Isaac del Toro made a daring late move in the final kilometre to take the second stage of the 2026 Tour de France on an uphill finish in Barcelona. The UAE Team Emirates-XRG rider chased down late-attacker Matthias Skjelmose (Lidl-Trek), cornering at high speed with 500 metres to go and unleashing his acceleration. His team-mate Tadej Pogaar attacked from behind and had the beating of yellow jersey Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike), but appeared to all his young colleague to take an historic victory in a UAE Team Emirates-XRG 1-2. Remco Evenepoel (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) topped an impressive opening weekend by finishing third. Vingegaard remains in the yellow jersey of race leader, but Pogaar has closed the gap from twelve to six seconds, moving into second overall. Evenepoel now sits third, 15 seconds down. Del Toro claimed his first Tour de France stage win, and what's more, took Mexico's first win at the race in 36 years, since Ral Alcala claimed stage 7 in 1990.More to follow...

The 2026 Tour de France classifications will shift across three weeks of racing, from the Grand Dpart in Barcelona on 4 July to the final stage in Paris on 26 July. Across time trials, sprint stages, breakaway opportunities and the high mountains, each day can alter the shape of the race for yellow...

Jonas Vingegaard insisted he could be satisfied with stage 2 of the 2026 Tour de France, even after Tadej Pogacar reduced his yellow jersey lead to just six seconds in Barcelona. Vingegaard finished fourth on the stage, on the same time as Isaac del Toro, Pogacar and Remco Evenepoel, so the Dane was...

Stage 3 of the 2026 Tour de France is under serious threat, with officials set to decide by the end of Sunday whether Mondays first mountain test can go ahead amid a major wildfire emergency in the Pyrenees-Orientales. The 195.9km stage is scheduled to start in Granollers, Spain, before crossing in...

As the Tour de France exits Barcelona and prepares to make landfall in France after a hot and sweaty Grand Dpart, teams are in the dark over how or if stage three of the race will take place as a wildfire rages in the eastern Pyrenees.The third stage of the 2026 race is slated to begin in Granollers, a town on the outskirts of Barcelona, before heading north, climbing to the La Molina ski station, and then crossing into France late in the day before a finish at Les Angles.But a wildfire approximately 70 kilometres from Les Angles has forced the closure of a long section of the D66 road which forms part of the races hors course the route that non-race vehicles are recommended to use. Around 700 firefighters are currently tackling the blaze.At the end of stage two in Barcelona, which was won by Isaac Del Toro, the prospect of the following day going ahead as planned dominated the discussion.All teams who Cycling Weekly spoke to said that it was a mystery what would happen, confirming that ASO, the Tour de France organisers, had not informed them of any developments.But all expected the final part of the route to be adapted, with some speculating that it might finish after the descent of the Collada de Toses, thus keeping the race within the Spanish borders. This would avoid the race having to enter France where the local government has said it has the ultimate authority over whether or not the stage can go ahead.Christian Prudhomme, the Tour race director, told France TV after stage three that the final 44km of the route would take place as planned but without any spectators, including on the climbs of Col du Calvaire and Les Angles. The publicity caravan would also stop on the French border. The teams of the prefecture of the Pyrnes-Orientales and the Tour de France were in contact this afternoon," Prudhomme said. "I also spoke to the prefect on the phone in the afternoon and we agreed, given the exceptional and frightening conditions of the fire that reigns in the Pyrnes-Orientales, not to allow the publicity caravan to pass through the last 40km, the final part of the stage in France, to limit the road to only the riders and the organisation vehicles that are essential. And we ask the public not to come to roadside or to the finish."Adapting is daily life of organisers of cycling courses like the Tour de France. All of this is done in agreement with the state authorities. Again, we were in constant contact. The teams of the Pyrnes-Orientales prefecture and the teams of the Tour de France. And we will adapt again tomorrow, the next day. Next year if we need to, or in three years."An ASO source told CW that the situation remains fluid, while other stakeholders in the sport suggested that the decision to prohibit fans in France wouldn't necessarily be the end of the story. Zak Dempster, chief of sports at Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe, admitted that the confusion will cause unrest and unease among the Tour participants, even if it's not the first time that a Grand Tour stage has been in doubt; the Giro d'Italia often has a stage shortened due to snow."We dont really have a choice, just have to do what you have to do," Dempster said. "Ive been involved in a few cancellations, one in particular [at the Giro d'Italia] on the Stelvio that really ran up to the last minute. "There was a lot of angst, and I personally as a sports director that day I learned a lot about how to protect the group of riders from entering in too much. Its complicated, mainly mentally."

Mattias Skjelmose believes the heat played a major role in shaping stage 2 of the 2026 Tour de France, after the Montjuic finale created splits but stopped short of the full-scale GC explosion many expected. The Lidl-Trek rider was one of the few to attack late in Barcelona, launching shortly before...

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...

A little boy, at most five years old, is sitting on his fathers shoulders next to the media zone in Barcelona. Ten minutes have passed since Isaac del Toro stood on stage in the Tour de France team presentation, dressed in the Mexican champions jersey, beneath the spires of the Sagrada Famlia. The moment is historic: Del Toro is the first man from his country this century to compete at the race. For the little boy, that makes him a hero. Torito! he cries. The sound is piercing. No sooner have the ears of the people nearby recovered that another cry comes, and another, and another. Torito! the boys voice tires and quivers, as he waves a UAE Team Emirates-XRG cap. Una firma! a signature.The frenzy at this years Tour was supposed to surround Frances 19-year-old debutant Paul Seixas. And it surely will once the race enters France on Monday. But its Del Toro, Mexicos sweetheart, who has had the most admirers across the opening weekend. Now, not only is he the first Mexican to start the Tour since Miguel Arroyo in 1997 and only the third ever along with Raul Alcal hes also a stage winner. It only took him two days, winning on Montjic in Barcelona, and came in a swell of affection. Its a dream come true, Del Toro said in his post-race press conference. Its super special, especially because [the fans] make me feel like its a home race. You cannot believe how special it is to see the flags. Im a very privileged guy. Over the hill by the UAE Team Emirates-XRG team bus, Tadej Pogaar waded through 50 Mexican fans, who greeted him with a heros welcome. He slung a Mexican flag over his shoulders, and danced to the tune of their chanting.Second on the day, the world champion gifted the stage win to Del Toro. But it was the latter who crafted the perfect finale; charging down a descent, Del Toro whipped around Lidl-Treks Mattias Skjelmose and blasted up the 500m hill to the line. Fans Nayeli and Rene watched on in matching Mexico hats around halfway up. Nayeli and Rene flew in from Mexico to see Del Toro Tour debut. (Image credit: Tom Davidson)Swept up by Del Toro fever, the pair flew in specially from Mexico four days ago to support their national champion on his debut. Yesterday we were at the start of the team time trial for more than five hours with all the Mexicans, says Nayeli, 36. We liked cycling before, but Isaac del Toro awoke the passion in us to follow the Tour. Like Del Toro, this edition of the race is the pairs first. Its also their first time visiting Europe. We spent 2,500 to get here, Rene, 39, smiles. The victory certainly made it worth it. Does he think Del Toro could win the Tour in the future? Yes, Im sure of it, he says, and well be back here to see it. Some 100m further up the road, that same view was shared by Adrin, dressed in a Mexico football shirt. Hes from Mexico City originally, but has lived in Barcelona for three years, one of the around 4,500 Mexicans that live in the wider autonomous community of Catalonia. My dad was a cycling fan in the era of Arroyo and Alcal, Adrin, 42, says. For a while, we didnt really follow it, but now with Isaac were back following it again. As a national champion, hes inspiring so many people to take the same path. Adrin believes it's a matter of time before Del Toro wins the Tour. (Image credit: Tom Davidson)An hour later, Del Toro tore tear along the barrier beside Adrin, and under the flag he had hung from a long plastic tube. It was exactly the scene Adrin had wished for. This year I think hes going to win at least one stage, he said, a call born more out of optimism than clairvoyance. Id love him to win here in Barcelona, but, well, well see Im sure hes going to win the Tour one day. That day may now feel a little closer. But for the moment, Del Toro is a lieutenant in Pogaar's mission to win a fifth Tour, a team-mate buoyed by the joy of victory. Sundays stage win, though stamped with his name, was for all the fans that have come to support him: those wearing football shirts with Del Toro on the back, Nayeli, Rene and Adrin on the finish line, and the little boy at the team presentation, whose adoration for his hero just grew even stronger. Sitting in his press conference, Del Toro looks down at his Mexican champion's jersey, and stretches out the material, pulling it towards the journalists. Im the only guy in the bunch that, if you see this flag, [you recognise] its me, he says. Someone else might feel pressure, but I feel really privileged.. I will take this [win with me] for the rest of my life.

Mondays third stage, which is scheduled to cross the border back into France, remains in doubt as fires rage along part of the route

The Tour de France has taken over the cycling world but behind the scenes, riders continue to work on their future and agents continue to put in the good word for their riders. One move however that seems likely to happen and did not need any softening up is that of Mikel Landa. The veteran looks se...