We start heading South. Pogatchar (🇸🇮 UAE) has already crushed the race: with 2 victories in -4- 3 stages, he leads the 3 classifications...

Rankings after stage #4.

General time classification

1. Tadey Pogatchar 🇸🇮 UAE
2. Primoj Roglitch 🇸🇮 Bora @ 3′21″
3. Enric Mas 🇪🇸 Movistar @ 3′32″
4. Sepp Kuss 🇺🇸 Visma @ 3′44″
5. Oscar Onley 🇬🇧 Ineos @ 3′45″
6. Richard Carapaz 🇪🇨 EF @ 3′50″
7. Felix Gall 🇦🇹 Decathlon @ 3′57″
8. Matias Skjelmose 🇩🇰 Lidl-Trek @ 4′06″
9. Jarno Widar 🇧🇪 Lotto-Int. @ 4′06″
10. Jay Vine 🇦🇺 UAE @ 4′11″

Points

1. Tadey Pogatchar 🇸🇮 UAE: 82 pts
2. Ethan Hayter 🇬🇧 Soudal-QS: 37
3. Matthew Brennan 🇬🇧 Visma: 30

Mountain

1. Tadey Pogatchar 🇸🇮 UAE: 23 pts
2. Lorenzo Fortunato 🇮🇹 Astana: 10
3. 4 riders with 6 pts

Stages

Stage 5, Wednesday 26

173 km, D+ 1700m*

Whith the hills that start 60 km from the line and end 20-30 from it, this should be a game of sprinters vs punchers. Therefore we should see punchers-sprinters having their day.

NB: the profile exaggerates the steepness of the slopes.

Stage 6, Thursday 27

177 km, D+ 3600m*

Another mountain stage, another Pogatchar day. To make sure of it and remind him of his 3 Stade Bianche victories in a row, there will be 2 km on a gravel road at 12% near the summit of the last climb. Shall the first group to ride down towards the finish line be a one-man group or shall he get a few companions?

Ok, so we're not going to create a race thread for ALL races this year, especially since we're only about 10 people reading here :)

This thread is available for you to write about all the races which don't have a race thread.

It's 2026 and the pro cycling calendar is right around the corner!

Here are all the World Tour and ProSeries races for the year :)

If you're into smaller races - and who isn't? - here are all the 1.1 and 2.1 races you can look forward to this year:

The Tour of Spain (Vuelta a España) starts tomorrow Saturday. In Monaco...

As we can see on the general map, despite starting in France and its dependent principalities, most of the tour will happen in the South of Spain, which is rather unusual (I believe?). In fact, there is not a single mile of stage in the Spanish Pyrenees, their foothils, or the Cantabrian Range!

Riders

The coming of Pogatchar (🇸🇮 UAE) leaves little hope about the final victory to other riders (and spectators), unless something bad happens to him. Gall (🇦🇹 Decathlon) will try to get his second 2^nd^ place in GC this year after the Tour of Italy. Will Skjelmose (🇩🇰 Lidl-Trek) and Carapaz (🇪🇨 EF) aim for the podium, after taking part in the Tour of France?

Therefore, most teams will aim for stage victories, and bring the personnel accordingly. Van Aert🇧🇪, Laporte🇫🇷, Brennan🇬🇧 and Kuss🇺🇸 for Visma! M. Pedersen🇩🇰 for Lidl-Trek. Bora brings Roglitch🇸🇮 for his vacation package.

The first 4 stages

Stage 1, Saturday 22: 🇲🇨Monaco🇲🇨

9,4 km, ITT

The distance is barely over the limit for a prologue, and they managed to avoid any sort of climb.

Stage 2, Sunday 23: 🇲🇨Monaco–Manosque🇫🇷

214 km, D+ 3000m

The first of the two French stages proposes a very hilly course, over a distance longer than any of the Tour de France stages this year. The finish may be (I don't know) the same we often see on the Tour de la Provence in the beginning of the season, where it is usually won by sprinters who can handle punchy courses or strong uphill false-flat finishes.

Stage 3, Monday 24: 🇫🇷 Gruissan–Font Romeu🇫🇷

175 km, D+ 2600m

After a very long transfer along the French Mediterranean coast, this stage arrives already in the Pyrenees. Amusingly, the destination is basically the same as where the Tour de France entered France from Spain in July. Most of the approach is made of unbearable dozens of kilometres of a slightly then strongly uphill false-flat highway road. The final climb is pretty much the same.

Stage 4, Tuesday 25: 🇦🇩Andorra la Vieja–Andorra la Vieja🇦🇩

105 km, D+ 3000m

Familiar climbs with a finish at the bottom. The first half of the course consists of climbing the Envalira pass and coming back, which involves a lot of false-flat both ways. Riders better be ready for a direct, fast start over the uphill false-flat.

Not a huge surprise , is it ?

I wonder if this means anything long term for guys like Almeida. I’m also curious if he signed this expecting Pogi to step aside in the next couple of years?

Demi Vollering claimed her historic second career Tour de France Femmes title with a solo victory on Sunday's final stage.

This ProSeries race takes place on the scorched by the sun plateaus around the city of Burgos in Castile.

This year, it doesn't look like there will much space for sprinters on this punchy race, the GC of which goes to a climber. The first stage is the traditional hectic finish in Burgos (sprinters-punchers have a chance there together with punchers-climbers), and the last one the traditional mountain finish at the lakes of Neila.

The official website is very thorough, and the technical guide even more: for example, for stage #1, it contains over 100 photos of the various curves, crossings and even of the manholes covers and cracks in the road!! 👍 👍

Riders

This is Gaudu's comeback to actual (?) competition. Since May, he's only started the National Championship in June, and the San Sebastian classic on Saturday, for 2 DNF... Let's see if he can put out this week something that justifies a bit of his salary...

There are quite a number of rather high profile contenders! F. Gall (🇦🇹 Decathlon), J. Vine (🇦🇺 UAE) if he can survive the usually stressing finishes of the first days without crashing, G. Ciccone (🇮🇹 Lidl-Trek), Pellizzari (🇮🇹 Bora), M. Rondel (🇫🇷 Tudor).

As outsiders, P. Sivakov (🇷🇺🇫🇷 UAE) already won the race, A. Eulalio (🇵🇹 Bahrain) will try to find his crazy Giro legs, J. Nordhagen🇳🇴 and B. Tulett🇬🇧 will defend Visma's chances, L. Bisiaux (🇫🇷 France) will supplement Gall, and M. Beloki (🇪🇸 EF) has just won the (much, much weaker) Tour de l'Ain.

Stages

Stage 1

165 km, D+ 1500m

The traditional punchy finish on the castle hill in Burgos, after the flattest stage.

::: spoiler Press to see the map :::

Stage 2

177 km, D+ 2300 m

A finish for long punchers on this murito.

::: spoiler Press to see the map :::

(yeah, I know, the less important climb got a larger picture 🙂)

Stage 3

183 km, D+ 3200 m

This stage and its almost-on-top-finish will very likely start sorting GC favourites. They won't be able to hide on this difficult Puerto del Escudo (a new one on this race, but it was apparently ridden a few times on the Vuelta).

Stage 4

178 km, D+ 1900 m

Can sprinters make it through this one in a front group? Otherwise, it looks like a good chance for breakaways, between 2 mountain stages.

The 'climbs' are not terrible at all today:

Finnish profile:

Stage 5 (last)

137 km, D+ 2900 m

The usual decisive finish on top.

::: spoiler Press to see the map :::

Sorry, I haven't given any attention to this race and prepared anything so far, so I'll just say that this year, it is more of a Tour of Rhône or 'around the Alps', only reaches France along the 3^rd^ stage; and point you to the PCS pages (the official site being linked already):

PCS general page and its 'top competitors'

PCS profiles

PCS startlist

I may add stuff later, but that's not sure.

The third and last week stays in the Alps – that we already reached on Sunday, except for the last day which suddenly 'jumps' to Paris.

Standings after week 2

General Classification:

Unless he undergoes an accident, the race is already won for the Slovenian rider. The battle for podium is however still open, after the unfortunate withdrawal of Vingegaard🇩🇰. The top-10 didn't change much, but it 'stretched', and Pidcock and Jegat entered it.

1. Tadej Pogatchar 🇸🇮 UAE
2. Remco Evenepoel 🇧🇪 Bora: +5′00″
3. Isaac Del Toro 🇲🇽 UAE +5′58″
4. Paul Seixas 🇫🇷 Decathlon: +6′23″
5. Florian Lipowitz 🇩🇪 Bora: +6′48″
6. Juan Ayuso 🇪🇸 Lidl-Trek: +7′28″
7. Mattias Skjelmose 🇩🇰 Lidl-Trek: +9′38″
8. Lenny Martinez 🇫🇷 Bahrain: +10′28″
9. Thomas Pidcock 🇬🇧 Q36.5: +11′19″
10. Jordan Jegat 🇫🇷 Total : +19′12″

5 other riders follow close to Jegat, at less than 25 minutes, and can thus hope to enter top-10: Voisard🇨🇭, Carapaz🇪🇨, Van Wilder🇧🇪, A. Yates🇬🇧, and Piganzoli🇮🇹 (Visma) who will have to make up for Vingegaard's withdrawal. The rest is farther than 40 minutes.

Points classification (Green jersey):

Merlier🇧🇪, who was in 4^th^ position, couldn't finish the race in time on Sunday and withdrew. Philipsen did the best 2^nd^ week.

1. Mads Pedersen 🇩🇰 Lidl-Trek: 417 pts (+149)
2. jasper Philipsen 🇧🇪 Alpecin: 191 (+195)
3. Biniam Girmay 🇪🇷 NSN: 361 (+138)
4. Max Kanter 🇩🇪 Astana: 271 (+99)
5. Olav Kooij 🇳🇱 Decathlon 210 (+100)

Mountain (Polka Dots jersey)

Those who try to fight for points cannot seem to be able to beat Pogatchar who doesn't, and other GC guys aren't far either. Martinez didn't go for points this week, and Baudin disappeared.

1. Tadej Pogatchar 🇸🇮 UAE: 67 pts (+39)
2. Valentin Paret-Peintre 🇫🇷 Soudal-QS: 45 (+33)
3. Richard Carapaz 🇪🇨 EF: 39 (+38)
4. Paul Seixas 🇫🇷 Decathlon: 34 (+22)
5. Remco Evenepoel 🇧🇪 Bora: 31 (+26)
6. Isaac Del Toro 🇲🇽 UAE: 30 (+20)

Stages

Stage 16, Tuesday 21

26 km, D+ 500 m, Individual Time Trial

This ITT presents an unusual profile, with an horrible 4,5% strongly uphill false-flat right from the start which lasts for 10 km (!), then a steeper descent and only finally a flat section.

::: spoiler Press to see the map :::

Stage 17, Wednesday 22

175 km D+ 2400 m

This stage will probably be disputed between a breakaway which could leave in the small/medium climbs of the first 60 km, and sprinter teams. Perhaps Pedersen will attempt to go into the breakaway.

::: spoiler Press to see the map and the finish profile

:::

Stage 18, Thursday 23

186 km, D+ 3900 m

Many climbs, long and short, but never too steep. There is a finish on top, but it might still be good for breakaways if GC guys wait for the 2 harder stages which follow.

NB: the way the profile is drawn makes it look almost flat, but there is almost 4000 m of total elevation to climb, it is really a medium mountain stage.

::: spoiler Press to see the map :::

Stage 19, Friday 24

128 km, D+ 3600 m

The first Alpe d'Huez stage presents climbs in the beginning and in the end, with smaller and smoother hills in the centre part. It is short. A breakaway might succeed if Pogatchar doesn't want the stage (who else would ride for it after the withdrawals of Vingegaard and Lipowitz?).

::: spoiler Press to see the map and the profiles of Noyer Pass and Alpe d'Huez.

:::

Stage 20, Saturday 25

171 km, D+ 5600 m

Another finish at the Alpe d'Huez after 3 Hors-Catégorie climbs for the main and last mountain stage. As the stage also starts from the bottom of the Alpe d'Huez, I fear about the crowd being too important, as it will also be compacted on this reduced version of the climb, and those risks come on top of the race staying 2 days in the same place and this stage being on a week-end.

Stage 21 (final), Sunday 26

133 km, D+ 1600 m

Last year's experiment is renewed: 4 laps of Champs-Élysées only (7 km) and then 3 longer (16 km) laps including the climb to Montmartre and its somewhat scary downhill. The finish is located a bit farther from the last top: 11 km instead of 6, which may cause more regrouping and favour punchers a little bit less.

Special regulations: if the streets are deemed slippery, times shall be taken on the 1^st^ crossing of the finish line, or any later crossing of the line. Riders must complete the full distance in any case. Only one car per team is allowed on the circuits.

The race restarts on the National Day, and it will be as hot as the first week which cooked many riders who will spend Monday in an ice pool. The temperature will not decrease until Thursday perhaps, or Friday more surely, when it will not even be cool but just 'more normally' hot.

Weeks are shorter now, 6 days only. This one starts with a medium mountain stage, then presents 2 easy days, before getting harder over 3 mountain days, with a finish on top on the two week-end stages.

Standings after week 1

General Classification:

While the Slovenian detached a bit already, there are still many contenders (8) for the podium, and they all are expected favourites.

1. Tadej Pogatchar 🇸🇮 UAE
2. Jonas Vingegaard 🇩🇰 Visma: +2′42″
3. Isaac Del Toro 🇲🇽 UAE +3′27″
4. Remco Evenepoel 🇧🇪 Bora: +3′30″
5. Juan Ayuso 🇪🇸 Lidl-Trek: +3′34″
6. Paul Seixas 🇫🇷 Decathlon: +3′55″
7. Florian Lipowitz 🇩🇪 Bora: +4′00″
8. Lenny Martinez 🇫🇷 Bahrain: +4′21″
9. Mattias Skjelmose 🇩🇰 Lidl-Trek: +4′57″
10. Egan Bernal 🇨🇴 ineos : +9′12″

Points classification (Green jersey):

1. Mads Pedersen 🇩🇰 Lidl-Trek: 268 pts
2. Biniam Girmay 🇪🇷 NSN: 223
3. Tim Merlier 🇧🇪 Soudal-QS: 213
4. jasper Philipsen 🇧🇪 Alpecin: 191
5. Max Kanter 🇩🇪 Astana: 172
6. Olav Kooij 🇳🇱 Decathlon 110

Mountain (Polka Dots jersey)

Few points were scored so far.

1. Tadej Pogatchar 🇸🇮 UAE: 28 pts
2. Jonas Vingegaard 🇩🇰 Visma: 19
3. Lenny Martinez 🇫🇷 Bahrain: 16
4. Alex Baudin 🇫🇷 EF: 13
5. Valentin Paret-Peintre 🇫🇷 Soudal-QS & Paul Seixas 🇫🇷 Decathlon: 12

Stages

Stage 10, Tuesday 14

167 km, D+ 3800 m

The stage in the Massif Central looks a bit like the previous (Ussel) stage, but the climbs are significantly more substantial and there is even less flat for recovery, so a breakaway of climbers more than punchers can be expected (if UAE doesn't decide to win it from the peloton).

::: spoiler Press to the finish profile :::

Stage 11, Wednesday 15

161 km, D+ 1100 m

This is a sprinters stage.

::: spoiler Press to see profile and map :::

Stage 12, Thursday 16

179 km, D+ 1400 m

This one is a bit more hilly than the previous one, but those hills look far from enough to prevent another sprinters stage.

::: spoiler Press to see profile and map :::

Stage 13, Friday 17

206 km, D+ 2300 m

After 2 days of sprint, we are progressively getting back in business with this pilgrimage into the land of Pinot. Because the following two days will be finish-on-top stages, this one is likely to be granted to a breakaway. As always these days, it means that a ton of riders will try to join it. The two (not very difficult) climbs only start after 150 km of slightly hilly terrain, and this is the longest stage in this Tour.

::: spoiler Press to see the map and the profile of the main climb (Ballon d'Alsace) :::

Stage 14, Saturday 18

155 km, D+ 3900 m

This Alsatian mountain stage is a loop in the Vosges. It climbs again the same side of the Ballon d'Alsace that was climbed the day before. The almost final Haag Pass is basically a different road to get to the same point as the Grand Ballon climbed early in the stage.

::: spoiler Press to see the map and the profile of 2 climbs (Grand Ballon & Haag)

:::

Stage 15, Sunday 19

184 km, D+ 4100 m

This weeks ends up as this year's Dauphiné did (when Del Toro (🇲🇽 UAE) beat badly the rest of the field). The final climb is the same but the whole course which starts in the Jura mounts, before bypassing Geneva by staying on the French side, is very different, much more varied.

::: spoiler Press to see the map and the profile of 2 climbs (Croisette Pass & Solaison Plateau)

:::

The great Circus of July arrive in town on Saturday, for 3 weeks.

It starts in Catalunya, Spain and reaches France by the road. Strangely, while many days are spent in the area, Pyrenees as a mountain are almost avoided.

There are only 2 rest days this year, so the first week is relatively long: 9 days.

Again, there are no long stages this year: only 1 barely goes over 200 km. And the total course is probably the second shortest in history (just a few miles longer than last year's edition...)

Another heatwave is expected over France in July, starting at the same time as the race. It may not be as bad as the heatwave of June, but it is still going to be significantly hotter than normal for days if not weeks.

PCS page

Regulations

You've got the usual Yellow, Green, Red Polka Dots, and White jerseys. Mountain and Points final classifications bring UCI points for the first 3 riders (only).

On top of the Agressive rider daily and final prizes, there is now a smaller weekly and final 'best teammate' prize. Both are jury-based prizes.

Each stage brings almost the same UCI points as a 1.Pro race (!)

The scale for Green jersey points has been tweaked to favour even more the pure sprinters... There seems to be only 1 Intermediate Sprint per stage.

The scale for small GPM points remains as ridiculous as before: only 1 point for 1 rider on 4^th^ category climbs, and 2 and points for the first 2 riders on 3^rd^ category climbs...

There are no other secondary or tertiary classification to animate stage or give smaller teams an achievable goal.

Riders

The cream of the mutant crust will be present, probably for the only time this year.

Stages

Stage 1, Saturday 1, Team Time Trial

20 km, D+ 220 m

A very short TTT in the streets of Barcelona, with some climbing near and at the end (your usual Montjuic). Together with the new rules, it means that it is designed to bring the leaders to the front as soon as day 1.

Stage 2, Sunday 5

169 km, D+ 2000 m

A stage for punchers, again finishing in Barcelona's Montjuic, pretty much like the final stage of the Tour of Catalunya even though the circuit is a little bit different

Stage 3, Monday 6

196 km, D+ 3900 m

Arrival in a ski resort in French Catalunya. Is this a mountain stage or a puncher stage? Or simply a very good day for breakaways?

Stage 4, Tuesday 7

182 km, D+ 2900 m

After a uselessly long bus transfer, this stage meanders in the Cathar Country, the Pyrenean piedmont, and may offer opportunities for breakaways, as well as sprinters if there isn't too much action.

::: spoiler Press to see the finish profile :::

Stage 5, Wednesday 8

158 km, D+ 1600 m

A stage which looks very much like the first 2 stages of the Route d'Occitanie a couple of weeks ago. Despite some use of the hills of Gers, they will probably insufficient or too separated to get rid of the sprinters on their favourite finish city (Pau). There is almost no reward for breakaways, with only 1 GPM... I don't suppose riding by my high-school (in a distant past) will be a motivating reward.

::: spoiler Press to see the map :::

Stage 6, Thursday 9

186 km, D+ 4100 m

The only mountain stage of the Pyrenees this year simply consists of the Aspin Pass, the Tourmalet Pass, and a strange never-ending (18 km) strongly uphill false flat as a finish.

::: spoiler Press to see the map and detailed profiles

:::

Stage 7, Friday 10

175 km, D+ 700 m

A flat stage for the next favourite arrival of sprinters: Bordeaux.

::: spoiler Press to see the profile :::

Stage 8, Saturday 11

180 km, D+ 1300 m

The second flat stage for sprinters in a row. A grand total of 3 GPM points will have been offered in 2 days...

On top of this, this stage is utterly useless in terms of geographical progression between Bordeaux and the stage of Sunday, it even goes a bit backwards, and requires transfers before and after...

Icing on the cake, the last km looks slightly downhill, which is more dangerous.

::: spoiler Press to see the map and profile :::

Stage 9, Saturday 11

185 km, D+ 3300 m

After 2 flat stages, there isn't one flat yard today, approaching the Massif Central. This will certainly be one of those stages where 150 riders want to join the breakaway.

::: spoiler Press to see the map and the finish profile

:::

It is becoming more and more difficult to organise races in Switzerland: acceptation by populations/authorities, exploding costs, introduction of women races... In Romandie, they cancelled the women race; here, it is the men race which suffers: from 8 days last years (and even 9 a few years ago) it is now reduced to 5 days (only 4 in Switzerland as the 1^st^ one take place entirely in Italy), the total distance is divided by 2, and all stages are circuits, or more exactly loops, only the last one is an actual circuit.

The women stages are in the mornings, the men races in the afternoon.

PCS page

Riders (men)

Pogatchar (🇸🇮 UAE) continues his mission, coming on races he hasn't already won to fix this mistake. There won't be much competition for General Classification, as Pidcock cancelled his participation: L. Martinez (🇫🇷 Bahrain), M. Schmid (🇨🇭 Jayco), Roglitch (🇸🇮 Bora), and perhaps Riccitello (🇺🇸 Decathlon) or Tiberi (🇮🇹 Bahrain) if they finally feel better. We may get interested in what the 3^rd^ Bahrain rider, Eulalio🇵🇹, can do here after his great Tour of Italy.

There will be a greater competition among punchers. In addition to some puncher-climbers I already quoted, we shall see Van der Poel (🇳🇱 Alpecin), Grégoire (🇫🇷 FDJ), Narvaez (🇪🇨 UAE) and others.

Stages

Not a single one reaches 160 km...

Stage 1, Wednesday 17, the Sondrio loop

A punchers' stage going back and forth in an Italian valley.

Stage 2, Thursday 18, the Locarno loop

A pure punchers' stage.

Stage 3, Friday 19, the Bad Ragaz loop

The sprinters' stage, unless a few teams want to make their life hard in the first half of the stage. After all, this stage presents basically as much elevation as the first two stages.

Stage 4, Saturday 20, the AArburg loop

The Individual Time Trial, very much flat, 24 km.

Stage 5, Sunday 21, the Villars/Ollon circuit

This final stage is a hard mountain stage. A climb of almost 20 km (!) is repeated 3 times with 0 flat in between: you go up by one road, you go down by another road which ends directly where the first one restarts, and so on. The start/finish point is not on top nor at the bottom, but at about 2/3 of the climb, which mean the departure starts with a 4 km climb at 9 %. 😱

This WT stage race goes from Sunday to Sunday, and there will be climbs everyday, even on the TTT which will therefore be exceptionally difficult.

Unfortunately, this is yet another race which was 'bought' by the local elected officials, who changed its name to promote their fiefdom, and ⅓ of the Dauphiné will never be visited any more, as it belongs to a different administration.

Riders

No Pogatchar, no Vingegaard; this leaves the door open for the next level of favourites: the UAE duo Almeida🇵🇹/Del Toro🇲🇽 and Ze Elect (🇫🇷 Decathlon). Skjelmose (🇩🇰 Lidl-Trek) and Jorgenson (🇺🇸 Visma) will be the main outsiders.

PCS page

Stages

(I apologise if the pictures look shitty, but they were already horribly compressed Jpeg on the official website...)

NB: there are no time bonuses on this race, neither at the end of stages nor within them.

Stage 1 (Sunday 7)

146 km, 3200 m D+

::: spoiler Press to see the map :::

Stage 2 (Monday 8)

234 km, 3700 m D+

::: spoiler Press to see the map :::

Stage 3 (Tuesday 9) Team Time Trial

27 km, 400 m D+

::: spoiler Press to see the map :::

Stage 4 (Wednesday 10)

167 km, 2100 m D+

::: spoiler Press to see the map :::

Stage 5 (Thursday 11)

196 km, 2200 m D+

::: spoiler Press to see the map :::

Stage 6 (Friday 12)

183 km, 2900 m D+

::: spoiler Press to see the map :::

Stage 7 (Saturday 13)

134 km, 3700 m D+

::: spoiler Press to see the map :::

Stage 8 (Sunday 14)

120 km, 4100 m D+

::: spoiler Press to see the map :::

This week offers stages for climbers and GC leaders, as well as stages for punchers. Sprinters will have the last day in Rome for them (providing they can catch a breakaway of Italian contis...)

Standings after 15 stages

General time classification

Le gap between the Dane and the Portuguese hasn't changed in a week in absolute value, just the sign has changed :-) Scaroni was 5^th^ but had to withdraw.

1. Jonas Vingegaard 🇩🇰 Visma:
2. Afonso Eulalio 🇵🇹 Bahrain: +2′24″
3. Felix Gall 🇦🇹 Decathlon: +2′50″
4. Thymen Arensman 🇳🇱 Ineos: +3′03″
5. Jai Hindley Bora: +3′43″
6. Giulio Pellizzari 🇮🇹 Bora: +4′22″
7. Michael Storer 🇦🇺 Tudor: +4′46″
8. Ben O'Connor 🇦🇺 Jayco: +5′22″
9. Derek Gee 🇨🇦 Lidl-Trek: +5′41″
10. Davide Piganzoli 🇮🇹 Visma: +6′13″
11. Mathys Rondel 🇫🇷 Tudor: +6′58″

Points classification

The podium order is still the same, but Milan, who scored only 2 points in a week, may have given up.

1. Paul Magnier 🇫🇷 Soudal-QS: 145 pts
2. Jhonatan Narvaez 🇪🇨 UAE: 131
3. Jonathan Milan 🇮🇹 Lidl-Trek: 78
4. Davide Ballerini 🇮🇹 Astana: 70
5. Manuele Tarozzi 🇮🇹 Bardiani: 48

Intermediary Sprints classification

Top-5 has the same members, but all riders from Italian teams kept on scoring while Milan didn't at all.

1. Manuele Tarozzi 🇮🇹 Bardiani: 60
2. Diego Sevilla 🇪🇸 Polti: 48
3. Mattia Bais 🇮🇹 polti: 44
4. Martin Marcellusi 🇮🇹 Bardiani: 25
5. Jonathan Milan 🇮🇹 Lidl-Trek: 23

RB Sprints classification

The classification stalled, basically only Eulalio kept on scoring.

1. Manuele Tarozzi 🇮🇹 Bardiani: 31
2. Afonso Eulalio 🇵🇹 Bahrain: 30
3. Diego Sevilla 🇪🇸 Polti: 22

Mountain classification

Sevilla could only score 3 points this week.

1. Jonas Vingegaard 🇩🇰 Visma: 161
2. Jardi Van der Lee 🇳🇱 EF: 77
3. Giulio Ciccone 🇮🇹 Lidl-Trek: 75
4. Felix Gall 🇦🇹 Decathlon: 72
5. Diego Sevilla 🇪🇸 Polti: 63

Fuga classification

Only 30 km more for Sevilla this week. Often the breakaway groups were too large to count. But M. Bais managed to score more than 250 km.

1. Diego Sevilla 🇪🇸 Polti: 753
2. Mattia Bais 🇮🇹 polti: 516
3. Manuele Tarozzi 🇮🇹 Bardiani: 458
4. Martin Marcellusi 🇮🇹 Bardiani: 403
5. Mirco Maestri 🇮🇹 Polti: 347

Teams classification

2 teams are clearly above the others.

1. Visma 🇳🇱
2. RB Bora 🇩🇪 +0′24″
3. Tudor🇨🇭 +22′05″
4. Ineos 🇬🇧 +22′07″
5. Q36.5 🇨🇭 +30′58″
6. Decathlon 🇫🇷 +49′06″

Stages

Stage 16, Tuesday 26

113 km, high difficulty (15 pts), no sprint zone, 1″ splits

This stage exhibits a funny design: its middle part is very much for punchers, but then there is a break, and finally a long finish-on-top for pure climbers.

::: spoiler Press to see detailed maps and profiles

:::

Stage 17, Wednesday 27

202 km, medium difficulty (25 pts), no sprint zone, 1″ splits

A stage for breakaways, punchers and guys doing secondary/tertiary classifications.

::: spoiler Press to see detailed maps and profiles

:::

Stage 18, Thursday 28

171 km, low difficulty (50 pts), 3 km sprint zone, 1″ splits

It could have been a stage for sprinters, if it wasn't for this last hump just 10 km from the line. Don't be fooled by its classification as 4^th^ category, it is not not a false flat but a wall, 1 km at 12%. A few years ago, we would have said this was tailored for Alaphilippe.

::: spoiler Press to see detailed maps and profiles

:::

Stage 19, Friday 29

151 km, high difficulty (15 pts), no sprint zone, 1″ splits

We find a bit of mountain here! 6 climbs including the cima Coppi of this year (Passo Giau) and almost 5000 m of elevation... For the GPM, Passo Giau will be worth 50 points, Passo Duran (the 1^st^ climb of the day) 40 pts, and the other 4, 18 points each; therefore 162 points are available.

Allowed delay will be around 55 mn, so there is very little hope to eliminate even a sick sprinter.

::: spoiler Press to see detailed maps and profiles

:::

Stage 20, Saturday 30

200 km, high difficulty (15 pts), no sprint zone, 1″ splits

The last mountain stage, with a main climb done twice.

::: spoiler Press to see detailed maps and profiles

:::

Stage 21, Sunday 31

131 km, no difficulty (50 pts), 5 km sprint zone, 3″ splits

A flat stage to finish on 8 laps of the circuit in the capital city.

::: spoiler Press to see detailed maps and profiles

:::

After the two finishes-on-top of the first Italian week, the General Classification has begun to take shape. This week in the north-west of Italy will start with a Time Trial that will comfort a few position and reorganise others. The unexpected Eulalio🇵🇹 might still keep the Pink jersey after it, and otherwise he certainly will remain on the podium.

Standing after 9 stages

General time classification

1. Afonso Eulalio 🇵🇹 Bahrain
2. Jonas Vingegaard 🇩🇰 Visma: +2′24″
3. Felix Gall 🇦🇹 Decathlon: +2′59″
4. Jai Hindley Bora: +4′32″
5. Christian Scaroni Astana: +4′43″
6. Thymen Arensman 🇳🇱 Ineos: +5′
7. Mathys Rondel 🇫🇷 Tudor: +5′01″
8. Ben O'Connor 🇦🇺 Jayco: +5′03″
9. Giulio Pellizzari 🇮🇹 Bora: +5′15″
10. Michael Storer 🇦🇺 Tudor: +5′20″

Points classification

Not much progress there.

1. Paul Magnier 🇫🇷 Soudal-QS: 130 pts
2. Jhonatan Narvaez 🇪🇨 UAE: 86
3. Jonathan Milan 🇮🇹 Lidl-Trek: 76
4. Davide Ballerini 🇮🇹 Astana: 70
5. Manuele Tarozzi 🇮🇹 Bardiani: 48

Intermediary Sprints classification

1. Manuele Tarozzi 🇮🇹 Bardiani: 48
2. Diego Sevilla 🇪🇸 Polti: 36
3. Mattia Bais 🇮🇹 polti: 24
4. Jonathan Milan 🇮🇹 Lidl-Trek: 23
5. Martin Marcellusi 🇮🇹 Bardiani: 13

RB Sprints classification

1. Manuele Tarozzi 🇮🇹 Bardiani: 30
2. Diego Sevilla 🇪🇸 Polti: 22
3. Afonso Eulalio 🇵🇹 Bahrain and 6 other riders: 15

Mountain classification

The 2 finishes-on-top have killed the game for a good while 🙁

1. Jonas Vingegaard 🇩🇰 Visma: 111
2. Diego Sevilla 🇪🇸 Polti: 60
3. Felix Gall 🇦🇹 Decathlon: 48
4. Einer Rubio 🇨🇴 Movistar: 22
5. Igor Arrieta 🇪🇸 UAE & Nelson Oliveira 🇵🇹 Movistar : 18

Fuga classification

1. Diego Sevilla 🇪🇸 Polti: 721 (!!)
2. Manuele Tarozzi 🇮🇹 Bardiani: 368
3. Tim Naberman 🇳🇱 Picnic: 310 (who's he?)
4. Martin Marcellusi 🇮🇹 Bardiani: 251
5. Mattia Bais 🇮🇹 polti: 249

Teams classification

1. Visma 🇳🇱
2. RB Bora 🇩🇪 +1′44″
3. Movistar 🇪🇸 +8′54″
4. Astana 🇰🇿 +10′42″
5. Ineos 🇬🇧 +15′32″
6. Tudor🇨🇭 +18′47″

Stages

Stage 10, Tuesday 19

42 km, individual Time Trial (15 pts)

It takes place at the same location as Tirreno–Adriatico introductory TT and is as flat, but it spreads over a much longer distance of the coast.

Stage 11, Wednesday 20

195 km, medium difficulty (25 pts), 3 km sprint zone, 1″ splits

The first half of the stage may see a struggle between a breakaway and sprinters for the I.S. Then the second half is for punchers, inside a breakaway or not. Mind the extra little winding hump in the finish town.

::: spoiler map and profile of the finish :::

Stage 12, Thursday 21

175 km, low difficulty (50 pts), 5 km sprint zone, 3″ splits

This stage was designed to have a breakaway, and then a fight with the peloton for a bunch sprint.

Stage 13, Friday 22

189 km, medium difficulty (25 pts), 3 km sprint zone, 1″ splits

90% of this stage are flat, but there are two significant yet not very steep climbs about 20 km from the finish. Another Narvaez-compatible stage?

::: spoiler map and profile of the finish :::

Stage 14, Saturday 23

133 km, high difficulty (15 pts), no sprint zone, 1″ splits

A pure mountain stage, which starts with a climb, ends with a climb, and present several other climbs in between, with little flat as the stage is short: 3 sections of 10, 5 and 10 km again and that's it. The percentages are not very steep, but the first and last climbs are very long.

::: spoiler map and profile of the finish :::

Stage 15, Sunday 24

157 km, no difficulty (50 pts), 5 km sprint zone, 3″ splits

The stage to Milano, kept short and purely flat, is made for sprinters.

Here is the situation after 3 days of apathy and hospitalisations in Bulgary:

General time classification

It was only determined by the punchy 2^nd^ stage and a couple of time bonuses.

1. Guillermo Silva 🇺🇾 Astana
2. Florian Stork 🇩🇪 Tudor: +4″
3. Egan Bernal 🇨🇴 Ineos: '
4. Thymen Arensman 🇳🇱 Ineos: +6″
5. Julio Ciccone 🇮🇹 Lidl-Trek: '
6. 29 riders: +10″ ... and about the same number at 1′

Points classification

1. Paul Magnier 🇫🇷 Soudal-QS: 105 pts
2. Jonathan Milan 🇮🇹 Lidl-Trek: 64
3. Tobias Andresen 🇩🇰 Decathlon: 42
4. Madis Mihkels 🇪🇪 EF: 32
5. Diego Sevilla 🇪🇸 Polti: 28

Mountain classification

1. Diego Sevilla 🇪🇸 Polti: 42
2. Manuele Tarozzi 🇮🇹 Bardiani: 12
3. Jonas Vingegaard 🇩🇰 Visma: 9
4. Mirco Maestri 🇮🇹 Polti: 8
5. Allessandro Tonelli 🇮🇹 Polti: 6

Teams classification

1. Astana 🇰🇿
2. Tudor🇨🇭 '
3. Uno-X 🇳🇴 '
4. Movistar 🇪🇸 '
5. RB Bora 🇩🇪 '
6. EF 🇺🇸 '

Stages

Stage 4, Tuesday 12

138 km, low difficulty (50 pts), 5 km sprint zone, 3″ splits

An even shorter course than stage 1, with the same profile as stage 3, but a nastier last mile. A sprint is to be expected again, favouring the sprinters who can handle an uphill finish; even though a breakaway could have its chances in theory, as the line is closer to the climb than it was in stage 3.

::: spoiler finish map and profile

:::

Stage 5, Wednesday 13

203 km, medium difficulty (25 pts), 3km sprint zone, 1″ splits

This stage is made for breakaways or punchers-climbers, but will they take their chance this time?

::: spoiler finish map and profile

:::

Stage 6, Thursday 14

141 km, no difficulty (50 pts), 5 km sprint zone, 3″ splits

After the long stage on Wedneday, this is again a short one, purely for sprinters, that arrives in Napoli.

::: spoiler finish map and profile

:::

Stage 7, Friday 15

244 km, high difficulty (15 pts), no sprint zone, 1″ splits

This is the most difficult stage of the week. Before the long and difficult top finish at the Blockhaus, there is a series of shorter and smoother climbs without too much flat over 60 km or more, and the whole is packed inside a 244 km course! Good luck...

::: spoiler finish map and profile :::

Stage 8, Saturday 16

256 km, medium difficulty (25 pts), no sprint zone, 1″ splits

A short costal stage for punchers, with all climbs packed inside the last 60 km, long after a start with a few turns and false-flats to help a breakaway to form.

::: spoiler finish map and profile :::

Stage 9, Sunday 17

184 km, high difficulty (15 pts), no sprint zone, 1″ splits

Another finish on top this week after the Blockhaus 2 days earlier, but this time without much difficulty before the final climb and a regular length.

::: spoiler finish map and profile :::

Here it is, the .Pro race across the farm tracks of Brittany.

If I trust the weather forecast, this year will be muddy as well.

The course if made of a big loop, starting inland, then closer to the shores at it comes back towards the final circuit in Lannilis. The race is 200 km long, including 34 km of unpaved road.

Due to crashes and punctures, the race can be pretty random. It often smiles upon a sprinter-classicman who survived inside a tiny group of less than 5 or 10 riders. But last year, Tronchon (🇫🇷 Decathlon) managed to win despite a series of various setbacks (punctures, taking the wrong way...)

2 mn video summary of 2025

He'll be back this year under the GFDJ jersey, even though his start of season hasn't been great so far. Cosnefroy (🇫🇷 UAE) will be another favourite, together with a few British riders, Venturini (🇫🇷 Unibet) and the usual Uno-X outsiders.

PCS profile

PCS startlist

The first Grand Tour of the year starts on Friday, with 3 days in Bulgaria.

General info

On each stage, there will be only 1 Intermediate Stage (Traguardo Volante) that give points (to the first 5 riders) that counts both for the Cyclamen jersey, and the dedicated I.S. classification; and 1 Bonus Sprint (Red Bull) that gives Time Bonuses (6″-4″-2″) and makes up a dedicated RB classification.

So the Cyclamen jersey will be determined more by points at stages finishes than last year, when there were 2 I.S. in each stage.

As for climbing (Blue jersey), there are 4 categories plus the Cima Coppi which is located on stage 19. 4^th^ category climbs gives points to the first 3 riders, 3^rd^ cat. to the first 4, 2^nd^ to the first 6, 1^st^ to the first 8, and the Cima Coppi to the first 9.

PCS page

Teams and riders

All World Teams will be present, as well as the following Pro Teams: Bardiani🇮🇹, Polti🇮🇹, Tudor🇨🇭, Q36.5🇨🇭 and Unibet🇫🇷 (without a single bit of 🇫🇷 in it).

The ultra-favorite is Jonas Vingegaard (🇩🇰 Visma), as there are not many competitors for GC. Actually there are many contenders for podium, but not for victory: Pellizzari (🇮🇹 Bora), Bernal (🇨🇴 Ineos), A. Yates (🇬🇧 UAE), Gall (🇦🇹 Decathlon), Storer (🇦🇺 Tudor) and perhaps Vine (🇦🇺 UAE) if he doesn't get attacked by a kangaroo this time.

Stages

It looks like it was an exercise in avoiding most the mountainous and hilly regions which represent more than half of Bulgaria.

Stage 1, Friday 8

147 km, no difficulty (50 pts), 5 km sprint zone and 3″ splits

This is a short sprinters stage, on the seaside (Black Sea).

Stage 2, Saturday 9

221 km, medium difficulty (25 pts), no sprint zone, 1″ splits

This is more a stage for punchers and sprinters-punchers. The crossing of the lowest part of the Balkan Mountains around mid-race shouldn't impact the scenario, which should be a partial decision in the last little climb of Lyaskovets 10 km before the finish, and a final decision in the last hump at the last mile.

Stage 3, Sunday 10

175 km, low difficulty (50 pts), 3 km sprint zone, 3″ splits

Despite a visit to the northern part of the Rila, passing through the smooth slopes of the ski ressort of Borovets, this should again be a sprinters finish in the long, straight avenues of the capital Sofia.

If I trust the map, the last hundred metres should be on the yellow brick pavement of the Tsar Osvoboditel bvd (Streetview link). However, the cobbles do not appear on the map or profile, so perhaps the line is placed just before them.

Monday is the transfer to the South of Italy.