Winter has drawn in, cyclocross is well and truly in control and pretty much every team knows more or less what they’re going to look like in 2026 and are gathering at training camps.
While there is lots of change happening within teams, with big name transfers, sponsorship changes and a merger not fully resolved, there will be quite a bit of changes to the cycling calendar too. Here are five things to expect so you’re not caught off guard.
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Paris-Roubaix weekend is no more
Xavier Pereyron
The greatest weekend of the season has been axed. Since the introduction of Paris-Roubaix Femmes in 2021, the women’s race has been held on the Saturday and the men’s on the Sunday. Two days of cobblestone action, what’s not to love?
Well, organisers see that differently according to TNT Sports, who said both races will take place on the same day from 2026. A seemingly terrible decision that will ultimately just limit coverage of both the races and be a disservice to those sending their bodies over the cobbles.
Women’s Grand Tours adjust dates
Luc Claessen via Getty Images
This is a change that makes sense. The Giro d’Italia Women will move from June to May and the Tour de France Femmes pushed back a week to the start of August, giving riders now more time to make it more achievable to compete in both. It’s a separation that benefits the Giro especially, allowing for big names to eye the maglia rosa as opposed to ruling it out for Tour objectives.
Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney commented on the positive impact to Cyclist, saying she was looking forward to racing all Grand Tours next season as opposed to being at altitude training for the Tour when the Giro is running.
It’s a further move to officially recognise the Giro, Tour and La Vuelta Femenina as Grand Tours. In June, the points system was rejigged to divide the Women’s WorldTour events into five tiers. The winner of the Tour will now receive 1,300 points while the winners of the Giro and Vuelta will receive 1,100.
Stage parity at the Tour of Britain
Simon Wilkinson/SWpix.com
Dubbed as a ‘landmark three-week cycling spectacle’, the men’s and women’s Tour of Britain races will take place in close quarters on the cycling calendar and each will be run over five stages. The Tour of Britain Women has moved from June to 19th-23rd August in 2026 with an increase from four stages and the men’s race will take place on 2nd-6th September, seeing a decrease from six stages.
British Cycling events managing director, Jonathan Day, described the move as ‘part of our strategic commitment to achieving gender parity, having already [increased] prize money for the women’s race last year’.
Welcome back Philadelphia Cycling Classic
David Maialetti
Philadelphia has bestowed some great things on the world. One of the best TV shows in Always Sunny in Philadelphia, the Super Bowl winning Eagles, and now the return of the Philadelphia Cycling Classic to add another American race to the calendar.
The Philadelphia Cycling Classic ran for 32 years before its cancellation in 2017 due to a lack of sponsorship. It had attracted the cream of the crop in sporting names and the flag drop came near the Museum of Art steps (yes, from Rocky) as both men and women raced on the circuit at the same time. The main draw came in the form of the Manayunk Wall, a climb under a kilometre in length but with a maximum 17% gradient.
In 2026 the Philadelphia Cycling Classic will put on both men and women’s races on the 30th August, just before the Maryland Cycling Classic, which has been turned from a one-day race to a three-day stage race, and the Canadian Grand Prixs in Montréal and Québec, creating a proper North American block.
Name changes
Xavier Pereyron
Get used to some rather shocking new race names next season. The most notable changes are Critérium du Dauphiné becoming the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes and Gent-Wevelgem rebrandings as In Flanders Fields – from Middelkerke to Wevelgem.
Another change is the Classic Brugge-De Panne one-day race has been scrapped to make way for the new Ronde van Brugge, billed as a collaboration between Bruges, race organisers Golazo and local cycling club KVC Panne Sportief. The men’s race will take place on Wednesday 25th March and the women will the day after, both moving away from the coastal Belgian town of De Panne towards a focus on Bruges. It has a spot on the WorldTour through to 2031.
