Paris-Roubaix could have been Mathieu van der Poel's race once again this year. The Dutchman looked to be flying and was riding comfortably at the front of the race over the early sectors of cobbles. Then disaster struck as he flatted towards the beginning of the Trouée d’Arenberg, one of the roughest and most infamous cobbled sectors of the race.

With no team car behind and the peloton spread out down the sector the three-time winner was stranded at the side of the road. Then Jasper Philipsen pulled over and handed his bike to Van der Poel. The Dutchman jumped on and tried to pedal. Clearly in too big a gear, he struggled to get going over the rough surface with too much pressure on the chain to change gear.

But his troubles continued as it became clear he couldn't clip his shoes into the pedals. On a flat section of road a rider could push on the pedals without too much force even if they're not clipped in (as long as they didn't get out of the saddle), but bouncing about on the cobbles Van der Poel's feet were slipping off the pedal surface.

Alpecin-Premier Tech is a Shimano sponsored team, meaning all their riders will be riding Shimano Dura Ace pedals, one of the best road bike pedals on the market. So why couldn't Van der Poel - an eight time cyclo-cross world champion used to jumping on and off bikes - clip in?

It turns out Philipsen was using a new set of prototype Dura-Ace pedals, which also use slightly different cleats. As soon as Van der Poel realised this he climbed off, walked back to Philipsen and gave his bike back so the sprinter could continue. Van der Poel then calmly waked back to where he'd left his Canyon bike as the race went up the road.

When he got back to his bike, another teammate, Tibor del Grosso, was swapping his front wheel out so Van der Poel could continue. He did, but then incredibly punctured again just before the end of the Arenberg sector. By the time he got a new bike from his team car he was almost two minutes down and it looked like his race was over.

"I knew [about the pedals]. It was never the plan that I take Jasper's bike of course," Van der Poel said post-race. "But I think he didn't feel good himself so he gave me the bike. I tried to just get out of the Arenberg, and it was impossible. I took my own bike back because Tibor gave me a wheel. But then I flatted again, and I knew my race was over."

In hindsight it seemed like an odd decision for a rider like Philipsen to test protoypte equipment in one of the biggest races of the year, and the one that is the biggest test on equipment. It turns out two other riders on the team were also using the prototype pedal.

A team mechanic told Cyclingnews.com that they had been using the pedals for a while, and had riders swap bikes in other races with no issues. "But Arenberg is not the same as Kuurne." The mechanic said.

Team boss Christophe Roodhoft later said. "They fit, but it's not the same as normal. But it's done now. I can't undo it. I should have thought of it, but I never imagined it would all come together in such a crucial way.

"Right now, I think it was very stupid of me. That sounds harsh. But I don't understand how I didn't think of it. It's more unlikely than winning the lottery, all of it falling together like that."

Whether or not the decision cost the team and van der Poel their fourth consecutive victory in Roubaix will never be known. The Dutchman got back to within 20 seconds of the lead at one point, but couldn't close that final gap. He eventually sprinted to fourth place.

Shimano's SPD-SL pedals are common throughout the peloton and have gone largely unchanged for the last 20 years, but in 2025 the Japanese company released an updated set of it's popular off-road SPD pedals - also with updated cleats - to give better clearance. While the new road pedals will have to be listed with the UCI as Non-Commercial Equipment while they are being tested, no details have been released as yet.

Mathieu van der Poel punctured in the Trouée d'Arenberg at Paris-Roubaix on Sunday, leaving him almost two minutes behind the front of the race leaving the first five-star sector of the race.

The Alpecin-Premier Tech rider briefly tried to use Jasper Philipsen's bike, before abandoning that plan, as it seemed too small, he then walked back to his original frame, which lay at the side of the road. Another Alpecin rider, Tibor del Grosso, then changed his wheel with an Allen key, before the Dutchman punctured again before the end of the sector.

The incident came with 94km to go after Wout van Aert (Visma-Lease a Bike) had put the power down heading into the Arenberg, with Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) and Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek) among the riders able to follow.

The lead group consisted of that pair, along with Christophe Laporte (Visma-Lease a Bike), Stefan Bissegger (Decathlon CMA CGM), Jasper Stuyven (Soudal Quick-Step) and Laurence Pithie (Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe). A bigger group Filippo Ganna (Ineos Grenadiers) was around 20 seconds behind at this point in the race.

The drama came a few dozen kilometres after Pogačar was briefly forced to use a neutral service bike after puncturing on the Quérénaing à Maing sector, away from a team car. The Slovenian world champion was on the blue Shimano model for around 4km before he was able to change onto his preferred Colnago Y1RS, complete with mismatched tyres front and back.

The gap was briefly around 30 seconds, before Pogačar used his UAE teammates to close the gap before the peloton hit the Arenberg sector.

The opening 170km of the race were completed at over 50km/h, with a 20km/h tailwind helping push the riders along.

More to follow...

It's hard to believe, but we are now less than a week away from the Tour of Flanders, with only a further week after that until Paris-Roubaix. Together they mark the climax of the early-season Classics, although there will still be the Ardennes races to enjoy for those who prefer their Classics served with fewer cobbles and more hills.

For the riders, the training is well in the past now and their race skills are being sharpened at the coalface – at events such as the weekend's E3 Saxo Classic and In Flanders Fields (which used be called Gent-Wevelgem). Both are big races in their own right, offering up a major tick on any palmarès and, as we saw at the weekend, a bucketful of action for fans to enjoy. Let's reflect on a few scoops from that bucket.

Don't write off Wout van Aert

The Belgian has had a mercurial couple of seasons in which it has never been easy to predict which Wout van Aert we'll get on a given day. The imperious winner, the below-par also ran, or even the unlucky crash victim.

In Flanders Fields was a reminder that the Visma-Lease a Bike rider can still come up with the goods, and while he was nowhere near the podium in the final reckoning, his two-up breakaway stint with Mathieu van der Poel – a rider who was once considered his Classics nemesis but has since left him behind – proved he is still a contender.

The best evidence of this was Van der Poel doing his utmost to drop Van Aert on the Kemmelberg, and failing. In the end it was all in vain, but unlike the Dutch rider, for Van Aert it will be a confidence boost going into the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix.

Lorena Wiebes comes back swinging

When Lorena Wiebes (SD Worx-Protime) takes part in a bunch sprint, she tends to win – but not always, as young British rider Carys Lloyd (Movistar) demonstrated at the Ronde van Brugge last week. No doubt keen to show that her ninth place that day was a blip rather than a new trend, Wiebes came back and took things on in a different way to a sprint, attacking on the Kemmelberg and changing the race.

The smaller sprint wasn't as clear-cut as many Wiebes wins though; Lidl-Trek's Fleur Moors came up fast on her left and as the Dutch rider sat up to celebrate she was very nearly pipped on the line. But the win belonged to Wiebes and to make it even more impressive, she had spent a lot of time driving the break and covering the moves too.

Mathieu van der Poel is still untouchable

As the defending champion all eyes were on Mathieu van der Poel at the E3 Saxo Classic. In fact, the Alpecin-Premier Tech rider was looking for a third consecutive victory at the hilly Belgian race. His status as the clear favourite meant the Dutchman was a marked man, but it didn't stop him pulling off another lone victory, despite a hand injury from crashing at Milan-San Remo a week before.

He rode the race almost as a time trial, skipping from one chasing group to another until he was out front solo with 42km remaining. And his bloody-minded insistence on continuing to ride, even when the front chase group were only a few bike lengths behind him with a kilometre to go, is testament to his mental strength. The clear favourite for the Tour of Flanders, and, with Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG), the joint favourite at Roubaix.

Jasper Philipsen reminds us that he's more than a sprinter

After winning Milan-San Remo in 2024 and Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne last year, Jasper Philipsen added another significant Classics victory to his palmares at In Flanders Fields. With eight classified bergs on the parcours, it's a win that emphasises the Belgian's all-round ability and serves as a reminder that he has more in his quiver than just a lightning-fast sprint.

Not that his sprint has disappeared – his win at In Flanders Fields was taken at the head of a 40-rider finish – but it certainly works well with his more rounded strengths. He will once again miss the Tour of Flanders, but is due to ride Paris-Roubaix, in which he has finished second twice and is capable, on the right day, of winning.

The big teams are finally back on top

A glance down the top-10 of the women's In Flanders Fields shows a striking pattern – with the possible exception of Fenix-Premier Tech, it's a who's who of major Classics teams. We'll include UAE Team ADQ in that, who have emerged as heavy hitters in the past year and are currently riding the top of the UCI rankings thanks to one fine performance after another this season.

More notable perhaps is the presence in second place of Lidl-Trek thanks to Fleur Moors – a great team who have taken a while to hit their stride this year. And then there are two riders each from FDJ United-SUEZ and SD Worx-Protime, with winner Lorena Wiebes asserting what many would consider SD Worx's rightful place at the top in the Classics.

It wasn't quite snatching defeat from the jaws of victory, but it was snatching defeat from the jaws of the chance of victory at the E3 Saxo Classic on Friday.

As Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Premier Tech) and a chasing quartet wiggled their way around the famous housing estate which marks the end of the race, it seemed inevitable that the two groups would join up. The gap dropped below 10 seconds, then five, then one of the riders behind could have chucked a bottle at the Belgian.

However, then something remarkable happened. Just as Van der Poel looked behind him, and appeared to sit up, he surged again. Behind, Florian Vermeersch (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) refused to pull, as did the other three of Per Strand Hagenes (Visma-Lease a Bike) Stan Dewulf (Decathlon CMA CGM) and Jonas Abrahamsen (Uno-X Mobility).

Van der Poel was gone. He had been in their grasp, practically caught, his flame all but extinguished, but he somehow managed to rise again from the embers. One thing is for certain, it looked very silly. "I thought they were coming back," Van der Poel said, except they weren't.

It looked silly, but it was all down to psychology. No one in the chasing group wanted to spend the energy to bring Van der Poel back, and then not have the energy left to sprint again at the finish line, or be vulnerable to an attack from behind. Van der Poel had no tactics to think about, apart from going all in to the finish line.

The oft-repeated cliché is that you have to risk it all to win, and none of the chasing group were prepared to put it all on the line. It ended in a bit of a damp squib.

"I'm glad we were able to stay in the lead, but I'm still left with a bit of a sour feeling," Vermeersch, who finished third, explained at the finish.

“Then the cooperation suddenly disappeared. I thought: I’m not going to put all my cards on the table here. I’d rather let Mathieu ride. Then we’ll sprint for second place. That’s racing. I’m certainly not angry with my fellow escapees. This is part of it."

“It is a real shame, because I felt there was more in it," he continued. "Especially due to the bad luck before the Kortekeer [Vermeersch was forced to change bike and chase the peloton]. "The race could have looked different, but I certainly wouldn't say I could have followed Mathieu.

"As it was, I mainly raced defensively. I did manage to snatch a podium spot, but I always say: I race to win. I would love to be two places higher up the leaderboard sometime."

For his part, Strand Hagenes said: "I think for me second place is a great result, we have to be honest about this. When you see how close you get you hope you can fight to win, but you know you’re going to start playing around a bit in the finale with the group we were sitting in. Unfortunately, we didn’t catch him and couldn’t sprint for the win, but that’s racing. Second place, I think, is a really good result for me.

"There wasn’t a lot of talking. Vermeersch wanted Abrahamsen to do one more pull, he didn’t want to do it, I don’t want to do it, Vermeersch didn’t want to just sit and close it. That’s racing, and it ended up being what it was."

In the results, Van der Poel simply won a third successive E3 crown, with a group behind. However, it could have been so different, a career-defining win for any other the riders in that chasing group. One moment of hesitation, one easing of the pace, and the Dutchman was gone. For him, it was victory snatched from the jaws of defeat.

Mathieu van der Poel won a third successive E3 Saxo Classic after a thrilling finish in which it looked like the Dutchman would be caught.

The Alpecin-Premier Tech rider escaped with 45km to go on Friday, and might have cruised to the finish, but a strong group of four were metres away from him in the finale.

Despite this, a feint and surge from Van der Poel delivered a famous victory in Harelbeke. Per Strand Hagenes (Visma-Lease a Bike) won the sprint for second, with Florian Vermeersch (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) in third.

It seemed to be an opportunity thrown away by the quartet behind, which also included Stan Dewulf (Decathlon CMA CGM) and Jonas Abrahamsen (Uno-X Mobility).

"At 5 kilometres from the finish, I ran out of steam," Van der Poel explained at the finish, after catching his breath. "At one point, I didn't have much faith in it anymore."

"I just kept riding my wattages. At a good kilometre, I thought they were coming back, but I knew I couldn't sprint anymore. I rode as hard as possible while seated, and it turned out to be just enough."

"On the Boigneberg, it was more about thinning out the group, but I ended up alone," he explained of his attack. "The stretch from there to the Paterberg was full headwind, and then I felt it was going to be a tough effort.

"At first, I still had a reasonably good feeling about it, but I know how difficult that course is to ride alone. I thought I wasn't going to be able to hold on; at 5 kilometers, I was done. In the end, I made it, but it cost blood, sweat, and tears."

"It is one of the victories that hurt the most," Van der Poel added.

How it happened

After leaving Harelbeke, the breakaway took a long time to be fully established, with Bastien Tronchon (Groupama-FDJ), Nickolas Zukowsky (Pinarello Q36.5), Michiel Lambrecht (Flanders-Baloise), Stan Dewulf (Decathlon CMA CGM), Luke Durbridge (Jayco-AlUla) and Sven Erik Bystrøm (Uno-X Mobility) heading up the road.

These six built an advantage of over three minutes over the peloton, although for a long time there was a second group between the pair, which was Henri-François Renard-Haquin (Picnic PostNL), Sean Flynn (Picnic PostNL) and Vojtěch Kmínek (Burgos Burpellet BH). However, the trio never looked like catching those up the road.

The first big move came at 94km to go, on the Karnemelkbeekstraat, when a group of seven, including Timo Kielich (Visma-Lease a Bike) and Daan Hoole (Decathlon CMA CGM). They soon caught Renard-Haquin, Flynn and Kmínek, and passed them.

On the Taaienberg, with around 70km to go, Tim Van Dijke (Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe) attacked, followed by Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Premier Tech), the defending champion.

At this point, there were still two groups on the road in front of the pair, before Van der Poel went solo with around 45km to go

Few would be forgiven for thinking that this was race over, with the rider who won the last two editions out in front, but a group including DeWulf, Per Strand Hagenes (Visma-Lease a Bike), Florian Vermeersch (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) and Jonas Abrahamsen (Uno-X Mobility) started to reel the former world champion in. A time gap which was over a minute was reduced to 30 seconds with under 15km to go, and then close to 10 seconds with under 5km to go.

However, despite practically being on Van der Poel’s wheel just under the kilometre to go banner, the Dutchman surged again, as the group behind started to play games over who would do the final pull to catch him.

Mathieu van der Poel might be nursing a hand injury he suffered at Milan-San Remo last week, but he will still be the most-watched rider at E3 Saxo Classic on Friday.

The Alpecin-Premier Tech rider has won the last two editions of the Tour of Flanders warmup, and in the absence of Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) and Wout van Aert (Visma-Lease a Bike), is the out-and-out favourite. There was already speculation that riders might already be racing for second.

Speaking on TV before the Belgian Classic, Van der Poel said: "I’m very excited, these are the races I love to do the most." Interviewed earlier, Matteo Trentin (Tudor Pro Cycling), said it was a case of "ciao" if the 31-year-old did decide to attack from afar again.

Van der Poel was caught up in the crash 32km from the finish which also took out eventual winner Pogačar at San Remo, and suffered some cuts to his left hand, which left him unable to hold his handlebars properly.

Of his hand, he said: "It’s still painful, it’s not super good to ride on the cobbles, but it’s also not holding me back."

The Dutchman has soloed to victory at E3 twice before, 43km out in 2024 and 39km out in 2025, after the Oude Kwaremont.

However, things might be trickier for Van der Poel, given that there is only one outstanding favourite, although it was similar at Omloop Nieuwsblad earlier this year and he managed to still escape to victory.

He is not the only rider nursing a hand injury, with Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek), second last year, racing less than two months after breaking his wrist and collarbone.

Pedersen's big goal is "beating Mathieu", he said pre-race. "Pretty painful on long days," he said of his injury. "This is a good start, the main goal is still Sunday next week and the week after."

Next Sunday is the Tour of Flanders, the week after Paris-Roubaix, so there is much more to still aim for in the season. E3 is one of the key points on the road to Flanders, with many of the same cobbled climbs, including the Kwaremont, the Paterberg and the Taaienberg.

It is, however, a big race in its own right, with Tom Boonen, Van der Poel and Van Aert among the multiple-time winners. This year's edition is 208km, with 3,000m of elevation gain over 16 hills.

Van der Poel has attacked on the Taaienberg on each occasion he has won, so this is the key point, 700m at 6.3%. The peloton will head up the Kwaremont twice this year, up an alternative route first, the Keuzenlingsstraat (2.2km at 4%) before the traditional route, also used in the Tour of Flanders.

Other possible winners include Biniam Girmay (NSN Cycling), Fred Wright (Pinarello Q36.5), Florian Vermeersch (UAE Team Emirates-XRG), and Jasper Stuyven (Soudal Quick-Step).

Make sure you are across how to watch the E3 Saxo Classic with our guide.

Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Premier Tech) blasted to victory on stage four of Tirreno-Adriatico in a 500 metre rush to the line to take his second stage win of the race.

The final metres of the Italian race saw Jan Christen (UAE Emirates-XRG) make an early push to the front of the leading pack, before Filippo Ganna (Ineos Grenadiers) slipped ahead on his left. But the Italian couldn’t hold the lead for long, as Van der Poel accelerated forwards in a seemingly effortless display of dominance.

The Dutchman was followed by Giulio Pellizzari (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) in second and Tobias Halland Johannessen (Uno-X Mobility) in third.

"It was quite a hard day with a strong breakaway," Van der Poel explained after the race. "The pace was really high all day.

"In the end, Visma did a really good job. I could gamble a bit because I'd already won my stage. I just waited for the sprint and I think I did everything perfectly in the last kilometre," he said.

"I was expecting a late attack from Filippo Ganna. I also knew Visma was going to take a sprint with Wout [van Aert]. I just tried to react immediately on everything. I launched my sprint a bit too early maybe - with the headwind it was quite far away from the finish line," the Dutchman said of the race.

"Luckily I managed to get it to the line. It was a flat sprint but everything that came before was not so flat. It was a hard day. I'm really happy to finish it off. I'm in a good shape".

Pellizzari has also taken the general classification lead from Isaac Del Toro (UAE Emirates-XRG) and will tackle stage five in the white jersey of the overall race leader. The pair are currently separated by two seconds.

"I don't know how I did it!" A breathless Pellizzari said in an interview with Cycling Pro Net at the finish line.

"I came with a lot of speed in the sprint," he continued. “I think I actually won the sprint from the group, but Van der Poel was already ahead."

The race followed a 213km route from Tagliacozzo to Martinsicuro via snow-capped mountains and a decisive final 60km sprinkled with short, sharp climbs.

An impressive early break that included Tibor Del Grosso, (Alepcin-Premier Tech) Liam Slock (Lotto Intermarché), and Jonas Abrahamsen (Uno-X Mobility) took an early lead that climbed to over three minutes, growing on the downhill of the first - and highest - climb of the day.

The final kilometres of the race were dominated by the biggest dames, with Van der Poel, Wout van Aert (Visma-Lease a Bike), Ganna, Primož Roglič (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) and Ben Healy (EF Education EasyPost) all following Matteo Jorgenson (Visma-Lease a Bike) into the straight seaside drag to the finish line.

Results

Tirreno-Adriatico, Stage 4: Tagliacozzo > Martinsicuro, 213km

1. Mathieu van der Poel (Ned), Alpecin-Premier Tech, in a time of 4:51:40
2. Giulio Pellizzari (Ita), Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe, at same time
3. Tobias Halland Johannessen (Nor), Uno-X Mobility, ast
4. Clément Champoussin (Fra), XDS Astana, ast
5. Wout van Aert (Bel), Visma-Lease a Bike, ast
6. Ben Healy (Ire), EF Education-EasyPost, ast
7. Andrea Vendrame (Ita), Jayco AlUla, ast
8. Alessandro Pinarello (Ita), NSN Cycling, ast
9. Filippo Ganna (Ita), Ineos Grenadiers, ast
10. Isaac del Toro (Mex), UAE Team Emirates - XRG, ast

General Classification after stage 4

1. Giulio Pelizzari (Ita), Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe, in 15:27:00
2. Isaac del Toro (Mex), UAE Team Emirates - XRG +2
3. Primož Roglič (Slo), Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe, +21
4. Matteo Jorgenson (USA), Visma-Lease a Bike, +34
5. Ben Healy (Ire), EF Education-EasyPost, +39
6. Andrea Vendrame (Ita) Jayco AlUla, +42
7. Magnus Sheffield (USA), Ineos Grenadiers, +42
8. Giulio Ciccone (Ita), Lidl-Trek, +44
9. Alan Hatherly (RSA), Jayco AlUla, +46
10. Antonio Tiberi (Ita), Bahrain-Victorious, +49

Mathieu van der Poel edged to victory on stage two of Tirreno-Adriatico in San Gimignano after powering away on wet gravel roads.

The Alpecin-Premier Tech rider escaped with Isaac del Toro (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) and Giulio Pellizzari (Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe) in the closing kilometres, and sprinted to the win in the medieval Tuscan town.

"It was very difficult," Van der Poel said after the race. "The level was incredibly high on the last climb. The rain in the last half hour made it quite tricky, especially. But the team did a fantastic job.

"Julian Alaphilippe went first," he explained. "I wanted to take the lead because I knew there were some tricky corners. Plus, I wanted to make the race as fast as possible."

The sectors of white gravel roads, turned brown by the rain, dictated the late action in Italy, as both Matteo Jorgenson (Visma-Lease a Bike) and Thymen Arensman (Ineos Grenadiers) crashed after slipping out.

Van der Poel himself had to unclip to steady himself, using his cyclo-cross skills to stay on the bike.

"The road was quite slippery, so it was very tricky to sprint while standing," Van der Poel said. "I had just saved enough energy to win."

The key move came with just under 6km to go, as Van der Poel powered off the front, followed by Jorgenson, Del Toro and Pellizzari. The latter launched his sprint into the town, before Van der Poel came round him, while Del Toro's charge came too late to challenge for thew win, but he came second.

Behind, the gravel took out other riders, including Thymen Arensman (Ineos Grenadiers), who had previously been second overall on general classification.

As a result of his escape, Del Toro now leads the seven-stage race, with Pellizzari three seconds behind.

"Last year I came close [to winning a stage] a few times, but didn't pull it off, so I'm happy to win a stage again in Tirreno," Van der Poel said.

Results

Tirreno-Adriatico, Stage 2:  Camaiore > San Gimignano, 206km

1. Mathieu van der Poel (Ned), Alpecin-Premier Tech, in 4:53:23
2. Isaac del Toro (Mex), UAE Team Emirates - XRG, at same time
3. Giulio Pelizzari (Ita), Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe, a.s.t
4. Tobias Halland Johannessen (Nor), Uno-X Mobility, +15s
5. Andrea Vendrame (Ita), Jayco AlUla, +17
6. Alessandro Pinarello (Ita), NSN Cycling, a.s.t
7. Giulio Ciccone (Ita), Lidl-Trek, a.s.t
8. Andreas Kron (Den), Uno-X Mobility, a.s.t
9. Clement Champoussin, (Fra) XDS Astana, a.s.t
10. Paul Lapeira, (Fra) Decathlon CMA CGM, a.s.t

General Classification after stage 2

1. Isaac del Toro (Mex), UAE Team Emirates - XRG in 5:06:01
2. Giulio Pelizzari (Ita), Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe, +3s
3. Magnus Sheffield (USA), Ineos Grenadiers, +13
4. Alan Hatherly (RSA), Jayco AlUla, +17
5. Primož Roglič (Slo), Jayco AlUla, +17
6. Antonio Tiberi (Ita), Bahrain-Victorious, +20
7. Matteo Jorgenson (USA), Visma-Lease a Bike, +31
8. Filippo Ganna (Ita), Ineos Grenadiers, +34
9. Javier Romo (Esp), Movistar, +34
10. Ben Healy (Ire), EF Education-EasyPost, +36

Tirreno-Adriatico
9-15 March
1,166km
Italy

A key preparation race for the Classics and Grand Tours, Tirreno-Adriatico is where riders look to test their form ahead of the major races, with the route often lending itself to a variety of rider types. A prestigious race in its own right, the ‘Race of the Two Seas’ is second only to the Giro d’Italia when it comes to Italian stage races, with both races being organised by RCS Sport.

Though winning this race is far from a guarantee of success later in the season, it is certainly the mark of a strong rider, as Tadej Pogačar, Jonas Vingegaard, Primož Roglič and Simon Yates have all won the general classification here in recent editions. Last year, Juan Ayuso secured the coveted trident trophy and maglia azzurra, as he took the overall victory, but the Spaniard will not be in attendance to defend his title in 2026.

Here’s everything to look out for at this year’s race.

Classics specialists clash ahead of Milan-San Remo

Sandwiched amongst the Spring Classics, Tirreno-Adriatico is often used by many of the top riders as preparation ahead of the major one-day races. This year’s race is no exception, with Mathieu van der Poel, Wout van Aert, Filippo Ganna and Julian Alaphilippe all in attendance as they prepare for the first Monument of the season, with Milan-San Remo less than two weeks away. We can certainly expect to see some of them mixing it up on stages 2 and 4, which should lend themselves to the more versatile riders in the bunch. Ganna won stage one's time trial.

Can Del Toro escape Pogačar’s shadow?

After playing second fiddle to Tadej Pogačar in UAE Team Emirates-XRG’s dominant performance at Strade Bianche on Saturday, Isaac del Toro will be relishing the opportunity of sole leadership at Tirreno-Adriatico this week, as he looks to add another stage race to his win tally after his overall victory at the UAE Tour in February. It will certainly be interesting to see how the Mexican rider fares without the shadow of the World Champion looming over him.

Jorgenson opts against Paris-Nice defence

With Paris-Nice occurring concurrently, Matteo Jorgenson has opted not to defend his overall title at the ‘Race to the Sun’ after winning the previous two editions, as he leads Visma-Lease a Bike at Tirreno-Adriatico in his first stage race of the season. Jonas Vingegaard’s presence at the French stage race may have influenced his decision, as similarly to Del Toro at UAE Team Emirates-XRG, the American rider also has to look for opportunities where he can be the sole leader.

Will the GC contenders have it all their own way?

Without a major summit finish at this year’s edition of Tirreno-Adriatico, it could leave the race open to a wider range of riders to contest the general classification, as some puncheurs may look to challenge the GC specialists on the short uphill finishes. This race has often seen some less conventional GC podiums, with Filippo Ganna and Wout van Aert both finishing second overall in recent editions.

Sprint showdown for the fast men

With the route of Paris-Nice largely absent of opportunities for the sprinters, many of the fast men have come to Tirreno-Adriatico in search of victories. Jasper Philipsen is one such sprinter, as he will look to make the most of having Mathieu van der Poel as his leadout man. The Alpecin-Premier Tech duo will have competition from Lidl-Trek and Jonathan Milan, who has won two stages and the points classification in each of the last two editions of this race.

Paul Magnier, Tobias Lund Andresen and Arnaud De Lie will also be looking to contest the sprints throughout the week, with all of them perhaps having an eye on stage 4, which should favour the more versatile sprinters. Meanwhile, Sam Welsford and Danny van Poppel will be looking to keep their powder dry for the final stage, which features a pan-flat circuit around San Benedetto del Tronto.

Focus on the sterrato

After Strade Bianche on Saturday, the riders will return to the white roads of Tuscany on stage 2 of Tirreno-Adriatico, as they tackle the sterrato on the final climb to the finish at San Gimignano. The terrain will bring the likes of Mathieu van der Poel and Wout van Aert into competition with Isaac del Toro for the stage victory, whilst the many of the other GC contenders will look to limit their losses on the 5km-long gravel section before the final uphill kick in the final kilometre.

With no major summit finish at this year’s race, these short punchy uphill finishes have the potential to be decisive in the overall outcome of the race, meaning that those hoping to contest the general classification will have to stay towards the front and go on the attack in an attempt to gain time on their rivals.

The route

How to watch

All stages of Tirreno-Adriatico will be live on TNT Sports in the UK and Ireland, accessible via a TV package or a Discovery+ subscription. Find out more in our how to watch Tirreno-Adriatico guide.

Last year’s podium

1. Juan Ayuso (Spa) UAE Team Emirates-XRG
2. Filippo Ganna (Ita) Ineos Grenadiers
3. Antonio Tiberi (Ita) Bahrain Victorious

Riders to watch

Isaac del Toro (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) *****

With a full team behind him and a route that suits his punchy characteristics, Isaac del Toro is the clear favourite going into this year’s edition of Tirreno-Adriatico. The 22-year-old has already finished fourth overall at this race in his neo-pro season in 2024 and has gone from strength to strength since that point. After the time trial on the opening stage, his focus will predominantly be on the uphill finishes on stages 2, 5 and 6, where the young Mexican rider will inevitably look to gain time on the rest of the GC contenders.

Primož Roglič (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) ****

Making his season debut at Tirreno-Adriatico is Primož Roglič, who will be looking to rediscover his stage racing form, following a difficult end to last season after he crashed at the Giro d’Italia, which ultimately forced him to abandon the race. Having won this race overall twice previously, it is clearly one that the Slovenian rider enjoys riding and the punchy uphill finishes should suit him well. He will be alongside Giulio Pellizzari and Jai Hindley as part of a strong and versatile Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe squad.

Antonio Tiberi (Bahrain Victorious) ***

A strong start to the season for Antonio Tiberi saw him finish fourth overall at the Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana and runner-up behind Isaac del Toro on the general classification at the UAE Tour. The Italian rider will therefore be looking to continue his strong run of form on home soil at Tirreno-Adriatico, where he finished third overall last year. Though he would have probably preferred a more challenging summit finish on one of the stages, the route is far from unsuited to his characteristics.

Thymen Arensman (Ineos Grenadiers) ***

Despite Filippo Ganna’s incredible ride to finish second overall at last year’s race, it is likely that we will see Thymen Arensman lead Ineos Grenadiers at Tirreno-Adriatico. He is another rider that would have probably preferred a long summit finish to really make a difference in the general classification, but his strong credentials against the clock means that the opening time trial will certainly favour him. The Dutchman also tends to fare well on the steeper climbs, so expect to see him up towards the front on the harsh gradients in the final kilometres of stages 5 and 6.

Matteo Jorgenson (Visma-Lease a Bike) ***

Having won the last two editions of Paris-Nice, it was perhaps a slight surprise to see Matteo Jorgenson’s name on the start list for Tirreno-Adriatico, as he rides his first stage race of the season after some strong performances in one-day races already this year. With Wout van Aert alongside him for Visma-Lease a Bike, he will certainly be well-supported throughout the week, but whether he will have the punch to challenge the likes of Del Toro on some of the uphill finishes is less of a certainty.

Ben Healy (EF Education-EasyPost) ***

After his incredible season in 2025, where he finished ninth overall at the Tour de France, Ben Healy will definitely be a rider to watch out for in stage races this season. Few races will suit him as well as this year’s edition of Tirreno-Adriatico, as the absence of any major summit finishes will certainly be an advantage for the Irishman, with the punchy finales likely to suit his characteristics perfectly.

Saturday 28 February

Men’s
Distance: 207.2km
Start: 10:05 Finish: 14:50 (GMT)

Women’s
Distance: 137.2km
Start: 12:35 Finish: 16:20 (GMT)

Omloop Nieuwsblad is the start of the Classics, one part of Opening Weekend. It heralds the full-on racing season, and the cobbled one-day events which are to come.

The race forms part of a double-header across the weekend, with Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne following on the Sunday for the men, and Omloop van het Hageland for the women.

This is the 81st edition of the men's race, and the 21st of the women's, so it has some serious pedigree. Here's everything you need to know for the 2026 race.

Five things to watch out for

1. A sprinter’s race?

The men’s edition of Omloop last year finished in a sprint for the first time since 2021; it is the kind of race which seems to either have a solo winner or quite a large bunch in Ninove. With less of the relentless climbing that other Classics have, it could be a race which favours a rider like Biniam Girmay or Jasper Philipsen.

2. Dutch dominance

Five of the last seven women’s races have been won by the Netherlands; no particular surprise when you think of the Dutch dominance of women’s racing. If there’s a solo attack this year, you’d pin your hopes on Demi Vollering, while if it’s a sprint, Lorena Wiebes seems unbeatable. The record might well be extended.

3. British hopes

The list of top competitors for Omloop is peppered with Union Flags. Cat Ferguson, two-time victor this season already, is a serious contender in a selective sprint, while Tom Pidcock will be looking to beat his previous best result of fifth. That isn’t it though, with Anna Henderson, Matthew Brennan and Fred Wright all down to race.

4. Kuurne time

The younger sibling of Opening Weekend is Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne, which takes place on the Sunday. It’sa 1.Pro race, so not all the big stars will turn out, but those that do will fight hard. It is the ultimate opportunity for someone to make up for a disappointing Saturday, if they have the legs. For the women, Omloop van het Hageland provides the same opportunity.

5. Classics narrative

Omloop is just five weeks out from the peak of the Classics season at the Tour of Flanders, followed a week later by Paris-Roubaix, and it might be Opening Weekend, but things that happen here have an impact throughout the rest of the season. If Mathieu van der Poel or Vollering win, then they will increase their favourite status. If there are surprise performances from unheralded riders, then they will be marked for the next few races. Anything could happen, and this is the start.

Focus on Muur van Gerrardsbergen

Omloop Nieuwsblad effectively runs as a mini-Tour of Flanders, but doesn’t include the Koppenberg, Oude Kwaremont and Paterberg triple. Instead, it uses the old Flanders one-two finish of the Muur van Gerrardsbergen followed by the Bosberg.

The race will be decided on these cobbled climbs, even if there is a lone attacker at this point. De Muur is an iconic climb, and might only be 6.8% over 910 metres, but always has a say in Omloop. Whoever is first to the chapel at the top might just win the race.

How to watch

How to watch

It is on TNT Sports in the UK and Ireland, accessible via a TV package or a Discovery+ subscription. In the US, it's on FloBikes. Check out our full how to watch guide for more.

Last year's podium

Last year’s podium

Men

1. Søren Wærenskjold (Nor) Uno-X Mobility
2. Paul Magnier (Fra) Soudal Quick-Step
3. Jasper Philipsen (Bel) Alpecin-Decuninck

Women

1. Lotte Claes (Bel) Lotto Intermarché
2. Aurela Nerlo (Pol) Winspace Orange Seal
3. Demi Vollering (Ned) SD Worx-Protime

Riders to watch

Tom Pidcock (Pinarello Q36.5 Pro Cycling) ****

The double-Olympic mountain bike champion has never finished higher than fifth at Omloop, but will be a well-marked rider given his ability to attack from the front. If he gets a clear run from the Muur, he will be hard to drag back.

Demi Vollering (FDJ United-SUEZ) *****

Somehow, Vollering has never won Omloop. Last year, she was the best of the rest as a surprise breakaway made it to the finish. She will surely be attempting to make up for missed opportunities. Expect her to try and attack from far out and solo away.

Lorena Wiebes (SD Worx-Protime) *****

The Dutch sprinter’s record is verging on outrageous. Wiebes essentially hasn’t lost a bunch sprint since 2024, and if it does come down to a large group in Ninove, betting against her would be like betting against it raining in the UK at the moment. Her SD Worx team will try and keep the race together.

Biniam Girmay (NSN Pro Cycling) ***

Four years on from his watershed Gent-Wevelgem victory, Girmay is back in winning form, and he always seemed suited to the tough racing of the Classics. In a new team, NSN will be all-in to back their Eritrean superstar. Expect Lewis Askey to do a lot of work for him.

Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx-Protime) ****

The Belgian is no longer world champion, but that will not make her any less marked. Free from targeting GC at stage races, Kopecky is free to do what she is best at, winning one-day races. Expect fireworks.

Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Premier Tech) *****

Making an appearance at Omloop for the first time is one of the best Classics riders of all time, Mathieu van der Poel. He is yet to race this season, but don't expect that to hold him back – he will be the hot favourite.

Startlist

Men's

*denotes unconfirmed team

Alpecin-Premier Tech
Edward Planckaert
Florian Sénéchal
Jasper Philipsen
Kaden Groves
Lennert Belmans
Mathieu van der Poel
Tobias Bayer

Bahrain Victorious
Alec Segaert
Attila Valter
Kamil Gradek
Matej Mohorič
Pau Miquel
Robert Stannard
Vlad Van Mechelen

Burgos Burpellet BH
Alexandre Mayer
César Macias
Clément Alléno
Daniel Cavia
Georgios Bouglas
Josh Burnett
Vojtěch Kmínek

Cofidis
Alex Kirsch
Alexis Renard
Dylan Teuns
Hugo Page
Jenthe Biermans
Piet Allegaert
Stanisław Aniołkowski

Decathlon CMA CGM
Oliver Naesen
Oscar Chamberlain
Rasmus Søjberg Pedersen
Sander De Pestel
Stan Dewulf
Stefan Bissegger
Tobias Lund Andresen

EF Education-EasyPost
Colby Simmons
Kasper Asgreen
Luke Lamperti
Marijn van den Berg
Mikkel Frølich Honoré
Noah Hobbs
Vincenzo Albanese

Flanders Baloise
Dylan Vandenstorme
Michiel Lambrecht
Milan Lanhove
Siebe Deweirdt
Victor Vercouillie
Vincent Van Hemelen
Ward Vanhoof

Groupama-FDJ United*
Axel Huens
Bastien Tronchon
Clément Russo
Cyril Barthe
Johan Jacobs
Thibaud Gruel
Valentin Madouas

Ineos Grenadiers
Artem Shmidt
Ben Swift
Ben Turner
Kim Heiduk
Magnus Sheffield
Michał Kwiatkowski
Samuel Watson

Jayco Alula
Amaury Capiot
Anders Foldager
Dries De Bondt
Dries De Pooter
Jelte Krijnsen
Kelland O'Brien
Robert Donaldson

Lidl-Trek
Albert Withen Philipsen
Edward Theuns
Mathias Vacek
Otto Vergaerde
Søren Kragh Andersen
Tim Torn Teutenberg
Toms Skujiņš

Lotto Intermarché
Arnaud De Lie
Cédric Beullens
Jenno Berckmoes
Luca Van Boven
Roel van Sintmaartensdijk
Sébastien Grignard
Vito Braet

Movistar
Carlos Canal
Filip Maciejuk
Iván García Cortina
Jon Barrenetxea
Manlio Moro
Orluis Aular
Roger Adrià

NSN Cycling
Biniam Girmay
Guillaume Boivin
Lewis Askey
Matis Louvel
Riley Sheehan
Ryan Mullen
Tom Van Asbroeck

Pinarello Q36.5 Pro Cycling*
Aimé De Gendt
Brent Van Moer
Fred Wright
Frederik Frison
Kamil Małecki
Tom Pidcock
Xandro Meurisse

Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe
Arne Marit
Gianni Vermeersch
Jarrad Drizners
Jordi Meeus
Laurence Pithie
Mick van Dijke
Tim van Dijke

Soudal Quick-Step
Casper Pedersen
Dries van Gestel
Dylan van Baarle
Jasper Stuyven
Paul Magnier
Pepijn Reinderink
Yves Lampaert

Picnic PostNL
Frank van den Broek
Henri-François Renard-Haquin
John Degenkolb
Julius van den Berg
Sean Flynn
Timo de Jong
Timo Roosen

Visma-Lease a Bike
Axel Zingle
Christophe Laporte
Edoardo Affini
Matthew Brennan
Per Strand Hagenes
Pietro Mattio
Timo Kielich

TotalEnergies
Alexys Brunel
Anthony Turgis
Baptiste Vadic
Samuel Leroux
Sandy Dujardin
Thomas Bonnet
Thomas Gachignard

Tudor Pro Cycling*
Aivaras Mikutis
Luca Mozzato
Marco Haller
Matteo Trentin
Petr Kelemen
Rick Pluimers
Stefan Küng

UAE Team Emirates-XRG
Florian Vermeersch
Juan Sebastián Molano
Julius Johansen
Nils Politt
Rui Oliveira
Rune Herregodts
Tim Wellens

Unibet Rose Rockets
Joren Bloem
Karsten Larsen Feldmann
Lukáš Kubiš
Martijn Rasenberg
Matyáš Kopecký
Niklas Larsen
Tomáš Kopecký

Uno-X Mobility*
Carl-Frederik Bévort
Erik Nordsæter Resell
Jonas Abrahamsen
Markus Hoelgaard
Rasmus Tiller
Søren Wærenskjold
Sven Erik Bystrøm

XDS Astana*
Aaron Gate
Alberto Bettiol
Alessandro Romele
Arjen Livyns
Davide Ballerini
Lev Gonov
Mike Teunissen

Women's

*denotes unconfirmed team

AG Insurance - Soudal Team
Alana Castrique
Gladys Verhulst-Wild
Ilse Pluimers
Letizia Borghesi
Marthe Goossens
Shari Bossuyt

Canyon-SRAM zondacrypto
Agnieszka Skalniak-Sójka
Anastasiya Kolesava
Chiara Consonni
Kasia Niewiadoma
Tiffany Cromwell
Zoe Bäckstedt

Citymesh Customm Pro Cycling Team*
Britt De Grave
Britt Knaven
Cleo Kiekens
Eline van Rooijen
Femke Van Goethem
Yonna van Dam

Cofidis
Kristýna Burlová
Malwina Mul
Marion Borras
Martina Alzini
Valentine Fortin
Victoire Berteau

EF Education-Oatly
Alexandra Volstad
Alexis Magner
Babette van der Wolf
Cédrine Kerbaol
Mirre Knaven
Nina Berton

FDJ United-SUEZ*
Demi Vollering
Elise Chabbey
Eva van Agt
Franziska Koch
Juliette Berthet
Vittoria Guazzini

Fenix-Premier Tech
Christina Schweinberger
Evy Kuijpers
Flora Perkins
Lotte Claes
Marthe Truyen
Millie Couzens

Human Powered Health
Daria Pikulik
Kathrin Schweinberger
Lily Williams
Maggie Coles-Lyster
Marta Jaskulska
Thalita de Jong

Laboral Kutxa Fundación Euskadi
Arianna Fidanza
Idoia Eraso
Irati Aranguren
Marjolein van 't Geloof
Naia Amondarain
Sara Fiorin

Lidl-Trek
Anna Henderson
Elisa Balsamo
Fleur Moors
Loes Adegeest
Margot Vanpachtenbeke
Shirin van Anrooij

Liv AlUla Jayco
Caroline Andersson
Jeanne Korevaar
Letizia Paternoster
Noa Jansen
Quinty Ton
Ruby Roseman-Gannon

Lotto Intermarché Ladies
Anna van Wersch
Katrijn De Clercq
Lani Wittervrongel
Lea Lin Teutenberg
Linda Riedmann
Marieke Meert

Ma Petite Entreprise*
Alison Avoine
Clémence Latimier
Ilona Rouat
Margot Marasco
Noémie Abgrall

Mayenne Monbana My Pie*
Allison Mrugal
Constance Valentin
Fiona Mangan
Justine Gegu
Kiara Lylyk
Natalie Quinn

Minimax Cycling Team*
Camilla Rånes Bye
Clara Lundmark
Émilie Fortin
Gwen Nothum
Katja Verkerk
Ursula Linden

Movistar
Arlenis Sierra
Aude Biannic
Carys Lloyd
Cat Ferguson
Liane Lippert
Sheyla Gutiérrez

Picnic PostNL
Audrey De Keersmaeker
Daniela Hezinová
Josie Nelson
Lucie Fityus
Mara Roldan
Mia Griffin

SD Worx-Protime
Anna van der Breggen
Elena Cecchini
Femke Markus
Lorena Wiebes
Lotte Kopecky
Mischa Bredewold

St Michel-Preference Home Auber93
Alicia Gonzalez
Alison Jackson
Caroline Wreszin
Clémence Chéreau
Elyne Roussel
India Grangier

UAE Team ADQ
Brodie Chapman
Eleonora Camilla Gasparrini
Elynor Bäckstedt
Karlijn Swinkels
Lara Gillespie
Megan Jastrab

Uno-X Mobility*
Alessia Vigilia
Ingvild Gåskjenn
Laura Tomasi
Linda Zanetti
Susanne Andersen
Teuntje Beekhuis

Visma-Lease a Bike*
Daniek Hengeveld
Imogen Wolff
Katharina Sadnik
Nienke Veenhoven
Rosita Reijnhout

VolkerWessels Cycling*
Amber van der Hulst
Anne Knijnenburg
Esmée Peperkamp
Maud Rijnbeek
Quinty Schoens
Sophie von Berswordt

Mathieu van der Poel and Wout van Aert are to make their season debuts at Omloop Nieuwsblad on Saturday, it was confirmed this week.

Van der Poel of Alpecin-Premier Tech, the reigning Paris-Roubaix and Milan-San Remo champion, has never ridden Omloop before, despite his Classics prowess. Visma-Lease a Bike's Van Aert has raced Omloop six times before, winning in 2022.

On Tuesday, Visma-Lease a Bike confirmed their lineup for Omloop, Sunday's Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne and Tuesday's Le Samyn: Van Aert will ride Omloop and Le Samyn, with Christophe Laporte riding all three. Matthew Brennan will race at Omloop and Kuurne.

Van der Poel's spring schedule was announced on Wednesday morning, and will see the Dutchman head to Tirreno-Adriatico, Milan-San Remo, the E3 Saxo Classic, the renamed In Flanders Fields (Middelkerke-Wevelgem), the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix.

A social media post from Alpecin-Premier Tech read: "As announced after the Cyclo-cross World Championships, Mathieu van der Poel waited to complete his first training block before making a final decision on his road return. After a few solid weeks on the bike, he feels race-ready and will line up at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad.

"His programme largely mirrors last season. Tirreno-Adriatico will serve as preparation for Milano-Sanremo, the first Monument of the year."

Van der Poel finished his cyclo-cross season by winning a record eighth World Championships title. He's aiming for a record-equalling fourth Roubaix title in April.

Van Aert, who ended his CX season early after crashing in January and fracturing his ankle, is expected to ride Strade Bianche, as well as Tirreno, San Remo, Flanders and Roubaix this spring.

Among the other favourites for Saturday's men's race will be Tom Pidcock (Pinarell Q36.5), Arnaud De Lie (Lotto-Intermarché), and Biniam Girmay (NSN Cycling), along with defending champion Søren Wærenskjold (Uno-X Mobility).

The women's race is headlined by Demi Vollering (FDJ United-SUEZ), Lotte Kopecky and Lorena Wiebes (SD Worx-Protime), alongside Elisa Balsamo (Lidl-Trek).

After winning a record eighth UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships elite title, Mathieu van der Poel was in a reflective mood, suggesting he might skip a season of CX.

The Dutchman, 31, stormed to victory in Hulst on Sunday ahead of his compatriot Tibor Del Grosso and Thibau Nys of Belgium.

However, much of his interview post-race was dedicated not to the feat of beating Erik De Vlaeminck's record, but to his future in the sport. This winter, Van der Poel won all 13 of the races he started, winning the UCI World Cup in the process, but it might not always be this way.

"Maybe it's not a bad idea to skip one winter because to be here it's the first peak of my season always, not only physically, but also mentally," Van der Poel said post-race.

"This is a day when I want to be in top shape, 90% is not enough or would not be enough for me to be at the start line here.

"That's why I've started to think about different approaches to the road season. You're always thinking about two things: trying to be the best possible shape at these World Championships and also the road season is not so far away at this point."

On the road, Alpecin-Premier Tech's Van der Poel has managed to be competitive in the Classics after his CX season; last season, he won Milan-San Remo and Paris-Roubaix and went on to win a stage and wear yellow at the Tour de France in July.

However, his race days are lower than some direct rivals, a tactic which seems to work for him, but there might be a change in the future. For the past two years, Van der Poel has raced just 41 times on the road, and has never gone above 46. Meanwhile, Wout van Aert (Visma-Lease a Bike) raced 65 times last season, and Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek) 73 times.

"It worked for me in the past, but you always have to think about improvement and doing better than last year," Van der Poel said.

"I'm getting closer to the end than I was to the beginning of my career. It's something I think about. I still have some goals left, but I also know I will not be able to tick off all of them.

"In the back of your mind, you're thinking about Flanders and Roubaix in my case. Those are the races I could write history as well. I've still got a couple of years so I'll do everything I can to make it work.

"If I know I won't do cyclo-cross, I will also do a different road programme. I will then race longer on the road and start earlier on the road. I also found some peace in the relaxing moments in Spain. I think I can do it without cyclo-cross."

Cyclo-cross and Classics star Mathieu van der Poel says he is enjoying riding – and winning – more as he gets older, and finds himself able to reflect on his achievements more than ever.

Now 30, the Alpecin-Premier Tech star was speaking at the weekend following his win at the Zonhoven cyclo-cross UCI World Cup round in Belgium – his fifth World Cup victory this season, and ninth consecutive win on the trot. He has won nine CX races from nine this season, after eight from eight last year.

"As I get older I reflect on it more and more," he told Dutch outlet Wielerflits.

"Everything is fleeting. It'll be the same for me," he said, alluding to the transient nature of a professional cycling career. "The older I get, the more I enjoy it. I certainly don't take it for granted. I'll keep working hard for it, and hopefully, many more great victories will follow."

Dutch rider Van der Poel has looked untouchable this cyclo-cross season, and underlined that dominance by taking an immediate and significant lead at Zonhoven and, despite having to ride some distance on a double flat, going on to take a 4 second win over team-mate Tibor Del Grosso.

He now leads the UCI World Cup overall standings, and while it wasn't something he had originally planned to do, is now looking at a possible overall victory. It would be his first win in the competition since 2018.

"It's looking good. I haven't made it a goal for the season, though…" he said. "It's still possible to win the general classification this way, so we'll see."

He was perhaps reflective because of his great rival, Wout van Aert, ending his 'cross season early due to injury.

The UCI World Cup series will be followed by the UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships in Hulst, Netherlands at the start of February, where he will attempt to win a record-breaking eighth world title. That is before he gets back to the business of attempting to fend off Tadej Pogačar's attempts to beat him on home Classics turf.

The Slovenian has declared his desire to win at both Paris-Roubaix and Milan-San Remo, which would involve dethroning Van der Poel, who is the most recent winner of both.

Milan-San Remo – nicknamed La Primavera (spring) though often anything but – is the first of these two dates, coming on March 21 and a trifling seven weeks after the end of the cyclo-cross season. Paris-Roubaix marks the climax of the cobbled Classics three weeks later on April 12.

The chances of Mathieu van der Poel and Wout van Aert completing their five-date cyclo-cross showdown this season took a blow on Friday after Van Aert crashed out of the Exact Cross at Mol, while hard on the heels of the Dutchman.

Alpecin-Premier Tech rider Van der Poel turned up to the event in his Lamborghini and went on to put down comparable power to that of his supercar, leading throughout in what was a freezing blizzard.

Both riders hit the ground numerous times on what was clearly a slippery day, but hard crash on a sweeping right-hander late in the race was clearly too much for Van Aert (Visma-Lease a Bike), who was seen hobbling as he made his way off the course and into the warmth.

Indeed, such a cold day was it that Van der Poel was reportedly in tears with the pain of it all after what was his eighth straight victory this season.

"I really suffered from the cold today," said the world champion after the race. "Mol is one of my favourite races, but in these conditions it was incredibly difficult. My hands and feet felt so cold.

"Hopefully, it's not too bad," he said of Van Aert's crash. "In some places, it got really slippery. It was a close race between us, and it's a shame it was decided by a crash."

Van Aert had grazed his knee and hurt his ankle, team boss Jan Boven told Belgium's Het Nieuwsblad, with the latter meriting closer inspection.

"He couldn't finish the race and is experiencing significant pain in his ankle. It needs further investigation before we can draw any real conclusions," Boven said. "He has minor abrasions on his knee, but that's it. His ankle is the most painful. It's so swollen, we have to see what examinations show now."

Only time will tell whether Van Aert will survive to fight another day and face Van der Poel for a final time at Sunday Zonhoven World Cup.

Exact Cross marks Van der Poel's second victory in 2026 already. He won at the X2O Trophee Baal race on New Year's Day – an event which also saw Lucinda Brand take her 13th consecutive win, and Zoe Bäckstedt take her first elite podium this season.

So far Van Aert has ridden six of his planned eight cross races this season, and the three-time former world champion has performed less well than many might have expected him to. A pair of second places in X2O Trophee and Superprestige races are his best results so far. Other events have seen him well down the top-10 and, now, DNF.

But the Belgian is riding cross for more than just the glory, his team bosses told Belgian outlet Het Laatse Nieuws.

"Wout will never be happy if he trains from October to February and has to watch every cyclo-cross race on TV," said Visma-Lease a Bike head of performance Mathieu Heijboer. "Then we'll have a Wout who's no longer interested in February. He's too much of an enthusiast for now to expect him to give up cyclo-cross."

Focussing more on the road might, feasibly be a better idea on paper, when it came to Classics preparation, Heijboer said, but added: "Everything hinges on a rider's happiness with what they're doing," with cyclo-cross helping in that respect.

He also said Van Aert was not neglecting his road duties, interspersing his off-road outings with long rides on the tarmac.

"He's definitely racking up enough [road] cycling time compared to the other road riders," he said.

Van Aert's final cyclo-cross race of the season is due to be the Belgian National Championships on January 11.

As the final Classic of the season, Il Lombardia has often flown a little south of the radar, despite its Monument status and stunning setting in the foothills of the Italian Alps. This year, that changed – all eyes were on the race as fans contemplated a fifth consecutive victory from Tadej Pogačar. He did not disappoint. As if by action-replay, he tore away on yet another long-distance breakaway and took the win, matching the record of Fausto Coppi, five-time winner of the race between 1946 and 1954.

Not everybody was delighted. Amid the cheering Pogi fans, there were dissenting voices – voices that had begun to gain a critical mass over the previous few weeks. “It’s the same thing again and again,” one fan wrote on CW’s Facebook page. Another said the dominance was lessening their interest in the sport. For some, yet another barely contested Pogačar victory was too much to bear. The great entertainer was starting to become boring.

Of course, the 27-year-old is only doing what he is paid to do, or even what he was born to do, if you want to be romantic about it. There is no question that Pogačar tends to win in dramatic, fan-pleasing fashion. But the same story repeated time and again becomes tiresome, and it has started to feel like 'Pogačar fatigue' is setting in.

Questions have already been raised over how long the world champion can continue to tick off prestigious race wins with apparent ease. Many have speculated on when he might retire – even his mother said she would understand if he left the sport in the near future, having seen how tired he was after the Tour de France – when he admitted that he couldn’t wait “for it to be over”. He remains under contract with UAE Team Emirates-XRG until 2031.

Entertaining dominance

To assess the scale of Pogačar’s dominance, former pro and TNT cycling commentator Brian Smith suggests stepping back from his latest Il Lombardia victory and taking in the broader landscape. “There are 36 WorldTour events in the year, he's won eight of them,” Smith tells Cycling Weekly. “I covered a lot of these races, and I can totally understand that nobody likes dominance. Nobody likes what Team Sky did to the Tour de France in the overall – people weren't entertained. But [with Pogačar] I think they have been entertained.”

For Smith, Il Lombardia was the only race that was too predictable. "You could argue that all the other races have been pretty competitive," he says, pointing out that the Slovenian races "with flair" and "in an entertaining way". Pogačar remains a supremely popular rider, of course, and while his team is the strongest in the peloton, it doesn't seem to snuff out competition in the way that, say, Team Sky or US Postal Service did in their heyday.

Those teams would routinely suffocate their rivals on key Tour de France stages before unleashing their leader to seal the GC. It was brutally effective but drained the drama from what should have been the race’s most thrilling moments, leaving neutral fans disillusioned. Under UAE-Pogačar, the dynamic is different: the dominance is no less real, but it’s far more individual than systematised. Even if you can safely bet that the eventual winner of any given race will be a Slovenian with the initials “TP”, it usually comes after an exciting turn of events – even if it is a carbon-copy audacious long-range attack. Not so long ago, such attacks would have had us rapt.

Still, for fans – and certainly for his rivals – there is an appetite for closer-run battles, says Andy McGrath, author of the new biography Tadej Pogačar: Unstoppable. It’s how the Slovenian reacts to defeat that reveals his true greatness, reckons McGrath. “You need lows to have highs,” he says. “It wouldn’t be very interesting if he just won everything for the last five or six years. Probably, my favourite defeat was the Tour of Flanders in 2022, when he somehow finished fourth, and he was swearing at everyone else. You saw he had that edge – that’s easy to forget… That moment said more than a thousand words could. He’s an inveterate winner, that’s how you win these races, you have to be wired slightly differently.”

Cast your mind back to the late Sixties and early Seventies, the era of Eddy Merckx – now remembered as a “golden age”. At the time, though, the all-conquering Cannibal wasn’t universally adored; many complained that his dominance was “boring”. Only after his retirement did the perspective on his achievements shift and consensus form that he was the sport’s greatest legend.

As McGrath puts it: “[Pogacar] shouldn’t be taken for granted. Why is excellence boring? When Pogačar goes, probably in five years’ time, we won’t see someone like that for decades, probably ever. It’s tricky.” Yet McGrath also acknowledges the tension at the heart of Pogačar’s dominance. “On one hand, I would say enjoy this, and cherish this, and on the other hand, sport requires unpredictability and rivalry, and we’re not getting much of that when he is attacking from 50km to go in every race and winning quite comfortably.”

The rivals

While Pogačar’s dominance looks set to continue for years to come, a few rivals are capable of challenging him – particularly in the one-day races he covets. At Milan-San Remo and Paris-Roubaix, Mathieu van der Poel has already asserted his authority. The Dutchman, winner of both those Monuments in 2025, appears to be the rider who can disrupt Pogačar’s ambitions. On the capi of Italy and the pavé of northern France, recent results have shown Pogačar meeting his match.

Smith notes that Van der Poel dominates cyclo-cross in a manner reminiscent of Pogačar on the road. “It's a bit like watching Formula One,” he says. “You watch the start and after that there are gaps everywhere – there's really no excitement.” Yet Van der Poel thrives in the unpredictability of long, one-day Classics, and has demonstrated he can match Pogačar. There’s a strong chance he will keep these races compelling next spring by preventing Pogačar from having it all his own way.

“The fire burning within Pogacar is the fact that he hasn't won Milan-San Remo yet,” says Smith. “He hasn't won the Vuelta yet. I say yet, because I believe that he can. [After that] what else has he got to prove? What else is he going to do?”

Joining the 'Club Cinque'

What about Pogačar’s other targets? Another Tour de France win would see him join the celebrated 'Club Cinque' of five-time champions, while Liège-Bastogne-Liège and a third World Championships remain tantalising opportunities. Is there any hope for his rivals?

There is, but it may require ingenuity, says Smith, who believes opposing teams need to be more collaborative and inventive. He points to Lidl–Trek’s Quinn Simmons at Il Lombardia, whose attack from the gun left Pogačar's UAE team, by their own admission, “a little afraid".

“They're not infallible, you know,” Smith adds. “Some of the teams are just riding to help them, and they shouldn't. I know it's a difficult thing to organise between the teams, because there has to be a lot of trust and friendship.”

For Smith, teams often appear to be racing for podiums rather than victories when facing Pogačar, settling for the UCI points available for second and third. But there are riders who can beat him – Jonas Vingegaard, for instance, who’s proven it twice at the Tour de France. Smith also highlights Remco Evenepoel. “[Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe] have got a really strong team for next year, and the fact that Remco thinks that he can still beat [Pogačar] is a good thing,” he says.

“You have to believe that.” Whether Pogačar’s rivals can ultimately topple him or not, his status is indisputable. “He's the complete athlete at the moment,” Smith adds, “and what we are seeing, in my eyes, is the best cyclist ever.”

Almost 300 men and women won an elite bike race in 2025, and that's only counting road events. Of those, it won't be a particular surprise that Tadej Pogačar topped the men's charts with 20 victories, and Lorena Wiebes the women's, with 25. It was Demi Vollering, however, who topped the UCI Women's WorldTour rankings.

None of this particularly matters in this latest list of our riders of the year.

We have already had Cycling Weekly's riders of the year, it's true, but that set of awards is British-focused, and decided by committee. This is a chance for our staff writers to go international, and make sure their favourites get their time in the limelight. There are no rules to this, beyond it should make sense, and repeats are allowed – although only one person chose Tadej Pogačar...

This is the second in a series of pieces where we have compiled thoughts from across the CW staff about 2025, and our favourite places to ride. Do let us know your thoughts!

Lorena Wiebes – Tom Davidson, senior news and features writer

Let me start this nomination with a simple fact: no rider, male or female, has won more races than Lorena Wiebes in 2025. The SD Worx-Protime rider claimed 25 road victories this season (Tadej Pogačar managed 20) – her best tally to date – and that’s not to mention the gravel world title and two track world titles she won, too.

To put it simply, Wiebes won everywhere. First race day of the season at the UAE Tour? Tick. Inaugural women’s Milan-San Remo? Tick. A stage of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift? Tick, plus another for good luck. For many riders, the tough thing can be keeping that consistency all the way through to the end of the year. How many of her last nine races did Wiebes win in 2025? Eight. Case closed.

Pauline Ferrand-Prévot – Simon Richardson, magazine editor & Anne-Marije Rook, North American Editor

Simon:

Being by far the strongest rider in the peloton is a gift. Yes, that rider can rightly claim to be the best, but honestly, how impressive is it if you win everything at a canter because of the physical ability passed down through your parents' genes?

What’s truly impressive is targeting the biggest two races on the calendar and winning them. And that’s what Pauline Ferrand-Prévot did in 2025. She also did it on her comeback to the road after years focusing on mountain biking. Yes, yes, yes, she will have trained on the road a great deal, but her positioning and peloton prowess would have been more than a little rusty.

Add to that the fact she was a new member of an already established team and needed to get everyone on board with her plan, and you have an exceptional achievement that surpasses simple physical ability.

Anne-Marije:

I’m such a fan of her story arc. We often, and rightly, call Marianne Vos the G.O.A.T. of women’s cycling, but Pauline Ferrand-Prévot is right there alongside her.

The 33-year-old Française is a 15-time UCI Elite World Champion across road, cyclocross, gravel and multiple mountain bike disciplines. She’s also the reigning Olympic cross-country mountain bike champion. Few riders in the history of the sport can match that level of versatility, that sustained excellence or that trophy chest.

After conquering virtually everything there is to win off-road, Ferrand-Prévot signed a three-year deal with the Visma | Lease a Bike super team in 2024, with the stated goal of winning the Tour de France within two to three years. She didn’t need nearly that long. In her very first attempt, and after five years away from the road peloton, she went out and won the thing. And with dominance at that.

Her Tour victory was nothing short of sensational. As was her Paris-Roubaix win, proving her versatility.

Ben Healy - Aaron Borrill, tech writer

In a sport that often tends to get quite robotic in terms of how riders approach racing, Ben Healy has been nothing short of a pleasure to watch. An animator in its purest form, Ben attacks using his instincts, not his power meter, and it shows in the way he races with his heart on his sleeve.

He demonstrated this in spades at this year’s Tour de France, where he delivered a magnificent solo breakaway to win in Vire Normandie on stage six. He continued his fine run of form to finish third on stage 10 and snatch away the yellow jersey, becoming only the fourth Irish cyclist in history to don the coveted maillot jaune.

And then he did it all over again at the World Championships in Kigali, Rwanda, with a performance that earned him a bronze medal. Asked about what events are on his radar in the future at a team event in Girona last month, the Irishman told Cycling Weekly, “I’d like to try the Cape Epic, that looks like proper fun.”

Mathieu van der Poel – Adam Becket, news editor

There's something about Mathieu van der Poel that doesn't always sit right with me, it might be the Lamborghinis and the self-importance, but he is undeniably one of the best bike riders in the world, possibly ever. If it weren't for Pogačar, his season with victories at Milan-San Remo, Paris-Roubaix and the Tour de France would be heralded.

It's hard to see how a rider like the Alpecin-Deceuninck man can be beaten at times; he can match Pogačar on the Poggio and then out-sprint him, too. His stage win in Boulougne-sur-Mer at the Tour was classic Van der Poel, and then he fought back into the yellow jersey again. When a race is him vs his Slovenian rival, you know it's a must watch.

Isaac del Toro - Jamie Williams, video manager

It’s close between Isaac del Toro and Oscar Onley. I’ve chosen the former because I think he’ll be the rider that takes over the baton from Pogacar as the world’s best GC rider. Del Toro made mistakes, mistakes his team probably should have helped him avoid, but he’s young and I think he’s learnt from them.

He also handled the loss of the Giro d'Italia admirably, how easy it would have been to cross the line and lose temper with the team, Carapaz or other riders in the heat of the moment. Stunning rides this year and his story is only just beginning.

Evie Richards - Hannah Bussey, tech writer

This one is easy: Evie Richards. She's the first-ever British rider to win the XCO World Championships, the first-ever to win the short track Worlds, and now, the most successful female rider in short track World Cup history, and she seems to have had an absolute blast while doing so.

She's one of the best role models for young girls entering the sport, being vocal about her firm belief that you can win on the bike without sacrificing your health and well-being.

She's clearly worked hard to strike a good balance between life and racing. You can see she genuinely loves it, and it comes through in her riding style. It's such infectious joy that you can't help but be delighted with every result she gets.

If, like me, you have a cycling-fledgling in the family, you would do well also to join the Evie Richards fan club; you'll become a happier person if you do.

Tadej Pogačar - James Shrubsall, senior news and features writer

It's obvious – perhaps a little too obvious in fact. But tasked with picking a rider of the year it's difficult to go with anyone other than Tadej Pogačar. There is little need for me to list his victories here – countless words and many, many stories have been written about them. We've even seen the first tentative strains of what might be termed 'Pogačar Fatigue' from fans (and by his own admission, he's been pretty tired himself).

But as suspense has begun to dwindle when Pogačar is around, the feeling has been growing in inverse proportion that we are seeing history being made in front of our eyes.

If you're feeling a bit jaded with it all (many aren't), know this: in 20 years' time your young clubmates will have to watch you become all wistful as you recount the Slovenian's endeavours. Enjoy this moment.

Wout van Aert - Matt Ischt-Barnard, ecomm and tech writer

Wout van Aert's incredible return to form after arguably an up-and-down 2024 season, in which any brilliance was overshadowed by injury, was fantastic to watch.

Top five finishes across the Classics season quietened any speculation about his ability to still race at the top, before he won stage nine of the Giro d'Italia to put it completely to bed.

However, it was that final ascent and, ultimately, descent of Montmartre climb on stage 21 of the Tour de France that showed just what class he still is, and I hope an omen for the year ahead. A race with Van Aert at the front is never a boring one.

Wout is back, and I hope dearly that he can add another monument to his 2020 San Remo in 2026.

Zoe Bäckstedt - Meg Elliot, news and features writer

This might be cheating because Zoe Bäckstedt is also one of Cycling Weekly’s riders of the year, but I got the chance to interview her for our mag - and our chat only affirmed her place in the top spot, for me.

This year’s success followed an already glittering career, as she added a ninth rainbow jersey to her growing collection. At January's UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships, she collected rainbow jerseys in the mixed team relay and the under-23 race. She then went on to win five of the six time trials she competed in, scooping up a national and under-23 world title.

But in her final race of the season, Bäckstedt won gold at the UCI World Championships in Rwanda as the fastest under-23 woman in the time trial. Yet, the attribute that most sung out during our interview was her genuine love of bikes - whether she’s cycling off road or on, she’s just happy to be there, riding at her best.

If it was silly season last week, we're most certainly in the pre-Christmas party season this week. Remco Evenepoel reprises his role as the unlikely face of Pizza Hut in Belgium as they celebrate their 30th anniversary, and Alison Jackson turns 37 with a new team behind her.

The story of the week might have been Ineos Grenadier's new kit. Dismayed at the risky white shorts ("let's hope it doesn't rain"), upset at the slight differentiation in shades of white between the shorts and the jersey, or simply irked by the bright-orange tone of the jersey (a far cry from the stylish red gradience of seasons past) - whatever you think of the kit (maybe you like it, even) it has divided the internet.

But aside from this latest hot-topic, here are the other internet fragments that have made their way into our weekly round up, in the run-up to Christmas.

1. How prompt are the Visma-Lease a Bike riders for their 10:15 training ride? Victor Campenaerts arrives running just before the clocks ticks over into ‘late’ and Wout van Aert rolls in with three minutes to go, but who’s the tardiest of them all? For habitual late-runners like me, one Insta comment asks the real question we measure our timings by: ‘what time does the group ride leave?’

2. How to get through a soggy ride: The Visma-Lease a Bike social media elves are really delivering the festive goods this week.

3. Lest we forget we are in the midst of cyclo-cross season. It’s a discipline not for the weak willed, but sometimes, you’ve just got to take a break. ‘Cyclocross is fun. We promise,’ Scottish Cycling captions the video - entries are still open for the last round of the National Trophy Series in Irvine.

4. Mathieu van der Poel power washes his gold car after winning the fourth round of the UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup in Namur, Belgium: ‘job done’

5. Remco Evenepoel is also celebrating this week - just not a race this time (though he is dressed in his cycling garb). He’s celebrating something arguably even more delicious than the glory of victory - a big margherita pizza.

6. It truly is party season in the cycling world, with candle-mounted pizzas and now Alison Jackson’s birthday celebration with new team, St Michel - Preference Home - Auber93 (prev. EF Education-Oatly). Happy 37th Ali!

7. Sarah Ruggins received the Guiness World Record certificate for the fastest return from Land’s End to John-O-Groats by bicycle by a woman this week. ‘Alongside my PhD, this is the most I’ve ever paid - emotionally, financially, physically - for a piece of paper,’ she says, while thanking the Lejogle team, sponsors and dot-watchers for the love that propelled her forwards.

8. Bicycle ear; bicycle back; bicycle arm; foot; hand; ‘deadly bicycle heart’; kidney and - of course - ‘all have heard about the bicycle face, and now it is said there is a new ailment resulting from devotion to the silent steed [...] the bicycle eye.’ These newspaper clippings shows our penchant for hypochondria - and our wariness of the bicycle.

9. If this drizzle continues, the fair weather cyclists among us will be getting in some indoor training sessions over the Christmas period, though squeezing the trainer into a house full of in-laws may be the least of your problems.

10. As investment for sustainable infrastructure dwindles both at home and abroad, this Toronto based creator muses on urban planning, nature and in this short video, the impact of prioritising road building.

This has been the week of the jersey reveal - NSN unveiled a patchwork blue and orange jersey, and SD Worx-Protime released what our news editor, Adam Becket, has already hailed the 'kit of the year'. I'm not so convinced.

In a week where fashion met pro cycling, other activities were underfoot, too - Tadej Pogačar unleashed his skills on the paddle court as Jonas Ambrahamsen showed us how well his off-season is going.

Perhaps, perhaps, people are running out of serious steam heading up to Christmas, so there's a lot of nonsense.

1. This video of nine Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe riders towing this glider to take off has to be the reel of the week. Why they did the stunt, who knows - it’s Red Bull after all, but the online chatter around it has been loud.

2. Actually, maybe this video is the reel of the week. A late contender sent in by Anne-Marije Rook, this dad towing both his son - and their Christmas tree - by bike is a feat worth celebrating: ‘Tennessee Dad saves Christmas!’

3. On the festive theme, team Visma-Lease a Bike took a break from training to don their honeycomb Christmas jumpers and see who could blow out a line of candles - whilst saying Merry Christmas in their native tongue.

4. Mathieu van der Poel was back on the road with a gravity defying - the result of a skipping hub, one commentator has speculated.

5. After Tom Davidson’s feature on Olympic runner Georgia Hunter Bell’s training regime that combines running with cycling, she’s been out on the bike with fellow middle-distance athlete, Keely Hodgkinson: ‘Sign em’ up Maap.cc’ one commenter writes.

6. It’s new team kit time, and what’s a more perfect runway than the Col de Rates, in Spain’s Costa Blanca? UAE Team Emirates sport a simple white jersey, while just ahead the Lidl-Trek team set off in technicolour.

7. What’s the opposite of ASMR? This American cyclist tested how many skids it takes to destroy a tyre. I can’t say it’s a joy for the ears, but it is a satisfying watch. Points to whoever works out what tyres he’s running.

8. A new off-season activity has entered the chat. Tadej Pogačar and ex-pro Thor Hushovd battle it out on the paddle pitch. Who won remains a mystery.

9. How cold does it have to get before you switch out shorts for leggings?

10. From chilly legs to dodgy tan-lines. This is how Jonas Abrahamsen is is spending his off-season.

The world's top two men's cyclo-cross racers, Wout van Aert and Mathieu van der Poel have both announced their programmes for this winter now, setting the scene for five thrilling face-offs.

Two of those will be in the UCI World Cup series, two in the top-tier X2O Trofee and one at the Exact Cross at Mol on January 2.

Although their seasons these days are built around the road, both riders are former cyclo-cross world champions and World Cup winners, and even now start as favourites in any race they enter. Van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) is the more prolific of the two, having won five World Cup rounds and the Elite Men's World Championships last season – and beaten Van Aert (Visma-Lease a Bike) twice while doing so.

It all means that the other top men's racers have been watching carefully for this particular announcement, as their return to the fray will have a significant impact on the World Cup plans of the more dedicated cyclo-crossers.

"Mathieu, and Wout coming back is a factor…" British cross racer Cameron Mason told Cycling Weekly last month.

"They'll probably be back racing in December," he said. "Even without them the depth of the elite riders is pretty apparent this year [but] I don't have any doubts that I can be there on the right day."

His short but sweet cyclo-cross season is timed to contribute to his build-up to the early-season Classics, Van Aert explained on the Visma-Lease a Bike website.

“The Christmas period is a phase of the cyclocross season that I always enjoy being part of,” he said. “Because of the races themselves, the large numbers of supporters who come thanks to the holidays, and the fact that these races fit perfectly into my build-up towards the major spring classics on the road.”

This season, Van Aert's scant eight-race programme is significantly more compact than that of his rival, with Van der Poel planning to compete in 13 races, including the World Championships in Hulst, Netherlands. If the Dutchman – who is the current reigning champion – won this, it would be his ninth rainbow jersey in the event.

One top CX rider who is expected to be missing this winter, however, is Tom Pidcock (Pinarello-Q36.5 Pro Cycling), who has made no moves towards off-road so far.

Races in bold below will see the pair together.

Wout van Aert's cyclo-cross programme 25/26

December 20 – UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup, Antwerp, Belgium
December 22 – X2O Trofee, Hofstade, Belgium
December 23 – Superprestige, Heusden-Zolder, Belgium
December 28 – UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup, Dendermonde, Belgium
December 29 – X2O Trofee, Loenhout, Belgium
January 2 – Exact Cross, Mol, Beligum
January 4 – UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup, Zonhoven, Belgium
January 11 – Belgian National Championships, Beringen

Mathieu van der Poel's cyclo-cross programme 25/26

December 14 – UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup, Namur (tbc), Belgium
December 20 – UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup, Antwerp, Belgium
December 21 – UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup, Koksijde, Belgiun
December 22 – X2O Trofee, Hofstade, Belgium
December 26 – UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup, Gavere, Belgium
December 29 – X2O Trofee, Loenhout, Belgium
January 1 – X2O Trofee, Baal, Belgium
January 2 – Exact Cross, Mol, Belgium
January 4 – UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup, Zonhoven, Belgium
January 18 – UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup, Benidorm (tbc), Spain
January 24 – UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup, Maasmechelen, Belgiun
January 25 – UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup, Hoogerheide, the Netherlands
February 1 – UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships, Hulst, the Netherlands

How to watch

UK subscribers to Discovery+ will find these races on the streaming platform (£30.99/month), with some also making it to the TNT Sports linear TV channels.

Fans in the USA will find the World Cup races on Flobikes ($29.99/month) and the rest on HBO Max ($18.49/month).

You can watch the UCI Cyclocross World Cup for free in many parts of the world, with the UCI providing free live streaming on its YouTube channel. The Exact Cross and X2O events are usually available to watch for free in Belgium through Sporza.

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At this point, in the tail-end of November, is it fair to say we’re in the run-up to Christmas? I found myself gently humming along to ‘Jingle Bells’ in the supermarket yesterday before clocking the festive earworm that had entered my subconscious, catching me off-guard.

Whether you are brimming with festive-fever or not, the Cycling Weekly instagram feed has been coloured by a cold-snap induced snowscape, as Demi Vollering and Michał Kwiatkowski ride out into the snow. But it's turned up some golden nuggets too - could 2026 be the year we see Mathieu van der Poel pick up another cycling discipline? And what role did bikes play in the fight for women's freedom?

We have had eyes off the ball for social media roundups for a while, but we are BACK. Tweets of the week is gone though, sadly. It has kicked the bucket, it has shuffled off its mortal coil, run down the curtain and joined the bleeding choir invisible. Welcome to the new era!

1. John Lewis Christmas advert eat your heart out! Demi Vollering partners with Gobik in this winter tale of a chilly cyclist turned cosy snow-rider.

2. Polish rider Michał Kwiatkowski too tackles snowy training roads on Continental Terra Speed tyres.

3. It’s confirmed: Mathieu van der Poel will be doing an Ironman. At least, that’s what he promised his followers he’d do if this reel reached 100,000 likes. It’s just passed 101k.

4. UAE Team Emirates are testing their speed on the ‘Dubai auto drome.’ But who is fastest on four wheels?

5. There is a sleepy theme among athletes this week - but just remember folks: even when you’re relaxing, don’t forget to do it in full cycling kit.

6. If you don’t have a freshly unboxed mattress to chill out on, fear not! You can do it on a sofa instead! ‘Off-season mode ON: fewer pedals, more couch.’

Off-season mode ON: fewer pedals, more couch 😴Off season mode ON: menos pedales, más sofá 😴

— @lavuelta.bsky.social (@lavuelta.bsky.social.bsky.social) 2025-11-30T15:11:24.968Z

7. Daisy Adams, aka the seven-year-old ‘pint size cyclist’ races up the Cobble Wobble in Frome after winning the afternoon’s cross race. After this effort, she finished third in the under 16 girls - well done Daisy!

8. What is the bicycle’s role in women’s empowerment? From the evolution of the hoop skirt to the “less cumbersome clothing” that enabled women to cycle more freely, the bicycle was deemed a “dangerous technology,” but one that “released the human spirit in tangible ways.”

9. How long can you hold a wheelie for? In my dreams, I pop my front wheel up effortlessly - it doesn’t matter what bike I’m riding: my full suspension mountain bike or a Santander city bike, I’m that skilled. In reality my skills, unlike Oscar Delaite, who just wheelied for a record-breaking 93.4 miles, are non-existent.

10. America’s favourite bike-bus leader, Sam Balto, has just partnered with Stranger Things and Netflix to put on a themed bike bus. He spoke to Anne-Marije Rook last month about how he rallied hundreds of kids, Justin Timberlake and Benson Boone to bike to school.

Mathieu van der Poel has been forced to abandon the Tour de France ahead of stage 16, with the Dutchman suffering with pneumonia.

His Alpecin-Deceuninck team announced the news on Tuesday morning, hours before the third week of the Tour was due to begin with a stage from Montpellier to Mont Ventoux.

The 30-year-old won stage two to Boulougne-sur-Mer in the opening week, and twice had time in the yellow jersey, being one of the key attackers in the race. However, a cold worsened over Monday's rest day, and Van der Poel was taken to hospital in Narbonne as a result.

He spent five days in the breakaway at this Tour, seemingly constantly in moves, including Sunday's stage 15 to Carcassonne. He came close to a second stage victory on stage 11 to Toulouse, where he finished third after failing to catch the final pair out front.

"We regret to announce that Mathieu van der Poel is forced to abandon the Tour de France prematurely," an Alpecin-Deceuninck spokesperson said.

"Mathieu had been experiencing symptoms of a common cold over the past few days. Yesterday afternoon, his condition began to worsen significantly. The team doctor monitored him closely throughout the day. By the evening, Mathieu developed a fever and was taken to the ‘Centre Hospitalier de Narbonne’ for further examinations.

"Medical tests revealed that Mathieu is suffering from pneumonia. In consultation with the medical staff, it was decided that he can no longer continue the race. His health is the top priority, and rest and recovery are now essential.

"Mathieu will be required to rest for at least one full week. After this period, he will undergo further medical examinations to assess his recovery and determine the next steps in his rehabilitation."

Van der Poel is expected to focus on mountain biking later this season, with the Dutchman aiming for glory at the MTB World Championships in Switzerland at the end of August and beginning of September. It is not known how this period of illness and rest will now affect these plans.

It was, in theory, a day for Mathieu van der Poel to take it easy. Already at this year’s Tour de France he had won a stage, placed second on another, and worn the yellow jersey twice. The week – his entire race, in fact – was a thumping success. Stage nine, then, a flat romp to Châteauroux, would bring a welcome chance for the Dutchman to catch his breath.

Except this is Mathieu van der Poel, a man who lives to go long range. When the flag dropped in Chinon on Sunday, the Alpecin-Deceuninck rider dropped the peloton. He’d end up spending 173 of the stage's 174 kilometres off the front, most of them in tandem with his team-mate Jonas Rickaert, before his hopes were swallowed whole.

Inside 700m to go, the mass of the bunch mopped the Dutchman up. Script restored, Tim Merlier won the sprint, his second victory of the race. Van der Poel trickled over the line in 68th.

“It’s hard to not be able to finish it off, but I think we put on a good show today,” he told the TV cameras afterwards, grimacing and stretching out his back. “We suffered, but also enjoyed today, I think.”

The mood at the Alpecin-Deceuninck bus was surprisingly downbeat beyond the finish line. Yes, their riders had lit up the stage – the only team to try and do so – but with victory so close, there was a sense of what iffery. On his return, sports director Christoph Roodhoft sat in the driver's seat of the team car for a few minutes, contemplating the day, before stepping out to face the press.

“Performance wise, it was amazing of course to see,” Roodhoft said. “But afterwards you always think it’s also disappointment.”

Had a breakaway ambush been the plan all along? “We were talking about it,” Roodhoft said. “Yesterday we saw the two guys from Total[Energies] and, in the end, at least they tried something and they did something. They knew in advance that it was almost, or for sure, impossible what they did, but at least they tried.

“Trying to do something that is not on paper or in the plan has its value, and especially here in the Tour. With a bit more luck, probably we could have brought it to a good end. It was more than worth trying.”

Parked down a long highway, Alpecin’s bus was one of the furthest from the finish line, a cruel commute for their riders after racing at more than 50kph. Silvan Dillier was among the first to return, and spoke in a deflated tone.

“They wanted to go far, and they weren’t missing a lot to win,” Dillier said of his breakaway team-mates. When the sprint trains began to chase hard, barreling towards Châteauroux, Dillier snuck his way to the front. Was he trying to disrupt them? “Well, yes,” he said, his frankness worthy of a chuckle among the reporters. “We didn’t want to make their job too easy, did we?”

The difference, in the end, was 700m – less than a minute of racing.

“You always hope,” said Roodhoft, “but you also know that it’s almost not realistic… We didn’t win, but we did something.”

Rickaert was awarded the day’s combativity award – “his dream is to be on the Tour de France podium,” said Van der Poel, “so I’m happy to help him.” Both, for their efforts, were spared the extra kilometre’s ride back to the bus, picked up instead at the finish, and driven back to the hotel.

For the past few weeks, the road into Châteauroux has been decorated with ‘Cavendish City’ signs, an homage to the sprinter who won all three previous finishes there. Van der Poel believed it might be him to break that streak. “We came really close,” he said. Instead, the sprinters had their day again.

When Ben Healy arrives on the start line of any race with a waxed chain, an aero skin suit and a time trial helmet, you know he means business. Unfortunately for his breakaway compatriots on stage six of the Tour de France, the Irishman brought his typical breakaway A-game on Thursday. The result? A 40km solo victory in baking Vire Normandie.

The scene outside the EF Education-EasyPost bus as Healy crossed the line was one of jubilation. Cheers erupted from inside the air-conditioned confines as team staff spilled outside to welcome the return of sports directors Tom Southam and Charly Wegelius, two of the masterminds who helped set up their rider's move.

Healy was combative from the off on stage six, racing aggressively before he eventually made an attack stick. Sensing it was going to take a surprise move to escape solo, he launched a flyer from just before the 40km to go mark, which he then saw through to the line.

"The way that I look at it is really like it’s a mental game," he explained afterwards. "I try to push on the climbs and go easier on the descents – that then slowly draws out that elastic and lulls them into a false sense of security, I guess. I think that’s how I'm really able to tear out the gap.

"I don’t push the most power out of everyone but I just try and be as efficient as I possibly can. Today I had full TT tyres, a waxed chain, a TT skinsuit, road-ish helmet and just maximised absolutely everything."

Tudor Pro Cycling’s Michael Storer and Lidl-Trek's Quinn Simmons eventually took off in pursuit of the Irishman but the duo left it too late to reel him back in.

"It was a very, very strong group of riders and I didn’t believe in just attacking away purely by legs," Healy said of his winning move. "I was just waiting for a moment to try and find some speed and then catch them by surprise. That moment just came at around 40km to go on a twisty road and it was just perfect, perfect timing."

After he had taken flight, Healy’s advantage quickly shot up, eventually touching the two-minute mark. EF sports director Southam explained he got so excited by the move, he even began to consider the possibility of taking the yellow jersey, as well as the stage win.

"I spoke to the other DSs and they told me to shut the f*** up and try to win the stage," Southam laughed with reporters. "For us this is the biggest release of pressure we’ve ever had in a Tour. I've never stared down the barrel of a Tour with so few opportunities for teams that want to win the Tour, so I think it means we have an opportunity to do much more. We’re in the driving seat now and we’ve done it."

According to Southam, Healy immediately marked stage six "with an X" the moment the Tour route was released during the winter. The team then cooked up a plan to ensure their man could have his moment, which even involved driving part of the course early on Thursday morning pre-race in order to decide the exact moment that Healy would strike.

"Ben is very trusting when it comes to these things," Southam said. "There was a combination of things he needed and I found them, by hook or by crook. I knew once that race had taken shape, Ben had an advantage because of how resilient he is. But the credit goes to the rider every time as he has the idea and believes in it."

Another of EF's sports directors, Wegelius, said Healy's attack might inspire others to be more "cold-blooded" in races. When did he know his rider had won? "We're kind of old farts in the car, and we've been burnt a few times. It was literally when we saw his face on the big screen at the finish," Wegelius said.

The rest of the EF riders eventually arrived back at the bus, with staff jokingly asking what had taken them so long. A delighted Neilson Powless explained that the rest of the squad had waited at the finish line to see their team-mate on the podium, before riding back to celebrate.

Fellow EF rider, Michael Valgren, hailed Healy's ride as "out of this world".

"This means everything to us," Valgren told Cycling Weekly. "We planned it and we knew he had to go early, because this is what he can do, and he did. But you need the legs to finish it off, and he had them. It's amazing."

For much of Jonas Vingegaard's legendary Tour de France rivalry with Tadej Pogačar, it's the Dane who has tended to ride more defensively than the Slovenian.

There have been exceptions to the rule, of course: the Col du Granon in 2022, and the stage to Laruns the year after, but in the main it's been Pogačar who has been the more attacking of the duo. Indeed, after last year’s gravel stage around Troyes, Remco Evenepoel accused Vingegaard of lacking the “balls” to race.

But that viewpoint may soon evaporate into thin air and fade into insignificance, such is the start the two-time winner has made to this edition of the Tour.

This is a new Vingegaard. This is a rider seemingly reborn, and one willing to grab the race by the horns and attack at any given opportunity. And more to the point, he told gathered media at the Visma-Lease a Bike bus in Boulogne-sur-Mer that his late attack at five kilometres from the line on stage two had been "for fun".

"I just think he felt good. I mean, he didn't go anywhere, but he did it for fun," the team's lead sports director, Grischa Niermann, said of the attack, right after Vingegaard had shouted out that his move had been for pure entertainment in answer to the initial question put to Niermann by a reporter.

Despite the attack ultimately coming to nothing, both Vingegaard and his Visma teammate Matteo Jorgenson continued to push on in the lead group, rapidly upping the pace to keep both riders firmly in contention as the steep ramp to the finish approached.

Julian Alaphilippe (Tudor Pro Cycling) was the first man to jump, before Mathieu van der Poel – the eventual stage winner – followed with both Pogačar and Vingegaard locked onto his wheel, the latter holding on to take third behind the new race leader Van der Poel.

"This was a very explosive stage, and Jonas managed it really well," Niermann added. "We hoped to add a little more explosivity to his shape and that was better today.

"Matteo and Jonas played it really well in the final. Third place was the highest possible result I think, much more than we could expect in this.

"It's not a bunch sprint, but it was still a tough group and it was also a hard sprint. Once again I think in the last kilometres Jonas and Matteo played it really well."

An explosive stage

Vingegaard later explained that the initial plan had been for the team to aim for the stage victory and yellow jersey with Wout van Aert, but after the Belgian informed his teammates that he didn’t have the legs they were then forced to recalibrate out on the road. "He didn't feel super so in the end," the Dane said of Van Aert. "I had to try it for myself."

He continued: "To be honest, I went a bit better today, the result was better than what I expected. I didn't expect to come third on a stage like this. I'm really happy with my legs, and with how it went.

"When we knew Wout didn’t have the legs, we tried to go for it with me, and also tried to do something with Matteo [Jorgenson] as well. So I think in the end it turned out to be a good day."

The start of stage two took place in torrential rain, only adding to the stress and tension in the opening two days of racing. "It's been very hectic here, when you start with stages like this," Vingegaard said as he reflected on the opening weekend.

"Personally, I liked the last two editions [of the Tour] a bit more, where it's hard from the gun, and this is a lot more stress, but it’s just part of the Tour."

In a boggy field in northern France, Mathieu van der Poel made his way through the rain to sign on at the Tour de France. The day ahead, he knew at the time, was almost written for him. At more than 200km – the race’s longest stage – and finishing in a litany of punchy climbs, the Tour had warped into a Classic. Who else but the peloton’s best one-day racer to take centre stage?

“We’re used to this kind of racing,” Van der Poel said afterwards, his new yellow jersey testament to the fact. “It was super nervous all day, fighting for position, and I think as a team we’re used to this, we’re also good at it.”

Good is a modest assessment from a man who has won both the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix three times.

In Boulogne-sur-Mer on Sunday, the finish was etched at the top of a winding drag. The city’s stone ramparts looked down the hill, lined with thousands of fans. Van der Poel knew that, if he arrived in front with 150m to go, he’d probably last to the line.

“This morning I had a video of the finish line and I studied it a couple of times," he said. "I knew what I wanted to do, and I could execute it perfectly.

"It became a bit tricky going into the last 10km with some attacks, but I just stayed patient, hoped that everything would come back together, and then at the last kilometre, I knew perfectly what to do."

Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) followed on the Dutchman’s wheel, Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike) tucked in behind, but neither could muster the speed to tear past. The stage win, and the yellow jersey, went to Van der Poel – four years after his first at the Tour.

“I’ve struggled a bit the last few years,” he said – in the last two editions of the race, he failed to score even a top-10 finish. “It’s also the circumstances. I get a course that I’m used to, that I’m good at the first week here, and that makes a difference, of course. It also shows how hard it is to win a stage at the Tour in general.”

There were no cobbles or double-digit gradients on the Tour’s second day, only the promise of a hectic, fast-paced finale, a playground where the Dutchman thrives. When the route was unveiled last October, Alpecin-Deceuninck pinpointed it as a chance for their leader. Van der Poel prepared the way he knows best.

“I think we tried to copy [the preparation] a bit like we do in a Classics season,” he said, “with an altitude season, and then racing the [Critérium du] Dauphiné, which is [the equivalent of] Tirreno-Adriatico before the Classics, and then going back on altitude and doing the Tour.”

Did the idea pay off? “I think it was a good decision,” Van der Poel continued. “This Tour de France is a parcours where I can really excel, and I think this also makes a difference that there’s a lot of opportunities.”

As they did for Jasper Philipsen on stage one, Alpecin-Deceuninck’s staff punched the air outside their team bus at the end of stage two. The yellow jersey had changed hands, but stayed within their team. Front row during the podium presentation, Van der Poel’s girlfriend grinned and clapped as he received his.

“It’s an amazing start to this Tour de France for our team,” he said. “We’re going to try and enjoy [the yellow jersey] as long as we have it in our team.”

Jasper Philipsen took a while to get off the mark at last year's Tour de France, his first win not arriving until stage 10, but the Belgian fastman wasted no time this time around, powering to victory on the opening day of the 2025 edition to pull on the yellow jersey for the first time in his career.

Philipsen struggled to get the better of Biniam Girmay in the first half of last year's race, but he beat the Eritrean emphatically on the Boulevard Vauban in the heart of Lille.

Having only taken two wins to date this season, Philipsen came into the Tour as the slight underdog for yellow behind the likes of the more in-form Tim Merlier (Soudal Quick-Step) and Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek).

But once crosswinds began to rip through the peloton, splitting the bunch in two, Philipsen and his Alpecin-Deceuninck teammates – led by Philipsen and Mathieu van der Poel – came alive, while both Merlier and Milan were caught behind.

"We knew they [echelons] could happen, but we didn't know when exactly,” Philipsen said afterwards.

“We just knew we had to be in front and stay focused and attentive all day. We were with the guys that were needed for the leadout in the final in the echelons and everyone was on a really strong level.

"It was definitely a team effort, a team job, and I'm proud of how we rode; everyone is in great shape. It gives us a lot of motivation for the coming days."

Philipsen was guided to the finish line by four of his teammates, including Van der Poel and nine-time Grand Tour stage winner Kaden Groves.

"I didn’t know who was there exactly," Philipsen said of the make-up of the front bunch. "I just knew we were there with our squad and our train. It was important to have all of the strong guys there for the sprint.

"But after a while I didn't see Merlier or Milan there. I also didn't know how far they were behind and I didn't know if they were coming back. We were just there and tried to fight for position, be there for the team and focus on the sprint."

Enjoying the moment

Stage two is set to be a Classics-style test with an uphill finish in Boulogne-sur-Mer, a parcours which, on paper, would seem made for the likes of Van der Poel.

Philipsen has managed to get over the Poggio to win Milan-San Remo in the past, but the 27-year-old could find himself distanced if the stage evolves into an early GC skirmish, as some have predicted on the ground in France.

"We haven't checked too much the second stage yet – we focused on today and tomorrow is a new day," Philipsen answered when asked if he thought he would be passing yellow to his teammate in Boulogne.

"We haven’t had the chance to look too much into it but I’m for sure I'm going enjoy it and give everything I have tomorrow as we always aim for the highest chances of victory.

"If it's through me or Mathieu then we’ll have to see tomorrow. There's a lot of nice opportunities coming for the team and for Mathieu especially. Let's see tomorrow what happens but I'm going to enjoy this moment as well.

"I’m going to be really proud to wear it, with a lot of joy at least for one day and enjoy this with the team."

I always love the build up to the Tour de France each year. You can't beat the anticipation and excitement of the first few days of the race, it really compares to nothing else on the calendar. There are always so many interesting narratives to follow as the race gets going, long before any serious GC skirmishes unfold between the favourites for overall victory in Paris.

Ahead of the Grand Départ this year, the main discourse seems to be centred on whether or not the first week will even be worth watching. Friends, colleagues and social media users all seemed to be telling me the same thing: flat stage after flat stage after flat stage, what a snore fest. Fred Wright had heard the same views centred on the likely monotony of the opening parcours when I caught up with him last week. "I had the exact same initial thought as everyone else; I looked at the roadbook and thought there were a lot of flat, sprint type stages in the first ten days, but it really isn't like that,” he said.

On paper, it's easy to see why many have jumped to the conclusion that the opening week could be time to turn off the TV and get outside if you’re watching on from home, but you're guaranteed to miss the drama if you do.

While the opening day in Lille is almost completely flat, stages two, four, six and seven are stacked full of climbing, similarly to what you could expect in a hilly classic in the Ardennes, or elsewhere in Belgium. There are slight unclassified uphill finishes in Boulougne-sur-Mer, Rouen and Vire Normandie, before the well-known Mûr-de-Bretagne, which has seen flashes of GC action in the past, arrives on stage seven. These are not your run of the mill sprint stages and could be raced in the same all-guns-blazing style of the Amstel Gold Race, or a similar one day affair.

One of my favourite opening weeks to the Tour came in the Brittany region in 2021, starting with a road stage between Brest and Landerneau, finishing atop the Côte de la Fosse aux Loups after heading across five categorised climbs beforehand - two of the opening handful of stages have a similar parcours this time round. The end of the first stage four years ago played out with Julian Alaphilippe punching clear to a memorable win in the rainbow jersey, which he then switched for the maillot jaune at the end of the day. It was classic Alaphilippe: guts, panache and all in to the line once he took flight on the climb and left everyone else for dead - gripping viewing indeed.

Alaphilippe will be back this year and is one of several classics riders that will head into the opening week in good form and ready to strike. Mathieu van der Poel - the winner on the Mûr-de-Bretagne the last time the race visited the climb - is another. Wout van Aert will be back at the Tour too with the first few stages also suiting him to a tee.

To top it all off, the ever evolving Tadej Pogačar - the outright favourite for the win, yet again - will almost certainly have studied the opening week and sensed several opportunities to spring a surprise on Jonas Vingegaard before the more serious climbing comes. Pogačar can seemingly win on any terrain, as he proved on day one of the Critérium du Dauphiné, with no stages off limits to the three-time Tour winner. But if you fall into the camp of finding the Slovenian’s superiority tedious, then you needn’t despair, the presence of the previously named riders should ensure it’s not all one way traffic in the 26-year-old’s favour.

“I can see Tadej [Pogačar] maybe trying to gain bonus seconds on Jonas [Vingegaard]. That might mean he ends up winning a few of the stages but none of them are hard enough that other guys won't also be in the mix too," Wright added. “From what I can see in the first ten days, I think it's going to make for some f*****g amazing racing. I think it's going to be more of a spectacle than everyone thinks with Tadej not just walking all over everyone.”

You heard it there from Fred, and I agree with him too, the first week of the Tour de France will be many things, but it definitely won’t be boring.

Mathieu van der Poel sustained a broken wrist at a UCI Mountain Bike World Cup in the Czech Republic on Sunday, putting his summer racing schedule, including the Tour de France, in doubt.

The Dutchman crashed twice during the XCO race in Nové Město. Due to his injuries, he then abandoned on the third lap and will now miss the first half of his team’s planned altitude training camp at Le Plagne in the French Alps in the build up to the fast approaching Tour.

"Following his double crash during the UCI MTB World Series on Sunday in Nové Město, Mathieu van der Poel has been diagnosed with a minor avulsion fracture of the scaphoid bone, indicative of ligament damage to the wrist," an update from Alpecin-Deceunick read on Monday. "This type of injury requires a cautious and carefully monitored recovery process. The timeline for resuming training and competition will depend on the evolution of swelling and pain over the coming days."

Van der Poel is next due to race at the Critérium du Dauphiné in June, the last key build up race to the Tour in July. His team, however, stated that it was "premature" to put a time frame on his recovery over the coming weeks. It is likely that he will spend key preparation time off the bike.

"The injury will be subject to continued and intensive medical evaluation throughout the week. Further assessments, scheduled towards the end of the week, may offer greater clarity regarding his program and the potential for participation in the Critérium du Dauphiné," the update from Alpecin-Deceuninck concluded.

In early December, Van der Poel hinted at his team's winter training camp that he could skip the Tour in July in order to prioritise a mountain bike world title bid. The three-time Paris-Roubaix winner said that he "wouldn’t mind doing something else" and suggested that pressure from sponsors would come into his team's decision making regarding his schedule.

Van der Poel’s participation in the biggest race of the road season was confirmed in February, although his recent injury could mean that his plans are forced to change. In April 2023, Tadej Pogačar suffered a similar injury in a crash at Liège–Bastogne–Liège; he still rode the Tour de France, finishing second, but he had two months of recovery.

Prior to his mountain bike crash, Van der Poel had demonstrated top form on the road in 2025, winning Milan-Sanremo, the E3 Saxo Classic, and Paris-Roubaix for a third time in April.

When I’m not out on the road covering bike races, then chances are you'll find me at a football match somewhere around the UK watching my team, Oxford United. That's exactly what I was doing on Saturday while my colleagues were out in France covering Paris-Roubaix Femmes. It was a hot afternoon, so I bought myself a bottle of water at half time and took it back out into the stand for the second half.

The second 45 minutes didn't initially go our way, it was frustrating and difficult to watch. Now, if I had allowed those feelings to boil over and opted to throw my bottle at one of the opposition players, then I am certain that I would have been collared by nearby stewards and thrown out of the match, before being handed over to the local police.

It's well documented that an action like that at a football match would probably result in a banning order and potential criminal charges. Unfortunately, it’s difficult to ban someone in a similar way from a bike race on the open road, but Mathieu van der Poel was absolutely right when he said that legal action should be pursued against the man who threw a bottle into his face at Paris-Roubaix on Sunday. It was appalling to see and could have had catastrophic consequences for the eventual race winner.

It should be said that events like this are still rare, considering how big cycling is and how much un-policed roadsides professional riders pass by, but it is still notable.

Van der Poel has been the victim of behaviour like this before at races, but nothing this blatant - an aggressive and deliberate attempt to force him to lose control of his bike.

The alleged aggressor handed himself into police on Monday. But the sad reality is that this could happen again, such is the nature of the sport being open to all. That is one of the beauties and main attractions of cycling - it is easily accessible and free to watch. However, this is extremely problematic when incidents like this occur.

But what is the answer? How do we stop people from carrying out this sort of unwelcome behaviour at a bike race? A difficult question with not a lot of clear answers. Perhaps starting with serious consequences for this person, but thought needs to go into what could help, given the difficult circumstances. There are adverts on French TV, but a culture change clearly needs to occur.

Van der Poel has been the subject of abuse from crowds when competing in a variety of races in recent years, and has had beer thrown at him while competing in the E3 Saxo Classic and the Tour of Flanders.

It is hard to think of immediate solutions as it is nothing new - Eddy Merckx was once assaulted by a fan during the 1975 Tour de France on the Puy de Dôme, and Chris Froome had urine thrown over him during the Tour in 2015. However, there has to be some sort of deterrent to underline to spectators thinking of behaving similarly to what we saw on Sunday that they will be caught and tracked down by police.

Legal action from cycling's authorities, like the CPA riders' union and UCI, to ensure that these people get the message does seem to be a start, before thought about what next occurs.

This is what Alpecin-Deceuninck want. On Friday afternoon, a spokesperson said in a statement: "We are calling for dialogue and cooperation among all involved parties - riders, teams, federations, organizers, and government authorities - to implement measures that prevent individuals with bad intentions from infiltrating cycling events and to take proactive steps at known critical points."

In case it wasn't plain, then my message is this: don’t bother coming out to races if you’re going to assault or abuse riders, it is as simple as that.

A man has handed himself in to Belgian police in West Flanders after admitting throwing a full bottle of water into the face of Mathieu van der Poel at Paris-Roubaix on Sunday.

According to a report in Nieuwsblad, nothing is known about the man’s identity but he is said to have expressed regret for his actions.

Van der Poel was alone off the front of the race when the bottle struck him on the Templeuve-en-Pévèle cobbled sector. Fortunately for the Dutchman, he managed to stay upright and the incident did not impact the outcome of the race. But it could have been much worse.

Speaking in his post-race press conference, Van der Poel described the impact of the bottle as feeling like a stone hitting his face, such was the speed he was travelling at across the cobbles. "It doesn’t destroy the fun I had but it’s not normal, it was a full bottle, it was like a stone hitting my face," he said. "It’s not acceptable, if they spit or throw beer it’s still unacceptable but this is different. This is something we have to take legal action on."

He later said to Sporza that his team, Alpecin-Deceuninck, would be pursuing legal action against the spectator if the UCI did not get to them first and described the act as "attempted manslaughter".

It is not the first time that Van der Poel has been the victim of similar behaviour from the roadside. During last year’s Paris-Roubaix, a spectator attempted to throw a hat into his back wheel as he rode to victory in the rainbow jersey as reigning world champion. He has also been spat at by people during the E3 Saxo Classic, and he had beer thrown over him in the same race. The Belgian branch of the CPA riders union said last year that it would be pursuing legal action against fans who threw beer at the 30-year-old during the Tour of Flanders.

"We want something to be done about those who spoil the atmosphere for everyone," said Bert Scheirlincx, secretary general of the Belgian cyclists' association, BPCA, at the time. "We are prepared to go all the way with our civil action as long as certain rude fans are punished and stop spoiling the spectacle that our beautiful sport has to offer."

Mathieu van der Poel called for "legal action" on the spectator who threw a full bottle of water at him at Paris-Roubaix on Sunday, as he charged towards a third successive victory.

The Alpecin-Deceuninck rider was riding solo on the Templeuve sector of cobbles, around 35km from the end of the race, when someone in the crowd lobbed what appeared to be an old Jumbo-Visma bottle at him, striking him in the face.

He had been riding with Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates), until the Slovenian misjudged a corner and crashed, and therefore was alone for the finalé of the race.

In his post-race press conference, the 30-year-old described it as like a "stone hitting my face".

"It doesn’t destroy the fun I had but it’s not normal, it was a full bottle, it was like a stone hitting my face," he said. "It’s not acceptable, if they spit or throw beer it’s still unacceptable but this is different .This is something we have to take legal action on."

Earlier, Van der Poel told Sporza: "Hopefully, the police can identify the man because there has to be a trial for this. This is attempted manslaughter. If the UCI doesn't take action, then we will do it with the team."

On TNT Sports, commentator Adam Blythe describe the perpetrator as a "scumbag". "I can't believe someone is doing this. It's just beyond belief," he said. "Good news is it didn’t affect him – but yeah, disgusting. Just do one. Don’t bother coming out."

The incident is not the first to have occurred to Van der Poel, even at Paris-Roubaix. Last year, a spectator threw a cap at the Dutchman's wheel as he soloed to victory, while he has also be spat at at the E3 Saxo Classic this year, and had beer thrown at him.

His team's manager, Philip Roodhooft, would not be drawn on the incident: "They are not important. I refuse to talk about people who don't deserve deserve attention."

It had threatened to overshadow Van der Poel's hat-trick, the Roubaix in which he admitted he had suffered the most, and been forced to ride without a working radio or power meter. Thankfully for him, not these episodes nor the fact he punctured on the Carrefour de l'Arbre deprived him of his victory.

"Just winning three times is super special and it’s not something you expect," he said. :Three years in a row [at a race] where you also need some luck - it’s exceptional."

Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) became only the third rider in history after Octave Lapize and Francesco Moser to take three consecutive wins in Paris-Roubaix when he finished 1:18 ahead of world champion Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG), with Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek) taking third ahead of Wout van Aert (Visma | Lease as Bike) and Florian Vermeersch (UAE Team Emirates-XRG).

The Dutchman’s success was anything but the cakewalk that those margins might suggest. From the moment the race reached the first of 30 sections of cobbles, van de Poel was locked in battle with Pogačar, their duel eventually becoming a gripping head-to-head as the pair dropped the other favourites.

The pair took regular turns in trying to drop each other until, on cobbled section nine with 38km remaining, Pogačar overshot a right-hand bend and tumbled into the advertising hoardings beyond it. He was quickly back under way but never managed to close the gap on his biggest Classics rival, a subsequent stop for a bike change all but finishing his hopes of catching van der Poel.

The Dutchman’s victorious progress wasn’t without his hitches, though. Not long after going clear, he was hit in the face with a waterbottle tossed at him by a fan, although that act of rank stupidity only caused him to wobble rather than crash. On the Carrefour de l’Arbre section of cobbles, the defending champion punctured, but was quickly aboard a new bike and continued towards victory.

‘I was really suffering, too bad Tadej made this mistake on a corner,’ the Dutchman said in his post-race interview. ‘But then I just had to go for it and it was still quite far from the finish. It was really hard especially with the last two sectors with the headwind. I was really struggling but I’m happy to make it to the finish line.’

Asked about Pogačar’s crash, Van der Poel said: ‘The speed was super high and I think he misjudged the turn a bit. I was just quick enough to save it, and I don’t know what happened afterwards. I had quite a big gap but I had to go for it. That’s part of racing.’

How it unfolded

A group of eight went clear after 20km of high-speed racing. Oier Lazkano (Red Bull-Hansgrohe), Kim Heiduk (Ineos Grenadiers), Jasper De Buyst (Lotto), Markus Hoelgaard (Uno-X Mobility), Jonas Rutsch (Intermarché-Wanty), Abram Stockman (Unibet Tietema), Rory Townsend (Q36.5) and Max Walker (EF Education-EasyPost) made it into the breakaway, although another 20km passed before the peloton gave up the chase and their lead began to stretch, reaching a maximum of three-and-a-half minutes.

As has been the case in recent editions, Van der Poel’s Alpecin-Deceuninck team set the pace in the bunch, which increased significantly approaching the first of the 30 sections of cobbles at Troisvilles. There was a series of crashes coming into this section, the most significant involving Van Aert and Matej Mohorič. In Troisvilles itself, Lidl-Trek’s Jasper Stuyven went down in a multi-rider pile-up, and moments later Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck) slid off on a left-hander, underlining the treacherousness of the surface even before the cobbles.

Once on the pavé, Filippo Ganna (ineos Grenadiers) was among the first to puncture, which left the Italian chasing in a group with Philipsen for 35km. Although there were plenty of punctures and crashes in the sectors that followed, it wasn’t until the four-star section at Haveluy that the big hitters began to strike out. Mads Pedersen made a first acceleration, Pogačar made a second and Van der Poel added his weight. Coming out of the section, Pogačar surged again, the flurry of attacks reducing this group to less than 20 riders.

These attacks brought the eight-man break within sight on the approach to the Arenberg Forest, by which time the peloton had re-formed. Pogačar went quickly to the front, Van der Poel then took his place, his pace so strong that he rode through the break. Coming out of the infamous section, Van der Poel, Pogačar, Pedersen, Philipsen, Ganna and, riding out of his teenage skin, Britain’s Matthew Brennan were part of a 15-strong lead group.

Van der Poel kept attacking on the road sections, his thrust after section 16 with 87km remaining bringing five riders out of the pack, Pogačar, Pedersen, Philipsen and Stefan Bissegger making the cut with him.

On section 15, Pogačar attacked despite appearing to have been suffering physically a few moments earlier. Pedersen led the pursuit of the world champion until the Dane suffered the most untimely of front wheel punctures. As the Slovenian flew on, Van der Poel was the only one able to bridge the fast-opening gap. However, the defending champion refused to collaborate with his rival until Philipsen had joined them, while Bissegger, like Pedersen, was the victim of a puncture.

The trio stayed together until the last few hundred metres of the five-star Mons-en-Pévèle section. Pogačar pressed hard, but got no gap, then Van der Poel responded but only succeeded in dropping his teammate Philipsen.

On section nine, Pogačar accelerated hard again but couldn’t shake Van der Poel. Then, on a sharp right-hander, the world champion went through the bend and fell into the advertising banners, while the Dutchman drew on his cyclo-cross skills to skip inside his tumbling rival, who was further delayed by a dropped chain. The pursuit began with 38km remaining.

For several kilometres, there were just 15 seconds or so between the two Classics superstars. Van der Poel managed to avoid mishap when hit in the face by the bottle thrown at him, going slightly off line but staying upright. Then, with 21km left, Pogačar’s hopes of catching his rival took another blow when he stopped to switch to a spare bike, which left the Dutchman almost a minute clear.

On Carrefour de l’Arbre, the duel seemed like it might take another significant twist when Van der Poel punctured. However, with his team car right on his wheel, the Dutchman kept his cool as he stopped for a spare bike before resuming his relentless pace, his lead still a minute coming out of that key section, the last tough one of the race. After that, victory and a place in history was not too far away.

2025 Paris-Roubaix, 259.2km

1 Mathieu van der Poel (Ned) Alpecin-Deceuninck, in 5:31:27
2 Tadej Pogačar (Slo) UAE Team Emirates-XRG, at 1:18
3 Mads Pedersen (Den) Lidl-Trek, at 2:11
4 Wout van Aert (Bel) Visma | Lease a Bike
5 Florian Vermeersch (Bel) UAE Team Emirates-XRG, at s.t
6 Jonas Rutsch (Ger) Intermarché-Wanty, at 3:46
7 Stefan Bissegger (Swi) Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale
8 Markus Hoelgaard (Nor) Uno-X Mobility, at s.t.
9 Fred Wright (GB) Bahrain Victorious, at 4:35
10 Laurenz Rex (Bel) Intermarché-Wanty, at 4:36

Mathieu van der Poel has revealed that he has been suffering from illness during this year's Classics but will return to Paris-Roubaix on Sunday looking to add a third successive victory at the race.

The Dutchman has already won Milan-San Remo and the E3 Saxo Classic in recent weeks, but was bested by Tadej Pogačar at last weekend’s Tour of Flanders. After Pogačar attacked Van der Poel was unable to get back on terms and was later forced to settle for third on the day behind the UAE Emirates-XRG rider and Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek).

Speaking ahead of Paris-Roubaix, the former road world champion revealed that he has been suffering from an underlying virus during the last few weeks of action which he said was “made worse” by racing in the cold drizzle of Belgium at E3, which he went on to win.

He said: "By Monday [three days after E3], I felt really under the weather. I ended up on antibiotics, and during Flanders I still wasn’t at 100%, though I was able to defend myself fairly well. In the end, I still made the podium.

"After the Tour of Flanders, I had a bit of a dip again but that's probably not surprising: it was a big effort on Sunday, and I still wasn’t fully recovered. But now it's Friday, and I'm feeling much better. I think I'm reasonably okay to try and defend my title on Sunday."

Despite being under the weather, Van der Poel made clear that his recent illness will not be an excuse on Sunday and explained that Alpecin-Deceuninck's strength in depth means they go into Roubaix as one of the favourites for the win alongside Hell of the North debutant, Pogačar.

"I start every race to win, and this year is no different," he said. "Of course, that's easier said than done, but that's the mindset I bring to the start. And if I'm not at my absolute best, we'll do everything we can to keep the victory within the team. Jasper Philipsen has shown over the past two years that he’s more than capable of winning this race too."

Van der Poel won last year’s edition by almost three minutes after attacking on the Orchies cobbled sector after a late attack saw him distance Wout van Aert 12 months previously. Jasper Philipsen has finished second to his teammate on both occasions.

Much of the pre-race noise has inevitably centred on Pogačar, although Van der Poel warned that multiple teams could play a part in the fight for victory, including Lidl-Trek.

"It's maybe harder to predict than usual," he said. "Pogačar is always a major contender. But in Flanders, we also saw Wout van Aert, Mads Pedersen, and Jasper Stuyven performing at a very high level. And then there’s [Filippo] Ganna. Paris-Roubaix might just be the perfect race for him."

The Gravel World Championships will take place in the Netherlands this year, the UCI announced on Friday.

The showpiece gravel event was initially due to be held in and around Nice and the Cote d’Azur region in the south of France, but due to "various constraints" and "technical" reasons it was previously announced that the French riviera could no longer hold the UCI event on 18 and 19 October.

As well as a location change, the worlds will also be held one weekend earlier on 11 and 12 October in the Zuid-Limburg region of the Netherlands, in collaboration with the Maatricht, Beek and Beekdaelen municipalities.

"The UCI and the City of Nice acknowledged the difficulties of organising the event in the capital of the French Riviera on that date, and in view of various constraints, technical and regarding the calendar, it was mutually agreed not to organize the 4th edition of the UCI worlds for gravel in Nice," a statement from cycling's governing body read at the time of the withdrawal of Nice.

"I'm delighted that the South-Limburg region, in the province of Limburg, will be involved in the organisation of the 2025 UCI Gravel World Championships and would like to thank them for submitting their bid after the city of Nice withdrew," UCI President David Lappartient said this week.

"By hosting the UCI Gravel World Championships, the province of Limburg has further enhanced its standing as a leading cycling region at international level, while contributing to the development of gravel, a discipline that is still quite new and has considerable potential for growth," he added.

Mathieu van der Poel and Marianne Vos are the current world champions after winning the men’s and women’s races in Belgium last autumn.

According to the UCI, the race organiser, Golazo, has worked closely with the various local stakeholders to ensure that the ecological impact of the championships is kept to a minimum.

This year's competition will be the fourth running of the championships after two editions were held in Italy before last year’s action was held in the Flanders region of Belgium.

If Tadej Pogačar is going to cross the finish line first in Oudenaarde at the Tour of Flanders on Sunday, then avoiding a sprint finish with Mathieu van der Poel or any of his faster rivals is key. The only way to achieve a second victory will be to distance the Dutchman on the Oude Kwaremont or elsewhere on the course. He simply can’t afford to drag his main rival to the line, and he knows this too.

Two years ago he went solo on the Kwaremont with one of the most unanswerable attacks that the race has ever seen. It was brutal, calculated and simply devastating. Van der Poel was in fine form but could not live with the Slovenian's punishing acceleration, before he then disappeared and carried on the assault over the Paterberg.

Pogačar's memorable victory banished any recollections of the moment he came unstuck in 2022, somehow finishing fourth in a reduced sprint for the line. Van der Poel was the man that came out on top that year, with Pogačar visibly furious at the finish at his inability to successfully dispatch the Dutchman despite the course, on paper, favouring the bigger and more powerful rider.

When he returned to Flanders 12 months later it was clear that he had learned from that scenario. There was simply no way he was going to allow that same situation to develop again. A huge attack and all in on the Kwaremont or risk it on the drag into Oudenaarde; the answer was always the former of the two.

The same situation must play out this time around if he is going to strike even with his main rival this spring and add an eighth Monument to his collection.

"In San Remo, he beat me quite good, but this is a different race," Pogačar said this week as he looked ahead to Sunday’s race across the cobbles. "Flanders is a little bit more tiring, and it's going to be harder throughout the day. But I'm here to race for the victory, so I will give my best to try and win.

"Maybe I can be better after six hours, but he's in super good shape," he added. "I just try to get a little bit of a gap at some point in the race and try to use that. But there are so many opportunities, and options that can happen on Sunday, I just need to grab one and hope for the best."

Typically, the Slovenian gave little away with modest and unassuming answers when assessing his chances of getting one back over the Dutchman. Pogačar, though, is not out for revenge, he simply doesn’t operate like that. He uses his own will to win and hunger to be the best to drive him on. He does not consider being beaten by a rider of the calibre of Van der Poel - who in his own right is arguably one of the greatest Classics riders of all time - as a reason to feel bitter.

"I don't know why I would be looking for revenge when nobody did anything bad to me," he said of their most recent duel at San Remo. "It just needs to be a hard race, and maybe he's tired in the end."

A hard race, something Pogačar is capable of ensuring Flanders becomes in an instant. Expect endless explosive attacks once the likes of the Koppenberg, Oude Kwaremont and Paterberg climbs arrive. Pogačar won’t fancy a sprint after the mauling he received on the Via Roma just a fortnight ago. It's all in or nothing, attack on the climbs and go from range.

Pogačar won't have it all his own way, with Van der Poel at the front of a long queue of riders looking to prevent him from winning. But if he can create that situation for himself out on the road, then he will be well on the way to potential victory.

See also: How to watch Tour of Flanders 2025

Mathieu van der Poel stormed to a second successive victory at the E3 Saxo Classic on Friday after dropping Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek) and Filippo Ganna (Ineos Grenadiers) on the Oude Kwaremont.

Pedersen fought valiantly in his attempts to close down the Alpecin-Deceuninck rider, although the Dane faded as Van der Poel powered on in the grey drizzle of West Flanders and continued his fine early season form after winning Milan-San Remo.

Van der Poel took the win by more than a minute over Pedersen with Ganna securing third, a further minute back on the Dutchman.

Speaking at the finish, the former road world champion hailed the huge effort from his teammates after Alpecin had to dig deep in the early stages in order to keep their key man in the race. “I’m very very happy,” Van der Poel said. “We had quite a tough race for the team, I have to thank my whole team for the amazing job they did today. I was really motivated to finish it off.” An early crash caused chaos in the peloton with Alpecin one of several teams caught out as splits formed.

Van der Poel tracked a move on the Taaienberg from Pedersen with 80km to go, before they were joined by Ganna. Along with the two riders up the road - Aimé De Gendt and Casper Pedersen - they surged on, with little chance of the win coming from behind. The Oude Kwaremont then proved decisive.

“He’s just incredible,” Pedersen said at the finish, describing Van der Poel and his attack on the cobbled climb. “The gap kept extending. It’s impossible to come back from that. On the Kwaremont he made the difference and showed his class again. We wanted to open up the race on the Taaienberg, we talked to the DSes there and decided not to follow but to try it ourselves. It was nice to open up the race, with a smaller group. The shape is there. It was proper racing today, so I’m happy.”

Meanwhile Ganna admitted that his heavier build meant that he simply couldn’t follow when Van der Poel and Pedersen pushed on. “My weight is too high for this climb with these guys. I’m really happy with my performance in the last kilometres (though). I had a fire in the legs and then we were at the top and saw 30km to go, I thought ‘fuck’. It was a really hard race, but I’m happy, the shape is here. I’m not the best rider for the steep climbs.”

How it happened

An early crash sparked panic in the field as splits formed in the race as a result. Wout van Aert and Visma-Lease a Bike and Mathieu van der Poel and Alpecin-Deceuninck were caught out as the race splintered, with the opening 40 kilometres completed in just 45 minutes as Groupama FDJ and Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe set an infernal pace at the head of the peloton.

Once the race hit the Kanarieberg the two groups were within touching distance of one another and eventually made contact as the climb progressed. Matteo Jorgenson (Visma-Lease a Bike) launched an attack over the summit of the climb and took Groupama-FDJ’s Stefan Küng with him. Jorgenson’s move didn’t amount into anything with the real action still to come.

With 80 kilometres to go, the speed suddenly ramped up at the front of the peloton, with Lidl-Trek and Ineos Grenadiers driving the tempo into the Taaienberg as rain began to fall. Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek) used the increased aggression to launch an attack on the cobbles and Van der Poel was the first man able to follow. Filippo Ganna (Ineos Grenadiers) then bridged across, and the trio then joined the last men standing from an earlier move, Casper Pedersen (Soudal Quick-Step) and Aimé De Gendt (Cofidis), at the sharp end of proceedings.

A six-man chase group soon formed between the five riders up front and the remnants of the main field. Jorgenson was present for Visma alongside Josh Tarling (Ineos Grenadiers), Jasper Stuyven (Lidl-Trek), Tim Wellens (UAE Emirates), Matteo Trentin (Tudor Pro Cycling) and Küng.

On the Paterberg, Pedersen accelerated hard with the aim of cutting the lead five down; Ganna and Van der Poel were the only men able to keep up. The Oude Kwaremont soon followed, and it was Ganna that began the climb first. Van der Poel took over and caused a split as the cobbles began. The former world champion soon crested the summit and was out of sight, with Pedersen 17 seconds down on him and Ganna a further 13 seconds back.

As the rain continued to fall in West Flanders, Van der Poel tore over the Karnemelkbeekstraat and under the 30 kilometre to go banner with 25 seconds over Pedersen back down the road. The slick roads began to become an issue with the Dutchman nearly losing his back wheel on a wet corner.

Van der Poel, however, held on and won by more than a minute in Harelbeke, with Pedersen taking second and Ganna completing the podium.

Results

E3 Saxo Classic 2025 (208km)

1. Mathieu van der Poel (Ned) Alpecin-Deceuninck, in 4:39:14
2. Mads Pedersen (Den) Lidl-Trek, +1:05
3. Filippo Ganna (Ita) Ineos Grenadiers, +2:04
4. Casper Pedersen (Den) Soudal Quick-Step, +2:33
5. Jasper Stuyven (Bel) Lidl-Trek
6. Stefan Küng (Sui) Groupama-FDJ
7. Aimé De Gendt (Bel) Cofidis, all at same time
8. Tim Wellens (Bel) UAE Team Emirates-XRG, +2:35
9. Matteo Jorgenson (USA) Visma-Lease a Bike, +2:38
10. Mike Teunissen (Ned) XDS Astana, +2:43

Mathieu van der Poel is to skip the 2025 Road World Championships in Rwanda to focus on targeting the mountain bike Worlds, it was revealed on Wednesday.

At an Alpecin-Deceuninck media day attended by Sporza, among others, the 2023 road world champion - and seven-time cyclo-cross world champion - announced that he would aim for rainbow glory in Valais, Switzerland, in September.

He will begin his road season at Tirreno-Adriatico, before targeting Milan-San Remo, the Tour of Flanders, Paris-Roubaix and the Tour de France later on the season.

"It will look a bit the same as last year. The focus is on the Belgian Classics, that's what I'm best at," Van der Poel said.

"It is an ideal moment to focus on mountain biking again and to make the world title a big goal after the Tour de France. The plan is to do a few World Cup races too if it's possible, I definitely want to do it. But that is only possible if it fits within my schedule.

"It's the last piece of the puzzle that I'm missing. I really want to win the mountain bike world title. And with the Worlds in Rwanda, it's ideal to focus only on mountain biking."

Van der Poel won the 2023 World Championships in Glasgow and this month won his record-equalling seventh 'cross world title in Lièvin, France, so a MTB rainbow jersey is the only thing missing from that collection.

"We will look at a race like Dwars door Vlaanderen later. It is also not certain yet that I will start in Gent-Wevelgem," Van der Poel said of his spring. "I would rather win the Tour of Flanders a fourth time than a first time in Wevelgem."

The Dutchman also briefly touched on potentially his biggest rival at Flanders, the reigning world champion Tadej Pogačar, who teased this week about his participation at Roubaix.

"I don't know what Tadej's plans are for Roubaix," he said. "If he has the form he had for Flanders last year, then he'll be a tough opponent but I'm not losing any sleep over it.

"You have to be 110 percent to beat him at Flanders. I had good legs, but he still dropped me on the Oude Kwaremont [in 2023, when Pogačar won]. But the more good riders at the start, the better, because then the race will fall into place."

Van der Poel had previously hinted that he could skip the Tour de France, but it is now confirmed that he will race this July, both for himself and to support Alpecin's sprinter, Jasper Philipsen.

A Dutch pro cycling team has called on other squads to do more in an attempt to cut carbon emissions and improve the sport’s impact on the environment, following their example.

BEAT Cycling, a Dutch UCI Continental squad, travelled by train on Monday from Amsterdam to Girona for a training camp for the second year in a row and believe that their example should encourage more teams to do the same, even at WorldTour level.

"As people working in professional sport, we have a great opportunity to set an example," Twan van Schie, the team’s sustainability manager, told Cycling Weekly.

"As pro cyclists you get the chance and the opportunity to inspire. By this I mean there's a lot of people that want to ride around like Mathieu van der Poel, with the same helmet, same glasses, you name it. So we as pro cyclists also have to set the example that more sustainable ways of travel do exist and are easily accessible and possible too."

"Yes, it takes a bit longer, but also it's a bit more comfortable and way better for the environment. I think if cycling as a whole grabs this opportunity, we can have such a positive influence."

BEAT Cycling operates on a tight budget, but Van Schie explained that with plenty of planning he was able to avoid travelling by plane. He said that he believes there is nothing holding back major European WorldTour teams from attempting to follow suit when travelling to camps in Spain. Even that, he says, will help the sport make a small, but positive, difference to the climate emergency.

"I think 100% it will be possible for other teams," he said. "We don't have the budget to normally do this, and we really have to look for sponsorships and partners to work together to get this all together. Whereas I think the big teams with the huge budgets, they can make these kinds of decisions a bit easier."

Less stressful than the plane

Last year, the team used a shipping container on a freight train to transport their bikes and other gear to Girona ahead of the riders and staff making the trip. This year, a small truck containing the equipment had to travel by road. However, Van Schie's findings show that even with one vehicle travelling by road to Spain they still cut their emissions as a group.

"I spoke a lot with the riders about their opinions and their experiences, and what they mostly noted is that in cycling there is no perfect way to travel," Van Schie added, revealing that the majority of the group were sold on the new means of transport. "So if you go by plane, yes, you're in that chair for a shorter time, but you're all cramped up and it's often quite stressful."

"By train it takes a little less than 12 hours, which means there's no time for a shakeout ride when we get there," he said. "But the riders did admit it was so much more relaxed during the trip. You have way more leg room. You can just stand up whenever you please.

"It was kind of a team building event too, because you were with the entire team in the train for like 10 hours. You could speak with everyone, play a game, move around a bit more. The leg room is way more luxurious on the train, you're not all cramped up. We definitely do believe more people should do this in cycling."

In an unexpected twist, Mathieu van der Poel will go up against Wout van Aert on Sunday for a shot at the cyclo-cross men’s world title in Liévin, northern France at the weekend.

Unlike Van der Poel, Van Aert was initially not scheduled to compete in the worlds but due to his form on the CX field in recent weeks it was announced that he will now be on the start line. Any duel between the longstanding rivals is always highly anticipated, whether it’s on or off road, although the two caked in mud going after the cyclo-cross rainbow jersey is special.

The duo enjoyed an epic battle in Hoogerheide, the Netherlands in early February two years ago, which provided plenty of edge of your seat moments. Van der Poel won that battle, before going on to win again - with Van Aert absent - last year.

Achieving a seventh would be a remarkable feat on Sunday but the presence of Van Aert in France will make things far from straightforward. Van Aert has three world titles to his name and his recent results suggest he will be firmly in contention in Liévin. We’ve put together a summary of both rider’s form going into the elite men’s race in France on Sunday.

Mathieu van der Poel

The flying Dutchman has won eight of the races he has started this winter out of the 11 he was initially due to compete in. Even more impressive. when looking at his form, is that the final four victories came despite him suffering with a fractured rib that he picked up over the festive period.

He kickstarted his cross campaign with victory at the Zonhoven round of the UCI World Cup in Belgium before he then followed that up 24 hours later with another win at the Superprestige Zilvermeercross in Mol.

Next up was the Boxing Day clash at the UCI World Cup in Gavere, Belgium which was a far more closely run affair, with Van der Poel edging out Belgium’s Michael Vanthourenhout by 26 seconds. He then secured the victory in Loenhout the following day by 14 seconds ahead of Nys despite fracturing his rib in a mid-race crash.

Three straight victories then followed at UCI World Cup rounds in Besançon, France, Maasmechelen in Belgium and Hoogerheide in the Netherlands to ensure Van der Poel is well and truly set up for a shot at a seventh world title.

"Pleasantly surprised," Van der Poel said when asked how he felt on learning Van Aert would take part. "It’s always nice to race against a rider like him, but there are other names I’m also keeping an eye on. Thibau Nys is someone who can rise above himself in a championship. Michael Vanthourenhout is also in good form."

Wout van Aert

Van Aert started his cyclo-cross campaign later than his rival and was only initially scheduled to race six races this winter. This decision was made due to him keeping one eye on the start of the Classics and also the fact he was coming back from injury.

The four-time World Champion started his season at Loenhout, the same race Van der Poel obtained his injury, and managed fourth place behind the Dutchman. This was followed by two victories at the Superprestige Gullegem event and the Dendermonde round of the UCI World Cup. Van der Poel was not on the startline for either of those two victories.

The Belgian rode the Benidorm round of the World Cup and finished fourth behind overall winner Thibau Nys. He completed his initial schedule by taking second in Maasmechelen behind Van der Poel. On his decision to participate in the Worlds and face his rival for a shot at the rainbow bands, Van Aert said that being on the startline in Lievin will aid his preparation for his upcoming targets on the road.

"I’m feeling good, and my winter has gone well," he said. "The World Championships only recently came into my mind and after Maasmechelen the Belgian team coach, my coach at Team Visma | Lease a Bike and I decided to compete.

"I am excited to start in such a beautiful race, and I think that this extra boost is doing me good in the lead-up to bigger goals on the road. Obviously the preparation has been very different, but I’ll give it my best."

How to tune in

Our complete guide on how to watch all of the upcoming cycling events due to take place contains all the information you need to catch the Cyclo-cross World Championships this weekend.

The good news for his rivals is that Mathieu van der Poel doesn’t plan to dominate the Christmas cyclocross period. That pronouncement came after the world champion turned up to his first cyclocross race of the season on Sunday, the Zonhoven World Cup, and won by well over a minute. Good news then, this wasn’t the plan, he just demolished everyone by accident, he’s just training.

"Yes, it was a great victory today, but I preferred to save myself and stay in zone two throughout the race. Because I plan to do some high intensity training this week,” Van der Poel said post-race. How charming, he wasn’t even really trying, just staying in zone two. He could have had a chat, or stopped for a coffee halfway round. He went on to win at Mol in the Superprestige series on Monday, too.

The reappearance of the Alpecin-Deceuninck rider has boosted a CX season that was threatening to not capture the imagination of the non-hardcore fans among us, but at what cost?

Zonhoven on Sunday was the fifth round of the UCI’s CX World Cup series, a collection of 11 races between late November and late January (Italy’s round was cancelled thanks to stormy weather) which are supposed to bring the best ‘crossers together. However, the world champion has been absent until now, and will ride just 9 more events this season, his lowest in a non-injury affected season ever. His great rival Wout van Aert was supposed to ride just six times, but will already miss one due to illness, so make it five.

In their absence the riders a rung down - from Van der Poel and Van Aert certainly - have flooded in, using their absence to battle for wins. Eli Iserbyt, Michael Vanthourenhout and Niels Vandeputte have won rounds of the World Cup to date this season, with Iserbyt leading the X2O series and Lars van der Haar winning the Superprestige competition as things stand. It feels a bit before the Lord Mayor’s Show, though.

The problem is simple - when they choose to compete Van der Poel and Van Aert are on another level to their competitors. Even Tom Pidcock, the only other person to win a CX World Championships in a decade, appears to be a rung below, and he isn’t even racing this season. Van der Poel has won six rainbow jerseys in the past nine years, and is aiming for number seven in February. They appear too good to bet against.

The reason why they don’t turn up to many CX races anymore is likely the same thing that makes them so good when they do pin a number on: their road racing calendars. Van der Poel’s main goals are not in the sand or mud of December, but on the cobbles and bergs of March, April and May.

That’s not just me speculating, that’s what Van der Poel’s dad, Adrie - himself a former CX world champion - thinks too. “I think the difference is that those guys ride such a tough road program,” he told Wielerflits at the weekend. “You can also see it uphill. They can ride one, two teeth bigger and then they just ride away from the rest. That road program plays a role.”

However, they are also just on a different plane. Before Van Aert and Van der Poel took road racing seriously, they were dominating CX all the same. Is this good for the sport? There appears to be a widening gap between the haves and the have nots, with little prospect of these CX specialists taking the battle to the multi-discipline stars. The ‘big three’ - Van der Poel, Pidcock and Van Aert - are undoubtedly good for raising the number of TV audiences and fans when they are introduced - hence the large appearance fees they get - but would the action not be more exciting if there was tighter competition when they appear?

It cannot be easily solved. Competitions have been rearranged to tempt Van der Poel and Van Aert to race more, but there is more money and more sponsor pressure to be perfect for the road season. Something has to give, and it’s CX which suffers.

When the world champion does deign to race, it undeniably makes people switch on, but cyclocross needs to find a way to do this outside of the biggest names. It’s a problem which won’t go away.

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, or comment below.

Mathieu van der Poel thinks it is inevitable that Tadej Pogačar will one day triumph at Paris-Roubaix and add another Monument title to his rapidly growing trophy cabinet.

Van der Poel has won the last two editions of the Hell of the North but feels Pogačar would be more than capable of getting the better of both him and his fellow Classics stars on the Roubaix cobblestones.

Pogačar is not riding the race next year, but it is thought he will make an attempt on the pavé at some point in his career.

"He will for sure try it once," Van der Poel said at his Alpecin-Deceuninck training camp earlier this month. "Maybe not next year but for sure I think he will try to win it at some point."

"For sure," he added when asked if Pogačar could be the first man over the line in the Vélodrome André-Pétrieux. "He already showed in the Tour stage we did on the cobbles once that he was really strong so I don’t think it would be a surprise to anyone [if he won]. He would be one of the favourites in Roubaix if he went."

"Tadej is quite special, of course. Although if you see the Monuments it’s often the same winners, only San Remo is a bit more diverse. But it is definitely not easy to win these sorts of races."

In between looking ahead to the new season, Van der Poel joked that he was making the most of the time he had left in the mid-December sun before heading back to northern Europe to compete in the 11 eleven cyclocross races currently pencilled into his winter program.

The former road world champion said that once he heads back to Belgium most of his training will feature lengthy periods spent on Zwift.

"I used to be much more on Zwift but I spend a lot of time in Spain now," he said. "During the winter when I’m in Belgium I’m riding almost every day on Zwift to be honest. I prefer to jump on that than to go out in the bad weather and especially with cyclocross it is a nice combination.

"You can do cyclocross training in the afternoon and then an hour on there and it is a nice combination. But down here in Spain you don’t need it often."

Former world champion Tom Pidcock will sit out the cyclocross season this winter as he gears up for a debut road campaign with his new team, Q36.5 Pro Cycling.

In early November Pidcock did not rule out the possibility of pinning on a race number over December and into January but has now confirmed he will not feature. Meanwhile, fellow former world champion Wout van Aert (Visma-Lease a Bike) will race at least six times, with the final member of the 'big three', Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) riding 11 races.

Pidcock signed for Q36.5 earlier this month after leaving Ineos Grenadiers by mutual consent. To enable him to fully prepare for his first outing with the Swiss team he will not get muddy over the Christmas period.

Writing on Instagram, Pidcock confirmed that he has not ditched the discipline for good and will return to the field in the latter half of next year. Pidcock raced eight times last season, winning once.

"On Sunday I watched my first cyclocross of this season and it reminded me I should probably officially mention that this year, I will not race cyclocross," Pidcock wrote. "With a lot of change I want to make sure I have the time to settle into a new environment to get to know my new team and teammates well. But so far my plan will be to return to the field next year."

His announcement also means that next year’s World Championships will definitely feature just one of the cyclocross "big-three", Van der Poel. The Dutchman begins his season on Sunday as he builds towards the World Championships in Liévin, France, on 2 February.

Van Aert’s schedule has been reduced to enable him to compete for fitness purposes more than anything as he rebuilds his strength after crashing out of the Vuelta a España in the summer and suffering a serious knee injury. He took to the CX field nine times last season.

The Belgian will race for the first time on 23 December against Van der Poel in Mol, Belgium before wrapping up his brief campaign against his longstanding rival on 25 January in Massmechelen.

"Cyclocross remains my first love, which is why I enjoy returning to it every winter," Van Aert said. "This winter, we’ve opted for a compact schedule of six races that fit well into my training plan. It will be a cyclocross season I approach purely out of love for the sport, but with modest ambitions.

"After my crash in the Vuelta and my knee injury, it’s essential to make the best use of the time I have to prepare for the road season. A few cyclocross races fit nicely into that plan, but the schedule is deliberately more limited than in previous years."

Alongside the races in Mol and Maasmechelen, Van Aert will compete in events in Loenhout, Gullegem, Dendermonde and Benidorm. His reduced schedule means that he will come up against Van der Poel on just four occasions this season, including in just two UCI World Cup rounds.

Mathieu van der Poel vs Wout van Aert 2024/25 cyclocross schedule

Jasper Philipsen says Alpecin Deceuninck will be fully prepared and ready to deal with the favourite tag during the Spring Classics next season after the team’s early season dominance last time out.

The Belgium team won all three of the opening Monuments through Mathieu van der Poel and Philipsen himself. Van der Poel won Paris-Roubaix for a second time after winning the Tour of Flanders once more in only his fourth race day of the season. Meanwhile, Philipsen kickstarted the squad’s fine early season run with victory at Milan-San Remo.

Philipsen has gradually begun to build an identity for himself as far more than just a sprinter. His two consecutive second places at Roubaix behind his teammate only helped to continue to build that narrative.

Speaking to Cycling Weekly at Alpecin-Deceuninck’s winter training camp in Spain, Philipsen said that the Classics have begun to have equal importance for him on an individual basis alongside the Tour de France and targeting the green sprinters jersey.

"During the season we’re looking more towards the Classics races for me now and also training for these specific races regularly," he explained. "Going to the Tour de France I’ll then look to try and improve more in the sprints and focus on that but I think what we did last year went quite well so we will try to do more or less the same for me and try to have a successful spring campaign.

"I’ll always be a sprinter and the sprints will be my strength, but it’s not going to be the main focus for the first part of the year for me."

"We’re still figuring out the details of my program but there will be no Tour Down Under or anything like that," he added. "Last year went really well so we don’t need to adapt too many things. We’ll switch my training after the Classics and start to tailor things towards sprinting again but it’s more or less a similar approach."

"I was really happy with how it all went," he explained as he reflected back on 2024. "To do what we did [at Paris-Roubaix] for two years in a row was really quite special. Next year all eyes will be on us but we will be ready.

"It would be great for us to win again at Roubaix but I will just be happy if I’m good and maybe win another Classic. It’s really hard to just specifically target one because it means you need to be really 100% perfect and there’s many circumstances that can get in the way."

Philipsen joked that it was a relief to be in Dénia on the Costa Blanca once more after foul winter weather had begun to take hold back home in Belgium. The 26-year-old has spent a large amount of training time on Zwift but was relishing the opportunity to be out on the road once more with his teammates in the south of Spain.

"It’s a bit of an evolution coming here," he said. "I think one team started it, then others followed and eventually the whole bunch was here. Every year you see more and more people coming down here and you see more and more amateurs and younger riders too. Some of the guys stay here for months now in order to prepare for the new season."

"In Belgium it’s always raining so I usually just go on Zwift," he added. "If it’s a shorter ride and I don’t want to go out on the road then I use it then as well. I don’t really like to train just on rollers so this helps make it more interactive and just more fun. It’s a cool alternative to have."

Mathieu van der Poel is to race 11 cyclocross races this season, starting with the Zonhoven World Cup on Sunday 22 December, and finishing with the World Championships in Liévin, France, on 2 February, it was announced on Friday.

This is the lowest number of CX events the six-time world champion has ever completed in a season, apart from 2021/22, when he was affected by injury. Last year, Van der Poel raced 14 times, concluding with victory at the World Championships in Tabor.

In a press release from Alpecin-Deceuninck, the Dutchman explained: "After careful consideration and discussions with the team management and performance staff, I decided on a solid schedule of races. A more compact program of, say, two World Cup races combined with the World Championships was another option, but I think it makes more sense to do a more extensive package of races."

"Once that decision was made, I quickly mapped out the races I wanted to include. And yes, I’m fortunate to have the freedom to choose the races I enjoy most. It is no coincidence that with Zonhoven, Mol and Koksijde there are a few typical sand races on the menu."

He is aiming for a seventh world title, which would make him the joint-record holder.

"The seventh world title, of course," he said of his ambitions. "It is the only thing I still have to achieve in CX: this unique record of Erik De Vlaeminck. This aspiration has been a driving force in shaping my commitment to this winter's cyclocross season. The World Championship[s] in Liévin is the only real goal, although I hope to fight for victory in all the other races I take part in. But we'll see how I do in the first weeks. As I said, the peak will be a bit later this year."

Last season Van der Poel won all but one of the races he took part in, so it will be interesting to see how he shapes up against his rivals this year. The two World Cups this season have been won by Eli Iserbyt and Michael Vanthourenhout in his absence, and the X2O and Superprestige competitions are led by Lars van der Haar.

Van der Poel will be the first of the CX 'big three' to return to competition, with the likelihood of Wout van Aert and Tom Pidcock racing still unknown.

Mathieu van der Poel's CX schedule

- Zonhoven World Cup 22/12
- Mol Superprestige 23/12
- Gavere World Cup 26/12
- Loenhout Exact 27/12
- Besançon World Cup 29/12
- Baal X2O Trofee 01/01
- Koksijde X2O Trofee 03/01
- Dendermonde World Cup 05/01
- Maasmechelen World Cup 25/01
- Hoogerheide World Cup 26/01
- Liévin World Championships 02/02

The skills and backgrounds of professional gravel racers are just as diverse as the events themselves. This dynamic discipline now boasts a wide range of races, from the fast, mixed-terrain Belgian Waffle Ride California to gruelling 200-mile epics like Unbound Gravel in Kansas. These events attract athletes from every corner of cycling: mountain bikers, roadies, gravel specialists, and hybrids of all kinds.

Road cycling has well-established categories of riders. Sepp Kuss is a climber. Felippo Ganna is a time trialist. Jasper Philipsen is a sprinter. Gravel racing isn’t as neatly defined, but similar archetypes exist, albeit with more crossover.

Take Keegan Swenson as an example. Often lauded as the best off-road rider in the country, Swenson started his racing career as an XCO mountain biker before discovering a talent for the longer-distance disciplines of marathon racing and gravel. He has the technical prowess you’d expect from his mountain biking roots, combined with an engine that appears almost unbeatable. He can climb, excelling in courses like Crusher in the Tushar and the Leadville 100, which both feature long, steep climbs at high altitudes. He has also won the 200-mile Unbound, which he did in a bunch sprint. For these reasons, we'd label him an all-rounder. Meet the archetypes of the gravel peloton.

The all-rounders

Like Swenson, the all-rounders are lethal on nearly any course profile. It’s this diversity of skill and ability that makes them well-suited to gravel, be it fast-paced off-road races with pack dynamics to rough singletrack terrain where most would prefer a mountain bike.

Lachlan Morton can also be considered an all-rounder. When he was a roadie, the Aussie-turned-American was considered more of a climber, but the EF rider can do more than go up hills with his featherlight frame. His biggest victory thus far came at this year’s Unbound, where he outmatched Chad Haga in a tactical finale.

I’d also place a rider like Sarah Sturm in this category. Sturm’s background ranges from mountain biking to cyclocross, and the American has found success in races like the Gravel Earth Series’ Migration Stage race in Kenya and the Life Time Grand Prix circuit. With two overall victories in the Life Time Grand Prix, Sofia Gomez Villafaňe has also proven herself to be a formidable all-rounder and a podium threat no matter the course.

The climbers

Some riders use their power-to-weight ratio to their advantage. This doesn’t mean they can’t win in other scenarios, but they really shine when the dirt road points skyward. Pete Stetina made the most of his reported 63kg frame to net a second-place finish at the vertiginous Crusher in the Tushar, and his WorldTour background gives him the power and group racing experience to be lethal.

Cole Paton and Howard Grotts are also examples of lightweight men who can climb like mountain goats. Both are mountain bikers at heart, giving them superb technical skills in addition to their climbing skills.

In the women’s peloton, Haley Smith's another example of a mountain biker who can climb. She showcased her exceptional climbing ability in winning the 2023 edition of Crushar in the Tushar on her way to clinching the overall title of the Life Time Grand Prix that year. Leadville winner Melisa Rollins earns a spot in the climbers club as well after her race-winning move on the Columbine climb. Former soccer player Iz King burst onto the cycling scene after claiming Strava QOMS all over Southern California and is one to watch out for on the climbs as well.

The Gravel Specialists

From Lauren Stephens to Lauren De Crescenzo and Paige Onweller, some racers are most at home on rolling gravel roads. Stephens raced a mixed calendar of road and gravel this year, which led to a fantastic summer in the dirt winning the U.S. National Gravel Championships, the unofficial Gravel Worlds and SBT GRVL. De Crescenzo also has a road background but has found her niche on gravel roads, winning Unbound in 2021 and racking up marquee gravel wins every year since.

Onweller has found a niche in winning races like Big Sugar, where she won in 2022 as an unknown name to many.

Another rider who could fit into this category of specialists is Alexey Vermeulen, who came to gravel after a short U23 stint on the WorldTour. Vermeulen was among the first to succeed as a gravel privateer, finding more joy and a better income in this new avenue than he did in traditional cycling.

The Big Guys

Names like Matt Beers, Brennan Wertz and John Borstelmann might be considered the rouleurs of the gravel peloton. These larger riders can still go uphill at a rapid pace, but they find the most success on rolling or flat terrain where they can really lay down the power. Beers has been known to take some massive pulls, while Wertz won the U.S. National Championships in Nebraska this year. Borstelmann is a multi-time (unofficial) Gravel Worlds winner which also takes place in the rolling terrain of the American Midwest.

The domestiques

Domestiques and team tactics in gravel are a grey area that will spur many opinions, but there’s no denying that alliances (both official and unofficial) exist in the gravel peloton.

At Unbound in 2023, Howard Grotts gave Russel Finsterwald his wheel after his then-Specialized teammate punctured. At this year's event, the Pas Normal team was out in full force, with riders fiercely attacking early in the race to allow Chad Haga to end up in the race-defining break and finish in second place.

And then there's Santa Cruz rider Tobin Ortenblad, who often works for his teammate Swenson. Their partnership was most notable at Leadville 2023 where Ortenbad set a blistering pace early on to help Swenson break the course record. We wouldn’t say that any one rider has made being a domestique their sole identity as a gravel racer yet, but it’s something to keep an eye on.

The Euros

As gravel racing develops, differences in terrain and race styles between the U.S. and European scenes become increasingly apparent. The U.S. thinks of itself as a rebel, with a variety of different races and little input from sanctioning bodies.

In Europe, races are more road-like, with WorldTour tactics and UCI-sanctioned races. The last two editions of the UCI Gravel World Championships have seen winners in Matej Mohoric, Kasia Niewiadoma, Marianne Vos and Mathieu van der Poel. These riders wear the gravel rainbow jersey, but are they really gravel riders? Many would consider them roadies who happened to win a gravel race, influenced by courses and race dynamics that suited their road backgrounds.

Of course, there are plenty of European gravel specialists, too. And there is a growing presence of them at American races like Laurens ten Dam and his so-called Dutch mafia.

Still, gravel is anyone's game

As the above examples illustrate, gravel attracts riders from all backgrounds, and the categories have considerable overlap. The point isn’t to put labels on riders for the sake of putting a label on, but rather to point out their skills and what types of races they typically succeed at. Gravel has blurred the lines of cycling disciplines. Likewise, this dynamic discipline is still defining its archetypes. Is Lauren de Crescenzo actually a climber? Should there be a mountain biker category? What about the ultra-endurance racers and bikepackers who ride gravel like Lael Wilcox and Lachlan Morton? Perhaps it’s this lack of hard definitions that makes gravel so fun to follow – anyone can win.

The start date of Wout van Aert’s cyclo-cross campaign is still up in the air due to the after effects of the serious knee injury he suffered in September.

Van Aert crashed on stage 16 of the Vuelta a España on a wet descent and abandoned moments later. His Visma-Lease a Bike team later announced that the 29-year-old Belgian had suffered what was described as a "serious" knee injury which would require a combination of "intensive care" and antibiotics. Blood visibly streamed from his knee as he was attended to by Visma staff in the immediate aftermath of the crash.

Visma-Lease a Bike later said that the Belgian’s road season was over for the year and that he would not race again in 2024. It was expected that Van Aert would subsequently not race cyclo-cross until the end of December at the earliest as his recovery continues, although it appears that has now been delayed further with the news that he is still struggling to run. However, he is very much able to cycle, racking up the miles during his road off-season.

As well as on bike training, Belgian outlet Het Laatste Nieuws reported that Van Aert will undertake a combination of different running exercises while at a team training camp in a bid to further strengthen his knee ahead of his CX bow. The team training camp runs until 19 December and the initial hope was that he could ride cyclo-cross soon after.

Van Aert is a three-time CX world champion, although the last of these came in 2018. Last season he won three times in nine races.

Cycling Weekly contacted Visma-Lease a Bike to ask about Van Aert’s recovery and to confirm when he is now expected to begin his winter racing schedule.

Tom Pidcock, another former cyclo-cross world champion, recently refused to commit to racing CX whatsoever this winter. The 25-year-old competed in eight CX races last season, winning one in Namur, but suggested he might not line up at any races whatsoever during this season.

"At the moment no, but possibly," he said when asked if he had any CX plans in the making.

He added: "It has been a long year, I needed a proper break away from everything, but there's a possibility I'll do some races over Christmas and the new year. We can figure out that later."

Pidcock and Van Aert are considered two of the cyclo-cross big three, the other being Mathieu van der Poel. The Dutchman has won the CX world title for the last two seasons.

Van der Poel’s team have remained silent so far on whether he is likely to appear at any cross races this winter. According to HLN, it is likely that the Dutchman will race some events with an announcement expected to come this week.

Van der Poel was the only one of the 'big three' that lined up at the last worlds in Tábor in the Czech Republic. In the absence of the other two, Joris Nieuwenhuis of the Netherlands and Belgium’s Michael Vanthourenhout took second and third respectively.

The president of the Latvian Cycling Federation has accused Mathieu van der Poel of endangering spectators during the World Championships road race, and questioned the UCI for not disqualifying the Dutchman.

Van der Poel bunnyhopped onto a pavement with 58km to go in the men's event in Zurich, Switzerland on Sunday and accelerated past his rivals in a chase group. He then went on to place third, winning the bronze medal, ahead of Latvia's Toms Skujiņš in fourth.

According to UCI rules, mounting a pavement is punishable by a fine of up to 1,000CHF (£888), a 25-point UCI deduction, and a yellow card. In cases where a rider is deemed to have earned a serious advantage or endangered others, the commissaires can choose to relegate them.

In an open letter to the UCI published today, Latvian Cycling Federation president, Sandis Akis, said he was "deeply concerned" about the decision to not disqualify Van der Poel.

"The real problem is that he endangered spectators, a violation that has consistently been penalized with disqualification this year, as seen with Marlen Reusser at the 2024 Gent-Eveelgem and Luke Rowe at the 2018 Ronde van Vlaanderen," Akis wrote.

"Van der Poel almost rode into a spectator while overtaking three riders on a footpath with no other particular reason, as he was not avoiding a crash."

Akis added that a representative of the Latvian Federation met with the UCI commissaires after the race on Sunday, and was told the infringement was not deemed to have been dangerous.

"The Latvian representative insisted that the rules apply to everyone, but the commissaire argued that it wouldn't be good for the sport, interpreting the rules as they saw fit. The Latvian representative was subsequently sent away. It seems that some are more equal than others, especially when it comes to unpopular decisions to be made," Akis wrote.

"If Van der Poel had crashed into a spectator on the road, would that have been good or bad for our sport? We urge the UCI to apply its rules consistently to ensure the safety and integrity of cycling and not to leave this kind of potential accident without response, just because it would be so-called damage of reputation.

"We, as a part of the cycling world, expect the UCI to publicly explain the decision of commissaires to avoid similar situations, as paying no attention to this situation creates a ground for greater risk to racing in the future which is something no one wants."

The world title was won by Tadej Pogačar, who attacked with over 100km to go, before soloing to victory. If Van der Poel had been disqualified, Latvia’s Skujiņš would have won the bronze medal. Australian Ben O’Connor finished second.

In a statement issued to Cycling Weekly, a UCI spokesperson acknowledged Akis’s letter. 

the UCI spokesperson added: “In regards to such rule, it shall be underlined that disqualification is not the ordinary sanction – which is the imposition of a fine and a points deduction - and only applies in “serious cases of advantage, endangerment, repeated infringements or aggravating circumstances”. The situation in question not deemed as such a case, the UCI Commissaires Panel’s decision was to not issue any sanction.”

It was difficult to detect any sign of disappointment in Jasper Philipsen as he arrived back at the Alpecin-Deceuninck team bus in the Colombey-les-Deux-Églises drizzle on Saturday afternoon, a stark contrast to the mood in Dijon after his relegation on Thursday. 

Yet again, Philipsen finished in second place in another Tour de France stage, this time narrowly beaten by Biniam Girmay, but there were no histrionics this time, no fists slammed onto car bonnets or objects thrown inside the bus. 

Instead, just a few words were exchanged with the waiting wives and girlfriends of the riders, an over-excited puppy was given some attention and then the Belgian fastman climbed inside the bus for the sanctuary of a hot shower and a brief few minutes peace to gather his thoughts before facing the throng of waiting journalists and television crews gathering outside. 

Did he make any mistakes on the uphill finishing drag at the base of the hill below the Mémorial Charles-de-Gaulle? "Not that I know of," Philipsen said.

"I think in the end it was a pretty tough finish and I didn't feel great today so I was a bit surprised I was still second. But I think it's a finish that Girmay also suits very well though so he deserved to win.

"I think we just need to get it right and we need to have smaller adjustments and then the win will come also."

"I think it will turn around," he added regarding his team’s fortune. "If we can be second, we can win as well. And once we have a bit better luck then we're on the move."

Philipsen won four stages at the Tour 18 months ago on the way to winning the green jersey in Paris. This time out he has managed three second places so far, with one of them not standing after he was judged to have blocked off Wout van Aert during the sprint in Dijon won by Dylan Groenewegen. 

"I didn't have the best legs today," Philipsen explained. "It was a tough day. I think we had a deserved winner and we have to look at the next opportunities.

"I think the numbers are good.  We just need a little bit more luck and some momentum and then the result will come."

Alpecin-Deceuninck head sports director Christoph Roodhooft echoed Philipsen’s stance on the result, suggested that he was beaten by the better man in Girmay and hinted that the team had also held back slightly with the key gravel stage to come around Troyes on Sunday. 

"Frustrating is not the correct word," Roodhooft said. "He was beaten by [Biniam] Girmay… when you see the peloton in the end, a lot of good riders dropped out of nowhere. So it was a really hard, tough day and Jasper launched his sprint at I think a good moment and he's beaten by Girmay."

Philipsen’s Alpecin teammate, Mathieu van der Poel is, on paper, a rider that normally would be expected to flourish on the gravel stage. The current road world champion has had a relatively uneventful opening week to the race, but Roodhoft suggested he had held his prize asset back with the gravel in mind after he hadn’t been involved in Philipsen’s leadout. 

He said: "Tomorrow is another day also for Mathieu and that's why we wanted to keep him a bit where he wanted to be and he did not even do the leadout because he was not feeling really strong," Roodhooft said

"After the race, it's always easy to say how you should have done it in the end of course, but I think this team was strong enough today without Mathieu."

For cycling fans the Paris Olympics features countless highlights across disciplines, including the start-studded mountain biking events.

The games will feature both women’s and men’s cross-country MTB events, with familiar names lining up in both.

In the men’s event, the start list will feature stars of the road like Tom Pidcock, along with mountain bike specialists like former Olympic champion Nino Schurter. 

The women’s competition will also feature huge-talents in the off road discipline, including Evie Richards, Pauline Ferrand Prevot and Jolanda Neff. 

Here is everything you need to know about the Tokyo Olympics MTB events: 

When is the Olympic mountain biking?

The women's mountain biking takes place at 1pm GMT on Sunday 28 July, on the first weekend of the Olympics, with the men's equivalent taking place the next day on Monday 29 July, also at 1pm.

The course 

The events will take place at Elancourt Hill, which is the highest point in the Paris region. Apparently, there are great views of the centre of the city from the top of the hill, which is at a height of 231m.

There isn't much major infrastructure being installed at the site in order to preserve its biodiversity, while 95% of the trails are based on existing paths.

The exact course is yet to be released, but the race typically takes somewhere between one and two hours. The number of laps will be announced the day before.

Who is riding?

The men’s event will feature some serious talent, including the reigning Olympic gold medalist and world champion Tom Pidcock (Great Britain), who is currently riding the Tour de France.

Other big names in that race will include Nino Schurter (Switzerland), Sam Gaze (New Zealand) and Alan Hatherly (South Africa).

The women's event will feature names like Pauline Ferrand-Prévot (France), as well as Evie Richards (Great Britain) and Puck Pieterse (Netherlands).

Just 36 riders will be in each race, with a maximum of two per country.

Mathieu van der Poel is to skip the Olympic mountain bike cross-country event, instead focusing on the Tour de France and the road race at the games, his team announced on Wednesday.

The road world champion, a former European champion in MTB cross-country, was expected to be targeting the event in Paris this summer, but will instead ride the road race.

The Alpecin-Deceuninck rider won the cyclo-cross World Championships for a sixth time at the beginning of 2024, before going on to win both the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix. He has not raced since Liège-Bastogne-Liège last month, and will spend all of May and most of June away from racing. His next road race will be stage one of the Tour, on 29th June in Florence.

In a press release on Wednesday, Van der Poel said the combination of MTB, along with the Tour and the road race were a "difficult puzzle to put together".

"Let's say I chose the most logical thing," he said. "My first half of the season was quite long. First the cyclocross season. After a short break, I resumed training in function of the spring season and I continued that campaign up to Liège-Bastogne-Liège. Now, if I want to focus fully on mountain biking and be perfectly prepared, I have to start as early as next weekend in Nove Mesto, the Czech manche of the MTB World Cup.

"So, in consultation with the team, I opted for a slightly longer rest period, after which I can build up to the Tour de France and the Olympic road race without time pressure. And the mountain biking? Who knows what's still possible in 2028 in Los Angeles? That's still a long time away, but I'll be in a different phase of my career then. Maybe then I can put everything on that mountain biking. This year the combination is just too difficult.

"The fact that I am currently riding in the rainbow jersey has indirectly played a bit of a role," he continued. "It's a special year. As world champion I like to ride in that jersey as much as possible. So I also prefer not to miss the Tour de France. And that proved to be a good preparation."

Van der Poel is continuing training in Spain, and will continue at altitude longer than the rest of Alpecin's squad. His aims for the Tour are to help his teammate Jasper Philipsen to stage wins and a second green jersey, while also targeting a stage win - his second - himself.