Follow IDL Pro Cycling on Google
Stay up to date with the best cycling news by making us a preferred source on Google.
Follow us on GoogleThe holidays are coming, also for the riders. Piece by piece, the WorldTour pros worked out some solid training, mostly with their team during the conclusion of a training camp. Tadej Pogacar and Remco Evenepoel made the blitz with UAE Emirates-XRG and Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe on Friday, in a far puddle race.
ADVERTISEMENT
Like a year ago, Pogacar attacked the Strava-KOM (read: the record time) on the wildly popular Coll de Rates in Spain and rode his top time from 2024 out of the books, becoming the very first rider to dip under 12 minutes. Like last year, his entire UAE team was there to pace him, including Mexican champion Isaac Del Toro. The last bit Pogacar did alone.
The Strava records were flying around our ears and thus determined the news, especially when Unibet Rose Rockets got involved. That, however, ignores the monstrous training that Pogacar continued to complete with his teammates. The Coll de Rates was only a small part of a day that totaled 226.11 kilometers and had 4,302 altimeters.
In that training, by the way, we saw two more Strava-KOMs pass by. Because since Friday, Pogacar is also the record holder on the climbing segments 'CASTELL DE CASTELLS-FACHECA' and'CV710 to Confrides'. Both segments of just over 9 kilometers (9.63 and 9.06 that is) were broken by 1.03 minutes (!) and 10 seconds respectively.
Continue reading below the video
Evenepoel goes even further than Pogacar and also breaks a record
Kudos and a deep bow for Pogacar's star formation, but they also did impressive things at Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe on Friday, Dec. 19. Evenepoel led a sizeable classics group to test the legs. 'If you don't do the classics, you have to train them,' the Belgian world time trial champion wrote at his Strava file.
'One of those out-of-control coffee rides,' Evenepoel further joked. What that meant: 243.71 kilometers, 1,660 altimeters and a total of 6 hours on the bike. This makes Pogacar, with over 4,000 altimeters, look like the winner of the far peeing contest, especially when we see that Evenepoel's only Strava-KOM was only on a flat segment of 1.27 kilometers.
Bram van der PloegEditor-in-chief
Bram van der Ploeg (35) is the proud founder of In de Leiderstrui, IDL Pro Cycling's parent site, launched in 2018. Finally, he could create stories about the sport he had followed since childhood. He is the editor-in-chief on paper, but prefers to be with his recorder next to a rider, a team bus, or in the mud at a cyclocross race. Every year, from February to the end of May, Bram follows the entire Italian cycling season, from the Trofeo Laigueglia to the Giro d'Italia, with the grand finale in October in Lombardy. During that time, he lives in Tuscany, where he has since come to call Italy his 'home'.
IDL-productions
Celia Gery won the European cyclocross championship while awaiting surgery: 'It'll be a new beginning'
Dutch team coach De Knegt annoyed by European Cyclocross Championships dispute: "A bit of a let down"
Glasgow set to shine as World Cup demand outstrips expectations and Mason eyes first home cyclocross race
Pogačar, Vingegaard and Van Aert went faster again in 2026... except when they didn't
Team GB dominate, China on the rise, Lavreysen the best ever? Five takeaways from the 2026 Track World Championships
Latest Cycling News
🎥 Lucinda Brand pulls out of the Niel cyclocross race in tears after just a few minutes
Tadej Pogačar reveals his insane training data in new HBO film: 'I think that's what works best'
Britain's Cameron Mason takes his first top-level cyclocross win after rain causes havoc in Niel
Mads Pedersen weighs in on Lucinda Brand and Marie Schreiber's European Cyclocross Championship clash
Sven Nys gave an update on Lucina Brand's injury: 'Difficult if you can't generate power'
Popular Cycling News
Cycling transfers 2026/2027 | Cycling transfer market still in full swing in November
Tadej Pogačar reveals his insane training data in new HBO film: 'I think that's what works best'
Fears of serious injury to Alvarado, bronze medalist, after the European Cyclocross Championships
Picnic PostNL's WorldTour uncertainty has five rival teams, and Tom Pidcock, watching the UCI closely
Schreiber slams disrespectful European cyclocross championship judges: 'They didn’t even let me finish speaking'
Latest Comments
- If he finished ninth at the Tour, why didn’t he get a stage win too? I’m still trying to understand how the overall standings work.julien11-11-2026
- No ‘cross at all this winter? That’s a shame, but with his road season starting in February, I can see why he’d want a proper break. Does stepping away mean he’s done with cyclocross for good?gearguru3311-11-2026
- I like the honesty of that training post. Even the best riders feel the difference after a few weeks off, and he’s got plenty of time to build back up.samanthak11-11-2026
- Three sets of tyres in two days at the Nürburgring! The man clearly doesn’t do anything by halves. Bet a winter without cyclocross will feel strange, though.bikebuffj11-11-2026
- Fifth in the world rankings after that autumn run is some achievement. Pidcock was so aggressive at the Tour, too—hopefully he can turn a few of those near-misses into wins inpatriciaw11-11-2026
- Does XEFI’s investment mean the team will have more money to sign riders, or is it mainly a sponsorship and naming change? And is Roglič expected to race much next season?jeremya11-11-2026
- If the roster is nearly complete, why bring up Roglič at all? Feels like the article is turning a firm “no” into a transfer rumour.andrewf11-11-2026
- Wuling is no joke—105 km of climbing to 3,275 metres is brutal. Five minutes off Dyball’s record is still an incredible ride.velodromevirtuoso111-11-2026
- Roglič at TotalEnergies would be a fascinating move, but Heulot sounds pretty clear that it isn’t happening. His experience could be a massive boost for the younger riders, though.jennifer1911-11-2026
- Eight riders told to go for stages, and nobody gets one—hard to know what the plan was there. It’ll be interesting to see whether they pick a clear leader next time.bikebuffj10-11-2026
