Bicycle Racing News and Opinion,
Thursday, October 22, 2026
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Be like the bird who, pausing in her flight awhile on boughs too slight, feels them give way beneath her, and yet sings, knowing she hath wings. - Victor Hugo
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.
Upcoming racing:
Latest completed racing:
- 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.
The team sent me this news:
Netcompany INEOS is proud to announce the signing of Michael Valgren on a two-year contract.
The 34-year-old Dane brings over a decade's worth of WorldTour experience and an impressive palmares including victories at Amstel Gold Race and Omloop Het Nieuwsblad.
The former national champion and World Championship bronze medallist enjoyed a strong return to winning form in 2026, claiming stage victories at both Tirreno-Adriatico and the Giro d'Italia.
Michael Valgren wins stage 5 of the 2026 Tirreno-Adriatico. Sirotti photo
Valgren's experience and versatility will add valuable strength to the team's Classics group, while his leadership and race knowledge will be an important asset across the wider squad.
Michael Valgren said: “To finally have the opportunity to join Netcompany INEOS is a dream come true. It's a team I've always wanted to be part of, so in many ways, it feels like things have come full circle.
“I'm really looking forward to joining such a special organisation, where no stone is left unturned in the pursuit of performance. I believe the environment and resources here can help me find those extra few per cent to raise my level and continue fighting for victories.
“Just as importantly, I want to use my experience to help bring the group together, support our collective efforts in races and guide the talented young riders coming through the team. That's something I'm really motivated by.
“I'm also really looking forward to working with Geraint Thomas, someone I've admired throughout my career. His dedication and work ethic have always been a source of inspiration for me, and I hope I can play my part in carrying on the legacy he's built within the team.”
Geraint Thomas, Director of Racing, said: “I've known Michael personally for a long time and I've always had a lot of respect for him, both as a rider and as a person. He's a great character who I know will fit really well into the team.
“He brings a huge amount of experience and has shown he's still racing at an incredibly high level, particularly after everything he's been through following his crash. To come back from that and be winning big races again says a lot about his character and determination.
“He'll bring real strength and experience to our Classics group, but just as importantly, he'll be a great addition to the team off the bike too. We're really looking forward to having him with us.”
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Here’s the team’s news:
The Danish powerhouse has committed to another two years with Lidl-Trek
Since joining Lidl-Trek in 2025, Søren Kragh Andersen has established himself as a valuable member of the squad, bringing a wealth of experience, strength and versatility to the team across a demanding racing calendar.
A proven winner at the highest level, the 32-year-old Dane boasts an impressive palmarès that include two stage victories at the 2020 Tour de France and success at both Eschborn-Frankfurt and Paris-Tours. His ability to perform across a variety of terrain, from the cobbled Classics to the biggest stage races, has made him an important asset to Lidl-Trek.
Soren Kragh Andersen scores a brilliant solo win at the 2018 Paris-Tours.
Kragh Andersen: "I am super excited to stay with this team. It has always been a dream being in this team, but I think now with the commitment from Lidl, it is an even more exciting future and I am really happy to be on board."
Beyond his individual ambitions, Kragh Andersen has become a trusted teammate, playing a key role in supporting the team’s leaders and contributing to its collective success, especially in the Classics. His experience, tactical intelligence and selfless approach to racing are qualities that will remain invaluable as Lidl-Trek plans an ambitious 2027 campaign.
With his future secured for another two seasons, Kragh Andersen is looking forward to building on the progress made during his time with the team, while continuing to chase opportunities for success both individually and collectively.
"The Classics are big goals, especially helping Mads Pedersen win a Monument. Personally I would also love to win a stage at the Giro d’Italia, Tour of Denmark and Tour of Luxembourg. For the rest, it’s about high performance, being part of the team and helping it grow. This is the strongest team I’ve ever been a part of and it’s going to be cool." - Soren Kragh Andersen
Andy Schleck, Lidl-Trek CEO also commented:
“Søren is exactly the kind of rider every team wants to have. He’s incredibly strong, experienced and versatile, but what really stands out is his commitment to the team and the work he does for others. He’s someone we know we can rely on in the biggest races, whether that’s supporting our leaders or taking his own opportunities. Over the past few years, he’s become an important part of our group, both on and off the bike, and we’re really happy that he’ll continue with us through 2028. We have big ambitions for the coming seasons, and having riders like Søren in the team is essential to achieving them.”
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The team sent me this announcement:
We are proud to announce that climbing specialist Ivan Sosa will bring his talents to EF Education-EasyPost beginning in 2027.
The Colombian’s palmares includes overall wins at the Vuelta a Burgos, Tour de Langkawi, Tour de la Provence, and the Vuelta Asturias, among others. On his way to claiming GC titles, he’s also taken stages at the same races, and this spring won stage three of the Presidential Cycling Tour of Türkiye. This season he has finished second at the Colombian national championship, the Presidential Cycling Tour of Türkiye, and the Mercan’Tour Classic Alpes-Maritimes.
Ivan Sosa wins stage three of the 2026 Tour of Turkey.
After a challenging period, Ivan ended his 2025 season early so he could have surgery on his iliac artery and start the recovery process. The surgery went well and he seemed to have healed well but Ivan knew the real verdict would come out when he returned to racing. His first race back was the Colombian national championships this past January and he finished in second place, just seconds off of the winning time. His mountain top win in Türkiye confirmed that he is fully back.
“I think I came [to Türkiye] with that sense of excitement,” Ivan said. “I’d already gotten off to a good start at the national championship in Colombia, and coming here to Europe, I wanted to do really well. I think I wanted to do well at the Volta Ciclista Catalunya, but I had a bit of an allergy. In the end, it was a step-by-step process, and in Türkiye it was really great to win again, and I think that kind of restored my confidence and motivated me to keep working toward more victories.”
With a pair of top 10 stage results at the Vuelta a España and returning to the WorldTour, Ivan knows he is heading in the right direction.
“Everything's just getting better and better. I’m growing more and more, and I feel better and better,” he said. ”I'm really happy, really pleased, because I also had the chance to see how my body was holding up and I realize that I’m fine now. It really motivates me to be able to rejoin the WorldTour and know that I’ll have the team’s support—everyone’s support—and that we’ll be able to improve and win races. That’s what I want and what I think the team wants, too.”
Team founder and CEO Jonathan Vaughters agrees.
“Ivan is on his way to firing on all cylinders for the first time in a few years,” Vaughters said. “He’s going to be a huge help to our team when we’re racing in the high mountains. He is savvy enough to get himself into a strong breakaway and then he’s strong enough to be able to make it to the finale. We saw him do that twice at the Vuelta a España. And after his recovery from iliac artery surgery, he has shown how motivated he is to race aggressively in search of wins. That’s the kind of rider we look for.”
Ivan grew up in Pasca, a small town near Bogotá. One of his uncles loved sports, cycling in particular. He used to regularly organize rides with a handful of cousins.
“After all our other cousins had dropped out, it was just me and another cousin,” Ivan said. “That cousin was also a cyclist—though he’s since retired—and in the end, thanks to my uncle, that vision really took off. And here I am, still passionate about cycling.”
For Ivan, joining EF Education-EasyPost was an easy decision.
“I’ve heard great things about EF Education-EasyPost from riders on the team. They speak very highly of the team. And I think the team gave me the opportunity—and will continue to give me the opportunity—to come back and take that leap forward. And I believe that by working together with everyone who’s part of the team, I know we’re going to be able to achieve great things and we’re going to have lots of happy moments—lots of victories that we’ll experience along the way—but the idea is to try to have happy moments, right?”
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Here’s the team’s news:
The reigning Asian champion, Kazakhstan’s Yevgenyi Fedorov, has extended his contract with WorldTour team XDS Astana Team for another two seasons, through 2027 and 2028.
At the end of September, Fedorov competed at the Summer Asian Games in Japan, where, representing the Republic of Kazakhstan, he won the silver medal in the road race.
Yevgeniy enjoyed a strong season: in addition to his victories in the individual time trial and road race at the Asian Championships, the Kazakh rider won a stage of the Baku-Khankendi Azerbaijan Cycling Race and claimed the gold medal in the individual time trial at the National Championships. He also performed a huge amount of work as one of the key domestiques for XDS Astana Team’s other leaders.
Yevgeny Fedorov in 2024.
“This year, my preparation was built around two main goals – the Asian Championships in February and the Summer Asian Games in September, where I was due to represent Kazakhstan. With the support of the team, I managed to approach both events in optimal form, which allowed me to win medals for my country. Competing as part of the National Team is always a very important and responsible moment for me. Overall, I think it was a good season – I managed to win a stage of one of the races, and if it hadn’t been for a crash, I could have won the overall classification as well. In addition, I always gave my maximum to help the team achieve its goals at the most prestigious WorldTour races. Now we have signed a new agreement with the team, which I am very happy about. I will continue to work, improve as a professional rider and strive for strong results both with the team and while representing Kazakhstan”, – said Yevgeniy Fedorov.
“Yevgeniy turned professional at a young age. He is only 26, but already has six seasons in the WorldTour behind him. He improves year after year, achieving increasingly significant results on the European calendar, and he always gives 100% when representing Kazakhstan at any competition. This year, both at the Asian Championships and at the Asian Games, Yevgeniy gave his all and achieved excellent results. There were, of course, no doubts about extending his contract – the work continues, with new goals and new successes ahead. All of this – the team’s results and the success of our Kazakh riders on the world stage – is possible only thanks to the support of our main sponsors, Samruk-Kazyna and the SportQory Sports Support Fund, and I would like to express my enormous gratitude to them”, – said Alexandr Vinokurov, General Manager of XDS Astana Team.