Visma | Lease a Bike takes stock of first mountain stage of the Giro d’Italia
CyclingFriday, 16 May 2025 at 21:00
The second Friday stage of the 2025 Giro d’Italia gave us the first real glimpse of how the general classification contenders stack up against each other. On a punchy finish, Juan Ayuso claimed the stage win for UAE Emirates-XRG, while Primoz Roglic of Red Bull–BORA–hansgrohe regained the leader’s jersey. At Visma | Lease a Bike, there was satisfaction with the team’s performance.
Simon Yates is the team leader for the Dutch squad and finished right where he needed to be. The Brit placed eleventh, just eight seconds behind stage winner Ayuso. That result also moved Yates up two spots in the general classification, from eleventh to ninth.
Sports director Marc Reef gave a debrief on the team’s website. “At the start of the stage, there was a fierce battle to get into the breakaway. Red Bull–BORA–hansgrohe took control fairly early on. Because of that, the break of the day never got much room. As the stage progressed, things were mostly under control.”
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Visma | Lease a Bike looks back with satisfaction at first Giro appointment GC contenders
"Our main task was to protect Simon. We brought him into a good position for the final climb. Bart Lemmen and Wilco Kelderman, in particular, made a strong contribution there. Simon looked solid. You never quite know how the first real mountain stage will unfold, but we can be satisfied,” said Reef.
On Saturday, a transitional stage awaits in the Giro d’Italia, where Visma | Lease a Bike may look to send riders like Kelderman, Lemmen, and Van Aert up the road. The following day is an important one for the team, and especially for team leader Yates, as the white gravel roads around Siena come into play. It’s not exactly the ideal terrain for the experienced GC rider, who will have to rely heavily on the teammates around him that day.
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Latest Comments
- No comment but here's my comment!Veganpotter09-05-2025
- No comment but here's my comment!Veganpotter09-05-2025
- Jos van Emden is right to speak out. The UCI’s lack of transparency and inconsistent decision-making have eroded trust among teams, riders, and fans alike. When even experienced professionals like Van Emden lose faith, it’s a clear signal that the system needs serious reform. Integrity and fairness should be at the core of any governing body, something the UCI needs to be reminded of.ahmed06-05-2025
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reemmo031-03-2025 - Roger De Vlaeminck inspires me to create a new beer: "Bitter Old Twat Belgian".JackInhof31-03-2025
- Shoot, I'll ride it for 1/10 of what his pay for that day is😅Veganpotter30-03-2025
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- I am not sure if it is the hardest to win. In Flanders and Roubaix well before the finish the Peleton will be decimated and the race will normally be won by the best rider of the day or maybe 2nd or 3rd in case of a mechanical or unlucky break especially in case of Roubaix. In San Remo just before the finish there will still be several riders in contention and they are hard to ditch. For the best riders it is a race hard to win since it is not so selective. But if you are not a top 5 rider but still a top 10 rider this race is your best change to win. You will see more Milan San remo Winners with only 1 monument win than any other monumentsJoostmehrtens19-03-2025