Lesser known races 2026 edition

[Dazed and Confused]

50kms o go in France. Good action. Conditions are perfect for late winter bikeracing.

 

[Red Rick]

Only low-level one day races.

I actually think a monument being over 60% of a TdF GC is already too high. But then the lower stage races are also too high in relation to the bigger ones, and placements are given too many points compared to a W. Also a TdF stage being nearly 1/6th of a GC victory is crazy considering it's like 1/10th in smaller stage races.

It's all just way too flat, because the poitns system is just there to buy relevance and participation. Del Toro is almost ranked ahead of Vingegaard, that stuff makes 0 sense whatseover.

 

[Netserk]

liepins won the parade!

 

[Cycling111]

I wonder if the Ruta del Sol will be done. There are flooded areas in the zone.

It will be difficult to match the year in which Van Gils won thanks to a 2km ITT.

 

[Samamba]

liepins won the parade!

First win for Q36.5

 

[Cycling111]

First win for Q36.5

Everything counts, Van Gils was awarded 2 victories for 2km: a stage and the GC. A victory for every kilometer .

 

[Squire]

50kms o go in France. Good action. Conditions are perfect for late winter bikeracing.

I've always liked this February/March Southern Europe bike race aesthetic with leafless trees and sometimes a bit of snow in the mountains. Gives a proper start-of-the-season feel leading up to Paris-Nice.

 

[Samamba]

Everything counts, Van Gils was awarded 2 victories for 2km: a stage and the GC. A victory for every kilometer .

He wasn't officially. There was no GC.

And that prologue was properly raced. This one was a straight up joke parade to make sure some sponsors are happy and points get rewarded.

 

[Cycling111]

He wasn't officially. There was no GC.

And that prologue was properly raced. This one was a straight up joke parade.

So Soler shouldn't be given the GC because they only did one stage.

 

[Faserr]

So Soler shouldn't be given the GC because they only did one stage.

They should give him a one day race win and the points. Two wins makes no sense.

 

[Samamba]

They should give him a one day race win and the points. Two wins makes no sense.

Not possible according to rules and precedent in Ruta del Sol 2024. Either they don't see this parade today as a stage and then it can't be a GC win but also not a one day race or they pretend like it was a stage and he gets everything. And no, you can't just put it down as a 1.1 race either.

Of course UCI doesn't follow it's own rules or just make up new ones so who knows

So Soler shouldn't be given the GC because they only did one stage.

Well that's why they pretended to do a second stage. So now he probably gets it and Liepins actually gets that win (and 14 extra UCI points)

All not really relevant of course, who cares, but the way they are pretending like this is actually a stage with a winner when they didnt even actually sprint is a joke. Well I'm not even sure if the organizers are still pretending like it is honestly.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

The rubaix boys should ignore all the wt prima donna stuff and just race here.

 

[Netserk]

good to see ag2r more supportive today. ricci also seems determined

 

[Cycling111]

Not possible according to rules and precedent in Ruta del Sol 2024. Either they don't see this parade today as a stage and then it can't be a GC win but also not a one day race or they pretend like it was a stage and he gets everything. And no, you can't just put it down as a 1.1 race either.

Of course UCI doesn't follow it's own rules or just make up new ones so who knows



Well that's why they pretended to do a second stage. So now he probably gets it and Liepins actually gets that win (and 14 extra UCI points)

All not really relevant of course, who cares, but the way they are pretending like this is actually a stage with a winner when they didnt even actually sprint is a joke. Well I'm not even sure if the organizers are still pretending like it is honestly.

It would be a joke to count today's stage when only Liepins "sprinted".

https://twitter.com/x/status/2022678860681150650

View: https://x.com/ProCyclingStats/status/2022678860681150650?s=20

 

[RedheadDane]

So... on the front page on PCS, the riders in Murcia are listed with position 990.

And Marc Soler looks suspiciously like Emils Liepins.

 

[Netserk]

splitting on the descent. lets goooooooooooooooo

 

[Dazed and Confused]

The five leaders in France are about to start the final climb to the line:

Peloton at 1mins or so.

 

[Tim Cahill]

Interesting team attack but they are just going to be left without a leadout on the climb

 

[Netserk]

steepest point at about 5 km to go

 

[Netserk]

limited help left. ineos can dictate a more defensive pace.

 

[Tim Cahill]

Early season skytrain, almost nostalgic, I think in a season or two the child on the front will be there towards the end rather than being used in the Christian Knees early slopes role. More power than Remco that's the word on the streets.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

About 20 riders left in front group. 7kms to go.

 

[Tim Cahill]

They're pacing to try and beat Quintana's legendary climbing record

'Cedrik Bakke Christophersen' is still there. I give up.

 

[Netserk]

turbo august!

 

[RedheadDane]

'Cedrik Bakke Christophersen' is still there. I give up.

Of course he is! His middle name literally means "Hill".