visma, with their resources and very solid team: Schiffer likely doesnβt command a top salary, and if he pans out as a cyclistβ¦high reward for not such a high risk.
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Kenyan Cyclist Sule Kangangi Dies after Crashing in Vermont Gravel Race
Kenyan cyclist Suleiman βSuleβ Waithuweka Kangangi, 33, tragically died after a high-speed crash during the Vermont Overland gravel race in West Windsor, Vermont, on August 27, 2022. The 59-mile dirt-road race, featuring nearly 7,000 feet of climbing, drew around 900 competitors. Kangangi was Team Amaniβs captain, representing rising East African talent, and had recently participated in gravel events such as Leadville 100, SBT GRVL, and Gravel Worlds in the U.S.
Born in Eldoret in December 1988, Kangangi had a notable road career, including a third-place overall at the 2017 Tour du Rwanda while riding for Bike Aid.. In Kenya, he spearheaded the Migration Gravel Race and Evolution Gravel eventsβboth pivotal in fostering off-road cycling opportunities across East Africa. His leadership and pioneering spirit left a profound legacy in the African cycling community.
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