Italy’s iconic three-week grand tour, shaping careers and pushing riders to peak form year after year.
The Giro d'Italia has continued with stage updates from Bulgaria and Italy. Guillermo Thomas Silva remains in pink, while Paul Magnier has won a sprint on the opening Bulgarian stage and Giulio Ciccone moves into the overall lead ahead of tougher climbs on Stage 4.
Australian riders remain in the top 10 of the Giro d’Italia, with Hindley in third and Harper climbing to the Top 10 by stage 11. O’Connor and Storer are also in strong positions as the race progresses toward Rome; Vingegaard leads and the field fights for stage-and-podium opportunities.
Froome has confirmed retirement after a career defined by four Tour de France titles and Grand Tour success, with a dramatic crash in 2019 and subsequent struggles ending his competitive career following injuries sustained in August 2025. He leaves as one of cycling’s most decorated riders, with seven Grand Tours won.
On stage 13 of the Tour de France, Tom Pidcock finishes third after a late breakaway, earning four bonus seconds and climbing to fourth overall. Mauro Schmid wins the stage from Tejada, with Pogacar extending his overall lead as the race heads into the mountains.
Riders have been tested between 11pm and 6am as part of the ITA anti-doping programme, with Pogacar and Vingegaard among those subjected to late-night tests. The practice, described as unusual and disruptive by some, is intended to combat micro-dosing and maintain integrity as the race progresses toward the Alps.
Richard Carapaz seals his second stage win in three days, moving to the top of the King of the Mountains as the Tour enters its final mountain stretch. Remco Evenepoel maintains the race lead despite a testing day for UAE, while Pogacar’s position comes under renewed scrutiny as illness and crashes ripple through teams.
The nine-stage Tour de France Femmes 2026 has begun in Lausanne. Vollering heads a strong field with Ferrand-Prevot and Niewiadoma-Phinney among contenders as stages unfold across Switzerland and France, including Mont Ventoux on stage seven.
Lorena Wiebes has claimed another sprint victory on the Tour de France Femmes stage two, extending her overall lead to 14 seconds. Riejanne Markus led briefly before the peloton reeled her in, and Wiebes surged to win ahead of Elisa Balsamo and Marianne Vos. The race continues with stage three from Geneva to Poligny.
Pogacar has confirmed his return to La Vuelta a España, aiming to complete the three-grand-tour set. He has won five Tour de France titles and the Giro d’Italia, with Vuelta success seen as the final piece of a record-breaking career. The 27-year-old arrives with a tailored schedule, eyeing overall glory in Spain and a potential rainbow-jersey bid at the World Championships.