Jackie Tyson

Michael Woods believes the 3.5-kilometre uphill gravel section on stage 6 of the 2026 Vuelta a España will add visual drama and tactical uncertainty, but is unlikely to fundamentally change the general classification. He says gravel creates chaos and disadvantages riders who prefer standing while climbing, though its short length and location before the summit should limit its impact. Woods, now pursuing a privateer career after retiring from full-time road racing, also discusses his mixed results in gravel and mountain-bike events, including a 14th-place finish at Leadville despite course changes caused by wildfires.

The 2026 Vuelta a España begins with a 9.4km individual time trial in Monaco, featuring tight corners, tunnels, 83 metres of elevation gain and sections resembling the Formula 1 circuit. The route starts near the Monte Carlo Casino and finishes on Boulevard Albert 1er. Jonas Vingegaard and Filippo Ganna are absent, while Primož Roglič starts last in the race's 184-rider field. Wout van Aert, Ivan Romeo and Tadej Pogačar are among the final starters, with Jay Vine and João Almeida also highlighted as contenders. The full schedule runs at one-minute intervals from Diego Uriarte to Roglič.

Nineteen-year-old Alessio Magagnotti of Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe won stage 2 of the Deutschland Tour in a surprise sprint, overtaking favourite Paul Magnier in the final 100 metres. Iúri Leitão finished third. Magagnotti credited Danny Van Poppel and Jarrad Drizners for their lead-out work. Louis Barré retained the overall lead, while Isaac del Toro gained three bonus seconds to move within six seconds. The 197-kilometre stage featured an early breakaway, rain and a late regrouping before a mass sprint.

Former three-time USPro road champion Megan Guarnier will return to racing at the revived Philadelphia Cycling Classic after initially planning to manage her CCB Kenetik p/b Levine Law Firm team from the team car. With several riders racing in Italy for the US National Team and Lyllie Sonneman sidelined by a wrist and elbow injury, Guarnier chose to lead a young squad on the road alongside director Tim Mitchell. She believes racing firsthand will allow faster tactical decisions and help her teammates navigate the 14.4-mile course, which includes the famous Manayunk climb that featured in her 2016 victory.

Wout van Aert sees the Vuelta a España’s 9.4-kilometre opening time trial in Monaco as an opportunity to win the stage and remain close to the general classification before the race reaches the mountains. After missing the Tour de France with an elbow injury, he returned by winning three stages and the overall title at the Tour of Denmark, but had limited recent time-trial preparation. Van Aert praised Monaco’s setting while criticizing the course’s highly technical final section. With Jonas Vingegaard absent, Visma-Lease a Bike is focused primarily on stage victories, with Van Aert, Matthew Brennan and Sepp Kuss leading its daily ambitions.

Louis Barré attacked with 2km remaining to win stage 1 of the Deutschland Tour and take the overall lead for Team Visma | Lease a Bike. Isaac del Toro finished second from a five-rider chase, with Giulio Ciccone third, while Barré gained enough time bonuses to move nine seconds ahead of del Toro in the general classification. An early breakaway was caught late, and a final bonus sprint helped shape the decisive attacks on the finishing circuit.

Lucas Bourgoyne’s 2026 criterium season is in doubt after an emergency appendectomy forced him to miss the ONE Cycling Series in Omaha. The Cadence Cyclery p/b Waldo Racing founder may return for the Gateway Cup or Bucks County Classic, but expects to need four weeks before resuming training. He had been close behind Justin Williams in the American Criterium Cup standings, but Williams secured the title in Salt Lake City, leaving Bourgoyne able to target second place. Despite injuries across the team, Cadence has enjoyed major wins, including victories by Luke Fetzer and Cade Bickmore, and Bourgoyne remains optimistic about expanding the team’s innovative presentation in 2027.

The Philadelphia Cycling Classic has confirmed prominent WorldTour riders for its 2026 men’s and women’s races, including Quinn Simmons, Luke Lamperti, Maggie Coles-Lyster and Kristen Faulkner. Five WorldTour teams will compete in the men’s field and three Women’s WorldTour teams in the women’s race, alongside ProTeam, Continental and elite domestic squads. Former champions Megan Guarnier and Lauren Stephens are also set to participate. Both races will return to a course featuring Philadelphia’s Manayunk Wall and Lemon Hill, with a combined $150,000 prize purse and live coverage available through 6abc.com, Hulu and Disney+.

Aline Seitz won the women's Mayer Brown Criterium in Salt Lake City with a well-timed attack around the final corner, beating Skylar Schneider and Marlies Mejías García and narrowing Schneider's overall lead to 26 points. Claudia Marcks finished fourth and moved into third in the standings. In the men's race, Justin Williams won the sprint ahead of Preston Eye and Jordan Parra, extending his lead and effectively securing the American Criterium Cup title after rival Lucas Bourgoyne underwent appendix surgery. The series concludes on September 6 at the Giro Della Montagna in Missouri.

Melisa Rollins won the 2026 Leadville Trail 100 MTB in 5:58:43, earning her second elite women's title after recovering from an early crash and catching long-time leader Cecily Decker with 37.5 miles remaining. Rollins pulled away on St. Kevin's climb, while Decker suffered two rear-tire punctures and finished 4:47 behind. Lauren Stephens took third, followed by Sarah Lange. The race used a revised 102-mile route after the Willow Fire affected the traditional course, and the result lifted Rollins to 16th in the Life Time Grand Prix standings while Sofia Gomez Villafañe retained the overall lead.