Doping has been a point of concern at the 2026 Tour de France, with night-time testing for several riders including Tadej Pogacar; and constant accusations on social media. UAE Team Emirates - XRG manager Mauro Gianetti was asked about the yellow jersey, as well as his own controversial past, as the...

In 2025, the final stage of the Tour de France in Paris was neutralized due to the rain in the brand new circuit around Montmartre. The weather has forced changes to the Grand Boucle's final stage once again; this time around with the forest fires forcing changes to the first part of stage. Initial...

UPDATED July 25, 2026 BY Michael Coo IN Africa: Ocean to Ocean no comments Cycling BotswanaOur newest cycling expedition, Africa: Ocean to Ocean, takes riders through seven fascinating Southern African countries. In this post, we take a look at what cyclists can expect on their journey through country number 3, Botswana.Okavango DeltaImpala splashing through the Okavango DeltaOne of the natural highlights of Africa is the extraordinary Okavango Delta. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, its waters support a vast array of wildlife such as lions, cheetahs, leopards, African wild dogs, elephants, buffalo, hippos and impalas. It is best viewed either from above on a sightseeing flight or at ground level in a traditional dugout canoe and the tour stops in the nearby town of Maun for 2 rest days in order to give the cyclists ample opportunity to experience this unique place.ElephantsDid you know that Botswana is home to over 130,000 elephants? That is about 1/3 of all the African elephants on the planet! For about 180 kms, the Africa: Ocean to Ocean route follows the path of our legendary Tour dAfrique Cycling Expedition and its appropriately named section, the very popular Elephant Highway. Cyclists will have the opportunity to see these magnificent creatures from a unique perspective, the seat of their bicycle.Makgadikgadi Pans National ParkAfter leaving the Elephant Highway, the route takes the riders along the edges of the vast (12,000 sq. kms) Makgadikgadi Pans, some of the worlds largest salt flats. This uninhabited National Park features a harsh beauty, with lone baobab trees standing out against a vast emptiness. Wikipedia mentions that one of them (baobabs), named after James Chapman, served as an unofficial post office for 19th-century explorers. it also is home to herds of antelopes, zebras and wildebeest along with a number of lions.FrancistownAbandoned gold mining equipmentJust before the riders cross into Zimbabwe, they will stop in Francistown which was founded by an English gold prospector, Daniel Francis, and is the only town in the country with an English name. It was the centre of Southern Africas first gold rush in the 1860s with adventurer coming from all over the world looking to make their fortune. Riders can visit the Supa Ngwao Museum which has exhibits on both the gold rush and cultural displays on the local Kalanga peoples.Recommended Reading:Peter Allison Whatever You Do, Dont Run: True Tales of a Botswana Safari GuideMark & Delia Owens Cry of the KalahariBessie Head When Rain Clouds GatherWill Randall Botswana TimeEleanor Morse White Dog Fell from the SkyRecommending Viewing:Elephant Refugees (2020): A documentary about how the Elephant Sands Bush Camp sheltered hundreds of elephants during a severe drought.A United Kingdom (2016): The true story of Prince Seretse Khama of the Bangwato tribe and his marriage to Ruth Williams, a white woman from London.The Gods Must Be Crazy (1980): A classic comedy about the results of a San bushman in the Kalahari Desert finding a Coca-Cola bottle in the desert.Recommended Listening:Beautiful Botswana (Apple)Elephant Conservation in Botswana (BBC)Botswana: Living with Elephants (BBC)RELATEDTOURAfrica: Ocean to Ocean The original way to cross Africa from the Atlantic to the Indian Ocean was the maritime Cape Route past the continents southern tip, a perilous... Related Posts:Leave a Comment for "Cycling Botswana" Cancel reply

Richard Carapaz added to his Grand Tour tally on Saturday, winning a dramatic stage 20 of the Tour de France into Alpe d'Huez. The EF Education-EasyPost rider had once again been part of the day's breakaway which was down to just three riders as they reached the bottom of the day's final climb, the Col de Sarenne, with 27km to go.Having been distanced by Sepp Kuss (Visma-Lease a Bike) close to the top of the climb, the American crashed on the road into the finish Alpe d'Huez, Carapaz able to take advantage and his second stage in three days. Having won maximum points on three of the four classified climbs, Carapaz also sealed the mountains classification.Largely uninjured, Kuss held on gamely but was unable to hold off Remco Evenepoel (Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe) was third, just 26 seconds behind Carapaz. Kuss was third, a further five seconds down.Evenepoel had been in a group with the UAE Team Emirates-XRG pair of Tadej Pogaar and Isaac Del Toro, neither of whom reacted when the Belgian attacked, at two kilometres to go.Finishing in fourth place on the day, Pogaar all but cemented his fifth Tour de France overall victory on Saturday. The yellow jersey had worked for his team mate, Isaac Del Toro for most of the day and now needs only to finish Sunday's shortened stage in Paris to seal the record win.In a fantastic stage which waxed and waned all day, the race changed complexion both on the stage and the general classification. While the GC podium places remained the same, the time gaps did move, and Isaac Del Toro cemented his place in the best young rider's jersey, just has his team leader did in yellow. As with the general classification, the points and mountains classifications are also all but decided. Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek) won the day's intermediate sprint, while Richard Carapaz won three of the day's classified climbs, both men taking unassailable leads in their respective classifications, provided they finish in Paris on Sunday. More to follow...

Stage 20 of the Tour de France was the second consecutive day finishing on the Alpe d'Huez and the winner of the day was the KOM classification winner Richard Carapaz. The EF Education-EasyPost rider took a solo win after overtaking Sepp Kuss on the final descent after the American suffered a crash....

Richard Carapaz put the finishing touch to an unforgettable 2026 Tour de France with a hugely prestigious win on the Alpine queen stage. The EF Education-EasyPost rider from Ecuador sealed his second stage victory of the edition after an epic battle against the likes of Sepp Kuss and Jai Hindley; an...

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 the y...

Tom Pidcock took a moment to compose himself as he reached his team after the finish line of Alpe d'Huez on stage 20 of the Tour de France. The man from Leeds, distinctive in his Red Bull helmet, covered his face with a blue towel, and listened as his soigneur held his face and geed him up, made him realise what he'd just achieved. Unlike the previous day, this was not a completely emptied Pidcock, but one satisfied with his achievement of all but sealing ninth place at the world's biggest bike race.The Pinarello Q36.5 rider finished 16th on Saturday, 9:03 behind stage winner Richard Carapaz (EF Education-EasyPost), but defended his overall place, taking time on 10th-placed Jordan Jegat (TotalEnergies). It means, barring disaster, Pidcock will achieve his first ever top 10 result at the Tour.Pidcock has had a combative race, twice finishing third on stages, but did not quite get over the line for his second stage victory. However, a second Grand Tour top 10, and a first at the Tour, satisfied both the 26-year-old and his team."I think I'm very happy," he said after finishing atop Alpe d'Huez for a second day in a row. "I think top 10 in the Tour, I can be very proud of. Of course, I'm ambitious, I look forward to next year to try and improve it. For now, I can be very happy. It has been an unbelievably hard race. I don't know if the race tomorrow is neutralised, but I hope it's neutralised."Asked how difficult the day was, he replied: "From the first climb... the first 20 minutes we went so hard, I thought it was going to be a fucking long day."Pidcock did not have an ideal run-up to the Tour, with illness forcing him to skip the Tour de Suisse, and seemingly affecting his training as well."I would have signed for that [ninth] coming into this race, knowing the disruption I had in the lead up here, I can be very happy," he continued. "I'm ambitious, I look forward to next year, I'm already thinking about things I can improve on to get a better result and be close to these other guys, but for now I can be happy."There is the small matter of the final stage in Paris on Sunday, which on paper could suit a rider like Pidcock, although the course might not be hard enough. However, in reality, it has come at the end of a hard race."First of all, we go to the race and see how it is," he said. "I look forward to the finish line to be honest."Having finished top 10 at the Tour, on top of his third place at the Vuelta a Espaa last season, Pidcock now knows where there are gains to be made: "When I'm in my best shape I have consistency, and I didn't have that coming into this. That's what I missed I think, consistently working and getting better every training session. That's good for me."For now, though, there are 89 kilometres in between Pidcock and a well-earned rest not a beer though, he is not a fan.

Hundreds of thousands of people have been evacuated as wildfires rage in Frances Gironde and Landes regions, as well as in parts of Spain

With comfort, Tadej Pogacar has completed the final mountain stage of the 2026 Tour de France. The UAE Team Emirates - XRG is heading into a fifth Tour de France win, having conquered the Alpe d'Huez on stage 19; and crossing the finish line hand-in-hand with Isaac del Toro this Saturday on the quee...