Team Picnic PostNL

Giro d’Italia Week 1 – Race Report

Giro d'Italia
May 17, 2025
Romain Bardet
Romain Bardet
Alex Edmondson
Alex Edmondson
Chris Hamilton
Chris Hamilton
Gijs Leemreize
Gijs Leemreize
Niklas Märkl
Niklas Märkl
Max Poole
Max Poole
Casper van Uden
Casper van Uden
Bram Welten
Bram Welten

18th May – Stage 9: Gubbio – Siena

The final day of racing in the opening week of the Giro d’Italia saw the much fated gravel stage, with the route taking on a few of the dirt road sections from Strade Bianche. Team Picnic PostNL set out with the main goal of protecting GC finisher Max Poole and getting through the stage in the best possible way.

Coming into the first sector of gravel roads Poole was well positioned after some good teamwork by the squad, but disaster struck with a puncture for Poole as he was with the main GC group. Some quick thinking from Romain Bardet who was with him saw Poole switch to Bardet’s bike, as the bunch was so stretched out the team cars were far behind, but at that point the group ahead had already gone.

From there the race remained on and despite some committed teamwork and big pulls from Alex Edmondson and then Chris Hamilton tried to limit the losses but ultimately Poole would come into Siena over five minutes behind the stage winner on the day.

Trying to find the positives out of the bad luck Poole expressed: “It was just one of those days where it went wrong at the worst possible moment. You know, we actually did a really good job, I’m proud of the boys. I was on Romain’s bike for two or three sectors. Alex did super to come back and do some work, and then Chris did some really strong pulls. You know that things can happen on these roads so we just tried our best to keep going forward. I stayed pretty calm as you have to focus on what you can do. I’ve been riding well this week so it’s a bit disappointing to end the week like this and have that big a time loss, but it’s a long race. It’s swings and roundabouts. We have the rest day tomorrow and then we’ll go again.”

Results

  • 42.566/H
  • 181KM
  • 2346M
  • Stage
  • General classification
  • Points classification
  • Youth classification
  • Mountains classification
  • Teams classification
Pos.RiderTeamTimePoints
1VAN AERT WoutTeam Visma | Lease a Bike4:15:08-
2DEL TORO IsaacUAE Team Emirates - XRG,,-
3CICCONE GiulioLidl - Trek0:58-
38POOLE MaxTeam Picnic PostNL5:02-
70HAMILTON ChrisTeam Picnic PostNL11:24-
77EDMONDSON AlexTeam Picnic PostNL14:27-
115MÄRKL NiklasTeam Picnic PostNL22:59-
120BARDET RomainTeam Picnic PostNL23:05-
145LEEMREIZE GijsTeam Picnic PostNL,,-
156VAN UDEN CasperTeam Picnic PostNL,,-

17th May – Stage 8: Giulianova – Castelraimondo

A good stage for the breakaway saw a big fight to make the move, with no group able to fully establish itself for over 70 kilometres of racing. Team Picnic PostNL were active in trying to make those early moves, with Romain Bardet particuarly active as he look to fight back from his crash the previous day.

At one point a dangerous and large group had a 20 second advantage and without any representation from the team, Chris Hamilton set tempo at the front of the peloton. Timing his move well, Bardet then jumped and bridged across; ultimately forming part of the 19 rider move.

However, as the group was so big the cooperation wasn’t great out front, despite their extending gap over the peloton. Approaching the top of the longest climb of the day, Bardet put in an acceleration to try split things, and despite briefly forging on with four riders, things came back together again.

The tactical games continued and five-rider group went clear, with Bardet and one other then bridged to on the descent. However, Bardet had spent several bullets at that point and had to let go of the wheels when the pace increased on the next climb. He would be picked up by some more chasers that would go on to battle it out for sixth place on the day; with Bardet securing ninth on the stage. Behind in the peloton the team looked after Max Poole well, who came home with the rest of the GC riders.

Bardet said: “I could ride more or less normally. There was some discomfort, but nothing too serious. It was tough to manage today out front. It was a big group, so I tried to isolate myself at the front early on, and that cost me a lot physically. Then the stage win slipped away. It’s always hard to get into the break in a Grand Tour. I tried to keep the group as small as possible to avoid teams with numerical superiority. That’s why I pretended to go for the KOM, hoping to attack in the descent. But it was still a long way from the finish, and I just didn’t have the legs to do more today.”

Team Picnic PostNL coach Matt Winston added: “It was a really hard start with some really good commitment from the guys. The break finally went with Romain in there, but he was outnumbered so we tried to thin the group out a little. In the end the race and the impact of yesterday caught up with him a bit and he had to drop. Behind the guys did a really good job to protect Max.”

Results

  • 41.571/H
  • 197KM
  • 3792M
  • Stage
  • General classification
  • Points classification
  • Youth classification
  • Mountains classification
  • Teams classification
Pos.RiderTeamTimePoints
1PLAPP LukeTeam Jayco AlUla4:44:20-
2KELDERMAN WilcoTeam Visma | Lease a Bike0:38-
3ULISSI DiegoXDS Astana Team,,-
9BARDET RomainTeam Picnic PostNL3:02-
33POOLE MaxTeam Picnic PostNL4:50-
61HAMILTON ChrisTeam Picnic PostNL6:29-
81LEEMREIZE GijsTeam Picnic PostNL13:08-
138MÄRKL NiklasTeam Picnic PostNL28:20-
139EDMONDSON AlexTeam Picnic PostNL,,-
161VAN UDEN CasperTeam Picnic PostNL,,-

16th May – Stage 7: Castel di Sangro – Tagliacozzo

The first hill-top finish of the Giro d’Italia saw the peloton traverse rolling terrain throughout Friday’s stage. Potentially a good day for the breakaway, Team Picnic PostNL were alert at the start of the stage for any bigger groups going with Gijs Leemreize making it into a move of seven. However, the peloton ultimately never allowed their gap grow to an advantage that would be big enough to fight for the stage win.

Back in the peloton, an unfortunate touch of wheels saw someone move into Romain Bardet who himself fell on the ground on an uphill section. Strong teamwork by the team’s sprint group, followed by Chris Hamilton, then saw Bardet return to the peloton where he would join Max Poole ahead of the final climb, but it would have to be seen what effects the crash had on Bardet.

From the bottom a strong pace was set. Leemreize, who was now caught, and Hamilton did their best to position the duo, before Bardet then did one last pull to bring Poole forward at two kilometres to go before he then rode to the top at a more manageable pace after his fall; conceding five minutes in the GC battle. Ahead, Poole was impressive and climbed with the best, looking strong on the climb’s steeper final gradients. In the end an explosive attack decided the stage while Poole battled to ninth come the line, moving up to fifth place on GC.

Poole said: “It was the first GC shake-up of the Giro with the opening uphill finish. It was good that we had Gijs in the break and for most of the day it was looking good that they could fight for a result, but then the pace in the bunch went up and then it turned into a GC battle for the stage. Unfortunately Romain touched the deck not long before the run-in into the climb. Hamo did well to then bring him back, but of course it wasn’t ideal. Romain then led me out into the steeper final three kilometres so I was with the best guys. I tried my best until the end to go for the stage and a top result. I lost the wheel a bit in the final few hundred metres but kept pushing as hard as I could to the line and stayed in the game. Tomorrow’s a new day and we’ll keep fighting on.”

After struggling at the start today and being one of the first riders dropped early on, Bram Welten unfortunately abandoned the Giro d’Italia today.

Results

  • 38.707/H
  • 168KM
  • 3390M
  • Stage
  • General classification
  • Points classification
  • Youth classification
  • Mountains classification
  • Teams classification
Pos.RiderTeamTimePoints
1AYUSO JuanUAE Team Emirates - XRG4:20:25-
2DEL TORO IsaacUAE Team Emirates - XRG0:04-
3BERNAL EganINEOS Grenadiers,,-
9POOLE MaxTeam Picnic PostNL0:08-
55HAMILTON ChrisTeam Picnic PostNL5:09-
57BARDET RomainTeam Picnic PostNL,,-
58LEEMREIZE GijsTeam Picnic PostNL,,-
161MÄRKL NiklasTeam Picnic PostNL19:43-
162VAN UDEN CasperTeam Picnic PostNL,,-
166EDMONDSON AlexTeam Picnic PostNL,,-
DNFWELTEN BramTeam Picnic PostNL-

15th May – Stage 6: Potenza – Napoli

The longest stage of the Giro d’Italia saw the peloton traverse 226 kilometres from Potenza to Napoli. The opening two thirds of the day saw several climbs, before a flatter 60 kilometre run-in to the finish. It was a fast start to the day with several attacks and breakaway attempts, but ultimately a two rider group went clear while Team Picnic PostNL remained in the bunch, looking to set up another sprint finish to contest for their second win of the race.

Rain started to fall over the peloton around halfway through the race and made the local roads slippy, and unfortunately a large crash took down several riders. As a result, the race was neutralised before it resumed with 50 kilometres to go – with no GC times given at the finish and only the stage win up for contention. Team Picnic PostNL helped to contribute to the pace to bring back the strong breakaway duo but on the twisting roads of Napoli the team couldn’t move up and didn’t compete for a top result on the day.

Team Picnic PostNL coach Matt Winston said: “We wanted to bring Casper into the sprint in the finish to go for it again today. The guys rode well together throughout the stage, and we helped with chase in the peloton to make sure it came down to a bunch sprint. Then in the end, we came into the sprint a bit too far back to be honest and when we hit the corners in the deep final there was no real possibility to move up.”

Results

  • 45.42/H
  • 227KM
  • 2496M
  • Stage
  • General classification
  • Points classification
  • Youth classification
  • Mountains classification
  • Teams classification
Pos.RiderTeamTimePoints
1GROVES KadenAlpecin - Deceuninck4:59:52-
2FRETIN MilanCofidis,,-
3MAGNIER PaulSoudal Quick-Step,,-
26VAN UDEN CasperTeam Picnic PostNL,,-
29EDMONDSON AlexTeam Picnic PostNL,,-
40MÄRKL NiklasTeam Picnic PostNL,,-
44WELTEN BramTeam Picnic PostNL,,-
68LEEMREIZE GijsTeam Picnic PostNL,,-
69HAMILTON ChrisTeam Picnic PostNL,,-
99POOLE MaxTeam Picnic PostNL,,-
104BARDET RomainTeam Picnic PostNL,,-

13th May – Stage 5: Ceglie Messapica – Matera

Fresh off the back of a brilliant win the previous day, Team Picnic PostNL were ready for more action as the Giro took on the finish to Matera; with the same finale that was used back in 2020. A controlled start saw a three rider break go clear with all of the team’s riders within the peloton, keeping each other safe and preserving energy for what was to come.

On the Montescaglioso climb with 30 kilometres to go a hard pace was set and the peloton reduced in numbers to around 80 riders. Romain Bardet, Max Poole, Chris Hamilton and Gijs Leemreize represented the team out front, with the latter two positioning the team’s GC finishers for the punchy finale. Bardet and Poole were alert on the last ascent and under the flamme rouge, where Bardet brought Poole forward to go for it in the sprint. Poole started his sprint from around sixth wheel but unfortunately had to check his effort to avoid a potential crash; with the duo ultimately finishing safely in the peloton.

Bardet said: “It was a pretty stressful and hard final with some kickers. It was a bit of a polarised day though. with the first part being pretty easy. Then there was the climb with 30 kilometres to go, that four of us made it over. We then tried to do the best in the final that we could, as there was quite some lactic in the peloton. We were there in the last kilometre but unfortunately we couldn’t sprint the way we wanted to as Max got blocked a bit. We showed our presence once again though so it’s been a good first week so far.”

Results

  • 43.659/H
  • 151KM
  • 1487M
  • Stage
  • General classification
  • Points classification
  • Youth classification
  • Mountains classification
  • Teams classification
Pos.RiderTeamTimePoints
1PEDERSEN MadsLidl - Trek3:27:31-
2ZAMBANINI EdoardoBahrain - Victorious,,-
3PIDCOCK ThomasQ36.5 Pro Cycling Team,,-
25BARDET RomainTeam Picnic PostNL,,-
26POOLE MaxTeam Picnic PostNL,,-
69HAMILTON ChrisTeam Picnic PostNL1:12-
86LEEMREIZE GijsTeam Picnic PostNL2:44-
138VAN UDEN CasperTeam Picnic PostNL9:17-
162EDMONDSON AlexTeam Picnic PostNL14:00-
166WELTEN BramTeam Picnic PostNL,,-
167MÄRKL NiklasTeam Picnic PostNL,,-

11th May – Stage 3: Vlorë – Vlorë

The final day of racing in Albania saw an intriguing parcours with a tough climb cresting with 40 kilometres to go. Depending on the attitude of the peloton, it was possibly a good day for the breakaway so Team Picnic PostNL wanted to be present in the move if it looked to be a promising one.

As expected the opening part of the stage was fiercely competitive and Chris Hamilton made it into a group of four that then swelled to six, however the counter attacks stopped from behind and the gap increased. The peloton didn’t allow it to grow more than three minutes as a strong tempo was set throughout the day. On the last ascent of the day some counter attacks came from the peloton and Hamilton was the last man standing from the original move, but ultimately it all came back together heading into the finale.

The rest of the team did well to position Romain Bardet and Max Poole ahead of that final ascent, where they were joined by Gijs Leemreize over the top. Hamilton and Leemreize then looked after the duo of Bardet and Poole coming into the sprint, where Poole mixed it in the group of 80 riders to take 13th place on the stage.

Hamilton expressed: “It was our intention to get someone up in the break today because we thought it could be good chance for it. I managed to find myself in a pretty good group but unfortunately we didn’t get too big a time gap and the bunch didn’t let us get too far up the road. We were caught just over the top of the final climb. From then on, it was about keeping romain and Max safe and in position for the final which we did well. I think it was another good team display from the guys.”

Results

  • 41.778/H
  • 160KM
  • 2921M
  • Stage
  • General classification
  • Points classification
  • Youth classification
  • Mountains classification
  • Teams classification
Pos.RiderTeamTimePoints
1PEDERSEN MadsLidl - Trek3:49:47-
2STRONG CorbinIsrael - Premier Tech,,-
3AULAR OrluisMovistar Team,,-
13POOLE MaxTeam Picnic PostNL,,-
50BARDET RomainTeam Picnic PostNL,,-
62LEEMREIZE GijsTeam Picnic PostNL,,-
84HAMILTON ChrisTeam Picnic PostNL,,-
157MÄRKL NiklasTeam Picnic PostNL16:46-
158VAN UDEN CasperTeam Picnic PostNL,,-
164EDMONDSON AlexTeam Picnic PostNL,,-
171WELTEN BramTeam Picnic PostNL,,-

10th May – stage 2: Tirana – Tirana (ITT)

The second stage of the Giro d’Italia took the riders through Tirana in a 13.7-kilometre individual time trial. There was a small climb along the way, but otherwise, the course was almost flat. It was a technical route, with constant twists and turns through the streets of Tirana.

General classification contenders Romain Bardet and Max Poole, fresh off strong performances in stage 1, took to the course later in the afternoon. Romain Bardet, riding with his usual calm determination, stopped the clock at 16:59, limiting any time losses and keeping his position firmly among the top contenders. Max Poole, showing his consistency and resilience, posted an impressive time of 16:32, securing 17th place on the day. Poole currently sits in 7th place in the general classification thanks to his strong start.

As for the team, it was a solid day all around. With the technical challenges of the course, ensuring the riders made it through safely was key, and the squad executed their strategy flawlessly. Everyone came through unscathed, setting them up perfectly for the tough days ahead.

After the stage, Poole said: “It was a good day. The course was pretty tough, but it was nice that you could break it down into different sections. I think I did alright, so it’s a solid start. It was quite a long day with lots of riders out on the course and the recon beforehand, but for me it was fine. I just stayed relaxed and focused. Now it’s time to recover and get ready for tomorrow.”

Results

  • 50.958/H
  • 13.7KM
  • 141M
  • Time Trial
  • General classification
  • Points classification
  • Youth classification
  • Mountains classification
  • Teams classification
Pos.RiderTeamTimePoints
1TARLING JoshuaINEOS Grenadiers16:07-
2ROGLIČ PrimožRed Bull - BORA - hansgrohe0:01-
3VINE JayUAE Team Emirates - XRG0:03-
17POOLE MaxTeam Picnic PostNL0:25-
51BARDET RomainTeam Picnic PostNL0:52-
124VAN UDEN CasperTeam Picnic PostNL1:37-
126HAMILTON ChrisTeam Picnic PostNL1:38-
141EDMONDSON AlexTeam Picnic PostNL1:47-
143LEEMREIZE GijsTeam Picnic PostNL,,-
155WELTEN BramTeam Picnic PostNL1:54-
176MÄRKL NiklasTeam Picnic PostNL2:16-

9th May – Stage 1: Durrës – Tirana

A Grande Partenza in Albania saw the Giro d’Italia get underway on Friday afternoon. With a parcours that featured two climbs, the second of which was repeated before the finale. The attitude of the peloton would dictate what type of race we got, and it was clear early on that some teams wanted to make it a drastically reduced sprint come the line in Tirana. An early crash saw Max Poole hit the deck but he was able to continue and returned to the peloton.

An early break formed out front but the peloton kept them in check and from 50 kilometres to go things were back together as the bunch thinned down on the climbs where Team Picnic PostNL did a good job to position Poole and Romain Bardet. With a lot of fast finishers dropped on the first time up Surrel, an even harder pace was set on the second ascent and around and the group split to around only 30 riders.

Coming into the final Bardet positioned Poole ahead of the sprint, where the youngster showed some good speed to take a solid eighth place on the day.

Poole said: “It was the first day of a Grand Tour so it was a bit stressful out there like we expected. The finishing circuit was a bit like a racing circuit on some twisting roads but the guys did well to position Romain and me. Lidl-Trek then made it really hard on the climb and it was a small group coming to the finish. Romain did a good job to lead me out and I did what I could in the sprint. I’m a bit sore after the crash but it feels okay and I managed to shake it off a bit, so we’ll give it a go in the TT tomorrow.”

Results

  • 44.362/H
  • 160KM
  • 1876M
  • Stage
  • General classification
  • Points classification
  • Youth classification
  • Mountains classification
  • Teams classification
Pos.RiderTeamTimePoints
1PEDERSEN MadsLidl - Trek3:36:24-
2VAN AERT WoutTeam Visma | Lease a Bike,,-
3AULAR OrluisMovistar Team,,-
8POOLE MaxTeam Picnic PostNL,,-
16BARDET RomainTeam Picnic PostNL,,-
45HAMILTON ChrisTeam Picnic PostNL0:57-
145LEEMREIZE GijsTeam Picnic PostNL12:23-
149VAN UDEN CasperTeam Picnic PostNL,,-
160WELTEN BramTeam Picnic PostNL13:15-
162EDMONDSON AlexTeam Picnic PostNL,,-
182MÄRKL NiklasTeam Picnic PostNL26:08-