In this cycling news summary, Pez looks at Tadej Pogačar’s domination of this Tour and asks: Is taking the jersey early normal, or a sign of a dominant era? (Hint: Merckx, Indurain, Froome, and now Pogačar offer an answer.) Then, in his search for suspense in this Tour, Mike considers the Remco Rally, and asks whether it will deliver Evenepoel to the podium. (Hint: probably not.) All that, plus some non-Tour news, from Lapierre’s new 80th-anniversary model, some virtual cycling news, a rising star re-signs with EF, a Pogi party for charity — and Mike takes on Bend’s Rubber Mallet, in the shadow of Mt. Bachelor.
TOP STORY
- Dominance x 2: Repeat Tour Winners Take Early Jerseys
RACE NEWS
- The Art of the Remco Rally
TEAM, RIDER AND CYCLING NEWS
- UCI, MyWhoosh Announce Dates and Qualification Pathway for 2026 UCI Cycling Esports World Championships
- Lapierre Launches Limited-Edition Xelius DRS 80th Anniversary frameset
- Alex Baudin Re-Ups with EF Education-EasyPost
- Pogi Challenge Set to Become Slovenia’s Biggest Family Cycling Weekend
MIKE’S RIDE OF THE WEEK
- Bend’s Rubber Mallet
VIDEO
- Richard Answers the Question: Is this Tour Still Fun to Watch?
Dominance x 2: Repeat Tour Winners Take Early Jerseys
Watching Pogačar positively tear apart Stage 10 — on what was supposed to be a breakaway stage, not mountainous enough to split the GC favorites, and just four stages after he took the Yellow Jersey — I found myself wondering: Is this normal — donning the Yellow Jersey this early in the Tour, and (presumptively) holding onto it until Paris?
So I did some research. Here’s what I learned:
I decided to start with the closest Tour ever, LeMond’s 8-second win in 1989. Since then we’ve seen ultimate winners take the Maillot Jaune as early as stage 4 (Pog in 2024) and as late as stage 20: LeMond again, in 1990, Cadel Evans in 2011 — and Pogačar’s first win in 2020, when he brutally snagged the jersey from Roglič in the final time trial.
(If we go further back, we find some wire-to-wire wins: most recently in 1961 (Jacques Anquetil), and as far back as the first Tour (Maurice Garin).)
Looking at that since-’89 graph, we see a bit of a correlation. See those dips in the first third, around the middle, and recently? Those are Indurain, Froome, and Pogačar — the dominant riders of their respective decades, winning four or five times each.
(A quick scan suggests that Eddy Merckx’s wins featured early jersey-donning as well.)
My conclusion from all this? That those of us who prefer a competitive Tour — we who so fondly remember 1989 — suffer twice: once for witnessing a single rider winning year after year, and again because we tend to see his Tours sewn up early, with little drama.
Which is not to say that Pogačar will certainly win this Tour — and which is definitely not to say that I’m not enjoying this Tour, as I enjoy the Grand Boucle every year. But can a cycling fan get a little more suspense in his Julys — please?
Check out all of Pez’ Tour coverage, including…
- A surprise winner on stage 11
- PEZ at the Movies: 23 Days in July
- Ed Hood’s Interview with Alex Stieda — the First North American to wear the Yellow Jersey
RACE NEWS
The Art of the Remco Rally
As we grasp for moments of tension during this Tour, we’re turning our attention to the race for the podium (and not its top step). And in following the half-dozen riders with a shot at Closest Two Positions Behind Pogačar, I’ve noticed a particular phenomenon: The Remco Rally.
It was on display late in Stage 10. With Pogačar up the road and Vingegaard chasing, Evenepoel fell off the pace on the Col de Font de Cère, slipping ten seconds, then 30, and soon nearly a minute behind the group carrying his podium rivals. Soon he would surely be caught by a trailing Isaac del Toro, his GC chances all but sunk.
Yet within six kilometers, he was back in the group, and not just back, but attacking it, distancing everyone but Pogačar to snatch second on the stage.
If this sounds familiar, it’s because Evenepoel has been rehearsing this trick all year, and for much of his career. When I watched this transpire at the Worlds Road Race in Rwanda, I should have taken heed, witnessing the Belgian fans crowding a Kigali bar keep the faith in their compatriot, even has he virtually collapsed on Mt. Kigali. It was like they expected him to lose pace — and then to come back, eating into Pogačar’s margin and finishing second.
Sometimes it happens over a couple of days: At the 2023 Vuelta we saw a catastrophic, 27-minute blowup on the Tourmalet, followed less than 24 hours later by a solo stage win in the Pyrenees. Even his junior Worlds title, back in 2018, came after an early crash and a lone chase back to the front.
“Remco is a head case.” It’s practically a cycling truism. And indeed we see him lose his temper: at the Olympics when he flatted, at Worlds when he suffered two mysterious mishaps, and periodically when other riders won’t come around his aero-bullet pull. But his directors keep praising his ability to stay calm rather than panic when the gap opens, and let the group, or the road, do some of the work back.
Which is the problem. The Remco Rally has, so far, needed a descent or a long, flat run-in to function — terrain where his aero position can claw back seconds. Several stages ahead feature summit finishes, and thus no such runway. If the gap opens and there’s no valley left to rally through…that may the last we see of Remco in this GC contest.
TEAM, RIDER AND CYCLING NEWS
UCI, MyWhoosh Announce Dates and Qualification Pathway for 2026 UCI Cycling Esports World Championships
The UCI and MyWhoosh have unveiled the qualification process and its key dates for the 2026 UCI Cycling Esports World Championships, with the final taking place on December 12 in two separate venues, one in North America and one in Europe.
As in 2025, the qualification system strikes a balance between national federations’ selections and open access races on the MyWhoosh platform, ensuring riders from around the world have the opportunity to qualify.
Around 100 riders of each gender will qualify for the semi-final through their National Federations. National Federations will select their team according to their own selection processes and any questions regarding athlete eligibility or selection should be directed to the National Federation of the country of which the athlete is a member.
An additional 30 riders per gender will have the opportunity to qualify through MyWhoosh Sunday Race Club Elite series races, which will take place the first two Sundays of September.
National Federations will have the July-August period to nominate their riders, all of whom must have previously taken part in at least one official MyWhoosh Sunday Race Club Elite race. Federations will have until 31 August to confirm the names of their selected athletes, with the deadline for the final list of semi-final participants set on September 4.
The entirely virtual semi-final will bring together around 260 athletes on October 2, before the top riders of each gender will advance to the grand final on 12 December, held live across two host venues in North America and Europe. In addition to this, a maximum of three wild cards per gender may be awarded by the UCI.
Lapierre Launches Limited-Edition Xelius DRS 80th Anniversary frameset
To celebrate 80 years since its founding, Lapierre has unveiled the limited-edition Xelius DRS 80th Anniversary frameset. Lapierre will release 100 individually numbered pieces for sale.
The anniversary frameset introduces a new Kinetic Dust colourway concept. The design is represented by particle dispersion across the frame, with the density increasing in areas put under the highest stress, such as the bottom bracket, aero fork, and the junction of the seat stays and top tube.
Three colors represent Lapierre’s history: Dark Blue represents its DNA and legacy. Teal “signifies the moment pain transforms into momentum,” and Champagne conveys “quiet satisfaction and a personal victory.”
Team Picnic PostNL will compete on the new frames during Stage 10 of the 2026 Tour, Bastille Day (July 14). That date has been specifically chosen to honor the brand’s proud French roots, as well as the historic milestone.
Only 100 Xelius DRS 80th Anniversary framesets are available globally, with small, medium and large sizes retailing at €4,499. Click here to find out more.
Alex Baudin Re-Ups with EF Education-EasyPost
Alex Baudin has signed a long-term contract extension with EF Education-EasyPost.
The rider from Albertville, France, joined the team at the start of 2025 and has developed into one of the peloton’s most exciting talents over the past 18 months.
His progress was on display at stage 1 of the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, where he spent 124km in the breakaway before holding off a group of GC contenders for the biggest win of his career, following a strong spring that included top-ten GC finishes at Paris-Nice and Itzulia Basque Country. He has carried that momentum into the Tour de France, spending three days in the King of the Mountains jersey and finishing fourth on stage 9.
“My first two years on this team didn’t feel like enough, and I really wanted to stay. For me, this team is unique. It’s the way that we race, the way that we make our tactics, and the group that we have is truly special… That’s why I won, because of the way that we do things at EF Education-EasyPost and I love it,” Baudin said.
Team CEO Jonathan Vaughters praised Baudin’s progress both on and off the bike.
“Alex embodies what EF Pro Cycling is all about. He’s hardworking, resilient, and never afraid to take the race to the peloton… We believe he’s only scratching the surface of what he’s capable of,” Vaughters said.
Baudin credited the freedom given by the team’s sports directors for his development, and said he’s embraced a growing leadership role.
“I’ve started to show the team can rely on me to deliver results, and I want to continue on this path with EF Education-EasyPost,” Baudin said.
Pogi Challenge Set to Become Slovenia’s Biggest Family Cycling Weekend
Wondering what Tadej Pogačar does after his presumptive victory in the Tour de France?
After — I presume — a brief bit of rest, he’ll be on the ground for Pogi Challenge 2026, a three-day cycling festival running from Friday, July 31, to Sunday, August 2, in Komenda, Slovenia. With just over two weeks remaining before the event, organizers say this year’s edition is shaping up to be the country’s largest family cycling weekend to date.
The event opens Friday with the 8th Tadej Pogačar Criterium, which will be broadcast live on television. Following the race, Pogačar will greet fans, and the evening will close with a concert by Magnifico.
TADEJ POGAČAR CRITERIUM – PREVIOUS WINNERS
2019 – Gašper Katrašnik (Adria Mobil)
2020 – Gašper Katrašnik (Adria Mobil)
2021 – Luka Mezgec (Team BikeExchange)
2022 – Tilen Finkšt (Adria Mobil)
2023 – Anže Skok (Ljubljana Gusto Santic)
2024 – Tilen Finkšt (Adria Mobil)
2025 – Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates–XRG)
Saturday: A Day for Families, Young Cyclists and Fans
Saturday, August 1st, will be dedicated to the youngest cycling enthusiasts, with a program of activities designed around fun, learning, and accessibility to the sport. The day’s centerpiece is the Junior Pogi Challenge Generali, a children’s cycling event in which Tadej Pogačar will join young participants on course.
Registration and race number collection for the Junior Pogi Challenge Generali will open at 4:00 p.m. on August 1. Participation is free, and every young rider will receive a finisher’s medal and an official event water bottle. The event will run across four age categories to accommodate riders of different ages in a safe, supportive environment.
The day will conclude with a live performance by Čuki, one of Slovenia’s most popular bands.
Sunday: “S Klanca v Klanc”
The weekend concludes Sunday, 2 August, with “S Klanca v klanc,” a recreational cycling challenge that gives participants the chance to test themselves against Tadej Pogačar on his home hill.
Charitable Focus
All three days of Pogi Challenge 2026 will carry a charitable component. An online auction of Tadej Pogačar’s personal memorabilia is currently underway on the event’s website, with all proceeds benefiting the Tadej Pogačar Foundation and the Pogi Team youth cycling program. The auction closes Wednesday, July 15, 2026.
For more information, check out https://pogichallenge.com.
I don’t know what they’re saying, but it’s cute, and presumably for a good cause…
MIKE’S RIDE OF THE WEEK: BEND’S RUBBER MALLET
Bend features a weekly Hammerfest, which is…exactly the ride that its name suggests it is.
I’m usually up for it, but one recent Tuesday evening I decided to give its slightly mellower cousin a try, and rolled up for The Rubber Mallet. (Get it?)
What I found was a spirited group ride — that thankfully took a different route from the typical Bend ride. (I prefer a group ride that varies its parcours.) After a steady ramp-up we pushed hard to the foot of Mt. Bachelor, replete with spectacular views — and a bombing descent.
This was my first ride on my Hunt 44_46 Aerodynamicist wheels, and I have to say: I felt pretty damn fast, on the way up and the way down.
I haven’t written off the Hammerfest just yet, but I’ll definitely be back for the Rubber Mallet.
PEZ VIDEO
Mike posed the question above: Is this Tour still fun to watch? Here Richard serves up an answer, on behalf of the whole Pez crew.
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The post EUROTRASH: Tour Dominance — Early and Often appeared first on PezCycling News.
