Lesser known races 2026 edition

[RedheadDane]

Great day for Europeans riding for random Asian conti teams:

1	Barbier Pierre	Terengganu Cycling Team	14	20	10″	2:20:32
2	Salby Alexander	Li Ning Star	5	12	6″	,,
3	Nisu Oskar	China Anta - Mentech Cycling Team	3	7	4″	,,
4	Rasch Jesper	China Anta - Mentech Cycling Team		5		,,
5	Grosu Eduard-Michael	FNIX - SCOM - Hengxiang Cycling Team		4		,,

 

[Samamba]

30km/u winds, cold, lot's of rain, and a team like Quick Step ready for echelons given the lack of sprinter and amount of strong rouleurs. There's some open parts on the circuit (and also early) on, but we'll have to see if the wind is coming from the right direction on those crucial parts. Definitely possible this turns into a spectacle.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

Driedaagse Brugge-De Panne reduced to almost nothing: Ronde Van Brugge - Tour.. (1.UWT)

Race starts tomorrow where quite a few 2nd tier riders will get a chance if they can somehow beat Philipsen and Dylan.

Startlist: https://www.procyclingstats.com/race/classic-brugge-de-panne/2026/startlist

The prospect of adverse weather will likely be welcomed by some of us.

 

[Armchair Cyclist]

30km/u winds, cold, lot's of rain, and a team like Quick Step ready for echelons given the lack of sprinter and amount of strong rouleurs. There's some open parts on the circuit (and also early) on, but we'll have to see if the wind is coming from the right direction on those crucial parts. Definitely possible this turns into a spectacle.

What race though?

 

[Tim Cahill]

What the *** is 'Tour of Bruges'

 

[Dazed and Confused]

In Italy, a little stage race gem: 41st Settimana Internazionale Coppi e Bartali (2.1) is also on Tomorrow. Stage 1:

My preference is Barbaresco, but I understand the desire for Barolo.
Startlist, which is available this time long before midnight: https://www.procyclingstats.com/race/settimana-internazionale-coppi-e-bartali/2026/startlist

Last year Double took a stage win:

but hes not part of Jayco's lineup this time.

 

[Devil's Elbow]

Really weird for Coppi e Bartali, a race that has been centered in Emilia-Romagna for ages, to be held in four different North Italian regions of which none is Emilia-Romagna.

 

[RedheadDane]

What the *** is 'Tour of Bruges'

The race formerly known as Three Days of De Panne.

 

[Sciatic]

The race formerly known as Three Days of De Panne.

They should call it “The Last Vestige of De Panne”

 

[RedheadDane]

They should call it “The Last Vestige of De Panne”

I think they should have stuck with "Three Days of De Panne."

If "Four Days of Dunkirk" can be Five days (+1), then surely "Three Days of De Panne" can be one day.

(But also, kinda two, because... didn't they add the women's race when the men's race was shortened to one day, and were also planning on adding one of those big group-ride things, so they could kind of say it was still three days? But then the group-ride never happened...)

 

[Samamba]

Rain has disappeared (seems really difficult to predict, could be 0 drips of rain, but also could be thunderstorms) in last weather prediction for tomorrow (Brugge), wind still there, although not as spectacular as predicted a few days ago. It will definitely be nervous, but praying the weathergods actually turn up and make this race hard otherwise the nervousness will just result in a bunch of crashes.

 

[Statze2]

In Italy, a little stage race gem: 41st Settimana Internazionale Coppi e Bartali (2.1) is also on Tomorrow. Stage 1:

My preference is Barbaresco, but I understand the desire for Barolo.
Startlist, which is available this time long before midnight: https://www.procyclingstats.com/race/settimana-internazionale-coppi-e-bartali/2026/startlist

Last year Double took a stage win:

but hes not part of Jayco's lineup this time.

Was one of you able to find Information about live coverage?

 

[Dazed and Confused]

Was one of you able to find Information about live coverage?

No info yet, but usually out friends from GS.Emelia provide live coverage in Italian with some english speaking segments. The race site links to the following: https://www.youtube.com/user/Oradelciclismo

We will have to wait and see.

 

[search]

I don't remember ever seeing live pictures from Coppi e Bartali, but according to the race website, there'll be some kind of stream here on from 16 cet. As the stages finish at around 15:30, it normally can't be live, though.

Lega Ciclismo Professionistico

I video del ciclismo professionistico in Italia

www.youtube.com

Otherwise the usual highlight shows on RaiSport

LE TAPPE IN TV (Rai Sport)

25 marzo 2026 – Barbaresco – Barolo, ore 18:00
26 marzo 2026 – Lodi – Massalengo, ore 18:00
27 marzo 2026 – Erbusco – Iseo, ore 17:30
28 marzo 2026 – Ponte di Piave – Valdobbiadene, ore 16:25
29 marzo 2026 – Cormons – Gemona del Friuli, ore 17:30 e 23:30

Tutti i giorni streaming sul canale Youtube Lega Ciclismo Professionistico dalle ore 16:00

SETTIMANA INTERNAZIONALE COPPI E BARTALI 2026, DOMANI IL VIA DA BARBARESCO - Gruppo Sportivo Emilia

www.gsemilia.it

 

[search]

It's a bit odd indeed that they moved this race away from Emilia Romagna, by the way, although at least the character remained roughly the same.

 

[Squire]

Can anyone beat Temu Hirschi?

 

[AlfaLum]

Can anyone beat Temu Hirschi?

Think by now people could argue that Hirschi is actually a temu Schmid.

 

[yaco]

Jayco has a strong team for this race and should achieve good results.

 

[Pantani_lives]

If they want to do a Flemish sprint classic, they could do it on the circuit of Zolder, like the WC road race in 2002.

The final in Bruges will be safer than in de Panne, with the final kms on a wide road around the city - along some of the historical city gates. The finish is between Ezelspoort and Smedenpoort ("Donkey Gate" and "Blacksmith Gate"). Today with the bad weather there might be echelons, so a bunch sprint isn't a given. Alpecin and SQ have a good team for this.

 

[search]

I don't remember ever seeing live pictures from Coppi e Bartali, but according to the race website, there'll be some kind of stream here on from 16 cet. As the stages finish at around 15:30, it normally can't be live, though.

checking again, they indeed hat a livestream available for the first time in 2025.

Personally, I honestly think that highlights are fine for a race like this, though, especially if it has been the case for a long time, and there are 1-2 WT races to compete with.

 

[Devil's Elbow]

If they want to do a Flemish sprint classic, they could do it on the circuit of Zolder, like the WC road race in 2002.

The final in Bruges will be safer than in de Panne, with the final kms on a wide road around the city - along some of the historical city gates. The finish is between Ezelspoort and Smedenpoort ("Donkey Gate" and "Blacksmith Gate"). Today with the bad weather there might be echelons, so a bunch sprint isn't a given. Alpecin and SQ have a good team for this.

There is absolutely zero to string the peloton out in the final kilometres, so I fully expect a return to big crashes the first time they have a full bunch sprint on this route (which will not be today).

 

[Brullnux]

Coppi e Bartali has a good startlist, lots of WT teams (though bring mostly youth). Still, should be good

 

[Rockestar_33]

Can anyone beat Temu Hirschi?

Schmid>Hirschi past few years

 

[Samamba]

Coppi e Bartali has a good startlist, lots of WT teams (though bring mostly youth). Still, should be good

Saying a startlist with like 20 WT pros is good is a big stretch... This is pretty bad.

Doesn't mean the race will be bad of course, but this is the typical Italian .1 race weak start list.

 

[Samamba]

There is absolutely zero to string the peloton out in the final kilometres, so I fully expect a return to big crashes the first time they have a full bunch sprint on this route (which will not be today).

I don't think they'll ever understand this.
Last parcours was worse tho, but yes this one will also turn into a crashfest when it's an easy edition. Easy sprint classics without big crashes don't exist. You have 20 sprinters all with 7 rouleurs/leadout guys around them. It just does not work.