Our biking — and cyclocross worlds — roundup, main off with Holland’s maintain on Hulst with wins by van der Poel and Model. And as ‘cross winds down, we get to start out questioning: Will Remco threaten Tadej’s management of the peloton? Will EF discover a new sponsor? Will the Dauphiné’s new title stick? Can we sustain with races taking place on three continents? You’ve gotten questions; PEZ has solutions!
TOP STORY
- No Drama, All Domination: van der Poel Coolly Instructions ‘Cross Worlds
RACE NEWS
- It’s Model After All: Ladies’s Cyclocross Worlds Report
- And We’re Off! Evenepoel Begins New Section with Two Triumphs
- TDF Group Checklist Introduced: Caja Rural & Q36.5 In, Unibet Rose Rockets Out
- Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes (fka Critérium du Dauphiné) Unveils 2026 Route
- World Spherical-Up: 4 Race Reviews from Three Continents
TEAM, RIDER AND CYCLING NEWS
No Drama, All Domination: van der Poel Coolly Instructions ‘Cross Worlds
All of it went as scripted: On a course rumored to have been designed by his father, in his house nation of The Netherlands, Mathieu van der Poel received a record-breaking eighth World Cyclocross Championships, using superior health, technical near-perfection — and a chill have an effect on all through.
Whereas younger compatriot Tibor Del Grosso seized an preliminary lead, with Belgium’s Thibau Nys hanging intently to the main Dutch duo, van der Poel quickly edged away: No stomping assault this time, simply regular wattage superiority and clear execution on each one of many course’s tough options, together with a pointy, muddy rise that troubled each rider within the subject — besides van der Poel (no less than till the ultimate lap, when the end result was cinched).
From there it was a race for lesser locations: Van der Poel rode easily, exacting a wider margin with each lap, whereas Del Grosso and Nys traded blows behind, and a chasing group of greater than ten dreamed fruitlessly a few podium spot. When van der Poel caught a little bit of air off of an increase that some riders struggled simply to ascend, his victory appeared inevitable.
Nys drew out a small margin forward of Del Grosso on the penultimate lap, however — as has been the case so many occasions this season — fell sufferer to technical bobbles and first misplaced the lead, after which misplaced any alternative to vie for the ultimate dash. Del Grosso’s second-place end meant a 1-2 end result for the Netherlands, and for Alpecin-Premier Tech. Behind, Spaniard (and eTrashMike fave) Felipe Orts Lloret made a go at distancing the chasers, however was finally caught and completed in seventh place.
So: the place to from right here for van der Poel? He has advised that with a document eighth Worlds win in his palmarès, he would retire from cyclocross. Possibly go all-in on spring classics and cracking Pogačar’s maintain on Flanders and Liège? Chase the Inexperienced Jersey — and even Grand Tour GC rivalry? Lastly win a world-class mountain bike race? Work on the golf recreation?
Judging by the publish beneath, for now, van der Poel is simply having fun with his standing because the GCROAT — the Best Cyclocross Racer Of All Time.
Remaining Outcomes
RACE NEWS
It’s Model After All: Ladies’s Cyclocross Worlds Report
This season in girls’s cyclocross traced an arc: Early, constant dominance by Lucinda Model, then chinks showing in her armor as she did not win — and even to podium — in late-season races, all resulting in suspense within the run-up to the World Championships in Model’s native Holland: would fatigue or frustration preserve her from the highest step?
Ultimately, the suspense was for nought: Model rode a robust and technically superior race, navigating the Hulst course’s challenges imperfectly, however way more easily than her rivals.
The Dutch champion claimed her third elite world title, exorcising any doubts about her late-season kind with a commanding efficiency on house soil. Model’s expertise and tactical acumen proved decisive on the demanding circuit, the place technical precision separated podium finishers from also-rans.
Dutch compatriot Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado, who mustered late-season success by constantly exhibiting late-race velocity, gave Model her strongest take a look at, at one level overtaking her after a lap-seven spill. However Model reclaimed the lead and constructed a margin vast sufficient to cease and hoist her bike overhead on the end. Puck Pieterse accomplished an all-Netherlands podium, having initially led the race and showing very robust, solely to fall very closely on a muddy bend.
Alvarado fought to remain shut.
In reality, the race noticed many mishaps, together with tumbles from each Model and Pieterse, a barriers-bumble from Manon Bakker, and even a dustup between two riders: Late within the race, Marion Norbert Riberolle and Kristýna Zemanová crashed collectively in a slippery nook. As they obtained up, Zemanová moved to retrieve her bike, and Norbert Riberolle turned away from her personal bike and used each arms to shove Zemanová in the course of the course. Upon listening to that she had been disqualified, Norbert Riberolle dismounted, sat on the bottom, and cried.
The victory provides one other rainbow jersey to Model’s palmarès and confirms her standing within the cyclocross pantheon. In the meantime, throughout the elite males’s races, Dutch riders earned 5 of the six podium spots — of their house nation.
Let’s hope that Wout van Aert continues to heal shortly, and enjoys a profitable classics season, as a result of Belgian biking followers are not blissful…
And We’re Off! Evenepoel Begins New Section with Two Triumphs
…besides: one other Belgian biking savior might have re-arrived: Remco Evenepoel christened his first season with Pink Bull-BORA-hansgrohe in emphatic — if certified — vogue, claiming back-to-back victories on the Problem Mallorca. The Belgian first led his new staff to victory in Thursday’s Trofeo Ses Salines staff time trial earlier than delivering a commanding solo efficiency over a diluted subject at Friday’s Trofeo Serra Tramuntana.
Within the 26-kilometer staff time trial, Pink Bull-BORA-hansgrohe executed their technique cleanly, overcoming a two-second deficit on the midway level to defeat Movistar by simply 4 seconds. Evenepoel and his teammates carried out “fairly near perfection,” making their decisive transfer on the headwind-affected return leg.
The next day, the world time trial champion unleashed a classic efficiency at Serra Tramuntana, attacking with 55 kilometers remaining and soloing to victory by over 90 seconds. The double Olympic champion struck on the Coll de Soller climb earlier than constructing a two-minute benefit via his distinctive time-trialing talents.
Notably, the Serra Tramuntana subject lacked top-tier competitors, with no different Tour de France contenders — and even seemingly stage win contenders — current. Nonetheless, securing his 68th profession win at simply 26 demonstrates that Evenepoel is on monitor forward of February’s UAE Tour — and judging from his end line and interview demeanor, Remco will gladly take the Ws.
TDF Group Checklist Introduced: Caja Rural & Q36.5 In, Unibet Rose Rockets Out
Tour de France organizer ASO has introduced the 23 groups that may compete within the 2026 version of biking’s most prestigious race on Friday morning. The lineup contains all 18 WorldTour groups plus 5 ProTeams.
The three top-performing ProTeams from 2025—Cofidis, Tudor, and Pinarello-Q36.5—earned automated qualification primarily based on UCI factors. ASO awarded the remaining two wildcard invites to Spain’s Caja Rural Seguros RGA and France’s TotalEnergies.
The announcement marks a historic second for Caja Rural, which is able to make its Tour de France debut when the race begins in Barcelona on July 4. The Spanish squad’s inclusion provides the race a second Spanish staff alongside Movistar.
Pinarello-Q36.5’s choice means British star Tom Pidcock is predicted to return to the Tour after lacking the 2025 version. The staff’s normal supervisor, Doug Ryder, stated being on the Tour for the primary time represents “a second of nice delight for everybody concerned within the challenge.”
Tudor’s presence on the beginning record suggests former world champion Julian Alaphilippe may also return to compete on the French Grand Tour.
Essentially the most notable omission from the staff record is Unibet Rose Rockets, which had been broadly tipped to obtain a wildcard invitation. Group founder Bas Tietema acknowledged the frustration however remained optimistic in a video message to followers: “The Tour de France is and can at all times be our dream race. So please, preserve dreaming with us.”
Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes (fka Critérium du Dauphiné) Unveils 2026 Route
The newly rebranded Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, previously the Critérium du Dauphiné, will deal with 1,200 kilometers throughout its host area from June 7-14, 2026. Beginning in Vizille and concluding atop Plateau de Solaison, the eight-stage race gives various terrain that may take a look at riders throughout sprints, time trials, and demanding mountain finishes.
The opening stage between Vizille and Saint-Ismier honors French biking legends Thierry Claveyrolat and Bernard Thévenet, that includes the difficult Côte de Saint-Jean-le-Vieux (5.6km at 8.7%). Stage two stretches 237.3 kilometers to Le Puy-en-Velay, whereas sprinters will goal victories in Montrond-les-Bains and Villars-les-Dombes.
An important 28.4-kilometer staff time trial in Perreux serves as preparation for the Tour de France’s Grand Départ in Barcelona, using the format examined at Paris-Good the place groups race collectively however occasions rely individually.
The race’s decisive moments arrive throughout three summit finishes. Riders face new climbs at Saint-Héry d’Ugine and Crest-Voland earlier than conquering the Grand Colombier by way of the brutal Virieu-le-Petit slope (8.4km at 10.2%). The ultimate stage delivers a spectacular end at Plateau de Solaison (11.3km at 9.1%), the identical climb that may host a Tour de France stage simply weeks later.
World Spherical-Up: 4 Race Reviews from Three Continents
Earlier than we attain true Classics season with Omloop on February 28, riders are scattered throughout the globe, racing in “1.1” races and different buildup occasions. Right here’s a rundown from 4 such races final week:
AlUla Tour
Jan Christen delivered a surprising late assault on the ultimate stage to assert his first-ever normal classification victory on the AlUla Tour in Saudi Arabia; with certainly one of its “lesser” riders already profitable, this season is shaping as much as be one other profitable one for UAE Group Emirates-XRG. The 21-year-old Swiss rider began the ultimate stage 14th total, 33 seconds behind race chief Yannis Voisard, however attacked shortly after the summit of Harrat Uwayrid and soloed to victory. Christen received the general title by 15 seconds over Sergio Higuita with Igor Arrieta finishing the rostrum in third. The audacious transfer within the ultimate 10 kilometers sealed each the stage win and total classification.
Grand Prix Cycliste de Marseille La Marseillaise
It was nice to see sprinter-of-the-past Bryan Coquard atop the rostrum as soon as once more, after profitable this French opener. With a much less selective course that favored sprinters, Cofidis teammates Clément Izquierdo and Alexis Renard led out Coquard completely for the dash end on Boulevard Michelet. Driving in his house nation, Coquard edged out Steffen De Schuyteneer of Lotto-Intermarché and Alex Molenaar of Caja Rural-Seguros RGA. The victory marked Coquard’s 54th profession win and his first at La Marseillaise.
Trofeo Palma
Pink Bull-BORA-hansgrohe capped off a dominant week on the Problem Mallorca with Arne Marit profitable the Trofeo Palma dash, the staff’s fourth victory in 5 races. The Belgian rider, competing in his first race for his new staff after three seasons with Intermarché, outsprinted Max Kanter and teammate Alessio Magagnotti. A crash within the ultimate nook modified the dash dynamics, permitting Marit to make a fast tactical resolution and launch his effort 300 meters from the end. The win was solely the second of the 27-year-old’s profession, ending a five-year victory drought.
Cadel Evans Nice Ocean Race
2026 has a revelation already: Tobias Lund Andresen outsprinted Matthew Brennan —final yr’s rider-on-the-rise — to win the Cadel Evans Nice Ocean Highway Race. From a lowered group after 183 kilometers round Geelong, the 23-year-old Dane ran down Brennan within the ultimate stretch alongside Geelong’s Esplanade, with Australia’s Brady Gilmore taking third. Brennan had launched his dash with 300 meters remaining, however Andresen timed his effort completely to catch and move the British rider. The victory capped a profitable Australian marketing campaign for Andresen, who had additionally received a stage on the Tour Down Below.
TEAM, RIDER AND CYCLING NEWS
EF Professional Biking Seeks Title Accomplice to Increase Sources
EF Professional Biking has introduced it’s opening a title partnership place for the primary time in its historical past. Training First (EF) will preserve its position as staff proprietor and anchor companion with unchanged funding ranges, whereas the brand new title companion would supply further assets to assist the staff compete with biking’s largest budgets.
The staff has outlined formidable objectives together with profitable the Tour de France Femmes inside three years and capturing each males’s and girls’s Excursions de France inside a decade utilizing riders developed via its system.
Group CEO Jonathan Vaughters famous the association is rare in skilled biking, with EF persevering with its long-term dedication whereas inviting an extra main companion purely to strengthen the staff’s aggressive place.
Since EF’s 2017 acquisition, the staff has maintained constant efficiency on the bike whereas constructing certainly one of skilled biking’s most engaged digital platforms. In line with Nielsen Analytics, the staff ranks among the many sport’s leaders in social media engagement and delivers robust return on funding for title companions.
Key riders together with Ben Healy, World Highway Race Champion Magdeleine Vallieres, double-Olympic gold medal winner Kristen Faulkner, Richard Carapaz, and Neilson Powless have signed long-term contract extensions. The staff, based in 2003, has received monuments, Olympic medals, world championships, and a grand tour.
British Biking Declares 2026 Elite Growth Groups
As a part of its ongoing effort to develop new generations of world-class cyclists, British Biking has named its 2026 Growth Groups.
In line with British Biking, “These groups proceed to play an important position in nurturing younger expertise and creating the following technology {of professional} riders. Via devoted assist, structured race programmes, and progressive growth initiatives, these groups present the right platform for riders to develop, compete, and succeed on the nationwide and worldwide stage.”
First launched in 2021, this system’s Elite Growth Group standing bridges the hole from membership groups to UCI Continental degree. Every staff is assured eight rider entries into all Nationwide Highway Collection and Nationwide Circuit Collection races, supplied promotion of their social media channels and staff web sites on the British Biking web site, and obtain assist within the type of training and coaching workshops.
The Elite Growth program contains eight males’s groups, and 4 girls’s squads.
Canada Opens World-Class Velodrome in Edmonton
The Alberta Velodrome at Coronation Park formally opened January 27, 2026, turning into Canada’s latest UCI-certified indoor monitor and certainly one of North America’s most superior biking services. Situated inside Edmonton’s 16,600-square-metre Coronation Park Sports activities and Recreation Centre, the velodrome will host the 2026 Canadian Monitor Championships and strengthen Canada’s high-performance athletic pathway.
“This represents a transformational funding in Canadian biking,” stated Biking Canada CEO Mathieu Boucher, emphasizing the power’s position from grassroots participation to elite competitors.
The putting elliptical complicated, designed by FaulknerBrowns with hcma and Dub Architects, has earned worldwide recognition together with a WAF Future Tasks Award. Positioned above floor degree, the monitor gives dramatic views of cyclists reaching 80 km/h.
Olympic medalist Kelsey Mitchell praised the power as “an enormous step” for biking and future athletes. The velodrome expands year-round Western Canadian entry whereas remaining open to group riders, golf equipment, and faculties.
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Simply in time for the highway season — let’s look again at Richard’s first-look evaluation of the most recent in Pinarello’s F-Collection.
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