After a week of hiatus, the series returns, which some of you might have been waiting for (this time, from 10 different nations).
10 riders who deserve a brief mention for their performance last week, even if the media hasn't necessarily done so with them:
1. Angie Mariana Londono
The usual, spring Salvadoran races of the last two weeks have brought several new winners, but I bring you a young rider who, although he did not win, has attracted attention. At 19 years old, Londono finished fourth in the unipuerto, 18.5 km, 7% mountain stage, and eighth in the Tour of Salvador, with all her teammates finishing behind Angie. A very serious talent, I really liked this race from her, I hope she won't be a one-hit wonder, South American women's cycling needs a new, fresh talent.
2. Mikita Babovich
I don't know where Mikita's performance this year came from, but the past few weeks have brought a completely new dimension to the Belarusian rider's life - he won the junior E3, finished third in the junior edition of Paris-Roubaix, and we still need to see how he will perform in the junior Ronde in a month, but we are starting to get a very good picture of him. Someone who is this stable in the biggest junior classics is likely to do well in the elite category as well. Belarusian cycling is not known for a deep pool of talents, and they have never had a good classic rider, so Mikita could be a pioneer in this area.
3. Noah Ramsay
Alpecin and the Zwift Academy - generally a winning combination, and their latest talent, Noah Ramsay from Canada, fit right into this line-up on his very first pro race. The Region Pays de la Loire Tour is a particularly tricky, technical race where a bit of luck is also needed for a good GC result alongside strength, and the 16th place overall was a particularly good debut, being the second best in the team behind Henri Uhlig. The next race of him will be the Tour of Turkey, where he can continue to develop alongside Del Grosso.
4. Patrick Boje Frydkjaer
Last year was a disaster for Patrick, but this year he is finally delivering the metronomic performance we expected from him, in my opinion - the Circuit des Ardennes was another huge step in the right direction - he won the opening stage and then finished in the top 3 of the GC at the end of the race, even though the race included quite a lot of climbing. I'm very happy for Patrick, who can further strengthen Lidl-Trek's already strong northern contingent very soon...
5. Fred Wright
Massive signs of life from the British rider of Bahrain-Victorious, who finished in the top 10 of 2/3 monuments in 2025, placed 10th in Sanremo and 9th in yesterday's Roubaix, both times battling fiercely against the elements, himself, and his opponents, but unlike in previous years, he came out victorious in these battles. The harder the race, the better for him, we might think - and this could take him in the direction of the true classics rather than being a sprinter/puncheur, I honestly look forward to the moment he wins a non-National race in Bahrain colours.
6. Jelena Eric
Technically, she was one of the MVPs of the women's Paris-Roubaix on Saturday. The way she reacted to every attack, how she stayed glued to Lotte Kopecky's wheel, making sure she couldn't be shaken off, clinging to the best like a magnet...I don't think this was in the Serbian lady under regular circumstances, it was very nice to see this. Obviously, the end didn't turn out perfectly for her, it could have even been a top 5 finish, but overall, Saturday was one of the golden days for Serbian cycling.
7. Lucie Fityus
St Michel rider - yay. Lucie came over to Europe and turned on the slay factor, 10th at the Scheldeprijs, but overall, in her first classics season, a collection of top 20 and top 30 results, which I think we didn't expect from her overall. Definitely the best in the team this year, and it's thought-provoking that an Australian is the best in that French team which perhaps most embodies French traditions. I wonder how Ardennes will suit Lucie.
8. Luca Vergallito
15-22-16 are Il Bandito's results in this year's 3 GC classifications; he has truly donned the bandit costume because he consistently delivers this result, and I believe he could maintain this top 15/20 level in a Grand Tour as well. The question is how much of the impressive breakaway initiatives we saw from him in last year's Vuelta will remain in a still sprinter-heavy Alpecin - perhaps this is where he has a better chance of securing his first career victory.
9. Senna Remijn
The third Alpecin rider on this list shows that the team's future could be very bright. Remijn was the first among the humanoids in yesterday's Espoirs, as he closely finished in third place behind two Lidl-Trek riders, which is an outstanding result for a first-year junior. We are talking about a very serious, versatile talent who will definitely be nurtured under the Alpecin wings until the end of 2026. I believe this was and will be the best decision for both parties.
10. Bálint Feldhoffer
I was extremely skeptical about the Team United Shipping project, and in some respects, I still am. At the same time, Feldhoffer's performance at the Tour de Mersin was more than encouraging. Of course, it's a 2.2 race, so you can't draw too many conclusions from it, but there were several quite good riders in the peloton, and Feldhoffer finished among the top 6, which can be considered a positive development after the stagnation at Polti Kometa. If they could sell him to a good ProConti team within 1-2 years, it could also define the future of TUS, solidifying it as one of the leading development teams in Central Europe and Hungary. I'm rooting for them.