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Bicycle Racing News and Opinion,

Thursday, July 2, 2026

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

People who think they know everything are a great annoyance to those of us who do. - Isaac Asimov

Bill and Carol McGann's book The Story of the Giro d'Italia, A Year-by-Year History of the Tour of Italy, Vol 1: 1909 - 1970 is available in print, Kindle eBook & audiobook versions. To get your copy, just click on the Amazon link on the right.

Upcoming racing:

• July 4 - 26: Tour de France
• July 8 - 12: Tour of Austria
• July 26: Vuelta a Castilla y Leon

Latest completed racing:

• June 24 - 28: National Championshps
• June 17 - 21: Tour de Suisse
• June 17 - 21: Baloise Belgium Tour
• June 7 - 14: Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
• June 14: Copenhagen Sprint
• June 14: GP Gippingen/Canton Aargau
• June 10: Circuit Franco-Belge
• June 7: Brussels Cycling Classic
• June 1 - 5: Ethias-Tour de Wallone
• May 8 - 31: Giro d'Italia

The team sent me this:

Netcompany INEOS have named a powerful and highly experienced 8-rider team for the Tour de France which gets underway in Barcelona on Saturday. 

The 113th edition of the Grande Boucle promises to be one of the most exciting in the race’s history, one that will require a brave and attacking approach to be successful.

The squad pairs proven Grand Tour pedigree and talent with race-winning ability. From the opening stage Team Time Trial to the final week, the team will look to take on the race, seeking out every opportunity to win.

Geraint Thomas, Director of Racing, said: "This team has some great racers who people love to watch. They’ll have the freedom to go for it and race aggressively across the three weeks. Fortune favours the brave. We didn't come to this Tour to follow the race - we came to shape it.

“Barcelona’s team time trial presents a great opportunity to start strongly. This year we’ve performed well in this discipline so will give it everything we’ve got. From there, it’s going to be full-on and we’re ready to take on the challenge.

The Netcompany INEOS roster is:

Thymen Arensman, 26, Netherlands.  A talented climber with multiple Tour stage wins to his name, Thymen thrives when the road rises and gives the squad solid firepower in the mountains.

Thymen said: “I'm super happy and proud to get selected for the Tour this year. I think riding the Giro d’Italia is actually pretty good preparation and I’ve taken some time to recover and look after the body. I have some great memories from last year’s Tour and I’m motivated to be there again and see what we can deliver. We have a strong team and it’s a really good group dynamic which is always really important.”

Egan Bernal, 29, Colombia. Winner of the 2019 Tour de France and the 2021 Giro d'Italia, his Grand Tour winning experience combined with his professionalism and attitude, on and off the bike, makes him an integral part of the team.

Egan said: "The Tour de France is a special race for me and I am grateful and happy to be back racing at this level. I feel good, and I'm motivated and ready to go and give everything for this group of riders.”

Egan Bernal before the start of 2026 Giro d'Italia stage 13. Sirotti photo

Tobias Foss, 29, Norway. The former world time trial champion thrives against the clock, but his ability to also support in the mountains makes him a versatile all rounder that fits the parcours.

Tobias said: "I’m delighted to get selected for my second tour with Netcompany INEOS. We’re heading there with an amazing group so I’m looking forward to getting stuck into the racing with the boys and taking opportunities for the next three weeks."

Filippo Ganna, 29, Italy. A multiple world time trial champion and one of the most powerful engines in the sport, Ganna is also capable of making a break and supporting a move on the flatter days.

Ganna said: "It's a really strong group we're taking to the Tour and that's what excites me most. I'll do my job to give everything in the time trials and on the flat, keep the team in the right place, and we'll see what we can build over the three weeks together."

Dorian Godon, 30, France. The former French road race champion is known for his race-craft and versatility. A sharp finisher who thrives in hard, unpredictable racing, Dorian will provide added strength and depth to the squad.

Dorian said: "I'm very happy to say that the French moustache is coming to the Tour de France this summer! It's a big moment for me to ride my first Tour for Netcompany INEOS and I can't wait to race hard and get up the road when the chances come."

Michał Kwiatkowski, 36, Poland. A former world champion and one-day great with a glittering palmares, Kwiarto’s decade of racing and winning at the highest level will provide stability and leadership as the road captain. 

Kwiato said: "Racing the Tour de France was my motivation to come back from injury this year. At times it felt almost impossible, but I never stopped believing, and with great support from the team, I made it. I'm proud of what I've achieved in such a short time and am ready to get out there racing.”

Josh Tarling, 22, Wales. A time trial talent with European and national honours already to his name, the Tour de France debutant is one of the brightest young talents in the peloton and his power against the clock and ability on the flat make him an asset across the three weeks.

Josh said: "I’m just super happy and really looking forward to it. We’ve got a power team so I’m really excited with the team that we have for the TT and stages, so we’re going to have a good Tour together."

Kévin Vauquelin, 25, France. An aggressive and versatile all-rounder who finished seventh overall at last year's Tour, Kévin combines climbing ability with a fearless instinct for the attack.

Kévin said: “As a French rider, the Tour is always an incredible thing to be part of. And this is my first with Netcompany INEOS so it’s going to be even more special. This is a strong group and I am looking forward to racing aggressively, attacking and hunting for wins together.”

The team sent me this:

An upside-down number 13 defines 2026 Tour de France kit of Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe, turning one of cycling’s oldest lucky charms into the jersey’s boldest design feature for its 13th Tour.

This year marks Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe’s 13th participation in the Tour de France. Fittingly, the oversized, inverted number 13 runs across the entire jersey as its central graphic.

The design is embedded in a modern color gradient, flowing from white shoulders into a deep blue. Clean lines, transparent layers and bold color blocking give the kit a fresh, contemporary appearance. This visual language extends seamlessly from the team’s new bike design to the jersey itself.

Maxim Van Gils in the Tour de France kit. Photo: Maximilian Fries

13 – A number full of stories
The lucky number sits at the heart of the design. In cycling, the number 13 carries its own unique mythology: many riders flip race number 13 upside down to ward off bad luck. Because even in a sport where data drives every decision, there is still room for superstition.

The number 13 has been part of many memorable moments. Remco Evenepoel claimed his first professional victory wearing race number 13 – as did Florian Lipowitz.

The number has also brought Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe good fortune at the Tour de France. During the team’s Tour debut in 2014, it was Stage 13 that first put the German squad in the spotlight of the cycling world. In 2018, the team celebrated victory on Stage 13. One year later, the team’s upside-down race number 13 once again proved to be a lucky charm: Peter Sagan claimed his record-breaking Green Jersey while the team came closer than ever before to the overall podium in Paris.

For Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe, the number 13 connects the team’s beginnings with its present. It reflects the journey from a small wildcard team to a squad playing a major role in the battle for the general classification at the Tour de France. More than enough reason to put the number 13 center stage and celebrate it throughout the 2026 Tour de France.

Here’s the team’s announcement:

Ahead of the 2026 Tour de France, Team Visma | Lease a Bike looks back on one of the defining moments of the season: Jonas Vingegaard becoming only the eighth male rider in history to complete cycling's Grand Tour Trilogy. To mark this historic milestone, the team has created an exclusive commemorative pin that will be presented to every rider who has achieved the same feat.

There are only eight of them. Eight male riders who, in over a hundred years of professional cycling, managed to win all three Grand Tours: the Tour de France, the Giro d'Italia and the Vuelta a España. Team Visma | Lease a Bike wishes to honour this unique group with the exclusive pin, as a lasting tribute to one of the sport's most unique achievements.

Jonas Vingegaard with his 3-Tour pin.

The pin will be awarded to all eight riders who belong to this exceptional group, or to their relatives. Jacques Anquetil, Felice Gimondi, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault, Alberto Contador, Vincenzo Nibali, Chris Froome and Jonas Vingegaard. With Vingegaard’s victory in the 2026 Giro d'Italia, the Dane became the eighth rider in history to join this legendary company, completing a collection that includes his Tour de France titles (2022 and 2023) and his Vuelta a España victory (2025).

After the Giro d’Italia, CEO Richard Plugge presented the pin to Vingegaard with the words: "Jonas has won all three Grand Tours. Only seven other riders have ever achieved that. That shows just how difficult it is. Because there is no official badge of honor for this achievement, we wanted to create something special for Jonas: a pin. It also belongs to the other seven riders who have accomplished this, and to anyone who will ever achieve it in the future."

The pin symbolizes not one victory, but a career. Not one rider, but eight champions from different generations, united by the same extraordinary achievement. Team Visma | Lease a Bike is proud to initiate this tribute and hopes to give a lasting place to an achievement that has no equal in cycling.