The Tour de France excitement can barely contain itself at road.cc HQ, Callum might even have to go for a bike ride at some point...

Tadej Pogacar will start the 2026 Tour de France as the clearest favourite for yellow, but Miguel Indurain knows better than most how quickly three weeks in July can start creating problems. The five-time Tour winner sees the UAE Team Emirates XRG leader as the rider to beat, while also pointing t...

Seth Dunwoody (Bahrain Victorious Development Team) is the 2026 Elite Mens Road Race National Champion, taking the title in a four-up sprint in Cong, Co. Mayo, hosted by Cunga CC. As the youngest of the leaders and a U23 rider, Dunwoody claims both the Elite and U23 titles.High winds and repeated climbs split the bunch early, an initial group of 20 whittling down over the day until four riders stayed clear. Defending champion Rory Townsend (Unibet Rose Rockets) launched with 200m to go, but Dunwoodys power carried him over the top for the win, with Finn Crockett (Volkerwessels Cycling Team) third. Conn McDunphy stuck with the leaders all day and narrowly missed the podium in fourth.It feels incredible Ive had a lot of close runs at big races this year, so to open the account at nationals means a lot, said Dunwoody, who dedicated part of his season to the memory of Shane OBrien, whose passing during the Giro was felt across Irish cycling. Giving up wasnt an option. I wanted to win it for everyone around me. Full result below.EMElite Men (inc U23) 156.2 km 43.64 km/h avg1Seth DUNWOODY1st overall U23Bahrain Victorious Development Team3:34:432Rory TOWNSENDUnibet Rose Rockets3:34:45 +13Finn CROCKETTVolkerwessels Cycling Team3:34:48 +44Conn MC DUNPHYAPS Pro Cycling3:34:53 +105Ryan MULLENNSN Cycling Team3:35:07 +236Daire FEELEYBurren Cycling Club3:35:53 +1:107Ronan O CONNORAPS Pro Cycling3:35:55 +1:128Adam RAFFERTYU23Hagens Berman Jayco3:36:05 +1:219Killian O BRIENU23Team Skylines.t.10Luke SMITHMoynalty Cycling Club3:36:23 +1:3911Lindsay WATSONCaldwell Powerhouse Racing3:40:10 +5:2612Sean O KANEU23Orwell Wheelers Cycling Clubs.t.13Odhran DOOGANCaldwell Powerhouse Racing3:40:28 +5:4414Jack CONROYU23Velo Performance Racing Team3:40:30 +5:4615Liam CROWLEYOrwell Wheelers Cycling Clubs.t.16Jamie MEEHANCofidiss.t.17Josh CALLALYU23Velo Performance Racing Teams.t.18Padraig MORANOrwell Wheelers Cycling Clubs.t.19Darren RAFFERTYEF Education Easypost3:40:35 +5:5120Cian KEOGHAPS Pro Cycling3:42:00 +7:1621Stefan CAULFIELD-DREIERGiant Store Assen Cycling Team NWVG3:42:08 +7:2422Patrick CASEYU23NSN Development Teams.t.23David GAFFNEYU23Hagens Berman Jaycos.t.24Gareth O NEILLAthlete Nutrition Coach Nordic Labs3:42:11 +7:2825Jason KENNYUCD Cycling Club3:42:58 +8:1426Matti DOBBINSMypad Racing3:43:40 +8:5627Matthew WALLSU23APS Pro Cycling3:43:43 +8:5928Evan KEANEOrwell Wheelers Cycling Clubs.t.29Patrick O LOUGHLINU23Panduit Carrick Wheelerss.t.30Ciaran MAGUIREDan Morrissey Pissei Cycling Teams.t.31Cal TUTTYU23Velo Performance Racing Teams.t.32Finn MC HENRYU23Edinburgh Bike Fitting RTs.t.33Joseph MULLENU23Moynalty Cycling Clubs.t.34Conal SCULLYU23Dan Morrissey Pissei Cycling Team3:43:49 +9:0635Ruairi BYRNEU23UCD Cycling Club3:45:05 +10:2236Ethan SQUIRESU23BCC Race Team3:47:02 +12:1837Callum MC CAFFREYU23Natural-Greatness-Rali-Ales.t.38Niall MC LOUGHLINU23Westport Covey Wheelers Cycling Clubs.t.39Daragh MC GEEU23OLeary Stone Kanturks.t.40Darnell MOORECaldwell Powerhouse Racings.t.41Tom HUELINU23Velo Performance Racing Team3:47:05 +12:2242Tadhg KILLEENU23Kilcullen Cycling Club Murphy Geospatials.t.43Eoin CLIFFORDVelo Revolution / Speed Queens.t.44Travis HARKNESSU23Un-Attached Ulsters.t.45James O SHEAVelo Revolution / Speed Queens.t.46Rory CONDONU23Zappi Racing Teams.t.47Charlie KELLYU23Westport Covey Wheelers Cycling Club3:47:09 +12:2548Isaac BURMANU23Velo Performance Racing Teams.t.49Christopher MARSHALLU23Velo Performance Racing Team3:47:12 +12:2950Curtis NEILLU23Velo Performance Racing Team3:47:21 +12:3751Mitchell MC LAUGHLINWheelbase Cabtech Castelli3:47:25 +12:4252George PEDENTeam PB Performance3:47:35 +12:51DNFRuair WOODSBurren Cycling ClubDNFMark MC GARRYDan Morrissey Pissei Cycling TeamDNFConor DOONEYFoyle CCDNFLiam KILKENNYGalway Bay CCDNFJames DELANEYLucan Cycling Road ClubDNFJamie CLARKENorth Down CCDNFLuke KEANEYOrwell Wheelers Cycling ClubDNFMatt LYNCHOrwell Wheelers Cycling ClubDNFDaniel STONERoadman Cycling ClubDNFMartin CASEYVelo Revolution / Speed QueenDNFJared TRITSCHLERVelo Revolution / Speed QueenDNFMaximilian FITZGERALDU23Team SkylineDNFRian CAHILLU23Athy Wheelers Cycling ClubDNFJames CONNOLLYU23Dungarvan CCDNFDavid HARRINGTONU23Lucan Cycling Road ClubDNFMikey FLAHERTYU23Moynalty Cycling ClubDNFConor KELLYU23VC GlendaleDNFEoghan LATTIMOREU23Velo Performance Racing Team

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Nils Politt knows how much planning goes into a Tour de France stage with Tadej Pogacar. He also knows how quickly those plans can become flexible once the UAE Team Emirates XRG leader sees an opening. Politt will start his tenth consecutive Tour this weekend in Barcelona, and his third as one of...

A spectacular start in Barcelona, an early trip to the Pyrenees, a backloaded, brutal third week, plenty of chances for the opportunists, and a double dose of Alpe dHuez whats on the menu for the 2026 Tour?

Jonas Vingegaard arrives at the 2026 Tour de France with a Giro dItalia victory already in his legs and one of cyclings hardest turnarounds still to prove. After dominating in Italy in May, the Team Visma | Lease a Bike leader stayed off the bike, spent time in Rome and Denmark, then rebuilt towar...

In the hours after Fred Wright won the British National Road Championships last weekend, cogs started to turn at Pinarello Q36.5. Only four days separated the event from the Tour de Frances team presentation in Barcelona, Spain, where Wright will line up ahead of his sixth appearance at the race. He had earned his right to wear the British bands. Could his team make him a new kit in time? They were the first emails being sent, Wright says. That evening, on Sunday, that was the first thing: OK, how are we going to get this ready? The matter quickly became pressing. The truth is, not only does Wright want to show off his second national champions jersey, the spoils of his latest victory, hes also plotting to win in it. Since making his Tour debut in 2021, Wright has led breakaways at the race, tallied a string of stage top-10s, and scored a near-miss second place behind Mads Pedersen in 2022. This year, having swapped Bahrain Victorious for Tour debutants Pinarello Q36.5, he hopes everything will fall into place. Im always going to be at the start line of a Grand Tour wanting to win a stage. I think thats how I am as a rider, he tells Cycling Weekly. I just want to be in the mix for stages, showing the bands. I got in a few breakaways last year, but I probably wasnt as up there and involved as Id have liked. Wherever theres a chance, Id like to be there. Wright, 27, is now in his seventh year as a pro. To date, a major international win has eluded him, despite his will to attack. Five times he has finished in the top five of stages at the Vuelta a Espaa, once at the Tour, and until his National Championships win in Aberystwyth on Sunday, which came from a three-man shout-out with Lewis Askey (NSN Cycling) and Connor Swift (Netcompany-Ineos), he hadnt won for three years his only other pro victory being the same in 2023. To win again, he says, felt really special its nice to know that I can still play a final well and come out of it on top. In a scenario where youre not necessarily the favourite, knowing that I can still wangle my way to the win, that bodes well for the Tour.One things for sure: I felt really good, which is always nice. Everyones flying at the Tour, everyones going well, but I can confidently say Im in very good shape.Pinarello Q36.5 manager Doug Ryder announced on Wednesday that the team are planning to race proactively on their Tour debut. The squad will be led by Vuelta podium finisher Tom Pidcock, who, along with his seven team-mates, will look for opportunities every day, Ryder added. Wright has already singled out his chances over the three weeks. Therell be a bit of helping Tom, but I think the plan also is to go for breaks, he says. Ive already got some stages in my head, how the race is going to flow. Its really exciting.Naturally, Wright would not be drawn on announcing the days he is targeting. With these breaks, especially in high-level races, its random enough that you dont want to think about it too much, he says. You never really know how the GC gets involved, or what breakaway stages are going to be like. But no, Ive got my eye on some stages and Im always going to be hopeful, always going to be trying.After waiting three years to win again, Wright's next victory could be days away. The finish line shot, arms outstretched in the red, white and blue of the British champion's jersey, would surely sit nicely in a frame on the mantelpiece.

The Tour de France excitement can barely contain itself at road.cc HQ, Callum might even have to go for a bike ride at some point...