This is one packed EuroTrash! We lead off with a look at the youngsters who just tore through the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, and then turn to the weekend’s races: Paul Magnier (Soudal Quick-Step) sprinted to victory at the Muur Classic Geraardsbergen fresh off three Giro stage wins; Paula Blasi (UAE Team ADQ) added a fifth 2026 win with a dominant Tour Féminin des Pyrénées overall;; Jasper Philipsen took the Copenhagen Sprint; and Liam Slock claimed a “memorable” first pro win at GP Gippingen. Plus: the LA 2028 Olympic road race route is confirmed, the Tour de Suisse goes lean, and Chloé Dygert faces another setback.
TOP STORY
- Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes: Parade of the Jeunes
RACE NEWS
- Tour de Suisse Goes on a Diet, but Loses No Drama
- Olympic Road Race Course Emerges from La La Land with an Iconic Finish at Griffith Observatory
- Copenhagen Sprint Goes According to Plan with Philipsen Victory
- Blasi’s Back! The Spring Sensation Dominates at CIC-Tour Féminin de Pyrénées
- Arctic Race of Norway: 18 Teams Set for Conquest
TEAM, RIDER AND CYCLING NEWS
- Dygert’s Comeback Hits Another Wall
- Slock Wins, Crashes, Wins Again: GP Gippingen Delivers Instant Classic
VIDEO
- Descending Santa Rosa Road on on Campagnolo Levante: The GoPro View
Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes: Parade of the Jeunes
The average age of the top ten at Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes (which I’ve finally, officially stopped referring to as “the Dauphiné): 25.9 years.
Pull out the relative olds Cristian Rodriguez and Guillaume Martin and the rest of the second five and you get the median for the top five: 23.6.
The top three: 22. (That’s Del Toro at 22, Tuckwell 21, and Ayuso 23. Even this English major can do that math.)
And that’s with Paul Seixas — still 19 years old — having sadly abandoned the final stage. Recall that Oscar Onley (23) also crashed out of this race.
Seixas started the day after his brutal Stage 7, but wouldn’t finish.Do these whipper-snapper ranks indicate some guard-changing — a generational shift? Not on its own; Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes (or AuRA as they’re calling it) is but a snapshot, one with neither Pogačar nor Vingegaard skewing the averages (slightly) upwards. Del Toro will still be a superdomestique at the Tour, and — again, sadly — we may not see a full-strength Seixas in the Grande Boucle.
But we have entered a new era when it comes to aging into Grand Tours. While riders conventionally have spent at least a couple of years learning bike handling and positioning and generally gaining knowledge and wisdom before starting any of the big three tours, let alone the Tour de France, the attitude now seems to be: Learn on the job. Careers in this sport can be short, so start early. And: when a sponsor’s dollars are on the line, you start the most promising riders you have.
Here’s hoping that Seixas’ recovery is full and quick, and that we see him at full strength at the Tour. Maybe he’ll draw motivation from his crash-and-rally, and we’ll get a glimpse of the dawn of a new age.
Final GC Top Ten — Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, courtesy of Pro Cycling Stats
RACE NEWS
Tour de Suisse Goes on a Diet, but Loses No Drama
Money’s tight everywhere, and even Switzerland’s pristine Alpine playground hasn’t escaped the budget axe. The 2026 Tour de Suisse arrives shrunken, with fewer days and fewer kilometers, but organizers are selling it as a feature, not a bug. The official line? “No transition stages.”
Super smart, if you ask me.
For the men, that means GC contenders can’t hide behind a sleepy flat stage to recover. The compressed parcours stacks mountain finishes and lumpy stages back-to-back; with this route, the race that’s typically the lesser of the two big Tour de France warmups, next to the Dauphiné-turned-Auvergne, becomes a much more rigorous test — which, perhaps, is why we’ll see Tadej Pogačar, Demi Vollering, Kasia Niewiadoma and Marlen Reusser.
Pogačar has shown that his intent to win every race that he enters, including, I expect, one that should primarily be a prep-event. Expect Primož, Lenny Martinez, Tom Pidcock, and — wait for it…— Nairo Quintana all to try to hold his wheel; expect them all to fail.
The women’s race, though? That’s where the real fireworks are likely to go off. Demi Vollering arrives extremely on-form, but she’s got company that isn’t intimidated. Katarzyna Niewiadoma is always dogged, and Marlen Reusser will be very determined to defend her title. (Though this year’s all-up-and-down course doesn’t suit her strengths terribly well.)
With no easy days to hide in, the shortened route should amplify every crack and surge. The men’s race might be a coronation. The women’s race could be a war. Either way, Switzerland just proved that sometimes less really is more. No neutrality here; I’m all for it!
Olympic Road Race Course Emerges from La La Land with an Iconic Finish at Griffith Observatory
Well, the secret’s officially out — though Phil Gaimon divulged that secret four months ago in a much-watched video that nearly nailed the actual LA ’28 road race profile.
But now it’s official: Games organizers confirmed that the men’s and women’s road races will finish at a venue that’s symbolic, and whose approach road is daunting: Griffith Observatory. It’s no Eiffel Tower, but still poses a stunning backdrop to the finish.
And what a finish it’ll be. All four Olympic road cycling events (men’s and women’s road races and TTs) will finish with a short but demanding climb to Griffith Observatory on the southern slope of Mount Hollywood, rising about 2 kilometers at 7% gradient — basically a screaming uphill drag race with the Hollywood Sign as a backdrop. The women’s route covers roughly 163km with 2,950m of climbing, while the men face 251km and a brutal 5,010m, including the (in)famous Rock Store climb.
Skynet would be proud of a finish line this cinematic — and let’s be honest, with riders that cooked, more than a few will look like they’re auditioning for a remake of Rebel Without a Cause by the final ramp. Maybe .
Speaking of cooked: with the route formally unveiled, the remaining question — which won’t be answered for nearly two years — is who will show, considering that the Tour de France will finish a week before the road race, and just a few days before the time trial.
Will Tadej make his boldest statement yet, aiming to win the Tour, the time trial and the road race within a week? Will Demi still be on the form she’s on today? Will Seixas celebrate being old enough to drink in the U.S. by popping a champagne cork? Will Remco skip or abandon the Tour to make sure he’s prepped for another iconic finishing photo?
And how much will LA ’28 charge to be close to the finish?
Not that I plan to pay to watch…I’ll be on my bike, catching them at Rock Store and somewhere on the final climb.
Copenhagen Sprint Goes According to Script with Philipsen Win
Jasper Philipsen earned a promising result heading into the Tour de France with a sound victory at the second-ever Copenhagen Sprint.
Philipsen’s first race since Paris-Roubaix, the Sprint’s technical course featured very little climbing but tested the former Green Jersey winner’s legs. “It was tough,” he said in a post-race interview.
“It hurt to get the speed back in my legs. The pace was very high all day. And a race through a city center also means you have to accelerate constantly. That made it very hard on the body.”
One of the route’s many corners was the site of a mass-crash about twenty kilometers before the finish. The pile-up thinned the contenders’ ranks, taking out Groenewegen, Merlier, and others.
Philipsen hopes the win proves auspicious: “This gives a lot of confidence. Unfortunately, we didn’t see a big mass sprint today due to the crash, but I am happy that I could win. It is a WorldTour victory, so that is always important. I am also happy with my form. I just need to find those last few percent.”
Top Ten — Copenhagen Sprint, courtesy of Pro Cycling Stats
Magnier Muscles Up the Muur
Notwithstanding Philipsen’s high Tour hopes, Paul Magnier is on the march — and his Sunday race took him over more challenging terrain. Green Jersey practice, anyone?
Magnier arrived in Belgium for the Muur Classic Geraardsbergen, fresh off the Giro d’Italia with three stage wins already banked. The best way to avoid a sprinter with a hot hand? Put riders in the breakaway, which is just what rival teams did.
An early break of seven riders stayed out front through the opening passages of the race, with Soudal Quick-Step and Lotto Intermarché controlling the final approach. But Soudal rode at full strength for their leader, meaning the break was never given enough rope to hang anyone.
The race came alive in the final kilometers when Dylan Teuns and Jenno Berckmoes launched a late move (another sprint-avoiding move), with the pair doing everything they could to stay clear. They were reeled in inside the final kilometer, but Berckmoes nonetheless managed a podium finish. (Suggestion: follow his red Lotto Intermarché jersey in the video below, from the time the duo get caught to the finish line. Super impressive.)
The field still faced Geraardsbergen’s characteristically awkward uphill drag, and Magnier left no doubt. He launched from a long way out and overwhelmed his rivals with a huge acceleration, with Floris Van Tricht (NSN) second and Berckmoes third.
Three Giro wins. Now this. Paul Magnier is having a year.
Top Ten — Muur Classic Geraardsbergen, courtesy of Pro Cycling Stats
Blasi’s Back! The Spring Sensation Dominates at CIC-Tour Féminin de Pyrénées
She won the Vuelta Femenina. She won Amstel Gold Race. And then, while the women’s peloton moved on to bigger stages, Paula Blasi slipped quietly into the Pyrenees for a 2.Pro-level race that was, let’s be honest, a few rungs below her current pay grade. Didn’t matter. She treated it like a monument anyway.
On Stage 2, Blasi attacked on the Col du Tourmalet and built a significant solo lead, maintaining it all the way to the finish in Bagnères-de-Bigorre for a commanding solo victory. She went clear more than 10 kilometres from the summit, crested alone, then descended without losing control of a lead that had already broken the stage open. Teammate Dominika Włodarczyk won the sprint for second, with the chasing group finishing nearly two minutes back.
The final stage from Nay to Jurançon was a punchier affair, won by Eline Jansen from the breakaway, but Blasi had no need to chase stage honours, managing the race calmly to seal the overall.
Five wins in 2026. For the 23-year-old Spaniard, whom none of us had heard of a year ago (or at least, I hadn’t), this one further confirms her status as one of the most exciting riders in the women’s peloton right now. The Tourmalet doesn’t lie — even when the competition doesn’t.
Top Ten — CIC-Tour Féminin des Pyrénées, courtesy of Pro Cycling Stats
Arctic Race of Norway: 18 Teams Set for Conquest
Sure we’re looking forward to 21 days in July — but what about those four days in August?Because the stage has been set for the thirteenth edition of the Arctic Race of Norway.
Running August 13-16, the Arctic Race features 18 squads set to tackle the majestic roads of Nordland County, island-hopping north of the Arctic Circle. Nine of these teams will also line up at the upcoming Tour de France, including the six World Teams expected in Evenes on August 13: Lotto Intermarché, NSN, Jayco AlUla, Picnic PostNL, Uno-X Mobility, and XDS Astana.
The Arctic Race of Norway will also showcase the country’s leading squads. Four Norwegian teams will be in action: Uno-X Mobility, Lillehammer CK Continental Team, Drali-Repsol, and Ringerike.
Three-time winners here, NSN will be looking to defend the title secured by Corbin Strong in 2025. Home team Uno-X Mobility will try to reclaim the crown won by Magnus Cort in 2024. After finishing just 11 seconds shy of overall victory last year with Tom Pidcock, Pinarello Q36.5 returns with ambitions of going one step further. The same applies to XDS Astana, winner of the team classification in 2025, but whose last individual victory dates back to 2019 with Alexey Lutsenko.
Three teams will discover the breathtaking landscapes of the Arctic Race of Norway: the Italian Polti VisitMalta, the Scandinavian Lucky Sport Cycling, and the American Modern Adventure, competing in its inaugural season.
TEAM, RIDER AND CYCLING NEWS
Dygert’s Comeback Hits Another Wall
American Chloé Dygert’s 2026 just keeps piling on the bad news. After a rough start to the year, including DNFs at the Tour Down Under, a 39th-place finish at the Tour of Flanders, and a crash that ended her Paris-Roubaix debut, the Canyon-SRAM rider had spent months in rehab hoping to return to form. She revealed via Instagram that despite that recovery work, something still wasn’t right.
The diagnosis: RED-S (Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport), along with additional conditions and setbacks requiring further surgery — a brutal blow for a rider who’d only just started training again. Dygert summed it up bluntly, joking that her comeback lasted about two rides.
Still, the two-time world time trial champion isn’t throwing in the towel. She says the goal hasn’t changed, just the road to get there — and she’ll be back. For a rider who’s battled through Covid, Epstein-Barr virus, heart surgery, and a horrific 2020 crash injury already, resilience is nothing new. Plus, she has some time, having announced a few months ago that she has shifted her training focus from European road racing to the 2028 Olympics — which, as you’ll read above, feature courses that could be well-suited to her strengths.
Slock Wins, Crashes, Wins Again: GP Gippingen Delivers Instant Classic
Well, that’s one way to earn one’s first pro win.
The Belgian rider Liam Slock, racing for Lotto–Intermarché, outsprinted Aleksandr Vlasov and Richard Carapaz to claim what should have been a straightforward first professional victory at Sunday’s GP Gippingen…but. then celebrated a touch early, went down in a heap before the line, and somehow rolled across the tarmac to win anyway.
The 173.8km race around Leuggern featured the Rotberg climb seven times, and served as a comeback stage for several names who’d been off the radar: Thibau Nys, Carapaz, Marc Hirschi, and Jarno Widar all returned to racing action here.
An eight-man early break did the usual work before Jayco AlUla and Lidl-Trek shut things down at the fifty-kilometer mark. Late attacks came and went, with Jan Christen and Diego Ulissi among those testing their legs. Eventually Carapaz, Vlasov, and Slock escaped together and held off the chasers.
In the sprint, Slock was fastest. Comfortably the fastest. Comfortably enough that he had time to celebrate. A lot of time. But as he celebrated, he swerved.
And then that swerve became a fall.
And that fall became a slide…right across the finish line.
It was his first pro win, with celebrated riders Vlasov second, Carapaz third, and Nys fourth.
Slock may need to ice some road rash. Worth it? Totally.
Thanks to Lucas’ Cycling Blog for what indeed is the best view of the crash-and-win (and to Lucas for his commitment to correct punctuation).
PEZ VIDEO
PEZ SEz: Descending Santa Rosa Road at Nova Eroica California on Campagnolo Levante gravel wheels – One of my first full length ride videos testing a new GoPro. If you have nothing better to do for 45 minutes – then check this out…
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