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<\/a>\nVan Aert\u2019s Recovery & Training Miraculously On Track
\nUSA Cycling Relaunches Collegiate All-Star Program
\nDoping Doc Mart\u00ed Is\u2026Back?<\/p>\n
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Will Evenepoel\u2019s Red Bull Launch Sputter or Soar? (Comment)<\/p>\n
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There\u2019s little question that Remco Evenepoel is a generational talent. The problem is, he was born into the wrong generation \u2014 the one that also features the (arguably) greatest Classics rider of all time, and (arguably) the greatest cyclist of all time.<\/p>\n
He\u2019s the strongest time trialist riding today, and he can put that diesel engine to work in a range of one-day races. But his armor has fissures, the kind that rivals can pry open to the point of weakness: He often finds himself out of position and must muster a bigger effort than otherwise necessary. He\u2019s strong in the hills, but can flounder in the high mountains. And moments of concern can fester and become a race-killing crisis of frustration.<\/p>\n
It was all on display at last September\u2019s World Championships in Kigali, Rwanda: The \u201cweight of a nation\u201d-style pressure, as cycling- (and Remco)-mad Belgians gathered in the African nation to root on (and lean on) their latest national hope.<\/p>\n The crumbling on the day\u2019s selective climb \u2014 followed by a remarkable rally, steadily narrowing the gap to Poga\u010dar. And the explosive reaction to some bike issue (that none of us ever really understood).<\/p>\n Heading into this season, we fans wondered: Would a berth on a new team \u2014 one arguably better equipped to support a GC contender than his Classics-focused former squad \u2014 lead to accentuation of the positive and mitigation of the negative? After just a couple of weeks, the answer seems clear: Remco is flying. He won five races in seven days, including leading a team time trial victory, winning a modified TT (that didn\u2019t allow him to make full use of his \u201caero bullet\u201d position) and a\u00a0ludicrous 50-kilometer solo breakaway that had everyone wondering if he\u2019d accidentally signed up for a Gran Fondo instead of a professional bike race.<\/p>\n But he hasn\u2019t been vanquishing chumps: The Valenciana field included Jo\u00e4o Almeida, considered by many to be the third-best stage racer in the world, plus rising talents Giulio Pellizzari and Antoni Tiberi. So I say: grant Remco and his new Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe team the gratification they deserve. It\u2019s been a hell of a start. The season is (too) long; the \u201creal\u201d racing doesn\u2019t start for a month \u2014 and unless his team decides to capitalize on this momentum by throwing him into MSR or Flanders, we won\u2019t see him square off against Tadej until April 26, and Li\u00e8ge-Bastogne-Li\u00e8ge.<\/p>\n I\u2019ll be counting the days to see if this is indeed real.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n RACE NEWS<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Schmid Steals Dramatic Win in Muscat Classic<\/p>\n The Muscat Classic\u2019s ProSeries debut delivered drama as Mauro Schmid claimed victory in a thrilling three-man sprint finish on the Al Bustan heights overlooking Oman\u2019s capital.<\/p>\n Swiss champion Schmid capitalized on numerical superiority after Adam Yates initiated a decisive late attack with 5 kilometers remaining. Two Jayco-AlUla riders, Schmid and Luke Plapp, immediately bridged to the two-time Tour of Oman winner, creating a two-against-one scenario. The trio held off both the charging peloton and counter-attacks from Astana\u2019s Scaroni and Lopez before Schmid proved strongest in the final sprint.<\/p>\n The victory continues Schmid\u2019s excellent early-season form. After winning two stages at the 2024 Vuelta, he narrowly missed overall victory at Tour Down Under, finishing second to Jay Vine. This time, he reversed fortunes against UAE Emirates XRG, with Yates settling for second and former Australian champion Plapp completing the podium.<\/p>\n Earlier, Baptiste Veistroffer (Intermarch\u00e9-Lotto) animated proceedings with a solo breakaway, building a maximum advantage of 5\u201935\u201d. However, coordinated chasing by Cofidis, Tudor, and XDS Astana gradually eroded his lead before he was swept up on the penultimate Hamriyah climb, setting the stage for the dramatic finale.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Costiou Snatches Etoile de Bess\u00e8ges Victory\u00a0<\/p>\n The 2026 Etoile de Bess\u00e8ges concluded with high drama as Ewen Costiou detonated the final day time trial, winning the 10.3-kilometer stage and tearing up the general classification to claim overall victory. The Groupama-FDJ rider\u2019s commanding performance in the concluding test to L\u2019Hermitage completely reshuffled the standings in southern France.<\/p>\n Throughout four road stages, the race had remained tantalizingly close. Belgian racer Tom Crabbe took the opening stage with a late attack on the hilly finale in Bellegarde, while Mathieu Kockelmann edged Dylan Groenewegen in a photo finish sprint on stage two. Stage three belonged to Henri Uhlig of Alpecin-Deceuninck, who claimed his first professional victory after an attack-filled finale, and Joppe Heremans won stage four ahead of Luk\u00e1\u0161 Kubi\u0161.<\/p>\n But the final time trial proved decisive. Costiou stopped the clock at 14:57, vaulting from outside the top ten into the overall lead. His margin was sufficient to overcome race leader Kubi\u0161, who struggled against the clock and slipped down the standings. Paul Lapeira finished second overall with Maxime Decomble completing the podium.<\/p>\n The Etoile de Bess\u00e8ges is a \u201ctrue fans’\u201d race, featuring not a ton of well-known riders, but exciting, unpredictable races and glimpses of talent on the rise. This was very much the case in the 2026 version.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Amstel Gold: Who Will Succeed Mattias Skjelmose and Mischa Bredewold?<\/p>\n On April 19, the cycling world will descend on Dutch Limburg for the 60th Amstel Gold Race. From Maastricht\u2019s historic Markt to the iconic Cauberg summit, the day promises celebration and fierce competition.<\/p>\n Both the men\u2019s and the women\u2019s races start in Maastricht. The women race over a grueling 158-kilometer course featuring 22 climbs. After tackling early ascents like Maasberg and Keutenberg, they\u2019ll complete four laps of the Valkenburg circuit, each including the Cauberg-Geulhemmerberg-Bemelerberg trio, before a decisive fifth Cauberg ascent. The winner succeeds Mischa Bredewold around 14:04.<\/p>\n The men face an epic 257-kilometer test with no fewer than 33 climbs. They\u2019ll navigate through the tripoint region before hitting the Cauberg with 80 kilometers remaining. The finale intensifies with repeated ascents of Eyserbosweg, Fromberg, and Keutenberg, plus two more Cauberg climbs. The victor crosses Berg en Terblijt\u2019s finish line around 16:55.<\/p>\n Eighteen women\u2019s teams will compete, including all 14 WorldTeams plus four ProTeams. The men\u2019s field features all WorldTeams and seven ProTeams, including wildcard recipients Pinarello-Q36.5, Tudor, and Cofidis.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Canyon, L\u2019Etape Announce Partnership<\/p>\n Canyon Bicycles has announced a new four-year partnership with L\u2019\u00c9tape du Tour de France<\/a>, becoming a Major Partner of one of the world\u2019s most iconic amateur cycling events.<\/p>\n The annual event takes place this year on July 19, 2026 and will see more than 16,000 cyclists\u00a0from around the world lining up at the start of the 34th edition of L\u2019\u00c9tape du Tour de France to tackle a\u00a0170-kilometre course from Le Bourg-d\u2019Oisans to Alpe d\u2019Huez. <\/p>\n The 2026 event offers amateur cyclists the opportunity to ride the same routes and to live \u2014 briefly \u2014 like a professional rider. The partnership intends to bring Canyon\u2019s experience and know-how in supporting professional cyclists to this amateur event. <\/p>\n \u201cL\u2019\u00c9tape du Tour de France embodies the passion for cycling and the energy of a community united by challenge,\u201d\u00a0says Rodolphe Beyer, CEO of Canyon France.\u00a0\u201cBy strengthening our commitment to all cyclists, whatever their discipline, through major, popular events across gravel, triathlon and mountain biking with Roc d\u2019Azur CIC, and now on the road with L\u2019\u00c9tape du Tour de France, Canyon aims to create shared moments that bring cycling to life far beyond competition.\u201d<\/p>\n The partnership between Canyon and L\u2019\u00c9tape du Tour de France will run from 2026 to 2029\u00a0and will include a\u00a0presence within the event village, as well as race entries made available through exclusive Canyon initiatives for the already sold-out 2026 edition.<\/p>\n TEAM, RIDER AND CYCLING NEWS<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Van Aert\u2019s Recovery & Training Miraculously On Track<\/p>\n Wout van Aert\u2019s presence at Visma | Lease a Bike\u2019s Sierra Nevada training camp represents a significant milestone following his ankle fracture at the Zilvermeercross in Mol just a month ago. The injury ended both his cyclocross season and initial spring preparations, but the Belgian star has now joined teammates at the Centro de Alto Rendimiento for a crucial three-week altitude training camp.<\/p>\n Visma | Lease a Bike\u2019s Grischa Niermann provided an encouraging update: \u201cHe\u2019s still in rehabilitation, but he can train quite well. I don\u2019t think he could race yet. Training isn\u2019t a problem.\u201d Van Aert is training alongside Timo Kielich, Edoardo Affini, Christophe Laporte, Niklas Behrens, Bruno Armirail, and Davide Piganzoli as they prepare for the spring Classics.<\/p>\n Despite poor weather forcing indoor sessions initially, Niermann remains optimistic about van Aert starting at Opening Weekend on February 28th at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad. \u201cWe hope he\u2019ll be in top form later on, but we do expect him to be ready for the Omloop,\u201d Niermann stated.<\/p>\n While van Aert can\u2019t fully weight-bear on his ankle yet, his ability to complete this planned training camp keeps his spring campaign on track for major targets including Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n USA Cycling Relaunches Collegiate All-Star Program<\/p>\n USA Cycling will relaunch its Collegiate All-Star Program, a development opportunity that recognizes top athletes and offers them the chance to compete with a composite team in a prestigious U.S. stage race with elite-level support from USA Cycling.<\/p>\n The selected 2026 Collegiate All-Star athletes earned standout results during their 2025 USA Cycling Collegiate Season. Selected athletes are among the top performers in collegiate cycling and have shown strong results, teamwork, and leadership.<\/p>\n This year, the Collegiate All-Star athletes will race as composite men\u2019s and women\u2019s teams at the Redlands Bicycle Classic, bringing together varsity and club riders. Teams will be supported by a dedicated crew of directors, soigneurs, mechanics, and other support staff throughout the week.<\/p>\n \u201cCollegiate cycling plays a critical role in athlete development in the United States,\u201d said Vanessa Drummond, Collegiate Manager at USA Cycling. \u201cThe Collegiate All-Star Program brings together top student-athletes from both club and varsity programs to race as one team while gaining experience in elite level competition that can open new opportunities for their future.\u201d<\/p>\n 2026 Collegiate All-Star Teams<\/p>\n Women\u2019s Roster<\/p>\n Gabriella DIXON \u2014University of Michigan-Flint Men\u2019s Roster<\/p>\n Aidan LEMORANDE \u2014Colorado Mesa University \u00a0<\/p>\n Doping Doc Mart\u00ed Is\u2026Back?<\/p>\n Notorious doping doctor Jose Mart\u00ed has allegedly returned to cycling, according to Escape Collective. The Spanish physician, infamous for his US Postal Service involvement, reportedly worked with amateur cyclist Jaume Soler Serrano, father of pro rider Marc Soler. Soler Serrano received an eighteen-month suspension from Spanish anti-doping authority CELAD.<\/p>\n Mart\u00ed is already banned from working with athletes until June 2027. Violating this prohibition could trigger a lifetime ban, though CELAD documents don\u2019t yet indicate additional penalties. He reportedly posed as a university professor researching cyclist performance.<\/p>\n CELAD had monitored both men before Spain\u2019s Guardia Civil arrested them in August 2023. Soler Serrano\u2019s suspension began last fall. Whether Mart\u00ed faces further sanctions remains unclear, but his alleged return raises serious questions about enforcement of existing bans in professional cycling.<\/p>\n Meanwhile \u2013 a trip to ride your bike in Italy this year could be the best way to escape \u2013 whether your madness is local or national \u2013 and great place worth considering is OXYGEN Lifestyle Bike Hotel<\/a> in Rimini \u2013 watch the PEZ review below\u2026<\/p>\n<\/p>\n \u2022 Gotta Comment, thought or suggestion?\u00a0 Drop us a line at [email\u00a0protected]<\/a><\/p>\n See PEZ FACEBOOK here<\/a><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/PEZ-Newsletter-400.jpg\")
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\nAjay BAKER \u2014St. Charles Composite
\nKaya SCHROEDER \u2014Milligan University
\nAva WILSON \u2014 Savannah College of Art & Design
\nFinley ASPHOLM \u2014Marian University
\nElanor FINLAYSON \u2014 Georgia Institute of Technology
\nJette AELKEN \u2014 Savannah College of Art & Design
\nBridget WILSON \u2014 Colorado Mesa University<\/p>\n
\nMax ABNER \u2014Clemson University
\nLuca HAINES \u2014Fort Lewis College
\nSamuel MAYER \u2014Savannah College of Art & Design
\nSatchel KIM \u2014Georgetown University
\nTom SCOTT \u2014Marian University
\nAndy SCARANO \u2014 Savannah College of Art & Design
\nDusan KALABA \u2014Midwestern State University<\/p>\n
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