We’ve started the first year of a three year promotion and relegation cycle. As a result the urgency and desperation is gone. Keep an eye on two things instead: financial health of the World Tour teams and the jostling teams in the second division.
UCI Women’s Points And Rankings Tables
Here the the UCI points tables for the women and like the men’s tables, their tucked inside a PDF on the UCI’s website so this blog post isn’t a gripping read but just puts all the scales on one page for reference.
The women’s rankings system changes for 2026 and copies the same scales as the men but with fewer races on the calendar and stage races that often have shorter durations, there are less points on offer during the season.
UCI Men’s Points And Rankings Tables
Do rankings and points matter in cycling? Demonstrably not as they’re hard to find. You need to get to the regulations page on the UCI website then scroll to road races and find the right PDF to download. Manage that and 87 pages into a 400 page document come the badly-formatted tables.
Anyway this blog post is just to put the UCI points scales all on one page for handy reference during the year. So if you want something to read today… try something else.
Tour de France Wildcards
Caja Rural get the last wildcard invite to the Tour de France and the Unibet Rose Rockets are left out. It’s a surprise but once you look at the trend it shouldn’t be a shock.
Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Route
The route of the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes has been unveiled and it’s actually a much better Dauphiné route than we’ve had in recent years with a real start in the heart of the ancient Dauphiné province. So the name change will need a while to sink in.
Here’s a stage-by-stage look followed by some notes on the wildcard invites, TV schedules and possible contenders.
Pogacar and Ku Coin
Tadej Pogačar is the new “Global Brand Ambassador” of Ku Coin, a cryptocurrency exchange. He’s not the first or last athlete or celebrity to front for a crypto company.
This company has been on European warning lists, fined in Canada and the US. It’s also been in the news lately after being linked to a massive financial scandal in South-East Asia.
Predictions For 2026
Some predictions for 2026. Yes Pogačar is there, but inside the crystal ball there are foolhardy glimpses of sprinting, TV coverage, scandal and even bidons for the year ahead.
Tour Down Under Preview
This year’s edition is harder than ever with fewer stages for the sprinters and more climbing. Here’s a preview including the likely finish times in case you need to set your alarm clock.
Riders To Watch For 2026
Ten riders to watch in 2026. Some are picked as tips for their raw talent, others to see what paths they will go down and the stories this tells about their teams and the sport.
Neo-Pros To Watch For 2026
Ten neo-pros to introduce and watch for 2026. It’s an unusual year with few riders turning pro but this year’s draft has some big names.