The off-season is over, and the 2026 road season is about to begin as riders from around the world head to Australia for the opening race of the men's WorldTour calendar, the Tour Down Under (January 20-25).
There are some major names on the start list of the 26th edition of the race, including Adam Yates, Matthew Brennan, Jay Vine, and Ben O'Connor, though the biggest stars of the men's peloton won't be racing down under.
Grand Tour contenders
Tadej Pogačar
It'll be some time before we see the reigning world champion and the top rider in the peloton start his racing season. Last year, Tadej Pogačar kicked off his campaign in February at the UAE Tour, where he won the race for a third time.
This season, he won't turn a pedal in anger before March, with Strade Bianche hosting his season debut as it did in 2024.
Last year, Pogačar won it again, his third win in five starts. On March 7, he'll head to Siena as the favourite once again before turning his attention to the first four Monuments of the season – Milan-San Remo, the Tour of Flanders, Paris-Roubaix, and Liège-Bastogne-Liège.
Jonas Vingegaard
Jonas Vingegaard is switching up his season in 2026, taking on the Giro d'Italia for the first time as he aims to complete the Grand Tour set.
Heading to Italy means a new lead-in to the Tour de France, while his early season also gets a shake-up. In the past three years, Vingegaard has started his season on the Iberian Peninsula at O Gran Camiño and the Volta ao Algarve, but this year, he'll head to the UAE.
Vingegaard will start his season at the UAE Tour (February 16-22), returning to the race for the first time since 2021, when he took a mountain stage victory on Jebel Jais.
Remco Evenepoel
2026 marks a fresh new beginning for Remco Evenepoel, who has switched to Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe after seven years at Soudal-QuickStep.
Despite the change, his main season goals remain the same, with Liège-Bastogne-Liège and the Tour de France his priorities. His season start location is slightly different, though.
In previous years, Evenepoel has headed to the Volta ao Algarve, Vuelta a San Juan, and Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana to start his campaigns. Valenciana (February 4-8) is once again part of his plans, but he'll get underway at the Challenge Mallorca (January 28-February 1).
Classics stars
Mathieu van der Poel
Reigning cyclo-cross world champion Mathieu van der Poel still has a title defence on home ground in Hulst (February 1) on his mind before starting his 2026 road season.
He hasn't yet revealed his early-season road calendar, however, with a build-up to the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix set to come after he finishes his cyclo-cross season.
With the 'cross Worlds coming in early February, it's likely that Van der Poel will once again wait until March before making his bow on the road. He's started at Strade Bianche, Milan-San Remo, and the Ename Samyn Classic in each of the past three seasons, though reportedly he is considering starting at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad.
Wout van Aert
Wout van Aert may currently be laid up and missing the latter part of the cyclo-cross season after fracturing his ankle in a racing crash earlier this month, but the injury won't disrupt his spring goals.
The Belgian will once again aim at Flanders and Roubaix, with Milan-San Remo also in his sights. He'll kick off his road campaign in late February, however, on home roads at Opening Weekend.
Barring any further injury setbacks, Van Aert will start his season at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad on February 28, aiming to recapture the title he won in 2022, before heading to Strade Bianche and Milan-San Remo, races he has skipped the last few years.
Mads Pedersen
After five years in a row starting his road racing campaign in France at the Étoile de Bessèges, former world champion Mads Pedersen is switching things up for 2026.
This time around, the Dane will start his 10th season with Lidl-Trek in Spain, joining Evenepoel on the start line at the Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana (February 4-8).
The stage race will be the first stop on the way to the spring Classics, where the three-time Gent-Wevelgem winner will be hoping he can hit the dazzling form he did in 2025.
Tom Pidcock
British multi-disciplinary star Tom Pidcock will be hoping for a repeat of his winning start in 2025, where he made his debut for the team now known as Pinarello-Q36.5 with two stages and the overall at the AlUla Tour.
This year, he'll start in Spain at the two-stage Vuelta a Murcia (February 13-14) before heading to the gravel at the one-day Clásica Jaén (February 16).
After that, Pidcock will take on the Vuelta a Andalucía (February 18-22), where he won a stage in 2025, before turning his attention to the spring Classics.
Top sprinters
Tim Merlier
Belgian sprinter Tim Merlier topped our 2025 men's sprinter ranking after racking up 16 wins, including Scheldeprijs and two stages of the Tour de France.
He was set to kick off his 2026 season at the AlUla Tour, but his debut has been delayed after a knee injury hampered him during the winter.
Speaking at Soudal-QuickStep's media day earlier this month, Merlier said he hopes to be back in action at Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne (March 1) at Opening Weekend ahead of the major spring Classics.
Jonathan Mlian
Following their duels at the Tour de France last summer, Jonathan Milan was set for an early-season sprint battle with Tim Merlier at the AlUla Tour.
However, with the Belgian ruled out of the Saudi race following his knee injury, that will have to wait.
Milan will lead Lidl-Trek at the AlUla Tour, which runs from January 27 to 31. The Italian has history at the race, having sprinted to a stage win in 2023. He'll then follow that up with the UAE Tour.
Jasper Philipsen
As is the case with his Alpecin-Deceuninck teammate Mathieu van der Poel, start sprinter Jasper Philipsen has yet to announce his early-season schedule.
The Belgian doesn't have cyclo-cross commitments to consider ahead of his road season, so we'll likely see him in action at some point in February.
Recent years have seen him get underway at the UAE Tour and Opening Weekend, so both would again be an option this time around.
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