Bicycle Racing News and Opinion,
Thursday, January 29, 2026
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2025 Tour de France | 2025 Giro d'Italia
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Current racing:
- January 28 - February 1: Challenge Ciclista Mallorca
Upcoming racing:
- February 1: Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race
- February 1: GP Cycliste de Marseille - La Marseilaise
Latest completed racing:
- January 29: Surf Coast Classic Race cancelled
- January 17 - 25: Tour Down Under
- January 25: Classica Comunitat Valenciana 1969-GP Valencia
- 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
We posted the report from winner António Morgado's UAE Team Emirates-XRG with the results.
Here’s the report from Andrea Pietrobon’s Team Polti-VisitMalta:
The opening stage of the Challenge Mallorca saw Italian cyclist Andrea Pietrobon securing a podium finish for Team Polti VisitMalta as the day’s best climber. Mattia Bais was the team’s best finisher, though he didn’t place among the top three.
A rainy, hilly stage. Getty photo
The cyclist himself admitted that his debut had been challenging: “I didn’t arrive in top form due to some health issues, but I managed to get into the breakaway, which was later joined by other riders. I gained points in the early kilometres for the mountains classification, then I had to drop back, but at least I’ve earned this prize of a podium finish as the best climber.”
Jesús Hernández, sports director: “It was a day of survival, with many crashes and problems due to the cold, rain, and wind. Pietrobon showed great commitment and sacrifice to win the KOM prize, so we’re taking that as a positive note compared to the crashes of Crescioli, Raccagni, and Tercero, which shouldn’t have major consequences.”
The Challenge Mallorca continues tomorrow with the second stage, a 24-kilometer team time trial between Ses Salines and Colonia Sant Jordi, a race for specialists.
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Here’s the Trofeo Calvia report from Team Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe:
First race, a hard-fought performance – and just shy of the podium: the opening chapter of Adrien Boichies’ WorldTeam career could hardly have been more intense.
After stepping up from the development ranks, the young Frenchman showed immediate presence in his first race at the highest level and was rewarded with a strong performance.
Mallorca presented itself from an untypical side. Persistent rain, strong gusts of wind and temperatures barely reaching double figures on the climbs made conditions demanding from the very start. Even on the way to the start line, it was clear this would be no gentle season opener, but a true test of resilience. The rolling course profile further promised a physically demanding race.
Adrien Boichies racing in Trofeo Calvia. Getty Image
The race went up and down all day, with the pace remaining high throughout. A first decisive move came midway through the race on the climb to the Coll de Sóller, where a leading group formed – with Adrien Boichies among them. In the difficult conditions, the race turned into a pure man-to-man battle.
Boichies stayed at the front through the decisive phase and was only dropped by a duo in the final 15 kilometres. In the end, just a few seconds separated him from his first professional podium – a strong result on WorldTeam debut. A performance that leaves plenty to look forward to, and a promising start to his first season at the top level.
Once again, Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe claimed fourth place at the Trofeu Calvià, mirroring last year’s result achieved by Frederik Wandahl with a similarly courageous ride.
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Here’s the team’s update:
Just a couple of days after concluding the Tour Down Under with two riders in the top ten overall and the white jersey in the bag, our squad will be in action at the Cadel Evans Road Race (1 February), the season’s first World Tour one-day race.
Starting and finishing in Geelong, the course is 186.1 kilometers in length and has as main attraction the Challambra Crescent climb, which peaks at 11% and will be tackled a total of four times. From the top, a fast descent and some technical turns follow – one last opportunity for those hoping to prevent things from coming down to a reduced bunch sprint.
Soudal Quick-Step will start the tenth edition of the race with the same riders that took part in the Tour Down Under: Alberto Dainese, Pascal Eenkhoorn, Casper Pedersen, Andrea Raccagni – winner of the youth classification at the season’s first World Tour event – Pepijn Reinderink, Fabio Van Den Bossche, and Filippo Zana.
Andrea Raccagni after stage five at the 2026 Tour Down Under. Sirotti photo
“It’s going to be a hard and fast race, which doesn’t come as a surprise, but we have riders capable of surviving the climbs and being there in the finale to fight for a nice result”, said sports director Geert Van Bondt. “At the same time, we hope that everyone in the Great Ocean Road region will be ok. It’s sad that the Surf Coast Classic was cancelled, but we fully understand the reasons behind this decision.”
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Here’s the team’s news:
The Tour de France stage winner and yellow jersey wearer signed a long-term contract to race with our squad through 2029. Since joining EF Education-EasyPost as a 21-year-old rookie in 2022, Ben has become one of the most exciting racers of his generation. He has won stages of the Giro d’Italia, Itzulia Basque Country and the Tour de France, as well as Irish road and time trial titles. He finished on the podium at the world championships, the Amstel Gold Race and Liège-Bastogne-Liège.
Ben Healy in yellow after 2025 Tour de France stage 11. Sirotti photo
What sets Ben apart is not just his list of results, though. Ben’s methodical, critical approach to bike racing makes our entire team better. He pushes us to keep questioning how to go faster. Ben’s willingness to attack pro cycling’s hardest races from far out and make his moves stick inspires all of his teammates and fans around the world.
Ben has big ambitions for the years ahead. Together with his close-knit crew of EF Education-EasyPost teammates, he wants to go for grand tour stage wins and Monument victories.
“I’m close mates with the guys on the team, and that creates an infectious atmosphere that brings everyone closer together,” Ben said.
“It’s not just us guys, it’s everyone, all the staff. There’s not a race or a training camp you go to where you are disappointed to be there. It’s always good fun and the dinner table’s always a great laugh. We spend so many days on the road, so that is super important. It makes you work that bit harder for each other.”
EF Education-EasyPost is the most youthful squad in the men’s WorldTour. Younger talents such as Markel Beloki, Mattia Agostinacchio and Noah Hobbs, who joined our squad in recent years, already look to 25-year-old Ben to lead them at cycling’s most prestigious races. They want to take decisive pulls for him as they race in his slipstream toward cycling superstardom. That comes with pressure, but Ben handles it with aplomb. He wants to be a role model for his teammates.
“Ben is what we want as a leader,” said EF Pro Cycling founder and CEO Jonathan Vaughters. “He is thoughtful and always seeking to improve. Most importantly, he is always willing to risk. Our team has and always will be built on the outsider willing to take a chance. Ben is that.”
Since joining EF Education-EasyPost, Ben has continued to push the envelope. He has never been one to let anyone else define what he can achieve in the sport. The approach that has brought him so much success so far is the same one he will use to try to beat the best riders in pro cycling at grand tour stages and Monuments.
“I just need to continue being myself,” Ben said.
“I want to lead by example. I want to go about it how I always have done. I love the process of getting better. Coming out of the offseason, after not riding my bike for a couple of weeks, I was so excited to get back into that process. I find it so rewarding. To be here in this position with the palmarès that I have is something I’m super proud of. I have grown so much as a rider and really refined my craft. I’ve never lost the hunger for it.”
Ben’s determination to never settle for the status quo goes beyond training and tactics to equipment and clothing design. He is constantly tinkering with his bike and kit to try to find extra speed. That makes him a huge asset for partners such as Cannondale and ASSOS.
“When I first joined the team, I might have seemed like a crazy guy, but there’s obviously something to it and we’ve worked well together,” Ben said. “A big part of that from my side was definitely my coach, Jacob Tipper, who is here on the team now as well. For sure, we’re moving in a really nice direction with ASSOS and our Cannondale bikes. To be honest, it can’t get much better.”
Trust Ben to find every little way to get better, though. He loves thinking through every detail of his equipment, his training, and race courses and tactics to figure out how to win.
“The racing is just a bonus at the end,” Ben said. “Getting to that place where I know I can go compete with the best is what motivates me. I enjoy racing and I enjoy being at the front of a race, but if you don’t put in the work, you’re not going to be there. The wins are obviously amazing, but it’s just getting to the point where you are able to race and compete to win those races that drives me.”
Ben has already proven that he can take on anyone when he does that. Look forward to some massive Ben Healy attacks in the years ahead.
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