Samwise Cycle Racing Newsletter
Wednesday, June 10, 2026
Simmons Blasts to Stage 4 Win at Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes in Third-Fastest Edition of the Stage
American Quinn Simmons (Lidl-Trek) claimed a thrilling victory on stage 4 of the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, sprinting to the line in Montrond-les-Bains ahead of Finn Fisher-Black (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) and Mattéo Vercher (TotalEnergies) from a 10-rider breakaway that narrowly held off the charging peloton. The stage, run at an average of 46.9kph across 167.4km, was the third-fastest in race history. Wout van Aert won the peloton sprint for the main field. EF Education-EasyPost’s Alex Baudin retained the yellow jersey. Simmons, the 25-year-old US national champion, said he was “confident” the stage win would earn him a place at the Tour de France in July.
Sources: Cyclingnews, Cycling Weekly
Corbin Strong Takes First 2026 Win at Circuit Franco-Belge as Magnier Struggles on Mont-de-l’Enclus
Corbin Strong (NSN) took his first victory of 2026 at the Circuit Franco-Belge, out-pacing Anders Foldager (Jayco-AlUla) and Giro d’Italia points jersey winner Paul Magnier (Soudal-QuickStep) in the uphill finish at Mont-de-l’Enclus. The Kiwi timed his effort perfectly as Magnier, widely considered the favourite, was uncharacteristically slow to accelerate on the final ascent from Tournai. Riley Sheehan led the NSN train before Strong took over and powered clear. The one-day race across the Belgium-France border was the highlight of a busy mid-week programme of minor WorldTour events during the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes build-up to the Tour de France.
Sources: Cyclingnews
Almeida Confirms He Will Not Ride Tour de France, Citing Persistent Mystery Illness
UAE Team Emirates-XRG climber João Almeida has confirmed he will not ride the Tour de France, citing persistent effects of a mystery illness that disrupted his spring. Almeida struggled at the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, finishing in the gruppetto and admitting “it’s been ups and downs for me.” Abnormal blood values and a persistent lack of form forced him to miss the Giro d’Italia and now the Tour. The Portuguese rider, runner-up at the 2025 Vuelta a España, will target the Vuelta a Burgos and Vuelta a España instead. His absence leaves Tadej Pogačar without a key climbing domestique for July’s Grande Boucle.
Sources: Cyclingnews
Seixas Disappointed Pogačar and Vingegaard Absent as 19-Year-Old Uses Tour Auvergne as Tour de France Rehearsal
Nineteen-year-old French prodigy Paul Seixas (Decathlon CMA CGM) has confirmed he will make his Tour de France debut in July, expressing disappointment that Tadej Pogačar and Jonas Vingegaard are absent from the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes. “I would have liked them to be there,” Seixas said, calling the race his Tour de France rehearsal. The teenager, set to be the youngest Tour starter in 89 years, won Itzulia Basque Country and La Flèche Wallonne earlier in 2026. Seixas also set Strava KOM times on the Col du Tourmalet during reconnaissance of the Tour’s mountain stages, highlighting his serious ambitions for cycling’s biggest race starting July 4 in Barcelona.
Sources: Cyclingnews
Vingegaard Targets Third Yellow Jersey After Giro Triumph, Despite Losing Key Domestiques
Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike), who won the 2026 Giro d’Italia in May to complete the Grand Tour triple, has stated he will be “in very, very good shape” for the Tour de France. Targeting a third yellow jersey, the Dane chose to race the Giro for the first time rather than risk injury in spring classics. Preparation has had setbacks: key domestique Tiesj Benoot departed to Decathlon CMA CGM, and Wout van Aert suffered an ankle injury early in the season. Vingegaard rested a week after Rome before resuming reconnaissance, including Hautacam and the Col de Peyresourde.
Sources: Cyclingnews
Ayuso Returns to Racing at Tour Auvergne After Two-Month Injury and Illness Absence
Spanish GC contender Juan Ayuso (Lidl-Trek) made his long-awaited return to racing at the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes after nearly two months away following a crash and illness that wrecked his spring. The 23-year-old abandoned Paris-Nice while leading the race and later fell ill at Itzulia Basque Country. “My 2026 season has been a mix,” Ayuso said. “I suffered because of crashes and illnesses, but these months without racing gave me the opportunity to reset.” He spent three weeks training at Sierra Nevada before returning. Ayuso targets the Tour de France GC alongside Mads Pedersen at Lidl-Trek, with whom he will share leadership at the Grande Boucle.
Sources: Cyclingnews
Van Aert Reveals Training Fall Behind Stage 1 Struggles at Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
Wout van Aert (Visma-Lease a Bike) struggled on stage 1 of the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, later revealing a training fall in the days before the race explained his modest opening performance. The Belgian bounced back to claim the peloton sprint on stage 4, finishing behind Quinn Simmons’ breakaway group. Van Aert remains a key component of Visma’s Tour de France support structure for Vingegaard and is expected to play a significant domestique role at the Grande Boucle. The Belgian’s form at the eight-stage Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes will be closely watched as a barometer for his Tour de France readiness.
Sources: Cyclingnews (Stage 4 Report)
Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes GC
General Classification after Stage 4
1. Alex Baudin (EF Education-EasyPost) — Leader
2. Kévin Vauquelin (Netcompany-INEOS) — +12s
3. Oscar Onley (Netcompany-INEOS) — +12s
4. Matteo Jorgenson (Visma-Lease a Bike) — +15s
5. Paul Seixas (Decathlon CMA CGM) — s.t.
Race at a Glance
Stage 4 Winner & Today
S4 Winner: Quinn Simmons (Lidl-Trek)
Today — Stage 5: Saint-Chamond to Villars-les-Dombes (196km)
Race runs June 7–14, 2026
Yellow: Alex Baudin (EF Education-EasyPost)
Curated by JD · samwise.agency