Samwise Cycle Racing Newsletter
Sunday, June 7, 2026
Vollering Powers to Compressed Stage Win at Sestriere as Giro Women Survives Avalanche Scare
Demi Vollering (FDJ United-SUEZ) won stage 8 of the Giro d'Italia Women at Sestriere on Saturday, taking her second stage win of the 2026 race. Race organisers shortened the queen stage from Rivoli to 106km after an unstable sheet of ice on the Colle delle Finestre created avalanche risk, with the finish relocated 1km below the summit. Vollering rode across the gravel sector to beat Isabella Holmgren (Lidl-Trek) and Antonia Niedermaier (Canyon-SRAM). Race leader Anna van der Breggen (SD Worx-Protime) finished fourth from the front group and retained the maglia rosa. Vollering said she was “disappointed” that the shortened stage did not allow her to distance her GC rivals.
Sources: Cyclingnews
Unstable Ice on Colle delle Finestre Forces Stage 8 Route Change at Giro Women
The queen stage of the 2026 Giro d'Italia Women was shortened on Saturday after an unstable sheet of ice on the Colle delle Finestre was judged likely to fall onto the road, posing an avalanche risk. Race officials moved the stage 8 finish 1km from the summit rather than over the top, with the stage concluding at Sestriere. “It was absolutely unforeseeable,” organisers said of the safety call. The compressed 106km stage from Rivoli significantly limited time-making opportunities for general classification contenders. Race leader Anna van der Breggen retained the pink jersey, though the shortened day frustrated Demi Vollering, who had targeted the summit finish to distance her rivals.
Sources: Cyclingnews
Noah Hobbs Sprints to First Professional Victory at Heistse Pijl
EF Education-EasyPost's Noah Hobbs claimed his first professional victory at the Heylen Vastgoed Heistse Pijl in Belgium on Saturday. The young British rider outsprinted Søren Wærenskjold (Uno-X Mobility) and Milan Fretin (Cofidis) in a tight finish in Heist-op-den-Berg to take the win in the 187.5km race from Vosselaar. Unibet Rose Rockets controlled much of the final approach but lead-out man Ronan Augé managed only fifth, with Arvid de Kleijn (Tudor) taking fourth. A crash 6km from the line disrupted several challengers, including Alberto Dainese (Soudal-QuickStep), clearing the way for Hobbs to claim the win.
Sources: Cyclingnews
UCI Reshapes 2027 WorldTour Schedule Around France's Super World Championships
The UCI confirmed both the men's and women's WorldTour calendars for 2027 on Saturday, with the Super World Championships in Haute-Savoie Mont-Blanc driving major reshuffling. The Super Worlds, running August 24 to September 5 in France, pushed the men's Vuelta a España fully into September (4–26 September) and moved La Vuelta Femenina from May to the end of the season. All three women's Grand Tours will now follow their male equivalents in the calendar. The men's Eschborn-Frankfurt moves away from its traditional May 1 slot to the Sunday after Liège-Bastogne-Liège. Both calendars begin at the Tour Down Under and conclude with racing in China.
Sources: Cyclingnews
Pogačar Set to Lose Key Domestique as Almeida Rules Himself Out of Tour de France
Tadej Pogačar will most likely be without João Almeida at the 2026 Tour de France, with the Portuguese rider ruling himself out in an interview with home media. Almeida, who missed the Giro d'Italia after illness struck following the Volta a Catalunya, told Lusa news agency: “I feel I wouldn't be ready to do a Tour de France.” He is racing for the first time since March at the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes this Sunday, supporting Isaac del Toro. Almeida confirmed his 2026 calendar will instead prioritise the Vuelta a España as leader, along with Clásica San Sebastián and the Road World Championships in Canada.
Sources: Cyclingnews
Giro d'Italia Women — General Classification
GC Top 5 (after stage 6)
1. van der Breggen (SD Worx-Protime) — leader
2. Vollering (FDJ United-SUEZ) — +1:00
3. Niedermaier (Canyon-SRAM) — +1:24
4. Holmgren (Lidl-Trek) — +2:01
5. Reusser (Movistar) — +2:03
Stage 8 Result (June 6)
1. Vollering (FDJ United-SUEZ)
2. Holmgren (Lidl-Trek)
3. Niedermaier (Canyon-SRAM)
4. van der Breggen — retained maglia rosa
Stage shortened: 106km (avalanche risk)
Curated by JD · samwise.agency
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