In this pre-Giro cycling news roundup, Decathlon–CMA CGM has confirmed 19-year-old Paul Seixas will ride the Tour de France, sparking debate among cycling insiders. PEZ readers are surely insiders so…Debate!
Elsewhere, Lotte Kopecky and Cédrine Kerbaol starred at La Vuelta Feminina, while the 2026 Giro d’Italia’s Bulgaria start is creating major logistical headaches for teams. Bastien Tronchon targets a historic back-to-back at Tro Bro Leon, EF Education-EasyPost and Soudal Quick-Step unveiled eye-catching Giro kits, and British Cycling opened nominations for its 2026 Hall of Fame.
TOP STORY
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Seixas Is Headed to the Tour. Is that the Right Choice?
RACE NEWS
- La Vuelta Feminina: Three Days of Drama, One New Boss
- Giro d’Italia’s Bulgarian Start Creates Logistical Nightmare for Teams
- Tro Bro Leon 2026: Tronchon Seeks Historic Repeat
TEAM, RIDER AND CYCLING NEWS
- The Signal has Landed: ASSOS and EF Pro Cycling Unveil “Ride In Peace” Switch-Out Kit for the Giro d’Italia
- More EF: The Team Shares Its Giro Squad — and Some Thoughts
- Castelli Celebrates 150 Years with Commemorative Giro Kit
- Nominations Open for British Cycling Hall of Fame 2026
MIKE’S RIDE OF THE WEEK
- Guest Ride: De Ronde PDX
VIDEO
- PEZ Rides the Civiglio on Lake Como
Seixas Is Headed to the Tour. Is that the Right Choice?
It was the cultural antithesis to The Decision: a sweet, seemingly homespun video opening with Paul Seixas opening a door for a cat, and then informing his grandparents — and thus the rest of us — that he’ll be riding the Tour this July.
I know I have my thoughts about this — but what about you? Do you think Paul Seixas should ride the Tour de France this summer?
Are you with Marc Madiot, Johan Bruyneel, and other veterans who insist that the 19 year-old should get more racing under his terribly slim belt? Or are you more in the Decathlon-may-care camp, suggesting that he saisi le jour?
Let us know in this simple, binary poll — and as always, share your thoughts by emailing mike@pezcyclingnews.com.
Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post’s poll.
RACE NEWS
La Vuelta Feminina: Three Days of Drama, One New Boss
The Galician roads have been delivering the goods at La Vuelta Feminina 2026, and if you’ve missed stages two through four, buckle up — it’s been a ride.
Stage 2 from Lobios to San Cibrao das Viñas ended in a reduced bunch sprint, with Shari Bossuyt (AG Insurance-Soudal) taking the win, crossing the line ahead of Franziska Koch and Évita Muzic, both of FDJ United-Suez. Koch’s second place was enough to pull on the red jersey, setting up a tense few days for the German. Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx-Protime) was involved in the sprint drama too, but she was yellow carded and relegated, adding frustration to a woman who clearly had the legs to win. She’d later explain: no regrets, and I’d do it the same way if given the chance.
Stage 3 brought heartbreak and heroics in equal measure. One day after losing teammate Noemi Rüegg to a crash and a broken shoulder, Cédrine Kerbaol (EF Education-Oatly) parlayed a bold late attack into a stage win on the road to A Coruña. Grief to glory in 24 hours: that’s bike racing. Koch managed to survive with the red jersey, but the margins were now razor thin.
And so to Stage 4 — the final Galician stage, 115.6 kilometers from Monforte de Lemos to Antas de Ulla, hilly and nervous. A stubborn four-rider breakaway animated the day, with Marine Allione and Annelies Nijssen forcing clear on the Alto de Oural, making the chase teams sweat. The break was finally swept up with 2.5 kilometres to go, and what followed was a technical, uphill sprint through multiple late corners. Kopecky powered up the drag to the line ahead of teammate Anna van der Breggen — patience finally rewarded.
Koch dropped to second overall at six seconds, with Kerbaol third at 12, and van der Breggen fourth at 20. But with three stages left and the Angliru looming, this Vuelta Feminina has only just kicked off.
Giro d’Italia’s Bulgarian Start Creates Logistical Nightmare for Teams
The 2026 Giro d’Italia’s Grande Partenza in Nessebar, Bulgaria, is proving a logistical headache for competing teams. Located roughly 1,500 kilometers from the Italian border, the Black Sea coastal town ranks among the most remote starts in the race’s history — behind only Belfast in 2014 and Jerusalem in 2018.
The journey itself is the first major hurdle. Most teams are based in Western Europe, and the most direct route passes through Serbia, which is not an EU member state. Teams must instead detour through Hungary and Romania — adding at least 400 kilometers — where heavy roadworks have caused significant delays for buses and equipment trucks.
The remote start also demands duplicate staffing and equipment. Lotto-Intermarché team manager Bart Wellens explains that his squad must operate two entirely separate crews: one for the three-day Bulgarian opening and another for the Italian mainland, since there isn’t enough time on the rest day to relocate everything.
Wealthier teams bring full equipment to both sections, while others are finding creative workarounds. Several squads are combining the Bulgarian trip with the Tour of Hungary — explaining that race’s record-breaking WorldTeam turnout this year.
“I’ll be relieved when we reach mainland Italy on day four,” admits Wellens.
Thanks to Wielerflits for this content — and check out Pez’ full Giro preview at pezcyclingnews.com.
Tro Bro Leon 2026: Tronchon Seeks Historic Repeat
Defending champion Bastien Tronchon returns to Lannilis on May 10 with history in his sights. A back-to-back victory would place him among only four riders ever to defend the Tro Bro Leon title, the last being Samuel Dumoulin in 2003–04.
Tronchon’s Groupama–FDJ United team adds firepower through Valentin Madouas, an Olympic silver medallist and 2023 Bretagne Classic winner who podiumed here last year. His former Decathlon–CMA CGM squad poses a rival threat, led by Pierre Gautherat — the 2026 Paris–Camembert winner who has claimed silver and bronze here but never gold.
Benoît Cosnefroy headlines UAE Emirates XRG’s long-awaited return to the race, hungry for a first win of 2026 after a string of podium finishes this spring. Visma–Lease a Bike make their Tro Bro Leon debut with Axel Zingle, similarly still seeking his first victory of the season.
Former champion Hugo Hofstetter, veteran contender Clément Venturini, and Norwegian hopeful Rasmus Tiller round out a deep outsiders’ list for a race that has produced 20 different winners in its last 20 editions — a stat Tronchon is determined to end.
TEAM, RIDER AND CYCLING NEWS
The Signal has Landed: ASSOS and EF Pro Cycling Unveil “Ride In Peace” Switch-Out Kit for the Giro d’Italia
Just like Visma | Lease a Bike at the Tour, when EF races at the Giro, they need to find a different jersey color, so as not to create confusion with the leader’s jersey (Visma yellow at the Tour, EF pink at the Giro).
The unveil of these “switch-out” kit has become a PR opportunity for the teams — and especially for their clothing sponsors. In EF’s case, Assos of Switzerland is producing the unique jersey version.
EF says “the ‘Ride In Peace’ capsule is where interstellar design meets podium-proven performance. The collection translates the campaign’s cosmic narrative into technical equipment designed for the world’s most demanding stage race. [Mike’s note: I’m excited about the Giro this year because the course is a little less demanding, and may thus effect more exciting competition…]
“If we’re going to change kits, it should actually say something,” said Jonathan Vaughters, EF Pro Cycling CEO. “ASSOS gives our riders the performance, comfort, and technical quality they need to race at their best, and that allows us to have some fun with the design.”
More EF: The Team Shares Its Giro Squad — and Some Thoughts
EF Education-EasyPost has shared its Giro team, and members of that team shared a few thoughts as they prepare for the Italian tour’s depart from Bulgaria.
The team’s roster:
- Samuele Battistella
- Markel Beloki
- Alexander Cepeda
- Madis Mihkels
- Darren Rafferty
- James Shaw
- Michael Valgren
- Jardi van der Lee
Clad in their “Close Encounters” kits — see above — a few of the guys offered some pre-Giro sentiments:
James Shaw: “I feel good, fresher than last year…We want to win as many stages as possible. Madis can win from a sprint, and then the rest of us are going to try to win from breakways. Trying to win a grand tour stage is the thing that’s been hacking around in the back of my head for my whole career.”
Darren Rafferty: “It is weird not having Richie [Carapaz] this year. The last two grand tours that I’ve been a part of have both been for GC. This year, I should hopefully have my own chances during the three weeks. I’ll grab the opportunity with both hands and see what I can get out of it.”
Michael Valgren: “We’re back. It’s the second Giro d’Italia for me. We have a opportunistic team here, so it should be a great three weeks. I’m going to go all in to try to win a stage. I’m really well prepared…At Tirreno, I finally won again and the feeling is just so sweet. I want to feel that again. That is basically my motivation, to have that feeling again.”
Markel Beloki: “I’m feeling good, really excited to see how it goes with the Giro. I already did a grand tour last year, but everyone tells me that the Giro is completely different. I am really looking forward to seeing how it goes. For me, a good breakaway in a hard stage would be perfect. When I have the legs, I will try for it.”
Castelli Celebrates 150 Years with Commemorative Giro Kit
More special Giro kit! But this one’s shorter on bling, longer on tradition, as Castelli marks its 150th anniversary with the unveiling of a commemorative kit for Soudal Quick-Step at the 2026 Giro d’Italia.
The collection centers on a vintage cream colorway applied across Castelli’s race-proven Aero Race 8S Jersey, Sanremo 8S Pro Speed Suit, and Body Paint V TT Speedsuit, complemented by special-edition Premio Black Bibshorts and Pro Light Wind Vest. Each piece incorporates heritage logos and text referencing landmark innovations from the brand’s history, including the first lycra cycling short (1977), sublimation printing on pro kit (1981), the Gabba Rain Jacket (2010), and the Sanremo Speed Suit (2011).
The back of the jersey features Castelli’s evolving scorpion logo displayed in chronological order, creating a visual timeline of the brand’s progression across fifteen decades.
A limited-edition replica Competizione 4 Jersey in the commemorative design is available now at castelli-cycling.com, select Castelli dealers, and thewolfpack.shop, priced at €100 / $130 / £100.
Nominations Open for British Cycling Hall of Fame 2026
British Cycling has opened nominations for the next wave of inductees to its Hall of Fame, with the ceremony taking place on Saturday 14 November 2026 at the Radisson Blu Medlock Hotel, Manchester.
Launched in 2009, the Hall of Fame recognises extraordinary achievement and service within cycling, and currently has 82 members. Going forward, inductees will be welcomed biennially. 13 members were last inducted in November 2024.
Nominations are open across two categories: competitors who have excelled at the highest level, and individuals who have given exemplary service to the sport. The deadline is Monday 1 June, after which a selection panel led by British Cycling President Bob Howden OBE will review submissions.
Nominate a rider | Nominate for exemplary service
MIKE’S RIDE OF THE WEEK: DE RONDE PDX (GUEST ROTW)
I barely rode last week, and I certainly didn’t complete anything worth posting about. Fortunately, my brother David Fee has served up a worthy one.
Dave’s been telling me about De Ronde PDX for years; one of these springs I’ll get to Portland for it. It’s a tour of that fair city’s steepest climbs; the precise route varies from one year to the next, but it’s always a rather sharp experience.
At nearly 8,000 vertical over 50 miles, this ride more than hits that magical 100-feet-per-mile ratio. It does so by ascending one spiky climb after another, including Sherwood Place (half mile at 10.3%) and the fearsome, sneakily residential Brynwood (quarter mile at pretty much 20%, with stretches much steeper).
I know, I know…there are steeper, tougher climbs in your neighborhood. But De Ronde sounds unrelenting — though in classic Portland fashion, it’s not treated too seriously!
To learn more about De Ronde and other Chasing Lions events, check out https://www.rondepdx.com/.
PEZ VIDEO
It’s very nearly Giro eve — a great time to plan a summer holiday in Italy. Any Italian riding vacation should consider this incredible ride around Lake Como — and a stay at the Hotel Il Perlo.
Gotta Comment, thought or suggestion? Drop us a line at Content@PezCyclingNews.com
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