Dani Ostanek

Cyclingnews outlines how to watch the 2026 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships, held in Val di Sole, Italy, from August 26–30. Coverage varies by territory: TNT Sports and HBO Max in the UK, FloBikes in the United States and Canada, and Stan Sport in Australia, while free options include the UCI YouTube channel and selected national broadcasters subject to geographic restrictions. The article also provides the event schedule, highlights leading competitors and defending champions, and recommends NordVPN for viewers watching their usual coverage while abroad.

Twenty-year-old Belgian Jarno Widar finished second behind Tadej Pogačar on stage four of the Vuelta a España, marking an impressive debut on a Grand Tour mountain stage. Riding for Lotto-Intermarché, Widar recovered after struggling on the Coll d’Ordino and then outsprinted Felix Gall and Oscar Onley in Andorra la Vella. Widar said he was surprised and proud of the result but stressed that he would take the race one day at a time, with expectations tempered by his limited experience racing more than eight consecutive days.

The Vuelta a España’s third stage was cancelled after a severe hailstorm near Font-Romeu, wiping out all stage results and classification points. Ethan Hayter lost 20 intermediate-sprint points that would have put him atop the points classification, while Mats Wenzel and Lorenzo Fortunato lost mountain points earned at the Col de Mont-Louis. Hayter and Wenzel said the race was right to stop for safety reasons but questioned the UCI commissaires’ decision to erase the points; Wenzel said his team’s protest had no effect.

Stage 3 of the Vuelta a España was completely cancelled after a severe hailstorm created poor visibility, strong winds and icy roads near the finish in Font Romeu. The decision annulled the stage result, the intermediate sprint and the mountain sprint, costing Ethan Hayter 20 points that would have moved him into the points-classification lead and removing Mats Wenzel’s mountain points. The UCI rulebook gives race officials broad discretion to modify, neutralise, stop or cancel a stage and to decide whether intermediate results stand. Historical examples show that full cancellations are rare and that outcomes vary according to the circumstances, while the rules leave unresolved whether Alex Kirsch’s DNF should also be removed.

Tadej Pogačar won stage 4 of the Vuelta a España with a long-range solo attack in Andorra, finishing 2:39 ahead of 20-year-old Jarno Widar and Félix Gall. Pogačar extended his overall lead over Primož Roglič to 3:21, took control of the points and mountain classifications, and strengthened his position in the red jersey. Oscar Onley finished fourth and moved into the white jersey, while the mountainous stage exposed several contenders, including João Almeida and Santiago Buitrago, early in the race.

At 20, Fleur Moors is enjoying a breakthrough season with Lidl-Trek, having expanded her WorldTour racing schedule and achieved strong results including second places, a fifth at Amstel Gold Race, and 12th overall at the Tour of Britain Women. She relishes hard, chaotic racing and views the British stage race as ideal preparation for the road World Championships in Montreal. Moors expects Belgium to be competitive there alongside fellow young rider Lore De Schepper.

Stage 3 of the Vuelta a España, a 174-kilometre route from Gruissan to Font Romeu, was cancelled after a severe hailstorm and dangerous weather struck the peloton on the Col de Mont-Louis. Tadej Pogačar helped bring the racing to a halt, and riders sought shelter in a nearby hotel. No stage, points or mountain-classification results were awarded, so Pogačar kept the red jersey with a nine-second lead over Wout van Aert, while Koen Bouwman remained king of the mountains. Ethan Hayter had taken the intermediate-sprint points before the cancellation.

The article tracks rider withdrawals from the 2026 Vuelta a España through stage 6. Sergio Chumil abandoned after a stage 2 crash, followed by Alex Kirsch on stage 3, Cian Uijtdebroeks before stage 5 because of injuries, and Roel van Sintmaartensdijk after another crash. Markel Beloki and Josh Tarling both left during stage 6; Tarling withdrew following the death of his younger brother Finlay. The article explains the race classifications DNF, DNS, disqualification and outside-the-time-limit finishes.