Our cycling — and cyclocross worlds — roundup, leading off with Holland’s hold on Hulst with wins by van der Poel and Brand. And as ‘cross winds down, we get to start wondering: Will Remco threaten Tadej’s control of the peloton? Will EF find a new sponsor? Will the Dauphiné’s new name stick? Can we keep up with races happening on three continents? You have questions; PEZ has answers!
TOP STORY
No Drama, All Domination: van der Poel Coolly Commands ‘Cross Worlds
RACE NEWS
It’s Brand After All: Women’s Cyclocross Worlds Report
And We’re Off! Evenepoel Starts New Phase with Two Triumphs
TDF Team List Announced: Caja Rural & Q36.5 In, Unibet Rose Rockets Out
Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes (fka Critérium du Dauphiné) Unveils 2026 Route
Global Round-Up: Four Race Reports from Three Continents
TEAM, RIDER AND CYCLING NEWS
No Drama, All Domination: van der Poel Coolly Commands ‘Cross Worlds
It all went as scripted: On a course rumored to have been designed by his father, in his home nation of The Netherlands, Mathieu van der Poel won a record-breaking eighth World Cyclocross Championships, employing superior fitness, technical near-perfection — and a chill affect throughout.
While young compatriot Tibor Del Grosso seized an initial lead, with Belgium’s Thibau Nys hanging closely to the leading Dutch duo, van der Poel soon edged away: No stomping attack this time, just steady wattage superiority and clean execution on every one of the course’s tricky features, including a sharp, muddy rise that troubled every rider in the field — except van der Poel (at least until the final lap, when the result was cinched).
From there it was a race for lesser places: Van der Poel rode smoothly, exacting a wider margin with every lap, while Del Grosso and Nys traded blows behind, and a chasing group of more than ten dreamed fruitlessly about a podium spot. When van der Poel caught a bit of air off of a rise that some riders struggled just to ascend, his victory appeared inevitable.
Nys drew out a small margin ahead of Del Grosso on the penultimate lap, but — as has been the case so many times this season — fell victim to technical bobbles and first lost the lead, and then lost any opportunity to vie for the final sprint. Del Grosso’s second-place finish meant a 1-2 result for the Netherlands, and for Alpecin-Premier Tech. Behind, Spaniard (and eTrashMike fave) Felipe Orts Lloret made a go at distancing the chasers, but was ultimately caught and finished in seventh position.
So: where to from here for van der Poel? He has suggested that with a record eighth Worlds win in his palmarès, he would retire from cyclocross. Maybe go all-in on spring classics and cracking Pogačar’s hold on Flanders and Liège? Chase the Green Jersey — or even Grand Tour GC contention? Finally win a world-class mountain bike race? Work on the golf game?
Judging by the post below, for now, van der Poel is just enjoying his status as the GCROAT — the Greatest Cyclocross Racer Of All Time.
Final Results
RACE NEWS
It’s Brand After All: Women’s Cyclocross Worlds Report
This season in women’s cyclocross traced an arc: Early, consistent dominance by Lucinda Brand, then chinks appearing in her armor as she failed to win — and even to podium — in late-season races, all leading to suspense in the run-up to the World Championships in Brand’s native Holland: would fatigue or frustration keep her from the top step?
In the end, the suspense was for nought: Brand rode a powerful and technically superior race, navigating the Hulst course’s challenges imperfectly, but far more smoothly than her rivals.
The Dutch champion claimed her third elite world title, exorcising any doubts about her late-season form with a commanding performance on home soil. Brand’s experience and tactical acumen proved decisive on the demanding circuit, where technical precision separated podium finishers from also-rans.
Dutch compatriot Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado, who mustered late-season success by consistently showing late-race speed, gave Brand her strongest test, at one point overtaking her after a lap-seven spill. But Brand reclaimed the lead and built a margin wide enough to stop and hoist her bike overhead at the finish. Puck Pieterse completed an all-Netherlands podium, having initially led the race and appearing very strong, only to fall very heavily on a muddy bend.
Alvarado fought to stay close.
In fact, the race saw many mishaps, including tumbles from both Brand and Pieterse, a barriers-bumble from Manon Bakker, and even a dustup between two riders: Late in the race, Marion Norbert Riberolle and Kristýna Zemanová crashed together in a slippery corner. As they got up, Zemanová moved to retrieve her bike, and Norbert Riberolle turned away from her own bike and used both arms to shove Zemanová in the middle of the course. Upon hearing that she had been disqualified, Norbert Riberolle dismounted, sat on the ground, and cried.
The victory adds another rainbow jersey to Brand’s palmarès and confirms her status in the cyclocross pantheon. Meanwhile, across the elite men’s races, Dutch riders earned five of the six podium spots — in their home nation.
Let’s hope that Wout van Aert continues to heal quickly, and enjoys a successful classics season, because Belgian cycling fans are not happy…
And We’re Off! Evenepoel Starts New Phase with Two Triumphs
…except: another Belgian cycling savior may have re-arrived: Remco Evenepoel christened his first season with Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe in emphatic — if qualified — fashion, claiming back-to-back victories at the Challenge Mallorca. The Belgian first led his new team to victory in Thursday’s Trofeo Ses Salines team time trial before delivering a commanding solo performance over a diluted field at Friday’s Trofeo Serra Tramuntana.
In the 26-kilometer team time trial, Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe executed their strategy cleanly, overcoming a two-second deficit at the halfway point to defeat Movistar by just four seconds. Evenepoel and his teammates performed “pretty close to perfection,” making their decisive move on the headwind-affected return leg.
The following day, the world time trial champion unleashed a vintage performance at Serra Tramuntana, attacking with 55 kilometers remaining and soloing to victory by over 90 seconds. The double Olympic champion struck on the Coll de Soller climb before building a two-minute advantage through his exceptional time-trialing abilities.
Notably, the Serra Tramuntana field lacked top-tier competition, with no other Tour de France contenders — or even likely stage win contenders — present. Still, securing his 68th career win at just 26 demonstrates that Evenepoel is on track ahead of February’s UAE Tour — and judging from his finish line and interview demeanor, Remco will gladly take the Ws.
TDF Team List Announced: Caja Rural & Q36.5 In, Unibet Rose Rockets Out
Tour de France organizer ASO has announced the 23 teams that will compete in the 2026 edition of cycling’s most prestigious race on Friday morning. The lineup includes all 18 WorldTour teams plus five ProTeams.
The three top-performing ProTeams from 2025—Cofidis, Tudor, and Pinarello-Q36.5—earned automatic qualification based on UCI points. ASO awarded the remaining two wildcard invitations to Spain’s Caja Rural Seguros RGA and France’s TotalEnergies.
The announcement marks a historic moment for Caja Rural, which will make its Tour de France debut when the race starts in Barcelona on July 4. The Spanish squad’s inclusion gives the race a second Spanish team alongside Movistar.
Pinarello-Q36.5’s selection means British star Tom Pidcock is expected to return to the Tour after missing the 2025 edition. The team’s general manager, Doug Ryder, said being at the Tour for the first time represents “a moment of great pride for everyone involved in the project.”
Tudor’s presence on the start list suggests former world champion Julian Alaphilippe will also return to compete at the French Grand Tour.
The most notable omission from the team list is Unibet Rose Rockets, which had been widely tipped to receive a wildcard invitation. Team founder Bas Tietema acknowledged the disappointment but remained optimistic in a video message to fans: “The Tour de France is and will always be our dream race. So please, keep dreaming with us.”
Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes (fka Critérium du Dauphiné) Unveils 2026 Route
The newly rebranded Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, formerly the Critérium du Dauphiné, will tackle 1,200 kilometers across its host region from June 7-14, 2026. Starting in Vizille and concluding atop Plateau de Solaison, the eight-stage race offers diverse terrain that will test riders across sprints, time trials, and demanding mountain finishes.
The opening stage between Vizille and Saint-Ismier honors French cycling legends Thierry Claveyrolat and Bernard Thévenet, featuring the challenging Côte de Saint-Jean-le-Vieux (5.6km at 8.7%). Stage two stretches 237.3 kilometers to Le Puy-en-Velay, while sprinters will target victories in Montrond-les-Bains and Villars-les-Dombes.
A crucial 28.4-kilometer team time trial in Perreux serves as preparation for the Tour de France’s Grand Départ in Barcelona, utilizing the format tested at Paris-Nice where teams race together but times count individually.
The race’s decisive moments arrive during three summit finishes. Riders face new climbs at Saint-Héry d’Ugine and Crest-Voland before conquering the Grand Colombier via the brutal Virieu-le-Petit slope (8.4km at 10.2%). The final stage delivers a spectacular finish at Plateau de Solaison (11.3km at 9.1%), the same climb that will host a Tour de France stage just weeks later.
Global Round-Up: Four Race Reports from Three Continents
Before we reach true Classics season with Omloop on February 28, riders are scattered across the globe, racing in “1.1” races and other buildup events. Here’s a rundown from four such races last week:
AlUla Tour
Jan Christen delivered a stunning late attack on the final stage to claim his first-ever general classification victory at the AlUla Tour in Saudi Arabia; with one of its “lesser” riders already winning, this season is shaping up to be another successful one for UAE Team Emirates-XRG. The 21-year-old Swiss rider started the final stage 14th overall, 33 seconds behind race leader Yannis Voisard, but attacked shortly after the summit of Harrat Uwayrid and soloed to victory. Christen won the overall title by 15 seconds over Sergio Higuita with Igor Arrieta completing the podium in third. The audacious move in the final 10 kilometers sealed both the stage win and overall classification.
Grand Prix Cycliste de Marseille La Marseillaise
It was great to see sprinter-of-the-past Bryan Coquard atop the podium once again, after winning this French opener. With a less selective course that favored sprinters, Cofidis teammates Clément Izquierdo and Alexis Renard led out Coquard perfectly for the sprint finish on Boulevard Michelet. Riding in his home country, Coquard edged out Steffen De Schuyteneer of Lotto-Intermarché and Alex Molenaar of Caja Rural-Seguros RGA. The victory marked Coquard’s 54th career win and his first at La Marseillaise.
Trofeo Palma
Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe capped off a dominant week at the Challenge Mallorca with Arne Marit winning the Trofeo Palma sprint, the team’s fourth victory in five races. The Belgian rider, competing in his first race for his new team after three seasons with Intermarché, outsprinted Max Kanter and teammate Alessio Magagnotti. A crash in the final corner changed the sprint dynamics, allowing Marit to make a quick tactical decision and launch his effort 300 meters from the finish. The win was only the second of the 27-year-old’s career, ending a five-year victory drought.
Cadel Evans Great Ocean Race
2026 has a revelation already: Tobias Lund Andresen outsprinted Matthew Brennan —last year’s rider-on-the-rise — to win the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race. From a reduced group after 183 kilometers around Geelong, the 23-year-old Dane ran down Brennan in the final stretch along Geelong’s Esplanade, with Australia’s Brady Gilmore taking third. Brennan had launched his sprint with 300 meters remaining, but Andresen timed his effort perfectly to catch and pass the British rider. The victory capped a successful Australian campaign for Andresen, who had also won a stage at the Tour Down Under.
TEAM, RIDER AND CYCLING NEWS
EF Pro Cycling Seeks Title Partner to Expand Resources
EF Pro Cycling has announced it is opening a title partnership position for the first time in its history. Education First (EF) will maintain its role as team owner and anchor partner with unchanged investment levels, while the new title partner would provide additional resources to help the team compete with cycling’s largest budgets.
The team has outlined ambitious goals including winning the Tour de France Femmes within three years and capturing both men’s and women’s Tours de France within a decade using riders developed through its system.
Team CEO Jonathan Vaughters noted the arrangement is uncommon in professional cycling, with EF continuing its long-term commitment while inviting an additional major partner purely to strengthen the team’s competitive position.
Since EF’s 2017 acquisition, the team has maintained consistent performance on the bike while building one of professional cycling’s most engaged digital platforms. According to Nielsen Analytics, the team ranks among the sport’s leaders in social media engagement and delivers strong return on investment for title partners.
Key riders including Ben Healy, World Road Race Champion Magdeleine Vallieres, double-Olympic gold medal winner Kristen Faulkner, Richard Carapaz, and Neilson Powless have signed long-term contract extensions. The team, founded in 2003, has won monuments, Olympic medals, world championships, and a grand tour.
British Cycling Announces 2026 Elite Development Teams
As part of its ongoing effort to develop new generations of world-class cyclists, British Cycling has named its 2026 Development Teams.
According to British Cycling, “These teams continue to play a vital role in nurturing young talent and developing the next generation of professional riders. Through dedicated support, structured race programmes, and innovative development initiatives, these teams provide the perfect platform for riders to grow, compete, and succeed on the national and international stage.”
First launched in 2021, the program’s Elite Development Team status bridges the gap from club teams to UCI Continental level. Each team is guaranteed eight rider entries into all National Road Series and National Circuit Series races, offered promotion of their social media channels and team websites on the British Cycling website, and receive support in the form of education and training workshops.
The Elite Development program includes eight men’s teams, and four women’s squads.
Canada Opens World-Class Velodrome in Edmonton
The Alberta Velodrome at Coronation Park officially opened January 27, 2026, becoming Canada’s newest UCI-certified indoor track and one of North America’s most advanced cycling facilities. Located within Edmonton’s 16,600-square-metre Coronation Park Sports and Recreation Centre, the velodrome will host the 2026 Canadian Track Championships and strengthen Canada’s high-performance athletic pathway.
“This represents a transformational investment in Canadian cycling,” said Cycling Canada CEO Mathieu Boucher, emphasizing the facility’s role from grassroots participation to elite competition.
The striking elliptical complex, designed by FaulknerBrowns with hcma and Dub Architects, has earned international recognition including a WAF Future Projects Award. Positioned above ground level, the track offers dramatic views of cyclists reaching 80 km/h.
Olympic medalist Kelsey Mitchell praised the facility as “a huge step” for cycling and future athletes. The velodrome expands year-round Western Canadian access while remaining open to community riders, clubs, and schools.
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Just in time for the road season — let’s look back at Richard’s first-look review of the latest in Pinarello’s F-Series.
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