Meanwhile in the peloton | Realini falls during training and breaks elbow, Aerts scores 'bingo' with top-ten finishes

The cycling world is abuzz with activity every day, and the flow of news rarely stops. While the big headlines take center stage, countless smaller updates, rumors, and tidbits also circulate. That’s why IDLProCycling.com created "Meanwhile in the peloton," so that you don't miss out on the smaller stories as well. We also include interesting social media posts here, though some should be taken with a grain of salt.

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Realini falls during training, suffers elbow fracture

January 15 - Gaia Realini, the petite Italian climber and team leader for Lidl-Trek, has had an unfortunate start to the new year. "A few days ago, I crashed during training," Realini shared on her Instagram. "I suffered a small fracture in my elbow, which certainly wasn't necessary." She went on to thank her team and the doctors. "Everything will be fine!! The season hasn’t started yet, and the best is yet to come!" she concluded optimistically.

The 23-year-old had a standout season last year. She began with a fourth-place finish at the UAE Tour, experienced a less successful run during the Ardennes classics, but bounced back impressively in stage races. Realini finished seventh in both the Tour of Switzerland and the Giro d’Italia Donne, earned an impressive fifth place at the Tour de France Femmes, and wrapped up her season with a third-place finish at the Tour de Romandie.

Toon Aerts scores 'bingo' of top-ten finishes

January 15 - Here's one for the 'fun but useless stats' category: Toon Aerts has achieved a 1-to-10 bingo this season! With his victory on Monday in Otegem, the Belgian finally ticked off every top-ten position. This means that the Deschacht-Hens-Maes rider has secured all possible placements in the top ten this season. Is it a meaningless statistic? Absolutely! But it also speaks to Aerts' excellent form this season.

Aerts saw the humor in it, sharing the stats with the caption "Bingo" and calling it a creative achievement.

Wildcards Omloop distributed: Tudor, Q36.5, and Tietema take part in the Flemish opening race

January 14 - The Omloop Het Nieuwsblad has announced the competing teams. The Flemish season opener has distributed five wildcards. Tom Pidcock already announced his desire to ride the classic, and his wish is coming true: Q36.5 Pro Cycling has received confirmation. Tudor Pro Cycling may also travel to Flanders. Whether new stars like Julian Alaphilippe and Marc Hirschi will participate is unknown.

Tietema Unibet Rockets may also start. For the first time, the team of former rider and influencer Bas Tietema will start in Ghent. Further wildcards have been distributed to Uno-X Pro Cycling and Team Flanders-Baloise.

Démare and Vauquelin reveal pre-season program

January 13 - Arkea-B&B Hotels has announced the pre-season programs of two of its leaders. Arnaud Démare will ride Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne, among other things, and Kévin Vauquelin will ride a French-Italian program.

After a leisurely start in France with races like the GP La Marseillaise, Étoile de Bessèges, and the Classic Var, Vauquelin sets his sights on three key Italian races. The Strade Bianche, Tirreno-Adriatico, and Milan-San Remo offer plenty of opportunities for the French rider to show himself. It will be looking forward to the performances of the 23-year-old rider, who already finished second in the Flèche Wallonne last year. So there should be opportunities during races like Strade Bianche and Milan-San Remo.

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Démare has announced his program for the first part of the season. The French sprinter of Arkéa-B&B Hotels will start his year with the Trofeo Palma. He will then take part in the French stage race Étoile de Bessèges before rejoining a Spanish one-day race: the Clásica de Almería. Démare will also be in Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne. Finally, the prestigious stage race Paris-Nice is also on his schedule.

Démare's impressive record now includes 97 victories. Yet his career has been less successful in recent years. In 2024, the 33-year-old Frenchman only managed to win twice and did not play a significant role in the bigger races. In 2025, the way up will have to be found for Démare himself and the ailing Arkéa-B&B Hotels. After all, UCI points and funding are desperately needed for the French formation.

Padun retires from cycling

January 12 - Who still remembers Mark Padun? In 2021, the Ukrainian briefly turned the cycling world upside down by winning two consecutive stages at the Critérium du Dauphiné. It seemed like the start of a promising career filled with major successes, but those successes never materialized. After that unexpected triumph, his career stalled.

Padun went on to ride for EF Education-EasyPost and in 2024 for Team Corratec - Vini Fantini, but his performances failed to meet expectations. Last season, he didn’t finish a single race. The career of the 28-year-old climber started with a bang but has ended almost unnoticed, reports CyclingUpToDate. Still, those two stage wins in France will remain etched in cycling history forever.

French champion Lapeira extends with Decathlon AG2R until 2027

January 10 – After securing a fifth-place finish in the Amstel Gold Race, multiple wins on the French circuit, and a victory in the second stage of the Tour of the Basque Country, Clément Lapeira capped off 2024 with his crowning achievement: winning the French national championship. Following a stellar season, which included five wins, he convinced Decathlon AG2R to offer him a new contract, extending his stay with the team until the end of 2027.

Lapeira eagerly signed on the dotted line. "It's a renewal that came about naturally, leaving no room for doubt. I did all my training within the team's network, and with a fine progression under my belt, it encouraged me to continue in the same vein. I'm delighted to be extending my contract for a further two years, until 2027, which will bring my total years with the team to six by the end of the contract. It's starting to make quite a story," said the 24-year-old Frenchman in the team’s press release.

"I think I'm in the right place to continue to progress over the next three years and bring the team the best possible results. I'm confident in the future of training, and the vision of the project to 2028 brings serenity." Lapeira is set to kick off his season next week in Australia.

Kristoff solves his holiday belly with a golden move

January 10, 2025 - The holidays are over, even for Alexander Kristoff. As a result, the rider from Uno-X Mobility had not yet reached his target weight when the new photos for 2025 were taken. But the Norwegian solved this brilliantly - the results are great images!

Cosnefroy needs knee surgery

January 8, 2025 - There is some bad news for Benoit Cosnefroy heading into 2025. The Frenchman needs surgery, his team Decathlon AG2R announced. 'Benoit has been struggling with knee pain for several weeks, disrupting his preparation for the season. He will undergo surgery next week, from which he will have to rehabilitate for four weeks before he can resume normal training. We will then communicate about his race program.' It is not yet clear whether the classics will be in jeopardy for the winner of the Brabantse Pijl.

Club competition has more races in total

January 8, 2025 - Exciting news for the club competition! With the announcement of the 2025 program, it is immediately noticeable that two additional races have been added to the calendar. Although De Omloop Noordenveld and Bergomloop Simpelveld have been removed, this is balanced by the thrilling addition of the Eurode Omloop, Omloop van Herxen, Omloop van Buchten, and Omloop van Zwarte Waterland.

The NATO summit and the decreased police presence will not affect these races. They are held on completely closed courses, so it is almost certain that this will not cause any problems.

Wallays embarks on 15,000-kilometer tour of Europe for charity

January 8, 2025 - Jelle Wallays is facing one hell of a tour for charity. The Belgian was forced to stop as a professional cyclist in 2023. However, that does not keep him from continuing to cycle fanatically. Thus, on April 2, the now 35-year-old former rider will embark on a grueling tour of Europa.

"The route is set," Wallays captioned his Instagram message. "This is the journey I will make in 2025: 15,000 kilometers, 100 days, 23 countries. From the sunny coasts of Spain to the scenic landscapes of Slovenia and the historic charm of Poland—every kilometer will contribute to my mission for Kom op tegen Kanker. This adventure is not just a personal challenge but also an opportunity to raise awareness for a cause that touches us all. Follow my journey and explore Europe with me, one pedal stroke at a time," he also adds, writing.

Wallays, unfortunately, also has his own experiences with the terrible disease. His uncle, Luc Wallays, passed away from the disease. "Luc was my mentor; without him, I would never have turned pro. When he died suddenly, I wasn't able to talk to him anymore. He wrote a letter saying he loved me and dreamed I could turn pro for 15 years. Next year is that 15th year. I retired in 2023; last year, I focused on triathlons, and in 2025, I want to honor Uncle Luc. That's the main goal and personal incentive behind my plans," he told VRT Nieuws in December.  

Tom Dumoulin at Roma-Lazio soccer derby

January 6, 2025 - Tom Dumoulin was in Rome last weekend. On Sunday, he attended the soccer match between city rivals AS Roma and Lazio. The match is notorious in Italy because of the fierce rivalry between the two clubs. The home team, Roma, won the match in the Italian Serie A, defeating I Biancocelesti 2-0.  

Thomas Dekker going to be a father for the first time

January 5, 2025 - Former cyclist Thomas Dekker is set to become a father for the first time. He announced the news from Nepal on Instagram. "Nepal with three. I'm going to be a dad," he shared on social media on behalf of himself and his girlfriend Debby.

Gino Mäder's birthday

January 4, 2025 – Sandra Mäder posted on social media to honor the birthday of her late son, Gino Mäder. The Swiss cyclist tragically passed away in 2023 following a crash in the Tour of Switzerland, making it a year and a half since his untimely departure.

"All the best for your heavenly birthday. I hope the angels sing for you. Maybe Muriel baked a cake for you," Sandra wrote, referencing Muriel Furrer, who tragically passed away after a crash at last year’s World Championships. She concluded with a heartfelt message: "I miss you."

Ben Hermans and Tobias Ludvigsson retire from cycling effective immediately

January 4, 2025 - Ben Hermans did not receive a new contract from his former team Cofidis after 2024. At 38, the Belgian cyclist was searching for a new team but has now decided to end that pursuit. After sixteen seasons, his professional career has come to an end. “The first few months will take some getting used to,” he told Het Belang van Limburg. “I have some ideas about what I want to do in the future, but nothing concrete yet,” Hermans added.

Tobias Ludvigsson will also not return to the pro peloton in 2025. The 33-year-old Swede, who rode for the Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team in 2024, has announced his retirement as well. In a social media post, he thanked his wife, family, and everyone who supported him in the sport. “Now it’s time to find a normal job. I’m open to anything. Bring it on!”

Tietema Unibet Rockets partners with French amateur team

January 1, 2025 – Tietema Unibet Rockets, the team of Bas Tietema and his companions, has taken a new step forward. The squad has entered into a partnership with Charvieu-Chavagneux Isère Cyclisme, according to Cyclism'Actu. This amateur team will serve as a kind of development squad for the French Pro-Continental team, which last year raced under a Dutch license.

Evenepoel unveils R.EV Store in Schepdaal and launches new campaign

January 1, 2025 – In a new video on his YouTube channel, Remco Evenepoel showcased his new R.EV store in Schepdaal. The shop is filled with merchandise, prominently displays the bike from his first world title on the road, and invites customers to drop by for a cup of coffee. Evenepoel also introduced a new campaign for the charity De Warmste Week, giving away five signed jerseys.

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