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Sunday, July 12, 2026

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The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched - they must be felt with the heart. - Helen Keller

Bill & Carol McGann's book The Story of the Tour de France, Vol 1: 1903 - 1975 is available in print, Kindle eBook & audiobook versions. To get your copy, just click on the Amazon link on the right.

Current racing:

July 4 - 26: Tour de France
July 8 - 12: Tour of Austria

Upcoming racing:

July 26: Vuelta a Castilla y Leon

Latest completed racing:

Tour de France stage eight reports

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

Here's the Tour de France stage eight report from stage winner Tim Merlier's Team Soudal Quick-Step:

Tim Merlier won again at the Tour de France, twenty-four hours after sprinting to his first success at this 113th edition, in Bordeaux. The Belgian produced one of the best sprints of his career, this time in Bergerac, which returned as a finish for the first time since 2017, when it witnessed another Wolfpack victory, back then brought by Marcel Kittel.

Merlier delivered a true masterclass in the hectic final 500 meters of stage eight. After the last survivor of the breakaway was caught ahead of the flamme rouge and Jasper Stuyven made sure of stretching out the peloton, Tim tried to be in the best position possible going into the last corner, but found himself boxed in as everybody was fighting to make it to the front.

Tim Merlier just after winning stage eight. Sirotti photo

The bunch soon split, leaving the Belgian in a confused chasing group that looked to be out of contention, but as New York Yankees legend Yogi Berra used to say, “It ain’t over till it’s over”, and Tim showed just that with an out-of-this-world comeback. That stunning acceleration that left everyone speechless - and saw Merlier hit a maximum speed of 72.2km/h - propelled him to his 50th victory in the Soudal Quick-Step jersey.

“I’m happy that I could win again after what was a hectic finale. I had to fight for position all the time and until the last meter of the stage. Just before the last corner I was a bit boxed in, and then they almost crashed. I thought it was over but I gave it a try to come back to the guys who did the lead-out and I managed to do that with a lot of speed, right up until the last 50 meters, where I felt my legs completely empty.”

“Most of the time, when you get a win, you also get a second one, and I’m delighted and proud I can count two victories after the first week of racing here”, said Tim, who joined Tom Boonen and Marcel Kittel as the only riders to have won back-to-back Tour de France stage for our team.

Here's the Tour report from stage eight second-place Biniam Girmay's NSN Cycling Team:

It was so close to being vintage Biniam Girmay in Bergerac, the world-famous wine town, on stage eight of the Tour de France.

Biniam produced his best sprint of the race so far to finish second behind Tim Merlier (SOQ) on Saturday afternoon, one day after finishing third in Bordeaux.

Tim Merlier beats Biniam Girmay for the stage win. Sirotti photo

He says: “I think today I need to be happy with my result. If you see Merlier and me, we came from far back. He was fast – I followed him, but I could not pass him.

“If you see the last two sprints we did, I’ve been getting closer. I’m proud to launch my sprint today – I just started from far behind, which cost me the opportunity to go for victory.

“What Merlier did was super strong, so congratulations to him, but my shape and speed are there. I’m happy with my form.”

However, there appeared to be a real possibility that the sprinters would be denied the opportunity to fight for the win, as breakaway rider Liam Slock (LOI) produced a huge ride having been part of the day’s original three-man escape group.

After George Bennett, Krists Neilands, Matîs Louvel, and Marco Frigo had helped keep the trio in check, our riders had to dig deep to ensure Slock’s bid for glory proved unsuccessful.

Second at the finish – which was worth 50 points – and eighth at the intermediate sprint saw Biniam close the gap to green jersey leader Mads Pedersen to just 25 points, down from 77 two stages ago.

The lone leader was caught with 1.7 kilometers remaining, and despite having ground to make up on the likes of Olav Kooij (DCT) and Jasper Philipsen (APT), Biniam showed his form with an eye-catching sprint.

“We were a bit annoyed about coming close yesterday, and we feel the same again today,” says Head DS Sam Bewley. “The guys were great and Bini showed again he’s capable of winning. Obviously, Merlier is fast, but the guys are really confident that we can pull it off.

“We’ve got a couple of opportunities next week, and we’re looking forward to those already.”

Dorian Godon's Team Netcompany INEOS posted this Tour report:

Dorian Godon sprinted to 14th place in Bergerac following another red-hot day of racing at the Tour de France.

As expected stage eight concluded in a bunch kick, but the sprint teams in the peloton faced a late scare as lone escapee Liam Slock (Lotto Intermarche) almost held on.

The Belgian was reeled in with 1.3 kilometres to go, and shortly after Michal Kwiatkowski arrived at the head of the race, helping drop Godon into the mix.

The Frenchman would lose ground heading into and through the final corner, with Tim Merlier (Soudal Quick-Step) coming from deep to win the sprint.

Attention now turns to Sunday's stage, and a chance for a breakaway with a day of climbing.

And here's the Tour report from GC second-place Jonas Vingegaard's Team Visma | Lease a Bike:

Following the bunch sprint in Bordeaux, another stage that was suited for the sprinters was on the programme today. The 180.4-kilometer stage from Périgueux to Bergerac featured a gently rolling route through the Dordogne. With only two fourth-category climbs, a bunch sprint was the expected outcome. Tim Merlier proved to be the fastest for the second day in a row.

As expected, the early breakaway formed shortly after the start. A group of three riders was given some freedom by the peloton, while the sprint teams kept the gap under control. For Team Visma | Lease a Bike, the stage was entirely focused on guiding GC rider Jonas Vingegaard and the rest of the team safely to the finish.

Jonas Vingegaard and Tadej Pogacar on the start line of stage eight. Sirotti photo

Sports director Marc Reef looks back on today's stage:
"The guys supported Jonas really well today. From the final climb onwards, we positioned ourselves a bit more towards the middle of the peloton. There was some movement there, but in the end everything stayed together. Heading into the finale, we moved a bit further back and everyone made it to the finish safely."

Tour of Austria stage four reports

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

Here's the report from stage winner Andrea Bagioli's Team Lidl-Trek:

Andrea Bagioli claimed victory on Stage 4 of the Lidl Tour of Austria in Steyr, putting the finishing touch on a perfectly executed team performance. Bauke Mollema also successfully defended his third place in the overall standings.
Lidl-Trek delivered a textbook finale in Steyr. After 170 kilometers of racing, three of the team’s riders were still among the eleven-man lead group heading into the final three kilometers.

They had just come back from behind to catch a group of five leaders, who had attacked on the Porscheberg with six kilometers to go. And immediately Héctor Álvarez took control at the front to set a relentless pace, with Bagioli glued to his wheel. The move shut down any further attacks and left the rest of the group with no chance to come around the Spanish-Italian duo.

Andrea Bagioli wins Tour of Austria stage four.

Inside the final kilometer, Mollema moved up in the eleven rider group to third position to keep Bagioli protected from behind. Entering the final corner, 350 meters from the line, the Dutchman forced the chasing riders onto the longer route, giving his teammate the perfect launchpad.

Álvarez then led the group through Steyr’s historic city gate and onto the cobbled finishing stretch, where Bagioli opened his sprint with a bit less than 300 meters to go. The Italian also benefited from the gap Mollema had created behind him, allowing him to power clear and take an emphatic victory by a bike length.

Mollema finished in sixth, Álvarez in ninth place.

The final stage on Sunday brings the peloton to Austria’s capital Vienna. There a sprint finish is expected and Lidl-Trek will try to win again and also secure Mollema’s podium.

In Bagioli’s words:
"It was pretty hard, also because of the heat, but today we really wanted to win. I was good already on the first stage and then second and third stage I took it easy to go all-in today. We worked super good as a team and I had a super lead-out from Hector and we also saved third place for Bauke in GC, so it was a really good day! I am already looking forward to tomorrow, everyone says it is easy, but it is only 100 kilometers so I think, for sure, some teams will try and do a hard race but we are ready and fight to win."

And here's the Tour of Austria stage four report from second-place Kevin Vermaerke's UAE Team Emirates-XRG:

On stage 4 of the Tour of Austria, Kevin Vermaerke picked up his third podium spot of the week for UAE Team Emirates-XRG. With second place this time out, the American retains his place in second overall ahead of the fifth and final stage.

Stage 4 was another lumpy parcours in Austria, offering an opportunity for the strongest riders to thin out the peloton. So it proved on Saturday afternoon, with an 11-man group coming to the finish in Steyr and sprinting it out for the win.

Vermaerke took the initiative in the sprint but was ultimately pipped at the line by stage winner Andrea Bagioli (Lidl-Trek). Second place would have to do once more for the American, who can take solace from another impressive outing and his second position in the general classification.

Kevin Vermaerke finishing fourth in the 2024 San Sebastian Classic. Sirotti photo

The 2026 Tour of Austria will draw to a close on Sunday with stage 5, where a sprint finish might be on the cards in Wien.

Vermaerke: “I was really targeting this stage as a place to try and get my first professional win. The team really rallied roaund me and committed aall day with Matteo and Vegard to keep the break in check and bring it back towards the final 40km. Then António, Jan and Igor really sat around me and protected me on the first two climbs.

“We were represented in a little move that went with around 20kmn to go, so I could sit in the wheels and save for the last climb, where I felt good. I was able to follow Paul Double at a super hard pace, and I think at the top it was only me, him and Mühlberger. I wanted to try and save some matches for the sprint.

“In the end, a big group came back together, so I chose to fight for a good wheel behind Trek and they had three guys there. They really nailed the lead-out, chapeau to them, and I couldn’t quite get around Bagioli. I could see the win right there in front of me, so I was frustrated and disappointed. But I feel super strong and the team is really motivated, so tomorrow is another day and we go full gas.”

Bicycle Racing News and Opinion,

Sunday, July 12, 2026

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