cycling4freaks.com

Final PDF
March 2026

Races to be designed:
Paris-Nice >>> Falcor / NML
Tirreno-Adriatico >>> Taka
Volta Ciclista a Catalunya
GP Emilia

Races to be checked:
Kuurne - Brussel - Kuurne
Faun Drome Classic
Le Samyn
Trofeo Laigueglia
UMAG Classic
Fantasy One Day Race
Strade Bianche
Danilith Nokere Koerse
Milano - Torino
Grand Prix de Denain
Bredene Koksijde Classic
Milano-Sanremo
Grote prijs Jean - Pierre Monseré
Clasica Terres de l Ebre
Ronde Van Brugge
E3 Harelbeke
Classic Loire Atlantique
In Flanders Fields - From Middelkerke to Wevelgem
La Roue Tourangelle Centre Val de Loire
Paris - Camembert

Legend
BLUE = Designer found
GREEN = DONE

Very bad situation to post March preview before all February races are designed, but it was time for it.

For the stage races, here's my logic: T-A more popular, hence 3 editions again. Last year 15-18-22. Consequently, 2 time slots get rotated out, 1 stays. Afternoon was most popular, so Afternoon stays for T-A. 18-22 go to P-N. Morning and 20h get rotated in for T-A. In exchange, no Catalunya for the Afternoon. It was not popular there last year, so no need to repeat that. Now comes your task: Change my mind!

One day races, I'm keeping 4 editions on the weekend. Rather have larger fields than smaller fields, but again: Change my mind! In terms of Times, I tried rotating vs. last year. MSR normally early start (as it's one of the longest races), but this year slightly later. Rotation. In exchange, Strade Bianche earlier. It's a long race these days, too. And that's true for other monuments to come in April, too, so there will be a mix of Times.

Le Samyn not included this year? Seems like a big enough race especially if a fantasy one day race is the only alternative...
Also not a fan of no P-N possibility for managers riding during working hours.

Falcor CC wrote: ↑

Tue Feb 17, 2026 12:45 pm

Le Samyn not included this year? Seems like a big enough race especially if a fantasy one day race is the only alternative...

Punishment for calling it Ename Samyn Classic this year. Just joking. Will be added.

Also not a fan of no P-N possibility for managers riding during working hours.

Change my mind.

For the playing at work faction it is a bit unfortunate if both morning and afternoon editions are the same tour instead of having one of them each.

Apart from 9h changing to 8h the times are the same as last year, maybe we could change it up a bit there and have 14h (my prefered time) and 23h

Gipfelstuermer wrote: ↑

Tue Feb 17, 2026 12:47 pm

Also not a fan of no P-N possibility for managers riding during working hours.

Change my mind.

Not much arguments from my side, just personal preference that if there's only 2 editions of a tour, one should be within working hours (and preferably not 8h since that is not working hours here ) and one after working hours.

Gipfelstuermer wrote: ↑

Tue Feb 17, 2026 12:43 pm

Very bad situation to post March preview before all February races are designed, but it was time for it.

For the stage races, here's my logic: T-A more popular, hence 3 editions again. Last year 15-18-22. Consequently, 2 time slots get rotated out, 1 stays. Afternoon was most popular, so Afternoon stays for T-A. 18-22 go to P-N. Morning and 20h get rotated in for T-A. In exchange, no Catalunya for the Afternoon. It was not popular there last year, so no need to repeat that. Now comes your task: Change my mind!

One day races, I'm keeping 4 editions on the weekend. Rather have larger fields than smaller fields, but again: Change my mind! In terms of Times, I tried rotating vs. last year. MSR normally early start (as it's one of the longest races), but this year slightly later. Rotation. In exchange, Strade Bianche earlier. It's a long race these days, too. And that's true for other monuments to come in April, too, so there will be a mix of Times.

We have early UAE at 8h already, I'd like another tour edition, especially the ones over the weekend at 10h or maybe 9h. So TA maybe at 9h and switch Catalunya to 10h? Or vice versa. Or at least make one of the editions possible at 10h -> I think people riding at 8h will also ride 10h, but some people riding 10h wont ever join 8h.

When is the next NC?
25 February

Nomorelulz wrote: ↑

Tue Feb 17, 2026 2:59 pm

Gipfelstuermer wrote: ↑

Tue Feb 17, 2026 12:43 pm

Very bad situation to post March preview before all February races are designed, but it was time for it.

For the stage races, here's my logic: T-A more popular, hence 3 editions again. Last year 15-18-22. Consequently, 2 time slots get rotated out, 1 stays. Afternoon was most popular, so Afternoon stays for T-A. 18-22 go to P-N. Morning and 20h get rotated in for T-A. In exchange, no Catalunya for the Afternoon. It was not popular there last year, so no need to repeat that. Now comes your task: Change my mind!

One day races, I'm keeping 4 editions on the weekend. Rather have larger fields than smaller fields, but again: Change my mind! In terms of Times, I tried rotating vs. last year. MSR normally early start (as it's one of the longest races), but this year slightly later. Rotation. In exchange, Strade Bianche earlier. It's a long race these days, too. And that's true for other monuments to come in April, too, so there will be a mix of Times.

We have early UAE at 8h already, I'd like another tour edition, especially the ones over the weekend at 10h or maybe 9h. So TA maybe at 9h and switch Catalunya to 10h? Or vice versa. Or at least make one of the editions possible at 10h -> I think people riding at 8h will also ride 10h, but some people riding 10h wont ever join 8h.

I like 8h very much and I am happy that it’s used more and more often even for the tours and weekends

For tours, no arguments for me this time. There are some more tours in the UCI calendar, but the main program is too strong to ride them. For one-day races, there are some more 1.1 races available if we move them more than one day. I would always prefer real over fantasy.

Times, going down to 4 without any side program sounds a bit too much for me, even on weekends. I guess for important races, or even a monument, more managers will find a time to ride.

Gipfelstuermer wrote: ↑

Tue Feb 17, 2026 12:43 pm

Very bad situation to post March preview before all February races are designed, but it was time for it.

For the stage races, here's my logic: T-A more popular, hence 3 editions again. Last year 15-18-22. Consequently, 2 time slots get rotated out, 1 stays. Afternoon was most popular, so Afternoon stays for T-A. 18-22 go to P-N. Morning and 20h get rotated in for T-A. In exchange, no Catalunya for the Afternoon. It was not popular there last year, so no need to repeat that. Now comes your task: Change my mind!

One day races, I'm keeping 4 editions on the weekend. Rather have larger fields than smaller fields, but again: Change my mind! In terms of Times, I tried rotating vs. last year. MSR normally early start (as it's one of the longest races), but this year slightly later. Rotation. In exchange, Strade Bianche earlier. It's a long race these days, too. And that's true for other monuments to come in April, too, so there will be a mix of Times.

I'm in favor of an early P-N edition, 8, 9, 10 in the morning, it doesn't matter.

If i look at the number of UAE and Algarve parallel i am convinced we can offer 6 editions for tirenno+PN

8-10-15-18-20-22 should be possible with the numbers we have today on these 2 parallel tours.

I know one day race participation is bad then but as its a cat 4 tour and only has fantasy races parallel i dont think that should discourage us.

Hansa wrote: ↑

Wed Feb 18, 2026 4:33 pm

If i look at the number of UAE and Algarve parallel i am convinced we can offer 6 editions for tirenno+PN

8-10-15-18-20-22 should be possible with the numbers we have today on these 2 parallel tours.

I know one day race participation is bad then but as its a cat 4 tour and only has fantasy races parallel i dont think that should discourage us.

i like that idea.
Open for a 11/12/13 version, if some more teams are in for it. 9 - 11 - 14 - 18 - 20 - 22 ?

So you are working hard on changing my mind. Very good.

Of course possible to give P-N a working hour slot (morning or afternoon), but there are a few problems:

- If we give it to the morning, it will end up exactly the same schedule as last year (Morning + Evening for P-N / Afternoon, Early Eve & Late Eve for T-A) --> not ideal to me, but better same as last year than no working hour slot for P-N?
- If we give it to the afternoon, it takes away the most popular T-A version, and the evening ends up getting same as last year. --> not ideal to me, either, but better take away the popular T-A than no working hour slot for P-N? And what's the least worse option? Same schedule as last year or taking away the most popular version from last year?
- Working hours seems to be 6-14 for some and 10-18 for others (not even accounting for people in other time zones than CET). So I'd probably go either 9/10h or 14h in that case to include as many 'workers' as possible. 10h also makes sense if 3/8 stages are on the weekend, which again makes me question the whole 'work' concept. There is an ITT on the Tuesday, too, so actually 3/7 stages are on the weekend... especially first stage and last stage tend to be quite important... so is P-N really ever attractive to workers?
- Opinions from evening teams could also help to resolve it. Same schedule as last year OK? Or insist on changing it (which was my initial suggestion)? Or does it ever make any sense to put 1x P-N and 2x T-A with P-N as Early Eve or Late Eve and have the other two (neighbouring) slots for T-A?

Then, OK, so many problems, Hansa thinking outside the box. How about 6 editions? Very neat solution, but not sure though how you are convinced about that, if with 5 editions UAE/Algarve we already have one edition with less than 10 teams. I don't want to ride any P-N/T-A with less than 10 teams.

Participation:
11-9-13-16-17

So evening can handle a 3rd edition 11-9 for the morning feels fine too with 11 and 9 ok one edition below 10 you mentioned but 9 still feels ok.

This time we even had cat 2 real races parallel between PN and tirenno we dont have them.

Also we get around the discussion why 2 same cat tours have a different amount of editions.

Taking TA the morning time should not be the solution

P-N had similar profiles and bad participation (2 x 10) despite the 9-20 time slots. Do not really see why, unless you have a TT specialist? If we do 6 in total, it should, of course, go to P-N as the two races are equally important in real life.

There's 2 new greek races classified as 1.1. On the Belgian opening weekend, so 28.02. and 01.03. Both will have a 3 WT teams participating this year. Could be included. The one on the 28th, Visit South Aegean Sea has the profile online on la flamme rouge, the second one, Region on Dodecanese GP not. Same organizer as the old 1.2 Rhodes GP (at least the link is to the same offline website), but probably not the same course, since that Rhodes GP will still be ridden as cat 1.2. a few days later.
Oh, found the second one too: https://cyclingpro.net/spaziociclismo/p ... -percorso/
Same finish as the other one, just a different circuit before-

The dates are clearly an argument against inclusion, most logic solution would be to ride both on the 5+6th. (kicking Umag or putting it whenever, as 1.2 it really isn't that important. But 5th-6th is already quite far away from the real dates. Other options would be just one on the 5th, both on the 5th, the one from the 28th to the 26th of February (using emergency powers to change the plan) So not really necessarily needed

Catalunya: Back to 3 editions, right solution I think. Cutting the afternoon too, not exclusively because it was the edition with the least participants, also because in 23+24 it was morning and early evening that missed out.

TA: I'd stick with 4 editions. Parity between PN and TA just seems the right thing to do. But also the numbers suggest that the pure fantasy parallel programm will have bad participation. A Donkey estimate says: We roughly have the same number of managers as a year ago. It could even be less. But could also be slightly more. Gipfel should have better numbers. Yes, tours are more popular, yes real races are more important, but we also have to protect those that simply either can't ride 7/8 day Tours (would not be online enough) or don't want. The one day races are the backbone of the game, that's what allows us to ride every day. By having them ride a week or so with low participation we're hurting the game more than by offering one editonf a tour less. Yes, less managers will ride the tours, not all will ride a one day race every day, but if the average in one day race participation in that time goes up from 5 to 7, that already makes the races more fun for those that can't/don't want to ride TA or PN.
Donkey says 4 editions is better. Parity PN-TA. And protect 1 day races.
TA indeed has has more participation than PN in the past years, one reason is possibly Strade Bianche? Team not fit when PN starts? Otherwise I'm a bit at a loss to explain why TA has suddenly become more popular than PN. The trend might reverse this year though. Usually in the end the parcours is for a similar type of rider, this year not, TA should be for classics with TT. There is no real mountain stage. 3 arrivals that could be won by climbers, but it's "walls", not longer climbs where you can enough time on classics. With that TA this year will have a different character from past years, and from PN: We might see a at least partial move back to PN.
5 editions afternoon keeps its edition since it had the best participation. IT was 16-15-15 (with PN at 10-10). Not sure if that's a good reason to stick with the same time AND offer the same race really. If you want to reward the afternoon it would be the 5th edition in the afternoon, 10-14-15-19-22, that would be a reward. (and a bad idea too). This... in the end the afternoon will usually just ride whatever is offered, be it PN or TA, those with flexibility will chose. Have to admit thought I was lucky when I saw that we had TA in the afternoon last year, oh, PN this year, less bad for my team. Ok, TA again, ok... will ride that if offered, no problem, 15h again, oh, 14h would be better, but ok, I'll ride TA at 15h. But just to show that your reward won't be universally seen as a plus.
18-22 one, 8-15-20 the other, don't think that's a really good distribution either, timewise if we go for 5 (4 better) yes, but then cancelling that "reward" would make it better. But best would actually be 8/9-19 TA 14-21 (22)PN. Change the times within the time slot and the tour, perfect.

8h for PN or TA just look bad. Need to dropped kids at school and drive to work

Pokemon Club wrote: ↑

Fri Feb 20, 2026 8:33 am

8h for PN or TA just look bad. Need to dropped kids at school and drive to work

I prefer a later morning edition as well 9 or 10

For me personally 8 am is the best time in the morning

In general, I dislike the split between early times for one stage race and late times for the other one.

I can only judge for the morning/afternoon guys who are a bit flexible in participating morning or afternoon. You don't see many of those starting after 15:00 (in semi-long stage races at least). So you kind of decide for them what tour they can participate, even if they in general have a bit more flexibility.

+1 for 9h or 10h, 9h always the earliest possible and for a tour in the weekend I prefer 10h. 8h is really bad imo, especially for an 8-day tour

Ok, trying to summarize

- T-A afternoon being most popular does not mean it needs to be repeated, i.e. rotation is seen as more important.
- One edition P-N in 'working hours'
- People disagree on what 'working hours' are
- If you offer 2 parallel stage races, they might only be able to ride one of those even if you'd think both fall into 'working hours'. For example, someone working 7-15h cannot really ride the afternoon or only 14h but not 15h. And someone working 10-18h cannot really ride the morning or only 10h but not 8/9h. This is no problem if there is one stage race only but with two parallel the Times offered determine what these guys can or cannot ride.
- Evening guys have way less comments and seem to be O.K. either way. Perhaps because I had drafted 3 Times for the evening, anyway, so they have a few more choices.

Based on this, I would suggest

P-N 14-20
T-A 10-18-22

This means
- TA gets 3 editions because it's more popular
- Rotation for morning/afternoon
- Maximizing options for workers while staying within core hours (8,9,10 and 14,15)
- No rotation for the evening but that's OK because they have more choices anyway