Greece 12 Mar – 15 Mar 2026 Class 2.2 – Stages – Class 2
Website www.rhodestour.gr
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The 2026 Tour of Rhodes Powered by Rodos Palace is a UCI category 2.2 stage race held in Greece. This year’s edition spans four days, featuring a short opening prologue followed by three demanding road stages across the island of Rhodes.
Below is the detailed program and stage schedule:
Race Schedule: March 12 – 15, 2026
| Date | Stage | Route | Distance | Type |
| Mar 12 | Prologue | Rhodes › Rhodes | 2.1 km | Individual Time Trial |
| Mar 13 | Stage 1 | Maritsa › Maritsa | 154.7 km | Road Race (Hilly) |
| Mar 14 | Stage 2 | Rhodes › Kalithies | 158.6 km | Road Race (Climbing) |
| Mar 15 | Stage 3 | Kremasti › Kremasti | 156.5 km | Road Race (Queen Stage) |
Key Stage Highlights
- The Prologue: A lightning-fast 2.1 km sprint in Rhodes city to determine the first leader’s jersey. The first rider is scheduled to start at 15:00 local time.
- Stage 1: Features roughly 1,970m of elevation gain, starting and ending in Maritsa.
- Stage 2: A tougher day in the saddle with 2,200m of climbing, finishing in Kalithies.
- Stage 3 (The Finale): The most challenging day with 2,640m of elevation gain. Note the earlier start time of 08:00 to accommodate the final awards ceremony in Kremasti.
Important Times for Spectators
- Official Presentation: Friday, March 13th, immediately before the start of Stage 1.
- Signature Podium: Open from 10:50 – 11:45 for Stages 1 and 2, and from 07:50 – 08:45 for Stage 3.
Note: As this is a UCI 2.2 event, the field consists of a mix of Continental teams and national squads, often serving as a proving ground for rising talents like those from the INEOS Grenadiers Racing Academy or Astana Development Team.
The Prologue of the 2026 Tour of Rhodes, a 2.1 km Individual Time Trial held on March 12, was won by Cameron Rogers from the INEOS Grenadiers Racing Academy.
Rogers dominated the short, flat course with a time of 2:42, averaging an impressive speed of 47.11 km/h. This victory put him in the first leader’s jersey of the tour.
Prologue Top 10 Results
| # | Rider | Team | Time | Gap |
| 1 | Cameron Rogers | INEOS Grenadiers Racing Academy | 2:42 | — |
| 2 | Matteo Scalco | XDS Astana Development Team | 2:45 | + 03s |
| 3 | Sylvester Vittinghus Stokbro | Airtox – Carl Ras | 2:46 | + 04s |
| 4 | Ben Wiggins | Hagens Berman Jayco | 2:47 | + 05s |
| 5 | Adam Rafferty | Hagens Berman Jayco | 2:47 | + 05s |
| 6 | Wil Holmes | Hagens Berman Jayco | 2:47 | + 05s |
| 7 | Nikiforos Arvanitou | Team United Shipping | 2:47 | + 05s |
| 8 | Thor Vangsø Nielsen | Airtox – Carl Ras | 2:47 | + 05s |
| 9 | Eirik Vang Aas | Team Drali-Repsol | 2:47 | + 05s |
| 10 | Reinardt Janse van Rensburg | Tshenolo Pro Cycling Team | 2:47 | + 05s |
Quick Analysis
- Dominance by Development Teams: The top of the leaderboard was heavily populated by major WorldTour “nursery” teams, particularly Hagens Berman Jayco, who placed four riders in the top 10.
- The “Wiggins” Factor: Ben Wiggins (son of Bradley Wiggins) showed his time-trialing pedigree with a strong 4th place finish.
- Local Hero: Nikiforos Arvanitou, the winner of the Rhodes GP just a few days prior, delivered a solid performance for the home crowd, finishing 7th.
In the 2.1 km Individual Time Trial (Prologue) of the 2026 Tour of Rhodes, several Luxembourgish riders took the start. The standout performer for Luxembourg was Arno Wallenborn.
Luxembourg Results: Prologue (March 12, 2026)
| Rank | Rider | Team | Time | Gap |
| 82 | Arno Wallenborn | Team Lotto Kern-Haus Outlet Montabaur | 2:56 | + 14s |
| 115 | Mil Morang | Team Lotto Kern-Haus Outlet Montabaur | 3:02 | + 20s |
Key Takeaways
- Arno Wallenborn: While a 14-second gap in a 2.1 km sprint sounds significant, the times were incredibly tight. Wallenborn remains within striking distance for the hilly stages where he typically excels, especially given his strong 2025 season where he finished 16th overall at the Tour de Luxembourg.
- Team Performance: Both Luxembourgish riders are competing for the German Continental team Lotto Kern-Haus Outlet Montabaur. The team has a strong history at this race, often targeting the youth classifications.
- Course Context: The prologue was a pure power event. With a length of only 2.1 km, specialized sprinters and track-biased riders had a slight edge over the pure climbers or general classification specialists from Luxembourg.
Results powered by FirstCycling.com
Results powered by FirstCycling.com
Results powered by FirstCycling.com
Results powered by FirstCycling.com
The Tour of Rhodes has a stop-and-start history that mirrors the changing landscape of Greek professional cycling. It has evolved from a local regional event into a respected “season-opener” for the European Continental circuit.
The Early Years (1987 – 2003)
The race first appeared on the calendar in 1987, won by the legendary Greek cyclist Kanellos Kanellopoulos. However, the event struggled with consistency:
- The First Hiatus: After 1987, the race disappeared for nearly a decade, returning in 1995.
- The “Cancellara” Era: The early 2000s were the race’s first “golden age.” It became a professional UCI event in 2001 and famously served as a launchpad for future superstar Fabian Cancellara, who won back-to-back editions in 2001 and 2002.
- The Second Hiatus: Following the 2003 edition, the race went dormant for 14 years, largely due to financial challenges and a shifting focus within Greek sports infrastructure.
The Modern Revival (2017 – Present)
The race was officially revived in 2017 through the efforts of the “Rodilios” Cycling Club and Sports Tours Hellas. It returned as a UCI 2.2 stage race, which it remains today.
- The “Powered by Rodos Palace” Era: In recent years, the luxury resort Rodos Palace became the title sponsor, providing a permanent hub for the teams and helping stabilize the race’s finances.
- Development Powerhouse: The race is now famous for being the first real test of the year for top-tier Under-23 development teams (like those of INEOS, Astana, and Hagens Berman Jayco).
Historical Winners & Legends
The Tour of Rhodes is one of the few races where you can see future Tour de France legends on the podium before they are famous.
| Year | Winner | Notable Fact |
| 1987 | Kanellos Kanellopoulos (GRE) | The inaugural winner and a Greek cycling icon. |
| 2001 | Fabian Cancellara (SUI) | His first professional victory as a 20-year-old. |
| 2002 | Fabian Cancellara (SUI) | The only rider to win the tour twice. |
| 2023 | António Morgado (POR) | Now a rising star for UAE Team Emirates. |
| 2024 | André Drege (NOR) | A dominant performance by the late Norwegian talent. |
| 2025 | Pierre-Henry Basset (FRA) | Won the “Queen Stage” to take the overall title. |
The Course Philosophy
Historically, the race has always been designed to showcase the entire island. It typically follows a set pattern:
- Prologue: A fast Individual Time Trial (ITT) along the coast or through the medieval city.
- Coastal Stages: Windy, flat-to-rolling roads that favor sprinters but often see “echelons” break the peloton.
- The Mountains: The interior of Rhodes is surprisingly rugged, with climbs like Profitis Ilias frequently deciding the final General Classification (GC).
