Bicycle Racing News and Opinion,
Sunday, April 19, 2026
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Current racing:
- April 19: Amstel Gold Race
- April 15 - 19: Tour of Hainan
Upcoming racing:
- April 20 - 24: Tour of the Alps
- April 22: La Flèche Wallonne
- April 26: Liège-Bastogne-Liège
Latest completed racing:
- April 14 - 18: O Gran Camiño
- April 17: De Brabantse Pijl
- April 19:
Tour du Doubsrace cancelled - April 12: Paris-Roubaix
- April 6 - 11: Itzulia Basque Country (Tour of the Basque Country)
- April 7 - 10: Région Pays de la Loire Tour
- April 8: Scheldeprijs
- April 5: Ronde van Vlaanderen
- April 4: GP Miguel Indurain
- April 4: NXT Classic
- April 3: Classic Adélie de Vitré
- April 1: Dwars door Vlaanderen
We posted the report from stage five winner Alessandro Pinarello's NSN Cycling Team with the results.
Here's the report from GC winner Adam Yates' UAE Team Emirates-XRG:
Refusing to give up his hold on the leader’s jersey on the fifth and final stage of O Gran Camiño, Adam Yates took home the overall title for UAE Team Emirates-XRG. For the 33-year-old, the result marks his first stage race victory of the season, with Yates looking in fine shape ahead of his upcoming objectives.
The victory was built on a consistent week and a dominant stage win on Friday afternoon, with Yates triumphing atop the Alto de Cabeza de Meda. In taking the stage 4 victory, Yates moved into the race lead, and despite the best efforts of his rivals on Saturday, the Briton would not be toppled on the final day.
Crossing the line atop the Monte Trega in third place, Yates wrapped up the overall win, marking his first general classification victory since the 2024 Tour de Suisse. From his assured performance in the stage 1 individual time trial, to his trademark displays in the mountains across the final stages, this is a victory which has seen Yates ride in a manner befitting of the overall champion.
Adam Yates wins O Gran Camiño stage four.
Along the way, his UAE Team Emirates-XRG teammates have performed with exemplary strength, with Yates’ teammate Julius Johansen starting the week with his first professional victory on stage 1. Between Johansen’s feel-good win and Yates’ yellow jersey, the week has proved one to remember for the Emirati squad. UAE Team Emirates-XRG now moves to 21 victories for the 2026 campaign.
Speaking to the reporters after the line on stage 5, Yates reflected on the 34th win of his storied career.
Yates: “It was a hard climb today, actually it was quite short and it was not super super steep. But the wind coming from the ocean made it quite difficult, so I decided to play it a little safe and keep the pace quite high on the front. I just did my pace and then I knew it would be difficult for the other guys to attack. I am happy to finish it off.”
“Overall, the race in general has been super nice, and hopefully in the next couple of years, I can be back again.
“Now I have to go back to altitude and make some final preparations, and then it is the Giro. We are going to go there with quite a strong team, and some options. We know the competition will be quite strong so I think it is better we go there with a few options. First you have to have the legs, and then hopefully the result will come.”
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Here's the news from Team Soudal Quick-Step:
The Ardennes Classics kick off this weekend at Amstel Gold Race, the World Tour event where our team has tasted victory on two occasions. The 60th edition of the race heads out from Maastricht and takes the peloton through the Limburg region, over a demanding 257.2km course featuring a whooping 33 hills that come thick and fast and more than 3400 vertical meters.
The route - unchanged from last year - is an up and down one the entire day, favouring the punchy riders and the attackers, especially as many will try to make a potentially decisive move before the last climb. The mythical Cauberg (900 meters, 7%), where the 2012 World Championships were decided, will serve as the final ascent of the day for the second year in a row, and positioning will be key there the last time the peloton tackles it, inside the closing kilometers of the race. From its top, only 1700 flattish meters separate the riders from the line.
Max Schachmann after 2025 Tour of the Basque Country stage two. Sirotti photo
Third here five years ago, Max Schachmann returns at the start of the Dutch World Tour race after a strong showing at Brabantse Pijl, which he concluded not far from the top ten. The German will be joined by Pascal Eenkhoorn, Andrea Raccagni, Pepijn Reinderink, Dylan van Baarle, Ilan Van Wilder, and Mauri Vansevenant, who was fourth here in 2024.
“The parcours is the one that we know well, which means there aren’t any surprises these years. Of course, the final five climbs will be the most important of the day, as that’s where the main moves will come. We have quite a strong team: our three Dutchmen know these roads and start with a lot of motivation, Max and Andrea are coming after a solid outing in Brabantse, while Ilan and Mauri showed some good things in the Basque Country. The entire team is motivated to fight for a nice result”, explained Soudal Quick-Step sports director Geert Van Bondt.
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The NSN Cycling Team posted the Amstel Gold Race preview:
At 257 km and with 33 climbs, the Amstel Gold Race is one of the most demanding and unpredictable races on the calendar. Starting in Maastricht, the route twists its way through the Limburg region, with narrow roads, constant changes of direction, and positioning playing a key role throughout the day.
The intensity builds as the race heads into the final 80 km, where the Cauberg appears for the first time and signals the start of a relentless phase. From there, it’s full gas. Climbs like the Gulperberg, Kruisberg, Eyserbosweg and the steep Keutenberg come one after another, gradually wearing the peloton down and opening the door for aggressive racing.
The final circuits around Valkenburg are where it all comes together. The Geulhemmerberg and Bemelerberg shape the approach before the decisive ascent of the Cauberg, which peaks just over 2 km from the finish, a moment that often defines the race.
NSN heads into the race with a versatile group, ready to adapt to how the day unfolds. With multiple options across the team, the focus will be on staying active, reading the race, and making sure to be in the right place when the key moves go.
Sports Director Sam Bewley said: “Amstel is one of the most complicated and technical races on the calendar. It can follow a more traditional pattern, but it can also open up very early.
“We’ll be ready for both scenarios and approach the race with a positive mindset, looking for opportunities to be part of the race or even ahead of it in the final.
“We have a young and talented group this year, with a lot of first-time Amstel participations, but we believe we can play a role in the race and come away with a strong result.”
Brady Gilmore winning 2025 Tour of Catalonia stage seven.
Brady Gilmore comes into the race in good condition and motivated for one of the biggest one-day races on the calendar, with the Australian looking to make the most of a parcours that suits his characteristics.
Brady Gilmore said: “I’m feeling good and happy with my shape going into the race. It’s one I’ve watched many times on TV, and I believe it’s a race that suits me.
“It usually comes down to a reduced group, so positioning will be key to save energy for the decisive moments.”
NSN Cycling Team at Amstel Gold Race (Sunday 19 April):
Riders: Brady Gilmore (AUS), Pier-André Côté (CAN), Pau Martí (ESP), Krists Neilands (LAT), Marco Frigo (ITA), Alexey Lutsenko (KAZ) and Floris Van Tricht (BEL)
Sports Directors: Samuel Bewley (NZL), Alex Cataford (CAN) and Oscar Guerrero (ESP)
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And here's the news from Team Lotto-Intermarché:
As the peloton transitions from the cobbles into the rolling hills of the Ardennes, Lotto-Intermarché heads into the Ardennes Classics with confidence and ambition. "We have many riders who have already proved good things in the past races which gives us a lot of opportunities in the final", Sports Director Mario Aerts looks ahead.
The Ardennes classics campaign officially kicks off tomorrow with the Amstel Gold Race. A race known for its succession of short climbs, technical roads and unpredictable finale on Dutch roads. Lining up for our team in Limburg will be: Huub Artz, Toon Aerts, Jenno Berckmoes, Vito Braet, Lorenzo Rota, Luca Van Boven and German champion Georg Zimmermann.
“The Amstel Gold Race is always a race where positioning matters just as much as strength”, Sports Director Mario Aerts acknowledges. “We aim to race proactively, be visible and give ourselves the best chance in the final. We have many cards to play. We have a lot of riders who have already proved good things in the past races like Van Boven, Berckmoes, Aerts and Zimmermann, which gives us a lot of opportunities in the final.”
Jenno Berckmoes after stage five of the 2024 Coppi-Bartali race. Sirotti photo
Following the Amstel Gold Race, the attention shifts to Flèche Wallonne, where the iconic Mur de Huy will once again determine the outcome. The Ardennes block concludes with Liège–Bastogne–Liège, the oldest Monument on the calendar. With its long distance and demanding climbs, it represents the ultimate test of endurance and race intelligence.
For these races, where the focus shifts to two races with more structured finales, our team will center its ambitions around Lennert Van Eetvelt. “Lennert has shown that he is feeling good and motivated for the Ardennes classics”, Sports Director Mario Aerts adds.
With multiple options at Amstel Gold Race and clear leadership for the races that follow, the team is prepared for a demanding but opportunity-filled week.