5 things we learned from the opening races of the season

by January 27, 2025

written by January 27, 2025

5 things we learned from the opening races of the season

The 2025 cycling season is well and truly up and running with some talking points already beginning to develop after the first races flashed by. The Tour Down Under is done and dusted and all eyes now turn to Europe and the imminent arrival of Opening Weekend, via the Middle East.

Here are five takeaways from the Tour Down Under and recent men’s and women’s races in Spain to whet the appetite for what’s to come in the weeks ahead.

Hirschi was in scintillating form at the tail end of last year for UAE Emirates. The Swiss star enjoyed a trio of victories at the Clásica San Sebastián, Coppa Agostoni and Sabatini and finished sixth overall in the men’s elite World Championships road race. His transfer to a new environment could well be the catalyst to him kicking on even further in the coming years and take him to the next level.

Building on his Tour Down Under success with a few wins in the upcoming UAE Tour, followed by a solid performance in Paris-Nice, could well put him in contention for a return to the Tour this summer where he says he will be targeting opening day victory and the race’s first yellow jersey if selected. However, three wins at the TDU last year did not amount to much more in Europe. Welsford will hope this year is different.