Bicycle Racing News and Opinion,
Sunday, February 1, 2026
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2025 Tour de France | 2025 Giro d'Italia
The man who can keep a secret may be wise, but he is not half as wise as the man with no secrets to keep. - E. W. Howe
James Witherell's book Bicycle History: A Chronological History of People, Races and Technology is available in both print and Kindle eBook formats. To get your copy just click on the Amazon link on the right.
Current racing:
- January 28 - February 1: Challenge Ciclista Mallorca
- January 31-February 1: Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race
- February 1: GP Cycliste de Marseille - La Marseilaise
Upcoming racing:
- February 4 - 8: Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana
- February 4 - 8: Etoile de Bessèges
Latest completed racing:
- January 29: Surf Coast Classic Race cancelled
- January 17 - 25: Tour Down Under
- January 25: Classica Comunitat Valenciana 1969-GP Valencia
- January 1: GP Sven Nys
- December 30: Superprestige Diegem
- December 29: Trofee Loenhout-Azencross
- December 26: World Cup Gavere
- December 23: Superprestige Heusden-Zolder
- December 14: World Cup Namur
- November 16: Trofee Hamme-Flandriencross
- November 1: Trofee Oudenaarde-Koppenbergcross
- October 26: Superprestige Overijse-Vlaamse Druivencross
- October 14 - 19: Tour of Guangxi
- October 14 - 19: Tour of Holland
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We posted the report from second-place Josie Nelson's Team Picnic-PostNL with the results.
Here's the report from Team Visma | Lease a Bike:
Team Visma | Lease a Bike was unable to crown a strong race with a podium place in the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race. Rosita Reijnhout and Sarah Van Dam were part of a select group in the final, but were unable to prevent Ally Wollaston from sprinting to victory. Van Dam finished sixth, Reijnhout ninth.
In the final race on Australian soil, all eyes were on the double climb of Challambra Crescent. Van Dam and Reijnhout made a strong impression on this vicious hill, which has an average gradient of around nine per cent. The two were among the strongest in the race and competed for victory with ten others.
Ally Wollaston wins the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race.
In the last ten kilometres, Reijnhout, the winner two years ago, saw her chance to break away. The youngster opened up a small gap, but did not get enough space to surprise her competitors with a solo attack. In the sprint that followed, Wollaston proved to be the strongest. Van Dam took sixth place, just ahead of Reijnhout.
"I think we got everything we could out of it", Reijnhout said. "I knew it would be difficult to break away, but if you don't try, you'll never know. The course wasn't tough enough to make a difference. Still, I look back on this day with a positive feeling."
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Reijnhout enjoyed being back at the place where she claimed her first professional victory two years ago. "Over the years, you discover what you're good at. Races with lots of short bursts of effort and steep climbs suit me well. Two years ago, the group was smaller and I was able to stay away. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case this time."
Sports director Jesper Mørkøv praised his team. "The girls rode a strong race. It was a difficult course, on which Rosita and Sarah showed that they are among the best. Rosita made a good attack in the final, but didn't get the space to break away solo. All in all, we rode a good race and were in contention for the win until the end. Sixth place in this field is not bad."
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Here’s the team’s news:
To underline the visibility of the Intermarché brand and the team in France, Poland and Portugal, our squad will compete with a reversed version of its official team kit, making its debut with Grand Prix La Marseillaise. The brand is ready, across al its stores, to support its WorldTour team for the upcoming 2026 season.
United by an international DNA and a common commitment to solidarity and proximity, Lotto-Intermarché is proud to honor its title partner Intermarché through this visual statement in some of the partner’s most strategic markets.
By reversing the traditional kit layout from both our men’s and ladies team, the team reinforces the visibility of Intermarché while celebrating the close collaboration that lies at the heart of the project within its sporting and commercial ecosystem. While the team will compete with a reversed jersey in these selected countries, the team name, Lotto-Intermarché, will remain unchanged.
This initiative reflects the ambition of Lotto-Intermarché to think beyond borders and connect more closely with fans across Europe. While the look may be differing, the foundations remain unchanged: the same riders, the same ambition, and the same team spirit—now with even greater impact on the international stage.
Jean-François Bourlart, General Manager Lotto-Intermarché: “These markets are very important for our sponsor, Intermarché. The team will be wearing the reversed shirt during all races in France, Poland and Portugal, starting with the Grand Prix La Marseillaise this weekend, Volta ao Algarve mid-February and during the Tour de France in July. I am confident that our team, including our talented French neo-pro Matys Grisel, will proudly showcase this beautiful jersey from this weekend onward and throughout the rest of the season.”
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