Cofidis' top rider will be removed from the Tour de France after signing with Team Visma | Lease a Bike
Cycling
A story reminiscent of the 2000's. It is not unheard of in modern cycling but it is a very unusual story. Axel Zingle of Cofidis is set to join Team Visma | Lease a Bike for 2025 and because of this the team is said to be punishing him by removing him from the Tour de France list.
At 25 years of age, Zingle is one of the most prominent classics riders in the French scene, having led the French cup for some time this year and being one of the most successful as well. The French rider made his debut at the Tour de France last year after winning the Classic Loire Atlantique and finishing among the first in many other races, and this year he has taken another step.
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Zingle is currently 61st in the UCI Rankings and is the best placed rider out of everyone in the team. This comes as a result of his consistent string of results including a second place at the Tour de la Provence, Lotto Famenne Ardenne Classic, GP du Morbihan, Circuit de Wallonie, Circuit Franco-Belge and victory at the Boucles de l'Aulne, among other results. Currently, he is training at altitude, preparing for the national championships - where he will be a big favourite - and the Tour de France.
But the Tour is anything but assured, and according to France's L'Equipe Zingle will be pulled out from the Tour unless he wins the national championships in France. Naturally, with the country's colours on his chest and great form, Zingle would be an obvious choice for Cofidis and perhaps even their best chance of taking success. But if he does not win, it seems like he will be left at home in July as a consequence for not staying in the team.
L'Équipe reports that Bahrain-Victorious, Movistar, Soudal Quick-Step, UAE Team Emirates and INEOS Grenadiers all looked to sign the rider, but Visma ultimately has already agreed on a three-year deal which will be public once the transfer season begins.
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A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
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Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
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- many people advise him to grow slowly and rather do giro and/or vuelta instead of tdf. but i can totally understand that he is not satisfied with taking over once pogi declines, but instead beat him in his prime. so if he goes for tdf again, i‘m all for it. let‘s hope that pogi recovers soon!Ketterechts07-11-2026
- So gracious to offer something no-one would be prepared to pay for. The Giro is not the Tour and doesn’t command the same interest or attract the same “elite” (those willing to pay to be a part of something they consider has ego boosting potential). Roadside viewing will always largely remain free for everyone outside circuits. Introduction of a symbolic entrance to mountain climbs is worthy of exploration. Asking 1-2€ isn’t going to repulse real fans (most will spend 50-100€ on their outing that day all things included) but will prevent a portion of the total knobhead thrillseekers who will join in any large gathering as long as it’s free, just because they’re attracted to crowds, without which it it difficult for them to work up their anti-social behaviour.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- How is radio going to help when someone went over a cliff or bridge or off the roadside into a forest unnoticed and is laying there unconscious?Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- Yep, next we’ll be accusing F1 drivers of avoiding Le Mans.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- But on what is that opinion based? Are you holding him to a different standard than others? Are you saying he should do learn to like something he doesn’t Are you saying he hasn’t achieved enough Are you saying he pretends to be better than his results? It’s actually a really strange opinion to oust if you consider it objectively or rationally. Try applying it to others or yourself by asking if not EVERYONE should then be doing more? Nobody in athletics or swimming gets criticism for not expanding their repertoire when a rival or someone else does. In fact, most who move to another event get accused of running from their rival. Opinions are boring, the reasons behind them are what count.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- for a medical chief to throw things like is just bad. There are already radios which were banned for spectacle. allow radios. Gps trackers are not a complete solutionabstractengineer07-11-2026
- Yeah man...PogiSloFans07-11-2026
- any rider less than 25 whether they are really ready for the position of leadership of GT is probably not the case. I think Pogi himself suffered when he was defeated by Jonas in the TDF twice. But that would be the team's job to ensure support so that they can bounce back. It requires a team and time to get back up and win after getting knocked down.abstractengineer07-11-2026
- I'm very glad he got the big late Quickstep Vuelta win and I hope he has a few left for Euskaltel-Euskadi.flyer07-11-2026
- My memories of Ivan Basso aren't good but I liked his sister Elisa ok.flyer07-11-2026
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