{"id":1860005,"date":"2026-04-01T08:37:51","date_gmt":"2026-04-01T05:37:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1860005"},"modified":"2026-04-01T08:37:51","modified_gmt":"2026-04-01T05:37:51","slug":"instagram-dms-quiet-belgian-side-streets-and-phone-calls-with-parents-inside-the-race-to-snap-up-cyclings-next-top-talents","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1860005","title":{"rendered":"Instagram DMs, quiet Belgian side streets, and phone calls with parents \u2013 Inside the race to snap up cycling&#8217;s next top talents"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/Q3J95fBiX8AU8aJKCfy8gT-1920-80.png&#8221;]<\/p>\n<p><article class=\"page-content-onecol flex-1\nnews-article article\n\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"widget-area-group widget-area-group-2col flex flex-wrap box-border\">\n<div id=\"widgetArea16\" class=\"widget-area basis-full md:basis-2\/3 widget-area-g-md-vp-2-3 widget-area-g-lg-vp-2-3 widget-area-g-xl-vp-2-3 page-widget-area-16\">\n<div data-widget-type=\"hero\" id=\"hero\" class=\"clear-both widget widget-hero widget-hero widget-hero-hero widget-hero widget-hero-fter-news\">\n<div class=\"news-article\">\n<header data-component-name=\"Article:Hero\">\n<nav class=\"breadcrumb\" aria-label=\"Breadcrumbs\">\n<ol>\n<li>\nPro Cycling\n<\/li>\n<li>\nTeams &amp; Riders\n<\/li>\n<li>\nEmerging Talents\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/nav>\n<h1>Instagram DMs, quiet Belgian side streets, and phone calls with parents \u2013 Inside the race to snap up cycling&#8217;s next top talents<\/h1>\n<div class=\"kiosq-member-label\"><span class=\"kiosq-member-label-text\"><b>MEMBER EXCLUSIVE<\/b><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"byline-social\">\n<div class=\"byline\">\nFeatures<\/p>\n<div class=\"text-[13px]\"><span><br \/>\nBy<br \/>\nMatilda Price <\/span><span><br \/>\npublished<br \/>\n<time data-component-name=\"UI:DateTime\" datetime=\"2026-04-01T08:37:51Z\" class=\"relative-date\"><br \/>\n1 April 2026<br \/>\n<\/time><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"strapline\">With top riders peaking earlier than ever, the race is on for agents and scouts to find cycling&#8217;s next big thing, but how does it actually work?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"mx-auto mb-4 flex items-center justify-start mx-0 my-5 p-0\" id=\"affiliate-disclaimer\" data-component-name=\"AffiliateDisclaimer\" data-hawk-message=\"Affiliate disclaimer removed because hawk deemed there are no affiliate links on this page\">\n<p class=\"text-700 mb-2 text-[12px] leading-[18px] md:text-[13px] [&amp;&gt;a]:text-gray-700 [&amp;&gt;a]:underline\">\nWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here\u2019s how it works.\n<\/p>\n<\/aside>\n<\/header>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-widget-type=\"contentparsed\" id=\"content\" class=\"clear-both widget widget-contentparsed widget-content widget-contentparsed-content widget-content-parsed widget-content-parsed-content_document \">\n<div class=\"wcp-item-content\">\n<section class=\"content-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"box less-space hero-image-wrapper\">\n<figure class=\"mb-0\">\n<source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/Q3J95fBiX8AU8aJKCfy8gT-1920-80.png.webp 2560w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/Q3J95fBiX8AU8aJKCfy8gT-1920-80.png.webp 1920w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/Q3J95fBiX8AU8aJKCfy8gT-1440-80.png.webp 1440w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/Q3J95fBiX8AU8aJKCfy8gT-1280-80.png.webp 1280w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/Q3J95fBiX8AU8aJKCfy8gT-1200-80.png.webp 1200w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/Q3J95fBiX8AU8aJKCfy8gT-1024-80.png.webp 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/Q3J95fBiX8AU8aJKCfy8gT-970-80.png.webp 970w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/Q3J95fBiX8AU8aJKCfy8gT-650-80.png.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/Q3J95fBiX8AU8aJKCfy8gT-480-80.png.webp 480w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/Q3J95fBiX8AU8aJKCfy8gT-320-80.png.webp 320w\" sizes=\"100vw\" \/><figcaption class=\"mt-2\"><span class=\"caption-text\">WorldTour scouts and agents are paying closer attention to junior racing than ever before<\/span><span class=\"credit\">(Image credit: Dirk Waem\/Getty Images)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"article-body\" class=\"text-copy bodyCopy auto paywall-locker\">\n<div data-analytics-id=\"utility-bar\" id=\"utility-bar\" class=\"font-ui-heading flex justify-between items-center py-2 border-t border-b border-gray-300 border-solid mb-5 mx-auto\" data-component-name=\"UtilityBar\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"utility-bar\">\n<div class=\"flex gap-2 text-[#333] subcontainer\">\n<div 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Google\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"relative tooltip-container\" role=\"tooltip\">\n<div role=\"dialog\" class=\"hidden fixed inset-0 z-[999999999999999999] bg-[#33333370] flex items-center justify-center p-6 newsletter-modal\" data-batch-endpoint=\"https:\/\/newsletter-subscribe.futureplc.com\/v2\/submission\/submit_batch\" data-batch-source=\"302\" data-component-name=\"Newsletter:Modal\">\n<div class=\"bg-neutral-100 rounded-xl shadow-xl w-full lg:w-2\/3 xl:w-1\/2 p-6 relative max-h-[95vh] overflow-y-auto\">\n<div id=\"newsletter-capture-modal\">\n<div class=\"sm:text-xl text-base font-bold text-black mb-3 p-0 bg-inherit font-ui-heading\">Get The Leadout Newsletter<\/div>\n<p class=\"text-gray-600 mb-4 text-sm sm:text-base font-article-copy\">The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!<\/p>\n<div data-component-name=\"Newsletter:NewsletterForm\">\n<hr class=\"modal_hr mt-3 mb-4 h-px bg-gray-300 border-0\">\n<div 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rounded-md z-[10001] whitespace-nowrap\" id=\"tooltip-subscribe-to-our-newsletter\" role=\"tooltip\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\nSubscribe to our newsletter\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p id=\"elk-44b241fb-2eea-45b8-a329-bb8814dbe87e\">The start of the junior E3 Classic is a strange place. Just a few hundred metres up the road, WorldTour pros are getting ready in warm buses, hordes of fans already surrounding them. Round the corner, on a quiet, residential street, there are 17 and 18-year-olds getting changed in vans.<\/p>\n<p>Some of the riders are actually riding WorldTour teams&#8217; bikes, or wearing their helmets \u2013 some even their kit \u2013 but here they&#8217;re on national team duty, where budgets don&#8217;t even stretch to a camper, unless you&#8217;re Belgian.<\/p>\n<p id=\"elk-44b241fb-2eea-45b8-a329-bb8814dbe87e-2\">Milling around the basic line-up of vehicles are coaches, parents, and a very small number of supporters. But the most interesting figures are those in expensive coats or team-issue jackets, chatting directly with riders, and getting their number \u2013 both metaphorically and literally.<\/p>\n<aside data-component-name=\"Recirculation:ArticleRiver\" data-recirculation-type=\"inline\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"Trending Bar\" data-nosnippet class=\"clear-both pb-0 pt-2 mb-4\"><span class=\"\n            flex\n            after:content-[''] after:flex-1 after:ml-4 after:my-[0.7rem] after:border-t after:border-solid after:border-t-[#ccc]\n            before:content-[''] before:flex-1 before:mr-4 before:my-[0.7rem] before:border-t before:border-solid before:border-t-[#ccc]\n            font-article-heading pb-0 !text-base uppercase sm:text-sm font-bold\n        \"><br \/>\n            You may like<br \/>\n        <\/span><\/p>\n<ul class=\"flex flex-col gap-0 m-0\">\n<li class=\"m-0 list-none border-b border-solid border-[#ededed] py-2\" data-recirculation-id=\"recirculation-card-1\" data-analytics-id=\"recirculation-inline-1\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"recirculation-inline-1\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/TYHSNBLfjyhwGtMNkQni7V-250-80.jpg.webp 250w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/TYHSNBLfjyhwGtMNkQni7V-150-80.jpg.webp 150w\" sizes=\"150px\" \/><span class=\"\n                            w-full font-article-heading line-clamp-3 md:line-clamp-2 text-base font-medium\">&#8216;We have to protect our riders from burnout&#8217; \u2013 How teams balance performance, success and mental wellbeing against the growing demands of pro cycling<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"m-0 list-none border-b border-solid border-[#ededed] py-2\" data-recirculation-id=\"recirculation-card-2\" data-analytics-id=\"recirculation-inline-2\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"recirculation-inline-2\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/RwzmAx5hHT6BiQqZUVka7A-250-80.jpg.webp 250w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/RwzmAx5hHT6BiQqZUVka7A-150-80.jpg.webp 150w\" sizes=\"150px\" \/><span class=\"\n                            w-full font-article-heading line-clamp-3 md:line-clamp-2 text-base font-medium\">Are scientists now more important than star riders? Inside pro cycling&#8217;s race for scientific innovation<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"m-0 list-none border-b border-solid border-[#ccc] py-2\" data-recirculation-id=\"recirculation-card-3\" data-analytics-id=\"recirculation-inline-3\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"recirculation-inline-3\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/SpRL9e2EbgekNhwrXbni9n-250-80.jpg.webp 250w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/SpRL9e2EbgekNhwrXbni9n-150-80.jpg.webp 150w\" sizes=\"150px\" \/><span class=\"\n                            w-full font-article-heading line-clamp-3 md:line-clamp-2 text-base font-medium\">&#8216;Tadej Poga\u010dar won his first Tour de France eating pizza, drinking beer and playing Playstation&#8217; \u2013 Teammate sees big difference with Paul Seixas<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/aside>\n<p>These people are agents and scouts, here to identify the next generation of talent before they even turn 19, and \u2013 ideally \u2013 get them on their books.<\/p>\n<div class=\"fancy-box\" id=\"elk-233ef0e6-309b-4516-a49d-1f2021f59b7d\">\n<div class=\"fancy_box-title\">Have you read these premium features yet?<\/div>\n<div class=\"fancy_box_body\">\n<ul>\n<li><strong>The junior to WorldTour pipeline &#8211; too much, too soon or a pathway here to stay?<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Where do cycling&#8217;s super teams spend their millions?<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Millionaires and minimum wage: Inside the new landscape of WorldTour pro cycling salaries<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p id=\"elk-dbef3809-c1ee-410b-a12c-4f73f75c7063\">We know by now that these relationships are starting earlier and earlier, with top riders turning pro straight out of junior ranks, or at least signing for a WorldTour team&#8217;s development squad. The fight for the next big star is fierce, and everyone wants to lock talent in early.<\/p>\n<p>&#8216;Scouting&#8217; can come in a lot of different forms, and these days can happen via Instagram DMs as much as anything else, but with agents and scouts on the road throughout the year, it&#8217;s clear that nothing beats actually getting out there and meeting riders.<\/p>\n<p>Junior races like E3, or perhaps the junior Trofeo Alfredo Binda a couple of weeks ago, are quietly some of the most important days of the year. Winning is important, yes, but every rider also knows that eyes from the pro ranks will be on them, and a good ride here could be a stepping stone towards a pro contract.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"a-rider-is-more-than-the-sum-of-their-watts-3\">A rider is more than the sum of their watts<\/h2>\n<p id=\"elk-160e87c7-0bef-434c-9e06-7ec706f7344a\">When everything nowadays is on ProCyclingStats and Strava, you might think that talent scouts can do all their work from home, just crunching the numbers to find the junior most statistically likely to become a good elite rider. But actually, they&#8217;re looking for much, much more than that.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Personally, I look firstly at the humility of the rider,&#8221; Jayco AlUla scout Giovanni Visconti tells <em>Cyclingnews<\/em> after E3, perhaps not the first quality you&#8217;d expect a scout to pick up on.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;I like to speak with them and see how they love their sport and how they try to do their best. Clearly, we also look at the physical values and how it works in terms of results. Another Important thing is the ability to stay in a big group, the ability on a descent, for example. After the race, often I also look at their behaviour with team staff and teammates.&#8221;<\/p>\n<aside data-component-name=\"Recirculation:ArticleRiver\" data-recirculation-type=\"inline\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"Trending Bar\" data-nosnippet class=\"clear-both pb-0 pt-2 mb-4\"><span class=\"\n            flex\n            after:content-[''] after:flex-1 after:ml-4 after:my-[0.7rem] after:border-t after:border-solid after:border-t-[#ccc]\n            before:content-[''] before:flex-1 before:mr-4 before:my-[0.7rem] before:border-t before:border-solid before:border-t-[#ccc]\n            font-article-heading pb-0 !text-base uppercase sm:text-sm font-bold\n        \"><br \/>\n            What to read next<br \/>\n        <\/span><\/p>\n<ul class=\"flex flex-col gap-0 m-0\">\n<li class=\"m-0 list-none border-b border-solid border-[#ededed] py-2\" data-recirculation-id=\"recirculation-card-1\" data-analytics-id=\"recirculation-2-inline-1\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"recirculation-2-inline-1\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/6xpr4inQsr9N3WDPNfwNkm-250-80.png.webp 250w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/6xpr4inQsr9N3WDPNfwNkm-150-80.png.webp 150w\" sizes=\"150px\" \/><span class=\"\n                            w-full font-article-heading line-clamp-3 md:line-clamp-2 text-base font-medium\">&#8216;You do what&#8217;s required to deliver other guys to win&#8217; \u2013 Meet the pro cyclists who went their entire careers without a single individual victory to their name<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"m-0 list-none border-b border-solid border-[#ededed] py-2\" data-recirculation-id=\"recirculation-card-2\" data-analytics-id=\"recirculation-2-inline-2\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"recirculation-2-inline-2\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/SzNaXmz3Gu2BHCMTCbY3gB-250-80.jpg.webp 250w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/SzNaXmz3Gu2BHCMTCbY3gB-150-80.jpg.webp 150w\" sizes=\"150px\" \/><span class=\"\n                            w-full font-article-heading line-clamp-3 md:line-clamp-2 text-base font-medium\">&#8216;There could be a massive drop-off&#8217; &#8211; Jay Vine warns of dramatically narrowing pathways to professionalism for Australian and New Zealanders<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"m-0 list-none border-b border-solid border-[#ccc] py-2\" data-recirculation-id=\"recirculation-card-3\" data-analytics-id=\"recirculation-2-inline-3\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"recirculation-2-inline-3\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/aJktv75xjJciQWvLMvDRq6-250-80.jpg.webp 250w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/aJktv75xjJciQWvLMvDRq6-150-80.jpg.webp 150w\" sizes=\"150px\" \/><span class=\"\n                            w-full font-article-heading line-clamp-3 md:line-clamp-2 text-base font-medium\">&#8216;In some ways, as a young pro, I was in a way better place 10 years ago&#8217; \u2013 Slovenian stars Matej Mohori\u010d and Jakob Omrzel interview each other <\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/aside>\n<p>Looking at a rider&#8217;s data or power numbers is one element of identifying talent, but when it comes to spotting riders teams might want to tap up for the long term, pure numbers are not enough to go on, and big wins or high power aren&#8217;t everything.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"van-image-figure full-width-layout\" data-bordeaux-image-check id=\"elk-8cc86bff-0325-4ee2-bfbc-b92e06f6ba1a\">\n<div class=\"image-full-width-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"image-widthsetter\">\n<p class=\"vanilla-image-block\">\n<source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/sXC6ksaXpCijasE7tbYLuA-2560-80.jpg.webp 2560w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/sXC6ksaXpCijasE7tbYLuA-1920-80.jpg.webp 1920w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/sXC6ksaXpCijasE7tbYLuA-1440-80.jpg.webp 1440w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/sXC6ksaXpCijasE7tbYLuA-1280-80.jpg.webp 1280w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/sXC6ksaXpCijasE7tbYLuA-1200-80.jpg.webp 1200w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/sXC6ksaXpCijasE7tbYLuA-1024-80.jpg.webp 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/sXC6ksaXpCijasE7tbYLuA-970-80.jpg.webp 970w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/sXC6ksaXpCijasE7tbYLuA-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/sXC6ksaXpCijasE7tbYLuA-480-80.jpg.webp 480w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/sXC6ksaXpCijasE7tbYLuA-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"100vw\" \/><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\" full-width-layout\"><span class=\"caption-text\">Scouts are often looking for qualitative data over quantitative when searching for next generation&#8217;s talents <\/span><span class=\"credit\">(Image credit: David Pintens\/Getty Images)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p id=\"elk-7d977c18-c45b-4fe9-b146-151cbd89a172\">&#8220;Values are really important, but for me they are only the base to start looking at the rider on the road,&#8221; Visconti explained. &#8220;There are riders with fantastic values that don\u2019t show it on the road and riders who don\u2019t have great values but show more. There has to be a compromise between results and values. From there, you know that you can work to improve.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>At a race like E3, a scout like Visconti will be at the start and finish, but also out on the course, picking out the key moments to go and watch. With no TV footage of these races, and little other reporting, being on the ground is essential.<\/p>\n<p>Visconti spends a lot of his time on the road, and will be looking for specific things at specific races.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;In races like E3, I go to see the ability of the rider to keep positions, to stay in a group in a race with small and difficult roads,&#8221; he explains. &#8220;If I\u2019m looking for a &#8216;Classics man&#8217;, I&#8217;m also watching the ability to read the race, to move in the right moment.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p id=\"elk-9083f93d-a9d8-49e6-b708-5697703f26bf\">Representatives from teams are one big part of the scouting ecosystem, but the other big part is agents and agencies. Independent agents might do it all themselves, whilst bigger agencies will have dedicated scouts, but all the agents will also have half an eye on rising riders.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;It&#8217;s crazy how competitive it&#8217;s getting now on the women&#8217;s side. People are looking at under 17s already, which, for me, is insane,&#8221; Loren Rowney, former pro and now rider agent at The Team \u2013 formerly Wasserman \u2013 says.<\/p>\n<p>For Rowney, scouting is a smaller part of her job, as The Team have David Bartelet in that dedicated role, but it&#8217;s something she&#8217;s attentive to all the same, and takes a lot more than just looking at results, or even just at the main races.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;This is a good example. We had Binda a few weeks ago, and they have the Piccolo Binda race. And that actually came down to a bunch sprint. Now if you just look at the top three there, you&#8217;d think &#8216;OK, it came down to a bunch sprint&#8217; but if you didn&#8217;t see the race and didn&#8217;t know [how] it panned out and you didn&#8217;t know which riders spent time off the front, it would be really hard to know what kind of athlete you&#8217;re looking at. Did they just sit in the whole race and then kick at the finish?,&#8221; she says.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Where you can sometimes get a glimmer of the potential of an athlete is coming to these kermesses in Belgium. One of my clients was racing one on the weekend, and the girl who got second at Binda under 19s, a German rider [Edda Bieberle], I was blown away by how she rode that race.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;She had a crack and she put a minute and a half into the peloton, and there were some other strong riders there, but the way that she just attacked the race, I was like &#8216;this is a rider who has talent&#8217;.&#8221;<\/p>\n<figure class=\"van-image-figure full-width-layout\" data-bordeaux-image-check id=\"elk-3f282127-940c-4143-b226-78cc8e6f92c0\">\n<div class=\"image-full-width-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"image-widthsetter\">\n<p class=\"vanilla-image-block\">\n<source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/xBimBxPAm8wbkYMLJVPm5Y-2560-80.jpg.webp 2560w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/xBimBxPAm8wbkYMLJVPm5Y-1920-80.jpg.webp 1920w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/xBimBxPAm8wbkYMLJVPm5Y-1440-80.jpg.webp 1440w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/xBimBxPAm8wbkYMLJVPm5Y-1280-80.jpg.webp 1280w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/xBimBxPAm8wbkYMLJVPm5Y-1200-80.jpg.webp 1200w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/xBimBxPAm8wbkYMLJVPm5Y-1024-80.jpg.webp 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/xBimBxPAm8wbkYMLJVPm5Y-970-80.jpg.webp 970w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/xBimBxPAm8wbkYMLJVPm5Y-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/xBimBxPAm8wbkYMLJVPm5Y-480-80.jpg.webp 480w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/xBimBxPAm8wbkYMLJVPm5Y-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"100vw\" \/><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\" full-width-layout\"><span class=\"caption-text\">Alex Carera, founder of A&amp;J ALL SPORTS and one of the highest profile cycling agents, signed Tadej Poga\u010dar in 2016, before he turned professional <\/span><span class=\"credit\">(Image credit: Anne-Christine Poujoulat\/Getty Images)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2 id=\"the-next-steps-3\">The next steps<\/h2>\n<p id=\"elk-7ee28f0c-d276-4eeb-a10d-501a20ccb484\">Getting onto a talent scout&#8217;s radar is very much just the start of the story for any promising rider. A thousand different factors will come into what happens next, whether it&#8217;s how they perform in the next races, what a scout thinks of their personality off the bike, what they&#8217;re looking for in a team, and much, much more.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;After an impressive performance, I&#8217;ll try to find out if the rider has an agent or not so I contact the agent or the rider in some way and ask the permission from his parents to speak with him, and also have access to his training platform,&#8221; Visconti explains.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Then I introduce the rider to our scouting group to discuss and decide how to act with him. From there, we try to keep in contact and see each other again in another race.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Might there be more performance tests that the team wants to undertake with a rider? Maybe, but that&#8217;s probably less common than you think, with less tangible qualities more important to many scouts.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Sometimes, when looking at their training platform is not enough, or there\u2019s something not so clear, we can ask them to do a short test during their training. Nothing special. I think every team has its protocol. But often we don\u2019t need to ask for a test,&#8221; Visconti says.<\/p>\n<p>On the agent side, the goal is somewhat the same, to make connections with talented young riders \u2013 and Rowney also points to gaining the trust of a young rider&#8217;s parents as a key part of the process. However, the next steps and the aims of the partnership are different.<\/p>\n<p>Agents won&#8217;t be testing a rider&#8217;s FTP, and indeed the goal of their relationship is often to be a support off the bike to help navigate the journey into pro cycling.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;A lot of WorldTour teams now will admit that they don&#8217;t have the means to develop these 18-year-olds, because it&#8217;s not just the talent side of things; you&#8217;re dealing with a very young human being here,&#8221; Rowney says.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;At the races, they&#8217;re there in a very safe environment with the team, but once they go home and the races are done, and maybe things didn&#8217;t go well, then you&#8217;ve just dropped them off in a foreign country and said &#8216;OK, good luck processing that&#8217;.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;And with the demands on WorldTour teams now too, sometimes that&#8217;s just not right for you, and for a lot of athletes it&#8217;s sink or swim.&#8221;<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"why-so-early-3\">Why so early?<\/h2>\n<p id=\"elk-7c6bc883-47fb-44a6-a992-e334a0fa375f\">The big question in all of this is, <em>why <\/em>is this all happening so early nowadays? Why is the start of E3 now half race, half business meeting?<\/p>\n<p>For teams, it&#8217;s clear that top riders&#8217; careers are peaking earlier, and in the era of ultra-long contracts, it&#8217;s imperative to lock talent in early. You can&#8217;t let them be snapped up by someone else. Many team managers also talk about the importance of getting a rider enmeshed in the ethics and working style of a team early, too.<\/p>\n<p>It means that there&#8217;s not a lot of choice in whether you get involved with this rat race or not.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Junior scouting is certainly more important now than in the past. Cycling and sport in general is moving forward quickly. We can\u2019t stop this process,&#8221; Visconti says.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;So we have to do our best to try to find talents, but also pay attention to their correct [development] and give them the best to grow up well, without forgetting that they are so young and life is not only cycling.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>On the agency side, the very fundamental reason is that the sooner you sign a rider, the sooner you can be taking a cut of their salary, which these days can be huge even for very young riders. Rowney admits that, like in any industry, there will be agents more motivated by that than anything else, but many are also very interested in caring for and nurturing their clients, particularly the youngest ones, and perhaps not pushing the pro pipeline too soon.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"van-image-figure full-width-layout\" data-bordeaux-image-check id=\"elk-f5027b1a-9853-47ff-ac85-55c629b5cc40\">\n<div class=\"image-full-width-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"image-widthsetter\">\n<p class=\"vanilla-image-block\">\n<source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/FA6j56Br9J4mzTr6w5SFNU-2560-80.jpg.webp 2560w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/FA6j56Br9J4mzTr6w5SFNU-1920-80.jpg.webp 1920w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/FA6j56Br9J4mzTr6w5SFNU-1440-80.jpg.webp 1440w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/FA6j56Br9J4mzTr6w5SFNU-1280-80.jpg.webp 1280w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/FA6j56Br9J4mzTr6w5SFNU-1200-80.jpg.webp 1200w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/FA6j56Br9J4mzTr6w5SFNU-1024-80.jpg.webp 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/FA6j56Br9J4mzTr6w5SFNU-970-80.jpg.webp 970w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/FA6j56Br9J4mzTr6w5SFNU-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/FA6j56Br9J4mzTr6w5SFNU-480-80.jpg.webp 480w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/FA6j56Br9J4mzTr6w5SFNU-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"100vw\" \/><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\" full-width-layout\"><span class=\"caption-text\">As professional cyclists peak sooner and sooner, scouts and agents put greater focus on the junior levels of the sport <\/span><span class=\"credit\">(Image credit: David Pintens\/Getty Images)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p id=\"elk-8e6ca380-ec0d-4fe7-88fe-29ac672eff2d\">&#8220;OK, you can have those generational talents like Cat Ferguson, but for both men and women \u2013 women more so when you consider our hormones and everything \u2013 just because you&#8217;re a phenomenal under-17 doesn&#8217;t necessarily mean it&#8217;s going to translate into being an elite athlete. Plus at that age, they shouldn&#8217;t feel that pressure,&#8221; she says.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;You can still start learning the aspects of what it means to be an elite athlete and what that looks like, the importance of good food, recovery, all those sorts of things, you can learn as a junior, but the pressure now on these young athletes is insane. And I do wonder sometimes about the emotional toll it&#8217;s taking.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Navigating contracts is one part of an agents job, but many also help riders get set up with a new home, help them find proper rehabilitation after injuries, and many other smaller, more pastoral things.<\/p>\n<p>From the outside, watching the start of E3 and prevalence of scouts, it&#8217;s easy to wonder if young riders are becoming commodities for teams and agents to fight over, or if the two sides of the scouting world are at odds, trying to get to talent before the other.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;I&#8217;ve never really though of it as like, we&#8217;ve got to get to them before they get to a team,&#8221; Rowney says. &#8220;But I&#8217;m sure that is why some agents are trying to sign under-17s, to get in there before they start making any decisions.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;There are many agents now and they are working more every year with young talent, so we have to work with them,&#8221; Visconti adds.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Sometime it\u2019s easy, sometimes it&#8217;s not, but it\u2019s part of the game. It\u2019s not so important to find riders without agents, I think most important is that agents can give the right advice to their riders, not forgetting that the family must be the first place where important choices should come from.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>At E3 juniors, Italy&#8217;s Brandon Fedrizzi won the race, whilst Matilde Rossignoli won the important Piccolo Binda. Edda Bieberle, the second-placed rider Rowney spoke about, has already taken two more wins in Belgium since then.<\/p>\n<p>These might not be names you know yet, but talent scouts will know them and everything about 50 other talented riders, too. Whether it&#8217;s on a quiet street in Belgium or in an Instagram DM, the process of unleashing the next generation of talent has very much begun.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"block mb-5\" id=\"articleTag\" data-component-name=\"PostArticleLinks\" data-nosnippet data-mrf-recirculation=\"post-article-links\">\n<div class=\"border-b border-b-black border-solid py-2.5 text-black font-bold uppercase\">TOPICS<\/div>\n<nav class=\"py-2.5 flex gap-2.5 flex-wrap\" data-analytics-id=\"article-tag\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-tag\">\n<p>Road<\/p>\n<\/nav>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"slice-container-authorBio-7se7rwvYfFifRx8szw349c\" class=\"slice-container slice-author-bio authorBio-7se7rwvYfFifRx8szw349c slice-container-authorBio\">\n<div class=\"author author__default-layout author--separator author--collapsible\" data-hydrate=\"true\">\n<div class=\"author__header\">\n<div class=\"author__heading\">\n<div class=\"author__name\">Matilda Price<\/div>\n<div class=\"author__role\">Assistant Features Editor<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"author__bio-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"author__biography\">\n<p>Matilda is an NCTJ-qualified journalist based in the UK who joined <em>Cyclingnews <\/em>in March 2025. Prior to that, she worked as the Racing News Editor at <em>GCN<\/em>, and extensively as a freelancer contributing to <em>Cyclingnews, Cycling Weekly, Velo, Rouleur, Escape Collective, Red Bull <\/em>and more. She has reported on the ground at all of the biggest events on the calendar, including the men&#8217;s and women&#8217;s Tours de France, the Giro d&#8217;Italia, the Vuelta a Espana, the Spring Classics and the World Championships. She has particular experience and expertise in women&#8217;s cycling, and women&#8217;s sport in general. She is a graduate of modern languages and sports journalism.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<div class=\"mt-6 lg:px-0 relative max-w-[1070px] mx-auto viafoura-twig-component px-4\" data-component-name=\"Viafoura:Comments\" data-nosnippet data-community-guidelines-text=\"&lt;p class='vfcustom-community-guidelines'&gt;Please follow our &lt;a href=&quot;https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/about\/#section-community-guidelines&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;community guidelines&lt;\/a&gt;.&lt;\/p&gt;\" data-join-the-conversation-text=\"Join the Conversation\">\n<div class=\"absolute top-0 left-0 w-full h-full flex items-center justify-center z-50 bg-white\/90 border-1\">\n<div class=\"p-2 text-center\">\n<p class=\"mb-3 !text-lg\">You must confirm your public display name before commenting<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-3 !text-sm\">Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<section class=\"mx-2 my-5 sm:mx-0\">\n<aside class=\"w-full\" data-nosnippet data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-stacked\">\n<div data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-adviser:hybrid\">\n<div class=\"text-white py-4 px-3 mb-4 bg-[#333] uppercase font-bold custom-header-styles\">Read more<\/div>\n<div class=\"grid grid-cols-1 gap-4 mt-4 mb-5\">\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/TYHSNBLfjyhwGtMNkQni7V-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/TYHSNBLfjyhwGtMNkQni7V-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/TYHSNBLfjyhwGtMNkQni7V-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/TYHSNBLfjyhwGtMNkQni7V-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/TYHSNBLfjyhwGtMNkQni7V-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Training Camps<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">&#8216;We have to protect our riders from burnout&#8217; \u2013 How teams balance performance, success and mental wellbeing against the growing demands of pro cycling<\/span><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/RwzmAx5hHT6BiQqZUVka7A-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/RwzmAx5hHT6BiQqZUVka7A-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/RwzmAx5hHT6BiQqZUVka7A-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/RwzmAx5hHT6BiQqZUVka7A-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/RwzmAx5hHT6BiQqZUVka7A-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Pro Cycling<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">Are scientists now more important than star riders? Inside pro cycling&#8217;s race for scientific innovation<\/span><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/SpRL9e2EbgekNhwrXbni9n-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/SpRL9e2EbgekNhwrXbni9n-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/SpRL9e2EbgekNhwrXbni9n-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/SpRL9e2EbgekNhwrXbni9n-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/SpRL9e2EbgekNhwrXbni9n-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Teams &amp; Riders<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">&#8216;Tadej Poga\u010dar won his first Tour de France eating pizza, drinking beer and playing Playstation&#8217; \u2013 Teammate sees big difference with Paul Seixas<\/span><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/6xpr4inQsr9N3WDPNfwNkm-840-80.png.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/6xpr4inQsr9N3WDPNfwNkm-650-80.png.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/6xpr4inQsr9N3WDPNfwNkm-500-80.png.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/6xpr4inQsr9N3WDPNfwNkm-450-80.png.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/6xpr4inQsr9N3WDPNfwNkm-320-80.png.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Teams &amp; Riders<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">&#8216;You do what&#8217;s required to deliver other guys to win&#8217; \u2013 Meet the pro cyclists who went their entire careers without a single individual victory to their name<\/span><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/SzNaXmz3Gu2BHCMTCbY3gB-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/SzNaXmz3Gu2BHCMTCbY3gB-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/SzNaXmz3Gu2BHCMTCbY3gB-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/SzNaXmz3Gu2BHCMTCbY3gB-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/SzNaXmz3Gu2BHCMTCbY3gB-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Teams &amp; Riders<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">&#8216;There could be a massive drop-off&#8217; &#8211; Jay Vine warns of dramatically narrowing pathways to professionalism for Australian and New Zealanders<\/span><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/aJktv75xjJciQWvLMvDRq6-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/aJktv75xjJciQWvLMvDRq6-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/aJktv75xjJciQWvLMvDRq6-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/aJktv75xjJciQWvLMvDRq6-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/aJktv75xjJciQWvLMvDRq6-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Training Camps<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">&#8216;In some ways, as a young pro, I was in a way better place 10 years ago&#8217; \u2013 Slovenian stars Matej Mohori\u010d and Jakob Omrzel interview each other <\/span><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/GiKn9KL8qTEUFYKSxkcAKm-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/GiKn9KL8qTEUFYKSxkcAKm-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/GiKn9KL8qTEUFYKSxkcAKm-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/GiKn9KL8qTEUFYKSxkcAKm-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/GiKn9KL8qTEUFYKSxkcAKm-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Training Camps<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">&#8216;Every cloud has a silver lining&#8217; \u2013 Picnic PostNL gambling on young riders and buy-out cash to try to fill void left by Oscar Onley<\/span><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/BKgqTUwnbwydCuUCg6jKWJ-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/BKgqTUwnbwydCuUCg6jKWJ-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/BKgqTUwnbwydCuUCg6jKWJ-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/BKgqTUwnbwydCuUCg6jKWJ-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/BKgqTUwnbwydCuUCg6jKWJ-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Emerging Talents<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">B\u00e4ckstedt, Scaroni, and beyond \u2013 Riders on the verge of a breakthrough this Spring Classics season<\/span><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/wvvs4nrEgLbhrEshDKLma3-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/wvvs4nrEgLbhrEshDKLma3-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/wvvs4nrEgLbhrEshDKLma3-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/wvvs4nrEgLbhrEshDKLma3-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/wvvs4nrEgLbhrEshDKLma3-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Teams &amp; Riders<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">&#8216;I was breaking power records left, right, and centre last year and still not winning&#8217; \u2013 Adam Yates on the harsh reality of keeping up in modern cycling&#8217;s constantly improving peloton<\/span><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/w5s3qmGQfBSKaQYqevt99E-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/w5s3qmGQfBSKaQYqevt99E-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/w5s3qmGQfBSKaQYqevt99E-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/w5s3qmGQfBSKaQYqevt99E-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/w5s3qmGQfBSKaQYqevt99E-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Emerging Talents<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">Introducing: Valentina Cavallar \u2013 The Olympic rower turned promising Grand Tour racer who was inspired by the Tour de France Femmes<\/span><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/be6hx5eK62tNrQfpDWFgrE-840-80.png.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/be6hx5eK62tNrQfpDWFgrE-650-80.png.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/be6hx5eK62tNrQfpDWFgrE-500-80.png.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/be6hx5eK62tNrQfpDWFgrE-450-80.png.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/be6hx5eK62tNrQfpDWFgrE-320-80.png.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Pro Cycling<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">&#8216;Riders making six figures race against some who aren&#8217;t making a cent&#8217; &#8211; Are pro gravel teams about to be the end of the privateer?<\/span><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/Mjn5kXszgCzChPUPEwWpF6-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/Mjn5kXszgCzChPUPEwWpF6-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/Mjn5kXszgCzChPUPEwWpF6-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/Mjn5kXszgCzChPUPEwWpF6-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/Mjn5kXszgCzChPUPEwWpF6-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Women&#8217;s Cycling<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">From top riders&#8217; real form to the teams not quite thriving \u2013 Five key questions ahead of Milan-San Remo and the next Classics<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<aside class=\"w-full\" data-nosnippet data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-stacked\">\n<div data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-solr:latest-category\">\n<div class=\"text-white py-4 px-3 mb-4 bg-[#333] uppercase font-bold custom-header-styles\">Latest in Emerging Talents<\/div>\n<div class=\"grid grid-cols-1 gap-4 mt-4 mb-5\">\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/RFsQPgVqh9mBM2sQpfTau8-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/RFsQPgVqh9mBM2sQpfTau8-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/RFsQPgVqh9mBM2sQpfTau8-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/RFsQPgVqh9mBM2sQpfTau8-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/RFsQPgVqh9mBM2sQpfTau8-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Emerging Talents<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">&#8216;She&#8217;s a real go-getter&#8217; \u2013 Who is Fleur Moors, the rapidly rising star who has challenged Lorena Wiebes twice already this season?<\/span><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/JEwYhVeQpkzNhYf2hBbnv-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/JEwYhVeQpkzNhYf2hBbnv-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/JEwYhVeQpkzNhYf2hBbnv-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/JEwYhVeQpkzNhYf2hBbnv-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/JEwYhVeQpkzNhYf2hBbnv-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Emerging Talents<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">&#8216;A killer sprint in the end&#8217; &#8211; Why a mad dash for Mid South Gravel victory shows a new generation has arrived<\/span><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/5zPjNU6h2dHErs7g4xmdaS-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/5zPjNU6h2dHErs7g4xmdaS-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/5zPjNU6h2dHErs7g4xmdaS-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/5zPjNU6h2dHErs7g4xmdaS-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/5zPjNU6h2dHErs7g4xmdaS-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Emerging Talents<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">British rider among Lidl-Trek Junior Racing programme that aims to &#8216;find and develop the very best junior talent&#8217;<\/span><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/BKgqTUwnbwydCuUCg6jKWJ-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/BKgqTUwnbwydCuUCg6jKWJ-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/BKgqTUwnbwydCuUCg6jKWJ-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/BKgqTUwnbwydCuUCg6jKWJ-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/BKgqTUwnbwydCuUCg6jKWJ-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Emerging Talents<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">B\u00e4ckstedt, Scaroni, and beyond \u2013 Riders on the verge of a breakthrough this Spring Classics season<\/span><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/pTpmLDnjgH3TtLTBt2X74g-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/pTpmLDnjgH3TtLTBt2X74g-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/pTpmLDnjgH3TtLTBt2X74g-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/pTpmLDnjgH3TtLTBt2X74g-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/pTpmLDnjgH3TtLTBt2X74g-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Emerging Talents<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">&#8216;I envisioned myself in a tunnel&#8217; &#8211; Ethan Brown uses breakout season as US cyclo-cross national champion to deal with &#8216;hyped&#8217; crowds at World Championships <\/span><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/CpjPqeLwPbBDLXoQu2WQhZ-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/CpjPqeLwPbBDLXoQu2WQhZ-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/CpjPqeLwPbBDLXoQu2WQhZ-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/CpjPqeLwPbBDLXoQu2WQhZ-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/CpjPqeLwPbBDLXoQu2WQhZ-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Emerging Talents<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">&#8216;I&#8217;m going for a result&#8217; \u2013 Promising neo-pro Jarno Widar ready to test himself against GC stars at the Volta ao Algarve<\/span><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/8niz4SKJRcqeSYJJoyKDng-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/8niz4SKJRcqeSYJJoyKDng-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/8niz4SKJRcqeSYJJoyKDng-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/8niz4SKJRcqeSYJJoyKDng-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/8niz4SKJRcqeSYJJoyKDng-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Emerging Talents<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">&#8216;Juan Ayuso remains the reference point&#8217; \u2013 Spain&#8217;s new generation of riders coming through fast, but young Lidl-Trek racer still the top name to watch <\/span><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/JxkyCSot52D3T5ETPdksdn-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/JxkyCSot52D3T5ETPdksdn-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/JxkyCSot52D3T5ETPdksdn-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/JxkyCSot52D3T5ETPdksdn-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/JxkyCSot52D3T5ETPdksdn-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Emerging Talents<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">&#8216;One door closes, another one opens&#8217; &#8211; Ben Tulett eyeing Grand Tour future after Simon Yates&#8217; surprise retirement<\/span><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/2AA4KPgyCaAZgYpnhgunj7-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/2AA4KPgyCaAZgYpnhgunj7-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/2AA4KPgyCaAZgYpnhgunj7-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/2AA4KPgyCaAZgYpnhgunj7-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/2AA4KPgyCaAZgYpnhgunj7-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Emerging Talents<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">Tour de l&#8217;Avenir changes rules to invite professional development teams for 2026 edition<\/span><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/w5s3qmGQfBSKaQYqevt99E-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/w5s3qmGQfBSKaQYqevt99E-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/w5s3qmGQfBSKaQYqevt99E-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/w5s3qmGQfBSKaQYqevt99E-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/w5s3qmGQfBSKaQYqevt99E-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Emerging Talents<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">Introducing: Valentina Cavallar \u2013 The Olympic rower turned promising Grand Tour racer who was inspired by the Tour de France Femmes<\/span><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/VmMbzYnLuhLGxDMH77y8nZ-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/VmMbzYnLuhLGxDMH77y8nZ-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/VmMbzYnLuhLGxDMH77y8nZ-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/VmMbzYnLuhLGxDMH77y8nZ-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/VmMbzYnLuhLGxDMH77y8nZ-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Emerging Talents<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">Crashes, mistakes, heartbreak &#8211; US juniors discover humble cyclo-cross rewards on slippery slopes during final Belgian block of EuroCrossAcademy <\/span><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/iBK5HJbqu9KYWFiGrMzEvR-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/iBK5HJbqu9KYWFiGrMzEvR-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/iBK5HJbqu9KYWFiGrMzEvR-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/iBK5HJbqu9KYWFiGrMzEvR-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/iBK5HJbqu9KYWFiGrMzEvR-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Emerging Talents<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">&#8216;Sandy downhills were absolutely terrifying&#8217; &#8211; US EuroCrossAcademy riders Hadley Molnar and Jacob Hines conquer doubts and mistakes at Hofstade and Zolder<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<aside class=\"w-full\" data-nosnippet data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-stacked\">\n<div data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-solr:latest-articletype\">\n<div class=\"text-white py-4 px-3 mb-4 bg-[#333] uppercase font-bold custom-header-styles\">Latest in Features<\/div>\n<div class=\"grid grid-cols-1 gap-4 mt-4 mb-5\">\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/bHLxGrWU2fCg4Mw43wZRES-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/bHLxGrWU2fCg4Mw43wZRES-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/bHLxGrWU2fCg4Mw43wZRES-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/bHLxGrWU2fCg4Mw43wZRES-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/bHLxGrWU2fCg4Mw43wZRES-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Teams &amp; Riders<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">Why Remco Evenepoel is right to make his Tour of Flanders debut now, and how he could challenge Poga\u010dar and Van der Poel<\/span><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/rcETCoJsDCpoif83S8uocA-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/rcETCoJsDCpoif83S8uocA-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/rcETCoJsDCpoif83S8uocA-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/rcETCoJsDCpoif83S8uocA-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/rcETCoJsDCpoif83S8uocA-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Racing<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">A clinical Jonas Vingegaard and a long list of riders MIA \u2013 Philippa York analyses the Volta a Catalunya<\/span><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/MKWBaDLoZMm6zxaaaxGDTA-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/MKWBaDLoZMm6zxaaaxGDTA-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/MKWBaDLoZMm6zxaaaxGDTA-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/MKWBaDLoZMm6zxaaaxGDTA-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/MKWBaDLoZMm6zxaaaxGDTA-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Racing<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">Soft pulls, subtle digs: The Tour of Flanders mind games have already begun \u2013 Analysis<\/span><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/5GZmJZf8qmx8Kyc3E4yqyX-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/5GZmJZf8qmx8Kyc3E4yqyX-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/5GZmJZf8qmx8Kyc3E4yqyX-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/5GZmJZf8qmx8Kyc3E4yqyX-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/5GZmJZf8qmx8Kyc3E4yqyX-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Teams &amp; Riders<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe have the makings of a great Tour of Flanders team, but is Remco Evenepoel the missing piece for taking on Poga\u010dar and Van der Poel?<\/span><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/h46gUSG89XyXEozhPuUTX8-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/h46gUSG89XyXEozhPuUTX8-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/h46gUSG89XyXEozhPuUTX8-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/h46gUSG89XyXEozhPuUTX8-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/h46gUSG89XyXEozhPuUTX8-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Pro Cycling<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">Sean Kelly&#8217;s Classics column: The alternative way to beat the big hitters, and why Lorena Wiebes is a master<\/span><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/RFsQPgVqh9mBM2sQpfTau8-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/RFsQPgVqh9mBM2sQpfTau8-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/RFsQPgVqh9mBM2sQpfTau8-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/RFsQPgVqh9mBM2sQpfTau8-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/RFsQPgVqh9mBM2sQpfTau8-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Emerging Talents<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">&#8216;She&#8217;s a real go-getter&#8217; \u2013 Who is Fleur Moors, the rapidly rising star who has challenged Lorena Wiebes twice already this season?<\/span><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/isP3PbU6FdHrUojBNey3wF-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/isP3PbU6FdHrUojBNey3wF-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/isP3PbU6FdHrUojBNey3wF-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/isP3PbU6FdHrUojBNey3wF-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/isP3PbU6FdHrUojBNey3wF-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Teams &amp; Riders<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">Why Poga\u010dar and Van Aert&#8217;s teams aren&#8217;t sensing weakness for the Tour of Flanders despite Mathieu van der Poel&#8217;s near-miss at E3 Saxo Classic<\/span><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/dqVVi4h9cgTsAJFPibNhVN-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/dqVVi4h9cgTsAJFPibNhVN-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/dqVVi4h9cgTsAJFPibNhVN-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/dqVVi4h9cgTsAJFPibNhVN-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/dqVVi4h9cgTsAJFPibNhVN-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Teams &amp; Riders<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">340 watts, 500g of carbs, and nothing on the mind \u2013 How Silvan Dillier pulls the peloton alone for hours on end<\/span><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/L6GZerJe5CABhrmtBydHZN-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/L6GZerJe5CABhrmtBydHZN-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/L6GZerJe5CABhrmtBydHZN-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/L6GZerJe5CABhrmtBydHZN-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/L6GZerJe5CABhrmtBydHZN-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Cycling Tech &amp; Components<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">If your bike computer is getting old, you should upgrade it this week &#8211; Here&#8217;s why<\/span><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/EpUYzQWpNs9hyYFef7CjvP-840-80.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/EpUYzQWpNs9hyYFef7CjvP-650-80.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/EpUYzQWpNs9hyYFef7CjvP-500-80.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/EpUYzQWpNs9hyYFef7CjvP-450-80.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/EpUYzQWpNs9hyYFef7CjvP-320-80.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Cycling Tech &amp; Components<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">Pressure Map MyOwn: Saddle perfection, according to science<\/span><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/nV6EeTstsrSed7sBoahJ9a-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/nV6EeTstsrSed7sBoahJ9a-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/nV6EeTstsrSed7sBoahJ9a-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/nV6EeTstsrSed7sBoahJ9a-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/nV6EeTstsrSed7sBoahJ9a-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Racing<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">The cobbled Classics storylines we&#8217;re looking forward to \u2013 From Van der Poel and Poga\u010dar on the cusp of history to a different Demi Vollering and a resurgent Mads Pedersen<\/span><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/5Vm9dU3aSU7GbwC5cbSPod-840-80.png.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/5Vm9dU3aSU7GbwC5cbSPod-650-80.png.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/5Vm9dU3aSU7GbwC5cbSPod-500-80.png.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/5Vm9dU3aSU7GbwC5cbSPod-450-80.png.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/5Vm9dU3aSU7GbwC5cbSPod-320-80.png.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Racing<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">Sean Kelly&#8217;s Classics column: Sometimes Poga\u010dar doesn&#8217;t need tactics to win<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"widgetArea17\" class=\"widget-area md:basis-1\/3 widget-area-g-md-vp-1-3 widget-area-g-lg-vp-1-3 widget-area-g-xl-vp-1-3 page-widget-area-17\">\n<div data-widget-type=\"dynamic\" id=\"popular-data\" class=\"clear-both widget widget-dynamic widget-popular-data widget-dynamic-popular-data widget-dynamic-fter-popular-box\">\n<div class=\"wdn-fte-pb pos-relative space-t20\n\"><\/p>\n<div id=\"slice-container-popularBox\" class=\"slice-container popular-box-slice popularBox slice-container-popularBox\">\n<section data-hydrate=\"true\" class=\"popular-box\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__label\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__label__tab popular-box__label__tab--active\" role=\"heading\">LATEST ARTICLES<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<ol class=\"popular-box__articles-list popular-box__articles-list--active\">\n<li class=\"popular-box__article-list\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__container\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__image-wrapper\">\n<div><source class=\"popular-box__article-list__image image__image\" type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/kkBVa5xY7v7FGodaUXSuoc-320-80.jpg.webp 320w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/kkBVa5xY7v7FGodaUXSuoc-640-80.jpg.webp 640w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/kkBVa5xY7v7FGodaUXSuoc-720-80.jpg.webp 720w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/kkBVa5xY7v7FGodaUXSuoc-1280-80.jpg.webp 1280w\" sizes=\"99vw\" data-normal=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/kkBVa5xY7v7FGodaUXSuoc.jpg\" data-original-mos=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/kkBVa5xY7v7FGodaUXSuoc.jpg\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/kkBVa5xY7v7FGodaUXSuoc.jpg\" data-pin-nopin=\"true\" data-slice-image=\"true\" \/><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__content\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__number-text\">1<\/div>\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__heading\">&#8216;I have mixed feelings&#8217; &#8211; Late-race gamble falls short for Demi Vollering at Dwars door Vlaanderen<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"popular-box__article-list\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__container\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__content\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__number-text\">2<\/div>\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__heading\">&#8216;For me it was perfect&#8217; \u2013 Marlen Reusser profits from Demi Vollering breakaway and post-injury strength to grab Dwars door Vlaanderen victory<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"popular-box__article-list\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__container\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__content\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__number-text\">3<\/div>\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__heading\">&#8216;I told him for so many years to do it, and he didn&#8217;t&#8217; \u2013 Patrick Lefevere reacts to Remco Evenepoel&#8217;s Tour of Flanders debut, having failed to convince him at Soudal-QuickStep<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"popular-box__article-list\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__container\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__content\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__number-text\">4<\/div>\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__heading\">Two races, two big attacks, no win \u2013 What do Wout van Aert&#8217;s double close defeats mean for the Tour of Flanders?<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"popular-box__article-list\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__container\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__content\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__number-text\">5<\/div>\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__heading\">&#8216;He needs to call my girlfriend, because she&#8217;s preparing a fantastic dinner for Easter&#8217; \u2013 Despite dramatic Dwars fightback, Filippo Ganna says Paris-Roubaix remains his next race, not the Tour of Flanders<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article class=\"page-content-onecol flex-1\nnews-article article\n\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"widget-area-group widget-area-group-2col flex flex-wrap box-border\">\n<div id=\"widgetArea16\" class=\"widget-area basis-full md:basis-2\/3 widget-area-g-md-vp-2-3 widget-area-g-lg-vp-2-3 widget-area-g-xl-vp-2-3 page-widget-area-16\">\n<div data-widget-type=\"hero\" id=\"hero\" class=\"clear-both widget widget-hero widget-hero widget-hero-hero widget-hero widget-hero-fter-news\">\n<div class=\"news-article\">\n<header data-component-name=\"Article:Hero\">\n<nav class=\"breadcrumb\" aria-label=\"Breadcrumbs\">\n<ol>\n<li>\nPro Cycling\n<\/li>\n<li>\nTeams &amp; Riders\n<\/li>\n<li>\nEmerging Talents\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/nav>\n<h1>Instagram DMs, quiet Belgian side streets, and phone calls with parents \u2013 Inside the race to snap up cycling&#8217;s next top talents<\/h1>\n<div class=\"kiosq-member-label\"><span class=\"kiosq-member-label-text\"><b>MEMBER EXCLUSIVE<\/b><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"byline-social\">\n<div class=\"byline\">\nFeatures<\/p>\n<div class=\"text-[13px]\"><span><br \/>\nBy<br \/>\nMatilda Price <\/span><span><br \/>\npublished<br \/>\n<time data-component-name=\"UI:DateTime\" datetime=\"2026-04-01T08:37:51Z\" class=\"relative-date\"><br \/>\n1 April 2026<br \/>\n<\/time><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"strapline\">With top riders peaking earlier than ever, the race is on for agents and scouts to find cycling&#8217;s next big thing, but how does it actually work?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"mx-auto mb-4 flex items-center justify-start mx-0 my-5 p-0\" id=\"affiliate-disclaimer\" data-component-name=\"AffiliateDisclaimer\" data-hawk-message=\"Affiliate disclaimer removed because hawk deemed there are no affiliate links on this page\">\n<p class=\"text-700 mb-2 text-[12px] leading-[18px] md:text-[13px] [&amp;&gt;a]:text-gray-700 [&amp;&gt;a]:underline\">\nWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here\u2019s how it works.\n<\/p>\n<\/aside>\n<\/header>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-widget-type=\"contentparsed\" id=\"content\" class=\"clear-both widget widget-contentparsed widget-content widget-contentparsed-content widget-content-parsed widget-content-parsed-content_document \">\n<div class=\"wcp-item-content\">\n<section class=\"content-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"box less-space hero-image-wrapper\">\n<figure class=\"mb-0\">\n<source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/Q3J95fBiX8AU8aJKCfy8gT-1920-80.png.webp 2560w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/Q3J95fBiX8AU8aJKCfy8gT-1920-80.png.webp 1920w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/Q3J95fBiX8AU8aJKCfy8gT-1440-80.png.webp 1440w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/Q3J95fBiX8AU8aJKCfy8gT-1280-80.png.webp 1280w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/Q3J95fBiX8AU8aJKCfy8gT-1200-80.png.webp 1200w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/Q3J95fBiX8AU8aJKCfy8gT-1024-80.png.webp 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/Q3J95fBiX8AU8aJKCfy8gT-970-80.png.webp 970w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/Q3J95fBiX8AU8aJKCfy8gT-650-80.png.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/Q3J95fBiX8AU8aJKCfy8gT-480-80.png.webp 480w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/Q3J95fBiX8AU8aJKCfy8gT-320-80.png.webp 320w\" sizes=\"100vw\" \/><figcaption class=\"mt-2\"><span class=\"caption-text\">WorldTour scouts and agents are paying closer attention to junior racing than ever before<\/span><span class=\"credit\">(Image credit: Dirk Waem\/Getty Images)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"article-body\" class=\"text-copy bodyCopy auto paywall-locker\">\n<div data-analytics-id=\"utility-bar\" id=\"utility-bar\" class=\"font-ui-heading flex justify-between items-center py-2 border-t border-b border-gray-300 border-solid mb-5 mx-auto\" data-component-name=\"UtilityBar\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"utility-bar\">\n<div class=\"flex gap-2 text-[#333] subcontainer\">\n<div 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Google\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"relative tooltip-container\" role=\"tooltip\">\n<div role=\"dialog\" class=\"hidden fixed inset-0 z-[999999999999999999] bg-[#33333370] flex items-center justify-center p-6 newsletter-modal\" data-batch-endpoint=\"https:\/\/newsletter-subscribe.futureplc.com\/v2\/submission\/submit_batch\" data-batch-source=\"302\" data-component-name=\"Newsletter:Modal\">\n<div class=\"bg-neutral-100 rounded-xl shadow-xl w-full lg:w-2\/3 xl:w-1\/2 p-6 relative max-h-[95vh] overflow-y-auto\">\n<div id=\"newsletter-capture-modal\">\n<div class=\"sm:text-xl text-base font-bold text-black mb-3 p-0 bg-inherit font-ui-heading\">Get The Leadout Newsletter<\/div>\n<p class=\"text-gray-600 mb-4 text-sm sm:text-base font-article-copy\">The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!<\/p>\n<div data-component-name=\"Newsletter:NewsletterForm\">\n<hr class=\"modal_hr mt-3 mb-4 h-px bg-gray-300 border-0\">\n<div 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rounded-md z-[10001] whitespace-nowrap\" id=\"tooltip-subscribe-to-our-newsletter\" role=\"tooltip\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\nSubscribe to our newsletter\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p id=\"elk-44b241fb-2eea-45b8-a329-bb8814dbe87e\">The start of the junior E3 Classic is a strange place. Just a few hundred metres up the road, WorldTour pros are getting ready in warm buses, hordes of fans already surrounding them. Round the corner, on a quiet, residential street, there are 17 and 18-year-olds getting changed in vans.<\/p>\n<p>Some of the riders are actually riding WorldTour teams&#8217; bikes, or wearing their helmets \u2013 some even their kit \u2013 but here they&#8217;re on national team duty, where budgets don&#8217;t even stretch to a camper, unless you&#8217;re Belgian.<\/p>\n<p id=\"elk-44b241fb-2eea-45b8-a329-bb8814dbe87e-2\">Milling around the basic line-up of vehicles are coaches, parents, and a very small number of supporters. But the most interesting figures are those in expensive coats or team-issue jackets, chatting directly with riders, and getting their number \u2013 both metaphorically and literally.<\/p>\n<aside data-component-name=\"Recirculation:ArticleRiver\" data-recirculation-type=\"inline\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"Trending Bar\" data-nosnippet class=\"clear-both pb-0 pt-2 mb-4\"><span class=\"\n            flex\n            after:content-[''] after:flex-1 after:ml-4 after:my-[0.7rem] after:border-t after:border-solid after:border-t-[#ccc]\n            before:content-[''] before:flex-1 before:mr-4 before:my-[0.7rem] before:border-t before:border-solid before:border-t-[#ccc]\n            font-article-heading pb-0 !text-base uppercase sm:text-sm font-bold\n        \"><br \/>\n            You may like<br \/>\n        <\/span><\/p>\n<ul class=\"flex flex-col gap-0 m-0\">\n<li class=\"m-0 list-none border-b border-solid border-[#ededed] py-2\" data-recirculation-id=\"recirculation-card-1\" data-analytics-id=\"recirculation-inline-1\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"recirculation-inline-1\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/TYHSNBLfjyhwGtMNkQni7V-250-80.jpg.webp 250w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/TYHSNBLfjyhwGtMNkQni7V-150-80.jpg.webp 150w\" sizes=\"150px\" \/><span class=\"\n                            w-full font-article-heading line-clamp-3 md:line-clamp-2 text-base font-medium\">&#8216;We have to protect our riders from burnout&#8217; \u2013 How teams balance performance, success and mental wellbeing against the growing demands of pro cycling<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"m-0 list-none border-b border-solid border-[#ededed] py-2\" data-recirculation-id=\"recirculation-card-2\" data-analytics-id=\"recirculation-inline-2\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"recirculation-inline-2\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/RwzmAx5hHT6BiQqZUVka7A-250-80.jpg.webp 250w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/RwzmAx5hHT6BiQqZUVka7A-150-80.jpg.webp 150w\" sizes=\"150px\" \/><span class=\"\n                            w-full font-article-heading line-clamp-3 md:line-clamp-2 text-base font-medium\">Are scientists now more important than star riders? Inside pro cycling&#8217;s race for scientific innovation<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"m-0 list-none border-b border-solid border-[#ccc] py-2\" data-recirculation-id=\"recirculation-card-3\" data-analytics-id=\"recirculation-inline-3\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"recirculation-inline-3\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/SpRL9e2EbgekNhwrXbni9n-250-80.jpg.webp 250w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/SpRL9e2EbgekNhwrXbni9n-150-80.jpg.webp 150w\" sizes=\"150px\" \/><span class=\"\n                            w-full font-article-heading line-clamp-3 md:line-clamp-2 text-base font-medium\">&#8216;Tadej Poga\u010dar won his first Tour de France eating pizza, drinking beer and playing Playstation&#8217; \u2013 Teammate sees big difference with Paul Seixas<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/aside>\n<p>These people are agents and scouts, here to identify the next generation of talent before they even turn 19, and \u2013 ideally \u2013 get them on their books.<\/p>\n<div class=\"fancy-box\" id=\"elk-233ef0e6-309b-4516-a49d-1f2021f59b7d\">\n<div class=\"fancy_box-title\">Have you read these premium features yet?<\/div>\n<div class=\"fancy_box_body\">\n<ul>\n<li><strong>The junior to WorldTour pipeline &#8211; too much, too soon or a pathway here to stay?<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Where do cycling&#8217;s super teams spend their millions?<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Millionaires and minimum wage: Inside the new landscape of WorldTour pro cycling salaries<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p id=\"elk-dbef3809-c1ee-410b-a12c-4f73f75c7063\">We know by now that these relationships are starting earlier and earlier, with top riders turning pro straight out of junior ranks, or at least signing for a WorldTour team&#8217;s development squad. The fight for the next big star is fierce, and everyone wants to lock talent in early.<\/p>\n<p>&#8216;Scouting&#8217; can come in a lot of different forms, and these days can happen via Instagram DMs as much as anything else, but with agents and scouts on the road throughout the year, it&#8217;s clear that nothing beats actually getting out there and meeting riders.<\/p>\n<p>Junior races like E3, or perhaps the junior Trofeo Alfredo Binda a couple of weeks ago, are quietly some of the most important days of the year. Winning is important, yes, but every rider also knows that eyes from the pro ranks will be on them, and a good ride here could be a stepping stone towards a pro contract.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"a-rider-is-more-than-the-sum-of-their-watts-3\">A rider is more than the sum of their watts<\/h2>\n<p id=\"elk-160e87c7-0bef-434c-9e06-7ec706f7344a\">When everything nowadays is on ProCyclingStats and Strava, you might think that talent scouts can do all their work from home, just crunching the numbers to find the junior most statistically likely to become a good elite rider. But actually, they&#8217;re looking for much, much more than that.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Personally, I look firstly at the humility of the rider,&#8221; Jayco AlUla scout Giovanni Visconti tells <em>Cyclingnews<\/em> after E3, perhaps not the first quality you&#8217;d expect a scout to pick up on.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;I like to speak with them and see how they love their sport and how they try to do their best. Clearly, we also look at the physical values and how it works in terms of results. Another Important thing is the ability to stay in a big group, the ability on a descent, for example. After the race, often I also look at their behaviour with team staff and teammates.&#8221;<\/p>\n<aside data-component-name=\"Recirculation:ArticleRiver\" data-recirculation-type=\"inline\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"Trending Bar\" data-nosnippet class=\"clear-both pb-0 pt-2 mb-4\"><span class=\"\n            flex\n            after:content-[''] after:flex-1 after:ml-4 after:my-[0.7rem] after:border-t after:border-solid after:border-t-[#ccc]\n            before:content-[''] before:flex-1 before:mr-4 before:my-[0.7rem] before:border-t before:border-solid before:border-t-[#ccc]\n            font-article-heading pb-0 !text-base uppercase sm:text-sm font-bold\n        \"><br \/>\n            What to read next<br \/>\n        <\/span><\/p>\n<ul class=\"flex flex-col gap-0 m-0\">\n<li class=\"m-0 list-none border-b border-solid border-[#ededed] py-2\" data-recirculation-id=\"recirculation-card-1\" data-analytics-id=\"recirculation-2-inline-1\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"recirculation-2-inline-1\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/6xpr4inQsr9N3WDPNfwNkm-250-80.png.webp 250w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/6xpr4inQsr9N3WDPNfwNkm-150-80.png.webp 150w\" sizes=\"150px\" \/><span class=\"\n                            w-full font-article-heading line-clamp-3 md:line-clamp-2 text-base font-medium\">&#8216;You do what&#8217;s required to deliver other guys to win&#8217; \u2013 Meet the pro cyclists who went their entire careers without a single individual victory to their name<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"m-0 list-none border-b border-solid border-[#ededed] py-2\" data-recirculation-id=\"recirculation-card-2\" data-analytics-id=\"recirculation-2-inline-2\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"recirculation-2-inline-2\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/SzNaXmz3Gu2BHCMTCbY3gB-250-80.jpg.webp 250w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/SzNaXmz3Gu2BHCMTCbY3gB-150-80.jpg.webp 150w\" sizes=\"150px\" \/><span class=\"\n                            w-full font-article-heading line-clamp-3 md:line-clamp-2 text-base font-medium\">&#8216;There could be a massive drop-off&#8217; &#8211; Jay Vine warns of dramatically narrowing pathways to professionalism for Australian and New Zealanders<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"m-0 list-none border-b border-solid border-[#ccc] py-2\" data-recirculation-id=\"recirculation-card-3\" data-analytics-id=\"recirculation-2-inline-3\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"recirculation-2-inline-3\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/aJktv75xjJciQWvLMvDRq6-250-80.jpg.webp 250w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/aJktv75xjJciQWvLMvDRq6-150-80.jpg.webp 150w\" sizes=\"150px\" \/><span class=\"\n                            w-full font-article-heading line-clamp-3 md:line-clamp-2 text-base font-medium\">&#8216;In some ways, as a young pro, I was in a way better place 10 years ago&#8217; \u2013 Slovenian stars Matej Mohori\u010d and Jakob Omrzel interview each other <\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/aside>\n<p>Looking at a rider&#8217;s data or power numbers is one element of identifying talent, but when it comes to spotting riders teams might want to tap up for the long term, pure numbers are not enough to go on, and big wins or high power aren&#8217;t everything.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"van-image-figure full-width-layout\" data-bordeaux-image-check id=\"elk-8cc86bff-0325-4ee2-bfbc-b92e06f6ba1a\">\n<div class=\"image-full-width-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"image-widthsetter\">\n<p class=\"vanilla-image-block\">\n<source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/sXC6ksaXpCijasE7tbYLuA-2560-80.jpg.webp 2560w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/sXC6ksaXpCijasE7tbYLuA-1920-80.jpg.webp 1920w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/sXC6ksaXpCijasE7tbYLuA-1440-80.jpg.webp 1440w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/sXC6ksaXpCijasE7tbYLuA-1280-80.jpg.webp 1280w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/sXC6ksaXpCijasE7tbYLuA-1200-80.jpg.webp 1200w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/sXC6ksaXpCijasE7tbYLuA-1024-80.jpg.webp 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/sXC6ksaXpCijasE7tbYLuA-970-80.jpg.webp 970w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/sXC6ksaXpCijasE7tbYLuA-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/sXC6ksaXpCijasE7tbYLuA-480-80.jpg.webp 480w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/sXC6ksaXpCijasE7tbYLuA-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"100vw\" \/><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\" full-width-layout\"><span class=\"caption-text\">Scouts are often looking for qualitative data over quantitative when searching for next generation&#8217;s talents <\/span><span class=\"credit\">(Image credit: David Pintens\/Getty Images)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p id=\"elk-7d977c18-c45b-4fe9-b146-151cbd89a172\">&#8220;Values are really important, but for me they are only the base to start looking at the rider on the road,&#8221; Visconti explained. &#8220;There are riders with fantastic values that don\u2019t show it on the road and riders who don\u2019t have great values but show more. There has to be a compromise between results and values. From there, you know that you can work to improve.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>At a race like E3, a scout like Visconti will be at the start and finish, but also out on the course, picking out the key moments to go and watch. With no TV footage of these races, and little other reporting, being on the ground is essential.<\/p>\n<p>Visconti spends a lot of his time on the road, and will be looking for specific things at specific races.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;In races like E3, I go to see the ability of the rider to keep positions, to stay in a group in a race with small and difficult roads,&#8221; he explains. &#8220;If I\u2019m looking for a &#8216;Classics man&#8217;, I&#8217;m also watching the ability to read the race, to move in the right moment.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p id=\"elk-9083f93d-a9d8-49e6-b708-5697703f26bf\">Representatives from teams are one big part of the scouting ecosystem, but the other big part is agents and agencies. Independent agents might do it all themselves, whilst bigger agencies will have dedicated scouts, but all the agents will also have half an eye on rising riders.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;It&#8217;s crazy how competitive it&#8217;s getting now on the women&#8217;s side. People are looking at under 17s already, which, for me, is insane,&#8221; Loren Rowney, former pro and now rider agent at The Team \u2013 formerly Wasserman \u2013 says.<\/p>\n<p>For Rowney, scouting is a smaller part of her job, as The Team have David Bartelet in that dedicated role, but it&#8217;s something she&#8217;s attentive to all the same, and takes a lot more than just looking at results, or even just at the main races.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;This is a good example. We had Binda a few weeks ago, and they have the Piccolo Binda race. And that actually came down to a bunch sprint. Now if you just look at the top three there, you&#8217;d think &#8216;OK, it came down to a bunch sprint&#8217; but if you didn&#8217;t see the race and didn&#8217;t know [how] it panned out and you didn&#8217;t know which riders spent time off the front, it would be really hard to know what kind of athlete you&#8217;re looking at. Did they just sit in the whole race and then kick at the finish?,&#8221; she says.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Where you can sometimes get a glimmer of the potential of an athlete is coming to these kermesses in Belgium. One of my clients was racing one on the weekend, and the girl who got second at Binda under 19s, a German rider [Edda Bieberle], I was blown away by how she rode that race.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;She had a crack and she put a minute and a half into the peloton, and there were some other strong riders there, but the way that she just attacked the race, I was like &#8216;this is a rider who has talent&#8217;.&#8221;<\/p>\n<figure class=\"van-image-figure full-width-layout\" data-bordeaux-image-check id=\"elk-3f282127-940c-4143-b226-78cc8e6f92c0\">\n<div class=\"image-full-width-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"image-widthsetter\">\n<p class=\"vanilla-image-block\">\n<source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/xBimBxPAm8wbkYMLJVPm5Y-2560-80.jpg.webp 2560w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/xBimBxPAm8wbkYMLJVPm5Y-1920-80.jpg.webp 1920w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/xBimBxPAm8wbkYMLJVPm5Y-1440-80.jpg.webp 1440w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/xBimBxPAm8wbkYMLJVPm5Y-1280-80.jpg.webp 1280w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/xBimBxPAm8wbkYMLJVPm5Y-1200-80.jpg.webp 1200w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/xBimBxPAm8wbkYMLJVPm5Y-1024-80.jpg.webp 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/xBimBxPAm8wbkYMLJVPm5Y-970-80.jpg.webp 970w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/xBimBxPAm8wbkYMLJVPm5Y-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/xBimBxPAm8wbkYMLJVPm5Y-480-80.jpg.webp 480w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/xBimBxPAm8wbkYMLJVPm5Y-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"100vw\" \/><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\" full-width-layout\"><span class=\"caption-text\">Alex Carera, founder of A&amp;J ALL SPORTS and one of the highest profile cycling agents, signed Tadej Poga\u010dar in 2016, before he turned professional <\/span><span class=\"credit\">(Image credit: Anne-Christine Poujoulat\/Getty Images)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2 id=\"the-next-steps-3\">The next steps<\/h2>\n<p id=\"elk-7ee28f0c-d276-4eeb-a10d-501a20ccb484\">Getting onto a talent scout&#8217;s radar is very much just the start of the story for any promising rider. A thousand different factors will come into what happens next, whether it&#8217;s how they perform in the next races, what a scout thinks of their personality off the bike, what they&#8217;re looking for in a team, and much, much more.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;After an impressive performance, I&#8217;ll try to find out if the rider has an agent or not so I contact the agent or the rider in some way and ask the permission from his parents to speak with him, and also have access to his training platform,&#8221; Visconti explains.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Then I introduce the rider to our scouting group to discuss and decide how to act with him. From there, we try to keep in contact and see each other again in another race.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Might there be more performance tests that the team wants to undertake with a rider? Maybe, but that&#8217;s probably less common than you think, with less tangible qualities more important to many scouts.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Sometimes, when looking at their training platform is not enough, or there\u2019s something not so clear, we can ask them to do a short test during their training. Nothing special. I think every team has its protocol. But often we don\u2019t need to ask for a test,&#8221; Visconti says.<\/p>\n<p>On the agent side, the goal is somewhat the same, to make connections with talented young riders \u2013 and Rowney also points to gaining the trust of a young rider&#8217;s parents as a key part of the process. However, the next steps and the aims of the partnership are different.<\/p>\n<p>Agents won&#8217;t be testing a rider&#8217;s FTP, and indeed the goal of their relationship is often to be a support off the bike to help navigate the journey into pro cycling.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;A lot of WorldTour teams now will admit that they don&#8217;t have the means to develop these 18-year-olds, because it&#8217;s not just the talent side of things; you&#8217;re dealing with a very young human being here,&#8221; Rowney says.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;At the races, they&#8217;re there in a very safe environment with the team, but once they go home and the races are done, and maybe things didn&#8217;t go well, then you&#8217;ve just dropped them off in a foreign country and said &#8216;OK, good luck processing that&#8217;.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;And with the demands on WorldTour teams now too, sometimes that&#8217;s just not right for you, and for a lot of athletes it&#8217;s sink or swim.&#8221;<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"why-so-early-3\">Why so early?<\/h2>\n<p id=\"elk-7c6bc883-47fb-44a6-a992-e334a0fa375f\">The big question in all of this is, <em>why <\/em>is this all happening so early nowadays? Why is the start of E3 now half race, half business meeting?<\/p>\n<p>For teams, it&#8217;s clear that top riders&#8217; careers are peaking earlier, and in the era of ultra-long contracts, it&#8217;s imperative to lock talent in early. You can&#8217;t let them be snapped up by someone else. Many team managers also talk about the importance of getting a rider enmeshed in the ethics and working style of a team early, too.<\/p>\n<p>It means that there&#8217;s not a lot of choice in whether you get involved with this rat race or not.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Junior scouting is certainly more important now than in the past. Cycling and sport in general is moving forward quickly. We can\u2019t stop this process,&#8221; Visconti says.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;So we have to do our best to try to find talents, but also pay attention to their correct [development] and give them the best to grow up well, without forgetting that they are so young and life is not only cycling.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>On the agency side, the very fundamental reason is that the sooner you sign a rider, the sooner you can be taking a cut of their salary, which these days can be huge even for very young riders. Rowney admits that, like in any industry, there will be agents more motivated by that than anything else, but many are also very interested in caring for and nurturing their clients, particularly the youngest ones, and perhaps not pushing the pro pipeline too soon.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"van-image-figure full-width-layout\" data-bordeaux-image-check id=\"elk-f5027b1a-9853-47ff-ac85-55c629b5cc40\">\n<div class=\"image-full-width-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"image-widthsetter\">\n<p class=\"vanilla-image-block\">\n<source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/FA6j56Br9J4mzTr6w5SFNU-2560-80.jpg.webp 2560w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/FA6j56Br9J4mzTr6w5SFNU-1920-80.jpg.webp 1920w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/FA6j56Br9J4mzTr6w5SFNU-1440-80.jpg.webp 1440w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/FA6j56Br9J4mzTr6w5SFNU-1280-80.jpg.webp 1280w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/FA6j56Br9J4mzTr6w5SFNU-1200-80.jpg.webp 1200w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/FA6j56Br9J4mzTr6w5SFNU-1024-80.jpg.webp 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/FA6j56Br9J4mzTr6w5SFNU-970-80.jpg.webp 970w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/FA6j56Br9J4mzTr6w5SFNU-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/FA6j56Br9J4mzTr6w5SFNU-480-80.jpg.webp 480w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/FA6j56Br9J4mzTr6w5SFNU-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"100vw\" \/><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\" full-width-layout\"><span class=\"caption-text\">As professional cyclists peak sooner and sooner, scouts and agents put greater focus on the junior levels of the sport <\/span><span class=\"credit\">(Image credit: David Pintens\/Getty Images)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p id=\"elk-8e6ca380-ec0d-4fe7-88fe-29ac672eff2d\">&#8220;OK, you can have those generational talents like Cat Ferguson, but for both men and women \u2013 women more so when you consider our hormones and everything \u2013 just because you&#8217;re a phenomenal under-17 doesn&#8217;t necessarily mean it&#8217;s going to translate into being an elite athlete. Plus at that age, they shouldn&#8217;t feel that pressure,&#8221; she says.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;You can still start learning the aspects of what it means to be an elite athlete and what that looks like, the importance of good food, recovery, all those sorts of things, you can learn as a junior, but the pressure now on these young athletes is insane. And I do wonder sometimes about the emotional toll it&#8217;s taking.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Navigating contracts is one part of an agents job, but many also help riders get set up with a new home, help them find proper rehabilitation after injuries, and many other smaller, more pastoral things.<\/p>\n<p>From the outside, watching the start of E3 and prevalence of scouts, it&#8217;s easy to wonder if young riders are becoming commodities for teams and agents to fight over, or if the two sides of the scouting world are at odds, trying to get to talent before the other.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;I&#8217;ve never really though of it as like, we&#8217;ve got to get to them before they get to a team,&#8221; Rowney says. &#8220;But I&#8217;m sure that is why some agents are trying to sign under-17s, to get in there before they start making any decisions.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;There are many agents now and they are working more every year with young talent, so we have to work with them,&#8221; Visconti adds.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Sometime it\u2019s easy, sometimes it&#8217;s not, but it\u2019s part of the game. It\u2019s not so important to find riders without agents, I think most important is that agents can give the right advice to their riders, not forgetting that the family must be the first place where important choices should come from.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>At E3 juniors, Italy&#8217;s Brandon Fedrizzi won the race, whilst Matilde Rossignoli won the important Piccolo Binda. Edda Bieberle, the second-placed rider Rowney spoke about, has already taken two more wins in Belgium since then.<\/p>\n<p>These might not be names you know yet, but talent scouts will know them and everything about 50 other talented riders, too. Whether it&#8217;s on a quiet street in Belgium or in an Instagram DM, the process of unleashing the next generation of talent has very much begun.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"block mb-5\" id=\"articleTag\" data-component-name=\"PostArticleLinks\" data-nosnippet data-mrf-recirculation=\"post-article-links\">\n<div class=\"border-b border-b-black border-solid py-2.5 text-black font-bold uppercase\">TOPICS<\/div>\n<nav class=\"py-2.5 flex gap-2.5 flex-wrap\" data-analytics-id=\"article-tag\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-tag\">\n<p>Road<\/p>\n<\/nav>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"slice-container-authorBio-7se7rwvYfFifRx8szw349c\" class=\"slice-container slice-author-bio authorBio-7se7rwvYfFifRx8szw349c slice-container-authorBio\">\n<div class=\"author author__default-layout author--separator author--collapsible\" data-hydrate=\"true\">\n<div class=\"author__header\">\n<div class=\"author__heading\">\n<div class=\"author__name\">Matilda Price<\/div>\n<div class=\"author__role\">Assistant Features Editor<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"author__bio-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"author__biography\">\n<p>Matilda is an NCTJ-qualified journalist based in the UK who joined <em>Cyclingnews <\/em>in March 2025. Prior to that, she worked as the Racing News Editor at <em>GCN<\/em>, and extensively as a freelancer contributing to <em>Cyclingnews, Cycling Weekly, Velo, Rouleur, Escape Collective, Red Bull <\/em>and more. She has reported on the ground at all of the biggest events on the calendar, including the men&#8217;s and women&#8217;s Tours de France, the Giro d&#8217;Italia, the Vuelta a Espana, the Spring Classics and the World Championships. She has particular experience and expertise in women&#8217;s cycling, and women&#8217;s sport in general. She is a graduate of modern languages and sports journalism.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<div class=\"mt-6 lg:px-0 relative max-w-[1070px] mx-auto viafoura-twig-component px-4\" data-component-name=\"Viafoura:Comments\" data-nosnippet data-community-guidelines-text=\"&lt;p class='vfcustom-community-guidelines'&gt;Please follow our &lt;a href=&quot;https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/about\/#section-community-guidelines&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;community guidelines&lt;\/a&gt;.&lt;\/p&gt;\" data-join-the-conversation-text=\"Join the Conversation\">\n<div class=\"absolute top-0 left-0 w-full h-full flex items-center justify-center z-50 bg-white\/90 border-1\">\n<div class=\"p-2 text-center\">\n<p class=\"mb-3 !text-lg\">You must confirm your public display name before commenting<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-3 !text-sm\">Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<section class=\"mx-2 my-5 sm:mx-0\">\n<aside class=\"w-full\" data-nosnippet data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-stacked\">\n<div data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-adviser:hybrid\">\n<div class=\"text-white py-4 px-3 mb-4 bg-[#333] uppercase font-bold custom-header-styles\">Read more<\/div>\n<div class=\"grid grid-cols-1 gap-4 mt-4 mb-5\">\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/TYHSNBLfjyhwGtMNkQni7V-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/TYHSNBLfjyhwGtMNkQni7V-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/TYHSNBLfjyhwGtMNkQni7V-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/TYHSNBLfjyhwGtMNkQni7V-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/TYHSNBLfjyhwGtMNkQni7V-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Training Camps<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">&#8216;We have to protect our riders from burnout&#8217; \u2013 How teams balance performance, success and mental wellbeing against the growing demands of pro cycling<\/span><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/RwzmAx5hHT6BiQqZUVka7A-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/RwzmAx5hHT6BiQqZUVka7A-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/RwzmAx5hHT6BiQqZUVka7A-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/RwzmAx5hHT6BiQqZUVka7A-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/RwzmAx5hHT6BiQqZUVka7A-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Pro Cycling<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">Are scientists now more important than star riders? Inside pro cycling&#8217;s race for scientific innovation<\/span><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/SpRL9e2EbgekNhwrXbni9n-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/SpRL9e2EbgekNhwrXbni9n-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/SpRL9e2EbgekNhwrXbni9n-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/SpRL9e2EbgekNhwrXbni9n-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/SpRL9e2EbgekNhwrXbni9n-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Teams &amp; Riders<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">&#8216;Tadej Poga\u010dar won his first Tour de France eating pizza, drinking beer and playing Playstation&#8217; \u2013 Teammate sees big difference with Paul Seixas<\/span><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/6xpr4inQsr9N3WDPNfwNkm-840-80.png.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/6xpr4inQsr9N3WDPNfwNkm-650-80.png.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/6xpr4inQsr9N3WDPNfwNkm-500-80.png.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/6xpr4inQsr9N3WDPNfwNkm-450-80.png.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/6xpr4inQsr9N3WDPNfwNkm-320-80.png.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Teams &amp; Riders<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">&#8216;You do what&#8217;s required to deliver other guys to win&#8217; \u2013 Meet the pro cyclists who went their entire careers without a single individual victory to their name<\/span><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/SzNaXmz3Gu2BHCMTCbY3gB-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/SzNaXmz3Gu2BHCMTCbY3gB-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/SzNaXmz3Gu2BHCMTCbY3gB-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/SzNaXmz3Gu2BHCMTCbY3gB-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/SzNaXmz3Gu2BHCMTCbY3gB-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Teams &amp; Riders<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">&#8216;There could be a massive drop-off&#8217; &#8211; Jay Vine warns of dramatically narrowing pathways to professionalism for Australian and New Zealanders<\/span><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/aJktv75xjJciQWvLMvDRq6-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/aJktv75xjJciQWvLMvDRq6-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/aJktv75xjJciQWvLMvDRq6-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/aJktv75xjJciQWvLMvDRq6-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/aJktv75xjJciQWvLMvDRq6-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Training Camps<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">&#8216;In some ways, as a young pro, I was in a way better place 10 years ago&#8217; \u2013 Slovenian stars Matej Mohori\u010d and Jakob Omrzel interview each other <\/span><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/GiKn9KL8qTEUFYKSxkcAKm-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/GiKn9KL8qTEUFYKSxkcAKm-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/GiKn9KL8qTEUFYKSxkcAKm-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/GiKn9KL8qTEUFYKSxkcAKm-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/GiKn9KL8qTEUFYKSxkcAKm-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Training Camps<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">&#8216;Every cloud has a silver lining&#8217; \u2013 Picnic PostNL gambling on young riders and buy-out cash to try to fill void left by Oscar Onley<\/span><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/BKgqTUwnbwydCuUCg6jKWJ-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/BKgqTUwnbwydCuUCg6jKWJ-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/BKgqTUwnbwydCuUCg6jKWJ-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/BKgqTUwnbwydCuUCg6jKWJ-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/BKgqTUwnbwydCuUCg6jKWJ-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Emerging Talents<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">B\u00e4ckstedt, Scaroni, and beyond \u2013 Riders on the verge of a breakthrough this Spring Classics season<\/span><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/wvvs4nrEgLbhrEshDKLma3-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/wvvs4nrEgLbhrEshDKLma3-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/wvvs4nrEgLbhrEshDKLma3-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/wvvs4nrEgLbhrEshDKLma3-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/wvvs4nrEgLbhrEshDKLma3-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Teams &amp; Riders<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">&#8216;I was breaking power records left, right, and centre last year and still not winning&#8217; \u2013 Adam Yates on the harsh reality of keeping up in modern cycling&#8217;s constantly improving peloton<\/span><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/w5s3qmGQfBSKaQYqevt99E-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/w5s3qmGQfBSKaQYqevt99E-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/w5s3qmGQfBSKaQYqevt99E-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/w5s3qmGQfBSKaQYqevt99E-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/w5s3qmGQfBSKaQYqevt99E-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Emerging Talents<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">Introducing: Valentina Cavallar \u2013 The Olympic rower turned promising Grand Tour racer who was inspired by the Tour de France Femmes<\/span><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/be6hx5eK62tNrQfpDWFgrE-840-80.png.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/be6hx5eK62tNrQfpDWFgrE-650-80.png.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/be6hx5eK62tNrQfpDWFgrE-500-80.png.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/be6hx5eK62tNrQfpDWFgrE-450-80.png.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/be6hx5eK62tNrQfpDWFgrE-320-80.png.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Pro Cycling<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">&#8216;Riders making six figures race against some who aren&#8217;t making a cent&#8217; &#8211; Are pro gravel teams about to be the end of the privateer?<\/span><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/Mjn5kXszgCzChPUPEwWpF6-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/Mjn5kXszgCzChPUPEwWpF6-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/Mjn5kXszgCzChPUPEwWpF6-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/Mjn5kXszgCzChPUPEwWpF6-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/Mjn5kXszgCzChPUPEwWpF6-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Women&#8217;s Cycling<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">From top riders&#8217; real form to the teams not quite thriving \u2013 Five key questions ahead of Milan-San Remo and the next Classics<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<aside class=\"w-full\" data-nosnippet data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-stacked\">\n<div data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-solr:latest-category\">\n<div class=\"text-white py-4 px-3 mb-4 bg-[#333] uppercase font-bold custom-header-styles\">Latest in Emerging Talents<\/div>\n<div class=\"grid grid-cols-1 gap-4 mt-4 mb-5\">\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/RFsQPgVqh9mBM2sQpfTau8-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/RFsQPgVqh9mBM2sQpfTau8-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/RFsQPgVqh9mBM2sQpfTau8-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/RFsQPgVqh9mBM2sQpfTau8-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/RFsQPgVqh9mBM2sQpfTau8-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Emerging Talents<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">&#8216;She&#8217;s a real go-getter&#8217; \u2013 Who is Fleur Moors, the rapidly rising star who has challenged Lorena Wiebes twice already this season?<\/span><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/JEwYhVeQpkzNhYf2hBbnv-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/JEwYhVeQpkzNhYf2hBbnv-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/JEwYhVeQpkzNhYf2hBbnv-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/JEwYhVeQpkzNhYf2hBbnv-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/JEwYhVeQpkzNhYf2hBbnv-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Emerging Talents<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">&#8216;A killer sprint in the end&#8217; &#8211; Why a mad dash for Mid South Gravel victory shows a new generation has arrived<\/span><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/5zPjNU6h2dHErs7g4xmdaS-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/5zPjNU6h2dHErs7g4xmdaS-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/5zPjNU6h2dHErs7g4xmdaS-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/5zPjNU6h2dHErs7g4xmdaS-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/5zPjNU6h2dHErs7g4xmdaS-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Emerging Talents<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">British rider among Lidl-Trek Junior Racing programme that aims to &#8216;find and develop the very best junior talent&#8217;<\/span><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/BKgqTUwnbwydCuUCg6jKWJ-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/BKgqTUwnbwydCuUCg6jKWJ-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/BKgqTUwnbwydCuUCg6jKWJ-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/BKgqTUwnbwydCuUCg6jKWJ-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/BKgqTUwnbwydCuUCg6jKWJ-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Emerging Talents<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">B\u00e4ckstedt, Scaroni, and beyond \u2013 Riders on the verge of a breakthrough this Spring Classics season<\/span><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/pTpmLDnjgH3TtLTBt2X74g-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/pTpmLDnjgH3TtLTBt2X74g-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/pTpmLDnjgH3TtLTBt2X74g-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/pTpmLDnjgH3TtLTBt2X74g-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/pTpmLDnjgH3TtLTBt2X74g-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Emerging Talents<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">&#8216;I envisioned myself in a tunnel&#8217; &#8211; Ethan Brown uses breakout season as US cyclo-cross national champion to deal with &#8216;hyped&#8217; crowds at World Championships <\/span><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/CpjPqeLwPbBDLXoQu2WQhZ-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/CpjPqeLwPbBDLXoQu2WQhZ-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/CpjPqeLwPbBDLXoQu2WQhZ-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/CpjPqeLwPbBDLXoQu2WQhZ-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/CpjPqeLwPbBDLXoQu2WQhZ-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Emerging Talents<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">&#8216;I&#8217;m going for a result&#8217; \u2013 Promising neo-pro Jarno Widar ready to test himself against GC stars at the Volta ao Algarve<\/span><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/8niz4SKJRcqeSYJJoyKDng-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/8niz4SKJRcqeSYJJoyKDng-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/8niz4SKJRcqeSYJJoyKDng-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/8niz4SKJRcqeSYJJoyKDng-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/8niz4SKJRcqeSYJJoyKDng-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Emerging Talents<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">&#8216;Juan Ayuso remains the reference point&#8217; \u2013 Spain&#8217;s new generation of riders coming through fast, but young Lidl-Trek racer still the top name to watch <\/span><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/JxkyCSot52D3T5ETPdksdn-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/JxkyCSot52D3T5ETPdksdn-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/JxkyCSot52D3T5ETPdksdn-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/JxkyCSot52D3T5ETPdksdn-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/JxkyCSot52D3T5ETPdksdn-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Emerging Talents<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">&#8216;One door closes, another one opens&#8217; &#8211; Ben Tulett eyeing Grand Tour future after Simon Yates&#8217; surprise retirement<\/span><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/2AA4KPgyCaAZgYpnhgunj7-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/2AA4KPgyCaAZgYpnhgunj7-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/2AA4KPgyCaAZgYpnhgunj7-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/2AA4KPgyCaAZgYpnhgunj7-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/2AA4KPgyCaAZgYpnhgunj7-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Emerging Talents<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">Tour de l&#8217;Avenir changes rules to invite professional development teams for 2026 edition<\/span><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/w5s3qmGQfBSKaQYqevt99E-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/w5s3qmGQfBSKaQYqevt99E-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/w5s3qmGQfBSKaQYqevt99E-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/w5s3qmGQfBSKaQYqevt99E-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/w5s3qmGQfBSKaQYqevt99E-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Emerging Talents<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">Introducing: Valentina Cavallar \u2013 The Olympic rower turned promising Grand Tour racer who was inspired by the Tour de France Femmes<\/span><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/VmMbzYnLuhLGxDMH77y8nZ-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/VmMbzYnLuhLGxDMH77y8nZ-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/VmMbzYnLuhLGxDMH77y8nZ-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/VmMbzYnLuhLGxDMH77y8nZ-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/VmMbzYnLuhLGxDMH77y8nZ-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Emerging Talents<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">Crashes, mistakes, heartbreak &#8211; US juniors discover humble cyclo-cross rewards on slippery slopes during final Belgian block of EuroCrossAcademy <\/span><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/iBK5HJbqu9KYWFiGrMzEvR-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/iBK5HJbqu9KYWFiGrMzEvR-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/iBK5HJbqu9KYWFiGrMzEvR-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/iBK5HJbqu9KYWFiGrMzEvR-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/iBK5HJbqu9KYWFiGrMzEvR-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Emerging Talents<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">&#8216;Sandy downhills were absolutely terrifying&#8217; &#8211; US EuroCrossAcademy riders Hadley Molnar and Jacob Hines conquer doubts and mistakes at Hofstade and Zolder<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<aside class=\"w-full\" data-nosnippet data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-stacked\">\n<div data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-solr:latest-articletype\">\n<div class=\"text-white py-4 px-3 mb-4 bg-[#333] uppercase font-bold custom-header-styles\">Latest in Features<\/div>\n<div class=\"grid grid-cols-1 gap-4 mt-4 mb-5\">\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/bHLxGrWU2fCg4Mw43wZRES-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/bHLxGrWU2fCg4Mw43wZRES-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/bHLxGrWU2fCg4Mw43wZRES-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/bHLxGrWU2fCg4Mw43wZRES-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/bHLxGrWU2fCg4Mw43wZRES-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Teams &amp; Riders<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">Why Remco Evenepoel is right to make his Tour of Flanders debut now, and how he could challenge Poga\u010dar and Van der Poel<\/span><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/rcETCoJsDCpoif83S8uocA-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/rcETCoJsDCpoif83S8uocA-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/rcETCoJsDCpoif83S8uocA-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/rcETCoJsDCpoif83S8uocA-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/rcETCoJsDCpoif83S8uocA-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Racing<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">A clinical Jonas Vingegaard and a long list of riders MIA \u2013 Philippa York analyses the Volta a Catalunya<\/span><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/MKWBaDLoZMm6zxaaaxGDTA-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/MKWBaDLoZMm6zxaaaxGDTA-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/MKWBaDLoZMm6zxaaaxGDTA-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/MKWBaDLoZMm6zxaaaxGDTA-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/MKWBaDLoZMm6zxaaaxGDTA-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Racing<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">Soft pulls, subtle digs: The Tour of Flanders mind games have already begun \u2013 Analysis<\/span><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/5GZmJZf8qmx8Kyc3E4yqyX-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/5GZmJZf8qmx8Kyc3E4yqyX-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/5GZmJZf8qmx8Kyc3E4yqyX-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/5GZmJZf8qmx8Kyc3E4yqyX-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/5GZmJZf8qmx8Kyc3E4yqyX-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Teams &amp; Riders<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe have the makings of a great Tour of Flanders team, but is Remco Evenepoel the missing piece for taking on Poga\u010dar and Van der Poel?<\/span><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/h46gUSG89XyXEozhPuUTX8-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/h46gUSG89XyXEozhPuUTX8-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/h46gUSG89XyXEozhPuUTX8-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/h46gUSG89XyXEozhPuUTX8-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/h46gUSG89XyXEozhPuUTX8-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Pro Cycling<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">Sean Kelly&#8217;s Classics column: The alternative way to beat the big hitters, and why Lorena Wiebes is a master<\/span><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/RFsQPgVqh9mBM2sQpfTau8-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/RFsQPgVqh9mBM2sQpfTau8-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/RFsQPgVqh9mBM2sQpfTau8-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/RFsQPgVqh9mBM2sQpfTau8-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/RFsQPgVqh9mBM2sQpfTau8-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Emerging Talents<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">&#8216;She&#8217;s a real go-getter&#8217; \u2013 Who is Fleur Moors, the rapidly rising star who has challenged Lorena Wiebes twice already this season?<\/span><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/isP3PbU6FdHrUojBNey3wF-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/isP3PbU6FdHrUojBNey3wF-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/isP3PbU6FdHrUojBNey3wF-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/isP3PbU6FdHrUojBNey3wF-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/isP3PbU6FdHrUojBNey3wF-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Teams &amp; Riders<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">Why Poga\u010dar and Van Aert&#8217;s teams aren&#8217;t sensing weakness for the Tour of Flanders despite Mathieu van der Poel&#8217;s near-miss at E3 Saxo Classic<\/span><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/dqVVi4h9cgTsAJFPibNhVN-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/dqVVi4h9cgTsAJFPibNhVN-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/dqVVi4h9cgTsAJFPibNhVN-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/dqVVi4h9cgTsAJFPibNhVN-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/dqVVi4h9cgTsAJFPibNhVN-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Teams &amp; Riders<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">340 watts, 500g of carbs, and nothing on the mind \u2013 How Silvan Dillier pulls the peloton alone for hours on end<\/span><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/L6GZerJe5CABhrmtBydHZN-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/L6GZerJe5CABhrmtBydHZN-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/L6GZerJe5CABhrmtBydHZN-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/L6GZerJe5CABhrmtBydHZN-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/L6GZerJe5CABhrmtBydHZN-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Cycling Tech &amp; Components<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">If your bike computer is getting old, you should upgrade it this week &#8211; Here&#8217;s why<\/span><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/EpUYzQWpNs9hyYFef7CjvP-840-80.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/EpUYzQWpNs9hyYFef7CjvP-650-80.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/EpUYzQWpNs9hyYFef7CjvP-500-80.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/EpUYzQWpNs9hyYFef7CjvP-450-80.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/EpUYzQWpNs9hyYFef7CjvP-320-80.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Cycling Tech &amp; Components<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">Pressure Map MyOwn: Saddle perfection, according to science<\/span><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/nV6EeTstsrSed7sBoahJ9a-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/nV6EeTstsrSed7sBoahJ9a-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/nV6EeTstsrSed7sBoahJ9a-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/nV6EeTstsrSed7sBoahJ9a-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/nV6EeTstsrSed7sBoahJ9a-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Racing<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">The cobbled Classics storylines we&#8217;re looking forward to \u2013 From Van der Poel and Poga\u010dar on the cusp of history to a different Demi Vollering and a resurgent Mads Pedersen<\/span><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/5Vm9dU3aSU7GbwC5cbSPod-840-80.png.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/5Vm9dU3aSU7GbwC5cbSPod-650-80.png.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/5Vm9dU3aSU7GbwC5cbSPod-500-80.png.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/5Vm9dU3aSU7GbwC5cbSPod-450-80.png.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/5Vm9dU3aSU7GbwC5cbSPod-320-80.png.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Racing<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">Sean Kelly&#8217;s Classics column: Sometimes Poga\u010dar doesn&#8217;t need tactics to win<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"widgetArea17\" class=\"widget-area md:basis-1\/3 widget-area-g-md-vp-1-3 widget-area-g-lg-vp-1-3 widget-area-g-xl-vp-1-3 page-widget-area-17\">\n<div data-widget-type=\"dynamic\" id=\"popular-data\" class=\"clear-both widget widget-dynamic widget-popular-data widget-dynamic-popular-data widget-dynamic-fter-popular-box\">\n<div class=\"wdn-fte-pb pos-relative space-t20\n\"><\/p>\n<div id=\"slice-container-popularBox\" class=\"slice-container popular-box-slice popularBox slice-container-popularBox\">\n<section data-hydrate=\"true\" class=\"popular-box\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__label\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__label__tab popular-box__label__tab--active\" role=\"heading\">LATEST ARTICLES<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<ol class=\"popular-box__articles-list popular-box__articles-list--active\">\n<li class=\"popular-box__article-list\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__container\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__image-wrapper\">\n<div><source class=\"popular-box__article-list__image image__image\" type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/kkBVa5xY7v7FGodaUXSuoc-320-80.jpg.webp 320w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/kkBVa5xY7v7FGodaUXSuoc-640-80.jpg.webp 640w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/kkBVa5xY7v7FGodaUXSuoc-720-80.jpg.webp 720w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/kkBVa5xY7v7FGodaUXSuoc-1280-80.jpg.webp 1280w\" sizes=\"99vw\" data-normal=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/kkBVa5xY7v7FGodaUXSuoc.jpg\" data-original-mos=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/kkBVa5xY7v7FGodaUXSuoc.jpg\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/kkBVa5xY7v7FGodaUXSuoc.jpg\" data-pin-nopin=\"true\" data-slice-image=\"true\" \/><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__content\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__number-text\">1<\/div>\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__heading\">&#8216;I have mixed feelings&#8217; &#8211; Late-race gamble falls short for Demi Vollering at Dwars door Vlaanderen<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"popular-box__article-list\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__container\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__content\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__number-text\">2<\/div>\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__heading\">&#8216;For me it was perfect&#8217; \u2013 Marlen Reusser profits from Demi Vollering breakaway and post-injury strength to grab Dwars door Vlaanderen victory<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"popular-box__article-list\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__container\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__content\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__number-text\">3<\/div>\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__heading\">&#8216;I told him for so many years to do it, and he didn&#8217;t&#8217; \u2013 Patrick Lefevere reacts to Remco Evenepoel&#8217;s Tour of Flanders debut, having failed to convince him at Soudal-QuickStep<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"popular-box__article-list\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__container\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__content\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__number-text\">4<\/div>\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__heading\">Two races, two big attacks, no win \u2013 What do Wout van Aert&#8217;s double close defeats mean for the Tour of Flanders?<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"popular-box__article-list\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__container\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__content\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__number-text\">5<\/div>\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__heading\">&#8216;He needs to call my girlfriend, because she&#8217;s preparing a fantastic dinner for Easter&#8217; \u2013 Despite dramatic Dwars fightback, Filippo Ganna says Paris-Roubaix remains his next race, not the Tour of Flanders<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<div class=\"news-article\">\n<header data-component-name=\"Article:Hero\">\n<nav class=\"breadcrumb\" aria-label=\"Breadcrumbs\">\n<ol>\n<li>\nPro Cycling\n<\/li>\n<li>\nTeams &amp; Riders\n<\/li>\n<li>\nEmerging Talents\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/nav>\n<h1>Instagram DMs, quiet Belgian side streets, and phone calls with parents \u2013 Inside the race to snap up cycling&#8217;s next top talents<\/h1>\n<div class=\"kiosq-member-label\"><span class=\"kiosq-member-label-text\"><b>MEMBER EXCLUSIVE<\/b><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"byline-social\">\n<div class=\"byline\">\nFeatures<\/p>\n<div class=\"text-[13px]\"><span><br \/>\nBy<br \/>\nMatilda Price <\/span><span><br \/>\npublished<br \/>\n<time data-component-name=\"UI:DateTime\" datetime=\"2026-04-01T08:37:51Z\" class=\"relative-date\"><br \/>\n1 April 2026<br \/>\n<\/time><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"strapline\">With top riders peaking earlier than ever, the race is on for agents and scouts to find cycling&#8217;s next big thing, but how does it actually work?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"mx-auto mb-4 flex items-center justify-start mx-0 my-5 p-0\" id=\"affiliate-disclaimer\" data-component-name=\"AffiliateDisclaimer\" data-hawk-message=\"Affiliate disclaimer removed because hawk deemed there are no affiliate links on this page\">\n<p class=\"text-700 mb-2 text-[12px] leading-[18px] md:text-[13px] [&amp;&gt;a]:text-gray-700 [&amp;&gt;a]:underline\">\nWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here\u2019s how it works.\n<\/p>\n<\/aside>\n<\/header>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"article-body\" class=\"text-copy bodyCopy auto paywall-locker\">\n<div data-analytics-id=\"utility-bar\" id=\"utility-bar\" class=\"font-ui-heading flex justify-between items-center py-2 border-t border-b border-gray-300 border-solid mb-5 mx-auto\" data-component-name=\"UtilityBar\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"utility-bar\">\n<div class=\"flex gap-2 text-[#333] subcontainer\">\n<div class=\"relative tooltip-container\" role=\"tooltip\">\n<div data-component-name=\"Social:Dropdown\" role=\"menu\" id=\"utilitybar__dropdown--share\" aria-labelledby=\"utilitybar__button--share\" class=\"absolute left-0 top-full w-44 bg-white rounded-md shadow-md border border-neutral-200 z-[9996] list-none m-0 py-2 px-3 border-solid\">\n<ul class=\"!m-0\">\n<li class=\"!p-0 !m-0 list-none border-b border-gray-200 border-solid\">\n<li class=\"!p-0 !m-0 list-none border-b border-gray-200 border-solid\">\n<p>Facebook<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"!p-0 !m-0 list-none border-b border-gray-200 border-solid\">\n<p>X<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"!p-0 !m-0 list-none border-b border-gray-200 border-solid\">\n<p>Pinterest<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"!p-0 !m-0 list-none border-b border-gray-200 border-solid\">\n<p>Email<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"font-ui-heading max-sm:hidden tooltip absolute left-1\/2 bg-gray-900 text-white text-xs leading-none px-3 py-1.5 rounded-md z-[10001] whitespace-nowrap\" id=\"tooltip-share-this-article\" role=\"tooltip\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\nShare this article\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"relative tooltip-container\" role=\"tooltip\"><span class=\"ml-1 sm:ml-1.5 font-base text-xs\">0<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"font-ui-heading max-sm:hidden tooltip absolute left-1\/2 bg-gray-900 text-white text-xs leading-none px-3 py-1.5 rounded-md z-[10001] whitespace-nowrap\" id=\"tooltip-join-the-conversation\" role=\"tooltip\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\nJoin the conversation\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"flex gap-2 text-[#333] subcontainer\">\n<div class=\"relative tooltip-container\" role=\"tooltip\">\n<p>Follow us<\/p>\n<div class=\"font-ui-heading max-sm:hidden tooltip absolute left-1\/2 bg-gray-900 text-white text-xs leading-none px-3 py-1.5 rounded-md z-[10001] whitespace-nowrap\" id=\"tooltip-add-us-as-a-preferred-source-on-google\" role=\"tooltip\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\nAdd us as a preferred source on Google\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"relative tooltip-container\" role=\"tooltip\">\n<div role=\"dialog\" class=\"hidden fixed inset-0 z-[999999999999999999] bg-[#33333370] flex items-center justify-center p-6 newsletter-modal\" data-batch-endpoint=\"https:\/\/newsletter-subscribe.futureplc.com\/v2\/submission\/submit_batch\" data-batch-source=\"302\" data-component-name=\"Newsletter:Modal\">\n<div class=\"bg-neutral-100 rounded-xl shadow-xl w-full lg:w-2\/3 xl:w-1\/2 p-6 relative max-h-[95vh] overflow-y-auto\">\n<div id=\"newsletter-capture-modal\">\n<div class=\"sm:text-xl text-base font-bold text-black mb-3 p-0 bg-inherit font-ui-heading\">Get The Leadout Newsletter<\/div>\n<p class=\"text-gray-600 mb-4 text-sm sm:text-base font-article-copy\">The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!<\/p>\n<div data-component-name=\"Newsletter:NewsletterForm\">\n<hr class=\"modal_hr mt-3 mb-4 h-px bg-gray-300 border-0\">\n<div class=\"modal_footer block text-left opacity-80 text-[.8em] leading-[1.3em] mt-2 [&amp;&gt;a]:underline font-article-copy\">\nBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms &amp; Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"newsletter-modal-confirmation\" class=\"hidden\">\n<p class=\"sm:text-xl text-base font-bold text-black mb-3 p-0\">You are now subscribed<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-gray-600 mb-4 text-sm sm:text-base\">Your newsletter sign-up was successful<\/p>\n<div id=\"newsletter-modal-confirmation__userlogin\" class=\"hidden\">\n<hr class=\"my-5 h-px bg-gray-300 border-0\">\n<div class=\"items-start flex flex-col h-full justify-between\">\n<div class=\"flcw-text pb-5 pt-2 leading-[1.3]\"> An account already exists for this email address, please log in.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"font-ui-heading max-sm:hidden tooltip absolute left-1\/2 bg-gray-900 text-white text-xs leading-none px-3 py-1.5 rounded-md z-[10001] whitespace-nowrap\" id=\"tooltip-subscribe-to-our-newsletter\" role=\"tooltip\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\nSubscribe to our newsletter\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p id=\"elk-44b241fb-2eea-45b8-a329-bb8814dbe87e\">The start of the junior E3 Classic is a strange place. Just a few hundred metres up the road, WorldTour pros are getting ready in warm buses, hordes of fans already surrounding them. Round the corner, on a quiet, residential street, there are 17 and 18-year-olds getting changed in vans.<\/p>\n<p>Some of the riders are actually riding WorldTour teams&#8217; bikes, or wearing their helmets \u2013 some even their kit \u2013 but here they&#8217;re on national team duty, where budgets don&#8217;t even stretch to a camper, unless you&#8217;re Belgian.<\/p>\n<p id=\"elk-44b241fb-2eea-45b8-a329-bb8814dbe87e-2\">Milling around the basic line-up of vehicles are coaches, parents, and a very small number of supporters. But the most interesting figures are those in expensive coats or team-issue jackets, chatting directly with riders, and getting their number \u2013 both metaphorically and literally.<\/p>\n<aside data-component-name=\"Recirculation:ArticleRiver\" data-recirculation-type=\"inline\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"Trending Bar\" data-nosnippet class=\"clear-both pb-0 pt-2 mb-4\"><span class=\"\n            flex\n            after:content-[''] after:flex-1 after:ml-4 after:my-[0.7rem] after:border-t after:border-solid after:border-t-[#ccc]\n            before:content-[''] before:flex-1 before:mr-4 before:my-[0.7rem] before:border-t before:border-solid before:border-t-[#ccc]\n            font-article-heading pb-0 !text-base uppercase sm:text-sm font-bold\n        \"><br \/>\n            You may like<br \/>\n        <\/span><\/p>\n<ul class=\"flex flex-col gap-0 m-0\">\n<li class=\"m-0 list-none border-b border-solid border-[#ededed] py-2\" data-recirculation-id=\"recirculation-card-1\" data-analytics-id=\"recirculation-inline-1\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"recirculation-inline-1\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/TYHSNBLfjyhwGtMNkQni7V-250-80.jpg.webp 250w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/TYHSNBLfjyhwGtMNkQni7V-150-80.jpg.webp 150w\" sizes=\"150px\" \/><span class=\"\n                            w-full font-article-heading line-clamp-3 md:line-clamp-2 text-base font-medium\">&#8216;We have to protect our riders from burnout&#8217; \u2013 How teams balance performance, success and mental wellbeing against the growing demands of pro cycling<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"m-0 list-none border-b border-solid border-[#ededed] py-2\" data-recirculation-id=\"recirculation-card-2\" data-analytics-id=\"recirculation-inline-2\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"recirculation-inline-2\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/RwzmAx5hHT6BiQqZUVka7A-250-80.jpg.webp 250w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/RwzmAx5hHT6BiQqZUVka7A-150-80.jpg.webp 150w\" sizes=\"150px\" \/><span class=\"\n                            w-full font-article-heading line-clamp-3 md:line-clamp-2 text-base font-medium\">Are scientists now more important than star riders? Inside pro cycling&#8217;s race for scientific innovation<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"m-0 list-none border-b border-solid border-[#ccc] py-2\" data-recirculation-id=\"recirculation-card-3\" data-analytics-id=\"recirculation-inline-3\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"recirculation-inline-3\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/SpRL9e2EbgekNhwrXbni9n-250-80.jpg.webp 250w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/SpRL9e2EbgekNhwrXbni9n-150-80.jpg.webp 150w\" sizes=\"150px\" \/><span class=\"\n                            w-full font-article-heading line-clamp-3 md:line-clamp-2 text-base font-medium\">&#8216;Tadej Poga\u010dar won his first Tour de France eating pizza, drinking beer and playing Playstation&#8217; \u2013 Teammate sees big difference with Paul Seixas<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/aside>\n<p>These people are agents and scouts, here to identify the next generation of talent before they even turn 19, and \u2013 ideally \u2013 get them on their books.<\/p>\n<div class=\"fancy-box\" id=\"elk-233ef0e6-309b-4516-a49d-1f2021f59b7d\">\n<div class=\"fancy_box-title\">Have you read these premium features yet?<\/div>\n<div class=\"fancy_box_body\">\n<ul>\n<li><strong>The junior to WorldTour pipeline &#8211; too much, too soon or a pathway here to stay?<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Where do cycling&#8217;s super teams spend their millions?<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Millionaires and minimum wage: Inside the new landscape of WorldTour pro cycling salaries<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p id=\"elk-dbef3809-c1ee-410b-a12c-4f73f75c7063\">We know by now that these relationships are starting earlier and earlier, with top riders turning pro straight out of junior ranks, or at least signing for a WorldTour team&#8217;s development squad. The fight for the next big star is fierce, and everyone wants to lock talent in early.<\/p>\n<p>&#8216;Scouting&#8217; can come in a lot of different forms, and these days can happen via Instagram DMs as much as anything else, but with agents and scouts on the road throughout the year, it&#8217;s clear that nothing beats actually getting out there and meeting riders.<\/p>\n<p>Junior races like E3, or perhaps the junior Trofeo Alfredo Binda a couple of weeks ago, are quietly some of the most important days of the year. Winning is important, yes, but every rider also knows that eyes from the pro ranks will be on them, and a good ride here could be a stepping stone towards a pro contract.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"a-rider-is-more-than-the-sum-of-their-watts-3\">A rider is more than the sum of their watts<\/h2>\n<p id=\"elk-160e87c7-0bef-434c-9e06-7ec706f7344a\">When everything nowadays is on ProCyclingStats and Strava, you might think that talent scouts can do all their work from home, just crunching the numbers to find the junior most statistically likely to become a good elite rider. But actually, they&#8217;re looking for much, much more than that.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Personally, I look firstly at the humility of the rider,&#8221; Jayco AlUla scout Giovanni Visconti tells <em>Cyclingnews<\/em> after E3, perhaps not the first quality you&#8217;d expect a scout to pick up on.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;I like to speak with them and see how they love their sport and how they try to do their best. Clearly, we also look at the physical values and how it works in terms of results. Another Important thing is the ability to stay in a big group, the ability on a descent, for example. After the race, often I also look at their behaviour with team staff and teammates.&#8221;<\/p>\n<aside data-component-name=\"Recirculation:ArticleRiver\" data-recirculation-type=\"inline\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"Trending Bar\" data-nosnippet class=\"clear-both pb-0 pt-2 mb-4\"><span class=\"\n            flex\n            after:content-[''] after:flex-1 after:ml-4 after:my-[0.7rem] after:border-t after:border-solid after:border-t-[#ccc]\n            before:content-[''] before:flex-1 before:mr-4 before:my-[0.7rem] before:border-t before:border-solid before:border-t-[#ccc]\n            font-article-heading pb-0 !text-base uppercase sm:text-sm font-bold\n        \"><br \/>\n            What to read next<br \/>\n        <\/span><\/p>\n<ul class=\"flex flex-col gap-0 m-0\">\n<li class=\"m-0 list-none border-b border-solid border-[#ededed] py-2\" data-recirculation-id=\"recirculation-card-1\" data-analytics-id=\"recirculation-2-inline-1\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"recirculation-2-inline-1\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/6xpr4inQsr9N3WDPNfwNkm-250-80.png.webp 250w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/6xpr4inQsr9N3WDPNfwNkm-150-80.png.webp 150w\" sizes=\"150px\" \/><span class=\"\n                            w-full font-article-heading line-clamp-3 md:line-clamp-2 text-base font-medium\">&#8216;You do what&#8217;s required to deliver other guys to win&#8217; \u2013 Meet the pro cyclists who went their entire careers without a single individual victory to their name<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"m-0 list-none border-b border-solid border-[#ededed] py-2\" data-recirculation-id=\"recirculation-card-2\" data-analytics-id=\"recirculation-2-inline-2\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"recirculation-2-inline-2\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/SzNaXmz3Gu2BHCMTCbY3gB-250-80.jpg.webp 250w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/SzNaXmz3Gu2BHCMTCbY3gB-150-80.jpg.webp 150w\" sizes=\"150px\" \/><span class=\"\n                            w-full font-article-heading line-clamp-3 md:line-clamp-2 text-base font-medium\">&#8216;There could be a massive drop-off&#8217; &#8211; Jay Vine warns of dramatically narrowing pathways to professionalism for Australian and New Zealanders<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"m-0 list-none border-b border-solid border-[#ccc] py-2\" data-recirculation-id=\"recirculation-card-3\" data-analytics-id=\"recirculation-2-inline-3\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"recirculation-2-inline-3\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/aJktv75xjJciQWvLMvDRq6-250-80.jpg.webp 250w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/aJktv75xjJciQWvLMvDRq6-150-80.jpg.webp 150w\" sizes=\"150px\" \/><span class=\"\n                            w-full font-article-heading line-clamp-3 md:line-clamp-2 text-base font-medium\">&#8216;In some ways, as a young pro, I was in a way better place 10 years ago&#8217; \u2013 Slovenian stars Matej Mohori\u010d and Jakob Omrzel interview each other <\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/aside>\n<p>Looking at a rider&#8217;s data or power numbers is one element of identifying talent, but when it comes to spotting riders teams might want to tap up for the long term, pure numbers are not enough to go on, and big wins or high power aren&#8217;t everything.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"van-image-figure full-width-layout\" data-bordeaux-image-check id=\"elk-8cc86bff-0325-4ee2-bfbc-b92e06f6ba1a\">\n<div class=\"image-full-width-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"image-widthsetter\">\n<p class=\"vanilla-image-block\">\n<source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/sXC6ksaXpCijasE7tbYLuA-2560-80.jpg.webp 2560w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/sXC6ksaXpCijasE7tbYLuA-1920-80.jpg.webp 1920w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/sXC6ksaXpCijasE7tbYLuA-1440-80.jpg.webp 1440w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/sXC6ksaXpCijasE7tbYLuA-1280-80.jpg.webp 1280w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/sXC6ksaXpCijasE7tbYLuA-1200-80.jpg.webp 1200w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/sXC6ksaXpCijasE7tbYLuA-1024-80.jpg.webp 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/sXC6ksaXpCijasE7tbYLuA-970-80.jpg.webp 970w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/sXC6ksaXpCijasE7tbYLuA-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/sXC6ksaXpCijasE7tbYLuA-480-80.jpg.webp 480w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/sXC6ksaXpCijasE7tbYLuA-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"100vw\" \/><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\" full-width-layout\"><span class=\"caption-text\">Scouts are often looking for qualitative data over quantitative when searching for next generation&#8217;s talents <\/span><span class=\"credit\">(Image credit: David Pintens\/Getty Images)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p id=\"elk-7d977c18-c45b-4fe9-b146-151cbd89a172\">&#8220;Values are really important, but for me they are only the base to start looking at the rider on the road,&#8221; Visconti explained. &#8220;There are riders with fantastic values that don\u2019t show it on the road and riders who don\u2019t have great values but show more. There has to be a compromise between results and values. From there, you know that you can work to improve.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>At a race like E3, a scout like Visconti will be at the start and finish, but also out on the course, picking out the key moments to go and watch. With no TV footage of these races, and little other reporting, being on the ground is essential.<\/p>\n<p>Visconti spends a lot of his time on the road, and will be looking for specific things at specific races.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;In races like E3, I go to see the ability of the rider to keep positions, to stay in a group in a race with small and difficult roads,&#8221; he explains. &#8220;If I\u2019m looking for a &#8216;Classics man&#8217;, I&#8217;m also watching the ability to read the race, to move in the right moment.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p id=\"elk-9083f93d-a9d8-49e6-b708-5697703f26bf\">Representatives from teams are one big part of the scouting ecosystem, but the other big part is agents and agencies. Independent agents might do it all themselves, whilst bigger agencies will have dedicated scouts, but all the agents will also have half an eye on rising riders.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;It&#8217;s crazy how competitive it&#8217;s getting now on the women&#8217;s side. People are looking at under 17s already, which, for me, is insane,&#8221; Loren Rowney, former pro and now rider agent at The Team \u2013 formerly Wasserman \u2013 says.<\/p>\n<p>For Rowney, scouting is a smaller part of her job, as The Team have David Bartelet in that dedicated role, but it&#8217;s something she&#8217;s attentive to all the same, and takes a lot more than just looking at results, or even just at the main races.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;This is a good example. We had Binda a few weeks ago, and they have the Piccolo Binda race. And that actually came down to a bunch sprint. Now if you just look at the top three there, you&#8217;d think &#8216;OK, it came down to a bunch sprint&#8217; but if you didn&#8217;t see the race and didn&#8217;t know [how] it panned out and you didn&#8217;t know which riders spent time off the front, it would be really hard to know what kind of athlete you&#8217;re looking at. Did they just sit in the whole race and then kick at the finish?,&#8221; she says.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Where you can sometimes get a glimmer of the potential of an athlete is coming to these kermesses in Belgium. One of my clients was racing one on the weekend, and the girl who got second at Binda under 19s, a German rider [Edda Bieberle], I was blown away by how she rode that race.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;She had a crack and she put a minute and a half into the peloton, and there were some other strong riders there, but the way that she just attacked the race, I was like &#8216;this is a rider who has talent&#8217;.&#8221;<\/p>\n<figure class=\"van-image-figure full-width-layout\" data-bordeaux-image-check id=\"elk-3f282127-940c-4143-b226-78cc8e6f92c0\">\n<div class=\"image-full-width-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"image-widthsetter\">\n<p class=\"vanilla-image-block\">\n<source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/xBimBxPAm8wbkYMLJVPm5Y-2560-80.jpg.webp 2560w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/xBimBxPAm8wbkYMLJVPm5Y-1920-80.jpg.webp 1920w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/xBimBxPAm8wbkYMLJVPm5Y-1440-80.jpg.webp 1440w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/xBimBxPAm8wbkYMLJVPm5Y-1280-80.jpg.webp 1280w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/xBimBxPAm8wbkYMLJVPm5Y-1200-80.jpg.webp 1200w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/xBimBxPAm8wbkYMLJVPm5Y-1024-80.jpg.webp 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/xBimBxPAm8wbkYMLJVPm5Y-970-80.jpg.webp 970w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/xBimBxPAm8wbkYMLJVPm5Y-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/xBimBxPAm8wbkYMLJVPm5Y-480-80.jpg.webp 480w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/xBimBxPAm8wbkYMLJVPm5Y-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"100vw\" \/><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\" full-width-layout\"><span class=\"caption-text\">Alex Carera, founder of A&amp;J ALL SPORTS and one of the highest profile cycling agents, signed Tadej Poga\u010dar in 2016, before he turned professional <\/span><span class=\"credit\">(Image credit: Anne-Christine Poujoulat\/Getty Images)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2 id=\"the-next-steps-3\">The next steps<\/h2>\n<p id=\"elk-7ee28f0c-d276-4eeb-a10d-501a20ccb484\">Getting onto a talent scout&#8217;s radar is very much just the start of the story for any promising rider. A thousand different factors will come into what happens next, whether it&#8217;s how they perform in the next races, what a scout thinks of their personality off the bike, what they&#8217;re looking for in a team, and much, much more.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;After an impressive performance, I&#8217;ll try to find out if the rider has an agent or not so I contact the agent or the rider in some way and ask the permission from his parents to speak with him, and also have access to his training platform,&#8221; Visconti explains.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Then I introduce the rider to our scouting group to discuss and decide how to act with him. From there, we try to keep in contact and see each other again in another race.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Might there be more performance tests that the team wants to undertake with a rider? Maybe, but that&#8217;s probably less common than you think, with less tangible qualities more important to many scouts.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Sometimes, when looking at their training platform is not enough, or there\u2019s something not so clear, we can ask them to do a short test during their training. Nothing special. I think every team has its protocol. But often we don\u2019t need to ask for a test,&#8221; Visconti says.<\/p>\n<p>On the agent side, the goal is somewhat the same, to make connections with talented young riders \u2013 and Rowney also points to gaining the trust of a young rider&#8217;s parents as a key part of the process. However, the next steps and the aims of the partnership are different.<\/p>\n<p>Agents won&#8217;t be testing a rider&#8217;s FTP, and indeed the goal of their relationship is often to be a support off the bike to help navigate the journey into pro cycling.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;A lot of WorldTour teams now will admit that they don&#8217;t have the means to develop these 18-year-olds, because it&#8217;s not just the talent side of things; you&#8217;re dealing with a very young human being here,&#8221; Rowney says.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;At the races, they&#8217;re there in a very safe environment with the team, but once they go home and the races are done, and maybe things didn&#8217;t go well, then you&#8217;ve just dropped them off in a foreign country and said &#8216;OK, good luck processing that&#8217;.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;And with the demands on WorldTour teams now too, sometimes that&#8217;s just not right for you, and for a lot of athletes it&#8217;s sink or swim.&#8221;<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"why-so-early-3\">Why so early?<\/h2>\n<p id=\"elk-7c6bc883-47fb-44a6-a992-e334a0fa375f\">The big question in all of this is, <em>why <\/em>is this all happening so early nowadays? Why is the start of E3 now half race, half business meeting?<\/p>\n<p>For teams, it&#8217;s clear that top riders&#8217; careers are peaking earlier, and in the era of ultra-long contracts, it&#8217;s imperative to lock talent in early. You can&#8217;t let them be snapped up by someone else. Many team managers also talk about the importance of getting a rider enmeshed in the ethics and working style of a team early, too.<\/p>\n<p>It means that there&#8217;s not a lot of choice in whether you get involved with this rat race or not.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Junior scouting is certainly more important now than in the past. Cycling and sport in general is moving forward quickly. We can\u2019t stop this process,&#8221; Visconti says.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;So we have to do our best to try to find talents, but also pay attention to their correct [development] and give them the best to grow up well, without forgetting that they are so young and life is not only cycling.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>On the agency side, the very fundamental reason is that the sooner you sign a rider, the sooner you can be taking a cut of their salary, which these days can be huge even for very young riders. Rowney admits that, like in any industry, there will be agents more motivated by that than anything else, but many are also very interested in caring for and nurturing their clients, particularly the youngest ones, and perhaps not pushing the pro pipeline too soon.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"van-image-figure full-width-layout\" data-bordeaux-image-check id=\"elk-f5027b1a-9853-47ff-ac85-55c629b5cc40\">\n<div class=\"image-full-width-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"image-widthsetter\">\n<p class=\"vanilla-image-block\">\n<source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/FA6j56Br9J4mzTr6w5SFNU-2560-80.jpg.webp 2560w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/FA6j56Br9J4mzTr6w5SFNU-1920-80.jpg.webp 1920w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/FA6j56Br9J4mzTr6w5SFNU-1440-80.jpg.webp 1440w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/FA6j56Br9J4mzTr6w5SFNU-1280-80.jpg.webp 1280w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/FA6j56Br9J4mzTr6w5SFNU-1200-80.jpg.webp 1200w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/FA6j56Br9J4mzTr6w5SFNU-1024-80.jpg.webp 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/FA6j56Br9J4mzTr6w5SFNU-970-80.jpg.webp 970w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/FA6j56Br9J4mzTr6w5SFNU-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/FA6j56Br9J4mzTr6w5SFNU-480-80.jpg.webp 480w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/FA6j56Br9J4mzTr6w5SFNU-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"100vw\" \/><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\" full-width-layout\"><span class=\"caption-text\">As professional cyclists peak sooner and sooner, scouts and agents put greater focus on the junior levels of the sport <\/span><span class=\"credit\">(Image credit: David Pintens\/Getty Images)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p id=\"elk-8e6ca380-ec0d-4fe7-88fe-29ac672eff2d\">&#8220;OK, you can have those generational talents like Cat Ferguson, but for both men and women \u2013 women more so when you consider our hormones and everything \u2013 just because you&#8217;re a phenomenal under-17 doesn&#8217;t necessarily mean it&#8217;s going to translate into being an elite athlete. Plus at that age, they shouldn&#8217;t feel that pressure,&#8221; she says.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;You can still start learning the aspects of what it means to be an elite athlete and what that looks like, the importance of good food, recovery, all those sorts of things, you can learn as a junior, but the pressure now on these young athletes is insane. And I do wonder sometimes about the emotional toll it&#8217;s taking.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Navigating contracts is one part of an agents job, but many also help riders get set up with a new home, help them find proper rehabilitation after injuries, and many other smaller, more pastoral things.<\/p>\n<p>From the outside, watching the start of E3 and prevalence of scouts, it&#8217;s easy to wonder if young riders are becoming commodities for teams and agents to fight over, or if the two sides of the scouting world are at odds, trying to get to talent before the other.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;I&#8217;ve never really though of it as like, we&#8217;ve got to get to them before they get to a team,&#8221; Rowney says. &#8220;But I&#8217;m sure that is why some agents are trying to sign under-17s, to get in there before they start making any decisions.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;There are many agents now and they are working more every year with young talent, so we have to work with them,&#8221; Visconti adds.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Sometime it\u2019s easy, sometimes it&#8217;s not, but it\u2019s part of the game. It\u2019s not so important to find riders without agents, I think most important is that agents can give the right advice to their riders, not forgetting that the family must be the first place where important choices should come from.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>At E3 juniors, Italy&#8217;s Brandon Fedrizzi won the race, whilst Matilde Rossignoli won the important Piccolo Binda. Edda Bieberle, the second-placed rider Rowney spoke about, has already taken two more wins in Belgium since then.<\/p>\n<p>These might not be names you know yet, but talent scouts will know them and everything about 50 other talented riders, too. Whether it&#8217;s on a quiet street in Belgium or in an Instagram DM, the process of unleashing the next generation of talent has very much begun.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>[analyse_source url=&#8221;https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/pro-cycling\/emerging-talents\/instagram-dms-quiet-belgian-side-streets-and-phone-calls-with-parents-inside-the-race-to-snap-up-cyclings-next-top-talents\/&#8221;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/Q3J95fBiX8AU8aJKCfy8gT-1920-80.png&#8221;] Pro Cycling Teams &amp; Riders Emerging Talents Instagram DMs, quiet Belgian side streets, and phone calls with parents \u2013 Inside the race to snap up cycling&#8217;s next top talents MEMBER EXCLUSIVE Features By Matilda Price published 1 April 2026 With top riders peaking earlier than ever, the race is on for agents [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[226,68],"class_list":["post-1860005","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-politics","tag-crawlmanager","tag-cyclingnews-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1860005","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1860005"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1860005\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1860005"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1860005"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1860005"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}