Cyclists are pedaling faster and faster, not just because of Pogacar, Evenepoel, and Van der Poel, but because the entire World Tour peloton is racing like an express train. Yesterday, an interesting article appeared in the pink pages of Gazzetta dello Sport by Ciro Scognamiglio, which focuses on this topic. A careful analysis based on evaluations and numbers. Numbers that are truly astonishing, as races are now averaging 43 kilometers per hour.

The starting point of discussion is a careful analysis conducted by procyclingstats.com, which examined all races in the World Tour, the top global circuit. From Giro, Tour, and Vuelta to one-day classics and short stage races: 165 race days in 2025 with an average speed of 42.913, just shy of 43 kilometers per hour. Looking at the last 25 seasons, one can notice that between 2001 and 2020, speeds always oscillated between 39 and 40 kilometers per hour. Ten years ago, in 2015, the final average was 40.145. But it's especially in the post-Covid era that there's been a gear change: from an average of 40.437 in 2020 to 42.913 in 2025.

Matteo Trentin explains to Scognamiglio: "There are several factors," says the Trentino, a key rider for Tudor's Cancellara. "First, the technological progress of bicycles, body suits, helmets, without forgetting the continuous improvements in rolling resistance and tire technology. Moreover, the forced break due to Covid allowed us to try new things in training and nutrition, which worked to improve performance."

In Gazzetta, Maurizio Mazzoleni, sport manager of XDS-Astana, one of the most advanced teams in 2025, provides a concrete example: "Contrary to previous beliefs, we observed that the body can absorb many more carbohydrates. Athletes have 'trained' to assimilate more, managing to express much more energy."