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Bicycle Racing News and Opinion,
Monday, January 5, 2026

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2025 Tour de France | 2025 Giro d'Italia

The climate crisis is both the easiest and the hardest issue we have ever faced. The easiest because we know what we must do. We must stop the emissions of greenhouse gases. The hardest because our current economics are still totally dependent on burning fossil fuels, and thereby destroying ecosystems in order to create everlasting economic growth. - Greta Thunburg

Les Woodland's book Tour de France: The Inside Story - Making the World's Greatest Bicycle Race is available in print, Kindle eBook and audiobook versions. To get your copy, just click on the Amazon link on the right.

Upcoming racing:

• January 17 - 25: Tour Down Under
• January 25: Classica Comunitat Valenciana 1969-GP Valencia
• January 28 - February 1: Challenge Ciclista Mallorca
• February 1: Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race

Latest completed racing:

• January 1: GP Sven Nys
• December 30: Superprestige Diegem
• December 29: Trofee Loenhout-Azencross
• December 26: World Cup Gavere
• December 23: Superprestige Heusden-Zolder
• December 14: World Cup Namur
• November 16: Trofee Hamme-Flandriencross
• November 1: Trofee Oudenaarde-Koppenbergcross
• October 26: Superprestige Overijse-Vlaamse Druivencross
• October 14 - 19: Tour of Guangxi
• October 14 - 19: Tour of Holland

Here’s the announcement from her Team Lidl-Trek:

Amanda Spratt - aka Spratty - has announced her retirement from professional cycling at the end of 2026.

Spratt’s decision will bring to a close a career that has spanned more than a decade at the highest level of the sport.

"I am still motivated and still training hard ahead of the 2026 season. I don’t want my career to just fizzle, I want to keep putting the effort in. I am still really motivated and I still love what I do so, I want to go out on a good note. Of course, I would love to win a race, I haven’t done that in a long time, but mostly, I would just love, over the next year, to be a really valued team member and contribute to some big results for my teammates. I think we have built an exciting group and we have a really good short and longer term vision which is something really excites me."

Amanda Spratt finishes 2024 Tour Down Under stage three. Sirotti photo

A defining figure in modern women’s road racing, Spratt has been a constant presence in the Women’s WorldTour and a cornerstone of Australia’s success on the international stage.

Known for her climbing prowess, tactical intelligence, and remarkable consistency, she earned respect throughout the peloton as one of the most reliable and durable general classification riders of her generation.

"I am really grateful for the people I've had around me throughout my career and as it comes to a close with Lidl-Trek, I think it's important to acknowledge that. Surrounding myself with good people has been super important and is something that has always made the difference for me."

Spratt’s career has been built on longevity rather than fleeting success and the 38-year-old has established herself among the world’s elite, regularly contesting major stage races with three overall titles at the Santos Tour Down Under and a Giro d’Italia stage win amongst the 21 victories on her palmarès.

Across multiple seasons, Spratt remained competitive through disciplined preparation, experience, and a deep understanding of race dynamics – qualities that allowed her to thrive as women’s cycling entered a new era of professionalism and global visibility.

In Spratty’s Own Words…

"To be honest, it’s not super clear if there was a particular point where I thought I don’t want to do this anymore because it’s actually the opposite.

"I still really love racing and I love training, I like the process of working towards goals and training towards goals. I love racing with my teammates, being around them, but I’ve been doing this for 20 plus years now overseas professionally and I like the idea of being able to finish on my own terms and being able to choose where my finish line is.

"The reason I want to announce it already is that I think it’s going to be quite special to share my final season with so many people that have supported me both near and far, rather than just get to the end and then announcing that I’m stopping and maybe then I don’t get the chance to share it with so many people. I think that’s one thing that I’m really grateful for about my career, the longevity that I’ve had. I mean, I’ve been over in Europe since I was 17, 18 and been on the circuit for over 20 years.

"If I look at the development of the sport as a whole, I’ve almost crossed, I think, three generations now and I’m teammates with 18 year olds who teach me things as well as me teaching them things and I think that being a part of the evolution and development of the sport is something quite special, and something I’m definitely proud of.

"I think the first years I was racing, I wasn’t making any money. I was just doing it purely for the love of the sport, and I think that’s what has helped me stay in the sport for so long, the fact that I do genuinely love the sport. I love talking about it. I love the people, the tactics, the racing, the training, as I mentioned. So I think that’s something I’m definitely proud of too.

"Alongside the likes of Lizzie, Ellen, Lucinda, we’ve all been in the sport a long time so, I think also for me, a big highlight was coming across to Lidl-Trek and being able to race alongside some of my peers in that way. For sure, my 11 years in GreenEdge were fantastic and I had some of my best results there but, I think the transition to this team was kind of like a dream come true and it really reinvigorated me.

"Whilst I haven’t always had the best personal results on the team, I think every member is really valued. I’ve really felt that appreciation for the job that I can do for my teammates and really found my place in this team. It really does feel like a family and a team that I love being around and racing with. The professionalism and the group of people and riders that we have just make it, honestly, really joyful. I always enjoy going away with the team, which I think is a pretty special feeling and something that not everyone can say.

"If I think back at my career overall, I started BMX racing when I was nine, rode on the track when I was 12, won the junior world points race when I was 17 and then was funnelled onto the road from there after a good worlds performance as well. My career has also been marred by a couple of really big injuries. I couldn’t race most of 2008 and 2009 due to a very serious nerve condition and surgery so, I think I’m also really proud of the obstacles that I’ve been able to overcome and the resilience I’ve shown. I never gave up from that and I had the same strong mindset after my iliac artery and fibrosis surgery.

"Amongst that, I think wearing the Maglia Rosa in the Giro was a huge highlight and winning the queen stage there too. I think, at the time, that was our only Grand Tour so, that was the tour that everyone turned up to in their best form trying to win. I really look back on that as a real peak in my career alongside my world championships medals. I think they were both really special, but I think some of my best memories as well as have been in recent years with Lidl-Trek.

"The way we’ve been able to race together and some of the wins, and performances, I’ve been involved with have been really special and are results I really take a lot out of. It feels like winning myself when I can help one of my teammates. We’ve had a really young generation come onto the team as well and being able to help them believe in themselves more and see them achieve great things has been something really cool to be a part of."

Here’s the team’s news:

Same colours, new creators. The 2026 Polti VisitMalta kit is produced by ToFit, a young company based in Rossano Veneto, in a region of Italy that represents a global benchmark for manufacturing excellence and cycling culture. Founded in 2020 to meet the growing demand for sport with a cutting-edge approach, ToFit is a technical apparel company specialising in cycling, triathlon and athletics. Until now particularly active in women’s cycling, ToFit joins a men’s team for the first time through this partnership with Team Polti VisitMalta.

In 2026 the Polti-VisitMalta kit will look the same, but be produced by ToFit. Sirotti photo

The colour scheme is the one that makes the squad so elegantly recognisable in the peloton: red shorts and red details on the upper part of the jersey, white as the dominant colour of the jersey itself, and green sleeves. Prominently displayed on the front are the two title sponsors, Polti and VisitMalta. On the chest, riders will also feature the brands Fineco, Lechler, Škoda and the new entry Sella Farmaceutici. On the sleeves appears historic partner Kometa, on the shoulders SOLO Caffè Monorigine, on the collar Chiaravalli Group S.p.A., and on the side panels the team’s bike brand AURUM. Not to be forgotten are the wings of the Fundación Contador near the left flank, and on the back of the collar the small crown in memory of Arturo Grávalos.

The jersey is made using five different fabrics, structured with double warp-knit construction to ensure optimal breathability and fast drying, and features both UPF 50+ sun protection and OdorControl technology. The front panel and raw-cut sleeves use a circular-knit fabric for a highly aerodynamic design; the back, the four reflective pockets and the comfortable collar are made from an ultra-light fabric (120 g/m²) with a diamond weave, while the side panels use a honeycomb fabric called Strade Bianche. The jersey is finished with a YKK® zip with Camlock system.

“We are extremely proud to start this collaboration with one of the strongest and most recognised Italian teams on the international cycling scene. For us, it’s a major opportunity to test the quality, research and innovation of our apparel at the highest level of world cycling,” said Fausto Bonin, ToFit cycling apparel manufacturer.

“I’ve known Fausto for over twenty years, our personal relationship and mutual respect now lead us to share a professional journey. Ours is a special team that loves to welcome special travel companions, and we’re ready to write many stories together,” added Ivan Basso, Polti VisitMalta’s team principal.

This is the comment from Fran Contador, General Manager of Team Polti VisitMalta: “The arrival of ToFit represents far more than a change of technical supplier for us. It marks the beginning of a new phase built on trust, seriousness and mutual commitment. The agreement was reached in a complex context and within a very short timeframe, but from the very first contact ToFit demonstrated outstanding responsiveness and a clear willingness to work together in perfect alignment with the needs of a ProTeam. Behind ToFit are people with experience, a strong sense of responsibility and deep product knowledge, which gives us great peace of mind and confidence that we can rely on a solid partner with a medium- to long-term vision. This will allow us to have top-quality technical equipment, without surprises and with the stability that a structure like ours needs in order to keep growing. On our side, we’ll be delighted to repay the trust placed in us by supporting ToFit in its growth, brand positioning and in promoting the quality of their products within the peloton. This synergy will be beneficial for everyone!”

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