It’s an all-road-no-‘cross version of our cycling news roundup! As the ‘cross season takes its national championships break, we news from across the globe and throughout the calendar: Pogačar’s been scouting the Milan-San Remo course, while Tom Dumoulin and Andy Schleck have new jobs. We look ahead to racing in Norway, Saudi Arabia, Canada — plus a new chapter for Phil Liggett, and a sad farewell to Cannondale’s Joe Montgomery.
TOP STORY:
- Pogi Going All In on MSR? Tadej Spotted on the Poggio
RACE NEWS
- Amstel Gold Has a New Director: Tom Dumoulin!
- Milan and Merlier Set for AlUla Tour Showdown
- 2026 Arctic Race of Norway: Island Hopping Above the Arctic Circle
- Canadian Track Cyclists Competing this Weekend
RIDER, TEAM AND CYCLING NEWS
- Surprise! Simon Yates Announces Retirement
- Derek Gee-West Saga Ends with Lidl-Trek Signing
- Andy Schleck Appointed as Lidl-Trek Deputy General Manager
- A New Passion for Phil Liggett
- Cannondale Founder Joe Montgomery Passes Away at 86
Pogi Going All In on MSR? Tadej Spotted on the Poggio
This week Tadej Pogačar made it even clearer: What he cares about is checking all the boxes — winning all of cycling’s major races, including those not suited to his ample strengths.
The Vuelta notwithstanding, the two standout races that “Pogi” has yet to win are Milan-San Remo and Paris-Roubaix. We’re still in the earliest days of the year, but already he’s training to check the first of those boxes, training on La Primavera’s famed Poggio climb.
Even though Pogacar must know this 3.8 kilometre long climb like the top of his handlebars, he is evidently leaving nothing to chance, or to lack of preparation.
Pogacar has been consistently close in Milan-San Remo in recent years: fifth (2022), fourth (2023), third (2024), and third again (2025). But the “easiest monument to finish and the hardest to win” is proving to be just that for one of cycling’s all-time greats. (Or the all-time great, IMO. — Mike)
“If you look at the profile, I’d prefer the Poggio to be five kilometers at ten percent. But it is what it is. It’s a very difficult race for me to make a difference,” Pogacar said after last year’s thrilling race.
“That’s just the laws of nature. They’re at play here. I can’t do magic. […] I might not have the absolute power, but I could always try again. It’s those few watts of peak power that are missing.”
Thanks to Wielerflits for this content.
RACE NEWS
Amstel Gold Has a New Director: Tom Dumoulin!
The Amstel Gold Race announced today in Maastricht that Tom Dumoulin will become race director from 2027, succeeding Leo van Vliet after the 60th edition on April 19, 2026.
Van Vliet has led the Dutch cycling classic for 30 editions since 1996, following founder Herman Krott’s 30-year tenure. Remarkably, only two directors have guided the race across 60 years. Under Van Vliet’s leadership, the event became a UCI WorldTour fixture and expanded to include a successful recreational version and women’s race.
The former Giro d’Italia champion Dumoulin expressed his honor at the appointment, citing his personal connection to the race and Limburg region. Flanders Classics CEO Tomas Van Den Spiegel praised Van Vliet’s passionate contribution and described Dumoulin as the ideal successor to develop a new long-term vision for the spring classic.
But will he have to stop in the middle of his directorship to take a “break?” Too soon? -Mike
Milan and Merlier Set for AlUla Tour Showdown
The sixth edition of the AlUla Tour, running January 27-31, promises an electrifying sprint battle between Jonathan Milan and Tim Merlier, two dominant forces from the 2025 Tour de France. Both riders claimed two stage victories and competed for the points classification last July, setting the stage for their Saudi Arabian reunion.
This year marks the race’s elevation to ProSeries status, attracting WorldTour squad Lidl-Trek and Milan’s return after missing the previous two editions. The Italian fondly recalls his 2022 and 2023 victories here while riding for Bahrain Victorious, one of 25 professional wins in his burgeoning palmarès.
Merlier has dominated in Milan’s absence, securing two stage wins in both 2024 and 2025. However, the competition extends beyond this Italian-Belgian rivalry, with challengers including Matteo Moschetti, Arvid de Kleijn, and Matteo Malucelli eager to upset the established order across three expected sprint stages.
The general classification battle features redesigned climbing stages, including a reworked Bir Jaydah Mountain Wirkah finish (4.9km at 5.1%) and the decisive queen stage at Skyviews of Harrat Uwayrid. Ireland’s Eddie Dunbar returns as team leader for defending champions Pinarello–Q36.5, while Team Jayco-AlUla counters with Paul Double and Olympic bronze medallist Alan Hatherly in an intriguing battle for Tom Pidcock’s crown.
2026 Arctic Race of Norway: Island Hopping Above the Arctic Circle
Canadian Track Championships to Take Place this Weekend
Cycling Canada kicks off the 2026 Canadian Championship competition season with the Canadian Track Championships (Elite/Masters/Para), taking place from January 9–11, at the Centre National de Cyclisme de Bromont (CNCB). This marquee event will bring together Canada’s top athletes for three days of thrilling racing and national pride.
“We are proud to host the first Canadian Track Cycling Championship of 2026 at this exceptional venue,” says Jen Eaton, Events and Officials Manager. “Each year, CNCB delivers an atmosphere that is both dynamic and inspiring for athletes and spectators alike.”
Organized by CNCB, the championships will unfold over three action-packed days. The weekend will showcase a comprehensive program of track cycling disciplines, with competition intensifying each day as riders progress through qualifying rounds and finals across individual and team events. Sunday will bring the championships to a thrilling conclusion with the final day of competition, closing with Madison finals. National titles will be awarded across Elite Men and Women, Para Men and Women, and four Masters divisions (35-44, 45-54, 55-64, and 65+), showcasing the full spectrum of Canadian track cycling talent from high-speed sprint duels to demanding endurance competitions.
RIDER AND TEAM NEWS
Surprise! Simon Yates Announces Retirement
In all-too-rare a move, an athlete has gone out on while on top — or as close to it as he was likely to get.
Just months after stealing the Giro d’Italia from Isaac del Toro on the slopes of the Colle delle Finestre — and, we now know, bookending his career, having dramatically lost the Giro lead there in 2018 — Simon Yates has announced his retirement from cycling.
In his final year as a professional, 33 year-old Yates achieved several outstanding results. He won the Giro for Team Visma | Lease-A-Bike and claimed a stage victory in the Tour de France. Earlier in his career, the Brit also won the Vuelta a España, multiple stages across the three Grand Tours, and the overall classification of Tirreno–Adriatico.
Yates made his decision public in an open letter:
Dear all,
I have made the decision to retire from professional cycling.
This may come as a surprise to many, but it is not a decision I have
made lightly. I have been thinking about it for a long time, and it now
feels like the right moment to step away from the sport.
Cycling has been part of my life for as long as I can remember. From
racing on the track at the Manchester Velodrome, to competing and
winning on the biggest stage and representing my country at the
Olympic Games, it has shaped every chapter of my life.
I am deeply proud of what I have managed to achieve and equally
grateful for the lessons that came with it. While the victories will always
stand out, the harder days and setbacks were just as important. They
taught me resilience and patience, and made the successes mean even
more.
To everyone who has supported me along the way, from the staff to my
teammates, your unwavering belief and loyalty made it possible for me
to realise my own dreams. Whenever I doubted myself, you never did.
Thank you.
To my team, Team Visma–Lease a Bike, thank you for your
understanding and support of my decision to stop now. You gave me the
opportunity to rewrite my history, and through trust and belief, we did it
together. Thank you.
To my family, you shared the sacrifices that came with this sport. The
absences and missed birthdays were never easy, yet you understood
what this journey meant to me and supported it wholeheartedly. I owe
you more than I can ever properly express. Thank you.
I step away from professional cycling with deep pride and a sense of
peace. This chapter has given me more than I ever imagined. Memories
and moments that will stay with me long after the racing ends and for
whatever comes next.
Thank you for the journey.
Simon Yates
Derek Gee-West Saga Ends with Lidl-Trek Signing
Canadian cyclist Derek Gee-West* has officially joined Lidl-Trek on a three-year contract through 2028, ending months of uncertainty following a turbulent split from his former team, Israel-Premier Tech. The 28-year-old emerging stage race star will bolster Lidl-Trek’s roster alongside fellow general classification contenders Juan Ayuso and Mattias Skjelmose.
Gee-West terminated his contract with Israel-Premier Tech last August citing personal beliefs and safety concerns, specifically referencing pro-Palestinian protests during races that he felt created dangerous conditions. The departure sparked a bitter legal battle, with his former team reportedly seeking 30 million euros in damages. The dispute has now been resolved with UCI approval, allowing Gee-West to move forward with his career at the German powerhouse team.
Coming off a breakout 2024 season that included fourth place at the Giro d’Italia and ninth at the Tour de France, Gee-West expressed enthusiasm about joining an organization he described as operating near the sport’s gold standard.
*The recently wed cyclist — fka Derek Gee — is now named Derek Gee-West.
Andy Schleck Appointed as Lidl-Trek Deputy General Manager
But will he be in charge of making sure chains don’t fall off? Still too soon?
Gee-West’s signing isn’t Lidl-Trek’s only recent high-profile signing: Lidl-Trek: The team also announced this week that Andy Schleck has been appointed as Deputy General Manager. In his new role, Schleck will work across both the sporting and business sides of the organization, supporting riders, staff, and management as the team continues to build its long-term ambitions.
Schleck claimed overall victory at the 2010 Tour de France (No asterisks! -Mike) and finished on the podium on two further occasions, alongside a runner-up finish at the Giro d’Italia. His palmarès also includes three Tour de France stage wins, three national titles, and a Monument victory at Liège–Bastogne–Liège.
Following his retirement from professional racing in 2014, Schleck transitioned into the business side of the sport, opening his own bike shops while also remaining deeply connected to cycling. He managed a junior women’s team and served as President of the Tour of Luxembourg, gaining valuable experience in athlete development, event organization, and team leadership.
A New Passion for Phil Liggett
While the “Voice of Cycling” Phil Liggett will once again call the Tour de France this July, he has started to turn his efforts to a new passion: saving the endangered rhinos of Africa. In the video below, he tells us about this new campaign while thanking us fans, the world of cycling, and the bicycle itself for over 50 years of bike racing commentary.
Cannondale Founder Joe Montgomery Passes Away at 86
Joe Montgomery, cycling pioneer and founder of Cannondale, passed away January 2nd at his home in Vero Beach, Florida. He was 86.
Born in Coshocton, Ohio, Montgomery founded Cannondale in 1971 above a Connecticut train station, initially producing the Bugger bicycle trailer. After an engineer suggested using oversized aluminum for bicycle frames—a material whose strength Montgomery had witnessed firsthand while crewing sailboats—he launched the revolutionary ST-500 aluminum touring bike in the early 1980s. Despite initial skepticism over its unconventional design and $495 price tag, the innovation redefined modern cycling.
Under Montgomery’s leadership, Cannondale expanded internationally, went public in 1994, and earned acclaim through professional racing programs. He maintained manufacturing in Bedford, Pennsylvania, believing in American craftsmanship and innovation. Colleagues remember him as a visionary who invested in people’s potential and fostered a culture where hard work met genuine enthusiasm.
After leaving Cannondale in 2003, Montgomery founded Systems 4PT, a healthcare software company, which he led until retirement.
He is survived by his wife of 43 years, Celia; five children; and three grandchildren. The family asks that donations be made by mentoring others or choosing bold ideas.
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In honor of the fallen Wout van Aert, we’re sharing Rich’s footage of his victory in Siena in stage 9 of the 2025 Giro.
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