The UCI have announced that the long-standing men’s under-23 road race series, the Nations’ Cup, will no longer take place after 2025, as a result of the changing face of under-23 development pathways.
The Under-23 Nations’ Cup was first organised in 2007, introduced by the UCI as a way to foster road talent in the under-23 categories before riders could turn professional.
In 2025, the series was formed of just three races, after several years of shrinking, with under-23 races such as Liège-Bastogne-Liège U23 switching to operate as U23 races on the Europe Tour rather than .Ncup classification. The key difference is that under-23 races are raced by trade teams, not national teams like the Nations’ Cup.
With this change, all men’s under-23 races – with the exception of the Tour de l’Avenir, and of course World, Continental and National Championships – will be raced by trade teams as the development pathways fully shift into their hands.
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