The Tour de Pologne's 83rd edition runs from August 3-9, with 1,111 kilometres across seven days. The UCI WorldTour race will this year run from north to south, starting in the coastal city of Gdynia.

The mountains come later in the race, however that doesn't mean the opening stages are completely flat with day one delivering the longest stage on hilly terrain through Pomeranian Voivodeship. The sprinters then should be sure to get a chance on the next stage which takes off from alongside the Baltic Sea once again while the degree of difficulty will lift on stage 3.

Stage 4 hits the mountains, delivering a summit finish at at Orlinek in Karpacz. That's far from the end of the challenges though, with two more days in the mountains before the race once again concludes with an individual time trial starting and finishing near the Wieliczka Salt Mine that will deliver a testing final reckoning for the overall contenders.

Stage 1: Gdynia-Koszalin, 234km

It's a long and demanding route to open up the 2026 Tour de Pologne, with a distance of 234km ahead when the peloton lines up alongside the Baltic Sea in Gdynia. The hilly stage will deliver more than 2,000m of elevation gain on the way to Koszalin. What's more, the category 3 Góra Chełmska comes at just 6km before the finish line, providing a potential launching point and testing any of the sprinters that have remained in contact to that point.

• Sprint 1, km. 79.4
• Sprint 2, km. 138.7
• Sprint 3, km. 166.2
• KOM 1, km. 228.0

Stage 2: Międzyzdroje – Szczecin, 151km

Still on the coast for the Międzyzdroje start but it's a flatter day ahead, with less than 900m of elevation gain. There is an uphill start, but once that's through the terrain is less challenging and the course is also more than 80km shorter than the day before. It's definitely a day designed for the sprinters, so expect a bunch battle on the finish line in Szczecin.

• Sprint 1, km. 23.6
• Sprint 2, km. 28.6

Stage 3: Gorzów Wielkopolski – Zielona Góra, 193.5km

The third day of racing delivers a little more climbing as the route heads away from the coast and along the roads of the Lubuskie Voivodeship. The climbs not far before the Zielona Góra line have potential to throw a spanner in the works for the sprinters, with the category 3 climb in Przytok just 12km from the finish.

• Sprint 1, km. 79.7
• Sprint 2, km. 95.8
• KOM 1, km. 181.5

Stage 4: Żagań – Karpacz, 175.5km

On stage 4 the mountains begin. The route through the Lower Silesia starts with a gradual rise but things just get tougher as the stage with 2,432m of elevation gain continues. The first KOM points come with the categorised 3 climb in Antoniów at 117.7km into the day of racing. The category 1 tests of Borowice and Karpacz, peaking within 5km from the line, deliver a formidable obstacle before a final short descent and ascent to the finish in Karpacz.

• KOM 1, km. 117.7
• Sprint 1, km. 142
• KOM 2, km. 154
• KOM 3, km. 171.4

Stage 5: Opole-Kocierz Resort, 218.5km

The mountain finishes continue, with 2118m of elevation gain across the 218.5km stage from Opole. There is a test early in the stage with the category 2 Mount St. Anne at 40.4km and then it is a long and lumpy stretch to the next big climbing challenge, the Przegibek Pass which peaks within the final 30km. After the descent of that category one challenge, riders then take on final the ascent to the line at the Kocierz Resort.

• KOM 1, km. 40.4
• Sprint 1, km. 155.5
• KOM 2, km. 190

Stage 6: Bukovina Resort – Bukowina Tatrzańska, 126km

The queen stage will once again unfold in the Tatra mountains, with 2850m of elevation gain squeezed into 126km of racing. There are six chances to claim KOM points on the category 2 and 1 climbs along the way, first in Leszczyny, Słodyczki and Pitoniówka and then the demanding Bukovina Wall in Gliczarów, which the riders will take on three times as the course loops around. Then it is onto the final test of the day, with the climb to the finish line in Bukowina Tatrzańska.

• KOM 1, km. 13.8
• KOM 2, km. 22.8
• KOM 3, km. 51.3
• KOM 4, km. 64.5
• KOM 5, km. 88.5
• KOM 6, km. 112.7

Stage 7: Kopalnia Soli 'Wieliczka' (ITT), 12.5km

It all comes down to a final 12.5km test once again at the 2026 Tour de Pologne. The race against the clock starts and finishes near the Wieliczka Salt Mine in southern Poland near Kraków. There is a slight climb through the opening 1.5km before flat and a mild descent back to the salt mine. It's a stage that can make all the difference, with Brandon McNulty clinching overall victory in the race in 2025 thanks to his winning effort.

The new format for the Santos Tour Down Under, where the women's event will run alongside the final three days of the six-stage men's event, will also be bringing some new course twists including a dual ascent of Willunga Hill where the traditional approach will be flipped.

The 874km men's race, from January 19 to January 24, will start at 10:40am local time each day and the first stage will eschew the normal sprint-friendly start and immediately open up with a 170km day which will keep the entire field of the opening WorldTour race of the season on its toes. The route will start at Henley Beach and includes three ascents of Checker Hill before the Gumeracha finish line so the battle for the ochre jersey of the leader will begin early.

Stage 2 of the men's race may give the fast finishers their chance, with three runs around a 50km loop from Angaston which takes riders through the Barossa and has a gradual uphill run to the finish. Then on the 170km stage 3 from Lobethal the climbing legs will be tested, with two laps around Mount Lofty and a double ascent of the Corkscrew before turning right to head toward the Campbelltown finish line.

From Friday January 22 the three-stage and 397.3km women's Tour Down Under will also begin, starting at 12:10 each day at 90 minutes after the men set off, and tackling the same course and same distance.

“By having two races out on the roads at the same time, we had to get creative with our course design and I feel there will be a lot more unknowns next January, "race director Stuart O'Grady said in a media release.

“We’ve had to look for different roads and climbs, so it will be a different-looking TDU and I’m excited by that.

“Things like three ascensions of Checker Hill will spice up the race from day one, and a new approach to Willunga Hill on the penultimate day could really change the way that stage is raced."

The first double race day on Friday, stage 4 for the men and stage one for the women's race, will set off from Glenelg which was also where the first Women's WorldTour ranked edition began. The 144.7km course will pass through Chandlers Hill, McLaren Vale and Nettle Hill before returning to a waterside finish on The Esplanade.

"Glenelg has become symbolic for big moments in our women’s race so it’s fitting that it hosts the start of the first ever men’s and women’s double header – which also promises to be a really hard first stage of the women’s race,” said O'Grady.

On Saturday the race will then twice sweep up to the top of the iconic climb of the event, Willunga Hill. However, the 116km stage from Christies Beach will instead be tackling the Willunga loop in the opposite direction to previous years.

The final day of racing will deliver an Adelaide Hills finale, with the finish line in Stirling, just as it was for the men's event in 2026. But this time, the start will be at Norwood, delivering an altered path to the finish line that includes Norton Summit, KOM and QOM points up for grabs in Ashton and Checker Hill before heading to Lobethal and Hahndorf.

Finally, riders will take on a lap of Stirling before the finish line delivers the victors of the first men's and women's WorldTour races of the 2027 season.

The route for the 2026 UEC European Road Championships has been announced, with the tough climb of Možjanca (2.1km at 10.2%) featuring as the main challenge as the event heads to Slovenia.

It's the first time the event will be held in the nation of Tadej Pogačar and Primož Roglič, with the capital of Ljubljana hosting the races.

The event runs from October 2, when the under-23 men's and women's road races kick off proceedings, until October 7, when the junior men's and women's time trials conclude the week.

The road races will be based around the climb of Možjanca, with the elite road races run between Ljubljana and the nearby town of Šenčur. The elite women's road race on October 3 will be 130km in length and tackle the climb twice, while the 196.3km elite men's road race will feature the climb five times.

"The climb itself is not that long if you only go once, but it will be different in the race. The last 200 meters are the steepest, and that will be grist for the mill for our tactics," Slovenian rider Luka Mezgec told Slovenian national broadcaster RTV.

"The climb also has the characteristic that you don't descend immediately, but there are still several kilometres of undulating terrain waiting for you, so it is difficult for individuals to gather in groups."

The time trials will also take on the same closing circuits as the road races. They'll start and finish in Šenčur, measure in at 22km, and feature one ascent of Možjanca.

"UEC encouraged us to stick with the same circuit so that it wouldn't be a classic time trial," route designer Tomaž Poljanec said.

"That's why it's shorter, but more demanding, and at the same time not quite suited to time trial specialists, which will make the outcome more open

Tadej Pogačar will be defending his European road title on home ground, having last year defeated Remco Evenepoel by 31 seconds in Guilherand-Granges, France. Dutch racer Demi Vollering beat Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney to win the elite women's title.

"Usually, around 45 countries out of our 51 members participate in the European Championships. We are proud to be in Slovenia, where cycling is flourishing," said UEC president Enrico Della Casa.

"You have superstars, but also young talents and exceptional quality. When I was at the Italian Cycling Federation, I was involved in the agreement that enabled Slovenians to compete in races in Italy.

"Now we Italians have to learn from you. Thank you for your hospitality, and we are already looking forward to the most important competition for the European Cycling Federation."

Just a little over two weeks before the 20th anniversary edition of Life Time Unbound Gravel presented by Shimano unfolds, routes have been revealed. The signature Unbound 200 race will deviate from a largely northern or southern loop from heading out from Emporia and into the Flint Hills of Kansas and mix the two past routes as in a hybrid clockwise pattern with a new third checkpoint.

The showcase event on May 30, which provides points in the Life Time Grand Prix, racks up 207 miles (333km) with over 9,000 feet (2,743m) of climbing.

“This year’s route rolls south out of Emporia before looping back in from the north, combining iconic sectors from both directions with new roads that add a fresh challenge. It’s a course that brings together some of the most memorable terrain from the past 20 years into one truly special edition of Unbound Gravel," Michelle Duffy, director of the Life Time Grand Prix, said in a press release.

"With free live coverage on the Life Time Grand Prix YouTube channel, fans around the world will be able to follow every mile of this historic edition of Life Time Unbound Gravel presented by Shimano.”

The race headed out of Emporia into the north the last two editions, but in 2026 will run south from the start with a similar opening section of the route to the last one that ran south, the notoriously tough, peanut butter mud edition of 2023, but cuts out a slightly altered path. Riders will hit Yy road at 15 miles in for a rolling uphill section towards what locals know as the 'Towers climb' with chunky gravel, creek crossings and perhaps mud if it rains.

After that the route of Unbound 200 heads toward the first Checkpoint in Madison. New this year is that Checkpoints will be areas for age-group riders only to restock nutrition and fluids as well as engage with support crews. All elite riders will have separate Feed Zones. The Feed Zone in Madison is at the high school.

A challenge awaits between mile 59 to 63 for Texaco Hill, this climb a become a staple of the southern courses in the past.

"This hill is notorious," said organisers in a course description video on YouTube. "It's been featured on many Unbound Gravel courses, what you can look for this year is a mile to a mile and half of steady 2-5% grades and once you get to the top you get a little bit of flat, steady, even riding before you bomb down the other side."

That means time for riders to take in the views from the ridge will quickly be over, as the loose and twisty descent requires concentration, and hopefully the water bottles will still be in the holder by the end. After that it's straight into Teter hill, a 1-mile climb with gradients of over 10%.

Now heading to the north again, Matfield Green delivers the second Checkpoint at mile 98.9. The elite riders will have a Feed Zone 16.5 miles prior to that on NE Satchell Creek Road.

The route then hits a rolling section on Sharps Creek Rd, which hasn't been used in the race since 2015. Up next is a completely new section which lies to the west of Emporia, W road, with organisers saying "it is chunky, it is rocky, it has got a creek crossing, it has got grass, it has got everything you could ever want".

The second half of the race sees the course navigate W Road at mile 130, which is a new section for Unbound 200, and heads to familiar turf at Council Grove, the northernmost section of this year's course. Just before Council Grove is the third Feed Zone for elites, while the third Checkpoint of the race is at Council Grove High School.

After that there is DD Avenue with its rolling, rocky and, what organisers warned, could be "potentially muddy" terrain at mile 174.

Lake Kahola, where riders cross the dam wall, signals mile marker 178 and 30 miles to go. There is one last climb of the day to follow, the paved Highland Hill at Emporia State University before the final charge to on Commercial Street, where last year Karolina Migoń and Cameron Jones claimed victory.

Unbound 100 mile carves out a similar path at the beginning to the 200 but once at Madison heads to the north-east instead, before winding its way back to Emporia. The XL, on the other hand, heads west when it starts on Friday May 29 before heading down to Madison, dropping as far south as Eureka and then also working its way up beyond Council Grove in the north before heading back toward the Emporia finish line to complete the 357 mile challenge.

Checkpoints at 2026 Unbound Gravel 200 age-group riders

• #1 - Madison, on 3rd Street at mile 42
• #2 - Matfield, on Matfield Green Homestead at mile 98.9
• #3 - Council Grove, on property of Council Grove High School at mile 160

Feed Zones at 2026 Unbound Gravel 200 for elite riders

• #1 - Madison, at Madison High School at mile 43
• #2 - Sycamore, outside Cassoday on NE Satchell Creek Road at mile 83.5
• #3 - before Council Grove on Z Avenue at mile 148

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The route for the fifth edition of Itzulia Women was presented in Zarautz on April 22, with the Women's WorldTour peloton set to face three days of challenging racing in the Basque Country between May 15-17.

The trio of stages are focussed in the north of the region, starting in Zarautz and running for 372.4km before concluding in Donostia (San Sebastián).

14 major climbs fill the route, with the toughest day coming on stage 3, which begins and ends in the capital of Gipuzkoa. The race will feature a total of 1,729 metres of climbing, with each day set to provoke aggressive racing in the hills of the Basque Country.

Stage 1: Zarautz - Zarautz, 121.3km

The opening stage of the race starts and finishes in the town of Zarautz, which hosts a stage of the women's race for the first time.

There will be little respite from climbing and descending on the day, with six major climbs and 2,239 metres of elevation filling the 121.3km route, and the GC action is expected to begin right away.

Third-category climbs, including Kalbario (2.2km at 8%), Alkarate (4.2km at 7.3%), and Etumeta (4.5km at 7.5%), will pose major challenges, as will the day's only second-category test, Santa Ageda (8km at 6.8%).

The stage finishes with a flat run to the line following a descent off the sixth and final hill of the day, Garate (4.6km at 4.7%).

Stage 2: Abadiño - Amorebieta-Etxano, 131.7km

Stage 2 brings with it another five classified climbs and the most climbing of the race at 2,474 metres. The 131.7km stage runs from Abadiño to Amorebieta-Etxano with a cluster of three climbs early in the day.

Natxitua (2.5km at 8%) is the sharpest of the trio, but it lies a long way from the finish at just 43.1km into the stage. Instead, the final two climbs of the day should have more impact on the final result.

San Pelaio (5.6km at 4.4%) lies 47.2km from the line, while the final classified climb of the stage is Aretxabalgane (4.6km at 5.4%) comes 16.1km out. There's a further sting in the tail later on, too, with an unclassified hill lying in the dying kilometres.

Stage 3: Donostia - Donostia, 113.1km

Donostia, capital of Gipuzkoa, one of the eight constituent provinces of the Basque Country, hosts both the start and finish of the final stage of the race, as it has with every edition to date.

A trio of climbs lie in wait on this closing day, with 1,729 metres of elevation in the shortest stage of the race at 113.1km. The stage is similar to the finale of the past three editions of Itzulia Women, with all three climbs of previous stages remaining on the route.

The famous Jaizkibel (7.9km at 5.6%) is the biggest challenge of the day, though the first-category climb lies just 42.4km into the stage. It's followed up by Gurutze (2.7km at 5.2%), 18.4km later.

The final challenge of the three-day race lies just 10.1km from the finish line. Mendizorrotz (6.4km at 5.2%) could prove to be a launchpad for the race-winning move, ensuring the drama lasts to the very end of the race.

The Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift 2027 will begin in the UK with organisers ASO announcing the details of the first three stages held from July 30 to August 1, including a debut team time trial on the streets of London moving into France.

“The Team Time Trial has always been one of the most exciting and spectacular formats in cycling, and we are very proud that the first one in the history of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift will take place in London," said Marion Rousse, race director of the Tour de France Femmes in an official announcement on Monday.

"The United Kingdom has already shown its passion for the Tour, and these stages will once again showcase the energy of the crowds, the beauty of the landscapes and the growing importance of women’s cycling on the world stage.”

The Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift is schedule for July 30 to August 7 next summer. The opening stage 1 will feature an 85.7km race from Leeds to Manchester, while stage 2 will take the peloton on a 154.4km race from Manchester to Sheffield. The Grand Départ will conclude with a debut team time trial that will cover 18km in London, finishing on The Mall.

ASO had already confirmed that the Tour de France and Tour de France Femmes will both start in the United Kingdom in 2027. The men's race will start in Edinburgh and will feature stages in Scotland, England and Wales from July 2 to 4 before crossing into France, and mark the fifth time that the Tour has visited the UK – after Grand Départs in 2007 and 2014, and stages in 1994 and 1974.

2027 will therefore mark the first time that the men’s and women’s Grand Départs have been hosted in the same foreign country with the women's event beginning in Paris in 2022, Clermont-Ferrand in 2023, Rotterdam in 2024 and Vannes in 2025.

“Having the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift so close to home feels like a full circle moment for me. I watched the men's race in 2014 from the side of my home roads as a young kid, and now I hope to have the opportunity next year to line up and race in the peloton," said British talent Cat Ferguson (Movistar).

"I truly appreciate how far women’s pro cycling has come. If I can inspire some women or young girls, even in a small way, to get out on their bikes, that would make me very happy. I know that UK fans will make this an unforgettable experience for all riders. Bring on the 2027 Grand Départ.”

Flora Perkins (Fenix-Premier Tech), who competed in her firt Tour last year added: "I am genuinely so excited for the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift to come to London, where I grew up riding my bike. To race the team time trial along such iconic roads and compete at the pinnacle of the sport in front of family and friends will feel surreal."

Stage 1: Leeds to Manchester, 85.7km

Stage 1 will start from Headrow in central Leeds, for the first-ever Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift stage to be held in Britain. It will be marked with three categoriesed ascents and one for the opportunits.

The peloton will pass through Headingley and the west of the city, crossing into Kirklees and passing through Heckmondwike and Mirfield to reach Huddersfield.

The route will head south to cross the Pennines, with the first categorised climb being Kirkheaton Hill (1.7km at 7.5%), followed by Meltham Hill (3.2km at 8.4%), before descending towards Oldham alongside Dove Stone Reservoir.

The riders will then tackle the Delph climb (2.1km at 6.3%) some twenty kilometres from the finish, before skirting the north of Greater Manchester via Rochdale and entering the centre of Manchester. After passing Manchester Cathedral, the finish line will be set up on Deansgate.

Stage 2: Manchester to Sheffield, 154.4km

Stage 2 will bring the peloton another day of relentless climbing iwth seven categorised climbs across the 154.4km race from Manchester through Derbyshire and the Peak District National Park to Sheffield.

After Stockport, Marple and New Mills, the first challenges will come in the form of the unclassified climb up Long Hill before Buxton (34.6km).

The stage will feature nearly 3,000 metres of climbing, with ascents over Côte de Calton, Winnats Pass, Côte de Chunal, Snake Pass, and Côte de Bradfield before entering Sheffield to tackle Côte d'Oughtibridge and Côte de Jenkin Road before finishing on Attercliffe Common.

Stage 3: London Team Time Trial, 18km

Organisers have offered limited details about the debut team time trial at the Tour de France Femmes, but confirmed that the teams will race along an 18km course that finishes on The Mall.

“Revealing the first two stages today and confirming London as the host of the first ever team time trial in the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift is another exciting milestone on the road to 2027. From the climbs of Yorkshire and the Peak District to the streets of London, these stages will deliver incredible racing and unforgettable moments for fans," said Paul Bush, managing director for Grand Départ GB 2027.

The courses for the first UCI Gravel World Championships outside Europe have been revealed, with the elite men taking on 140.7km and the elite women 123.1km on the challenging 2026 routes carved out from the plentiful gravel roads around Nannup, Australia.

It's a course for the October 10-11 event that has many of the features that have become familiar to riders of the SEVEN Gravel Race, one of the very first events in the UCI Gravel World Series when it began in 2022.

The start and finish will remain in the small Western Australian town of Nannup, and there is a raft of well-tested climbs which help contribute to the 3,625m of elevation gain for the men's elite race and 3,100m of climbing for the women's elite competitors. The course, too, will be far heavier on gravel than any of the four previous UCI Gravel World Championships, which have taken place across Italy, Belgium and the Netherlands.

"With a minimum of 80% gravel on every route, and wide roads that open the race up for genuine bunch racing, these courses offer a tactical dimension rarely seen at this level and a gravel experience unlike any previous World Championships," said event and race director Stephen Gallagher.

The fifth edition of the UCI Gravel World Championships starts with a 9km paved section, then heads into a relatively flat gravel section of about the same length before the climbing begins. The course delivers three distinct sections separated by flatter parts, which can offer a 15 to 20 minute reprieve, though Gallagher told Cyclingnews that the distinctive feature of the bulk of the course is its consistent climbing.

"And the climbing is unique in the sense that it's not massively long, but it is continuous, one-to-three-kilometre climbs. Where at other races or other events you might have the climb at the start or the climb at the end, but here it's basically the whole way through the race," said Gallagher.

"The majority of the climbs are a consistent gradient as well, so it's not like you're going up a brick wall of a climb as the gradients are anywhere between 5% to 8% … but you are still being hit by continuous climbing throughout the race, and the fatigue generated by the end of the race is quite significant."

It will be a similar course to the UCI Gravel World Series event of SEVEN on May 16, as the course sweeps out through the Blackwood Valley into the pine plantations, across rolling farmland hills and through forests before once again heading back to the off-road cycling hub of Nannup. It includes several key climbs that have become regulars at the event which started in 2017 – from Brockman to Ellis Creek and also Arcadia for the longer elite men's course – though the end section is a new twist for 2026.

This extra spectator-friendly addition means that just when the route looks to be through the toughest of the climbs, and making a beeline for the start/finish line, riders will make a left-hand turn. That will take them onto a 27km loop around the town that delivers another section of wearing ascents before descending toward the flat paved run to the finish line in Nannup, where the new gravel World Champions will be crowned.

The elite women's race will take place on Saturday, October 10, and the elite men will race on Sunday, October 11, with an additional loop including the Arcadia climb added in at the far end of the elite men's course.

The Tour de Romandie returns in 2026 for six days of high-elevation racing totalling 851.9 kilometres and 14,183 metres of elevation gain. A playground for the climbers, the route again passes through the French-speaking regions of Switzerland with 17 classified climbs on offer.

Last year, the men's WorldTour event started and ended with individual time trials, but this time there is only an opening prologue, so the five road stages increase the total distance by close to 165km.

The race begins in Villars-sur-Glâne with a prologue. Each stage thereafter offers three or four classified climbs, with a mountaintop finish at Leysin, overlooking the Rhone Valley and Lake Geneva.

Read on for all the details of the 2026 Tour de Romandie route.

Prologue: Villars-sur-Glâne (ITT)

A loop around Villars-sur-Glâne sets the GC order for the rest of the week in the opening prologue. A pair of 90-degree turns on the approach to the finish line are the only obstacles on paper, while the unpredictable weather could become a factor. Aside from Rohan Dennis in 2021, who won by 9 seconds, the prologue winner typically earns the top honours in fractions of a second.

Stage 1: Martigny-Martigny, 171.2km

The first road stage of the 2026 Tour de Romandie stays mainly on valley roads to and from Martigny, with three circuits to the north-west to cross a category 3 La Passe. Then the peloton follows the Rhone River to the north-east for an intermediate sprint in Saxon, and hits the first major climb of the week at Ovronnaz, a 12km ascent averaging 9.1% gradient. Only 33km remain from the top of the category 1 climb for an expected reduced bunch sprint back in Martigny.

Stage 2: Rue-Vucherens, 173.1km

Stage 2 features a relentless day of punchy climbs from Rue to Vucherens. While the actual distance between the towns is less than 10 kilometres, the peloton will take a serpentine path for a total of 173.1 kilometres. The opening 33.8km wind from the start in the medieval village of Rue before making a first pass of the finish line for a trio of circuits. Along the way, a third-category climb of Vuillens rises just after an intermediate sprint in Chapelle each time. From the top of Vuillens on the third and final pass, only 3.8km remain for a fast finish.

Stage 3: Orbe-Orbe, 176.6km

Stage 3 is a series of loops for 176.6km around the medieval town of Orbe in a valley of vineyards surrounded by narrow gorges and limestone cliffs. The first of three categorised climbs comes quickly, in the opening 7.7km at Suchy, with the first 55km circuit to the east. The next 57km roll to the north with undulating terrain but uncategorised climbs.

After another pass through Orbe, the peloton then encounters the final loop to the south for the final 64.6km. Once across the third-category Oulens-Sur-Echallens, a short descent leads to the major obstacle of the day, Col Mollendruz, a 21.8-kilometre ascent in the Jura Mountains. All 32km from the top are downhill back to the finish in Orbe.

Stage 4: Broc-Charmey, 149.6km

The stage from Broc to Charmey is similar to the second day of racing in that the two towns are separated by less than 10 kilometres, but an out-and-back path plus one large loop will add up to 149.6km. What the stage lacks in total distance to match other road stages, it makes up for that with climbing - two at category 2 and two at category 1.

The opening section heads east, climbing both sides of Jaunpass. The shorter side, at 5.6km, averages 8.3% gradient with a section at 10.3%. A short loop at the base leads back up the other side, longer at 8km with an average of 7.8% gradient and pitches at 9.3%. Then it's back through Charmey and Broc for a counter-clockwise southern loop through Gruyères, Les Moulins and Saanen for the category 2 climb of Saanenmöser, just north of Gstaad. A final intermediate sprint at Garstatt positions a second climb on the long side of Jaunpass for the final 17km to the finish.

Stage 5: Lucens-Leysin, 178.2km

The final stage of the 2026 Tour de Romandie is the only mountaintop finish of the week. The 178.2-kilometre journey begins on the banks of the Broye River in Lucens. The first 70km cover four climbs that are not categorised, with the middle of the route marked by a pair of category 3 ascents - Sottens and Vuillens. The overall winner will be crowned on the line. An intermediate sprint at Chardonne brings the race close to Lake Geneva, then heads inland for another uncategorised climb in Châtel-St-Denis.

Back to lake views between Montreux and Villeneuve, the final intermediate sprint at Roche signals the base of the climb to Leysin, with only 15.6km remaining to crown a champion. The bulk of the ascent covers 10.9 km at an average of 6.7%. In 2024, the climb changed the GC complexion as the penultimate day of racing, Juan Ayuso (UAE Team Emirates) tumbling out of the race lead and Carlos Rodríguez (Ineos Grenadiers) taking over and then winning the GC.

The Amstel Gold Race once again sets out from Maastricht for a long day of racing through the Limburg region with a finish just past the summit of the Cauberg.

The 257.2 kilometre route features 33 ascents with the main change being a slightly shorter distance between the last climb and the finish line.

The 60th edition of the race begins with an extended romp through the Limburg with a series of overlapping loops before the final circuit with 19.9km to go.

Amstel Gold Race 2026 climbs

The newly-named In Flanders Fields-from Middelkerke to Wevelgem, may be still largely known as Gent-Wevelgem, but just as the refreshed title suggests it will start in Middelkerke and finishes on Vanackerestraat in Wevelgem.

The new start location on the Belgian coast has been locked in for the next ten years while the deal has been done for Wevelgem to host the finale until at least 2031.

After the the Middelkerke start the 240.8km race on March 29 initially heads to Veurne and the Moeren. From there it is on to to Heuvelland, and the then the climbs start with the Scherpenberg at 105.8km to go.

It's then onto others such as the Baneberg, Monteberg and then finally the Kemmelberg, which reappears multiple times and is also the last marked hill of the race at 35.5km to go.

Of course, along the way there are also the Plugstreets, dirt sections, and numerous World War I monuments central to the history of the race.

Flanders Fields-from Middelkerke to Wevelgem 2026 climbs

• Scherpenberg, kilometre 135km (105.8 km to go)
• Baneberg, kilometre 143.8km (97 km to go)
• Monteberg, kilometre 149.7km (91.1 km to go)
• Kemmelberg (Belvedère) kilometre 151.5km (89.3 km to go)
• Monteberg, kilometre 182 km (58.8 km to go)
• Kemmelberg (Belvedère) kilometre 183.8km (57 km to go)
• Scherpenberg, kilometre 191.3 km (49.5 km to go)
• Baneberg, kilometre 200.1 km (40.7 km to go)
• Kemmelberg (Ossuaire) kilometre 205.3km (35.5 km to go)

The elite women will compete in the new addition to the Women's WorldTour - Dwars door Vlaanderen - on April 1 in Waregem.

The event has joined the top-tier of races for the first time this year, but has been a staple on the women's racing calendar and the Spring Classics since 2017.

This year, for the 14th edition, the women's peloton will tackle a 128.9km route that starts at the HippoLoggia site in Waregem.

The course will feature six cobbled sectors and eight sharp climbs, with the Hellestraat as the only new climb along the route. They will also cover the Berg Ten Houte, Côte de Trieu, Hotond and Mariaborrestraat.

The peloton will climb two ascents of Nokereberg and twice the cobbles of Herlegemstraat, which is identical to that of the men. The race concludes once again on the Verbindingsweg in Waregem.

Dwars Door Vlaanderen Women 2026 climbs

• Hellestraat
• Volkegemberg
• Berg Ten Houte
• Knokteberg - Trieu
• Hotond
• Eikenberg
• Nokereberg
• Nokereberg

Dwars Door Vlaanderen women 2026 cobbled sectors

• Holleweg
• Mariaborrestraat
• Doorn
• Huisepontweg
• Herlegemstraat
• Herlegemstraat

The newly-named In Flanders Fields-from Middelkerke to Wevelgem, but still largely known as Gent-Wevelgem, will take place on March 29 with a 135.2km route that will start and finish in Wevelgem in 2026.

The peloton will start from Wevelgem for the first time this year before travelling through the Wevelgem districts of Gullegem and Moorsele for the neutral zone. The riders will then travel toward the official start.

The peloton will first race through Zonnebeke, Langemark-Poelkapelle, and Ypres, towns where In Flanders Fields is most recognised. The riders will then take on climbs in Heuvelland, and the women's peloton will face the three Plugstreets.

The route will then tackle the Monteberg, Kemmelberg, Belvedère, Scherpenberg, Baneberg, and Kemmelberg Ossuaire.

The final sections of the course are unchanged, and the last 80 kilometres of the route - starting from the Plugstreets - are the same as the men’s course.

The organisers of La Vuelta Femenina by Carrefour.es have revealed one of the toughest routes in its 12-year history with a double-header finale in Asturias that will showcase summit finishes atop Les Praeres. Nava and the famed Alto de l'Angliru.

This year's race, which will take place from May 3 to May 9, will be held in Galicia. The 819.5km route will not include a time trial or team time trial, but will take the peloton through the area's notoriously lush, green terrain and relentless climbing, suitable for opportunists, breakaways and reduced-group finishes in what the organisers have called a 'balanced' parcours before reaching the final weekend.

The peloton will compete across four hilly stages, one flat stage and two mountain stages.

In an interview with Cyclingnews, Kiko García, the Vuelta's technical director, stated that pivotal moments of this year's route were intentionally saved for the final weekend of racing, where the peloton will take on Les Praeres on stage 6 and the fearsome L'Angliru on stage 7 in what will surely decide the winner of this year's Vuelta Femenina.

Stage 1: Marín to Salvaterra de Miño, 113.9km

The opening day of racing at La Vuelta Femenina will feature a 113.9km route from Marín to Salvaterra de Miño.

It is not a completely flat stage, but it will take the peloton over back-to-back mid-race climbs: Alto do Cruceiro at the 38.4km mark and Alto da Portela at the 49.4km mark.

The peloton will then race along an undulating route through Ponteareas and into the punchy uphill finish at Salvaterra de Miño, where the winner will collect the event's first leader's jersey.

Stage 2: Lobios to San Cibrao das Viñas, 109.8km

There are no categorised mountains on tap for stage 2, however, the 109.8km route profile is anything but flat.

The course is either up or down and likely to be a good opportunity for a breakaway or a reduced group on the roads toward the finish.

It is not a flat finish either, but the peloton will tackle a short, steep ascent in the final kilometres before a short descent into San Cibrao das Viñas.

Stage 3: Padrón to A Coruña, 121.2km

Again, there may not be categorised ascents on tap for stage 3, but the theme of this Vuelta will be in the route's relentless ups and downs.

The third day of racing begins in Padrón, and the peloton will race for 121.2km along a lumpy course into the finish, where a reduced group could, again, play for a sprint finish.

Stage 4: Monforte de Lemos to Antas de Ulla, 115.6km

As the race heads toward the mountains, stage 4 brings the field a 115.6km race that begins in Monforte de Lemos.

There are two category 3 ascents during this stage, starting with the Alto de Oural at 19.5km and then the Alto de A Vacariza at 83.6km.

It won't be a flat finish as the parcours looks to take a turn upward in the final kilometres to the finish line in Antas de Ulla.

Stage 5: León to Astorga, 119.6km

The climbing continues through on stage 5, but there are limited true tests here as sprinters could contest the flat finish.

The fifth day of racing is 119.6km beginning in León. There are two category 3 ascents on the menu: Collada de Olleros de Alba at the 42.6km mark, followed by the Alto de La Garandilla at the 73.7km mark of the race.

The climbing is followed by a predominantly low-grade descent for the last 30km mainly downhill into the finish line at Astorga.

Stage 6: Gijón/XiXón to Les Praeres.Nava, 106.5km

The organisers intended to bring the excitement of the general classification into the final two days of racing with double-header mountain stages to conclude this year's race.

Stage 6, which begins in Gijón/XiXón, will cover 106.5km.

It is the shortest day of racing, but also a route meant for the strongest climbers in the peloton with a finish on the category 1 'wall' Les Praeres.Nava is a nearly four-kilometre climb with an average gradient of 13.5%, but it reaches sections as steep as 20%.

It will be the first real test for those riders pursuing the overall title, but not the final one, because they will face the fearsome L'Angliru as the ultimate decider at this year's Vuelta.

Stage 7: La Pola Llaviana / Pola de Lavianna to L'Angliru, 132.9km

The organisers were unsure whether they would include the L'Angliru in this year's race, but after consulting with the teams and riders, they decided this was the year to make it happen.

The race will begin in La Pola Llaviana / Pola de Lavianna, and cover 132.9km, which is the longest stage of this year's race.

The field will tackle three categorised ascents before the final: category 3 Alto de Santo Emiliano at the 15.2km mark, category 3 Alto de la Tejera at the 75.1km mark and the category 2 Alto del Tenebredo at the 97.7km mark.

The main field will likely be reduced to the strongest climbers as the race approaches the base of the final ascent. L'Angliru is 13km in length with an average gradient of 9.7%, but it's closer to 13% in the second half, and is certain to decide the winner of the 2026 La Vuelta Femenina.

The second edition of Milan-San Remo Women will use the same route as its debut last year. The 156-kilometre race begins in Genoa and heads along the coast towards the Via Roma in San Remo where the second winner will be crowned.

The race will be on the same day as the men's, on Saturday, March 21.

The women have yet to be subjected to the Passo del Turchino and will again miss the climb, but they will tackle the three 'capi' along the coast, the Capo Mele, Capo Cervo and Capo Berta.

The thrilling end game comes with 21.6 km to go at the Cipressa (5.6km at 4.1%) and then follows with the Poggio (3.7km at 3.7%) with 9km to go.

The descent is testing, on twisting roads with switchbacks past the greenhouses in San Remo, until it sweeps back onto the Via Roma main road.

The last two kilometres are on long, straight roads, ripe for attacks to be launched out of a heavily reduced group before the final two corners and straight run to the line, which comes with 750 metres remaining

Milan-San Remo Women 2026 climbs

• Capo Mele (1.9km at 3.6%)
• Capo Cervo (1.3km at 3.7%)
• Capo Berta (1.7km at 6.9%)
• Cipressa (5.6km at 4.1%)
• Poggio (3.7km at 3.7%)

The organisers of the E3 Saxo Classic announced some important tweaks to the 2026 route in October, with the 2026 edition set to include both a second ascent of the iconic Oude Kwaremont from a different direction, as well as sending the race twice up the E3-Col climb.

The changes were announced as the E3 organisers committed to the next five years of partnership with the town of Harelbeke, where the race starts and finishes. Harelbeke has agreed to host the race until at least 2031, as it has done since 1957.

In the typically strange way the E3 Saxo Classic organisers try to be creative – which has previously included posters objectifying women's bodies, and cartoons mocking gay people – the announcement was staged as a wedding between the race and the town.

More interesting than the publicity marriage, however, were the changes made to the route for 2026. Like most Classics, the E3 route is subtly different each year, but next Spring will see the addition of a new climb, and another ascent of perhaps the most famous Flandrien climb, the Oude Kwaremont.

The details confirmed at the E3 press event were reported by Het Laatste Nieuws and other Belgian media.

The new climb, which goes up the Karnemelkbeekstraat in Ronse, has been dubbed the 'E3-Col' since 2019. Despite its namesake, the climb hasn't always been included in the E3 route, but in 2026 the peloton will go up it twice, once after 113km and once after 176km, in the final 35km of the race.

The E3-Col is 1.2km in length with an average gradient of 6%, though some stretches are steeper at over 12%.

As well as this double climb in Ronse, the route will also face the Oude Kwaremont a second time. Normally, the race has gone up the well-known side of the Oude Kwaremont from the Paterberg in the final 50km, and this ascent remains, but the hill will also feature earlier in the race, after 121km.

However, interestingly, they're not going to climb to the top of the famous hill the usual way, but via a different approach - a route that's never been used in a major race before, according to the organisers. This climb comes up Keuzelingstraat, and isn't cobbled but is steep.

The added climbs makes for a higher elevation gain total in the race – which might seem like bad news for 2025 winner Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) or his main challenger in that race, Mads Pedersen (Lidl Trek) – but the race organisers were keen to underline that the tweaked route was just different, not necessarily much harder.

"The race is about five kilometers longer in total than this year and with over 3,000 metres, it will also include slightly more elevation gain, but that certainly won't result in a spectacularly tougher race," race spokesperson Jacques Coussens told Het Laaste Nieuws.

The other tweaks to the route are minor, and come partly from the need to avoid an incident that nearly happened this year, where the elite race and the men's junior race almost crossed paths on the road.

"It was a close call," Coussens said. "That's why we're starting the juniors an hour earlier next year. We're also changing the pro course in a few places."

The 2026 E3 Saxo Classic is set to take place on Friday, March 27, and kicks off the run of major men's cobbled Northern Classics that includes Gent-Wevelgem, the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix.

2026 E3 Saxo Classic climbs

The route for the sixth edition of Paris-Roubaix Femmes was unveiled on February 12, with the race getting a new look for its opening kilometres as well as three extra cobbled sectors including the four-star Haveluy to Wallers sector.

The 2026 race will start in Denain and run for 143.1km to the famous Vélodrome André-Pétrieux in Roubaix, but the race will wave goodbye to the opening laps around Denain for 2026.

Instead, the race heads south before looping north again on the road to Roubaix. Early cobbled sectors at Haussy and Saulzoir are new additions to the race, while sector 18 at Haveluy à Wallers is a major new challenge.

"We have removed the loops around Denain to take the peloton a little further south and add more cobbles, and Haveluy is one of the sectors that could prove decisive," said race director Thierry Gouvenou.

The sector at Haveluy à Wallers, with a right-angle corner in the middle, marks the lead-in to the Arenberg in the men's race, measuring in at 2.5km and a four-star rating.

The women's race turns left rather than taking the chicane into the feared forest, but still, sector 18 will be one to watch this April.

From there, the remaining 17 sectors are the same as they were last spring, with four four-star sectors (Hornaing à Wandignies, Tilloy à Sars-et-Rosières, Auchy-lez-Orchies à Bersée, and the Camphin-en-Pévèle) coming alongside two further five-star sectors at Mons-en-Pévèle and Carrefour de l'Arbre.

All in all, the race will feature 33.7km of cobbles, up from 29.2km in 2025. Paris-Roubaix Femmes will be held on a new date, too, moving to Sunday, April 12, and finishing after the men's race.

2026 Paris-Roubaix Femmes cobbled sectors

The men's Paris-Roubaix peloton will face 258.3km of racing with 30 sectors of pavé along with some "changes [that] could accelerate the racing".

Once again, the race begins in the traditional start town of Compiègne and ends on the famous velodrome in Roubaix. Full information about the cobbled sectors is yet to be released.

While much of the route has a familiar feel, there are tweaks among the early sectors with some notable changes from the 2025 route.

"By veering slightly east towards the village of Briastre, we arrive at a situation where the first four sectors follow one another in quick succession, with almost no asphalt in between, creating an unmatched density of cobbles," race director Thierry Gouvenou said of the first five cobbled sectors, which flow in quick succession between the towns of Troisvilles and Solesmes.

"Two years ago, Alpecin-Deceuninck had already begun to scatter the peloton at this stage. And at the end of this sequence, we are adding sector 26, even more rarely used and featuring an 800-metre climb."

The route announcement from ASO then adds: "All the ingredients will therefore be in place for an early pre-selection likely to trap outsiders, and above all to harden the race ahead of the decisive moments to come."

Following those early changes, the final 20 sectors – from the four-star Haveluy à Wallers and the five-star Trouée d'Arenberg onwards – remain unchanged.

Those sectors include other five-star stretches, including sector 11 at Mons-en-Pévèle and sector 4 at Carrefour de l'Arbre.

The run-in to the Arenberg also remains the same after it was tweaked for the 2025 race. The peloton will race across two chicanes before hitting the famous forested sector.

ASO will release the full star ratings for the 54.8km of 2026 Paris-Roubaix cobbled sectors following inspections closer to race day.

The 123rd edition of Paris-Roubaix will take place on Sunday, April 12.

The route for the 2026 Itzulia Basque Country was unveiled on Wednesday, February 11, with the challenging week-long stage race following a similar formula to years gone by.

The six-day race, which runs from April 6-11, will open with a short time trial as it has in 2024 and 2025, with Bilbao hosting the 13.9km opener. In a region known for its hills, the climbing starts right away in the time trial and doesn't stop, with 29 major climbs and 16,264 metres of elevation filling the route between Bilbao and Bergara.

Only the time trial features fewer than 2,800 metres of elevation gain, with the race once again built to favour the puncheurs and climbers of the peloton.

Jonas Vinegegaard, Juan Ayuso, and João Almeida have won the race in recent years, and it would be no surprise to see a major GC name triumph once more this April.

Watch out for contenders including Isaac Del Toro, Paul Seixas, Primož Roglič, Mikel Landa, and Mattias Skjelmose this time around.

Stage 1: Bilbao – Bilbao, 13.9km

The race's opening stage in Bilbao is a short time trial, but it's far from a straightforward stage, with climbing from the off and 240 metres of ascent during the day.

The 2.4km, 7.3% ascent of Santo Domingo launches the 13.9km stage before a long descent and a concluding final kick to the finish with gradients hitting 19% on the way up.

Stage 2: Pamplona – Cuevas de Mendukilo, 164.1km

Stage 2, from Pamplona to Cuevas de Mendukilo, is one of the longest of the race at 164.1km and also features some of the longest climbs in the race to boot.

Four major climbs line the route, which features 3,268 metres of elevation, though there are several more hills besides that, including the one to the finish line. The late first-category test of San Miguel Aralar (9.5km at 7.7%), which returns to the route after years away, will be decisive.

Stage 3: Basauri – Basauri, 152.8km

Stage 3 is held to the south of Bilbao, beginning and ending in the town of Basauri on the outskirts of the city. The stage runs for 152.8km and features 'just' 2,824 metres of elevation and three classified climbs.

The toughest challenge of the stage is the 5km, 6.6% Barrerilla in the middle of the stage. However, two short, sharp hills in the closing kilometres, including one to the finish, should decide the day.

Stage 4: Galdakao – Galdakao, 167.2km

Stage 4 kicks off the tougher back half of the 2026 race, with seven classified climbs and 3,137 metres of elevation on the menu as riders tackle a 167.2km circuitous route to and from Galdakao, east of Bilbao.

All but the final climb of the day is a third-category test, with the Unbe (2.3km at 7.2%) and two ascents of the Vivero (7.9km at 4.5%, and 4.3km at 8.2%) standing out. The final climb, the second-category test of Legina (3.2km at 8%), lies just 8.8km from the finish line, which is another uphill run.

Stage 5: Eibar – Eibar, 176.2km

The penultimate stage of the race is the queen stage, designated by the organisers as 'the hardest day of the race'. It's also the longest, running 176.2km around Eibar.

3,814 metres of climbing and eight major climbs define the day. There are three first-category climbs during the stage – the Azurki (5.1km at 7.4%), the Karabelin (5km at 9.6%), and the Izua (4.1km at 9.2%). Watch for major GC moves on this stage, which straddles the provinces of Gipuzkoa and Bizkaia.

Stage 6: Goizper-Antzuola – Bergara, 135.2km

The final day with a short 135.4 kilometres and another 2,981 metres of elevation gain separate the hopefuls from the start in Goizper-Antzuola and glory in Bergara, a new finishing location to celebrate 50 years of the local Lokatza cycling.

It's another circuitous route, featuring a short loop to the south early and late on, and a longer loop to the north filling the middle of the stage. The main challenges of the day come on the northern loop, with the double climbs of Elosua (7.2km at 7.5%) and Azkarate (3.1km at 6.3%) both featuring twice.

There's a long run in the valley before the grand finale, however, with almost 30km separating the second ascent of Azkarate and the closing climb of Asentzio (7.3km at 5.1%). From there, a sharp 9.2km drop back into Bergara will crown the Itzulia Basque Country 2026 champion.

The Volta a Catalunya organisers have cooked up a brutal course for 2026, with three mountain top finishes to test top climbers like Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike), Remco Evenepoel (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe), João Almeida (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) and Enric Mas (Movistar) with over 20,000 metres of climbing during the week-long race.

The course follows some familiar roads, starting with circuits around Sant Feliu de Guíxols for the sixth year in a row, and concluding repeated ascents of the Alt de Montjuïc on a Barcelona circuit that has been a fixture of the race since 2013.

Stage 1: Sant Feliu de Guíxols-Sant Feliu de Guíxols, 172.7 km

On Monday, March 23, the Volta a Catalunya starts at the Guíxols Arena with 172.7-kilometres before the finish Sant Feliu de Guíxols.

The stage includes the category 3 Alt de Romanyà just after the start and first category Alt de Sant Hilari mid-race for a total of 2,129 metres of climbing, but with a mostly flat final half of the stage, it will be a day for the sprinters.

• Alt de Romanyà (cat. 3) km. 8
• Intermediate sprint, Salt, km. 36
• Alt de Sant Hilari (cat. 1), km. 74.9
• Intermediate sprint, Arbucies, km. 86.3
• Intermediate sprint, Hostalric, km. 102.7

Stage 2: Figueres-Banyoles, 167.4 km

Stage 2 takes the peloton 167.4 kilometres from Figueres to Banyoles, the reverse of last year's stage. The only climb of the day, the category 3 Alt del Purgatori comes 18 kilometres into the stage. Despite there being over 2,000 metres of climbing, it's considered a flat stage with a sprint finish in store on the Passeig de Mossèn Constans in Banyoles.

• Alt del Purgatori, km. 18.3
• Intermediate sprint, Perelada, km. 60.9
• Intermediate sprint, Besalú, km. 110.5
• Intermediate sprint, Olot, km. 133.9

Stage 3: Costa Daurada (Mont-roig del Camp) - Costa Daurada (Vila-seca), 159.4km

The Costa Daurada returns to the Volta for the first time since 2022 when Richard Carapaz escaped to win the stage ahead of eventual overall winner Sergio Higuita.

Starting from the Josep Florencio Municipal Velodrome in Mont-roig del Camp, the stage runs for 159.5 kilometres to Vila-seca with 2,252 metres of climbing.

The stage features the category 1 Alt de la Mussara and almost immediately after, the Coll de Capafonts (cat. 2). The smaller Coll Roig tops out with 44.5km to go and might not rule out some stronger sprinters for the flat run-in to the finish.

• Alt (cat. 1), km. 34
• Coll de Capafons (cat. 2), km. 49.6
• Intermediate Sprint, Cornudella de Montsant, km. 66.8
• Coll Roig (cat. 3), km. 114.9
• Intermediate Sprint, Reus, km. 144.7

Stage 4: Mataró-Vallter, 173km

Stage 4 is the first of three summit finishes, running 173 kilometres from the Esport club in Mataró to the Vallter ski station at 2,100 metres in altitude.

The GC contenders get a warmup on the Coll de Parpers and Alt de Sant Feliu de Codines in the first hour of racing but will want to save their legs because the final climb is 11.4 kilometres long with an average gradient of 7.6%.

With 3,995 metres of climbing on the day, it's a painful wake up call for the peloton.

• Coll de Parpers (cat. 3), km 8.5
• Intermediate sprint, Granollers, km. 19
• Alt de Sant Feliu de Codones (cat. 2), km. 41.9
• Intermediate sprint, Olost, km. 90.6
• Intermediate sprint, Sant Joan de les Abadesses, km. 136.6
• Vallter (HC), km. 172.8

Stage 5: La Seu d'Urgell - La Molina / Coll de Pal, 155.3km

If stage 4 uncovered the best climbers in the Volta a Catalunya, the next day of racing from La Seu d'Urgell to the Coll de Pal will be even more revealing, with 4,500 metres of climbing across five major mountains.

The stage begins with the Port Colldornat and ends on the above category Coll de Pal at 2,085 metres in altitude. The final climb is as tough or harder than that to Vallter, and certainly more demanding than the stage 6 climb to Queralt, so look for all-out assaults on the GC from the top contenders.

• Port Colldornat (cat. 1), km. 32.7
• Coll de Josa (cat. 2), km. 65.2
• Coll de Fumanya (cat. 1), km. 93.1
• Collada Sobirana (cat. 1), km. 119.4
• Intermediate sprint, Bagà, km. 135.1
• Coll de Pal (HC), km. 155.3

Stage 6: Berga-Queralt, 158.2 km

The penultimate day of the race replicates that of the 2024 edition where Tadej Pogačar stormed away solo to victory to extend his already unassailable lead.

The same route was supposed to be used last year, but high winds forced organisers to reduce the stage to just 25 kilometres at the end of which Quinn Simmons won the sprint.

This time, riders should face the full menu of challenges including the Coll de la Batallola, Coll de Pradell and Collada de Sant Isidre before the uphill run into Queralt.

• Coll de la Batallola (cat. 3), km. 63.6
• Coll de Pradell (HC), km. 98.4
• Intermediate sprint, Pedraforca, km. 108.9
• Malanyeu Collada de Sant Isidre (cat. 1), km. 131.5
• Intermediate sprint, Canyet Berga, km. 152.4
• Queralt (cat. 1), km. 158.2

Stage 7: Barcelona-Barcelona, 95.1 km

The Volta a Catalunya 2026 concludes in Barcelona with a punchy circuit including seven climbs to Alt del Castell de Montjuïc - one more than riders faced in previous years.

A flat first 40km includes two intermediate sprints before the start of the first of the climbs, after which it's up and down all the way to the finish. At just 95.1km in length, the stage packs 1,781 metres of climbing into the last 55km of the day.

• Intermediate sprint, Viladecans, km. 13.7
• Intermediate sprint, Castelldefels, km. 17.4
• Intermediate sprint, Barcelona, km. 48
• Alt del Castell de Montjuïc, km. 42.5, 50.4, 58.2, 66.1, 73.9, 81.8 and 89.7

Just four months after his exit from UAE Team Emirates-XRG emerged in the midst of high drama in the Vuelta a España, Juan Ayuso's debut in Lidl-Trek colours at a significantly overhauled version of the Volta ao Algarve this February will see the Spanish champion take on his former squad for the first time in Portugal's premier week-long stage race.

Anticipation will be high, too, given Ayuso is set to face off against one of the top racers at UAE Team Emirates, João Almeida, just when Almeida is battling to go one better than his second place overall behind 2025 winner Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike).

The all-Iberian duel between Spain's Ayuso and Portugal's Almeida at the top of the GC hierarchy will headline a race featuring 12 WorldTour teams, three ProTeams, and no less than nine Portuguese Continental teams.

Quite apart from Ayuso, Paul Seixas, France's great new talent with Decathlon CMA CGM team, is another top new name for the Portuguese stage race to follow. More familiar faces include Giro d'Italia winner Richard Carapaz (EF Education-EasyPost), former double World Champion Julian Alaphilippe (Tudor), Filippo Ganna (Ineos Grenadiers) and Lotto-Intermarché's Arnaud De Lie.

Stage 2 looks similar, with the usual summit finish on the Algarve's highest peak, the Alto da Foía in the Serra de Monchique. But a new, tough Cat.1 mid-stage climb, 8.5kilometres long and with sections of up to 14%, could render this stage far more decisive than usual in the overall.

Stage 3's technically challenging time trial over a medium distance then puts the ball in the court of the specialists, prior to another sprint stage, where prolonged spells along exposed sections of the western Algarve could easily spark echelons in the strong Atlantic winds.

Stage 5's ascent of the Alto do Malhão, just 2.6 kilometres long but with some punishingly steep sections and an average gradient of 9.8%, will decide the final winner on February 22.

The major innovation of this emblematic ascent is that it will be tackled not once, but twice. The last stage will have over 3,000 metres of vertical climbing, too - the most of any day of the 697.41 kilometre 2026 race.

Volta ao Algarve 2026: the route

• Wednesday February 18: Stage 1: Vila Real de San António - Tavira 185.6km
• Thursday February 19: Stage 2: Portimão - Alto da Foía 157.1km
• Friday February 20: Stage 3: Vilamoura - Vilamoura ITT 19.5km
• Saturday February 21: Stage 4: Albufeira - Lagos 182.1km
• Sunday February 22: Stage 5. Faro - Alto do Malhão 153.1km

Stage 1: Vila Real de Santo António - Tavira 185.6km

Stage 1 is designed for the sprinters, but it has a golden kilometre, something which regularly features in the biggest Belgian stage races, with three bonus sprints in just one kilometres. As a result,
the stage winner may not necessarily be the first leader of the Volta ao Algarve.

Stage 2: Portimão-Alto da Fóia 157.1km

Stage 2 from Portimão to Alto da Fóia in the Serra de Monchique culminates with the first major GC battle of three in the 2026 race at the summit of the highest point in the Algarve region. Regularly used in the Volta, Fóia holds few secrets for most of the regular contenders, but the inclusion of a brace of tougher Cat.3 ascents beforehand, one of them immediately preceding Fóia, could make it much more difficult. The wind, too, could well play a major factor on Fóia's very exposed upper slopes.

Stage 3: Vilamoura - Vilamoura ITT 19.5km

Part 3 of the five-day Algarve battle is an individual time trial starting and finishing in Vilamoura. Just 19.5 kilometres long, the technical, rolling course, with many urban sectors, constitutes one of the main challenges of the GC race.

Stage 4: -Lagos

Stage 4, likely to end in a bunch sprint, traditionally sees few overall changes. But the last section with flat, exposed coastal roads en route to the westerly city of Lagos might see echelons form and GC contenders will have to be attentive.

Stage 5: Faro-Alto do Malhão 153.1km

Last but not least, Sunday starts from the region's capital Faro and culminates in the usual showdown on the Alto do Malhão. Taclked twice on a very hilly 45 kilometre final circuit, Malhão's punishingly steep slopes could yet see another big change on GC. It certainly wouldn't be the first time.

In 2026, the Critérium du Dauphiné gets a new name, the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, but it remains the familiar build-up race for the Tour de France in June.

Running from June 7 to 14, the WorldTour stage race includes a team time trial that will help riders prepare for the opening TTT of the Tour de France a few weeks later.

The 78th edition of the race still features some of the region's iconic mountains while adding new obstacles to challenge the sport's top riders.

After the team time trial, the GC contenders will come out to play in the final three stages, which end on the category 1 Crest-Voland, and hors-categorie Grand Colombier and Plateau de Salaison, respectively.

The Grand Colombier was the site of Tadej Pogačar's second Tour de France stage win in 2020, where he out-sprinted Primož Roglič for the honours. More recently, it was in the 2023 Tour de France with Michał Kwiatkowski winning the stage and Pogačar gaining a handful of seconds on rival Jonas Vingegaard.

The final climb of the 2026 race, the Plateau de Salaison, has been infrequently used but was last used when Vingegaard won stage 8 of the Critérium du Dauphiné, helping then-teammate Roglič to the overall victory.

The 2026 edition also has a couple of stages for the sprinters and breakaway artists, but the first yellow jersey might not go to one of the fast men, as there is a category 1 climb just 18km from the finish.

Stage 1: Vizille - Saint-Ismier, 146.5 km

It's a tough opening stage for the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, with riders heading up and uncategorised climb just 6km into the stage from Ilsère to Saint-Ismier.

The first classified climb, the category 2 Col de l'Arzelier comes less than 40km into the stage, and there are four more scattered throughout the 140.1-kilometre route.

A rather testing Côte de Saint-Jean-le-Vieux with 20km to go and an uphill sprint finish adds to the difficulty of this opening stage.

• Intermediate Sprint - Monestier de Clermont, km 22.3
• Col de l'Arzelier (cat. 2 - 8,6 km at 5,7 %), km. 39.8
• Côte de Seyssins (cat. 3 - 2.6 km at 6 %), km. 72.8
• Côte de Quaix en Chartreuse (cat. 2 - 2,3 km at 9,2 %), km. 94.4
• Col de Vence (cat. 2 - 5,1 km at 6 %), km. 102.2
• Côte de Saint-Jean-le-Vieux (cat. 1 - 5,6 km at 8,7 %), km. 125.3

Stage 2: Saint-Martin-Le-Vinoux - Le Puy-en-Velay, 234.5

The sprinters might get a chance on the second stage from Saint-Martin-le-Vinoux to Le Puy-Velay, a marathon journey of 234.3 kilometres over five categorised climbs.

It might not be the toughest day in terms of mountains - the 10.9-kilometre Col Robert Marchand averages only 4.4% - but some shorter but steeper climbs in the final 30km might eliminate some sprinters.

There's a quick descent to the finish line, making this stage finale all about timing.

• Col de Chatain (cat. 2 - 7.9km at 5.7%), km. 13.2
• Col de la Croix de Toutes Aures (cat. 3 - 2.8km at 6.1%), km. 35.3
• Col Robert Marchand (cat. 2 - 10.9 km at 4.4 %), km. 125.7
• Intermediate sprint - Saint-Bonnet-le-Froid, km. 142.5
• Côte des Baraques (cat. 2 - 4.2 km at 6.6 %), km. 203.3
• Côte de Saint-Vidal (cat. 3 - 2 km at 7.4 %), km. 222.5

Stage 3: Perreux - Perreux (TTT), 28.4 km

The teams will be out with all of their fanciest aerodynamic gear and kit to put them to the test on this team time trial in Perreux.

At 28.4 kilometres, it's almost 10km longer than the Tour de France opening stage in Barcelona, and it has a fair bit more climbing, but provides one of the few in-race TTT opportunities of the season.

With only Paris-Nice and the Trofeo Ses Salines holding TTTs this year, this stage will be a critical final test for the Tour.

• Time check 1, km. 8.0
• Time check 2, km. 15.8

Stage 4: Le Puy-en-Velay - Montrond-Les-Bains, 167.4km

With the GC suitably shaken up by the team time trial, the next stage looks like a perfect chance for the breakaway. The climbs start from the gun, with the Col de la Croix de l'Arbre crested after 14.6km of racing.

There are five climbs packed into the middle 40km of the 165.8km stage, the toughest of which is the Col des Pradeaux (7.2km at 5.7).

The roads level out with 30km to go, making for either a frantic chase by the sprinters' teams or a détente behind the winning breakaway.

• Col de la Croix de l'Arbre (cat. 4 - 4 km at 4.1 %), km. 14.6
• Intermediate sprint - Arlanc, km. 52.6
• Côte du Temple (cat. 3 - 5.7 km at 4.5 %), km. 67.3
• Col des Pradeaux (cat. 2 - 7.2 km at 5.7 %), km. 77.9
• Col des Limites (cat. 3 - 3.7 km at 5.5 %), km. 92.4
• Côte de Lérigneux (cat. 4 - 1.7 km at 4.4 %), km. 104.7
• Côte de la Roche-en-Forez (cat. 4 - 2.1 km at 4.5 %), km. 109.6

Stage 5: Saint-Chamond - Villars-Les-Dombes, 195.8 km

If any stage is for the sprinters, it's stage 5 in this edition of the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes. There is hardly any climbing of note except for a pair of climbs at the start.

The GC riders will be happy to keep their legs fresh with three rough stages to come.

• Côte de la Croix Blanche (3 km at 5 %), km. 3
• Col de la Gachet (1.6 km at 4.4 %), km.7.5
• Intermediate sprint - Blacé, km. 108.7

Stage 6: Saint-Vulbas - Crest-Voland, 182.3 km

The first summit finish of the Tour Auvergne is actually two back-to-back ascents with only a small descent in between. The Côte d'Héry-sur-Ugine brings riders 11.3km up to 1,004 metres in altitude before a 200m dip and another 5.9km to the finish line on the Côte de Crest-Voland.

The first climb averages 5.1%, but the second is significantly steeper at 7.7%, which will hurt after 181.4km of racing.

• Intermediate sprint - Les Échelles, km. 76
• Côte de Châtelard (cat. 3 - 4.3 km at 5.7 %), km. 83.5
• Col du Granier (cat. 2 - 8 km at 5.7 %), km. 98.3
• Côte d'Héry-sur-Ugine (cat. 1 - 11.3 km at 5.1 %), km. 173.2
• Côte de Crest-Voland (cat. 1 - 5.9 km at 7.7 %), km. 182.3

Stage 7: La Bridoire - Grand Colombier, 133.6 km

The final two stages of the race are short but intense, with the penultimate day heading from La Bridoire to the top of Grand Colombier, a beast of a climb that is 8.4km long and averages 10.2% with sections that are much steeper.

It's preceded by three early climbs that are much shorter in length, and a visit to the southern slopes of the Colombier, with the race heading over the Lacets du Grand Colombier before heading north through Chanay and then back for the final climb.

In between, the Col de Richemond is no joke either - it's 7.7km long and averages 6% - but the long, gradual descent before the final climb can be a place for contenders to claw back any time they may have lost there.

• Col du Banchet (cat. 2 - 5.3 km at 5.7 %), km. 5.1
• Col de la Crusille (cat. 4 - 2.9 km at 4 %), km. 13.8
• Côte de Saint-Maurice-de-Rotherens (cat. 2 - 4.9 km at 7.1 %), km. 24.2
• Lacets du Grand Colombier (cat. 1 - 7 km at 8.4 %), km. 76.2
• Intermediate sprint - Chanay, km. 95.6
• Col de Richemond (cat. 2 - 7.7 km at 6 %), km. 111.2
• Grand Colombier (HC - 8.4km at 10.2 %), km. 133.6

Stage 8: Beaufort - Plateau de Solaison, 120 km

The final stage from Beaufort to the Plateau de Solaison is just 120 kilometres long, and while that might sound like a walk in the park, there are four significant mountains along the route.

The first, the Col du Pré, is a brutal way to start the stage. The 6.9km ascent averages a whopping 10.1% with steeper pitches along the way. The next tooth of the stage's saw blade is the Montée de Bisanne - 11.4km at 7.7%.

The Col des Aravis, after 73km of racing, is followed by a descent that's over 30km long. It will be a major challenge for riders to keep their legs warm and ready for the final push to the finish on the 9.1% slopes of the 11.3km ascent.

• Col du Pré (cat. 1 - 6.9 km at 10.1 %), km. 10.4
• Montée de Bisanne (HC - 11.4 km at 7.7 %), km. 43.1
• Intermediate sprint - Les Glières, km. 57.5
• Col des Aravis (cat. 1 - 7 km at 6.8 %), km. 73.4
• Plateau de Solaison - Brison (HC - 11.3 km at 9.1), km. 120.1

Antwerp will host the start of the Tour of Flanders in 2026 with 271 kilometres standing between it and the finish in Oudenaarde where the champion of Belgium's biggest race will be crowned.

This edition features six flat cobbled sections and 16 'hellingen' - the short but steep cobbled climbs that have made the Ronde van Vlaanderen such a tough and popular race.

The peloton has over 100 kilometres to mentally prepare for these challenges, with a pair of flatter cobbled roads - the back-to-back Lippenhovestraat and Paddestraat coming first at kilometre 102.4.

It's not for another 32 kilometres that riders hit the first major climb, the Oude Kwaremont, which comes almost exactly at the halfway point.

Riders have a short reprieve before the Eikenberg, but the race becomes far more intense after 150 kilometres of racing with the Holleweg cobbles coming just before the Wolvenberg. That climb is quickly followed by the Kerkgate and Jagerij cobbled roads.

Soon after, the Molenberg, Marlboroughstraat and Berendries ascents come within 10km of each other. The next few climbs - the Valkenberg, Berg Ten Houte and Nieuwe Kruisberg/Hotond are stretched across 22km before riders reach the closing circuit with the Oude Kwaremont and Paterberg, which the men tackle twice.

In the long loop, the men's race takes on the Koppenberg, Taaienberg and Oude Kruisberg/Hotond before the final two climbs of the Kwaremont and Paterberg.

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Tour of Flanders climbs

See also: How to watch Tour of Flanders

Tour of Flanders cobbled sections

The Tour of Flanders Women's 2026 route follows similar routes to the previous years, with 164.1 kilometres of cobbles and bergs around Oudenaarde.

After a slightly different start to the race in 2025 and a trip across the Doorn sector of cobblestones, the women's Tour of Flanders returns to the more familiar circuit used in 2024, with additional kilometres added before the first pavé near Gavere, Lange Munte, after 29.3 kilometres of racing.

The route brings riders across the cobbled Lippenhovestraat and Paddestraat before the halfway point when the course gets much spicier, but not quite as spicy as previous years.

Organisers Flanders Classics have cut the number of cobbled sections from seven to six, but includes the longer Lange Munte and Kerkgate stretches.

There are only nine climbs this year compared to 12 in 2025. The first is the Wolvenberg at kilometre 82, about 20km later than usual, signalling the start of a series of bergs and cobbles that make the Tour of Flanders iconic.

From the Molenberg to the Koppenberg, the route remains the same as 2024, but skips the Steenbeekdries, instead heading via a longer route to the Taaienberg. Riders reach the final section with the Oude Kwaremont and Paterberg - which the women traverse only once - with 16.7km to go.

Tour of Flanders Women - Everything you need to know including the start list, favourites and outsiders for the WorldTour race, teams and more.

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Tour of Flanders Women 2026 climbs

Tour of Flanders Women 2026 cobbled sectors

The 29th edition of La Flèche Wallonne Femmes will take the peloton on a 148.2 km course with the finish atop the Mur de Huy (1.3 km at an average gradient of 9.6%, peaking at close to 20%) on April 22.

The field will set off from the Grand Place in Huy before immediately tackling the Bohissau climb, and two ascents at Courrière and Durnal, setting the stage for the final showdown on the circuit that includes a back-to-back trio of Ereffe - Cherave - Huy.

The final circuit is 37.2km, and the field will complete two laps featuring all three climbs before finishing on the famed slopes of the Mur de Huy.

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La Flèche Wallonne Femmes 2026 climbs

• Côte de Bohissau (2.2km at 5.6%) at km 10.5
• Côte de Courrière at km 38.3
• Côte de Durnal at km 49.1
• Côte d'Ereffe (2.1km at 5%) at km 92.6
• Côte de Cherave (1.3 km at 8,1%) at km 105.3
• Mur de Huy (1.3km at 9.6%) at km 111
• Côte d'Ereffe (2.1km at 5%) at km 129,8
• Côte de Cherave (1.3 km at 8,1%) at km 142.5
• Mur de Huy (1.3km at 9.6%) at km 148.2 (finish)

The 90th edition of La Flèche Wallonne will begin from Herstal, Liège, and features three ascents of the Mur de Huy (1.3 km at an average gradient of 9.6%, peaking at close to 20%) at 130.8km, at 168km, and at the finish.

The second race of the Ardennes Classic triple - sandwiched between the Amstel Gold Race and Liège-Bastogne-Liège - will take place on April 22.

The peloton will face a classic 208.8km course. The peloton will race a demanding start from Herstal, a new host city, and climb the back-to-back via Trasenster and Les Forges.

The field will then tackle the three modern Flèche circuits, with climbs over the Ereffe and Cherave, before tackling the famed ascent of the Mur de Huy.

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La Flèche Wallonne 2026 climbs

• Côte de Trasenster at km 18.2
• Côte des Forges at km 48.8
• Côte d'Ereffe (2.1km at 5%) at km 116
• Côte de Cherave (1.3 km at 8,1%) at km 128.7
• Mur de Huy (1.3km at 9.6%) at km 134.4
• Côte d'Ereffe (2.1km at 5%) at km 153.2
• Côte de Cherave (1.3 km at 8,1%) at km 165.9
• Mur de Huy (1.3km at 9.6%) at km 171
• Côte d'Ereffe (2.1km at 5%) at km 190.4
• Côte de Cherave (1.3 km at 8,1%) at km 203.1
• Mur de Huy (1.3km at 9.6%) at km 208.8 (finish)

The route for the 2026 Strade Bianche Women has been revealed, with two fewer gravel sectors than last year, but still with a brutally challenging route on offer over some of Tuscany's idyllic white roads.

The 6.4km La Piana and 9.3km Serravalle sectors have been removed for the March 7 race, just as they have been for the men's race, meaning for a larger section of road between the first three sectors and the remaining eight in the latter half of the course.

Siena's iconic Piazza del Campo finish line remains, with the final loop and double lap up the Colle Pinzuto and Le Tolfe sectors still providing the approach into the steep city-centre Via Santa Caterina climb.

Despite the reduction in distance and in the number of gravel sectors, it's not as dramatic a change as the men's race has experienced for 2026, with the legacy of the 2024 transformation – when four gravel sectors were added – still shining through.

S. Martino in Grania remains the only five-star sector on the 131-kilometre women's route, with the Monte Sante Marie still not featuring, with Colle Pinzuto and Le Tolfe being the next hardest as both are four-star sectors.

Demi Vollering (FDJ-United Suez) and Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx-Protime) have traded victory at the past four editions of Strade Bianche, but the former will enter as defending champion after her solo win ahead of the latter's teammate, Anna van der Breggen.

Van der Breggen will return to Tuscany in 2026 and look to repeat her victory from the 2018 edition, but both of the Dutch stars and the Belgian will have the added threat of Pauline Ferrand-Prévot (Visma-Lease a Bike) taking the start.

Ferrand-Prévot finished third in last year's race, but this was only her third appearance after returning to road racing and joining Visma-Lease a Bike. With the confidence gained by winning both Paris-Roubaix and the Tour de France Femmes, expect the multi-discipline expert to excel on the gravel roads.

Strade Bianche Women 2026 gravel sectors

• Vidritta (2.4km)
• Bagnaia (4.8km)
• Radi (4.4km)
• S.Martino in Grania (9.4km)
• Monteaperti (0.6km)
• Colle Pinzuto (2.4km)
• Le Tolfe (1.1km)
• Strada del Castagno (0.7km)
• Montechiaro (3.3 km)
• Colle Pinzuto (2.4km)
• Le Tolfe (1.1km)

Omloop Het Nieuwsblad Women organisers Flanders Classics unveiled the route for the 2026 edition of the cobbled Classics opener on Wednesday, with this year's race bringing the addition of two climbs in a toughened-up final.

The 2026 race will take place on Saturday, February 28 and will mark the beginning of the Belgian racing season. As ever, the famous closing duo of the Muur van Geraardsbergen and Bosberg will play host to the grand finale of the first cobbled race of the year.

The women's peloton will start in the famous 't Kuipke velodrome in Gent before making their way to the challenging cobbles and bergs of Flanders en route to the finish in Ninove after 137.6km of racing.

Along the way, familiar hills, including the Wolvenberg, Molenberg, and Berendries, crop up, though 2026 brings a pair of additional challenges that slot in late in the route.

After tackling Berendries with 33.5km to go, riders will face the climbs of Tenbosse and Parikeberg before continuing to Geraardsbergen and the decisive ascents of the Muur and Bosberg.

With the removal of Elverenberg from the route, the 2026 race will feature an additional climb compared to 2025, presenting a further challenge before the 11.8km flat run to the finish in Ninove.

Lotte Claes (now of Fenix-Premier Tech) is the defending champion after taking a surprise win from the day-long break last year. This February's more challenging route should, in theory, favour the bigger star names, such as past winners Marianne Vos (Visma-Lease a Bike) and Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx-Protime).

Hills and cobbled sectors of the 2026 Omloop Het Nieuwsblad Women

• Lange Munte, 37.6km
• Hill 1: Edelareberg, 75.4km
• Holleweg, 77.5km
• Hill 2: Wolvenberg, 80.1km
• Kerkgate, 83.8km
• Jagerij, 86.7km
• Hill 3: Molenberg, 92.6km
• Haaghoek, 97.1km
• Hill 4: Leberg, 100.1km
• Hill 5: Berendries, 104.1km
• Hill 6: Tenbosse, 111.6km
• Hill 7: Parikeberg, 114.9km
• Hill 8: Muur-Kapelmuur, 121.9km
• Hill 9: Bosberg, 125.8km

Flanders Classics, organisers of the Belgian season opener Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, unveiled the route for the 2026 race on Wednesday, revealing a revamped run-in to the finish in Ninove.

The 2026 race will be held on Saturday, February 28, the first day of a back-to-back Opening Weekend with Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne and the first race of the spring Classics.

Omloop Het Nieuwsblad will be longer than in 2025, with Flanders Classics having added 10km to the route to bring it up to 207.6km in length.

The race, as ever, will begin in the famous 't Kuipke velodrome in Gent and, for the most part, take on the same roads, cobbled sectors, and Flandrien bergs as it did in 2025.

Eight cobbled sectors fill the route along with 12 hills, including the Leberg, Eikenberg, Wolvenberg, and Molenberg. Much of the route, up to the final ascent of Leberg and Berendries at 174km into the race, will remain similar to last year.

A major change earlier in the race includes the removal of the Valkenberg and the addition of two ascents of the Eikenberg. After Berendries, the Elverenberg is also out.

From there, the peloton will race to Brakel, home of Peter van Petegem, and tackle two additional climbs before heading to the final. The hills of Tenbosse and Parikeberg provide additional challenges before the final one-two punch of the Muur van Geraardsbergen and Bosberg, and the 11.8km flat run to the finish line.

Søren Wærenskjold (Uno-X Mobility) is the defending champion of the race, having won in a mass sprint finish last year. With two extra climbs in the 2026 route, it seems as though the race organisers want to avoid a repeat of the 2025 49-rider dash for the line in Ninove this February.

Hills and cobbled sectors of the 2026 Omloop Het Nieuwsblad

• Paddestraat, 41.8km
• Haaghoek, 58.2km
• Hill 1: Leberg, 61.2km
• Hill 2: Eikenberg, 74.3km
• Lange Munte, 112.9km
• Haaghoek, 129.9km
• Hill 3: Leberg, 132,9km
• Hill 4: Eikenberg, 146.1km
• Holleweg, 147.5km
• Hill 5: Wolvenberg, 150.1km
• Kerkgate, 153.8km
• Jagerij, 156.7km
• Hill 6: Molenberg, 162.6km
• Haaghoek, 167.1km
• Hill 7: Leberg, 170.1km
• Hill 8: Berendries, 174.1km
• Hill 9: Tenbosse, 181.6km
• Hill 10: Parikeberg, 184.9km
• Hill 11: Muur-Kapelmuur, 191.9km
• Hill 12: Bosberg, 195.8km

The route for Strade Bianche has been shortened by 14km from 215km to 201km for the 2026 edition, and will feature two fewer gravel sectors, race organiser RCS revealed in Milan on Wednesday.

After growing in status as a one-day Classic, the iconic Italian race over the white Tuscan roads was transformed in 2024, with the route being made significantly more difficult by adding kilometres and more gravel.

RSC have walked back these changes after two years; however, with Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) dominating those editions with long-range solo attacks, that even a high-speed crash and an in-form Tom Pidcock (Q36.5) couldn't prevent in 2025.

The two sectors removed from last year are La Piana (6.4km) and Serravalle (9.3km), which both featured in the opening half of the route, potentially giving more chance for the race to kick off later.

As a result, the total gravel kilometres have been reduced from 80km to 64km.

The final loops around Siena remain unchanged, however, with the Colle Pinzuto (2.4km) and Le Tolfe (1.1km) sectors again featuring twice, before the iconic steep slope up the Via Santa Caterina brings the riders home to the Piazza del Campo.

The gravel action will kick off early at the first sector, Vidritta, which arrives after 10km of racing, and is closely followed by Bagnaia and Radi; however, there will then be a 30km gap before the next off-road section at Lucignano d'Asso – the first four-star and longest gravel sector.

After 98.3km, the riders will hit the first of two five-star sectors, S. Martino in Grania, but the sector which has provided the launch pad for many of the past editions won't be far in the distance.

11.5km in length, the iconic up and down slopes of the Monte Sante Marie will once again play host to the crucial moment of the race, with just over 70km of the race remaining after its conclusion – if you miss a move here, it will be nigh-on impossible to win the race.

Having won on a shorter 184-kilometre course in 2022, Pogačar will remain the big favourite to make it three in a row at Strade Bianche, which is set to be his first appearance of the 2026 season on March 7.

He will face stiff competition as always, though, especially with former winner Wout van Aert (Visma-Lease a Bike) returning, who also won the gravel stage into Siena at last year's Giro d'Italia and was the only rider to drop Pogačar in a race last season.

Other top contenders who could come into play on the softened route could be Pidcock, who is also a former winner, Ben Healy (EF Education-EasyPost) and Matteo Jorgenson (Visma-Lease a Bike).

Although Pogačar cannot count of the injured Tim Wellens, he does have the bonus of star teammate Isaac del Toro alongside him, so UAE Team Emirates XRG remain the team to beat.

Gravel Sectors of Strade Bianche 2026

• Vidritta (2.4km)
• Bagnaia (4.8km)
• Radi (4.4km)
• Lucignano d'Asso (11.9km)
• Pieve a Salti (8km)
• S.Martino in Grania (9.4km)
• Monte Sante Marie (11.5km)
• Monteaperti (0.6km)
• Colle Pinzuto (2.4km)
• Le Tolfe (1.1km)
• Strada del Castagno (0.7km)
• Montechiaro (3.3 km)
• Colle Pinzuto (2.4km)
• Le Tolfe (1.1km)

The route for the 2026 UAE Tour Women largely follows the same formula as in previous years, with four days of racing bringing three flat sprint stages as well as a decisive summit finish.

There's one major difference for 2026, however, with that mountain test of Jebel Hafeet coming on the final day of the race to set up a grand finale, rather than being held on stage 3 as it has in the first three editions.

The race route was unveiled on Monday, January 19, with just over two weeks to go until racing gets underway in Al Mirfa on February 5. The race will conclude on Jebel Hafeet on February 8.

The field of contenders for the third event of the Women's WorldTour has yet to be unveiled, though a strong lineup of sprinters is expected. Lorena Wiebes (SD Worx-Protime) is set to make a return to race where she won three out of four stages in 2025. Her teammate Anna van der Breggen will also line up at the UAE Tour Women.

Read on for all the details of the 2026 UAE Tour Women route.

Stage 1: Al Mirfa – Madinat Zayed (111km)

The opening stage of the UAE Tour Women starts at Al Mirfa on the coast of the Arabian Gulf in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi before heading out into the desert en route to the finish. As you'd expect, it's flat all the way to the finish at Madinat Zayed on long, straight roads.

Stage 2: Dubai Police Academy – Hamdan Bin Mohamed Smart University (145km)

Stage 2 heads north to the Emirate of Dubai for the only stage taking place outside of Abu Dhabi. It's another flat sprint stage held on wide roads. The day starts at Dubai Police Academy and passes Al Qudra Cycle Track, Dubai Sports City, and Meydan Racecourse on the way to the line at Hamdan Bin Mohammed Smart University.

Stage 3: Abu Dhabi TeamLab Phenomena – Abu Dhabi Breakwater (121km)

The third and last of the sprint showdowns at the UAE Tour Women takes the peloton back south to Abu Dhabi, with a stage held in the port areas of the city. The route takes the riders through Saadiyat Island, Yas Marina, Al Reem Island, and Al Maryah Island before a finish at Abu Dhabi Breakwater. Watch out for crosswinds and headwinds here.

Stage 4: Al Ain Hazza Bin Zayed Stadium – Jebel Hafeet (156km)

The final stage of the race brings its only uphill test in the form of Jebel Hafeet, a 10km long climb to the finish with gradients averaging around 8-9% with a section at 11% at 3km to go.

There's a flat 145km run-up to the climb through Al Ain, so all the action will come late on the day. With the big climb of the race coming in the final kilometres of the final stage, this is where the 2026 UAE Tour Women will be decided.

The route for the 2026 UAE Tour will feature two summit finishes and an individual time trial alongside the traditional sprinting opportunities, with Remco Evenepoel (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) expected to lead the GC battle.

The route, which was unveiled on Monday, will take in the traditional Jebel Hafeet summit finish on stage 6, but it will also feature an earlier climbing day on stage 3, finishing atop the Jebel Mobrah.

The GC will also be influenced by the stage 2 time trial, which is short and flat, 12.2km on Al Hudayriyat Island, made for the powerful purists.

The rest of the race is made up of a mixture of sprint and punchy stages, with Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek) expected to be the premier sprinter after Tim Merlier (Soudal-QuickStep) had to delay his season start.

It might not be a sprinter who claims the first red leader's jersey, though, with stage 1's punchy finish perhaps suiting a rider like Isaac del Toro, who is poised to lead the home squad UAE Team Emirates-XRG in the stead of two-time winner Tadej Pogačar.

Del Toro will be in contention for the overall at the end of the week, too, but will face tough competition from Evenepoel set to be on the start line. Vingegaard pulled out of the race that would have been his 2026 debut, due to a training crash followed by an illness, and he will later attempt both the Giro d'Italia and Tour de France this year.

Evenepoel is targeting just the Tour, omitting the Giro this year, and he was set to add the UAE Tour to his programme, the race's Monday press release confirming that he is one of the riders expected on the start list. He his four-for-four in racing so far this early season, winning three days at the Mallorca Challenge and the overall at Volta Comunitat Valenciana.

Evenepoel won the UAE Tour in 2023 after runner-up spots on both mountain finishes earned him the red jersey.

The men's UAE Tour takes place February 16-22.

Stage 1: Madinat Zayed Majlis – Liwa Palace (144km)

Stage 1 offers a punchy start to the race, heading through the desert and the Moreeb Dune before an uphill drag up to Liwa Palace, with a 5% gradient on the finishing straight. The ups and downs in the run-in could make this a tough stage, with a punchy rider able to take the spoils over a sprinter, depending on how it's raced.

Stage 2: Al Hudayriyat Island ITT (12.2km)

Stage 2 takes place on Al Hudayriyat Island and will be a short, flat and fast TT, featuring only minimal turns and corners, meaning it will suit the speedy specialists. The gaps won't be huge given the short length, but should see the GC riders battling for seconds already.

Stage 3: Umm al Quwain – Jebel Mobrah (183km)

The first mountain stage of the race comes on stage 3, which will finish atop Jebel Mobrah for the first time. The riders will be climbing for some 15km, with average gradients of 10-12%, but ramps ticking over 17% in places, with the steepest sections coming in the final 6km.

Stage 4: Fujairah – Fujairah (182km)

Finally, a more pure sprinter-friendly stage on stage 4, with a route that crosses the desert and several Emirates before finishing on a flat, wide finishing straight in Fujairah.

Stage 5: Dubai Al Mamzar Park – Hamdan Bin Mohammed Smart University (166km)

The fifth stage is as flat as it gets, with wide, straight roads all the way, making for likely a pretty straightforward day, and another bunch sprint on a 700m finishing straight.

Stage 6: Al Ain Museum – Jebel Hafeet (168km)

It's back to the mountains on stage 6 with the fairly classic Jebel Hafeet stage. It's quite a flat run-in for most of the stage, and then the road goes up for 10km on a winding, hairpinned road, with gradients of around 8-9%, climbing to 11% near the top. Previous winners have included Tadej Pogačar and Adam Yates, though winning on Jebel Hafeet doesn't always translate to a GC win.

Stage 7: Zayed National Museum – Abu Dhabi Breakwater (149km)

The final stage will be for the sprinters again, with the overall likely decided on stage 6. Stage 7 is pan flat around Abu Dhabi, visiting key areas like Yas Island, before finishing in a bunch sprint in the city.

The 2026 edition of Tirreno-Adriatico will pose as challenging a course as ever, despite the lack of a big summit finish.

Unveiled on Friday, January 16, the 2026 route – run over seven days from March 9 to March 15 – will feature 15,550 metres of climbing, up 950 metres on the 2025 edition of the race.

There may be no major mountaintop stage finish in the Apennines as has featured in recent years, such as Monte Carpegna, Prati di Tivo, Sassotetto, and Monte Petrano, however, the route will feature 16 classified climbs and three challenging hilly finishes to test the GC contenders.

For the fifth year in a row, the race will begin with a short, flat time trial in Lido di Camaiore on the Tyrrhenian coast. The race will then head into the hills on stage 2 for a Tuscan hilltop finish on the gravel climb to San Gimignano.

Stage 3 is the longest day of the race, measuring 225 kilometres, and offers a chance for the sprinters to do their thing. Stage 4 heads through L'Aquila and into the Apennines.

The hill-packed fifth stage to Mombaroccio is one of the toughest of the race, with barely a metre of flat ground, while Sassotetto features early on the penultimate stage 6. That day, set to be the GC decider, concludes with a muro climb featuring gradients of up to 18%, while the final stage in San Benedetto del Tronto is the traditional sprint fest.

"The route of the 61st Tirreno Adriatico stems from the desire to return to the tradition of this race, which over the years has always been extremely selective, even without a mountain finish," said race director Stefano Allocchio.

"We've built a tough course, with stages exceeding 3,500 – 4,000 meters of elevation gain and requiring a great deal of thoroughness. In this sense, the Marche region once again represents a central element of the Corsa dei Due Mari, offering an ideal setting for the decisive stages of the race.

"We expect world-class participation, in keeping with the history of a race that has become a hunting ground for riders who are protagonists on the most prestigious stages throughout the season, both in the Classics and the Grand Tours."

Stage 1: Lido di Camaiore ITT, 11.5km

The race commences with its now-customary pan-flat time trial in Lido di Camaiore. The 11.5km stage follows an out-and-back route up and down the seafront with a U-turn in the middle providing the only real technical challenge of the day.

Stage 2: Camaiore - San Gimignano, 206km

Stage 2 brings a day which gets progressively harder after a sedate start with a flat run down the coast.

After heading south through Tuscany, passing by Pisa and Livorno, the race then hits the hills for the first time with plenty of ups and downs, even if there's only one classified climb before the end.

The finale holds the real difficulty of the day. There, a 5.3km gravel road towards the finish concludes with a short, sharp 15% kick to the line in San Gimignano.

Stage 3: Cortona - Magliano de' Marsi, 225km

The third stage of Tirreno-Adriatico 2026 is the longest and, frankly, probably the least interesting on paper. The stage features one small climb after 83km, but from there it should be plain sailing for the sprinters, who'll do battle on a slight uphill run to the line.

Stage 4: Tagliacozzo - Martinsicuro, 210km

Stage 4 takes the race south to the Apennines via L'Aquila and two major passes of Ovindoli and the Valico della Capannelle.

A long descent from the latter leads into a tricky final 60km filled with several short, sharp climbs. At 49km from the line, the climb at Castellatlto features stretches at 12%, while several unclassified hills lie between it and the final test of the day.

12.6km out, the muro at Tortoreto will provide a late launchpad for any hopeful attackers. The gradient on the way up reaches 20% in places, while a flat run to the finish line awaits.

Stage 5: Marotta-Mondolfo - Mombaroccio, 186km

On a race without a set piece summit finish, it's tougher to call any one day the queen stage, though stage 5 is certainly in the running for that title alongside stage 6.

There are four classified climbs packed into the latter half of the 186km run to Mombaroccio, though the undulating stage features barely a metre of flat from the start.

RCS Sport say there are "at least 10" major climbs along the way, though the biggest tests will come late on. The Monte delle Cesane features several kilometres at a 15% gradient, while the stage concludes with two laps of a hilly circuit including an ascent of the Santuario Beato Sante.

The final ascent of that climb comes 1.6km from the finish, meaning a late attack into the short descent to the line could win the way.

Stage 6: San Severino Marche - Camerino, 189km

Stage 6 features Sassotetto, a climb which has hosted past summit finishes at Tirreno-Adriatico. This time, however, it features after 66.8km of racing, and so is unlikely to have a major bearing on the final result.

From there, a descent will take what's left of the peloton to three laps of a challenging and hilly 29.1km circuit in Camerino. The Muro della Madonna delle Carceri is the main difficulty on this circuit, featuring gradients up to 18%, with the finish line coming at the top of the final of three full ascents of the hill.

Stage 7: Civitanova Marche - San Benedetto del Tronto, 143km

Almost all of the climbing is done and dusted by this point, with one last climb lying between the peloton and the finish line of stage 7 in San Benedetto del Tronto.

The early hill on the final stage is something for the breakaway to battle over rather than the GC hopefuls, however. Instead, the stage is one for the sprinters, who'll get five laps of a flat 15km city circuit to prepare for the race's grand finale – the closing sprint finish.

The 2026 Vuelta a España starts in Monaco on Saturday, August 22, 2026 with a 9.6-kilometre individual time trial before running through southern France and Andorra. The 81st edition of the Tour of Spain concludes in Granada on Sunday September 13, 2026.

Extreme heat due to the mainly southern route through Spain and seven major summit finishes look set to shape the outcome of the 2026 Vuelta a España.

Revealed in full in glitzy Monaco on Wednesday, the 2026 Vuelta route kicks off in the tiny coast city-state close to Italy with a short, punchy time trial, its third initial starting point in as many years in a foreign country.

But while a first week summit finish high in the Pyrenees of Font Romeu on stage 3 will act as a key initial GC sort-out and the lengthy uphill grind to Aitana in eastern Valencia on stage 9 surely becomes another, at first view, it's the final two weeks in southern Spain that really catch the eye - and which could decide the race.

After the most southerly stage of 2025 was in the capital of Madrid, this time around, the daunting ascents of sun-parched Calar Alto and La Pandera in eastern Andalusia will precede a key 32-kilometre time trial along the coasts of Cádiz on stage 18.

However, the mountain specialists will likely have the last word in the 2026 Vuelta, with a long grind through the sierras of Ronda ending with the challenging ascent to Peñas Blancas high above the Mediterranean on stage 19.

Things then get even tougher in the Vuelta’s queen stage that includes 5,000 metres of climbing through the foothills of Sierra Nevada on stage 20, culminating with the brutally difficult Hors Category ascent of Collado del Alguacil.

Stage 21's finale is anything but ceremonial, even if it starts off - just like one Vuelta stage did a couple of years ago - with a neutralised section through a hypermarket. Following the brief spin past the shopping trolleys and food halls of a Carrefour shopping centre just outside Granada, the race thankfully ends with a much more historical setting, consisting of repeat uphill grinds to the foot of one of Spain's best-known monuments, the Alhambra medieval fortress-palace, perched high above the centre of the same southern city.

The route in detail

Probably the most unusual feature of the 2026 Vuelta route is the last stage, which will be held outside the Spanish capital of Madrid for the first time since 2021, ending for the first time in the city of Granada.

Granada was something of a last-minute selection, given the 2026 Vuelta was initially slated to end with three stages in the Canary Islands archipelago, over 1,000 kilometres distant from mainland Spain.

But the Islands' regional government backtracked barely a month ago, alleging concerns about the Israel-Premier Tech squad, whose participation in the 2025 Vuelta had wreaked havoc due to protests over the Gaza war. Granada has become the race's most southerly finale since the sherry-producing city of Jerez de la Frontera, way back in 1986.

Who could be up there fighting for the win? For Primož Roglič (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe), searching for his fifth, record-breaking Vuelta a España title, it's fair to say that the race no longer holds any secrets. However, thanks to such a tough start through the Pyrenees in the first week, the Slovenian star will have to be prepared to make inroads on the GC right from the get-go.

Furthermore, on such a globally challenging course, any early mistakes - such as when Roglič let rival Ben O'Connor make a devastating long-distance GC attack on stage 6 of the 2024 race - could exact a very heavy price in these ultra-demanding final stages. And the series of punchy little climbs and twisting urban descents through the centre of Granada on the very last day of racing of the 2026 Vuelta could even see a last-minute battle for victory go all the way to the final line.

Stage 1: Monaco-Monaco (ITT), 9.6km

The Vuelta's starting point, an opening time trial through the streets of Monaco, is even more unusual for a race which specialises in surprises, although fans with long memories will recall a very similar stage 1 individual TT in Monaco in the 2009 Tour de France, captured by Fabian Cancellara ahead of the eventual overall winner, Alberto Contador.

At 9.1 kilometres, the 2026 Vuelta time trial is six kilometres shorter than the 2009 Tour's equivalent. But then, as now, the combination of a very technical course and short, punchy climbs, many of them part of Monaco's famous Formula 1 circuit, could catch out the unwary amongst the GC challengers all the same.

Stage 2: Monaco-Manosque, 215.2km

The rolling terrain between Monaco and Manosque in the South of France will cater to the breakaway artists will have only a slim chance to hold off the sprinters with a small climb in the closing kilometres and an uphill drag to the line.

Stage 3: Gruissan-Font Romeu, 166.7km

Heading back towards Spain, the Vuelta's two days in the Pyrenees that follow almost immediately afterwards have very different formats, but they'll both serve to remove some major names from the GC equation.

Stage 3 up the little-known Col de Mont-Louis, and then onto the category 2 climb of Font de San-Romeu comprises a grinding ascent from the Mediterranean coast to nearly 2,000 metres above sea level.

Stage 4: Andorra La Vella-Andorra La Vella, 104.9km

Stage 4 is a much shorter non-stop run of category 1 climbs through Andorra, all of them familiar to the many riders resident in the tax-friendly mountain mini-state. At just 104 kilometres, it will be a risky day for the GC contenders who will have to be attentive to attacks early in the stage and on the short but sharp final category 3 climb in the last four kilometres.

Stage 5: Falset. Costa Daurada-Roquetes. Terres de L'Ebre, 171.1km

Stage 5's windswept run through the delta of the River Ebro finally sees the Vuelta on Spanish soil. With one small climb outside the final 20km, it should be a day for the sprinters.

Stage 6: Alcossebre-Castelló, 176.8km

Stage 6 could be ambush territory, with the category 1 Puerto El Bartolo featuring a 3.5km stretch of gravel before the summit and cresting 19km before the flat finish.

Stage 7: Vall d'Alba-Aramón Valdelinares, 149.9km

The ascent to Aramon Valdelinares in the remote region of Teruel on stage 7 could provide a few GC surprises, coming at the end of a 149-kilometre journey from 200m above sea level to 1,951 metres.

Stage 8: Puçol-Xeraco, 176.4km

Stage 8 offers the climbers some respite, with just one category 2 mountain in the 176.4-kilometre stage. Any sprinter wanting to go for the stage win will have to survive the Puerto de Barx with 22.2km to go.

Stage 9: La Vila Joiosa / Villajoyosa-Alto de Aitana. Costa Blanca, 187.5km

The 5,000 metres of vertical climbing to Aitana on stage 9, deep in the sierras of Alicante, will almost certainly act as the Vuelta's first set piece major mountain battle - and simultaneously bring down the curtain on an unusually hard first week.

By the time the Vuelta reaches Aitana, another big factor will surely have made an impact, too: the heat. Temperatures in southern Spain in late August and early September regularly reach the low 40s for days on end, and the accumulated toll on riders next summer as the Vuelta takes on one major mountain challenge after another will likely have an important effect on the racing.

Stage 10: Alcaraz-Elche de la Sierra, 184.5km

Stage 10 gives the peloton a break after the first rest day with some undulating roads and only three category 3 climbs in the 184km stage. The heat and distance will be a bigger challenge than the terrain.

Stage 11: Cartagena-Lorca, 156.1km

Stage 11 is almost the same as stage 8, with a single climb with 33.5km to go the only chance to dislodge the pure sprinters. The route plateaus after the summit giving dropped riders a chance to fight back on and contest the stage.

Stage 12: Vera-Calar Alto, 166.5km

After the Aitana on stage 9, stage 12 is the next big summit finish of the 2026 Vuelta. A climb last tackled in full in the 2017 Vuelta with a win for Miguel Angel López, it was also partly used in the 2021 race when the riders descended the route they'll use in the other direction in 2026. The stage runs through the semi-deserts of eastern Andalucia, an area so bleak and dry it was used for the filming of the 1970s Clint Eastwood 'Spaghetti Westerns'.

Stage 13: Almunecar-Loja, 193.2km

There's enough elevation gain early in the 193-kilometre stage 13 to suggest the fast men might be joining the autobus, giving the punchier sprinters a chance to fight for the stage win. The last classified climb is a distant 38km from the line.

Stage 14: Jaén-Sierra de la Pandera, 152.7km

Although not so famous to cinema buffs, the other big second week mountain top challenge of the Sierra de la Pandera on stage 14 will likely witness yet more blisteringly hot weather and a brutal run up to 1,800 metres in altitude.

Stage 15: Palma del Río-Córdoba, 181.2km

This hilly stage ends with flat roads and possibly a bunch sprint, but the tickets for the autobus will be collected on the two category 3 ascents in the second half of the 181.2km stage.

Stage 16: Cortegana-La Rábida. Palos de la Frontera, 186km

A hilly day ends with flat roads for the sprinters to have a chance for the win.

Stage 17: Dos Hermanas-Sevilla, 189km

If the previous two stages weren't flat enough, the pure sprinters will hardly have to deal with a highway overpass en route to Sevilla.

Stage 18: El Puerto de Santa María-Jerez de la Frontera (ITT), 32.5km

The 32.5 kilometre individual time trial begins a trio of stages that will decide the overall winner. The flat test comes before two brutal mountain stages.

Stage 19: Vélez-Málaga-Peñas Blancas. Estepona, 205.1km

The stage to Peñas Blancas is another prime opportunity for an ambush, with three classified ascents mid-stage before a long descent and short run through the valley to the final category 1 climb.

Stage 20: La Calahorra-Collado del Alguacil, 206.7km

As if 205 kilometres and a long hors-categorie ascent on the previous stage wasn't enough, the penultimate stage packs five categorised climbs into a 206.7 kilometre stage to the hors-categorie Collado del Alguacil. Three cat. 1 climbs and hardly a flat road in sight, this queen stage will be a doozy.

Stage 21: Carrefour Granada-Granada, 99.4km

With the GC decided on the previous day, the final stage in Grenada will have four closing circuits and a short, sharp climb to the finish to decide the winner of the points classification.

The 2026 Paris-Nice route was unveiled on December 17, with eight days of racing featuring 1,245km of racing and 16,460 metres of elevation gain.

The route will take the peloton from Achères to Nice and features 27 classified climbs as well as a 23.5km team time trial in the middle of the race. The race runs between March 8, 2026 and March 15, 2026.

Read on for all the details of the 2026 Paris-Nice route.

Stage 1: Achères - Carrières-sous-Poissy, 171.2km

The race opens with a hilly 171.2km challenge – a tribute to the historic French cycling race, the Polymultipliée de Chanteloup – which begins in Achères to the north-west of Paris. 1,950 metres of elevation fill out the stage, with four third-category climbs coming in the second half of the day.

The peloton will face two laps of a challenging finishing circuit in Carrières-sous-Poissy, each featuring the 1.1km, 8.3% ascent of the Côte de Chanteloupe-les-Vignes. The last of the two climbs comes 11km from the finish line, meaning a puncheur or Classics man could well use the hill to launch a bid for victory.

Stage 2: Epône - Montargis, 187km

After the tough start to the week, stage 2 offers up a chance for the sprinters to make their mark with a flat finish to the 187km stage in Montargis.

Once again, there's climbing to be done as the race heads south. Three third-category climbs offer up more mountain classification points, though none of them are close to the finish, leaving a clear and flat run to the line for the fast finishers.

Stage 3: Cosne-Cours-sur-Loire - Pouilly-sur-Loire TTT, 23.5km

The third stage of the race figures to be the first main GC sort-out with a 23.5km team time trial, something of a rarity in modern cycling and a chance for the top teams to get some practice in ahead of the opening stage of the Tour de France in the summer.

The stage is mostly flat, but does feature 240 metres of climbing across the two small hills on the route. The run to the line is uphill, too, though only measures in at at 2.5% gradient.

Stage 4: Bourges - Uchon, 195km

Stage 4 brings the toughest day of racing yet on the road to Uchon in eastern France. 2,520 metres of climbing pack the 195km route, with much of it coming in the final 65km.

Along the way, riders will face the second-category tests of the Côte de la Croix de la Libération (4.6km at 5.3%), which features a maximum gradient of 12%, and the closing climb to Uchon (8km at 4.5%), featuring gradients of 16%. Expect GC movement on this stage.

Stage 5: Cormoranche-sur-Saône - Colombier-le-Vieux, 205.4km

We're fully into the hills now as the race heads south into the Ardèche with the longest stage of the race, a 205km stage to Colombier-le-Vieux, which also comes with the most climbing of the week at 3,020 vertical metres.

There are five classified climbs on the stage, including the first of five first-category climbs in the race. The Côte de Saint-Jean-de-Muzols (2.2km at 11%) will provide a major test for the GC legs at 19.9km from the finish.

The second-category climb of the Côte de Saint-Barthélemt-le-Plain (3.2km at 7.6%) lies 9.1km out, while the run to the line is uphill, too.

Stage 6: Barbentane - Apt, 179.3km

Another stage and more hills after a two-hour transfer south – the longest of the race – to Barbentane. The 179.3km stage 6 features 2,100 meters of climbing and several challenges in the final kilometres of the stage.

Watch out for the final test of the Côte de Saignon (4km at 5%), which lies just 4.5km from the stage finish in Apt.

Stage 7: Nice - Auron, 138.7km

The race hits Nice on the penultimate stage, with the eponymous city hosting the start of stage 7. There are three climbs on the route, which at 138.7km is the shortest road stage of the race.

Much of the 2,580 metres of climbing comes at the end of the day in the form of the mountain-top finish at Auron. The 7.3km finishing climb measures in at an average of 7.2%, though the road rises for a long time before the climb officially begins.

Auron hosted stage 7 of the 2025 race, too, with the day seeing Michael Storer taking the win from the breakaway ahead of Mauro Schmid.

Stage 8: Nice - Nice, 145km

As ever, the race concludes with the final day fireworks in the hills around Nice. The 145km stage barely a metre of flat ground as five classified climbs fill out the route, with 2,780 metres of ascent along the way.

A couple of early tests give way to a trio of first-category climbs, including the Col de la Porte (7km at 7.2%), the Côte de Châteauneuf-Villevieille (6.6km at 6.6%), and the finale of the Côte de Linguador (3.3km at 8.8%).

The challenging terrain is set to decide the final GC, and if the gaps are close heading into the final day, it should once again be a thrilling finish to Paris-Nice.

The 10th edition of the Women's Tour Down Under will take place from January 17-19, 2026 with another visit to Willunga Hill and double trips over the Corkscrew Road ascent set to shake up the overall classification.

The course totals 394.6 kilometres, starting in Willunga and finishing in Campbelltown with visits to Magill, Paracombe and Norwood.

Read on for more details of the 2026 Women's Tour Down Under route.

Stage 1 - Willunga to Willunga, 137.4km

The Women's Tour Down Under starts in Willunga, but it won't feature the hill that has made the race famous.

Instead, the 134.7-kilometre stage begins by descending from High Street in Willunga, then features two mid-stage ascents of a 475-metre-long climb at kilometres 53.5 and 95.4, along with the final climb to the finish line.

Rather than cater to the climbers, this stage is for punchy sprinters who can power up the modest climb and its 20 metres of elevation (5.6% gradient). There are also two intermediate sprints along the coast, both at Snapper Point in Aldinga at kilometres 17.2 and 114, to spice up the action.

Stage 2 - Magill to Paracombe, 130.7km

Magill makes its debut as a Tour Down Under host for a 130.7km stage that has very little flat terrain. The course rolls up and down the whole way, ending in the Adelaide Hills for three kickers near the end of the stage.

The first climb comes at kilometre 10, with sprints at kilometres 43.6 and 79.2. The race enters the finishing circuits around kilometre 94 in Paracombe. The riders will tackle three circuits, each with a climb averaging only 2.2%.

"This is a fantastic stage focused on showcasing all the Adelaide Hills has to offer," Race Director Stuart O'Grady said. "It features an aggressive Paracombe circuit which has a rich history in South Australian cycling, and the finish is a difficult uphill run, so there will be lots of opportunities for attacks and entertaining racing.”

Stage 3 - Norwood to Campbelltown, 126.5km

The Women's Tour Down Under concludes with a testing 126.5km stage from Norwood to Campbelltown which will finally bring the climbers to the fore.

The main feature is the 434-metre of elevation gained on Corkscrew Road which riders will take on twice, and a technical five-kilometre descent that will test riders' nerves.

The first climb at Kangaroo Creek Reservoir is at kilometre 10.9, but the real meat comes after the sprints (km. 35 and 59.4) on the Corkscrew climb and sprint in Campbelltown on each of the two closing circuits.

Women’s One-Day Race

Following the end of the Women's Tour Down Under on January 19, the Women's One-Day Race, a ProSeries event, will take place in Tanunda on January 21.

The 94.2-kilometre race is held on a fast 8km circuit and begins after the men's Tour Down Under heads out of town. There are six intermediate sprints but the real goal is the finish line in historic Tanunda.

Cyclingnews is on the ground for the season-opening 2026 Tour Down Under, and a subscription gives you unlimited access to our unrivalled coverage. From breaking news and analysis to exclusive interviews and tech, we've got you covered as the new season gets underway in Australia. Find out more.

• Start: Bulgaria
• Finish: Rome
• Distance: 3,466 kilometres
• Climbing: 49,150 metres
• Dates: May 8, 2026 - May 31, 2026
• Summit finishes: 7
• Time trials: 1
• 16th foreign Grande Partenza

The 2026 Giro d'Italia will start in Bulgaria, on the edge of the Black Sea in Eastern Europe before traveling to southern Italy for the gradual ride north via Naples, Tuscany and Milan before the decisive mountain stages in the northeast and the final stage in Rome.

The 109th edition of the Corsa Rosa will start on Friday, May 8 and end on Sunday, May 31, with the UCI permitting an extra rest day for the transfer from Sofia to southern Italy after the three opening stages in Bulgaria. It is the 16th time the Giro starts outside of Italy.

The 21 stages of racing cover a total of 3,459 kilometres and include 49,150 metres of altitude gain, with a return of several climbs and mountain finishes over 2,000 metres.

There is just one individual time trial, 40.2km on the Tuscan coast, tipping the battle for overall victory in favour of the climbers. However, there are eight flat stages giving the sprinters numerous opportunities and seven medium-mountain stages for the attackers. The five mountain stages and seven summit finishes will decide who pulls on the final maglia rosa in Rome.

Outgoing Race Director Mauro Vegni, who has worked for RCS Sport for over 30 years, designed the race route for one last time but he will retire in February after dedicating his life to the Corsa Rosa.

The route of the 2026 Giro was presented in Rome on December 1, in the presence of the Bulgarian Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov, 2025 Giro winner Simon Yates (Visma-Lease a Bike), 2025 Giro d'Italia Women winner Elisa Longo Borghini (UAE Team ADQ) and two-time Giro winner Vincenzo Nibali.

The 2026 Giro d'Italia Women will be held between May 30-June 7, a new date after the men's race instead of during the men's Tour de France. The nine-day Giro d'Italia Women will start in Cesenatico, Marco Pantani's birthplace, and end in Saluzzo in Piemonte after climbing the spectacular Colle delle Finestre dirt road.

Details of the route of the 2026 Giro d'Italia Women can be found on the dedicated race page.

Simon Yates is expected to defend his 2025 victory, with his teammate Jonas Vingegaard also a possible contender.

Stage 1: Nessebar - Burgas (147 km)

The first stage in Bulgaria starts and finishes on the Black Sea coast, highlighting the history and holiday resorts of the region. The 156km stage is flat and follows the coastline, with a final 11.9km finishing circuit. It seems perfect for the sprinters, who will fight for the maglia rosa of the 2026 Giro.

Stage 1 preview

Stage 2: Burgas - Veliko Tarnovo (221 km)

This long stage heads inland with two mid-stage climbs and then a four-kilometre climb that tops out just 8km from the finish. It seems perfect for an attack to stay away and perhaps the first GC tussle.

Stage 2 preview

Stage 3: Plovdiv - Sofia (175 km)

The final stage in Bulgaria finishes in the capital Sofia and once again favours the sprinters. However, the long mid-stage climb to Borovets gives the breakaway some hope of success.

Stage 3 preview

Stage 4: Catanzaro - Cosenza (138 km)

The Giro caravan will fly from Bulgaria to Calabria in southern Italy on Monday, May 11 on a combined travel and rest day. The racing returns on Tuesday with a short stage to Cosenza which again suits the sprinters if they can survive the 13km Cozzo Tunno climb after 86km.

Stage 4 preview

Stage 5: Praia a Mare - Potenza (203 km)

This stage is longer and harder and climbs into the southern hills of the little-known Basilicata region. The short but steep Grande Montagna di Viggiano comes after 150km, with a climb up to central Potenza adding an extra twist. It seems perfect for a breakaway and perhaps a change in race leadership but the GC riders will also have to be vigilant on the rolling roads of southern Italy.

Stage 5 preview

Stage 6: Paestum - Napoli (142 km)

The Giro returns to the magnificent Naples seafront in 2026, offering the sprinters another opportunity for victory. The stage starts near the Greek temples of Paestum and then passes behind the Vesuvio volcano before entering Naples from the south. A final 23km circuit includes the short climb to Fuorigrotta but the sprinters and the teams should be able to control any attacks.

Stage 6 preview

Stage 7: Formia - Blockhaus (244 km)

The riders climb into the high mountains for the first time on stage 7 and also race the longest stage of the 2026 Giro on the road to the Blockhaus. The 246km stage includes 4,600m of altitude gain, the second highest of the race. It will be the first true GC day of the 2026 Corsa Rosa.

The climbing starts after 135km and continues all the way to the summit finish at 1,665 metres, high in the central Apennines, using the steeper and most feared 13.5km-long Roccamorice road.

Stage 7 preview

Stage 8: Chieti - Fermo (156 km)

The climbing continues on stage 8, with a testing day on the short but steep 'muri' climbs often seen in Tirreno-Adriatico. The 159km stage begins with a 100km ride along the Adriatic coast but then heads into the hills for two steep climbs. There is a first climb up to Fermo and then another 'muro' up to Capodarco, which hosts the prestigious under-23 race the GP Capodarco, followed by the final climb to the finish in Fermo.

Positioning in the peloton and descending skills will be as important as climbing ability on a classic Giro stage packed with hidden dangers for the GC rider.

Stage 8 preview

Stage 9: Cervia - Corno alle Scale (184 km)

Stage 9 has another flat start but another mountain finish, this time high up in the central Apennines that divide Tuscany and Emilia Romagna. This third consecutive GC stage is all about the climb to the finish after a flat ride from Cervia to Bologna.

The stage includes 2,400m of altitude gain in the final 30km. The first part is to Gaggio Montano, once the home to the Saeco coffee machine brand. A short descent offers respite before the ever-steepening 13km climb up to Corno alle Scale. Gilberto Simoni won a similar stage here in 2004.

Stage 9 preview

Stage 10: Viareggio - Massa (42 km ITT)

This stage was perhaps added to the Giro route to tempt time trialists such as Remco Evenepoel, Primož Roglič and Jonas Vingegaard but may not be enough to counter balance all the climbing and the seven summit finishes.

It follows a flat and fast route along the beaches of the Tuscany coast, with a loop south of Viareggio and then inland to Massa before finishing on the seafront.

Time gains by some GC riders could be significant but a lot of climbing remains in the second half of the Giro.

Stage 10 preview

Stage 11: Porcari - Chiavari (195 km)

This hilly stage comes after the second rest day in Tuscany and could catch out a GC rider who struggles with the change to their daily race routine.

The 178km stage starts at the factory of race sponsor Regina and then returns to the Tuscany coast and heads north to La Spezia to enter Liguria. The coastal region is packed with twisting climbs and the stage tackles the Passo del Termini and the Colle di Guaitarola before the late San Bartolomeo climb and a white knuckle descent to the finish on the coast in Chiavari.

Stage 11 preview

Stage 12: Imperia - Novi Ligure (175 km)

This stage has been dubbed a 'reverse Milan-San Remo' because it starts on the Ligurian coast and then climbs over the mountains for a finish in Novi Ligure on the flat road towards Milan.

Instead of climbing the Passo del Turchino used in Milan-San Remo, the 177km stage climbs the harder Colle Giovo and the Bric Berton but the 50km of descending and flat roads gives the sprint teams plenty of time to chase the breakaway.

Stage 12 preview

Stage 13: Alessandria - Verbania (189 km)

The Giro continues to roll north with this transfer stage to Verbania at the foot of the Alps and the border with Switzerland.

The route is flat as it rolls to the west of Milan and through the rice fields north of Norvara. There are two late climbs overlooking Lake Maggiore, with the road up to Ungiasca, especially steep and ending only 13km from the finish on the lakeshore.

Stage 13 preview

Stage 14: Aosta - Pila (133 km)

The third weekend of the Giro has contrasting stages, with stage 14 climbing high in the Val d'Aosta. The 133km stage is short but includes 4,400m of altitude gain and ends in Pila at 1,793 metres.

Riders will need to warm-up before the start with the 18km long Saint-Barthélemy climb starting in Aosta. The stage then twists and turns between the valley road and the high mountains, with Lin Noir and Verrogne combining to create another hour of climbing. The Giro returns to Pila after a 30-year absence with the 16.5km a constant grind to the finish line. Robert Millar won that day in 1987 and Stephen Roche went on to win overall after his battle of nerves with Carrera teammate Roberto Visentini.

Stage 14 preview

Stage 15: Voghera - Milan (157 km)

The Giro d'Italia now ends in Rome instead of Milan, the home of La Gazzetta dello Sport and RCS Sport, but the city has historic links to Italian cycling and so has agreed to host a stage finish to mark the end of week two.

It is another opportunity for the sprinters, with four laps of a city centre circuit near the Vigorelli velodrome.

Stage 15 preview

Stage 16: Bellinzona - Carì (113 km)

The riders will enjoy the third and final rest north of Milan before another tough day in the saddle immediately after a day off. It is short at just 113km but should make the raving more intense and perhaps have a bigger impact on the GC.

The stage is entirely on Swiss roads and the Italian speaking Canton Ticino. The Leonticas climb is covered twice mid-stage before a mountain finish in the Carì ski resort at 1644 metres after a constant 212km climb.

Stage 16 preview

Stage 17: Cassano d'Adda - Andalo (202 km)

This stage was initially expected to finish at Madonna di Campiglio, perhaps after climbing the mighty Passo dello Stelvio, instead has become more a transition or breakaway stage towards the final high mountains.

The road heads east from Brianza, passing Brescia and then climbing in the valley roads near Lake Garda.

Stage 17 preview

Stage 18: Fai della Paganella - Pieve di Soligo (168 km)

Instead of heading high into the nearby Dolomites and Alps, stage 18 takes the Giro southeast into the Veneto region for a finish in Pieve di Soligo. It is another transition stage, but passes through the hilly Prosecco vineyards and climbs the Ca' del Poggio hillside just 10km from the finish.

The fight for positioning will be more important than the climb itself and should test the GC riders' nerves and team strength if not their legs.

Stage 18 preview

Stage 19: Feltre - Alleghe (151 km)

The high mountains finally rear their heads on stage 19, with five climbs in just 152km of racing, making this the Queen stage of the 2026 Corsa Rosa. RCS Sport have designated it a five-star stage due to the 5000 metres of altitude gain, and it should begin the final battle for the maglia rosa.

The stage starts in Feltre, near the race leader jersey sponsor Castelli and then climbs the Passo Duran, the Forcella Staulanza, the steep Passo Giau up to 2233 metres, which is the Cima Coppi, followed by the Passo Falzarego.

A long descent leads to the foot of the final Piani di Pezzè climb. It is short but steep and will surely hurt after the previous climbs.

Stage 19 preview

Stage 20: Gemona del Friuli - Piancavallo (200 km)

This final mountain stage remembers the terrible earthquake that struck the Friuli Venezia Giulia 50 years ago.

It starts on the flat valley roads but climbs high to Piancavallo twice. The 14.4km climb rises at 8.9%, steeper than most long climbs and certainly harder than anything climbed at the Tour de France. Tao Geoghegan Hart won on the 14.4km, 8.9% climb in 2020 on the way to overall victory.

In 2026 the rider will climb to Piancavallo after 130km, dive down the descent and then climb back to Piancavallo from Aviano after 184km. Race organisers are clearly hoping the 2026 Giro will be wide open until the final climb of the race, with the winner of the Corsa Rosa crowned at the summit.

Stage 20 preview

Stage 21: Roma - Roma (131 km)

The final ceremonial stage in Rome comes after a flight or high-speed train south from the northwest of Italy.

The 131km stage heads out to the coast before returning to the city centre for nine finishing circuits around the Roman ruins of the Fori Imperiale and the Colosseum, with some rough cobbled sections included in the ride around the Eternal City.

A sprint finish is assured as the peloton celebrates the end of the Giro in front of thousands of surprised tourists and then heads for a plate of well-deserved Roman pasta.

Stage 21 preview

The Giro d'Italia Women route for 2026 will include an uphill time trial, opportunities for the sprinters, and the iconic Colle delle Finestre climb, it was revealed on Monday as RCS unveiled the race's full parcours.

Starting in Cesenatico on May 30, the nine-stage race will traverse northern Italy from Emilia-Romagna to Piemonte, finishing in Saluzzo on June 7, with over 12,000m of climbing set to decide the pink jersey.

The headline news from Monday's route reveal is that the race will tackle the famous Colle delle Finestre for the first time in its history. The women's Giro has tackled many iconic mountains in its time, including the Stelvio and Mortirolo, but never the Finestre, with the gravel climb making an appearance on stage 8.

The finale of stage 8 is a replica of the finale of stage 20 of this year's men's Giro, which decided the race dramatically, taking on the gravel slopes of Finestre and then climbing up to Sestriere for the finish.

The other exciting inclusion in this year's Giro d'Italia Women is a 12.7km uphill time trial to Nevegal on stage 4. The race has often included a prologue or flat time trial, so a steep uphill effort against the clock is a novel and exciting addition.

Across the other seven stages, there are chances for the sprinters, puncheurs, and plenty of climbs to shake up the GC and determine a truly worthy winner. Can Elisa Longo Borghini make it three wins in a row, or could the wealth of climbing work in someone else's favour?

Here are the details of the full route of the 2026 Giro d'Italia Women.

A gentle introduction with chances for the sprinters

The nine-stage race opens with a completely flat day on stage 1, running from Cesenatico to Ravenna with not a climb in sight across 139km, finishing on a circuit in Ravenna. This will almost certainly be a day for the sprinters, meaning a fast rider will take the first pink jersey of the race, and they could hold onto it for a few days.

Giro d'Italia Women 2026 stage 1 preview

Stage 2 from Roncade H-Farm to Caorle has at least thrown a category 4 climb into the mix, but it's another day that should end in a sprint as the single rise comes some 90km from the finish. We could be looking at back-to-back wins for someone.

Giro d'Italia Women 2026 stage 2 preview

The difficulty kicks up a little on stage 3, which has two categorised climbs and some uncategorised rises in the final 55km, and then a kick to the finish line in Buja.

The slightly tougher finish might preclude the really pure sprinters, but wouldn't be too hard for a rider like Lorena Wiebes. We may be several months away, but is it too early to predict a Wiebes hat trick to open the Giro?

Giro d'Italia Women 2026 stage 3 preview

Uphill TT kicks off the GC battle

After a relatively straightforward first three days, there will be a rude awakening on stage 4 with a 12.7km uphill time trial on a category 1 climb.

Starting in Belluno, the first 5km of the stage are relatively flat, but then the road kicks up the climb to Nevegal. Some of the hardest slopes come at the start of the climb, with gradients of 14% in the first 2km, and an average of 10.3% for the first 5km. The next kilometre is 6.4% average, and then it eases at the top, so this will be a really tricky TT to pace.

After three sprint-friendly days, this brutal effort will separate the GC riders from everyone else, and will suit a really strong climber who can pace herself well. It's a 7km category 1 climb, so the time gaps could be pretty big, and whoever takes the pink jersey here could well hold it until the end of the race.

Giro d'Italia Women 2026 stage 4 preview

On stage 5, the race heads into the Dolomites for the second cat. 1 climb of the week, taking on the Passo Tre Croci in the first 60km of this 138km stage. There isn't a summit finish on this day, but there are three more categorised climbs packed into the final 50km on what could be a really interesting day.

The descent to the finish in Santo Stefano di Cadore favours someone who wants to make a break for it on the final climb, so everyone will be on high alert.

Giro d'Italia Women 2026 stage 5 preview

After two really tough days, there's some respite on stage 6 with another flat, transitional day from Ala to Brescello.

On paper, this climbless day should be a sprint finish, but the 155km stage could tempt some non-climbers into a last-ditch attempt at a stage win, and it's exactly the kind of late-race stage that could spring a surprise if the sprint teams aren't switched on.

Giro d'Italia Women 2026 stage 6 preview

Colle delle Finestre Queen stage headlines the final weekend

The Friday, Saturday and Sunday stages offer a really packed schedule of racing, forming the crescendo of the race, capped with the Queen stage and the Colle delle Finestre.

Friday starts with likely the easiest of the three stages, but stage 7 is the longest of the race at 165km from Sorbolo Mezzani to Salice Terme. It opens with some 120km of flat, but the finale features two short, steep climbs: the Pietragavina and the Castello di Oramala. These come in quick succession, and then 20km downhill to the finish.

Giro d'Italia Women 2026 stage 7 preview

This could be another GC day, but with what's to come on Saturday, you could also see the top contenders holding back a little and letting a break get away, to save some energy for the huge day coming on stage 8.

That's right, stage 8 is the big one, featuring the race debut of the Colle delle Finestre, a relatively new climb in Giro d'Italia history, but has already gained mythical status in the men's race, for stories such as Chris Froome's race-winning raid in 2018, or Simon Yates' fairytale ride in 2025.

Though shorter than the men's Giro stage 20 from 2025 – the women's stage is only 101km in length – it copies the formula of this year's men's visit, going up the Finestre and then finishing on the gentler climb to Sestriere.

Giro d'Italia Women 2026 stage 8 preview

My view

The Colle delle Finestre is a real brute of a climb, coming in just shy of 20km in length and climbing to 2,178m altitude with an average gradient of 9.4%. Those numbers would be hard enough, but this climb has an added dimension: gravel. The final 8km of the climb is on unmade, gravel roads, which churn under the wheels and sap all your energy to make for a truly cruel climb where only the strongest prevail.

It's not over at the top, either, with a descent and then 16km more of climbing up the Sestriere to the finish line. This valley climb is gentler, but it's still a long effort and back up to 2,033m above sea level. This truly is the queen of Queen stages, and whoever wins this is likely to be taking the pink jersey home with them

If all that wasn't enough, there's still one more battle left on stage 9, starting and finishing in Saluzzo with three more categorised climbs on the route. This 143km stage takes on the cat. 1 Montoso climb in the first 55km, and then two easier climbs before a punchy finale back in Saluzzo.

Giro d'Italia Women 2026 stage 9 preview

If the GC is decided, this will be the final day for the opportunists, but if the overall standings are still close, there's plenty of chances for things to kick off again on this final day.

Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) bids to win the Tour de France for a record-equalling fifth time this year and his quest begins in less than a week. His journey, as well as the work at hand for 183 other riders across 23 teams, will be shaped by a difficult first week visit to the Pyrenees and a difficult double ascent of Alpe d'Huez on back-to-back stages in the final weekend.

It all starts on July 4 with the race's first opening team time trial since 1971 with a new format that decides the team stage rankings based only on the first rider to finish. The GC is determined by each rider's individual time.

The composition of this year's Tour includes seven flat stages, four hilly stages, one team time trial, one individual time trial and eight mountain stages.

There are five summit finishes: Gavarnie-Gèdre (stage 6), Le Markstein (stage 14), Plateau de Solaison (stage 15), Orcières-Merlette (stage 18) in the Alps, and two finishes atop Alpe d’Huez from different sides: the traditional route on stage 19 and via the Col de Sarenne on stage 20.

However, it's the double ascent of the Alpe d'Huez on stages 19 and 20 for the first time since 1979 that form the most striking feature of next year's race.

Tackled first is a short, punchy stage from Gap on the Friday via its traditional 21 hairpin-ascent. The Saturday stage is a much shorter-than-usual version of the Alpe d'Huez ascent, which will be preceded by the daunting Croix de Fer and Galibier, and the little-known Col de Sarenne - a combination that all but ensures the Alpe will play a pivotal role over two days in the outcome of the 2026 Tour.

The final stage in Paris again includes three ascents of the Montmartre climb used in the 2024 Olympic Games. Unlike previous years when the final stage was a sprinters' parade, the inclusion makes the final day far more exciting like when Pogačar escaped with Wout van Aert (Visma-Lease a Bike) while in the yellow jersey.

Tour de France 2026 – Stage by stage guide

Click the link to each stage preview for more detailed information along with profiles and maps.

Stage 1

Stage 2

Stage 3

Stage 4

Stage 5

Stage 6

Stage 7

Stage 8

Stage 9

Stage 10

Stage 11

Stage 12

Stage 13

Stage 14

Stage 15

Stage 16

Stage 17

Stage 18

Stage 19

Stage 20

Stage 21

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The 2026 Tour de France Femmes route takes the peloton from Switzerland to Nice over nine days of racing between August 1 and August 9, with major mountain ascents of Mont Ventoux and the Col d'Eze along the way.

Race director Marion Rousse and men's race director Christian Prudhomme unveiled the route of the Tour de France Femmes' fifth edition at ASO's route presentation at the Palais des Congrès in Paris on Thursday, October 23.

The race will cover 1,175km next summer, heading through three regions of France (Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur) with a route focused on the east of the country. The women's peloton will tackle a record 18,795 metres of elevation gain during the race, up on last year's 17,240 metres.

The nine days of racing will open with the second foreign Grand Départ in the race's history. The first two stages and the start of stage 3 will all be held in Switzerland, with an opening stage featuring a hilltop finish, followed by a sprinter-friendly day in Geneva and then another stage for the fast women as the race heads into Poligny, France.

Stage 4 sees the return of the individual time trial, a hilly 21km test held in Dijon, before the race heads south for two challenging hill-packed stages featuring a massive 14 classified climbs.

In keeping with the tradition of introducing a famed mountain-top finish every year, the 2026 race follows in the footsteps of La Planche des Belles Filles, the Col du Tourmalet, L'Alpe d'Huez, and the Col de la Madeleine in previous editions by tackling Mont Ventoux on stage 7.

The 'Giant of Provence' is the queen stage of the 2026 race, hosting the summit finish on a 144km stage 7, which figures to be the biggest test next summer.

Stage 8 is the longest of the race at 175km. It takes the riders to Nice for a sprinter-friendly day featuring a sting in the tail in the form of two late hills, while the general classification battle is set to come down to the final day, also hosted in Nice, which features four ascents of the Col d'Eze.

2026 Tour de France Femmes - Dates, Locations and Distances

Tour de France Femmes 2025 - Stage by stage guide

Stage 1

Stage 1 of the Tour de France Femmes begins and ends in Lausanne, Switzerland for the second foreign Grand Départ in the modern race's history after the Netherlands in 2024. The riders will take on 137km of racing on a northern loop towards Lake Neuchâtel, featuring the first two climbs of the race.

The Côte de Villars-le-Comte (4km at 5.8%) and Côte de Vuillens (3km at 5.3%) will decide the first queen of the mountains of the 2026 race, though the uphill finish in Lausanne at the Côte Saint-François (2.5km at 4.6%) will host the battle for the first maillot jaune.

Stage 2

Stage 2 is one for the sprinters, despite five hills lying along the 149km route. The stage sets off in Aigle, home of the UCI, as the Tour de France Femmes remains in Switzerland for a second successive day.

The stage will skirt Lake Geneva and head west past Lausanne, with climbs of the Côte de Chexbres (3.2km at 5.6%), Côte de Savigny (2.5km at 5%), Côte de Cossonay (2km at 6%), Côte de Bougy-Villars (0.9km at 10.4%), and Côte de Monts-sur-Rolles (2.3km at 6.5%) filling the route.

There are no classified climbs in the final 40km of the stage, however, clearing the way for the sprinters of the peloton to do battle for the stage victory in Geneva.

Stage 3

Stage 3 heads into France via the Jura Mountains in a front-loaded day which takes the race to its highest point yet. The second-longest stage of the race at 157km will take the peloton over the Col de la Faucille (11.4km at 6.3%) early on, with the Côte de Lajoux (3.6km at 5.6%) following shortly afterwards.

Further tests, including several unclassified hills and the Col de la Savine (5.6km at 5.1%), come in the mid-stage, before the riders head through rolling roads, the Côte de Chaux-Champagny (1.8km at 6.4%) and a descent towards a flat finish in Poligny.

Stage 4

Individual time trialling returns at the 2026 Tour de France Femmes in the shape of a hilly 21km test to Dijon. The town of Gevrey-Chambertin hosts the flat start of stage 4 before the riders head up Lacets de Marsannay (1.8km at 6.9%) in the mid-section of the time trial.

A 6km descent follows as the riders head into Dijon, before a flat run towards the finish concludes the stage.

Stage 5

Stage 5 sees a return to the hills as the peloton heads south out of the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region to the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region. The 140km stage, run between Mâcon and Belleville-en-Beaujolais, features eight classified climbs and barely a moment of rest for GC riders aiming to get a leg up on their rivals.

The climbing starts straight away with the Côte de Cenves (9.6km at 4.4%) and barely lets up for the rest of the day, with five more classified climbs packed into the opening 75km of the stage.

A mid-race lull follows, but there's yet more climbing to do on the road to the finish, with the Col de Durbize (3.6km at 5.8%) lying 31.5km from the line and Mont Brouilly (3km at 7.7%) coming 11.5km from the finish.

Stage 6

The sixth stage of the race is another one packed with hills as the race heads into the Ardèche. Another six classified climbs are on the menu on the 153km stage from Montbrison to Tournon-sur-Rhône, though only one of them measures in at over 4km in length.

Four of the hills come in the opening 70km of the day, while the toughest test is undoubtedly the Col de Lalouvesc (8.6km at 5%), after 105.5km of racing. A long descent thereafter leads the peloton to the late test of the Côte de Boucieu-le-Roi (3.8km at 5.7%), which lies just 15.5km from the line.

Stage 7

It has long been rumoured, and now it's confirmed – Mont Ventoux will host the queen stage of the 2026 Tour de France Femmes. The Giant of Provence caps off stage 7 of the race, a 144km run from La Voulte-sur-Rhône.

The stage features three smaller climbs along the way – the Col de la Grande Limite (6.6km at 5%), the Col du Colombier (3.2km at 6.4%), and the Col de Suzette (3.9km at 6.4%) – but there's no questioning the main attraction of the day.

Raced from its toughest approach at Bédoin, Mont Ventoux (15.7km at 8.8%) is the centrepiece of the race, with the summit finish set to play host to the big GC showdown of the nine-day race.

Stage 8

Stage 8 brings the race south towards Nice and a grand finale, though the penultimate stage of the race – its longest at 175km – will be a calmer day in the saddle after the previous stage's trials and tribulations.

Mid-stage ascents of the Col des Robins (2.6km at 4.6%) and the Col de Routes Aures (6.4km at 3.1%) give way to a long descent towards the Côte d'Azur and Nice. There are two late tests before the finish, however, with the Côte de Colomars (1.4km at 5.4%) and the Côte de la Ginestière (2.5km at 4.4%) falling inside the final 17km.

Stage 9

The final stage of the Tour de France Femmes hosts the race's final major test and possibly a final day battle for the yellow jersey as four ascents of the Col d'Eze (7.7km at 5.9%) in Nice pack the 99km route.

Stage 9 is set to play host to a thrilling end to the race, with non-stop climbing and descending filling out the route as the famous climb of Paris-Nice is crested four times on the last day of racing.

Once the hectic day of racing is over and done with, the Tour de France Femmes' fifth yellow jersey will be awarded.

The UCI Road World Championships will return to cycling-historic Montreal from September 20 to 27 in 2026, 52 years after Eddy Merckx and Geneviève Gambillon triumphed in the first-ever Road Worlds held outside Europe.

The 2026 UCI Road World Championships will mark the third time the sport's centrepiece event is held in Canada, having also taken place in Hamilton in 2003.

The 2026 Championships will also be the city’s largest sporting event since the 1976 Olympic Games, when Bert Johansson of Sweden won the elite men's road race - although there was no equivalent event for women until 1989.

The 13 official routes for the 2026 UCI Road World Championships were unveiled on Friday by the organising committee during the currently ongoing World Championships in Rwanda.

Next year nearly 1,000 racers across junior, under-23 and elite categories will take part in the time trials, road races, and mixed relay events.

The highlight of the road races will be Mount Royal, with its demanding climb position along a 13.4km circuit.

The two elite road races - 180km for the elite women and 273.2km for the elite men - will start in Brossard, Montérégie, before passing through seven other municipalities in the region and crossing the Samuel-De-Champlain Bridge to reach the final Mount Royal circuit.

Riders will face several major challenges, including the Camillien-Houde climb (2.3 km at a 6.2% average gradient), the Polytechnique climb with sections exceeding 11%, and the uphill false flat on Parc Avenue, which will serve as the finish line for all 13 events.

The elite women and elite men will compete in the same individual time trials that will take on the same 39.9km circuit around Montréal, featuring the Gilles-Villeneuve Circuit and Parc Jean-Drapeau, before crossing the Concorde Bridge into the city centre.

Elite women's individual time trial, 39.9km

The elite women's individual time trial will kick off the 2026 UCI Road World Championships with a 39.9km route in Montreal. The route will feature 195m of elevation.

The technical but mostly flat route will begin in Montreal and race through the city streets and along the famed St Lawrence River, cross the Samuel-De-Champlain Bridge, orbit the Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve - a famous motor-racing circuit that hosts the annual Formula 1 Canadian Grand Prix - then cross back over the Concorde Bridge before returning to the finish line.

Elite men's individual time trial, 39.9km

The elite men's individual time trial will the elite women's with the same 39.9km route in Montreal. The route will feature 195m of elevation.

The technical but mostly flat route will begin in Montreal and race through the city streets and along the famed St Lawrence River, cross the Samuel-De-Champlain Bridge, orbit the Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve - a famous motor-racing circuit that hosts the annual Formula 1 Canadian Grand Prix - then cross back over the Concorde Bridge before returning to the finish line.

Elite women's road race, 180km

The elite women's route is also steeped in history, having been the site of the former Montreal World Cup.

The peloton will compete for 180km and a total elevation gain of 2,502 metres. The race will start in Bossard-Montérégie, before passing through seven other municipalities in the region on one large 72,8km opening loop. They will then cross the Samuel-De-Champlain Bridge to reach the final Mount Royal circuit.

The elite women will complete eight laps of the 13.4km, facing the Camillien-Houde climb (2.3km at a 6.2% average gradient to the top of Mount Royal), the Polytechnique climb with sections exceeding 11%, and the uphill false flat on Parc Avenue.

Elite men's road race, 273.2km

The elite men's route is also steeped in history, having been the site of the current Grand Prix Cycliste de Montreal, one of two WorldTour races held in the province alongside the Grand Prix Cycliste de Quebec.

The peloton will compete for 273.2km and a total elevation gain of 3,720. The race will also start in Bossard-Montérégie, before passing through seven other municipalities in the region on one large 112,4km opening loop. They will then cross the Samuel-De-Champlain Bridge to reach the final Mount Royal circuit.

The elite men will complete 12 laps of the 13.4km, facing the Camillien-Houde climb (2.3km at a 6.2% average gradient to the top of Mount Royal), the Polytechnique climb with sections exceeding 11%, and the uphill false flat on Parc Avenue.

Il Lombardia returns to Como for the start of the final Monument of 2025 and a finish in Bergamo, continuing the race's recent tradition of flip-flopping between the directions each year.

The 238-kilometre route takes in the Madonna del Ghisallo in the reverse of its usual direction, descending into Bellagio then onto Lecco, where the route runs alongside Lake Como.

Leaving the short, the route takes in a relentless series of climbs, first at Roncola after 100.9 kilometres of racing. The route on Valico di Valpiana has gradients up to 17%, making for a tough mid-race selection.

These ascents plus more at Berbenno, Dossena, Zambla Alta and Passo di Ganda make for a total of 4,400 metres of climbing. It was on the descent into Selvino with its 19 switchbacks that Pogačar made his move two years ago.

The climbing isn't over after the Passo di Ganda, as the Colle Aperto pitches up to 12% with 4km to go before a long, wide run-in to the finish.

"The alternation between Como and Bergamo has now become a tradition, guaranteeing spectacular racing at the highest level," race director Stefano Allocchio said.

"For this edition, we decided to bring back the 2023 route, a selective and fascinating course featuring many of the race’s historic climbs. We expect an extraordinary turnout, both from riders and the fans lining the roads, confirming the unique charm of this Monument Classic".

The climbs

• Madonna del Ghisallo, km. 38.3
• Roncola, km. 100.9
• Berbenno, km. 129
• Passo della Crocetta, km. 161.9
• Zambla Alta, km. 174.7
• Passo di Ganda, km. 206.6
• Colle Aperto, km. 234.8

The Zuid-Limburg region of the Netherlands will welcome the fourth edition of the 2025 UCI Gravel World Championships, October 11-12. The first day will spotlight the elite women for 131 kilometres and 1,190 metres of elevation gain for the rainbow jersey. The second day will see the elite men compete across 180km and take 1,650 metres of climbing.

A 50-kilometre circuit will be followed in a counter-clockwise direction for both elite races, as well as 13 other age category divisional contests. Circuits are hilly, each pass with more than 500 metres of elevation gain, and an extra punch on the finish stretch across the Bronsdalweg climb.

The start for all races will be held at Sportlandgoed De Haamen in Beek, with the finish on Koningsplein using a packed gravel path into Maastricht known as De Groene Loper (Green Carpet).

The elite women will ride two-and-a-half circuits and the elite men making three-and-a-half circuits. The first lap is a little different and features a 5km wide, paved road with a climb of the Adsteeg (700 metres at 5% average gradient) to spread out the peloton before hitting the first gravel section. The next circuits bypass the Adsteeg and use a rural, unpaved road for about 15km to reconnect to the original loop near Kruis.

The course passes iconic landmarks of the region, including Wijnandsrade Castle, the Vaeshartelt country estate and the Sint Hubertusmolen windmill in Beek. After passing through Beek and Beekdaelen multiple times, the final half lap drops riders south after a final pass through Vroenhof and they will then follow an 11km stretch into Maastricht.

It is on this section where riders face the most challenging climb, the Bronsdalweg, which is largely gravel and averages 8% gradient for one kilometre. The climb leads to Berg en Terblijt where just 14km remain to the finish.

Like the previous Worlds competitions held in Italy and Belgium, the terrain will be varied using paved surfaces for transitions, dirt roads, local paths and rolling hills as well as a water crossing.

"For me, gravel is the ultimate form of freedom on the bike. With this route, we want to combine that freedom with a sporting challenge and a strong connection to the landscape," said route co-designer Bram Tankink.

"The undeveloped gravel sections of the municipalities of Beek and Beekdaelen, supplemented by De Groene Loper in Maastricht, are a unique playground for this: the terrain is varied, the surroundings breathe cycling history, and each section tells its own story. We've designed a course that not only gets the best out of the riders but also takes them along the most beautiful, rawest, and most characterful gravel sections in the region."

Three Fan Zones

Event organisers have designated three official Fan Zones. De Haamen Sports Park is the site of the official start, where the Shimano United In Gravel Expo will be located, and offers spectators up to three passages of the elite fields.

A second viewing location recommended will be in front of Wijnandsrade Castle, where riders will also pass through through the castle courtyard multiple times.

The final zone is at Koningsplein on De Groene Loper, the public square in east Maastricht. Much like the festive setup at the start area, the finish line area will offer live race coverage, food, beverages, and live music, with the bonus being the awards ceremony.

The 2025 edition of the Tour de Romandie Féminin will deliver 249.69km of racing over 3 stages with 3,356m of elevation gain, starting with a race against the clock to start opening up the gaps on the overall from the very first day. The key mountain stage is then on day two of the racing with a punchy day of racing around an Aigle loop to close out the proceedings on Sunday.

Stage 1: Huémoz – Villars-sur-Ollon ITT

An uphill slope across the 4.39km opening individual time trial adds 295m of elevation gain as riders work their way through from the ski area of Huémoz to the scenic views of Villars-sur-Ollon.

Stage 2: Conthey – La Tzoumaz

The second day of racing from Conthey starts off relatively flat, the exception being when it loops twice past the category 3 Chamoson climb. The bulk of the 1,657m of climbing is in the final 13km of the 123.2km stage, with the category 1 summit finish of La Tzoumaz likely to deliver the most crucial GC moment of the tour.

Stage 3: Aigle

The flattest part of the 122.1km final stage, which starts and finishes in Aigle, comes as the race loops north through Vionnaz, Noville and Roche but that flatter profile doesn't last given the 1,404m of vertical ascent on the agenda. The climbs aren't long but they regularly punctuate the terrain, with the five category 3 ascents beginning just a little before the race hits the 50km mark. The last of the climbs, Antagnes, then tops out at around 10km to go, but there is another gradual uphill toward the final finish line in Aigle.

The five-day Renewi Tour takes place in 2025 from August 20-24 with 911.3 kilometres of racing as the only WorldTour stage race in the Benelux region.

This year the Renewi Tour begins in the Netherlands for the opener from Terneuzen to Breskens, then completes the week with four stages in Belgium. All five days are road stages, eliminating a time trial in the lineup like the past three editions.

Last year's overall finish on the pavé of Geraardsbergen will now be a pivotal third stage. The finale for 2025 integrates the Tour of Leuven-Memorial Jef Scherens one-day event as the route used for stage 5 in Leuven.

Stage 1

Stage 2

Stage 3

Stage 4

Stage 5

The Tour de Pologne returns for an 82nd edition, August 4-10, with seven days of racing covering close to 1,100 kilometres. The UCI WorldTour race tracks west to east across the southern border of Poland, passing through mountainous regions of Lower Silesia, Silesia and Małopolska.

After an opening flat route from Wrocław to Legnica, the second day suits climbers with a summit finish atop the legendary Orlinek in Karpacz. Stages three and four also bring hilly terrain, leading to the longest stage of the week, 205.3km on stage 5 from Katowice to Zakopane.

The penultimate stage, from Bukovina Resort to Bukowina Tatrzańska, is the traditional “queen” stage, with only 147.6km but it packs a punch in the Tatra mountains.

This year the individual time trial has been moved from early in the race to the decisive stage 7, starting and finishing near the Wieliczka Salt Mine. The 12.5km test against the clock opens with a 2km climb and then rolls back into Wieliczka for finish.

Stage 1: Wrocław – Legnica, 199.7km

After starting with a steep uphill and an early GC selection last year, the 2025 Tour de Pologne goes back to its usual formula of a flat stage for the sprinters on the opening day. One small climb inside the final 20km will hardly affect most of the sprinters and even if they suffer, they have plenty of time to get back on for the mad dash to the line in Legnica.

• Sprint 1, km. 18
• Sprint 2, km. 45.4
• Sprint 3, km. 139.9
• KOM 1, km. 181.9

Stage 2: Hotel Gołębiewski Karpacz – Karpacz, 148.9km

A much punchier day follows on stage 2, with four category 2 climbs peppering the stage before the uphill finish in Karapacz. A late sprint comes with 4.3km to go midway up the final climb before the road tilts up to the finish. It's a day for the GC riders to be attentive if not aggressive.

• KOM 1, km. 10.9
• Sprint 1, km. 35.4
• Special sprint 1, km. 61.3
• KOM 2, km. 87.5
• KOM 3, km. 110.6
• KOM 4, km. 130.2
• Special sprint 2, km. 144

Stage 3: Wałbrzych – Wałbrzych, Powiat Wałbrzyski, 161.6km

The profile for the third day of racing resembles the jagged edge of a saw, with the climbs to Walimska Pass and Niedźwiedzica Pass repeated three times each. Before the third circuit, the peloton will have to climb the steep wall in Rzeczka, with gradients exceeding 10%, to begin the final stretch of 44km. A shakeup in the GC standings is expected.

• KOM 1, km. 28.2
• KOM 2, km. 45.4
• Special Sprint 1, km. 56.5
• KOM 3, km. 74.2
• KOM 4, km. 91.4
• KOM 5, km. 117.6
• KOM 6, km. 131.5
• KOM 7, km. 148.8

Stage 4: Rybnik – Cieszyn, 200km

Stage 4 gives the sprinters another chance, but they'll have to make it over a trio of climbs - the Przegibek Pass, Orle Gniazdo, and Salmopol Pass - the third a category 2 climb with 120km to go. After the final intermediate sprint, any breakaways may have a tough time holding on as chasers will have 26km across four twisty circuits in Cieszyn to make the catch.

• Sprint 1, km. 68
• KOM 1, km. 89.4
• KOM 2, km. 121.8
• KOM 3, km. 133.2
• Special Sprint 1, km. 146.6
• Special Sprint 2, km. 156.1

Stage 5: Katowice – Zakopane, 205.8km

Friday's stage 5 is the longest route of the race, covering 205.3km from Katowice to Zakopane, with three places for sprint points and another three for KOM points. Once across the final categorised climb at Krowiarki Pass, there are still plenty of uphill kilometres remaining, 60 of them, to the finish. Six years ago when the race visited the Tatra Mountains with the finish in Zakopane, Jonas Vingegaard took the overall win.

• Sprint 1, km. 50.7
• Special sprint 1, km. 71.6
• KOM 1, km. 85.6
• Special sprint 2, km. 129
• KOM 2, 141.7

Stage 6: Bukovina Resort – Bukowina Tatrzańska, 147.6km

Saturday's queen stage returns to Bukowina Tatrzańska with a shorter route of 147.6km but it is packed with climbing in the Tatra mountains - Harnaś Wall and Bukovina Wall in Rzepiska and Gliczarów - for total of six opportunities for KOM points. On the second pass of the Harnaś Wall, special sprint points await for the final 1km to the crest of the summit. From there it's another 33km to the final ascent of the Bukovina Wall setting up the descent and climb in Bukowina Tatrzańska, last year won by Thibau Nys (Lidl-Trek).

• KOM 1, km. 4.1
• KOM 2, km. 38.6
• KOM 3, km. 52.1
• Sprint 1, km. 76.1
• KOM 4, km. 86.6
• KOM 5, km. 100.1
• Special sprint 1, km. 101.1
• KOM 6, km. 134.6

Stage 7: Kopalnia Soli 'Wieliczka' (ITT), 12.5km

A 12.5km time trial will decide the overall winner of the 2025 Tour de Pologne, with the start and finish near the Wieliczka Salt Mine in southern Poland near Kraków. The opening 2 kilometres are uphill, with rollers across the next 6km. The second half of the clockwise circuit descends slightly back into Wieliczka.

The 2025 Road World Championships in Rwanda will be the first ever held in Africa and one of the hardest races in rainbow jersey history, with the elite men climbing 5,475 metres of elevation during their 267.5km race.

The race routes were officially unveiled during the 2024 Road World Championships in Zürich on Thursday. The races will be held in the Rwanda's capital Kigali between September 21-28, 2025.

Rwanda is known as the 'Land of a Thousand Hills' and Kigali sits at an altitude of 1850 metres, adding a further difficulty to the racing.

"The high altitude and the climbs will challenge the riders to push their limits. A place in the history books is at stake," organisers said.

The time trials are scheduled from Sunday to Wednesday. The elite men will cover 680 metres of altitude during their 40.6km race, while the elite women will climb 460 metres in just over 31.2km.

The road races will be held between Thursday and Sunday with a under-23 women's road race held separately from the elite women's race for the first time.

The road races will be held on a 15.1km circuit which includes two short climbs and continuous rolling and testing roads. The men will cover 15 laps plus an extra mid-race 42.5km extension circuit to climb the infamous Mur du Kigal, the cobbled climb that kicks up at 11%.

The elite women's race will cover 11 laps of the Kigali circuit for a distance of 164.6km and an elevation of 3,350 metres but they will not cover the Mur du Kigali.

"Bringing the World Cycling Championships to the African continent has been my vision for many years," UCI President David Lappartient said.

"In a year's time, this will become a reality. I am delighted that this historic event will take place in Rwanda, which is already known for the beautiful Tour of Rwanda.

"Kigali and the entire country have a rich cycling culture, which will now be shared with the world. I can't wait to welcome the cycling family to what will be a milestone in the development and globalisation of our sport."

Elite Women time trial: September 21, 2025, 9:10-11:55 CET, 31.2km

Elite Men time trial: September 21 2025 12:45-15:50 CET, 40.6 km

U23 Women time trial: September 22 2025, 9:35-11:45, 22.6km

U23 Men time trial: September 22 2025, 12:35-15:30, 31.2km

Junior Women time trial: September 23 2025, 9:45-11:45, 18.3 km

Junior Men time trial: September 23 2025, 13:00-15:30, 22,6 km

Team Time Trial mixed relay: September 24 2025, 11:30-16:00, 42,4 km

U23 Women road race: September 25 2025, 12:05-15:30, 119,3 km

Junior Men road race: September 26 2025, 07:00-10:15, 119,3 km

U23 Men road race: September 26 2025, 11:00-15:25, 164,6 km

Junior Women road race: September 27 2025, 07:20-09:40. 74,6 km

Elite Women road race: September 27 2025, 11:05-15:45, 164,6 km

Elite Men road race: September 28 2025, 08:45-15:45, 267,5 km

The Tour de Suisse route covers 1281.5km and has 20,000 metres of climbing but this year, there are no high altitude major mountain summits. Instead, the route grinds riders down with a never-ending series of climbs and a mountain time trial to cap off eight days of racing.

There are still massive mountains to get over, however. The Splügenpass on stage 4 takes riders over 2,100 metres and comes with 47km to go but the race descends to 400m of elevation at the finish. Stage 5 features the Julierpass at the start, ascending to 2,288m and the Passo del San Bernardino, topping out at 2,066m with 66.4km remaining but ends atop a climb in Santa Maria at 944m.

The course is by no means easy without the high-altitude finishes. Read on for more details on the 2025 Tour de Suisse route.

Stage 1: Küssnacht-Küssnacht, 127.2km

Rather than start with a prologue, the Tour de Suisse kicks off with a fan-friendly stage around Küssnacht that consists of two loops - one flat, and one with the difficult climb to the Michaelskreuz Chapel. The peloton tackles the climb twice, once with 105km to go in the short stage and a second time with 15km remaining, making for an early selection for the overall classification.

Stage 2: Aarau-Schwarzee, 177.1km

Stage 2 of the 2025 Tour de Suisse could be a select bunch sprint, but the 2,500 metres of climbing culminates in a long drag uphill to the finish in Schwarzsee.

Stage 3: Aarau-Heiden, 191km

Stage 3 is a 'death by a thousand cuts' type of stage, with constant undulations adding up to 3,000 metres of climbing across 191 kilometres of racing but only one classified ascent before the uphill finish in Heiden.

Stage 4: Heiden-Pioru (Valchiavenna), 193.1km

Stage 4 takes riders over the first Alpine pass, with riders climbing to 2,113 metres above sea level to get over the Splügenpass before descending into Italy for a finish in Piuro.

Stage 5: La Punt-Santa Maria, 184.5km

Stage 5 is the queen stage of the 2025 Tour de Suisse, with the peloton heading over the Julierpass at 2,284 metres above sea level - the highest mountain of this year's race. It's followed by the San Bernardino Pass (2,065 metres above sea level) before taking riders up a testing climb to Santa Maria in Calanca, a new finish for the race.

Stage 6: Chur-Neuhausen am Rheinfall, 186.7km

Stage 6 is the only 'sprint stage' of the Tour de Suisse in 2025, but it still involves almost 2,400 metres of climbing. Most of the uphill comes in the first half of the stage with three classified climbs. A gradual ascent to the final kilometre will make for a tough bunch sprint if the race comes back together.

Stage 7: Neuhausen am Rheinfall-Emmetten, 211,8km

Stage 7 is a big stage for the overall contenders, with two tough climbs in the final 30km of the 207.5km stage. Riders have to meter their efforts on the stiff climb to Bürgenstock because the finishing climb comes directly after with a steep ascent to Emmetten.

Stage 8: Beckenried-Stockhütte (ITT) 10.1km

The Tour de Suisse grand finale is a 10.1km mountain time trial that snakes up from Lake Lucerne to the ski station at Stockhütte.

The 2025 USA Cycling Pro Road National Championships returns to Charleston, West Virginia from May 20-26 for a second year, moving one week later on the calendar and culminating on the Memorial Day holiday. A total of 18 stars-and-stripes jerseys will be offered across Junior 17-18, U23 and elite divisions for men and women in the three road disciplines - time trial, criterium and road race.

FloBikes will provide live coverage of four of the events, beginning with the US Pro Criterium races for elite women and men on Friday, May 23, beginning at 7:45 p.m. EDT. On Monday, May 26 the US Pro Road Races for elite women and men will be broadcast, beginning at 8 a.m. EDT for the women and then following the men from a 1 p.m. EDT start through to the finish.

Organisers, which include the Charleston Convention & Visitors Bureau with support from the City of Charleston, have made logistics easy for spectators and competitors, with all start/finish lines and awards ceremonies returning to Haddad Riverfront Park in downtown Charleston adjacent to the Kanawha River.

Individual time trials

The individual time trial events will take place on the proven courses used in 2024, which take place on a flat 16.7km (10.4-mile) course that hugs the Kanawha River next to the city centre. The route start ramp and finish line are in close proximity next to Haddad Riverfront Park, with just two turns on an out-and-back course.

Junior 17-18 women take the course first on Tuesday, May 20 at 9 a.m. EDT, followed by the Junior 17-18 men. The junior women complete one lap while the junior men will cover two laps.

On Wednesday, the U23 women will begin a full day of competitions with one full lap, followed by the elite women making two laps of the same course for a total of 33.4km. After the awards ceremony for the women, the U23 men, followed by the elite men, will also make two passes on the course for ITT champions to be crowned.

Criteriums

Criterium events return to downtown Charleston using the same six-corner circuit as last year. Kanawha Boulevard be used for the exciting events, the starts and finishes next to Haddad Riverfront Park. All races will proceed in a clockwise direction, making turns onto Court, Lee, Summers, Quarrier and Hale streets to complete the circuit back on Kanawha Boulevard. 

Thursday evening opens the fast and furious racing with Junior 17-18 women taking the course at 6:30 p.m. local time and riding 45 minutes. The Junior 17-18 men follow for a 60-minute contest. Tthe U23 women have a dedicated race, no longer part of the elite women's event, stating at 8:45 p.m. for a 50-minute race. U23 men will conclude the schedule with a 75-minute race.

On Friday night the elite women will race at 6:30 p.m. for 75 minutes. The elite men’s race is expected to start at 8:00 p.m. and battle for one stars-and-stripes jersey across 90 minutes.

Road races

The signature events for race week are the US Pro Road Races, with the three divisions having their own days on the challenging courses which were used last year. The U23 athletes will open road race competitions on Saturday, followed by juniors on Sunday and elites on Monday, Memorial Day bank holiday in the US.

Both the women and men juniors will compete on a 14.5km (9-mile) loop with one major climb on Wertz Avenue, which averages 5.5% over 2.3km. Junior 17-18 men will battle over six laps of the course, a total of 87km, while the Junior 17-18 women will complete four laps for 58km.

A longer 21km (13.1-mile) circuit that includes a loop across the Kanawha River and two climbs, will be used for U23 and elite races. In addition to the Wertz Avenue climb, the longer loop features the Bridge Road climb, which presents a stiff 20.4% gradient at the bottom and then averages 5.5% for the full 2.1km.

The U23 and Elite fields will open with two laps of the junior course, and then include the longer circuit for additional laps. For the first time, the U23 women will have a dedicated race which reflects the changes the UCI made to provide a U23 women's race at the World Championships.

The U23 women will lead off the road races at 9 a.m. on Saturday and complete five laps (two junior laps, three long laps) for a total of 92.6km. The U23 men follow Saturday with seven laps for a total of 148km. 

On Sunday the junior fields take centre stage, the 17-18 men starting at 8:00 a.m. for 87km, which will be six full laps of the junior course. The 17-18 women will start at 12:30 p.m. for 58k, four full laps of the junior course.

The championships conclude Monday with elite road races, the women starting at 8:00 a.m. for six laps (two of those on the junior course) and cover 113.8km. The elite men take the start at 1 p.m. and will make 10 laps for a total of 198.6km. Both these races will be broadcast live on FloBikes.

The organisers of the Itzulia Women stuck to their formula for the 4th edition of the race, keeping the opening and closing stages almost exactly the same.

That means that the third stage will again tackle the category 1 Jaizkibel and category 2 Mendizorrotz in the 112.6km conclusion.

Before then, two tough stages will soften the riders' legs in this Women's WorldTour race. 

Stage 1:

The first stage ended in a bunch sprint in 2024 and looks set to do the same this season, with a flat finish following the category 3 Itziar climb (7.3km at 2.8%) with 20km to go. The 'easy' stage also has riders pass over the category 2 Azkarate climb (4.2km at 7.3%) and category 3 Olaeta (1.9km at 9%) with plenty of flat roads in between.

Stage 2:

The punchy stage 2 from Ugao Miraballes to Igorre is 116km long and has four classified climbs before the flat final 20 kilometres. The day has more up and down in between the major ascents, making for a tough day in the saddle. The new stage has three category 3 climbs - Bikotxgane (8km at 4.9%), Gerekiz (3.1km at 4.5%) and Arrieta (5.3km at 2.2%) - and the sharp pitches of the Lamindao climb (3.4km at 10.1%).

Two intermediate sprints after the final climb spice up the run-in to Igorre.

Stage 3:

The roads of the Clasica San Sebastian feature in the final stage of the Itzulia Women, with riders ascending the Jaizkibel (7.9km at 5.6%), Gurutze (2.7km at 5.2%), and the Murgil wall to Mendizorrotz (6.4km at 5.2%), followed by a descent into Donostia.

Demi Vollering used that final climb to escape from the peloton and ride solo to the stage win and overall victory.

The courses for the 2025 Life Time Unbound Gravel presented by Shimano were announced four weeks before the start in downtown Emporia, Kansas, which will be led by Unbound Gravel XL on Friday, May 30 and followed by Unbound Gravel 200 and three other distances on Saturday, May 31.

All distances follow a single-loop format that rolls on Commercial Street and into the Flint Hills of east-central Kansas, a second consecutive year for a north loop across open prairie, rolling hills and the sharp, tyre-slicing gravel. The terrain may only say 'hills', but there are a ton of elevation changes that add up to massive climbing. 

From Emporia, riders will proceed in a counter-clockwise direction, with the 350-mile XL course extending to the north just beyond Interstate 70. Unbound 200 does not go as far north, but is a few miles short of Interstate 70 on a section of gravel at mile 80. 

Once back in the city limits the last punchy climb is on tarmace at Highland Hill, along the edge of Emporia State University. This signals the final approach to the finish, with riders turning left on 12th Avenue for two blocks, then right for the final straightaway on Commercial Street. The final 1.5 miles of the course will be barricaded to protect spectators and riders, with a dedicated finish chute for the Unbound Gravel 200 riders to finish alongside the three other categories in the heart of the city.

Courses are not marked, and approximately 95% of the routes are on 'primitive' dirt roads, doubletrack and some singletrack. As noted in the Rider Handbook, "in the event of inclement weather, gravel and dirt roads can become mud roads" and participants are "encouraged to prepare their bikes, their bodies, and their minds to be ready for any and all possible conditions". 

More details about the routes will be provided closer to the race date.

Unbound Gravel 200 route

The 200-mile route comes in at 202.4 total miles with approximately 11,800 feet of elevation gain. The route is almost a full carbon copy, heading out into Wabaunsee and Morris counties to the same checkpoint and water oasis areas. Support crews can be positioned to resupply and repair equipment in Alma, at mile 70, and in Council Grove at mile 148. The two 'oasis' points on the route for water only are at mile 40 at Eskridge and mile 112 at Alta Vista. 

The technical, bumpy gravel beginning at mile 42 on Divide Road returns, which will keep riders alert, then the rollers on Prairie View Road need to be cleared to head into Alma. From there, it's gradual climbing from mile 70 to 88 on the northernmost section of the route.

The usually grueling Little Egypt arrives at about mile 104, but that section has smoothed out. Then the 200-mile course joins with the 100-mile course at the same junction as last year - Old K-4 Road and Des Moines Road, at mile 130 for Unbound 200 and mile 36 for Unbound 100.

At mile 148 riders have the option to stop for hydration, nutrition and technical assistance from their crews in Council Grove. From the lead group, however, there may be no need to stop, with only a rolling resupply of liquid or solid food on offer for the front to stay together. Another 29 miles on and headwinds tend to hang out on the long open stretch at Lake Kahola. 

From the dam at the lake under 26 miles remain. Attacks and counter-attacks then begin to fly as the contenders head toward the final ascent up Highland Hill back in Emporia and on the pavement to the straightaway on Commercial Street.

Unbound Gravel 100 route

The 100-mile route measures 109.7 miles and includes approximately 3,600 feet of climbing. This 'stepping stone' to the 200 event has one checkpoint at Council Grove, which is mile 54, and one water oasis, at mile 92 in Americus.

After the opening 26.8 miles, the 100-mile route will separate from the 200-miler and turn on Road 400 to continue north on Turkey Road. The route then has a high frequency of turns on a 10-mile south-west trek to the junction at Old K-4 Road and Des Moines Road where the two routes will reconnect - at mile 130 for Unbound 200 and mile 36 for Unbound 100. It is the same regroup as last year.

Once through Council Grove, the route swings a bit to the west then back east for the 35-mile approach to the longest climb, which arrives adjacent to Lake Kahola. This is an exposed and often windy stretch, which leads to the final 11 miles back into Emporia.  

Unbound Gravel XL route

The XL contest begins Friday, May 30, at 3:00 p.m. CDT, a day prior to the other four distances, so that all athletes in Unbound divisions share the finish line on Saturday back on Commercial St. in downtown Emporia. All riders have 36 hours to officially finish the course. 

The route follows the same track to the north for the first 45 miles or so, moving away from the 200-mile course beyond Eskridge. The route goes north to Maple Hill and then meanders south again to pass through Alma after 110 miles have been covered. Once passing through the most northerly section at Pillsbury Crossing, the route heads south and will reconnect with the Unbound 200 course for about 75 miles. 

Once through Council Grove, XL riders will head away from shared roads when the 200-milers turn on South 1400 Road and begin their final 45 miles. The XL riders have 150 more miles to cover, with a big counter-colockwise loop to the west and south, moving toward Texaco Hill that is part of the traditional south course. Once over a series of stiff climbs, the route heads back north and connects with the other courses just before Lake Kahola for the final 32 miles.