Alpecin celebrate first 2026 win, but Zwift Academy winner Noah Ramsay faces long lay-off after crash

It was a welcome success after a very difficult start to the French stage race, where the team lost half of its line-up on day one. That made Uhlig’s win feel even sweeter. “We only started with four riders, so it was difficult to find the right moment to move up,” Uhlig said in his flash interview. “This victory was also for Siebe, Noah and Hugo, who all went out in the first stage. It was tough, but I rode with them in my head.”

Siebe Roesems, Noah Ramsay and Hugo Houle were all forced out early: Houle through illness, while the other two hit the deck. Alpecin–Premier Tech were left with only four riders in the race, but Uhlig delivered when it mattered. “My form is really good. With Ramsay we were always where we needed to be,” he explained. “In the finale we knew what we had to do. I trusted Ramsay, and after that I was clearly the fastest.”

The 24-year-old has been knocking on the door for a while. “It’s my third year as a pro and I’ve been chasing this win for a long time,” said Uhlig. “Today it feels like a puzzle has been completed. It was almost finished already, but there was still five percent missing. I want to thank everyone who helped me complete it.”

But it wasn’t all good news for Alpecin. Earlier in the week the team had already lost three riders, and Ramsay was the worst affected. The young Canadian, who normally races for the development squad, crashed in stage 1 and was forced to abandon with injuries.

Those injuries are significant. In an update posted by the team on X, Alpecin–Premier Tech confirmed Ramsay suffered a fracture to his left elbow and underwent surgery. The operation was successful and he will now begin rehabilitation.

Ramsay is still relatively new to the pro peloton. In March 2025 he won the Zwift Academy — the virtual talent programme that offers riders the chance to earn a contract with Alpecin — and he already made several appearances with the top team last season. This year, though, things have gone wrong early, and the team has not yet said how long he is expected to be out of action.