The 2026 Tour de France will take place from the 4th to the 26th of July. Throughout the21 stages, the peloton will be racing through the mountains, sprint stages, cobblestones, individual and team time trials, and even. We take a look at all stages, their official profiles, and preview the days -...

Lotto-Intermarche have lost a second rider from the 2026 Tour de France after Jenno Berckmoes suffered a broken collarbone in the mass crash that disrupted the stage 12 sprint in Chalon-sur-Saone. Berckmoes managed to remount and cross the finish line, but subsequent examinations confirmed the fract...

It is stage 12 of the Tour de France, of which Tim Merlier has already won three, including today's. The Belgian should be cock-a-hoop, over the moon, jumping for joy, and he is, but that's tempered by the fact there are still nine hard stages of the race to come.In fact, it might already be race over for the Soudal Quick-Step rider, who proved once again on Thursday that he's the fastest sprinter in the race. From now until the end in Paris, there might be no more bunch sprints for Merlier to prove himself again. Five sprints have come and gone, and now it's mountains and breakaway terrain for the rest of the race.Asked what his plan was for the rest of his days in France this year, Merlier was succinct: "Try to survive, maybe."Despite there being five sprint opportunities so far, this has not been an easy Tour for the fast men. There is not even the carrot of a final day sprint in Paris any more, with the traditional procession having been replaced with a hilly circuit around Montmartre instead.Of course, I think everybody wants to go to Paris, Merlier said in his winners press conference. If you have the feeling that you're able to follow a good grupetto it's more easy, but I remember last year that the last week was a fight with myself. Now I see that my recovery is ok day by day, and last year was different.A sprint is plausible next Wednesday, on stage 17 from Chambry to Voiron, but with four categorised climbs in the first 60km, it could be a very tough day for a pure bunch finisher like Merlier.It's difficult, Wednesday, it's possible to have a sprint, but in the third week, it's a hard stage, a hard start, he said For me, it's more a breakaway day definitely. Maybe a sprint, but they're going to try and drop me, for sure after today.As for the green jersey, which usually the winner of three stages would be in contention for, the Soudal Quick-Step rider lies in fourth, behind the leader Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek), Biniam Girmay (NSN Cycling) and Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Premier Tech). With the possibility of no more bunch sprints, Merlier is not confident in his chances to move up.You always have to try, but if you do a lot just before a real mountain you blow up also, he explained, with intermediates often coming mid-stage on climbing days. If you blow up, you can go home. The green jersey is not a goal any more.With no sprints left, and the green jersey seemingly out of the question, where does that leave a sprinter like Merlier on the road to Paris? Suffering through the mountains, and finishing the race for pride? As one colleague in the press room put it, maybe he has nothing better to do. A complete Tour looks better in the record books, too.All this talk of whats next ignores the fact that Merlier has been the fastest man in this years race, a hat-trick at his third Tour de France, and now has six stages on the worlds biggest cycling stage.After the sprint yesterday I got extra motivation to do better, Merlier said. As I said this morning I'm going to learn about my mistakes from yesterday, and I think I did it.The key, according to his directeur sportif Tom Steels, is patience. He said to Jasper [Stuyven] to stay calm and to wait, and that's a sign he's ready. When he has the patience, he has the legs to win.Patience has netted Merlier the victories, but now he will need grit to get through the final 10 days of the Tour, with the Vosges, Jura and Alps to come.

At the Tour de France, the racing does not always end at the finish line. Sprint deviations, sticky bottles, feeding breaches, littering fines, time penalties, yellow cards and relegations can all become part of the daily story, especially in a race where every stage result and jersey position is wa...

For Collective Reward #249, we partnered with Californian component manufacturer White Industries to give one lucky winner an aluminum crankset and chainring of their choice. Find details on our latest giveaway here...The post Collective Reward #249: White Industries Crankset appeared first on BIKEPACKING.com.

Mads Pedersen and Lidl-Trek tried to remove the sprinters from the equation altogether on stage 12 of the Tour de France, repeatedly attacking in the closing kilometres as the fight for the green jersey tightened behind them. The moves failed to prevent the expected bunch finish in Chalon-sur-Saone...

The Tour de France is often shaped as much by survival as by strength. Across three weeks of racing from the Grand Dpart in Barcelona on 4 July to the final stage in Paris on 26 July, crashes, illness, heat, fatigue and withdrawals can quickly reshape the peloton, from nervous sprint stages and exp...

Look, its hot out there, so carrying more water than usual is probably a good idea. And Restrap has a new solution to load up with a bit of extra fluids on the go, thanks to new Soft Flasks. Essentially, a soft 0.5L water bottle made of the same material as the latest hydration bladders, you can stuff them in the chest pockets of hydration packs, or even tuck one into a jersey pocket to carry more water for long & hot rides. Then, compress it down to take up less space once youve hydrated.Restrap 0.5L Soft Flask compressible water bottles(All photos/Restrap)Now, soft collapsible bottles are certainly not something entirely new. Trail runners, especially, have been using them for many years. And thats where gravel and ultra-distance cycling picked up the whole hydration vest concept. Weve occasionally used Camelbak flasks since they introduced them in 2016, and their multi-sport hydration packs even started including a pair of expansion flasks back in 2020. But more options are always better in our book.And the new Restrap Soft Flasks feature a smart-looking cap and valve design that might make it possible to sip some more water without even needing to fully take the bottle out of the pocket. Or even make it a more versatile design that a mountain biker could drink from more easily without removing a full-face helmet?Tech detailssame soft mPE metallocene polyethylene material as the best new hydration bladdersBPA-free and PVC-free materialcollapsible design to fit in flexible pockets and take up less space when empty500ml / 17oz capacitytwistable, 45 angled mouthpiece with bite valve for easy drinking out of a pocketlockable cap/nozzle to prevent leaksmade in ChinaRestrap Soft Flask Pricing and availabilityThe new collapsible Soft Flask comes in just one 0.5L size, and is clear with Restrap logos and volume gradations printed on each side. You can pick up the new Soft Flask now directly from Restrap online for $24 / 16 / 19, or in person through one of their retailer shops.Restrap.com

After testing the original version of San Utils Mini Panniers for over a year, Miles got his hands on an updated version that addresses some of the issues he uncovered. The San Util Mini Panniers V2 have an external stretch pocket, a simplified attachment system, and optional waterproof taped seams. Following several months of riding, dig into Miless review here...The post San Util Mini Panniers V2 Review: Rise of the Tiny Pannier appeared first on BIKEPACKING.com.

Just 24 hours after celebrating arguably the biggest victory of his career, Soren Waerenskjold was among three Uno-X Mobility riders caught in the mass crash that marred the finale of stage 12 at the Tour de France. Waerenskjold, Anthon Charmig and Jonas Abrahamsen were all checked by the team docto...