"We do all Classics and all three Grand Tours": Tudor plans to approach 2026 as a testing year for their WorldTour plans
Cycling
Tudor Pro Cycling didn't quite manage to sneak among the elite 18 teams which will belong to the WorldTour category in 2026-28 period, but the Swiss team nevertheless belongs to the best you'll find in the cycling's second division. And although they already had a more than decent lineup in 2025, they didn't hold with their ambitions when they recruited the likes of Stefan Küng looking towards future.
The 32-year-old time trial specialist arrives to fulfill the remaining weakspots of the Swiss team - time trials and cobbled classics. Küng will lead the team in the opening Tour de France team time trial and make his debut in Tudor's red and black colours at the Mallorca Challenge TTT. "I've been TTT world champion three times, and so I think I know what it means to be fast and get faster," he said during Tudor's team presentation on Wednesday.
The opening team time trial in Barcelona will be key to the good start of 2026 Tour: "The TTT is a big objective and is good for our GC hopes, too. A good TTT shows all abilities and means we start the Tour on the right foot."
The Swissman has an unfinished business on the cobbles too. He was close to a breakthrough result many times, but never converted a strong performance into a distinctive victory. Now under the wings of Classics legend Fabian Cancellara, Küng hopes to break his curse. "I've come close many times in the Classics, but I still dream about winning one, so why not this year?"
Like a WorldTour team
That Tudor aims for WorldTour in 2029 is no secret. Their biggest rivals in the Pro-division will be fellow Swiss team Pinarello-Q36.5, and former WT team Cofidis. But if these three teams appear to be relatively close (in terms of point-scoring potential), the entire trio can think about a promotion, as some of the current WorldTour are showing signs of weakness.
Picnic PostNL have just lost their poster boy Oscar Onley, Uno-X will face a tough challenge to survive in the top division, and teams like Lotto-Intermarché, Groupama - FDJ, Jayco AlUla, Movistar, NSN, or even the 4th seed of 2025 ranking XDS Astana all rely on strong team and/or individual performances to escape the skirmish for last remaining WorldTour positions.
Therefore Tudor will have to prove that they belong to WorldTour not just through UCI ranking, but also performances at the biggest scene. And as they're granted an automatic wildcard to all WorldTour events, they don't plan to skip almost any: "We do all the Classics and all three Grand Tours," team owner Fabian Cancellara said, confirming their 2026 race programme.
"For sure, having WorldTour invitations gives some peace. It's new for us, before it was 'could we go' to races. Now we can go everywhere and even choose – comfortable situation. We won't change everything. We've added races, but having a guaranteed calendar helps a lot.
Fabian Cancellara can be satisfied with his team's performances
"2026 is an important start to the three-year WorldTour cycle. To reach that WorldTour goal for 2029. We also want to win a stage at a Grand Tour and we're also looking forward to the Classics. If we do things right, put things in place, 1+1=2, so we will get the results."
Cancellara and team CEO Raphael Meyer will travel to Australia to see his riders in action at the Tour Down Under. "We'll be proud to see the guys racing in Australia at the Tour Down Under after we went there in 2020 when we were still creating the team."
Ondrej ZhasilCycling Journalist
Ondřej Zhasil is a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2023. He is based in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, and covers professional cycling across the main UCI competitions, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. A key focus of his work is startlist analysis and pre-race coverage, where he examines team selections, rider line-ups, and tactical scenarios ahead of major events.
Alongside WorldTour coverage, Ondřej has developed specific expertise in junior cycling and in racing across East Asia, including competitions in China and Japan. He also maintains a broad working knowledge of other disciplines and levels, including cyclocross, while continuing to expand his understanding of mountain bike racing.
Ondřej holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, which supports his analytical, data-driven approach to performance and race analysis. In his reporting, he regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
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