Search our site:

Bicycle Racing News and Opinion,

Tuesday, July 28, 2026

Back to news and opinion index page for links to archived stories | Commentary | Our YouTube page

I think we consider too much the good luck of the early bird and not enough the bad luck of the early worm. - Franklin D. Roosevelt

Les Woodland's book Sticky Buns Across America: Back-roads biking from sea to shining sea is available in print, Kindle eBook & audiobook versions. To get your copy, just click on the Amazon link on the right.

Upcoming racing:

July 28 - 30: Tour de l'Ain
August 1: Clasica San Sebastian
August 2: Circuito de Getxo

Latest completed racing:

More Tour de France stage 21 reports

Yesterday we posted the final Tour de France reports from the race organizer, Team Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe, Decathlon CMA CGM, Ef Education-EasyPost & Lidl Trek.

Here's the report from 2026 Tour de France winner Tadej Pogacar's UAE Team Emirates-XRG:

Completing a thrilling final stage on Sunday evening, Tadej Pogačar crossed the finish line in Paris to win his fifth Tour de France with UAE Team Emirates-XRG.

In doing so, Pogačar equals the all-time record of Tour wins, joining an elite club that he now shares with Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault, and Miguel Indurain. Each of them a legend of the sport, Pogačar now sits at cycling’s highest table.

His latest Tour de France triumph came courtesy of a peerless performance across three weeks, from Barcelona to Paris. Along the way, the world champion picked up five stage victories and made the most of the incredible support of his UAE Team Emirates-XRG teammates.

To make the moment all the sweeter for the Emirati squad, Pogačar’s young teammate Isaac del Toro finished third overall in the final general classification. That result brings Del Toro victory in the young rider classification, and with it, the prestigious White Jersey.

As he took his place on the final podium, the 22-year-old became the first Mexican rider in history to do so, marking another milestone moment in the youngster’s career.

Between Pogačar and Del Toro, UAE Team Emirates-XRG claimed six stage wins in this year’s Tour de France, and placed two riders on the podium for the second time in three years. It has been an edition marked by outstanding performances from the whole team, with Pogačar establishing an unassailable lead over his Yellow Jersey rivals early on in the race.

Continuing to impress throughout, Pogačar took a famous victory on Alpe d’Huez on Friday afternoon, before helping his teammate Del Toro to defend his White Jersey on Saturday’s stage 20. With his characteristic panache, the now-five-time Tour de France champion even went on to illuminate the final stage on Sunday.

Pogačar, clad in his all-Yellow skinsuit and with a matching Colnago Y1Rs, used the Montmarte circuit in Paris to mount multiple audacious attacks in a bid to end the race in style. A sixth stage victory would not be forthcoming for the Slovenian, but end the race in style he certainly did.

Alongside Mathieu van der Poel of Alpecin-Premier Tech, the 27-year-old went clear of the peloton on the final ascent of the iconic city-centre climb. Just months on from the pair’s battles on the cobbles of Paris-Roubaix, the pair were determined to put on a show once again.

Tadej Pogacar and Mathieu van der Poel attempt a last-minute escape.

A world removed from cycling’s toughest Monument Classic, Pogačar and Van der Poel brought the curtain down on the biggest Grand Tour of the season with a plomb. Once over the crest of Montmartre, the two entertainers worked together in a bid to extend their advantage and deny the peloton a chance at a bunch sprint.

Through the final 9km of racing, the back-and-forth battle between the peloton and the leading duo was intense. The gap, hovering at around 10 seconds, never seemed to budge in either’s favour. That was until the last 2km, when every squad with a sprinter sent their forces to the front of the bunch, in a bid to deny Pogačar and Van der Poel.

Committed until the last, both riders drained their resources in a bid to pull off the most unlikely of victories. For Pogačar, the well was dry with around 500m to ride, at which point the Slovenian was forced to relent and watch Van der Poel make one final sprint towards the finish line.

With Pogačar swamped by the oncoming peloton, Van der Poel strained his every muscle towards the line. For the Dutchman, victory on stage 21 was a fitting prize for his ride on the streets of Paris.

As the Dutchman collapsed in exhaustion beyond the line, his breakaway partner Pogačar sat up and softly pedalled through the final few hundred metres on the Champs-Élysées. It was his moment to smile and take in the moment, as he became a Tour de France champion for the fifth time in seven years.

The UAE Team Emirates-XRG man raised his hand to the air, gesturing his five fingers to make note of the moment. It was a history-making evening for the Slovenian, who takes his third title on the bounce.

After crossing the line, Pogačar was soon joined by his teammates who had delivered time and time again on behalf of their friend and colleague throughout the race’s 21 stages.

Isaac del Toro, Felix Grossschartner, Brandon McNulty, Nils Politt, Florian Vermeersch, Tim Wellens, and Adam Yates – each of them had made their own significant contributions to this latest Pogačar triumph. Overcoming illness, extreme heat and, naturally, competition from the world’s best, UAE Team Emirates-XRG left its indelible mark on this year’s Tour de France.

At the end of the 113th edition, the Emirati squad could celebrate Pogačar in the Yellow Jersey as race winner, Del Toro in the White Jersey as the best young rider, and the six thrilling stage wins taken along the way.

It was a Tour de France to remember.

Pogačar: “It was an amazing day, and I am speechless. It was an incredible day, an incredible atmosphere. I am happy that it is over and that we won for the fifth time.

“Every victory is really special, and seven Tours already and seven times on the podium, with five wins, it is something that you wouldn’t even write in a storybook. It is just unbelievable also for me. The most important thing is that you enjoy what you are doing, and you have good people around you that you trust. They help youy, they are there foer you when you are on your lowest, then you can build yourself and chase your dreams. You have to set your goals always, and now I need to find a new goal after this.

“It is a magnificent podium. Incredible champions to fight against in this Tour. It was a shame that Jonas crashed out of this Tour, and many others, we wish them a quick recovery so that next year we can fight again.

“If you enter the Tour de France, you have to suffer; you have to go through a lot to be at the Tour. You meet the biggest rivals, everybody in great shape, and everybody here is giving their best – so you have to suffer as well. Now let us enjoy this moment.”

Content continues below the ads

Here's the final Tour de France report from Clément Russo's Team Groupama-FDJ United:

The 113th edition of the Tour de France came to an end on Sunday on the streets of Paris. After a breathtaking race on the Montmartre circuit, Mathieu van der Poel claimed the final stage victory, while Clément Russo once again showcased his outstanding form by finishing tenth on the Champs-Élysées. In an exceptionally competitive edition, where the sport’s biggest stars left little room for anyone else, Groupama-FDJ United Cycling Team heads home without the stage win it had hoped for, but with eight top-10 finishes and no regrets.

Just eighty-eight kilometres were left to cover for the peloton of the 2026 Tour de France on Sunday as riders rolled out for Stage 21. The final showdown was contested entirely on the Parisian circuit. Six laps of the Champs-Élysées served as an appetizer before three loops of the Montmartre’s circuit, featuring the now-iconic cobbled Rue Lepic. It was here, with around forty kilometres to go and after the general classification times had been neutralised, that the decisive battle was expected to begin. It certainly did.

The favourites immediately showed their intentions, with Clément Russo bridging across shortly after the descent, while nearly a third of the peloton was already dropped. One lap later, yellow jersey Tadej Pogačar, Mathieu van der Poel, Remco Evenepoel and Mads Pedersen broke clear, but a chasing group of around fifty riders managed to bring everything back together just before the start of the final lap. Clément Russo, Romain Grégoire, Clément Braz Afonso and Guillaume Martin-Guyonnet were all still in contention. The decisive move finally came with eleven kilometres remaining, when Pogačar and Van der Poel launched their attack on the final ascent of Rue Lepic.

Romain Gregoire at the start of stage eight. Sirotti photo

After a thrilling finale, the Dutchman narrowly secured victory ahead of a significantly reduced peloton, with Clément Russo sprinting to tenth place. “We witnessed a truly extraordinary sporting show, with an incredible battle between the world’s best sprinters and puncheurs,” said Yvon Caër. “It was an unbelievable hour of racing, and personally, I’ve rarely experienced anything quite so intense. Naturally, we got caught up in it as a team, and Clément once again showed some remarkable qualities. He was very strong on all three climbs of Montmartre and held his own alongside the best puncheurs in the world. He put himself in a position to deliver a result, with the best possible support from his teammates. Not only did he do what he does best, meaning making his way through the pack, but he also showed genuine physical strength.” “The three climbs of Montmartre really took their toll,” added the Lyon native. “I still had something left for the sprint, but unfortunately I wasn’t ideally positioned going into the finishing straight. Tenth place confirms my consistency throughout this Tour de France, although I was hoping for something slightly better.”

This top-10 finish was also Groupama-FDJ United’s eighth and final one of the 2026 Tour de France, with Clément Russo’s sixth place in Voiron remaining the team’s best result over the three weeks. “Overall, there aren’t many regrets,” continued Yvon. “Every day, when I parked the team car after the stage, I asked myself, ‘Do we have any regrets today?’ The answer was almost always no. Physically, we could probably have been stronger at times, but with the heat and accumulated fatigue, every rider went through more difficult moments. Those were offset by the commitment of their teammates. I saw a united and very offensive squad. We missed almost no breakaways, and that’s a real source of satisfaction. There was tremendous commitment and dedication throughout the race. In terms of results, we had hoped for more, but we also have to be realistic. In an exceptionally high-level Tour de France, we probably lacked the physical resources to achieve more.”

Content continues below the ads

Here's the final Tour report from Team Netcompany INEOS:

Netcompany INEOS completed a hard-fought Tour de France in Paris on Sunday.

The team battled hard across the race’s 21 stages, applying an attacking and front-foot mentality to target breakaways and look for stage win success at every opportunity.

All eight of the team’s riders were able to finish on the Champs-Elysees and each man was part of multiple attacks and breakaway attempts across one of the hardest Tours in recent memory.

The Tour kicked off on the streets of Barcelona, with Netcompany INEOS coming within touching distance of an early victory in the team time trial - in the end falling just eight seconds short.

Egan Bernal and Thymen Arensman finished 20th and 22nd respectively, backing up their Giro d’Italia top-10 finishes with strong legs in a different role in the French mountains.

22-year-old Josh Tarling grew into his first ever Tour de France, improving into the third week after rebounding well from an injury impacted start to the race.

Josh Tarling time-trialing in stage 16. Sirotti photo

Dorian Godon battled it out in bunch sprints, with fellow countryman Kevin Vauquelin providing another attacking presence in the peloton across the Tour.

Michal Kwiatkowski combined leadout and breakaway duties, while Filippo Ganna took a fifth-placed finish on stage nine, and was part of the final stage sprint on the Champs-Elysees. Tobias Foss showed strong legs, entering a number of breakaways, including on the final pair of mountain stages finishing atop Alpe d’Huez.

The final stage produced a thrilling finale, with Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-PremierTech) narrowly holding off the chasing pack after attacking over Montmartre alongside the yellow jersey of Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates). Pogacar crossed the line in the peloton to claim a fifth Tour title.

Content continues below the ads

Team Visma | Lease a Bike posted this final Tour report:

This year’s Tour de France has come to an end. In Paris, Team Visma | Lease a Bike concluded a challenging 113th edition. During the final week, the team was chasing for a second stage victory following its earlier triumph in the team time trial, but it didn’t materialize.

Due to the shortened stage, Sunday featured both the start and finish in the French capital. After several laps on the Champs-Élysées and the traditional photo opportunities, the race exploded shortly afterward on the slopes of Montmartre. Team Visma | Lease a Bike once again played an active role, with Per Strand Hagenes, Matteo Jorgenson, and Victor Campenaerts well represented at the front deep into the finale. However, an acceleration from Tadej Pogačar and Mathieu van der Poel proved too strong, with the latter holding on to take the final stage victory.

For the yellow and black team, the world’s biggest cycling race had started brilliantly three weeks earlier in Barcelona with victory in the team time trial. After team leader Jonas Vingegaard was forced to abandon the race following a crash in the fifteenth stage, the riders of Leading Race Coach Marc Reef opted for an attacking approach. With Bruno Armirail finishing eighth in the time trial, followed by podium finishes from Jorgenson and Kuss in the French Alps, Team Visma | Lease a Bike came very close to securing an individual stage victory.

Team Visma | Lease a Bike on its way to winning the first stage. ASO photo

“Unfortunately, we were missing a victory in the final week, but I look back on our opening in Barcelona with great satisfaction”, Jorgenson says in Paris. “As a team, we showed resilience and tried to get the absolute maximum out of the past few days. The Tour de France is always tough, but for me this was by far the hardest edition I have ever ridden. Completely different from previous years. Today was difficult again as well. I’m really proud of the team.”

And here's the final Tour report from Team Jayco-AlUla:

Team Jayco AlUla has plenty to celebrate as the 2026 Tour de France reached its traditional denouement in Paris, with a stage win, two runner-up finishes, and a plethora of top 10s.

With Mauro Schmid’s victory on stage 13, the Australian squad maintained its win streak at the Tour. Team Jayco AlUla has now taken a stage in each of the last three editions of the men’s race – with Ben O’Connor winning in 2025 and Dylan Groenewegen claiming victory in 2024 – while it has now won 12 Tour de France stages in its 15-year history.

An aggressive strategy
Team Jayco AlUla went into the three-week race with the ambition of targeting stage success and brought a stacked line-up that could tackle a variety of terrains. Amongst the eight-rider roster was Luke Durbridge, who has been on the team since its inception in 2012 and was lining up for his final Tour de France.

First on the stage hit list was the opening team time trial, with the riders pushing their limits in a brutally hot Barcelona. While it didn’t go as well as hoped, the team secured an early top-10 finish as Michael Matthews led the squad over the line.

It was an emotional moment for Matthews, who returned to the race for the first time since 2024 following two seasons plagued with injury. Last year he was forced to miss the race, while he only returned to racing shortly before this year’s edition after fracturing both his wrists in a horrible training accident in the spring.

Matthews has been a prominent proponent of the team’s aggressive racing strategy throughout the three weeks of racing, both working for his teammates and taking his own chances. He played an important role in Schmid’s victory in the second week and claimed two top-10 finishes of his own.

Mathew Hayman (Sport Director):
“We came in with an ambitious plan, but we were focused on how we raced as a team. We knew that to win at the Tour de France is always difficult, but with the pedigree of the riders that we had if we were able to commit daily to get our best riders to be able to be in the position to go for a win then we hoped that it would come off. I’m pretty proud of the way that the boys raced every day and then particularly it was highlighted on stage 13 when Mauro Schmid won that it required a whole team effort.”

Magic Mauro:
Following the opening team time trial, much of the first week of the Tour de France was dominated by the general classification fight. However, German champion Felix Engelhardt had a turn in the stage two breakaway, in his debut Tour, earning himself the prize for most aggressive rider and a trip to the podium.

Rounding out the first week on a positive note, Pascal Ackermann and Matthews notched up top-10 placings on stages eight and nine respectively. However, the biggest success was still to come.

Having been aggressive throughout the race, Schmid was one of the early riders to make it into a large breakaway on stage 13. Keen to help, Matthews, O’Connor, and Luke Plapp jumped the gap to the leaders after an epic chase on rolling terrain.

Mauro Schmid wins stage 13. Sirotti photo

What followed was a superb team effort with all four working together over the tough Ballon d’Alsace and then Plapp and Schmid playing the perfect pair in the finale. Schmid put to rest the memories of the close miss in Toulouse 12 months ago, taking a strong win and even doing an iconic wheelie over the line.

Mauro Schmid:
“It’s been an amazing Tour de France this year, and I’m super happy to come away with a stage victory after coming really close last year. It is a great team here and we had a really nice atmosphere the whole three weeks, and we raced really well.”

Never back down
Bolstered by the stage win, the team set about adding another one, putting riders into the breakaways as often as it could. It almost paid off again with Schmid scoring two second places on two very different terrains in the final week.

Following another chaotic breakaway stage that saw the complexion of the lead group constantly change, the Swiss Army knife found himself in a sprint battle with former green jersey winner Jasper Philipsen. He took a commendable second place to the Belgian with Matthews not far behind in ninth place.

Schmid was in the breakaway again the following day as the race took on the summit finish of Orcières-Merlette. Well set-up by Engelhardt in the run into the climb, Schmid put in another top performance on the tough ascent and could only be beaten by, former Giro d’Italia winner, Richard Carapaz.

Luke Durbridge:
“It was a great final Tour de France. It was super hard to win a stage here so to have Mauro win a stage was pretty special. The boys raced hard every single day, it was an amazing group to be with and an absolute pleasure to be a part of this team and this Tour de France. I couldn’t think of a better way to finish it off.”

2026 Tour de France
1st place, Mauro Schmid – Stage 13
2nd place, Mauro Schmid – Stage 17
2nd place, Mauro Schmid – Stage 18
7th place, Pascal Ackermann – Stage 8
7th place, Michael Matthews – Stage 9
10th place, Team Time Trial – Stage 1
10th place, Pascal Ackermann – Stage 11
10th place, Luke Plapp – Stage 13

Bicycle Racing News and Opinion,

Tuesday, July 28, 2026

Home

Racing Results & Archives

Bicycles & Cycling Lifestyle

Cycling History

Site Information