{"id":41208,"title":"What are the post-Tour criteriums 2025?","description":"What are the post-Tour de France criteriums that take place in Europe immediately after the end of the Tour de France? Why do these unique races take place and is it true that the results of the post-Tour criteriums are fixed?","content":"

Published in<\/strong>:<\/strong><\/a> <\/strong>COBBLES & CLASSIC<\/strong><\/a>S<\/strong><\/a><\/p>

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After three weeks of exhausting racing at the Tour de France, you\u2019d think the riders would be ready to put their feet up and have a rest. And yet, less than 24 hours after the last rider crossed the finish line, some of them are at it again, racing in one of the post-Tour criteriums.<\/p>

What are the post-Tour criteriums, why do riders take part, and is it true the results are fixed? Read on to find out where to watch your Tour de France heroes in action, and with the help of an anonymous professional rider, we reveal all.<\/p>

\"VictorVictor Campenaerts will draw in the crowds at post-Tour criteriums. Image: Rijden<\/em><\/p>

I imagine, after his historic results at last year\u2019s Tour de France, the last thing Biniam Girmay wanted to do the next day was don his cycling gear and throw his leg over the saddle. Surely he\u2019s allowed a rest day, the opportunity to celebrate and spend some time with his wife and young family, from whom he\u2019s separated for long periods.<\/p>

Tour de France stars at post-Tour criteriums<\/h2>

But the Eritrean Express was on the start line at the NaTourCriterium Aalst, halfway between Gent and Brussels in the Oost-Vlaanderen province. He wasn\u2019t alone. Alongside him was his deadly rival for the Tour de France\u2019s green jersey, Jasper Philipsen.<\/p>

Other Tour de France riders included stage winner Victor Campenaerts and Gerben Thijssen of Girmay\u2019s Intermach\u00e9-Wanty team. They were joined by seven other Belgian Tour de France riders.<\/p>

The rest of the field comprised World Tour, Pro Continental and UCI Continental professionals who, except for Britain\u2019s Zak Coleman, were exclusively Belgian. They raced for 107 kilometres on a compact 1.7-kilometre circuit in the city centre.<\/p>

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The organisers expected 60,000 spectators to enjoy the spectacle of their Tour heroes competing for victory over 65 laps. The race was preceded by one for ex-professionals, including former World Champions and classics stars Roger De Vlaeminck and Johan Museeuw.<\/p>

And it\u2019s not only in Belgium that you can find exhausted Tour de France riders putting on a show. Over the border, in the Dutch town of Boxmeer, Dylan Groenewegen, fresh from a stage win in the Tour de France, was appearing in the Daags na de Tour.<\/p>

Between the end of the Tour de France and the end of August, across Belgium and the Netherlands, there are seventeen opportunities to watch Tour de France riders participate in post-Tour criteriums. But why do these races exist, and what prompts the riders to take part? To understand, we need to go back in time before cycling enjoyed the same TV coverage as it does today.<\/p>

We take for granted that in those countries where cycle racing is most popular that every stage is broadcast live on TV. News about the race is available via a multitude of websites, and riders and teams post updates via social media.<\/p>

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But it wasn\u2019t always like this. The Tour de France wasn\u2019t broadcast live until 1948, and then only the arrival at the Parc des Princes Velodrome. The Tour was launched to promote L\u2019Auto newspaper, and it was via newspapers and the radio that most people experienced Le Tour. Travel, even within Europe, was much more limited than it is today.<\/p>

Poorly paid cyclists<\/h2>

The riders themselves earned a fraction of their modern counterparts, even allowing for inflation. For many, it was little more than a subsistence living. Even as recently as the 1980s, top riders were earning no more than $150,000 per annum.<\/p>

\"Gifts<\/u><\/a><\/p>

American Tour de France champion Greg Lemond broke the mould when he signed for the French Z team for a reported $1.8 million a year. But he was way ahead of the rest, and the salaries dropped off dramatically further down cycling\u2019s hierarchy.<\/p>

Precarious living as a professional cyclist<\/h3>

Most riders were earning little more than a typical office job, many for much less, and it was a precarious way to make a living. One accident, a dip in form, or just being out of favour with sponsors could prove the end of a rider\u2019s professional career.<\/p>

\u201c<\/strong>a deluge of former Soviet and East German riders became available\u201d<\/em><\/p>

Even seemingly unconnected events such as the fall of the Berlin Wall could affect riders\u2019 future prospects. With the collapse of the Soviet Bloc in 1989, a deluge of former Soviet and East German riders became available. Existing journeyman professionals either accepted lower pay or found they'd been replaced by the cut-price amateurs.<\/p>

Prize money has never been excessive in professional cycling. The 2024 Tour de France winner receives 500,000 euros. A step up from what it\u2019s been in the past, but that\u2019s shared between the whole team of riders and support crew.<\/p>

The post-Tour criterium was born<\/h3>

The answer to the issue of low rider salaries, poor prize money and a public who had limited access to their Tour heroes was the post-Tour criteriums. I don\u2019t know when the first one took place, but the NaTour Criterium Aalst celebrated its eighty-seventh edition in 2024.<\/p>

The post-Tour Criterium format<\/h2>

It\u2019s a simple concept. Like all the famous races, they started as a commercial venture to make money. First, get some of the famous riders from the Tour de France to ride your criterium to attract a large crowd.<\/p>

\u201cpocket the profit\u201d<\/em><\/p>

Fill out the field with some decent local riders. Charge the spectators or sponsors. Pay the riders to appear and then pocket the profit. It\u2019s the same format now as it was then, although some are now run on a not-for-profit basis.<\/p>

Popular professional cyclists<\/h3>

The ideal riders to contract to ride a post-Tour criterium are those who are likely to be popular with the local crowd. Those who have performed well in the recent Tour de France tend to be a big draw, but this isn\u2019t the only criteria. Riders with a local connection are likely to attract bigger crowds, hence the reason Dutch races tend to have Dutch riders and Belgian ones Belgian stars.<\/p>

Some riders who didn\u2019t perform so well in the Tour are still universally popular. For example, Mathieu van der Poel is as popular in Belgium as he is in the Netherlands, and his presence will always boost attendance.<\/p>

The more a rider is in demand, the greater the start fee they can expect to be paid. For the race organiser, it\u2019s a balance between splashing out all their money on one big name and filling out the field with enough riders to create an interesting spectacle.<\/p>

Someone like Tadej Poga\u010dar can expect to receive over 50,000 euros for one evening\u2019s race. In 2023, he was due to ride at Aalst but pulled out citing fatigue. He didn\u2019t pick up his paycheck, but his absence might have significantly diminished the number of spectators. Organisers need to have a few lesser stars just in case. Other Tour de France jersey winners and stage winners can guarantee a good fee for their evening\u2019s work.<\/p>

Local racing cyclists<\/h3>

Once the big names have been signed to take part, the organiser needs to pad out the field with some local riders. They\u2019ll receive a fraction of the money received by the well-known riders, but their basic salary will be a lot less too, so for them it is possibly even more important.<\/p>

Being local means they\u2019ll generate interest from the local media, and they won\u2019t have the travelling costs of, say, Poga\u010dar, who normally resides in Monaco.<\/p>

They aren\u2019t real races<\/h3>

Although these events appear to be competitive, the results are decided before the start. It\u2019s a fairly open secret that the post-Tour criteriums are fixed, but no one is complaining.<\/p>

One rider, who wishes to remain anonymous, and who is a regular on the post-Tour criterium circuit, confirmed the details to me. As an off-road specialist, he\u2019s never ridden the Tour de France but has an important role in the running of the races.<\/p>

He explained that the first three are agreed upon beforehand. The crowd has come to see their favourite triumph. Nobody, except his mum, is interested in seeing Rik van Nobody win. Our anonymous rider\u2019s job is to make sure the race goes to plan.<\/p>

\u201cride as slow as possible for as much money as possible and still make it look real.\u201d<\/em><\/p>

He\u2019ll brief newbie riders before the start to make sure they are clear about the unwritten rules. Then, during the race, he\u2019ll indicate to other riders when to attack and when not to. The aim is to \u201cride as slow as possible for as much money as possible and still make it look real.\u201d<\/p>

There\u2019s no prize money, just the start fee. Where riders finish outside of the top three is immaterial. He describes it as all fake, \u201cbut let\u2019s say it is very lucrative.\u201d<\/p>

The decline of the post-Tour criteriums<\/h2>

The post-Tour criteriums face an existential threat. Their numbers have declined greatly from their peak. They've all but disappeared in France, and Belgium will only host three in 2024. Only the Netherlands can boast nearly fifteen.<\/p>

Increased rider salaries<\/h3>

It's not hard to understand why their popularity has declined. Once, they were an important element of a professional\u2019s income. For the majority, those days are gone. Basic salaries and rider product endorsements mean that the world\u2019s best-known riders don't need the additional income the post-Tour criteriums offer.<\/p>

Until quite recently, major stars would have supplemented their meagre basic salary by riding upwards of thirty criteriums in July and August. They'd follow a punishing schedule of nightly races interspersed with a mad dash across Europe to get to the next one.<\/p>

\u201cstay in the dingiest of lodgings\u201d<\/em><\/p>

Those riders keen to minimise their outgoings would travel alone and stay in the dingiest of lodgings or just forgo the luxury of a bed. Like farmers at harvest time, they\u2019d virtually work around the clock to maximise their income.<\/p>

Start fees were paid in cash, and it was relatively easy to hide income from the taxman when deals were formed verbally and in different jurisdictions. Not only was this not good for the tax man, it wasn't healthy for the riders or their form.<\/p>

It's a long-held belief that one of the greatest one-day classics riders, Sean Kelly, failed to win the World Championships because he participated in too many of these money-spinning events. But would he have made much more money if he'd ever been crowned with the famous rainbow jersey? Almost certainly not, and pride and prestige don't pay the bills.<\/p>

Reduced public demand<\/h3>

Whilst they're still popular, the post-Tour criteriums don't hold the public\u2019s attention like they used to. When these races were founded, there were few competing attractions. If it's a damp evening in Aalst, there's always Netflix to watch or an episode of a new reality TV series to catch up on instead.<\/p>

Does it matter?<\/h3>

Even though they're fake races, it would be a sad day if they ended completely. The public would lose a physical connection with cycling's star riders that otherwise they may only see on TV.<\/p>

It won't make much material difference to a rider of the calibre of Tadej Poga\u010dar, but to those further down cycling\u2019s pecking order, and in particular the likes of our anonymous rider, it would cause a serious loss of income.<\/p>

When are the post-Tour criteriums?<\/h2>

\ud83c\uddf3\ud83c\uddf1 27 July 2026 Boxmeer<\/h3>

Daags na de Tour<\/a><\/h3>

Website: https:\/\/www.daagsnadetour.nl\/<\/a><\/p>

Expected riders<\/strong>: TBC<\/p>

\ud83c\udde7\ud83c\uddea 27 July 2026 Aalst<\/h3>

NaTourCriterium Aalst<\/a><\/h3>

Website: https:\/\/criteriumaalst.be\/<\/a><\/p>

Expected riders<\/strong><\/a>: TBC<\/p>

\ud83c\uddf3\ud83c\uddf1 28 July 2026 Surhuisterveen<\/h3>

Profronde van Surhuisterveen<\/a><\/h3>

Website: https:\/\/www.wielrennensurhuisterveen.nl\/profronde<\/a><\/p>

Expected riders<\/strong>: TBC<\/p>

\ud83c\udde7\ud83c\uddea 28 July 2026 Roeselare, Dovy Natourcriterium<\/a><\/h3>

Website: https:\/\/www.natourroeselare.be\/<\/a><\/p>

Expected riders<\/strong><\/a>: TBC<\/p>

\ud83c\uddf3\ud83c\uddf1 29 July Chaam 2026<\/h3>

Acht van Chaam<\/a><\/h3>

Website: https:\/\/www.8vanchaam.nl\/<\/a><\/p>

Expected riders<\/strong>: TBC<\/p>

\ud83c\uddf3\ud83c\uddf1 30 July Wateringen 2026 Profronde Westland<\/a><\/h3>

Website: https:\/\/www.profrondewestland.nl\/<\/a><\/p>

Expected riders:<\/strong> TBC<\/p>

\ud83c\udde7\ud83c\uddea 30 July 2026 Herentals Herentals Fietst & Feest<\/a><\/h3>

Website: https:\/\/hff.be\/<\/a><\/p>

Expected riders<\/strong>: TBC<\/p>

\ud83c\uddf3\ud83c\uddf1 31 July 2026 Heerlen Franssen Franken Ronde Heerlen<\/a><\/h3>

Website: https:\/\/franssenfrankenrondeheerlen.nl\/<\/a><\/p>

Expected riders<\/strong>: TBC<\/p>

Mijl van Mares<\/s><\/a><\/h3>

Website: https:\/\/www.mijlvanmares.nl\/<\/a><\/p>

Cancelled due to cost overheads.<\/p>

\ud83c\uddf3\ud83c\uddf1 2 August 2026 Emmen<\/h3>

De Gouden Pijl<\/a><\/h3>

Website: https:\/\/www.goudenpijl.nl\/<\/a><\/p>

Expected riders<\/strong>: TBC<\/p>

\ud83c\uddf3\ud83c\uddf1 3 August 2026 Roosendaal<\/h3>

De Draai van de Kaai<\/a><\/h3>

Website: https:\/\/dedraaivandekaai.nl\/<\/a><\/p>

Expected riders<\/strong>: TBC<\/p>

\ud83c\uddf3\ud83c\uddf1 4 August 2026 Steenwijk<\/h3>

Het Spektakel van Steenwijk<\/a><\/h3>

Website: https:\/\/www.hetspektakelvansteenwijk.nl\/<\/a><\/p>

Expected riders<\/strong><\/a>: TBC<\/p>

\ud83c\uddf3\ud83c\uddf1 TBC Oostvoorne Profwielerronde van Oostvoorne<\/a><\/h3>

Website: https:\/\/www.profrondeoostvoorne.com\/<\/a><\/p>

Expected riders<\/strong>: TBC<\/p>

\ud83c\uddf3\ud83c\uddf1 9 August 2026 Moerdijk Profronde van Zevenbergen<\/a><\/h3>

Website: https:\/\/www.profrondezevenbergen.nl\/<\/a><\/p>

Expected riders<\/strong>: TBC<\/p>

\ud83c\uddf3\ud83c\uddf1 16 August 2026 Etten-Leur<\/h3>

Profwielerronde Etten-Leur<\/strong><\/a><\/h3>

Website: https:\/\/www.profwielerrondeetten-leur.nl\/<\/a><\/p>

Expected riders<\/strong>: TBC<\/p>

\ud83c\uddf3\ud83c\uddf1 TBC Naaldwijk Wielerspektakel Naaldwijk<\/a><\/h3>

Website: https:\/\/www.wielerspektakelnaaldwijk.nl\/<\/a><\/p>

Expected riders<\/strong>: TBC<\/p>

\ud83c\uddf3\ud83c\uddf1 TBC 2025 Almelo<\/h3>

Profronde Almelo<\/a><\/h3>

Website: https:\/\/profrondealmelo.nl\/<\/a><\/p>

Expected riders<\/strong>: TBC<\/p>

All images and text are the copyright of Rijden unless stated otherwise.<\/em><\/p>

13 January 2026, Tim Costello<\/em><\/p>

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