thecyclingdane

The first true mountain stage of the 2026 Tour de France delivered the biggest GC showdown of the race so far as the riders tackled the legendary Col du Tourmalet before the finish in Gavarnie-Gèdre. In this Stage 6 recap, we break down everything that happened between Tadej Pogačar, Jonas Vingegaard and the rest of the general classification contenders. We discuss UAE Team Emirates' tactics,...

The sprinters finally got their chance at the 2026 Tour de France, and it was Olav Kooij who delivered in spectacular fashion. In this Stage 5 recap, we break down the Dutch sprinter's maiden Tour de France stage victory after a dramatic and chaotic finish into Pau. We analyse how the race unfolded, the late crash that disrupted the sprint trains, and how Kooij timed his effort perfectly to be...

Tadej Pogačar has lost the yellow jersey—but was it a tactical masterstroke or a costly mistake by UAE Team Emirates-XRG? In this Tour de France 2026 Stage 4 recap, we break down Mads Pedersen's impressive stage victory, the breakaway that reshaped the general classification, and how Torstein Træen ended the day in the yellow jersey. We also analyse UAE Team Emirates' decision to let the b...

After the first mountain showdown of the 2026 Tour de France, we break down an explosive Stage 3 as Tadej Pogačar and Jonas Vingegaard went head-to-head on the final climb to Les Angles. We analyse UAE Team Emirates' tactics, Visma | Lease a Bike's response, the decisive attacks, and what this battle means for the yellow jersey after one of the biggest stages of the opening week. We also d...

The second stage of the 2026 Tour de France delivered the first major showdown between the general classification favourites as UAE Team Emirates-XRG turned up the pressure on Jonas Vingegaard. On the steep roads of Montjuïc in Barcelona, Isaac del Toro produced a stunning ride to claim his maiden Tour de France stage victory after Tadej Pogačar guided his young teammate to the line in a dominant...

The 2026 Tour de France is finally here, and it all begins with a historic opening stage in Barcelona. In this episode, we break down Stage 1, a 19.7 km team time trial that marks the Tour's first TTT since 2019 and the first team time trial to open the race in over 50 years. Can Tadej Pogačar and UAE Team Emirates-XRG gain an early advantage, or will Jonas Vingegaard and Visma-Lease a Bike st...

In this special pre-Tour de France 2026 episode, we sit down with Australian stars Michael Matthews and Ben O'Connor for an in-depth conversation on form, ambition, and the rapidly evolving world of pro cycling. Matthews opens up about his immense recovery journey back to the start line after a double wrist fracture, detailing the physical and mental grind required to return to WorldTour level...

Ranking all the Tour de France teams with  @TheFinalKm  The 2026 Tour de France brings together 23 of the strongest teams in professional cycling, forming one of the most stacked start lists in recent memory. From pure GC powerhouses to aggressive stage-hunting squads, every team arrives with a clear mission: either survive the mountains, dominate the sprints, or try to dethrone the reigning king...

National Championships weekend has given us a fresh set of jerseys just days before the Tour de France, and in this episode of The Cycling Dane Podcast we break down all of the biggest stories from across Europe. Jonathan Milan fulfilled a lifelong dream by claiming his first Italian national road race title, while compatriot Filippo Ganna once again proved why he remains one of the world's be...

In this episode, we rank every major Tour de France 2026 favourite in a full breakdown from outsiders to outright contenders, analysing where each rider truly stands heading into the biggest race of the year. At the centre of it all is the defining rivalry of modern cycling: Tadej Pogačar vs Jonas Vingegaard . We break down why these two remain the benchmark for Grand Tour success, and how the ent...

The countdown to the Tour de France 2026 is on, and this week we are joined by cycling legend Jens Voigt to break down everything ahead of the biggest race of the year. Jens gives his thoughts on the latest chapter of the sport's greatest rivalry as Jonas Vingegaard prepares to challenge Tadej Pogačar once again. Is anyone capable of stopping the world champion, or are we witnessing the strong...

The road to the Tour de France is officially hitting terminal velocity! In this jam-packed weekly race review, we dissect an unbelievable block of June racing that has completely rewritten the script for July. First up, we have to talk about Tadej Pogačar. Making his highly anticipated debut at the Tour de Suisse, the Slovenian didn't just win—he completely dismantled the WorldTour peloton, se...

Wout van Aert missing the Tour de France isn’t just a team change—it’s a disruption to the entire script of the race. In this episode, we react to the news that injury has ruled Van Aert out of the Tour and unpack what that actually removes from Visma–Lease a Bike’s toolkit. This isn’t just a domestique or stage hunter being taken away—it’s one of the most adaptable riders in modern cycling, a rid...

Isaac Del Toro delivered another huge statement ahead of the Tour de France, capturing overall victory at the 2026 Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes (formerly the Critérium du Dauphiné). The Mexican star showed exactly why many believe he is the future of stage racing, producing a brilliant mountain performance to take a crucial stage win before sealing his third WorldTour stage-race victory of the season...

The road to the Tour de France continues at the Tour de Suisse, the final major stage race before cycling's biggest event. With a challenging route packed full of mountain stages, time gaps can appear quickly as some of the world's best riders battle for one of the most prestigious week-long races on the calendar. In this preview show, we break down every stage, analyse the key contenders,...

Cycling Transfer Talks , we break down the latest reports linking Felix Gall with a move to Lidl-Trek, examine the growing speculation surrounding Primož Roglič and a potential switch to Bahrain Victorious, and discuss the extraordinary rumours that could see company-owned Ineos attempt to secure the biggest signing in cycling by targeting Jonas Vingegaard. We analyse what these transfers could me...

Can Paul Seixas make history at the 2026 Critérium du Dauphiné? The French sensation arrives in the form of his life and has the chance to become the race's youngest-ever winner while ending France's long wait for a home champion, with the last French victory coming back in 2007. But standing in his way are some of the sport's biggest names, including UAE Team Emirates-XRG leader Isaac...

On the queen stage of the Giro d'Italia it was an action packed day with Ciccone and riders in the lower end of the top 10 of the GC forcing the action while Visma Lease A Bike shifted focus to let Sepp Kuss in the breakaway and Jonas Vingegaard on marking duties.

Stage 18 of the Giro d’Italia 2026 looked straightforward for the GC contenders — until the brutal slopes of the Muro di Ca’ del Poggio nearly turned into a tactical disaster for Jonas Vingegaard and Visma-Lease a Bike. Poor positioning, late reactions, and aggressive attacks on the steep final climb briefly left the Giro leader exposed as rivals sensed an opportunity ahead of the decisive mountai...

Michael Valgren finally claimed his long-awaited first Grand Tour stage win with a perfectly-timed attack on stage 17 of the Giro d’Italia after an explosive 202km breakaway battle to Andalo. We break down the relentless tactical racing, Valgren’s emotional comeback story after his career-threatening crash, and another controlled GC day for race leader Jonas Vingegaard as the Giro heads towards it...

After a rest day comes the moment every Grand Tour contender fears… the first brutal mountain test of the final week. On Stage 16 of the 2026 Giro d’Italia, Jonas Vingegaard and Visma Lease a Bike faced a short but savage Swiss Alpine showdown to Carì, with relentless climbing, heat, and mounting fatigue threatening to crack the race apart. In this episode, we break down how Visma controlled the s...

Jonas Vingegaard heads into the final rest day of the 2026 Giro d’Italia in complete control, but is the race already over? In this debrief, we break down Visma-Lease a Bike’s domination, Vingegaard’s crushing stage 14 attack to take the maglia rosa, the fading hopes of Afonso Eulálio and the remaining challengers, plus whether anyone can realistically stop the Dane in the brutal final week. We al...

Stage 14 of the Giro d’Italia delivered the moment the race had been building towards. Jonas Vingegaard finally seized the maglia rosa with a ruthless solo attack on the brutal climb to Pila, dropping every rival with 4.6km remaining and stamping total authority on the race. In this episode, we break down Visma-Lease a Bike’s complete domination in the Alps, the tactical destruction of the breakaw...

Alberto Bettiol delivered a stunning solo win on Giro d’Italia 2026 Stage 13, attacking on the final climb before descending flawlessly into Verbania for XDS Astana Team’s third stage victory of the race. We recap Bettiol’s emotional home-road triumph, the aggressive breakaway battle with Andreas Leknessund and Jasper Stuyven, plus what it means for Afonso Eulálio and Jonas Vingegaard ahead of the...

Giro d'Italia 2026 Stage 12 delivered a surprise as Alec Segaert launched a long-range attack with 3.5km to go to take the biggest win of his career in Novi Ligure, while Afonso Eulálio strengthened his maglia rosa lead with bonus seconds over Jonas Vingegaard. We break down the tactical finale, the sprinters getting dropped on the climbs, and why Alberto Contador has been critical of Vingegaa...