Watching the peloton - Professional Road Racing thread 2026

[stompandgo]

Wout.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Have you tracked UCI XCO competition in Les Gets?
MVDP came the second behind the Specialized guy Adrien Boichis. You might even be the best pro peloton rider in the world but there always will be a rider who can understand the mountain bike better than you do Still, big congrats to the Dutch!

 

[stompandgo]

That was unreal. I wish Pidcock was there. Thanks for posting.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

That was unreal. I wish Pidcock was there. Thanks for posting.

Next week! While the Les Gets was the World Cup, next week it is the World Championship. From what I hear, both MVDP and Pidcock are expected there.

 

[Rás Cnoic]

Have you tracked UCI XCO competition in Les Gets?
MVDP came the second behind the Specialized guy Adrien Boichis. You might even be the best pro peloton rider in the world but there always will be a rider who can understand the mountain bike better than you do Still, big congrats to the Dutch!

He started as a mountainbiker. Has European & National jerseys & 3 World Cup round victories.

These days he isn't seeded so does the short lap qualifying race, couple of days ago, finished 10th which bought him a second row start and then had to fight his way to the front in the early laps, caught the five in front like a hunting shark even took the lead at one point and managed to come second. His bike skills looked pretty damn good to me!

I like the Les Gets course. Some XC courses don't seem technical enough or varied but this one has everything.

Last year Van Der Poel must have started further back, similarly he went on the hunt and nearly made the front but the effort exhausted him and he finished 6th I think. That was his last mtb race before this weekend!

 

[Rás Cnoic]

Did ye notice Paul Seixas ringing the last lap bell!!

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

Wow, that hail storm reminded me of our Denver days. Got serious to apocalyptic hail there several times a thunderstorm season (roughly May-September).

Can't imaging riding and especially descending in that stuff — including the hail already on the ground. Was really looking forward to the finish, but glad they canceled the stage.

 

[Rás Cnoic]

Wow, that hail storm reminded me of our Denver days. Got serious to apocalyptic hail there several times a thunderstorm season (roughly May-September).

Can't imaging riding and especially descending in that stuff — including the hail already on the ground. Was really looking forward to the finish, but glad they canceled the stage.

That lightning could have been dangerous too.

 

[stompandgo]

That lightning could have been dangerous too.

There were two reasons that the stage was neutralized then canceled, and they were not rain and hail. The two reasons were lightning and Tadej Pogacar. We do not, at any level of bike racing, race in a lightning storm. It's in the insurance documents. How the jury handles the results is up to the jury. The other influence was the leader. They have no official capacity to dictate any decision of the commissaires, but they can gather the peloton to unite and simply stop riding. The commissaires know this, so when a leader comes back to the red car, they listen.

 

[Rás Cnoic]

This young Belgian lad looks an interesting future prospect, Jarno Widar. Finished 2nd today, aged just 20 but bloody impressive early palmares. One to watch.

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

In TdF 2026, Tadej racked up a huge GC advantage early on. Then he used some of the wiggle room that gave him to boost Del Torro in a big way.

Today's stunning Stage 4 win puts him in a similar poition in the Vuelta early on. Will he boost a different UAE rider this time — say, Ayuso or Vine?

Have other big stars done this kind of "philanthropic" team development? How do the team mates not chosen feel about such favoritism?

 

[Rás Cnoic]

In TdF 2026, Tadej racked up a huge GC advantage early on. Then he used some of the wiggle room that gave him to boost Del Torro in a big way.

Today's stunning Stage 4 win puts him in a similar poition in the Vuelta early on. Will he boost a different UAE rider this time — say, Ayuso or Vine?

Have other big stars done this kind of "philanthropic" team development? How do the team mates not chosen feel about such favoritism?

Can't remember but it's not usual at the pointy end because it's rare there is any oxygen to spare. Pog is rare. Racing is never so one sided where you have the space to be magnanimous.

I do think the race for second looks interesting which is a consolation.