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Sunday, March 1, 2026
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2025 Tour de France | 2025 Giro d'Italia
Everything has been said before, but since nobody listens we have to keep going back and beginning all over again. - Andre Gide
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Current racing:
- February 25 - March 1: Giro di Sardegna
- March 1: Faun Drome Classic
- March 1: Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne
Upcoming racing:
- March 3: Le Samyn Classic
- March 4: Trofeo Laigueglia
Latest completed racing:
- February 28: Omloop Het Nieuwsblad
- February 28: Faun Ardèche Classic
- February 22: Tour des Alpes Maritimes
- February 16 - 22: UAE Tour
- February 18 - 22: Volta ao Algarve
- February 18 - 22: Vuelta a Andalucia - Ruta Ciclista del Sol
- February 21: Classic Var
- February 16: Clásica Jaén
- February 15: Clasica de Almeria
We posted the race organizer's report with the results.
Here's the report from stage winner and new GC leader Filippo Zana's Team Soudal Quick-Step:
Filippo Zana leads the Giro di Sardegna with one stage to go after powering to his maiden victory since joining the team, at the end of a perfect day for Soudal Quick-Step, who controlled things from start to finish.
The course contained no fewer than five ascents, four of which were classified, and accumulated over 3000 meters of climbing, and the Wolfpack produced a dazzling team performance, constantly increasing the tempo and applying pressure on the peloton to the point they managed to reduce it to 30-odd riders. Both Gianmarco Garofoli and Filippo Zana launched their moves from the distance, further reducing the main group, which on the slopes of Su Pradu numbered just 15 men, including Louis Vervaeke, who in the meantime had joined his teammates.
Filippo Zana wins stage four. Sirotti photo
The two Italians continued to rely on the old 1-2, trading attacks until the last ten kilometers, when on a short descent, Filippo finally zipped clear and quickly put some daylight between him and the chasers. That gap soon ballooned to more than half a minute, making the final kilometer a triumphal one for the former Italian Champion, who had plenty of time to celebrate a victory that put him in the leader’s jersey. Behind, Vervaeke took third, followed by Garofoli, who thanks to this effort will go into the last day of the race sitting in second overall.
“Today we did an amazing job and I’m delighted I could finish it off for the team. We controlled the stage, went full gas on the climbs, and constantly pushed and attacked to force a selection. On the descent, I made my move, got a gap and kept the rhythm all the way to the line, while Louis and Gianmarco shut down attacks behind. I’m happy with this success and with having the overall jersey, which we’ll try to defend on Sunday”, said Filippo – who also leads the points classification – after the sixth victory of his career.
We posted the report from the race organizer with the results.
Here's the report from second-place Tim van Dijke's Team Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe:
Tim van Dijke has given Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe a strong start to the Classics campaign. The 25-year-old caught the right group at the Omloop Niewusblad and finished second.
First race of the season, biggest success of his career. Or as Tim puts it: "I think I'm dreaming." When the eventual winner Mathieu van der Poel went on the offensive at Molenberg a good 40 kilometres before the finish line, hardly anyone in the peloton reacted. But Tim followed up.
It was Mathieu van der Poel who won the race.
"It was hard to close that gap. It was one of my last bullets and I could feel the effort in my legs: It was all or nothing," said the 25-year-old. And it became all. Together with van der Poel and Florian Vermeersch, he rode up to the leading group. There he behaved calmly and cleverly. "I tried to recover a bit."
But on the Muur of Geraardsbergen at the latest, recovery was over. "I was right on the limit there," said the Dutchman, who had to let his compatriot go there, but completed the last 17 kilometres to the finish together with Vermeersch and defended his lead over the peloton. Tim then clearly came out on top in the sprint for second place.
Behind there were numerous sprinters in the peloton, including Jordi Meeus. The Belgian rounded off a successful performance with an seventh place.
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Here's the Omloop Nieuwsblad report from fourth-place Christophe Laporte's Team Visma | Lease a Bike:
Christophe Laporte finished fourth in a grueling edition of Omloop Nieuwsblad. The 33-year-old Frenchman crossed the line more than fifty seconds behind winner Mathieu van der Poel after a late attack from the chasing group. Team Visma | Lease a Bike also saw its other contender, Matthew Brennan, forced to abandon following a crash.
The Flemish cycling spring kicked off with the 81st edition of Omloop Nieuwsblad. The peloton set off from Ghent for 207 kilometers, featuring a total of fifteen cobbled sectors and climbs along the way. The weather conditions were also far from favorable: strong winds and rain made for a demanding race. In the opening phase, five riders formed an early breakaway. The peloton kept the quintet under control and prepared for the hill zone. As the decisive climbs approached, tension in the bunch increased. The peloton was shaken several times by crashes. The riders of Team Visma | Lease a Bike stayed alert at the front and avoided trouble. With 45 kilometers to go, the race ignited on the Molenberg.
On the steep cobbled climb, Florian Vermeersch and van der Poel raised the pace. At a crucial moment, van der Poel narrowly avoided a fallen rider, but a large part of the peloton was held up. Laporte was also forced to unclip. Van der Poel, Vermeersch, and Tim van Dijke quickly bridged to the front. In the chase behind the leaders, Team Visma | Lease a Bike took control in the peloton. Approaching the climb of the Muur van Geraardsbergen, things went wrong again. Among others, Brennan was involved in a heavy crash. The young Brit had to leave the race.
Van der Poel eventually dropped his fellow escapees on the Muur van Geraardsbergen and soloed to victory. In the second chasing group, Laporte proved the strongest. The Frenchman, who earlier this month already won a stage in the Ruta del Sol, rode unchallenged to fourth place.
The 2026 Omloop Het Nieuwsblad gets started.
“It was predicted beforehand that it would be a tough race, but I didn’t expect these conditions,” Laporte reacted afterwards. “The rain and wind made it extremely hard. Still, as a team we were always well positioned. The Molenberg was a crucial climb. I was in an excellent position and felt strong, but unfortunately I was held up by a fallen rider. I felt I could have fought for the podium today. In the chasing group we worked well together and still came close. In the end, fourth place was the best possible result in these conditions.”
“I’m pleased that I was still able to deliver a strong result for the team today,” Laporte added. “After an unlucky season last year, it’s nice to show myself again in races like this. I missed the atmosphere along these Flemish roads. I’m looking forward to the next races on my schedule, starting with Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne on Sunday.”
“We came to the start aiming to compete for the win, but in hindsight Christophe’s fourth place is a solid result,” said sports director Maarten Wynants. “The race was calm for a long time, but toward the finale the crashes followed one another in quick succession. Our riders were exactly where they needed to be on the Molenberg, so it’s very unfortunate that Christophe was held up right there. Matthew also crashed heavily. He was able to make it to the team car under his own power. For now, that’s the most important thing.”
Here's the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad report from Team Groupama-FDJ United:
The Classics season is underway! From Ghent to Ninove, the peloton tackled the Omloop Nieuwsblad on Saturday, the traditional first “Flemish Classic” of the season. With a squad reshaped over the winter, Groupama-FDJ United struggled a bit on the Belgian climbs and was also hit by bad luck. Thibaud Gruel eventually finished the day in 28th place, two minutes behind winner Mathieu van der Poel.
Eight cobbled sectors and twelve “bergs”: that was the program—slightly tougher than last year—for the season opener in Flanders. As in recent seasons, the Muur–Bosberg sequence in the final fifteen kilometers promised to be decisive, but the weather also made this 81st edition of Omloop Nieuwsblad more demanding. “There was rain at times and it wasn’t very warm,” explained Frédéric Guesdon. “It was a tough opening race for the first outing of our young squad. We started with Thibaud, Bastien and Valentin as leaders, and the others had to support them as best as possible. Tactically, it worked fairly well.”
The first half of the race proved quite straightforward behind a five-man breakaway, but tension increased—and crashes multiplied—entering the final 80 kilometres. Bastien Tronchon was the first to suffer a minor setback, before Valentin Madouas was caught in a crash and forced to change bikes around 60 kilometers from the finish, just as the peloton was fully engaged on the climbs.
It was a little later, 45 kilometres from the finish, that things really exploded on the Molenberg, where three riders—including Mathieu van der Poel—broke away from the peloton. “We know that every year the race is decided between the Eikenberg and the Molenberg, and that’s what happened,” said Frédéric. “Only three riders managed to get clear. We were present behind, but we also had quite a bit of bad luck. Valentin crashed a second time while trying to move back toward the convoy. Cyril crashed, Clément too, and then Johan also before the Muur. Axel was stopped and taken out of contention in that same crash. Bastien, meanwhile, was not having a great day and was disappointed with his race.”
In a reduced peloton, one minute behind Van der Poel, only Thibaud Gruel remained for Groupama-FDJ United. “Unfortunately, he was close to bonking,” Frédéric commented. “On the Muur, he felt his energy fading, and that lack of fuel is what cost him. He actually felt good otherwise, and logically he could have finished in the group that sprinted for fourth place.”In Ninove, Mathieu van der Poel ultimately claimed victory solo, while Thibaud Gruel outsprinted around twenty riders to secure 28th place two minutes later.
“We expected something different today,” Frédéric emphasized. “It’s a shame because we were highly motivated and came for a much better result. It’s disappointing, but we must not give up. That’s cycling, and these races in Belgium bring highs and lows. We took a hit today, and we’ll use it to bounce back tomorrow and Tuesday.”
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We posted the report from fourth-place Matteo Jorgenson's Team Visma | Lease a Bike with the results.
Here's the report from second-place Jan Christen's UAE Team Emirates-XRG:
UAE Team Emirates-XRG enjoyed a solid day across the European early-season calendar, with Florian Vermeersch powering to a third-place podium at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad and Jan Christen securing a hard-earned second place at the Faun-Ardèche Classic.
The day started well in Belgium, with Florian Vermeersch securing a podium at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad. The 207.2 km traditional curtain-raiser to the Northern Classics – featured a demanding parcours of cobbled sectors and decisive climbs under rough conditions. Vermeersch rode aggressively throughout the race, positioning himself well in the decisive phases and responding to the sharp accelerations that splintered the peloton. After some selfless work by his teammates he moved off the front on the Molenberg with only Mathieu Van Der Poel (Alpecin-Premier Tech) able to immediately follow.
Florian Vermeersch : “I’m happy with the result but even happier with my feelings on the bike and the way the team raced. I think the team did an amazing job to get into position before the Molenberg. I was surprised for a moment when Mathieu and I were away together, but I didn’t hesitate for a second. You don’t get many chances like that, and you have to take them.
"Naturally, I was thinking about winning, but above all, I wanted to race without regrets. I did that. There’s no shame in Mathieu being the strongest. The start today was 10km from my home so to finish here on the podium after six attempts is very nice. We’ll give it a crack again tomorrow.”
"Vermeersch would eventually finished third, crossing the line just behind Van Der Poel and Tim van Dijke (Team Visma | Lease a Bike), and earning a prestigious podium placing in one of cycling’s most historic classics.
Simultaneously in France, Jan Christen delivered a gutsy ride at the Faun-Ardèche Classic, a race known for its challenging roads, punchy climbs, and aggressive racing. The 187.6 km race saw the Swiss talent in very strong company as he came to the line with Matteo Jorgenson (Visma Lease a Bike) and Lenny Martinez (Bahrain-Victorious). UAE Team Emirates-XRG’s Swiss rider was active in the action, animating the race before ultimately securing second place, finishing strongly on the line +48” behind Paul Seixas (Decathlon CMA CGM).
Paul Seixas wins the 2026 Faun Ardèche Classic.
The racing continues tomorrow with Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne in Belgium and Faun-Drome in France.
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And here's the race report from Team INEOS Grenadiers:
Egan Bernal finished seventh at the Faun-Ardèche Classic, while Ben Turner led home the Grenadiers at Omloop Nieuwsblad.
Faun-Ardèche Classic
Facing 11 climbs along the 187.6km race in France, an eight man break escaped within the first 20km, which reduced over time and was eventually caught with 45km remaining.
On the Mur de Royes, a 6.8km climb averaging 7.3%, eventual winner Paul Seixas (Decathlon CMA CGM Team) accelerated, bringing others with him, but were ultimately unable to hold his wheel.
Matteo Jorgenson (Visma - Lease A Bike), Jan Christen (UAE Team Emirates - XRG) and Lenny Martinez (Bahrain Victorious) kept on the chase, with Bernal pulling just behind in a group with Roman Gregoire (Groupama-FDJ), and Louis Barre (Visma-Lease a Bike).
Egan Bernal (shown at the start of the 2025 Giro d'Italia) was seventh at the Faun Ardèche Classic. Sirotti photo
Bernal continued to fight all the way to the end, finishing solo in seventh place.
Tomorrow, the team will ride the Faun-Drôme Classic, with Dorian Godon swapping out for Lucas Hamilton.
Over in Belgium, the Grenadiers battled tough, windy conditions on the cobbles.
The first Classic of the season, a five man break escaped early on, with Artem Shmidt and Ben Swift doing a lot of work at the front of the peloton.
With 56km to go, the peloton was completely stretched out, and attacks started to come thick and fast. Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin–Premier Tech) accelerated with 44km to go to catch the breakaway, and eventually went on to win solo.
Ben Turner was in the chasing peloton behind, and was our top Grenadier, finishing in the bunch.
A number of crashes throughout the race saw Sam Watson and Swift withdraw from racing, with both riders being checked over by our medical team.
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