As the 2026 season begins to come into focus, early race programmes from several of the men’s peloton’s leading riders are already answering a familiar off-season question: who is targeting what next year, and how much of that is shaped by what worked in 2025?
Rather than radical change, the first confirmed schedules point towards refinement. From Tadej Pogacar’s familiar yet relentless calendar, through to Classics specialists and emerging GC contenders, the common theme is continuity with intent. These are programmes built not on theory, but on evidence.
Tadej Pogacar sets the reference point
Pogacar’s 2026 calendar was confirmed first, and it immediately framed the conversation. The world champion will again blend Monuments with stage racing before turning fully towards the Tour de France, a structure that delivered across the board in 2025.
Pogacar’s confirmed 2026 programme (to end of Tour de France)
- 7 March – Strade Bianche
- 21 March – Milan-Sanremo
- 5 April – Tour of Flanders
- 12 April – Paris-Roubaix
- 26 April – Liège-Bastogne-Liège
- 28 April to 3 May – Tour de Romandie
- 17 to 21 June – Tour de Suisse
- 4 to 26 July – Tour de France
In 2025, Pogacar won multiple Monuments and dominated stage racing, making this less a repeat and more a consolidation. The additions of Romandie and Suisse, both new to him, also hint at a rider still looking to complete gaps in an already extraordinary palmarès.
Isaac del Toro’s Tour debut follows a Giro breakthrough
After wearing the maglia rosa for 11 days at the 2025 Giro d’Italia, Isaac del Toro’s role in 2026 is now clearly defined. He will make his Tour de France debut in support of Pogacar, while continuing his education in elite stage racing.
Del Toro’s confirmed early 2026 programme
- UAE Tour
- Strade Bianche
- Tirreno-Adriatico
- Milan-Sanremo
- Itzulia Basque Country
- Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
- Tour de France
The logic is clear. Del Toro was second overall at the Giro in 2025 and won multiple one-day races later in the year. His Tour debut comes not as a leader, but as a trusted lieutenant, reflecting both his progress and the team’s long-term view.
Jasper Philipsen doubles down on the Classics
Philipsen’s 2026 focus mirrors his ambitions from previous seasons: the cobbled Classics first, sprints second. His programme is built around peaking for April, particularly Paris-Roubaix.
Philipsen’s stated 2026 priorities
- Spring Classics, with Paris-Roubaix as a central target
- Reduced sprint focus early in the season
- Tour de France later in the year
In 2025, Philipsen won Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne, placed third at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, and again finished second at Paris-Roubaix behind Mathieu van der Poel. Crashes disrupted his spring, but the results confirmed that his Classics ceiling remains extremely high.
Paul Magnier builds on a breakout 2025
After winning 19 races in 2025, Paul Magnier heads into 2026 with a clearer sense of where his biggest opportunities lie. His programme prioritises the Classics while keeping the Giro d’Italia firmly in view.
Magnier’s stated 2026 objectives
- Cobbled and semi-Classics
- Sprint opportunities within one-day races
- Giro d’Italia
Magnier’s results last season showed his ability to win frequently, but also highlighted where the next step lies. He was competitive in harder races without yet landing a major Classic, making his 2026 focus a logical extension rather than a shift.
Kevin Vauquelin leans further into GC ambitions
Vauquelin’s move to Ineos Grenadiers has come with a clear objective: general classification consistency. His 2026 plans reflect a rider transitioning from opportunistic racing to long-term GC focus.
Vauquelin’s likely 2026 targets
- Paris-Nice
- Tour de France
In 2025, he finished seventh overall at the Tour de France and came close to wearing the yellow jersey. That performance shapes his ambitions for next season, with Ineos signalling patience rather than immediate pressure.
Filippo Ganna aligns targets with near-misses
Ganna’s 2026 schedule again blends Classics and Grand Tours, leaning into races where he has been close without quite landing a defining victory.
Ganna’s confirmed 2026 programme
- Volta ao Algarve
- Milan-Sanremo
- Paris-Roubaix
- Giro d’Italia
- Tour de France
In 2025, Ganna was consistently competitive in early-season stage races and the spring Classics without winning a Monument. The decision to return to Sanremo and Roubaix reflects belief that those near-misses can still be converted.
Continuity, not reinvention, defines early 2026 plans
Across these early announcements, a pattern is emerging. Riders are not rewriting their identities for 2026. Instead, they are doubling down on races where they were already competitive in 2025, refining preparation and narrowing objectives.
The answer to who is racing what next year is therefore not dramatic, but deliberate. These programmes suggest a peloton shaped by evidence rather than hype, where unfinished business, rather than novelty, is driving decision-making as the new season approaches.
