Watching the peloton - Professional Road Racing thread 2026

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My guess on why some teams used XTR Di2 rear derailleurs instead of GRX Di2 rear derailleurs is that with the XTR mid-cage version, they can run a 1x 9-45 rear cassette, like I have on my Pinarello, which has close ratio gearing up to the 21T cog. Also, the XTR is clutchless, and manages chain slap through a different, dual spring design, which should allow for faster wheel changes.
 
Good starting line up forming for the Amstel Gold Race this weekend (19th), not a Monument but a famous old Classic in Holland now in its 60th year and signals a change from cobbles to better roads so attracts more Tour riders, the next Monument Liege Bastogne Liege continues this. Tom Pidcock is back from his ravine diving exploits minus one of his cats lives... Ben Healy - first classic this year after Basque Country? Showing some form there after a slow start this year... Remco Tries Again... and plenty more decent riders.

Startlist for Amstel Gold Race 2026

Competing teams and riders for Amstel Gold Race 2026. Top competitors are Remco Evenepoel, Thomas Pidcock and Christian Scaroni.
www.procyclingstats.com www.procyclingstats.com
 
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Different sites are reporting different team lineups and different rider priorities. I think the startlist is still in flux. It's a Flo race so no live feed for me.
 
stompandgo said:
Different sites are reporting different team lineups and different rider priorities. I think the startlist is still in flux. It's a Flo race so no live feed for me.
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Yes Pro Cycling Stats evolves as teams make decisions. Good guide to get a flavour and they don't usually retract an entry once it's on there, unless injury sickness of course.
 
Jeremy McCreary said:
Woohoo, saw something on a Paris-Roubaix bike that I have on mine — Schwalbe Clik valves! Closest I'll ever get.
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It's the tyre sizes I find I'm most curious about, Pog with his 38mm front tyre and this vid talking about a lot of teams on 34mm. It goes up each year. And of course with internal rim width also going wider these tyres tend to go wider than advertised like Pog with 35 up to 37.9 or so.
 
FYI

from Wikipedia:

The Ardennes classics[1] are three cycling classics held in mid-April in the Belgian Ardennes and southern Limburg in the Netherlands: Liège–Bastogne–Liège,[2] La Flèche Wallonne[3] and Amstel Gold Race.[4] First held in 1892, 1936 and 1966 respectively, the races are notable for their hilly courses, and often have similar riders competing for the top positions as the races are held closely following each other. Cyclists that are specialized in these hilly courses are known as puncheurs. In recent years, the three classics have been held within an 8-day timeframe.
 
Rás Cnoic said:
Yes Pro Cycling Stats evolves as teams make decisions. Good guide to get a flavour and they don't usually retract an entry once it's on there, unless injury sickness of course.
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They all do that. I use Cyclingflash for the calendar and startlist, and PCS to follow Modern Adventure. PCS has too many ads, at least in the US.
 
stompandgo said:
They all do that. I use Cyclingflash for the calendar and startlist, and PCS to follow Modern Adventure. PCS has too many ads, at least in the US.
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The adds have increased for sure, particularly those you have to watch for a spell to see the page.
 
Ben Healy out of all three Ardennes classics with a sacral fracture. He crashed on a reconnaissance TT ride at the Basque race but didn't know and raced all the stages anyway despite the pain. Finally the fracture was discovered with an MRI and he needs time to recover. Jesus he even won the combativity award on the Queens stage.

Big shame, they are the right hilly puncheur races for him. Tom Pidcock scratched from Amstel this Sunday too, dunno why. Remco looking big favourite.
 
Head honcho of Silca, Josh Poertner gives his take on the punctures at Paris Roubaix. I mean he has skin in the game, but he was there on the day and works closely with a number of the teams including Visma so it's interesting hearing his diagnosis.

 
Watching the highlights of stage 5 of the O Gran Camino and a brilliant young Italian climber (22) I've never heard of before wins this steep climbing stage from Adam Yates (last 1000m of climb was on cobbles!). His name is Alessandro Pinarello - I mean at what age did he decide to become a cyclist!!? INEOS have to buy him!

I wonder if he's connected to the bike brand. All these Italian bikes are family run anyway.


Adam Y wins GC. Pleased for him, love his incredible yet calm looking out of saddle climbing style, looks merciless. The sole remaining twin on the road after Simon's abrupt retirement. Hope he has a good season, he's down for Giro & Tour at the moment, trusty climbing lieutenant in both I guess.
 
Rás Cnoic said:
Head honcho of Silca, Josh Poertner gives his take on the punctures at Paris Roubaix. I mean he has skin in the game, but he was there on the day and works closely with a number of the teams including Visma so it's interesting hearing his diagnosis.
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Thanks for the link. so many videos out there. I have this in my queue.
Riding my non ebike today, I was sensitive to the PSI. I always am. even as a slow guy. but at their speeds and the square edged cobbles, every rider is gambling a bit.. riding in a pack, not being able to chose an optimal line.
 
edobici_forza said:
Thanks for the link. so many videos out there. I have this in my queue.
Riding my non ebike today, I was sensitive to the PSI. I always am. even as a slow guy. but at their speeds and the square edged cobbles, every rider is gambling a bit.. riding in a pack, not being able to chose an optimal line.
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Yeah the post Paris Roubaix YouTube frenzy was pretty mad! For a sport that can't figure out how to to make a profit it keeps increasing interest both on the side of the roads (mad crowds) and online. But I thought this one was interesting because of Silca and he's always entertaining. He's quite happy to be opinionated and take on rival brands. Had a big old ding dong with Muck Off last year! And yes absolutely about the type of cobbles, these are vicious looking jagged blocks at all angles. I'm still amazed that for years and years they rode at these speeds on 21-25mm tubulars at a very high PSI.
 
Jeremy McCreary said:
Amstel Gold 2026 men's highlights are up on YouTube.
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Just saw them thanks - no surprise really. Was going to watch the full race but busy day here. Happy for Remco but it was a reduced field apart from Skjelmose. Still a win is a win especially a Classic.
 
Horrific crash at 41 km, with Vauquelin sliding out in a turn and taking Jorgenson down hard with him. The latter looked badly injured and left the race. The energy left in his somersaulting bike after he hit the deck showed the true violence of the impact.

I was pulling for Skjelmose to repeat last year's win at the end but also happy for Remco. Good to see him smiling again.



Such a gentlemanly sport. Also totally insane — as I once again realized on hearing the caller say the phrase "after 250 km of racing" through my pre-coffee stupor. Not riding, racing. How is this even possible?
 
Jeremy McCreary said:
Horrific crash at 41 km, with Vauquelin sliding out in a turn and taking Jorgenson down hard with him. The latter looked badly injured and left the race. The energy left in his somersaulting bike after he hit the deck showed the true violence of the impact.

I was pulling for Skjelmose to repeat last year's win at the end but also happy for Remco. Good to see him smiling again.



Such a gentlemanly sport. Also totally insane — as I once again realized on hearing the caller say the phrase "after 250 km of racing" through my pre-coffee stupor. Not riding, racing. How is this even possible?
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Yeah and something like 3800metres of climbing - and in the Netherlands! I saw the crash briefly in highlights, awful one, no time for Jorgenson to avoid it. That changed the race.
 
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