General News Thread

[RedheadDane]

Jørgen Leth, the creator of A Sunday in Hell, and former cycling commentator, has passed away.

 

[Cycling111]

I don't think Zurich was so much climbers friendly. Similar thing applies to Monreal. We've had a nice mix of riders that fought for medals.
100kg Behrens won the U23's. MVDP and Skujins fought for medal in the elites. Montreal itself is won by a big mix of riders, and I would say the Worlds is a bit easier, so without Pogacar both of this races could've been nice and open.
So you would have Rwanda and 2028 as climbers friendly races. But climbers were robbed in 2020 (I found Imola a bit more towards the classics riders), so I think it's fair.

And Lotte Kopecky won the women's race.

A few years ago, I wouldn't rule out the possibility that the Zurich World Championships would have been decided in 15-20 riders sprint.

We only have to remember what San Remo has been like this year, and that someone like Merlier would have been the favorite in some edition in a massive sprint.

 

[Netserk]

Yes, I agree with you on your Pogacar points.
But on the other hand, I don't think it's also fair to design courses so that specifically Pogacar can't win on them. And to be honest, that's a very hard thing to do as well.

I would've liked a route like 2007, 2008 or 2010. Or the classic Verona route. Pogi can win, but it wouldn't be tailormade for him.

 

[Red Rick]

I would've liked a route like 2007, 2008 or 2010. Or the classic Verona route. Pogi can win, but it wouldn't be tailormade for him.

The majority of routes 10 years ago were essentially routes where Pogacar could win, but wouldn't be an overwhelming favorite.

 

[yaco]

And Lotte Kopecky won the women's race.

A few years ago, I wouldn't rule out the possibility that the Zurich World Championships would have been decided in 15-20 riders sprint.

We only have to remember what San Remo has been like this year, and that someone like Merlier would have been the favorite in some edition in a massive sprint.

Kopecky was about the eight strongest rider in the Zurich worlds. She was dropped in the last 10kms and only got back to the front because she clung onto Dygerts wheel.

 

[search]

There were some rumors about Gran Piemonte not happening due to financial problems, but the route finally was presented today (with one week to go), so I guess it can take place as planed

Gran Piemonte, svelato il percorso: 179 chilometri da Dogliani ad Acqui Terme - Bicisport

Svelato oggi il percorso del Gran Piemonte che celebra la sua 109ª edizione con un percorso movimentato e ricco di salite nervose, un

www.quibicisport.it

 

[RedheadDane]

And we're sure it's not just becoming an amateur race, like its "twin" Paris-Bourges?

 

[Samamba]

UCI published the 2026 calendar.

Changes in the mens calendar:

• Camp de Morverdre 1.2 -> 1.1 (So 3 Spanish one day races in a row to start of the European year)
• Surf Coast 1.1 -> 1.Pro (also take into account that Cadel Evans is now 400 points, Australia got even more important)
• Colombia (2.1) is back
• Herald Sun Tour (2.1) is back
• New Portugese 1.1 race
• Muscat 1.1 -> 1.pro (so 400 points+ to be earned in Oman LOL)
• Like 5 new Italian races (more UAE wins)
• A new Greek one day race + South Aegean upgraden to .1
• New one day races in Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan
• Flèche du Sud is now a pro race (2.1)
• ZLM Tour and Korea are back
• GP Kranj is a pro race now (1.1)
• Hong Kong race is back
• Taihu Lake only race that got downgraded (2.1 now)
• Maryland classic is apparently a 3 day stage race now, with Phily race there's another pro one day race in the US around that time too.

 

[Brullnux]

UCI published the 2026 calendar.

Changes in the mens calendar:

• Camp de Morverdre 1.2 -> 1.1 (So 3 Spanish one day races in a row to start of the European year)
• Surf Coast 1.1 -> 1.Pro (also take into account that Cadel Evans is now 400 points, Australia got even more important)
• Colombia (2.1) is back
• Herald Sun Tour (2.1) is back
• New Portugese 1.1 race
• Muscat 1.1 -> 1.pro (so 400 points+ to be earned in Oman LOL)
• Like 5 new Italian races (more UAE wins)
• A new Greek one day race + South Aegean upgraden to .1
• New one day races in Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan
• Flèche du Sud is now a pro race (2.1)
• ZLM Tour and Korea are back
• GP Kranj is a pro race now (1.1)
• Hong Kong race is back
• Taihu Lake only race that got downgraded (2.1 now)
• Maryland classic is apparently a 3 day stage race now, with Phily race there's another pro one day race in the US around that time too.

Do you have a link? I can't see it on their website.

Some of those are good news for the general health of cycling, like even more Italian races or a mini revival in the USA, as well as growth in Greece and Portugal.

I'm surprised they didn't insert an early season 1.Pro in Rwanda

 

[Ilmaestro99]

Colombia (2.1) is back

Mixed feelings about the rest but this is brilliant

 

[Samamba]

Do you have a link? I can't see it on their website.

Some of those are good news for the general health of cycling, like even more Italian races or a mini revival in the USA, as well as growth in Greece and Portugal.

I'm surprised they didn't insert an early season 1.Pro in Rwanda

It's on the UCI site if you go to 2026 in the calendar, but I checked it on the Velo Club website.

Well I'm not sure about the added Italian races, there were a few with a horrible field (and just UAE and Astana at the start) already. That being said one of them is Lyon - Turijn, a 3 day stage race. It's an Italian organization. That seems interesting.

 

[Devil's Elbow]

Do you have a link? I can't see it on their website.

Some of those are good news for the general health of cycling, like even more Italian races or a mini revival in the USA, as well as growth in Greece and Portugal.

I'm surprised they didn't insert an early season 1.Pro in Rwanda

From the downloads section.

Three of the new Italian races are in areas currently without any pro events (Sardegna, Lazio, and Magna Grecia which is more or less the south of the mainland), while the former has had a few abortive attempts and I'm not holding my breath it's still good to see something of a revival in the poorer parts of the country. On the other hand, the French calendar faces something of a reduction.

Some more changes:

• AlUla Tour moves up to 2.Pro
• South Aegean actually stays a 2.2, however there are two and not one new Greek 1.1 races, overlapping with opening weekend
• Vuelta a Murcia goes back to being a two-day race
• Terres de l'Ebre now on the same day as Sanremo instead of late July
• GP Monseré is two weeks later, the day after Sanremo
• Gran Camiño is moved to April, ending the day before Amstel
• The new race in Uzbekistan is a two-day race, not a one-day race
• Giro dell'Appennino is moved to early May
• GP Criquelion is moved to late May
• Circuit de Wallonie and Veenendaal-Veenendaal (are trying to) return
• Tour of Estonia expands to three days
• Dwars door het Hageland drops down to 1.1
• Circuit Franco-Belge moves (like seemingly every year), this time to June
• Route d'Occitanie shrinks to two days
• Tour of Denmark is slightly earlier, the week after the Tour
• Czech Tour moves up to 2.Pro
• Tour of Britain shrinks to five days
• Giro d'Abruzzo moves to September
• The Tour of Holland is missing for both the men and the women, the latter was announced last month to be moving down from the WT so that they could be held simultaneously? Not sure what's going on there.
• Other .1 and up races that are missing: Classic Var + Tour des Alpes Maritimes, Tour of Hainan, GP Beiras e Serra da Estrela, Tour of Iran, Tour of Istanbul, GP d'Isbergues, CRO Race

 

[Samamba]

• Other .1 and up races that are missing: Classic Var + Tour des Alpes Maritimes, Tour of Hainan, GP Beiras e Serra da Estrela, Tour of Iran, Tour of Istanbul, GP d'Isbergues, CRO Race

I noticed a few of these, but races often get added later, so it will probably be the case for a few of them. Like the French ones or Cro Race

With Muscat and Saudi both being upgraded it seems obvious Lappartient got some oil money again in his pockets.

 

[Devil's Elbow]

I noticed a few of these, but races often get added later, so it will probably be the case for a few of them. Like the French ones or Cro Race

With Muscat and Saudi both being upgraded it seems obvious Lappartient got some oil money again in his pockets.

I wasn’t expecting today’s list to be definitive either, hence why I said missing and not cancelled.

And yes, the double sportswasher promotion sucks for multiple reasons. Between that and the castration of Suisse, I can’t say I think the 2026 calendar is an upgrade over the 2025 one.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

It looks like the Uzbek federation is once again targeting Olympic qualification. I hope they will follow the rules and also maintain good relationships with their riders throughout.

The Lyon-Torino race definitely sounds intriguing.

It appears the Thüringen Ladies Tour is trying to make a comeback as a one-day race. I hope they will succeed in getting public funding this time around. The Pointe du Raz Ladies Classic has been moved to a Saturday in September, which I hope means it can attract a stronger field cause the course deserves it.

The Tour Féminin l'Ardèche is not listed, but I don't know if that means the new Boucles Drôme Ardèche Femmes, run by the organisation that do the men's one-day races in the early part of the season, is a continuation of/replacement for it.

 

[Brullnux]

It's on the UCI site if you go to 2026 in the calendar, but I checked it on the Velo Club website.

Well I'm not sure about the added Italian races, there were a few with a horrible field (and just UAE and Astana at the start) already. That being said one of them is Lyon - Turijn, a 3 day stage race. It's an Italian organization. That seems interesting.

I more meant in terms of the fact cities seem to feel it's financially viable (beneficial, even) to host cycling races, which hasn't really been the case in Italy since 2008.

The fields have been generally weak but perhaps with Colpack becoming PCT and Red Bull, Visma, and Soudal becoming a bit more Italian in make-up they might not be a total dud. I am more worried about 2.1 races than 1.1s, which have usually had an OK field other than the one in Reggio Calabria.

 

[search]

The Tour Féminin l'Ardèche is not listed, but I don't know if that means the new Boucles Drôme Ardèche Femmes, run by the organisation that do the men's one-day races in the early part of the season, is a continuation of/replacement for it.

that calendar is not complete yet, so it may just be added later on.

No idea which races exactly are missing, but I noticed that Tour of Romania is not on there yet, for example, although it's even supposed to step up a level.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

that calendar is not complete yet, so it may just be added later on.

No idea which races exactly are missing, but I noticed that Tour of Romania is not on there yet, for example, although it's even supposed to step up a level.

It does of course not rule out that they could both be happening, but it doesn't really feel like a coincidence that the new race is taking place during the first half of September like the existing one has done since 2003. I also hope the old one will continue since the new race is only scheduled to last two days rather than sixe or more (I guess it is possible that it could have three stages like Critérium International).

 

[tobydawq]

UCI published the 2026 calendar.

Changes in the mens calendar:

• Camp de Morverdre 1.2 -> 1.1 (So 3 Spanish one day races in a row to start of the European year)
• Surf Coast 1.1 -> 1.Pro (also take into account that Cadel Evans is now 400 points, Australia got even more important)
• Colombia (2.1) is back
• Herald Sun Tour (2.1) is back
• New Portugese 1.1 race
• Muscat 1.1 -> 1.pro (so 400 points+ to be earned in Oman LOL)
• Like 5 new Italian races (more UAE wins)
• A new Greek one day race + South Aegean upgraden to .1
• New one day races in Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan
• Flèche du Sud is now a pro race (2.1)
• ZLM Tour and Korea are back
• GP Kranj is a pro race now (1.1)
• Hong Kong race is back
• Taihu Lake only race that got downgraded (2.1 now)
• Maryland classic is apparently a 3 day stage race now, with Phily race there's another pro one day race in the US around that time too.

Thanks for this. No races discontinued?