thecyclingdane

The second rest day of the Tour de France 2026 has arrived, but after Stage 15, the entire race has been transformed.
A dramatic day in the mountains completely changed the battle for yellow. Jonas Vingegaard’s Tour challenge came to an end after his crash, while Remco Evenepoel delivered a huge statement performance to take victory and establish himself as Tadej Pogačar’s biggest remaining challenger.
In this rest day podcast, we analyse how Stage 15 has reshaped the Tour de France, what Vingegaard’s absence means for the final week, and whether anyone can still challenge Pogačar for the yellow jersey.
We discuss Remco Evenepoel’s incredible rise into the GC battle, Isaac del Toro’s chances of reaching the podium, whether Pogačar has been completely untouchable so far, and the key moments that could decide the final week of racing.
After 15 stages, the Tour de France has entered a new chapter. The question now is whether anyone can stop Tadej Pogačar from winning another historic yellow jersey.

Stage 15 of the Tour de France delivered one of the biggest shocks of the race. Jonas Vingegaard's Tour came to a heartbreaking end after a high-speed crash forced the Visma-Lease a Bike leader to abandon, completely changing the general classification and the battle for yellow.
While the peloton was still processing the news, Remco Evenepoel produced a brilliant ride to outsprint Tadej Pogačar on the brutal finish to Plateau de Solaison and claim his first road stage victory of the 2026 Tour. Pogačar strengthened his grip on the yellow jersey, but the race was overshadowed by the loss of his biggest rival.
In this episode, we break down the crash that ended Vingegaard's Tour, analyse how it changes the race for the final week, discuss Remco Evenepoel's superb performance, and examine UAE Team Emirates-XRG's tactics with Isaac del Toro. We also look at the updated general classification and ask what the final week now holds without the sport's biggest rivalry.

Tadej Pogačar delivered another masterclass in the Vosges, launching a devastating attack on the Col du Haag before riding solo to his fourth stage victory of the 2026 Tour de France. Once again, Jonas Vingegaard had no answer as the Slovenian extended his lead in the yellow jersey to more than four minutes and moved one step closer to a third consecutive Tour title.
In this episode, we break down exactly how UAE Team Emirates-XRG controlled the race, why Pogačar chose the perfect moment to attack, and whether Visma-Lease a Bike made the right tactical decisions. We also discuss Isaac del Toro's incredible ride to second, Paul Seixas' breakout performance on home roads, the updated general classification, and whether anyone can still stop Pogačar in the mountains.

Mauro Schmid claimed his first-ever Tour de France stage victory after outsprinting Harold Tejada in Belfort, but the biggest story of Stage 13 was Tom Pidcock. After attacking on the Ballon d'Alsace and producing one of his strongest rides of the Tour, the Briton climbed to fourth in the general classification and suddenly looks like a genuine podium contender.
In today's episode, we analyse Schmid's perfectly timed victory, Pidcock's aggressive tactics, and why UAE Team Emirates-XRG and Visma-Lease a Bike allowed him to gain valuable time. We also discuss Tadej Pogačar safely defending the yellow jersey, Jonas Vingegaard's position heading into the mountains, and whether Remco Evenepoel should now be looking over his shoulder.
Finally, we preview the brutal Stage 14 in the Vosges, where Le Markstein could produce the biggest GC showdown of the 2026 Tour de France so far.
Tour de France 2026, Stage 13, Tom Pidcock, Mauro Schmid, Tadej Pogačar, Jonas Vingegaard, Remco Evenepoel, Harold Tejada, Ballon d'Alsace, Le Markstein, GC battle, Tour de France analysis.

The sprinters returned on Stage 12 of the 2026 Tour de France, but the biggest talking point came long before the finish. Should Mads Pedersen have been relegated after his intermediate sprint against Jasper Philipsen?
In today's episode we break down the controversial sprint, explain why the race jury decided not to relegate Pedersen, and discuss whether the decision was consistent with recent rulings at this Tour.
We also analyse Tim Merlier's third stage victory, the dramatic crash inside the final kilometre, Jasper Philipsen's performance, the battle for the green jersey, and what it all means before the race heads back into the mountains. Finally, we look at Tadej Pogačar, Jonas Vingegaard and the latest general classification battle as the Tour reaches its decisive phase.