Hello everyone! Time to unwrap PCT Christmas once again as we reveal the HC band selection for the 2026 season. There have been some interesting changes to the landscape this year, least of them fewer bands! We have only 5 bands to select among this year Let's take a look!
Band 1
Benelux Challenge
6
Down Under Classic
2
Milano - Torino
2
If it ain't broke, don't fix it — Band 1 is completely unchanged from last year. Benelux Challenge returns with its trademark six-stage carnival across the Low Countries where anything can happen, and usually does. Down Under Classic provides the antipodean outing for those who fancy their chances on the flat, while Milano – Torino's uphill finale to the Basilica di Superga remains one of the purest HC tests for the punchy climbers. A varied opener that rewards a wide range of rider types.
Band 2
Circulo de Juarez
5
Pro Hallstatt Classic
2
GP Lugano
2
Another band that returns completely intact from 2025. Circulo de Juarez provides the stage race backbone — five stages through the Mexican desert that have historically suited riders who can handle both the heat and a tough uphill finish. Pro Hallstatt Classic and GP Lugano complete the picture with their hilly one-day formats, ensuring that climbers and puncheurs will have plenty of opportunities to make their mark in this band.
Band 3
Tour d'Andorra
5
Strade Bianche
2
Le Samyn
2
Here is where the reshuffling begins. Tour d'Andorra is the constant — the Pyrenean stage race remains the centrepiece of this band and will once again test the pure grimpeurs of the peloton across five brutal days. But the supporting cast has changed completely. Lisbon Classic and Macskako Kerekparverseny are out, replaced by two very different races from other bands. Strade Bianche makes a significant jump up from Band 6, bringing its iconic white gravel sectors to this band for the first time. Le Samyn also rises, moving up from Band 7 to add a Belgian semi-classic flavour. The cobbles–mountains combination makes this one of the most tactically interesting bands on the calendar.
Band 4
Tour of Norway
5
Macskako Kerekparverseny
2
Paris Tours
2
Band 4 retains its skeleton from last year but there has been one notable swap. Tour of Norway and Paris Tours both return — the Norwegian stage race continuing to reward well-rounded puncheurs who can handle a testing time trial, while Paris – Tours provides the flat finale specialists their shot in the French countryside. The change is the replacement of GP Wallonie with Macskako Kerekparverseny, which drops down from Band 3 to fill the one-day classic slot. The Hungarian cobbled classic adds an interesting wrinkle — managers who targeted Macskako in Band 3 last year will now find it sitting alongside a more complete stage race.
Band 5
Tour de Pologne
6
Badaling International
2
Kuurne - Bruxelles - Kuurne
2
The biggest headline of the entire reveal. Tour de Pologne makes its return to the HC calendar after a year away, taking Post Danmark Rundt's place as the Band 5 stage race anchor. The six-stage Polish race brings a dramatic profile — finishing atop Morskie Oko — that will challenge climbers and all-rounders alike. Badaling International and Kuurne – Bruxelles – Kuurne both return from last year to complete the band. Kuurne in particular has been a fascinating race in HC, and with Badaling offering its punchy Chinese climbs, Band 5 in 2026 shapes up as one of the most rider-type-diverse selections on the entire calendar. Welcome back, Pologne.
