Landing during the not-so-silly season between the Tour de France and the Vuelta a España, this EuroTrash cycling news round-up answers the question: Where Is Everyone? We tell you who’s racing, who’s training and who’s enjoying some R&R. And of course we catch you up on Brandon McNulty’s Tour of Poland victory, Tours from Norway to Spain, plus one transfer and one hoped-for-transfer.
TOP STORY:
- Where Is Everyone? A Guide to your Favorite Riders’ Racing & Tracing (and More) Between the Tour & the Vuelta
Race News:
- Del Toro, Ciccone Continue Strong Midsummer at Vuelta a Burgos
- McNulty Leverages TT Win to Nab Pologne Victory
- Uijtdebroeks Wins Tour de l’Ain, Showing Progress towards Promise
- Strong Outlasts Pidcock at the Arctic Race of Norway
- Deutschland Tour Starts Next Week, Features Top TDF Riders
- Stage Routes Announced for Lloyds Tour of Britain
- Tour Down Under Men’s Stages Announced
Rider and Team News:
- Van Baarle to Soudal Quick-Step
- Daniel McClay on the Hunt for a New Team
Where Are They? A Guide to your Favorite Riders’ Racing & Tracing Between the Tour & the Vuelta
Juan Ayuso
Leading out teammate del Toro to victory at Circuito de Getxo, prepping for the Vuelta, and fending off rumors about moving to a team where he can be the “A” rider.
Giulio Ciccone
Enjoying a strong midsummer, including triumphing at Clásica San Sebastiá and stealing the queen stage of Vuelta a Burgos from…
…Isaac del Toro
After missing out at Clásica San Sebastián, winning Vuelta a Burgos.
Remco
Training in Belgium and announcing his move to Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe
Pauline Ferrand-Prévot and Tadej Pogaçar
As evidenced by this photo, the Tour de France champs have been training on the same roads! (Dare we draw any conclusions from Tadej’s generic “Man in White” kit? Hmm…)
- “PFP” also dangled the possibility of competing at the World Championships in Rwanda in September…
- …and both champions hinted at relatively early retirement (Ferrand-Prévot in 2027 and Pogaçar in 2028).
Ben Healy
Celebrating victory twice at the post-Tour Critérium de Lisieux, where he attacked, built a seemingly unassailable lead — and celebrated a lap early, even turning fully around on the course. (As is often the case with post-Tour criteriums, the result seemed assured: Healy chased, caught his rivals and still managed to win.)
Jonathan Milan, Kaden Groves, Olav Kooij and Other Top Sprinters
Facing off August 17th at the ADAC Cyclassics in Hamburg
Tom Pidcock
Continuing his off-road/road straddle by winning the European Mountain Bike Championships, and then finishing second to Corbin Strong at the Arctic Tour of Norway.
Geraint Thomas
Splashing in the pool with family, quaffing beers, and training lightly before the last two races of his career: the Deutschland Tour and the Tour of Britain.
Wout van Aert
Spending time with family, basking in his Stage 21 glory, and gearing back up at the Deutschland Tour — but not planning to start either the European Championships or the World Championships.
Mathieu Van der Poel and Jasper Philipsen
Riding together, having departed the Tour early with pneumonia and a broken collarbone, respectively; MVDP also spent time and energy dodging criticism for a new sponsorship deal with a private jet company.
RACE NEWS
Del Toro, Ciccone Continue Strong Midsummer at Vuelta a Burgos
After five intense days of racing across Spain’s Burgos province, Isaac del Toro (UAE Team Emirates XRG) won the Vuelta a Burgos, cementing his status as a rising star. Del Toro gained crucial seconds on the pivotal climbs and displayed consistency throughout all stages. His victory reinforced his breakthrough year, having also recently won the Tour of Austria GC.
Notably, del Toro suffered a puncture in Stage 5, but recovered with a fierce chase on the final climb, ultimately riding himself back into the virtual lead. Eventually, he finished the race with a strong enough margin to hold off Fortunato and Bisiaux in the overall. Having crashed in Stage 1, Ciccone recovered to win the final stage and to place fifth overall.
General Classification (GC)
- Isaac del Toro (UAE Team Emirates XRG)
- Lorenzo Fortunato (XDS Astana Team)
- Léo Bisiaux (Decathlon–AG2R La Mondiale)
Stage 1: Roger Adrià outsprinted a reduced group to claim the opening stage.
- Stage 2: Matteo Moschetti (Q36.5) outsprinted Matteo Malucelli (XDS Astana Team) to to win in a photo finish
Stage 3: Léo Bisiaux showed his climbing prowess, winning and putting himself in prime GC contention.
Stage 4: Damiano Caruso launched a successful solo attack from a breakaway and finished alone after a 17km effort.
Stage 5: The queen stage saw Giulio Ciccone (Lidl–Trek) conquer the fierce Lagunas de Neila climb, distancing del Toro by 10 seconds, but del Toro’s second place secured his GC win.
McNulty Leverages TT Win to Nab Pologne Victory
The 2025 Tour de Pologne wrapped up in thrilling fashion as American Brandon McNulty (UAE Team Emirates XRG) delivered a commanding performance in the final individual time trial to claim his first overall victory at Poland’s premier stage race.
Heading into the decisive seventh stage, the race for the general classification remained razor-thin, with Antonio Tiberi (Team Bahrain Victorious) sitting just seconds ahead of McNulty. The American unleashed a masterclass in the Wieliczka time trial, overturning his deficit and seizing the yellow jersey by a mere seven-second margin.
Italian Matteo Sobrero (Red Bull–Bora–Hansgrohe) rounded out the podium, finishing third overall after a consistent performance throughout the week.
Stage-by-Stage Account
Stage 1: Olav Kooij (Team Visma | Lease a Bike) opened the race with a blistering sprint finish, signaling his intentions in the fast-man contests.
Stage 2: Frenchman Paul Magnier (Soudal Quick-Step) claimed a convincing victory with a well-executed late attack.
Stage 3: Ben Turner (INEOS Grenadiers) mastered a selective finish in Wałbrzych, outpacing the climbers in a reduced group.
Stage 4: Matteo Sobrero (Red Bull–Bora–Hansgrohe) powered to a stunning solo win on a rolling course, moving himself into overall contention.
Stage 5: Jan Christen (UAE Team Emirates XRG) capped a lively breakaway to earn his first WorldTour stage victory.
Stage 6: Victor Langellotti (Burgos–BH) engineered the upset of the week, surviving a hilly marathon in Bukowina and holding off McNulty and Pello Bilbao to take a memorable win.
Stage 7: The grand finale belonged to McNulty, who reversed his GC deficit in spectacular fashion against the clock.
Notably, this year’s Tour de Pologne unfolded with few major crashes or withdrawals disrupting the top contenders; racing at the front was defined by tactical attacks, climbing prowess, and the high-stakes drama of the time trial.
Victor Langellotti’s stage six heroics and Sobrero’s consistency added layers to a GC battle that stayed unpredictable into the final day. Tiberi, who wore the leader’s jersey into Wieliczka, delivered a valiant ride but ultimately ceded the top step of the podium to McNulty’s superior time trial.
Uijtdebroeks Wins Tour de l’Ain, Showing Progress towards Promise
Tom Donnenwirth (Groupama–FDJ) clinched the Stage 1 win in a fast opening day from Feillens to Lagnieu, confirming his status as one of France’s next-generation sprint talents.
Stage 2 saw Nicolas Prodhomme (Decathlon–AG2R La Mondiale) attacking the final climb Uijtdebroeks following closely. Prodhomme outsprinted Uijtdebroeks in the final meters at Lélex Monts-Jura to seize both the stage victory and the overall lead.But in the third and final stage, Uijtdebroeks launched an audacious solo attack from over 50km out, crushing the Grand Colombier climb, and putting more than three minutes into his nearest rival.
Said Uijtdebroeks after the stage, “I’ve been struggling with health issues for a year and a half, but I’ve always believed in myself. I’m very happy to be back. I didn’t think I could win so soon, I’d never won in my life as a pro. For me, winning at Grand Colombier is a big deal. It happened to me before at the Tour de l’Ain U17. It’s wonderful to do it in the Ain.”
Strong Outlasts Pidcock at the Arctic Race of Norway
The four-stage Arctic Tour of Norway saw Corbin Strong (Israel–Premier Tech) take the lead with a rain-soaked, punchy uphill sprint, in Stage 1, and hold off Tom Pidcock (Q36.5 Pro Cycling) over the remaining stages to claim the overall victory.
Veteran sprinter and hometown favorite Alexander Kristoff (Uno-X Mobility) won the second stage in a dramatic, crash-affected finis. It was the Norwegian’s 98th career victory and a poignant moment as he races toward retirement.
While Pidcock took Stage 3 with a powerful uphill surging finish, Strong stayed close enough to maintain his slim margin, and held Pidcock off in the Stage 4 circuit around Tromsø.
- General Classification Top Ten:
- Corbin Strong (Israel–Premier Tech) — 15 h 49′ 03″
- Tom Pidcock (Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team) — +11″
- Christian Scaroni (XDS Astana Team) — +28″
- Riley Sheehan (Israel–Premier Tech) — +35″
- Clément Champoussin (XDS Astana Team) — +39″
- Kevin Vermaerke (Team Picnic PostNL) — +39″
- Martin Tjotta (Arkéa-B&B Hotels) — +42″
- Felix Engelhardt (Team Jayco AlUla) — +43″
- Sven Erik Bystrom (Norwegian Team) — +44″
Mats Wenzel (Equipo Kern Pharma) — +44″
- Stage Results:
Stage 1: Corbin Strong
Stage 2: Alexander Kristoff
Stage 3: Tom Pidcock
Stage 4: Fredrik Dversnes
- Learn more about the 2025 Arctic Race of Norway at www.arctic-race-of-norway.com.
Deutschland Tour Starts Next Week, Features Top TDF Riders 
The 2025 Lidl Deutschland Tour will feature a strong Tour de France flavor and is set to be tougher than ever. Many of the 108 riders lining up at the start have just shined in the world’s most prestigious cycling race – including stage winners and the holder of the coveted Green Jersey. Leading this star-studded line-up is Wout van Aert, who will make his debut at Germany’s biggest stage race.
The Belgian, who claimed victory on this year’s iconic Champs-Élysées stage, will spearhead Team Visma | Lease a Bike. His team also includes 19-year-old British sensation Matthew Brennan, one of the season’s breakthrough riders, with eight wins to his name.
However, Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek) is determined to challenge Visma’s dominance. The Italian impressed in his Tour de France debut with two stage victories and the Green Jersey. He also won this jersey for the best sprinter at last year’s Lidl Deutschland Tour. Another all-round sprinter to watch is Kaden Groves (Alpecin-Deceuninck). The Australian, also a Tour stage winner, is set to race the Lidl Deutschland Tour for the first time.
UAE Team Emirates – XRG comes with a strong lineup, featuring two former overall winners of the Deutschland Tour: Nils Politt and Adam Yates. Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe, on the other hand, is focused on pure speed. Sprinters Jordi Meeus and Danny van Poppel – who finished on the podium in each of the last two editions – will both be racing. Uno-X Mobility offers a balanced squad, including sixth-place Tour de France finisher Tobias Halland Johannessen and veteran sprinter Alexander Kristoff.
From a German perspective, all eyes will be on national champion Georg Zimmermann (Intermarché – Wanty). Sprinters Phil Bauhaus (Bahrain Victorious) and Pascal Ackermann (Israel-Premier Tech) will also be chasing stage victories. John Degenkolb (Team Picnic PostNL) will mark his comeback at the Lidl Deutschland Tour after more than four months out due to injury.
- The Deutschland Tour starts August 20. For more information, go to www.deutschland-tour.com.
- Find all the ups and downs of the Men’s and Women’s Tours of Britain here.
Tour Down Under Men’s Stages Announced
The season-opening Santos Tour Down Under is already known for its high caliber of competition – a favorite among in-form Aussies and their overseas counterparts eager to impress. This year, TDU takes it up a notch. Longer stages, harder climbs and technical descents are on the agenda, forming a race that demands a six-day strategy right from the start. The game here is as much mental as physical.
The 2026 men’s race reintroduces a prologue—a rare feature, happening only for the second time in the event’s history. Kicking off on January 20 in inner‑city Adelaide, riders will contest a short 3.6 km against‑the‑clock effort from Wakefield Road to Victoria Park, using a time‑trial ramp and hot‑seat format to create immediate excitement and shake up the general classification from day one
Following the sprint opportunities in Tanunda’s wine‑country opening, the race then ventures into the Adelaide Hills. A highlight stage from Norwood to Uraidla features repeated climbs, including Norton Summit, Mt. Lofty, and two ascents of the iconic Corkscrew Road. With a total of 3,722 meters of climbing, this stage is billed as a pivotal test for contenders aiming to take the ochre jersey.
The finale shuns tradition in favor ofdrama, unfolding in Stirling, where riders will battle over eight laps of a challenging 21 km circuit with rolling hills and punchy climbs. This world‑championship‑style showdown promises to keep the overall race in suspense until the last kilometer.
- For a stage-by-stage description of the 2026 Tour Down Under, check out www.tourdownunder.com.au.
RIDER & TEAM NEWS
Van Baarle to Soudal Quick-Step
It’s the second worst-kept transfer secret of this fall: Dylan van Baarle will ride for Soudal Quick-Step next year . The Dutchman has signed a contract with the Belgian team until the end of 2027. He’ll be leaving Visma | Lease a Bike after three seasons .
Van Baarle will play a key role in the classics at Soudal Quick-Step, having won Dwars door Vlaanderen and Paris-Roubaix., as well as finishing second in the Tour of Flanders, all in 2021.
In 2023, Van Baarle also made a splash at the then-Jumbo-Visma team, winning the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad on his first race day. He also won the Dutch road title later that year, but faced injuries and illness in 2023 and 2024.
“I’m thrilled to be joining Soudal Quick-Step , a team I’ve been following on TV since I was a kid – especially during Tom Boonen’s time,” Van Baarle said on his new employer’s website. “It’s a dream come true to be part of the Wolfpack starting next year. From the outside, it feels like one big family, and I’m thrilled to be part of it.”
Jurgen Foré, CEO of Soudal Quick-Step , is pleased with Van Baarle’s arrival. “He’s a very strong rider, which is evident not only from his victories in the classics and time trials, but also from his exceptionally solid performances in the Grand Tours. He brings a wealth of experience, and we are convinced that this can make the difference in crucial moments and will strengthen our team.”
Daniel McClay on the Hunt for a New Team
One-time promising sprint phenom Daniel McLay is moving on from Visma | Lease a Bike. Having joined last winter to serve as a lead-out partner to sprinmaster Olav Kooij — who is now moving to Decathlon AG2R — the 33 year-old McLay is now searching for a new team.
This transfer season has been brisk, as resources seem to be consolidating around a handful of well-funded teams, even as others, such as Arkéa-B&B Hotels, wind down their sponsorship altogether.Visma | Lease a Bike alone has seen several transfers both in and out, including some significant names: 2025 revelation Bruno Armirail will join the team, while Kooij, McLay, Tiesj Benoot, Attila Valter and Dylan van Baarle will all exit for other teams.
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