Cycling's 2026 spring classics: Best moments, future stars, and lots more Tadej Pogacar wins

The WorldTour calendar is in a transitional moment. The spring classics are done, and Grand Tour season — starting with La Vuelta Femenina and the Giro d’Italia, which both begin over the next week — is upon us. But before we settle down for the sport’s top-tier stage races, let’s reflect on an often astonishing couple of months of one-day events, from the tight bends of the Poggio to the torturous hills of Liege-Bastogne, via the cobbles of Flanders and Roubaix and myriad other competitions.The Athletic’s writers review a memorable early-spring of one-day racing. a.showcase-link-container { display: flex; gap: 20px; flex-direction: column; align-items: center; padding: 20px 0px; border-top: 1px solid rgba(150, 150, 147, 0.4); border-bottom: 1px solid rgba(150, 150, 147, 0.4); text-decoration: none; color: #121212; cursor: pointer; .showcase-link { font-family: nyt-franklin; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 700; line-height: 13.8px; letter-spacing: 1.1px; text-transform: uppercase; } .showcase-link-image { border-radius: 8px; object-fit: cover; width: 200px; height: 150px; margin: 0px; @media (max-width: 600px) { width: 120px; height: 120px; } } .showcase-link-inner-content { display: flex; flex-direction: row; gap: 16px; width: 100%; } .showcase-link-text-content { display: flex; flex-direction: column; gap: 20px; justify-content: center; @media (max-width: 600px) { gap: 8px; } } .showcase-link-title { font-family: nyt-cheltenham; font-size: 24px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 500; line-height: 120%; /* 24px */ letter-spacing: 0.01px; text-overflow: ellipsis; overflow: hidden; display: -webkit-box; -webkit-box-orient: vertical; -webkit-line-clamp: 3; @media (max-width: 600px) { font-size: 16px; } } .showcase-link-excerpt { font-family: nyt-imperial; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; line-height: 139%; /* 19.46px */ color: #323232; text-overflow: ellipsis; overflow: hidden; display: -webkit-box; -webkit-box-orient: vertical;...