{"id":733990,"date":"2025-11-25T00:43:11","date_gmt":"2025-11-24T21:43:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=733990"},"modified":"2025-11-25T00:43:11","modified_gmt":"2025-11-24T21:43:11","slug":"pogacar-vingegaard-evenepoel-whos-racing-where-in-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=733990","title":{"rendered":"Poga\u010dar, Vingegaard, Evenepoel: Who’s Racing Where in 2026?"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Updated November 24, 2025 06:05AM<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Guess what? The Tour de France will be the center of orbit for GC superstars Tadej Poga\u010dar, Remco Evenepoel, and Jonas Vingegaard in 2026.<\/p>\n

Well, duh.<\/em><\/p>\n

But beyond a 99 percent certain three-way throwdown in July, where will the \u201cBig 3\u201d (sorry, Primo\u017e) be racing in 2026?<\/p>\n

One flat 40km time trial through Tuscany might be decisive in shaping multiple key storylines of the next year.<\/p>\n

The accuracy \u2013 or not \u2013 or reports of a very <\/em>long ITT being on the menu at the Giro d\u2019Italia might\u00a0define whether Evenepoel and Vingegaard race the corsa rosa <\/em>next year.<\/p>\n

In turn, the \u201cGiro yes\/Giro no\u201d decision will dictate how Evenepoel and Vingegaard start their seasons, how fresh they\u2019ll be for Pogi at the Tour de France, and what they do afterward.<\/p>\n

The Giro\u2019s route reveal on December 1 will be must-watch content for the staffers of cycling\u2019s super-teams.<\/p>\n

But there\u2019s more to bike racing than the Giro d\u2019Italia and Tour de France.<\/p>\n

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Here\u2019s what we know so far about the Big 3\u2019s calendars, and a few hot takes on what they will actually do.<\/p>\n

Tadej Poga\u010dar 2026: Rinse and repeat<\/h2>\n
\"Poga\u010dar\"
Poga\u010dar is targeting all the big hits for 2026.<\/span> (Photo: LOIC VENANCE\/AFP via Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

What we know:<\/strong><\/p>\n

    \n
  • Strade Bianche<\/li>\n
  • Milan-San Remo<\/li>\n
  • Tour of Flanders<\/li>\n
  • Paris-Roubaix<\/li>\n
  • Li\u00e8ge-Bastogne-Li\u00e8ge<\/li>\n
  • Tour de France<\/li>\n
  • Canadian GPs<\/li>\n
  • Road world championships (Montr\u00e9al)<\/li>\n
  • Il Lombardia<\/li>\n
  • TBD: Vuelta a Espa\u00f1a<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    Five monuments and the hunt for a fifth Tour de France title headline Poga\u010dar\u2019s likely program for 2026.<\/p>\n

    Chatter from UAE Emirates-XRG suggests the Slovenian will stampede through the new year on a similar path to that which he followed through his wildly successful 2025.<\/p>\n

    The only likely tweaks from before?<\/p>\n

    A delayed debut in March at Strade Bianche, and per reports from HLN<\/em>, the potential for a more lightweight Ardennes classics campaign.<\/p>\n

    Why those changes? So he doesn\u2019t finish the Tour de France as a total train wreck.<\/p>\n

    Hints at a lower volume early season suggest Poga\u010dar hasn\u2019t forgotten the fatigue-thwarted promise he made this year to return to the Vuelta a Espa\u00f1a.<\/p>\n

    \u201cTeam Pog\u201d hasn\u2019t said much about the Spanish tour so far, and it will likely remain TBD until they see how well he survives the summer.<\/p>\n

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    The most exciting part of Poga\u010dar\u2019s potential 2026? Milan-San Remo and Roubaix are back, baby!<\/p>\n

    \u201c[In 2026] we\u2019ll go for the Tour again, that\u2019s quite obvious \u2013 it\u2019s the biggest race of them all,\u201d Poga\u010dar recently told MARCA<\/em>. \u201cBut I also want to express myself again in the classics, to show if I can improve in one-day races compared to this year or last.<\/p>\n

    \u201cMilan-San Remo and Roubaix are the two races that I\u2019m really motivated to try again and fight for the win,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

    Go buy your popcorn already.<\/p>\n

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    Our take? Why change what ain\u2019t broke<\/h3>\n
    \"Poga\u010dar
    We\u2019re already hyped for a Pogi vs. MVDP rematch at Roubaix.<\/span> (Photo: Dario Belingheri\/Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    What is there to say about Poga\u010dar\u2019s likely program? It\u2019s 2025, all over again.<\/p>\n

    And why not? It worked pretty darn well first time around.<\/p>\n

    Is that boring? Far from it.<\/p>\n

    Poga\u010dar vs. MVDP at San Remo and Roubaix will be the best two days of racing all year.<\/p>\n

    And beyond that, Poga\u010dar\u2019s likely 2026 schedule introduces plenty of juicy plotlines.<\/p>\n

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    If the super Slovene wins La Classicissima and the Hell of the North, he\u2019ll join Eddy Merckx, Roger De Vlaeminck, and Rik Van Looy in owning the monument sweep.<\/p>\n

    Likewise, a fifth victory at the Tour de France will confirm Poga\u010dar as one of the all-time grand tour racers. Jacques Anquetil, Bernard Hinault, Miguel Indur\u00e1in, and yes, Merckx are the only riders who have won five yellow jerseys.<\/p>\n

    And whether Poga\u010dar wins the Tour de France or not, he could become one of the few to have won all three grand tours if he returns to the Vuelta a Espa\u00f1a.<\/p>\n

    And let\u2019s not forget a shot at a third consecutive world title. Only \u201cThree-Peter\u201d Sagan has done that.<\/p>\n

    And a sixth win at Il Lombardia? That would be the most ever \u2013 one more than the all-time record Poga\u010dar currently shares with Fausto Coppi.<\/p>\n

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    Jonas Vingegaard 2026: The call of the grand tour sweep<\/h2>\n
    Vingegaard checked off the Vuelta a Espa\u00f1a in 2025, meaning the Giro d\u2019Italia is the only grand tour he\u2019s missing.<\/span> (Photo: Tim de Waele\/Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    What we know:<\/strong><\/p>\n

      \n
    • To be honest, we don\u2019t know a lot. Like always, the Tour de France is the only certainty.<\/li>\n
    • TBD:\u00a0Giro d\u2019Italia<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

      Team Visma-Lease a Bike is notoriously reluctant to let race calendars slip before they\u2019re confirmed.<\/p>\n

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      However, Vingegaard himself shared a juicy tidbit when he spoke to La<\/em>Derni\u00e8re Heure<\/i> earlier this month.<\/p>\n

      After seven years in the WorldTour and eight grand tour starts, he might finally race the Giro d\u2019Italia in 2026.<\/p>\n

      \u201cWin all three grand tours or the Tour de France in 2026? I think I\u2019d prefer to win the three grand tours,\u201d Vingegaard said. \u201cAfter [I\u2019ve won] the Tour de France and the Vuelta, I only have the Giro left.\u201d<\/p>\n

      He will be watching the Giro\u2019s grand reveal very closely on December 1. A 40km TT or not, a course loaded with long, high-altitude climbs will have him purring with pleasure.<\/p>\n

      But whatever Vingegaard decides about the corsa rosa,<\/em>\u00a0there\u2019s no escaping the gravity of the Tour.<\/p>\n

      \u201cWe haven\u2019t decided yet where I\u2019ll race next season,\u201d Vingegaard told La<\/em>Derni\u00e8re Heure<\/i>. \u201cThe Tour de France obviously remains the big objective.\u201d<\/p>\n

      One intriguing thing?<\/p>\n

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      Vingegaard has told L\u2019Equipe<\/em> he\u2019s still classics-curious, despite his recent disaster at the European championships. Li\u00e8ge and Lombardia both seemed to pique the Dane\u2019s interest.<\/p>\n

      But before you get excited, Vingegaard didn\u2019t make any mention of actually <\/em>returning to the hilly monuments in 2026.<\/p>\n

      Our take? The Tour is the Tour, the Giro will have to wait<\/h3>\n
      \"Poga\u010dar,
      It\u2019s TDF or bust for Vingegaard and Visma-Lease a Bike. (Photo: Getty Images)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

      Who wouldn\u2019t love to see Vingegaard make his Giro d\u2019Italia debut, potentially to spar with young upstart Remco?<\/p>\n

      It would be refreshing to see the Dane finally mix up his schedule and potentially beat Pogi to the grand tour sweep along the way.<\/p>\n

      But I don\u2019t think he should, or will, do it.<\/p>\n

      For Vingegaard and Visma-Lease a Bike, the Tour is the Tour. It\u2019s their North Star. And after two consecutive defeats to Poga\u010dar, it\u2019s shining brighter than ever.<\/p>\n

      For Vingeaard and his \u201cBees,\u201d the Giro d\u2019Italia is an unnecessary detour.<\/p>\n

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      While Poga\u010dar proved in 2024 that the Giro-Tour double is possible, he had both luck and physiological freakery at his side. Crashes, sickness, and long-lying fatigue stalk any rider who dares to start the most gruelling three-weeker of them all.<\/p>\n

      Vingegaard showed this summer at the Tour de France that he\u2019s still capable of slugging it out with Pogi \u2013 even after his concussion setback in the spring.<\/p>\n

      V-LAB will sense the maillot jaune<\/em> is still a possibility. They won\u2019t want to put unnecessary potholes in the way.<\/p>\n

      The Giro d\u2019Italia (and hilly spring classics) will have to wait.<\/p>\n

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      Remco Evenepoel 2026: New team, new year \u2026 new goals?<\/h2>\n
      How will Evenepoel\u2019s peloton-shifting transfer to Red Bull Bora-Hansgrohe work out in 2026?<\/span> (Photo: Dario Belingheri\/Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

      What we know:<\/strong><\/p>\n

      Either: Classics focus<\/strong><\/p>\n

        \n
      • Milan-San Remo<\/li>\n
      • Tour of Flanders<\/li>\n
      • Li\u00e8ge-Bastogne-Li\u00e8ge<\/li>\n
      • Tour de France<\/li>\n
      • Canadian GPs<\/li>\n
      • Road world championships TT and road race<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

        OR: Giro debut<\/strong><\/p>\n

          \n
        • Milan-San Remo<\/li>\n
        • Li\u00e8ge-Bastogne-Li\u00e8ge<\/li>\n
        • Giro d\u2019Italia<\/li>\n
        • Tour de France<\/li>\n
        • Canadian GPs<\/li>\n
        • Road world championships TT and road race<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

          Evenepoel\u2019s mega-profile first season with Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe is in the hands of Giro d\u2019Italia organizers.<\/p>\n

          The course reveal of the Italian tour will likely trigger Evenepoel\u2019s decision between two wildly different programs for his first year as a Bora-Bull.<\/p>\n

          \u201cAt the moment, we have a plan A and a plan B on the table for 2026,\u201d Evenepoel recently told Het Laatste Nieuws.<\/em> \u201cThe first includes a classics campaign, the second the Giro.<\/p>\n

          \u201cBased on the Giro d\u2019Italia route, we\u2019ll assess things and decide in consultation on what\u2019s feasible physically and in terms of training,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

          \n
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          A flat 40km time trial would play directly into the hands of the world\u2019s most slippery rider. Evenepoel would be able to bank at least one minute in the GC fight before he\u2019s even seen the awful peaks of the Alps \u2013 and he knows it.<\/p>\n

          \u201cAn effort of at least 45 minutes, tailor-made for me. That\u2019s already a good start, a step in the right direction,\u201d Evenepoel said of the TT.<\/p>\n

          Evenepoel\u2019s schedule will become more certain with the Giro route reveal on December 1.<\/p>\n

          But what is already a dead cert is the Tour de France. That\u2019s what Red Bull decided to pay him the second-highest salary in pro cycling for.<\/p>\n

          The other pillars of Evenepoel\u2019s calendar look set to be Li\u00e8ge-Bastogne-Li\u00e8ge in April, and the world championship road race and time trial in September.<\/p>\n

          A couple last juicy rumors?<\/p>\n

          Reports from Gazzetta dello Sport<\/em> that Evenepoel will make his debut at Milan-San Remo in 2026, and from HLN<\/em> that he might even show up at the Tour of Flanders.<\/p>\n

          \n
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          Our take? Make the Giro the priority<\/h3>\n
          The Giro might offer a more favorable entry to grand tour racing with Red Bull than the Tour for Evenepoel.<\/span> (Photo: Tim de Waele\/Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

          Evenepoel should race the Giro d\u2019Italia in 2026, whether that<\/em> TT is 40km or 20km.<\/p>\n

          And he should do it proper.<\/p>\n

          \n
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          No half-assing or stage-hunting.<\/p>\n

          Squaring off with Poga\u010dar and Vingegaard at the Tour de France as the first grand tour with a new team seems like a solid gold recipe for disaster.<\/p>\n

          The Giro d\u2019Italia would provide Evenepoel a lower-pressure, Pogi-free tester of grand tour racing, Red Bull-style.<\/p>\n

          Sure, Evenepoel will have done some stage racing for the Bora-Bulls in the early season, but the wrinkles that come with new teammates and directors only reveal themselves deep into the muck and guts of a grand tour.<\/p>\n

          Yes, Evenepoel will jeopardize his chances in the Tour de France by going to Italy first. But let\u2019s face it, he\u2019s not going to win yellow in 2026 anyway.<\/p>\n

          Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe would count victory at the Giro d\u2019Italia, and a TT win and top GC placing at the Tour de France, as a wild success.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

          Source URL: https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/pogacar-vingegaard-evenepoel-race-calendars\/<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

          Updated November 24, 2025 06:05AM Guess what? The Tour de France will be the center of orbit for GC superstars Tadej Poga\u010dar, Remco Evenepoel, and Jonas Vingegaard in 2026. Well, duh. But beyond a 99 percent certain three-way throwdown in July, where will the \u201cBig 3\u201d (sorry, Primo\u017e) be racing in 2026? One flat 40km […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":733991,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[71],"class_list":["post-733990","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-politics","tag-velo-outsideonline-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/733990","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=733990"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/733990\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/733991"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=733990"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=733990"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=733990"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}