The road races in January take place mainly in the southern hemisphere - or in Spain. From the first World Tour races to the .2 category, everything is included.
World Tour kick-off at Tour Down Under in Australia
The New Zealand Cycle Classic (2.2) stage race kicks off the new road season on 10 January. However, the five-day tour is predominantly in the hands of local or Australian teams. There are no World or Pro teams at the start. They will be challenged from 16 January. The Tour Down Under is now traditionally the start of the World Tour. The race in Australia offers five days of hilly or flat stages. The women also start their season in Australia. The women's Tour Down Under kicks off the Women's World Tour from 12 to 14 January.
Once you are in Australia, you often stay until the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Race, which is part of the men's and women's World Tour. The race, which is usually decided in a bunch sprint - as last year by Marius Mayrhofer, who celebrated his first victory as a professional - but comes with all kinds of climbs that are more than just motorway bridges. The women ride on 27 January, the men on the following day.
European kick-off in Spain
The part that forgoes the trip to the other side of the world often drives its first races where it also works in the winter training camp. Most teams hold this in Spain. That's why the Mallorca Challenge (1.1), which starts on 24 January and consists of five consecutive one-day races without an overall classification, is a popular prelude. The Trofeo Calvia (winner 2023: Rui Costa, Intermarche-Circus-Wanty, from 2024 for EF Education-EasyPost) will kick things off. This is followed by the Trofeo Ses Salines - Felantix, which was last part of the Challenge in 2020, the Trofeo Serra de Tramuntana and the Trofeo Andratx, which was won by Kobe Goossens (Intermarche-Circus-Wanty) last year. The final stage is the Trofeo Palma, which was won in 2023 by Ethan Vernon in the Soudal - Quick Step jersey (2024 for Israel-Premier Tech).
Eight World Teams, including Bora-Hansgrohe, will be at the start. 16 other teams, pro and continental teams, are also taking part. With Rembe Pro Cycling Team Sauerland (Saris Rouvy Sauerland until the end of 2023) and Storck-Metropol Cycling, two more German representatives will be in Mallorca. Even before the men, the women will be competing in three Trofeos on Mallorca between 20 and 22 January.
First UCI race in Europe on 20 January
Before the Mallorca Challenge, the men can already compete in the Classica Communitat Valenciana (1.1), which is the first UCI race in Europe on 20 January. Arnaud De Lie (Lotto-Dstny) last won the traditional event, which has been held since the 1960s. Even older is the round trip of the same name, which was ridden for the first time in 1929 and will be the first .Pro race on the calendar at the end of the month from 31 January. The defending champion of the Volta is Rui Costa.
There are two alternatives. The Saudi Tour (30 January to 3 February), which will be called the AlUla Tour in the future and traverses predominantly flat terrain, and the Etoile de Besseges, which has a few more hills and also features the first short time trial of the season. The defending champions are Ruben Guerreiro (Movistar) and Neilson Powless (EF Education EasyPost).
The most important road races in January at a glance
Men
- 16.01 - 21.01.: Tour Down Under - 2nd World Tour (Down Under Criterium already on 13 January)
- 20 Jan: Classica Comunitat Valenciana - 1.1 Europe Tour
- 21 Jan: Ruta de la Ceramica - 1.1 Europe Tour
- 24.01. - 28.01.: Mallorca Challenge - 1.1 Europe Tour
- 25 Jan: Surf Coast Classic - 1.1 Oceania Tour
- 28.01.: Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race - 1st World Tour
- 28.01.: Grand Prix Cycliste de Marseille - 1.1 Europe Tour
- 30.01. - 03.02.: AlUla Tour - 2.1 Asia Tour
- 31.01. - 04.02. Etoile de Besseges - 2.1 Europe Tour
- 31.01. - 04.02. Volta a la Communitat Valenciana - 2. Pro Series
Women
- 12.01. - 14.01.: Tour Down Under - 2nd Women's World Tour
- 20.01. - 22.01.: Mallorca Challenge - 1.1 Women Elite
- 27 Jan: Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race - 1st Women's World Tour
- 28.01.: Women Pro Cycling Costa de Almeria - 1.1 Women Elite
- 30.01. - 01.02.: Volta a Mallorca - 2.Pro Women Elite
Cross-country national championships and three World Cups
The calendar for cyclocross riders (and women cyclocross riders, who generally start in parallel to all the men's competitions) is already much thinner at the start of the year than it was in December. The Superprestige series takes a complete break in January. The World Cup continues to tour across Europe. The X2O Trofee knows no public holidays and starts again on New Year's Day. A total of eleven races with a professional character are on the programme.
But things suddenly go quiet in the middle of January. This is because two weeks from 8 January are reserved for the national championships in many European countries - including preparation time and a break afterwards. The majority of the national champions are crowned on 14 January. This is also the case in Germany. The 2024 venue is Radevormwald.
In the small town in North Rhine-Westphalia, Sascha Weber and Judith Krahl aim to defend their elite titles, which they took from series winners Marcel Meisen and Elisabeth Brandau last year. A total of 14 titles - from the U15 to the masters classes - will be contested in ten races.
But even after the national championships, the calendar doesn't really get back on track. Because the World Championships in Tabor, Czech Republic on 4 February is already casting its shadow.
The most important cyclocross races in January at a glance
UCI World Cup
- 7 January - Zonhoven (Belgium)
- 21 January - Benidorm (Spain)
- 28 January - Hoogerheide (Netherlands)
X2O Trofee
- 1 January - Baal (Belgium)
- 4 January - Koksijde (Belgium)
- 27 January - Hamme (Belgium)
Exact Cross
- 20 January - Zonnebeke (Belgium)
