Sepp Kuss refused to frame Jonas Vingegaards yellow jersey loss at Les Angles as a major setback, despite Tadej Pogacar taking both the stage win and the race lead on stage 3 of the 2026 Tour de France. Vingegaard finished second behind his biggest rival after a short uphill sprint that played stra...

Isaac del Toros record for Tour de France road stages now reads: one stage ridden, one stage won. The 22-year-old started the 2026 race as Tadej Pogaars star domestique but became the story on stage two, when he crossed the line first, shepherded by his team leader.Del Toros talent has been evident since he moved to UAE Team Emirates XRG at the start of the 2025 season, thanks to a string of stellar results, but the Mexican announced himself to a wider audience after a show-stopping late attack in Barcelona.That brought to a close a thrilling opening weekend in Barcelona, with Jonas Vingegaard announcing his return to form by putting himself in the yellow jersey on stage one, before Pogaar and del Toro fired back on stage two.This is what you need to know about one of cyclings brightest young talents.1. He is Mexico's biggest cycling star in nearly 30 years Isaac del Toro (right) and Tadej Pogaar (left) claimed a one-two for UAE Team Emirates-XRG on stage one. Getty Images Born to a family of cyclists in Ensenada, Baja California, in November 2003, del Toro joined the A.R. Monex Pro Cycling Team as a 15-year-old in 2019.A.R. Monex is focused on developing Mexican talent and del Toro is the countrys biggest star since Ral Alcal, who won two stages of the Tour de France in the 1980s. Alcal also won the white jersey in 1987 and finished in the top 10 overall on three occasions.Del Toros amateur breakthrough came in 2023 when he became the first Mexican rider to win the Tour de l'Avenir the under-23 equivalent of the Tour de France and a proven launching pad for future Grand Tour champions, including Pogaar in 2018.Del Toro and Pogaar then became team-mates in 2024, with del Toro signing a three-year deal with UAE Team Emirates-XRG. Isaac del Toro Age: 22 Born: Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico Team: UAE Team Emirates XRG Stage race wins: Vuelta a Burgos (2025), UAE Tour (2026), TirrenoAdriatico (2026) Tour Auvergne-Rhne-Alpes (2026) 2. He finished on the Giro d'Italia podium aged 21 Del Toro wore pink at the 2025 Giro d'Italia. Getty Images Del Toro made an immediate impact at UAE Team Emirates-XRG, winning stage two of the Tour Down Under and finishing third overall. He also won a stage of the Vuelta a Asturias en route to taking the title.Top 10 finishes at the Tirreno-Adriatico and Itzulia Basque Country stage races, and a sixth-place finish in the UCI World Championships road race, alongside a Grand Tour debut at the Vuelta a Espana, cemented del Toros reputation as one of cyclings hottest prospects.Del Toro stepped things up a gear in 2025, with a string of victories in Italian one-day races, including Milano-Torino, and a second-place finish in the Giro dItalia behind Simon Yates.Racing only his second Grand Tour, del Toro won stage 17 in the Italian Alps and claimed the white jersey as the races best young rider after spending much of the Giro in the maglia rosa.Del Toro had pulled on the Giros leaders pink jersey after stage nine, when he finished second behind Wout van Aert from a two-man breakaway, and only relinquished the lead on stage 20.More on the 2026 Tour de France Isaac del Toro's stage-winning Colnago V5Rs may sit exactly on the UCI weight limit Fans told to avoid Tour de France stage 3 due to major wildfires A Tour de France breakaway only has a 2% chance of winning, so why join one? Every team bike at the 2026 Tour de France3. He has a string of major WorldTour victories in 2026 Del Toro won the Tour Auvergne-Rhne-Alpes in June. Del Toro lined up at the start of the Tour de France as one of the pelotons most prolific winners in 2026, thanks to overall wins at the UAE Tour, Tirreno-Adriatico and the Tour Auvergne-Rhne-Alpes.The latter previously known as the Critrium du Dauphin has long been seen as the key Tour de France warm-up race and, with Pogaar focusing on the Tour de Suisse, Del Toro took on leadership duties for UAE Team Emirates-XRG.With Pogaar winning the Tour de Suisse at a canter, UAE arrived at the Tour not only with the dominant Slovenian targeting a record-equalling fifth victory, but with del Toro making his debut as one of the strongest domestiques in the peloton. Indeed, del Toros credentials would make him team leader in just about any other squad.4. Tadej Pogaar thinks he could win the Tour de France Pogaar could have the ultimate ace to play in del Toro, in his fight with Jonas Vingegaard for the yellow jersey. Getty Images Del Toro has made an instant impact on the Tour de France, not only by winning stage two but by Pogaar effectively gifting his team-mate the win after the pair had distanced Jonas Vingegaard.Vingegaards Visma Lease-a-Bike squad may have fired the first warning shots at the Tour, having won stage ones team time trial, but Pogaar fired back instantly and underlined his ability when the road ramps up, and the strength of the team supporting him.Ahead of the 2026 Tour de France, defending champion Pogaar named his young UAE Team Emirates-XRG teammate as a potential future Tour winner even joking that Del Toro could win this year's race."I don't think he (Vingegaard) is the only one who can come close, said Pogaar, who shared his press conference with del Toro. There are a few guys here who can aim for the victory, including this guy next to me."Pogaar is, of course, the favourite for the 2026 Tour, but, in del Toro, who has now signed a contract extension to 2029, he has one of the strongest riders in the race at his side.Its seven years since Team Ineos Egan Bernal and Geraint Thomas finished first and second overall at the Tour de France. Dont rule out del Toro playing a major role in the GC while also supporting Pogaar.

Tadej Pogaar took control of the yellow jersey on stage three of the Tour de France 2026 after his first stage victory of this year's race.A two-second gap was all that was needed to allow the UAE Team Emirates-XRG rider to take over the race lead from Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike) on count back. The pair are equal on time, but Pogaar has finished higher up on each stage overall so far.Not only is he now in yellow, but Pogaar leads the green points jersey competition, taking over from teammate Isaac del Toro, who won stage two.After a day out in the breakaway, Frenchman Alex Baudin (EF Education-EasyPost) leads the mountains classification, narrowly over Nicolas Prodhomme (Decathlon CMA CGM). He was the last breakaway rider to be caught on Monday.Del Toro overtook Juan Ayuso (Lidl-Trek) in the young rider's classification on Sunday, and UAE Team Emirates-XRG also lead the teams classification, hence their yellow helmets.Tour de France stage three reportEverything you need to know about the 2026 Tour de FranceTour de France 2026 route analysisTour de France 2026 start listTour de France 2026 team guideTour de France 2026, stage three: Granollers > Les Angles (195.9km)1. Tadej Pogaar (Slo) UAE Team Emirates-XRG, in 4:45:112. Jonas Vingegaard (Den) Visma-Lease a Bike, +2s3. Richard Carapaz (Ecu) EF Education-EasyPost4. Paul Seixas (Fra) Decathlon CMA CGM, both at same time5. Tobias Halland Johannessen (Nor) Uno-X Mobility, +4s6. Lennert Van Eeetvelt (Bel) Lotto Intermarch7. Florian Lipowitz (Ger) Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe8. Remco Evenepoel (Bel) Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe9. Isaac del Toro (Mex) UAE Team Emirates-XRG10. Juan Ayuso (Esp) Lidl-Trek, all at same timeTour de France 2026 general classification after stage three1. Tadej Pogaar (Slo) UAE Team Emirates-XRG, in 8:46:552. Jonas Vingegaard (Den) Visma-Lease a Bike, at same time3. Remco Evenepoel (Bel) Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe, +23s4. Isaac del Toro (Mex) UAE Team Emirates-XRG, +24s5. Juan Ayuso (Esp) Lidl-Trek, +27s6. Paul Seixas (Fra) Decathlon CMA CGM, +48s7. Florian Lipowitz (Ger) Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe, +53s8. Lenny Martinez (Fra) Bahrain Victorious, +1:099. Tobias Halland Johannessen (Nor) Uno-X Mobility, +1:1110. Ilan Van Wilder (Bel) Soudal Quick-Step, +1:17Tour de France 2026 points classification after stage three1. Tadej Pogaar (Slo) UAE Team Emirates-XRG, 65 pts2. Jonas Vingegaard (Den) Visma-Lease a Bike, 44pts3. Isaac del Toro (Mex) UAE Team Emirates-XRG, 39 points4. Mads Pedersen (Den) Lidl-Trek, 37pts5. Remco Evenepoel (Bel) Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe, 33ptsTour de France 2026 mountains classification after stage three1. Alex Baudin (Fra) EF Education-EasyPost, 12pts2. Nicolas Prodhomme (Fra) Decathlon CMA CGM, 9pts3. Ral Garca Pierna (Esp) Movistar, 6pts4. Alex Molenaar (Ned) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA, 5 points5. Brandon McNulty (USA) UAE Team Emirates-XRG, 4ptsTour de France 2026 youth classification after stage two1. Isaac del Toro (Mex) UAE Team Emirates-XRG in 8:47:192. Juan Ayuso (Esp) Lidl-Trek, +3s3. Paul Seixas (Fra) Decathlon-CMA CGM, +24s4. Lenny Martinez (Fra) Bahrain Victorious, +45s5. Lennert Van Eeetvelt (Bel) Lotto Intermarch, +1:23Tour de France 2026 teams classification after stage three1. UAE Team Emirates-XRG in 26:25:342. Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe, +2:123. Lidl-Trek, +6:24

Remco Evenepoel saw Tadej Pogacar ride away in the final metres at Les Angles, but his reaction after stage 3 of the 2026 Tour de France was not only about the sprint he could not follow. The Red Bull BORA hansgrohe leader also pointed towards the way UAE Team Emirates XRG had controlled the d...

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Weve seen numerous airbags designed for cyclists, but this new Castelli & Ragaz Labs collaboration looks set to be one of the first to make it into pro cycling, on the backs of Soudal Quick-Step and into the peloton. On the eve of the Tour de Frances Barcelona Dpart over the weekend, Soudal announced that theyve been working behind the scenes with their apparel partner Castelli and Italian engineer Francesco Ragazzini to create a lightweight, discreet airbag to protect a riders spine in a serious crash. Castelli + Ragaz airbag for performance cyclists prototypeDescribed as part of Soudals ongoing commitment to improving cycling safety, the Castelli + Ragaz airbag integrates directly into a special pouch in a cycling jersey to protect a riders spinal column in the event of a crash. Like weve seen with previous cyclist airbag concepts, sensors on the riders body are designed to trigger when a significant crash is detected, nearly instantly inflating an airbag to cushion the riders impact with the ground.Whats different here is that the Castelli & Ragaz solution appears to be an exceptionally low-profile design, neatly integrated into a special jersey pocket over the spine, much like recent hydration bladder integrations. Its key features are light weight, unrestricted freedom of movement, overall rider comfort (presumably maximizing breathability as much as possible), and maybe even some aerodynamic gains? required in elite competition.Tech detailsDetails on the airbag system remain relatively thin, as Soudal Quick-Step, Castelli & Ragaz showed off a proof-of-concept prototype at a pre-Tour press conference. Clearly, these are still early days for the project, although Ragazzini has been developing the technologies inside for more than a decade. Castelli claims the airbag itself weighs approximately the same as two energy gels. Wed conservatively say that could mean as little as 100-150g. Ragaz who makes the tech, says it inflates in just 200 milliseconds. It seems to stay inflated only briefly to protect the spine in an impact. Then, some Smart Deflation tech releases the air, which Ragaz says would allow the cyclist to continue riding if it were accidentally triggered. The inflated airbag (outlined in white dots on these X-ray images) protects the entire spinal column with a cushion of air in a crash one of the areas of the body that remains particularly vulnerable in high-speed cycling accidents.They describe the entire system as easily rechargeable. The user can also simply remove the airbag from the rear sleeve of the special Castelli jersey for washing. The working prototype packed the inflation and control tech into a zippered pocket that hung down from the back of the jersey, over the riders butt. And when inflated, you could see the inflated pillow extending all the way up the riders back.Airbag in Soudal Quick-Steps training & racing future?(Photos by Wout Beel/Soudal Quick-Step)Soudal Quick-Steps CEO Jurgen For described airbags as the next level of protection for competitive cyclists. He explained that the Castelli & Ragaz solution is the first to combine the level of protection needed, low weight, and low bulk to create a viable solution for elite racing. And that the team is looking forward [to] contributing to further development of it and wearing it during training and competition.Castellis Global Brand Manager Steve Smith further elaborated on the cooperation with Soudal, saying, We want to provide a system that protects [against] serious injuries yet is practical for everyday use. This system is already lightweight and easy to use, and this collaboration will further develop the project to bring real protection to cyclists everywhere.The next steps for the Castelli & Ragaz airbag project will be collaboration with the Soudal Quick-Step team to refine the technologys integration into a jersey that is unrestrictive, yet delivers additional protection when it matters most. Castelli describes this step as technical evaluation and rapid development of the Ragaz prototype.Their clear goal is not only to get this into the pro peloton to increase professional racers safety. Then, Castelli aim to refine the system with the goal of it being broadly adopted by everyday recreational cyclists, as well.Castelli-cycling.comThe post Soudal Quick-Step, Castelli & Ragaz Team Up To Get Cyclist Airbag Into Pro Peloton appeared first on Bikerumor.

Tadej Pogaar has moved into the top five for all-time Tour de France stage wins having claimed victory on stage three of the 2026 race, moving into the yellow jersey in the process.Pogaar distanced Jonas Vingegaard on the uphill finish to Les Angles and the Dane simply had no response to his rivals acceleration.Pogaar can seemingly win at ease at the Tour de France the four-time champion effectively gifted his team-mate, Isaac del Toro, the win on Sundays stage and that proved to be the case once again in the eastern Pyrenees.Its because of him, said Pogaar at the finish, referring to del Toro, who won stage two. Its because of Issac today, I got some extra power in the final."In the middle of the stage, we decided its possible to go for the stage win. Im really happy we started the Tour like this. Its an incredible stage today."To take the yellow jersey is a dream of any cyclist. Every time I put it on my shoulders again, it feels really special." UAE Team Emirates-XRG took up the chase midway through the stage. Getty Images Pogaar put a two-second time gap into Vingegaard at the stage three finish and earned a ten-second time bonus as a result of his victory, with Vingegaard securing a six-second bonus.That puts Pogaar and Vinegaard on the same time in the general classification after three stages, but sees Pogaar pull on the yellow jersey on countback.Tadej Pogaar draws level with Andr Darrigade in stage-win standings Mark Cavendish won stage five of the 2024 Tour de France to move ahead of Eddy Merckx in the all-time standings. Getty Images A 22nd stage win for Pogaar sees the Slovenian move level with French sprinter Andr Darrigade in the all-time standings. Darrigade won his 22 stages between 1953 and 1964.Mark Cavendish holds the record for the most Tour de France stage wins, with 35 victories to his name. Cavendish replaced Eddy Merckx in the record books when he claimed his final stage win in 2024.Bernard Hinault (28) sits third on the list of stage winners, with Andr Leducq (25) fourth.Pogaar pursuit of cycling records knows no bounds and, with four overall titles to his name, the 27-year-old is also gunning for a record-equalling fifth Tour de France victory.That would put Pogaar level with Merckx, Hinault and Jacques Anquetil on five wins, and cement the UAE Team Emirates-XRG star as one of the Tours all-time greats if not the greatest. Name Number of stage wins Mark Cavendish 35 Eddy Merckx 34 Bernard Hinault 28 Andr Leducq 25 Andr Darrigade 22 Tadej Pogaar 22 Nicolas Frantz 20 Franois Faber 19 Jean Alavoine 17 Jacques Anquetil 16 Ren Le Grevs 16 Charles Plissier 16

A penny for Arnaud De Lie's thoughts. The Lotto Intermarch rider was forced out of the Tour de France on stage three due to illness, months after he had quit the Giro d'Italia in similar circumstances.The 24-year-old battled back to fitness after leaving the Giro early, winning a stage of the Tour de Wallonie last month, but a stomach bug has cut short his time in France.Stage three was brutal, with De Lie suffering in the heat, coming after he finished last on Sunday's stage two. The pace was high all day, first for the fight to get into the breakaway, and then peloton pulling back that break, led by UAE Team Emirates-XRG.As Tadej Pogaar of UAE celebrated his stage victory, and going into yellow, De Lie was stepping off the bike.A press release from the team read: "Having suffered from an abdominal infection in the days leading up to the Grand Dpart, and despite making steady progress in his recovery, the demands of today's stage, raced in scorching temperatures approaching 40C, ultimately proved too much."After being dropped, De Lie did everything he could to stay in the race, supported for many kilometres by teammate Baptiste Veistroffer. The three Pyrenean climbs in the final part of the stage, combined with the extreme heat, made the challenge even tougher. To protect his health, the Belgian eventually stepped off his bike on the final climb of the day.""It's obviously a huge disappointment. I had worked for months to be ready for this Tour de France and I was dreaming of fighting for the sprint finishes," De Lie said. "Unfortunately, this stomach infection weakened me a lot. I gave everything I had over the first two stages, but today I simply didn't have the legs to continue, especially in such extreme heat. "I hung on in a small group behind Baptiste, but the succession of climbs in the final was just too demanding. I told Baptiste to go on so that he could make it back within the time limit. The only thing I can do now is focus on making a full recovery and come back stronger for the rest of the season."

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...

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