TNN return to one-day racing at Circuit Franco-Belge
08 June 2026
The world’s first all-diabetes professional cycling team are back in Belgium this week for the 85th edition of Circuit Franco-Belge, a UCI 1.Pro event running from Tournai to Mont-de-l’Enclus.
Team Novo Nordisk will line up at the sprinters’ semi-classic led by Italian rouleur Filippo Ridolfo, fresh from recent strong performances at the Tour of Estonia and supported by Aussie Declan Irvine, who returns to the road after impressing at Unbound Gravel in Kansas last week.
The Circuit Franco-Belge is a race steeped in history, first run in 1924 and now firmly established as a prestigious fixture on the UCI ProSeries calendar. The route through the rolling border country between France and Belgium traditionally favours the powerful classics-style sprinters, with enough punchy terrain to thin out the peloton before the finale.
“It’s not our first time racing at Circuit Franco-Belge,” began Ridolfo. “And we know it’s a race that favours the pure sprinters, but if we race together and stay organised going into the final, we can try to finish as high as possible.” The Italian arrives in Belgium in fine fettle after a productive spell on the road. “After the Tour of Estonia my form is good and I feel confident. I tried to attack a few times on the last stage at the weekend — to make the final difficult — but there wasn’t much collaboration and I finished 10th and 12th respectively. I was frustrated, but I know the legs are good and the goal is to carry that into Wednesday’s race.”
Local rider Quinten De Graeve lines up in support alongside Italians Antonio Polga and Umberto Poli, with the experienced Sam Brand and neo-pro Juan José López completing the team — a balanced and experienced line-up built around giving Ridolfo every opportunity to deliver in the finale.
Team Novo Nordisk at circuit Franco Belge, Wednesday 10th June:
Sam Brand (GBR, 35)
Quinten De Graeve (BEL, 25)
Declan Irvine (AUS, 27)
Juan Jose Lopez (ESP, 19)
Antonio Polga (IT, 27)
Umberto Poli (IT, 29)
Filippo Ridolfo (IT, 24)