Having undergone significant change this year, the road racing season is set to be tweaked some more in 2026, with riders moving up categories earlier in the season. This will happen because the points required for an upgrade are being reduced.
The allocation of junior riders across the categories - C1, C2 and C3 - is also set to change, perhaps in response to some very strong first-year juniors taking multiple wins, often solo by big margins, in the early months of the 2025 campaign.
However, while dispersing those juniors across the different categories will change, those moves will be underpinned by the need to carefully manage juniors. That will hopefully ensure they are not overloaded too early and will stay in the sport through their junior years and beyond.
A task force is also being set up "to tackle some of the issues in attracting new and retaining established riders in the sport". Cycling Ireland added the findings of a review into women’s racing, and the actions for 2026, will be "published in due course".
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Two of the main changes for road racing are:
- C3 to C2 upgrades: Points will be reviewed at midpoint of 2026 season and those with over 45 points will be given an upgrade to C2.
- C2 to C1 upgrades: Points will be reviewed at midpoint of the season and those riders with over 45 points will be given the option of immediate upgrade to C1 or completing the season as C2 and moving to C1 for the following year.
Those changes will effectively move riders up through the categories more quickly because 60 points were required this year for an upgrade.
Furthermore, the upgrades secured this year did not happened mid-season. Instead, the upgrade was secured this season for the start of next year.
As a result, the changes mean successful riders - especially early in the season - in the C2 category will progress to C3 much faster. And those in the C2 category will meet the upgrade threshold more quickly, and will have the option to move up immediately.
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The changes are part of a range of measures being announced by Cycling Ireland arising from the work of the Road Working Group. It carried out research into road racing and, based on its findings, the changes for the 2025 season were introduced.
Those changes included the scrapping of the old categories - A1, A2, A3 and A4 - and replacing them with three categories; C1, C2 and C3.
Following the end of the 2025 domestic road season, members of the group met with Cycling Ireland staff and provincial representatives and now some further tweaks are being made.
Cycling Ireland said of the changes for junior riders: "In consultation Junior coaches, high performance staff and stakeholders, the allocation of junior riders to higher categories can be more progressive for 2026, but with a flexible and careful approach designed to focus on the development and protection of these young riders."
There will also be changes made to the calendar to avoid clashes.
"The aim will be for one National Grade event per weekend, with a maximum of three races per weekend, and only one per province," Cycling Ireland said in a statement on Monday.
"There will also be an added focus on not allowing National Grade races to clash with stage races or on the weekend directly before or after Rás Tailteann and Rás Mumhan.
"Cycling Ireland will also work with provinces and clubs to help them promote their events beforehand. This will primarily give promotors and organisers the tools to self-promote to a higher level, but with bolstered support from Cycling Ireland.
"Following the success of the Masters only events held in 2025, 2026 will see an expansion to six or eight races from the four in 2025."
