Our roundup of cycling news kicks off with bad news, as Wout van Aert’s most promising start of this cyclocross season ended with an ankle-fracturing tumble. Meanwhile, van der Poel remained dominant, Brand proved human — and we road racing fans began to turn our eyes south, as the Tour Down Under starts in just two weeks!
TOP STORY:
Van Aert Crashes During Showdown with van der Poel, Fractures Ankle
RACE NEWS
RIDER AND TEAM NEWS
Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe Publishes “Long List” for Tour de France
ASSOS Becomes Official Technical Apparel Partner of EF Pro Cycling
Van Aert Crashes During Showdown with van der Poel, Fractures Ankle
Those of us of a certain age will remember the Sports Illustrated cover jinx — and will hope that I, eTrashMike, haven’t initiated a similar EuroTrash jinx.
Just a week after I wished Wout van Aert one more triumphant victory — and a day after I lamented the Belgian’s double-flat in his previous bout with van der Poel — he crashed midway through the race at Mol, where he was mounting a spirited rally after falling behind.
Van Aert, who has mostly appeared shaky in this season’s cross races, seemed to have gained confidence and technical solidity after losing the race lead briefly in a challenging sand section. He was riding capably with van der Poel, even seizing the lead for stretches; as the two traded punches, heavily falling snow made for a vivid ‘cross scene.
No sooner did we WVA fans start feeling something like optimistic, however, than he went down — hard — on one of the course’s countless slippery corners. He bounced up quickly and even remounted his bike, but very soon grimaced in pain, limped into the pit and succumbed. X-rays taken soon after the race revealed a small fracture in his ankle; van Aert’s cyclocross season is over, and his road season is in question. (As of Sunday evening, van Aert had undergone successful surgery, and he and his Visma | Lease A Bike team were voicing optimism about his ability to compete in the spring classics.)
After the crash, the race played out as does every other ‘cross race that van der Poel starts: he rode steadily and powerfully, maintaining a comfortable lead over a determined Toon Aerts. One measure of surprise in this race: Spaniard Felipe Oorts Lloret recovered from two crashes and finished on the podium — his best result this season, however climatically improbable that may seem.
Van der Poel appeared positively miserable as he crossed the finish line, barely raising a hand in acknowledgement of the persevering crowd. While the near-blizzard conditions effected the kind of backdrop that cyclocross fans adore, you do have to wonder whether these stars — whose sponsorship bread is buttered primarily by racing on the road — will decide that racing in high-risk, relatively low-profile cyclocross races is worth the effort and peril.
RACE NEWS
Tour Down Under Start Lists Published (and Analyzed, by Mike)
The first World Tour race of 2026 is just two weeks away, and I’ve scanned the start lists — so you don’t have to!
While neither the men’s list nor the women’s includes any of our sport’s most notable protagonists — there’s not a Tadej, Jonas, or Remco, nor an MVDP or a WVA, or a PFP or a Demi — I did spot several riders who could contend for the overall win, or otherwise turn the TDU into an exciting kickoff event.
On the men’s side, the winners of the 2023, 2024 and 2025 versions will all be there — that’s Aussie time trial savant (and stoic economy class traveler) Jay Vine, Welshman Stevie Williams, and last year’s winner, Jhonatan Narváez. There’s also a Yates brother — Adam, always good for a solid ride — plus Harry Sweeney, Laurence Pithie, Corbin Strong, and other promising youngsters. At the other end of the age range, Michal Kwiatkowski will start yet another season, having won the World Championships in 2014. My pick for a surprise result? American Luke Lamperti (but that’s because I’m still impressed that he beat my son so handily in a mountain bike race in 2018).
Can Narváez repeat in 2026?
The women’s side features a Kopecky, but it’s Julia, not Lotte. I’m especially fired up to see World Champ Magdeleine Vallieres headed down under from her native Canada; maybe she’ll treat us to another self-deprecating medal ceremony? I also spotted Chloe Dygert — another North American who could contend, notwithstanding the lack of a time trial. Beyond those two…Claire Steels, who evidently is not related to Tom -? (Fear not: one of my new year’s resolutions is to improve my women’s cycling knowledge!)
Vallieres will represent Canada and EF Education-Oatly.
Both full lists can be found at https://tourdownunder.com.au/.
Van der Poel Remains Unbeaten in 2025-2026 Cross Season
As I’ve learned rapidly after committing to covering cyclocross this year, “Christmas ‘Cross”* is real: the World Cup series alone offers up four races in nine days during the holidays, with the other series sprinkling races across late December and early January as well; it’s nearly enough to provide sufficient entertainment while wiling away the miles on the trainer.
After launching his ‘cross season typically late, Mathieu van der Poel has been very active, especially during this Christmas ‘Cross period. Bookending his victory in Mol —site of van Aert’s season-ending fall — VDP took on younger competitors at the GP Sven Nys on New Year’s Day, and then again in the World Cup test at Zonhoven January 4.
At the GP Sven Nys, van der Poel was tested — briefly — not by the race’s (and cyclocross’ godfather’s) namesake Thibau Nys, but by another youngster, Emiel Verstrynge. Van der Poel made his decisive move less than twelve minutes into the competition, surging ahead on the asphalt section, but Verstrynge caught back on a lap later and the two members of the newly-redesignated Alpecin-Premier Tech team worked together to extend their lead to 26 seconds over the chase group. Despite a brief crash, Van der Poel recovered quickly and on lap five, and then accelerated again to drop Verstrynge for good.
Van der Poel’s performance Sunday at Zonhoven, meanwhile, was perhaps his most impressive of the season. The world champion took control from the opening moments and never looked back, building an insurmountable lead on a treacherous frozen course.
Racing under freezing temperatures through hard-packed snow, van der Poel navigated the infamous De Kuil sand pit flawlessly. The world champ even had time to recover from a flat tire, still crossing the line 45 seconds ahead of young teammate Tibor Del Grosso. Emiel Verstrynge completed the podium in third place.
The race was marred by a devastating crash for second-placed Thibau Nys, who hit a course post, flipped into the crowd, and broke his handlebar. Van der Poel now leads the World Cup standings with 200 points over Nys’s 190, extending his remarkable winning streak to 20 consecutive victories dating back to early 2024.
*Note: “Christmas ‘Cross” is not my term! To those of you who celebrate other holidays, or none at all, we welcome you to our year-round celebration of cycling.
Vandeputte Edges Vanthourenhout in Thrilling Gullegem Sprint
The Superprestige series’ Gullegem chapter featured neither Mathieu van der Poel (or Wout van Aert) nor any of his younger year-round rivals, like Nys, Verstrynge or Del Grosso: It was a race among the purists, from whom Niels Vandeputte emerged victorious.
Vandeputte defeated Michael Vanthourenhout by just three seconds in snowy conditions, extending his overall series lead to 91 points with one round remaining.
The race unfolded in challenging winter conditions as snow blanketed the West Flemish circuit. After an aggressive opening from Joris Nieuwenhuis, the race saw Gerben Kuypers break clear on lap three, forcing Vandeputte into a hard chase. The Belgian caught his compatriot late in lap four, with Nieuwenhuis and Joran Wyseure joining to form a leading quartet.
The decisive moment came on the final lap when Vanthourenhout pushed ahead through a sand section, building a five-second advantage. However, Vandeputte bridged across and launched a perfectly timed attack on the closing climb, opening a small gap that proved insurmountable. Nieuwenhuis claimed third place, with Wyseure finishing fourth. With one round remaining in Middelkerke, the series title remains wide open.
Women’s ‘Cross Roundup: Brand’s Streak Is Broken
Like I said: the Holidays pack a ton of cyclocross into a brief stretch! Here’s a roundup of the women’s racing since our last EuroTrash:
Baal (January 1): Lucinda Brand dominated the muddy New Year’s Day opener, leading wire-to-wire at the X2O Trofee to claim her 13th consecutive victory of the season. Brand crossed the line 12 seconds ahead of Puck Pieterse, with Zoe Bäckstedt taking third. The win extended Brand’s remarkable winning streak and solidified her position as the season’s dominant force (for now…).
Mol (January 2): Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado broke through for her first victory of the season in dramatic snowy conditions at the Exact Cross. After struggling with injury earlier in the campaign, Alvarado attacked on the fourth lap and pulled away from Manon Bakker, winning by a clear margin as heavy snow transformed the famous Zilvermeer sand into a winter spectacle. The victory marked an emotional return to form for the former world champion.
Gullegem (January 3): French champion Amandine Fouquenet celebrated her debut for new team Pauwels Sauzen with a perfectly timed victory at the Superprestige. After establishing an early lead, Fouquenet regrouped with Marion Norbert Riberolle and Aniek van Alphen before launching a decisive attack in the penultimate lap. She held off Norbert Riberolle by nine seconds to claim her third win of the season.
Zonhoven (January 4): Alvarado doubled up with another commanding performance in freezing conditions at the World Cup. Despite an early crash, she capitalized on a final-lap mistake by Brand, who slid into the barriers while attempting to escape. Alvarado rode the final half-lap flawlessly to finish 23 seconds clear, with Pieterse completing the podium in third. Alvarado’s victory ended Brand’s winning streak, and added a dash of drama as we head into the final month of cyclocross competition.
This is what it takes for Lucinda Brand not to win a race.
RIDER AND TEAM NEWS
Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe Publishes “Long List” for Tour de France
Remco or Lipo? Co-leadership or all-for-one? And…will Primoz join the charge?
Answers to these questions began to be answered in an interview with Red Bull head of sport Zakkari Dempster, who explained first that Remco Evenepoel and Florian Lipowitz will co-lead the team’s Grande Boucle efforts. Meanwhile, Primož Roglič will skip the Tour to focus on winning the Vuelta, where victory would make him the record holder.
Dempster further laid out the team’s stratgey, highlighting potential inclusions like Daniel Felipe Martínez and Jai Hindley for stage hunting. “Last year, eight stages went to attackers. We need guys who can slip into breaks,” Dempster explained. Maxim Van Gils and “engine room” specialists like Mattia Cattaneo, Nico Denz, and Jan Tratnik are also under consideration.
Confirming Evenepoel’s earlier indications, the Belgian will adopt a “high-training, low-racing” approach to arrive fresh at the Tour. He’ll skip Paris-Nice, which Dempster identified as one of the toughest WorldTour races by kilojoule expenditure. “The combination of Paris-Nice and Catalunya is incredibly dangerous,” Dempster notes, suggesting a March break before the Ardennes Classics.
The Tour, however, is out of the question for Primož Roglič, Dempster said. “I flew to Monaco and spoke with Primož at length. He wants to win again, because that’s what he enjoys. That’s still within his capabilities, we can argue about for days. But that’s Primož’s priority.” A win would give Roglic a record five Vuelta victories.
Tour de France Long List for Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe:
Remco Evenepoel
Florian Lipowitz
Maxim Van Gils
Mattia Cattaneo
Nico Denz
Mick van Dijke
Jai Hindley
Daniel Felipe Martinez
Jordi Meeus
Gianni Moscon
Laurence Pithie
Jan Tratnik
Thanks to Wielerflits for content for this story.
ASSOS Becomes Official Technical Apparel Partner of EF Pro Cycling
ASSOS of Switzerland will serve as the official technical apparel partner of EF Pro Cycling in a multi‑year agreement spanning the men’s, women’s, and development teams.
Drawing on decades of Swiss engineering expertise, ASSOS has worked closely with EF Pro Cycling’s athletes, coaches, and performance staff to develop apparel systems designed not only to meet the demands of the highest level of competition but also to redefine them.
“This partnership with EF Pro Cycling represents an alignment of values,” said Edwin Navez, ASSOS of Switzerland CEO. “EF Pro Cycling is known for pushing boundaries—both in performance and in culture—and that mirrors ASSOS’ own pursuit of innovation. Together, we will challenge convention, test limits, and create apparel that delivers real advantages in the most demanding race environments.”
“ASSOS has a long history of setting the standard for innovation in cycling,” added Jonathan Vaughters, EF Pro Cycling Founder and CEO. “They’ve been pushing boundaries since before many of our riders were born. My first pair of bibs were ASSOS, and they were a revelation. Decades later, they’re still leading the way.”
The 2026 kit maintains a bold color palette, evolving EF Pro Cycling’s visual identity. Designed as a complete performance system, the kit is intended to blend form and function.
The new ASSOS EF Pro Cycling replica kit will also be available to purchase. Find out more at www.assos.com.
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In honor of the fallen Wout van Aert, we’re sharing Rich’s footage of his victory in Siena in stage 9 of the 2025 Giro.
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