thecyclingdane

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 strongest version of Pogačar yet?
We also discuss the rapid rise of French wonderkid Paul Seixas and whether the teenager can live up to the enormous expectations already being placed upon him.
Plus, we take a deep dive into the 2026 Tour de France route, analysing the decisive mountain stages, key tactical battlegrounds, and which riders are best suited to this year's course.

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, sending a terrifying warning shot straight to his rivals. We break down the data behind his Swiss masterclass and look at what this means for his historic yellow jersey bid.
Meanwhile, over at the Tour of Slovenia, it was an absolute clinic by Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe. Florian Lipowitz proved he is a bona fide Grand Tour contender, sweeping the mountains to take a dominant overall GC victory alongside a soaring Red Bull team. Is their Tour de France engine officially fully operational?
Plus, we head to the flatlands for a chaotic Belgium Tour, where Jasper Philipsen snatched the overall crown in a nail-biting showdown, proving his sprinting speed and tactical brilliance are exactly where they need to be. Finally, we celebrate a historic moment at the Giro Next Gen (U23 Giro d'Italia), where young phenomenon Lorenzo Finn put on an absolute masterclass to secure the final Maglia Rosa.

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 rider who can shift a stage, control a breakaway, win on multiple terrains, and reshape entire days of racing.
We dig into how Visma now reshuffle around Jonas Vingegaard, what gaps suddenly open in their Tour strategy, and who within the squad is forced to step into roles they weren’t originally built for. Beyond that, we explore how this changes the rhythm of the race itself—because Van Aert’s presence always forces other teams to react, even before the first mountain stage arrives.
There’s also the bigger picture: what this means for Van Aert’s season, how teams absorb late injury losses at this level, and whether the Tour de France becomes more open—or simply more chaotic—without him.
A raw reaction to one of the most influential withdrawals before the race has even begun.

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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. After already winning the UAE Tour and Tirreno-Adriatico, Del Toro continues to build one of the most impressive campaigns in modern cycling.
Elsewhere, Jasper Philipsen returned to winning ways at the Copenhagen Sprint. In a chaotic and rain-soaked race filled with crashes, late drama and a stubborn breakaway that was only caught in the final few hundred metres, the Belgian sprint star kept himself out of trouble before powering past Tobias Lund Andresen to take victory in the Danish capital. It was the perfect confidence boost as Tour de France season rapidly approaches.
The weekend also brought concern for French cycling's newest superstar, Paul Seixas. The 19-year-old crashed heavily during Stage 7 of the Dauphiné, suffering significant injuries to his hands and forcing a remarkable chase back to the favourites group. Although he bravely finished the stage and initially hoped to continue, Seixas ultimately abandoned the race the following day. With his Tour de France debut just weeks away, the crash has cast doubt over how close to full strength he will be when the Grand Départ arrives, creating a nervous wait for French fans dreaming of a home contender.
In today's show, we break down Del Toro's latest triumph, analyse what Philipsen's Copenhagen Sprint victory means for the Tour de France sprint battles, and discuss whether Seixas can recover in time to challenge the sport's biggest names in July.

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, and discuss whether Tadej Pogačar can add yet another Swiss stage race victory to his incredible palmarès. Can anyone challenge the Slovenian superstar, or is he set to continue his dominance ahead of July?
Join us as we look at the route, the favourites, the dark horses, and the biggest storylines heading into the 2026 Tour de Suisse.