Team FL

[team fl]

2025 Review

2025 is dead, long live 2026. But before we bury 2025 for good, let's have a short review in numbers:

In 2025, Team FL...

... rode 167 races

... gathered 27'600 points (around 165 per race)

... won 34 races (around 20% winning quota)
- 6 Tour stages: 4 - Alex, 2 - The Fürst
- 3 Giro stages: 2 - The Fürst, 1 - Alex
- 6 classic wins: 3 - The Fürst, 2 - Alex, 1 - Stenberg
- 3 Monuments: MSR (Alex), RVV (Stenberg), Lombardia (The Fürst)

... won the Maglia Cilamino at the Giro (Alex)
... won Maillot Vert at the Tour (Alex)
... won the Youth Jersey at the Tour des Pavés (Rocha)

It's the first time ever, Team FL won three monuments in one year. With Alex Alailefaleula winning MSR and two points classements at GTs while also winning another classic (Scheldeprijs), he's up with the most successful sprinters at the Liechtenstein cycling team and currently the only sprinter in the top 10 regarding eternal points at Team FL. Sten Stenberg winning the Ronde Van Vlaanderen was not a total fluke but pretty unexpected, looking at his name. With his victory at the last monument of the year, Lombardia, Fürchtegott Fürst cemented his cult status, standing at 3 classic wins, wins at the Giro and the Tour and driving r TAKA crazy.

So, who's the Team FL rider of the year? Is ambitious Alex or the furious Fürst? Vote for your favourite!

[team fl]

The Fürst rider of the year 2025

It was a vote among The Fürst and Alex Alailefaleula. Still active, Fürchtegott won the duel with more than 3/4 of all votes.

The Team FL headquarters stayed quiet for some time when the vote for Team FL rider of the year 2025 started. Everybody was in fear that the Fürst might not win and the whole team would have to bear the consequences. But foruntately, the plebs knew what the Fürst liked and so the vote was clearly in his favour. 78% pro Fürst was the result. While the Fürst was not available personally to receive the trophy (a golden carrot, nobody knows why...), he send a public message to thank his supporters:

Distinguished ladies and gentlemen,
beloved common folk of cycling,
esteemed teammates – insofar as they exist within my orbit,

I stand before you today filled with a mixture of mild satisfaction and entirely predictable self-confirmation as I accept the title of “Rider of the Year.” Predictable, because excellence has a natural tendency to be rewarded – especially when it is embodied as flawlessly as it is in my humble self: Fürchtegott Fürst, the Fürst.

Some may claim that this award is the result of hard work, teamwork, and years of training. I say it is the inevitable consequence of superior genetics, aristocratic posture on the bike, and an aura so powerful it turns headwinds into tailwinds.

I thank my team – above all for allowing me to ride at its head. And for respectfully moving aside when I once again “increased the pace.” Some called it an attack. I call it presence.

I would like to dedicate a few words to my fiercest competitor: Alex Alailefaleula, known simply as Alex. A sprinter. An American. Explosive. Loud. In short: the complete opposite of myself.
Alex, you are fast – for the final 200 meters. I, on the other hand, am great – over all kilometers. Your sprint is impressive; my very existence is legendary. And yet: thank you for your existence, for it has given me the opportunity to demonstrate my superiority week after week.

This award, of course, belongs to me. But it also symbolically represents all those who rode behind me – to give me shelter from the wind, to hand me bottles, or simply to bear witness to my greatness.

In closing, I would like to say with humility:
I will wear this title with dignity. With pride.

For princes never go out of fashion – they rule.

Thank you.
Thank you… me.

[flockmastoR]

Not sure why somebody living in a monarchy would think asking the people is a good idea. People proofed being foolish: Alex is my foty (fürst of the year)!

[team fl]

Not sure why somebody living in a monarchy would think asking the people is a good idea.

Just to let them think they have a say in it too, somehow... you know... that they feel included. The result would have been "correct" anyway *looksaroundifthefürstisbehindme*.

[Robyklebt]

Donks from temporary exile (with soft bed back pain again!!!)
Scandalous! It's Alex. Can only be Alex.

Sanremo
Schelde
1 Giro stage, points jersey
4 Tour stages, points jersey

That's what sprinters are there for. Not only lowly FL star, that was the sprinter of the year 25. Sprinter are there for GTs and Sanremo (then Tours, but no with gravel then in no specific order Schelde, Brussels, Québec too), 80-70 for example have Strade Bianche, LBL, Amstel, San Sebastian, Montréal, Lombardia.. depending on pavé some of the Flandres classiques seem good too. Sprinters? Failed Sanremo? Unless Tours was won... 1 day race failure. 80-70? Oh, failed LBL, got Lombardia. Failed Strade, got Amstel... Still ok. So if a sprinter gets MSR he's halfway there. Alex with the GTs and Schelde fully

Fürst? 80-70, that's already a minus.
Lombardia, Piemonte, surprisingly Brabant and 4 GT stages is indeed nice. But Alex is ahead. Shouldn't be a vote it's clearly Alex

Donks btw is very ashamed to admit that he forgot to vote finally. Saw it, ah Alex then seems didn't click

[drei.zehn]

Donks from temporary exile (with soft bed back pain again!!!)
Scandalous! It's Alex. Can only be Alex.

Sanremo
Schelde
1 Giro stage, points jersey
4 Tour stages, points jersey

That's what sprinters are there for. Not only lowly FL star, that was the sprinter of the year 25. Sprinter are there for GTs and Sanremo (then Tours, but no with gravel then in no specific order Schelde, Brussels, Québec too), 80-70 for example have Strade Bianche, LBL, Amstel, San Sebastian, Montréal, Lombardia.. depending on pavé some of the Flandres classiques seem good too. Sprinters? Failed Sanremo? Unless Tours was won... 1 day race failure. 80-70? Oh, failed LBL, got Lombardia. Failed Strade, got Amstel... Still ok. So if a sprinter gets MSR he's halfway there. Alex with the GTs and Schelde fully

Fürst? 80-70, that's already a minus.
Lombardia, Piemonte, surprisingly Brabant and 4 GT stages is indeed nice. But Alex is ahead. Shouldn't be a vote it's clearly Alex

Donks btw is very ashamed to admit that he forgot to vote finally. Saw it, ah Alex then seems didn't click

Smartest thing a Donkey ever said since Shrek

[team fl]

A conundrum. Either we give the power to the people (voting) or have a dictator (The Fürst). Liechtenstein solved the issue by having two sovereigns: the people and the Fürst. Don't know if that's better, but I agree, Alex would have been a worthy Team FL rider of the year. I guess sometimes the people just don't know what's good for them. Maybe a donkey could have solved the issue. I would have had a second carrot, but not for not participating in the vote...

[team fl]

The Fürst flees from the Fürstentum!

Big headlines in Liechtenstein: The Fürst has left the country!

Shock at Team FL! One day before MSR, The Fürst is not part of the Liechtenstein cycling team anymore and left it in shambles. This move caught everybody as a surprise at the headquarters in Triesen. Until now, the team has been preparing to ride for the Fürst at MSR. Now, it has to find a new strategy with the Fürst leaving a huge vacuum. So far, the Fürst has not been found to give a statement about what happened exactly.

But there have been rumours. Another big Team FL name has been whispered around all of this: Has Hugo Marxer something to do with it? Maybe we will find out in the upcoming installment of The Legend of Hugo Marxer. Or it was something completely different? Has the Fürst got an immoral offer from another team? Hopefully, the next days will bring clarity.

[drei.zehn]

FL treating his leaders like garbage. Alex way to early, now Fürst.
Just one month before LBL, unbelievable…

[team fl]

FL treating his leaders like garbage. Alex way to early, now Fürst.
Just one month before LBL, unbelievable…

You're not reading correctly. The Fürst left. Nobody knows why so far. Your totally unbased conclusions don't help the team at all in this fragile situation.

[Falcor CC]

FL treating his leaders like garbage. Alex way to early, now Fürst.
Just one month before LBL, unbelievable…

You're not reading correctly. The Fürst left. Nobody knows why so far. Your totally unbased conclusions don't help the team at all in this fragile situation.

I can only say that the team is better off without him!

[flockmastoR]

FL treating his leaders like garbage. Alex way to early, now Fürst.
Just one month before LBL, unbelievable…

You're not reading correctly. The Fürst left. Nobody knows why so far. Your totally unbased conclusions don't help the team at all in this fragile situation.

The Fürst is dead. Long live the Fürst

[team fl]

Rocha rocks the Flanders Fields

Ricardo Rocha wins Gent-Wevelgem, or how it's called today according to Gipfelstuermer: "In FLanders FieLds"

The team was prepared, everybody was ready, the E3 result was forgotten. Sitting happily in the peloton, the Team FL riders were merely watching the race for the first kms, seeing US Argenton animating the race with an early attack. The peloton was vigilant though and controlled the gap tightly. For around 70 kms more, this situation didn't change, until Rohazon RC decided to join the escape with two riders. The peloton itself got tested for the first time at km 144 at the Baneberg.

After that, it looked like the peloton reassessed the situation while the escape group continued to work together nicely. The gap grew up to 9 min when the peloton paced up again and started the real chase, Team FL still watching or bringing helpers back after climbs. The race didn't get very selective though until the last passing of the Kemmelberg. But also then, even Wim Wijkstra got back to the main group, thanks to Rik Ribbens and the help of other teams. Now it was a two-front battle: against the escape group in front and against the better sprinter who managed to still be there, mainly Leezer (Romoc Riders) and Schneller (Rsc Spree).

While Ribbens and Fokerots helped to get into striking distance to the escape group, Richardo Rocha seized a moment of carelessness and attacked at km 222 with 18 kms to go, only to be followed by Henrik Jacobsen (Seibu High School) and Shuntaro Chishiya (stevens). Soon after that, they caught up to the front group while the chasers in the back couldn't find a way to decrease the gap. For the last 3 kms, Richardo Rocha rode everything from the front, securing 6 seconds against the group with Schneller, Leezer and Wijkstra. In the final sprint, he profitted from his superb stamina and form and finished first, despite a short shock moment, when Chishiya seemed to have outsmarted everybody with an early launch. Wijkstra got third in his group, still celebrating the his team mate's victory.

The first classic victory for Team FL is also its 6th Gent-Wevelgem win and Richardo Rocha may be mentioned aside names like Phineas Federspiel, Volkmar Vogt, Timo Tammemaa, Pavel Sitko and Pedro Garrido. Now the Liechtenstein cycling team will prepare for the grande finale of the Flanders Cycling Week with the Ronde van Vlaanderen. Maybe Ricardo can win there too?

[team fl]

Sprintwin at Scheldeprijs in Schoten

Vincet Verwimp wins the Scheldeprijs. His first win is the 9th win for Team FL in this race.

Only being 24 years old, Vincent Verwimp could follow the footsteps of Phineas Federspiel at Team FL, the only rider who won the Scheldeprijs twice. In a team effort, the belgian youngster overtook everybody in the final sprint 150m before the finish line and never looked back. It wasn't only his first classic win, it was his first win ever. For his team, it wasn't a premiere though. Counting the group 2 win from Roger Schnitzer in 2009, it was the 9th win for Team FL at the Scheldeprijs and hence the most won classic for the Liechtenstein cycling team. In 2026 it was the second classic win after Ricarod Rocha's victory at Gent-Wevelgem, or In Flanders Fields, as it is called nowadays. The team currently prepares for Paris-Roubaix on Sunday. The footsteps to step in there for the Team FL riders: Gilles Brass (2011), Kari Steinsson (2013) and Karl Kopinski (2020).