UAE Tour
Date: February 16th to 22nd
Defending champion: Isaac de Toro
Summary: Premier 7-day UCI WorldTour professional road cycling race held annually in February across the United Arab Emirates. Typically features a mix of high-speed flat stages suited for sprinters and high-altitude, steep climbing finishes, such as Jebel Hafeet and Jebel Jais. As the only WorldTour event in the Middle East, it merges the former Abu Dhabi and Dubai Tours.
Strade Bianche
Date: March 7th
Defending champion: Tadej Pogacar
Summary: The race starts and finishes in Siena, passing through the Crete Senesi region. The 2026 men's route covers over 200km with 14 gravel sectors, totalling about 64km of dirt roads. Known for being "brutally hard," the route features relentless short, steep ascents rather than high mountains, testing both technical skill and endurance.
Paris - Nice
Date: March 8th to 15th
Defending champion: Matteo Jorgenson
Summary: known as the "Race to the Sun," travelling 1,245km from Achères to Nice. The 84th edition features 27 climbs, a 23.5km team time trial, and challenging mountainous terrain, often acting as a mini-Tour de France.
Tirreno - Adriatico
Date: March 9th to 15th
Defending champion: Juan Ayuso
Summary: Crossing from the Tyrrhenian to the Adriatic coast, the 2026 edition (1170.5 km) features punchy climbs, high mountain stages in the Apennines, and time trials, making it a key preparation for the Milan-San Remo classic.
Milano - San Remo
Date: March 21st
Defending champion: Mathieu van der Poel
Summary: As the longest modern one-day race (approx. 290–300 km), it spans from Milan to the Riviera, starting with plains before the Apennine climb of Passo del Turchino, leading to a fast, coastal, and often sprint-focused finale.
Volta Ciclista a Catalunya
Date: March 23rd to 29th
Defending champion: Primoz Roglic
Summary: Known for being a demanding, mountainous race with minimal or no time trials, making it ideal for pure climbers. Frequently features high-altitude finishes, such as Vallter 2000, La Molina, and Port Ainé. Traditionally, it concludes in Barcelona, often with multiple laps around the Montjuïc circuit.
Ronde van Vlaanderen
Date: April 5th
Defending champion: Tadej Pogacar
Summary: The race traverses the Flemish Ardennes in Belgium, typically starting in Brugge (Bruges) or Antwerp and finishing in Oudenaarde. The race is defined by 15–20 steep, sometimes cobbled, hills. Famous climbs include the Oude Kwaremont, Paterberg, and the Koppenberg.
Paris - Roubaix
Date: April 12th
Defending champion: Mathieu van der Poel
Summary: Nicknamed "The Hell of the North" or "Queen of the Classics," it is one of cycling's oldest, most prestigious, and treacherous one-day Monuments, held in Northern France. Known for brutal, ancient cobblestone sectors and often muddy conditions, the 2026 race on April 12th features a 259 km route with 30,5 km of pavement.
Amstel Gold Race
Date: April 19th
Defending champion: Mattias Skjelmose
Summary: Known as the start of the Ardennes Classics, the 250km+ race features over 30 steep, short climbs and narrow country roads. The race typically culminates with a decisive, punchy finish on the Cauberg climb in Valkenburg.
La Flèche Wallonne
Date: April 22nd
Defending champion: Tadej Pogacar
Summary: It is often described as an unofficial world championship for "puncheurs" - riders who excel at short, explosive uphill bursts. Since 1985, the race has been defined by its iconic finish at the summit of the Mur de Huy, a brutal 1.3 km climb with an average gradient of 9.6% and ramps reaching up to 17-20%.
Tour de Romandie
Date: April 28th to May 3rd
Defending Champion: João Almeida
Summary: Known for significant climbing, often exceeding 10,000 to 13,000 meters in total vertical gain, frequently featuring mountain finishes at high altitudes. Serves as a critical, final preparation race for top contenders aiming for the Giro d'Italia.
Giro d'Italia
Date: May 8th to 31st
Defending champion: Simon Yates
Summary: It features 21 stages covering over 3,000 km of challenging Italian terrain - including the Alps and Dolomites - ending with a spectacular finish. The leader wears the iconic pink jersey, the Maglia rosa.
Tour de Suisse
Date: June 17th to 21st
Defending champion: João Almeida
Summary: Features a mix of mountainous stages, hilly terrain, and time trials. The race frequently includes challenging, high-altitude passes like the Furka, Susten, or Albula, along with steep uphill time trials.
Tour de France
Date: July 4th to 26th
Defending champion: Tadej Pogacar
Summary: The peak of the calendar is primarily held in France throughout July. Covering over 3,500 km across 21 days and stages, riders face flat, hilly, and mountainous terrain, including the Alps and Pyrenees, with the lowest cumulative time determining the overall leader, who wears the yellow jersey.
La Vuelta a España
Date: August 22nd to September 13th
Defending champion: Jonas Vingegaard
Summary: Known for its steep mountain finishes, intense heat, and challenging, often mountainous terrain, the 81st edition in 2026 runs from August 22 to September 13, covering 3,283.7 km with 58,156m of climbing, starting in Monaco and concluding in Granada.
Il Lombardia
Date: October 10th
Defending Champion: Tadej Pogacar
Summary: Known as the "Race of the Falling Leaves," it is a prestigious, hilly 240+ km race, often ending in Como or Bergamo. It features steep, scenic climbs around Lake Como, including the iconic Madonna del Ghisallo