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Pro Log: Demi Vollering joins FDJ-Suez; Tadej Pogačar signs contract extension; road racing out at Commonwealth Games; ITV won’t show Tour de France from 2026
Welcome to the latest edition of Pro Log, where we look at the pro cycling news from the past week. Here’s a rundown of the latest results before we get started:
- Vuelta a Guatemala, Stage 3, (113.5km), Sun 27th Oct: 1st Byron Guama, Movistar-Best PC, 2h 55min 22sec; 2nd Daniel Bonilla Quiros, Team Colono Bikestation Kölbi, +0sec; 3rd Eli Sisimith, Red Hook, +9sec.
- UCI Cycling ESports World Championships, Men’s Elite Final, Sat 26th Oct: 1st Jason Osborne, Germany, 177 points; 2nd Lionel Vujasin, Belgium, 174 points; 3rd Kasper Borremans, Finland, 164 points.
- UCI Cycling ESports World Championships, Women’s Elite Final, Sat 26th Oct: 1st Kate McCarthy, New Zealand, 180 points; 2nd Gabriela Guerra, Brazil, 176 points; 3rd Kathrin Fuhrer, Switzerland, 165 points.
Demi Vollering joins FDJ-Suez
The most hotly anticipated transfer news of the year is in. Demi Vollering has signed a contract for FDJ-Suez until 2026 with all focus on general classifications for next season. Vollering just missed out on retaining her Tour de France Femmes title this year, finishing second behind Kasia Niewiadoma. She did win La Vuelta Femenina, Itzulia, Vuelta a Burgos and the Tour de Suisse though, and has a loaded palmarès including a bunch of Classics wins.
Speaking to L’Équipe, Vollering said, ‘With this team, after the [first] meeting, I couldn’t get my smile off my face. I was thinking, “I’ve found a new place to grow.” I felt deep inside: this is the team I want to sign for. I also know that the team will have no hesitation to go for GC with me.’
The signing completes the FDJ-Suez squad for 2025.
Free-to-air Tour de France coverage to cease in UK
Warner Bros Discovery (WBD) Sports Europe has announced its exclusivity in the United Kingdom to broadcast the Tour de France from 2026 to 2030 in an agreement with the European Broadcasting Union and Tour de France organiser Amaury Sport Organisation.
This means it will no longer be available to watch free on ITV, which previously broadcast live coverage throughout the 21 stages with familiar faces including Gary Imlach, Ned Boulting and David Millar.
A statement provided by WBD sports read, ‘The Tour de France will now be exclusively shown live by WBD in the UK with the Tour de France Femmes now exclusive in Norway and Ireland, alongside coverage for viewers in every market in Europe. Likewise, WBD has added exclusive coverage of La Vuelta a España in Norway and the Netherlands for the men’s and women’s races.’
It is thought this also spells the end of ITV’s daily highlights programme too.
Tadej Pogačar signs new deal with UAE Team Emirates
World Champion Tadej Pogačar has signed a contract extension with UAE Team Emirates that will see the pairing continue through to 2030. Pogačar has been with the squad since the start of his pro career in 2019 and the extension comes off the back of a phenomenal season in which he won the ‘Triple Crown’ and almost every other race he lined up at.
Pogačar said, ‘This team has been my home now for the last five years and I truly can’t imagine myself anywhere else. The best moments of my career have come at UAE Team Emirates and that is a testament to all of the staff, management, teammates and partners, who all allow me to perform at the highest level.’
No road racing at Commonwealth Games
A scaled down version of the Commonwealth Games will take place in Glasgow in 2026 after Australia withdrew from hosting the event, but 12 sports have been cut from the programme as a result, including road cycling. It joins the likes of rugby sevens, hockey and cricket on the cutting room floor.
Track cycling still has a spot as do athletics, swimming, 3×3 basketball, artistic gymnastics, boxing, judo, lawn bowls, netball and weightlifting.
Oceania dominated road cycling at the last Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, 2022, with New Zealand’s Aaron Gate, Australia’s Rohan Dennis, Grace Brown and Georgia Baker winning the road medals.
UCI Cycling Esports World Championships
Germany’s Jason Osborne won the men’s UCI Cycling Esports World Championships in Abu Dhabi on the weekend with 174 points, just beating Belgium’s Lionel Vujasin (174) and Finland’s Kasper Borremans (164) over three races: a ‘sprint’ lap race, hilly ‘strategist’ race and an ‘all-out’ four-lap criterium. Osborne previously won the inaugural Esports World Championships in 2020.
After the same three races for the women, New Zealand’s Kate McCarthy won the final sprint ahead of Brazil’s Gabriela Guerra for the world title, just four points separating them as Switzerland’s Kathrin Fuhrer notched up 165 points for third.
The British duo of Maria Holdcroft and Lou Bates both finished just off the podium with 156 points.
Other news:
- Crit squad Ribble Rebellion to fold after less than a year
- Mathieu van der Poel raced multiple World Rally Championship winner Sébastien Loeb and won (Loeb was in a rally car, Van der Poel on a bike)
- The inaugural London 3 Day took place over the weekend with Olympic gold medallists Chiara Consonni and Vittoria Guazzini victorious as well as Elia Viviani
- Wout van Aert did turn out to be a special guest in Belgium’s version of The Masked Singer. He dressed as a squirrel.
See you next week.
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