Bicycle Racing News and Opinion,
Friday, March 27, 2026

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I believe in God, who made of one blood all nations that on earth do dwell. I believe that all men, black and brown and white, are brothers, varying through time and opportunity, in form and gift and feature, but differing in no essential particular, and alike in soul and the possibility of infinite development. - W. E. B. Du Bois

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Plato's dialogue Crito is available both in audiobook and Kindle eBook versions. To get your copy, just click on the Amazon link on the right.

Current racing:

• March 23 - 29: Volta a Catalunya
• March 25 - 29: Settimana Internazionale Coppi e Bartali
• March 27: E3 Saxo Classic

Upcoming racing:

• March 28: Classic Loire Atlantique
• March 29: Gent-Wevelgem
• March 29: La Roue Tourangelle
• March 31: Paris-Camembert
• April 1: Dwars door Vlaanderen
• April 3: Classic Adélie de Vitré
• April 4: GP Miguel Indurain

Latest completed racing:

• March 25: Ronde Van Brugge - Tour of Bruges
• March 21: Milano-Sanremo
• March 20: Bredene Koksijde Classic
• March 19: GP de Denain
• March 18: Danilith Nokere Koerse
• March 18: Milano-Torino
• March 8 - March 15: Paris-Nice
• March 9 - 15: Tirreno-Adriatico
• March 7: Strade Bianche
• March 4: Trofeo Laigueglia
• March 3: Le Samyn Classic

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Volta a Catalunya stage four reports

We posted the report from stage winner Ethan Vernon's NSN Cycling Team with the results.

Here's the report from the race organizer:

Ethan Vernon (NSN Cycling Team) was the fastest in the final sprint of the 4th stage of the 2026 Volta a Catalunya, which on Thursday 26 March linked the towns of Mataró and Camprodon. The British sprinter, who had already secured stage victories in the 2022 and 2025 editions of the Catalan race, managed to beat race leader Dorian Godon (Ineos Grenadiers) and fellow Briton Tom Pidcock (Pinarello-Q36. 5 Pro Cycling), who, thanks to the time bonuses, move up to 2nd place in the general classification ahead of a grueling stage between La Seu d'Urgell and the mountain finish at La Molina/Coll de Pal.

Ethan Vernon wins Tour of Catalonia stage four.

Ethan Vernon (NSN Cycling Team) was the fastest in the final sprint of the 4th stage of the 2026 Volta a Catalunya, which on Thursday 26 March linked the towns of Mataró and Camprodon. The British sprinter, who had already secured stage victories in the 2022 and 2025 editions of the Catalan race, managed to beat race leader Dorian Godon (Ineos Grenadiers) and fellow Briton Tom Pidcock (Pinarello-Q36. 5 Pro Cycling), who, thanks to the time bonuses, move up to 2nd place in the general classification ahead of a grueling stage between La Seu d'Urgell and the mountain finish at La Molina/Coll de Pal.

After an intense start to the stage, in which Remco Evenepoel (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) led the peloton to the day’s first intermediate sprint in Granollers to pick up time bonuses for the general classification, the situation has settled down. The leader of the mountain’s classification, Belgian Baptiste Veistroffer (Lotto-Intermarché), launched his fourth consecutive breakaway, joined after the climb to Parpers and the sprint by Koen Bouwman (Team Jayco Al Ula) and Samuel Fernández (Euskaltel-Burgos-BH), thus forming a breakaway of four riders. However, the first two were caught by the peloton after the mountain passes, leaving Samuel Fernández and Merhawi Kudus as the two riders who held on at the front of the race until 18 kilometers from the finish.

Teams with ambitions of winning the stage, such as Ineos Grenadiers, led by Dorian Godon, and NSN Cycling Team itself, always kept both breakaway riders under control, and once they had been caught, they were able to set up a bunch sprint. Following an intermediate sprint in San Joan de les Abadesses, where Tom Pidcock (Pinarello-Q36.5 Pro Cycling) managed to hold his own against his rival Remco Evenepoel to claim the bonus, nothing could prevent a bunch sprint from deciding the winner.

Thanks to his speed, Ethan Vernon (NSN Cycling Team), a previous winner at the Volta in 2022 in Vilanova i la Geltrú and in the 2025 edition in Figueres, overtook race leader Dorian Godon (Ineos Grenadiers) and Tom Pidcock who, thanks to the time bonuses from this position, is now second in the general classification, 13 seconds behind the Frenchman.     

The big moment for the top climbers in this 105th edition of the Volta a Catalunya will come this Friday, 27 March, with the fifth stage, a 155.3-kilometre route starting in La Seu d'Urgell and finishing in La Molina/Coll de Pal. The climbs of Colldarnat (1st category), Coll de Josa (2nd category), Coll de Fumanya (1st category) and Collada Sobirana (1st category), many of which are making their competitive debut, will set the stage for a special category finish that is considered one of the most demanding in Catalonia.

Here's the Catalonia stage four report from GC leader Dorian Godon's Team INEOS Grenadiers:

Dorian Godon claimed second place on the fourth stage of Volta a Catalunya and maintained his lead in the GC.

A tough uphill sprint saw Godon just unable to get around winner Ethan Vernon (NSN Cycling Team), after being delivered to the line by Bob Jungels.

Stage four gets started.

The stage had been reduced to 151km, leaving out the summit finish up the Valter, to make it another day for the sprinters.

Early breaks were caught after strong efforts on the front by Victor Langellotti and Embret Svestad-Bardseng.

Tomorrow will see the riders head up into the mountains, with 155km and five categorized climbs.

Here's the Volta a Catalunya stage four report from Team Soudal Quick-Step:

Thursday should have been a big day at the Volta a Catalunya, the day of the first summit finish on Vallter, the perfect place for the general classification contenders to show their intentions and gain time. Unfortunately for the much-anticipated battle, the wind gusts reaching 90km/h determined the organisers to shorten the stage to just 151 kilometers and move the finish to Camprodon – the hometown of the famous composer Isaac Albeniz.

As a result, instead of having the climbers take center stage, the parcours favoured the sprinters, who got their fourth opportunity in a row at this edition. Alberto Dainese got involved in the fight for a good result again, and the 27-year-old Italian finished in eighth place as Ethan Vernon (NSN Cycling Team) took the victory.

The first intermediate sprint: Remco Evenepoel beats Tom Pidcock.

It was the second top-ten of the week for Dainese, who two days ago concluded fifth in Banyoles. Thanks to one bonus second he picked up at the day’s intermediate sprint, his teammate and countryman Andrea Raccagni moved up five places on the general classification, where he sits sixth going into the race’s first mountain stage.

Here's the Tour of Catalonia report from Jonas Vingegaard's Team Visma | Lease a Bike:

Team Visma | Lease a Bike completed the shortened fourth stage of the Volta a Catalunya without any issues. The yellow-and-black squad is now focusing on the next two days, which feature two mountain finishes.

Last night, the organisers of the Catalan stage race announced that the fourth stage would be shortened by over twenty kilometres. Due to strong gusts of wind at the finish location, they were forced to scrap the final climb to Vallter 2000 and move the finish to Camprodon. This meant no mountaintop finish, but a new opportunity for the sprinters.

The peloton spread out as the pack speeds up for the first intermediate sprint.

Shortly after the start, four riders broke away. The quartet built up a maximum lead of three minutes, but failed to catch the peloton off guard. In the final sprint, Ethan Vernon proved to be the strongest. The riders from Team Visma | Lease a Bike reached the finish unscathed. In the general classification, Jonas Vingegaard still occupies fourth place.

"It was the right decision to shorten the stage. Safety always comes first", sports director Marc Reef said. "The change meant we had to adjust our plans. It was now clear that it was going to be a bunch sprint. For us, it was important to conserve energy and guide Jonas safely through the stage. We managed that perfectly."

Over the next two days, the peloton faces two mountain finishes. According to Reef, the team is ready to take on the challenge. "We have two very interesting stages coming up. We’re in a strong position, with seven strong riders, and we’ll be fighting for the highest possible position in the general classification over the next two days."

And here's the Volta a Catalunya stage four report from Rudy Molard's Team Groupama-FDJ United:

For the fourth consecutive day at the Volta a Catalunya, Rudy Molard slipped into the top 20. On Thursday, the experienced French rider even secured twelfth place on a shortened fourth stage, which ultimately favoured the sprinters. Thanks to his consistency since Monday, the Groupama-FDJ United rider is now seventh in the overall standings, as the real battle for the general classification is expected to kick off on Friday.

Rudy Molard before the start of 2025 Vuelta a España stage nine. Sirotti photo

Originally, the 2026 Volta a Catalunya was set to enter a new phase on Thursday, with high-mountain terrain and the traditional climb to Vallter 2000. Due to weather conditions—specifically strong gusts at the summit—the organizers were forced to move the finish line to the foot of the climb in Camprodón. This left only 151 kilometers for the fourth act, turning a stage initially designed for climbers into a new opportunity for sprinters. With 2,800 metres of elevation gain on the menu, other scenarios were still possible, which is why Maxime Decomble tried his luck from the start in a five-man breakaway.

“There hasn’t been much fighting for the break in the past few days,” explained Stéphane Goubert. “Today, the first intermediate sprint came relatively early, so there might have been more movement. We tried; Maxime went in a move at the start, but the peloton controlled it to chase the bonus seconds, and they were caught. Then, a group of four got away, but it wasn’t interesting at all, especially since Veistroffer was going to drop back after the King of the Mountains points.”

After around forty kilometres, only two riders remained up front, and the peloton had no trouble controlling them for the rest of the day. In the final hour, they waited until 18 kilometres from the finish to fully neutralize the breakaway. The first heat came during the last intermediate sprint, after which Groupama-FDJ United moved forward in the very slightly uphill final.

“We wanted to play our card with Rudy because of that 200–300 metre climb in the last kilometre,” Stéphane said. “He came up well and was in the top five at the summit. The wind was initially supposed to come from behind, which would have favoured attacks, but it ended up being head-on, which slowed things down. Unfortunately, there was then a descent followed by 400 metres of flat, which didn’t play in our favor and pushed Rudy out of the top 10. Still, the intent was good.” At the finish line, Rudy Molard still posted his best result of the week, twelfth, after a series of top-20 finishes (15, 19, 19, respectively) since Monday.

Thanks to his consistency, the 36-year-old Frenchman sits seventh overall on Thursday evening, while Guillaume Martin-Guyonnet is thirteenth. “It was a slightly long day because there wasn’t much racing, but two high-mountain stages are coming, and we’re going to be active,” Stéphane concluded. “Tomorrow, the sequence of climbs should suit Guillaume. There’s strong competition, but we’ll focus on doing things right, and on this type of course, the result will almost take care of itself.”

Team Bahrain Victorious to race the E3 Saxo Classic

Here’s the team’s preview:

The cobbled Classics campaign heats up as Bahrain Victorious lines up for the E3 Saxo Classic, taking place on Friday, March 27, starting and finishing in Harelbeke.

Often considered the first major test for classics specialists ahead of the Tour of Flanders, the 68th edition will cover 208 km, featuring 16 short and explosive climbs (one fewer than last year) and nine cobbled sectors, for a total elevation gain of around 3,000 metres. The race unfolds in the heart of Flanders, passing through iconic cycling towns such as Waregem, Oudenaarde and Geraardsbergen.
The 2026 edition introduces some notable changes, making the course even more demanding. A key addition is the E3-Col (1.2 km at 6%), which will be tackled twice — first after around 113 km and again inside the final 35 km. The opening phase of the decisive section begins shortly after, with the first ascent of the Oude Kwaremont, approached from the opposite side.

From there, the race follows its traditional course, featuring crucial climbs such as Hotondberg, Kortekeer, Taaienberg and Eikenberg, where the peloton is expected to split. The decisive sequence comes in the final 40 kilometres with the iconic Paterberg–Oude Kwaremont combination, before a second passage over the E3-Col and the final ascent of Tiegemberg, with just 20 km remaining to the finish.

Sports Director Nikolas Maes explains the team’s approach:
“E3 is known as one of the hardest races of the Classics, just behind Flanders. We are building our race around Alec Segaert and Matej Mohorič, with the goal of positioning them as well as possible before the key sections.

Earlier this year: Alec Segaert wins the GP Denain.

Zak Erzen and Kamil Gradek will focus on positioning towards the key point, together with Daniel Skerl and Oliver Stockwell, while Attila Valter will look for opportunities in the breakaway.

"Even if the parcour has been slightly redesigned, the crucial zone remains the same with the combination of Kortekeer, Taaienberg and the climbs that follow. We hope our leaders can come through this section in a good position and be in the mix for the finale. The team is well balanced, and the Classics campaign so far is going in the right direction.”

Matej Mohorič added:
" I’ve been feeling good in the last Classics, so I’m looking forward to being back in Belgium for more hard racing. I’ve had a strong result here before, with a top five, so I’d like to aim for something similar.

"I think we have a strong and balanced lineup, and hopefully we can have numbers in the finale and fight for a good result.”

Alec Segaert, returning to racing with extra motivation after his victory at GP Denain, said: “I’m really looking forward to this big block of Classics. With a win already and strong performances from the team, I’m confident we can have a good campaign. I’m also excited to experience the crowds again on the Flemish hills.”