The first edition of the South Molton Grand Prix saw two surprise winners.In the open category, Jed Smithson (Hagens Berman-Jayco) soloed to his fi rst National Road Series win on his first appearance on the start line, while Lucy Harris (Draft Racing) won the womens race in only her second appearance at the series this year.The Hagens Berman-Jayco rider attacked his breakaway companions on the steep climbs of the final lap and crossed the line 26 seconds ahead of the rest.The way it played out was a surprise for him as much as for anyone else. He said: I am normally a sprinter, but of course, you know, youve got to try and race diff erently as well. And winning solo, you know that youre guaranteed the win.He added: Ive never actually done a National A race before, so I really did not know what to expect. But I knew that UK racing is always particularly hard. Its always on the pedals.The podium was filled by Ollie Wood (Rapha CC), who won the small group sprint behind Smithson, and road series leader Thomas Armstrong (Wheelbase CabTech Castelli). Earlier, in the womens race, it was also a less frequent competitor on the UK scene that triumphed. (Image credit: Alan Danby/SWpix.com)Lucy Harriss biggest win to date was on the CiCLE Classic in 2025, and she has raced only one National Series event this year.But the Draft Racing rider attacked on the series of finishing climbs to solo away. I reached the point where I wanted to attack and just fully committed to that attack, which almost went badly wrong because my chain slipped and I had to sit up and then go again," she said. "It was much later than I would normally leave it in a race because Im really not much of a sprinter. But it seemed to be just about enough to hold off a very strong Lily Martin (Loughborough Lightning).The podium was completed by Jennifer Powell (Performance Development Team). Harris, who attributes her success to a relaxed atmosphere in the team where she can pick her own races, will now turn her attention to a 24-hour mountain bike relay she is set to ride this weekend.Smithson, meanwhile, hopes to ride the Tour de lAvenir in late August and will aim to make it into the Great Britain squad for the Under-23 World Championships in September.

Jonathan Vaughters, the manager of EF Education-EasyPost, has defended the controversial night-time anti-doping tests that have taken place at the Tour de France, describing them as very effective in detecting micro-dosing.Defending champion Tadej Pogaar of UAE Team Emirates-XRG, as well as Visma-Lease a Bikes Jonas Vingegaard, were woken up in the early hours of Sunday morning by doping control officers (DCOs) and made to provide an anti-doping sample. Only in exceptional circumstances, and when approved by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and a judge, can an athlete be tested between 11pm and 6am. According to UCI rules, permission will only be granted by authorities if there is "serious and specific suspicion that the rider may be engaged in doping."Cycling Weekly then revealed on Monday afternoon that at least two other teams in the race have had riders woken up before 6am, with some sources suggesting as many as eight teams may have been subject to night-time tests. The International Testing Agency (ITA), the body that is responsible for cyclings anti-doping program, confirmed to CW that Pogaar and Vingegaard havent been the only cyclists tested outside of the usual hours.In a further update, just before the start of stage 16, one team who cannot be named for legal reasons unless they consent to being identified informed CW that all of their riders were tested by DCOs at 10pm on Monday night. It is unusual for an entire teams roster to be mass tested.Vaughters admitted to taking EPO in his own racing career, including when riding at US Postal with Lance Armstrong. Since admitting to his past record, Vaughters has become one of sports staunchest anti-doping campaigners.In a post on X on Monday night, the American said: I dont post here much. But Ill roll this grenade down the aisle: 2am testing is one of the very effective ways to prevent peptides (EPO, hGH Human Growth Hormone) and testosterone micro dosing. If [the] UCI had tested us in 2001 at 2am? Wed all have been suspended and saved the sport 25 years of drama.Its unfortunate that Tadej and Jonas have to atone for the sh*t we did. However, Id take some lost sleep for some gained credibility. I should apologize to both of them, honestly.Night-time testing is highly unusual at the Tour, but it is not without precedent. What is uncommon and disturbing, depending on how these flurry of cases are perceived is how many riders and teams appear to have been targeted at night during this years race. CW also knows of a number of 7am anti-doping controls.Just ahead of the race, the ITA outlined its strategy for testing, stating that around 600 in-competition samples will be collected; that figure is on par with the number of tears conducted in recent Tours.But the ITA added that the final number [will be] determined based on the testing strategy, intelligence and investigations priorities and operational requirements.

The final week of the 2026 Tour de France gets underway with stage 16, the 26.1km Individual Time-Trial from Evian-Les-Bains to Thonon-Les-Bains. After a well-deserved rest yesterday, the riders get back in the saddle to begin the final push towards Paris.Stage 16 at a glanceUK: TNT Sports / HBO Max (30.99/mon) US: Peacock ($10.99/mon)Canada: Flobikes ($49.99/mon)Australia: SBS (Free)Free Streams: SBS (Australia), France TV (France), RAI (Italy) RTBF (Belgium), RTVE (Spain), NOS (Netherlands)Watch Anywhere: Unlock your free stream with NordVPN (75% off)The first time-trial rider will set off at 13:00 CEST, with the last expected to finish around 17:50. You can find full time-trial start time right here.Defending champion Tadej Pogaar remains in control of the race, although perhaps not in the way he would have liked. The four-time winner's closest challenger was arch-rival Jonas Vingegaard, but the Dane crashed and broke his collarbone on Stage 15 on Sunday, ruling him out of the rest of the Tour.Remco Evenepoel went on to win that stage atop Plateau de Solaison and is now second in the general classification, albeit five minutes behind Pogaar. The Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe rider is the favourite to win today's stage, but it would take something remarkable for him to overhaul the man in the Yellow Jersey.With this the first of six successive stages, this week could well turn into a coronation for UAE Team Emirates-XRG's Pogaar, 27, who is aiming to equal Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault and Miguel Indurin's joint-record tally of five Tour wins.Can I watch stage 16 of the Tour de France for free?You can stream stage 16 of the Tour de France for free in Australia, France, Belgium, Italy, Spain and the Netherlands: Australia: SBS (English comms) France: France TV (Host broadcaster) Italy: RAI Play Belgium: RTB Spain: RTVE Netherlands: NOS Those outside their usual country for stage 16 will need a VPN to get your usual coverage while abroad more on that below.How to watch the Tour de France stage 16 from anywhereMost streaming platforms have geo-restrictions these days, which means they only work in certain countries. But being locked out of the races is a thing of the past thanks to a VPN.A Virtual Private Network is a piece of internet security software that can alter your device's location, so you can unblock your usual streaming services, even when you're abroad. Unlock your Tour de France stream with NordVPNWith super fast connections, multi-device support and able to unlock any platform, NordVPN is our favourite for streaming. 30-day money back guarantee 3 months extra free 75% offGet NordVPN today and unlock your streaming service from anywhere in the world.View DealWant to know more? We have an explainer on the benefits, costs, and considerations of using a VPN... Should I use a VPN to watch cycling?Watch stage 16 of the Tour de France in the UKIn the UK, stage 16 will be shown live across TNT Sports and HBO Max. Live streaming is available on HBO Max, with linear viewing on TNT Sports 1. Plans start at 25.99 per month, with rolling subscriptions available at 30.99.However, if you just want to watch highlights, these will be on free-to-air Channel 5 at 7pm BST on Tuesday.Watch stage 16 of the Tour de France in the US and CanadaFor US viewers, this year's coverage of stage 16 of the Tour de France will be on NBC and PeacockBoth outlets come from the same NBCUniversal stable, with NBC available on many cable packages and Peacock which is showing all 21 stages live on a pay per month basis. It'll cost you $10.99/month.In Canada, Flobikes is in charge of broadcasting stage 16 of the Tour de France. Subscriptions cost CA$49.99 a month, with big savings for long-term plans. The Flobikes TV app is available on Roku, Fire TV, Chromecast and Apple TV, as well as on iOS and Android.Watch Tour de France stage 16 in AustraliaIn Australia, you can watch every stage of the Tour de France for free via SBS On Demand, including stage 16.All you will need is an account with a valid Australian postcode (e.g. 2002).We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example: 1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service). 2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad. We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.

Pub pundits and sports scientists agree that the Tour de France is the ultimate test of human endurance, but compared with the pioneers of a century ago, today's riders have it easy. In 1926, La Grande Boucle was more than a nickname; that year's Tour took the peloton on a 5,745km ordeal around the perimeter of France. One hundred years on, that edition remains the longest, most brutal route in the race's history - a battle of attrition as much as it was a bike race. The average length of the 17 stages was 338km. Yes, the average. One, stage 12, from Perpignan to Toulon, was 427km. But it's stage 10 from Bayonne to Luchon, through the Pyrenees, that's gone down in cycling folklore. Contested in apocalyptic, literally life-threatening weather conditions, this race-defining leg was won by the Belgian Lucien Buysse - in a time of 17 hours, 12 minutes. He went on to take the overall victory, and frankly, he'd earned it. The 1926 Tour transcended sport. It took place in the long shadow of the First World War, a conflict many of the competitors had fought in - four editions of the race were missed between 1915 and 1918. Amid a feverish atmosphere of instability in central Europe, the 1926 event was riven with political tensions and dominated by strong personalities. At one political pole was the staunchly nationalist Tour director Henri Desgrange; at the other were members of the French Communist Party, with its newspaper, L'Humanit, campaigning for better conditions and pay for independent riders. It was also a catalyst for change and became a key event in the evolution of the modern Tour, a point of inflection when the conflicting desires of everyone involved - riders, route-setters, teams, bicycle manufacturers and spectators - collided spectacularly. Arguably, 1926 was the year the Tour de France came of age. The 1926 race covered the entire perimeter of the country the longest edition ever (Image credit: Archive material )National showcaseIn 1926, for the first time since the Tour de France began in 1903, the race started outside Paris, in Evian, the Alpine town near the Franco-Swiss border. The route headed north, skirting the frontiers of Germany, Luxembourg and Belgium, then hugged the coast of Normandy and Brittany, tracing the seaboard to the Spanish border before swerving south, crossing the Pyrenees, wending east along the Cte d'Azur and heading north along the land border with Italy and Switzerland. Having cycled an anticlockwise loop of the country, competitors then had to pass back through Evian and re-ascend mountain passes they'd previously climbed before riding through Burgundy and central France to the finish line in Paris. It was, quite literally, epic. From a modern perspective, the route looks nuts. And it was. But for Desgrange, the founding father of the Tour, who was still the route-setter and organiser in 1926, the event had never been simply about bike racing. Nor was it merely a vehicle for selling copies of his newspaper, L'Auto. He had a bigger vision, and for the Tour's 20th iteration, he pushed that to its limits. A child during the 1870-71 Franco-Prussian War, Desgrange was part of a generation that lived in fear of German invasion. Concerned that his fellow countrymen were more interested in smoking and drinking than sport, leaving them weak and defenceless against the newly formed superpower on France's eastern flank, he became obsessed with health and national pride. After becoming a successful - and world-record-setting - cyclist, Desgrange published a book, La Tte et les Jambes (The Head and the Legs), a training manual for Frenchmen to get fighting fit through bike riding and running. The routes he designed embodied his vision for France. "For Desgrange, the Tour was a way to promote 'France' as an idea and to build belief in nationhood," says Gareth Cartman, author of We Rode All Night, a historical novel about the 1926 race, "and that's why they went right around the outside of the country. It's a way of reinforcing the French border." Cartman says the same rationale had led Desgrange to route the 1919 race through Alsace-Lorraine, a region previously absorbed by Germany, which had just been returned to France by the Treaty of Versailles. "He uses the race to say 'this is our country', but also to inspire Frenchmen to take up cycling and become stronger," Cartman explains, "and that's why he keeps making the Tours tougher. Every time riders conquer the test, he makes it harder... until we get to 1926." Lucien Buysse proved to be the sport's ultimate hard-man (Image credit: Getty Images)One for allAs a Cycling Weekly (then known as Cycling) reporter covering the 1926 race wrote: "With leisure and the right machine many could manage the mileage comfortably. But this is a struggle with time, when the rider who wins must keep to his machine although the roads are not worthy of the name, although he is lashed with rain and bespattered by mud and his limbs tremble with fatigue." These words would prove to be prophetic. At 2am on Sunday, 20 June 1926, the peloton set off from Evian on a 373km 'plain stage' to Mlhausen. It was won by the Belgian Jules Buysse - no, not the eventual winner, but his younger brother. Jules, the youngest of three Buysse brothers competing in the race, also won the second stage, a 334km leg to Metz, but even early on, competitors were falling fast. "Of the 126 riders who started the Tour, 15 fell out on the first day and seven on the second," reported Cycling on 2 July. Desgrange, who always intended the Tour to be a test of individual skill, strength and endurance, discouraged teams, and 82 of the riders who started the race were 'touriste-routiers', competing individually and without sponsorship. The remaining riders began working together, as a survival strategy. "On many stages, especially in Brittany and Normandy, riders effectively agreed not to race," says Cartman. "The route was so hard and long, they knew that, just to get to the Pyrenees in one piece, they should basically ride together. If people wanted to ride off the front, then fine. There was a kind of tacit agreement to not attack too hard." However, each time they arrived en masse into finish towns, Desgrange responded furiously. "I think the best one was in Brest," chuckles Cartman. "After a 405km stage, he met them with folded arms and said, words to the effect of, 'You bloody bastards! You are now going to do sprints of the velodrome for this crowd because they've all come here to watch you and you can't be bothered to race each other.'" Cartman sympathises with the riders. "They knew they had three consecutive days coming up [amounting to] 900km, from Brittany to the Pyrenees, with no rest and in the middle of a heatwave. So of course they weren't going to ride hard. That's why Van Slembrouck kept the yellow jersey so long. And then came the big stage to Luchon, when the weather turned and the race started falling apart." Atrocious conditionsOnce the race entered the Pyrenees, everything changed. Stage 10 started pre-dawn, in dreadful conditions, and the weather got progressively worse. Tourists in their cars stirred up the mud and made it even harder for the riders to get through. Marcel Bidot - future coach of the French team - broke a crank and tried to continue, pedalling one-footed. The judges ultimately allowed him to borrow a bike from a spectator - it was far too small, but he managed to get to Luchon. Of the 76 riders who started the stage, 22 were forced to abort, including the favourite and defending champion Ottavio Bottecchia. As the elements turned vicious, the tough, working-class Italian Bottecchia - a bricklayer who'd served in a cycling battalion on the frontline of WWI, and had won the two previous Tours - retired from the race "weeping like a child", according to a later report in L'quipe. Meanwhile Lucien Buysse, a man who had very recently lost his young daughter and was already riding through waves of grief, pedalled grimly onwards, through the storm-strafed peaks, mounting an attack on the Col d'Aspin that earned him an unassailable lead and control of the race. "After his ride from Bayonne to Luchon, Lucien Buysse seemed the least exhausted of the survivors," reads the report in the 23 July, 1926 edition of Cycling. "On this stage he rode one of the most brilliant races in the history of the Tour de France. Some motorcars that should have followed him broke down on the crazy roads. The cold on the hilltops so gripped the hands of one or two riders they were unable to change a tyre after a puncture." Tour turning pointThe middle Buysse brother was an Automoto team-mate of Bottecchia, and he'd helped the Italian secure victory in 1925, acting as the first domestique in Tour history. With a 30-minute lead in the general classification after stage 10, Buysse consolidated his lead with a consecutive win on the 323km mountain stage to Perpignan. He remained in the maillot jaune for the rest of the race. Unsurprisingly, given his performance in the Pyrenees, Buysse was also named by L'Auto as meilleur grimpeur (best climber), an unofficial equivalent to the present-day King of the Mountains title. "It was an extraordinary Tour," concludes Cartman. "It was a pivotal point, which shaped the future of the race. Desgrange wanted to rip everything up and change it for the next year. He hated the flat stages, so he made them all time trials. He wanted it to be an individual competition, rather than teams and manufacturers using strategies to win." Somewhat ironically, not a single stage in 1926 - Desgrange's toughest test and biggest national statement - was won by a French rider. That had never happened before and has occurred only once since, in 1999. This July, as French fans excitedly welcome to the race the nation's brightest prospect in decades, Paul Seixas, they will be desperately hoping the centenary of the 1926 edition doesn't come with a repeat performance. The French organiser of the Tour de France Henri Desgrange (left) alongside Italian rider Amerigo Caccioni before the start of stage 8 of the 1932 Tour (Image credit: Getty Images)1926 Tour in numbers5,745km: The total distance - the longest route in the race's history. 427km: The length of the longest single stage. 126/41: The ratio of starters to finishers. 17:12.04: The time it took Lucien Buysse to win the brutal 326km Stage 10. 238:44.25: Buysse's total winning time. 1:22.25: The time gap between the winner, Lucien Buysse, and second-placed Nicolas Frantz.This feature was originally published in the 2 July 2026 print edition of Cycling Weekly magazine available to buy on the newsstand every Thursday (UK only) while digital versions are available on Apple News and Readly. Subscriptions through Magazine's Direct.

The 2026 Tour de France continues on Tuesday 21 July with stage 16, a 26.1km individual time trial from vian-les-Bains to Thonon-les-Bains, through the hills on the southern shore of Lac Leman.The first time check comes after 7.1km, before the ascent of the category two climb the Cte de Larringes (9.7km at 4.3%). The second time check comes at 18.1km in, before the riders finish on the lakefront in Thonon.The first rider down the start ramp will be the lanterne rouge, or last rider on general classiciation, Kamil Gradek (Bahrain Victorious) at 1pm CEST (12pm BST/7am EDT). Riders will then set off at 90 second intervals until Egan Bernal (Netcompany-Ineos) at 4:45pm, at which point there will be gaps of two minutes between riders heading out on the course.The final rider, of course, will be yellow jersey Tadej Pogaar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG), who will head out at 5:15pm CEST (4:15pm BST), with the organisers expecting him to finish in around 35 minutes.While Pogaar has five minutes on second-placed Remco Evenepoel (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe), there will be a handful of riders hoping to taste victory or move up on general classification on Tuesday. This list starts with double world time trial champion Evenepoel, who will start his ride at 5:13pm. The top 10 starts at 4:57pm with Jordan Jegat (TotalEnergies).Non GC riders to watch out for include the Netcompany-Ineos pair of Josh Tarling (1:25pm) and Filippo Ganna (1:58pm), Visma-Lease a Bike's Edoardo Affini (1:37pm) and Brandon McNulty (4:40pm)Below are the start times for all 166 competing riders. For information on how to watch the race, visit our streaming guide.OrderRider (Team)Start time (CEST)1Kamil Gradek (Bahrain Victorious)13:00:002Lewis Askey (NSN Cycling)13:01:303Cees Bol (Decathlon CMA CGM)13:03:004Matis Louvel (NSN Cycling)13:04:305Olav Kooij (Decathlon CMA CGM)13:06:006Phil Bauhaus (Bahrain Victorious)13:07:307Julius van den Berg (Picnic PostNL)13:09:008Piet Allegaert (Cofidis)13:10:309Baptiste Veistroffer (Lotto Intermarch)13:12:0010Milan Fretin (Cofidis)13:13:3011Davide Ballerini (XDS Astana)13:15:0012Jake Stewart (NSN Cycling)13:16:3013John Degenkolb (Picnic PostNL)13:18:0014Jenthe Biermans (Cofidis)13:19:3015Pascal Eenkhoorn (Soudal Quick-Step)13:21:0016Marco Haller (Tudor Pro Cycling)13:22:3017Pascal Ackermann (Jayco AlUla)13:24:0018Joshua Tarling (Netcompany-Ineos)13:25:3019Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Premier Tech)13:27:0020Silvan Dillier (Alpecin-Premier Tech)13:28:3021Max Kanter (XDS Astana)13:30:0022Niklas Mrkl (Picnic PostNL)13:31:3023Huub Artz (Lotto Intermarch)13:33:0024Pavel Bittner (Picnic PostNL)13:34:3025Sren Wrenskjold (Uno-X Mobility)13:36:0026Edoardo Affini (Visma-Lease a Bike)13:37:3027Biniam Girmay (NSN Cycling)13:39:0028Tim Marsman (Alpecin-Premier Tech)13:40:3029Krists Neilands (NSN Cycling)13:42:0030Daan Hoole (Decathlon CMA CGM)13:43:3031Dylan van Baarle (Soudal Quick-Step)13:45:0032Joel Nicolau (Caja Rural-Seguros RGA)13:46:3033Robbe Dhondt (Picnic PostNL)13:48:0034Julian Alaphilippe (Tudor Pro Cycling)13:49:3035Liam Slock (Lotto Intermarch)13:51:0036Dorian Godon (Netcompany-Ineos)13:52:3037Aaron Gate (XDS Astana)13:54:0038Hugo Page (Cofidis)13:55:3039Michal Kwiatkowski (Netcompany-Ineos)13:57:0040Filippo Ganna (Netcompany-Ineos)13:58:3041Stefano Oldani (Caja Rural-Seguros RGA)14:00:0042Mike Teunissen (XDS Astana)14:01:3043Jakub Otruba (Caja Rural-Seguros RGA)14:03:0044Alex Kirsch (Cofidis)14:04:3045Fred Wright (Pinarello Q36.5)14:06:0046Anthony Turgis (TotalEnergies)14:07:3047Florian Vermeersch (UAE Team Emirates-XRG)14:09:0048Jonas Rickaert (Alpecin-Premier Tech)14:10:3049Edward Planckaert (Alpecin-Premier Tech)14:12:0050Georg Steinhauser (EF Education-EasyPost)14:13:3051Thibault Guernalec (TotalEnergies)14:15:0052Xabier Mikel Azparren (Pinarello Q36.5)14:16:3053Luke Durbridge (Jayco AlUla)14:18:0054Benjamin Thomas (Cofidis)14:19:3055Simone Velasco (XDS Astana)14:21:0056Robert Stannard (Bahrain Victorious)14:22:3057Michel Hessmann (Movistar)14:24:0058Tim van Dijke (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe)14:25:3059Frank van den Broek (Picnic PostNL)14:27:0060Max Walker (EF Education-EasyPost)14:28:3061Per Strand Hagenes (Visma-Lease a Bike)14:30:0062Warren Barguil (Picnic PostNL)14:31:3063Michael Storer (Tudor Pro Cycling)14:33:0064Nico Denz (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe)14:34:3065Sebastian Berwick (Caja Rural-Seguros RGA)14:36:0066Felix Engelhardt (Jayco AlUla)14:37:3067Emiel Verstrynge (Alpecin-Premier Tech)14:39:0068Cort Magnus Nielsen (Uno-X Mobility)14:40:3069Damien Howson (Pinarello Q36.5)14:42:0070Marco Frigo (NSN Cycling)14:43:3071Nicolas Vinokurov (XDS Astana)14:45:0072Brent Van Moer (Pinarello Q36.5)14:46:3073Toms Skuji (Lidl-Trek)14:48:0074Georg Zimmermann (Lotto Intermarch)14:49:3075Jan Tratnik (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe)14:51:0076Jonas Abrahamsen (Uno-X Mobility)14:52:3077Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek)14:54:0078Mathis Le Berre (TotalEnergies)14:55:3079Jefferson Cepeda (Movistar)14:57:0080Kasper Asgreen (EF Education-EasyPost)14:58:3081Matej Mohori (Bahrain Victorious)15:00:0082Lucas Plapp (Jayco AlUla)15:01:3083Matto Vercher (TotalEnergies)15:03:0084George Bennett (NSN Cycling)15:04:3085Bruno Armirail (Visma-Lease a Bike)15:06:0086Vlad Van Mechelen (Bahrain Victorious)15:07:3087Clment Russo (Groupama-FDJ United)15:09:0088Nils Politt (UAE Team Emirates-XRG)15:10:3089Rick Pluimers (Tudor Pro Cycling)15:12:0090Jasper Stuyven (Soudal Quick-Step)15:13:3091Nelson Oliveira (Movistar Team)15:15:0092Lorenzo Germani (Groupama-FDJ United)15:16:3093Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Premier Tech)15:18:0094Victor Campenaerts (Visma-Lease a Bike)15:19:3095Louis Vervaeke (Soudal Quick-Step)15:21:0096Alex Aranburu (Cofidis)15:22:3097Anders Halland Johannessen (Uno-X Mobility)15:24:0098Ewen Costiou (Groupama-FDJ United)15:25:3099Quentin Pacher (Groupama-FDJ United)15:27:00100Ben Healy (EF Education-EasyPost)15:28:30101Damiano Caruso (Bahrain Victorious)15:30:00102Alexandre Delettre (TotalEnergies)15:31:30103Michael Matthews (Jayco AlUla)15:33:00104Javier Romo Oliver (Movistar)15:34:30105Lars Craps (Lotto Intermarch)15:36:00106Anders Skaarseth (Uno-X Mobility)15:37:30107Michael Valgren (EF Education-EasyPost)15:39:00108Romain Grgoire (Groupama-FDJ United)15:40:30109Joris Delbove (TotalEnergies)15:42:00110Nicolas Breuillard (TotalEnergies)15:43:30111Xandro Meurisse (Pinarello Q36.5)15:45:00112Aurlien Paret-Peintre (Decathlon CMA CGM)15:46:30113Clment Braz Afonso (Groupama-FDJ United)15:48:00114Abel Balderstone Roumens (Caja Rural-Seguros RGA)15:49:30115Tim Wellens (UAE Team Emirates-XRG)15:51:00116Marc Hirschi (Tudor Pro Cycling)15:52:30117Mathias Vacek (Lidl-Trek)15:54:00118Mauro Schmid (Jayco AlUla)15:55:30119Mattia Cattaneo (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe)15:57:00120Sergio Higuita (XDS Astana)15:58:30121Ion Izaguirre (Cofidis)16:00:00122Alex Baudin (EF Education-EasyPost)16:01:30123Jos Flix Parra Cuerda (Caja Rural-Seguros RGA)16:03:00124Valentin Paret-Peintre (Soudal Quick-Step)16:04:30125Tobias Foss (Netcompany-Ineos)16:06:00126Ben O'Connor (Jayco AlUla)16:07:30127Ral Garca Pierna (Movistar)16:09:00128Harold Tejada (XDS Astana)16:10:30129Matthew Riccitello (Decathlon CMA CGM)16:12:00130Quinten Hermans (Pinarello Q36.5)16:13:30131Guillaume Martin Guyonnet (Groupama-FDJ United)16:15:00132Antonio Tiberi (Bahrain Victorious)16:16:30133Maxim Van Gils (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe)16:18:00134Felix Groschartner (UAE Team Emirates-XRG)16:19:30135Matteo Jorgenson (Visma-Lease a Bike)16:21:00136Kvin Vauquelin (Netcompany-Ineos)16:22:30137Derek Gee (Lidl-Trek)16:24:00138Thymen Arensman (Netcompany-Ineos)16:25:30139Pablo Castrillo (Movistar)16:27:00140Lennert Van Eetvelt (Lotto Intermarch)16:28:30141Einer Rubio (Movistar)16:30:00142Quinn Simmons (Lidl-Trek)16:31:30143Carlos Verona (Lidl-Trek)16:33:00144Jai Hindley (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe)16:34:30145Tiesj Benoot (Decathlon CMA CGM)16:36:00146Nicolas Prodhomme (Decathlon CMA CGM)16:37:30147Sean Quinn (EF Education-EasyPost)16:39:00148Brandon Mcnulty (UAE Team Emirates-XRG)16:40:30149Tobias Halland Johannessen (Uno-X Mobility)16:42:00150Sepp Kuss (Visma-Lease a Bike)16:43:30151Egan Bernal (Netcompany-Ineos)16:45:00152Davide Piganzoli (Visma-Lease a Bike)16:47:00153Adam Yates (UAE Team Emirates-XRG)16:49:00154Ilan Van Wilder (Soudal Quick-Step)16:51:00155Richard Carapaz (EF Education-EasyPost)16:53:00156Yannis Voisard (Tudor Pro Cycling)16:55:00157Jordan Jegat (TotalEnergies)16:57:00158Tom Pidcock (Pinarello Q36.5)16:59:00159Lenny Martinez (Bahrain Victorious)17:01:00160Mattias Skjelmose (Lidl-Trek)17:03:00161Juan Ayuso (Lidl-Trek)17:05:00162Florian Lipowitz (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe)17:07:00163Paul Seixas (Decathlon CMA CGM)17:09:00164Isaac del Toro (UAE Team Emirates-XRG)17:11:00165Remco Evenepoel (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe)17:13:00166Tadej Pogaar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG)17:15:00

The International Testing Agency (ITA) has undertaken night-time anti-doping tests on multiple more riders at the ongoing Tour de France, Cycling Weekly has learned.Visma-Lease a Bikes Jonas Vingegaard and race leader Tadej Pogaar of UAE Team Emirates-XRG were woken up at 2am and 5am respectively on Sunday morning by doping control officers and made to provide an anti-doping sample.Tests between the hours of 11pm and 6am are prohibited, except in exceptional circumstances, when the ITA has to request permission from the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).The UCI's anti-doping rules states: "Unless the rider has identified a sixty minute testing window between the hours of 11:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m., or has otherwise consented to testing during that period, the UCI will not test a rider during that period unless it has a serious and specific suspicion that the rider may be engaged in doping."In a statement late on Sunday, the ITA said that effective testing must, in limited and justified circumstances, be capable of occurring outside standard daytime hours.Pogaar said he did not get back to sleep after being woken, while stage 15 winner Remco Evenepoel of Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe said that it was inhumane and its something that actually we should not accept as riders."Sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed to Cycling Weekly that at least two other teams have been tested at 5am during the Tour, one in the first week and one in the second week.Cycling Weekly understands that a number of other teams perhaps as many as eight have also been subjected to night-time testing.A spokesperson for the ITA confirmed that more teams were tested outside usual hours.The riders union, the Professional Cycling Associations (CPA), released a statement on Monday lending its support to the anti-doping movement, but questioned the relevance of night-time testing.The Tour de France is a competition that demands exceptional physical effort, the CPA statement said. The quality of sleep and recovery is essential not only for performance but also for the health and safety of the riders.It is clear that this practice hinders athletes recovery during the most important and difficult race on the global calendar and runs counter to the intended objectives.Cycling contributes approximately 10m to funding the fight against doping within the ITA for the collection and analysis of samples, while at the same WADA spends, on average, only $5 million per year across all sports on basic research to develop new methods for detecting and identifying new doping substances.Would it therefore be more appropriate to invest more in scientific research and detection technologies, rather than increasing the number of particularly intrusive unannounced tests?Night-time testing is only used when anti-doping authorities have concerns that an athlete may be engaged in doping practices. It is particularly useful at detecting substances which may have been taken in small doses referred to as micro-dosing that isnt detectable several hours later. Benjamin Cohen, the director general of the ITA, told The Athletic in April that he was in favour of restrictions around night-time testing loosening but cautioned against blanket testing in the early hours.If you go and speak to the (ITA) testing department, they would say: yes, we need to be able to test whenever we can. Certainly, based on information [the ITA has], it would suggest that there is an issue, Cohen said.I dont think you would want to do mass testing at the Tour de France, for example, and wake up all the athletes at 3am that doesnt make sense. I think you would need to have very concrete suspicions (about an athlete) and use that in a very cautious manner. I wouldnt advocate for mass night testing, but certainly for some flexibility if you believe that there is an issue.French sports daily Lquipe reported on Monday that the ITA made their requests ahead of the Tour.As is customary in the lead-up to the Tour de France, the public health divisions of the Paris and Marseille judicial courts, which have jurisdiction over doping matters, are in contact with the UCI (International Cycling Union) and the ITA, the Paris prosecutors office told Lquipe.The judges of these two jurisdictions have concurrent jurisdiction to rule on requests for nighttime doping controls. A judge of liberties and detention in Paris was therefore indeed contacted by the ITA, pursuant to Article L.232-14-4 of the French Sports Code, to authorise the doping controls that took place on the night of July 18-19."

Its never easy racing at the Tour de France and this last week was no exception with high temperatures and horror hotels.With two weeks of racing on the roads of France now behind the peloton we take a look back at how the world of cycling, including celebrity fans and a barista with panache, chronicled the last week on social media.1. "The special one" aka Jos Mourinho has got his priorities all wrong here, choosing to stop watching the Tour de France to go for a run. You wouldnt catch us doing that. A post shared by Jose Mourinho (@josemourinho)A photo posted by on 2. The French monarchy was abolished in 1792 but if they did decide to have a king again itd probably Thibaut Pinot who saw the race come through his hometown this last week.Oh! Look who is here Oh! Regardez qui est l #TDF2026 pic.twitter.com/3LuYx1iJUeJuly 17, 20263. EF Education-EasyPost chefs Owen Blandy and Chris Woodward are taking you on a culinary Tour de France as they breakdown/show off all the deliciousness theyre cooking up for the riders each day over on their Instagram.A post shared by Chris Woodward (@chris.woodward_)A photo posted by on 4. The iceman - AKA Silvan Dillier - cometh! Be afraid, be very afraid.A post shared by Alpecin-Premier Tech (@alpecin.premiertech)A photo posted by on 5. Apparently there has been some other big international sporting event going on over the last week, I dunno what its called, but the Tour organisers decided to pit riders of France and Spain against each other last Tuesday in tribute. Weirdly, the French organisers seem to lose interest after that.A post shared by Tour de France (@letourdefrance)A photo posted by on 6. Its not a bike race unless someone is dressed in a rabbit costume/devil outfit/mankini. To all those that do so, we salute you.A post shared by Tour de France (@letourdefrance)A photo posted by on 7. The Tour is a glamorous event, until you reach your hotel and discover youd be better off sleeping on the balcony. A post shared by Tobias Johannessen (@tobias_johannessen)A photo posted by on 8. How bad can it be though really? you ask. Pretty bad, as Tobiass brother Anders shows. This combined with UAE Emirates-XRG sleeping in hotel with no air conditioning led to something of a social media story that meant Tour race director Christian Prudhomme had to step in and respond. "If we want the race to visit beautiful parts of France and have beautiful stages, it means that sometimes there aren't five-star hotels everywhere," he told ICI.Could be worse, this is ours pic.twitter.com/ijPNxKc69YJuly 13, 20269. If you ask us Uno-Xs real problem was that after what was clearly not a great nights sleep they didnt have Julian Alaphilippe to make them coffee in the morning.A post shared by TNT Sports Cycling (@tntsportscycling)A photo posted by on 10. Lets end on a high note with the always reliable social media trope of riders kids at the Tour de France. This time its Tiesj Benoot and his daughter.A post shared by TNT Sports Cycling (@tntsportscycling)A photo posted by on

At the Tour de France, bikes cannot weigh less than 6.8kg, a minimum limit set by the sport's governing body, the UCI, which applies in any race under its jurisdiction. With some of the best teams in the world struggling to ensure they're not under the limit, you might expect every bike to achieve a weight as low as 6.8kg. But that'd be far from true, despite the amount of money and engineering expertise at teams' disposal and the supposed advantage that lower weight brings. As the Tour de France meets the high mountains, only a select few riders' bikes will be at or near the minimum weight limit. As we'll explain below, this is due to bike and component sponsorship deals, specific rider roles, rider size, and greater emphasis on aerodynamics. Tadej Pogaar's Y1Rs aero bike is claimed to tip the scales at just over 7kg, thanks to shaved off paint and lightweight ancilliary components (Image credit: Aaron Borrill)Aero is still everythingWe expect to see most riders on all-out aero bikes or all-rounders that combine low weight and low drag, even on the most mountainous days. This is because they climb so fast, with the best exceeding 25km/h, that aerodynamics still trump weight as they do on flat and rolling terrain.This is more pertinent if a team can get its aero bike close to the weight limit. Jonas Vingegaard and Tadej Pogaar have exclusively raced the Cervlo S5 and Colnago Y1Rs in recent years because their teams can get these aero bikes down to the 7kg-mark in their smaller frame sizes. They seem to have calculated that this option is faster overall than riding a 6.8kg climbing bike.Aero bikes may also be better for riders whose job it is to pull on the flat or set the pace early on climbs. They need to optimise for low drag, not low weight, because they'll drop back when the pace picks up on the ascent. But a climber or GC favourite who shelters in the wheels at these points will benefit more from a lighter bike, especially smaller riders for whom the bike constitutes relatively more of their system weight (bike, equipment, clothing, body). For example, Paul Seixas is likely to continue to ride his Van Rysel prototype in the mountains while some of his teammates stay on the RCR-F aero bike. Some riders from Jayco-AlUla have access to a stripped down Giant Propel Advanced SL aero bike rumoured to meet the UCI weight limit of 6.8kg (Image credit: Aaron Borrill)One-race-bike platforms Many Tour de France teams race the same bike on every road stage. In terms of weight, if they're lucky, this will be an all-rounder, such as the Jayco-AlUla's Giant Propel, Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe and Soudal-Quickstep's Specialized S-Works Tarmac SL9, or EF Education-EasyPost's Cannondale SuperSix Evo. These major bike brands have succeeded in making either climbing bikes more aero or aero bikes lighter, making a 6.8kg build eminently possible. At the Grand Depart, we weighed Remco Evenepoel's 52cm S-Works Tarmac SL9 complete with pedals, bottles and cycling computer fitted at 7.05kg.The trend for team leaders to get a special-edition blacked-out frame, saving 150-200g of weight in paint, makes this easier, as does the option to ditch a front derailleur and opt for a one-by drivetrain.Frame size is influential too. Movistar's diminutive climbers will be able to get their Canyon Aeroads down to 6.8kg. This will be harder for Alpecin-Premier Tech's taller Classics-style riders.Remco Evenepoel's Specialized S-Work's Tarmac SL9 weighs just 7.05kg with pedals, bottles and cycling computer fitted (Image credit: Aaron Borrill)The less fortunate teams will have one bike that may be fast but isn't that light. In previous years, Uno-X Mobility, for example, has climbed mountains on its Ridley Noah Fast 3.0, which weighs about 8kg. This year, the Norwegian team will probably ride the Belgian brand's unreleased Falcon RS climbing bike, although this might still be above the UCI weight limit. As attractive as it is, Groupama-FDJ United's Wilier Filante SLR ID2 is also likely to be a few hundred grams over the weight limit. Teams also report that their riders generally prefer to race the same bike all year round. Such tuned-in cyclists like having consistent geometry, handling, contact points and components. They usually don't consider it worthwhile to forsake all this for a slightly lighter climbing bike a handful of times a year. As aero bikes and all-rounders have become the go-to choices in the WorldTour, several bike brands have differentiated their climbing bikes through renewed focus on low weight this includes the Canyon Ultimate, Giant TCR and Scott Addict RC Pro, each of which is light and competent enough to be used in the high mountains of the final week of the Tour de France. This leaves the Scott-sponsored NSN Cycling Team with just the Foil RC for racing. Being quite an old aero bike, released in 2022, it's not the lightest of the pro peloton's do-it-all race bikes, weighing 7.28kg in size 54cm on our scales. We'd expect Scott to address the Foil's weight in the next generation, but for now, NSN is giving away about 500g to rivals whose bikes are at the weight limit. Team UAE Emirates-XRG has access to aftermarket titanium bolts and hardware from Carbon-Ti (Image credit: Aaron Borrill)Budgets and sponsorshipsThe amount of money, whether in cash or in kind from sponsorships, available to teams influences bike weight, too. The better-funded teams have the means to lower the weight of stock bikes that worse-off rivals don't. Most wheel brands these days can hit 1,300g or lower in a 50mm-deep wheelset, so teams are on a pretty level playing field regarding rims. But squads whose bike or component sponsor makes a lighter, climbing handlebar can save weight by switching from the thicker, aero bar. EF Education-EasyPost, for example, can save about 110g by changing from Cannondale's SystemBar Road to the SystemBar Road SL, which has thinner, rounded tops. The Cannondale SuperSix Evo is one of the all-rounder bikes that balances aero, stiffness and weight. Even in size 56cm, Kasper Asgreen's SuperSix Evo weighs 7.29kg (Image credit: Aaron Borrill)The biggest budget teams can go aftermarket, too. Lidl-Trek, for example, has been using $1,200 hubs to save 70g as reported by sister site, Cyclingnews while Tadej Pogaar's UAE Team Emirates-XRG is sponsored by lightweight component company Carbon-Ti. Parts such as its X-CarboRing Evo chainrings cost 436, and its X-Hanger DM integrated derailleur hanger costs 42. While these parts won't cut massive weight from the complete system, they do add up and arguably improve performance, too.The cost-to-benefit ratio of such modifications is marginal at best and well beyond the means of Cofidis or Caja RuralSeguros RGA. It goes to show that the richest teams can not only afford the best riders but also equip them with the best equipment, giving them a further advantage.

Tadej Pogaar's UAE Emirates-XRG have amassed more than double the prize money of their nearest competitors at the Tour de France this year so far, according to the race organisers.That success has been driven by five stage wins for the squad through Pogaar and white jersey wearer Isaac del Toro. Each stage win is worth 11,000 (9,340), while each day Pogaar spends in the yellow jersey comes with just 500 (420) in prize money.The team has collected 124,530 (105,000) in the first two weeks of the race.Lild-Trek, the team in second place has got less than half that with 58,400,00 (49,000) driven mostly by the consistently high placing, including a stage win, of Mads Pedersen.The squad is also leading the lucrative but often overlooked teams classification, for which it receives 2,800 each day.Just behind them in third are Soudal Quick-Step, who, thanks to three stages wins from Tim Merlier, have totted-up a prize fund of 43,890 so far.There is a prize pot of 2.3m at the Tour de France, but much of this is handed out for the final placings. So far just 606,000 in prizes have been dolled-out to the riders and teams. At the other end of the prize money table after two thirds of the race is run is Picnic PostNL, who are having a torrid Tour. The teams best result is a fifth place for sprinter Pavel Bittner on stage eight into Bergerac. That netted the team 840 (710/$960) of their 5,270.Their results in France are matched only by their poor season which has seen them slip to 30th in the UCI team rankings, below many ProTour teams. Their best result has come from Bittner who was second at sprinters classic Scheldeprijs.However, there are other teams that are struggling too at this years Tour. Groupama-FDJ United have so far banked just 5,420 while Tudor Pro Cycling have won only 5,560.If Pogaar is able to hang onto to the yellow jersey all the way to Paris then hell collect a further 500,000 for the team, plus the prizes for wearing the jersey each day.

A custom paint job carried out by Lumarcolors (Image credit: Aaron Borrill)Remco Evenepoel has moved into second place on the general classification following an emphatic first road stage win at the Tour de France. The Belgian has come into this year's race in impeccable form, and is clearly able to compete with the leading protagonists in the high mountains something he failed to achieve last year when he abandoned the race in the Pyrenees. With a 26.1km/500m individual time trial on the cards for stage 16, Remco can potentially claw back some time on Tadej Pogaar and cement his second place on the podium. Lets take a closer look at the reigning Olympians Specialized S-Works Tarmac SL9.Name sticker just to make sure nobody else on the team rides the golden Tarmac SL9Aaron BorrillA closer look at the glittery gold paint and handpainted 'Remco' detailAaron BorrillHaving stolen the headlines at the Grand Depart for his unreleased Specialized S-Works Shiv TT bike, the Belgian also has an S-Works Tarmac SL9 at his disposal both a regular team-liveried option (which he raced to victory on stage 15) and a gold-themed edition that celebrates his Olympic Championship win from 2024 in Paris. The bike pictured here, however, is the latter, and was customised by Italian master frame painters, Lumarcolors.A slammed front end has become a staple on Remco's bikes over the years (Image credit: Aaron Borrill)Golden K-Edge computer mount keeps the theme running strong (Image credit: Aaron Borrill)Lumarcolors has done an amazing job with the bike, as it complements the Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe team livery and pays homage to Evenepoels Olympic gold medal. Naturally, theres a lot of gold at play here, but its all done tastefully and not over the top. As a result, it utilises a bespoke glittery white and gold paint scheme that still fits in with the team design Red Bull and keyline logos are applied as a water transfer and subtly fade from gold to white.More gold! A golden cassette and chainAaron BorrillContrasting golden base of the Specialized S-Works Power Evo with Mirror saddleAaron BorrillK-Edge chain catcher finihsed in, you guessed it, goldAaron BorrillRoval Rapide CLX III wheels are shod with Specialized Cotton TLR 30mm tyres, complete with tan walls that pick up the gold accents on the frameAaron BorrillThe gold theme continues with his cassette and chain, base of the saddle, the inside crank arms (and SRAM logo on the outside arm), and the K-Edge computer mount and chain catcher. The level of detail is truly inspiring.The Belgian runs 165mm cranks, pictured here with extra golden features (Image credit: Aaron Borrill)Gearing comes compliments of a 54/41T, 10-33T drivetrain (Image credit: Aaron Borrill)Having changed teams for 2025, Remco is now riding a SRAM Red AXS-equipped machine rather than the Shimano Dura-Ace Di2-outfitted bike he raced on at Soudal-QuickStep. 51/48mm mixed-depth Roval Rapide CLX III wheels ensure a good mix of aerodynamics and weight (Image credit: Aaron Borrill)For the Tour de France, Remco has opted for a 54/41T, 10-33T gearing configuration, driven by 165mm cranks. As a Specialized rider, he meets sponsor obligations by using Roval Rapide CLX III wheels shod with 30mm Specialized Cotton TLR tyres. Other details/components include a Specialized S-Works Power Evo with Mirror saddle, a K-Edge computer mount and chain catcher, and Tacx Ciro bottle cages.As usual, he's using a slammed Roval Rapide integrated cockpit.All in, Evenepoel's 52cm S-Works Tarmac SL9 tipped our scales at 7.05kg complete with pedals, two bidons/cages and cycling computer.Frameset: S-Works Tarmac SL9 Fact 12r CarbonFork: S-Works Fact 12r CarbonCockpit: Roval RapideSeatpost: S-Works Tarmac SL9 CarbonGroupset: SRAM Red AXS 54/41T, 10-33TWheelset: Roval Rapide CLX IIITyres: Specialized Cotton TLR 30mmSaddle: Specialzied S-Works Power Evo with Mirror