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Bicycle Racing News and Opinion,

Sunday, July 19, 2026

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The climate crisis is both the easiest and the hardest issue we have ever faced. The easiest because we know what we must do. We must stop the emissions of greenhouse gases. The hardest because our current economics are still totally dependent on burning fossil fuels, and thereby destroying ecosystems in order to create everlasting economic growth. - Greta Thunburg

LPlato's dialogue Apology is available in both 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

Upcoming racing:

• July 26: Vuelta a Castilla y Leon

Latest completed racing:

• July 8 - 12: Tour of Austria
• 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

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

Here's the Tour de France report from GC second-place Jonas Vingegaard's Team Visma | Lease a Bike:

Jonas Vingegaard fought his way to fourth place in the gruelling mountain stage through the Vosges. The Dane took the initiative on the final climb, but was ultimately unable to challenge for the stage victory. Tadej Pogacar proved to be the strongest on the Col du Haag.

Jonas Vingegaard finishes fourth in stage 14. Sirotti photo

Team Visma | Lease a Bike immediately showed itself at the front of the race in the battle for the early breakaway during the tough Vosges stage. Matteo Jorgenson, Bruno Armirail and Victor Campenaerts managed to join a breakaway of around thirty riders on the Grand Ballon. However, due to the control maintained by the peloton, the breakaway was not given much room to extend its advantage.

On the final climb of the day, the Col du Haag, the battle between the GC riders erupted. Sepp Kuss put in a strong effort, after which Vingegaard increased the pace. The Dane showed his strength, but ultimately had to acknowledge Pogacar’s strength, with the Slovenian riding solo to victory.

“I’m happy with my performance today,” Vingegaard reflected afterwards. “It was certainly not a bad day. I learned a lot about myself today. My legs are at the level I wanted them to be. I’m happy with how we rode as a team today. We did a good job.”

Team director Marc Reef was also pleased with his team’s performance. “Jonas rode a very strong climb. It was good to see that we had three riders in the breakaway and that Matteo, Victor and Bruno showed that they are getting back to their best. Sepp put in a very strong effort on the final climb, after which Jonas accelerated. When Pogacar went, it was every man for himself, and Jonas, just like in the previous mountain stages, fought for everything he was worth.”

Another tough stage through the Vosges awaits tomorrow, with the finish at the top of the Plateau de Solaison. Reef is looking forward to the challenge: “In the previous mountain stages, Jonas lost some time after the top of the final climb, but tomorrow we finish at the top of the final climb. We are really looking forward to seeing Jonas battle all the way to the top with the other GC riders.”I’m happy with how we rode as a team today. We did a good job.”

Here’s the Tour report from Valentin Paret-Peintre’s Team Soudal Quick-Step:

Valentin Paret-Peintre was a man on a mission Saturday afternoon, as the Tour de France continued its journey through the Vosges, the famous mountain range that debuted at the race 121 years ago. Victorious on the Mont Ventoux one year ago, Valentin knew that the penultimate stage before the second rest day was an important opportunity to get to get his bid for the mountains classification underway.

Fifth in the KOM standings at the start of the stage, the 25-year-old from Annemasse booked a place in the 37-man group that formed as soon as the road went up and quickly began amassing points. Grand Ballon - where he became the first Frenchman at the top in more than three decades to win this climb that connects Cernay with Le Markstein winter sports station - Col du Page and Ballon d’Alsace were all won by Paret-Peintre, who thanks to this impressive effort became a contender for the iconic polka dot jersey.

Riders on the final Le Markstein ascent.Sirotti photo

A total of 25 points elevated Valentin to second in the climbers ranking ahead of Sunday’s stage which contains four classified ascents and as many opportunities to add to his tally.

“It was a nice day at the front. I felt good the whole day and I’m glad with the effort I did and with being in contention for the polka dot jersey. The small breakaway group I was part of did a good job, but with the peloton being just three minutes behind, not much was possible in terms of fighting for the stage win. I did my best and can be happy with how things went”, said Valentin in Le Markstein.

Here's the Tour de France report from Egan Bernal's Team Netcompany INEOS:

Egan Bernal came home 14th as part of a chasing GC group on stage 14 of the Tour de France.

The lead group split on the day's final climb, the Col du Haag, with Bernal leading Netcompany INEOS home in the Vosges.

The GC leaders on the Le Markstein ascent. Sirotti photo

The result sees the Colombian jump up one place on the race's general classification to 11th overall, on a day which saw the team look to place men up the road.

Thymen Arensman was unlucky to puncture out of a promising position in the second group on the road on the Col du Page. Tobias Foss, Bernal and Kevin Vauquelin were also part of a large breakaway move, which at one point swelled to 38 riders.

Splits occurred across a big day of climbing, yet in the end there would be no denying the yellow jersey of Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates - XRG), who pushed on to win solo and extend his race lead.

Sunday is set to feature another big day in the mountains, with the Plateau de Solaison summit finish.