Samwise Cycle Racing Newsletter
Thursday, July 23, 2026
Philipsen wins Stage 17 sprint as green jersey battle tightens
Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Premier Tech) won the sprint finish on Stage 17 of the 2026 Tour de France on Wednesday in Voiron, edging a tightening battle for the green jersey. The 174.7km stage from Chambéry ended in a bunch sprint after the day's breakaway was swept up in the final kilometre. Philipsen's victory was his 11th career Tour de France stage win. Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek) leads the points classification by just seven points. Race leader Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) retained the yellow jersey, 4 minutes 32 seconds ahead of Remco Evenepoel, with Isaac del Toro third at 6:51.
Sources: Cyclingnews Share ↗ ✉︎ Email 💬 Text
Adam Yates rides on at Tour de France after severe stomach illness on Stage 17
Adam Yates (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) completed Stage 17 of the 2026 Tour de France on Wednesday despite a serious stomach illness that began on Tuesday, finishing 26 minutes and 36 seconds behind stage winner Jasper Philipsen in Voiron with teammate Tim Wellens pacing him home. UAE team manager Mauro Gianetti confirmed Yates will continue racing: “His stomach problem is almost sorted out, but the legs may be a bit empty.” Gianetti added: “He is going to suffer because it is still soon.” The British climber could not eat during Stage 17, but UAE retain all eight riders as the race approaches the Alpe d’Huez double this weekend.
Sources: Cyclingnews Share ↗ ✉︎ Email 💬 Text
Evenepoel's spring racing break pays dividends with Tour time trial victory
Remco Evenepoel's decision to take an extended spring racing break drew scrutiny at the time, but the Belgian's Stage 16 time trial victory at the 2026 Tour de France — beating Tadej Pogačar by 14 seconds over 26.1 kilometres between Évian-les-Bains and Thonon-les-Bains — appears to have vindicated the plan. Evenepoel sits second overall at 4 minutes 32 seconds with five stages remaining. His Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe sporting director described the strategy as deliberate: “This Tour de France was all about crescendo.” The reigning time trial world champion has grown stronger each week of the race.
Sources: Cyclingnews Share ↗ ✉︎ Email 💬 Text
Pidcock mounts best Tour GC bid with finest time trial performance of his career
Tom Pidcock (Pinarello Q36.5) is delivering the best Tour de France general classification campaign of his career, sitting eighth overall after finishing 12th on Stage 16's 26.1km time trial — behind specialists Filippo Ganna and Josh Tarling but clear of most GC rivals. Pidcock, who won atop Alpe d’Huez in 2022, called his Stage 16 effort “the best TT I've ever done.” He lies 12 minutes 58 seconds behind race leader Tadej Pogačar and intends to target both a top-10 GC finish and breakaway stage wins in the final five stages, with a doubleheader at Alpe d’Huez on Friday and Saturday.
Sources: Cyclingnews Share ↗ ✉︎ Email 💬 Text
Garmin acquires TrainingPeaks and TrainHeroic in cycling-tech consolidation
Garmin announced Thursday the acquisition of endurance training platform TrainingPeaks and strength coaching app TrainHeroic from Peaksware Holdings, adding 120 employees to its global workforce. Financial terms were not disclosed. TrainingPeaks, founded in 1999 in Louisville, Colorado by Joe Friel, Dirk Friel, and Gear Fisher, provides coach-athlete training management tools used by professionals across cycling and triathlon. Garmin Co-COO Brad Trenkle said the deal would “expand access to more authentic coaching experiences.” TrainingPeaks President Lee Gerakos will continue leading the company, and Dirk Friel remains as a strategic adviser. Peaksware retains music software brands MakeMusic and Alfred Music.
Sources: Cyclingnews Garmin Newsroom Share ↗ ✉︎ Email 💬 Text
Tour de Pologne Women set as sprint tuneup before Tour de France Femmes
The Tour de Pologne Women returns July 24–26 as a three-day sprint showcase after a calendar shift moved the race from August to July, positioning it as a direct warm-up for the Tour de France Femmes. Defending champion Chiara Consonni (Canyon-SRAM) heads a strong field including Elisa Balsamo, who won four stages at this year's Giro Women, and Lotte Kopecky. Lorena Wiebes, competing at her first race since being disqualified at the Giro d’Italia Donne, is also entered. The Polish race offers sprint specialists valuable racing kilometres ahead of the sport's biggest women's stage race.
Sources: Cyclingnews Share ↗ ✉︎ Email 💬 Text
Rogič confirmed leaving Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe at season end
Primož Rogič will leave Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe at the end of the 2026 season, team manager Ralph Denk confirmed this week, ending the Slovenian's tenure with the squad. Rogič, who turns 37 in October, is seeking a team leadership role and is targeting a 2027 Tour de France campaign. Bahrain Victorious have been ruled out as a destination, and no new team has been announced. The three-time Vuelta a España champion is understood to be evaluating offers from teams willing to build a Tour de France programme around his leadership for what would likely be the final chapter of his Grand Tour career.
Sources: Escape Collective CyclingUpToDate Share ↗ ✉︎ Email 💬 Text
UCI backs night-time anti-doping tests as all Tour riders give rest-day blood samples
The Union Cycliste Internationale has endorsed the use of night-time anti-doping controls at the 2026 Tour de France, with the International Testing Agency confirming it carried out out-of-competition tests on riders during the race. The UCI stated the controls “serve an overriding interest: the fight against doping.” Separately, the ITA confirmed all riders in the Tour de France peloton provided blood samples on the most recent rest day for the Biological Passport programme, a longitudinal testing system that detects doping through abnormal fluctuations in biological markers. The programme targets subtle manipulation that targeted single-sample testing may miss.
Sources: Cyclingnews Share ↗ ✉︎ Email 💬 Text
Tour de France 2026 — GC After Stage 17
General Classification Top 5
1. Tadej Pogačar — UAE Team Emirates-XRG — Leader
2. Remco Evenepoel — Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe — +4:32
3. Isaac del Toro — UAE Team Emirates-XRG — +6:51 💠
4. Paul Seixas — +7:11
5. Juan Ayuso — +9:22
Other Jerseys
Classification Leaders
🟢 Points: Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek) — +7 pts over Philipsen
⛰ Mountains: Leader TBC
💠 White: Isaac del Toro (UAE Team Emirates-XRG)
Stage 18 today: Albertville → La Plagne (mountain)
Curated by JD · samwise.agency
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