Ho Chi Minh City Television Cup 2025 welcomes 'Dutch whirlwind'

Vietnam's cycling community eagerly awaits the 2025 Ho Chi Minh City Television Cup - Photo archive

The Ho Chi Minh City Television Cup - Ton Dong A 2025 cycling race consists of 25 stages, over 3,000km long, starting from Tuyen Quang on April 3 and passing through many provinces and cities before finishing in Ho Chi Minh City on April 30.

After years of domination by the Russian duo Igor Frolov and Roman Rikunov, this year’s race promises to welcome a breath of fresh air with 10 foreign players. Among them are many brand new faces.

Quality foreign players stir up the 2025 Ho Chi Minh City Television Cup

This year many strong racing teams have recruited international racers to raise the level of the tournament.

Most notable are the two Dutch 'whirlwinds' Johnny Hoogerland (born in 1983) and Youp Kuiper (1995), joining the two teams TP.HCM 1 and TP.HCM 2.

Hoogerland, a three-time Tour de France rider who wore the red polka-dot jersey in 2011, comes to the 2025 TV Cup with a wealth of experience, while Kuiper, though younger, has formidable speed.

Not to be outdone, the 620 Chau Thoi Vinh Long and 620 Nong Nghiep Vinh Long teams also recruited two Oceania 'war gods': Nick Kergozou De La Boessiere (New Zealand, 1996) and Samuel Jenner (Australia, 1997).

Boessiere will be one of the most formidable riders in the tournament. Jenner is a rising young talent. This addition will help Vinh Long compete fairly for both individual and team titles.

The Dong Nai cycling team continues to surprise fans when they officially register two foreign players: Ethan Batt (New Zealand) and Oscar Sanchez Caballero (Spain). Ethan Batt, with his strong physique, is expected to explode on the mountain passes. And veteran Oscar Sanchez Caballero brings with him a wealth of experience, helping the Dong Nai team become a strong candidate for important titles.

With the appearance of many new foreign players, the 2025 Ho Chi Minh City Television Cup not only improves professional quality but also opens up attractive confrontations. The balance between experience and youth will create top-notch competitions, making fans unable to take their eyes off.

Can experienced veterans like Hoogerland make a miracle, or will the youth of Ethan Batt and Samuel Jenner take the throne?

Live quality improvement of all 25 races

At a press conference on March 22, Mr. Cao Anh Minh - General Director of Ho Chi Minh City Television Station - said: "Like previous years, all races of the Ho Chi Minh City Television Cup 2025 will be broadcast live to serve fans."

Mr. Minh added that Ho Chi Minh City Television will use the most advanced technology to improve image quality. In addition, the athletes' vehicles will be equipped with GPS devices to determine their location in the group, through analysis technology and AI to create graphics for TV viewers.

The prizes for this year's race include: The overall yellow jersey will receive a prize worth 200 million VND, the orange jersey will receive 100 million VND, the blue jersey will receive 50 million VND, the red jersey will receive 50 million VND, and the white jersey will receive 30 million VND. The team championship trophy is 100 million VND and the first place athlete of each stage will receive 20 million VND.

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