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Sunday, June 14, 2026
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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.
Current racing:
- June 7 - 14: Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
- June 14: Copenhagen Sprint
- June 14: GP Gippingen/Canton Aargau
Upcoming racing:
- June 17 - 21: Tour de Suisse
- June 17 - 21: Baloise Belgium Tour
Latest completed racing:
- June 10: Circuit Franco-Belge
- June 7: Brussels Cycling Classic
- June 1 - 5: Ethias-Tour de Wallone
- May 8 - 31: Giro d'Italia
- May 28 - 31:
Tour of Norway - May 20 - 24: 4 Jours de Dunkerque
- May 23: Veenendaal - Veenendaal
- May 19: Classique Dunkerque
- May 17: Rund um Köln
- May 16: Tour du Finistère
- May 10: Tro-Bro Léon
- April 26 - May 3: Tour of Turkey
- April 28 - May 3: Tour de Romandie
- May 1: Eschborn-Frankfurt
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We posted the race organizer's report with the results.
Here's the report from stage winner Isaac Del Toro's UAE Team Emirates-XRG:
Isaac Del Toro delivered another outstanding climbing performance today to take victory atop the iconic Grand Colombier on Stage 7 of the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, taking his first pro win on French soil.
The penultimate stage featured one of the most demanding finales of the race, culminating with the legendary ascent of the Grand Colombier. The day was animated by an early breakaway which included several strong riders, but the battle for the stage victory ultimately came down to the favourites on the final climb.
A key moment came when Juan Ayuso (Lidl-Trek) launched a long-range attack on the lower slopes of the Grand Colombier. The Spaniard built a significant advantage, but Del Toro paced his effort expertly behind. With the support of his UAE Team Emirates-XRG teammates, the Mexican gradually reeled in his rival before making the decisive move inside the final two kilometres. Del Toro caught and passed Ayuso with approximately 1.7km remaining before powering clear to the summit for an impressive solo win.
Isaac Del Toros wins stage seven. Sirotti photo
The stage was also marked by misfortune for one of the race’s other leading contenders, Paul Seixas, who suffered a heavy crash with around 93km remaining. Although the Frenchman courageously fought back into the race, the incident impacted his overall ambitions.
For Del Toro, the victory continues a remarkable season which has already included overall wins at the UAE Tour and Tirreno-Adriatico. The Mexican once again demonstrated his climbing prowess on one of French cycling’s most famous ascents and now heads into the final stage with a strong opportunity to further improve his overall standing.
Isaac Del Toro:
“It was a very hard day and a very hard climb. It’s hard for me to manage these long climbs but I’m adapting and feeling better and better in every race. I really wanted to try and take the win today. The team did an incredible job all stage to keep me in position and control the race. I’m really hungry for the racing and I’m very motivated for everything still to come this season. To win on a climb like the Grand Colombier is something really special.”
Here's the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes stage seven report from second-place Juan Ayuso's Team Lidl-Trek:
Juan Ayuso delivered another strong performance for on Stage 7 of the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, finishing second on the demanding mountain stage while jumping up in the general classification heading into the race’s decisive final day.
After a hard-fought day in the mountains, Ayuso and Skjelmose were among the select group of overall contenders still in contention for the stage victory on the slopes of the Grand Colombier. With the help of Mattias, The Spaniard responded to the key moves on the final climb and attacking away solo with 5km to go, only to be caught by Del Toro of UAE XRG with a little over 1km remaining. Juan held on for a very strong second place.
Juan Ayuso finishes second in stage seven. Sirotti photo
Alongside Ayuso’s podium finish, Lidl-Trek moved into first place in the team classification, reflecting the consistency and depth the squad has shown throughout the week. From Quinn Simmons’ breakaway victory on Stage 4 to the team’s strong showing in the team time trial and continued presence at the front of the race, every rider has played a role in putting the Team at the top of the standings
Both Juan and Mattias remain firmly in contention in the general classification, giving the team plenty to race for as the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes reaches its conclusion.
From Juan:
"It was just full-on racing today. Team UAE and us controlled, because we didn't want the break to get some time. I'm just a little disappointed because I think I threw away the win, and my teammates deserved it today, so, yeah, I'm just disappointed.
"When I attacked the pace was not super hard and that's why, that's why it's a bit hard because I did have the legs today and my team were amazing. They put me where I had to be and controlled all the day."
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Here's the report from stage seven fourth-place Matteo Jorgenson's Team Visma | Lease a Bike:
Matteo Jorgenson finished fourth in the seventh stage of the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes. The American rewarded the hard work of teammate Ben Tulett by staying with the best climbers for a long time, moving up to second place in the general classification.
Matteo Jorgenson finishes stage seven. Sirotti photo
Without Per Strand Hagenes and Jørgen Nordhagen, who were unable to start due to illness, Team Visma | Lease a Bike remained attentive in support of team leader Jorgenson. While several riders, including Paul Seixas, crashed during the nervous opening phase of the stage, the Dutch team managed to avoid any setbacks.
On the day’s decisive climb, the Grand Colombier, Jorgenson once again demonstrated his strong form. After an impressive pull from Tulett, the American managed to stay with the leading group for a long time on the demanding final ascent. He fought all the way to the finish and eventually crossed the line in fourth place, behind stage winner Isaac del Toro.
“I’m happy with my performance today,” Jorgenson reflected afterwards. “It was a stage that became very difficult to control early on. With Jørgen and Per out, we started with a small team, but I received strong support throughout the stage. On the final climb, I rode at my own pace and tried to get to the top as quickly as possible. I’m pleased to be second in the general classification now, and I’m looking forward to tomorrow. It’s a stage that should suit me well.”
Team Netcompany INEOS posted this report:
Netcompany INEOS duo Carlos Rodríguez and Laurens De Plus animated the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes' queen stage on an aggressive day of racing on the iconic Grand Colombier that delivered a major shake-up in the race overall.
The pair formed part of a dangerous 10-rider move that escaped with 61km remaining, forcing the race into action long before the finale. Unfortunately the pair were never given more than a minute lead by the peloton driven by the GC contenders, as Rodríguez remained at the front until 23km to go, while De Plus was among the final escapees to be caught with 11km remaining.
The peloton early in stage seven. Photo: ASO/Gaetan Flamme
Kevin Vauquelin fought his way back into contention after being distanced earlier in the stage, rejoining the favourites' group before the foot of the final climb. However, the accumulated efforts took their toll as the race exploded among the GC contenders and he finished 18th on the day.
Isaac Del Toro (UAE-XRG) proved the strongest rider on the day, catching and dropping Juan Ayuso (Lidl-Trek) inside the final two kilometres before soloing to victory.
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Here's the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes report from Team Soudal Quick-Step:
A beast of a climb awaited the riders at the end of the penultimate stage, Le Grand Colombier - an ascent lying in the Jura mountains and the culmination of a day with six classified climbs and 3700 vertical meters.
Given that four of the five road stages so far belonged to the breakaway, dozens of riders were keen to make it into the front group, and this - together with a crash that involved some of the GC men - made for another fast and hectic start. It was only halfway through the stage that five riders finally managed to snap the elastic, and when this happened, Valentin Paret-Peintre was there for Soudal Quick-Step.
Riders on the Lacets de Grand Colombier climb. Photo: ASO/Gaetan Flamme
The Frenchman - who had attacked also in the beginning - was one of the most active members of that leading group, spending some long stints at the front pulling and attacking again towards the end of the penultimate ascent to force a selection. By that point, the peloton managed to claw back time, and despite the escapees not surrendering, they were overhauled with eight kilometers to go, just as the last ascent was starting. The pace there and the heat made for some significant changes in the general classification, but nothing is yet clear ahead of the grueling last stage to Plateau de Solaison.
Carapaz's Team EF Education-EasyPost posted this update:
On Sunday, Richard Carapaz will make his return to the peloton at the GP Gippingen.
The Tour de France stage winner, yellow jersey wearer, and 2024 King of the Mountains is fully recovered from surgery to remove a perineal cyst that he underwent in April and has been training well to get ready for an exciting summer of racing. Richie will compete at the GP Gippingen and then the Tour de Suisse to build his form.
“Right now, I feel good on the bike,” Richie said. “I’ve been able to spend a good time at home, recover in the best possible way, train well, and above all, I’ve been in one place the whole time. That has been very good for me to be able to put together a new training block. I’ve found a stable rhythm again. Now, the GP Gippingen is coming up, a circuit I’ve done before. I’ve been here in Europe for 10 days now, where I've been able to train at sea level and test the new sensations, and honestly, they have been very, very good. I hope everything goes well.”
Richard Carapaz winning 2025 Giro d'Italia stage 11. Sirotti photo
Last year, Neilson Powless blitzed to victory at the GP Gippingen. Markel Beloki, Luke Lamperti, Lukas Nerurkar, Darren Rafferty, and Richie will try to repeat his win on the rolling circuit around Leuggern. Richie will then focus on the Tour de Suisse to test his shape before July.
“The Tour de Suisse is a race that I’m always quite fond of,” Richie said. “I’ve prepared for it in the best possible way, and also with an eye on the Tour. It is going to be a trial by fire. We are facing it with a lot of determination, especially since I am coming off a pretty long layoff, but I’m confident because I’ve had a very good preparation. The start of the season was complicated, but I think we’ve managed to overcome each obstacle, and now I’m focused. I’m always highly motivated for the Tour. I have big aspirations.”
Widar’s Team Lotto-Intermarché posted this update:
Jarno Widar will make his return to the peloton this coming weekend. After 16 weeks without racing, he will finally pin on a race number again in Gippingen. “I'm heading into the race with a very fresh mindset, precisely because my season is only starting now,” he says.
Jarno Widar in an undated photo
He finished a strong fourth in the Figueira Champions Classic and impressed during the Volta ao Algarve. But that was all the way back in February. After that, Jarno Widar faced a long period on the sidelines. Illness forced him to withdraw from the Faun-Ardèche Classic, while a lingering knee injury sustained in a training accident in Spain kept him out of competition for several more weeks. This weekend, however, the wait is finally over, as Widar lines up at the start of the GP Gippingen. And it is a moment he has been eagerly anticipating: “It was about time I got to race again; it's been long enough.”
Widar was forced to stay off his bike for four weeks following the unfortunate training incident. “Of course, at first it's frustrating,” he explains. “It's a matter of trying to switch your mindset as quickly as possible and focus on what's ahead. Setbacks are simply part of the sport. The advantage of cycling is that the season is long, so after a disappointment there's usually another race and another opportunity just around the corner.”
Traditionally, Gippingen serves as a warm-up race for the Tour de Suisse, and after the race Widar will travel directly to Sondrio, Italy, where the Tour de Suisse begins on Wednesday. It will also be his first-ever WorldTour race. “Obviously, I lost some ground. I had to stay off the bike for four weeks and I've only been training properly again for about six weeks. During that entire period I also remained in Belgium, whereas in other years I would have gone to altitude. But going on an altitude camp without sufficient fitness didn't seem like the best idea. So I'm very curious to see where I stand.
“I feel good, that's for sure. I hope I can use that good feeling to be competitive and gain experience in my very first race at WorldTour level. Of course, I hope to come away with a strong result as well, but we'll take it day by day. Besides, I have one major advantage: I'm heading to Switzerland with a very fresh mindset, because my season is only really starting now.”