Samwise Cycle Racing Newsletter
Tuesday, July 7, 2026
Pogačar Snatches Yellow Jersey from Vingegaard in Two-Second Stage 3 Sprint at Les Angles
Tadej Pogačar won stage three of the Tour de France at Les Angles on Monday, seizing the yellow jersey from Jonas Vingegaard on countback after the pair finished the 196-kilometre Pyrenean stage separated by just two seconds. UAE Team Emirates-XRG's Isaac del Toro set up the win with a devastating lead-out before Pogačar's ferocious sprint on the final ramp proved unmatchable. The stage ran under exceptional conditions, with spectators banned from the final 40 kilometres due to nearby wildfires in the Pyrénées-Orientales. Remco Evenepoel is third overall at 23 seconds, with teenage French debutant Paul Seixas sixth at 48 seconds.
Sources: Cyclingnews Cycling Weekly Share ↗ ✉︎ Email 💬 Text
Del Toro Sacrifices Stage Ambitions for Pogačar in Les Angles Lead-Out — One Day After His Own Stage Win
Isaac del Toro delivered one of the Tour de France's standout performances on stage three Monday, setting a punishing pace on the final Les Angles climb that created the platform for Tadeţ Pogačar to sprint to stage victory and the yellow jersey. The Mexican UAE rider had won stage two in Barcelona the previous day but committed fully to his team leader role on Monday. "It was super important to be up there for him," del Toro said afterwards. Pogačar acknowledged the sacrifice: "It's because of him, it's because of Isaac today, I got some extra power." Del Toro remains fourth overall at 24 seconds.
Sources: Cyclingnews Cyclingnews (Stage 3 result) Share ↗ ✉︎ Email 💬 Text
Vingegaard Says Losing Yellow Jersey Is "A Shame" But Race Setup Was Better Than Expected
Jonas Vingegaard acknowledged losing the Tour de France yellow jersey was "a shame" after stage three's uphill finish at Les Angles on Monday, but said the outcome was better than he had anticipated. The Visma-Lease a Bike captain is level on time with Tadeţ Pogačar yet trails on countback after failing to match the Slovenian's powerful sprint on the final ramp. "I followed him on the climb, and on the last sprint. It's very anaerobic, and that's not my strength," Vingegaard said. The Dane also noted he had expected to lose more ground during the Tour's demanding opening stages in Spain and France.
Sources: Cyclingnews Share ↗ ✉︎ Email 💬 Text
Tour de France Stage 4 Faces 37°C at Foix — Riders Already Pushed to Limit by Pyrenean Heat
Riders at Tuesday's Tour de France stage four from Carcassonne to Foix face temperatures forecast to reach 37 degrees Celsius at the finish, the most extreme conditions of the 2026 race so far. Stage-three riders were already suffering badly in the Pyrenees on Monday, with Tom Pidcock of Pinarello-Q36.5 declaring afterwards: "I don't think I've done such a hard race in such heat before; it was ridiculous." Finishers were visibly covered in salt stains from sweating. Teams have deployed ice vests, ice socks, ice slush and cold-water sprays to keep riders cool. The 181.9-kilometre stage finishes in Foix after crossing four climbs including the Col de Montségur.
Sources: Cyclingnews Cycling Weekly Share ↗ ✉︎ Email 💬 Text
De Lie Abandons Tour de France with Stomach Infection — Second Time Illness Has Ended His Grand Tour
Arnaud De Lie abandoned the Tour de France after stage three on Monday, the race's second retirement following a stomach infection that left the 24-year-old Belgian sprinter unable to continue. The Lotto Intermarché rider had overcome a similar illness that ended his Giro d'Italia bid earlier this season and returned to win a stage at the Tour de Wallonie, but the bug returned in the Pyrenees. "This stomach infection weakened me a lot," De Lie told Cycling Weekly. The sprinter's exit follows Clément Berthet's withdrawal on stage two after the Groupama-FDJ United rider was injured in a stage-one team time trial crash.
Sources: Cyclingnews Cycling Weekly Share ↗ ✉︎ Email 💬 Text
UAE Team Emirates-XRG Earns Second Yellow Card as Penalty Tally Mounts in Tour de France Opening Stages
UAE Team Emirates-XRG earned a second yellow card at the Tour de France on Monday when team director Andrej Hauptman was fined 500 Swiss francs and penalised for an infraction during stage three. The punishment came a day after mechanic Bostian Kavcnik received the same penalties for what officials termed "irregular assistance of a rider," with Kavcnik apparently going against race traffic to deliver a spare bike towards stage-two winner Isaac del Toro, who had been left stranded on the roadside. Race officials distributed a total of four yellow cards and 10 fines across the opening three stages, with UAE's dominant squad receiving the most penalties.
Sources: Cyclingnews Share ↗ ✉︎ Email 💬 Text
Stage 4 Preview: Carcassonne to Foix Offers First Real Breakaway Opportunity of the 2026 Tour de France
Tuesday's Tour de France stage four from Carcassonne to Foix offers breakaway riders a rare chance at redemption, after the peloton's escapees were reeled in on stage three. The 181.9-kilometre route through Cathar country features four categorised climbs: the Col de Bedos, Col du Paradis, Col de Coudons, and the 6.9-kilometre Col de Montségur at 6.6 percent average gradient. A long descent following the Montségur summit means a reduced bunch sprint remains a realistic outcome. Ben Healy, Quinn Simmons and Jonas Abrahamsen are expected to target the break, while Mads Pedersen could contend if a reduced sprint group arrives together in Foix.
Sources: Cyclingnews Share ↗ ✉︎ Email 💬 Text
Tour de France GC — After Stage 3
General Classification Top 6
1. Tadež Pogačar — leads on countback | UAE Team Emirates-XRG
2. Jonas Vingegaard — same time | Visma-Lease a Bike
3. Remco Evenepoel — +0:23 | Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe
4. Isaac del Toro — +0:24 | UAE Team Emirates-XRG
5. Juan Ayuso — +0:27 | Lidl-Trek
6. Paul Seixas — +0:48 | Decathlon CMA CGM
Other Classifications
Jersey Leaders
🟡 Yellow (GC): Tadež Pogačar (UAE)
🟢 Green (Points): Tadež Pogačar (UAE)
⚪ Polka Dot (Mountains): Alex Baudin
⚪ White (Young Rider): Isaac del Toro (UAE)
Stage 4 Today — Carcassonne to Foix (181.9km)
Four climbs — 37°C forecast at finish
Curated by JD · samwise.agency
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