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Deschanel2027@sh.itjust.works

2026 Minor Races Thread (lemmy.world)

submitted 4 months ago by EvilCartyen@lemmy.world to c/procycling@lemmy.world

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Ok, so we're not going to create a race thread for ALL races this year, especially since we're only about 10 people reading here :)

This thread is available for you to write about all the races which don't have a race thread.

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[–] Deschanel2027@sh.itjust.works 1 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (2 children)

Dunkirk classic 19/5/2026 🇫🇷 Ⓟ + 4 days of Dunkirk 20–24/5/2026 🇫🇷 Ⓟ

Les 4 jours de Dunkerque were split a year ago into a 1-day race and a 5-day race. Yep, the 4 days last 6 days.

Both remained class .Pro, which is not warranted for the 1-day race but brings big UCI points. As a result, there are no less than 10 WT. We'll see if one day escapes sprinters and sprinters-classicmen. Cassel stage should in theory favour punchers as well as breakaways, but as all teams come with sprinters and control the race, the best one can reasonably hope is a sprinter-puncher.

PCS profile for the classic

PCS profiles for the stage race

[–] Deschanel2027@sh.itjust.works 1 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

The classic wasn't that bad this year; the rain and the very different course (country roads) probably helped. At least its final part, as Artem Shmidt (🇺🇸 Ineos) attacked in the small wall used as finish line, 1 lap (13 km) from the actual finish. There was a group who followed him, but on the flat after they looked at each other and were caught by the peloton. He caught the last survivor (Mariault 🇫🇷 CIC) of the breakaway (there were 3: another CIC who got a puncture, and 1 Roubaix bonked out), then dropped him just by taking curves in a faster/riskier manner, while Mariault🇫🇷 was also bonking out a bit (the cold and the rain really did their grinding work today). His advance increased as he was giving 100% of what he could give, and the bunch never caught him even though he had nothing left in his legs for his second climb. There was a crash in the fences in that final climb.

Cofidis and EF had been the main teams pulling the peloton, and they have 0 rider in top-12 at finish...

First PT is T. Müller🇩🇪 for Unibet, 5^th^.

As far as Contis are concerned, Sanlaville🇫🇷 is 12^th^ for CIC, Konijn🇳🇱 15^th^ for Nice and Bouquet🇫🇷 18^th^ for St-Michel.

WT who failed: Picnic and above all NSN.

[–] Deschanel2027@sh.itjust.works 1 points 1 week ago* (last edited 6 days ago)

Stage 1: a rather spectacular circuit in Laon. I didn't know the place (only the name). Gautherat (🇫🇷 Decathlon) managed to crash into a wall again.

Stage 2: there are days like this... The stage was 100% a sprinter stage, yet the peloton misjudged the breakaway of 5 then 4 Conti riders: 2 Roubaix, 1 CIC, and 2 then 1 Nice, despite Guégan (CIC) refusal to relay in the last miles. And it is Nice who get its 1^st^ professional victory thanks to Victor Papon🇫🇷!

Stage 3 and 4: cobbles... Pithie (🇳🇿 Bora) is very, very strong. On stage 3, one could say that he was helped by other teams/riders, but on stage 4, he had to everything by himself (and against everyone): pulling, chasing, puling, chasing, attacking, and again. His team (Bora) is nowhere to be seen, very weak.

Stage 5: the mass sprint couldn't be avoided this time (neither could the crash...) Pithie (🇳🇿 Bora) almost lost the race because of a puncture just before the sprint zone, but made it back into the peloton.

Overall, the race was significantly better than what I forecasted in my negative presentation. 👍