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Bicycle Racing News and Opinion,

Monday, September 14, 2026

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Politics: A strife of interests masquerading as a contest of principles. The conduct of public affairs for private advantage. - Ambrose Bierce

Bill & Carol McGann's book The Story of the Tour de France, 2020: The Tour During Covid-19, Better Late Than Never is available in both Kindle eBook and Audiobook versions. To get your copy, just click on the Amazon link on the right.

Upcoming racing:

• September 15 - 18: Giro d'Abruzzo

Latest completed racing:

• August 22 - Sept 13: Vuelta a España
• September 13: GP de Montréal
• September 13: GP de Fourmies
• September 13: Trofeo Matteotti
• September 12: Memorial Marco Pantani
• September 11: GP de Québec
• September 10: Coppa Sabatini
• September 9: Giro della Toscana
• September 2 - 6: Tour of Britain
• September 2 - 6: ZLM Tour
• September 6: GP Industria & Artigianato di Larciano
• August 30: Bretagne Classic Ouest-France
• August 25 - 28: Tour Poitou-Charentes en Nouvelle Aquitaine
• August 19 - 23: Renewi Tour
• August 18 - 21: Tour du Limousin-Périgord
• August 13 - 18: Arctic Race of Norway
• August 16: Cyclassics Hamburg
• August 16: La Polynormande
• August 3 - 9: Tour of Poland
• August 4 - 8: Vuelta a Burgos
• July 29 - August 2: Tour of Denmark
• August 2: Circuito de Getxo

We posted the race organizer's report with the results.

Here's the Vuelta report from GC third-place-place Felix Gall's Team Decathlon CMA CGM:

Felix Gall:
“The main goal for the year was to make it onto the podium at a Grand Tour. The Giro went very well, and I’d already managed to achieve that there. I was hoping to do the same at the Vuelta, and I was able to repeat that performance. I had a really strong team, and their dedication was incredible over those three weeks. When you’re fighting for a podium finish, everyone has to make sacrifices and give 100% toward that goal. That’s exactly what happened over the past three weeks, and I’m extremely grateful for it. I’ve been with the team for five years now, and I feel like I’m taking things to the next level every year—it’s truly rewarding. It’s also wonderful to be able to stand on the podium together as a team and share this moment with my teammates.”

Felix Gall finishes stage 20. Sirotti photo

Cyril Dessel:
“When we set out from Monaco, our top priority was to secure a spot on the podium. Tonight, Felix Gall finished 3rd in the overall standings: that’s a real source of satisfaction after three intense weeks. The overall level of competition was very high, with Enric Mas a strong winner and Primož Roglič particularly formidable. We have no major regrets. We raced smartly, even though the stage victory—our second goal—eluded us. It’s always challenging to pursue both objectives at the same time. The victory in the team classification underscores the team’s cohesion and remarkable level of performance, particularly in the mountains. Despite the withdrawals of Gregor, Jordan, and Matthew, our five re riders s still in the race—Callum, Felix, Léo, Sander, and Oscar, who is completing his first Grand Tour and will have the chance to stand on the podium—wrap up this Vuelta on a particularly positive note.”

The news: A collective success:
The team’s collective strength was on full display throughout these three weeks of racing. The “ riders ” stepped up alongside Felix, both in the mountains and on the flat. Their dedication paid off with a victory in the best team standings and a12th-place finish in the overall standings for Léo Bisiaux.

Key number - 2:
That’s the number of Grand Tour podiums Felix Gall earned in 2026. A historic achievement for Felix and the team: he is the first “ rider ” in the team’s history to have finished on two Grand Tour podiums in the same year.

Here's the Vuelta report from Wout van Aert's Team Visma | Lease a Bike:

Wout van Aert secured the overall victory in the points classification of the Vuelta a España. Matthew Brennan capped his impressive Vuelta with a fourth-place finish in Granada. Team Visma | Lease a Bike returns home with a historic seven stage victories and the green jersey. Sepp Kuss also finished fifth overall.

Wout van Aert after stage 19.. Sirotti photo

The final Vuelta stage started and finished in Granada. Before the start, Steven Kruijswijk’s was honored  with a guard of honor by his fellow riders. After seventeen seasons as a professional, Kruijswijk finished his final professional race today. Once the starting gun went off, there was still some time for the traditional festivities. 

The race came alive when the peloton reached the local circuits in Granada. With 25 kilometers to go, Brennan launched an attack. Shortly afterward, a group including Van Aert also bridged across to the front of the race. The succession of short, steep climbs made for a tough finale. Van Aert did not contest the stage victory, but teammate Brennan remained at the front. The 21-year-old Brit was a prominent presence in the finale and ultimately finished fourth. Tobias Johannessen took the stage victory. 

“It has been three fantastic weeks,” said Van Aert, who was also named the winner of the super-combativity award. “It means a lot to me to win the green jersey here. I also wore it in the Vuelta two years ago, but then that crash happened. To abandon that Vuelta was a huge disappointment. That’s why it means even more to be on the podium today. As a team, we can look back on a successful race. We came here for stage wins, and we certainly achieved that goal.” 

Brennan can also look back on a remarkable performance. On his Grand Tour debut, he immediately claimed five stage victories. “I’ll look back on this as a very special period,” said Brennan. “Today, Steven said goodbye to cycling. He has experienced a lot, but even he said how unique our performance in this race was. That means a lot to me. We won seven stages, five of them by me. That was more than I could ever have dreamed of. I enjoyed this experience right up to the final meter today.”

Here's the final Vuelta report from Best Young Rider Oscar Onley's Team Netcompany INEOS:

Oscar Onley clinched the white Best Young Rider’s jersey as the Vuelta Espana came to a close in Granada.

The 23-year old battled hard across the 21 stages to finish sixth overall, overcoming crashes and illness to put together a consistent performance in his first Grand Tour for Netcompany INEOS.

Sixth place marks a second top-10 finish in his first four career Grand Tours for Onley, who wore the white jersey continously after picking it up on the fourth stage.

Oscar Onley climbing in Vuelta stage 7. Sirotti photo

The Scot received committed support from his team-mates across the race, with Embret Svestad-Bardseng (20th overall) and Jack Haig (24th overall) providing strong riding in the mountains. Axel Laurance impressed with his climbing, while Lucas Hamilton and Carlos Rodriguez also worked tirelessly to help Onley. Josh Tarling finished a close third on an emotional opening time trial in Monaco before departing the race, while Ben Turner picked up a top-five finish on stage eight.

A demanding finishing circuit saw the race stretched on numerous occasions, with Laurance forcing his way into a front group of nine riders with three laps to go. Numerous attacks saw the Frenchman pushing all the way to the finish, scoring a hard-fought eventual eighth place.

Here's the Vuelta report from stage 21 second-place Alessandro Romele's Team XDS Astana:

XDS Astana Team finished the 2026 Vuelta a España with its head held high, putting in a strong performance throughout all three weeks and achieving a number of impressive results.

Two riders from the Kazakh team finished the Spanish Grand Tour in the Top 10 overall. Christián Rodríguez took ninth place, while Harold Tejada finished the race in tenth. It means the team has returned to the Top 10 of the overall classification of a Grand Tour for the first time since 2022.

Harol Tejada before the start of stage 16. Sirotti photo

Throughout the three-week race, the team regularly fought for high stage placings. Christián Rodríguez finished third on Stage 14, while Alessandro Romele took second the following day on Stage 15. Today, on the final stage in Granada, Romele once again made his mark – the XDS Astana Team rider was one of the most active riders in the race, fighting for victory all the way to the final meters and eventually finishing second, narrowly missing out on his first Grand Tour stage victory. Alessandro Romele, who finished third in the points classification, was one of the revelations of this Vuelta a España.

“Our goal today was to win, and that was exactly what we were focused on. The team believed in me, and I also knew that I was still in very good shape. So from the start we tried to race aggressively, and I managed to make it into the group that went clear on the second lap. Harold (Tejada) did an excellent job and helped me move to the front on the climb and take the position I needed. In the finale, I think I played my cards as well as possible and kept an eye on all the riders I needed to control. Of course, it would have been great to finish the Vuelta with a victory, but I am still very happy with how everything turned out. This was my first Grand Tour, and I am grateful to the whole team for their trust and support, and I am happy with my performance”, – said Alessandro Romele after the race.

“It was a hard-fought Vuelta, where the team was constantly fighting and trying to make the most of every opportunity. Two of our riders finished in the Top 10 overall, while Christián (Rodríguez) and Alessandro (Romele) secured stage podiums. I would especially like to highlight our young Alessandro Romele – this was his debut Vuelta, and finishing second in a sprint against Van Aert was a very strong result and an important step in his development. Today, on the final stage, he was second again – that is a very serious result. He lost by very little, but he gained invaluable experience, and the victories will come. Thank you to all the riders and staff for this race, as well as to our partners and sponsors, Samruk-Kazyna and SportQory, for their continued support”, – said Alexander Vinokurov, General Manager of XDS Astana Team.

And here's the final Vuelta report from King of the Mountains Santiago Buitrago's Team Bahrain Victorious:

Santiago Buitrago sealed the KOM jersey in Granada as Bahrain Victorious concluded a successful La Vuelta a España following three weeks of attacking racing from Monaco to Granada.

Buitrago fought for the mountains classification throughout the race while also finishing on the podium three times. The Colombian placed third on Stage 12 before taking second on Stages 14 and 19, ultimately carrying the KOM jersey to the finish.

Santiago Buitrago finishes Vuelta stage 12. Sirotti photo

The team’s Vuelta also included a breakthrough victory for Jakob Omrzel. Making his Grand Tour debut at just 20 years old, the Slovenian won Stage 12 at Calar Alto and completed the race seventh in the final general classification. Pau Miquel added another podium with second place on Stage 2.

All eight Bahrain Victorious riders reached Granada, having fought for results from the opening stage until the final day.

Buitrago said: “I’m incredibly happy to have reached Granada and proud of this team. We started with eight riders and finished with all eight, and that says a lot. We fought from the first stage until the last and achieved all our objectives, and even more.

"To have Jakob, at just 20 years old, finish inside the top ten is something special. It is not easy at all. Personally, winning the KOM jersey also fills me with pride. I fought hard for it throughout a very tough Vuelta.

"It was also special to share Pello’s final Vuelta. I have spent seven years alongside him and learned so much. More than a great rider, he is a great person. I leave with very good memories: a top ten finish, the KOM jersey and a team that was always looking to make the race. I’m extremely proud of what we achieved.”

The race also marked Pello Bilbao’s final appearance at La Vuelta ahead of his retirement at the end of the 2026 season. As the team’s road captain, Bilbao supported its younger riders and contributed to the team’s performances throughout the race.

Sports Director Franco Pellizotti praised the commitment shown by the riders and staff across the three weeks.

He said: “Now that La Vuelta is over, it is time to enjoy what we achieved. I’m extremely proud of this team and these riders. The results came from the commitment they showed every day.

“We started with eight riders and finished in Granada with all eight. That is also thanks to the entire staff. The heat made this a very difficult race, and everyone made an enormous effort to look after the riders and keep them cool before and during the stages.

“For 21 days, the riders fought like lions. They contested the sprints, joined the breakaways, fought for the KOM jersey and raced for the general classification. We finished with Jakob seventh overall in his first Grand Tour, his stage victory, the KOM jersey with Santi and several podium finishes.

"I also want to recognize the riders who did the less visible work: staying close to our GC riders, collecting bottles and closing gaps. This is how we want to race. Attacking and trying to achieve something every day. What we accomplished belongs to every rider and every member of staff.”