2026 Stage Races Thread

[Daka]

Queen stage of Catalunya tonight with 3x Cat 1's, 1x Cat 2 before the MTF on Coll de Pal. Should sort the wheat from the chaff

That's if it's not cancelled or shortened, Coll De Pal is expecting 100+ km winds, they cancelled the Vallter 2000 climb over 90km winds.

 

[eth-dog]

That's if it's not cancelled or shortened, Coll De Pal is expecting 100+ km winds, they cancelled the Vallter 2000 climb over 90km winds.

Collada Sobirana wouldn't be a bad finishing point really. Would be a shame, Coll de Pal is a good climb (even though I won't watch cos I need to sleep).

 

[Daka]

Collada Sobirana wouldn't be a bad finishing point really. Would be a shame, Coll de Pal is a good climb (even though I won't watch cos I need to sleep).

Coll De Pal has been shortened by 2.2km not bad.
hopefully not shortened anymore.

 

[Daka]

Jonas goes solo with 6km to go, 3-4 riders could stay on the wheel but not for long.

Remco could not go with the pace for long after Vingegaard attacked, said to Lipo on the radio.

Pidcock & Almeida were involved in a crash on the descent before the Coll De Pal,
Almeida made it back to the peloton but was getting dropped early on climb, but Pidcock never made it back.

Gall looked very strong better than the rest, he could time his attacks better, always seem to attack that little bit earlir.

 

[Orange Agent]

He's on a higher level this year. Giro looks like being a non event.

 

[eth-dog]

He's on a higher level this year. Giro looks like being a non event.

Race for second like when Pogi came

 

[Daka]

He's on a higher level this year. Giro looks like being a non event.

He also climbed L'Angliru faster in 2025 than what he and Roglic did in 2023.
Mont Ventoux he & Pogi averaged over 410-420 watts for 54mins.

Despite some people thinking Jonas is worse now than in 2022-2023 it's not actually case. he is better, the problem is Pogačar improved dramatically in the high mountain since Jonas won the Tours.

2026 he is looking good again stronger than 2025 at the same stage of the season. I will say he wasn't right in 2024 after the serious crash, which is understandable, but I think he is back to his best now.

 

[Orange Agent]

He also climbed L'Angliru faster in 2025 than what he and Roglic did in 2023.
Mont Ventoux he & Pogi averaged over 410-420 watts for 54mins.

Despite some people thinking Jonas is worse than in 2022-2023 it's not actually case. he is better, the problem is Pogačar improved dramatically in the high mountain since Jonas won the Tours.

2026 he is looking good again stronger than 2025 at the same stage of the season. I will say he wasn't right in 2024 after the serious crash, which is understandable, but I think he is back to his best now.

I think the biggest difference now V then is the strength of both teams. Visma can't pull off a raid like they did back then.

 

[eth-dog]

I think the biggest difference now V then is the strength of both teams. Visma can't pull off a raid like they did back then.

They had a still dangerous Roglic to double team Pogi. They don't have someone like that anymore

 

[Daka]

I think the biggest difference now V then is the strength of both teams. Visma can't pull off a raid like they did back then.

UAE is the stronger team now, that's pretty evident, but still I don't think his performance individually has got worse.
The riders are stronger now than in 2022 imo.

 

[Daka]

Almeida's form has been concerning, says he hasn't been feeling good on the bike & it had nothing to do with the crash.
right now he is in 64th place at the Volta a Catalunya, Giro 40 days away...

 

[Daka]

Jonas Vingegaard wins Volta a Catalunya 2026.

(AUS) Brady Gilmore of (NSN) wins the final punchy stage in Barcelona, Godon 2nd on stage in bunch sprint, Remco tried but he didn't have the legs to drop them enough on the final climb & carry on was never going to beat these guys in bunch sprint.

Visma's team performance imo was not good, they have concerns... Jonas was isolated far too much if he ever got a mechnical in the valley's or today it could have been bad. I was concerned when the team line-up was announced.

 

[SpecialBruce]

Remco needs to focus on one day racing. Find a love for cobbles. Try MSR. He could win all five monuments.

Pogacar won’t be focusing on one day races that much anymore.

If he doesn’t win Roubaix this year he will go all in for that, just like MSR.

If he wins Roubaix, he is going to go for all three GTs next year. But he might hold that off until he wins the Vuelta.

 

[Daka]

Remco needs to focus on one day racing. Find a love for cobbles. Try MSR. He could win all five monuments.

Pogacar won’t be focusing on one day races that much anymore.

If he doesn’t win Roubaix this year he will go all in for that, just like MSR.

If he wins Roubaix, he is going to go for all three GTs next year. But he might hold that off until he wins the Vuelta.

I don't think he can win a cobbled classic monument from what I have seen with his bike handling skills.
but 100% he has a chance at MSR, and Liège he has already won it once, Lombardia he would have won had Pogačar not been on the start line.

 

[SpecialBruce]

I don't think he can win a cobbled classic monument from what I have seen with his bike handling skills.
but 100% he has a chance at MSR, and Liège he has already won it once, Lombardia he would have won had Pogačar not been on the start line.

He is still young so can develop into the cobbles and improve his bike handling.

 

[Orange Agent]

Remco needs to focus on one day racing. Find a love for cobbles. Try MSR. He could win all five monuments.

Pogacar won’t be focusing on one day races that much anymore.

If he doesn’t win Roubaix this year he will go all in for that, just like MSR.

If he wins Roubaix, he is going to go for all three GTs next year. But he might hold that off until he wins the Vuelta.

Hes gotta learn how to drop people off his wheel. You dont just sit there on flat, straight roads trucking along with your opposition sitting on your wheel.

 

[Daka]

Hes gotta learn how to drop people off his wheel. You dont just sit there on flat, straight roads trucking along with your opposition sitting on your wheel.

When Remco won 6 wins earlier in the year he was bullying riders that weren't good enough to stay on his wheel,
now he faced real competition that wouldn't just allow him to go for a sunday stroll.

I find it hilarious that Remco says "Jonas rode defensive all week" I think he is a confused rider with identity crisis.

 

[Daka]

It sucks that the Itzulia Basque Country 2026 is not going to be shown on SBS or Demand.

Juan Ayuso vs Isaac Del Toro vs Paul Seixas

 

[eth-dog]

It sucks that the Itzulia Basque Country 2026 is not going to be shown on SBS or Demand.

Juan Ayuso vs Isaac Del Toro vs Paul Seixas

Just ignoring Roglic and Tiberi? Johannessen too tbf.

Roglic or Del Toro to win, the hilly ITT first up favours Roglic and Ayuso.

 

[Daka]

Just ignoring Roglic and Tiberi? Johannessen too tbf.

Roglic or Del Toro to win, the hilly ITT first up favours Roglic and Ayuso.

I think Ayuso has a strong chance, he did beat Seixas at Algarve, but it was close. and I am expecting Seixas to be even better.
Roglic could be a contender, but he would have to improve lots based off his last stage race, he has raced the Basque Country lots and won so he has that experience going for him, you also have to take his age into it 36.

I think Del Toro is probably favorite & my pick to win he has won UAE & Tirreno-Adriatico
I am going to go with that form marker.

I am not expecting Paul Seixas to win, but holy shit if he does look out for the hype will be unreal.

 

[eth-dog]

I think Ayuso has a strong chance, he did beat Seixas at Algarve, but it was close. and I am expecting Seixas to be even better.
Roglic could be a contender, but he would have to improve lots based off his last stage race, he has raced the Basque Country lots and won so he has that experience going for him, you also have to take his age into it 36.

I think Del Toro is probably favorite & my pick to win he has won UAE & Tirreno-Adriatico
I am going to go with that form marker.

I am not expecting Paul Seixas to win, but holy shit if he does look out for the hype will be unreal.

Roglic past few years uses the first one to blow out cobwebs. Last year finished 8th in Algarve behind De Plus, Gregoire, Schachmann and Powless, then won Catalunya ahead of Ayuso, Mas, Landa and Martinez. Year before finished 10th in Paris-Nice, was first pre-crash in Itzulia and won the Dauphine.

He's the best week long stage racer ever. This parcourse suits him far more than Tirreno, I think he'll surprise you. Never write off a champion.

 

[Daka]

Roglic past few years uses the first one to blow out cobwebs. Last year finished 8th in Algarve behind De Plus, Gregoire, Schachmann and Powless, then won Catalunya ahead of Ayuso, Mas, Landa and Martinez. Year before finished 10th in Paris-Nice, was first pre-crash in Itzulia and won the Dauphine.

He's the best week long stage racer ever. This parcourse suits him far more than Tirreno, I think he'll surprise you. Never write off a champion.

You also said he would win Tirreno, you should have said he wouldn't win based off that fact that he usually starts slow. at least the couple of years.
I'll be happy to be surprised & proven wrong, but I think Del Toro is stronger now, younger & hungrier. Roglic doesn't really need to win this race since he has already won it twice, I don't think he will be as motivated as the others.

 

[eth-dog]

You also said he would win Tirreno, you should have said he wouldn't win based off that fact that he usually starts slow. at least the couple of years.
I'll be happy to be surprised & proven wrong, but I think Del Toro is stronger now, younger & hungrier. Roglic doesn't really need to win this race since he has already won it twice, I don't think he will be as motivated as the others.

Yeah, probably. He's also trying to peak later in the year than the rest. Not sure this is the best profile for Del Toro, the altitudes are relatively small this year and no MTF's for him.

 

[Daka]

Seixas team for Basque Country

 

[eth-dog]

Jeez that's underwhelming. Party pants the obvious main domestique.