Week of July 20, 2026

Right then, Muckers. Pull up a chair, grab a brew (or a recovery shake if you’ve just rolled off the virtual tarmac), because the professional cycling world is serving up pure drama this week, both on the sun-baked roads of France and the muddy forest trails of Germany.

Between a GC-altering clash at the Tour de France, high-stakes qualifiers in the UCI Gravel World Series, and our own upcoming battle on the legendary slopes of the Col du Tourmalet, there is plenty of tarmac and dirt to get excited about. Let’s roll.

🇫🇷 Tour de France: Rest Day Reflections, Remco’s Peak, and GC Shakeups

Today, July 20, the Tour de France peloton is enjoying a hard-earned rest day in Haute-Savoie. And trust us, they need it. The weekend’s alpine stages have completely reshaped the battle for the yellow jersey.

Stage 15 to the Plateau de Solaison was a stone-cold classic. We saw a spectacular head-to-head sprint finish where Remco Evenepoel showed absolute peak power to edge out Tadej Pogačar on the line. Young Mexican talent Isaac del Toro crossed in third, showing that the next generation of climbers is already here.

But the day was also marked by heartbreak. Former champion Jonas Vingegaard suffered a heavy crash, forcing him to abandon the Tour with a broken collarbone. It’s a brutal reminder of the thin line between glory and disaster in Grand Tour racing, and we wish him a speedy recovery.

All eyes are now on Tuesday’s Stage 16, a pivotal individual time trial that will force the GC contenders to lay it all on the line.

🚵 Gravel Frontiers: Winterberg Qualifiers and Welsh Forest Showdowns

Off the tarmac, the gravel racing scene is heating up as riders scramble to qualify for the 2026 UCI Gravel World Championships in Western Australia.

In Germany, the 3RIDES Gravel Winterberg served up a brutal test in the Sauerland region. Denmark’s Jonas Lindberg put on a masterclass in the Elite Men’s category, taking the win in 03:55:00. In the Elite Women’s race, Germany’s Nele Laing triumphed after a gruelling 04:35:44 battle.

Meanwhile, at the Welsh Gravel Championships in the Crychan Forest, riders tackled a punchy 63km course packed with 1,800m of elevation. Rather than the usual timed-segment format, this was a relentless, head-to-head drag race through the Welsh woodlands—a true test of tactics and grit. And over in Pennsylvania, although severe storms and air quality forced the cancellation of the official Grinduro race, the gravel community showed its true spirit by turning the weekend into a celebration of music and mud.

🚴 The Muckers Lineup: Alsace Rollers and the Pyrenean Giants

We are bringing the Pyrenean drama straight to our virtual trainers this week on Rouvy.

We kick things off on Monday night and Tuesday with a trip to the Col d’Aspin. The main Tuesday race is a punchy 7.25 miles of climbing, but if you want to test your endurance, join the 2Late4Me crew on Monday night for a multi-lap 58-mile marathon.

On Thursday, the fight for the July Championship continues with Race 4 on the rolling, vineyard-lined roads of the Alsace Wine Route. And on Sunday, we face the big one: a double-header climb of the legendary Col du Tourmalet from Sainte-Marie-de-Campan.

As always, it doesn’t matter if you’re a seasoned Mucker or have never joined a virtual group ride before—you are very welcome to jump into the peloton and climb with us.

* Monday/Tuesday: Col d’Aspin (from Arreau) (2Late4Me / Main sessions) * Tuesday: Home to Cemetery (Warm-up session) * Thursday: Alsace Wine Route (July Championship R4) * Sunday: Col du Tourmalet (AM / PM sessions)

Find all the race links and join the banter here: * Strava: https://www.strava.com/clubs/1111926/discussion * Discord: https://discord.com/channels/1094614789784866937/1094614789784866942 * Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61553713102419

💬 Final Thought

Whether it’s Remco and Pogacar sprinting in the Alps, gravel riders grinding through Welsh forests, or Muckers sweating through their t-shirts on the virtual slopes of the Tourmalet, the drive is the same. We ride, we push, and we do it together.

Keep those fans on high, Muckers!