Midweek classics like Dwars door Vlaanderen and Flèche Wallonne deserve more attention than they get — they reveal form, reward risk-takers, and often deliver better racing than their weekend counterparts. Wednesday’s Flèche Wallonne Femmes proved the point, with Demi Vollering holding off a surging Puck Pieterse in a dramatic finish on the Mur de Huy. On the men’s side, Paul Seixas claimed victory, setting up a mouth-watering Liège-Bastogne-Liège showdown with Tadej Pogačar and Remco Evenepoel. Elsewhere, Tom Pidcock impressed at the Tour of the Alps, and Jordan Jegat claimed his first professional win at Grand Besançon Doubs.
TOP STORY
“Semi-Classics” or not, Midweek Races are Worth our Attention
RACE NEWS
- Vollering Takes Nail-Biter at Flèche Femmes
- This Sunday: A Generational Clash at Liège-Bastogne-Liège
- Tour of the Alps: Three Stages In, Pellizzari Leads — But Pidcock Steals the Show
- Besançon:: Jegat Nails It First Time Out
- London to Host First-Ever TTT in Tour de France Femmes
- Bergamo & Il Lombardia: Fall Cycling in Italy
Top Collegiate Cyclists Head to Madison for 2026 USA Cycling Collegiate Road National Championships
TEAM, RIDER AND CYCLING NEWS
- Crowning the Newest Winner of the PEZ Weekend Omnium
- Lloyds ReCycle Hubs: Making Cycling More Accessible
MIKE’S RIDE OF THE WEEK
- Bend’s Lower Bridge Group Ride
VIDEO
- Press Conference with the Little Rock Nine
“Semi-Classics” or not, Midweek Races are Worth our Attention
I first became aware of the Wednesday Classic when my family and I were stranded midweek in Brussels in 2016: Explosions at the airport and train station had shut down transportation in and out of the country, so we hunkered down — until I recalled that we were in Belgium, and it was spring. Sure enough: Dwars door Vlaanderen was the following day. A bike race was a familiar, comfortable environment — and we even got to meet Erik Zabel.
That’s little Declan Fee with the five-time Green Jersey winner in 2016.
Today I value a Wednesday Classic because — recognizing that I’m fortunate to be able to write this — it’s easier for me to steal time from work early on the West Coast in a weekday than on a Saturday, when I’m likely joining a group ride.
But there’s more to a midweek race than just morning viewability: On a Wednesday we get to gauge which riders are looking to make a statement, and which are so confident of their fitness that they’ll risk exhaustion a 3-4 days before the headline race. We see second- and third-tier teams gambling, starting their top riders on a Wednesday, thinking this might earn them palmarès (and UCI points).
After all, this guy ducked out of school to catch the finish of Scheldeprijs. (Not my son.)
Mostly, though, I just appreciate a Humpday distraction, a chance to glance over at my second screen and see who’s broken away at Dwars door Vlaanderen, Scheldeprijs, Brabantse Pijl or this week’s Flèche Wallonne is entirely welcome.
Things tend to run a bit looser at Dwars and other midweek races.
My suggestion, then: Don’t sleep on the weekday Classics. They can be telling indicators — or at least enjoyable diversions. (And in the case of Flèche, you don’t have to spend much time: It’s almost always a four-hour warmup to one blistering ascent, won by the most explosive climber in the bunch — like Paul Seixas.)
Did Seixas’ sizzling performance on the Muur de Huy prime him for this weekend, or just sear his legs? We’ll find out at Liège this Sunday.
And…want a closer look at Flèche Wallonne and the Muur de Huy? Check out Richard’s account of riding cycling’s steepest classic climb.
RACE NEWS
Vollering Takes Nail-Biter at Flèche Femmes
Once again: Wednesday’s best race was the women’s version.
This almost wasn’t the case. While neither the men’s nor the women’s Flèche Wallonne is a processional with an exclamation point — like, say, the Champs Elysées stage of the Tour, or Milan-Sanremo — these races do typically end with much of the peloton performing a 3-minute power test up the Mur de Huy.
With defending champ Puck Pieterse, perennial favorite Demi Vollering, Tour de France winner Pauline Ferrand-Prévot and a host of other luminaries lining up, the start list for this midweek Classic read like the roster for the World Championships. (World Champ Magdeleine Vallieres was there too.) Early ambition, meanwhile, indicated that maybe this wouldn’t end with a mass-scramble up the Mur.
Dubau-Prévot Lights It Up
The most significant early move came from an intriguing source. Axelle Dubau-Prévot — half-sister of Ferrand-Prévot — got clear alongside Norwegian Katrine Aalerud, and the pair held nearly thirty seconds with ten kilometers to go. It wasn’t to last. The gap evaporated on the approach to the Côte de Cherave, and they were swept up.
Vollering Delivers
Elise Chabbey did the dirty work in the closing kilometers, thinning the group perfectly for her SD Worx-Protime teammate. On the Mur, Vollering attacked nearly from the foot of the climb — seated, but powerful. Niewiadoma was the last to crack. Vollering opened a convincing gap, and for a moment it looked like the women’s version would end like the men’s: with the winner riding away with seeming ease. Pietserse, though, rallied, coming around Niewiadoma, Blasi, van der Breggen…and very nearly Vollering herself; what looked like it might be a walkover very nearly was a final-meters upset.
But Vollering held her off — barely — so Pietserse took second, Paula Blasi an impressive third, Niewiadoma fourth, and Van der Breggen fifth on her return to the race.
You got the sense that Demi thought this would be easier.
That top five are all on the startlist for Liège — plus Kristen Faulkner and Lotte Kopecky. Expect yet another thrilling race.
Top Ten — 29th La Flèche Wallonne Femmes, courtesy of Pro Cycling Stats
This Sunday: A Generational Clash at Liège-Bastogne-Liège
When Sunday’s Big Three last faced off: the 2025 European Championships
We have seen Paul Seixas and Tadej Pogačar square off before, as recently as early March, at Strade Bianche — but things feel different now.
Not that Pogačar seems any less dominant; losing to Wout van Aert at Paris-Roubaix can hardly be considered a chink in the mountain G.O.A.T.’s armor.
But we know now that Seixas is full of far more than promise; over just the last six weeks we’ve seen him win several races, most of them easily. At Tour of the Basque Country, he won all four jerseys, and yesterday he powered to victory at Flèche Wallonne.
But Remco Evenepoel likely has something to say about this suggestion that Liège will be a two-up battle: the GC-contender-turned-one-day-specialist appeared at ease in his Amstel Gold win.
But the up-and-down-all-day nature of the Classic’s profile might prove too punchy for the time trial World Champ; he’s won it twice, but that was before Tadej started showing up, in his quest to win all five Monuments.
Who’s lurking behind these three? Typically Pidcock would be an obvious mention, but he’ll have nearly a week of hard Tour of the Alps racing in his legs. Beyond the big 3.5, a distinct second tier has formed this spring, including Skjelmose and his Lidl-Trek teammate Ciccone, and the French trio of Cosnefroy, Grégoire and Vauquelin.
Gregoire has consistently been one of the best of the rest.
But that second tier is both distinctly its own tier — and distinctly second to the riders who will almost certainly win this race. My (very safe) money is on Pogačar, but after Seixas’ rise, as well as thrilling racing at Milan-Sanremo and Paris-Roubaix, I’m happy to know that we may be in for yet another fantastic race.
Tour of the Alps: Three Stages In, Pellizzari Leads — But Pidcock Steals the Show
The 49th Tour of the Alps is living up to its billing as a brutally selective Giro d’Italia warm-up. Three stages in, the race has already produced a surprise, a statement, and a comeback.
Stage 1 set the tone in Innsbruck, where Continental rider Tommaso Dati of Team UKYO beat the WorldTour riders in a sprint, after late attacker Thymen Arensman just came up short in his attempt to grab a solo victory. Dati — a largely unknown name before the week began — grabbed the headlines, with Pidcock finishing second and left to describe it, by his own account, as the worst day he’d had on a bike.
Stage 2 was where the GC race began in earnest. Giulio Pellizzari took victory on the uphill finale to Val Martello, narrowly pipping Arensman to the line from a small group sprint. In the overall, Pellizzari leads Arensman by four seconds, with Vlasov and Bernal a further six seconds back. Defending champion Michael Storer lost significant time.
Stage 3 belonged to Tom Pidcock. The stage was thrown into disarray almost immediately after the official start, with a major crash forcing organizers to temporarily halt proceedings. Once racing resumed, the day’s breakaway — Sam Oomen and Darren Rafferty — were caught inside the final 5km on the fast downhill run-in to Arco, and Pidcock sprinted to a commanding victory ahead of Dati and Egan Bernal.
Less than a month removed from a frightening crash at the Volta a Catalunya, Pidcock’s victory was a welcome show of strength. But with the queen stage ahead, and considering Pellizzari’s climbing acumen…maybe we won’t see the lead change that many are forecasting.
General Classification Top Ten after Three Stages — 49th Tour of the Alps, Courtesy of Pro Cycling Stats
Besançon: Jegat Nails It First Time Out
Jordan Jegat (TotalEnergies) has been dealing with knee problems and hadn’t turned a wheel in anger yet in 2026 — so what does he do on Day One back? Win, that’s what. The 26-year-old Frenchman made Classic Grand Besançon Doubs his very first professional victory on Friday, and he did it in style.
It came down to a three-man fight in the finale — the relative veteran Jegat versus the young Decathlon CMA CGM duo of American Matthew Riccitello and Léo Bisiaux. With 3km left on the clock, both Decathlon men tried to put the race to bed, but Jegat read every move perfectly, refusing to let either of them get a gap. When the moment came on the stunning finishing drag in Montfaucon, he simply wound it up and rode away from both of them — six seconds clear of young American Riccitello, nine clear of compatriot Bisiaux. Clean. Decisive. Class.
“I’ve never won a race before and this is my fifth participation in this race. I had it in my head that this would be a good way to start my season. I’m just so happy,” beamed Jegat at the line.
Patience, timing, execution — tick, tick, tick.
Part of the Coupe de France de Cyclisme Sur Route, Besançon served as the appetizer before the Tour du Jura, where Riccitello turn the tables on Jegat. Still, the TotalEnergies man remains one to watch as the summer builds.
2027 Grand Départ host city London will be the backdrop to the first ever Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift Team Time Trial. The world’s best female riders will against the clock past the city’s iconic landmarks.
Bergamo & Il Lombardia: Fall Cycling in Italy
The Il Lombardia Weekend was officially unveiled Bergamo. From October 9 to 11, the Lombard city will take center stage, hosting the start of the “Race of the Falling Leaves,” one of the most prestigious events on the UCI World Tour calendar, organized by RCS Sport. The following day will see the historic first start from Bergamo of the Gran Fondo Il Lombardia.
The weekend will officially kick off on October 9 with the opening of the event headquarters and a full schedule of build-up activities.
On Saturday, October 10, all eyes will be on the start of Il Lombardia presented by Crédit Agricole. It was in Bergamo that reigning world champion Tadej Pogačar claimed last year’s edition, securing his fifth consecutive victory in the season’s final Monument. Further details, including the full route and participating teams, will be announced at a later stage.
On Sunday, October 11, the weekend will conclude with the Gran Fondo Il Lombardia Felice Gimondi. Amateur riders will have the unique opportunity to experience the emotion and atmosphere of a Monument Classic firsthand, cycling along the legendary roads that have made this race famous worldwide.
Top Collegiate Cyclists Head to Madison for 2026 USA Cycling Collegiate Road National Championships
The 2026 USA Cycling Collegiate Road National Championships, presented by Trek, will bring elite college racing to Wisconsin on May 8–10, with events spread across Marshall, Waterloo, and Madison.
The three-day event features twelve championship races for both Varsity and Club collegiate athletes. Racing kicks off Friday with a Team Time Trial near Little Amerricka Amusement Park in Marshall, followed by Saturday’s Road Race starting and finishing at Trek Bicycle’s world headquarters in Waterloo. The weekend wraps up Sunday with a Criterium in the heart of downtown Madison, outside Breese Stevens Field.
All racing is free to watch, and spectators are encouraged to attend throughout the weekend. Saturday’s awards ceremony will be held at Trek Headquarters, while Sunday’s will take place on the Criterium course downtown. Food options include Norwegian street food from the Pota Madre food truck on Saturday, and Turn Key Supper Club near Sunday’s race venue.
For full race schedules, course maps, and spectator information, visit roadnats.usacycling.org/collegiate-road. Media credential inquiries can be directed to communications@usacycling.org, and general questions to Sabrina Potter at spotter@usacycling.org.
TEAM, RIDER AND CYCLING NEWS
Reader Poll Results
Asked earlier this week whether you’d purchase a straight-from-Asia bike, your responses were…more mixed than for any poll we’ve conducted.
No clear winner here (except for whoever suggested we stick with race-focused polls; this was by far the least responded-to so far): a slim plurality said you’re fine with a straight-from-Asia bike — as long as it stacks up spec-for-spec. But nearly as many of you said, in essence, “No.”
Having checked out some of these bikes at Sea Otter, count me in the small “Absolutely” crowd — though I’d certainly welcome a discount.
Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post’s poll.
Crowning the Newest Winner of the PEZ Weekend Omnium
We had a Friday-Sunday race schedule last week — more than close enough to qualify as a PEZ Weekend Omnium pairing.
While Remco Evenepoel won the slightly more prestigious Amstel Gold Race, he didn’t line up for De Brabantse Pijl, so didn’t meet our criterion of starting both races over the course of a weekend.
Who did put his wheel on both start lines, and go on to earn the most points in the PWO competition? That’s easy: Benoit Cosnefroy, who took the third podium spot in both races.
Impressive stuff from the reliable French veteran! Can someone ring him up and tell him that as we long for the era of pros taking on 100 races in a year, we admire his dedication and consistency?
We assume Benoit will be all smiles when he hears the big news.
Lloyds ReCycle Hubs: Making Cycling More Accessible
Lloyds and British Cycling have launched the Lloyds ReCycle Hubs initiative, a UK-wide programme designed to make bikes more accessible to underrepresented communities. With 41% of British adults not owning a bike — and affordability and storage cited as the main barriers — the scheme aims to bridge that gap by refurbishing donated and abandoned bikes and redistributing them to those who need them most.
Following a successful pilot across five locations, including hubs in Manchester, Derby, Halifax, Stockport, and Torfaen, the programme is now expanding to ten sites. Community organisations, bike hubs, and grassroots groups can apply for grant funding, mentoring, and guidance to establish or grow their own local hub.
British Cycling research shows 34% of adults own an unused bike, highlighting the opportunity to repurpose existing stock. The initiative aims to improve health, social mobility, and environmental outcomes across the UK.
MIKE’S RIDE OF THE WEEK: BEND’S LOWER BRIDGE GROUP RIDE
I’m in Bend, Oregon, home to countless cyclists — road, mountain and gravel — plus runners, skiers, paddlers, and pretty much every brand of outdoor enthusiast.
When here I like to join the local group rides, even though those rides can be punishing. Last Saturday’s version was no different: With just 12 of us — shrinking to six, with 30 of the ride’s 70 miles left — there were few chances to hide, and with a couple of Bend’s real hitters driving the pace, I was pretty cooked by the end.
But the weather was ideal, and as usual, the views were spectacular enough that at times I almost forgot how badly my legs were burning.
Not all the luminaries on the ride were just hyper-strong riders; one was Roger Worthy, owner of Worthy Brewing, a local source of pride (and hops, and a lot of beer).
Bend’s an ideal to ride bikes, on just about any surface; expect many more Rides of the Week from this town in Central Oregon!
The racing comes fast and furiously this time of year, but we took a beat to rewatch Richard’s account of a press conference with the Little Rock Nine a few years ago. We hope you’ll give it a watch as well.
Gotta Comment, thought or suggestion? Drop us a line at Content@PezCyclingNews.com
The post EUROTRASH: Don’t Sleep on Midweek Cycling Races: Flèche Wallonne Recap & Liège Preview appeared first on PezCycling News.
