Talossan Cycling Association Tour Season 5 Leg 1: Nessebar -> Roma

[Glüc]

Talossan Cycling Association Tour
2026
First Leg
Nessebar -> Roma


_{(Logo created by Sir Lüc)}

Belated introduction tbd

The following teams are participating:

- Cézembre Fieschā - (CFA, Cézembre) Vingegaard Yates Zana Rubio Mozzato Schulz Aleotti Cavagna Pellizzari -----------------------------------------------------	- Team In The Wind - (ITW, Florencia) Vingegaard Arensman Bernal Ciccone Andresen Cavagna Oliveira Barta Ballerini -----------------------------------------------------	- Els Talossaes Rexhita - (REX, Maricopa) Yates Gee-West Gall Storer Aular J. Christen Scaroni Narváez Andresen -----------------------------------------------------
- Cézembre Caçeirs dals Mailintzarăs - (BDC, Cézembre) Arensman Vingegaard Hindley Bernal Van Uden Vendrame J. Christen Morgado Ciccone -----------------------------------------------------	- Gordon Hiatus Support Team - (GHS, Belacostă) Vingegaard Arensman Storer Piganzoli Milan Gualdi Harper Garofoli Hindley -----------------------------------------------------	- Velociposse Florencia - (VFL, Florencia) Pellizzari Arensman Storer Gall Aular Narváez Battistella J. Christen Groves -----------------------------------------------------
- Maritiimi-Maxhestic Mençeis - (MMM, Maritiimi-Maxhestic) Vingegaard Pellizzari Cepeda Piganzoli Ackermann Narváez Scaroni Sheffield Moschetti -----------------------------------------------------	- Cyclohexane - (CHX, Belacostă) Vingegaard Pellizzari Ciccone Zana Milan Arrieta Campenaerts Bais Maestri -----------------------------------------------------

Links:
Registration thread
Information about the route and riders

[Glüc]

Stage 1 Nessebar (Bulgaria) -> Burgas

The Talossan Cycling Association Tour 2026 started with a short flat stage, creating the right circumstances for a bunch sprint. Unfortunately there was a big crash near the end, involving several TCAT riders. Hopefully they are all ok. The stage was won by Magnier, followed by Lund Andresen (REX/ITW). Milan (GHS/CHX) came in fourth place and Ackermann (MMM) in seventh. The royal team takes the first lead of the season as a result in a low scoring stage.

Standings after stage 1:

Pos	±		Team	Pts Ove	Pts Today
1st	(=)		Els Talossaes Rexhital (REX)	232	+232
2nd	(=)		Team In The Wind (ITW)	218	+218
3rd	(=)		Cyclohexane (CHX)	197	+197
4th	(=)		Gordon Hiatus Support Team (GHS)	191	+191
5th	(=)		Maritiimi-Maxhestic Mençeis (MMM)	108	+108
6th	(=)		Cézembre Caçeirs dals Mailintzarăs (BDC)	45	+45
7th	(=)		Cézembre Fieschā (CFA)	28	+28
8th	(=)		Velociposse Florencia (VFL)	12	+12

Tomorrow will be more of an intermediate stage. Most likely not challenging enough for GC contenders to make a big difference, but too much for a big bunch sprint. More likely the winner will be more of a punchy type rider.

[King Txec]

My team taking the first lead is just as it should be!

-Txec R

[Breneir Tzaracomprada]

I expect @Crement Itravilatx to rub it in that his team has such early success.

[Sir Lüc]

Stage 2 Burgas (Bulgaria) -> Veliko Tarnovo

Glüc's prediction was mostly correct, but GC riders did make a valiant attempt at trying to win seconds on their peers - Vingegaard (CHX/ITW/BDC/MMM/GHS/CFA), Pellizzari (CFA/CHX/MMM/VFL) and Van Eetvelt (non-TCAT) were rebuffed by the charging chase within the last kilometer, with the stagewin ultimately going to non-TCAT Silva, and Giulio Ciccone (BDC/CHX/ITW) in third leading the TCAT riders. Scaroni (MMM/REX) placed fourth, Pellizzari fifth and Christen (BDC) eighth.

It is BDC who comes away with the daily win, but disaster struck soon after as Andrea Vendrame, one of the riders involved in a 30-rider megacrash midway through, completed the stage but will not be able to start tomorrow. Also unable to start due to the crash is Adam Yates, which sadly means Fieschă and REX are already a GC rider down. The first TCAT rider to abandon, though, was MMM's Matteo Moschetti, which did not start stage 2 as a result of the injuries sustained in the finish line crash of stage 1.

Standings after stage 2:

Pos	±		Team	Pts Ove	Pts Today
1st	(+2)		Cyclohexane (CHX)	555	+358
2nd	(=)		Team In The Wind (ITW)	527	+309
3rd	(-2)		Els Talossaes Rexhital (REX)	522	+290
4th	(+2)		Cézembre Caçeirs dals Mailintzarăs (BDC)	463	+418
5th	(=)		Maritiimi-Maxhestic Mençeis (MMM)	446	+338
6th	(-2)		Gordon Hiatus Support Team (GHS)	346	+155
7th	(+1)		Velociposse Florencia (VFL)	281	+269
8th	(-1)		Cézembre Fieschā (CFA)	209	+181

[Glüc]

Stage 3 update later today, but here are the standings:

Tuesday's stage was again a sprint, on very wide roads in the Bulgarian capital. Again Magnier won, followed by Milan (GHS/CHX) with Ackermann (MMM) in 7th place, ballerini (ITW) in 8th and Andresen (ITW/REX) in 9th. The beginning of the day saw more bad news as Adam Yates (CFA/REX) did not start due to his injuries along with Vendrame. Team In The Wind scored the most points for the first time in their debut season, but Cyclohexane remain in the lead.

Pos	±		Team	Pts Ove	Pts Today
1st	(=)		Cyclohexane (CHX)	790	+235
2nd	(=)		Team In The Wind (ITW)	777	+250
3rd	(=)		Els Talossaes Rexhital (REX)	652	+130
4th	(+2)		Gordon Hiatus Support Team (GHS)	578	+232
5th	(=)		Maritiimi-Maxhestic Mençeis (MMM)	578	+132
6th	(-2)		Cézembre Caçeirs dals Mailintzarăs (BDC)	548	+85
7th	(=)		Velociposse Florencia (VFL)	324	+43
8th	(=)		Cézembre Fieschā (CFA)	245	+36

This was the last stage in Bulgaria. Yesterday was transfer/rest day and today TCAT continues in Italy, where a single category 2 climb halfway through the stage might result in a succesful breakaway, but more likely we'll see the peloton regather in time for a sprint. The finish is uphill, which might favour someone like Andresen over the pure sprinters.

[Sir Lüc]

Stage 4 Catanzaro -> Cosenza

Welcome to Italy! TCAT lands on the tip of the boot, Calabria, for what could have been a sprint finish - but no, all sprinters (and more) were dropped on the single Cat.2 climb halfway through the stage, and only a group of 40 was left in front to contend the stage win.

The reduced bunch sprint went to Jhonatan Narvaez (MMM/REX/VFL) in front of Orluis Aular (REX/VFL) and Giulio Ciccone (BDC/CHX/ITW), the latter also taking over the GC leader's pink jersey. Logically then it is REX and VFL who lead the day, with the Rexhitais also narrowly inheriting the overall lead. 

The Florencian team gets the stage win, but will have to do without Kaden Groves from now on, the Australian having dropped out today as a result of the finish line crash in stage 1. With this abandon, only Cyclohexane, GHST and In The Wind have a full roster, all other teams having one each.

Standings after stage 4:

Pos	±		Team	Pts Ove	Pts Today
1st	(+2)		Els Talossaes Rexhital (REX)	1136	+484
2nd	(-1)		Cyclohexane (CHX)	1113	+323
3rd	(-1)		Team In The Wind (ITW)	1058	+281
4th	(+2)		Cézembre Caçeirs dals Mailintzarăs (BDC)	907	+359
5th	(-1)		Maritiimi-Maxhestic Mençeis (MMM)	872	+294
6th	(+1)		Velociposse Florencia (VFL)	843	+519
7th	(-2)		Gordon Hiatus Support Team (GHS)	694	+116
8th	(=)		Cézembre Fieschā (CFA)	324	+79

Coming up today is a hilly stage that could see a similar outcome (breakaway and/or reduced sprint).

[Baron Alexandreu Davinescu]

Well, my strategy of picking only the big guns is not quite paying off, but at least my guys are finding the roads of Italy a little easier than the ice of America and Canada.

[Glüc]

Stage 5 Praia a Mare -> Potenza

Yesterday saw a succesful breakaway attempt involving Campenaerts (CHX), Rubio (CFA), Narvaez (REX/VFL/MMM), Garofoli (GHS), Scaroni (REX/MMM) and Arrieta (CHX). Crazy things happened at the end, where Arrieta crashed and then went in the wrong direction, but somehow still won the stage (I have no idea how any of that happened), giving the most points to Cyclohexane who are now back in the lead. Eulalio took the pink jersey.

Standings after stage 5:

Pos	±		Team	Pts Ove	Pts Today
1st	(+1)		Cyclohexane (CHX)	1463	+350
2nd	(-1)		Els Talossaes Rexhital (REX)	1382	+246
3rd	(=)		Team In The Wind (ITW)	1132	+74
4th	(+1)		Maritiimi-Maxhestic Mençeis (MMM)	1109	+237
5th	(-1)		Cézembre Caçeirs dals Mailintzarăs (BDC)	994	+87
6th	(=)		Velociposse Florencia (VFL)	934	+91
7th	(=)		Gordon Hiatus Support Team (GHS)	865	+171
8th	(=)		Cézembre Fieschā (CFA)	371	+47

Today we have a flat stage towards Naples which seems like one of the last opportunities for sprinters as we head into the mountains tomorrow. The final kilometers feature a short uphill cobbled section though, which might affect the results even if that result is still most likely a bunch sprint.

[Sir Lüc]

Stage 6 Paestum -> Napoli

This edition, much like the past few ones, also features a stage with sprint finish in Naples... except the finish line was moved up a hill, past an uphill cobblestone section, with a hairpin midway through. With the surface still wet from the rain, this was a recipe for disaster, and indeed an otherwise predictably uneventful stage came undone right at the last kilometre.

With the top sprinters battling for position at the front, a few riders slid on their own as they were taking the damp cobbled hairpin a mere 300m from the finish line, resulting in most of the group getting stuck. Luckily for In The Wind, one of just two riders who were entirely unaffected was their own Davide Ballerini, who outsprinted non-TCAT Jasper Stuyven for an entirely unexpected stage win. All other top TCAT sprinters were delayed or crashed outright, meaning it  who had a chance at avoiding the accident and scoring points: Mozzato (CFA) ended up 7th, van Uden (BDC) 10th, Ackermann (MMM) 17th and Maestri (CHX) 20th.

ITW gets another stage win, albeit a low scoring one, with no position changes in the overall standings. The most consequential outcome from today is instead Milan and Andresen, the most expensive sprinters, not scoring any points and failing to turn around their so-far disappointing TCAT edition, which is bad news for CHX, GHS, REX and ITW itself.

Standings after stage 6:

Pos	±		Team	Pts Ove	Pts Today
1st	(=)		Cyclohexane (CHX)	1577	+114
2nd	(=)		Els Talossaes Rexhital (REX)	1488	+106
3rd	(=)		Team In The Wind (ITW)	1426	+294
4th	(=)		Maritiimi-Maxhestic Mençeis (MMM)	1230	+121
5th	(=)		Cézembre Caçeirs dals Mailintzarăs (BDC)	1122	+128
6th	(=)		Velociposse Florencia (VFL)	1022	+88
7th	(=)		Gordon Hiatus Support Team (GHS)	900	+35
8th	(=)		Cézembre Fieschā (CFA)	497	+126

Today we finally get the first mountain stage of TCAT Italy 2026, as the peloton climbs Cima Blockhaus (which, despite the name, is not in the Alps and is actually nestled deep within the Appennines.) First verdicts from leading GC contenders and climbers coming up!