{"id":341747,"date":"2025-12-29T22:50:17","date_gmt":"2025-12-29T22:50:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/341747\/"},"modified":"2025-12-29T22:50:17","modified_gmt":"2025-12-29T22:50:17","slug":"eurotrash-remco-into-the-lions-den-in-26","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/341747\/","title":{"rendered":"EUROTRASH: Remco Into the Lion’s Den in ’26?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Our cycling news roundup, beginning with dreams of a Remco-Tadej showdown in Flanders \u2014 prompted by a single, simple sighting on a couple of Flandrien climbs. Plus cyclocross coverage, extremely unsurprising UCI rankings \u2014 and a call for slowed \u201cmedicalization\u201d in cycling.<\/p>\n

On Christmas eTrashMike shared<\/a> his holiday wish list. Now he\u2019s asking: What are\u00a0you hoping for in the new year \u2014 for the cycling world, that is? Share your what\u2019s-cool-in-road-cycling dreams, hopes, aspirations and prayers by sending them to [email\u00a0protected]<\/a>. Include your first name and city of residence if you\u2019d like to see them featured in a future EuroTrash!<\/p>\n

TOP STORY:\u00a0<\/p>\n

Evenepoel Taking on Poga\u010dar\u2019s Dominance in 2026?<\/p>\n

RACE NEWS<\/p>\n

Men\u2019s Cyclocross: Van der Poel Reigns, Nys Rallies
\nWomen\u2019s Cyclocross: Brand\u2019s Domination Continues<\/p>\n

RIDER AND TEAM NEWS<\/p>\n

Poga\u010dar, Vollering Top UCI Rankings
\nNSN Cycling Team Unveils 2026 Identity at Barcelona Launch
\nNeilson Powless extends with EF Education-EasyPost
\nMPCC: Stop \u201cEscalating Medicalization\u201d Now<\/p>\n

\"TOP<\/p>\n

Evenepoel Taking on Poga\u010dar\u2019s Dominance in 2026?<\/p>\n

Say what you will about Remco Evenepoel: He\u2019s not one to back down from a challenge.<\/p>\n

His recent results would suggest that his surest plan would be to confirm his position as the world\u2019s top time trialist: Train for a fourth-straight world championship, and a repeat win at the European Championships; take on the Giro, with its long time trial and slightly diminished vertical profile.<\/p>\n

After all, the Belgian has won just one Grand Tour, a watered-down 2022 Vuelta, where he beat out not Poga\u010dar or Vingegaard, but Mas and a very young Ayuso. Meanwhile, his 2025 Tour de France was a bust, lasting just 14 stages.<\/p>\n

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Instead, Evenepoel announced a race schedule that omitted the Giro, and that included the Tour de France as the only Grand Tour. More than ever, the 2026 Tour is stacking up to be a clash of the titans, with virtually every top contender committing to the\u00a0Grande Boucle \u2014\u00a0including the supreme titan himself, Tadej Poga\u010dar.<\/p>\n

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And now \u2014 having recently declared that the Tour of Flanders would\u00a0not be on his 2026 program \u2014 Evenepoel has been spotted training on two of the\u00a0Ronde\u2019s iconic climbs, the Oude Kwaremont and the Paterberg. Further adding to fans\u2019 speculation, he was sporting a \u201cstealthy\u201d black kit; perhaps Evenepoel would put his wheel on the start line in Antwerp after all? Doing so really would be going into the lion\u2019s den \u2014 as Poga\u010dar has emerged as a new Lion of Flanders.<\/p>\n

\"Flander<\/p>\n

Likely this new sighting means little: the famed climbs may well just serve as a favorable training site; riding in Belgium over the holidays is convenient (and the weather has been unseasonably pleasant); and the black kit is simply transitional, as Evenepoel\u2019s Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe contract doesn\u2019t formalize until January 1.<\/p>\n

Still: a fan(boy) can dream, can\u2019t he?<\/p>\n

RACE NEWS<\/p>\n

Men\u2019s Cyclocross: Van der Poel Reigns, Nys Rallies<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Mathieu van der Poel claimed his sixth victory in Gavere with a measured and decisive performance, maintaining his perfect season record at the UCI Cyclocross World Cup on Boxing Day. The Dutch world champion engaged in a prolonged duel with Belgian champion Thibau Nys before making his winning move. When Nys made a small but costly error on the long, rutted ascent, briefly slipping out of his pedal, van der Poel reacted instantly, opening a gap that grew to over 20 seconds as he cruised to another commanding victory.<\/p>\n

Two days later in Dendermonde, with van der Poel sitting out, Nys claimed a hard-fought victory, converting relentless pressure and sharp positioning into a decisive sprint win on the fast, frozen course. The Belgian champion outpaced Tibor del Grosso and overall leader World Cup Laurens Sweeck in a thrilling finale, securing his fifth victory of the season.<\/p>\n

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Nys seemed especially fired up about this win.<\/p>\n

Notwithstanding Mike\u2019s holiday wish<\/a> for Wout van Aert, the Belgian\u2019s return to the \u2018cross course continued to prove disappointing, as he finished sixth at Dendermonde after an aggressive but ultimately unrewarded ride. The three-time Dendermonde winner struggled with the dry, criterium-like conditions that replaced the typical muddy battleground. Van Aert admitted the feeling wasn\u2019t great, struggling with explosive efforts and lacking aggression. His sixth-place finish, eight seconds behind winner Nys, marked another winless outing in a frustrating cyclocross season.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Women\u2019s Cyclocross: Brand\u2019s Domination Continues<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Time to consult the thesaurus for synonyms of the word \u201cdomination,\u201d because I find myself using it in virtually every women\u2019s \u2018cross race report \u2014 thanks to Lucinda Brand.<\/p>\n

Brand underlined her status as the \u2014 um\u2026dominant force of this cyclocross winter by winning back-to-back UCI World Cup rounds in Gavere and Dendermonde. Both victories showcased her blend of power, race intelligence, and calm in chaotic conditions.\u200b<\/p>\n

On Gavere\u2019s unusually fast course, Brand rode a measured opening before moving to the front as rivals faltered on the slick descents. When Puck Pieterse crashed after an attack, Brand seized the moment, opening a decisive gap she steadily increased each lap. She finished alone, around 15 seconds clear of French champion Amandine Fouquenet, with Pieterse salvaging third after a hard chase.\u200b<\/p>\n

Two days later in Dendermonde, Brand repeated the script, converting World Cup round 8 into another showcase of consistency and composure. On a heavy Belgian circuit traditionally defined by mud and ruts, she again distanced Puck Pieterse, who had to settle for the runner-up spot, while the rest of the field fought for the final podium place. The win further tightened Brand\u2019s grip on the World Cup leader\u2019s jersey and reinforced the sense that, for now, the rest of the women\u2019s peloton is racing for second place.<\/p>\n

RIDER AND TEAM NEWS<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

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Poga\u010dar, Vollering Top UCI Rankings<\/p>\n

Topping our list of the least surprising news of the year: Tadej Poga\u010dar finished 2025 atop the UCI\u2019s World Rankings.<\/p>\n

The women\u2019s season was slightly more competitive, and their rankings accordingly held a bit more suspense: Dutch star Demi Vollering reclaimed first position among female rider.<\/p>\n

Poga\u010dar\u2019s and Vollering\u2019s respective UAE Team Emirates and FDJ-Suez squads also finished top the men\u2019s and women\u2019s team world rankings.<\/p>\n

Poga\u010dar reaffirmed his status as an icon with an exceptional season. After a historic 2024, he pushed his own limits by claiming twenty additional victories, including the rainbow jersey for the road race at the UCI Road World Championships in Kigali (Rwanda) and a fourth Tour de France title. With a record-breaking total of 11,680 points, he retains the top spot in the men\u2019s UCI World Ranking for the fifth consecutive year. \u201cEvery season is a new challenge. I\u2019m proud of what we\u2019ve achieved together,\u201d said the Slovenian champion. His individual dominance was matched by collective triumph: UAE Team Emirates XRG crushed the competition with 95 victories \u2013 an all-time score shattering the previous record of 85 victories held by the Columbia-HTC team since 2009 \u2013 and a total of 40,637.65 points, securing first place in the UCI World Ranking for teams for the third year in a row. Two teammates also shone in the global top five: Isaac Del Toro (MEX) in third and Jo\u00e3o Almeida (POR) in fifth.<\/p>\n

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On the Women\u2019s side, Demi Vollering reclaimed the top of the women\u2019s UCI World Ranking with 4,642.57 points, thanks to a stellar season highlighted by victories at Strade Bianche Donne, La Vuelta Espa\u00f1a Femenina by Carrefour.es<\/a>, Itzulia Women, Volta Catalunya Femenina, and the UEC Road European Championship. Her new team, FDJ-Suez, dethroned Team SD Worx-Protime to claim first place in the UCI World Ranking for teams for the very first time. Alongside her, Lorena Wiebes dazzled with 25 wins, confirming Dutch supremacy as the Netherlands lead the UCI World Ranking for nations with 14,422.99 points.<\/p>\n

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The different trophies will be presented to the winners by UCI President David Lappartient at the first events of the 2026 season.<\/p>\n

The full list of the UCI World Rankings<\/a> is available on the UCI website.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

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NSN Cycling Team Unveils 2026 Identity at Barcelona Launch<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

NSN Cycling Team officially launched its 2026 season in Barcelona, attended by co-founder Andr\u00e9s Iniesta, co-founder Joel Borr\u00e0s, Stoneweg CEO Jaume Sabater, and General Manager Kjell Carlstr\u00f6m, alongside riders including Biniam Girmay.<\/p>\n

The team\u2019s new jersey design, created by Stijn Dossche, draws inspiration from Barcelona\u2019s contemporary architecture and incorporates elements of Rwanda\u2019s Imigongo artform, reflecting the team\u2019s Racing for Change initiative and international composition of 15 nationalities.<\/p>\n

The WorldTour squad formed through a strategic partnership between NSN and Swiss investment platform Stoneweg. While racing under a Swiss license, the team maintains strong Barcelona connections, with a base planned in nearby Girona.<\/p>\n

General Manager Carlstr\u00f6m emphasized an opportunistic racing approach for 2026, targeting sprint races, stage hunts in Grand Tours, and diverse results across the season. The addition of sprinter Girmay highlights the team\u2019s ambitions as Barcelona prepares to host the Tour de France Grand D\u00e9part.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Neilson Powless extends with EF Education-EasyPost<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Neilson Powless will race on in EF Education-EasyPost colors through 2029.<\/p>\n

The American is focused on the classics after his big win at Dwars door Vlaanderen last spring: \u201cI don\u2019t think I ever would have realized that I could be a classics rider until I joined this team,\u201d Neilson says. \u201cThis team is famous for its outside-of-the-box tactics. Letting me go to the classics, or the way Ben raced into the yellow jersey at the Tour, or just the way we race the Tour every year, shows that.\u201d<\/p>\n

EF Pro Cycling founder and CEO Jonathan Vaughters spoke glowingly about the progress that Powless has made with the team. \u201cWhen Neilson started out in the pro peloton, he wanted to be a grand tour climber, propelled up the highest mountains by his powerful natural motor. His first ride on the cobbles at the 2022 Tour de France convinced him to try his luck at the Ronde van Vlaanderen the next spring. He\u2019d already won the Cl\u00e1sica de San Sebasti\u00e1n, but really fell in love with the no-holds-barred, hyper-tactical nature of one-day racing there when he finished fifth. Neilson is now focused on turning himself from a contender in the biggest races into a winner.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe classics embody cycling at its purest,\u201d Neilson says. \u201cYou are just all in on that one day\u2026For people who really understand cycling, I think the tactics at the classics are just the most exciting.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

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MPCC: Stop \u201cEscalating Medicalization\u201d Now<\/p>\n

The Mouvement Pour un Cyclisme Cr\u00e9dible\u00a0(Movement for a Credible Cycling), or MPCC, is calling on the UCI to establish stricter regulations against the sport\u2019s escalating medicalization. The organization warns of an expanding \u201cgrey area\u201d involving substances not yet banned by WADA but raising ethical concerns when used by healthy athletes.<\/p>\n

The MPCC criticizes lengthy anti-doping processes that allow questionable substances to remain in use during investigations. Ketones exemplify this problem\u2014debated since 2017, they remain only \u201cnot recommended\u201d rather than formally banned despite credibility concerns.<\/p>\n

New worries include \u201cfinishing bottles\u201d containing borderline substance mixtures and medications like Tapendatol, ten times stronger than now-banned Tramadol. The MPCC questions why athletes\u2019 health remains at risk during prolonged analyses while crashes increase.<\/p>\n

The organization points to carbon monoxide\u2019s swift prohibition after the 2024 Tour de France as proof authorities can act decisively. The MPCC urges similar urgency to protect both cycling\u2019s integrity and riders\u2019 wellbeing before athletes feel compelled to use questionable products competitively.<\/p>\n

Watch the PEZ YOUTUBE Channel here<\/a><\/p>\n

Longing to ride in warmer climes \u2014 and to relax in a bike-friendly hotel? Check out Rich\u2019s review of the OXYGEN Bike Hotel in Rimini, Italy.<\/p>\n

\ufeff<\/p>\n

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