Paul Seixas, aged 19, has just more or less confirmed that he will finish fourth at his debut Tour de France, the first teenager to finish in the top 10, let alone the top five, since 1904.

The Decathlon CMA CGM rider finished 10th on stage 20 atop Alpe d'Huez, 2:55 behind the stage winner, Richard Carapaz (EF Education-EasyPost) and 1:50 behind yellow jersey Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG), and his teammate and white jersey, Isaac del Toro.

It is a remarkable result, one that is beyond superlatives, for Seixas to finish fourth at his debut Tour, his debut Grand Tour in fact. It's all the more remarkable because Seixas fought hard on the penultimate stage, not to secure his place on general classification, but to actually attempt to move up into third, and to overhaul Del Toro. His team rode smartly, and while the plan failed, it showed intent.

However, in the immediate aftermath, in the biggest huddle beyond the finish line, the young man is disappointed.

“I cracked. Voilà. That’s how it is,” Seixas said.

“I wanted to go as deep as possible, but there was a moment where I was on my limit, and I cracked,” he continued.

“I hoped to be stronger than usual but in the end I exploded.”

The podium might have slipped away from his grasp, but it was clear that Seixas was ready to gamble his fourth place, rather than race conservatively to secure his historic result.

“We said in the team that we had nothing to lose. Today I’m fourth, and yesterday I was fourth. We tried everything to crack Del Toro and he was just stronger today,” he explained.

“We say we risk it all for the podium. I’m still fourth so I didn’t lose anything. I tried everything but the legs were not good enough, the head also. That’s why I cracked after. For me it was third or nothing, and today for me it’s nothing."

However, fourth place is not nothing – it is yet more confirmation that France has a serious talent on its hands, one that is only going to mature into a better racer, and one that also has time on his side in the battle against Pogačar and Del Toro in the future.

It does show the sign of a great competitor to be disappointed with fourth, although that achievement will be understood more in the coming weeks.

“In a few days, with a bit of air, there will be some pride,” Seixas said.

French Tour de France hopeful Paul Seixas has been riding what appears to be a Van Rysel RCR-Pro prototype, both at the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes (Critérium du Dauphiné) and now the Tour de France. Decathlon CMA CGM cycling team mechanics were tight-lipped about any details on the bike when we photographed it at the Grand Départ in Barcelona, but it does bear a resemblance to the current all-rounder and also features the brand’s ‘Road-Aero-Light’ nomenclature on the inner triangle.

With product lifecycles lasting between three and four years, it’s likely this prototype is indeed the new RCR-Pro, which was first unveiled in late 2023. Keeping with the current aero trends dominating contemporary road bike design, the new bike utilises Van Rysel’s super-high-mod carbon fibre. There’s a notably deeper and pointier head tube, with matching fork legs that taper towards the dropouts. The top tube looks straighter, and the rear end is underscored by a thinner seat tube that tightly hugs the rear wheel, with reprofiled seat stays that attach lower down than before.

Not that it was ever undergunned in the tyre clearance stakes, but closer examination also suggests the new bike has space to safely fit widths upwards of 34mm. Interestingly, like many of the riders, Seixas has opted to use 28mm - in this instance, Continental GP5000 S TRs paired with Swiss Side Hadron 3 Ultimate 550 wheels.

As a SRAM-sponsored team, Seixas’ Van Rysel is fitted with a Red AXS groupset, complete with a 54/42T chainset, 10-33T cassette and 170mm cranks. No Time pedals here though; instead, Seixas uses Look Keo Blade Ceramic Ti pedals. Decathlon CMA CGM is currently the only WorldTour team that uses Deda Elementi components - pictured here is a custom integrated cockpit matched to a 140mm stem. Seixas is also running 15mm worth of spacers under his stem.

The rest of the build comprises a Fizik Vento Antares 00 saddle, Elite Leggero Carbon bottle cages, and a 3D-printed race number holder for the seatpost. There’s also a section of butyl inner tube wrapped around the right fork leg to hold a transponder.

Van Rysel RCR-Pro prototype specs

• Frameset: Van Rysel Super High Modulus Carbon Fibre
• Fork: Van Rysel Super High Modulus Carbon Fibre
• Cockpit: Custom Deda Elementi integrated bar-stem
• Seatpost: Van Rysel Carbon
• Groupset: SRAM Red AXS 54/41T, 10-33T
• Wheelset: Swiss Side Hadron 3 Ultimate 550
• Tyres: Continental GP5000 S TR 28mm
• Saddle: Fizik Vento Antares 00

Away from his bike, Seixas rides some of the most affordable kit in the peloton, as my colleague Matt highlights in his piece on getting the Seixas look, including the Frenchman's £69 budget sunglasses.

While we know Seixas is clearly riding a prototype, it looks pretty much ready for production, and there are already significant discounts on the current RCR & RCR-F at Decathlon; check out some of them below.

Olav Kooij took a dramatic win on stage five of the 2026 Tour de France, after multiple riders crashed just outside 5km to go.

The Decathlon CMA CGM rider won on his first opportunity on his debut Tour, as Max Kanter (XDS Astana Team) and Tim Merlier (Soudal Quick-Step) took second and third respectively.

The first bunch sprint was always likely to be chaotic, but it was a relatively calm day for the majority of the stage, with just one rider, Baptiste Veistroffer (Lotto Intermarché) escaping.

However, that changed in the final kilometres, after a crash split the bunch with 5.3km to go, with seven riders caught up in the carnage: Victor Campenaerts (Team Visma | Lease a Bike), Jasper Stuyven (Soudal Quick-Step), Aurélien Paret-Peintre (Decathlon), Michael Matthews (Team Jayco AlUla) and Stefano Oldani, Abel Balderstone and Alex Molenaar (all from Caja Rural - Seguros RGA).

Amid the mayhem that ensued after the crash, it looked for a moment like there might have been a time gap between Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) and Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike), but both were recorded as coming in 14 seconds after the winner, and yellow jersey holder Torstein Træen (Uno-X Mobility) was in the same group, so ultimately there were no major positions shuffles in the GC – in fact, the first 16 spots remain unchanged from yesterday.

Olav Kooij, 24, only joined Decathlon CMA CGM earlier this year, this is his first time at the Tour. He was injured or ill for the first half of this season, which meant he didn't race until end of May and had to really fight for selection.

"After a couple of hard days already, I had to wait to this day to get this first chance to sprint in the Tour, and to immediately win is unbelievable," said Kooij in his post-race interview.

"I think it means quite a lot, just in general, after a pretty tough spring, to get back to this level, to keep believing in yourself and just a few people who believe in you as well is all you need. To be here with the support of the team today was all I could ask for and they did a great job.

"I think it was quite an easy day until the final, so you know it will be hectic. The first sprint of the Tour, everyone is still really eager. I just managed to find my way a bit on my own in the end, but I found the right wheel, and I just wanted to have a chance to sprint today. When I saw the line I just went as hard as I could.

"We’ll enjoy this. There are many more days left in this Tour and we will just keep going and try to do our best every day, but for sure we’ll enjoy this one. We need to get there, day by day."

Riders endured another horrendously hot day in the saddle today, racing through an official extreme weather warning as the temperature in the shade pushed past 37°C, although for most part the peloton treated the undulating stage as something of a rolling rest day.  

One rider who buried himself was Baptiste Veistroffer (Lotto Intermarché), who embarked on a solo breakaway very early on, and cut a lonely figure cycling along sun-blasted roads through the field-fringed rural landscape of the Hautes-Pyrénées – staying just ahead of the pack until 14km before the finish line at Pau.

In doing so Veistroffer bagged 25 points for the intermediate sprint (followed by Max Kanter from XDS Astana Team and Lidl – Trek’s Mads Pedersen, who was wearing the green jersey as the leader in the points classification). Under the new system, designed to benefit sprinters in the green jersey contest, 70 points were on offer today.

The route only featured one classified climb, Côte de Baleix, a 1km-long haul with an average gradient of 8.8% (max 10.7%), which Veistroffer was first to crest, earning himself another two points in the KOM competition and getting 3 seconds shaved off his time.

Shortly after the climb, British champion Fred Wright from Pinarello Q36.5 Pro Cycling had a brief flurry in a small three-rider group ahead of the peloton with Kasper Asgreen (EF Education - EasyPost) and Valentin Paret-Peintre (Soudal Quick-Step), but it came to nought.

And with 14km to go, after riding on his own for over 130km, the peloton loomed behind Veistroffer, and the tenacious Frenchman was caught, having certainly seized the title of most combative rider of the day.  

Pau has featured an incredible 96 times on the route of the Tour de France, and hosted 77 finishes, with today’s scenes being right up there with the most dramatic.  

Results

Stage 5, Lannemezan > Pau, 158.3km

1. Olav Kooij (Ned) Decathlon CMA CGM, in 3:29:07
2. Max Kanter (Ger) XDS Astana
3. Tim Merlier (Bel) Soudal Quick-Step
4. Huub Artz (Ned) Lotto Intermarché
5. Jasper Philipsen (Bel) Alpecin-Premier Tech
6. Biniam Girmay (Eri) NSN Cycling
7. Mads Pedersen (Den) Lidl-Trek
8. Milan Fretin (Bel) Cofidis
9. Anthony Turgis (Fra) TotalEnergies
10. Søren Wærenskjold (Nor) Uno-X Mobility, all at same time

Tour de France 2026 general classification after stage five

1. Torstein Træen (Nor) Uno-X Mobility, in 16:32:07
2. Sean Quinn (USA) EF Education-EasyPost, +28s
3. Mathias Vaceck (Cze) Lidl-Trek, +3:50
4. Tadej Pogačar (Slo) UAE Team Emirates-XRG, in +7:53
5. Jonas Vingegaard (Den) Visma-Lease a Bike, at same time
6. Ramses Debruyne (Bel) Alpecin-Premier Tech, +8:06
7. Remco Evenepoel (Bel) Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe, +8:16
8. Isaac del Toro (Mex) UAE Team Emirates-XRG, +8:17
9. Juan Ayuso (Esp) Lidl-Trek, +8:20
10. Paul Seixas (Fra) Decathlon CMA CGM, +8:41

Bookmakers were thrown into panic in April when a French teenager won three stages and the overall at Itzulia Basque Country. They might not have heard of him, but at that moment, Decathlon CMA CGM's 19-year-old wonderkid Paul Seixas became the youngest rider in history to win a World Tour stage race – presenting the bookies with a problem. Could this upstart kid win the Tour de France? Too terrified to rule it out, they slashed Seixas's odds to 5/1, making him joint second-favourite, with two-time champion Jonas Vingegaard, to win the world's biggest race.

Surely the bookies were being overcautious. Not since 1937 has a rider younger than Seixas started the Tour, let alone won it. Besides, at the time of Itzulia, the Frenchman hadn't even committed to making his Tour debut – that would come a month later, with a social media video of him breaking the news to his grandparents.

As of today, the longest stage race Seixas has finished was just eight days. But the manner of his Itzulia victory showcased a physical maturity that makes those statistics practically irrelevant. Bolstered by the hopes of a home nation desperate to end a four-decade drought, Seixas arrives with the kind of boundless momentum that signals one of the most captivating Tour debuts ever.

The youngster's rise has been genuinely unprecedented. After winning the junior time trial world title in 2024, he turned pro at 18, and has since won a major Classic (Flèche Wallonne), finished runner-up in a Monument (Liège-Bastogne-Liège), and podiumed at the elite European Championships, all before his 20th birthday.

Tadej Pogačar was, at the same age, yet to become a pro cyclist; as for Vingegaard, he was still working part-time in a fish factory. Even the great Eddy Merckx, the most prolific cyclist of all time, was 20 when he took his first of more than 500 victories. Seixas's physical talents are undeniable, then, but what no one can predict is how well he'll handle the psychological toll.

How does a 19-year-old shoulder the heavy hopes of a win-starved nation? France in July is a pressure cooker of national pride, catalysed by a media deprived of a homegrown champion since Bernard Hinault in 1985. It's a pressure that has, over the years, overwhelmed even hardened veterans. Now it's the turn of a teenager to try and bring the yellow jersey home.

Chris Froome is the earliest Tour winner Seixas remembers watching. He was just six years old when he sat alongside his paternal grandfather José Manuel following the 2013 edition on TV. Two years later, he started riding with local cycling club Lyon Sprint Evolution.

Seixas would visit his grandparents in the Alps regularly, and train on the 4km climb behind their house. At eight years old, he was already riding "as if he had three lungs", according to his former coach Marc Pacheco.

Yet anyone assuming this early promise translated into immediate, untouchable dominance would be mistaken. He was small for his age – "he had the motor of a Ferrari in the body of a Renault Twingo," Pacheco told RMC Sport.

Camille Charret, now of Cofidis, first met Seixas when the two were 12 and competing in the same local race circuit. "He was a very late bloomer, really thin, but still very strong for his size," Charret says. "He didn't win all the time. He won regularly, but not every weekend. He wasn't dominating."

That changed around the time Seixas and Charret became team-mates at VC Villefranche Beaujolais in 2021. Seixas won the under-17 national road championships that July, a breakthrough victory that cemented his promise but changed nothing about his character.

"He's very humble," Charret says, noting a laidback approach that extended to his team-mate's housekeeping – "when you're sharing a room with Paul, you can't be scared of mess," Charret laughs – and, crucially, in how he absorbed the weight of always being the favourite. "Even when the whole team was counting on him, he never seemed stressed. It's not at all in his nature."

Still, the Tour's a different beast to junior racing, and the French fans, for all their polka-dot-clad passion, can be demanding. Might Seixas fare differently with millions watching? Charret doesn't think so. "Knowing him, he's a bit – how can I say this without causing offence? – euphorique, a bit lost sometimes. I don't think he clocks everything," he says.

"He can be really detached from things, and that's an advantage in cycling because it means he doesn't know what's waiting for him. He doesn't put pressure on himself, because he knows what he can do. Clearly it works."

Seixas's ability to handle pressure will be tested as never before this July. Until now, he has risen to the hype; on his Strade Bianche debut, he finished second to Pogačar, and did the same at Liège-Bastogne-Liège, a race he won as a junior just two years ago.

When his Tour participation was announced in May, the media furore took on a new dimension. Former French pro Pierre Rolland hailed Seixas as "the chosen one" on L'Équipe's evening television show, saying he was "born to win" the Tour. National outlets Le Monde and France24 both labelled him a "prodigy".

Then, just three weeks ago, as Seixas-mania swelled, disaster struck. On the penultimate stage of the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, he crashed heavily, then somehow closed a four-minute gap to get back to the bunch before collapsing at the finish, childlike, in his father Emmanuel's arms. "I'll keep fighting until I have nothing left in my legs," the bloodied rider said afterwards.

That moment came the following day, when he was dropped on the opening climb and abandoned the stage, his arms heavily bandaged.

The race had been supposed to stamp Seixas as a main contender for the Tour. Instead, the bookies swung his odds back out to 10/1. L'Équipe published eight articles on its website documenting Seixas's crash and withdrawal. Le Figaro, one of the country's biggest national newspapers, published nine.

Fortunately, the injuries were inconsequential, but the saga served to remind that the rider described as "buitenaardse", or extraterrestrial, by Belgian outlet Sporza was, in fact, human. It also showed that, win or lose, Seixas remains a huge news story.

How, then, might the media approach his Tour debut? Alexandre Roos, L'Équipe's chief cycling writer, is wary of "overselling" Seixas's prospects. "The media has to have a balanced approach," he tells Cycling Weekly, "and avoid starting hazardous comparisons with Hinault or Pogačar when he hasn't won that much yet."

Roos believes Seixas is right to ride the Tour this year – to "get used to it early" – adding that the media should not be expected to treat him differently from any other high-profile rider. "His team particularly has to protect him, because they can't prevent the media from writing about him."

At Decathlon CMA CGM, Seixas has a designated press officer who deals with his interview requests. It's a measure only super-talents like Pogačar and Peter Sagan have had before him. In researching this feature, Cycling Weekly asked to speak to Seixas's coach and a sports director, but our requests were denied by the team; a press officer assured us it wasn't personal, it was policy.

To assist him further in navigating the pressure, the team has drafted in Romain Bardet as an aide – well qualified for the job as the last Frenchman to finish on the podium at the Tour (third in 2017) and joint holder of the best French GC result this century (second in 2016).

The man who shares that accolade with Bardet is Jean-Christophe Péraud, the 2014 Tour's runner-up. Did he find it hard to cope with the home pressure that year? "No, absolutely not. I was focused on my personal objectives in the race," Péraud says.

"I was also lucky that the media didn't take a lot of interest in me because I only went into second place after the time trial, the day before the Champs-Elysées. They were focused on Thibaut [Pinot] and Romain, the young guard. The media had chosen their little sweethearts, and I was protected behind that."

It also helped that Péraud was already a mature, experienced rider. A latecomer to road cycling, having started out in mountain biking, the Frenchman was 34 when he made his Tour debut, and 37 – almost twice Seixas's age – when he finished second. The expectations on him, he acknowledges, were not as great as they will be for his teenage compatriot.

Even so, he does not foresee Seixas being fazed by the furore this July. "It's about your mentality and how you apply it," Péraud says. "Performance is about maturity, and you can be mature in your discipline at 19 years old, just as you can be at 25, 30 or 35." He goes further. "It'll be easy for Paul. He knows what he wants and where he's going, and he's got the legs for it. I get the impression that media pressure just runs off him. [The team should] just let him be. He's ready."

The portrait of Seixas ahead of his Tour debut is one of a calm and fearless racer, a boy who can retreat into his bubble, undaunted by immense expectation. In interviews, he has seemed bullish about his prospects - prompting his maternal grandmother Annie to joke to Le Télégramme that he had "some nerve". Her grandson had been quoted in a team press release saying: "It is not in my nature, nor is it my conception of cycling, to compete in the Tour de France with the sole aim of learning the ropes."

The preparation is over. Seixas spent the second half of May on a training camp in Spain's Sierra Nevada, racking up more than 37,000m of climbing in just two weeks, before heading to the Pyrenees to recon the key mountain stages.

It's a lot of volume, a lot of stress on the body of a teenager; yet, as Seixas's results have shown, he isn't like other riders his age. Is there a serious chance he could upset the bookies? "He can be in the mix for the podium this year, and probably win it in the next three years," says L'Équipe writer Roos.

Decathlon CMA CGM are being more cautious. "At 19, in the Tour de France, there's no such thing as failure," said sports director Luke Rowe on his podcast Watts Occurring. "Being on the start line is already a success." The yellow jersey odds may be against him, but Seixas is ready to have a punt.

Paul Sexias has said he is "ready to give everything I have over these three weeks" as his Tour de France debut was confirmed by Decathlon CMA CGM on Monday afternoon.

His participation was revealed back in May, but a crash at the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes briefly put this in doubt. He will be joined in Barcelona by Olav Kooij, with the Dutch sprinter also making his debut, Tiesj Benoot, Aurélien Paret-Peintre, Nicolas Prodhomme, Cees Bol, Daan Hoole and Matthew Riccitello.

Seixas, just 19, will become the youngest starter at the Tour in 89 years as a result, and only the second 19-year-old to take part in the 21st century. However, Seixas will also be looking for a result in the biggest bike race of them all, a race a Frenchman has not won since 1985, although Pauline Ferrand-Prévot won the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift last year.

"After my crash and withdrawal from the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, I was able to resume my preparation for the Tour de France almost as planned, with a few adjustments to some training sessions because of my injuries," he said. "With five days to go until the Grand Départ, I feel ready to give everything I have over these three weeks and achieve the best result possible.

"I am not setting myself a more specific goal because I am heading into the unknown, having never raced an event this long and demanding before. I hope I can play an active role in the race, continue to improve, and enjoy the experience along the way. It is the race I have always dreamed of, and I know how fortunate I am to be taking part in it so early in my career."

"We approach the Tour with ambition, but also with humility, determined to build on the progress we have made over the past few seasons," Dominique Serieys, the team's general manager, said. "We have built a strong, well-balanced, and united team, featuring riders with the profiles needed to achieve our objectives.

"Paul Seixas will make his Tour de France debut as part of this group, aiming to deliver the best possible result while continuing his development and gaining valuable experience. Olav Kooij, who will also be making his first appearance in the Tour de France, will have several opportunities to showcase his sprinting speed in the bunch finishes.

"With this lineup, the team led by Luke Rowe, who will be making his Grand Tour debut as a sports director, will target the general classification while also aiming to claim at least one stage victory whenever the opportunity arises."

Kooij started his season late after a virus took him out at the beginning of the year, but won a stage at the Baloise Belgium Tour earlier in June, after two at the Boucles de la Mayenne.

"The start of my season was not what I had hoped for, but we remained patient and kept working," Kooij said. "The victories I achieved in recent weeks, after returning to competition, have given me a lot of confidence.

"I know the level of competition will be even higher because we will be racing in the biggest cycling event in the world, but our goals are clear, both for the team and for me: to help Paul finish as high as possible in the overall standings and to win at least one sprint stage. I am grateful to the team for the trust they have placed in me."

Paul Seixas will make his debut at this year's Tour de France, his team confirmed on Monday, after months of intense speculation.

The Decathlon CMA CGM rider, just 19, will become the youngest starter at the Tour in 89 years as a result, and only the second 19-year-old to take part in the 21st century. However, Seixas will also be looking for a result in the biggest bike race of them all, a race a Frenchman has not won since 1985, although Pauline Ferrand-Prévot won the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift last year.

“I am truly delighted to announce that I will be participating in the next Tour de France. It’s been my childhood dream, something I’ve often imagined, and now it’s very close," Seixas said in a statement.

"I’m only 19, but as I’ve already said, age is neither a hindrance nor an excuse. This decision, made in consultation with the team management, was carefully considered and developed collectively over the past few days. My results since the start of the season have given me a lot of confidence; I feel ready and I will have ambitious goals.

"It’s not my mindset or my vision of cycling to line up for the Tour de France simply to gain experience, and I will be aiming for the best possible overall ranking. Before that, I will also be competing in the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes (formerly known as the Critérium du Dauphiné) in June, on roads I know very well and in a format that will serve as ideal preparation for my first Grand Tour."

Seixas, the winner of the Tour de l'Avenir last summer, won his first elite bike race in February at the Volta ao Algarve. Since then, he has won the Faun-Ardèche Classic, three stages and the overall at Itzulia Basque Country, and then La Flèche Wallonne. He also finished second to Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) at both Strade Bianche and Liège-Bastogne-Liège.

"We had arranged to meet after the Ardennes Classics to decide on Paul Seixas’s next steps. We needed to take the time to thoroughly analyze all the data and also discuss it with Paul and his team," team manager Dominique Serieys added.

"He has had a remarkable start to the season and is already among the best riders in the world. And the best are destined to compete in the biggest race on the calendar: the Tour de France. With great humility and a focus on learning, Paul will start in Barcelona with real ambitions to achieve the best possible result in the general classification."

“What have you got to lose if you do your best? It doesn't matter what the result is. If you go for it and your head is in the right place, there's nothing to worry about.”

That quote is not from 2026, but from 2019, when a little-known Slovenian prodigy called Tadej Pogačar burst onto the world stage with victory at the Tour of California and stage wins at the Vuelta a España. There was much debate that year over whether he should ride a first Grand Tour at the tender age of 20, but he did, with evident great success.

Paul Seixas is 19 years and 216 days old. By the time the Tour de France begins in July, he will be 19 years and 288 days old. Only a handful of riders younger than him have ever started the Tour de France, let alone performed well or won anything: Danny van Poppel is the only 19-year-old to race the Tour de France since the end of the Second World War. By all normal calculations, Seixas should not head to the 23-day long travelling carnival. But the man from Lyon is not normal.

Last Wednesday, the Decathlon CMA CGM rider won La Flèche Wallonne on debut, only the second rider to do so, and became the youngest ever winner of the 90-year-old race, too. He has won seven times this season, including a WorldTour stage race in Itzulia Basque Country. He has been responsible for a third of France's victories at WorldTour and ProTour level this year.

On Sunday, at Liège-Bastogne-Liège, Seixas was the only man who could come close to matching Pogačar, sticking on the world champion’s wheel on La Redoute. He was dropped with 14km to go, but this was just his second time racing over 250km in his career. He still finished second, ahead of luminaries like Remco Evenepoel. We can give him some grace.

Although doing so requires some careful forgetting of the existence of Jonas Vingegaard, you could make the argument that at the moment the 19-year-old is the second best male rider in the world right now, behind only Pogačar. Certainly, in races where the pair of them have both been on the start list this year, Seixas has been the closest to the Slovenian, the rider whom many argue to be the best ever.

How the dynamic would unfold over three weeks is impossible to predict, but it is a performance that doesn’t feel too far away. As Thor Hushovd, general manager of Uno-X, told Le Monde last week: “He has to take part. It would be a great thing for France and would set up a fantastic battle.”

There is a sense that Seixas is too young to perform on cycling’s greatest stage, that the pressure will be too much, that the media attention will ruin him. It is true that France is a little bit obsessed, L’Équipe has adorned its front page with him multiple times. That will come wherever he goes, though. Decathlon and Seixas have the potential to do something special if they put him into the Tour this year; what would opting for the Vuelta a España instead prove?

He would still have to give it a go next year, or the year after, when there would be even more pressure to perform. It is up to his squad to shield him from the media glare, to support him, but also to get the best out of their prize asset.

Of course, time is on the young rider’s side, so he could delay, but with him now is also supreme confidence and the exuberance of youth. At the moment, he cannot know how pressured the Tour would be, so he can only go and attack it, in his trademark style. Decathlon must also be aware that he is yet to sign a contract extension, so they could be running out of time to make the most of their French star in the biggest French race of all.

“If he's there, everyone will cut him some slack,” Lilian Calmejane, a former French pro, said in the same Le Monde piece. “He will gain experience, bringing his freshness and fearlessness. But as soon as next year, expectations will be higher, and nothing short of victory will do.”

The Tour might still be 10 weeks away, but Seixas and his team have said that a decision on his participation would be made after the Ardennes Classics, which is now. A Grand Tour is obviously a step up, and a step into the unknown, but the idea of him going toe-to-toe with Pogačar and Vingegaard is a mouthwatering prospect, and one which his team should not deny us.

I am not part of Decathlon management, nor am I Paul Seixas, thankfully. But if I were, I would be arguing to roll the dice, to try this out. He is only going to be in this exciting moment once. And, I can see him on the podium in Paris at the end of the three weeks.

"I will be the same that I have always been," Pogačar said, after his breakout Vuelta success in 2019. "I won't allow the pressure to ruin me."

The Slovenian didn’t, and has gone on to greatness. Let’s not hold Seixas back, either.

This piece is part of The Leadout, the offering of newsletters from Cycling Weekly and Cyclingnews. To get this in your inbox, subscribe here.

If you want to get in touch with Adam, email adam.becket@futurenet.com.

"ÉCLATANT" or "BRILLIANT" screams the front page of French sports daily newspaper L'Équipe today, beneath a photo of Paul Seixas winning La Flèche Wallonne.

The 19-year-old Decathlon CMA CGM rider had never raced the Mur de Huy before this week, but became one of the fastest ever up it to win Flèche on debut, the second ever winning debutant, and the youngest ever winner too. The question is no longer "can he win?" but "will he win?".

It's hard to understate the hype that surrounds Seixas at this moment. The teenager is on the front pages of French newspapers, is a lead item on French TV news, and reportedly has been the subject of the French president's attention, potentially to stop him moving away from a French team. For British audiences, his emergence is like that of Wayne Rooney as a footballer, part of the national sporting conversation. We are very aware that there is a generational talent on our hands, as we were when Tadej Pogačar burst into cycling in 2019.

Seixas has won seven times this season, including a WorldTour stage race in Itzulia Basque Country, and is now a champion of an Ardennes Classic. He has won over a third of France's victories at WorldTour and ProTour level this year. He was the favourite for Wednesday, and now will go into Liège-Bastogne-Liège on Sunday as a top three favourite, only below Pogačar and Remco Evenepoel, two former winners and world champions.

"What can't Paul Seixas do? I don't know, but I do know that we will mainly enjoy this victory," Decathlon sports director Julien Jurdie told Sporza. He continued: "I have been a team manager for 25 years, but this is the best rider I have ever worked with. Romain Bardet gave me goosebumps back then, but I have never seen anything like this myself. This was a masterclass, pure class."

In L'Équipe, their chief cycling reporter, Alexandre Roos, writes today: "He is the standard-bearer of a French revolution, but that's a rather simplistic way of understanding the phenomenon, because it is in reality much more than that. France is certainly abuzz with excitement over this new talent, wondering if he will awaken fantasies buried so deeply, for so long, but the earthquake is much more global.

"Paul Seixas is the latest upheaval in cycling, its most advanced model, a more accomplished version than that of Tadej Pogacar who, at that age, wasn't even a professional and was still eating pizza."

"France… probably hasn't had such a talent since [Bernard] Hinault," Roos told us earlier this month, after the Itzulia triumph. "Seixas is riding very aggressively, fiercely, with panache; he is a modern cyclist in the same way as the current dominant riders, Pogačar, [Mathieu] Van der Poel, Evenepoel and so on, and that's quite new in France."

Unlike previous French hopes Romain Bardet and Thibaut Pinot, "for Seixas the hope to see him win all the big races in his career is there now, right from the beginning, at only 19 years old."

As the most promising talent France has seen in a generation, Seixas's team will be doing all they can to shield him from media pressure – he supposedly has a dedicated press officer. Roos added: "On the other hand, the media has to have a balanced approach and avoid overselling him or start hazardous comparisons with Hinault or Pogačar when he hasn't won that much yet. I think the pressure is one of the reasons why he must go to the Tour de France this year, to get used to it pretty early."

The Tour de France remains the big topic. It feels, at this moment, that he has to go to the Tour this summer; he is just that good, and the return will be so much better than any worries over too much too soon. Christian Prudhomme, the race's director, is confident that he will be there. He is only one of four WorldTour stage race winners this season, after all, and can climb with the best.

Could he even win? "I don't know, and we can't know," Roos cautioned. "But I would say that from what we see, he can be in the mix for the podium this year, and probably to win it in the next three years, depending on how Pogačar's level and motivation hold and also on how other talents like [Isaac] Del Toro or [Giulio] Pellizzari for instance develop."

There's pressure, and then there's the pressure of being a promising young French bike racing star. But Paul Seixas is showing no sign of crumbling under the weight of generations of Gallic fans, who have been waiting with varying degrees of patience for a Tour de France champion to follow in the footsteps of 1985 winner (and France's most recent male winner) Bernard Hinault.

At Strade Bianche on Saturday, Seixas's ride to second place behind Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) – no yawning at the back – was arguably the performance of the race. His arrival at the Piazza del Campo in Siena was greeted with more fanfare than that of the Slovenian, despite the latter's attempts to rouse the crowd with a theatrical bow on the finish line.

It wasn't that the crowd wasn't impressed with Pogačar, who demonstrated the kind of form that may well have delivered a first, crushing, psychological blow to Tour de France rivals like Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike) and Remco Evenepoel (Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe). It was more that they had seen this all before and, in any case, the race had essentially ended around, ooh, 78km earlier.

In the case of Seixas, the 19-year-old Lyonnais, it was a performance that many fans only dared to dream he could accomplish, and that showed. Of course, a Seixas win would really have been out of this world. But for a rider so young, who only registered his first pro win in February, and with so much expected of him, to beat some of the best riders in the world in one of the biggest races, this really was an exceptional performance.

He came in alone, a minute behind Pogačar, having dropped Giro d'Italia star (and Pogi's team-mate) Isaac del Toro on the final climb into Siena – that alone is some achievement.

Seixas himself displays the kind of bullish confidence that helps make some top riders unstoppable.

"It's a superb second place," he said afterwards. "The whole team did a tremendous job to put me in the best positions, but the race was chaotic at times and I had to make an extra effort that cost me some energy. That's what I lacked to catch up with Pogačar when he attacked, despite my efforts. Then there was no one to work with me. So I tried to make the race tougher and gave it my all until the end to get that second place. I'm very happy, it's really extraordinary."

How things progress from here remains to be seen but he will certainly take heart from his Tuscan performance. There is much speculation about Seixas riding the Tour de France; it's yet to be confirmed but it does feel as though that will be one arena in which the Frenchman is likely to be happy to approach with a learning mindset. With maybe just a stage win along the way…

Opening Weekend has been and gone and the Classics season is now properly underway. We saw big names celebrating big wins in Omloop Het Nieuwsblad on Saturday for Mathieu van der Poel and Demi Vollering, and Britain's own Matthew Brennan taking his second win of the season at Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne the following day.

But those weren't the only races on the calendar, and anyone able to look beyond the noise and fanfare of Opening Weekend, would have spotted other riders notching up some impressive results.

A gift for dad from Paul Seixas

If the 19-year-old phenom was hoping to slip into success under the radar, he should probably alter his approach. Paul Seixas's 42km solo breakaway to win the hilly Faun Ardeche Classic in the south of France had echoes of Tadej Pogačar and had French media shouting from the rooftops. "Incredible… what a performance," trumpeted L'Équipe, who put him on the front page of the print version.

It was no soft win either – the Decathlon CMA CGM rider outgunned a strong field that included Matteo Jorgenson (Visma-Lease a Bike), Matthias Skjelmose (Lidl-Trek), Egan Bernal (Ineos Grenadiers) and more.

The Lyonnais rider said he struggled at times but kept in mind his family at the finish line: "It was tough — in the Val d’Enfer I was struggling at times, but I pushed myself to keep the rhythm. I was thinking about my family at the finish line; it was my dad’s birthday. It was crazy — I could hardly believe it. It was an incredible day, and the team did a fantastic job."

France has been historically rather good at building up its promising talents to the point where the pressure becomes too much to bear, and judging by the first reader comment on the L'Équipe story, may need to rein itself in a little where Seixas is concerned. "This kid is going to sweep the whole country," they wrote. "It's written in the stars. And to hell with the naysayers! For those of us who, as kids, experienced the Tour de France with a French winner, there's something truly moving about witnessing the emergence of such a French champion."

Then again, going on the Decathlon CMA CGM rider's results so far, who are we to argue?

Romain Grégoire has his say

France had more to celebrate in the Faun Ardèche's sister race, the Faun Drôme Classic, the following day. Romain Grégoire (Groupama-FDJ United) outsprinted breakaway partner Jorgenson as the chasing group bore down on them from behind.

With both Faun races contested by many of the same riders, 23-year-old French rider Grégoire – the winner of Faun Ardèche last year and a former Tour of Britain winner – had finished 22nd the previous day and Jorgenson fourth. Lenny Martinez (Bahrain Victorious) led in the chase group, just two seconds later.

It was the first win of a season that has begun well for Besançon rider Grégoire. He was third on a stage at the Vuelta a Andalucia and finished fifth on GC.

Charlotte Kool opens up

The move to new team Fenix-Premier Tech seems to be working for Dutch rider Charlotte Kool, who opened her account for the team at the Omloop het van Hageland on Sunday. One of the best sprinters in the women's peloton, Kool led home the bunch sprint at the end of the 148km Belgian race – perhaps garnering a little extra motivation from the fact that the race was sponsored, like her team, by Fenix.

Kool has experienced health struggles, and notched up just one win last year – rather unaccustomed for a rider who just a couple of years back ended the season sitting on a dozen victories. She transferred from Picnic PostNL to Fenix-Deceuninck mid-season and this early victory will be a welcome confidence boost that she will take forward into the Classics.

Young French star Paul Seixas took his first ever professional victory on Thursday, beating Grand Tour stalwarts Juan Ayuso, João Almeida and Oscar Onley on stage two of the Volta ao Algarve.

Atop the Alto de Foia, Seixas of Decathlon CMA CGM attacked late, and managed to hold off Lidl-Trek's Ayuso to the line. However, Ayuso climbed into the race lead as the pair finished on the same time, separated by countback.

Almeida of UAE Team Emirates-XRG and his former teammate Ayuso would have been favourites on the category one climb, with Ineos Grenadiers' Onley up there too, but Seixas belied his age and experience to triumph. These four were joined by Matthew Riccitello (Decathlon CMA CGM) in the final two kilometres up the Foia.

"It's perfect, first pro win in Portugal, that has meaning," Seixas said post-stage. "For the moment, the first goal is already achieved, to win a race. I won today, it's amazing.

"I guess there was a lot of rhythm, and at the start of the last climb, it was a bit hectic with a crash. I started to follow at first, and then I tried to make a big rhythm, but Juan Ayuso and João Almeida wouldn't cooperate with me, or not a lot, so I was afraid that we would be caught by some riders. It was only two, and one of my teammates, so it was perfect for me.

"Matthew did a great job to push everyone to the limit, and then João attacked a lot a lot, but I knew I had to wait for my moment. I just kept as much energy as I can, and then did a good sprint, even if I was a bit lost with all the corners in the end. I managed to take it so I'm really happy for me, and the team did an amazing job today. It was a perfect day for the team, and a good reward for our work."

It was the first proper test for many of the riders in the peloton on Thursday, including for Ayuso and Onley, both at new teams. However, it was a rider younger than them, the winner of last year's Tour de l'Avenir, who triumphed.

Just 16 seconds separate the top five on general classification – the riders named above – heading into Friday's individual time trial. There is one more mountain test, on stage five, where the race should ultimately be decided.

Elsewhere on Thursday, Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek) won stage four of the UAE Tour, which finished in a bunch sprint, while Iván Romeo (Movistar) escaped to victory on stage two of the Vuelta a Andalucia Ruta del Sol in Spain.

Belgian one-day star Tiesj Benoot is to miss the Spring Classics, following a back operation on a herniated disc. It's a far from ideal start for the 31-year-old at his new Decathlon CMA CGM team, for whom the former Strade Bianche winner was set to have been a leading Classics hope.

"During his winter preparation, Tiesj Benoot experienced back pain that disrupted his training schedule," the team said in a press release. "Following a consultation and diagnosis by the team’s medical department, a disc herniation was identified, requiring surgical intervention.

"Tiesj Benoot underwent successful surgery this week for a hernia in his lower back," said Jacky Maillot, the team's medical director in the statement. "He is now beginning his recovery period. His return to the peloton depends on his recovery."

For Benoot himself the enforced layoff is a major setback, but he said would be watching the racing closely and cheering his team-mates on. He moved from Visma-Lease a Bike over the winter, where he had been a key part of the Classics squad alongside Wout van Aert. He is the second rider who moved from Visma to Decathlon this year to have suffered injury setbacks, with sprinter Olav Kooij also yet to start racing for his new team in 2026.

"It's a huge disappointment for me to miss the Classics for the first time in my career," he said. "I'll be cheering my team-mates on in front of the TV. I'm incredibly motivated to come back stronger than ever. A big thank you to the team for their confidence in these difficult times."

Accepting his role as Classics leader, Benoot had earlier said at the Decathlon CMA CGM team presentation: "I think I'll be a bit higher up on paper, but we have a strong team across the board. We don't have to control the race, so many guys will get their chance."

Now, alas, Benoot will not get his chance and he will now have to re-plan his season. However, a successful recovery will mean he should get his moment as a high-level domestique at the Giro d'Italia for Felix Gall, or at the Vuelta España for Matthew Riccitello, and there are plenty more one-day races this season that may become new personal targets for the Belgian.

A fine all-rounder, Benoot's win in the 2018 Strade Bianche still sits at the top of his palmarès, but he has also won Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne (2023), was second on GC at Paris-Nice in 2020 and has twice finished third at Amstel Gold.

As we hit January, it is more than the time for pro cycling teams to release their new kits for 2026. For some, this is the best part of the year, before the reality of racing gets involved, when we can just imagine how good the jerseys will look on the road.

Rather than writing up each team individually, we thought it would work better if we collated them together, unless someone does something mad. When all the kits are out, we can do our usual arbitrary evaluation of them too, so do look out for that. In this guide, we will cover all the WorldTour teams, and notable other squads, but not all, otherwise it will get a bit overwhelming, apart from particular exceptions.

If you would rather find out which team riders will be appearing for next year, rather than what they will be wearing, you can find that on our comprehensive transfer guide for 2026 too.

Teams have also changed names – Israel-Premier Tech to NSN Cycling, Alpecin-Deceuninck to Alpecin-Premier Tech, and Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale to Decathlon CMA CGM and more – so that will have an impact on the kits too.

While teams will have tried to keep the fresh designs under wraps, a few have leaked into the public domain. However, this list will only have confirmed designs. So far, those who are fans of garish outfits should be pleased.

So far, we are only certain of a few kits for next season, but more will appear in the coming weeks or days. We'll update this as we go!

Picnic PostNL

If I were to play spot the difference, I would be hard pushed with the 2026 Picnic PostNL kit. It remains navy and orange, with the 'Keep Challenging' stripes, and the name is the same too. There are a couple of new sponsors on there, and this is apparently different, but that's it.

As the press release says: "Clear and vibrant amongst the colourful peloton: fans, commentators and pundits alike won’t have to re-adjust for the 2026 campaign as they can expect to see the two orange stripes from those helicopter shots on even the foggiest of days."

Pinarello-Q36.5

It's a continuation of navy for the renamed Pinarello-Q36.5, but no white sleeves this year. Instead, this smart jersey is fully navy, with fancy gold accents. The bikes don't look bad either...

According to Q36.5's founder, Luigi Bergamo: "The new jersey design evolves the visual language we began developing last season to reflect the Italian values of premium, daring, design that we share with Pinarello.

"The result is a kit that allows our riders to feel, from the very first moment they pull on the kit, that they are part of something special and unique: the only team in the professional peloton founded and powered by Italian technical partners. We can’t wait to see this jersey (and our iconic Dottore bib shorts!) racing sharp at the front of the bunch."

Jayco AlUla and Liv AlUla Jayco

MAAP entered WorldTour cycling with their Jayco AlUla and Liv AlUla Jayco kits, and have stuck to their theme from 2025 with this purple – sorry, "Aurora" – jersey, paired with dark grey shorts.

The new addition is the flame motif, which stretches to the socks, which is a bit of fun.

MAAP's creative director, Misha Glisovic, said: "MAAP has always been driven to push the boundaries. It’s core to who we are and how we see our place in the sport. We want to use design to broaden the appeal of pro cycling, nudging the sport towards something more stylish and aspirational. Ultimately, we want to be true to our values at MAAP, and GreenEDGE shares this vision."

Human Powered Health

Women's WorldTour squad Human Powered Health have partnered with Verge Sport for their new kit. The new design keeps the orange/red/purple that we have become used to for the team, but in a new pattern, which is called 'Tailwind'. It's designed "to embody speed, motion, and momentum".

The press release says the jersey has a "rich, sweeping warm-to-cool colour gradient that represents Human Powered Health’s Pillars of Performance". It'll be paired with black shorts.

Lotto-Intermarché

The newly merged Lotto-Intemarché go with the red of Lotto for 2026. The kit is a dark-ish red, paired with black shorts, and there isn't really too much more to say about it. It's smart!

According to the statement: "In terms of colour, both main sponsors, Intermarché and Lotto, were already allies: their brand colours red and black dominate the design. The meaningful, subtle fingerprint pattern further strengthens the bold look."

Bahrain Victorious

Bahrain Victorious have been red, orange, purple, and white, but never blue. That changes in 2026, when the team, now riding Bianchi bikes, will be in navy blue with teal sleeves.

The press release reveals deeper meanings: "At the heart of the kit sits a deep navy, a colour that has been part of the team’s identity since its foundation. Subtly woven into the design is a faint “X” that crosses the jersey, the Roman numeral representing ten years in the sport.

"On the sleeves of the jersey, Bianchi’s iconic Celeste is distinctly featured, perfectly matching the shallow blue waters and teal tones that represent Bahrain’s two seas."

Visma-Lease a Bike

The men and women of Visma-Lease a Bike will continue in yellow for 2026, wearing a kit made by Nimbl, who are more known for their cycling shoes.

According to Francesco Matrone, graphic designer at Nimbl: "In a WorldTour context, design must be essential, intentional, and instantly recognizable. One of our key goals was to create a visual identity that's identifiable at speed and reflects performance and clarity. It must be unmistakably Visma-Lease a Bike. Every graphic element is functional, integrated, and designed to perform under pressure.”

EF Pro Cycling

EF Education–EasyPost and EF Education–Oatly will remain pink next year, but have switched kit suppliers from Rapha to Assos.

Assos says the 2026 kit reflects a "forward-looking mindset" with a "bold colour palette" that evolves EF Pro Cycling’s unmistakable visual identity while introducing "a new, almost other-worldly energy to the peloton."

The silver bits are fun, and pink is always good to me – I just wonder what's going to happen when the Giro d'Italia comes around.

Alpecin-Premier Tech and Fenix-Premier Tech

It's a brand new name for Alpecin-Premier Tech and Fenix-Premier Tech – no more Deceuninck – but not a completely new kit, with similar vibes for the WorldTour and Women's WorldTour teams. The men's team has a kit made by Kalas, which is the same blue as before, more or less, but with a bit more of a light grading across the chest.

The women's team, meanwhile, wear a kit made by Alé, which is pretty similar to the orange of 2025, and there doesn't seem to be the green and blue options from before.

Canyon-SRAM zondacrypto

Canyon-SRAM zondacrypto are usually found in a bold, colourful kit, and next season is no different. This is Luminous, designed by Mckenzie Sampson and made by Canyon. It takes a dark purple base and merges it with turquoise, pink, coral and red.

Sampson said: "I’ve always found Canyon-SRAM zondacrypto to be an aspiring light within the peloton. They’re a team that gives a unique platform to a diverse set of riders across the globe to get their big break in cycling. To visually illustrate that sense of light and hope, we wanted the kit design to be bold yet convey the right balance of contrasting light, unique patterns, and rich saturated moments of colour."

AG Insurance-Soudal

AG Insurance-Soudal have mostly the same kit as their brother team Soudal Quick-Step, just with different sponsors. There is a new logo, too: Datashift, a Belgian leader in data solutions and strategy.

It's a blue base, with green accents across, with a white band across the chest for AG Insurance.

Ineos Grenadiers

There was rumour and speculation that it might happen, but now it is official... Ineos Grenadiers will be wearing WHITE yes WHITE shorts next season. Well, it's technically 'light grey', but come on.

Orange is the main colour on the jersey for the first time, after various blues and reds, but it is the white that stands out. It's as striking, if not more so, as AG2R's famous brown shorts, and we wonder how the riders are feeling about it...

The press release says: "The design was created with a clear purpose: immediate recognition. The exclusive use of this orange ensures a striking presence in the peloton, while the white panels on the lower sections add balance and clarity, allowing the leading colour to shine with harmonious strength. The result is a sophisticated, functional and memorable kit."

Apparently: "Orange is the new uniqueness. Orange is the new icon." Read our opinion on it here.

Soudal Quick-Step

It's evolution not revolution for Soudal Quick-Step in 2026, who have a similar kit to this season, but green rather than white as the accent colour, along with the classic blue.

According to the team: "The new design incorporates a vivid electric-lime element, a deliberate move inspired by the Shine for Safety visibility campaign launched during this year’s Ardennes Classics."

There is a lot more green on the back, which will help them stand out, apparently. It's a nice wavy pattern. The kit is designed and made by Castelli.

FDJ United-SUEZ

If you're thinking "I've seen this kit before", you would be right. FDJ United-SUEZ will be wearing their 2025 Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift kit full-time next year. It's largely black, with an explosion of red and blue on the chest.

The press release says about the Gobik kit: "The jersey reflects the unseen hours of the sport: training sessions before dawn, rides in the rain, the fear and doubts of a jour sans. In contrast, a vivid halo of light rises on the chest, symbolising the inner spark that transforms sacrifice into brilliance at the moment of victory.

Demi Vollering won't be in this kit, given the Dutchwoman is European champion.

UAE Team Emirates-XRG

UAE Team Emirates-XRG rarely mix the colour palette up too much, and 2026 will be no different – it's largely white, with black and red trim, but it definitely has changed since last season.

The Pissei kit, handcrafted at the brand's Italian Custom Lab, has some fun geometric patterns on the stormach of the jersey, with black on the arms too. Don't expect to see Tadej Pogačar in this one, however, considering he is world champion.

Movistar

It's a second year in a row in white for Movistar, who have ditched the navy box across the chest for this cleaner offering. There is the classic M on the front, and some accents across the rest of the front.

Apparently: "Gobik sought a futuristic aesthetic, an evolution that projects innovation and performance on a white base. Technological textures, iridescent graphics and subtle transparencies were combined to create a striking design that reflects the identity and avant-garde spirit of the team." Avant-garde. Right.

Lidl-Trek

Lidl-Trek's kit is different. Definitely. There's less red on the front, more blue, and there's a new sponsor on the front, but it is, essentially, the same as last year. There's nothing wrong with that! It's a good kit! "Our favourite colours" is what the team said. Keep it simple. The men and women use the same kit, which is good.

The team say: "With a fresh twist on a fan-favorite design, Santini have delivered again with the 2026 Lidl-Trek kit. Pairing the ultimate fabrics with playful colours, the latest design delivers looks as well as performance."

Decathlon CMA CGM

Sadly, there's no exciting bumf to go with the new Decathlon CMA CGM kit, but with a new name comes a new colour - red. The brown shorts are sadly still in the dustbin of history, with new sponsors CMA CGM bringing the new colour. One sleeve is still teal (?) while the other is a lot darker, rather than the dark blue it was before.

Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe

Now, Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe's kit is yet to be officially announced, but seeing as all the riders in the plane stunt were wearing a new kit, let's assume this is the new one for 2026. It's a lot whiter than before, with royal blue sleeves, and less navy. It is similar to the special kit they used at the Tour de France this season.

SD Worx-Protime

SD Worx-Protime have veered away from the purple and pinks of recent years, and instead will race in this primary colour-heavy jersey which is called "New Dawn"

It's designed by Specialized, and is paired with black shorts. Notably, Lotte Kopecky will be racing in it, no longer being world, European, or Belgian champion, for once.

According to the press release: "The new jersey reflects the team’s and sponsors’ ongoing drive for innovation. Standing still is not an option – continuously reinventing ourselves in every aspect is a core value at SD Worx-Protime. The new design symbolises our rich history through the spark, now multiplied and displayed in various shades. This emphasises the team’s slogan: we spark success."

NSN Cycling

The team formerly known as Israel-Premier Tech have become NSN Cycling, and will be wearing a busy kit next season, with a base of sky blue and orange. The jury is out over whether this will be easy to notice or to lose in the peloton. They're also riding Scott bikes now.

If you want to know why it looks like this, the press release says: "It's designed by Stijn Dossche of stycle.design, is inspired by the Mediterranean city from which the team’s new identity has been forged.

"Its design blends geometry, colour blocks, and patterns reminiscent of contemporary Barcelona - a city that never stands still, where tradition meets modernity, where Mediterranean light becomes art, and movement becomes identity."

Just in time for the Tour de France Grand Départ in July, then – that's in Barça.

Groupama-FDJ United

Another new name, though less dramatic, is Groupama-FDJ United. The French stalwarts are slow to change their kits, normally, and the same is true next year. It's the fetching number they wore at this year's Tour, although it's now made by Bioracer rather than Alé. Essentially, it's royal blue with a red accent sleeve.

Cofidis

Cofidis are another French team barely changing their kit for 2026. The men's and women's teams, now both ProTeams, will use the same red and yellow jersey as this season, although the shades might have been slightly altered, and the sponsors have moved around a bit.

Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale rider Johannes Staune-Mittet has been fined €200 for riding while wearing headphones in Spain.

The Norwegian received the fine from Spain’s Ministry of the Interior on Monday morning, while training in the province of Alicante, on the country’s east coast.

According to Spanish traffic regulations, it is against the law to drive or cycle using in-ear or over-ear headphones, due to concerns that they reduce the user’s road awareness.

Posting his fine on Strava, Staune-Mittet wrote: “Guess it is better to buy a pair of those ugly out of ear headphones than to get fined for airpods every day.”

The 23-year-old also shared a video of his fine, showing the sum of €200, reduced to €100 if he pays it within 20 days.

The specific infringement he was said to have committed was ‘driving with headphones or earphones connected to sound receivers or players’.

This falls under article 13.3 of the ‘Reglamento General de Circulación’ – General Traffic Regulations – which states: “It is prohibited to drive while wearing any type of audio headphones or earphones connected to sound receivers or players or other devices that reduce constant attention to driving, except when taking open circuit aptitude tests to obtain a driver's licence under the terms determined by the regulations.”

The infringement also relates to article 18.2, which similarly states: “It is prohibited to drive while wearing headphones or earphones connected to audio devices, except during driving lessons and open-circuit aptitude tests for obtaining a motorcycle license, when required by the General Traffic Regulations.”

Staune-Mittet joined Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale at the start of 2025 after spending four years with Visma-Lease a Bike, three of which with the Dutch team’s development squad.

In 2023, then aged 21, the Norwegian won the Giro Next Gen, an under-23 version of the Giro d'Italia, announcing himself as one of the most promising riders in the world.

His only career pro win came later that year at the Czech Tour, where he beat Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe’s Florian Lipowitz in an uphill finish.

Staune-Mittet is under contract with Decathlon until the end of 2027. The team will go by Decathlon CMA CGM from next season, following a change in sponsorship.

Van Rysel appears to have quietly launched a new aero bike ahead of the 2025 season, with the new machine set to form part of the Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale arsenal in WorldTour events next year.

The announcement was hidden away in a press release from the brand and French pro team under the sub-heading of "RCR-F, a new bike to dominate the sprint" with little other detail provided. Perhaps this was a sneak preview, in order to perk up the interest of tech geeks across the industry. Whatever it was, it worked, and the new bike instantly generated a lot of interest across social media.

The bike looks suspiciously similar to the prototype aero race bike seen raced at the Tour de France earlier this year; rider Sam Bennett's carried the wording ‘Aero24 Project - Sample 06’ on the fork.

Van Rysel made a name for itself last season with the introduction of the RCR Pro, the most-affordable WorldTour bike on the market, and appears set to continue the trend of being one of the most talked about brands in the industry with its latest offering.

The top-end RCR Pro still comes in at £9,000, however, that's £3,000 cheaper than comparable specification elsewhere; the savings do drop off on lower equipped models.

A brief description of the new machine reads: "From this season, the RCR and XCR will be joined on the roads by the RCR-F, an even more powerful machine that will propel classic riders and sprinters to an unprecedented level. Designed to slice through the air with speed, the RCR-F redefines the standards of aero bikes."

Oliver Naesen, Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale’s resident Classics king, will be licking his lips after reading that description, particularly as he couldn’t rain in the superlatives when describing the RCR after getting his hands on it last year.

"If you ask me, this bike is going to turn the market upside-down," the Belgian rider said.

"It is truly excellent. A brutal machine, by far the best I've had," Naesen added. "Light as a feather too. On other bicycles they use shallow wheels and lighter pedals to limit the weight. Mine has heavier, deeper wheels and standard pedals fitted, and it weighs only 100 grams over the limit."

According to information provided on the brand’s website, the new RCR-F was designed in collaboration with the wheel manufacturer Swiss Side and achieves aerodynamic savings of more than 13 watts compared to its sister model, the RCR Pro.

Other than that almost nothing else is officially known about the mysterious new aero bike as things stand. However, mechanics at the team told Cycling Weekly that riders were "very" impressed with the protoype model raced earlier this year.

There's absolutely no doubt that the Van Rysel RCR Pro has been the most clicked on bike of the year at Cycling Weekly.

The chassis ridden by the pros of UCI World Tour team Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale has managed to undercut competitors on the market to the tune of a couple of grand. And, the more affordably specced Shimano Ultegra Di2 version is now down by a further £1,000(.01) in Decathlon's Black Friday sale.

Cycling Weekly tech writer, and former full-time rider, Joe Baker put this build through its paces as part of our Bike of the Year megatest.

Joe did point out that, wearing the Ultegra spec (as opposed to the top of the range Dura-Ace), this isn't quite such a phenomenal deal at RRP vs competition, with notoriously good value direct-only brand Canyon able to hold its own. However, he did score the bike very well for its low weight (7.28kg) and strikingly good looks.

The RCR Pro was designed in-house by Decathlon engineers, with the frame subject to computational fluid dynamics testing ahead of multiple iterations being run through the wind tunnel. This is, first and foremost, a performance orientated bike, designed to win races - and it's done a good job of that this season, with the squad clocking up 30 victories.

As you'd expect, the geometry is aggressive, with a stack-to-reach ratio of 1.40, putting the rider into a low, aerodynamic position; however, a longer wheelbase made for stable handling on test.

Considering its racing pedigree, Joe found the RCR Pro to be a "very comfortable bike, doing a great job of evening out the plentiful bumps on my local Oxfordshire roads", whilst he flagged a lack of responsiveness compared to others in the same category, this did play out in greater stability.

Luke Rowe has said that he never thought he would leave Ineos Grenadiers, as he opened up for the first time about his looming move to Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale.

The Welshman spent his entire pro career at Team Sky, which became Ineos Grenadiers, after he joined in 2012, but will move to French squad Decathlon as a sports director as he hangs up his wheels.

Speaking to GCN for a video titled "Is This The End of Team Ineos?", the 34-year-old revealed it was wanting to be free of bureaucracy beyond anything else which caused him to look elsewhere for the future.

"I never thought I'd really leave the team," he explained in his GCN interview, published on Saturday. "I thought that's where I would spend most of my post-cycling career, that that was the natural thing to do, and then when that crash did happen in March it was clear that was the end of my career. You take a step back and you go 'What am I going to do?'

"The first team I spoke to was Ineos and they kind of laid it out. 'Right OK, thank you very much' and then I started speaking to other teams. I just feel like change is good sometimes."

Last month, Rowe said Ineos was "underperforming", and may need a number of years to regain its previous dominance in a candid interview, saying that the team had found itself "on the back foot".

"One of my big concerns with staying at Ineos was that I want to make a change," he continued in his latest interview. "If it's here now then I want it to become better. Whatever department I was in, you want to improve. Honestly, the biggest reason I was scared was if I wanted to make a change then it has to go through too many people and the change doesn't end up happening.

"I just didn't want my time wasted and that was my biggest fear. It wasn't financial, it wasn't any negativity towards an individual or the team as a whole. I've got a lot of time for them. I was scared that I'd get lost in a big organisation. It's also more than a cycling team now, it's part of a global business and it's owned by Ineos, not sponsored by them."

Last week, Ineos announced a raft of changes to their performance staff, including new sports directors and a lead performance coach among other new roles.

"At Team Sky there was always Dave B [Brailsford] at the top," Rowe said. "You might have run things by a few people but the buck stopped with him. Now, there's more levels above and above.

"Certainly, the right people can make decisions where things could change overnight, if something big needs to be changed then it goes to the top dog and with a click of the fingers it's done. For me, I'd be a long way down the pecking order and it'd have to go up through the chain of command."

Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale won 30 races this season, its most since 1999, while Ineos Grenadiers have won just 14 times, its lowest ever.

In the world of bikes, and particularly World Tour proven road bikes, the words fastest and cheapest are rarely heard in the same sentence.

But the bike brand I have here before me might be about to change things forever. I am, of course, talking about Van Rysel.

Cast your minds back to the end of 2023 when French pro team AG2R made a splash in the cycling press, announcing it would be partnering with Decathlon for 2024.

At the same time, it also announced that the team would be riding premium bikes by Decathlon’s cycling brand, Van Rysel.

Now, this had some people scratching their heads, as surely a more budget-oriented retailer like Decathlon wouldn’t be able to match the likes of Pinarello and Colnago when it came to out-and-out performance in the World Tour.

Well, if the 2024 road season is anything to go by then it looks like Van Rysel and Decathlon have done just that.

At the time of writing, the AG2R team has piloted their flagship Van Rysel RCRs to 26 victories at the highest level.

But perhaps the most striking thing is that you can go into a shop and buy the exact same bike as the pros for just £9000.

Of course, £9000 is far from cheap, but when you consider that Colnago and Pinarello’s World Tour race bikes cost well north of £10,000, the RCR starts to look far more competitive on price.

And cyclists bought into the hype, with the first batch of top spec Van Rysel RCRs selling out within minutes when they went on sale in the UK.

So it seems like competitive pricing and high-end performance can be offered at the same time. But what could this mean for the bike industry as a whole? Well, you’ll have to watch to the end of the video to find out.

Before that, I’m going to tell you a little more about Van Rysel and why they're causing such a stir.

Who are Van Rysel?

At this stage you may be wondering what Van Rysel is and where it originated from.

Well, Van Rysel, which incidentally translates to ‘made in Flanders’, emerged in 2019 and is Decathlon’s premium bike brand.

And while Van Rysel has only been in the World Tour since 2024, Decathlon has a long history of making bikes for professional teams such as Cofidis and AG2R Prévoyance in the early 2000s.

It’s worth mentioning that Van Rysels aren’t just rebranded from other Decathlon models, they’re a whole new line, with a dedicated team of engineers striving to make the best performance bikes possible.

Why should you be excited about Van Rysel?

That marketing speak is all well and good, but why should we be excited about Van Rysel bikes? For me, I think there are four key reasons.

Number one. It’s just great to see a relatively new brand on the scene that isn’t afraid to shake things up and put their money where their mouth is.

Sponsoring a World Tour team isn’t cheap and it’s a huge risk for any new brand, so to see the Decathlon AG2R teams doing so well aboard Van Rysel bikes, well, it can only put a smile on your face.

Number two. And you’re going to be hearing this a lot throughout the video, it’s got to be the price. As we all know by now, bikes are seriously expensive in this day and age, and that isn’t going to change anytime soon.

The fact that Van Rysel is trying to offer something at a more competitive price can only be a good thing.

Number three. They’re in it for the long haul. Decathlon and Van Rysel have committed to a five year partnership with AG2R, so I'm pretty sure this won’t be a flash in the pan thing.

Brands making long term commitments is great for the likes of you and me, as the tech that the pros get eventually trickles down to the bikes we get to buy in the shops.

And number four. The brand has teamed up with some interesting partners, including the likes of Swiss Side, Deda Elementi and French aerospace research laboratory ONERA.

ONERA is based round the corner from Van Rysel’s headquarters in Lille, so I can imagine having such an amazing facility nearby will mean Van Rysel are in the best position to make good on their claim of making the fastest and cheapest bikes possible.

Who should consider a Van Rysel bike?

In terms of who I think should consider buying a Van Rysel bike, well, in this video I’m riding the mid-range Van Rysel RCR, which features SRAM’s Force AXS groupset equipped with a power meter.

This is exactly the same frame shape and geometry as raced by the pros, albeit with a marginally heavier carbon layup. We’re talking only about a 40g difference, which is hardly noticeable.

Van Rysel says the RCR is in its ‘lightweight aero’ category of bikes, coming in at £5,000 here in the UK.

With this in mind I think a bike like this would be ideal for the amateur racer, keen sportive rider, or someone who just likes to go fast and doesn’t want to break the bank.

It also features Zipp wheels and some pretty tasty Michelin Power Cup tyres, so you wouldn’t need any upgrades for a while.

There are different models if you’re looking to spend less than five grand, and as I’ve already mentioned there’s the all singing, all dancing pro replica if you want to spend more.

All this to say, if you’re looking for a performance-focussed bike that's ready to ride or race straight out of the shop, then Van Rysel should have something to suit your budget.

How do you buy Van Rysel products?

At this stage you may be wondering, how do I actually go out and buy Van Rysel products? As you’d expect, you can go over to the Decathlon website to find the bike I’m riding today along with other products from the Van Rysel range.

It’s available in a range of sizes and you can then arrange for it to be delivered to your closest Decathlon store where you can go and pick it up.

Or, if you’re after a more bespoke retail experience then you can head to Van Rysel’s own concept store in London, where you can access services like bike fits and gain hands on experience with their full product range.

What does Van Rysel's presence in the market mean for the entire cycling industry?

Finally, let’s get on to what Van Rysel’s presence in the market means for the cycling industry and you, the viewers.

As we’re at such an early stage in the brand's development, I can only speculate for now, and things may change, but… here are my takeaways.

Number one. The fact that we have a World Tour team racing and winning on what are perceived to be more affordable bikes can only be a good thing.

We’re often sold the idea that the most expensive product is the best, so it’s refreshing to know you can buy the same performance at a more competitive price.

At the time of writing, AG2R Decathlon was ranked 6th out of 21 World Tour teams, so I’d wager that any concerns the riders had about racing bikes from Decathlon have long disappeared.

Number two. In the future, we may see more brands leading with the affordability of their top spec road bikes, rather than their performance.

Van Rysel created quite the buzz when it released ‘the world’s cheapest World Tour bike’ and I’m sure that’s one of the main reasons they sold out so quickly, rather than because of any performance claims.

And number three. If Van Rysel continues to build on its success of selling high-performance bikes at more affordable prices, will we see more premium brands having to reduce their prices to keep up?

Again, it’s just speculation for now, but my instinct says probably not. Our buying decisions are based on far more than just price, with marketing, brand history, region, after-sales support and a whole host of other factors coming into play.

In short, I don’t think we can expect a sub £10k top spec Pinarello or Colnago anytime in the near future.

But hey, it’s amazing to think that with Van Rysel, we can now buy a World Tour winning race bike for well under £10k, and in terms of change within cycling, I think that’s one we can all get behind.

If you’ve made it this far then I’d love to know what you think? Would you consider buying a Van Rysel as your next road bike?

Ben O'Connor's Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale were handed four yellow cards on stage 11 of the Vuelta a España, for "obstruction by by a rider to prevent or delay the movement of another rider or vehicle".

The French squad were also fined for their part in an incident during Wednesday's stage when they attempted to stop any more riders from going up the road to join the break, in a clear move to protect O'Connor's position in the red jersey. Had the break swelled to more than 39, the fear would have been that more riders might have moved up overall, endangering the race lead.

While Decathlon, on the front of the peloton, was doing this, Richard Carapaz (EF Education-EasyPost) crashed, although it is not clear whether it was directly because of the blocking. Carapaz sat in third, 4:32 down, before stage 10. EF's team boss, Jonathan Vaughters, tweeted: "Accidents happen in cycling. We all know that. It’s a rough sport. But this was not an accident."

Victor Lafay, Bruno Armirail and Geoffrey Bouchard and sports director Cyril Dessel were all penalised for their part in the "obstruction". Lafay was also fined 500 CHF and handed penalties in the different classifications, and Dessel was fined 1000 CHF.

The yellow cards do not mean anything at the moment, as the the UCI, cycling's governing body, is trialling 'yellow cards' as part of a range of measures designed to make pro cycling safer. However, from next year, suspensions will be handed out based on the number of cards.

Yellow cards will continue to be tested in races between August and the end of the current year, with the aim of then introducing the system permanently from 2025, including the introduction of sanctions. Unlike in football, yellow cards won’t physically be shown for offences, but will continue to be listed in post-race communications, alongside other fines and sanctions.

Barbara Guarischi became the first rider to receive a yellow card under the new UCI ruling at the Tour de France Femmes earlier this month.

Three other yellow cards were handed out on Wednesday, to Txomin Juaristi (Euskaltel-Euskadi) and Victor Campenaerts (Lotto Dstny) for non-compliant positions on the bike and also sports director at Astana-Qazaqstan for irregular assistance to a rider on his team.

O'Connor lost 37 seconds to his chasers on general classification on stage 11, which was won by Eddie Dunbar (Jayco AlUla), with the former later saying he "suffered".

Ben O’Connor rode himself into the red leader's jersey and completed the Grand Tour stage win hat-trick with victory on stage six of the Vuelta a España on Thursday. 

The Australian was initially part of a 13 rider strong breakaway, but pushed on with Gijs Leemreize (dsm–firmenich PostNL) across the hilly terrain in Andalusia with 55 kilometres to the finish. O’Connor was evidently on superb form, and later distanced his Dutch breakaway companion with a stinging attack on the penultimate climb of the day, the category three Puerto Martinez. 

After dropping Leemreize, O’Connor didn’t relent and continued to thunder towards the finish knowing that his lead in the red jersey would be huge at the end of the day. 

O’Connor will leave his current team, Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale, at the end of the current campaign after agreeing a move to Jayco-AIUla. But in what will be his last Grand Tour outing for the French registered team he became the 111th man to win stages in all three of professional cycling’s biggest races. 

He punched the air with delight as he crossed the line, knowing that he had turned the Vuelta upside down and made a huge statement of intent to his rivals. O'Connor now leads the race by 4:51 ahead of Primož Roglič (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) in second.

Speaking afterwards, O’Connor said that he felt in his "own world" throughout the stage. 

"When the initial group of 30 went, I was a bit disappointed as I thought it was a pretty good opportunity," he said. "So when the race opened up again, I kind of just went for it as I felt today was just a day to really seize my opportunity. I just left it all out there and I felt like I could win this stage from the start. 

"It’s pretty special when you can just go out there and just absolutely crush it like that, I absolutely loved every moment."

"I was looking at the triple Grand Tour winners, the list of guys who had already done it before this race started," he added. "I’m proud to put my name there on that list and I have the red jersey as well so it’s going to be a once in a lifetime experience maybe so I’m going to enjoy every moment."

When asked if he felt he could now hold the overall lead for a long time, O’Connor shrugged off the question and played down his chances of overall victory. 

"Maybe or maybe not," he said. "It depends on how I go, but it’s an excellent opportunity and I’m just going to savour it as much as I can."

How it happened

Thursday began inside a Carrefour, the first time a race had ever begun inside a supermarket.

After a chaotic start to the medium mountain stage, a 13-strong breakaway eventually established itself containing several climbing specialists. The initial move began to shatter as the tempo ramped up on the punchy terrain that featured four categorised climbs on the run to Yunquera. 

With 55 kilometres to the finish, an acceleration from Ben O’Connor (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale) and Gijs Leemreize (dsm–firmenich PostNL) split the lead group wide open and suddenly riders were scattered everywhere between the two riders and chasing peloton. 

A three-man chase group was hot in pursuit of O’Connor and Leemreize on the category three Puerto Martinez, but O’Connor and his Dutch breakaway companion didn't let up. O’Connor put in a stinging move two kilometres from the summit which instantly distanced Leemreize from his back wheel. 

With 26 kilometres left to ride, Marco Frigo (Israel-Premier Tech), Urko Berrade (Kern Pharma) and Pelayo Sánchez (Movistar) were the next riders on the road. Berrade dropped away as the heat took its toll on the Puerto Martinez ascent. O’Connor pushed on, hugely increasing his advantage back to the main field which was well over six minutes, making him the virtual race leader. 

The Australian crested the Puerto Martinez with a gap of a minute and a half back to Leemreize, with Frigo not far behind him. 

As the chasers thundered down the descent of the climb, Frigo found himself on the floor after overcooking a corner. Meanwhile O’Connor didn't relent and continued to hold his minute advantage over Leemreize, the next man on the road. 

O’Connor had 6:35 on the peloton as he began the final climb of the day to Yunquera. With eight kilometres left to ride he had increased his lead over Leemreize by 30 seconds, but he still rode hard knowing that his overall lead in the general classification was increasing. 

As he tore into the final kilometre, the Australian had almost a seven minute advantage over the peloton and two on Leemreize. The 28-year-old crossed the line with his arms aloft and flipped the Spanish Grand Tour on its head. 

Meanwhile Leemreize faded behind him and was caught by Frigo. The Italian took second place, finishing more than four minutes behind O’Connor, with Florian Lipowitz (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) rounding out the top three on the day. 

Primož Roglič (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe), who led the race coming into stage six, finished 6:31 behind, moving down to second.

Results

Vuelta a España stage six: Jerez de la Frontera > Yunquera (185.5km)

1. Ben O’Connor (Aus) Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale, in 04:28:12
2.  Marco Frigo (Ita) Israel-Premier Tech, +4:33
3.  Florian Lipowitz (Ger) Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe, +5:12
4. Clement Berthet (Fra) Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale, +5:12
5. Cristian Rodriguez (Spa) Arkea-B&B Hotels,
6. Gijs Leemreize (Ned) dsm–firmenich PostNL, at same time
7. Mauri Vansevenant (Bel) T-Rex-Quick-Step, +5:35
8. Urko Berrade (Spa) Kern Pharma, +6:02
9. Isaac del Toro (Mex) UAE Team Emirates, +6:31
10. David Gaudu (Fra) Groupama-FDJ, at same time 

General classification after stage six 

1. Ben O'Connor (Aus) Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale, in 23:28:28
2. Primož Roglič (Slo) Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe, +4:51
3. João Almeida (Por) UAE Team Emirates, +4:59
4. Florian Lipowitz (Ger) Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe, +5:18
5. Enric Mas (Spa) Movistar, +5:23
6. Cristian Rodriguez (Spa) Arkea-B&B Hotels, +5:26
7. Antonio Tiberi (Ita) Bahrain Victorious, +5:29
8. Lennert van Eetvelt (Bel) Lotto Dstny, +5:32
9. Felix Gall (Aut) Decathon AG2R La Mondiale, +5:38
10. Mattias Skjelmose (Den) Lidl-Trek, +5:49

The replica edition of the Van Rysel RCR Pro, as used by men’s WorldTour team Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale, is available for purchase again after it previously sold out within minutes of being put up for preorder in April. 

Retailing at £9,000 at Decathlon, the bike is clearly still very expensive. However, it undercuts the competition by thousands of pounds, with similarly specced bikes elsewhere coming in at over £12,000. 

The RCR Pro has already tasted victory on 23 occasions in the 2024 season. Its most recent wins came via Valentin Paret-Peintre and Andrea Vendrame at the Giro d’Italia. 

At the start of the current season, AG2R rider Oliver Naesen was so impressed with the new machine that he said it would "turn the market upside-down" in the coming months. 

The bike was officially unveiled last November at the time that Decathlon became headline sponsors for the AG2R team. Van Rysel is Decathlon’s in-house bike brand, and you can purchase Van Rysel bikes from Decathlon websites. 

The French brand also recently opened its first-ever shop, which is situated inside the Decathlon store in Surrey Quays, London. 

The Van Rysel is equipped with top of the range gear including Shimano Dura-Ace Di2, a power metre, and Swiss Side Hadron 500 Ultimate wheels, making it comparable to the Trek Madone SLR 9 (£14,500 with SRAM Red), or the Specialized S-Works Tarmac SL8 (£12,000 with Dura Ace or SRAM Red).

"It is the right price for this bike," Yann Le Fraillec, Van Rysel’s chief product officer, recently told Cycling Weekly when questioned regarding the bikes affordability. "I can't say anything else, this is the right price."

"We are not cheating the customer," he added. "They are riding the same bike as the pros, there are no different features. You can buy it, the same frame, the same components, the same wheels. This is what we consider a fair price for people to enjoy the thrill of speed."

Back in April when it was made available for preorder, the bike sold out completely in just two hours in the UK. According to Decathlon’s website, one size has already sold out yet again so another rapid sellout could well materialise. 

Lower-spec RCR Pro’s are also available, but these do not come with the same groupset or feature the colourway used by the likes of former Giro d’Italia and Tour de France stage winner Ben O’Connor. 

French professional cyclist Franck Bonnamour has been dismissed by his team, Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale, after he was provisionally suspended last month due to “unexplained abnormalities” in his anti-doping record. 

Last month, Bonnamour was suspended by the UCI from competition due to "unexplained abnormalities" in his biological passport. His contract has now been terminated, but he denies wrongdoing.

"On February 5, 2024, the team was informed by the UCI of the investigation and provisional suspension of Franck Bonnamour due to a violation of anti-doping rules," a spokesperson for the team said on Tuesday evening. "This suspension follows checks carried out before his arrival in the team on January 1, 2023.

"The team was forced to terminate Franck Bonnamour's employment contract early. Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale Team advocates the practice of cycling in line with strong ethical rules."

In a short statement shared at the beginning of February, the UCI, cycling's governing body, wrote: "The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) informs that French rider Franck Bonnamour has been provisionally suspended in accordance with the UCI Anti-Doping Rules due to unexplained abnormalities in his Biological Passport."

All WorldTour and ProTour riders have a biological passport, an electronic record of all of their doping tests. The measure was introduced in 2008 and is run by an independent entity, the International Testing Agency (ITA), who complete blood and urine tests in and out of competition.

Decathlon-AG2R have insisted that the anti-doping case dates to before he joined the team in January 2023. The Frenchman previously rode for B&B Hotels-KTM in 2021 and 2022.

A popular breakaway figure at the Tour de France, earning him the Super Combatif title in 2021, Bonnamour has won one race in his decade-long career, the minor French event La Polynormande, while riding for B&B in 2022. He was previously part of Arkéa Samsic's squad, having turned pro with the team as a trainee in 2015.

In a statement on social media on Tuesday evening, Bonnamour insisted that he had never used "blood manipulation" or doping products.

"I have always done my job respecting the rules that the UCI imposes on me," he wrote.

"I have always complied, of course, with the numerous anti-doping controls that this sport has required of me for years. I have never used prohibited products or any blood manipulation. 

"With the help of my lawyers and scientists, we’re working on my defence. I have always been an honest, upright and clean rider and therefore cannot be accused of cheating."

French professional cyclist Franck Bonnamour has been provisionally suspended by the UCI due to “unexplained abnormalities” in his anti-doping record. 

The 28-year-old, who rides for WorldTour team Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale, will therefore not be able to compete in races while the case is open. 

It is unknown at this stage whether Bonnamour has returned a positive anti-doping test. The UCI did not expand on what the “abnormalities” referred to are. 

In a short statement shared on Monday afternoon, the governing body wrote: “The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) informs that French rider Franck Bonnamour has been provisionally suspended in accordance with the UCI Anti-Doping Rules due to unexplained abnormalities in his Biological Passport.” 

All WorldTour and ProTour riders have a biological passport, an electronic record of all of their doping tests. The measure was introduced in 2008 and is run by an independent entity, the International Testing Agency (ITA), who complete blood and urine tests in and out of competition.

Riders are responsible for updating their own location, or ‘whereabouts’, so tests can be carried out at any time of the year, no matter where they are. 

Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale responded to the UCI's decision with a social media statement, confirming its cooperation with Bonnamour's suspension.

"[The UCI's] decision is based on tests carried out before [Bonnamour] joined the team on January 1, 2023," the team wrote. "In this context and while the UCI procedure is ongoing, the team provisionally suspends Franck Bonnamour with immediate effect.

"The Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale team advocates the practice of cycling in accordance with stringent ethical rules."

Bonnamour competed last month at the Santos Tour Down Under in Australia, where he finished 54th overall. 

The Frenchman is scheduled to next take the start line in the one-day Classic Var on 16 February, and then the Tour des Alpes-Maritimes et du Var the following day, however his participation in both is now in doubt. 

The UCI did not stipulate how long Bonnamour’s provisional suspension will last, but said “proceedings are ongoing”. 

A popular breakaway figure at the Tour de France, earning him the Super Combatif title in 2021, Bonnamour has won one race in his decade-long career, the minor French event La Polynormande, while riding for B&B Hotels - KTM in 2022. He was previously part of Arkéa Samsic's squad, having turned pro with the team as a trainee in 2015. 

Since joining AG2R in 2023, he has ridden mostly within his native France.

The UCI has said it will not provide further comments on Bonnamour’s suspension as long as proceedings are underway.

Cycling Weekly has contacted Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale for further comment. 

Classics hitter Oliver Naesen has been talking about his new Van Rysel bike, calling it "the best I have ever ridden."

The Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale rider was speaking to Het Nieuwsblad about the upcoming season. But it was his comments about the team's new bike – manufactured by the French sports retail brand Decathlon – that really raised eyebrows.

"If you ask me," said the Belgian rider, "this bike is going to turn the market upside-down."

The Van Rysel RCR, as ridden by the French team, is set to retail at £8,500 (est $10,000), making it the cheapest WorldTour bike out there by some margin and for the majority of us, the only one we could ever hope to afford.

It's already on sale in Decathlon in France for €8,500, in a version that sees it kitted out with SRAM Red Etap AXS and Zipp 454 wheels.

The bikes aren't the only Decathlon AG2R kit that's relatively affordable either – its aero helmets retail at £69.99 at Decathlon – considerably cheaper than the WorldTour opposition.

"It's brutal," said Naesen, who has been with AG2R since the beginning of the 2017 season and taken numerous Classics podiums in that time, including second at Milan-San Remo in 2019.

"It is truly excellent. A brutal machine, by far the best I've had," Naesen says. "Light as a feather too. On other bicycles they use shallow wheels and lighter pedals to limit the weight. Mine has heavier, deeper wheels and standard pedals fitted, and it weighs only 100 grams over the limit."

It's high praise indeed, even coming from a rider who is contracted to ride Van Rysel bikes.

The bikes are fitted with Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 components and SwissSide wheels. They also feature a purpose-built integrated Deda cockpit. Designers have kept the weight low while also paying a good deal of attention to the bike's aerodynamics, to the extent that they worked with French aerospace firm Onera.

The blue and black colourway is strongly reminiscent of the old Team Sky, and matches the team's new kit, which has ditched the divisive brown shorts in favour of the more traditional black, matched with a brand new look blue and white jersey.

"No compromise has been made. If you ask me, that bike is going to turn the market upside down," said Naesen.

Van Rysel's RCR isn't Decathlon's first venture into the top echelons of the sport – the same team used the retailer's bikes back in the early 2000s, from 2000 to 2007.