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The International Cycling Union (UCI) unveiled the new race calendar for the upcoming 2026 cycling season this week. We were curious to see the main changes compared to the nearly completed season. Join us as we ride through the most notable updates in each category.

First off, let’s take a look at the new races making their debut on the UCI calendar — events that have never before been held at UCI level.

Early in the season, the peloton will head to India for the first time in years, where the Pune Grand Challenge Tour will mark the country’s first-ever stage race on UCI soil. In February, an additional one-day race will take place in Portugal.

In April, Bosnia and Herzegovina will host not just one stage race (the Belgrade–Banjaluka), but two, with the addition of the Tour of Bosnia and Herzegovina. 

Early July sees France and Italy joining forces for a new three-day race between Lyon and Turin. 

Finally, August and September bring a string of new .2 races in Türkiye.

As every year, a number of races are changing their UCI classification. Most are moving up a level, while a few are being downgraded this season. Below is an overview of the races with a new UCI status this year.

Particularly early in the season, several events are upgrading from .1 to .PRO status. This includes the AlUla Tour and the Surf Coast Classic, which take place simultaneously. The Région Pays de la Loire Tour and the Czech Cycling Tour are also joining the ProSeries this year. On the other hand, Dwars door het Hageland and the Tour of Taihu Lake are stepping back from the ProSeries to .1 level.

Some races are also changing their spot on the calendar.

The 3rd edition of the Clàssica Terres de l’Ebre will take place in March instead of July, just two days before the start of the Volta a Catalunya. After a one-off move to September last season, the Arno Wallaard Memorial returns to its familiar April slot. O Gran Camiño now finds itself scheduled between the Tour of the Basque Country and the Ardennes Classics. The Giro dell’Appennino will serve as the final professional race before the start of the Giro d’Italia this year, while the Il Giro d’Abruzzo shifts from a spring to an autumn classic in 2026.

Among the races returning to the UCI calendar after a hiatus, the number of Dutch events that didn’t take place in 2025 stands out. With the NATO summit in June 2025 now behind us, organizing races with sufficient police support has become easier again, allowing events like Veenendaal–Veenendaal and the ZLM Tour to resume as usual. Other notable returning races include the tours of the Philippines, Mauritius, and South Korea. Early in the year, major races such as the Tour Colombia and the Herald Sun Tour also make their comeback after shorter or longer absences.

Finally, there are some changes to the duration of certain races.

The one-day races Vuelta a la Región de Murcia and the Maryland Cycling Classic are expanding into multi-day events. The Giro d’Italia will be one day shorter this year, as it includes one less rest day than last year. The most striking change, however, is that the Tour de Suisse will no longer last eight days, but just five. Fun fact: the 4 Jours de Dunkerque will also last… five days this year.