Samwise Cycle Racing Newsletter
Friday, June 5, 2026
Balsamo claims fourth Giro Women sprint as crosswinds and a crash animate stage 6
Elisa Balsamo (Lidl-Trek) claimed her fourth stage victory of the 37th Giro d'Italia Women, winning a sprint finish in Brescello on Thursday. The 160-kilometre stage from Ala featured a crosswind split 65 kilometres out, with Demi Vollering and Elisa Longo Borghini briefly caught in the second group before rejoining. A crash 1.2 kilometres from the line left the bunch stretched, but Lucinda Brand delivered Balsamo to the final straight. Maggie Coles-Lyster (Human Powered Health) opened her sprint from 250 metres, but Balsamo came off the Canadian's wheel with 150 metres to go to win ahead of Georgia Baker (Liv AlUla Jayco).
Sources: Cyclingnews
Van der Breggen holds one-minute GC lead over Vollering heading into Giro Women finale
Anna van der Breggen (SD Worx-Protime) enters the final two stages of the 2026 Giro d'Italia Women with a one-minute lead over Demi Vollering (FDJ United-SUEZ). The Dutch veteran seized the pink jersey with a dominant stage 4 uphill time trial at Nevegal on June 2 and has held it since. Antonia Niedermaier (Canyon-SRAM) sits third at 1:24, with Isabella Holmgren (Lidl-Trek) fourth at 2:01 and Marlen Reusser (Movistar) fifth at 2:03. Stage 7 on Friday covers 156 kilometres from Sorbolo Mezzani to Salice Terme, with a category 3 climb 27 kilometres from the line that could disrupt a sprint.
Sources: Cyclingnews
SD Worx hires lawyer and threatens UCI action over Wiebes bike weight disqualification
Lorena Wiebes was spotted along the stage 6 route of the 2026 Giro d'Italia Women on Thursday, waving to teammates as the race passed Lake Garda, five days after her disqualification. SD Worx-Protime manager Erwin Janssen confirmed the team has hired a lawyer and intends to hold the UCI liable for financial damages. The race jury recorded the bike at 6.78 kilograms, 0.02kg below the UCI minimum, though the team noted a weight difference of more than 50 grams between the first and second official weighings. The UCI has declined to engage with the team. Janssen said the case will likely go to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
Sources: Cyclingnews
Paul Seixas targets Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes victory in Tour de France dress rehearsal
Paul Seixas (Decathlon CMA CGM) has announced he will target victory at the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, the WorldTour stage race starting Sunday. The 19-year-old last raced at Liège-Bastogne-Liège in late April, finishing second behind Tadej Pogačar, and has since completed three weeks of altitude training. Seixas won both Itzulia Basque Country and La Flèche Wallonne this spring. “Riding on my home region roads that I know very well, I'm going to aim for victory,” he said. Decathlon CMA CGM named a seven-rider squad including Matthew Riccitello and Stefan Bissegger. The race serves as Seixas's final build-up before his Tour de France debut in July.
Sources: Cyclingnews
Cancellara concedes Tudor are behind schedule in four-team battle for 2027 WorldTour invitations
Tudor Pro Cycling owner Fabian Cancellara acknowledged the team is behind schedule in its bid for 2027 WorldTour invitations after an injury-affected spring. Tudor hold third in the ProTeam rankings with 4,547.84 UCI points, behind Pinarello-Q36.5 (4,975) and Cofidis (4,847.74). Stefan Küng fractured his femur at Omloop Nieuwsblad, Marc Hirschi broke his collarbone at La Flèche Wallonne, and Julian Alaphilippe missed Liège-Bastogne-Liège with health issues. Michael Storer's seventh place and Mathys Rondel's 11th at the Giro d'Italia helped Tudor pass Unibet. “The ranking at the end of the season counts,” Cancellara told Cyclingnews. Küng's availability for the Tour de France remains unclear.
Sources: Cyclingnews
Pidcock sets 2036 retirement target and believes Grand Tour win is within reach
Tom Pidcock (Pinarello-Q36.5) has outlined a career plan stretching to 2036 while conceding that winning a Grand Tour remains difficult but possible. The Briton is preparing for his first Tour de France since abandoning two years ago, having finished third at last year's Vuelta a España. “I'm not saying that I have the ability right now to beat Tadej and Seixas and Vingegaard, but in the right situation I can see it happening,” Pidcock told The Guardian. He also listed the Road World Championship, Olympic medals, and a Monument among his remaining targets before a planned retirement after the 2036 Olympic Games.
Sources: Cyclingnews
Tour de France Femmes moves to August 1-9 for 2026, breaking four-year overlap with men's race
The 2026 Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift will start on August 1 in Lausanne and finish on August 9 in Nice, with no calendar overlap with the men's Tour de France for the first time since the race was revived in 2022. Race director Marion Rousse said the growth of the event drove the schedule change. “We couldn't run the two big events on our calendar the same weekend,” she told MARCA. The 2025 edition attracted eight million viewers on France Télévisions. This year's route features Mont Ventoux on stage 7, which Rousse described as the decisive point of the race, without a flat kilometre from bottom to summit.
Sources: Cyclingnews
Giro d'Italia Women — General Classification
GC Top 5 (after stage 6)
1. Van der Breggen (SD Worx-Protime) — 19:49:15
2. Vollering (FDJ United-SUEZ) — +1:00
3. Niedermaier (Canyon-SRAM) — +1:24
4. Holmgren (Lidl-Trek) — +2:01
5. Reusser (Movistar) — +2:03
Sprint Classification
Points jersey leader
Elisa Balsamo (Lidl-Trek) — 4 stage wins
Stage 7 today — Sorbolo Mezzani to Salice Terme (156km)
Final stage: June 7 — Sestriere summit finish
Curated by JD · samwise.agency
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