Owen Rogers

Josh Tarling abandoned the Vuelta a España during stage 6, stopping with 123 kilometres of the 177.4-kilometre route remaining. He had begun the race in strong form by finishing third in the opening Monaco time trial, but had since worked as a domestique. Tarling had chosen to race after the recent death of his brother Finlay, with his family's support, and his team said it was proud of his decision to end his participation. No reason for the abandonment was given, while cycling supporters have continued to raise funds for young Welsh cyclists in Finlay's memory.

The article examines how leading men's cyclists are preparing for the 2026 Road World Championships in Montreal. While Tadej Pogačar, Primož Roglič and Wout van Aert are using La Vuelta a España, many leading contenders—including Remco Evenepoel, Michael Matthews, Tom Pidcock, Paul Seixas, Giulio Ciccone and Alberto Bettiol—are planning to race the Canadian one-day events in Québec and Montréal. Others are choosing the Deutschland Tour, Philadelphia Cycling Classic, training camps or no further races. The varied schedules reflect different preparation needs, with the Canadian races offering proximity to the Worlds course and climate, while La Vuelta provides sustained high-volume competition.

Sofie van Rooijen won Konvert Kortijk Koerse by outsprinting Charlotte Kool in a wet bunch finish in Kortrijk. Kathrin Schweinberger took third for Human Powered Health, earning a strong result after crashing out the previous day. The 127.6-kilometre, UCI 1.1 race featured a largely flat Flemish course, an early breakaway by Loes Adegeest and Femke Markus, and a late regrouping that set up the sprint. Van Rooijen’s victory was her second in three years at the race and her first win in 10 months, with the Continental-level UAE Development Team overcoming a field that included six WorldTour teams.

Silca has launched its Protocol range of tubeless-ready road and gravel tyres, marking an expansion beyond its established pumps, tools, sealant, bags and inner tubes. The range includes the all-road RCR and three gravel models—RCG-1, RCG-3 and RCG-4—covering different priorities from speed to puncture protection and mud clearance, with widths up to 55mm and a dedicated 32-inch RCG-3 version. The tyres retail for £99 each and were developed to complement Silca’s existing tubeless products. Gravel racer Dylan Johnson contributed to development and has joined Silca as a sponsored rider.

Noa Isidore of Decathlon CMA CGM won the 178.7-kilometre final stage of the Tour du Limousin from Nantiat to Limoges, outsprinting Alex Aranburu and Alexandre Delettre. Ewen Costiou of Groupama-FDJ United finished in the main group to secure his second consecutive overall title. Aranburu and Mattéo Vercher completed the general-classification podium, both 15 seconds behind Costiou. A late mechanical problem briefly threatened Costiou’s lead, but he quickly returned to the race with teammate support.

Charlotte Kool won the GP Lucien Van Impe in Belgium in a bunch sprint, taking Fenix-Premier Tech's first-place finish ahead of Lidl-Trek's Lucinda Brand and EF Education-Oatly's Babette van den Wolf. Her team controlled the closing stages and neutralized a late move by Loes Adegeest. The 140-kilometre race featured Flemish climbs, repeated attacks, heavy rain and crosswinds, but the decisive breakaway by Sofia Arici and Tirza Wisse was eventually caught. The victory provides Kool with a significant boost after she abandoned the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift for finishing outside the time limit.

Daan Depuydt won stage three of the Tour du Limousin after attacking inside the final 400 metres and holding off Axel Mariault in the uphill finish at Égletons. Alex Aranburu finished third, while Ewen Costiou placed fifth and retained the race lead by 21 seconds with one stage remaining. Pierre-Henry Basset’s late solo breakaway was caught with 800 metres to go after an aggressive 181.8-kilometre stage featuring more than 3,000 metres of climbing.

Josh Tarling has been selected to race the Vuelta a España for Netcompany-Ineos only days after his brother Finlay died when a vehicle entered the course during the Volta a Portugal. Team director Geraint Thomas said the team fully supports Tarling’s decision. Tarling’s time-trial ability could give the team opportunities in the opening 9.4-kilometre Monaco time trial and the 32.1-kilometre stage 18 test. Oscar Onley will lead the squad after recovering from a difficult season, while Carlos Rodríguez, Jack Haig and the rest of the eight-man team will provide support and pursue stage opportunities. A fundraiser has also been established in Finlay Tarling’s name to support young Welsh cyclists.

Stage 2 of the Tour of Britain Women was halted for about 30 minutes after a reported vehicle crash blocked the route near the Nick O'Pendle climb in Lancashire. The climb was neutralised, with racing set to resume after the descent and the intermediate sprint in Whalley. A broken-down truck had already forced a diversion earlier in the stage. Norwegian rider Katrine Aalerud was the sole breakaway rider when the stoppage occurred, while the flat route to the finish in Blackpool was expected to favor overall leader Lorena Wiebes.