ANALYSIS: 5 riders who are hoping to bounce back to form in 2025, including Wout van Aert and Tom Pidcock
Cycling
The 2024 cycling season was a rollercoaster for the peloton, with many riders experiencing a range of triumphs and unexpected setbacks. While some riders reached new heights, others faced challenges that hindered their progress, and with the 2025 season now right around the corner, several of the peloton’s biggest names are eager to rebound and reestablish their name in the peloton. Here, we spotlight five riders who will be hoping to bounce back from a difficult 2024 with a strong 2025.
Tom Pidcock
Tom Pidcock's decision to leave INEOS Grenadiers and join Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team for the next three seasons has been a major talking point in the cycling community this winter. As a double Olympic mountain biking champion, Tour de France stage winner, and classics specialist, Pidcock's move from a WorldTour team to a ProTeam has raised questions about his motivations and the implications for his new squad.
Q36.5's management has expressed unwavering support for Pidcock, stating, "We're giving him full leadership, trust, and faith to try and support his goals and ambitions." This endorsement suggests that Pidcock will have the freedom to tailor his race calendar and focus on events that align with his strengths. The team's commitment to backing him fully could provide the environment he needs to rediscover his top form.
It's noteworthy that Pidcock's career trajectory seemed to plateau after his sensational Tour de France stage win in 2022. At INEOS, he was overshadowed in recent years by emerging talents like Carlos Rodriguez and often appeared below his best. His coach believes that we have still not seen the best from the man from Leeds, indicating that there is untapped potential waiting to be unleashed.
The 2025 season presents an opportunity for Pidcock to rejuvenate his career. Drawing parallels with Mathieu van der Poel's success with Alpecin-Deceuninck, some have urged Pidcock to emulate this path, suggesting that a leadership role in a smaller team could reignite his passion and performance. With the full backing of Q36.5 and a renewed sense of purpose, Pidcock is poised to make a significant impact in the upcoming season.
Wout van Aert
Wout van Aert's 2024 season was marred by misfortune, with crashes disrupting his campaign and leaving lingering physical issues. Reflecting on his injuries suffered in the spring and during the Vuelta, Van Aert admitted, "Those parts of my body still require attention every day," emphasising the challenges he faced in maintaining peak performance.
Despite these setbacks, Van Aert remains resolute in his pursuit of success. His 2025 calendar is ambitious, featuring key races such as the Tour of Flanders, Paris-Roubaix, Giro d'Italia, and Tour de France. This schedule reflects his determination to secure a monument win and reassert his status among the elite.
Van Aert's determination to return to his best is evident in his approach to recovery and competition. He acknowledged the mental toll of his injuries, stating, "It's hard to see that you're cycling for fun," yet he has channelled this adversity into motivation for the upcoming season. But can he return to the from we saw him in 2022, where he was on fire at the Tour de France?
The Belgian's versatility and talent on all terrains make him a formidable contender in any race he enters. With a comprehensive race program and a focus on both classics and grand tours, Van Aert is poised to make a significant impact in 2025.
Fabio Jakobsen
Fabio Jakobsen's inaugural season with Team DSM-Firmenich PostNL fell short of expectations, with the Dutch sprinter securing only a single victory at the Tour of Turkey. Reflecting on his performance, Jakobsen acknowledged, "I feel responsible for the position I'm in," highlighting his commitment to self-improvement and accountability.
Jakobsen's challenges were multifaceted, encompassing adaptation to a new team environment, equipment, and training methodologies. He noted, "You have to get used to the new training schedule and the equipment. I had some minor setbacks, and in top-level sport they can be quite big." This transition period, coupled with the ever-evolving competitive landscape of professional cycling, posed significant hurdles.
In response to these obstacles, Jakobsen has undertaken a comprehensive reassessment of his training regimen and race strategy. He emphasised the necessity for continuous development, stating, "If you do not improve in current cycling, you will stand still and they will inevitably overtake you." This introspection has led to targeted adjustments aimed at returning him to very front in the sprints, where just a few years ago he was one of the very best.
Looking ahead to 2025, Jakobsen is resolute in his ambition to return to the front of the peloton. His focus is set on major objectives, including the Tour de France, where he aims to contest stage victories and reaffirm his status as one of the peloton's premier fast men. With a renewed mindset and strategic enhancements, Jakobsen will be desperate to rebound and achieve his goals in the upcoming season.
Juan Ayuso
Juan Ayuso's 2024 season was a strange one to say the least. The young Spanish talent, who had previously showed his potential with a podium finish at the 2022 Vuelta a España, faced challenges that impeded his progress. Internal team dynamics and health issues, including a bout of illness that led to his withdrawal from the Tour de France, disrupted his campaign. Of course, the most memorable moment of his season actually came on the Galibre, when he and teammate Joao Almeida appeared to have a bust up over Ayuso’s lack of effort in supporting Tadej Pogacar.
Despite these setbacks, Ayuso remains a central figure in UAE Team Emirates' plans for 2025, and the team has announced that he will co-lead their Giro d'Italia squad alongside Adam Yates. This leadership role presents Ayuso with an opportunity to demonstrate his capabilities in a grand tour setting, free from the shadow of teammate Tadej Pogacar at last.
Ayuso's preparation for the Giro includes participation in key lead-up races such as the Tirreno-Adriatico and the Volta a Catalunya. So, will 2025 finally be the year where one of Spain’s most talented young rider realises his potential and wins a grand tour?
Tao Geoghegan Hart
Tao Geoghegan Hart enters the 2025 season with much to prove. The British rider, who claimed an emphatic Giro d’Italia victory in 2020, has struggled to replicate those career-defining performances in subsequent years. Now part of Lidl-Trek, Geoghegan Hart has the backing of a team that believes in his capabilities and is looking to rejuvenate his career as he transitions into a new chapter.
Lidl-Trek has publicly declared its support for Geoghegan Hart, with team management stating that they have full confidence in him. This endorsement underscores the team’s commitment to helping him regain his form, confidence, and achieve his goals. As a key rider, Geoghegan Hart’s leadership and experience will be pivotal, particularly as Lidl-Trek eyes success in both stage races and one-day classics.
The 2024 season was another challenging one for Geoghegan Hart, filled with inconsistencies and results that fell short of expectations. However, his move to Lidl-Trek provides an opportunity to reset and refocus. With a more tailored race calendar and a team designed around supporting his strengths, Geoghegan Hart will be hoping to return to the highs of 2020. The possibility of riding alongside Jonathan Milan in the Tour de France offers an additional dynamic, with the team potentially targeting both general classification and sprint stages.
So, there you have it, five riders we think will be fighting for better years in 2025. But is there anyone we’ve missed off the list? And will any of the riders we’ve mentioned so far be successful in their quest to return to form?
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- Isn't the riders comming from indoor e-sport cycling crashing a lot?Jkolner12308-01-2025
- Right... Unless the two people above consider 2 Paris Roubaix and 3 Ronde meaningless... You don't win that many editions by being lucky.alsene08-01-2025
- Call it how you want, in order to win which matters to him, even if it’s for the team as lead-out, he has to and tries to be in top shape 10 out of 12 months, whether that’s a bunch of peaks, a couple of prolonged peaks or just that his general level is so good he can win anytime without peaking is a new discussion.Jumpyjohn08-01-2025
- I think he’s right and mental attitude is one of the biggest factors at elite level, especially over 3 weeks.Jumpyjohn08-01-2025
- Enforcing cease and desist isn't working. The site is still live (8 Jan 13:55 CET)leodis08-01-2025
- You’re both right but also both (me too) biased by this endless indoctrination through the expectations of others (no cyclist is worth mentioning without a tdf legacy) and sorry Fred but the part about him having to win the whole thing is misguided, Cavendish is venerated by most and he might not have even reached 50th in the how many editions he did (about double Merckxs). As rightly said Mathieu rides for HIMSELF (aside obligations) take it or leave it, I really don’t think he (and most others, even Cav or Pog) lie around in bed at night worrying or strategising about how to cement a place in history. We are lucky to witness a period where some of the best cyclists are (aside from money) motivated in the right way, you can often see in the authentic way they celebrate crossing the line after a huge effort, MVDPs are some of the best, 100% dedication, my favourite was the communion with his grandfather when he won that stage, it was visibly (worth seeing again if available) so powerful, I even think the only reason he tried the TdF at all (he’d never really shown any interest personally and I’m pretty sure it was a business “obligation” was in hommage to his grandfather who meant so much to him. Once done I think he realised he doesn’t enjoy it (should he (any of us actually) force himself to do a job he isn’t enjoying?) and saw no more reason to continue but being open he accepted to try something new, lead-out man and did it admirably. His riding career has now probably “peaked” and he’ll want to focus on those things personally still important before it’s too late and leads to regrets. I am sure he’ll regret his luck/carelessness at Olympics more than anything TdF related and among future goals, that will be his number 1 rectification target and sorry for those TdF obsessors (who often watch nothing else all year) but for many the Olympics are more important than eg the Tour, no matter what the majority of cycling thinks, and they have that right.Mistermaumau08-01-2025
- To MVDP, even if he wins 10 stages of the TDF, if he can't be overall champion (GC), he still loses.. so he thinks he has nothing to gain. He'd rather win a hundred minor races than frustrate himself trying to win the grandest race of them all. The mindset of a winner, you say? Maybe, but I don't think so. Nevertheless, he's a great cyclist. Monuments and classics, one-day races are his thing. He can ride a one-day 300 km race and win it, but a 3,500 km race spread over 21 days? Forget it.. he can win a stage or two, wear the yellow jersey for a day or two, (no mean feat, by the way) and finish in 50th place just the same, not even good enough for a podium, and he doesn't like it. To him, it's a waste of time.FredMan08-01-2025
- i’m with you on this… ALL IN for the xco world’s. a legacy of World Champion in four disciplines. that’s one for the ages…OCexile08-01-2025
- i’ve said before that i worry for mathieu’s place in history because he only has one tdf stage. cycling pundits place SO much emphasis off tdf wins that many of them still rate wva as superior to van der poel, which can ONLY be based on wout’s 9 tour wins (which impressively DO come over the whole spectrum of tdf parcours). as a fan of mvdp i wish he’d dedicate a couple years to racking up 5 or 6 more stage wins. that said, mathieu matches to his own drummer. he gets bored easily. and ultimately he’s gonna decide all in his own what does and don’t capture his interest and imagination. that’s one of the things i like BEST about him, so if he’s done with the Tour then that’s that, au revoir…OCexile08-01-2025
- I reported this in March of 2024. There was a bogus Facebook ad.davbott08-01-2025