Bicycle Racing News and Opinion,
Saturday, January 17, 2026
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2025 Tour de France | 2025 Giro d'Italia
The life of the nation is secure only while the nation is honest, truthful, and virtuous. - Frederick Douglass
Bill & Carol McGann’s book The Story of the Tour de France, 2022: The Fastest Tour Ever is available in both Kindle eBook & audiobook versions. To get your copy, just click on the Amazon link on the right.
Current racing:
- January 17 - 25: Tour Down Under
Upcoming racing:
- January 25: Classica Comunitat Valenciana 1969-GP Valencia
- January 28 - February 1: Challenge Ciclista Mallorca
- January 29: Surf Coast Classic
- 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
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Team Ef Education-Oatly posted this:
It’s a new course and a new season, but the defending Tour Down Under champion and her teammates are ready for the three stages at this year’s race.
We caught up with Noemi to chat about returning to Adelaide and her expectations for the race.
How does it feel to be back in Adelaide?
It feels amazing. I’m so happy to be back here. It's just nice to be back. All the memories are coming up again. It feels very familiar to be back here. I recognize everything: the race village and the roads we were training on, and just the vibe is so nice. Just relaxed and I’m super happy to be back.
Noemi Rüegg in 2024
Which memories are coming up again?
All the memories from the race last year, from the win. They’re using a lot of my winning pictures around, so I get reminded of this every time I walk into the hotel, which is nice. But also just the whole time that we had around the race. We experienced so much together as a team. It was such a good time, so all of these memories but also of course the race. It was such a special win for me. To think back makes me really happy.
How does this year’s TDU squad look?
We have a bit of a different team than last year but we still have a very strong squad with our two new ones [Alice Towers and Stina Kagevi] and I’m really excited. I think we have a really strong team. It’s very diverse so we have a lot of different qualities and strengths within the team and I’m sure that together we are super strong. Every individual is strong and we can play different cards and use our own strengths and we’ll do the best that we can.
What do you think about this year’s stages?
The stages look really nice. They are different from last year as well. I think it makes it a bit more diverse, the whole race. Obviously, we don’t have Willunga Hill anymore, which was very decisive last year so I think this year it will be more stage 3 that will decide the GC. Stage 1 and stage 2 are a bit more open and could end in a sprint finish with a smaller group, so for our team, the stages are really good. I’m excited.
How did you prepare over the Swiss winter for the Australian summer?
Pretty similar to last year. I spend a lot of time indoors on the trainer because the weather turned quite cold and it’s full winter in Switzerland. I did a lot of indoor training which I think is not worse, it makes you really strong as well. I did heat training as well. We did a lot of heat sessions over the past few months. I’m feeling ready to beat the heat.
It seems like team camp wrapped up just a few weeks ago, and it’s already time to race. Does it feel too soon to be racing?
It’s very exciting that everything comes quite quickly. It can be tiring, of course, but I think it makes our lifestyle very exciting because there’s always something coming up and you don’t have a lot of time to think about what’s passed. You just have to refocus and prepare for the next thing, which can be really nice but sometimes can also be really stressful. You kind of miss really enjoying the moment or to have time to let something sink in and reflect on it. I think I mostly enjoy it because once one thing is done, you just go on to the next. You have a lot of opportunities coming, and if you go through a bad situation or a bad moment, you know there’s always something coming up that will be better.
Mentally, how are you approaching the race as the defending champion?
I think it’s the first time I will actually wear bib number one, so that’s really special. To defend something will be a new situation for me, but I'll try to take it as I did last year, with as little pressure as possible and just try to enjoy being back here, just to take this as a motivation that I’m the defending champion. I’m not putting too much pressure on myself because I know I work better if I’m relaxed and just enjoy the race. I’ll just try to enjoy it and do the same as I did last year. In the end, I cannot do more than just race my bike and we have a super strong team that I can trust. It will be good.
I feel really good coming into this race. I know I did quite a similar preparation as I did last year with the winter, and it worked out really well for the whole season afterwards, so I’m pretty confident that I’m on the right path as well now. Of course, I also have a lot of thoughts. Is it going to be the same as last year? Can I defend the title? Can I prove what I did last year? And for the whole season, I had such a good season last year that I think this win at Tour Down Under gave me a lot of confidence for the whole season, so I think it was quite an important win for me so I hope I can do it again. What if I can’t do it again? Does it mean maybe the whole season goes differently as well? There’s a lot that I think about, but I can only trust that if I’m doing the things I did last year, it should work as well this year. For sure, I hope that it’s going to end in the same way.
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Here’s the team’s news:
The Cofidis team is proud to welcome uvex as a new partner. The international company, renowned for its cutting-edge, innovative equipment and technology, will supply the men's and women's teams with helmets and glasses. It has signed up with Cofidis for the next three seasons.
During the off-season, the riders and staff members of the Cofidis team all focused on one motto: ‘looking to the future’. In line with the ambitions announced by Raphaël Jeune, the team's general manager, all members of the team set about optimising and improving every aspect of performance. This ambitious project involved all of Cofidis' partners, including uvex, whose collaboration began in recent weeks. Their motto? ‘Made2perform’, which naturally echoes Cofidis' strategy.
A uvex-equipped Cofidis rider
The uvex Group, founded in Germany, which is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year, will supply helmets and glasses to all the riders in the women's and men's teams. The team will ride with uvex surge aero MIPS. The highlight of this versatile helmet: a clip-on cover transforms the highly ventilated model into an aero helmet in a single step. During time trials, they will wear the uvex race 8, a teardrop-shaped helmet that optimises airflow.
When it comes to eyewear, riders will be equipped with uvex pace stage CV glasses, which guarantee efficiency and comfort. Mechanics will also be provided with equipment by uvex safety, a group that has specialised in personal protective equipment since its inception. Riders and staff members are also invited to provide feedback to help uvex further optimise its products. All in all, this is a virtuous circle dedicated to efficiency and performance that will bind the two entities together until the end of the 2028 season.
Raphaël Jeune, General Manager of Cofidis:
"We are delighted to welcome such a prestigious partner as Uvex. The company is fully committed to Cofidis' new dynamic, with a focus on performance. We would also like to thank uvex safety for providing us with specific equipment for our mechanics. I am convinced, as is the entire Cofidis team, that this long-term partnership, which will see us working together for the next three seasons, will be beneficial for both organisations."
Moritz Maier, Marketing Director of uvex Sports Group:
"Our slogan “Made2perform” is our commitment. We are committed to offering maximum performance in the development and manufacture of our products, without compromising on safety, comfort or quality. Working closely with a UCI team like Cofidis provides us with valuable information on the development of our products, based on daily racing experience. Thanks to this involvement, all road cycling enthusiasts will benefit."
André Greipel, uvex ambassador:
"Cofidis has been involved in cycling for three decades and aims to further strengthen its presence. Under the leadership of general manager Raphaël Jeune, the team has gained new momentum. In 2026, it will line up among the best teams in the UCI ProSeries, also participating in the major road races of the UCI WorldTour. With uvex, riders will be able to fight for every centimetre, every fraction of a second and give their best in all circumstances."
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Here's the team's update:
On the eve of the 2026 season, the DECATHLON CMA CGM cycling team unveils the race program of its riders. Between major WorldTour events and clearly defined sporting objectives, the season promises to be ambitious, in line with the team’s commitment to performance and development at the highest level.
The provisional race program for the WorldTour team:
Tobias Lund Andresen (DEN)
Tour Down Under
Surf Coast Classic
Mapei Cadel Evans Great Ocean
Tirreno-Adriatico
Dwars Door Vlaanderen
Giro d'Italia
Tiesj Benoot (BEL)
Volta ao Algarve
Omloop Het Nieuwsblad
Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne
E3 Saxo Classic
Gent-Wevelgem
Dwars door Vlaanderen
Ronde van Vlaanderen
La Flèche Wallonne
Liège–Bastogne–Liège
Tour Auvergne Rhône Alpes
Tour de France
Tiesj Benoot (shown before the start of the 2025 Tour of Lombardy) will be busy this year riding the classics.
Léo Bisiaux (FRA)
CX World Championship
Itzulia Basque Country
Classic Grand Besançon
Tour du Jura
Eschborn-Frankfurt
Tour Auvergne Rhône Alpes
Donostia San Sebastian Klasikoa
Vuelta a Burgos
Vuelta a España
Stefan Bissegger (CHE)
UAE Tour
Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne
Paris-Nice
E3 Saxo Classic
Gent-Wevelgem
Ronde van Vlaanderen
Paris–Roubaix
Cees Bol (NED)
UAE Tour
Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne
Paris-Nice
Oscar Chamberlain (AUS)
Tour Down Under
Surf Coast Classic
Mapei Cadel Evans Great Ocean
Sander De Pestel (BEL)
Étoile de Bessèges
Volta ao Algarve
Omloop Het Nieuwsblad
Stan Dewulf (BEL)
GP la Marseillaise
Tour de La Provence
Volta ao Algarve
Felix Gall (AUT)
UAE Tour
Tirreno-Adriatico
Volta a Catalunya
Giro d'Italia
Donostia San Sebastian Klasikoa
Vuelta a Burgos
Vuelta a España
Pierre Gautherat (FRA)
Tour Down Under
Surf Coast Classic
Mapei Cadel Evans Great Ocean
Robbe Ghys (BEL)
UAE Tour
Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne
Paris-Nice
Tord Gudmestad (NOR)
Tour Down Under
Surf Coast Classic
Mapei Cadel Evans Great Ocean
Daan Hoole (NED)
UAE Tour
Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne
Paris-Nice
Ronde van Brugge
Gent-Wevelgem
Ronde van Vlaanderen
Paris–Roubaix
Tour de France
Noa Isidore (FRA)
GP la Marseillaise
Étoile de Bessèges
Tour des Alpes-Maritimes
Olav Kooij (NED)
Olav Kooij has experienced a setback in his preparation.
The Dutch rider has contracted a virus that will delay his first appearance in his new colours. Olav, in coordination with his coach and the team’s medical staff, has implemented a comprehensive recovery protocol aimed at restoring his full physical capabilities as swiftly as possible.
For obvious health reasons, he will not be available to talk to the media.
The team’s medical director has determined that Olav must rest completely in order to optimise his recovery.
Paul Lapeira (FRA)
GP la Marseillaise
Étoile de Bessèges
Classic Var
Tour des Alpes-Maritimes
Strade Bianche
Itzulia Basque Country
Amstel Gold Race
La Flèche Wallonne
Liège–Bastogne–Liège
Eschborn-Frankfurt
Tour de Suisse
Antoine L'hote (FRA)
Tour Down Under
Surf Coast Classic
Mapei Cadel Evans Great Ocean
Gregor Mühlberger (AUT)
UAE Tour
Strade Bianche
Tirreno-Adriatico
Oliver Naesen (BEL)
Tour de La Provence
Omloop Het Nieuwsblad
Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne
Aurélien Paret-Peintre (FRA)
Tour de La Provence
Classic Var
Tour des Alpes-Maritimes
Paris-Nice
Milan-Sanremo
Itzulia Basque Country
Amstel Gold Race
La Flèche Wallonne
Liège–Bastogne–Liège
Tour Auvergne Rhône Alpes
Rasmus Søjberg Pedersen (DEN)
Étoile de Bessèges
Tour de La Provence
Omloop Het Nieuwsblad
Gianluca Pollefliet (BEL)
GP la Marseillaise
Tour de La Provence
Classic Var
Nicolas Prodhomme (FRA)
Tour Down Under
Surf Coast Classic
Mapei Cadel Evans Great Ocean
Faun-Ardèche Classic
Faun Drome Classic
Strade Bianche
Matthew Riccitello (USA)
Tour de La Provence
Volta ao Algarve
Faun-Ardèche Classic
Volta a Catalunya
Itzulia Basque Country
Tour Auvergne Rhône Alpes
Donostia San Sebastian Klasikoa
Vuelta a España
Callum Scotson (AUS)
Tour Down Under
Surf Coast Classic
Mapei Cadel Evans Great Ocean
Paul Seixas (FRA)
Volta ao Algarve
Faun-Ardèche Classic
Strade Bianche
Itzulia Basque Country
La Flèche Wallonne
Liège–Bastogne–Liège
Johannes Staune-Mittet (NOR)
Volta ao Algarve
Faun-Ardèche Classic
Faun Drome Classic
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