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Sunday, July 26, 2026

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The soul is healed by being with children. - Fyodor Dostoevsky

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Bill & Carol McGann’s book The Story of the 2023 Tour de France, 2023: The Viking Again Conquers the Tour 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
• July 26: Vuelta a Castilla y Leon

Upcoming racing:

• July 28 - 20: Tour de l'Ain

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

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Tour de France stage 21 route is changed

The Tour organization posted this:

As numerous wildfires are currently affecting France, particularly the Gironde region, emergency services are fully mobilized to combat the blazes, while internal security forces are working to secure the affected areas and protect the population. In light of this, the Ministry of Interior has decided to redeploy a portion of the internal security forces initially mobilized to ensure security for the final stage of the Tour de France, in order to reinforce the response efforts in the areas affected by the wildfires.

In the spirit of national solidarity with the affected regions and populations, it has been decided to adjust the route of the final stage between Thoiry and Paris on Sunday, July 26, 2026.

Consequently:

• The route for Stage 21 has been shortened to 89 km, down from the 133 km originally planned.
• The caravan is scheduled to depart from Thoiry at 1:20 p.m. – after the parade, it will leave Thoiry and head directly to the final circuit in Paris.
• The team presentation will take place at 3:40 p.m.—after the presentation, the riders will travel directly to the final circuit in Paris by bus.
• The official start will be given from the finish line at 5:50 p.m.—the riders will complete two additional laps of the Champs-Élysées before heading to the Montmartre circuit for a scheduled finish at 7:45 p.m.
• The Prefect of Police and the Director of the Tour de France commend the dedication of all those involved in fighting the wildfires and express their full solidarity with the affected communities. They thank the riders, the teams, the local authorities, the partners and the public for their understanding regarding these exceptional measures made necessary by the situation.

Tour de France stage 20 reports

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

Here's the report from stage winner Richard Carapaz's Team EF Education-EasyPost:

Richard Carapaz never stopped believing.

Our Ecuadorian condor took flight from the opening kilometers and fought with everything he had, securing a legendary victory on the queen stage of the 2026 Tour de France and sealing the King of the Mountains jersey.

Richard Carapaz alone and off the front on the Col de Sarenne, the day's final climb. Sirotti photo

Richie knew the polka dots were within reach. Winning the stage would be a bonus.

From the start, the entire team went on the attack and committed fully to the fight for mountain points. Richie began Saturday’s final mountain stage with a slender one-point lead in the classification, but our Stage 18 winner immediately went on the offensive for a third consecutive day alongside teammate Ben Healy.

The pair helped drive the early breakaway, with Richie collecting maximum points on the Col de la Croix-de-Fer, at Saint-Julien-Mont-Denis, on the Col du Télégraphe, and atop the Col du Galibier–Souvenir Henri Desgrange, the highest point of this year’s Tour.

Those points made Richie’s lead insurmountable before the race had even reached the final climb to Alpe d’Huez.

But the job was not finished.

Richie continued to work with a small group of breakaway companions. Even when his advantage began to disappear and it looked as though the stage might be slipping away, he kept fighting. Nothing was going to stop him. He was on a mission.

"In the end, it was a brutal stage," Richie said. "I was always thinking about the KOM jersey. After we already confirmed it, everyone knew I had the jersey, and we all collaborated. Sepp Kuss was there, and Jay Hindley also collaborated to maintain the distance from the main group.

"When we entered almost the last climb, it was a bit of head-to-head. I knew they were great riders. The three of us there were all Grand Tour winners: Sepp with La Vuelta, Jay with the Giro, and I've also won the Giro, so it was hard to pull away.

"Rather than trying to fall into the trap of attacking, I knew it was a very, very long effort, and I tried to find my rhythm. I think that’s what helped me get there. Keeping my calm, making my effort, obviously all out, as it has to be.

"On the descent, I didn't know what had happened, and then suddenly I found Sepp. These last kilometers were agonizing. Mamma Mia, I think I suffered right until the very end."

Gritting his teeth, Richie began the final ascent to Alpe d’Huez with a 20-second advantage over his nearest challenger. He held on all the way to the summit to claim his second stage victory of this Tour, following his win at Orcières-Merlette earlier in the race.

"In my head, I was thinking, 'Come on, I have to do it, I have to do it, I have to do it,'" Richie said. "Today I had the inspiration that it was a very beautiful stage to raise my arms. Like they say in Italian, 'non mollare, non mollare' [don't give up, don't give up].

"Keeping calm, keeping a cool head. I knew these last four kilometers were going to make a huge difference. In the end, it was spectacular.

"Look... it hasn't just been about the legs. It's been about experience, knowing how to race, being smart and intelligent. It’s obviously one of the best stages I've won in my sports career."

Richie’s courage and climbing prowess have now earned him the second Tour de France King of the Mountains title of his career. It’s a story of never giving up, and a triumph created by the courage, sacrifice, and collective strength of an entire team.

Sports director Charly Wegelius explained what this victory and the overall Tour de France performance from the squad means to the entire EF Pro Cycling organization.

"It's everything," Charly said. "There's so much work that goes into every hour that the riders race, people who don't even come to the race working at home for a whole year. And when the group can do something like this, I think it's a brilliant gift for them.”

Charly recognized the incredible work put in by all of our riders today.

"Obviously Richie and the whole team spent an enormous amount of energy early in the stage to try and achieve that goal [of getting the jersey]. And then we had to reset and focus on the stage midstage. Once again, Ben did an amazing job, flipping the race on its head and making the gap reasonable, and you can see at the finish, we needed all the time we could get. It’s just great," Charly said.

“When you have a group of riders as strong as this, there's quite a bit going on, but it's fun, because you can really race, and they do all the hard work, but it's so much fun riding with a group like that, that you can really get busy with the race," Charly said.

Here's the report from GC leader Tadej Pogacar's UAE Team Emirates-XRG:

UAE Team Emirates-XRG stands on the brink of a fifth Tour de France title, with Pogačar at the top of the general classification after stage 20

In a remarkable show of teamwork and friendship, Tadej Pogačar and Isaac del Toro rode across the line together to finish stage 20 of the Tour de France. In doing so, the pair effectively sealed first and third place overall, provided they finish the 88km stage in Paris on Sunday afternoon.

 

Tadej Pogacar & Isaac del Toro finish stage 20 together. Sirotti photo

Looking resplendent in the Yellow Jersey, Pogačar stands on the brink of his fifth Tour de France title, whilst his young UAE Team Emirates-XRG teammate proudly sports the White Jersey as the best young rider in the race. The Mexican is set to become the first rider from his country to finish on the podium of the Tour de France.

Stage 20 was the Queen stage of this year’s race, and was won by Richard Carapaz (EF Education-EasyPost) from the breakaway. Pogačar and Del Toro, meanwhile, crossed the line in fourth and fifth respectively, having seen off attacks on Del Toro’s third-place position. With over 5,000m of elevation gain, Saturday’s stage was a behemoth with all the potential for an upset.

Pogačar had gone into the day with a commanding lead in the Yellow Jersey, but for Del Toro, his advantage over his young rival Paul Seixas (Decathlon CMA CGM) had been a slender one.

From Le Bourg d’Oisans to the top of Alpe d’Huez, the Col de la Croix de Fer (24.1km at 5.2%), the Col du Télégraphe (12km at 7.1%), the Col du Galibier (17.7km at 6.9%), and the Col de Sarenne (13km at 7.2%) stood ready to leave their mark on the Tour. It was to be the toughest stage of this year’s race.

Early in stage 20, a large breakaway went up the road, and as with stage 19, the break contained a handful of incredibly strong climbers. As the afternoon rumbled on, it became evident that the race would play out in two halves: the breakaway would likely contest the stage honours, with the peloton behind battling over the general classification places.

As such, Pogačar and Del Toro relied on the help of their teammates to set a good tempo at the front of the bunch. The notable pulls on the Col du Galibier came from Adam Yates and Felix Grossschartner, reducing the size of the Yellow Jersey group to under 10 riders as the final few kilometres of the climb approached.

Towards the top of the Galibier, it was Pogačar himself who rode his way to the front of the group and began to drive the pace. This was a signal that the Yellow Jersey was keen to ride in support of Del Toro’s bid to claim a spot on the final podium in Paris.

With Seixas nipping at his heels in the general classification, Del Toro knew that it would require a big performance on the final mountain stage to secure his hold on third position.

Onto the Col de Sarenne, the last major mountain of the day, the Mexican duly delivered, as Decathlon CMA CGM went on the attack. Set up by his teammates, Seixas made a bid to get up the road and mount an attack on Del Toro, but to no avail. The rider from UAE Team Emirates-XRG appeared comfortable in the 19-year-old’s wheel, and sensing weakness, made his own burst of acceleration.

Soon enough, the Yellow Jersey group was down to only Pogačar, Del Toro, and second-placed overall, Remco Evenepoel (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe). Seixas’ hopes of overhauling Del Toro into third place had been dashed, and Del Toro and Pogačar took turns in taking the wind to drive the trio up the mountain.

As the stage victory was duelled between Sepp Kuss (Visma-Lease a Bike) and Carapaz up the road, Evenepoel, Pogačar and Del Toro crested the Col de Sarenne and advanced onto the upper slopes of Alpe d’Huez, with the stage finish rearing into view.

Through the final few kilometres, Evenepoel clipped up the road, and Pogačar remained with his young teammate to ensure that the pair crossed the line together. Their opponents had been seen off in the mountains, and both the Yellow Jersey and White Jersey had been defended on behalf of UAE Team Emirates-XRG.

Just one stage remains of the Tour de France, an 88km circuit race in Paris on Sunday afternoon. Pogačar and Del Toro will have to finish safely, but will perhaps have their eye on animating proceedings once again. The Montmarte climb and the Champs-Élysées will pull the curtain down on this year’s race.

Pogačar: “First of all, Isaac helped me to arrive in the Yellow, and the team even more. Nils, Florian, on the flat always, Tim, everywhere he is the road captain with Felix always taking decisions, Adam sacrificing himself always, Brandon also from the beginning we cannot forget. Today it was an honour to ride for Isaac for the last hour and a half of the race. I did it with pleasure and I realise how hard it is to work for somebody else. To come together to the line is quite a memorable achievement.

“I did a really good Tour, the whole team did super good. It is the Tour, we made it through with the team and now we have the last 88km in Paris. It will be one last job. Let’s see how we feel tomorrow, and we will take no risks.”

Second-place Lenny Martinez's Team Bahrain Victorious posted this report:

Lenny Martinez produced another outstanding performance in the high mountains to finish second on Stage 19 of the Tour de France atop the legendary Alpe d’Huez, moving up two places in the general classification to fifth overall.

The Frenchman joined the day’s early breakaway, which formed as the battle for both the Maillot Vert and the King of the Mountains classification unfolded. Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek) accelerated to collect maximum points at the intermediate sprint, while current polka dot jersey wearer Valentin Paret-Peintre (Soudal Quick-Step) and Richard Carapaz (EF Education-EasyPost) fought for valuable mountain points before the break established a significant advantage.

Lenny Martinez finishing stage 19. Sirotti photo

Bahrain Victorious placed two riders in the move, with Martinez joined by teammate Antonio Tiberi as the break built an advantage of around four minutes over the Yellow Jersey group. As the race reached the foot of Alpe d’Huez, the leaders still held an advantage of approximately 3:15.

As the climb unfolded, Martinez emerged as one of the strongest riders in the breakaway. Alongside Carapaz and Sepp Kuss (Visma | Lease a Bike), he proved to be one of the final survivors from the day’s escape, but behind them the Yellow Jersey group was rapidly closing the gap. Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates XRG) launched his acceleration from the lower slopes of Alpe d’Huez, bridging across to the leading trio and erasing the breakaway’s advantage.

Carapaz attempted to resist the race leader’s acceleration, while Martinez immediately latched onto Pogačar’s wheel and matched the initial surge. The Bahrain Victorious rider fought bravely alongside the Slovenian, but one final attack from Pogačar in the closing kilometres proved decisive as the Yellow Jersey rode clear to victory.

Martinez dug deep over the final ramps to outsprint Carapaz for second place on the stage, capping another exceptional climbing performance. His result saw him move up two places in the general classification to fifth overall, climbing above Mattias Skjelmose (Lidl-Trek) by just nine seconds heading into the final mountain stage.

Lenny Martinez:
“It wasn’t in the plan for me to go in the breakaway. I just saw a big group going clear and thought it was better to be at the front than back in the bunch.

"Then I started thinking about how Tadej beat me in Switzerland, and today I wanted to get my revenge. But I should have known how strong he was. We had a four-minute advantage at the bottom of the climb, which is a lot, and we were climbing really fast, but in the end he was simply too strong.

"It’s a bit disappointing to miss out on the stage win, but I’m sure my day will come.

"I was only thinking about the general classification, but then on the final climb more about the stage victory. Anyway, it was nice to have a gap. Despite the huge crowds, it actually felt safer than I expected. I had some friends on the climb. I didn’t manage to see them, but I’m sure they enjoyed seeing me at the front, so that makes me happy.

"Tomorrow is another climbing day to Alpe d’Huez. It was a hard stage today, but finishing second is still a good result for the team. Against Tadej, there wasn’t much more we could do.”

Sports Director Roman Kreuziger:
“I wasn’t surprised to see Lenny in the breakaway because it was one of the scenarios we discussed on the rest day. We knew there was a good chance the break would form around the intermediate sprint, with Mads fighting for the green jersey creating an opportunity. As we’ve seen throughout this final week, the racing has really exploded around those points. Richard Carapaz was also there with teammates fighting for the polka dot jersey, and the break quickly gained a significant advantage.

"What did surprise me was seeing other teams commit to chasing the break. They were quite a long way behind, but perhaps they were concerned about Carapaz moving up in the classifications. At this stage of the Tour, every jersey and every position matters, so everyone is playing their own game.

"I think Lenny is capable of climbing even faster on his own, but with the riders around you have to be tactical. In the end, to be beaten only by Tadej Pogačar is nothing to be disappointed about. You’re not the first rider to lose to him, you’ve beaten everyone else.

"If someone had told us a week ago that Lenny would be sitting fifth overall heading into the final mountain stage, we would happy. It’s not a comfortable position because there are still riders close to us, but we have every reason to be happy with where we are and confident going into the final stage.”

Here's the Tour stage 20 report from third-place Sepp Kuss' Team Visma | Lease a Bike:

Sepp Kuss finished third in the twentieth stage of the Tour de France. After outstanding teamwork from Team Visma | Lease a Bike, the American appeared to be on his way to a solo victory before crashing twice just a few kilometers from the finish, allowing Richard Carapaz to pass him.

One day before the finale in Paris, the riders faced a brutal stage in the French Alps. The queen stage of this year's Tour de France featured no fewer than 5,450 meters of climbing. Kuss, who had already impressed with fourth place yesterday, once again showed his class on terrain that suits him best. From the start in Le Bourg-d'Oisans, Team Visma | Lease a Bike did everything possible to ensure strong representation in the breakaway, and succeeded.

Alongside Kuss, Davide Piganzoli, Matteo Jorgenson, and Bruno Armirail all made it into the front group. With the peloton more than five minutes behind, Kuss was left in a select group of five riders after the Col du Télégraphe and Col du Galibier, thanks in part to the strong work of his teammates. On the day's final climb, the Col du Sarenne, the 31-year-old launched a solo attack in pursuit of the stage win. A few kilometers from the finish, however, disaster struck. Kuss crashed twice, saw Carapaz come alongside him, and eventually crossed the line in third place.

Sepp Kuss before he crashed, possibly on his way to winning the stage.

“Unfortunately, it just wasn't meant to be today”, Kuss says afterward. “We were racing right on the limit. First, I misjudged a corner a little in the tunnel, and then I tried to extend my lead again. It probably looked pretty scary on television, but that's racing, too. Things don't always go your way.”

Following Jonas Vingegaard's withdrawal from the Tour de France, Team Visma | Lease a Bike tackled the three-stage stretch in the French Alps in hopes of securing a stage victory. “The way we have fought throughout this final week makes me incredibly proud”, Kuss continues. “We have given everything every single day. Today, my teammates supported me from start to finish. It's a shame I couldn't repay them with the victory.”

Leading Race Coach Marc Reef echoes his rider's sentiments. “It's heartbreaking to lose the victory like this. We did everything right today by getting four riders into the breakaway. Matteo and Bruno did a great job early on, and Davide was key once again. Sepp showed he was the strongest rider in the breakaway, but in the end that doesn't count for much. We were in a winning position, so it's frustrating not to come away with the victory.”

“Sepp usually is a very good descender, and I had the feeling that the gap to Carapaz stayed around fifteen seconds. A stage win would have given us a huge boost and would have been the perfect way to end this final week. Of course, I'm also grateful there were safety nets in the corner where Sepp crashed. Otherwise, it could have ended much worse”, Reef concludes.

Here's the Tour de France report from Remco Evenepoel's Team Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe:

The queen stage of the Tour de France delivered exactly what it promised: 5,500 meters of climbing through the Alps, brutal ascents, and the certainty that this was the day the GC would be decided.

Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe left nothing to chance. With Jai Hindley in the early breakaway, the team’s planned two-pronged strategy worked to perfection: fight for the stage win while protecting Remco Evenepoel’s second place in the overall standings.

Kilometer after kilometer, the peloton splintered on the relentless climbs. By the summit of the Col du Galibier, the race had reached a turning point. Only four riders remained at the front, including Jai Hindley. Around five minutes behind, the favorites’ group had also been reduced to just the four strongest GC contenders.

Although several riders regrouped on the long descent, the race took its final shape on the Col de Sarenne. Hindley dropped back to support Evenepoel, sacrificing his own ambitions to guide his team leader through the decisive closing kilometers.

With just three kilometers remaining, the anticipated showdown unfolded: UAE Team Emirates versus Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe. Tadej Pogačar and Del Toro on one side, Hindley and Evenepoel on the other. Trailing the race leader by around one minute, Evenepoel raised the pace, dropped his rivals, and launched a solo pursuit.

Remco Evenepoel finishes second ahead of Sepp Kuss. Sirotti photo

The Belgian was rewarded with second place on the Tour’s toughest stage, emphatically consolidating his second position in the overall classification. With only the final stage to Paris remaining -featuring the iconic finish on the Champs-Élysées and the climb to Montmartre- Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe heads into the finale in a commanding position.

Here’s the Tour de France stage 20 report from Valentin Paret-Peintre’s Team Soudal Quick-Step:

Valentin Paret-Peintre kept believing in his chances of winning the polka dot classification, especially as the last mountain stage was rewarding in terms of points put in play. On what turned out to be one of the toughest days at the Tour de France in recent history - with Col de la Croix-De-Fer, Col du Télégraphe, Col du Galibier, Col de Sarenne and 5600 vertical meters - Valentin once again attacked and made it into the breakaway.

One of this edition’s most combative riders, the 25-year-old Frenchman fought until the last ounce of energy, but the effort he put in this race - and especially this week, when he was in three consecutive breakaway - began taking its toll on him on the day’s second ascent and he had to let go of the leading group.

Behind him, on the descent, Ilan Van Wilder was unfortunately forced to abandon the race, after crashing. The Belgian, who was sitting in 12th place overall after what had been a solid three weeks at the Tour, was taken to the hospital for further examination, and initial assessments indicated multiple abrasions, but thankfully no broken bones.

Valentin Paret-Peintre finishes stage eighteen. Sirotti photo

“I tried to do my best and give everything, but I was too tired and Richard Carapaz was just stronger on these long and hard ascents. I couldn’t get the climbers’ jersey this year, but I’m not disappointed knowing that I did everything I could. I will come back for it in the future and I hope to win it”, Valentin said at the finish.

From the top of the Alpe d’Huez, where this penultimate stage concluded, the riders are set to travel to Paris for the last day of the Tour de France, which will include again the famous Montmartre climb before the finish on the famous Champs-Élysées.