Samwise Cycle Racing Newsletter
Thursday, June 25, 2026
Red Bull Bora Hansgrohe Names Evenepoel and Lipowitz as Joint Tour de France Leaders
Red Bull Bora Hansgrohe will send Remco Evenepoel and Florian Lipowitz to the Tour de France as co-leaders, team manager Ralph Denk announced Wednesday. “Remco is still the team leader and Florian Lipowitz is a bit of the second man but in terms of sporting performance, they are on equal footing,” Denk said, adding that if one performs better on the road, they will “fight it out between themselves.” Denk compared the arrangement to Formula 1’s Papaya Rules at McLaren. Lipowitz recently won the Tour of Slovenia and finished third at the 2025 Tour, while Evenepoel has been training rather than racing ahead of the Grand Départ.
Sources: Cyclingnews Share ↗ ✉︎ Email 💬 Text
Cat Ferguson Ruled Out of British Nationals and Tour de France Femmes After Double Ankle Fracture
Movistar Team rider Cat Ferguson has withdrawn from the British national championships and will miss the Tour de France Femmes, the team confirmed Wednesday. The 20-year-old sustained a double ankle fracture in a crash during the opening stage of the Giro d’Italia Women. Initial medical examinations failed to detect the fractures; subsequent checkups revealed the full extent of her injuries. “Cat will need various weeks of recovery to ensure the bones heal correctly along with her other injuries,” Movistar said in a press release. Ferguson would have supported teammate Marlen Reusser, winner of the Tour de Suisse Women, at the Tour de France Femmes, scheduled for August 1–9.
Sources: Cyclingnews Share ↗ ✉︎ Email 💬 Text
Belgian Cycling Mandate Puts Evenepoel at Risk of Nine-Day Ban Before Tour de France
Remco Evenepoel faces a potential nine-day racing ban after Belgian Cycling confirmed its mandate that all professional cyclists compete in the national championships. Evenepoel plans to skip the Belgian nationals to rest ahead of the Tour de France, but non-participation carries a mandatory nine-day suspension. “It is up to every rider to know and respect those regulations,” Belgian Cycling director of sport Massimo Van Lancker told Cyclingnews. The ban would theoretically run until July 3, one day before the Tour de France begins on July 4. Belgian cycling outlet Wielerflits reported the suspension is unlikely to be strictly enforced, though no official exemption has been announced.
Sources: Cyclingnews Share ↗ ✉︎ Email 💬 Text
Decathlon-CMA CGM Delays Tour de France Lineup Announcement as Illness Hits Squad
Decathlon-CMA CGM has postponed its Tour de France squad announcement after illness struck riders ahead of the race. Dutch rouleur Daan Hoole withdrew from the Dutch national time trial due to illness, adding uncertainty to the lineup. Paul Seixas underwent an MRI on Tuesday confirming no lasting damage from a recent crash; a team source told AFP that “Paul will be at the Tour.” The team confirmed Seixas is preparing at altitude in Les Arcs and will skip the French national championships. Decathlon-CMA CGM is scheduled to travel to Barcelona early next week for final Tour de France preparations.
Sources: Cyclingnews Share ↗ ✉︎ Email 💬 Text
National Championship Organisers Make Emergency Adjustments as June Heatwave Grips Europe
Cycling federations across Europe made emergency adjustments to national championship schedules Wednesday as a June heatwave pushed temperatures to 35°C in the Netherlands and Belgium and into the 40s in France and Spain. Belgian Cycling director of sport Massimo Van Lancker confirmed refreshment zones and possible sprinklers for the Belgian time trial Friday, noting that races cannot be rescheduled due to police and local authority commitments. In the Netherlands, elite races were moved to 5:15 pm and 7 pm. France added extra water points, misting systems, and an air-conditioned truck at the finish. British championships in Aberystwyth, Wales added extra water and expanded medical facilities.
Sources: Cyclingnews Share ↗ ✉︎ Email 💬 Text
Daniek Hengeveld Wins Dutch Women’s National Time Trial in Heat-Delayed Laren Race
Daniek Hengeveld of Visma-Lease a Bike claimed her first elite women’s national time trial title on Wednesday, completing the 36-kilometre course in Laren, Achterhoek region, in 45 minutes 12 seconds. With temperatures reaching 35°C, the start was moved from 3:00 pm to 5:15 pm. Hengeveld’s team swept the podium: Femke De Vries finished second at two seconds and Lieke Nooijen third at 15 seconds. “Winning the title came as a surprise, although I’d secretly hoped to finish on the podium,” Hengeveld said. Defending champion Mischa Bredewold of SD Worx-Protime finished eighth, 51 seconds back.
Sources: Cyclingnews Share ↗ ✉︎ Email 💬 Text
Huub Artz Takes Dutch Men’s National Time Trial Title Ahead of Dylan van Baarle
Huub Artz of Lotto Intermarché won the Dutch men’s national time trial championship on Wednesday, posting 40 minutes 29 seconds over the 35.8-kilometre course in Laren, Achterhoek region of eastern Netherlands. The race was delayed to the afternoon due to 35°C temperatures. Dylan van Baarle of Soudal-QuickStep finished second at 31 seconds, Sjoerd Bax of Pinarello Q36.5 Pro Cycling took third at 58 seconds, and Axel van der Tuuk of Euskaltel-Euskadi placed fourth at 1 minute 45 seconds. Artz, fastest at all five checkpoints, claimed his first elite national time trial title.
Sources: Cyclingnews Share ↗ ✉︎ Email 💬 Text
Men’s UCI WorldTour Ranking
Top 10 — Updated 23 June 2026
1. Tadej Pogačar (UAE-XRG) — 10,865 pts
2. Jonas Vingegaard (Visma) — 8,625 pts
3. Isaac del Toro (UAE-XRG) — 5,340 pts
4. Remco Evenepoel (Red Bull) — 5,277 pts
5. Felix Gall (Decathlon) — 4,053 pts
6. Tom Pidcock (Pinarello-Q36.5) — 3,808 pts
7. Paul Seixas (Decathlon) — 3,403 pts
8. Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin) — 3,249 pts
9. Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin) — 3,230 pts
10. Arnaud De Lie (Lotto) — 3,193 pts
Women’s UCI WorldTour Ranking
World Ranking Leaders
1. Demi Vollering (FDJ) — 7,286 pts
2. Paula Blasi (Movistar) — 4,814 pts
3. Anna van der Breggen (SD Worx) — 4,561 pts
2026 Season Leaders
1. Demi Vollering — 2,634 pts
2. Lorena Wiebes — 2,191 pts
3. Paula Blasi — 1,859 pts
4. Anna van der Breggen — 1,350 pts
5. Marlen Reusser — 1,271 pts
Source: procyclingstats.com
Curated by JD · samwise.agency
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