Gear & Grit Daily: November 24, 2025
Today's cycling news: Cyclocross World Cup: Lucinda Brand Darts to Victory in Fast, Frozen Race in Tábor, Pogačar, Vingegaard, Evenepoel: Who’s Racing Where ...
While the cyclocross season explodes with dominant performances from Lucinda Brand and Thibau Nys in Tábor, today's newsletter confronts a harder question that won't leave the peloton: why do riders keep dying in road racing? We're diving into the safety crisis that's forcing uncomfortable conversations about UCI governance and what the sport truly values.
Beyond that sobering reality check, we've got your 2026 road racing calendar taking shape and Pogačar's ambitious classics campaign requiring a complete strategic overhaul. From frozen 'cross courses to the spring cobbles, it's all here.
⚡ Quick Hits
- Uijtdebroeks describes 'blissful' introduction to new team Movistar: Uijtdebroeks settles well at Movistar after surprise transfer from Visma-Lease a Bike.
- [UPDATE] Never Say Never Cycling Team: New cycling team sponsorship arrival signals shift in Australian pro cycling team ownership landscape.
- [UPDATE] CX gallery: The UCI World Cup kicks off in frozen Tábor: UCI Cyclocross World Cup season opens in Tábor, Czechia with competitive racing.
- DeFeet restructures manufacturing to work with local partners: DeFeet restructures manufacturing with local partners after 33 years; sponsors grand tour winners.
- [UPDATE] “I’m in a pretty bad way”: Pro cyclist struck head-on by driver says he came “within a hair’s breadth of being in a wheelchair” after breaking back in 30mph training crash: Pro cyclist Thibault Guernalec suffers severe injuries from head-on collision with driver during training.
- Study: Adventure cycling one of top choices for improving mental health: Research study identifies adventure cycling as top mental health improvement method among riders.
- Cyclist killed after crashing into sign blocking bike lane, as family questions why warning to drivers about malfunctioning traffic lights wasn’t placed on ‘no parking’ zone: Cyclist fatality highlights infrastructure failures and raises advocacy questions about bike lane safety standards.
- [UPDATE] Felt Bicycles changes owners again: Austrian parent company finalizes sale of Felt Bicycles to minority shareholders.
📊 By The Numbers
- 30mph: Speed of training crash that broke pro cyclist's back
- 84mg: Alcohol level in cyclist killed after hitting sign blocking lane
- 33 years: DeFeet manufactured in-house before restructuring to local partners
📰 Today's Big Stories
[UPDATE] Cyclocross World Cup: Lucinda Brand Darts to Victory in Fast, Frozen Race in Tábor
Brand Strikes First in Tábor
Dutch veteran Lucinda Brand claimed opening-round honors at the Cyclocross World Cup in Tábor, outsprinting Italy's Sara Casasola in a dramatic final-lap showdown on frozen Czech terrain. The fast, technical course set up a thrilling two-rider battle that Brand sealed with superior finishing speed.
Why It Matters: Brand's early-season victory puts her in the driver's seat for the overall World Cup title chase. The result also signals that Casasola—often overshadowed by her compatriot Silvia Persico—is emerging as a legitimate podium threat this season. With frozen conditions favoring technical riders who can maintain speed through icy corners, expect similar tactical, sprint-finish racing as the European 'cross season hits full stride.
Pogačar, Vingegaard, Evenepoel: Who’s Racing Where in 2026?
## The Big 3's 2026 Race Plans Take Shape
The race calendars for cycling's top trio are coming into focus. Tadej Pogačar is expected to make his Monument debut at Milan-San Remo while targeting another Tour de France title. Jonas Vingegaard will likely focus on defending his Tour ambitions, while Remco Evenepoel is reportedly planning a grand tour shake-up with potential changes to his traditional Giro-Vuelta approach.
Why it matters: These calendar decisions will define the 2026 season's biggest battles. The Tour de France remains the sport's gravitational center, but Monument debuts and strategic grand tour selections could create unexpected showdowns—or disappointing absences—at cycling's marquee events. For fans planning their viewing schedules and riders hoping to shine without the Big 3's shadow, knowing where these stars will race is essential intel for the year ahead.
Pogačar Wants to Win San Remo and Roubaix. A Radical Reset of His Program Is the Best Approach
Pogačar Eyes Monuments, Needs Schedule Overhaul
Tadej Pogačar has set his sights on conquering Milan-San Remo and Paris-Roubaix, but winning these classics—especially against Mathieu van der Poel—will require a radical rethinking of his race calendar. The current approach of fitting monuments around Grand Tour prep hasn't delivered results in these one-day showcases.
Why it matters: This signals a potential shift in how the sport's dominant rider prioritizes his season. To beat specialists like van der Poel at their own game, Pogačar would need dedicated preparation blocks focused solely on spring classics rather than treating them as training rides. If he commits to this reset, we could see fewer stage race appearances but a genuine assault on cycling's most prestigious one-day races—reshaping the competitive landscape of the classics season.
[UPDATE] Cyclocross World Cup: Thibau Nys Shows Van Der Poel-Level Dominance in Opening Round
Thibau Nys Dominates Tábor World Cup Opener
Thibau Nys delivered a statement performance at the Tábor World Cup, crushing the field on a frozen Czech course with the kind of dominance typically reserved for Mathieu van der Poel. The Belgian leveraged his WorldTour road fitness to gap his rivals early and never looked back, showcasing a level above the competition in the season's opening round.
Why It Matters: Nys's performance signals a potential shift in cyclocross hierarchy. With Van der Poel and Wout van Aert focusing primarily on road racing, the younger Nys appears ready to fill the power vacuum. His road conditioning giving him a decisive edge suggests we're watching the sport's next superstar emerge—and that the traditional cyclocross specialists may struggle to match riders bringing top-tier road fitness to the mud.
[UPDATE] Brand and Nys win first round of UCI World Cup in Tábor, Czechia
## Brand and Nys Dominate Tábor World Cup Opener
The UCI Cyclo-Cross World Cup kicked off in Tábor, Czechia, with Baloise Glowi Lions sweeping both elite races. Lucinda Brand claimed the women's victory after battling key rivals who've dominated the early season, while Thibau Nys took the men's race.
Why it matters: The World Cup opener sets the tone for the season-long competition and offers crucial UCI points for Worlds qualification. Brand's win signals she's hitting form at the right time after a challenging start to the season, while Nys continues building on his breakout campaign. Tábor's technical course—a traditional 'cross proving ground—rewards pure handling skills and power, making it a legitimate benchmark for who's ready to contend for the overall title. The series now heads into its critical winter phase.
📺 Watch List
- Why Are There So Many Deaths In Road Racing?: Investigation into rising fatalities in professional road cycling and safety responsibility across stakeholders.
- How to smash the corners this winter! 🔥: Mountain bike cornering technique guide for winter riding conditions.
