Samwise Cycle Racing Newsletter
Tuesday, April 28, 2026
Pogačar Claims Record-Equalling Fourth Liège-Bastogne-Liège Crown
Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) claimed his fourth Liège-Bastogne-Liège title on Sunday, equalling the all-time Monument records of Eddy Merckx, Alejandro Valverde, and Moreno Argentin. The World Champion attacked on the Côte de la Roche-aux-Faucons with 13.9km remaining, dropping 19-year-old Paul Seixas (Decathlon-CMA CGM) and soloing to the finish 45 seconds clear. Remco Evenepoel (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) completed the podium in third. The pair had set a record time of 3:45 on the Côte de la Redoute earlier — breaking Pogačar’s own previous mark of 3:58 — before the World Champion’s decisive final attack sealed his fourth La Doyenne crown.
Sources: Cyclingnews, Cycling Weekly
Vollering Rides 35km Solo to Take Record Third Liège-Bastogne-Liège Femmes Title
Demi Vollering (FDJ United-Suez) secured a record third Liège-Bastogne-Liège Femmes title on Sunday, riding 35km solo after attacking on the Côte de la Redoute to claim the final Monument of the women’s Classics season. Vollering’s winning move came from a small lead group, and she quickly opened a gap her rivals could not close over the undulating Ardennes roads to Liège. Puck Pieterse and Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney sprinted for the minor placings. The win cements Vollering’s status as the dominant Ardennes force and extends her lead in the UCI Women’s WorldTour individual standings ahead of Lorena Wiebes.
Sources: Cyclingnews
Pogačar’s Post-Race Jersey Fine Voided After Liège Review
Tadej Pogačar’s Liège-Bastogne-Liège podium celebrations were briefly overshadowed when race officials issued him a 5,000 CHF fine for a jersey design violation on Sunday. The initial penalty cited Article 1.3.072.6, relating to improper placement of a sponsor logo on his World Champion jersey during the post-race podium ceremony. However, the fine was swiftly overturned following a review by the race jury, with UAE Team Emirates-XRG confirming the sanction had been revoked. A UCI official acknowledged that regulations governing additions to the rainbow jersey had recently been relaxed, rendering the initial citation an error. No financial penalty remains against Pogačar.
Sources: Cyclingnews
Seixas Pushes Pogačar to His Limit at Liège; Tour de France Debut Debate Intensifies
Paul Seixas (Decathlon-CMA CGM) finished second at Liège-Bastogne-Liège on Sunday, pushing World Champion Tadej Pogačar to his absolute limit and reigniting debate about whether the 19-year-old Frenchman should make his Tour de France debut in July. Seixas was the only rider to match Pogačar’s initial surge on the Côte de la Redoute — the two shattering the climb’s record in a 3:45 ascent — before Pogačar shed him with 13.9km remaining. Pogačar told reporters post-race he expected Seixas to start the Tour. Decathlon-CMA CGM teammate Oliver Naesen publicly backed a debut, asserting the young Frenchman is fully ready for a Grand Tour.
Sources: Cyclingnews, Cyclingnews (Naesen)
Sean Kelly: Seixas Has Everything — But the Tour de France Can Wait
Veteran Classics champion Sean Kelly argued in his post-Liège column for Cyclingnews on Monday that Paul Seixas, while possessing the full attributes of a major stage race contender, should not be rushed into a Tour de France debut this July. Kelly praised Seixas’s accomplished spring — a commanding La Flèche Wallonne win and a close second at Liège — but stressed that the three-week Tour demands different preparation and team resources than one-day Classics. Decathlon-CMA CGM teammate Oliver Naesen publicly disagreed, stating no rider in the peloton is more ready for a Grand Tour debut. The team has not yet formally confirmed their July racing programme.
Sources: Cyclingnews
Landa and Almeida Out of Giro d’Italia as Start Looms Ten Days Away
Mikel Landa (Soudal-QuickStep) and João Almeida (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) have both withdrawn from the Giro d’Italia, which begins in Bulgaria on May 8, dealing a double blow to the GC field just ten days before the Grande Partenza. Landa sustained a pelvic fracture during a stage 2 crash at the Itzulia Basque Country after being struck by a race organisation vehicle; the injury was initially missed but confirmed by follow-up scans. Almeida cited persistent illness that undermined his preparation, saying he simply would not be ready in time. Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike) and Giulio Pellizzari (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) now emerge as leading GC favourites.
Sources: Cyclingnews, Cycling Weekly
Evenepoel’s Audacious 54-Rider Break Shocks Liège Peloton
Remco Evenepoel (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) deployed a bold tactical gambit at Liège-Bastogne-Liège on Sunday, slipping into a massive 54-rider early breakaway within the opening 5km to force Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) and Paul Seixas (Decathlon-CMA CGM) into an extended chase. The move compelled Pogačar’s team into heavy pursuit work and temporarily disrupted the peloton’s rhythm. Despite Evenepoel eventually being reabsorbed by the front group as the Ardennes climbs took hold, the Belgian recovered to finish third on the podium. The audacious tactics drew wide attention as a creative attempt to neutralise Pogačar’s dominance in the race’s finishing climbs.
Sources: Cyclingnews, Cycling Weekly
Men’s UCI Individual Ranking
Top Riders — 2026 Season
1. Tadej Pogačar — 11,210 pts | UAE Team Emirates-XRG
2. Jonas Vingegaard — 6,885 pts | Visma-Lease a Bike
3. Isaac del Toro — 6,711 pts | UAE Team Emirates-XRG
Women’s UCI Individual Ranking
Top Riders — 2026 Season
1. Demi Vollering — 6,341 pts | FDJ United-Suez
2. Lorena Wiebes — 4,046 pts | SD Worx-Protime
3. Kasia Niewiadoma — 3,588 pts | Canyon-SRAM
Curated by JD · samwise.agency
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.