Samwise Cycle Racing Newsletter
Monday, April 27, 2026
Pogačar Claims Fourth La Doyenne with Roche-aux-Faucons Attack, First Flanders-Liège Double Since Merckx in 1975
Tadej Pogačar secured a fourth Liège-Bastogne-Liège title on April 26 with a decisive attack on the Côte de la Roche-aux-Faucons with 13.9 kilometres remaining, dropping French teenager Paul Seixas to ride solo to the finish. The UAE Team Emirates-XRG rider arrived 45 seconds ahead of Seixas, with Remco Evenepoel sprinting to third after an audacious early breakaway. Pogačar's fourth La Doyenne victory matches the haul of Bernard Hinault and caps a spring in which the Slovenian world champion also won Milan-San Remo and the Tour of Flanders. He becomes the first rider since Eddy Merckx in 1975 to win both Flanders and Liège in the same season.
Sources: Cyclingnews
Seixas, 19, Pushes Pogačar to the Limit in Liège Monument Podium Debut as Tour de France Start Beckons
Paul Seixas, 19, finished second at Liège-Bastogne-Liège on April 26, confirming his standing as cycling's most exciting emerging talent after matching Tadej Pogačar on every climb until the final acceleration on the Roche-aux-Faucons. The French rider, racing for FDJ United-Suez, also won La Flèche Wallonne the previous week and now has a Monument podium in just his second Ardennes Classic. Pogačar said Seixas pushed him almost beyond his limit. Team management and rivals now expect Seixas to make his Tour de France debut in July, where a France-versus-world-champion narrative will captivate the sport.
Sources: Cyclingnews
Vollering Delivers 35km Solo Masterclass to Win Record Third Liège-Bastogne-Liège Femmes
Demi Vollering of FDJ United-Suez delivered a crushing 35-kilometre solo performance to claim a record third Liège-Bastogne-Liège Femmes title on April 26, attacking over the Côte de la Redoute and riding clear of the entire field. The Dutch champion finished one minute and 29 seconds ahead of Puck Pieterse, who won the sprint for second ahead of Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney. Vollering's dominance on the Redoute was absolute. The win was her seventh of the 2026 spring campaign, adding to La Flèche Wallonne and Amstel Gold Race victories alongside earlier wins at Strade Bianche and Dwars door Vlaanderen.
Sources: Cyclingnews, Cycling Weekly
Vollering Joins Van der Breggen as Only Women to Complete Ardennes Triple After Amstel-Flèche-Liège Sweep
Demi Vollering became only the second woman in history to complete the Ardennes Triple after Anna van der Breggen in 2017, sweeping Amstel Gold Race, La Flèche Wallonne, and Liège-Bastogne-Liège Femmes in consecutive weeks of April 2026. The FDJ United-Suez rider topped the Mur de Huy with a winning move at La Flèche Wallonne on April 22 before a 35-kilometre solo move at Liège four days later. Seven victories across the spring campaign underlines her position as the dominant force in women's cycling. Nearest rival Puck Pieterse was reduced to fighting for second on each occasion, confirming no other rider can match Vollering on sustained climbs.
Sources: Cycling Weekly
Pogačar Goes Four-from-Five at 2026 Monuments — First Flanders-Liège Double Since Merckx, Tour de France Looms
Tadej Pogačar went four-from-five in 2026 spring Monuments, winning Milan-San Remo, Tour of Flanders, and Liège-Bastogne-Liège while finishing second at Paris-Roubaix behind Mathieu van der Poel. The UAE leader achieved something unseen since Eddy Merckx won both Flanders and Liège in 1975. Speaking after Liège, Pogačar played down expectations for a repeat in coming years, saying he could not sustain this level of Classics ambition every spring. The world champion now turns to the Tour de France in July, where a fifth consecutive title would equal Merckx's all-time record of five Tour victories.
Sources: Cyclingnews
Giro d'Italia 2026 Starts May 8 in Bulgaria — First Grand Tour Ever to Begin in Eastern Europe
The 2026 Giro d'Italia begins May 8 with the Grande Partenza in Bulgaria on the Black Sea coast, the first Grand Tour ever to start in Eastern Europe. The 21-stage race covers 3,466 kilometres with 49,150 metres of climbing, featuring a 40.2-kilometre time trial in Tuscany and a brutal Queen Stage 19 crossing the Passo Giau at 2,233 metres. The race concludes May 31 in Rome. With Tadej Pogačar yet to confirm his entry after his spring classics campaign, GC contenders including Primož Roglič, Simon Yates, and Egan Bernal may find an unusually open field for Italy's Grand Tour.
Sources: Cyclingnews
Pogačar Admits Seixas Pushed Him “Almost Beyond My Limit” at Liège — Was Preparing to Sprint Before Attack Landed
Tadej Pogačar admitted Paul Seixas pushed him close to his physical limit at Liège-Bastogne-Liège, revealing he was preparing for a sprint before finding the legs to accelerate on the Roche-aux-Faucons. The world champion said he had not expected such strength from a 19-year-old at a Monument. Pogačar added he was already planning for a sprint had his attack failed, praising Seixas's ability to read races and respond to accelerations. Most observers regard the young Frenchman as the most credible future challenger to Pogačar, potentially beginning at the Tour de France this July.
Sources: Cyclingnews
Spring Classics Results
Recent Monuments (Men)
Liège-Bastogne-Liège: Pogačar (UAE)
Paris-Roubaix: Van der Poel (Alpecin)
Tour of Flanders: Pogačar (UAE)
Milan-San Remo: Pogačar (UAE)
Next: Giro d'Italia (starts May 8)
Spring Classics Results
Recent Monuments (Women)
Liège Femmes: Vollering (FDJ)
La Flèche Wallonne: Vollering (FDJ)
Amstel Gold: Vollering (FDJ)
Paris-Roubaix Femmes: Pieterse (Fenix)
Next: Giro Donne (June)
Curated by JD · samwise.agency
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