Evenepoel and Vollering take a quick peek at Los Angeles ahead of the 2028 Olympics

2026 was an extremely successful year for both Evenepoel and Vollering. Vollering proved herself to be the strongest female cyclist in the world, with victories in the Tour of Flanders, Liège–Bastogne–Liège, the Giro d’Italia, the Tour de France, and, of course, the World Championships. As the icing on the cake, she capped off her season by defending her title at the European Cycling Championships.

In the men’s race, Evenepoel was the strongest rider. The Belgian made the switch to Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe this year and showed his best form. He finished second in the Tour de France, won the Amstel Gold Race and the Clásica de San Sebastián, and became world time trial champion for the fourth consecutive time. Of course, he also added that European title to his list of achievements.

After the Chrono des Nations—which he also won—he bid farewell to the 2026 cycling season. Volleringo had already done the same: she’d been showing off awesome photos of a helicopter flight on her social media, and spent her off-season on hiking adventures throughout Switzerland. But this weekend, she had to fly back to the other side of the world.

Bicycle manufacturer Specialized, which supplies equipment to both FDJ-SUEZ and Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe, organized a fan day in Los Angeles. The event included a “social ride” with the world champion and the European champion. They were clearly having a good time and also took the time to catch up with each other after a turbulent year in cycling, as seen on Instagram.

Of course, it wasn’t a long ride: together with a bunch of fans, they covered 48 kilometers in about two hours. The loop took place in Santa Monica, which is just north of Venice Beach. And as it happens, that’s exactly where the start and finish lines for the road race at the Los Angeles Olympic Games—scheduled for 2028—will be located. So was it “just” a ride with fans, or was it already a chance to check out the roads for the Games?