Major Upcoming Cycling Events, Dates and Format

Giro d’Italia, Tour de France and Vuelta a Espana are the three biggest cycling races, known as the Grand Tours. The races last three weeks and all follow a similar format.

Major cycling events also include The Five “Monuments”, which are classic one-day races. The professional cycling season starts in late January and continues until mid-October. Here you will find all major upcoming cycling events, their dates and format.

The 2026 UCI WorldTour season began with the Santos Tour Down Under in Australia on January 20 to 25. In February, the UAE Tour took place, while in March the world’s best cyclists claimed their first victories. Tadej Pogačar won Strade Bianche, while Jonas Vingegaard won Paris-Nice.

On March 21, the first of The Five “Monuments”, Milano-Sanremo, took place and was won by Tadej Pogačar. In April, the Tour of Flanders, Paris-Roubaix and Liege-Bastogne-Liege will take place. In May, the first Grand Tour race of the season, Giro d’Italia, will be held.

The 2026 UCI World Tour cycling race calendar consists of 36 cycling events. We have highlighted the main biggest cycling events that attract the most attention, and their dates can be seen in the table below.

More than 40 different cycling events take place during the season, featuring both the very best riders and those of a somewhat lower level. In the UCI World Tour 2026 season alone, there are 36 races, most of which are held over one day, although some last from several days to several weeks.

Without any doubt, the Grand Tour races receive the most attention, lasting around 3 weeks. The format of these races stands out the most compared to other events. Below is a closer look at the format of the main cycling events.

Tour de France, Giro d’Italia and Vuelta a Espana are the Grand Tours around which the entire cycling season revolves. Of these races, Tour de France attracts the greatest interest, but the other two are also top-level races.

All three races consist of 21 stages and last 3 weeks. During the races, there are different types of stages:

• Hilly stage
• Mountain stage
• Flat stage
• Individual time trial

The races held in France, Spain and Italy stand out for their difficulty. Vuelta a Espana has the most mountainous terrain, but the stages are shorter than in the other races.

Tour de France is known for the highest speed and usually has the longest route. Giro d’Italia is the hardest to predict because of the weather conditions.

2026 Grand Tours comparison:

In addition to competing for the champion’s title in these races, riders also compete across different classifications at the same time. Tour de France and Vuelta a Espana have seven categories, while Giro d’Italia has ten. Awards are handed out in the following categories:

• Winner
• General Classification
• Points Classification
• Mountains Classification
• Young Rider Classification
• Team Classification
• Combativity Award
• Intermediate Sprint Classification (Giro d‘Italia)
• Breakaway Classification (Giro d‘Italia)
• Red Bull KM Classification (Giro d‘Italia)

During these races, reliable online bookmakers prepare betting markets for different categories, so it is possible to bet not only on who will win the Tour de France, but also on who will lead a certain classification.

The five oldest and most prestigious one-day cycling races are known as The Five “Monuments”. This list includes the following races:

• Milan-San Remo (Italy)
• Tour of Flanders (Belgium)
• Paris-Roubaix (France)
• Liege-Bastogne-Liege (Belgium)
• Il Lombardia (Italy)

Unlike the Grand Tour races, these are one-day races where the winner is decided immediately.

Because of their locations, the races are marked by a different pace and style. For example, Milano-San Remo is also known as the “Sprinters’ Classic”. Meanwhile, the Tour of Flanders is known for its very steep route.

European and World Road Championships take place over about one week. In these championships, cyclists no longer represent their teams, but their countries. In addition to riders competing in individual classifications, the total medals won by countries are also counted.

Both the European and World Championships are divided into Time Trial and Road Race events. These cycling events feature several different categories:

• Elite Women
• Elite Men
• Under-23 Women
• Under-23 Men
• Junior Women
• Junior Men
• Mixed Team 

The championships attract considerable attention, but the Grand Tour races are considered more prestigious. This is also reflected in the markets compiled by betting companies. There are many more cycling bets available during the Tour de France or other Grand Tour races than during the European or World Championships.

More than 40 different cycling events take place during the season, but not all of them feature the best cyclists. The format may partly resemble the tennis season, when the best tennis players do not always play in ATP 500 or ATP 1000 tournaments.

Before each race, it is necessary to check the start list and judge from that what can be expected. Betting on upcoming cycling races is specific, and it is important to follow riders’ form, understand the importance of the race and its specifics. In some races, the best cyclists appear in a training-style format, while for other riders this is a chance to become the winner.

During the season, without any doubt, the three most important races are Giro d’Italia, Tour de France and Vuelta a Espana. In these races, the riders’ motivation is felt at the highest possible level.

Among the other individual races, The Five “Monuments” stand out, where when placing bets, it is also possible to be sure that the leaders are aiming not only to take part, but to win as well.