Bicycle Racing News and Opinion,
Saturday, March 7, 2026
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2025 Tour de France | 2025 Giro d'Italia
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Current racing:
- March 7: Strade Bianche
Upcoming racing:
- March 8 - March 15: Paris-Nice
- March 9 - 15: Tirreno-Adriatico
- March 18: Danilith Nokere Koerse
- March 18: Milano-Torino
Latest completed racing:
- March 4: Trofeo Laigueglia
- March 3: Le Samyn Classic
- February 25 - March 1: Giro di Sardegna
- March 1: Faun Drome Classic
- March 1: Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne
- February 28: Omloop Het Nieuwsblad
- February 28: Faun Ardèche Classic
- February 22: Tour des Alpes Maritimes
We posted several Strade Bianche team previews yesterday.
Here's the Strade Bianche news from EF Pro Cycling:
EF Pro Cycling is ready to rocket onto Tuscany’s white gravel roads this Saturday at Strade Bianche.
Nina Berton, Henrietta Christie, Cédrine Kerbaol, Magdeleine Vallieres, Alexis Magner, and Noemi Rüegg will race the Italian spring classic for EF Education-Oatly.
Richard Carapaz, Ben Healy, Mikkel Honoré, Vincenzo Albanese, Lukas Nerurkar, James Shaw, and Michael Valgren will fly EF Education-EasyPost pink in Tuscany.
Strade Bianche is one of the most beautiful and brutal races on the calendar. Swooping across the vineyards and olive groves around Siena, it harks back to Italian cycling’s golden era, when legends like Fausto Coppi, Gino Bartali, and Alfonsina Strada raced over the same white dirt roads and inspired a nation with their feats. Over cypress-topped hills, past centuries-old villas, and up endless dirt-road climbs en route to the terrible slope of the Santa Caterina and the roar of the crowd as they enter the Piazza del Campo, our riders want to race into the memories of the next generation of cycling fans, as they rattle over the region’s white dirt roads off the front of the peloton.
Read our riders’ thoughts before the race.
Richard Carapaz:
Strade is a race I really like because it reminds me of my beginnings when I started out.
When I was a kid, all the roads around my house were all dirt roads. It was all dirt tracks.
It is a world-class race, one of the best classics. It is a lot of fun, but the level of competition is very high. In past times, I haven’t had good fortune here, but whenever I come here, I do it with all the excitement of the moment. I always want to do well. It is a race where you always have to be at the front and then have a bit of luck to be in the top positions. I always come here with the best feeling in the world.
At the Giro, the Strade stage was an important one for the race leaders and people arrived tired. When it’s just people who come just to do Strade Bianche, the level rises much more.
Richard Carapaz finishes 2025 Giro d'Italia stage 20. Sirotti photo
Right now, I’m doing very well. I’ve tried to prepare myself in the best way possible. It has been a difficult time for me personally, but I try to make the most of my life and I hope each day is a learning experience. I am in good shape and want to enjoy this year. Ben is in really good form and he has done well in this race in previous years. I will try to contribute as much as I can and if I get a chance, I will try to make it my own. We have a very strong team.
Cédrine Kerbaol:
Strade is very special. When you enter a sector, there is so much noise, but after a few seconds, it's often a single line, and there is this kind of silence. It’s very strange. You need to put down power.
You need to be good technically. There is a lot going on in the same moment. There are so many factors you can't control in this race. That would make a victory or a podium here mean even more, for sure. Strade is one of the races I really want to do well at, this year and long term.
Last year, I struggled so much with crashes and mechanicals and everything. The planets never aligned, so for sure, doing something good in this race would be very big.
We have a very good, very strong team. We have Mags, we have Noemi, we have Nina, who made a really strong breakaway the other day. For sure, she will want to go in the breakaway again. As for me, I need to wake up for this race. It's time to go. It’s time to risk. It’s time to race with my heart. What I love about cycling is having fun, when my energy is in a good place. In the two races I did recently, I didn’t have that feeling of fun, but now my body's just shaking. I need to go have fun!
As a team, we want to have girls there every moment of the race, and have some girls go into the finale and stay with the strongest. The person who is going to win is not just the winner. She is a hero. It's so mentally rough, so physically demanding. You need to be ready and you need to pray for good luck, because there are factors that you can’t control.
Ben Healy:
Racing Strade Bianche is special. It's definitely an iconic race now, isn't it?
Even during the recon today, the fans were out, the cameras were out. It’s cool, for sure.
With this longer parcours that we've had for the past couple of years, it's just an absolute slog. You’ve got to try and follow Tadej when he goes on Santa Maria, and from there, just hold on. It is such a battle of attrition. You have to race quite conservatively and save enough to hit them in the finale. Strade is just becoming more and more iconic with more fans, more noise. It is a super cool thing to be a part of. Coming onto the piazza at the end, I don't think you're really feeling anything over the pain.
It's just been an absolute slogfest and you’re chewing the handlebars. Maybe once you cross the finish line and you've caught your breath, you can really take in the spectacle that is the piazza with the fans and everything else. It has got to be one of my favorite races of the year.
Noemi Rüegg:
I am pretty excited. I had a nice block of training at home after Down Under. Australia was obviously an amazing start to the season and I have been able to build up my shape since then. We’re coming here with a really strong team and are excited to race. Strade Bianche is always a really exciting one. It reminds me a bit of my cyclocross career from a few years ago. It is nice to be back on dirt roads. It can be a little scary at times because a lot of things can happen that are out of your control. You just have to stop worrying about it. It is a lot of fun. Once you’re on the sectors, I just try to enjoy it and fly over the sectors and produce as much dust as possible. Our strength is that we have a lot of strong riders in one team. We’re equally strong. We have many strong girls. That’s what makes our team very special. We have a lot of cards to play. We need to be smart with our energy and use our strengths as best as we can. We’ve been doing a great job this season doing that. Every one of us has a great chance to get a great result. If we have fun and do it as a team, then we’ll be great.
Magdeleine Vallieres:
Strade Bianche is a special race. It is one of the craziest and hardest and most classic races. To race it with the rainbow jersey is going to make it really, really special this year. I think we have a very strong team. For sure we want to win. That is always the goal. Racing over the white gravel is really fun. It makes the race super different from all of the others. It is more technical and positioning is super important.
Here's the Strade Bianche news from Team Lotto-Intermarché:
Dust flying through the air, gravel crunching beneath the wheels and the white roads of Italy once again set the stage for one of cycling’s most spectacular battles. “For a second I forgot how tough this race is going to be”, Lennert Van Eetvelt smiles.
Lotto–Intermarché heads to Tuscany with ambition, ready to embrace the challenge of Strade Bianche and to play an active role in the race. With its demanding gravel sectors often shaping the race far from the finish, positioning and teamwork will be crucial throughout the day. The team aims to stay attentive from the early phases and anticipate the key accelerations that typically define Strade Bianche long before the final kilometres.
Lennert Van Eetvelt wins stage seven of the 2024 UAE Tour.
“Even though they removed two gravel sectors, it’s still going to be a hard one. For a second I forgot how tough this race is going to be,” Van Eetvelt adds.
The team lines up with a versatile and motivated squad featuring Lennert Van Eetvelt, Jenno Berckmoes, Reuben Thompson, Simone Gualdi, Liam Slock, Mathieu Kockelmann and Matthew Fox — a balanced group prepared for the demanding terrain of the Tuscan sterrati.
“We’ve come to Siena with Lennert Van Eetvelt and Jenno Berckmoes as our riders capable of aiming for a strong result,” Sports Director Mario Aerts explains. “Lennert has already achieved several good results in this race, and with Jenno’s cyclocross background we truly believe we can approach the race with ambition.”
The team also returns to Tuscany with strong memories from last year’s edition, when Van Eetvelt delivered an impressive performance to finish ninth, proving he can compete with some of the strongest riders in the world.
“It’s always a race I look forward to,” Van Eetvelt says. “I’ve already managed to perform well here, but we all know it’s an extremely tough race. With Strade Bianche you never really know how it will unfold — you can’t force things. Unfortunately Jarno couldn’t start due to illness, but I’m happy that with Jenno I have another really strong teammate, and I hope we can go far together.”
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Here's the bad news from Team Picnic-PostNL:
Unfortunately, Max Poole will not start at Paris–Nice. He is still recovering from a viral infection and needs more time to get back to full fitness. This is especially disappointing after his long absence late last year due to the Epstein–Barr virus.
Team Picnic PostNL coach Matt Winston said: “Unfortunately, we’ll miss Max in the line-up, which naturally has consequences for our GC ambitions at Paris–Nice. Those plans will have to be put aside, but we still head to the start with a motivated group looking to fight for stage results. Casper hasn’t had the most ideal lead-in to the race this week with a little bit of sickness himself, so we’ll take things day-by-day with him, but there are still plenty of opportunities for us to be active and look for our chances throughout the week with the rest of the team we bring there.”
Chris Hamilton racing in 2024 Vuelta a España stage 14. Sirotti photo
Line-up:
Chris Hamilton (AUS)
Timo de Jong (NLD)
Niklas Märkl (DEU)
Juan Martinez (COL)
Tim Naberman (NLD)
Timo Roosen (NLD)
Casper van Uden (NLD)
Here’s the Paris-Nice preview from Jonas Vingegaard’s Team Visma | Lease a Bike:
Jonas Vingegaard will make his season debut on Sunday at Paris-Nice. The Dane had to skip the UAE Tour due to illness and a crash but hopes to make an immediate impact in the French stage race. Together with team director Marc Reef, he looks ahead to the Race to the Sun.
“I feel good,” says Vingegaard. “I’ve had a strong winter, training has gone very well, and we’re starting with a strong team. Of course, the first race of the season is always exciting, and the competition has more race kilometers in the legs, but I’m really looking forward to riding this beautiful race.” Vingegaard aims to compete for victory. “Whenever I line up at the start, I always want to go for the win.”
Jonas Vingegaard climbing in 2025 Vuelta a España stage 20. Sirotti photo
Team director Reef also makes the ambitions clear. “We want to go for a strong general classification and be in contention for the win. Paris-Nice is always a nervous race, so it’s important to stay alert in every stage.”
In the French stage race, which Team Visma | Lease a Bike won the past two years with Matteo Jorgenson, danger lurks every day. A particular focus for Team Visma | Lease a Bike will be on the team time trial on day three. Reef explains: “The course is tricky, but I don’t think there are any extremely tough mountain stages where big gaps can be made. That makes the team time trial extremely important.”
Last year, Team Visma | Lease a Bike won the team time trial at Paris-Nice, and this remains a key objective, according to Reef. “We’ve studied the course carefully and already trained in our formation. We have a very strong team with plenty of powerful riders, but the course is quite technical. Still, I expect that with our experience we can put in a strong performance and get Jonas to the finish as quickly as possible.”
That team time trial should set Vingegaard and the team up for a strong overall result in Nice. Reef adds: “Jonas comes out of a good training block. Of course, he faced a setback that forced him to miss the UAE Tour, but he’s trained well and is in excellent shape. How that compares to the competition remains to be seen, but we fully expect to be in contention for the overall victory.”
Alongside Vingegaard, Edoardo Affini, Bruno Armirail, Wilco Kelderman, Davide Piganzoli, Axel Zingle, and Victor Campenaerts make up Team Visma | Lease a Bike’s seven-rider squad.
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Here's the Paris-Nice news from Biniam Girmay's NSN Cycling Team:
There will be an air of familiarity to NSN’s roster for this year’s Paris-Nice, with Biniam Girmay headlining our seven-man squad for the Race to the Sun.
Joining Biniam for the race start in Yvelines, the department immediately to the west of the French capital, on Sunday will be three riders who have started every race alongside him so far in 2026: Lewis Askey, Guillaume Boivin, and home rider Matîs Louvel.
Biniam Girmay winning the 2026 Clásica de Almería. Sirotti photo
“It has been really nice riding as part of the core group with Bini,” says Askey. “We’ve not spent that much time together, but we’ve ridden well together, and the communication has been super good in the races we’ve done so far. We’ve come away with two wins already, and hopefully we can put Bini in a position to add to that at Paris-Nice.
“It hasn’t been hard for us to gel – I think that’s just because we all ride in a similar way. Everyone gets on well, and we have a good time. Even at Opening Weekend, which did not go so well for us, there were still a lot of positives to take from it, and hopefully that bond and the work that we’ve done so far help us here.”
Stages 1 and 2 immediately stand out as opportunities for NSN. The opening day ends with a local circuit around Carrieres-sous-Poissy, and the positioning of the Côte de Chanteloup les Vignes (1.1km, 8.3% average) could result in a reduced group contesting the finish. Stage 2 into Montargis is a more conventional sprint, replicating a finish used just two years ago.
Askey adds: “We should have a couple of chances earlier in the week, so hopefully we can score a win nice and early. After that, it does not seem as hard as it normally is, but it’s still going to be pretty tough going into the back end of the week, so hopefully it’ll be a good race to put a lot of work in before the rest of the Classics.”
Riley Sheehan and Tom Van Asbroeck – who have both competed with Girmay at three races – and Ryan Mullen, who raced with the Eritrean at Opening Weekend, complete our roster.
“The first stage looks really cool – I like the circuit with the hill, and it should be a great way to start,” said Sheehan, who will make his debut in the race next week.“The rest of the stages all look quite challenging. We’ll see with the weather, but for now, it’s looking OK!
“With it being my first time there, I don’t know what to expect. I’ve just heard a bunch of horror stories, mainly about the weather, but from what I’ve heard, it’ll make you super strong for the Classics. They’re my main objective for the early season, so I’m looking forward to a hard eight days and getting some fitness in the legs, then I hope to be flying once I get to E3 and Dwars door [Vlaanderen].”
Sports Director Dror Pekatch is the man tasked with overseeing the team’s attempts to claim its first win in the historic stage race.
“Our goals for Paris-Nice will be to target stages,” he says. “We have Bini for the sprints and other cards to play on other days. We will give our best shot at the TTT, too, and we’ll try to be creative. We have a great group going to the race and we are all very motivated.”
NSN Cycling Team at Paris-Nice (Sunday 8-15 March):
Riders: Lewis Askey (GBR), Guillaume Boivin (CAN), Biniam Girmay (ERI), Matîs Louvel (FRA), Ryan Mullen (IRL), Riley Sheehan (USA), Tom Van Asbroeck (BEL)
Sports Directors: Dror Pekatch (ISR), Rene Mandri (EST), Alex Cataford (CAN)
Here's the Paris-Nice preview from Team INEOS Grenadiers:
On the eve of Paris-Nice, Sport Director Christian Knees talks us through the challenge ahead, and explains why the ‘Race to the Sun’ is such a special event.
Hi everyone. We are really excited to get started on Sunday here at Paris-Nice. It’s a big, historic race and there is a traditional feel to the parcours this year. We start with two flat stages and the first one is definitely quite punchy. It’s no secret when you start this race that normally there is some crosswind action on these early, flatter days, and maybe even later on in the race, you never know! So that’s pretty exciting stuff and it’s a challenge you have to relish when you race here.
Right now it looks like we’re set for quite good weather, which is unusual for Paris-Nice. But let’s wait and see and we’ll find out more each day as we draw closer. It’s normally called the ‘Race to the Sun’ but it’s not always true every year. We’ve also had some bad weather in Nice too, certainly a couple of years ago. Let’s see as this can make a big impact on how the race plays out.
There’s a team time trial on stage three which is a big feature in the race this year and a big focus for teams. The Dauphine also has a TTT and this is obviously all leading towards the opening stage of the Tour de France in Barcelona. So that’s a big test coming up. Then we have a couple of mid-mountain stages until we hit the last weekend around the Nice area. On stage seven we go to Auron and then the final day finishes around Nice. All in all it’s going to be a really good test for our riders.
The INEOS Grenadiers start the team time trial in the 2025 Paris-Nice.
In terms of the lineup, we head to the race with a really good group and three exciting young riders who will share the leadership role. Kevin Vauquelin and Oscar Onley both started their season well at Volta ao Algarve, so we hope to continue building on that. And then we also have Carlos Rodriguez, who again started well in Provence with second overall. In support we have Josh Tarling, one of our time trial engines. We know based on previous years that he’s a rider capable of pulling off a surprise in one of the early stages. Similarly Sam Watson is also suited to that. In Kwiato (Michal Kwiatkowski) and Dorian Godon we have two really good guys who, you never know, may also have their own chances at some point in this race. It’s a really strong, balanced team, which can provide support in not only the flatter crosswind stages, but also later on in those key climbing days.
We’re looking forward to this race. It’s always a special one and a true big WorldTour stage race. Historically it’s been quite a successful one for the team and everyone is really motivated to continue that journey with our squad.
And here's the Paris-Nice news from Team Bahrain Victorious:
Bahrain Victorious will line up at Paris–Nice (2.UWT) from 8–15 March, taking on eight stages that traditionally combine nervous opening days, a decisive team time trial and a demanding final weekend in the hills behind Nice.
The 2026 edition covers around 1,200 kilometres and includes a 23.4 km team time trial, several selective midweek stages and the summit finish at Auron, with the general classification expected to take shape progressively across the week.
Lenny Martinez will assume leadership of the team for the general classification. The opening stages in northern France are often shaped more by positioning and wind than by terrain, making organisation essential before the race turns more selective.
Lenny Martinez finishing stage eight of the Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré. Sirotti photo
“I like Paris–Nice. It’s a special race for me — it was my first win in Bahrain colours last year and I have good memories from that moment,” said Martinez.
The team time trial on Stage 3 is likely to create the first meaningful differences. A cohesive effort across all seven riders will be essential in establishing a solid platform for the rest of the race.
From Stage 4 onwards, the profile becomes more demanding. The uphill finish in Uchon is expected to provide an early test among the contenders, while the summit finish at Auron later in the week should once again play a key role in the overall outcome. Bahrain Victorious has delivered strong performances on that climb in previous editions and will aim to be present when the race reaches its decisive phase.
“The course suits me well with some punchy finishes and hard climbs,” Martinez continued. “There is strong competition here this year, so it will be interesting to see where my form stands at this point in the season.”
Phil Bauhaus will be the team’s reference for the sprint stages, with opportunities likely in the opening part of the week depending on race dynamics.
Nikias Arndt and Kamil Gradek will focus on protecting Martinez in exposed sections and key moments throughout the race whilst Robert Stannard and Mathijs Paasschens will form the core of the sprint support early in the week, while remaining adaptable as the terrain becomes more selective.
Sports Director Roman Kreuziger said:
“We come to Paris–Nice with a very balanced team. For the opening flat stages, Phil has shown excellent shape, which is promising for the sprint opportunities early in the week and potentially later on as well, depending on how the stages unfold.
"The first stages can always be nervous, especially if there is wind, so the priority is to stay organised and protect our position before the race becomes more selective. The team time trial will also be important; it requires commitment from everyone and sets the platform for the second half of the race.
"Lenny has shown very good condition recently. He has matured as a rider since last season and understands better how to manage these stage races. There are several stages that suit him well, particularly from midweek onwards. The uphill finish on Stage 4 fits his characteristics, and of course we return to Auron, where he performed strongly last year. Damiano Caruso will play an important role as road captain. His experience is valuable in a race like Paris–Nice, where positioning and timing are crucial, and he will be close to Lenny throughout the week.”
Due to local elections in France, the final stage will not finish on the Promenade des Anglais as in previous editions. Instead, the race will conclude on a revised circuit around Nice, incorporating additional climbs compared to recent years.
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Here’s the team’s post:
Tirreno-Adriatico returns to its roots this year, meaning there will be no summit finishes at the 61st edition, but instead several hilly stages that are sure to test the riders on their way to glory. Crossing five regions, “The Race of the Two Seas” features a varied route presenting opportunities to different types of riders.
A perfectly flat 11.5km individual time trial in Lido di Camaiore – which gets to host a finish for the 12th time – opens the week before the riders take on one of the most complicated stages of this edition. Several hills, double-digit gradients and a 5.3km gravel sector on the roads to the stunning medieval town of San Gimignano are sure to reshuffle the general classification. The next couple of days bring more climbs, including some in the Apennines, as well as an uphill finish in Camerino, before the only chance the sprinters will get, on the very last day, in San Benedetto del Tronto.
Paul Magnier wins stage one of the 2026 Volta ao Algarve.
Paul Magnier, who took a pair of stage wins at the Volta ao Algarve last month, returns at the start of the “Race of the Two Seas” with the aim of fighting for a victory. Ayco Bastiaens, British ITT Champion Ethan Hayter, Samyn Classic runner-up Laurenz Rex, Dries Van Gestel, Ilan Van Wilder and Trofeo Laigueglia KOM winner Louis Vervaeke are also set to compete in the first Italian World Tour stage race of the season.
“As you can see, we have a strong and versatile team for Tirreno-Adriatico, a race that we love and where our riders should get opportunities to be in the spotlight. The course is a bit different from what we had last year, but we go there with a lot of confidence after our latest results and the motivation that we can do something nice and leave our mark on the race”, explained sports director Davide Bramati.
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