It is scorchingly hot at the Cheer Squad corner, five kilometres from the summit of Mont Ventoux. The Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift is due to pass through within the hour, and excitement is building. To the right, there is a screen where a cluster of people have gathered to watch the race; to the left, there is a sea of polka-dot-T-shirt-clad bodies dancing to Freed from Desire and waving flags which flutter in the blue sky. On the road itself, huge painted letters read: "WATCH THE FEMMES".

There are almost 200 people on this one corner, most of whom have cycled the first 15 kilometres up the mountain – and many, like me, have completed the 112-kilometre L'Étape du Tour de France Femmes the day before. Both L'Étape, which attracted a record 10,500 participants – up 70% on 2025 – and the Cheer Squad, organised by ex-pro Iris Slappendel, have helped to bring thousands of extra fans to the roadside to watch the stage, turning a day-long event into a full weekend.

The Tour de France, of course, is the biggest race in the sport – but not all races, particularly at lower levels, are experiencing the same turnout. The Tour de L'Avenir Femmes was put on hold this year, while the Tour de Romandie Féminin was postponed until 2027. This month, the women's Tour of Guangxi was cancelled and removed from the UCI calendar, its future uncertain. On the men's side, the Maryland Cycling Classic, Tour of Norway and first edition of a new stage race, Lyon-Turin, were all cancelled this year due to funding issues.

Cycling, which depends on sponsorship, has a precarious financial model, and with operational costs rising, teams and race organisers are scrambling to keep up. To advocacy organisation The Cyclists' Alliance (TCA), events like these are part of the solution.

"It is our view that the greatest untapped opportunity for both men's and women's cycling lies in generating revenue through festival-style events built around races," the organisation wrote in an open letter to the UCI in April. "The potential to increase revenue by enhancing and monetising the fan experience is substantial".

'Fan engagement' was one of the key areas of a UCI consultation earlier this year, and it is one of the five pillars the governing body recently laid out in its 'Future of Cycling' manifesto. 51% of respondents to the consultation touched on promotion, and ideas proposed in the manifesto included "new race formats for fan engagement: urban-circuit races, mixed-team time trials, combined road and gravel events, and formats linking professional races to mass-participation events."

Events can boost spectator appeal, generate income, raise sponsorship value and bring people to the destination for longer, which has a positive knock-on effect for the local authorities that provide funding. Fans, the TCA argued, are central to the sustainability of the sport: without them, it cannot survive.

The idea is not new. It re-emerged last year when there were discussions about whether parts of Alpe d'Huez should be ticketed at this year's Tour de France. Wout van Aert told De Tijd: "I think that fragility would be much less of an issue if, alongside sponsorship income, there were also revenues coming from the sport itself." In the end, race organisers ASO rejected the idea, telling Belgian newspaper Dernière Heure: "Cycling is free [for spectators] and bringing in a ticketing system is absolutely not on the current agenda."

"It's bizarre that a sport where so many people do it doesn't have a bigger fanbase," explains Deena Blacking, TCA's interim managing director. "In cycling, we just don't have the event venue, merchandise and loyalty to the team that they do in football. That was the point that we made in the letter: these things can be overcome if there's the will and the effort. You can still do a road cycling race outside, but you can put it on circuits, and you can have it finish in a velodrome so that you can ticket bits of the course. Or you can create a VIP experience, or a spectator experience that is objectively interesting - as opposed to subjectively appealing to the die-hard cycling fan."

So: what does it take to organise these kinds of fan events – and are they a way to make cycling more sustainable?

From grassroots fan events to race organisers harnessing their power

When we speak, Slappendel has spent the last two days up Ventoux in preparation for the Cheer Squad, painting the road under cover of darkness. "There's too much traffic [in the day]," she explains. "And of course it's not really legal, but nobody cares."

Slappendel, who retired from pro cycling in 2016 and now runs an apparel brand, started the Cheer Squad in 2024. Initially, the idea was to get people interested in women's racing, make it easier to watch, and to start a community around it. "When I was racing, there were not loads of people on the side of the road, but it's special when people cheer you on. I wanted to give that back to the peloton," she says. "I think the best way to support women's sport is to show up."

The first year, around 50 people turned up on La Redoute. Last year, on the Col du Granier, there were around 80. And this year, on Ventoux, there were some 180. In future, she wants a Cheer Squad at every stage of the Tour de France Femmes, as well as at different races.

"Every year we see more people coming," says Slappendel, who is being pulled away for a Eurosport segment. "It's important for the riders, but also for the organisers, the broadcasters – it's good that everyone sees that there's an appetite for it. People show up; they travel to fucking Mont Ventoux because they love to watch the women's race."

In-person fan events are growing throughout the sport. TNT Sports aired The Breakaway live from London for the first time during this year's Giro d'Italia, while events like LeBlanq's Joyride Festival, where fans can rub shoulders with cycling greats, have exploded in popularity. Teams like Visma-Lease a Bike, EF Education-Cannondale and Lidl-Trek sell hospitality and travel packages which offer access to the riders, or VIP race experiences.

Riders are even hosting their own events: Rigoberto Uran started the Giro de Rigo in 2018; Canyon-SRAM rider Tiffany Cromwell has founded a series of gravel events, and Soudal Quick-Step's Gianmarco Garofoli runs 'Gianmarco Garofoli Day' in his hometown, featuring a ride, lunch and a prize draw. Clearly, there is community – and potentially revenue – to be gained from gathering people in-person.

No race organiser knows this better than Flanders Classics, which took over the running of races like Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, Dwars door Vlaanderen and the Tour of Flanders in 2009. In 2023, Flanders Classics became a shareholder of Cycling Unlimited, which runs the Tour de Suisse, and in 2025, Amstel Gold also came under their umbrella.

"The general idea was to bundle rights, governance and commercial opportunities to protect the spring Classics," says CEO Tomas Van Den Spiegel. "It's easy to organise the Tour of Flanders every year because it's super popular and everyone wants to be there, but there were a couple of other races that were trying to find their place in the international calendar, and maybe on the verge of losing importance. Bundling them with the Tour of Flanders and [Gent-]Welvelgem, for example, gave the other races an extra boost and helped them to be the races that they are today."

The company rejigged some of the courses to maximise the spectator experience – "we tried to create experiences where cycling fans have something to look forward to all day, not just 30 seconds" – and now runs up to 70 cycling events a year. This includes amateur races, rides and sportives, hospitality packages and free fan villages at key points like the Oude Kwaremont, Paterberg and Koppenberg. Flanders Classics co-organises a dance festival, Démarrage, alongside the Tour of Flanders, with food trucks, big screens and DJs. This year, it introduced the FLCS Clubhouse in Ghent, with a five-day programme of talks, rides, runs and events to entice a newer, younger and "hipper" cycling audience. "It was more of an experiment," says Van Den Spiegel. "We will do it again next spring."

Many of these events are free, with hospitality packages costing between €150 and around €500, says Van Den Spiegel. "The fact that cycling is so tangible, so close to the people – and that it's free – gives it its popularity. That's something you cannot touch," he says. "The major part of cycling will always remain free."

Nevertheless, running these kinds of events is expensive. "It's not as simple as just throwing up a festival. It's something that we had to build, and it requires investment first," says Van Den Spiegel. Even with ticketing, it is hard to cover the costs of organisation. "We don't have stadiums or permanent set-ups, so you always have to start from scratch. You cannot underestimate the investment that you have to make to build festival-like fan zones."

Monetising fandom

In 2025, some 2.45 million people attended the 10 Classics races under the organisation's charge, with 1.1 million people turning up for the Tour of Flanders. Races like Dwars door Vlaanderen and De Brabantse Pijl attracted 80,000 and 85,000 fans respectively. With these numbers, having designated fan zones can help with crowd control, dispersing spectators along the route.

"The popularity of our races has multiplied. If you look at TV images of the early days and you compare them to today, there's no comparison," says Van Den Spiegel. "Some of these standalone races would be struggling today, [but] this type of platform allows them to be part of something bigger, and that's why they're still there."

Not only do tourists stick around for longer, but the races bring visitors to Flanders year-round. According to Van Den Spiegel, Kluisbergen, the municipality where the Kwaremont and Paterberg are located, has 600 more tourist beds than in 2016. The local population is just 7,000.

"Some of these municipalities are small, but they give us all of the logistical support needed and they really embrace the races. Some of the bigger cities support us financially as well," he says. "I think everyone's seeing the added value that embracing the spring Classics has given them."

Flanders Classics' events calendar is an important part of its business model, creating a strong brand, providing opportunities for sponsors and partners – and generating income. Most revenue from events and hospitality goes towards covering the cost of running the races.

"We're trying to build an A-brand, and eventually we will attract A-brands," says Van Den Spiegel. "The reality today is that we are quite stable. The fact that we have built these identities around these races and projects, and that people know what to expect, helps when you're selling your story."

It is not just race organisers taking this approach. For the Unibet Rose Rockets, physical fan events are part of the team's DNA. In 2021, when co-founders Bas Tietema, Devin van der Wiel and Josse Wester ran the Tour de Tietema YouTube channel, they signed Wester up for his first amateur race in a 500-inhabitant village in the Netherlands.

"At 10am on a Sunday morning, 2,000 people showed up to see Josse racing his first race," says Van der Wiel. "You can call it the first event of the whole project. We saw that there wasn't something like this in cycling, where fans show up during the race to support the team."

When the Rockets was founded in 2023, therefore, they hosted their first team presentation with a circus tent, DJs, games and quizzes. "There were like 300 people there for a Conti team before we even had a race," says Van der Wiel.

Nowadays, the team runs around four big fan events per year. They held coffee rides before Omloop het Nieuwsblad and the Tour of Flanders, ran ticketed bus trips to Paris-Roubaix and set up a Rockets Corner at Amstel Gold Race. This had a barbecue, stage with DJs, bands and singers, a quiz, partner and merch stalls, and a big screen. During the race's own amateur ride the day before, they set up a barber shop with Philips OneBlade, one of their sponsors, for riders to shave their legs. The Rockets Corner drew some 2,000 attendees, who cheered the team's breakaway rider on the race's first passage – evidence, says Van der Wiel, that "cycling can be more than just cheering for the winner".

"I don't think the [race] organisers expected that amount of people," he says. "We were by far the smallest team at the race, but we had the biggest fan event. In big races, you see groups supporting a rider, but you don't see that much with a team. We want to build a community around the team, and events, of course, are a big part of that. Physical events are the things that you don't forget as a kid."

Like with Flanders Classics, the Rockets' events are mostly free for fans to attend, which requires a "long-term investment". Although it provides an opportunity for partners to connect with their core audience, these events are less about directly monetizing the fanbase, and more about community building. "You invest in your fans; you invest in a connection with people that want to follow you, that trust you, that want to be part of the team and the journey. In the long-term, that can be really valuable for partners as well," he explains. "[We want to be] more than just a cycling team."

Fan events, of course, are only one part of cycling's ecosystem – but, clearly, they hold power. "It's a jigsaw puzzle that needs to be addressed in tandem," says Blacking. "It has to be part of the overall modernisation of the fan experience, which includes the broadcast as well."

"Everything starts with course design," adds Van Den Spiegel. Circuits, or loops where parts of the course are repeated – ideally at least three times – can help to keep spectators entertained all day, he says. "We focus on giving each race its own identity – different landmarks, different fan zones – to make sure that we don't cannibalize what we have today, and to keep those races as high on the cycling fans' calendar as possible."

Can fan events help to solve cycling's funding problem, then? "I would say yes, but only if it's part of a bigger fan experience," says Van der Wiel. Improvements in broadcasting are still due, he argues, and cycling needs to be easier to follow and more accessible. "I think sport is something you do for the fans. You do it for people to enjoy; to inspire people; to make people care about you. Playing football in empty stadiums is boring – we experienced it during Covid. Cycling is fun if we win a race and cheer with our own team, but it's better if you can celebrate it with the whole fan group that are following you."

Back on Ventoux, the race is approaching. There is a cheer running up the mountain, getting louder. When Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney comes into view, solo ahead of Demi Vollering and Marlen Reusser, it erupts into a cacophony: flags waving, cowbells rattling, screaming. It is infectious. The crowd is still cheering when the peloton emerges a few minutes later. Anouska Koster gestures for us to shout louder. Puck Pieterse, wearing her polkadot skinsuit, wheelies through the corner. Alison Jackson takes a hamburger from a fan and holds it triumphantly in the air.

With so many people here in the same place, all for the same thing, there is an energy in the air: a crackling connection between fans and athletes that is different from other sports. This bald corner of Mont Ventoux has come alive. And it is certainly more memorable than watching on TV.

Nicolas Breuillard (TotalEnergies) bounced back from illness earlier in Le Tour de Langkawi to claim the final summit finish of the eight-stage race, winning in the Genting Highlands on stage 5 after dropping his break companion Josh Burnett (Burgos-Burpellet BH) in the final kilometres, and holding off a chase including GC leader Lennart Jasch (Tudor Pro Cycling).

Jasch crossed the line in third place, 21 seconds behind Breuillard and 13 seconds back from second-placed Burnett. Neither were any threat to his overall lead, which he carved out in spectacular style on stage 2.

On Thursday Jasch, also with the help of the third-place time bonus, extended his lead on Abel Balderstone (Caja Rural-Seguros RGA) to 26 seconds and put Jan Castellon (Caja Rural-Seguros RGA ) 42 seconds behind. It's going to now be hard to budge the first-year professional from that top spot given the flat terrain ahead.

"The race isn't over yet but we are a big big step closer to the finish line in terms of the GC I would say," said Jasch in a post stage interview.

For Breuillard and TotalEnergies, the team of last year's overall winner Joris Delbove, it was a welcome turn of fortunes for the rider and squad. They first had to give their team leader, Jordan Jegat, over as a late replacement for the French team at the Road World Championships, then they lost a retiring Geoffrey Bouchard to a stage 1 crash and also were faced with an unwell Breuillard on the first crucial climbing stage.

More to come ...

*Cyclingnews attended Le Tour de Langkawi on an invitation/media package from the race that included travel and accommodation. In line with our editorial standards, our coverage is independent and was not subject to review, approval or influence by the organiser or any sponsor; no favourable coverage was promised or given in return.

Results

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The Italian Anti-Doping Tribunal (NADT) announced on Wednesday that it has provisionally suspended Alberto Bruttomesso (Bahrain Victorious) for violation of the anti-doping code.

The provisions stated in the one-sentence press release list articles 2.1 and 2.2, both related to athlete responsibility for ensuring no prohibited substances enter their bodies.

The announcement did not give the date, substance or method involved in the anti-doping rule violation.

The 22-year-old has raced with Bahrain Victorious since 2024, and is under contract with the team through 2027.

Bahrain Victorious posted a short statement on their website, writing:

"Bahrain Victorious is aware of the provisional suspension concerning Alberto Bruttomesso following an anti-doping control conducted by NADO Italia.

"The team fully supports Alberto throughout the ongoing process and will cooperate fully with the relevant anti-doping authorities as the matter is investigated.

"While the case remains ongoing, Alberto will be suspended from all team activities pending a clear and definitive outcome from the relevant anti-doping authorities and the completion of the applicable testing and review procedures.

"Bahrain Victorious remains committed to the highest standards of integrity and to respecting the established anti-doping process. Until that process has concluded, the team will make no further comment."

Bruttomesso's case has yet to be registered by the International Testing Agency, the organisation responsible for the majority of testing and results management for professional cycling.

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AG Insurance-Soudal's Kim Le Court-Pienaar has ended her season after crashing during the World Championships road race on Saturday, her team confirmed.

The Mauritian was one of several riders involved in crashes in Montreal over the weekend, but did still manage to finish the race, albeit in 45th place, not the result she may have been hoping for in the climber-friendly race.

However, since finishing the race, examinations have revealed a muscular injury that means Le Court-Pienaar will not be able to race the upcoming Italian Classics.

"Following her crash in the road race at the World Championships in Montréal, further medical examinations confirmed a small tear in her quadriceps," a short statement from her team read. The quadriceps is the muscle at the font of the thigh.

"After further assessment and in consultation with Kim, the team and the medical staff, it has been decided to bring her 2026 season to an early end and prioritise her recovery. As a result, Kim will not compete in the Italian races as initially planned."

Despite a lacklustre end to the season in Montreal, and a difficult spring after a heavy crash at the Tour of Flanders, Le Court-Pienaar enjoyed a successful summer.

She defended her Mauritian road race and TT titles, won a stage of the Tour de France Femmes and finished ninth there, before claiming the overall at the Tour of Britain Women with a win on the Great Orme.

She is AG Insurance-Soudal's biggest points-scorer of 2026, consistently landing their biggest wins and she would have been hoping to chase a win in the upcoming Giro dell'Emilia or Tre Valle Varesine.

In her absence, and with climbers Urška Žigart and Justine Ghekiere also out of action, AG Insurance will look to riders like Lore De Schepper and the returning Sarah Gigante for their best chances at a result in Italy to round out the season.

Le Court-Pienaar will now turn her attention to 2027, where an uninterrupted run at the Ardennes Classics – she was the winner of Liège-Bastogne-Liège two years ago – will likely be a primary goal for the first half of the year.

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If there ever was a rider who needed a little good luck, it's João Almeida (UAE Team Emirates-XRG). The 28-year-old's 2026 season has been one misfortune after another.

But after coming to a stop in the mixed zone after dropping out of the World Championships road race in Montreal, Almeida had a small red and black polka dot passenger on his left shoulder - a ladybug (or ladybird) - often considered a sign of good luck. Perhaps it means his fortunes will make a turn for the better.

"I hope you stay here with me," Almeida said to the little beetle after Cyclingnews pointed it out.

The elite men's road race in Montreal had brought no signs that the Portuguese rider was on the mend. He was dropped on lap 7 of 12 of the hilly 13.3km circuit which normally would be his favoured terrain.

"I felt really bad, actually, since the start," Almeida said. "I just didn't feel good at all today."

It has been a familiar refrain. In March, João Almeida was already searching for answers for why he felt so bad during the Volta a Catalunya. He'd started his season well, with podiums in the Volta Comunitat Valenciana and Volta ao Algarve, but ever since he had to cancel his participation in Paris-Nice due to flu-like symptoms, the whole season has been a struggle.

He had to remove the Giro d'Italia from his calendar in April. Then, even before his lacklustre performance in the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, he'd already abandoned his plans to race the Tour de France in support of Tadej Pogačar. Instead, he took two months away from competition only to crash on his comeback at the Tour de Pologne.

For a rider who has two Grand Tour podiums and has been as high as fourth overall in the Tour de France, the lack of results is baffling.

"I was just unlucky as hell, to be honest. I crashed in Poland, then I got sick just before Vuelta [a España]. So yeah, my consistency this year in terms of training was basically zero," Almeida said.

"I'm always having setbacks, so it's hard to gain some shape like this."

His team seemed to catch a little bit of Almeida's curse, with Pogačar crashing out while leading the Vuelta on stage 8, and the team losing three others along the way.

There was one glimmer of hope, however. Almeida was third-fastest in the stage 18 individual time trial in the Vuelta, which gives him some belief he will overcome his problems.

"The team supported me a lot, so I'm looking forward to give back some of their efforts and their trust," Almeida said. "It's been tough, but I'll make it.

"I will do everything I can, like always. I will work hard to be back to normal and hopefully win some races."

Almeida is due to represent Portugal at this weekend's European Championships, and maybe he will show that the little spotted passenger has brought him some better fortunes.

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All Petr Rikunov (Wheeltop Rotor Chengdu) had to do was stay out front for the first 9km of the 2026 Tour de Langkawi to sweep up the first and only climbing points available that day and don the Bubbles King of the Mountain jersey on stage 1.

"It was my easiest job, maybe of all my career," joked Rikunov at the post-stage media conference that day.

What he didn't expect to be easy, however, was wearing it again, explaining that with the long finishing climbs starting on the very next stage, "to keep the jersey I think is impossible".

And yes, he did lose it on stage 2, but it came right back to him on Wednesday. What's more, to get it back, he took an even bigger prize, the victory on stage 4.

"It's my first time here, and before it happened my personal goal is to win a stage here, but I do not believe the first is in a mountain stage," said Rikunov, who is not a rider you would categorise as a climber but more a breakaway rider or sprinter.

In fact, if Rikunov had more of a reputation on the climbs or had been too close to the top riders on the first climbing stage to Gunung Jerai – rather than 28th and more than five minutes back from the winner – he probably would never have had the opportunity to claim the victory.

The team of race leader Lennart Jasch, Tudor Pro Cycling, was only content to give the break such a solid advantage because they weren't an overall threat.

"Before the last climb, when I saw the gap was two minutes and 30 seconds, for me it was a surprise because the peloton style was just easy and we had a chance for the win in the breakaway," said Rikunov. "The last 5km, I believed it was for the win today."

As the three out front – Rikunov, Javier Ibanez (Caja Rural-Seguros RGA) and Alan Jousseaume (TotalEnergies) – were about a kilometre from the line, the Wheeltop Rotor Chengdu rider sensed that there was an earlier opportunity than he'd first anticipated.

"I wanted to sprint with guys, but in the last kilometres I see the guys' limit, and I think I see a good chance for an attack," said Rikunov.

And he certainly made the most of it, surging toward the line and never for a second looking like there was a chance he would be caught. He even had time to sit up and celebrate before Ibanez crossed the line three seconds back and Jousseaume was nine seconds in arrears.

It was the first UCI victory for the season for Rikunov, the first time the breakaway prevailed at the race and the first victory for one of the race's Continental squads.

That win, and the shift back into the KOM jersey, has left Rikunov with a renewed perspective. While he may not have initially believed there was any chance of taking maximum points for the jersey on the climb, Wednesday proved him wrong.

"Today again I was in this jersey, and I think it's possible the next day to continue fighting for this jersey, [to] keep it," said Rikunov.

*Cyclingnews attended Le Tour de Langkawi on an invitation/media package from the race that included travel and accommodation. In line with our editorial standards, our coverage is independent and was not subject to review, approval or influence by the organiser or any sponsor; no favourable coverage was promised or given in return.

Subscribe to Cyclingnews for comprehensive race coverage of both the UCI Road and Gravel World Championships, alongside the final monument of the season, Il Lombardia. Subscribers get unlimited access to exclusive analysis from our expert columnists, in-depth features and industry-leading tech insight. Plus, the Cyclingnews app lets you follow the action wherever you go! Join today.

A brand-new stage race announced for the Canary Islands next January will see the elite men's professional cycling calendar kick off earlier than ever in 2027.

Classified 2.1 in the UCI calendar, the first-ever professional stage race in the Spanish archipelago will take place from January 14 to January 17. That's nearly a week before the curtain goes up on the Tour Down Under in Australia, traditionally the start of the men's calendar, which begins on January 19.

Situated over 1,000 kilometres further south than the Spanish mainland, the Canary Islands are well known for their altitude training camps and comparatively warm off-season weather, both reasons likely to raise the appeal of taking part for professional teams already heading to the islands.

Whilst no details have emerged about the route, in a social media post, the organisers have confirmed that both WorldTour and ProTeams will be participating, while racing will take place on both of the main islands, Gran Canaria and Tenerife.

The news also marks an encouraging boost to the Spanish cycling calendar, which had suffered the loss of a number of stage races before events like O Gran Camiño, which began in 2022, indicated the trend might be reversing.

But whilst one-day races like the Gran Premio Castellón and Classica Comunitat Valenciana - also held in an early season slot on January 23 and January 24 - have come into existence or been promoted to pro level, the Vuelta Ciclista a Canarias is the first new pro stage race to be created in Spain in four years.

The brand new four-day event in Spanish islands will be reportedly run by the organiser of two non-professional races: the Vuelta al Norte, a U23 event held in Gran Canaria across three days which made its return to the calendar after a 17-year gap last July, as well as a junior race.

Following years of rumours and speculation, the Canaries were finally due to play host to the Vuelta a España this September, for the first time since the mid 1980s. But an ambitious deal to fly the race out in the final week for four days fell through at the last minute, and the 2026 Vuelta finished on the Spanish mainland, in Granada, instead.

The possibility of a return for the Vuelta to the Canaries in 2028 or 2029 is apparently on the cards once again, but as yet nothing has been confirmed.

In the meantime, the first-ever pro road race in the Canaries looks set to take place next January, and as the first event of the season, audience interest looks certain to be high.

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Great Britain will once again have only a small squad at the European Championships and no representation in any road races, sending just three riders to the event in Ljubljana, Slovenia this coming week.

The GB squad have had a mixed history with the European Championships, which only introduced elite races in 2016. They fielded no riders for the first two editions, then sent road race and time trial squads from 2018 to 2020 after hosting in 2018, skipped the event in 2021 and 2022, sent full elite squads in 2023, then skipped entirely again in 2024.

In 2025, British Cycling employed a new strategy, sending only TT riders to focus their efforts where they had the best chance of results, and this is the same approach they're taking in 2026.

Callum Thornley will take on the elite men's TT, with Lauren Dickson riding the women's event. Ben Wiggins, who was shocked to miss the top 10 at the World Championships, will race the under-23 men's TT.

Ethan Hayter was announced as riding the men's TT on Wednesday morning, but has since had to pull out, making it only three entrants.

The big omission from the squad is Zoe Bäckstedt, who finished second to Marlen Reusser in the elite women's TT in Montreal, but will not be racing against the clock in Ljubljana.

British Cycling's press release mentions five riders on more than one occasion, which suggests a rider may have pulled out at the last minute. Anna Henderson was also on the early entry list, but not part of the final selection.

"In a reflection of 2025's strategy, the five riders to compete are all time-trial specialists and will aim to showcase the strength the nation holds in this discipline in their given categories," a British Cycling press release read.

Despite the small selection of riders, Great Britain cycling lead Matt Brammeier was confident about his riders' chances. The men's TT seems like the biggest opportunity for a medal, with Thornley finishing second in the TT during the Vuelta a España, then finishing 10th at the World Championships.

"As we continue to build towards the LA Olympic Games, we are excited to field a competitive team with huge potential at the UEC Road European Championships," Brammeier said. "A first European Championships for three of the five [four - ed.] riders, it will be a great opportunity for us to test ourselves against Europe's best time trial riders."

Coming, as they traditionally do, straight after the World Championships and before Il Lombardia, the European Championships occupy a tricky slot in the calendar, both in terms of riders getting the time away from their trade teams and national federations financing and organising two big championships in quick succession.

So despite the fact that riders like Pfeiffer Georgi and Tom Pidcock took home strong road race results in Montreal – 11th and seventh respectively – fielding full road race teams for the European Championships remains a stretch for Great Britain.

Cyclingnews reached out to British Cycling, but they did not have any further official comment on the decision.

Great Britain has hardly ever fielded junior or under-23s to the European Championships in recent years, not even in 2018 when Glasgow hosted, and that isn't changing for 2026.

The European Championships kick off this Friday, October 3 with the under-23 road races, with all of the time trials taking place on Tuesday, October 7.

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Oscar Sevilla continues to defy the march of time, announcing on his 50th birthday that he has signed up for another year of racing as a professional cyclist.

The Spaniard has spent the past decade racing for Medellin-EPM, one of the leading Colombian teams, and on Tuesday it was announced that partnership would continue through 2027.

"I have received a very special gift," Sevilla said in a social media video.

"We have reached an agreement to carry on competing for another year with the team. So in the 2027 season I will be racing my bike for the Medellin-EPM team."

Sevilla added that he would represent the team and the city of Medellin "with the same values as always – with motivation, discipline, respect, and admiration for this beautiful sport."

In Colombia, Sevilla found a new home and a new direction in his career amid an exile from the top-level European scene in the wake of his implication in the Operación Puerto doping scandal.

Beyond being fired by his T-Mobile team, Sevilla never faced any criminal or sporting sanctions arising from Operación Puerto, though he did serve a one-year ban after testing positive for Hydroxyethyl Starch during his first year racing in Colombia in 2010. Sevilla has never admitted any culpability regarding the Operación Puerto revelations, and he claimed the Hydroxyethyl Starch was for medical treatment and not performance enhancement.

As recently as this year, Sevilla was caught up in a doping case as his Medellin-EPM team was suspended for 30 days in the spring due to two anti-doping rule violations in the space of 12 moths – Aldemar Reyes and Fabio Duarte being the riders in question.

In any case, Sevilla has enjoyed huge success on the Colombian scene, winning the Vuelta a Colombia three times and the Clásico RCN four times. He has also achieved some notable results while rubbing shoulders with WorldTour pros, placing on the podium of the Vuelta a San Juan in Argentina four times from 2017 to 2020 – in fact, he's officially the winner of the 2018 edition after Gonzalo Najar was stripped of his title for doping offences.

Sevilla was on the podium of the 2020 edition of San Juan behind Remco Evenepoel and Filippo Ganna, and ahead of the newly-crowned world champion, Brandon McNulty. He has also raced regularly on the North American scene, with top-10s at the Tour of the Gila, Joe Martin Stage Race, and, as recently as this year, the Tour de Beauce.

"Colombia has been very good to me. I met my wife here and we have two daughters together – it's the best thing that happened in my life. It's as if destiny brought me here," Sevilla said in an interview with Cyclingnews at the start of 2017.

Almost 10 years on, and now in his 50s, he's still going.

For the first time at the 30th edition of Le Tour de Langkawi, the breakaway prevailed, with Petr Rikunov (Wheeltop Rotor Chengdu) leaping from the leading group of three in the final kilometre to take his first UCI win of the season on stage 4.

The race to the top of the Cameron Highlands was expected to be one for the climbers, but a group of six who were no threat on the overall were let drift away, and that ultimately dwindled to three through the final effort to the line.

The power of Rikunov's surge shook off his rivals, though Javier Ibanez (Caja Rural-Serguros RGA) kept up the pursuit as long as possible to claim second, three seconds behind, while it was Alan Jousseaume (TotalEnergies) who took the final podium spot at nine seconds back. Nil Gimeno (Equipo Kern Pharma) then took fourth, 28 seconds behind, after having drifted away from the front through the final kilometres

"Today we had three really good with Caja, with Kern, with Total. But I think today was a really good, good day for us," said Rikunov, adding that everyone was pulling and going 'full gas' all day to keep the gap. "But yeah, I have more strong legs today in the last km."

GC leader Lennart Jasch (Tudor Pro Cycling) finished safely with the group of 32, which contained all the key overall players, so kept his 20 second advantage to Abel Balderstone (Caja Rural-Seguros RGA) and the 38 second gap to Balderstone's teammate Jan Castellon.

"With like 2kms to go the attacks started a bit but before it was quite controlled because ... the climb is not so steep so you have so much draft that it's really hard to get away," Jasch told the media after the stage.

The 142.3km day of racing from Meru Raya took the riders into the the lush central Malaysian jungle and threw a little of everything at the peloton, from heat and stinging sun at the start, then initially flat conditions to solid rain and a slight cooling of temperatures as the road headed toward the long ascent to the finish. The final 50km presented little relief from the climbing.

Even though the second of three summit finishes for the race may have been the focus of this stage, as has been the case every day at this ProTour event, in the opening stages there was no shortage of riders eager to go out in the break making it hard to control a wave after wave gave it a shot. In the end Javier Ibanez (Caja Rural- Serguros RGA), Nil Gimeno (Equipo Kern Pharma), Petr Rikunov (Wheeltop Rotor Chengdu) and George Matsui (Aisan) were the ones to make it stick.

There was, however, an early crash behind involving a number of riders, including Mattia Gaffuri (Picnic PostNL) – sitting in seventh overall, and Fernando Gaviria (Caja Rural-Seguros RGA), who continued on but were certainly showing the signs of having hit the deck. Owen Geleijn (Unibet Rose Rockets), on the other hand, was forced to abandon straight away with his team posting on social media that he had headed to hospital for medical checks and fortunately there were no broken bones, but stitches and to his chin and elbow along with abrasions to his chest.

Ade Meisa (Nusantara) and Alan Jousseaume (TotalEnergies) bridged, to make it a group of six up front in what was now becoming an on and off rain-soaked race. The gap had stretched by the time the climbing began, though it dropped down to a group of five, with Meisa drifting back to the peloton and Tudor Pro Cycling pushing a high tempo on the climb, but by 25km to go the gap to the lead group was still 4:20. Then Matsui also drifted and finally Gimeno was unhitched right near the final throes of the stage, making it a three-way battle in the final kilometre.

*Cyclingnews attended Le Tour de Langkawi on an invitation/media package from the race that included travel and accommodation. In line with our editorial standards, our coverage is independent and was not subject to review, approval or influence by the organiser or any sponsor; no favourable coverage was promised or given in return.

Results

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The World Championships have only just finished over in Montreal, but attention is already turning towards the next big event, with the European Championships taking place in Ljubljana, Slovenia, starting this Friday.

The Europeans swap round the schedule used at the Worlds, meaning the racing kicks off with the road races this weekend, before the time trials next week, with the elite women's road race taking place this Saturday, October 3.

The women will take on a 130km course from Ljubljana to Šenčur, which is flat for the first 80km but then the two finishing circuits will see the peloton take on the Možjanca climb twice in the final 50km. The climb is only 2.1km in length, but it has a punishing 10.4% average gradient, and it doesn't actually stop at the top, with a couple more kickers still to come once the official climb is over.

From the top of the second ascent, the riders will descend down and then it's a flat final 5km into the finish line in Sencur.

The course design looks set to produce a really open race, with chances for either the climbers to make it hard and selective, or for punchier riders to hold on and contest a faster group finish. At only 130km – compared to the Worlds' 180km – the race will be a lot less attritional than we saw over the weekend, too, so expect a lot more riders to be in contention for the win, rather than a super selective race by nature. If teams and riders want to whittle the group down, they'll have to really work for it.

With a European champion's jersey up for grabs, and a lot of riders who left Canada in form but empty-handed, we're expecting a really big battle for the women's road race, so here are our pics for some of the top contenders.

At the time of writing, the final start list for the women's road race is not confirmed. We will make updates and adjustments to this article as needed.

Demi Vollering (Netherlands)

Newly-crowned world champion Demi Vollering has the chance to do a big double and claim her second jersey in a week in Slovenia, and defend her title won here last year. At the time of writing, the Netherlands haven't officially confirmed their squad for the Euros, but it would seem surprising for Vollering to sit this one out as world and defending European champion and she'll obviously be selected if she wants to go.

Given the excellent form she is on, a course that suits her strengths – if it's raced hard, which it surely will be – and the motivation of becoming the first woman to defend a European road race title, Vollering is likely the out-and-out favourite for Saturday's race, currently standing head and shoulders above the rest. We don't yet know who will be joining her in the Dutch line-up in Ljubljana, but as still one of the strongest nations in the women's peloton – and winners of the European jersey nine out of 10 times – Vollering will surely count on plenty of valuable support.

Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney (Poland)

Second last year and second at the World Championships over the weekend, Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney is always trying to better that result that seems to follow her around her career, and the Euros course offers a really good opportunity for her.

A proven Ardennes specialist, the steep pitches of the Možjanca climb could offer her the perfect launchpad to do what she needs to do to win: get away solo. Frustratingly for Niewiadoma-Phinney, she and everyone else know that her sprint is a big weakness, and most of the top riders would beat her in the dash to the line, so getting away on her own or with weaker riders is really her only chance. But this has been the best season of the Polish rider's career, and she is always there when it counts, so all she needs is a few things to go right, and a jersey could be hers.

Elisa Longo Borghini (Italy)

Elisa Longo Borghini claimed her first rainbow jersey of any kind in the Worlds mixed relay TTT last week, and then came incredibly close to another with a spirited ride in the women's road race in Montreal. She ultimately came away with bronze, but her clearly excellent form certainly doesn't need to go to waste, as there is another jersey up for grabs this weekend and she'll be a top favourite to take the win in Slovenia.

The two ascents of the Možjanca climb suit Longo Borghini's abilities really well, hard enough for her to launch an attack, especially on the steeper slopes, but not so hard or long that it will favour the purer climbers. We know very well that once she gets away, Longo Borghini is hard to catch, so if she can execute a late move, it's unlikely the peloton will see her again.

Plus, she has a stacked Italian squad around her – they're taking no fewer than eight riders – and whilst the Azzurri are known for their team strength in big championships, they've only broken the Dutch stronghold on this jersey once before, so they'll be motivated to take the stripes back this time.

Marlen Reusser (Switzerland)

A week after claiming her second time trial world title, Marlen Reusser was one of the most disappointed riders at the end of the road race on Sunday. She missed the crucial move when Vollering, Longo Borghini and Niewiadoma-Phinney got away, and then found herself in a group that wasn't really chasing, and despite working hard on her own, she missed out on a medal in fourth. So she will be carrying some extra motivation to Slovenia.

Reusser is a great climber, obviously a fantastic time trialist and a successful Classics rider, but the challenge for her here will be the punch and acceleration on the steepest sections of Možjanca, as this is where her rivals will try to make things hardest for her. But Reusser is never one to shy away from taking the race on, and she's certainly not afraid of any of her rivals, so if she can time it right and – ideally – get away solo, she could well be on her way to a European road race title, before aiming at the TT a few days later.

Juliette Berthet (France)

Pretty much any of France's riders could contend for the podium in Slovenia, but they'll likely look to Juliette Berthet as their leader, with Cédrine Kerbaol and Maeva Squiban two very in-form lieutenants. Berthet finished fifth at the World Championships over the weekend, and whilst she's not often given leadership opportunities at the FDJ United-Suez trade team, she always proves that when given the chance, she can deliver. She'll be one of the strongest pure climbers in the race, so if things get really selective over the double Možjanca ascents, you can count on her to be there.

Squiban will also surely be on the offensive, as she often is, and Kerbaol is probably already eyeing up the descent and flat run to the line, as that kind of finale really suits her, and she's very dangerous when descents and downhills come into play.

Paula Blasi (Spain)

Paula Blasi is another rider who came away from Worlds more than a little disappointed, because a crash took her out and meant she couldn't even try to contest the finale, DNFing instead. After a fantastic summer, the Vuelta Femenina winner has been shaping the end of her season around these races, and a jersey to end her brilliant year – and take to her new team – would be a fantastic way to cap off 2026.

Blasi will be excited about the climbs and will likely try to hit them as hard as possible, but she's also got a really strong team around her who can contribute to that goal and whittle things down into the finale, with Mavi García and Usoa Ostolaza particularly valuable tools for the Spain team, and potential winners themselves. Like Italy, Spain are a team that often come together really well for these races, so an inaugural European title is definitely within their ambitions.

Liane Lippert (Germany)

Germany come to the Euros with a gluttony of options, with the super in-form Franziska Koch a big contender and Antonia Niedermaier a good choice for a harder, more selective race. But the rider who sits in between their two strengths is Liane Lippert. Germany will probably let leadership play out on the day, but the course suits the punchy Lippert really well, and she's likely able to be in the selection however the race pans out – whether that's a bigger group or a more selective battle. It's not been her best year, but she often finds some form at this time of year and going into the Italian Classics, so keep an eye on Lippert and her German teammates.

Other riders to watch

• For Blanka Vas (Hungary) this will probably be one last road hit-out before she turns her attention to cyclo-cross, and she could be a dark horse for a result. We don't often see her given leadership chances for her trade team but when she gets an opportunity, she usually delivers.
• Belgium aren't bringing any big leaders, but keep an eye on Sandrine Tas, the former speedskater who has really impressed on the road this year.
• Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig (Denmark) was a DNF in Montreal but will be eyeing the shorter, punchier climbs of the Euros.
• Slovenia are missing their top rider Urška Žigart for their home Euros, but keep an eye on Špela Kern for perhaps a breakaway or a sneak top result – the three Slovenian starters will want to leave a mark on the race.
• And I'll leave you on a question: is there a world in which Lorena Wiebes (Netherlands) survives the climbs? If the climbers don't make it as hard as possible, the relatively short uphill isn't beyond her capabilities, and we all know what will happen if Wiebes is in the group that goes to the line.

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Rumours of a potential early comeback for Tadej Pogačar from injury and participation in the UEC Road European Championships evaporated for good on Wednesday morning when the Slovenian National Federation announced its line-up for the races - and Pogačar was not on their list of participants.

Following reports in Spanish media that Pogačar could be returning to racing barely a month after he crashed out of the Vuelta a España, the odds of that actually happening were already looking very unlikely. Yesterday trade team principal Mauro Gianetti told La Gazzetta dello Sport that despite the Slovenian's strong emotional links with the racing on home soil, there were no plans for a change of program and that "health comes first".

The Federation's list of starters also confirmed that, as expected, Urška Žigart, would be missing from the elite women's line-up. Žigart was also seriously injured recently in a crash in the Faun Tour Femmes, and, like Pogačar, could not take part in the Road World Championships.

As host nation, Slovenia can make use of its full quotas, with 42 riders competing at the European Championships across all categories. Slovenia will also field teams in the mixed relay events. The cities of Ljubljana and Šenčur are the main venues for the racing, from October 2 to October 7.

In the absence of Pogačar, the elite men's team will consist of Gal Glivar, Matevž Govekar, Luka Mezgec, Matej Mohorič, Primož Roglič and Jan Tratnik, all of whom recently raced the World Championships, along with Pogačar's UAE Team Emirates-XRG teammate, Domen Novak. The last rider in the eight-man home team line-up is Jakob Omrzel, who recently took a breakthrough summit stage win in the Vuelta a España aged just 20.

Standout names in the men's line-up are Roglič, who recently impressed with a long breakaway ride alongside Mathieu van der Poel (Netherlands) and Quinn Simmons (USA) at the World Championships, and one-day racing specialist and former Milan-San Remo winner Mohorič.

Roglič will also race the time trial for Slovenia, alongside trade teammate Jan Tratnik.

In the elite women's race, Žigart's absence means the Slovenian team has been reduced to three riders: current road and TT National Champion Nika Bobnar, Cofidis racer Špela Kern, and Tjaša Sušnik.

Meanwhile in the men's U23 race, home hopes will likely centre on Erazem Valjavec, who showed excellent form in the equivalent event at the World Championships, finishing ninth.

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The UCI Road World Championships were one to forget for Eritrea, who started the elite men's road race with just three of their five named riders and saw two of them, plus a staff member, hit with post-race fines from the UCI.

Amanuel Ghebreigzabhier and Natnael Tesfatsion were the two riders who did not start Sunday's race. According to team leader Biniam Girmay, this was due to visa issues, with the pair unable to enter Canada for the Worlds.

"Amanuel Ghebreigzabhier and Natnael Tesfatsion, those two strong powerhouses didn't start, because they didn't get the visa," Girmay told Eurosport ahead of Sunday's road race. "So that's the issue."

Both riders were included in Eritrea's initial squad announcement, but only Ghebreigzabhier was included on the official start list, and therefore listed on the results as 'Did Not Start', suggesting there was more hope that he'd make it, and earlier clarity that Tesfatsion would not.

It is unclear what caused the failure to secure a visa. Cyclingnews has reached out to representatives from the Eritrean team and federation, as well as the UCI, for comment.

Visa headaches are a familiar issue for African cyclists and have regularly been cited by experts as a hurdle when it comes to making it to the top level of the sport. Such issues have regularly cropped up at the World Championships, and notably for Eritrea at the 2023 Worlds in the UK, when Girmay and others did not participate after facing visa issues.

In addition to the elite men's road race, only one Eritrean rider – Nahom Efriem – started the U23 road race from the three who were named in the original squad, with Milkias Maekele and Yafiet Mulugeta both absent. The reasons for those absences have not been confirmed. Like Ghebreigzabhier, Maekele was listed as a non-starter.

Kit issues lead to fines

After the elite men's road race, Girmay and Mulubrhan were both hit with fines related to their kit. According to the post-race communiqué from the UCI commissaires, the two riders were deemed to have committed an infringement termed 'Different clothing for the different riders of a team', under Article 2.12.007.3.9 of the UCI rules.

Girmay and Mulubrhan were both fined 500 Swiss Francs. In addition, Eritrea's team director Samsom Ghebreyesus was fined 1000 Swiss Francs.

The communiqué did not state what exactly the problem was. Photos from the race show the riders all wearing slightly different versions of the Eritrean national kit, while all three riders started the race in outer layers supplied by their trade teams.

Girmay was wearing a skinsuit made by Verge, the kit supplier of his former team Intermarché-Wanty, with the red, blue, green, and yellow of Eritrea on the top half and black on the bottom, along with branding of both Eritrea and his trade team, NSN Cycling.

Mulubrhan was wearing Eritrean colours on both his jersey and his shorts, but the uppers of the two riders' kits were not an exact match, with Girmay's arms being predominantly blue with some red, while Mulubrhan's were red and green.

Kudus, meanwhile, the only rider to escape a fine, switched his kit between the pre-race podium ceremony and the start line. On the podium, he wore an Ekoi jersey that matched the upper of Mulubrhan's skinsuit along with black shorts made by RH77, the brand that supplied kit to most of the Eritrean riders last year.

But in the race he was wearing multi-coloured RH77 shorts that look to be the same ones worn by most of the team – with the exception of the skinsuited Girmay – at last year's Worlds.

There is another theory, in that both Girmay and Mulubrhan started the race in gilets from their trade teams, NSN Cycling and XDS-Astana, respectively. In fact, they rode with them into the breakaway and only took them off 25km or so in.

However, Kudus – who was not fined – also started the race in a trade team layer, wearing a Burgos-Burpellet-BH long-sleeve jacket, although this was a more neutral black.

The UCI has not responded to a request for clarification on the matter.

The UCI rules aren't totally clear on wearing trade team clothing at the World Championships, but the rule surrounding 'different clothing' specifically notes three items: 'jersey, shorts, rain jacket'. That's why many riders wear accessories such as socks and arm warmers from their trade teams. A gilet is something of a grey area given it's not really a jersey or a rain jacket.

Jackets, meanwhile, have caused trouble in previous Worlds, given that not all federations have a full range of layers for teams that race in national colours only a few times a year, and given that manufacturers have limited colourway possibilities with waterproof garments.

It's also worth pointing out that some nations' federations are better funded than others, with riders from bigger cycling nations such as Belgium all kitted out in bespoke national gilets, whereas this option isn't always available to riders from other nations.

Blink and you missed it: barely 24 hours after reports emerged that Tadej Pogačar might make a surprise early comeback from his injuries in the Vuelta a España to ride the European Championships in his home country of Slovenia this weekend, the story has already seemingly hit the sidings.

On Monday afternoon, Spanish newspapers El Periódico and El País co-ran an exclusive claiming that Pogačar had recovered so fast from his broken collarbone and other injuries incurred on stage 8 of the Vuelta that he was set to become a last-minute sign-up for the Slovenian squad in the European road race on October 4.

Their report went directly against the earlier insistence by UAE Team Emirates-XRG that Pogačar would not be racing the Europeans, when it emerged that his name had not been scratched from a longlist for Slovenia, published almost a week before his crash. Perhaps more importantly, there was also no comment from the rider himself on social media regarding a possible much earlier comeback than the original date set of 2027.

Whilst the Slovenian Cycling Federation told Cyclingnews on Tuesday that it had yet to publish the definitive list of selected riders - which is still yet to happen - UAE made their position even clearer on Tuesday in La Gazzetta dello Sport, in an interview with team principal Mauro Gianetti.

"His will to be there it's easy to understand, but it's too early, health is priority so it won't happen," Gianetti said.

Whilst official confirmation of the Slovenia list of elite men may yet take some time to emerge, Gianetti's comments make it clear that from the trade team's point of view, Pogacar will not be at the startline in Ljubljana on Sunday to defend his title. It also makes it very likely that his original plan to rest up from his injuries until his return to racing next January remains intact.

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Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney is officially headed to Lidl-Trek for 2027, ending a nine-year tenure with Canyon-SRAM, her new team confirmed on Tuesday.

Niewiadoma-Phinney is coming to the end of one of her best seasons yet, most recently finishing second in the women's road race at the World Championships, after a summer that saw her win atop Mont Ventoux, wear the yellow jersey and finish second overall at the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift.

Despite a highly successful stint with Canyon-SRAM that has seen her spend most of her career with the German team and win one Tour de France and take four more podiums, the Polish rider has long been understood to be moving for a new team for 2027, and that was confirmed on Tuesday.

She has initially signed a two-year contract with Lidl-Trek, where she will be their main GC leader as she continues her mission to win the Tour de France once again.

"I am super excited about the next two years," she said, with her contract taking her to the end of 2028, at which point she will be 34.

"I have spent many years on the same team and the decision to move forward and change the environment wasn't easy until I talked to Lidl-Trek. Instantly, I felt the team had a plan, trust and belief in me. I knew that when we joined forces we could aim for the highest dreams.

"I’m looking forward to working with people and professionals who have a fresh look at my abilities and at what we can achieve together, being guided from a different perspective and just new fresh air. I’m looking forward to learning from the team, what we can improve, how we can get faster and how we can raise our hands more often when crossing the finish line."

Lidl-Trek have already been busy on the transfer market this season, with Ally Wollaston, Arlenis Sierra and Julia Kopecký all on their way to the team in 2027, but Niewiadoma-Phinney is undoubtedly their headline signing of the season and a real coup in terms of securing a GC rider.

She will join the likes of Niamh Fisher-Black, Isabella Holmgren and Ricarda Bauernfeind as climbers who are already at the team, and it will be interesting to see how Lidl-Trek share out GC responsibilities in 2027.

"I’ve got so many goals I want to work hard to achieve in the next few years and I’m sure I will be able to make it happen with the team," she said. "While I don’t really know them yet, I feel full trust in Lidl-Trek. That’s what makes me so excited! I feel I made a really good decision to sign with Lidl-Trek.”

My view

Lidl-Trek will only be the third team of Niewiadoma's career, having turned pro at 18 with Rabobank-Liv Giant, then moving to Canyon-SRAM in 2018.

For Lidl-Trek, who have been building their men's and women's programmes steadily since Lidl came on board as sponsors and owners, securing one of the very top GC riders on the market is a huge get.

"Bringing Kasia into Lidl-Trek is a significant moment for our women’s program,” women’s team manager Frank Schleck said.

"She is one of the most accomplished and respected riders of her generation, but what excites us most is the way she races. Kasia is courageous. She is aggressive. She is willing to take responsibility and make a race rather than simply wait for it to happen. That mentality fits perfectly with the identity we want for this team.

"Her arrival gives us another major leader for the biggest races on the calendar, but her impact will go far beyond results. Her experience, professionalism and competitive mentality can help raise the level of the entire group."

As for Canyon-SRAM, Niewiadoma-Phinney's departure will naturally leave a huge gap which the team will not be able to fill like-for-like, but they have high hopes for Antonia Niedermaier, who already announced herself as a possible successor with her fourth overall at the Tour this year.

The team have made two signings for 2027 so far, Shirin van Anrooij from Lidl-Trek – who will officially change allegiances in October, in time for cyclo-cross season – plus talented youngster Jasmin Liechti.

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After a retirement false dawn in 2025 French rider Geoffrey Bouchard was looking forward to going out on different note this autumn. Last year's late-season offer of a contract for 2026 from TotalEnergies had appeared to have given him a do over, saving him from unceremoniously walking away on an injury with no chance to savour the moment of knowingly racing for the last time.

Lining up for a farewell as part of a team that are the defending champions at the 2026 Le Tour de Langkawi to say goodbye was an appealing prospect, therefore. That was particularly true when compared with the scenario he was faced with last year before the TotalEnergies contract came along, as he finished the season injured after crashing out at the Tour de Luxembourg.

"I had some good results in exotic races," said Bouchard, who has stood on the podium of the UAE Tour on a stage and finished in the top 10 overall as well as taken stage and overall podiums at the Tour of Oman. "I did sometimes very good results in hot conditions, and I'm very happy to do a last journey to finish my career differently."

However, ultimately he ended up with a similar scenario to the one he faced in 2025 after a crash on the very first stage left him with a broken collarbone, stitches on his face and contemplating another injury to end his career.

Apart from Bouchard missing the chance to celebrate the final race of his nine-year career on the road from within the peloton, his crash left the team a man and another plan down. Bouchard was bandaged up and sitting on the sidelines before the first crucial GC challenge on stage 2, which finished at the top of the challenging new introduction to the race, Gunung Jerai.

The team had already faced a blow to their overall prospects as the squad which last year won with Joris Delbove had planned to bring Jordan Jegat along as their team leader this time. However, the rider who came tenth overall at the Tour de France this year got a late call up to race with the French team at the Road World Championships to replace an injured Louis Barré. The next plan, still a strong one, was to add Nicolas Breuillard to the squad to take Jegat's place, but then he was unwell on the day of the first crucial climb.

Sports director Thibaut Mace explained that Bouchard would have been the next plan had he been lining up rather than sitting at the start with his arm in a sling and face heavily bandaged. That left the squad turning to an untested alternative, Mathis Le Berre, who hadn't previously had the opportunity to see what he could do on a climb while racing for himself, rather than in support of another.

"We knew at the start of the day that it wouldn't be the day we wanted and so yeah, we managed to do the best for the team with Mathis, and Mathis did a great, great climb. He's not a climber, but he finished eighth at the top, so that's something really good," Mace told Cyclingnews at the start of stage 2.

"That was the day to try, the moment to try, and he gave the team something really really interesting for the future."

The silver lining on a dark cloud perhaps, but in the immediate future Le Berre will soon be facing another test. The team aim to support him to try and close down some of the 1:36 minute gap to race leader Lennart Jasch (Tudor Pro Cycling) so he can try and move up from eight overall on the longer, but not as harsh gradients, on the summit finishes in the Cameron Highlands and Genting Highlands on Wednesday and Thursday.

"Because he's not a climber, so as it's less steep, it suits him better than yesterday," said Mace. "So that's why we are confident in him, and we will play all we can together."

*Cyclingnews attended Le Tour de Langkawi on an invitation/media package from the race that included travel and accommodation. In line with our editorial standards, our coverage is independent and was not subject to review, approval or influence by the organiser or any sponsor; no favourable coverage was promised or given in return.

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The ongoing uncertainty over Tadej Pogačar's possible last-minute decision to ride in the upcoming European Championships continued to reign supreme on Tuesday, with the Slovenian Cycling Federation saying they don't yet know when their definitive list of the country's participants for the race will be published.

After the UAE Team Emirates-XRG rider crashed out of the Vuelta a España on August 29, breaking his collarbone and a vertebra in his neck, barely a week had passed when it was officially announced that he would not be taking part in any more races in 2026.

However, a wave of speculation that he might take part in the European Championships next weekend in Slovenia was sparked when his name was not taken off a long list of possible participants for his country, which had been first made public on August 24.

Whilst this rumour was rapidly quashed by UAE Team Emirates, telling Feltet.dk that it was 'probably an old list', the embers of the old story were reignited in dramatic fashion on Tuesday.

Two major Spanish newspapers, El Periódico and El País, claimed that Pogačar had, in fact, decided that he would take part in the Europeans on October 4, rather than simply concentrate on recovery for next season. The same newspapers also said that Pogačar's original plan was to make the 2027 Tour Down Under - an event he last raced in 2019 - his first race back after injury. But that, they said, had changed.

Those looking for further 'evidence' of an early comeback pointed to Pogačar's recent social media posts of a return to normal training round his home in Monaco. However, the man himself has remained notably silent about these latest claims regarding his return to racing.

Furthemore, these widely covered reports were fully countered by another leading Spanish newspaper, MARCA on Tuesday, who cited unnamed sources 'inside Pogačar's circle' as stating there were "zero possibilities he would race." MARCA pointed to the fact that Pogačar had already been on the longlists for the World Championships and Il Lombardia, with the Slovenian not defending his title in Canada and with no indication that he would be racing in Italy next week.

"The appeal of a race in Slovenia is evident," MARCA wrote, "racing at home in front of his own people, wearing his country's national jersey. But the reality of the situation counts for more than any feelings of temptation."

Another major Spanish daily, AS, later reported that the rumoured participation was not going ahead, again citing unnamed sources close to Pogačar.

Contacted by Cyclingnews, the Slovenian Cycling Federation said simply that the definitive list of riders for the Europeans could be published as soon as Tuesday, but that it might be later in the week. Cyclingnews has also reached out to UAE Team Emirates-XRG for comment.

Subscribe to Cyclingnews for comprehensive race coverage of both the UCI Road and Gravel World Championships, alongside the final monument of the season, Il Lombardia. Subscribers get unlimited access to exclusive analysis from our expert columnists, in-depth features and industry-leading tech insight. Plus, the Cyclingnews app lets you follow the action wherever you go! Join today.