Watching the peloton - Professional Road Racing thread 2026

Looks like RCS/Iris signed with HBO Max for the US.

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NBC usually broadcasts the final stage of the TdF. Peacock is the streaming arm of NBC. Right now I am subscribed to Peacock and HBO Max. There are a LOT of cycling races on HBO Max, a lot more than in the chart. That was representative of "Key WT Races". I have some catching up to do.
 
stompandgo said:
NBC usually broadcasts the final stage of the TdF. Peacock is the streaming arm of NBC. Right now I am subscribed to Peacock and HBO Max. There are a LOT of cycling races on HBO Max, a lot more than in the chart. That was representative of "Key WT Races". I have some catching up to do.
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Sorry, meant Peacock, which belongs to NBC, no? Watched the entire TdF, Giro, and Vuelta live on Peacock for the last 2 years.

So question is, will that work again in 2026?
 
Suddenly, Stage 4 of the 2026 Mens Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana is available for live streaming on HBO Max at 0645 tomorrow morning.

No sign of earlier stage replays or highlights at this point. *

Live UAE Tour coverage will start on Feb 16, Vuelta Andalucia on Feb 18.

What's the difference between a volta and a vuelta in Spanish racing?

* ADDENDUM: Stage 1-3 replays via TNT appeared within minutes of typing this!
 
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Jeremy McCreary said:
Suddenly, Stage 4 of the 2026 Mens Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana is available for live streaming on HBO Max at 0645 tomorrow morning.

No sign of earlier stage replays or highlights at this point.

Live UAE Tour coverage will start on Feb 16, Vuelta Andalucia on Feb 18.

What's the difference between a volta and a vuelta in Spanish racing?
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The earlier stage replays are there. Caught up on stages 2 and 3 tonight. Stage 1 was pretty good, really nice to see Biniam off to a good start with NSN.

Don't bother watching the time trial Stage 2: due to high winds they announced the times wouldn't count towards GC so many of the riders cruised it and the broadcast was missing times interspersed with wildly inaccurate stats.

Stage 3 was a good one - no spoilers here - but when you have the breakaway, the peloton, and the finish line in one camera shot it's a good race! Well played by Ineos.
 
BlackHand said:
The earlier stage replays are there. Caught up on stages 2 and 3 tonight. Stage 1 was pretty good, really nice to see Biniam off to a good start with NSN.

Don't bother watching the time trial Stage 2: due to high winds they announced the times wouldn't count towards GC so many of the riders cruised it and the broadcast was missing times interspersed with wildly inaccurate stats.

Stage 3 was a good one - no spoilers here - but when you have the breakaway, the peloton, and the finish line in one camera shot it's a good race! Well played by Ineos.
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Likewise, it was great to see Girmay winning for his new team. Great confidence builder start of season.
 
Been thinking about the nationalities I've HEARD ABOUT one way or another during the races I've watched over the last 2 years.

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Seems like the vast majority of riders mentioned during races hail from countries west of the rough blue line I drew above, Americas included.

Cut out Sweden cuz I just haven't heard much about Swedish riders. No shortage of Norwegian riders, though. Why?
 
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Jeremy McCreary said:
Been thinking about the nationalities I've HEARD ABOUT one way or another during the races I've watched over the last 2 years.

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Seems like the vast majority of riders mentioned during races hail from countries west of the rough blue line I drew above, Americas included.

Cut out Sweden cuz I just haven't heard much about Swedish riders. No shortage of Norwegian riders, though. Why?
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Scientifically not sure why more Norwegians over Swedes (Saw that Norway holds the record for most medals at Winter Olympics as well, amazing for population size) Could be tradition, both Denmark and Norway have strong rider representation in peloton, perhaps amateur racing tradition not as strong in Sweden. The Belarussians and Russians are banned from racing under national colours, as is same in Olympics, flying under neutral white flag since start of war as all the Russian/Bela riders have had to. Obviously Astana are still based out of Kazakhstan backed by the State oil company (highly ironic that so many pro cycling teams are sponsored by big oil! good ol' sportswashing) and although the number of Kazak riders has diminished since Cavendish rode with them, now having more Italians and feeling like an Italian team, it still has a number of Kazak riders.

You are also missing what could become an explosion of riders; Eritrea and Rwanda, a group of pros led by Biniam Girmay making big inroads, and the ever more popular Tour of Rwanda. It could become like Kenya for middle distance runners, Ethiopia for marathon etc. I hope (though doubt) the UCI is doing enough to foster cycling in these countries as equipment costs are the biggest barriers compared to athletics. Gravel racing is taking off as well, with thousands of miles of incredible dirt roads all over Africa.

Also there are loads of Aussies and several Kiwis and Saffas. So many Aussies!
 
Also I thought for a minute your blue line was the route of the European Divide Trail - an off road cycling route (and annual race) from the Arctic Circle/Northern Sweden to the Atlantic edge, bottom of Portugal. Until I saw your blue line dipped into the Med...
 
Belgians and Swedes dominate cyclocross, but they are represented in the Men's Elite. The Women's Elite has what seems like a better representation of eastern Europeans. I haven't seen very many Finnish riders, of any gender. That's just my impression, no data.

Borghini put on a master class in attacking today at the WE UAE Tour. Women riders have this thing about playing cat and mouse at ridiculously low speeds. I've seen this at all levels, from amateur to WT. They roll around just looking at each other, waiting for one to attack. It can work, and it did today, because the best rider was stronger than the rest of her group. She ended the cat and mouse nonsense by attacking hard, easing up, allowing her pursuers to catch, then attack again. And again. And again. The Polish champion gave it all she had but blew and ended up 5th.
 
I
stompandgo said:
Belgians and Swedes dominate cyclocross, but they are represented in the Men's Elite. The Women's Elite has what seems like a better representation of eastern Europeans. I haven't seen very many Finnish riders, of any gender. That's just my impression, no data.

Borghini put on a master class in attacking today at the WE UAE Tour. Women riders have this thing about playing cat and mouse at ridiculously low speeds. I've seen this at all levels, from amateur to WT. They roll around just looking at each other, waiting for one to attack. It can work, and it did today, because the best rider was stronger than the rest of her group. She ended the cat and mouse nonsense by attacking hard, easing up, allowing her pursuers to catch, then attack again. And again. And again. The Polish champion gave it all she had but blew and ended up 5th.
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I think it's Belgians and Dutch in cyclocross no? Personified by Van Aert versus Van Der Poel - one things for sure the higher reaches are almost totally populated by vans!

Yes more races coming now, & a week away from the men's UAE before they hit the bitter cold of Belgium a week later for the Omloop, having to reacclimatise after all the Spanish or desert races!

I'm only seeing patchy you tube highlights, bits and pieces of races but that's ok for now, will need to sort out proper viewing before March and the monuments.
 
Stong solo win for Liane Lippert in the women's Volta de la Comunitat Valenciana, Stage 5.


I like pro cycling with a feminine touch...

 
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You guys devote your attention mostly to road cycling while...


There is a 1,400+ km long gravel race in Atlas Mountains, Morocco right now. The Polish Radosław Gołębiewski has a great chance for the podium! These people have pit-stops every 350 km at hotels. It is freezing cold out there in the mountains. "You take a nap, you lose".

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One of the official photos.

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My September 2025 photo with the superhuman Radek (he won that 1,104 km race at the speed unattainable for any of his competitors: 47 h 51 min 33 s.).
 
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