Samwise Cycle Racing Newsletter
Friday, July 3, 2026
TTT Countdown: UAE, Decathlon and Red Bull Hit Barcelona Roads for Stage 1 Dress Rehearsal
With the 113th Tour de France opening Saturday with a team time trial in Barcelona, leading squads finalised preparations on July 2. UAE Team Emirates-XRG trained near Castelldefels as Tadej Pogacar slipped in a pre-race haircut. Decathlon CMA CGM rehearsed at the Montmelo motor circuit, while Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe completed their own runs. Remco Evenepoel was spotted testing a dazzle-camouflage Specialized Shiv TT prototype. Visma-Lease a Bike trained in their Gaudi-inspired darker race kit. Stage 1 sets early GC time gaps before Stage 2 heads to the punchy Montjuic finish line in Barcelona.
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End of an Era: Chris Froome Retires After 19 Years and Four Tour de France Titles
Four-time Tour de France champion Chris Froome announced his retirement from professional cycling at age 41 on July 2, confirming the news at a Skoda ambassador event in Barcelona. The British rider claimed Tour victories in 2013, 2015, 2016, and 2017 across a career spanning 19 years. His final season was cut short by a training crash last autumn that caused a collapsed lung, fractured vertebrae, and a torn pericardium. Froome left Israel-Premier Tech, now rebranded as NSN Cycling, in November 2025. He departs as one of the most decorated riders in the modern era of road racing.
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United in Barcelona: Van der Poel and Philipsen Are Hunting Stages, Not Each Other
Mathieu van der Poel and Jasper Philipsen held a joint press conference in Barcelona on July 2, presenting a united front for the 2026 Tour de France. Van der Poel targets the opening weekend and Classics-style finishes, while Philipsen aims for sprints from Stage 5 in Pau and the green jersey. Neither anticipates internal tension. ‘We have never really had a fight so far, so it is all good,’ said Philipsen. The Alpecin-Deceuninck duo trained together on a TTT course at Zolder in Belgium before arriving in Barcelona for the Grand Depart on Saturday.
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A New Vingegaard: Giro Winner Arrives at Tour de France Happier, Stronger, More Motivated
Jonas Vingegaard arrived in Barcelona for the 2026 Tour de France having won the Giro d’Italia, a radical departure from his usual summer-camp-only preparation. Speaking at the Visma-Lease a Bike press conference on July 2, the Dane said the change has paid off. ‘I feel better, stronger. I would even say happier in my mental state,’ he said, adding that he did not come out of the Giro completely on his knees. After three seasons following the same formula, Vingegaard admitted the old approach was ‘not really enjoyable’ and credits the Giro with rekindling his motivation for Paris.
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No Consolation Prizes: Teenage Debutant Seixas Sets His Sights Squarely on Tour GC
Nineteen-year-old Paul Seixas arrives at his first Tour de France as the youngest starter in 89 years, carrying the expectations of a French nation that has not had a home winner since Bernard Hinault in 1985. At the Decathlon CMA CGM press conference in Barcelona on July 2, Seixas was clear about his objective. ‘I will not take risks for something other than the GC,’ he said. He acknowledged a crash at the Dauphine as a learning moment, not impatience, and said a recent altitude camp at Les Arcs has left him in good shape for Saturday’s opener.
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Confident on 16 Race Days: Pogacar Ready and Happy to Hype Teammate Del Toro as Tour Winner
Tadej Pogacar addressed the Barcelona press conference on July 2 having raced just 16 days in 2026, but said training has more than compensated. ‘I only did 16 days of racing, but the training kilometres also count, and there have been a lot, so I think we are ready,’ said the Slovenian. After a Spring Classics sweep and a Tour de Suisse victory, Pogacar targets a fifth Tour title. Sharing the stage with lieutenant Isaac del Toro, he playfully raised the bar for his teammate: ‘That Isaac wins the Tour de France,’ he said when asked his hope for the next three weeks.
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Red Bull’s United Front: Evenepoel and Lipowitz Shoot Down Rivalry Talk at Pre-Tour Presser
Remco Evenepoel and Florian Lipowitz presented a united front at the Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe press conference in Barcelona on July 2, firmly dismissing questions about internal team rivalry. ‘I know where you want to go,’ Evenepoel told a Dutch journalist probing the topic, before both confirmed their shared goal: a Tour podium behind Pogacar and Vingegaard. Evenepoel singled out the Stage 16 time trial as a personal stage target. The pair tested their dynamic at the Volta a Catalunya in March, where Lipowitz finished second and Evenepoel fifth, each supporting the other through a tactical day.
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Fans Chose the Colour, Science Backs the Call: Visma Defend Going Dark in Barcelona Heatwave
Visma-Lease a Bike are racing the 2026 Tour de France in black jerseys after a public fan vote chose the darker design over a lighter alternative by a slim margin, despite the riders themselves preferring the lighter version. Required annually to change kit due to a clash with the yellow leader’s jersey, the team conducted heat tests using sweating mannequins in climate chambers. Head of Performance Mathieu Heijboer said: ‘Fabric makes a much bigger difference than colour.’ The Gaudi-inspired design references Antoni Gaudi, whose Sagrada Familia basilica anchors the 2026 Grand Depart city of Barcelona.
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Curated by JD · samwise.agency