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Pro Log: Geraint Thomas to retire; Oscar winners making Gino Bartali biopic; Demi Vollering wins first race for FDJ-Suez; Netflix’s ‘Unchained’ cancelled
Welcome back to another edition of Pro Log. Here’s a rundown of the latest results before we get started:
- Clásica Jaén, Tues 17th Feb: 1st Michał Kwiatkowski, Ineos Grenadiers, 4h 00min 25sec; 2nd Isaac del Toro, UAE Team Emirates XRG, +31sec; 3rd Ibon Ruiz, Equipo Kern Pharma, +46sec.
- UAE Tour, Stage 1, Tues 17th Feb: 1st Jonathan Milan, Lidl-Trek, 3h 31min 34sec; 2nd Finn Fisher-Black, Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe, +00sec; 3rd Tobias Lund Andresen, Picnic-PostNL, +00sec.
- Setmana Ciclista Valenciana, Overall, Mon 16th Feb: 1st Demi Vollering, FDJ-Suez, 12h 52min 26sec; 2nd Marlen Reusser, Movistar, +34sec; 3rd Anna van der Breggen, SD Worx-Protime, +37sec.
- Setmana Ciclista Valenciana, Stage 4, Mon 16th Feb: 1st Elisa Balsamo, Lidl-Trek, 3h 33min 55sec; 2nd Agnieszka Skalniak-Sójka, Canyon-SRAM-Zondacrypto, +00sec; 3rd Liane Lippert, Movistar, +00sec.
- Tour de la Provence, Overall, Mon 16th Feb: 1st Mads Pedersen, Lidl-Trek, 12h 01min 06sec; 2nd Matej Mohorič, Bahrain Victorious, +13sec; 3rd Marijn van den Berg, EF Education-EasyPost, +23sec.
- Tour de la Provence, Stage 3, Mon 16th Feb: 1st Sam Bennett, Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale, 3h 54min 59sec; 2nd Marijn van den Berg, EF Education-EasyPost, +00sec; 3rd Alexander Konijn, Nice Métropole Côte d’Azur, +00sec.
Geraint Thomas to retire at end of 2025
Geraint Thomas has confirmed he will retire at the end of the year, bringing an end to a professional career spanning almost two decades. The Ineos Grenadiers rider revealed the news on social media, saying, ‘It’s not been a bad run eh? Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine being a pro for 19 years.
‘There’ll be lots of time to reflect but, before then, I’ve got some big races to prep for.’
Thomas is scheduled to return to the Giro d’Italia, where he has finished on the podium the past two seasons, as well as the Tour de France. Thomas is the most recent British winner of the Tour in 2018, while he also finished second in 2019 and third in 2022. The 38-year-old has also won two Olympic gold medals on the track as part of the team pursuit for TeamGB.
Miles Teller to play Gino Bartali in biopic
EXCLUSIVE: Miles Teller is set to play feted Italian cyclist turned WWII hero Gino Bartali in the biopic 'Bartali', which should be a strong proposition for buyers at this week’s EFM in Berlin https://t.co/PpH3eGR4eG
— Deadline (@DEADLINE) February 11, 2025
Top Gun and Whiplash actor Miles Teller is set to play cycling legend Gino Bartali in a biopic directed by Oscar-winning filmmakers Jimmy Chin and Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi, who both worked on climbing documentary Free Solo.
Bartali, which is currently in pre-production, is set to depict how the 1938 Tour de France champion put his career on hold during the Second World War, when he became a national hero for his efforts in the Italian resistance.
Bartali would smuggle counterfeit IDs in his bike frame, hide child refugees in his house – and help secretly transport some in his bike trailer – to help Jewish children escape Benito Mussolini’s fascist regime. He even hid his efforts from his family until the war was over and he’s estimated to have saved hundreds of lives.
Producer of the Bafta Award-winning The Motorcycle Diaries Karen Tenkhoff wrote the script and Vasarhelyi and Chin said, ‘It captures everything we love about storytelling – it’s about bravery, perseverance and, ultimately, about what it means to have moral courage. With Miles [Teller] attached to star in the title role, we know this epic tale will leave audiences hopeful, energised and inspired by Gino’s story.’
Teller said, ‘I’m so excited to join this incredible project and bring Gino Bartali’s inspiring story to life. He wasn’t just a cycling legend – he was a true hero who risked his own safety to help those who needed it most. I can’t wait for audiences to see the courage and heart behind his journey.’
Bartali’s story was previously made into a West End musical – read our interview with Glory Ride co-writer Todd Buchholz.
Demi Vollering wins Setmana Ciclista Valenciana
Demi Vollering has wasted no time in picking up her first wins for her new team FDJ-Suez, storming to victory on her debut with the squad at the Setmana Ciclista Valenciana. She took the overall lead with a solo victory on the opening stage, having ridden clear of her former DS Anna van der Breggen in the process.
Van der Breggen’s SD Worx-Protime teammate Mischa Bredewold won a close sprint finish against Elisa Balsamo on Stage 2 before the Italian redeemed herself with wins on Stages 3 and 4. Vollering’s gap on GC never changed after the first stage and she won the race by 34 seconds ahead of new Movistar signing – and another former colleague of Vollering – Marlen Reusser, with Van der Breggen a further three seconds back.
Netflix cancels Unchained series
Netflix is cancelling the Tour de France: Unchained documentary series after the third season airs this June. Le Parisien, which broke the news, cited Netflix’s disappointment in the French viewing figures for the decision. The third and final season that covers the 2024 Tour de France will air this June, just prior to the 2025 Tour that kicks off in Lille on Saturday 5th July.
It’s a blow for the sport. However, with some riders like Wout van Aert and Tom Pidcock expressing displeasure at how they were presented, it will do away with a need for any artificial storylines or framing things to have cyclists play a certain character and just get back to the racing itself.
- Read our full story on the news.
European Track Championships
Track cycling’s European Championships took place at the Heusden-Zolder velodrome in Belgium last week. Russian Yana Burlakova beat GB’s Rhian Edmunds for the women’s sprint title with Harrie Lavreysen winning for the men. The Netherlands took home gold against Great Britain in the women’s team sprint with France beating out the Netherlands in the men’s race.
It was double gold for Great Britain in the individual pursuit with Anna Morris and Josh Charlton coming out on top. The Netherlands’ Lorena Wiebes and Germany’s Tim Torn Teutenberg won the omnium. Teutenberg also won the men’s elimination race with Ireland’s Lara Gillespie on top for the women.
More results:
- Women’s 1km ITT: Hetty van de Wouw (Netherlands)
- Men’s 1km ITT: Matteo Bianchi (Italy)
- Women’s keirin: Steffie van der Peet (Netherlands)
- Men’s keirin: Harrie Lavreysen (Netherlands)
- Women’s points race: Anita Stenberg (Norway)
- Men’s points race: Iúri Leitão (Portugal)
- Women’s scratch race: Martina Fidanza (Italy)
- Men’s scratch race: Iúri Leitão (Portugal)
- Women’s madison: Lisa van Belle and Maike van der Duin (Netherlands)
- Men’s madison: Yanne Dorenbos and Vincent Hoppezak (Netherlands)
See you next week.
The post Pro Log: Geraint Thomas to retire; Oscar winners making Gino Bartali biopic; Demi Vollering wins first race for FDJ-Suez; Netflix’s ‘Unchained’ cancelled appeared first on Cyclist.