"The final stages were agonizing" - Antonio Tiberi reports on a disastrous months and Tour de France
CyclingWednesday, 05 August 2026 at 15:30
Antonio Tiberi had an extremely strong start to the 2026 season and looked to be the man that was ready to carry Bahrain - Victorious into the next level. However, the season hasn't gone the way the Italian had hoped for; and he is taking some time off the bike after a disappointing Tour de France and a difficult few months.
Tiberi was fourth at the Volta a Comunitat Valenciana early in the season but at the UAE Tour, he looked sharp and at the best level of his career. The win on stage 3 at Jebel Mobrah was a top climbing display; and made even more impressive seeing how he beat Isaac del Toro and Felix Gall, on terrain where Remco Evenepoel struggled immensely. Comparing his performance against his peers in February, it could be said that in hindsight the 25-year old had the level to finish on the podium of a Grand Tour.
But in the spring, his luck turned around. At Tirreno-Adriatico and Itzulia Basque Country he was almost absent from the action; and and the Tour de Romandie it was even more difficult. "I rode well in the first few days of the Romandie, but then I inflamed a groin muscle. The final stages were agonizing," the Italian shared with SpazioCiclismo.
After a break and training block towards the Tour de Suisse and the Tour de France, the feelings were not better. In Suisse, he did not participate in the GC fight with a modest field.
"It was much more difficult than expected due to the altitude, although it was mainly the scorching heat that created difficulties for me. I also suffered a lot from the heat in the second stage in Locarno," he says. "Afterwards, I approached the stages focused on improving for the Tour de France, without worrying about the general classification."
Antonio Tiberi at the 2026 Tour de Romandie
Heat destroys Tiberi's Tour ambitions
But the brutal heat wave that swept through the Tour also swept through the Italian, who could not perform at the level that was expected of him.
"We at Bahrain Victorious finished ninth [at the team time trial]: a good result, given the caliber of the opposing teams. I encountered the biggest difficulties on the second day, on the stage with the Montjuïc circuit. During a phase where the pace increased significantly, I missed a refreshment point. This caused me suffering in the final stages."
Tiberi was quickly dropped out of GC contention and was nowhere to be seen as the race moved on.
“The situation improved in the second half of the Tour, when temperatures went from 40°C to 30°C. I became more combative, often joining breakaways. In the second half of the Tour, my performance was fairly consistent, without any flashes. But also without any lapses.”
He played a minor support role for Lenny Martínez who went on to finish Top5 at the Tour, but without any meaningful result or performance of his own. He is now taking time off the bike and racing so as to be able to return fresher in the final stages of the season.
Antonio Tiberi struggled throughout the Tour de France
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Tiberi hopes to save the season at home
“I'll focus on the Italian calendar. The Giro della Toscana and the Coppa Sabatini have climbs that suit me," he says, aiming for the Italian autumn calendar. "I'd like to race them in style. I'd also like to shine at the Trofeo Matteotti, another classic I care a lot about. I'm keen to score points in the Coppa Italia delle Regioni events, and I'll be competing in many of them.”
"And then there's the Lombardia, a race with immense appeal, where I'd like to make a good impression".
Tiberi began his year with the best climbing legs of his career, and the same performances could earn him more high-level triumphs in September and October. "I didn't have much success in 2026; I'd like a surge in results and hope that the Italian races, with their friendly crowds, will give me a lot of momentum," he concluded.
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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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