Lesser known races 2026 edition

[Libertine Seguros]

It's exciting that they've discovered La Bobia and the Arredondas climbs... but mad that they've discovered them from these sides, with the steep and tricky descents but shallower climbs. Bodes well for future years though. Western Asturias has always been kinda hidden away from racing because there's so few population centres.

 

[Ulle97]

Delighted for Nairo. I love to see an old campaigner getting one last shot at glory.

He looks good to take the overall. Tomorrow's stage doesn't look too problematic. He just needs to hold on during the last couple of hills on Sunday.

It might be the last win of his career, but I'm cautiously optimistic that he will play an animated figure in a few more races during the year.

Bravo Nairoman!!!

 

[Rob5091]

Seems like the tounge lashing after stage 1 paid off! A bettter ambiance in the bus after today I'll guess.
Nairoman does the business so chapeau! (and I see a certain Chumil made the top 10 - vamos! )

 

[Sciatic]

These are horrible news. No one should die of the complications of the knee in this time and age. Especially a professional cyclist.

Sepsis is not choosy—but can be lethal

 

[Coppi-Bartali]

This year won´t be WT teams in the Giro dell'Appennino.

Giro dell'Appennino 2026

www.procyclingstats.com

 

[Dazed and Confused]

This year won´t be WT teams in the Giro dell'Appennino.

Giro dell'Appennino 2026

www.procyclingstats.com

Thats for the better. It's detrimental for the general sport if 1 or 2 WT teams enter these .1 races and make everybody else look out of form.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

Le Tour de Bretagne Cycliste (2.2) starts today. Stage 1:

Startlist: https://www.procyclingstats.com/race/le-tour-de-bretagne/2026/startlist
Live now:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LAl6AlzEdBw

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Always good fun, the Tour de Brétagne. Beautiful part of the world, very passionate about cycling, lots of little repechos and tight corners that make it deceptively tricky, but with smaller teams in a CT- and espoir-level péloton, which is usually better for racing too.

They don't always 'maximise' what there is at hand, and a lot of the time the short closing circuits aren't always great for breaking up the race, but because the race typically suits the baroudeurs a lot of the time, these are usually fine because the race has broken up before getting there in more stages than not.

 

[Coppi-Bartali]

Thats for the better. It's detrimental for the general sport if 1 or 2 WT teams enter these .1 races and make everybody else look out of form.

I assure you that for an organizer, that's terrible. I know this somewhat from the inside, and everyone wants to have at least one World Tour team. Even if they dominate the race like Vingegaard O Gran Camino. Races don't organize themselves; they need money.

 

[Coppi-Bartali]

Today in Asturias, the victory should decide in a reduced sprint.
I don't know who is fast in that peloton. Baroncini if he's feeling good, or Leitao if he is in the group.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ecAdkihOA20

 

[Samu Cuenca]

Today in Asturias, the victory should decide in a reduced sprint.
I don't know who is fast in that peloton. Baroncini if he's feeling good, or Leitao if he is in the group.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ecAdkihOA20

Leitão was dropped from the breakaway earlier, so I'm not sure what he will have left even if he is there.

 

[search]

I assure you that for an organizer, that's terrible. I know this somewhat from the inside, and everyone wants to have at least one World Tour team. Even if they dominate the race like Vingegaard O Gran Camino. Races don't organize themselves; they need money.

yep, absolutely. I personally prefer a competitive, somewhat weaker field as well over one team dominating, but WT teams (apart from strong locals) are what attract sponsors.

 

[SHAD0W93]

He died... from a knee injury? That's just... horrible.

Sepsis is a huge, silent killer and if left untreated will cause death. Even if it’s caught, if fluid resuscitation and antibiotics aren’t started soon enough it can still cause organ or full body death. At my hospital we have an hour when there’s minimum 3 signs of sepsis to get the appropriate labs drawn, antibiotics started, and fluids if needed. What’s even worse is you could be septic but the signs are hiding behind something else and if you don’t test the lactic acid or other labs with the initials it can go some time before it’s found out. I don’t know what professional cyclists lactic acid reaches after a hard race, but the highest level I’ve seen is 16.5 and they didn’t make it. Heck last night a 90s yr old is septic, lactic was 8.5 and even after hydrating fluids, antibiotics, albumin, and levophed it only went down to 6.9. Not good at all.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

Thank god CGP hit that barrier instead of riding straight into the electric fence, although it is possible he could have avoided crashing at all if it hadn't been there.

https://twitter.com/x/status/2048048068579233945

View: https://x.com/vueltasturias/status/2048048068579233945

 

[Dazed and Confused]

I assure you that for an organizer, that's terrible. I know this somewhat from the inside, and everyone wants to have at least one World Tour team. Even if they dominate the race like Vingegaard O Gran Camino. Races don't organize themselves; they need money.

I can aussure you that the 1D approach to cycling at the .1 level kills races.

 

[SHAD0W93]

If the reports are accurate, he died first and foremost from a complete failure in terms of medical treatment. To die from sepsis is one thing because it's a difficult beast to tame, to die from sepsis stemming from an injury the hospital discharged you with mere days ago is another entirely. Of course, it's possible that the French medical staff in question advised against it but were not heeded so I don't want to point fingers, but in any case it seems that someone made a decision that has turned out to be fatal. RIP.

It’s hard to say since he could have been okay before the discharge and then got worse. He could also have had minor changes that were thought to be from the surgery and pain. Like WBC and heart rate being elevated. They could have completely missed the diagnosis.

Or he could have been fine at discharge, got an infection that got to his blood and spread rapidly, then went too long without being readmitted.

Without all of the information it’s hard to lay blame but I’m sure if either hospital missed diagnosis or messed up a big lawsuit will be coming.

 

[Coppi-Bartali]

There's no cooperation in the peloton. Cadena could win if this situation continues.

There are four cyclists from Burgos in the peloton. They must not have anyone fast, otherwise it's inexplicable why they aren't pulling to win the stage.

 

[Coppi-Bartali]

Cadena wins.

Well deserved. Disappointing attitude from cyclists on some teams who don't have many victories; they didn't deserve to win.

 

[search]

most riders in this field don't have the quality of Cadena, to be fair, but yeah, with a collective effort behind it would have been much more difficult, of course.

Anyway, great win for Storck, and well deserved. Still curious how exactly he ended up in Germany.

 

[Tim Cahill]

Chuky legendary solo victory but he won’t move up in GC I think because gaps yesterday were comical.