Bicycle Racing News and Opinion,
Tuesday, October 27, 2026
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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.
Upcoming racing:
- Nov 1: Trofee Oudenaarde - Koppenbergcross
- Nov 7 & 8 European Cyclocross Championships
- Nov 15: Flandriencross
- Dec 6: Superpresitge Ruddervoorde
- Dec 19: Scheldecross
- Dec 23: Azencross-Loenhout
- Dec 25: Heusden Zolder Cross
- Dec 26: Gavere Cyclocross
- Dec 27: Namur Cross
- Dec 30: Diegem Cyclocross
- Jan 1: GP Sven Nys
- Jan 16 - 24: Tour Down Under
Latest completed racing:
- Oct 25: Superpresitge Overijse - Vlamse Druivencross
- Oct 13 - 18: Tour of Guangxi
- Oct 13 - 18: Tour of Holland
- Oct 18: Chrono des Nations
- Oct 18: Veneto Classic
- Oct 18: Japan Cup road Race
- Oct 14: Giro del Veneto
- Oct 11: Paris-Tours
- Oct 10: Il Lombardia
- Oct 8: Gran Piemonte
The rest of the year's completed races are here.
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Here’s the team’s news:
Tars Poelvoorde will remain with Lotto-Intermarché for the next three seasons. The 20-year-old Belgian has extended his contract until the end of 2029. After one more season with the development team, he will join the professional team in 2028, where he will then spend two seasons.
“It’s a dream come true,” says Poelvoorde. “At certain points, a professional contract seemed a long way off, but over the past three years it has gradually become a realistic goal. The team has always given me opportunities and supported me through both the good and the difficult moments. I feel good here and am convinced that I can continue to make great strides with this team.”
Tars Poelvoorde winning the 2026 Internatie in Reningeist
The Belgian wants to make the most of his final season with Lotto-Groupe Wanty. “I think next year will be a valuable opportunity to become stronger and gain more experience. I will also have another chance to prove myself in major U23 races, such as Paris-Roubaix U23.”
Earlier this season, Poelvoorde achieved several strong results, including a stage win and overall victory at the Tour of Flemish Brabant. Last week, he added a third place among the professionals in stage four of the Eneco Tour, which finished on the Col du VAM.
“I’m happy with the progress I’m making, but I want to take my physical performance to the next level, continue to work on my time-trial abilities and become stronger on the climbs.” Poelvoorde also wants to prove himself as a team player. “I want to keep developing as a domestique and as a rider who can be part of long breakaways.”
Kurt Van de Wouwer, Sports manager Lotto-Intermarché: “Tars has achieved some strong results in recent years and stands out for his dedication and attention to detail. He is constantly looking for ways to improve himself, including through aerodynamics and other marginal gains. We believe he can become an important asset to the team in the future, both in a supporting role and in breakaways. With this contract extension and his move to the professional team in 2028, we are reaffirming our long-term vision: we give our riders the time and confidence they need to prepare for the highest level at their own pace.”
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Here’s the team’s announcement:
Reigning Greek champion Nikiforos Arvanitou, who joined XDS Astana Team as a trainee on August 1 this year and competed with the team in a series of races, has signed a two-year agreement with the Kazakh project for the 2027 and 2028 seasons.
Arvanitou made his debut as a trainee at the Arctic Race of Norway, where he twice finished in the Top 10 on stages and also helped Thomas Silva win the overall classification. At the Belgian one-day race Gooikse Pijl, Nikiforos Arvanitou was one of the key riders supporting Max Kanter, who went on to win the race. At the Tour de Kyushu, the Greek rider again performed very well, delivering a winning lead-out for Matteo Malucelli on the opening stage.
Nikiforos Arvanitou
“I am truly happy to join XDS Astana Team as a rider of the main roster. For me, XDS Astana Team is a team with a rich history and tremendous success over all these years. I supported this team when I was a child, and now joining the WorldTour with them is a real dream come true. This year, I had the opportunity to attend a training camp and race several events with the team as a trainee, and I immediately felt, as they say, like I was in the right place. In every racing block I took part in, we won something, and it was unforgettable. So I am really looking forward to the new season, when I will have the chance to compete in major races, help the team achieve important goals and prove myself”, – said Nikiforos Arvanitou.
“We had the opportunity to assess Nikiforos both in training and in races during his traineeship. He made a very good impression – a young, strong rider, always ready to help his teammates and give 100% to achieve the goal. It is clear that Arvanitou has potential both as a domestique and lead-out rider, as well as a fast rider capable of achieving success on his own. Two years of hard work lie ahead, but he has every chance of becoming a good professional rider”, – said Alexandr Vinokurov, General Manager of XDS Astana Team.
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Here’s the team’s post:
HAYF Sports, the company of the Contador brothers and Ivan Basso that manages Team Polti VisitMalta, is pleased to announce the entry of a new partner, who will help expand its sporting and commercial boundaries toward still-unexplored frontiers and will be able also to contribute to the development of Japanese talent. This new partner is former Japanese Formula 1 driver Ukyo Katayama, entrepreneur and passionate cycling enthusiast, founder of a Continental team that bears his name and has distinguished itself with increasingly significant results on the international calendar.
Fran Contador, general manager of Team Polti VisitMalta: “This is a very special and, in some ways, historic moment for us, because since the founding of HAYF Sports this is the first time we’re welcoming a new partner into the structure that until now has been represented by me, Alberto and Ivan. One of our main goals together with Ukyo will be to work from day one on developing Japanese cycling, drawing on the experience we’ve gained in youth cycling in Spain over the past few years. We want to help increase the number of people taking up the sport, spark ever-growing interest in cycling and, why not, one day see a great Japanese rider competing as a protagonist in the world’s biggest races”.
“It’s a strategic move that looks to tomorrow, rewards the seriousness and passion of our work — adds Ivan Basso — and will allow us to build an even more important future. We’ve had a long dialogue with Ukyo, built up over time, a significant gestation period, as important matters require. His arrival represents a great opportunity for our project, not only because of his career and his fame in his country, but because we immediately felt a strong personal rapport when we met him at the end of August. On this solid foundation, we hope this is the beginning of a long journey together, during which we can share great experiences, keep growing our project and celebrate many successes together”.
Team Polti-VisitMalta being presented before the start of the 2026 Giro d'Italia. Sirotti photo
Ukyo Katayama: “Cycling has been a passion of mine since childhood. During my career as a Formula 1 driver in Europe, riding road bikes was an integral part of my training. In many ways, founding TEAM UKYO and pursuing the ambition of reaching the Grand Tours was a natural extension of that lifelong passion. Today, the opportunity to work alongside legends who have made their mark on cycling’s biggest stage, while creating opportunities for Japanese athletes to learn, develop and compete at the highest level through exposure to European cycling, is incredibly exciting. It’s a privilege to be part of an environment that brings together such exceptional experience and a shared ambition for the future. I’m excited about what we can achieve together. By combining our experience, expertise and international perspective with a clear vision and a strong commitment to development, we can create new opportunities for Japanese athletes and build a project with a lasting impact on the sport. I look forward to turning this shared ambition into tangible results and taking the next steps towards an even bigger future!”