"Our dream has become a reality" - Fabian Cancellara, Julian Alaphilippe & Marc Hirschi react as Tour de France debut is confirmed for Tudor Pro Cycling Team
Cycling
With the official confirmation of the wildcards for the 2025 Tour de France, potentially the most delighted team on the entire list is the Tudor Pro Cycling Team, who are set for a first ever appearance at the most-watched bike race on the planet.
For the legendary Fabian Cancellara, team boss of the Swiss-based Tudor Pro Cycling Team and himself an eight-time stage winner at the Tour de France, the confirmation of their wildcard in 2025 means the realisation of long-term dream. “I have a lot of history with the Tour and I’m really looking forward to being back at the Grand Départ in my new role now," says the 44-year-old Swiss in a press release to his team's official website. "I’m very happy for the team, proud and excited. It’s our dream that becomes a reality now. We’re ready to show a daring racing spirit - in July we’re heading to France to race and not only to participate!"
Although this may be a Tour de France debut for the team, there is no shortage of experience in the French Grand Tour within the riders. Most notably, the darling of French cycling - Julian Alaphilippe is expected to lead Tudor at his home Grand Tour later this summer. “It’s super motivating to think about the Tour and it’s a real personal challenge to come back to the Tour, but even more so to be there with my new team. It definitely is a historic moment for Tudor Pro Cycling," says the two-time world champion. "The Tour de France is looking very difficult, as it does every year, with plenty of opportunities for punchers. Every stage of the Tour requires a lot of concentration and motivation, but especially in the first week, I see some opportunities with several stages designed for puncher profiles.“
Another of the big, winter acquisitions for the team - Marc Hirschi, also has proven, Tour de France stage winning experience to add to the team. “I have such good memories from the Tour: back in 2020, being at the start of my first Tour de France was a dream. For me, it is a dream to go back to the Tour," comments the former UAE Team Emirates - XRG star. "Going there and winning a stage would be the highlight of the year. The Tour is so special and so well known outside of cycling, that everyone wants to be at the start. The crowds are crazy all day long on all stages.“
“We’re a ProTeam, but operating on World Tour level has always been our goal. We’ve worked very hard on the structure of the team and are convinced that both staff and riders are ready for our first Tour de France participation. The invitation to this year’s Tour de France marks an important and historic step in the young history of Tudor Pro Cycling," adds Raphael Meyer, Tudor Pro Cycling CEO. "With dedication and our daring approach to pro cycling we’re looking forward showing ourselves at the Tour de France this summer.“
💛 Julian Alaphilippe de retour sur le #TDF2025 🥲
— Tour de France™ (@LeTour) March 31, 2025
Welcome @TudorProCycling 🙌 https://t.co/Hlt2qkyZw0 pic.twitter.com/XNNdkoEEC0
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- if there is an actual weakness in wout even when completely healthy, it’s that he’s in his head too often. this has been pointed out many times by much more acute observers of cycling than ME, certainly. it may be that he’s been like this since he was a little kid. we are who we are. or that he was shaped by having faced van der poel SOOO many times. mvdp has zero second thoughts. he wastes no time at all on doubt. that has, in the past, led him to do some pretty insane things and make mistakes that wout would never have committed. but it also makes him a killer. you can see wout’s split seconds of doubt and hesitation everywhere in their head to head battles. those hesitations spill over into other races at times like dwars, when doubt creeps in. i believe that currently he is still coming back from physical problems due to injuries, but even when he’s full strength the mental game is an area of potential concern, AND potential improvement.OCexile03-04-2025
- Not only the public, just about every analyst and commentator had been piling it on. Under the circumstances I’d even say he’s showing real character. Not sure likeable Tadej would manage as well during a longer rough patch.Mistermaumau03-04-2025
- Took a while but we finally have a more nuanced analysis.Mistermaumau03-04-2025
- If I remember right, it was those same hungry journalists selling us a different story less than a year ago about the bleak future of Dutch (men’s) cycling with no possible successor for MVDP ;-)Mistermaumau03-04-2025
- Good, hopefully Jonas goes also so we get a nice duelvappaxbipmv03-04-2025
- right? i think it’s hungry journalists that fuel this, and i understand the jam they can be in trying to create stories, but you’d hate to think ANYONE is failing to appreciate how RARE someone like van der poel is (or how LUCKY we are to have both mvdp and pog racing at the same time). a little perspective is a good thing…OCexile03-04-2025
- Anyone know how long that 213km ride took? Coz without that the segment speeds don’t reveal anything surprising. If it took him Less than 5h ok but otherwise it was just some interval training for him.Jumpyjohn03-04-2025
- Hinault was even lighter than Pog at 62 kg when he won PR in 1981, beating Roger van Vlaeminck no less (albeit at the fag end of the latter's career), so it can be done.Cooldude03-04-2025
- Having to shoulder too much pressure from the Belgain public too much that he made a tactical mistake. That's what public pressure does to you. Poor Wout! Hopefully, lady luck befalls him soon.
KerisVroom03-04-2025 - If he's very lucky maybe he can podium a Tour one season, I certainly don't believe he can win it, evervappaxbipmv03-04-2025