Samwise Cycle Racing Newsletter
Tuesday, June 30, 2026
Quinn Simmons Wins Third US Road National Championship with Solo Attack in Charleston
Quinn Simmons (Lidl-Trek) seized the stars-and-stripes jersey once again at the USA Cycling Pro Road National Championships in Charleston, West Virginia, launching a decisive solo attack with 29 kilometres remaining from a select lead group. Simmons held off all chasers to the line for his third national title, following previous victories in 2023 and 2025. Kevin Vermaerke (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) claimed silver, holding off Larry Warbasse (Tudor Pro Cycling) who finished third. The punchy Charleston course featured 1,126 feet of elevation gain per 13-mile lap, favouring Simmons’ explosive power and tactical patience before his winning move.
Sources: Cyclingnews Cycling Weekly Share ↗ ✉︎ Email 💬 Text
Kate Courtney Crosses Over to Road Gold at US Cycling Nationals in Charleston
Mountain bike specialist Kate Courtney claimed a stunning road crossover victory at the USA Cycling Pro Road National Championships in Charleston, West Virginia, outsprinting Lauren Stephens with 700 metres to go to secure her first elite road national title. The former XCO world champion and reigning UCI Mountain Bike Marathon World Champion held a small gap around the final corner to the line, completing six laps of the punchy 113.8 km course. Courtney had been building toward road success in 2026, including a stage win at the Tour de Féminin in May, making this a breakthrough elite road performance.
Sources: Cyclingnews Cycling Weekly Share ↗ ✉︎ Email 💬 Text
Shari Bossuyt Beats Lotte Kopecky for Emotional Belgian Women’s National Road Title
Shari Bossuyt claimed her first senior Belgian national title in an emotional sprint at the Belgian Road National Championships, outpowering reigning champion Lotte Kopecky to the line. The 25-year-old was in tears at the finish, with the victory carrying enormous personal significance as the latest chapter of a remarkable comeback. Bossuyt, previously a stage winner at the Vuelta a España and the GP de Wallonie in 2025, produced her best result yet on the national stage. The women’s race ended in a small group sprint on the punchy course, with Bossuyt proving strongest at the crucial moment to earn the Belgian champion’s jersey.
Sources: Cyclingnews Share ↗ ✉︎ Email 💬 Text
Rune Herregodts Shocks Belgian Cycling with National Road Championship Upset
Rune Herregodts claimed the biggest victory of his career, seizing the elite men’s Belgian national road title in a surprise upset on the flat course from Antwerp to Brasschaat. The win arrived in the notable absence of national favourites Tim Wellens, Wout van Aert, and Remco Evenepoel, as outsiders produced an unexpected result. “I felt ambitious, but avoiding a sprint seemed impossible,” Herregodts told Belgian television after the finish, admitting he still could not believe the win. The national champion’s jersey sets him up to wear the Belgian tricolóur at the upcoming Tour de France start in Barcelona on July 4.
Sources: Cyclingnews Share ↗ ✉︎ Email 💬 Text
Mireia Benito Sweeps Spanish Nationals with Time Trial and Road Race Double
Mireia Benito completed a national championships double at Sabiñánigo, adding the elite women’s road race title to her mid-week time trial gold at the Spanish Road Championships. The 29-year-old AG Insurance-Soudal rider launched her winning move early on the final uphill climb to claim her first-ever road race national title, fending off a Movistar duo to cross the line alone. Benito had earlier defended her time trial crown for a fourth consecutive year, completing the course in 25:59 at an average speed of nearly 43 kph. It is the most successful national championships of her career, extending a remarkable run of TT dominance since 2023.
Sources: Cyclingnews Share ↗ ✉︎ Email 💬 Text
Wout van Aert Returns to the Bike at Charity Ride as Tour de France Recovery Continues
Wout van Aert made his first tentative return to the bike on Sunday, joining a charity group ride near his home in Herentals as he recovers from the infected elbow that forced him out of the Tour de France. Van Aert rode 67.6 km at 30.6 kph at the Olivia Classic, a Belgian event supporting childhood cancer research, still wearing a large bandage on his right elbow. The outing marks his first time back in the saddle since surgery was required to clear the wound, which had risked sepsis. Visma-Lease a Bike confirmed van Aert has the Vuelta a España on his schedule as his next race target.
Sources: Cyclingnews Share ↗ ✉︎ Email 💬 Text
Oscar Onley Ruled Out of Tour de France with Shoulder Injury from Training Crash
Oscar Onley will miss the 2026 Tour de France after sustaining a significant shoulder injury in a crash at the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes. The 23-year-old Netcompany Ineos rider, who finished fourth at last year’s Tour de France, dislocated his shoulder and injured his knee when he overshot a bend on stage six and dropped into a ravine. Team director Geraint Thomas confirmed the incident, saying “at least he was okay, it could have been a lot worse.” Ineos confirmed Onley has begun rehabilitation and is making encouraging progress, but the young Briton will watch this year’s race from home.
Sources: Cyclingnews Cycling Weekly Share ↗ ✉︎ Email 💬 Text
Paul Seixas Confirmed for Tour de France Debut as Youngest Starter Since 1937
French teenager Paul Seixas will become the youngest rider since 1937 to start the Tour de France when Decathlon CMA CGM confirmed him in their eight-rider squad for the July 4 Grand Départ in Barcelona. The 19-year-old, at 19 years, nine months, and 10 days, will be only the second 19-year-old to start the Tour in the 21st century. “I feel ready to give everything I have over these three weeks,” Seixas said. He joins sprinter Olav Kooij in the Decathlon squad. Seixas enters the race as one of cycling’s most-watched young talents after his spring campaign, which included victory at the Itzulia Basque Country.
Sources: Cyclingnews Cycling Weekly Share ↗ ✉︎ Email 💬 Text
UCI WorldTour — Individual
Men’s Top Riders
1. Tadéj Pogačar (UAE) — 11,593 pts
2. Jonas Vingegaard (Visma) — 8,625 pts
3. Isaac del Toro (UAE) — 5,340 pts
Women’s Leader
1. Demi Vollering — 4,810 pts
UCI WorldTour — Teams
Men’s Team Standings
1. UAE Team Emirates-XRG — 17,599 pts
2. Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe — 14,769 pts
3. Team Visma | Lease a Bike — 13,902 pts
Next Race
Tour de France — July 4–26, Barcelona Grand Départ
Curated by JD · samwise.agency
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