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Monday, June 29, 2026

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It does not do to leave a live dragon out of your calculations, if you live near him. - J. R. R. Tolkien


Tour de France: 2022

Bill & Carol McGann’s book The Story of the Tour de France, 2022: The Fastest Tour Ever is available in both Kindle eBook & audiobook versions. To get your copy, just click on the Amazon link on the right.

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National Road Championships team reports

Here's the report from Dutch Champion Wilco Kelderman's Team Visma | Lease a Bike:

Wilco Kelderman has been crowned Dutch national champion after an outstanding solo performance. The experienced Dutch rider launched his decisive attack with 25 kilometers to go and never looked back.

After spending much of the race in the lead group, Kelderman made his move with a powerful acceleration, leaving his rivals behind. His attack proved to be the winning move. Kilometer after kilometer, he held off the chasing riders and maintained his advantage all the way to the finish.

With an impressive display of strength, Kelderman crossed the line alone to claim the Dutch national title and earn the right to wear the red, white, and blue national champion's jersey for the next year. A well-deserved reward for a dominant performance.

Wilco Kelderman is the new Dutch Road Champion .

"It felt amazing to cross the finish line with my hands in the air. I haven't experienced that feeling in a very long time, not since my U23 days, actually. It wasn't necessarily my plan to attack that early, but it quickly became clear that the race was very difficult to control from behind. On the final lap, I still had a solid gap, but you're always thinking, 'Are they going to catch me?' In the end, I stayed away. Today everything came together. It's still hard to believe... I honestly can't believe it yet," Kelderman said after the finish.

Menno Huising also delivered a strong performance. After making an impressive bridge to the front of the race earlier on, he stayed in contention during the finale and sprinted to a solid 11th-place finish.

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Team Netcompany INEOS reports on Eritrea & Monaco road championships.

Milkias Maekele and Victor Langellotti were crowned their respective national road race champions, with Connor Swift and Mattie Dodd taking podium spots in the British race.

Racing Academy rider Maekele powered to the win at the National Road Race Championships in Eritrea.

The young rider, at just 20 years old, took the victory from a stunning solo ride to also take his first win of the season.

Langellotti took his second national title of the week, adding the Monaco National Road Race win to his time trial victory.

Racing as part of the Spanish nationals in Sabinanigo, the win will see Langellotti wear the red and white jersey in races for the next 12 months.

Victor Langellotti wins stage 6 of the 2025 Tour of Poland. Sirotti photo

Swift and Dodd both animated the British National Road Race Championships, launching attacks early on in the race and making the break with 60km remaining.

The pair worked well together in the break of five riders, which also included eventual winner Fred Wright (Pinarello Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team), Lewis Askey (NSN Cycling Team), and Elliot Rowe (Team Visma Lease A Bike Development).

It ended with a three up sprint between the World Tour riders, with Swift biting first inside the final kilometre, but settled for third place. A valiant effort from Dodd saw him come home in fifth overall, and take the second under-23 spot behind Rowe. Ben Turner finished in 15th place after a supportive performance.

Embret Svestad-Bardseng finished in eighth place at the Danish national championships, having been in a break for most of the day with eight other riders from Uno-X Mobility.

At the French National Road Race Championships, Dorian Godon and Axel Laurance came home 10th and 11th place, respectively, after a punchy 225.5km race in La Tour-du-Pin.


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The Story of the Giro d’Italia, vol.1 Shade Vise sunglass holder Paris-Roubaix: The Inside Store

Here's Team Soudal Quick-Step's report on the Belgian Road Championships:

Fabio Van den Bossche took his best result since joining Soudal Quick-Step - third at the Belgian National Championships, which came down to a three-man sprint after the breakaway managed to open an insurmountable gap on a peloton who was aiming for a mass gallop on Sunday.

The longest edition of the last nine years - and also, one of the fastest in history - took place on Sunday, when the peloton got underway from Antwerp, the start of this year’s Ronde van Vlaanderen and continued on familiar roads for almost 140 kilometers, before entering the Brasschaat circuit, which they had to cover three times. On paper, it was a course designated for the fast men, but the presence of almost 30 riders in what became the main move of the day ended up changing the script.

Soudal Quick-Step had five riders in the large group, and made sure of being represented by at least one man every time a move tried to go clear. As the breakaway got gradually reduced, our team remained prominent, to the point it had three riders in a ten-man group. Around 20 kilometers from the finish, more attacks came and Fabio Van den Bossche quickly joined this move which turned out to be the winning one. While Gil Gelders was shutting down the chasers’ attempts to claw back time, Fabio was working at the front with his companions to increase their gap, which reached 50 seconds with two kilometers to go.

Rune Herregodts beats Jonas Rickaert & Fabio Van den Bossche to become Belgian Road Champion. Photo: Luc Claessen/Getty Images

It became clear the new Belgian Champion would come from there, and Van den Bossche did his best in the nail-biting finish in Brasschaat, where he could still show a strong turn of legs after almost five hours of full gas racing to take bronze - his best result in six participations at the National Championships.

“Our team did a great job today and reacted well to every attack, and once we knew a sprint with Tim would be impossible, we tried to make a selection. When it happened, it was just us three, and in the finale I tried to take Jonas’ wheel, but I was boxed in, unfortunately. I realize this was the best chance of my life to take the jersey, but despite the obvious disappointment, I’m proud to get a medal”, an emotional Fabio said at the finish.


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Team Bahrain Victorious headed to the Tour de France

Here’s the team’s update:

Bahrain Victorious head to the 2026 Tour de France with a balanced squad built around a primary objective of hunting stage victories across the three weeks, whilst also keeping an eye on the general classification with Antonio Tiberi, who will target a place inside the overall top ten.

The 113th edition of the Tour de France gets underway in Barcelona with a 19.7km team time trial, marking the first team time trial at the Tour de France since 2019. The opening three days remain in Catalunya, where Stage 3 provides the first demanding test for the peloton before the race crosses into France.

Antonio Tiberi will lead the team’s general classification ambitions as he targets a place inside the overall top ten. Supporting him in the mountains is Damiano Caruso, who heads an experienced climbing group. In what will be his final Tour de France, Caruso will look to complete the rare feat of winning a stage at all three Grand Tours, while once again playing a pivotal role in the mountains after his outstanding support of Afonso Eulálio throughout this year’s Giro d’Italia.

Antonio Tiberi before the start of stage one of the 2025 Vuelta a España. Sirotti photo

Bahrain Victorious also arrive with multiple stage-winning options. Three-time Tour de France stage winner Matej Mohorič returns looking to add to his impressive tally, while Lenny Martinez has established himself as one of the peloton’s top climbers since joining Bahrain Victorious in 2025. The Frenchman has already claimed WorldTour stage victories at Paris-Nice (two), the Tour de Romandie and the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, making him one of the team’s biggest stage-winning threats in the mountains, while also targeting the polka dot jersey.

On the flatter stages, Phil Bauhaus will spearhead the team’s sprint ambitions as he looks to challenge for his first Tour de France stage victory.

Making his Tour de France debut is Vlad Van Mechelen. The young Belgian impressed with an attacking ride at this year’s Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, where he finished third on Stage 2 from the breakaway, and will be looking to showcase his talent on cycling’s biggest stage.

Completing the line-up are experienced road captain Kamil Gradek and Australian Rob Stannard, both of whom will provide invaluable support throughout the three weeks.

The 2026 Tour de France covers 3,319 kilometres and 54,303 metres of elevation across 21 stages, featuring six flat stages, five intermediate stages, eight mountain stages, one individual time trial and one team time trial.

Following the opening stages in Catalunya, the race quickly reaches the Pyrenees, where Stage 6 from Pau to Gavarnie-Gèdre provides the first major test for the general classification contenders. Covering 186.2 kilometres and over 4,000 metres of climbing, the stage includes the iconic Col du Tourmalet before finishing atop Gavarnie-Gèdre.

Following the first rest day, the riders immediately face another key test on Stage 10 from Aurillac to Le Lioran. The 166-kilometre route packs almost 4,000 metres of elevation into a relentless parcours that is expected to create further gaps among the overall contenders.

After the second rest day comes the race’s only individual time trial, a 26-kilometre test beginning in Évian-les-Bains, which could prove decisive before the race enters its final Alpine block.

The final week concludes with three consecutive days in the Alps. Stages 19 and 20 both finish atop the legendary Alpe d’Huez, creating an exciting finale to the race. The Queen Stage on Stage 20 covers 170 kilometres and 5,432 metres of elevation, with the Col de Sarenne returning to the Tour de France route for the first time since 2013 before the final ascent of Alpe d’Huez.

The race concludes in Paris with a revised final stage that once again incorporates the climbs of Montmartre, ensuring the battle for one of cycling’s most iconic stage victories continues all the way to the finish.

Lenny Martinez said:
“My goal for this Tour de France is to try and bring home a stage victory, while also fighting for the polka dot jersey, so those are my two main objectives. Antonio will be looking after our general classification ambitions, while the rest of us will be looking for the right opportunities to go for stage wins.

"Overall, I think my shape is good this year. I crashed before the Tour de Suisse, but day by day during the race I felt better and better. I’m feeling good now and hopefully I can carry those sensations into the Tour de France.

"It’s not just about me. We have a really strong team with several riders capable of winning stages, and I’m sure we’ll find the right moments throughout the race to take our opportunities.”

Sports Director Roman Kreuziger added:
“We’re coming into the Tour with a really balanced team. Our main objective is to fight for stage victories, while also supporting Antonio Tiberi in the general classification. We believe he can challenge for a top ten. He had an excellent start to the season at the UAE Tour before some mixed form, but we feel he’s back on track. He showed what he is capable of at the Giro two years ago. The Tour is a different race and it’s his first appearance, but he has a strong group of experienced riders around him to support him throughout the three weeks.

"This will be Damiano’s final Grand Tour and he came out of the Giro in really good condition. He spent time recovering with our partner Villars Palace and their fantastic facilities, and he’s arrived at the Tour in great shape. He’ll play a key role protecting both Antonio and Lenny in the mountains, but he’ll also be motivated to chase a stage victory and complete wins at all three Grand Tours.

"Lenny has made huge improvements since last year and he’s shown he has taken another step forward as both a rider and a leader. Our goal with him is to fight for a stage win, but also to be competitive for the polka dot jersey.

"Phil Bauhaus makes his third Tour de France appearance. He’s come close to a stage victory before and we believe he can challenge again, while he’s also shown he is willing to work for his teammates when the race demands it. Rob Stannard comes here after a strong Giro d’Italia and has a huge engine. He’ll be really important in supporting both Phil and the rest of the team throughout the race.

"Vlad Van Mechelen is an exciting young talent making his Grand Tour debut. This will be a great learning experience for him, but we also expect him to play an important role as Phil’s final lead-out rider. I believe this Tour can be another big step in his development. Kamil Gradek is one of the most reliable riders in the peloton. His teammates have complete confidence in him and he will once again provide crucial support throughout the race. Matej Mohorič has won more Tour de France stages than any rider in Bahrain Victorious history. Unfortunately, he became ill during this year’s Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, but he has recovered well and we hope to see him back at his very best over the next three weeks.

"It’s exciting to see the team time trial return to the Tour. We showed at this Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes that we can perform well together in that discipline and we’re aiming for a solid result in Barcelona. Stage 2 will already be hectic and technical, so staying out of trouble will be important before the first major test arrives on Stage 3 in Catalunya. Once we move into France, every day becomes another challenge, but we have a balanced team with experience, quality and different options, and we’re confident we can achieve some really good results.”