The road season just kicked off, the Classics countdown clock is officially ticking, and there’s no shortage of storylines to chew on as cycling rolls out of winter mode and into full gas. From Mike’s personal hit list of the Classics that really matter, to early-season racing in the desert, cyclocross royalty on the brink of history, and a steady drumbeat of team and rider news, the season is taking off.
Belgium is calling, Pogačar is looming, van der Poel is inevitable (until proven otherwise), and the peloton is already testing legs, equipment, and ambitions from AlUla to Mallorca. We’ve got race results, team announcements, transfer news, and a deep dive into why the one-day monsters of spring still own cycling’s soul.
Grab a coffee, settle in, and let’s enjoy a few minutes of something hopefully better than what your algorithm serves you…
TOP STORY:
- Mike’s Top Five: The Classics We’re Most Looking Forward To
RACE NEWS
- Milan Heats Up the Desert at ALULA Tour
- Cyclocross Worlds: It’s VDP’s Race to Lose
- Santos Tour Down Under Wraps Up
- Tour of Flanders Gets a New Start Town – back to Antwerp
- UAE Tour Teams Announced
RIDER, TEAM AND CYCLING NEWS
- Axelle Dubau-Prévôt joins EF Education-Oatly
- Ben Healy Extends With EF Through 2029
- Evenepoel Tests Red Bull Team TT Squad in Mallorca Thursday
Mike’s Top Five: The Classics I’m Most Looking Forward To
Let’s be honest with ourselves: ‘Cross is a fun holdover. The Tour Down Under and the Arabian Peninsula races whet our appetites. But the cycling season proper starts in Belgium, with Omloop Het Nieuwsblad.
The Grand Tours are the crowning achievements; a Tour de France victor is cycling royalty. But the real fans show for the Classics: No day-to-day tactics; no races-within-the-race: Just raw powerfests that test a rider’s ability to go all-in and all-out in one day.
If it’s not clear, we PEZers are counting the days until February 28, when Omloop rolls out. But there are five races that I — Mike — am particularly fired up to follow. Here are those five — and my rationale for each:
#5. Tour of Flanders – April 5 — This was once my top pick, the Sunday I’d reserve for watching a bike race (and then attend Easter Mass, of course): Tom Boonen and Peter Sagan and somewhere in there an oddly at-ease Fabian Cancellara. But De Ronde is a victim of Pogačar’s dominance: It’s just a bit too hard, too hilly for van der Poel, and it’s hard to see anyone but Pogi winning. The crowds, history and pageantry make it worth taking in, but it’s not likely to be much of a race.
At least he looks like he’s trying.
History & pageantry
#4. Strade Bianche – March 7 — This race likely will also suffer from Pogi-dominance, but may be the most beautiful race on the calendar. From the eponymous white roads to the dramatic rise before the plunge into Siena’s Palio, it’s just a spectacular event to take in. Even a crash couldn’t keep Pogačar from winning last year; perhaps he’ll get a better challenge in ’26. Regardless, I’ll be watching, rapt.
#3. Dwars door Vlaanderen – April 1 — This one’s purely personal. Without context it’s a midweek momentum-keeper. But when my family and I were stuck in Belgium on the way to Africa in 2016 — the Brussels airport had been bombed, and no one was leaving the country — we found our way to…wait for it…a bike race: Dwars door Vlaanderen. It’s a mini-Ronde, but even then thousands came out for the finish in Waregem. We spied pensioners placing wagers, a transistor radio broadcasting the race’s progress; my 11 year-old son took a photo with Erik Zabel. It’s a cherished memory, despite the traumatic backdrop.
Amid chaos, a bike race was a source of familiarity and calm.
My basketball-fan son became a cycling fan for a day.
#2. Paris Roubaix – April 12 — The Grandaddy, the Rose Bowl of cycling: While other races employ cobbles and gravel, and Flanders has made a push towards the top of the esteemed Classics heap, P-R remains the gnarliest race in cycling. Spirit of gravel? Witness the spirit of pavé, all jarring and rattling and pain. View the photos of aging françaises repairing the farm roads in the leading-up weeks; learn the rating systems, more subjective than the categories des cols; count down the sectors. Know that the victor receives his own cobblestone — and showers in the same douche as his forebears; their names are plated on the walls. Watching Paris-Roubaix is a slow boil, evolving over a dreadfully long day, but worth a full, uninterrupted follow.
#1. Milan-San Remo – March 21 — It’s trite at this point, but “Easiest to finish, hardest to win” distills the appeal of La Primavera. While in this era most classics’ titles change hands between a few galacticos, the last ten MSRs have been won by nine riders; only van der Poel has won twice. And the riders themselves span types: scan the victors’ list and you’ll spy sprinters, rouleurs, a climber and a descending specialist. Milan-San Remo is a puzzle, and every version requires a new solution. The stunning Italian coastline backdrop notwithstanding, the preliminary 80% of the race requires true commitment to follow, but from the approach to the Cipressa on, this is riveting stuff.
So…what do you think? Any beefs with my preferences? What are your top five? Let me know by emailing mike@pezcyclingnews.com; I’d be happy to share your thoughts!
RACE NEWS
ALULA TOUR 2026
AlManshiyah Train Station, Wednesday 28th January 2026 – It was another wind swept day at the AlUla Tour and despite non stop action and echelons throughout this second stage, a group of around 50 riders remained together for an impressive bunched sprint by the AlManshiyah Train Station. Perfectly led out by his Lidl-Trek partners, Jonathan Milan once again showed what a powerful sprinter he was. The Italian flew to a second consecutive stage success, beating compatriot Daniel Skerl (Bahrain Victorious) and Pascal Ackermann (Team Jayco AlUla) to the line. Milan comforts his overall leadership.
Stage 2 Results
- Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek) 03h17’59”
- Daniel Skerl (Bahrain Victorious) +00’’
- Pascal Ackermann (Team Jayco AlUla) +00’’
- Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek) 06h54’11”
- Milan Fretin (Cofidis) +14″
- Matteo Moschetti (Pinarello-Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team) +16″
Cyclocross Worlds: It’s VDP’s Race to Lose
This Sunday in the town of Hulst, in his home country of the Netherlands, Mathieu van der Poel will look to drop an exclamation point — possibly at the end of his cyclocross career. He’s stated that if he can win a record-breaking eighth world title — having surpassed Sven Nys last weekend for the most UCI ‘cross wins ever, with 55 — he’ll hang up his studded tires and focus solely on the road.
Think of that: 51 wins — and 15% of them in the World Championships.
I won’t spill a lot of ink prognosticating here; I’ve written extensively about the futility of Nys, del Grosso, and the pure ‘crossers as they tilt at the Dutchman’s windmill. The course doesn’t seem to offer odd features that might add some volatility, and while the weather forecast suggest mud, when has that slowed van der Poel? His fitness is such a level that when others are taking technical risks, he can ride prudently.
Don’t get me wrong: I’ll be watching. Maybe we’ll see a proper bike race. But likely the only real drama will be in the race for second place. As Sven Nys himself said, “They’d have to amputate Mathieu van der Poel’s leg for him to lose that World Championship.”
Santos Tour Down Under Wraps Up
In case you missed it – and who’s to blame you with the currently direction-less broadcast schedule from the streaming big boys – you can see a short video of the Tour Down Under hilights here –
Flanders’ Finest once again starts from Antwerp
All information about the course and teams
Vilvoorde, 27 January 2026 – On Sunday, April 5, the Flemish cycling spring reaches its climax with the Tour of Flanders. Once again this year, the men will start from Antwerp, while Oudenaarde remains the base for the women’s race. Many big names have Flanders’ Finest on their schedule, including Tadej Pogačar, Lotte Kopecky, Wout van Aert and Mathieu van der Poel. The latter can become the sole record holder.
After presenting the riders one by one to the public on Antwerp’s Grote Markt, the starting gun for the 110th edition of the Tour of Flanders for men will sound at 10:00 on the Ernest van Dijckkaai. The peloton will then head through the city center and the Meir towards the Left Bank for the official start.
On the way to the Flemish Ardennes, the riders will cross 6 Tour Villages this year: from the Grote Markt in Sint-Niklaas, they will head to Hamme, Erpe-Mere, Haaltert, Herzele, and Zottegem, where the first cobbled sectors await on Lippenhovestraat and Paddestraat. The women will also pass through these last two Tour Villages. After the start at 13:15 on the Markt in Oudenaarde, they will head via the cobbles of Lange Munte towards Herzele and Zottegem.
The first of three climbs of the Oude Kwaremont marks the men’s first ascent of the day, 136 km from the finish. With 45 km remaining, both men and women begin their finale on the Koppenberg. The climb in Melden is followed by the Mariaborrestraat (this year without the Steenbeekdries due to roadworks), Taaienberg, and Oude Kruisberg/Hotond. The key section this year is again the Oude Kwaremont – Paterberg duo, with the top of the latter 13 km from the finish on the Minderbroedersstraat in Oudenaarde.
The men will reach the finish around 16:20 after approximately 270 km. The winner of the women’s Tour of Flanders will have covered 164 km. We will welcome her around 17:25 on the Minderbroedersstraat.
The men’s UCI WorldTour teams are joined by three teams automatically guaranteed a spot due to their performances last season: Cofidis, Pinarello-Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team, and Tudor Pro Cycling Team. These teams can also plan their trip to Antwerp: Burgos-BH, Team Flanders – Baloise, TotalEnergies, and Unibet Rose Rockets.
The wildcards for the women’s race go to Cofidis Women Team, Laboral Kutxa – Fundación Euskadi, Lotto Intermarché Ladies, Mayenne Monbana My Pie, St Michel – PREFERENCE HOME – Auber 93, and VolkerWessels Cycling Team.
THE TEAMS OF THE 2026 EDITION OF THE UAE TOUR AND UAE TOUR WOMEN ARE ANNOUNCED
20 teams will take part in the women’s event, scheduled from February 5 to 8, while 21 teams will be at the start of the men’s race from February 16 to 22.
United Arab Emirates, 27 January 2026 – Abu Dhabi Sports Council, organisers of the UAE Tour and the UAE Tour Women, are pleased to confirm the full list of teams participating in the 2026 edition of both races.
UAE TOUR
Across seven stages, the eighteen UCI WorldTeams will be joined by three UCI ProTeams that will race along the unique roads of the Middle East.
As with past editions, the eight edition of the one and only UCI WorldTour race in the Middle East will see the world-class professional teams, including UAE Team Emirates, Team Visma | Lease a Bike, INEOS Grenadiers and Red Bull – Bora – Hansgrohe at the start line. Some of the top riders expected at the start are Jonas Vingegaard, Remco Evenepoel, Isaac Del Toro, and Jonathan Milan. The full list of confirmed teams is as follows:
- ALPECIN-PREMIER TECH
- BAHRAIN VICTORIOUS
- DECATHLON CMA CGM TEAM
- EF EDUCATION – EASYPOST
- GROUPAMA-FDJ UNITED
- INEOS GRENADIERS
- LIDL-TREK
- LOTTO INTERMARCHÉ
- MODERN ADVENTURE PRO CYCLING
- MOVISTAR TEAM
- NSN CYCLING TEAM
- PINARELLO-Q36.5 PRO CYCLING TEAM
- RED BULL – BORA – HANSGROHE
- SOUDAL QUICK-STEP
- TEAM JAYCO ALULA
- TEAM PICNIC POSTNL
- TEAM VISMA | LEASE A BIKE
- TUDOR PRO CYCLING TEAM
- UAE TEAM EMIRATES XRG
- UNO-X MOBILITY
- XDS ASTANA TEAM
UAE TOUR WOMEN
14 UCI Women’s WorldTeams, 3 UCI Women’s ProTeams and 3 UCI Women’s Continental Teams will compete in the fourth edition of the one and only UCI Women’s WorldTour race in the Middle East. Among the top riders expected at the start are the two-time winner, Elisa Longo Borghini, and the most succesful stage rider, Lorena Wiebes. The full list of confirmed teams is as follows:
- AG INSURANCE – SOUDAL TEAM
- CANYON// SRAM ZONDACRYPTO
- COFIDIS WOMEN TEAM
- EF EDUCATION – OATLY
- FDJ UNITED – SUEZ
- FENIX-PREMIER TECH
- HITEC PRODUCTS-FLUID CONTROL
- HUMAN POWERED HEALTH
- LIDL – TREK
- LIV-ALULA-JAYCO
- MOVISTAR TEAM
- ST MICHEL – PREFERNCE HOME – AUBER93
- TEAM PICNIC POSTNL
- TEAM SD WORX – PROTIME
- TEAM VISMA | LEASE A BIKE
- TOP GIRLS FASSA BORTOLO
- UAE TEAM ADQ
- UNO-X MOBILITY
- VINI FANTINI – BEPINK
- VOLKERWESSELS CYCLING TEAM
TEAM AND RIDER NEWS
Axelle Dubau-Prévôt joins EF Education-Oatly
It’s been a phenomenal 12 months for Axelle Dubau-Prévôt. In addition to winning the first edition of France’s gravel national championship, she racked up four more wins, including the general classification at Gravel Burn where she won four of the six stages. Now Dubau-Prévôt is joining EF Education-Oatly where she will race a mixed program of gravel and road races.
“This is my dream team,” Axelle said. “They think outside of the box at EF Education-Oatly. It’s the only team where I can see myself because I don’t have a traditional cycling background. I want to be serious and also to keep the joy and the fun in racing.”
In 2024 and 2025, Axelle raced an increasingly ambitious gravel program. Winning Gravel Burn gave her a new level of confidence and she did something out of character: she reached out to EF Education-Oatly general manager Esra Tromp about joining the team in 2026.
“We were looking for a rider who could be competitive in gravel as well as be an asset with our road team so Axelle is a great fit,” Esra said. “On the road, she’s something of an all-rounder and on gravel, she has the endurance for stage races and the speed to go for one-day races.”
But she also has her sights set on women’s cycling’s grandest stage: “When I heard a few years ago that the Tour was coming back, I was out of the cycling world and I felt a bit sad to think that I would never take part in it. I’m French and if someone asks me what I do and I say I’m a cyclist, they immediately ask if I race the Tour de France.”
Ben Healy extends with EF Education-EasyPost
Tour de France stage winner and former Irish champion signs contract through 2029
Ben Healy will lead EF Education-EasyPost into the coming era.
The Tour de France stage winner and yellow jersey wearer signed a long-term contract to race with our squad through 2029. Since joining EF Education-EasyPost as a 21-year-old rookie in 2022, Ben has become one of the most exciting racers of his generation. He has won stages of the Giro d’Italia, Itzulia Basque Country and the Tour de France, as well as Irish road and time trial titles. He finished on the podium at the world championships, the Amstel Gold Race and Liège-Bastogne-Liège. What sets Ben apart is not just his list of results, though. Ben’s methodical, critical approach to bike racing makes our entire team better. He pushes us to keep questioning how to go faster. Ben’s willingness to attack pro cycling’s hardest races from far out and make his moves stick inspires all of his teammates and fans around the world.
Ben has big ambitions for the years ahead. Together with his close-knit crew of EF Education-EasyPost teammates, he wants to go for grand tour stage wins and Monument victories.
“I’m close mates with the guys on the team, and that creates an infectious atmosphere that brings everyone closer together,” Ben said.
“It’s not just us guys, it’s everyone, all the staff. There’s not a race or a training camp you go to where you are disappointed to be there. It’s always good fun and the dinner table’s always a great laugh. We spend so many days on the road, so that is super important. It makes you work that bit harder for each other.”
EF Education-EasyPost is the most youthful squad in the men’s WorldTour. Younger talents such as Markel Beloki, Mattia Agostinacchio and Noah Hobbs, who joined our squad in recent years, already look to 25-year-old Ben to lead them at cycling’s most prestigious races. They want to take decisive pulls for him as they race in his slipstream toward cycling superstardom. That comes with pressure, but Ben handles it with aplomb. He wants to be a role model for his teammates.
“Ben is what we want as a leader,” said EF Pro Cycling founder and CEO Jonathan Vaughters. “He is thoughtful and always seeking to improve. Most importantly, he is always willing to risk. Our team has and always will be built on the outsider willing to take a chance. Ben is that.”
Since joining EF Education-EasyPost, Ben has continued to push the envelope. He has never been one to let anyone else define what he can achieve in the sport. The approach that has brought him so much success so far is the same one he will use to try to beat the best riders in pro cycling at grand tour stages and Monuments.
“I just need to continue being myself,” Ben said.
“I want to lead by example. I want to go about it how I always have done. I love the process of getting better. Coming out of the offseason, after not riding my bike for a couple of weeks, I was so excited to get back into that process. I find it so rewarding. To be here in this position with the palmarès that I have is something I’m super proud of. I have grown so much as a rider and really refined my craft. I’ve never lost the hunger for it.”
Ben’s determination to never settle for the status quo goes beyond training and tactics to equipment and clothing design. He is constantly tinkering with his bike and kit to try to find extra speed. That makes him a huge asset for partners such as Cannondale and ASSOS.
“When I first joined the team, I might have seemed like a crazy guy, but there’s obviously something to it and we’ve worked well together,” Ben said. “A big part of that from my side was definitely my coach, Jacob Tipper, who is here on the team now as well. For sure, we’re moving in a really nice direction with ASSOS and our Cannondale bikes. To be honest, it can’t get much better.”
Trust Ben to find every little way to get better, though. He loves thinking through every detail of his equipment, his training, and race courses and tactics to figure out how to win.
“The racing is just a bonus at the end,” Ben said. “Getting to that place where I know I can go compete with the best is what motivates me. I enjoy racing and I enjoy being at the front of a race, but if you don’t put in the work, you’re not going to be there. The wins are obviously amazing, but it’s just getting to the point where you are able to race and compete to win those races that drives me.”
Ben has already proven that he can take on anyone when he does that. Look forward to some massive Ben Healy attacks in the years ahead.
Season opener with a Team Time Trial: Remco Evenepoel and Florian Lipowitz set for their first race in 2026
Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe has also begun the new season in Europe. Among those lining up are Remco Evenepoel and Florian Lipowitz, who will contest their first race of the 2026 season on Thursday.
Three letters, major significance: TTT. Team time trials are a rare sight on the racing calendar – and will be especially important in 2026. On 4 July, the Tour de France will start in Barcelona with a team time trial. For Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe, preparations for that challenge have begun early. Every opportunity is being used to refine processes, test equipment and sharpen race tactics under competitive conditions.
The Trofeu Ses Salines – stage 2 of the Challenge Mallorca – serves as the first real test. At the same time, the race marks a special debut: Remco Evenepoel will line up for his first race day with Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe. Florian Lipowitz will also pin on a race number for the first time this season. It will be their first race together as teammates – and straight into a team time trial.
Starting the season with a TTT is something special. In a road race, you usually have a few hours to ease into it before the finale. Here, it’s straight into it: around 25 minutes of full gas and pain in the legs.”
— Remco Evenepoel
Just before the start of a TTT, you don’t really have time to think about how hard it’s going to be – and that might even be an advantage. Preparation is the key, and we’ve invested a lot of time. I think we’re well prepared.
— Florian Lipowitz
Thursday is an important day, but not the most important one of the season. It’s no secret that we’re here to prepare for the Tour de France. If we can draw the right conclusions for July, it’s okay to make mistakes now. At this stage, it doesn’t have to be perfect.
— Remco Evenepoel
Alongside Remco Evenepoel and Florian Lipowitz, the TTT line-up includes Mattia Cattaneo, Nico Denz, Gianni Moscon and Maxim Van Gils. Lorenzo Finn of the Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe Rookies will also gain valuable experience within the team.
Remco Evenepoel and Florian Lipowitz are also expected to race together in the third event of the Challenge Mallorca, the Trofeu Serra de Tramuntana. Evenepoel is additionally scheduled to compete the following day.
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Just in time for the road season — let’s look back at Richard’s first-look review of the latest in Pinarello’s F-Series.
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