The loss of the Tour de l'Avenir is another blow to women's cycling development

Cor Vos

Women's professional road cycling is booming. More money is flowing into the sport, and more recognition. The races are faster than ever, the riders the strongest they've ever been – but take a glance below the top level of the sport and the base looks a lot less shiny. Every year, Continental-level teams scramble to find funding, and lower-level races cease to exist. The first blow to the 2026 calendar is the Tour de l'Avenir, the only stage race at the under-23 level for women.

As the sport continues its upward trajectory, races like the Tour de l'Avenir are more important than ever, but the race organisers have cited a lack of U23 teams and insufficient structure at the U23 level as reasons for cancelling the fourth edition of the race.

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