Samwise Cycle Racing Newsletter
Monday, June 22, 2026
Pogačar Demolishes Tour de Suisse Field with Three Stage Wins and 6:32 Winning Margin
Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) claimed his maiden Tour de Suisse title in emphatic fashion, winning the five-stage race by 6 minutes 32 seconds over Richard Carapaz (EF Education-EasyPost), with Mathias Vacek (Lidl-Trek) completing the podium in third. Pogačar took three stage victories: a surprise 72-kilometre solo raid on the opening day, a razor-sharp stage 4 time trial at 53.4 kph that edged out Mathieu van der Poel, and a commanding mountain stage 5 finish. The UAE Team Emirates-XRG leader heads to the Tour de France beginning July 4 in Barcelona as the undisputed favourite after a near-perfect early summer of racing.
Sources: Cyclingnews, Cycling Weekly
Reusser Secures Third Tour de Suisse Women Title in Stunning Comeback from Vertebra Fracture
World champion Marlen Reusser (Movistar) secured her third Tour de Suisse Women overall, winning with a dominant stage 4 time trial and then holding off a dramatic final ascent of Col de la Croix on stage 5. Cédrine Kerbaol (EF Education-Oatly) finished second and Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney (Canyon-SRAM) placed third in the five-stage race. The victory carried extra significance as Reusser returned from a vertebra fracture suffered at the Tour of Flanders in April, an injury that made the win unexpected even to the champion herself. Reusser credited the Tour de Suisse title as a confidence boost heading into the Tour de France Femmes.
Sources: Cyclingnews, Cyclingnews (analysis)
Van Aert Misses Tour de France After Surgery to Prevent Sepsis from Infected Elbow Wound
Wout van Aert will not start the 2026 Tour de France after a training crash led to a wound infection requiring surgery. Visma-Lease a Bike confirmed the Belgian had to undergo an operation on his elbow after the infection threatened to develop into sepsis. The team's head of performance stated intervention was necessary to prevent the bacteria from causing sepsis. Van Aert had already withdrawn from Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes and missed the start of Visma's altitude training camp in Tignes before the situation worsened. His next race on the provisional calendar is the Vuelta a España in August and September.
Sources: Cyclingnews, Cycling Weekly
Quinn Simmons and Kate Courtney Claim US Pro Road National Championship Titles in Charleston
Quinn Simmons (Lidl-Trek) claimed his third USA Cycling Professional Road Race National Championship with a commanding solo attack in Charleston, West Virginia. Simmons struck on the punchy Wertz Avenue climb on the penultimate lap, opening a two-minute lead that held to the finish. In the women's elite road race, Kate Courtney (She Sends Racing) outsprinted Lauren Stephens (Aegis x Leaders of Enchantment) for the title. Artem Shmidt and Taylor Knibb won the elite time trial titles on the opening day of the championships. The week-long event ran June 16 to 21 across multiple road disciplines in Charleston.
Sources: Cyclingnews, Cycling Weekly
Zigart Suffers Fractured Jaw at Tour de Suisse as CPA Women Calls for Road Safety Protocol Review
Urska Zigart (AG Insurance-Soudal) suffered a fractured jaw after crashing at high speed over a speed bump in the final kilometre of stage 2 at the Tour de Suisse Women. The crash occurred at over 50 kph and Zigart was hospitalised for treatment, with her team confirming no additional injuries. Tadej Pogačar visited his partner before the following stage and said he was reassured by the news. The incident prompted the CPA Women riders' association to call for a substantial review of the SafeR road safety protocol, stating that serious incidents continue to occur and urging the UCI to conduct a thorough assessment.
Sources: Cyclingnews, Cyclingnews (CPA Women)
Teenage Sensation Seixas Sets Strava KOMs on Tourmalet During Tour de France Stage 6 Recon
Paul Seixas (Decathlon-CMA CGM) claimed multiple Strava KOM segments on the Col du Tourmalet during a Tour de France stage 6 reconnaissance in the Pyrenees. The French teenager, who will make his Tour de France debut in July, covered 137 kilometres on Saturday and 90 kilometres on Sunday, setting a KOM on a 10.1km stretch from Luz Saint-Sauveur to Super Barreges on the Tourmalet's flanks. Stage 6 runs from Pau to Gavarnie-Gédre, featuring the Col d'Aspin at 12km at 6.5 per cent gradient and the Tourmalet at 17.1km at 7.3 per cent. Seixas arrived fresh from an intensive altitude camp in Sierra Nevada.
Sources: Cyclingnews
Visma-Lease a Bike Names Tour de France Squad to Back Vingegaard Without Injured Van Aert
Visma-Lease a Bike confirmed their Tour de France squad for Jonas Vingegaard, assembling without the injured Wout van Aert. The team named Matteo Jorgenson and Sepp Kuss as high-mountain support, Edoardo Affini and Per Strand Hagenes as rouleurs, and Victor Campenaerts and Bruno Armirail in versatile roles. The squad reflects Visma's stated strategy of focusing on their own plan against Tour de France favourite Tadej Pogačar. Van Aert's absence following surgery to prevent sepsis leaves a significant gap in Visma's sprint and crosswind capabilities. Vingegaard, who won the Giro d'Italia in May and June, targets a third Tour de France yellow jersey.
Sources: Cyclingnews
2026 Season Form Guide
Major Stage Race Wins — Men
Pogačar — Tour de Romandie, Tour de Suisse
Vingegaard — Giro d'Italia (5 stage wins)
del Toro — Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
Carapaz — 2nd Tour de Suisse
Tour de France Grand Départ
Barcelona — July 4 (Team Time Trial)
Tour de Suisse Final Standings
Men's GC (June 21)
1. Pogačar (UAE) — winner
2. Carapaz (EF) — +6:32
3. Vacek (Lidl-Trek) — +6:32+
Women's GC (June 21)
1. Reusser (Movistar) — winner
2. Kerbaol (EF Education-Oatly)
3. Niewiadoma-Phinney (Canyon-SRAM)
Curated by JD · samwise.agency
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.