Samwise Cycle Racing Newsletter
Thursday, July 9, 2026
Kooij powers to dominant debut sprint win as Stage 5 lands in Pau
Olav Kooij powered to a dominant sprint victory in Stage 5 of the Tour de France in Pau on July 8, claiming the win on his Tour de France debut. The Decathlon CMA CGM sprinter timed his effort to perfection in a chaotic finale that saw multiple crashes in the final kilometres, with several Soudal Quick-Step and Caja Rural riders caught up in the mayhem. Tim Merlier of Soudal Quick-Step — left without teammates in the closing metres — could not match Kooij’s burst. It was the first bunch sprint of the 2026 Tour, delivering one of the most dramatic finishes of the opening week.
Sources: Cyclingnews Share ↗ ✉︎ Email 💬 Text
Vingegaard borrows Campenaerts’ bike to escape Stage 5 crash disaster
Jonas Vingegaard survived a tense late scare in Stage 5 of the Tour de France on July 8, finishing on teammate Victor Campenaerts’ bike after being caught up in a crash just outside the protected 5km zone in Pau. Visma-Lease a Bike’s response was swift: Campenaerts handed over his machine, teammates drove Vingegaard back to the peloton, and the two-time Tour champion crossed the line 53rd — on the same time as Tadęj Pogačar and all the GC favourites. Campenaerts finished 4:50 behind after waiting for a replacement bike, sacrificing his own race to protect his team leader.
Sources: Cyclingnews Share ↗ ✉︎ Email 💬 Text
Stage 6 preview: Tourmalet and new Gavarnie summit await in first mountain test
Stage 6 of the Tour de France on July 9 delivers the race’s first genuine mountain reckoning. The 186.2km route from Pau includes the Col d’Aspin and the iconic Col du Tourmalet before a summit finish at Gavarnie-Gèdre, a natural amphitheatre inside the UNESCO Cirque de Gavarnie World Heritage Site making its Tour debut as a finish. Race leader Torstein Træen faces his first real test in yellow, with Pogačar, Vingegaard, Evenepoel, and Seixas all expected to contest time on the climbs. Thunderstorms are forecast for the afternoon, adding further unpredictability to an already explosive stage.
Sources: Domestique Cycling Share ↗ ✉︎ Email 💬 Text
Tour de France Stage 6 enters UCI Extreme Weather Protocol red zone
The Tour de France officially entered the UCI Extreme Weather Protocol’s red zone for Stage 6 on July 9, with temperatures forecast to reach 35°C on the route to the Col du Tourmalet. Race director Christian Prudhomme confirmed the stage would go ahead despite multiple red-zone WBGT readings along the course. Riders have endured temperatures up to 37°C through the first week, relying on ice socks, slushies, and expanded feed zones to cope. Teams have been granted musettes of water and ice on all categorised climbs. “This is the Tour, and in the Tour, anything goes,” Soudal Quick-Step sports director Iljo Keisse told Nieuwsblad.
Sources: Cyclingnews Share ↗ ✉︎ Email 💬 Text
Molenaar abandons Tour de France with fractured hand after Stage 5 crash
Caja Rural rider Alex Molenaar abandoned the Tour de France on July 9 after fracturing his hand in a crash during Stage 5. The young climber told reporters he had no memory of the impact. “I don’t remember the crash,” said Molenaar, whose withdrawal was confirmed after team doctors assessed the injury. Molenaar’s exit follows a difficult opening week for the Caja Rural squad, which was also caught up in the chaotic Stage 5 finale in Pau. His abandonment further reduces the peloton as the race moves into the mountains with Stage 6 heading to Gavarnie-Gèdre on Thursday.
Sources: Cycling Weekly Share ↗ ✉︎ Email 💬 Text
Decathlon ‘confident’ of retaining Seixas amid €13m transfer speculation
Decathlon CMA CGM team manager Dominique Serieys remained relaxed on July 8 about transfer interest in Tour de France star Paul Seixas, telling Cyclingnews: “We’re confident.” The 19-year-old, under contract until end of 2027, has attracted reported interest from UAE Team Emirates-XRG, Visma-Lease a Bike, Netcompany Ineos, Lidl-Trek, and Pinarello Q36.5. Daniel Benson reported from trusted sources that Pinarello Q36.5 owner Ivan Glasenberg is ready to offer Seixas €13 million per season. Serieys told Cyclingnews that Glasenberg denied making that offer. Contract negotiations are expected to begin in August, with Seixas saying he has “a good year to go with the team.”
Sources: Cyclingnews Share ↗ ✉︎ Email 💬 Text
Powless makes racing return after five months of knee surgery rehabilitation
American EF Education-EasyPost rider Neilson Powless made his racing return on July 8 after five months of rehabilitation following knee surgery. Powless confirmed the recovery had gone to plan and that the team had been able to set goals for the road ahead. “We’ve been able to set some goals,” said Powless. He suffered the knee injury during the spring season and underwent surgery before beginning a careful recovery programme with EF’s medical team. His return is a significant step for the American, who had been one of the team’s key performers heading into the 2026 season before the injury forced him out of racing for several months.
Sources: Cyclingnews Share ↗ ✉︎ Email 💬 Text
General Classification — After Stage 5
Yellow Jersey — No GC gaps in Stage 5 sprint
1. Torstein Træen ▬ Uno-X Mobility
2. Tadęj Pogačar UAE Team Emirates-XRG
3. Jonas Vingegaard Visma-Lease a Bike
4. Remco Evenepoel Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe
5. Paul Seixas Decathlon CMA CGM
All contenders in the same group after Pau sprint. Stage 6 to Gavarnie-Gèdre is the first mountain verdict.
Stage 6 — Today’s Stage
Pau → Gavarnie-Gèdre | 186.2 km
▲ Col d’Aspin (Cat. 1)
▲ Col du Tourmalet (HC)
▲ Gavarnie-Gèdre summit finish
⚡ Extreme Weather Protocol Red Zone active — 35°C+ forecast. Stage goes ahead.
🏆 Yesterday: Stage 5 — Olav Kooij (Decathlon CMA CGM)
Curated by JD · samwise.agency