Samwise Cycle Racing Newsletter
Tuesday, July 14, 2026
Van der Poel Powers to Stage 9 Breakaway Win as CPA Demands Race Start Time Reform
Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Premier Tech) powered to victory on Tour de France stage 9 in a breakaway that held off the charging bunch in the Massif Central. The former world champion delivered what Cyclingnews described as a ‘massive turn of power’ to claim the stage, with Tobias Halland Johannessen (Uno-X Mobility) finishing second. The stage had already been shortened by organisers due to a red-alert heatwave in central France, while the riders’ union (CPA) secured an extended time limit for finishers, saying race start times ‘must evolve in order to protect athletes’ health’ amid the extreme conditions.
Sources: Cyclingnews Share ↗ ✉︎ Email 💬 Text
Vingegaard Faces 2:42 Deficit — Largest First-Rest-Day Gap Since 2004 — but Visma Vows to Fight
Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike) faces the second week of the Tour de France trailing race leader Tadež Pogačar by 2:42 — the largest first-rest-day lead any rider has held since Thomas Voeckler’s 3:01 advantage in 2004. Directeur sportif Marc Reef vowed to fight: ‘He lost it on one day, and he can also turn it around on one day.’ Vingegaard told Danish TV2 that he believed in a comeback, drawing on his Giro d’Italia experience of starting slowly and improving through the race. Teammate Matteo Jorgenson told Cyclingnews: ‘He really believes he can beat him, and we all do.’
Sources: Cyclingnews Share ↗ ✉︎ Email 💬 Text
Stage 10 on Bastille Day: Le Lioran Finish Could Hand Vingegaard a Chance to Strike Back
The Tour de France resumes on Bastille Day — France’s national holiday — with Stage 10 finishing at Le Lioran in the Massif Central. The climb carries significant historical weight: in 2024, Tadež Pogačar dropped Jonas Vingegaard on the Puy Mary, only for the Dane to catch back up and beat him in a two-up sprint at Le Lioran. Cyclingnews named Stage 10 as one of Vingegaard’s key chances to reduce his 2:42 deficit. EF Education-EasyPost manager Charly Wegelius warned the terrain is ‘ambush territory’ where past favourites — including five-time champion Miguel Indurain — have been undone by the region’s unexpectedly challenging climbs.
Sources: Cyclingnews Share ↗ ✉︎ Email 💬 Text
L’Équipe Press Car Crashes Through Barriers 500 Metres Before Stage 9 Finish, Eight Injured
A press convoy vehicle belonging to French sports newspaper L’Équipe crashed through barriers 500 metres before the Tour de France stage 9 finish in Corrèze, injuring eight people. The driver reportedly fell ill before losing control of the vehicle, which ploughed into spectator barriers close to the finish line. One person was critically injured and seven sustained slight injuries. French authorities opened an investigation into the incident. The crash added to a difficult day for stage 9, which had already been shortened due to an extreme heatwave and saw the CPA demand that race start times be reconsidered to protect rider welfare in the high temperatures.
Sources: Cyclingnews Share ↗ ✉︎ Email 💬 Text
‘Ambush Territory’: EF Manager Wegelius Warns Massif Central Stages Can Eclipse the Alps
EF Education-EasyPost manager Charly Wegelius warned that the Tour de France’s stretch through the Massif Central should not be underestimated, describing the region as ‘ambush territory’ where past race favourites have suffered unexpected setbacks. Wegelius pointed to 1995, when Laurent Jalabert put ten minutes into five-time Tour champion Miguel Indurain, and EF’s own Dani Martínez winning stage 13 at Puy Mary in 2020 from an early breakaway. ‘It’s an anything-could-happen stage, big time,’ Wegelius told Cyclingnews. He added that stages after a rest day can produce odd results, saying the varied terrain of the Massif Central ‘can often be far more dramatic than the Alps.’
Sources: Cyclingnews Share ↗ ✉︎ Email 💬 Text
MTB World Champion Kate Courtney Signs 30-Month WorldTour Contract with FDJ United-SUEZ
MTB cross-country marathon world champion Kate Courtney has signed a 30-month contract with Women’s WorldTour team FDJ United-SUEZ, effective immediately and running through the end of 2028. The American, who recently won the US Pro road championship in her first US road nationals, will make her WorldTour debut at La Périgord Ladies on July 18. ‘I never expected to be able to make the jump to the WorldTour level so quickly,’ Courtney told Cyclingnews. FDJ general manager Stephen Delcourt said Courtney shows ‘great potential on short to mid-range climbs and demanding efforts.’ She is also committed to the Tour of Britain Women in August.
Sources: Cyclingnews Share ↗ ✉︎ Email 💬 Text
QuickStep to End 24-Year Title Sponsorship of Soudal-QuickStep — Safety Jogger Takes Over in 2027
QuickStep will end its 24-year title sponsorship of the Belgian WorldTour squad currently known as Soudal-QuickStep, the team announced during the Tour de France’s first rest day. Safety Jogger, an international shoe and workwear brand based in Belgium, will become the new co-title sponsor from 2027 onwards. The squad has scored 1,000 victories under the QuickStep banner, including eight editions of the Tour of Flanders, six of Paris-Roubaix, and the 2022 Vuelta a España with Remco Evenepoel. Safety Jogger CEO Tom Gybels called the step up ‘the ultimate recognition of our long-standing relationship.’ QuickStep will remain a visible partner on the team’s racing kit.
Sources: Cyclingnews Share ↗ ✉︎ Email 💬 Text
General Classification — After Stage 9
Yellow Jersey — Tadež Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG)
1. Tadež Pogačar ▬ UAE Team Emirates-XRG
2. Jonas Vingegaard +2:42 Visma-Lease a Bike
3. Isaac Del Toro +3:27 UAE Team Emirates-XRG
4. Remco Evenepoel +3:30 Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe
5. Juan Ayuso +3:34 Lidl-Trek
Stage 10 — Today
Bastille Day → Le Lioran | Massif Central
🎁 Points (Green): Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek)
⛰ Mountains (Polka Dot): Jonas Vingegaard (Visma)
◯ Young Rider (White): Isaac Del Toro (UAE)
🏆 Stage 9: Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Premier Tech) — breakaway win
Every newsletter preserved and searchable
Curated by JD · samwise.agency