Tadej Pogačar is already in command at the 2026 Tour de Romandie after winning Stage 1 ahead of Lenny Martinez and Florian Lipowitz. Elsewhere: reader poll results crown Wout van Aert’s Paris-Roubaix as the spring’s best Classic, women’s cycling prepares to make history on the Alto de L’Angliru, and the Washington D.C. Armed Forces Cycling Classic announces a partnership with ASO.
TOP STORY
- Pogi (Already) in Control at Tour de Romandie
RACE NEWS
- Reader Poll Results: Wout’s Paris-Roubaix Win Was Your Overwhelming Favorite
- Women’s Cycling to Make History at the Alto de L’Angliru
TEAM, RIDER AND CYCLING NEWS
- A New Chapter for Washington D.C.’s Premier Cycling Event
- British Students Invited to Design Official Tour de France Grands Départs 2027 Posters
- Despierto Amándote by Miranda! Named Official Song of La Vuelta 26
VIDEO
- PEZ Rides the Civiglio on Lake Como
Pogi (Already) in Control at Tour de Romandie
News flash: Tadej Pogačar did not win the prologue of the Tour de Romandie.
The extremely short — 3.2 kilometer — preliminary stage was won by a rider better suited to the effort: hardman/sprinter Dorian Godon of INEOS Grenadiers. Pogačar finished in sixth position, seven seconds back; his closest General Classification “threat” was Primož Roglič, another second in arrears.
Then Wednesday, things returned to normal. While not a multi-col, true “high mountains” stage, the profile proved a far better fit for Pogačar’s strengths: After his team largely controlled the field for the first 120 kilometers, the World/Tour/Liège/everything-but-Paris-Roubaix champ jumped early on the first-category climb to Ovronnaz. One rider held to his wheel: Bahrain-Victorious’ Lenny Martinez, who continues to impress.
The long descent and runout to the finish allowed Florian Lipowitz (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe), and later Jørgen Nordhagen (Visma | Lease A Bike) to bridge to the leading duo; the group then relayed, with Pogačar most often in lead position. The final result came down to a four-man sprint — which Pogačar easily bossed. You got the sense he never felt any pressure at all.
Romandie is Pogačar’s last competition before June’s Tour de Suisse, followed by the Tour de France. He currently sits atop the GC rankings; Lipowitz is his closest rival, 7 seconds behind. The remaining stages range from lumpy to mountainous; Pogačar extending his GC lead seems utterly reliable, and you can even imagine him winning every stage.
As I wrote elsewhere today: We’re all living in Pog’s world. For now.
Current GC Top Ten — Tour de Romandie, courtesy of Pro Cycling Stats
RACE NEWS
Reader Poll Results: Wout’s Paris-Roubaix Win Was Your Overwhelming Favorite
As someone who has written incessantly about my desire for more suspense in today’s road racing, I sure could have come up with a more suspenseful reader poll.
Honestly, it was closer than I thought. I figured that over 80% of you would have selected Paris-Roubaix as the spring’s best Classic. Instead, “just” 71% of you picked Wout’s triumph over cobbles, punctures, a recent history of mishaps, and Tadej Pogačar.
Milan-Sanremo followed about as close behind as, say, Pog’s closest rival in a mountainous race; 17% of you chose the G.O.A.T.’s nail-biting win over Pidcock and a closing field, followed by Flanders, Liège-Bastogne-Liège, Strade Bianche, and Amstel Gold. You weren’t impressed by Remco’s sole classic win this spring.
Here’s hoping for more races — and polls — that are as exciting as Paris-Roubaix!
Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post’s poll.
Sosa, Crabbe, and Plenty of Turkish Delight
Turkey! Sun! Cobalt seas! And a Belgian from Team Flanders-Baloise absolutely ruining everyone else’s holiday.
Stage 1 kicked off in Çeşme, where a plucky five-man breakaway did all the right things — climbed stuff, won sprints, looked heroic — before being mercilessly hoovered up by the peloton in the final kilometres. Into this carnage stepped Tom Crabbe, who apparently does not care about anyone’s feelings, sprinting to victory ahead of Simon Dehairs and Davide Persico. Lovely stuff. Please clap.
Stage 2, Aydın to Marmaris: another nine-man breakaway, another group of optimists getting caught. Crabbe — who at this point seems to be playing a video game on easy mode — fought back over the final climb where several sprinters were quietly suffering, then won again. Back-to-back. Just in case you missed the memo.
Then, mercifully, a mountain showed up. Stage 3 to Kıran went to Iván Sosa of Equipo Kern Pharma, who climbed his way into the race lead, leaving the sprinters to contemplate their life choices somewhere in the gruppetto.
Stage 4, Marmaris to Fethiye: a breakaway formed, got caught on the last climb, and then Stanisław Aniołkowski won a reduced sprint, with Modern Adventure’s Riley Pickrell and Davide Persico (MBH Bank CSB Telecom Fort) rounding out the podium. Sosa kept the GC lead.
Four stages in, and the racing is so sweet you’d sell out your siblings for it. (Anyone?)
GC Top Ten after 4 Stages — Presidential Tour of Turkey, courtesy of Pro Cycling Stats
Women’s Cycling to Make History at the Alto de L’Angliru
On May 9, the women’s peloton will tackle the iconic Alto de L’Angliru for the first time, marking a historic moment in La Vuelta Femenina by Carrefour.es.
The Asturian climb — 12.4 kilometres at a 9.7% average grade, with sections reaching a brutal 23% — has been a mythical fixture in men’s cycling since its debut in the 1999 Vuelta a España. Now, after years of women’s cycling being steered away from its most demanding challenges, the sport’s rapid professionalization has opened the door to climbs once considered off-limits.
Riders are greeting the news with a mixture of awe and nerves. Reigning Tour de France Femmes champion Pauline Ferrand-Prévot calls it “legendary,” admitting even her male Visma teammates — who swept the 2023 Angliru podium — are scared of it. UAE Team ADQ’s Mäeva Squiban calls it simply “scary,” while EF Education-Oatly’s Cédrine Kerbaol dubs it “the climb of hell.”
Canyon//SRAM’s Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney, however, offers a more poetic take: “It’s a wall-like climb towards heaven.”
One thing is certain — the Angliru is set to be the defining moment of this year’s race.
TEAM, RIDER AND CYCLING NEWS
A New Chapter for Washington D.C.’s Premier Cycling Event
The Amazon Armed Forces Cycling Classic, a cornerstone of the Washington D.C. cycling calendar for over 25 years, has announced a strategic collaboration with Amaury Sport Organisation (A.S.O.) — the renowned organizer behind the Tour de France, La Vuelta, and the Arctic Race of Norway.
Founded in 1998 as a grassroots effort to bring professional cycling to the streets of Arlington, the event has grown into a beloved festival blending elite competition, amateur racing, mass participation rides, and charitable initiatives. Its 2026 edition is scheduled for May 30–31.
The partnership marks a significant milestone for American cycling. A.S.O. will lend its global expertise to support the event’s international expansion, while preserving the community-driven identity that has defined it from the start. In 2025, the race made its first foray into Washington D.C. proper — a move that reflected surging demand from athletes, sponsors, and spectators alike.
For event founder Rob Laybourn and title sponsor Amazon, the collaboration represents both validation and ambition. With A.S.O. now involved, organizers aim to elevate Washington D.C.’s profile as a world-class cycling destination and attract the sport’s global elite for years to come.
For more extensive coverage of this important step, please check out this Pez article.
British Students Invited to Design Official Tour de France Grands Départs 2027 Posters
Art and design students across England, Scotland, and Wales have the chance to design the official posters for the 2027 Tour de France and Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift Grand Départs — a historic double as both races begin from Britain for the first time outside France.
Launched through Grand Départ GB’s JOY social impact programme, the competition is open to further and higher education students studying art, design, graphics, or photography in the local authority areas hosting each of the six stages.
Each year’s Tour de France edition is represented by a unique official poster, unveiled in Paris each October. Winning designs will be used by race organisers ASO across promotional materials and digital advertising, reaching a global audience of millions.
Submissions will be judged by an expert panel led by award-winning artist Lucy Pittaway, with shortlisted entries passed to ASO for final selection. Both winners will be invited to Paris in October 2026 for the official route presentation and will receive hospitality at a 2027 British stage.
The competition runs from 4 May to 26 June 2026. Full details are available at letourgb.com/poster-competition.
Despierto Amándote by Miranda! Named Official Song of La Vuelta 26
RTVE and La Vuelta have announced that ‘Despierto Amándote’ by Argentinian pop duo Miranda! will serve as the official song of the 2026 edition of the Spanish cycling tour.
The synth-pop track, co-written by Miranda! vocalist Ale Sergi, carries an upbeat message about embracing life and love with optimism and humour. The song reached the final of Benidorm Fest 2026, finishing fifth.
Formed in 2001, Miranda! — comprised of Ale Sergi and Juliana Gattas — is widely regarded as Latin America’s premier pop duo. The group commands 12 million monthly Spotify listeners and over 577 million YouTube views. Their 2025 album Nuevo Hotel Miranda! earned them the prestigious Gardel de Oro award.
La Vuelta 26 runs from 22 August to 13 September, spanning 21 stages across Spain, France, and Monaco, with the Grand Departure in Monaco and the final stage in Granada. RTVE will broadcast comprehensive coverage across Televisión Española, Radio Nacional, RTVE.es, and RTVE Play, with over 100 professionals delivering live reporting throughout the race.
Hmmm…maybe our next reader poll should ask whether we should share updates like this one — or how much of the video you made it through…
PEZ VIDEO
If your summer holiday’s haven’t already been booked – consider a cycling trip to Italy and riding around the Lakes – here’s a Top Ride I highly recommend around Lake Como, taking in the Madonna del Ghisallo, Civiglio climb and descent into Como, plus a look at the Hotel Il Perlo.
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The post EUROTRASH: Pogačar in Control at Romandie appeared first on PezCycling News.
