After the peloton remained together on the final ascent of Rechthalten, the 28-year-old's EF Education-EasyPost team made a decisive move towards the front of the peloton. Quinn Simmons (Lidl-Trek) made a break inside the final kilometre, stretching the front of the bunch out and disrupting the leadout trains. The US champion opened a small gap but Lewis Askey (Groupama-FDJ) managed to get onto his wheel, followed by Albanese.

The Italian made his move with around 180m to go of a twisting finish where he held off Fabio Christen (Q36.5) and Askey. "I felt good from the start," Albanese told reporters at the finish, as he celebrated his first win since 2022.

"My role was to lead out Mihkels. In the last kilometre, Simmons and the other guys attacked and I followed them for 200m to the finish. I went full [gas] until the line.

"This is my first victory. We’ll see in the next few days what happens."

Stage one winner Romain Grégoire (Groupama-FDJ) is still the overall race leader.

How it happened

Stage two of the Tour de Suisse offered the potential for the unexpected. The course was defined by its undulating terrain, with more than half of it flat, despite reaching altitude heights of 2,700m. It promised a battle between sprinters and astute mountain climbers - and it delivered.

The first riders to form a break soon into the course were Silvan Dillier (Alpecin Deceuninck), Jonas Rutsch (Intermarché-Wanty) and Mauro Schmid (Jayco AlUla). Led initially by Dillier, Germany’s Rutsch took up the reins, as Dillier fell back into the peloton after riding in the heart of the break for over 100km. Swapping through turns, Rutsch and Schmid’s gap remained a good distance from the peloton after three hours of racing.

As the race crossed the dry river Sense and climbed up Heitenried, riders began to drop from the peloton. A 36-second gap between Felix Engelhart (Jayco AlUla) was created with the break as he charged towards his teammate, Schmid, up the road.

With 4.3km until the finish, the pace ramped up into an ascent, bunching riders together in the peloton, with EF Education-EasyPost blazing pink at the head of the group.

First to attempt an attack was UAE Team Emirates-XRG's Jan Christen, who was still suffering injuries from Sunday’s first stage. A surprise opening allowed the Swiss rider to push forward, the bottle in his back pocket testament to the unexpected opportunity to pull away from the peloton.

However, Christen's lead didn’t last long, and as the terrain picked up into the final ascent, the faster finishers emerged out of the peloton. Led by Simmons, Albanese, Christen – Jan's brother Fabio who rides for Q36.6 – and Askey pushed on an uphill drag to the line, with Albanese emerging victorious.

Results

Tour de Suisse 2025, Stage two: Aarau - Schwarzsee (177km)

1. Vincenzo Albanese (Ita) EF Education-EasyPost, in 3:55:57
2. Fabio Christen (Sui) Q36.5
3. Lewis Askey (GBr) Groupama-FDJ
4. Quinn Simmons (USA) Lidl-Trek
5. Danny Van Poppel (Ned) Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe
6. Paul Lapeira (Fra) Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale Team
7. Pello Bilbao (Esp) Bahrain-Victorious
8. Nicolò Buratti (Ita) Bahrain-Victorious
9. Gal Glivar (Slo) Alpecin-Deceuninck
10. Fabio Van Den Bossche (Bel) Alpecin-Deceuninck, all at same time

General Classification After Stage Two

1. Romain Grégoire (Fra) Groupama-FDJ, 6:46:01
2. Kévin Vauquelin (Fra) Arkea-B&B Hotels, +25s
3. Bart Lemmen (Ned) Visma-Lease a Bike, +27s
4. Julian Alaphilippe (Fra) Tudor Pro Cycling, +27s
5. Ben O'Connor (Aus) Jayco AlUla, +1:18
6. Felix Großschartner (Aut) UAE Team Emirates-XRG, +1:18
7. Lennard Kämna (Ger) Lidl-Trek, +1:18
8. Pablo Castrillo (Esp) Movistar Team, +1:18
9. Rainer Kepplinger (Aut) Bahrain Victorious, +1:18
10. Ben Swift (GBr) Ineos Grenadiers, +1:18

The Huddersfield-born rider was part of the Portuguese squad Anicolor Tien 21 this season, and rode for ProTeam IPT in the previous two years.

Announcing his retirement in a YouTube video titled 'Why I Quit Pro Cycling', Hollyman said it had become an “impossible task” to compete with his allergies.

“I’ve decided to step away from professional cycling,” he said. “It’s been a difficult few years for me. I’ve struggled badly with allergies. I guess it’s not something you’d think would end someone’s career, but in my case it’s taken quite a big hit on me.

“I’ve suffered a lot for the last two or three years from them now. To be honest, it’s made me think more and think deeply about what I’m doing, and question my love for racing specifically. I’ve come to the decision to stop.”

The Brit explained that the issues began in 2022, when, despite training well, he found himself feeling “empty” and “off the mark” in races. Following a Covid diagnosis in 2023, he said, the allergies became “definitely more prominent”.

“After some tests, it revealed that the IG – the inflammation brought on from allergies – was an incredible number. I remember the doctor telling me most patients he had seen with this don’t get out of bed for their nine-to-five office jobs in the morning. That was me after DNF’ing stage four of the Tour de Romandie,” Hollyman said.

“I guess it showed there was a serious issue there that needed solving. We managed to get it to a decent level, but still not really where it should be to be a professional cyclist.

“As we all know, the one or two per cent [of performance] that you’re losing is the difference between winning and losing. Maybe I was losing even more than that.”

The son of a keen cyclist father, Hollyman got into the sport as an eight-year-old riding with his family at the weekends.

He joined Zappi Racing Team as an under-23 rider, competing on a roster with current WorldTour pros Ben Healy (EF Education-Easypost) and Paul Double (Jayco AlUla). In 2021, he signed for IPT’s academy set-up, before turning pro in 2023.

Hollyman scored two victories across his elite career; the first came at the Volta a Portugal in 2021, while the second was at the Tour of Taiwan last year.

He now plans to do some cycle touring, and has started a YouTube channel to document his life post-career. “I’m just happy I got to do my passion for so long,” he said.

Despite a collective hankering for highly calorific fare, our reasons for consuming it couldn’t be more different; The boozers wanted something that would soak up an evening’s worth of ale. I wanted something that would allow me to get back on my bicycle, boost my cycling performance and pedal with a little more urgency than I’d be able to muster for the last hour.

Of course, decked out in Spandex, I was suitably heckled: “What have you come as?” a chap in a neatly pressed Ben Sherman shirt enquired. “Shouldn’t you be on the energy bars?” another asked as I shuffled from side to side on my cleats.

Then I dropped my order. “A large kebab, a large portion of chips, two bottles of water and three cans of Coke, please.” It was a concise, calculated and cold delivery. A delivery that was met with gasps of confused admiration from my fellow patrons. “But, but, I didn’t think cyclists actually ate,” Ben Sherman stuttered.

“Oh, we eat, Ben,” I replied. “We eat a lot…”

You may think that I arrived at this juncture having poorly fuelled my ride prior to queuing up at the van. In theory I suppose I had. But it hadn’t been through a lack of trying. A 24-hour TT demands almost constant fuelling and hydration if you want to keep power up and the speed high. Aside from having a working pair of legs and a beating heart, the most important part of ultra long distance rides and races is your stomach – and, more pertinently, what you put in it.

My quest to eat as much food as humanly possible over a 24-hour period started the day prior to the event. A carb-heavy breakfast (double portions of porridge oats), was followed by a carb-heavy lunch (rice and bread) and a carb-heavy dinner (half a packet of spaghetti). This is what’s known as carb-loading. It’s also what’s known as being a fat b**tard. But ridiculously long bicycle rides offer the perfect excuse to overindulge and I was far from done for today.

A trip to the supermarket with my daughter between lunch and dinner turned into a bit of a game – a game in this case we simply called ‘Calorie Hunt’. The plan was to find – pound for pound – the most calorific items in the shop. Sound boring? Surprisingly it was extremely entertaining, particularly for my daughter – we spent an inordinate amount of time perusing then purchasing chocolate.

Aside from lard which offers a phenomenal 900 calories per 100g, the next best, and slightly more palatable option was chocolate. But not just any old chocolate. After leaving no packet unturned it was the Bitsa Wispa at 550 calories per 100g that proved the heaviest hitter. I bought three bags and decanted them into the food pouch on the cockpit of my steed.

After adding some macadamia nuts and two bags of Haribo I had what you might call a Trail Mix deluxe – a compact mélange of snackables weighing in at the best part of 5,000 calories. So that’s breakfast sorted.

0-6 hours

My first meal of the day then was a protracted affair, which I finally polished off after around 120 miles in the saddle. So six hours deep into the ride the hunt for more sustenance began.

I had emergency rations on me in the form of my favourite gels, but taste fatigue had set in and the thought of any more sugar filled me with actual revulsion. Fortunately the course was based on a loop that took in a series of small towns and villages, and on the outskirts of small towns and villages one can generally happen upon the long-distance cyclist’s best friend – petrol stations. Don’t worry, I wasn’t about to lift a nozzle and pump myself full of Shell V-Power – that would be far too costly – rather take advantage of the competitively priced junk food on offer.

6-12 hours

A meal deal yields a big hit of carbs in one nifty little package. I bought two, and a Greggs steak bake just in case. Meal deals, to those unfortunate enough not to know, comprise a main (usually in the form of a sandwich), a side (a chocolate bar or a packet or crisps – they also have packets of fruit and olives apparently), and a drink. If I’m feeling particularly decadent – today being a case in point – I’ll plump for the triple cheese sandwich on white bread, a packet of Monster Munch and a bottle of Cherry Coke. So I ate one on the petrol station forecourt and secreted the second meal deal in various places around my person and bicycle. The steak bake was eaten on the move – not the easiest fare to consume at 20mph, I spent the next two weeks sneezing out flakes of puff pastry.

Let’s break down the energy in that little repast, then: 2 x triple cheese = 1,400 cals; 2 x Monster Munch grab bags = 900cal; 2 x Cherry Coke = 600cal; 1 x steak bake = 600; for a grand total of 3,500 calories. Add to that the gels in my back pocket and I do believe we’re set for the late afternoon shift.

12-18 Hours

Four thousand calories came and went and by now I had 250 miles on the clock. They were relatively fast miles, The course was a gently undulating affair which never really trouble the fast-twitch fibres, so my legs were feeling reasonable, my backside was middling to fair but once again my stomach and muscles began muttering something about supper.

Seriously? More? Yes, more. I was already a couple of hours deep into the night shift and the Cotswolds was drawing the curtains for the day. I had no other option than to descend upon the last refuge of the interminably hungry.

And so it was that Ben Sherman ribbed me for my attire and his mate asked me why I wasn’t eating energy bars before I dropped the large kebab and chips bombshell. Had I had the energy and the inclination I would have explained that an energy bar was a waste of time that wasn’t going to fuel a further six hours of cycling, whereas what I’d just ordered – large kebab (2,000 cals), large chips (900cals) and three cans of Coke (450cals) – probably would.

18-24 Hours

In hindsight, the kebab was a bad idea. Yes, I needed salt but I didn’t want half of the Dead Sea in my dinner. My gut started revolting. It simply refused to process what I’d just offered it and there it sat, sloshing around in my stomach refusing to budge. I found a likely verge on a country lane and lay down on it. Dew already forming on the grass teased my bare neck as I parted with a long and meaningful groan.

There’s a very good reason sports nutrition and supplements are so popular among athletes. It offers a fast-release form of energy that can be easily processed by the gut. Regardless of what you eat during long-distance rides, fuel should be factored into training. Your stomach can’t be taken by surprise by a sudden onslaught of calories it’s hitherto never been required to process.

So practice eating, find out the kind of food that works for you and, of course, avoid the kebab van.

Regardless of my little setback I managed a fairly commendable 335 miles and, more importantly, learned another lesson about the highly nuanced world of ultra riding.

In the Boulder County Court in Colorado, Yeva Smilianska, 24, was sentenced for the charge of vehicular homicide and reckless driving, which has a maximum penalty of six years imprisonment, plus fines.

Judge Dea Lindsey acknowledged the emotional weight and complexity of the case but ultimately declined to impose the maximum sentence sought by prosecutors.

"I know that it doesn't do what the family wanted this court to do. But I want you to know, I believe that my decision is right under the authority I have," she stated, citing Smilianska clean criminal record and the belief that she does not pose an ongoing risk to the public.

White was was a member of the U.S. national cycling team. He was killed while on a training ride in July 2023, ahead of the UCI World Championships held in Scotland where he was set to compete. He was about 15 minutes from home.

The sentencing followed Smilianska’s conviction in April 2025 after a five-day jury trial. The trial did not dispute that she caused White’s death but rather, whether Smilianska’s driving constituted recklessness instead of the lesser charge of careless driving causing death.

Smilianska had initially pleaded not guilty in May 2024, claiming her car had malfunctioned. However, investigators found no mechanical defects and concluded that she had likely fallen asleep at the wheel. After seven hours of deliberation, the jury unanimously found Smilianska guilty, determining that she had made a conscious and dangerous choice to drive while impaired and fatigued.

During Friday’s sentencing, prosecuting attorney Michael Dougherty urged the court to impose the maximum penalty, citing public safety and the need for deterrence.

“This is not the first vehicular homicide sentencing I’ve stood before the court on. These cannot continue in this way. The deterrent value here is significant,” Dougherty said.

He argued that the case spoke to broader concerns about the safety of cyclists and pedestrians. “The [impact statements from the community] highlight a need for this when we think of cyclists and pedestrians and vulnerable road users who are being crashed into and killed on an all-too-regular basis. And to promote acceptance, responsibility and accountability.”

A central theme during the testimonies was Smilianska’s apparent lack of remorse and disconnect from the incident. Prosecutors, as well as White’s parents, pointed to her flat demeanor, social media activity during the trial as well as ongoing drug use and apparent absence of accountability.

“This sentencing hearing is far more difficult today if the defendant had expressed responsibility or remorse,” Dougherty told the court. “Instead, before the incident, immediately following the crash and every day since, the defendant has shown no care and no concern.”

He argued that the sentence should reflect Smilianska’s “complete failure to accept responsibility and express any genuine remorse.”

The profound sense of loss caused by White’s death was made clear through emotional victim impact statements from friends and family, who described him as a promising cyclist, a straight-A student and a beloved member of the community.

But beyond personal grief, the statements highlighted the wider ripple effect White's death has had, felt by the entire cycling community as fears about road safety for vulnerable users intensified.

“Every car that now passes me is a potential weapon,” said Riley Cahill, a friend and riding partner of White. “If Magnus couldn’t find a way to stay safe on the roads, then how can I?”

Cahill even warned that White’s death is deterring a new generation of athletes: “Parents no longer want their children anywhere near the roads, effectively diverting the next great American cyclists away from riding.”

During its turn, the defense sought to demonstrate Smilianka's remorse with testimony from friends who painted her life as one filled with hardship.

A native of Ukraine, Smilianska endured a difficult childhood and was forced to leave her home at the start of the war. She struggled with mental health challenges while trying to rebuild her life in the United States. One character witness testified that Smilianska became suicidal upon learning of White’s death, but said her time in jail gave her a new perspective and gratitude for life.

“Her life has been a sequence of sorrow, bad luck as well as some bad choices,” said Sofia Drobinskaya, a close friend of Smilianska's. She added that while Smilianska may not outwardly show it, "she is very remorseful. She's very deeply sorry for what happened.”

Defense attorney Benjamin Hartford also addressed Smilianska’s apparent uncaring courtroom demeanor, attributing it to the medications she takes for PTSD and bipolar disorder.

“These medications are mood stabilizers and one of the effects of these medications is to present with a flat affect," he stated. "This doesn't mean she's an unfeeling person, it doesn't mean she doesn't feel emotions, just that these drugs mute those feelings.”

With the help of a translator, Smilianska also addressed the court herself, stating “I can't express with words that I have, how much I would like to go back to these decisions I've made and what has brought me here today. But to my biggest sorrow, I cannot do it."

Before deliberations, the defense asked the judge to consider a probationary sentence, citing a series of comparable cases. In each, the defendant, like Smilianska, had no prior criminal record and, consequently, none received the maximum penalty.

The sentencing marks the end of the White family’s nearly two-year pursuit of criminal accountability for their son.

"This sentence is 2 years short of the maximum sentence permitted by the law for the charge of vehicular homicide in Colorado. This is not justice. And this sentence will never begin to fill the enormous void left by Magnus’ absence," the White family write on social media after the sentencing. "No parent should ever have to hold their child’s helmet instead of their child."

There are only a few things that most American cyclists know by just a word or two. And The Wall is perhaps the most fearsome. Probably the most feared.

Less than a mile, averaging eight percent, with its most famous, most leg-crushing grade reaching seventeen percent, The Wall climbs up Levering Street and into Lyceum Avenue in the Philadelphia neighborhood of Manayunk.

There isn’t a granny gear easy enough, a chainring with ample teeth. No matter what size cassette you run, The Wall will grind your cadence to a slow pump and turn your legs into a fine pulp.

Philadelphia is a mostly flat city. But Manayunk is built onto a series of hills. And almost every east-west block there could be considered a wall in some way or another.

But The Wall is different. The Wall is special. The Wall is hallowed.

Maybe it’s because of that final turn beneath the elevated tracks, over the exposed cobbles that were likely laid in the era of Ben Franklin and William Penn and Alexander Hamilton. That last turn takes any momentum you were carrying in a flash, zaps all of your speed and, more importantly, all of your preconceptions. Because, no matter how many times you ride the wall, you somehow always convince yourself that this time, momentum will last a bit longer, that physics will take you just a bit further up the hill.

But science never loses. And even if That Turn didn’t exist, The Wall would still lay into you like an anchor, still suck any speed from you within an instant or two.

Maybe it’s because of the psychological element of the Levering-to-Lyceum turn, when you make that slight left

Every great climb has them. Switchbacks. When your thorax feels like a hollow cask, your legs have long become husks of themselves, and you convince yourself the climb has to end just after this next switchback, only to pedal through to turn, to look up, to see another switchback waiting for you.

The Levering-to-Lyceum turn is The Wall’s switchback. And, to put it bluntly, it’s where shit gets real. That’s where the Wall pitches up to the 17-percent grade that scars the memories of anyone who has ever ridden it. That’s where you begin to wonder if you can make it.

But most likely, The Wall is sacred cycling ground because of its feature in one of the most important and beloved American bike races ever.

Started in 1985, at the dawn of American cycling’s first Golden Age, the Philadelphia International Cycling Classic quickly became one of the most prestigious one-day races outside of Europe. In its early years, a man named O’Brien decided to set up a water sprinkler which shot a cooling shower over the street outside his house, some ways up The Wall. But then, O’Brien’s water was deemed a hazard and racers could no longer enjoy the brief respite from the stultifying heat of early summer in Philadelphia.

Over the next thirty-one years, the race became a staple of American cycling, The Wall its defining feature.

Raceday became a city-wide holiday, when the bars opened early and drunk people—whether interested in bike racing or not—lined the city streets. I’d say it was akin to marathon day in New York City but Philadelphians don’t take too kindly to comparisons to New York City. Anyway, it wasn’t quite like that because Marathon Day takes over most of the City. Whereas the Philly Classic cut through a small sliver of Philadelphia. Live anywhere else in the city and you might not know it was happening.

But there, along its course, it was electric.

Especially in Manayunk. Especially up The Wall.

Since its cancellation and removal from the UCI calendar in 2017, there have been persistent rumblings of this promoter or that financier bringing the race back to life, of restoring one of America’s greatest contributions to cycling.

Whether or not we’ll ever see a Philly Classic again remains to be seen. But The Wall, well, that’s always there for anyone with the legs and the stomach for it.

It had been almost two decades since I last rode up The Wall. It was back when I was in college, a sinewy fixed-gear obsessive, nearly fifty pounds lighter than I am today, on one of the last weeks I lived in Philadelphia. My jeans were no doubt cuffed at the ankle, my sneakers tucked tight into their pedal cages. A pack of cigarettes was likely rolled up in my sleeve so they wouldn’t be crushed in my pocket. There would be no helmet. I have no idea how fast I rode up The Wall back then, as metrics were of little interest to me. I was at the bottom and up there was the top. Riding it as fast as I could on a given day and descending without crashing were the only metrics that mattered.

But with age comes road biking and with road biking comes gears and I was thrilled at the idea of making my first go at The Wall in twenty years on a modern, carbon fiber road bike when my wife and I settled on a return to Philadelphia for an early summer vacation.

We each gave the other a few hours’ window during the week to abandon our parenting duties and go have some alone time. I’d watch both of our kids one night while my wife snuck away for some drinks with her college friends. She’d watch the kids for a few hours one morning while I went for a bike ride around my old stomping grounds.

Down John F. Kennedy Boulevard, around the Art Museum, along the verdant Kelly Drive, past Boathouse Row, out to Manayunk, up The Wall. Descend and, if there’s time, repeat.

It has to be easier, I told myself.

After all, I have gears now. After all, I don’t smoke like I did in college, back when I used to tame the wild hill regularly. After all, I’m riding and racing more than I have been since those years. After all, I live in Chapel Hill, where you’re always climbing or descending.

The day of my planned ride, of my stab at The Wall, was thwarted when I was awoken by a wall-shaking thunder and cracks of white-hot lightning outside the window of our high-rise AirBnB.

Tomorrow.

The following morning was hot and humid, as it always seems to be in a Philadelphia June and my mind immediately raced back to all of those bike races I watched in college, as the pros zoomed by in a flash of Lycra. Those mornings were always gross, just as this, and I thought of those pros and how that affected their performance and I thought of O’Brien’s house, near the top of The Wall and how he used to hose the racers down. I never saw O’Brien’s house but I knew of the legend. And in the heat, I remembered my denim and my t-shirts and the smokes and all the summers I spent in this swampy city without air conditioning.

And I thought of how much youth can overcome.

In my case, cigarettes, gears, jeans, heat, and dehydration. I spent most of my time drinking, partying as college kids do, and still managed to ride my bike a lot. How much, I’ll never know. Metrics didn’t matter back then.

None of that mattered when I was twenty-one or twenty-two years old.

Now, donned in high tech cycling gear, in aerodynamic, sweat-wicking kit; with one bottle of plain water and one of electrolyte-enhanced sports drink to keep my muscles and my organs hydrated; with twenty-one gears and a stiff, lightweight carbon fiber bike; with my tiny, handlebar-mounted computer that tells me exactly how many watts I’m creating, exactly how many times my heart is beating each minute, and exactly the grade I’m climbing up, I had every advantage over the young man I was.

Climbing The Wall should be a breeze. Well, as much of a breeze as climbing a seventeen-percent grade could possibly be. Of course, the only advantage the young man of back then had over the grown man of now were those fifty extra pounds that didn’t exist. That and the bliss of ignorance, of not knowing what seventeen-percent grade even meant.

I pedaled up Main Street, the Schuylkill River to my left and the rising hill of Manayunk to my right. I found Levering Street and took a few final deep breaths before hitting the quick right-left, under the El train and over the ancient cobbles, before the climb started.

And, just as it did then, The Wall stood before me, just as magnificent and terrifying as it always was and always will be. And, just as it did then, my brain had to remind my legs that they could do this, that they’ve done this a hundred times before. And, just as it did then, my bike slowly began to make its way up The Wall.

As I bolted into The Wall’s lower slopes, I reminded myself of an adage I often tell new riders: “Listen to your legs, not your eyes.”

Your eyes will deceive you, make you shift too soon. Your legs never lie. And so, I fought every instinct to shift into an easier gear with each passing pedal stroke. Soon, however, I had to start shifting. It was unavoidable. And as soon as I did, I stood on my pedals, using every ounce of my 255 pounds to force more power into my pedals. I reminded myself that there was still so much more to climb, of the inefficiency of climbing out of the saddle, sat back down, and found a nice rhythm well in excess of 90 rpm.

Soon, however, I came to the dreaded stretch of 17-percent pitch and those 90 became 80. Then 70. Then 65. And I only had one gear left on my cassette. It’s a gear I try to never, ever use. It’s one I call “The Mental Gear,” because, knowing I still have a gear should I need it works wonders on my mental state in the throes of a climb.

It’s when you run out of gears that you’re totally screwed.

I strained my neck upward in hopes of seeing the green sign “Fleming Street,” where The Wall begins to level out toward its finish. I counted my strokes. I refused to shift into that final gear. I imagined a rainbow of water arching over the street from O’Brien’s house.

Eventually, I rolled over the top. My head slumped down as I fought to keep my elbows bent. I realized it had been nearly twenty years since the last time I soft pedaled across Manayunk Avenue, The Wall in my rearview.

Was I faster? Who knows? A broke young college kid, I could barely afford new tires let alone a bike computer. Anyway, back then, making it to the top was the only metric that mattered.

According to Strava, 2,799 bike riders have climbed The Wall. We all know that the actual number dwarfs that. But for the purposes of this essay, let’s stick with that very easily definable number.

On June 5, 2016, in the final iteration of the Philadelphia International Cycling Classic, an Italian racer named Marco Canola, then riding for United Healthcare Pro Cycling Team, climbed The Wall in 1:56, still the segment’s KOM. Barely a year earlier, he won a stage at the Giro d’Italia.

That same afternoon, another Italian finished the segment in 2:19, which, to this date, remains the QOM. Since then, Elisa Longo Borghini has won Paris-Roubaix, the Tour of Flanders, the Giro d’Italia, Strade Bianche, and the Women’s Tour, amongst countless other races. She spent the last decade racing herself into the pantheon of history’s greatest bike racers.

It took me a bit longer on that hot, swampy, early June morning, even with all of my gears, my lycra, my electrolytes and the fact that I hadn’t had a cigarette in years.

From Main to Cresson Street, up Levering to Lyceum, past Dexter Street, past O’Brien’s, past Manayunk Avenue, and finally up to the intersection at Pechin Street took me 4:15, more than double Canola’s time. As of this writing, that 4:15 makes me the 1,725^th fastest ever to climb The Wall. Or, at least the 1,725^th fastest to log the climb on Strava.

Of course, I’m a big guy and so I usually toggle my Strava climbs to see how I stack up against other big guys. No sense in racing someone who weighs a hundred pounds less than me up a mountain. And so, it’s a bit more impressive if you toggle to the Clydesdale class. There, in the 250lbs+ category, my 4:15 is good for fourteenth fastest.

These are not numbers that I care much about. After all, I’m a recreationalist in my forties, twice the size of most elite climbers. Still, it’s fun to see where I stand, to imagine myself in a race against those other 2,798 riders, trudging from bottom to top. To finish somewhere in between.

But maybe I was on to something twenty-plus years ago. Not with the jeans, of course, and definitely not with the smokes. But maybe there was something to simplifying the metrics.

The bottom is where you start. The top is where you finish. The middle is where you suffer. That’s it. That’s all there is to it. After all, when a place such as The Wall has reached legendary status, isn’t the simple act of riding it enough?

He set a new provisional time of 16 hrs 56 min 51sec for the 388 mile (624km) Road Record Association record between the two capitals. Dyson became the first rider to break the 17-hour mark, beating the previous time, set by Michael Broadwith, by just over 45 minutes.

Dyson, a doctoral researcher in transport and travel behaviour at the University of Bath, left St Paul's Cathedral at 5am, accompanied by a useful tailwind. It was "a stellar day of weather" he said, although it didn't go entirely without a hitch.

After losing contact with his support crew near Newcastle, for example, he ended up popping into a pub for supplies.

"We got detached in Newcastle. I wasn't sure where they were, and I thought there was enough traffic that I might not see [them again]," he told Cycling Weekly. "So I was at some lights in Ponteland and I was like, 'there's a pub there'. So I just nipped in and got two J2Os and a Pepsi, poured them into my bottle and said thanks very much.

Even before that, at York, he was forced to change to a spare bike that he'd put together especially for the ride, after the aero bars broke on his main machine.

"I think it was the cobbles," he said. "I'd built up a spare bike that was almost identical – that was a fair amount of work – because I thought that something like that might happen. But it didn't take much longer than swapping the bottles to be honest, I just pulled the Garmin over."

He was also forced to make a six-kilometre detour after finding that the final climb of the A68 road was closed.

At the end, Dyson said he was significantly more tired than after his comparable record ride from Land's End to London in 2021.

"I properly had to put the bike aside and lie down," he said. "I felt terrible for quite a few hours, but better now."

"This wasn't a beer and pizza event," he added. "I know other races you can finish and go 'right, let's have a bit of a mini-party'. But this was more like… as I was going to sleep I said, 'I feel like I should be in hospital right now', I was shivering a bit, pretty messed up."

Broadwith, holder of the record that Dyson beat as well as the Land's End to John o' Groats record, said, "He banged it basically, it's fantastic. It's great to see this interest in the RRA records and I feel proud to be part of this current movement – it's helping reinvigorate this historical element of the cycling community."

Broadwith added that he hoped more women would begin to see place-to-place record breaking as a viable consideration, saying: "I did the record, and then Pete did the record, but the women's London-Edinburgh record has stood for over 50 years, still held by Eileen Sheridan.

"It'd be so nice to see one of the top women who, for example, was competing in the National 12-hour, which was just at the weekend, step up from 12 hours to probably around 18 hours and have a go at the record, it would be a really cool thing to see."

For his part, Dyson also offered thanks to his support crew – Ian and Bridget Boon, who are familiar names in the RRA world, saying: "A lot of the cycling world relies on passionate pensioners – with three days of their time to hand to donate at a moment's notice… they made this possible."

As well as establishing a new record, the ride raised £2,600 for the Milestones Trust charity, supporting people with learning disabilities, mental health needs and dementia.

Sponsor him here.

The 45-year-old has spent the last six months working on the book, which he has described as "the most honest and personal [one] I've ever written".

"Back in 2012, everyone knew who Bradley Wiggins was," he writes in the blurb of 'The Chain'. "Everyone, that is, but me."

The book marks Wiggins's first autobiography since 2012, the year he won the Tour de France, the Olympic time trial, and major stage races including Paris-Nice, the Tour de Romandie, and the Critérium du Dauphiné.

That year, he was the golden boy, 'Wiggo', the man to beat. But off the bike, "I didn’t really know who I was," Wiggins told Cycling Weekly last June.

In an Instagram post announcing his latest book, Wiggins described it as "the story of me finally making peace with myself".

"It's about what happens when the race is over," he said, "about facing the darkest parts of myself, and finally figuring out and learning to accept who I am and what I am."

"For years, I hid behind the identity, mask, and medals of 'Wiggo'. But inside, I was struggling more than anyone realised."

The years since his retirement in 2016 have been, for Wiggins, an operation in working out who he is when he isn’t racing. He has battled with addiction, faced bankruptcy, and revealed alleged sexual abuse dating back to his early teens. Without the distraction of cycling, and unresolved trauma, Wiggins began to fall into what he has described as “very dangerous” situations.

"I was doing s*** loads of cocaine," he revealed during a press event, attended by Cycling Weekly, last month. "I had a real problem and my kids were actually going to put me in rehab at one point, I’ve never spoken about that. I really was walking a tightrope.”

Now, over twelve months sober, Wiggins is charting his process of self-discovery in a new autobiography as he rebuilds his relationship with the sport that has defined his life.

"I've accepted in the last 12 months that however much I try and push it away, I am a cyclist, it is my life, and it will always be part of my life," Wiggins said.

"I think I was causing myself more pain by trying to push it away. Every time someone sees me they go, 'Oh, you're that cyclist', so it's just never going to leave me, ever."

Wiggins's new book, ‘The Chain’, will be published by Harper Collins on 25 October, and is available to pre-order now.

One Cycling, an idea developed behind the scenes by some of the sport’s top teams, proposed a ‘super league’ restructure to elite racing, with the goal of creating new revenue streams.

It was expected to be funded by Saudi Arabian investors, with a launch potentially as early as 2026. On Thursday evening, however, the project appeared to receive a setback when the UCI ruled to exclude it from its men’s and women’s WorldTour calendars, set until the end of 2028.

“While welcoming the fact that road cycling is attracting new investors, the UCI Management Committee nevertheless unanimously decided, following the PCC's vote in this direction, not to respond to the request, as it stands, to include the OneCycling project in the UCI Women's WorldTour and UCI WorldTour calendars,” the governing body wrote in a statement.

“The project, which had been developed by certain teams and organisers, in collaboration with a sports investment fund, was deemed incompatible with the governance and regulatory framework of the UCI as well as lacking sporting coherence.”

Not ruling out future possibilities, the UCI added that it wishes to “continue discussions” with One Cycling’s stakeholders.

According to reports, Visma-Lease a Bike managing director Richard Plugge has been one of the leading advocates for the project. It is understood that Tour of Flanders organiser Flanders Classics is also involved, while ASO, the owner of the Tour de France, has resisted joining.

The first whispers of the project are thought to have begun in late 2023. The idea stemmed from concerns of financial instability in professional cycling, with teams said to be too dependent on sponsors for income. It also sought to rearrange the calendar so the sport’s biggest riders competed against each other more regularly.

In a statement seen by Cyclingnews, One Cycling representatives responded to the UCI’s decision with optimism, writing “the door is now wide open” to address concerns.

The UCI’s ruling came as part of a lengthy statement announcing WorldTour calendar changes and new technological regulations for future seasons.

One of the most significant calendar changes is the moving of the Giro d’Italia Women in 2026 from its usual July spot – which has clashed with the men’s Tour de France since 1990 – to 30 May-7 June, following on from the men’s Giro d’Italia. The Tour of Britain Women has also been moved from June to 20-23 August, nearer the dates of its men’s equivalent.

Full details of the 2026 men's and women's UCI WorldTour calendars can be found within the press release.

The UCI also announced it will implement handlebar width restrictions from 1 January 2026, with the minimum overall width set at 400mm for mass start road events. A clarification on the use of time trial helmets in road races is expected to follow.

But let’s be real: few of us are actually buying these five-figure machines. And frankly, most of us probably shouldn’t be riding them anyway. No more than we should be driving Formula 1 cars to the grocery store. They’re purpose-built tools for a very specific job.

Also, I’ll be honest and say that above a certain price point, most bikes are excellent. Light, fast, aero-optimised and razor-sharp. It's hard to go wrong when the investment’s there. But what about the other end of the market? Brands rarely invest in showing off what they can do when the R&D budgets are smaller. These products may be less aspirational, less cutting-edge and less sexy, but the appeal and ridership of these bikes are much broader than their $16,000 siblings. Arguably, making a good bike at this level is the tougher challenge.

That’s why it was downright refreshing to be invited to Van Rysel’s media launch in Vermont last month. Launched in 2019, Van Rysel is a French cycling brand and subsidiary of the popular European, one-stop sports superstore, Decathlon. The brand burst onto the scene with its sponsorship of the Decathlon-Ag2r La Mondiale team. The WorldTour team is racing aboard the Van Rysel RCR Pro, which was one of the most talked-about bikes in 2024. This top-of-the-line bike was designed in partnership with the French aerospace research laboratory, wheel manufacturer Swiss Side and Deda Elementi – and yet, it’s also the least expensive bike in the pro peloton.

But least expensive here still means $11,000. In Vermont, though, Van Rysel showed us something entirely different: the GRVL AF 2, an aluminum gravel bike that tops out at $2,399 for the Shimano GRX model. The one I was riding? Just $1,399.00 / £999.99. A complete, adventure-ready bike that costs less than the groupsets on the bikes we usually test.

Yet Van Rysel rolled out the red carpet all the same, giving us a premium experience aboard their entry-level products. Sure, it was a bit of a branding play: Van Rysel is new to the U.S. market and can’t rely on Decathlon stores to reach its consumers. (There are no Decathlon stores in the U.S and Van Rysel is therefore relying on retail partnerships like it’s made with REI for the GRVL AF bikes). But that doesn’t diminish what made this launch so notable: it was a full-blown, thoughtful, professional media rollout for a bike that rarely graces the pages of cycling media.

But while the profit margins may be small, when it comes to the number of bikes sold, that $1400 bike is going to outsell the $11,000 flagship three to one. It’s the kind of bike that gives someone their first taste of gravel riding or bikepacking. The one that helps an adult fall back in love with riding for the first time since childhood. The bike a parent buys for a teenager just getting into the sport. And the bike you see every Saturday morning, leaning against the wall of your favourite coffee shop, well-loved and unfazed if it tips over.

Van Rysel seemed to understand that. The invite list reflected it: a couple former racers, like myself, paired with riders who’d never even clipped into pedals before. Likewise, the GRVL AF isn’t some watered-down version of a “real” bike. It’s an easy-riding, all-person steed built with intention. Smart spec, good ride quality, and a clear understanding of who it’s for and what they need. Read the full review here.

I felt that this media trip deserved a shout-out not because of the product per se, but because of the approach. I’d love to see more brands give affordable bikes the attention they deserve. Not just in offering them, but in how they talk about them and launch them. Likewise, I have long believed that we in the media also need to recalibrate our coverage from time to time. Superbikes will always have their place (and I’ll never turn down a chance to ride one), but let’s not forget the bikes that are at the heart of our sport. The ones that get butts in saddles, that diversify the community, and, realistically, the ones people actually buy.

So here’s to $1,400 / £1000 bikes and to the brands that give them a turn in the spotlight.

The rides will be lead by one of the CW team at a social pace (no more than 2.0w/kg) in one of the MyWhoosh worlds.

MyWhoosh is completely free to join as are the Big Ride Challenge weekly rides. If you’ve never used the platform, here’s a step-by-step guide on getting started.

To join our weekly Big Ride Challenge group rides, you’ll need a smart turbo trainer and a device that’s connected to the internet. This can be a mobile phone, PC or laptop - MyWhoosh is available on Apple, Android and Windows.

Go to your app store and search MyWhoosh. Once you’ve found the app, download and follow the prompts to install it on your device. You’ll be prompted to create an account with your name and email address.

You’ll need to add a few extra details so the program can accurately turn your power into in game speed, just as you would with other platforms or wearable devices.

Set your bike up on the trainer and connect your device to the app. via ANT+. You will be able to connect other devices such as heart rate monitors as well. There will be prompts on the screen to help you with this.

Once in the app, click on your profile, then ‘ride’ and you’ll be token to your home screen. From there you can choose a workout, sign up to an event or just ride. If you're signing up for the first time, or logging back into MyWhoosh for the first time in a while, do log in a bit earlier as your app might need updating. MyWhoosh are adding new features and places to ride all the time, and the updates bring those to you.

The Big Ride Challenge rides will appear in the events page. You’ll need to sign up to these in the app, sorry, but we can’t send you a link to them. Our group rides will take place every Thursday at 5.30pm UK time and last 45 minutes. We’ll be keep the pace steady. Look out for the ride leader whose avatar will have a crown above them.

And you’ll want your miles on your Strava account. To link the two, go to the MyWhoosh website, use the login details you created for the app and click on ‘edit profile’. Click on the connections button and you’ll see the Strava log with ‘connect’ underneath.

For many of us there is a great and ironic pleasure to be had in returning from a long ride on a beautiful day and waxing lyrical to spouses, the kids, or just about anyone else who'll listen, about the depths of suffering visited upon us as we indulged in our favourite hobby.

It's all part of the psyche of the pastime, ingrained via TV footage of riders on the limit on Grand Tour climbs, and our own experiences of riding hard hills or intervals.

Boasting about how unpleasant our ride was is all rather harmless fun of course, but on occasion it doesn't hurt to have things put in perspective, which is exactly what Michael Hutchinson – our very own Dr Hutch – did for us during his appearance on Cycling Weekly's Going Long podcast this week.

"I don't like the concept of 'suffering' in cycling – because we do this voluntarily," Hutchinson said. "This is me being a pretentious arse. I kind of feel if you volunteer for it you don't get to call it suffering."

He added: "There are points in longer events where maybe it becomes more appropriate, but I think for short-distance time trials… if you think you're suffering you don't have enough problems in your life."

Hutchinson spent much of the show talking about his new book, Further, which is released today and covers, as you might imagine – the topic of riding long distances on the bike.

As well as dealing with the physiological, psychological and practical considerations of riding a long way in the saddle, Further weaves in Hutchinson's own experiences of riding the National 24-hour Championship time trial for the first time in his career during the past two years.

The 56-time national champion – "according to Wikipedia, I've never bothered to count," he says – also writes about his 12-hour rides in his early career, as well as chatting about them, and about his early days as a cyclist and racer more generally, in the podcast.

If you have read Hutchinson's weekly 'Dr Hutch' column in Cycling Weekly magazine, here on the site, or any of his other books – The Hour, for example, or Re:Cyclists or Faster – it will come as no surprise that Further is very funny as well as being informative.

The humour comes thick and fast, as too do the facts.

For any fan of his writing, his escapades or of cycling more generally, I'd highly recommend it. Dare we suggest there might even be a wee bit of suffering in there too, at least if this quote from the book, written about Hutchinson's experience in his first ever 12-hour time trial, is anything to go by.

"By the five-hour mark I'd started crying. I kept crying till the end."

Further (Allen & Unwin) is released Thursday, June 12. Learn more about it, and about Michael Hutchinson and his cycling adventures on this week's Cycling Weekly Going Long podcast.

The Enhanced Games, a sporting event that allows competitors to take performance-enhancing drugs, is scheduled to take place for the first time next May in Las Vegas, USA. It will include three sports in its first year – sprinting, swimming and weightlifting – with cycling slated to follow in year three.

In a joint statement published on Tuesday, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) athletes commissions criticised the concept, calling it “a betrayal of everything that we stand for”.

“As athletes, we believe that the Enhanced Games or any events encouraging the use of performance-enhancing substances and methods are a betrayal of everything that we stand for,” the statement read.

“Most importantly, these events undermine the integrity of sport, and the responsibility athletes hold as role models in society. Promoting performance-enhancing substances and methods sends a dangerous message – especially to current and future generations of athletes.”

The statement went on to warn about “long-term health consequences” of doping, saying the substances can lead to “even death”.

“Encouraging athletes to use them is utterly irresponsible and immoral. No level of sporting success is worth such a cost," the commissions said.

“We stand firmly together for the values of fair play, ethical behaviours and respect – principles that have shaped our journey and that we believe should guide and inspire the next generation of athletes. We will do everything we can to protect the integrity of sport for generations to come.”

The Enhanced Games is a privately-funded competition, founded by Australian businessman Aron d’Souza in a mission to “build a new superhumanity”.

D’Souza told Cycling Weekly last year that it was a “classic misconception to say that performance-enhancing drugs are unsafe – it’s hysteria”.

Asked about the inclusion of cycling events, d’Souza said it “doesn’t make sense now from an economic standpoint”, but that some of the main Olympic cycling disciplines – time trial, road racing and track – were scheduled to be on the programme in future years.

Athletes who compete in the Enhanced Games, and take performance-enhancing substances, will undergo medical screenings.

They're easy to complete if you ride regularly, and most of them can be done on indoor trainers as well as out on the road. Some challenges will focus on distance, or altitude gained, others on searching out new places to ride. They're designed to be a bit of fun, and keep everyone motivated through the year, no matter what annual total they're aiming for.

This month, no matter the overall distance goal you're aiming for in 2025, your first challenge is to complete your longest ride of the year. And if you like climbing then the second goal should be right up your (hilly) street! (Hint: kill two birds with one stone and nail both in just one ride…)

Sign up to the MyWhoosh Big Ride Challenge and choose one of the four distance goals - 500, 1000, 2500 0r 5000 miles

Scroll down the page for previous monthly challenges and extra inspiration!

June Challenges

CW Mini

1 Complete your longest ride of the year
2 Ride to a local viewpoint

CW Midi

1 Complete your longest ride of the year
2 Find and ride a new hill

CW Maxi & CW5000

1 Complete your longest ride of the year
2 Log a seasons best on a climb

Previous Months' Challenges

The Mini
May
1. Ride Bingo Spring! Find 5 things from the list below
Hospital, runway, bad cycling infrastructure, boat moorings, bike shop, milestone, library, POI or tourist attraction
2. Ride for three hours in one week
April
1. Find a spring scene and take a photo
2. Complete a 20 mile ride
March
1. Complete a one hour ride
2. Find and ride a new hill
February
1. Be active for five consecutive days
2. Complete a 10 mile ride
January
1. Join a group ride
2. Exercise ten times this month

The Midi
May
1. Ride Bingo Spring! Find 6 things from the list below
Hospital, runway, bad cycling infrastructure, boat moorings, bike shop, milestone, library, POI or tourist attraction
2. Ride for five hours in one week
April
1. Find a spring scene and take a photo
2. Complete a 30 mile ride
March
1. Ride four days in one week
2. Do a sunrise or sunset ride
February
1. Log a 40 mile week
2. Find and ride a new road
January 1. Join a group ride
2. Ride three times in one week

The Maxi
May
1. Ride Bingo Spring! Find 7 things from the list below
Hospital, runway, bad cycling infrastructure, boat moorings, bike shop, milestone, library, POI or tourist attraction
2. Ride for seven hours in one week
April
1. Find a spring scene and take a photo
2. Complete a 50 mile ride
March
1. Gain 15k vertical feet in the month
2. Do a sunrise or sunset ride
February
1. Complete 750 minutes of riding
2. Find and ride a new road
January 1. Join a group ride
2. Complete a 30 mile ride

CW5000
May
1. Ride Bingo Spring! Find 8 things from the list below
Hospital, runway, bad cycling infrastructure, boat moorings, bike shop, milestone, library, POI or tourist attraction
2. Ride for 10 hours in one week
April
1. Find a spring scene and take a photo
2. Complete an 80 mile ride
March
1. Gain 20k vertical feet in the month
2. Do a sunrise or sunset ride
February
1. Complete 1,000 minutes of riding
2. Find and ride a new road
January 1. Join a group ride
2. Complete a 50 mile ride

This page will be updated at the start of each month with a new set of challenges for all our riders. You can also be notified of the monthly challenges via the Big Ride Challenge WhatsApp group

Sign Up For The MyWhoosh Big Ride Challenge

I’m talking about Factor’s prototype aero bike. We know little about it at the moment – we don’t even know its name – other than Jake Stewart rode a blacked-out version to a commendable fifth place on the first stage. One look at the bike’s obnoxiously wide forks tells us this is no typical road machine. No, Factor’s new model marks a new age of road design, a revolutionary idea that breaks the mould of what bikes should look like. Or does it?

Followers of track racing might have felt a sense of déjà-vu when flicking through the photo galleries of the new Factor. Yes, its front fork may be novel on the road, but it’s nothing new inside velodromes. Once again, the old adage was true: tech trends begin on the track. Let me explain a little more.

In track racing, speed is king. Every Olympic cycle, national federations spend millions developing new bikes and components, hoping to edge millisecond margins over their rivals. The Factor bike’s wide forks can be traced back almost six years, to the Hope HB.T track bike, developed for the Great Britain Cycling Team for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

At the time, the Hope’s fork blades were ground-breaking. Looping out away from the frame, they were said to be designed in a way to manipulate the air flow, splitting it on impact and guiding it around the rider’s legs. In practice, the bike proved a success; it was ridden in Tokyo to seven medals, of which three were gold, and continues to inspire designs today. At last year’s Games in Paris, for example, France, Japan and Australia all switched to track bikes with wider forks – the Look P24, the V-Izu TCM-2 and the Factor HANZŌ.

Factor, you say? The same brand as Stewart’s outrageous new bike? That’s right. Almost a year after Australia’s men's team pursuit squad won gold on a wide-forked machine, the UK manufacturer appears now to have produced a closely aligned road version. All roads lead back to the velodrome. We should’ve seen it coming.

I’ll give you another example: for Filippo Ganna’s UCI Hour Record attempt in 2022, Pinarello developed a new Bolide F HR 3D frame, with unique aero ridges down the seatpost and tube – these were referred to as 'tubercles', and were inspired by humpback whale fins. Fast forward two years and, lo and behold, the same design showed up on the Bolide F time trial bike, released in time for the Paris Olympics.

It should come as no surprise when successful track trends spill across to the road. So why haven’t we seen wide-forked road bikes before? Well, we have, to an extent. Take Ribble’s Ultra SL, released in 2022, with abnormally wide forks. This was a design that was built for speed, much like the Hope HB.T, but reined in the fork width a bit. It came amid a growing movement of wider forks in recent years, facilitated by the takeover of disc brakes, and catering for demands for wider tyre clearance.

There are, however, reasons we haven’t seen forks as wide as the HB.T’s on the road before. First of all, there were concerns that they could be dangerous, with fears other riders’ forks, handlebars or even body parts could get ‘hooked’ in them mid-crash. This seems not to have been an issue on the track, however. Likewise, straying too far from the norm might have risked putting customers off buying the bike – bike brands are businesses after all.

The most important reason, though, is the difference in racing conditions. Wide track bike forks were designed to face wind resistance from one direction – the front – and to be ridden at speeds of 70kph and beyond. There are no crosswinds in a velodrome. Would they fare so well on the road, and at slower speeds?

Well, it’s been trialled. In 2021, Hope unveiled a prototype time trial bike version of its 2019 HB.T, hoping for a new dawn for the design. It was ridden by Great Britain’s Ethan Vernon in the under-23 TT at the UCI World Championships. Vernon placed seventh, and the prototype never made it to the mainstream.

The logical conclusion, at least from the outside, was that the design didn’t transfer across to the road as hoped. But years have since passed, bike tech has progressed, and there’s no harm in trying out something new.

The forks on the new Factor bike aren’t quite as wide as the HB.T's, but they’re as close as we’ve seen. Perhaps Factor have found gains where others didn’t? Stewart was the fastest rider in the bunch on stage one, after all. Maybe the bike will trigger a domino effect in design in the peloton, like the HB.T did on the track? Or perhaps, like Vernon’s prototype in 2021, Stewart’s wide-forked machine will last only as a short-lived concept…

One lesson remains true: if you want to know what the next big road trend might be, start digging around inside velodromes.

“We were really determined to deliver last year and grow the race and I think if you look at the Tour of Britain Women – just take the riders and the teams last year compared to the riders and the teams this year – it shows that people value racing in the UK,” British Cycling CEO Jon Dutton told Cycling Weekly at the 2025 race.

“We need to be mindful of the business model – staging any bike race on the public highway is an expensive affair – but we're optimistic.”

It’s a tough environment for road race organisers in the UK, with costs higher than ever and fewer local councils with an appetite to host events. Dutton explained that the headwinds are strong for domestic road racing, but hopes the rising profile of both Tours of Britain can support the rest of the scene.

“Policing, safety, the public sector finances, people wanting to step forward as event organisers – it's really hard,” Dutton said.

“At British Cycling we have a duty and responsibility to be part of the solution, but there is no magic wand to wave… What we will find is moving to a sustainable business model, we'll probably have to have some more tough conversations in the future… We've not got enough events with enough event organisers that are sustainable and that's just part of the overall challenge.”

British Cycling are planning to add to the number of stages of the women’s race, which is currently four days long, and see the Tours of Britain as central to their plans to develop a larger portfolio of British Cycling-run events across several disciplines.

Dutton shared a vision to see British Cycling organise high profile events in track cycling, BMX freestyle and cyclo-cross, suggesting that the governing body will look to bring a round of the UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup back to British soil for the first time since 2014.

All of this, as British Cycling set out in a new strategy in March, is with a view to increase cycling participation in the UK. The race route around Glasgow was closed for a further three hours after the end of the Tour of Britain Women, allowing riders of all ages and abilities to ride around the city on traffic-free roads. This kind of initiative, Dutton says, will go hand-in-hand with British Cycling events going forward.

“Our research shows that 27 million people in the UK got on a bike in the last 12 months," he said. "That's the future for us, it's to fuse together elite events, creating visibility and enabling us to do more things – to get people on the bike and give them great experiences.”

Scheduled for September, the championships are set to make history as the first to be held in Africa in the UCI’s 125-year existence.

The build-up has been marked by questions of safety, due to an ongoing conflict in the neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC); according to the UN, Rwanda is supporting an armed rebel group fighting against Congolese forces, although Rwandan officials deny this.

The border between the two countries is located around 100 miles from Kigali, the Rwandan capital, where the UCI World Championships will be held this year. Addressing Cycling Weekly in London on Monday, Samson Ndayishimiye, president of the Rwandan Cycling Federation, said there is no need to worry about safety.

“We promised that we’re going to deliver the event to the standard that is expected by the UCI and the cycling world. Now, with just a few months to go down the line, I can definitely confirm that we are where we are supposed to be in terms of organising, and even further up in terms of countries showing interest,” Ndayishimiye said.

“We’re still doing events twice a month. The biggest one we recently did in February was the Tour du Rwanda, and we went everywhere in the country," he continued. "Security wise, we’re good. Any issues of being refused sponsorship because of that, never happened. We’ve never had an issue. For us, where we are, everything is fine.”

In February, the European Parliament called for the cancellation of the Kigali World Championships amid the conflict in the DRC and Rwanda’s alleged role in it. Despite concerns, UCI president David Lappartient said there was “no plan B” for the event, which is expected to go ahead as planned.

“[Lappartient] still believes in Rwanda,” Ndayishimiye said. “He still knows that’s going to happen in Rwanda. We’ve never had any other issue.”

Asked if other cycling federations had voiced safety concerns, the Rwandan cycling president said he had received some phone calls, and had sought to reassure.

“The answers are still the same,” he said. “This is Rwanda. It’s not DRC… We’ve made it clear that we can’t invite you or welcome you if you’re not going to be safe, because we won’t be safe ourselves. It’s been a few months and nothing has come up on that.

“Inside the country, we’re safe,” he further stressed. “For me, most importantly, as the cycling federation, safety is the first thing people have to think about, the priority… We’re already in a safe country.”

Ndayishimiye’s visit to London came the day after he attended the final stage of the Tour of Britain Women in Glasgow. There, he explained, he met with British Cycling representatives, who told him Great Britain would send a squad to the Rwanda World Championships. The Belgian Cycling Federation also confirmed last week their riders would participate in the event.

Other federations, such as Denmark, the Netherlands, France, Italy and Ireland, have said they will send reduced squads to Kigali, citing financial constraints.

“That’s the choice of the federation because of the means that they have,” said Ndayishimiye. “Our sport is very expensive. It’s not only expensive because we’re hosting in Africa – it’s expensive across the world, for all of us.”

The East African country expects between 5,000 and 7,000 international visitors to come to the eight-day event in September, which will feature the most challenging road race routes to date – the men’s road race features 5,400m of climbing.

Ndayishimiye hopes the event will be a “good opportunity” for tourism and sport in Rwanda, adding that he’s “counting on” local riders to show their strength against the world’s best. “Who knows, maybe there will be a Rwandan next to [Tadej Pogačar] challenging him more? It’s exciting,” he said.

The 2025 UCI World Championships will run from 21 to 28 September.

Vos completed the course in 3:37:10, beating the chasing group by a decisive 2:25, thanks – perhaps in part at least – to what looks like a very much faster gravel platform, if aero features are anything to go by. This gravel bike looks more S5 than Aspero 5.

A very deep headtube is visibly deeper and more aero than before, in what looks like a much more angular, and slippery design than the current bike. The fork blades and seat tube features a more distinct cutaway for the rear wheel to sit in, clearly borrowing design features familiar from the S5 road bike.

Enhancing the bike’s aerodynamics is a theme that continues with the introduction of an integrated aero seat post; the D-shaped post replaces the traditional round post and seat clamp of the current model.

One image clearly shows a black panel on the downtube, which could suggest new storage in the aero-shaped down tube. Brands like Factor with their latest Monza, and Enve with their Fray have latched on to the recent trend for downtube storage, so it makes sense that Cervélo may be following suit here. Although Vos has C02 strapped to the top tube with electrical tape, so perhaps it's already full of gold medals or something else entirely.

A knock on the existing Aspero is that it only allowed for tyres as wide as 42mm, which places it behind the curve compared to some of its rivals. It’s tricky to see just how much the clearance may have increased but Vos was using Vittoria Terreno T50 tyres in Germany, which do come in up to 50mm width; the tyres were fitted to a set of Reserve wheels.

The bottom bracket has also undergone a facelift. It’s noticeably more chunky than before, suggesting greater stiffness. It’s taller too; Vos was using Sram’s 13-speed Red groupset in Germany and the single chainring appears to be sitting level with the top of the bottom bracket. Again, aero features familiar from S5. This suggests that this new bike is prioritising flat-out speed.

As you’d expect on a contemporary gravel race bike, all the hoses are run internally with Vos using an integrated one-piece cockpit; the current Aspero 5 features a traditional two-piece bar and stem as standard. This one on the new bike, integrates the cables but the top of the headtube appears to feature a recess, perhaps made for an integrated stem bar combo or specific set-up of some sort.

The last takeaway, perhaps unsurprisingly, is the UDH hanger.

Millar, 48, became brand director at Factor in January after what appeared to be the end of his clothing brand. However, in an email update circulated by CHPT3 on Thursday evening he said the company would now continue.

"I remember my final team dinner as a pro cyclist, at the 2014 Vuelta a España in Santiago de Compostela," Millar wrote, "I stood up and gave a speech, I concluded it with the biggest learning from my career, 'Never give up.' I suppose I'd taken that into the real world and figured it would be equally applicable there."

He continued: "I've learnt these past few years that sometimes giving up is the hardest, and often the bravest, and occasionally, the only thing to do. One thing is certain, there will never be a chapter four. Rob Gitelis, founder of Factor, stepped in and rescued CHPT3."

Millar regularly wrote blogs, articles and other pieces for his own brand which were distributed via email to subscribers. He said his new role at Factor enabled him to continue to do similar work for his new employer.

As well as designing clothes, CHPT3 also successfully collaborated with Brompton bikes on a new design and also began producing shoes before their initial demise.

"For me things are good, I've taken a break from CHPT3 and am loving my new job as Brand Director at Factor, it's allowed all the things I learnt in my decade of being a jack-of-all-trades entrepreneur to find a home," Millar continued. "Rob and his team have placed a confidence in me that I don't think any other company or brand would have done, after all, I have no CV.

"One of the things I enjoyed most at CHPT3 was being able to share my cycling adventures, through diaries and blogs, and Factor has given me the opportunity to do even more of these. I've been cut loose and become part of a team who will help me create whatever I want to tell the Factor story across emails, videos, podcasts, blog posts. It's a ton of fun.

"I'll be sharing these with you from Factor going forward. If you love bikes, you'll love Factor. Stay tuned, there are some exciting things in the pipeline from CHPT3 and Factor."

"CHPT3 - back to the future. There are exciting things to come, yet for now the Transit Shoes will be our focus - they were the crowning achievement of CHPT3 when it comes to product, years of R&D, they are ground breaking in every way," Millar wrote. "In many ways, the Transit shoe is the ultimate representation of that vision I had for CHPT3, combining the same care and attention to not only the aesthetics that mattered to me as a racer, but the performance."

"The Brompton relationship remains. Will Butler-Adams and I remain great friends, we are yet to hatch plans, what we'll do next is undecided, although now the dust has settled we’ll put our heads together as the collaboration was one of the bedrocks of CHPT3," he added.

"Brompton opened my eyes to a whole new cycling world, when founding CHPT3 in 2015 I knew nothing about urban cycling, that world was as far removed from me as the Tour de France was to commuters. I didn't consider the two worlds having any commonality, I was a racer, they were commuters, and never the twain shall meet."

Smith, who is a Cycling TIme Trials (CTT) director and secretary for the CTT's Manchester District, stepped up last autumn after the longtime previous organisers, Jon and Sam Williams, stepped down from the role.

Since then Smith has registered the event, held on the roads of Cheshire over the weekend of July 26-27 – as a qualifier for ultra-racing's blue riband Race Across America.

The event will also mark the final ever race for ultra-riding legend Chris 'Hoppo' Hopkinson. It will be his 51st 24-hour race for the former British Best All-Rounder, who has won many national medals both in CTT events and under the World Ultra Cycling Association banner over a 27-year career.

Said Hopkinson: "For a long time, I have tried to promote long-distance cycling, and I was worried [the National 24] was going to disappear. I'm very, very glad it's not. I think Tim being on board is a fantastic thing. It'd be a great shame to lose it.

"It's the only one now," he added, "and it's unique."

The riding the National 24 would be a neat bookend to his career, Hopkinson explained – it was, after all, the first race of that distance he was persuaded to do, back in 2001.

"Jim Turner, who ran the race at the time, came and saw me race, and he said, 'You look as if you seem to get faster the longer you go'," Hopkinson says.

"He said, 'I want you to come and race my 24-hour. Everybody laughed at me and said, you can't. You can't do a 24 hour. Don't be silly. And I went there and I did 441 miles and got fourth."

The rest is very much history, with Hopkinson going on to become the first Briton to finish the RAAM solo, and becoming a board member – and later president – of WUCA.

And for new '24' organiser Smith, further plans are afoot. While it was saving the event that initially prompted him to take it on and by his own admission he probably won't be doing it forever, he has already begun to garner event partners – cycling weather app MyWindsock is on board – and is working on keepsakes for finishers too. Small ways of making the event more visible and more attractive.

Smith wants to open it up to as many people as possible and says: "Anyone who does it, regardless of whether you do 500-plus miles or 200 miles, has the respect of anyone who knows anything about time trialling."

'Massive' response to new CTT website

With its new website having been in place for more than four months now Cycling Time Trials (CTT) is continuing to add to the platform and says its new features have been well received.

CTT chair Andrea Parish said the new site had "massively outperformed" the old one: "In less than the first three months this year we exceeded the total number of visits for the whole of 2024 on our legacy platform. Our average engagement time has improved by over 600%, so yes, I'm absolutely delighted."

The site was launched to broadly positive reception back in January as part of a rebrand that the body, which oversees time trialling in the UK, hoped would help attract new blood to the sport.

As with the previous site, the new one offers everything from an event calendar through entry to results, but in a far more joined up way and with club event entry and results on offer too.

The new site, for example, enables users to search a course and see not only course details but previous events on it and their results.

"It's seen great adoption with more and more clubs and riders taking advantage of it," Parish said. "Entering events has never been easier – I now just enter via my phone and use Google Pay – just a few clicks and that's it. Super easy to find events too."

There were also two major race-results-based developments in the pipeline that were to be launched imminently, Parish said. Watch this space.

Two fellow competitors, Luise Valentin (Enough Cycling Collective) and Lucy Hempstead (Classified x Rose), stopped their race to call for help and stay with Skovgaard until initial aid arrived. According to the riders, it took two hours before an ambulance reached the scene and transported her to a hospital, where she later underwent surgery for a dislocated, fractured shoulder and an open knee wound.

“I wanted to leave my body, and I was getting hypothermic,” Skovgaard wrote in a social media post, with Valentin adding that the medical team’s long response time was “honestly unbelievable.”

The incident has raised concerns about emergency response logistics at the Unbound Gravel, a race that draws the top off-road cyclists in the world to the rugged, remote terrain of the Kansas Flint Hills.

“Travelling across the world to race means accepting risks, but I never expected to feel unsafe,” Skovgaard stated. “I truly hope the organisers work to improve emergency access.”

For the first time in its 19-year history, Unbound Gravel organisers managed the complex logistics required to offer live coverage of the elite men’s and women’s 200-mile races, using footage captured by helicopter and a 4x4 buggy. Skovgaard noted that the presence of that media helicopter overhead while she lay injured felt 'ironic', given the difficulty responders had reaching her on the ground.

"I just find it unbelievable that multiple media motorbikes and helicopters passed by without a single medical person," Skobgaard told Cycling Weekly. "I believe the most important [thing] is that we create awareness for other events in the future, too. My helmet was split in two and [it] could have been way worse. In that case, 90 minutes is simply way too long. Luckily, I’m okay and safe."

Despite the circumstances, the rider expressed gratitude toward her fellow athletes who stopped, the medical team and her sponsors for their support both before and after the event.

"I’m forever grateful to everyone who offered help and kindness when things got tough," she said.

"I had a few age groupers stopping by shortly, who worked as a doctor and nurse. They gave me an emergency blanket as I was lying there. But it should not be other riders responsibility, although I’m incredibly grateful for their kindness."

Unbound Gravel has grown into the world’s marquee gravel event, offering five race distances and drawing more than 5,000 registered riders, along with thousands more in support, media and spectators. The event distances range from 25 miles to 350 miles, with the 200-mile race celebrated as the flagship event. The course’s remote and rugged nature is part of the race’s appeal and legend, but it also presents challenges for emergency response.

Cycling Weekly reached out to Life Time for comment but as of publication, the organisers had not yet issued a public statement regarding the incident. We will update the article when more information becomes available.

We don’t usually pay too much heed to mountain bike product launches here at Cycling Weekly - especially on the day Campag launch its latest Super Record groupset - but the news that Shimano’s little-black-wire-supplier must be getting nervous is very exciting indeed.

It appears that Shimano may finally be ready to abandon the wired connection to the shift battery in its popular Di2 systems. Evidenced by today’s launch of the M9200 Di2 (XTR) rear mech, which is now powered by a removable battery mounted inside the mech.

And whilst this update could be bad news for electronic cable salespeople, what is great news for mountain bikers, could also be excellent news for road and gravel riders and the mechanics who build their bikes.

At the last major road launch – Dura Ace 9200 and Ultegra 8200 Di2 – we saw the current line of road groupsets debut with wireless shifters, but with remote batteries connected by cables to a battery mounted in the frame. Semi-wireless as it was called.

The Osaka Bay-based engineers had opted to retain the hard-wired connection to the front and rear mech via a battery stowed in the seat post. At the time, Shimano insisted that the larger wired battery was essential, saying; “this single internal battery ensures a stable and high voltage connection to the derailleurs, contributing to the brand’s fastest-ever shifting”.

What we do know from the XTR launch today, is that shifting is claimed to be faster than the outgoing XTR version, and that the predecessor was no slouch; so, presumably, battery mounted mech solutions are no longer slow or “unstable”.

Sram’s patents – long rumoured to be why Shimano hadn’t tackled the issue previously – could be a more likely reason. Shimano road and gravel groups just need to catch up now, surely?

For gravel riders, the clear move toward a beefier linkage in the XTR rear mech, and the chain control measures announced as part of the launch – a new double spring, presumably an upgrade to the current clutch mechanism – could also make for interesting reading, as we could see some of those ideas coming over into GRX and even road groups eventually, especially as Shimano seeks to close the gap on Sram’s UDH direct mount system, when it comes to off-road robustness in the rear mech.

Speaking of robustness, one final point of interest is the announcement of an Automatic Impact Recovery Function in the rear derailleur, where the mechanism moves in the event of an impact but then returns to its previous recorded position, resetting itself. The current crop of road and gravel-focused Di2 systems tends to enter a ‘crash mode’ after an impact, reducing operation – a little like a limp mode in a car – which can mean an inconvenient trip to the bike shop for a factory reset and a thorough check. A system that resets itself would be very welcome in the incident-prone gravel theatre, as well as in road applications.

For those hoping to see the back of Hollowtech II for their cranksets, I think we can safely count that out too. They’re clearly sticking with that system. Which, without the recent and widely reported – now historic – issues with the cranks failing, is still a decent system, marked by easy and reliable setup. For any roadies desperate for an extra sprocket in their rear cassette, Shimano fans probably shouldn’t get their hopes up – the XTR launch is 12 speed. For them to go 13 on just road groups now seems less likely.

Today’s XTR launch includes a ton of other MTB stuff of course – for example a new four pot caliper option which will almost certainly have the baggy short brigade standing atop their Ford Raptors, spraying cans of Red Bull all over the gaff – but the big news for us here is that anyone with a penchant for lycra – pockets in their bibs or not – should certainly be keeping an eye on what happens next at Shimano, especially as regard to whether they will or won’t call time on those little black wires…

Boy did they need to. And not just because of a lack of sprockets at the back.

When Super Record Wireless launched in May 2023 they were already late to the wireless groupset gang. Sram had launched their largely unchanged Red AXS groupset way back in 2019, while Shimano Di2 had been in the market for years, sticking with the wired solution, albeit with a semi-wireless update in 2021.

Whilst it is true to say that Campagnolo EPS was very popular among Campy fans, arguably known as a more exotic choice than Di2, Campagnolo’s own EPS electronic system, in its V4 iteration by now, was still more complex to install and live with than Di2. Both were miles behind Sram in terms of ease of install and overall simplicity.

The Italian solution to this problem appeared in 2023 with their SR Wireless system. Headlines focused on the absence of Campagnolo’s popular thumb shifter, loved by fans of the brand, but polarising for those used to Sram and Shimano shifting.

Sure, they’d caught up in one way. They now had a groupset with batteries on the mechs, doing away with the fickle electronic spaghetti. However, the sheer size and bulk of both front and rear mech, coupled with a pricing strategy that made its new groupset more expensive than anything else in the market at £4,499, must have made sales hard-going.

To make matters worse, Campag followed up with a power meter that looked like something from a previous decade – with an eye-watering price tag - almost £2k more.

The full menu, if you wanted to stick with the Italian company for your groupset and best wheels, was just shy of £10k. Then you needed a frame to hang it off.

Affordable, maybe not. Competitive? Absolutely.

Today’s launch sets right those wrongs. It’s no longer the most expensive, it’s mid table in fact, for possibly the first time – a smart move for a company that has always seemed to feel the need to be just a tad more expensive than the rest. This is welcome. And weights are now bang-on par with the competition.

It also hits the right aesthetic notes for a well-considered high-end offering. Just look at it. It’s a pretty impressive set of parts, featuring a smart button for seamless integration with your other systems, more improvements to already excellent ergonomics and their typically excellent brakes. The technically excellent power meter is still in there too, with subtle revisions to design and a much more realistic ticket price.

Do we need 13-speed and will it come with fiddlier set up? Of course, we don’t need it, and yes, perhaps it’s going to have some vagaries and a fickle set up, like many other Campagnolo products, but will the market take to it? Of course it will. Will users appreciate the extra ratio? I’m sure that extra sprocket will be a luxury they come to love too, and never want to go back to ‘just’ twelve.

And what of us mortals on normal incomes? For those who dream of Super Record or those who use a less-expensive groupset by choice, the step-up to 13-speed should still pique their interest, as the technology will likely trickle down to more affordable options, such as Record and Chorus. There are hints, but no details at launch. We could also, I suspect, see a gravel version soon too.

There will always be a Campagnolo customer, in the same way that there will always be someone who goes Leica when the common-sense option is Canon. Now, with common sense pricing, the decision is less outlandish for sure.

The final season of the documentary, which takes fans behind-the-scenes at the world's biggest bike race, will cover the 2024 Tour de France, where Tadej Pogačar dominated, winning six stages on his way to overall victory. It is expected there will be eight episodes of this season, as there were for the first two. The programme covers the overall story of the race, as well as individual teams, moments and riders throughout.

In the trailer, there are references to the new era of the super-teams, with UAE Team Emirates-XRG and Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe picked out specifically in the opening shots. Pogačar is shown early on, with his teammate Mikkel Bjerg joking that "everything the light touches is Tadej’s kingdom". Mark Cavendish, in his final Tour outing, will be included in the documentary, as well as Jonas Vinegaard's Visma-Lease a Bike, although they are not included much in the trailer.

Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe, meanwhile, are shown as frustrated: "The Tour is a fucking circus and we are the clowns." Rolf Adag, the team's sports director, asks: "Why do we lose our shit on the first day?"

The original season featured Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale, Alpecin-Deceuninck, Bora-Hansgrohe, EF Education-EasyPost, Groupama-FDJ, Ineos Grenadiers, Visma-Lease a Bike and Soudal Quick-Step, but this has now grown, with UAE Team Emirates-XRG involved, along with Cavendish and his then Astana-Qazaqstan team.

While the series has been popular with fans and has brought cycling to a broader audience, Netflix France decided not to renew it for a fourth season, so there will be no Netflix cameras at the race this year.

In a statement shared with Cycling Weekly in February, a Netflix spokesperson revealed the third season, due to air in June this year, will be the last.

“After three seasons, we are naturally coming to an end of this cycle,” the statement read. “We're very proud of the work we've done and of the public response to the documentary series, which has allowed us to offer a fresh take on this legendary competition.

According to a report in Le Parisien, viewing figures had been weaker than hoped. It is understood that Netflix’s aim with the series was to grow its subscriptions in France, and while figures abroad have been strong, those in France were said to be disappointing.

It was produced as a joint venture between Quadbox and Box to Box Films, the makers of F1: Drive to Survive.

It started with a secret invitation to surprise a good friend for her birthday to join in a 200km Audax, then Chase the Sun South last year and now this year’s bucket list event, the Fred Whitton Challenge, based in the Lake District in the north of the UK.

I had heard people talk about the ‘Fred’ as being tough, and having never ridden all the climbs in the Lakes it seemed like a good opportunity to piece together my geography of the area and ride all the passes in one go.

Bike riding for me has become so many things over the years, from being my job and career, my passion and escape, and now my 'me time' and connection with many of my amazing friends.

As you get older and time becomes more precious, making things like this a priority become more important. This event not only got me and Wendy – one of my best friends from uni – to ride the Fred together but also plan to meet up and ride together once a month in 2025, having barely ridden bikes together since having kids.

Living two-and-a-half hours apart and having busy lives, we only managed two rides together in that time, squeezing in a drive to Sheffield, a four-hour ride, and back for my son's bedtime, but it was two more rides than we would have done without saying 'yes' to the Fred.

We were also joined by Cheri, a good friend from my UK enduro racing days who was always up for an adventure.

Our preparation was very different, but I knew we all had grit, determination and ability to complete a challenge like this. I don’t follow any training programme these days and often have to be flexible with what time I have.

I have more focus on my e-bike this year, so my road bike preparation over the last four months had been a few club runs, a 50-mile reliability trial, a few two or three-hour rides and as much practice at riding out of the saddle as possible. This was off the back of some great advice from legend Isla Rowntree when I asked her what I should know about the Fred.

She just said, "Make sure you can stand and climb for a long time."

I did a few rides in the Alps on the family Easter holiday and one 100-miler seven days before the big day – probably not the smartest move as I was tired after that and got knee pain for the first time ever.

However, I knew from experience that as long as I ate and drank all day, and I took all the spares I may need, I could keep going for a long time and most likely make it.

Years of racing enduro and now being a mum, my self-sufficiency and packing for all eventualities may have not helped us go fast. Between the three of us I think we had enough food supplies, spare clothing, first aid items and spares to ride for seven days, not just one.

For more on eating on the bike, check out our article on nutrition for cycling.

However, we didn’t go hungry, or get cold, and I fixed a slash in the sidewall of my rear tyre without any help, so I think we were prepared.

Having spent my career racing mountain bike downhill and enduro, the thought of a big day out on the bike wasn’t so strange, but sharing the road with 2,500 other people was definitely a new experience. I am used to racing just me against the clock, so even though it wasn’t a race and I had no expectations of winning, it was still hard to set off from a start line and not want to go full gas and race everyone around me.

Thankfully, there was no chance of that as after only 20 minutes the first climb began and quickly I realised I was going to be out of the saddle a lot, and trying to find an easier gear that wasn't there.

This first 40 miles was relatively pleasant going, the climbing wasn't too steep and we negotiated the riders and traffic without incident. However riding among that many people and also with open roads on a busy sunny weekend in the Lakes we did encounter a lot of traffic and some people were definitely more in a rush than we were.

Honister Pass, at 42 miles in, brought home the savage reality of what was ahead and although only short, it had a super-steep kick at the start which was brutal and my first taste of really steep climbing on a road bike. Up till now the steep climbing I have done in the past – even on the road – had always been done on a mountain bike with a much bigger range of gears.

The first feed station was welcome but sharing with hundreds of others, the toilet and water queue was long and it was easy to lose lots of time which then made getting going again feel even harder.

The spectators on Whinlatter Pass were ace and I felt like I was climbing a stage of the Tour de France for a moment. We were then rewarded by a lovely long descent and great undulating riding on the west side of the Lakes. It was a lovely approach eating away some miles to our next feed station and the dreaded hills to come. Having never driven or ridden over Hardknott Pass I didn’t know what to expect, but suddenly up ahead was a snaking line of ants on bikes, going up, up and up. It was an awesome, but slightly daunting, sight.

On turning the corner over the cattle grid to start the climb, the guy I had been chatting with just stopped and got off his bike. Then the next person I passed was off and pushing, and the next and the next, with shoes off, walking in their socks with shoes hanging from the handlebars… I was not expecting this.

My overly competitive and stubborn nature was not going to allow me to get off and be defeated by a hill, so the next 20 minutes or so were torturous.

I kept forcing one foot down on the pedal, one after the other, bent so far over the handlebars I was nearly chewing my front tyre, while feeling like my arms were about to rip the handlebars off as I hauled them from side to side.

My legs were burning, my triceps and core were on fire, and my breathing so intense I felt like I was back trying to give birth to a child for a few moments near the top.

But I made it up all the way and felt a little sense of pride in my achievement… little did I know I still had another beastly climb and then the ride back to Grasmere to survive as Cheri, still feeling fresh as a daisy, started to turn the screw to try and get back in under eight hours on her Garmin ride time.

In the end, wow. We made it, with a lot of stoppages, in an official time of 9hr 27min.

A true big day out, great sense of achievement, a new love for the Lake District and memories made for life. Thanks to the Fred Whitton for making my life that bit more rich and fulfilled. If it's not on your bucket list, get it on there.

GBL (Groupe Bruxelles Lambert) reported in its 2024 financial statement that: "Canyon’s sales and profitability were impacted by increased discounting across the sector and quality issues in certain electric mountain bike models, forcing Canyon to temporarily suspend sales of these models. Canyon is addressing the situation with the utmost urgency and expects to resolve the issue by Q2 2025.”

According to a GBL 2024 financial statement seen by the BikeEurope industry website, the value of its investment had fallen 43% from €460m (£387m/$523m) in 2023 to €261m (£219m/$297m) at the end of last year.

While Canyon's consolidated revenue remained almost identical during the same period (€791m/£665m/$899m in 2023, €792m/£666/$900m in 2024) – up from €408m/£343m/$390m in 2021), the value of its inventory fell from €417.9m (£351m/$475m) at the end of 2023 to €351.6m (£295m/$475m) a year later, reported BikeEurope.

GBL, which originally bought a share of just over 50% in the German bicycle manufacturer for €400m (£336m/$454m) in 2020, said the market continued to be challenging, with overstock in some areas.

“Sales were stable in a challenging market environment characterised by oversupply in certain categories and aggressive discounting, particularly in electric and non-electric mountain bikes and city bikes."

In response, Canyon offered its own statement to BikeEurope.

“Our growth curve in 2024 was flatter compared to previous years," it said. "But it depends on the product category: some segments performed better than others, especially in Performance Road and Performance Gravel segments. In contrast, the demand for regular Mountain Bikes without electric drive systems has declined significantly.”

It continued: "While the economic situation in the bike industry is still strained in 2025 and key industry associations are forecasting another challenging year for the bicycle industry, we are taking a cautious approach to business planning this year, avoiding building up excess inventory for example. However, we are continuing to invest in key areas for long term success.

"In particular with the launch of new programmes such as MyCanyon, which launched in the US and APAC region earlier this year and will launch in Europe in July, we're offering customers the option to configure individual components such as saddles, drivetrain, wheels, and the artwork of their bike, further inspiring a premium audience."

It said it would be investing in "offline strategies" via global stories, Canyon Factory Service locations in Spain and a new team in Shanghai, supporting "growing sales in China".

That's not to discourage anyone from cycling - cycling is obviously great, a fantastic method of transport, let alone exercise. It's a feat of emancipation. When I cycle, I feel free. In fact, read our guide on getting into cycling. It's just that this is the reality of being on two wheels in a world that is built for cars.

As cyclists, we are inherently vulnerable, and I don't think motorists appreciate this enough; inside their heavy metal cages they are cocooned from the world, while we have just our senses and normally a helmet to protect us, all too aware of the danger that lurks.

The biggest improvement to this situation is building infrastructure which means little interaction between cars and bike riders. Think of the road systems of The Netherlands, Belgium and Denmark, as opposed to the free-for-all which seems to be the norm in so many British and American cities. Here's a painted bike on the road, or if you're lucky a painted lane, good luck.

As a result, it is no wonder that it is a subject which raises pulses and provokes strong feelings - it does sometimes feel like a matter of life or death whether a segregated bike path is put in or not, or whether a road is closed to motor traffic. Passions are raised, in real life but also online. It's understandable, but it might not be productive.

Recent research, published in the Local Government Studies journal, found that almost one-third of interactions on social media with cyclists over new projects were seen as negative, which could put local politicians off engaging.

One councillor responding said: "Cycling campaigners are mostly counterproductive due to their rudeness." Another said that they "find it harder to advocate for more cycle infrastructure not because people don’t like it but because people feel that (from their impression from social media) that nothing we ever do will make cyclists happy".

Dr Alexander Nurse, the author of the study, wrote that "negative social media interactions from cyclists may be well-intentioned, but they ‘can massively undermine [cycling’s] case, particularly with sceptical councillors'".

The lesson appears to be that shouting at local politicians online is not the answer to improving cycling infrastructure - which is hardly a surprise. Instead, filling in consultations, pressing your case by email or in person, or through voting is more likely to change the system.

"While social media is a powerful tool, it doesn’t replace traditional methods when it comes to meaningful community engagement," Nurse told The Guardian.

"Interestingly, we also found that well-meaning but overly forceful advocacy –particularly from pro-cycling campaigners – can sometimes undermine the very schemes they are trying to support."

I can understand where the anger comes from as cyclists - it comes from fear, fear that a motorist could do something that could change everything in an instant. It also comes from impatience over the speed of change - a bad piece of infrastructure could inconvenience a driver, but could imperil a cyclist. We would all benefit from more segregation and a culture change towards cycling.

However, it's not worth buying into the toxic online debate, seemingly, of pitching into the culture wars. Go through traditional methods of campaigning, rather than haranguing people on social media. When they - the pro-motorist, anti-low traffic neighbourhood lobby - go low, let us go high, and keep the moral high ground.

Every factor of the race is challenging: the long, 200-mile distance, the terrain known for its tyre-slicing rocks and undulating profile, and the self-sufficiency. Without follow cars, riders have to possess some mechanical know-how to fix issues on the fly while also carrying enough water and nutrition to last up to 70 miles at a time. Even the absolute fastest pros need more than 9 hours to complete the course.

And then there's the weather. From unseasonable heat waves to powerful headwinds and the bike-destroying mud, the elements in remote Kansas can be a rider's biggest adversary.

As is often the case on this storied course, mud has dominated the conversation in the days leading up to the race. It had been raining early in the week and when wet, the thick clay has been known to cause crashes, clog up drivetrains, rip derailleurs off and, in general, dash riders’ dreams. But the course will have had two days to dry out by the time the 200-mile flagship race gets going, and the bigger factor may instead be the humidity and muggy conditions.

All of this adds up to a race that is wide open, and predictions, frankly, feel futile.

“I’m excited to see who wins Unbound,” commented race-favourite Sarah Sturm. Half in jest, perhaps, but with so many unknowns, from the weather to the increasingly global field full of hidden talents, victory could come from anywhere. Just last year, Rosa Kloser stunned the gravel world with a breakout win as a virtual unknown.

Still, we asked the pros to weigh in and share their expectations.

The Women’s Race

The women’s elite race got its own, separate race start in 2024, and they made it count. The race ended in an unprecedented and thrilling finish with a nine-rider breakaway contesting the sprint, with Rosa Kloser emerging as the victor.

While exciting to watch for the race fans, another multi-rider sprint would be an undesired outcome for some of the contestants.

“I’ll bet there will be more tactics than last year,” said Sturm. “No one took any risk. This year, I think there’s going to be more risks taken because some of us don’t want to be in a sprint.”

Tactics aside, the American added that mud always plays a big factor in how a race unfolds.

“If we hit a muddy road, that’s going to be a divider for sure,” she said, adding that the race quickly becomes one of attrition.

“It keeps shedding people until it gets down to a core group and then the race tactics will start.”

British rider Danni Shrosbree, currently sidelined by injury but present in Kansas nonetheless, echoed Sturm’s sentiment.

“I do think people will try and split it up earlier this year. Mud will do it naturally, but even within a smaller group, people are going to try and split it up.”

A new and growing factor this year could be the presence of team tactics. While the Specialized-sponsored riders attempted to collaborate informally in 2024, gravel racing is increasingly seeing the rise of organised teams, such as PAS Racing.

“I do think it makes a difference and we want to, for sure, use team tactics if we can,” Karolina Migoń, a PAS rider and winner of the Traka 360, told Cycling Weekly.

“But we have a field of like 100 women and I think at least 15 can win Unbound,” Migoń said. “It’s too hard to predict.”

The Polish rider has been a very strong contender in Europe’s gravel scene, but at her Unbound debut last year, she suffered mechanicals that kept her from the pointy end of the race.

“I hope that I won’t have bad luck,” Migoń said, highlighting her main objective. “And that I’ll be in the front group and can fight for the win.”

She’s eager to win, but after her repeat victory at the Traka, she feels like the pressure is off.

“I already have something that I won this year so it’s mentally easier to know that I am strong and have no pressure on my side,” she said. “I would love to win Unbound but it’s a very special race.”

The men's race

The men’s elite race at the 2024 Unbound Gravel saw a long-range escape by Lachlan Morton and Chad Haga. The duo spent nearly half the race riding together before Morton out-sprinted Haga to secure his first Unbound Gravel win.

Such an escape is unlikely to repeat, predicted several riders.

“I don’t think a duo is going to get away this year,” said Alexey Vermeulen, always a race favourite.

“No one’s going to let that happen again. Which, sadly, does mean there could be some negative racing.”

Negative racing is a style of racing that is conservative, passive or overly defensive i an effort to prevent breakaways.

Alex Howes, another former road racer, hopes for something more dynamic.

“The more tactics the better, for me personally, for the race, for the ambience,” he said.

As for how he sees the finale shaping up?

“I think it’ll be two to eight guys in the finish. Will he be in it? Ha, probably not.”

How to Watch Unbound Gravel

The racing kicks off at 5:50 a.m. Central time with the men’s elite race. The women’s elite race will leave 15 minutes later, at 6:05 a.m.

For the first time ever, the elite men’s and women’s 200-mile Unbound Gravel races will be broadcast live on the Life Time Grand Prix YouTube channel. The coverage kicks off at 10:00 a.m. CT on Saturday, May 31, with a pre-show before jumping into uninterrupted race action and post-race interviews.

Hello, and welcome back to Cycling Weekly's live blog of a crucial stage 19 of the Giro d'Italia, which could go a long way to deciding the race. There are 4,908 metres of climbing today across 165.8km, more than Mont Blanc, and three first category climbs. Isaac del Toro (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) is still in the pink jersey as things stand, with Richard Carapaz (EF Education-EasyPost) and Simon Yates (Visma-Lease a Bike) hot on his heels.

If you have anything to add, please email me - tom.thewlis@futurenet.com - and I'll see what I can do.

Nico Denz (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) won Thursday's stage 18, which was a bit sleepy in terms of the overall action, but the breakaway was fun, even if in the end, Denz kind of did just... ride off.

Just before the stage starts, here's your reminder of the general classification!

1. Isaac del Toro (Mex) UAE Team Emirates-XRG, in 68:56:32
2. Richard Carapaz (Ecu) EF Education-EasyPost, +41s
3. Simon Yates (GBr) Visma-Lease a Bike, +51s
4. Derek Gee (Can) Israel-Premier Tech, +1:57
5. Damiano Caruso (Ita) Bahrain Victorious +3:06
6. Egan Bernal (Col) Ineos Grenadiers, +4:43
7. Giulio Pellizzari (Ita) Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe, +5:02
8. Einer Rubio (Col) Movistar, +6:09
9. Adam Yates (GBr) UAE Team Emirates-XRG, +7:45
10. Michael Storer (Aus) Tudor Pro Cycling, +7:46

Before the start is actually given, Simon Yates (Visma-Lease a Bike) has already changed his bike. He'll be hoping that's the last of his misfortune for today. He currently sits in third place overall.

My colleague Patrick has written a paean on why you should be watching all of today's stage, and you really should be.

There are five classified climbs today - the Croce Serra (11.3km at 4.6%), the Col Tzecore (15.8km at 7.2%), the Col Saint-Pantaléon (16.5km at 7.2%), the Col de Joux (15.3km at 6.9%) and the Antagnod (9.5km at 4.7%). The first is a third category, the middle three are all first category, while the final one is a second category.

The three first category climbs are below:

162km to go: Early attacks from riders including Wout van Aert (Visma-Lease a Bike), but there is a group of three up the road already - Jan Tratnik (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe), Nicola Prodhome (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale) and Georg Steinhauser (EF Education-EasyPost). They have 30 seconds on the peloton.

161km to go: the riders are already on the Croce Serra, by the way. It's going to be a loooong day of riding.

160km to go: the three up front have been joined by a Soudal Quick-Step rider and one from Visma-Lease a Bike - the latter might be Bart Lemmen.

It seems it is Bart Lemmen from Visma.

158km to go: Tom Pidcock is trying to move across now for Q36.5

Tratnik has dropped away, it looks warm in the Valle d'Aosta today.

156km to go: Prodhomme, Steinhauser, Cattaneo and Lemmen are all going to get caufght, they can't get more than 10 seconds at the moment.

155km to go: A four man group containing Pidcock and Tratnik is just behind them, but the peloton look like they'll bring this all back together.

There will be more attacks almost instantly when this all joins up.

Shock horror - Lorenzo Fortunato and Cristian Scaroni (XDS Astana) are also both in that second group now with Pidcock. Those two have loved an attack during this Giro.

The chase group has swelled in numbers but it's a little messy with the peloton almost within touching distance from them.

154km to go: Carlos Verona (Lidl-Trek) and Scaroni are now trying to move the front end of the bunch.

153km to go: As things stand, Lemmen and Steinhauser up the road this early is ideal for both Simon Yates and Richard Carapaz in the GC battle.

That fragmented chase group, containing Pidcock, has been caught. Verona and Scaroni are both trying to get across to the front four. The break has 36 seconds at the moment.

151km to go: We're just a few KM now from the top of the Croce Sera, the first ascent of the day.

The start town today, Biella, is where one of the best Italian lagers, Menabrea, comes from. Highly recommend it if you've not had it before.

Anyway, enough of the beer chat.

149km to go: Antonio Tiberi (Bahrain Victorious), Remy Rochas (Groupama-FDJ), Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek), Filippo Zana (Jayco-AlUla) and Lorenzo Fortunato (Astana) have all jumped out of the peloton. Verona is with them after his early atack. This new chase group is about 29 seconds from the head of the race.

141km to go: Cattaneo led the break over the top of the climb earlier and they're now well into the descent.

140km to go: The chase group was caught as they crested the climb by the main field. Alessandro Tonelli (Polti-VisitMalta) has attacked over the remnants of the chase group and is thundering along at the moment. The Italian is 30 seconds away from the break.

135km to go: As they approach the bottom of the descent, the lead four have pushed their gap up to almost 45 seconds now as they get onto the valley roads.

Ineos are trying to make something happen on the front of the bunch. Thymen Arensman has put in a few digs, trying to force a gap.

124km to go: Steinhauser led the break over the first intermediate sprint point.

Pedersen came out of the peloton to take fifth, meaning that he has now wrapped up the points classification. It will be mathematically impossible for anyone to catch him now before Sunday.

We've now got a large chase group, including Pedersen again, that's gradually formed in the valley. The lead four are still up the road and have 1:26 now on the peloton.

114km to go: The huge chase group has made contact with the four leaders. A few big names are in there: Wout van Aert (Visma-Lease a Bike), Dani Martinez (Red Bull), Romain Bardet (Picnic-PostNL), Thymen Arensman (Ineos Grenadiers), Pello Bilbao (Bahrain Victorious) and Cristian Scaroni (XDS-Astana).

There's 33 riders in this group in total. Lidl-Trek have four men in there.

113km to go: We're onto the Col Tzecore now, the first of the monster climbs on the menu.

Bike change for Bardet - outstanding push from his DS, Matt Winston, to get him going again.

11km to go: The break is already beginning to crumble on this climb, even though we've got a decent tailwind behind the riders. It looks boiling hot out there today.

EF and Visma still have two men apiece in this move. As Steve Cummings just said on comms though, Steinhauser (EF) and Lemmen (Visma) have been in the break from the start and could soon drop away.

109km to go: The break's advantage has risen to more than two minutes now.

Mads Pedersen has dropped from the leaders.

108km to go: Adam here while Tom takes his lunch break. Mads Pedersen hasn't quite been dropped completely yet, he's struggling to stay in touch, though. Meanwhile Tom Pidcock has changed his bike. There's still over 8km left of the climb.

107km to go: I'm going to try and list all of the break for you - there are 29 of them, so I'll go last names only:

Moscon (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe)
Tiberi and Bilbao (Bahrain-Victorious)
Moniquet and Perez (Cofidis)
Prodhomme (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale)
Rafferty and Steinhauser (EF Education-EasyPost)
Gaudu and Germani (Groupama-FDJ)
Meintjes (Intermarché-Wanty)
Clarke (Israel-Premier Tech)
Konrad, Mosca, Pedersen and Verona (Lidl-Trek)
Cepeda (Movistr)
Donovan and Vader (Q36.5)
Cattaneo (Soudal Quick-Step)
Harper (Jayco AlUla)
Tonelli (Polti VisitMalta)
Van Aert and Lemmen (Visma-Lease a Bike)
Brenner (Tudor)
Arrieta (UAE Team Emirates-XRG)
Marcellusi (VF Group-Bardiani CSF-Faizanè)
Scaroni (XDS Astana)

106km to go: that giant break has 2:37 on the peloton, by the way.

105km to go: somehow, there's still over 5km left to go of this climb, and the steepest bit is coming now. The break is working hard to build its lead.

It's worth saying that today is an absolutely boiling day, the cameras can't stop finding people asking for more water or pouring some over themselves. Bit hot for a first category climb.

103km to go: 4.2km to go to the top, and the race is on the steepest it here. Van Aert and Marcellusi have both started to drop off the back as it really ramps up. I do not blame them.

102km to go: Irish champion Darren Rafferty (EF Education-EasyPost) is on the front of the bunch, which has whittled down to 27 riders now. He, and his teammate Georg Steinhauser, will be up there to help Richard Carapaz later on.

102km to go: in the peloton, Tom Pidcock (Q36.5 Pro Cycling) appears to be struggling on this climb - perhaps it's the heat, but one to monitor.

101km to go: now Mads Pedersen has definitely been dropped from the lead group, he's being caught by the bunch. I think there's still three other Lidl-Trek riders in there. And there's some beautiful snow on the peaks of the Alps behind.

It's reasonably tricky to keep track of where everyone is right now.

99km to go: Christian Scaroni (XDS Astana) has attacked from the breakaway in search of the mountains points at the top of the Col Tzecore. That means that the blue mountains jersey is definitely going to the Astana team. By the way, the break's advantage is 2:39, so I think the win will come from the reduced peloton, at this stage.

95km to go: the break and the peloton are now on the descent, which looks pretty technical. Things have calmed for the minute, but remember there are still two first category climbs to come.

After the descent, there's some time in the valley with an intermediate sprint at Châtillon, which is a town with a French name despite being in Italy, and then the Col Saint-Pantaléon.

89km to go: the race is going a lot faster downhill than uphill, let me tell you. Things will kick off again in about 20km, I'd imagine, so now is your chance to grab some lunch if you've been glued to the screen.

84km to go: It's that bit of a Grand Tour where the helicopter is more interested in the scenery than the action, and who could blame them, the Valle d'Aosta is quite pretty.

Meanwhile, the break has hit the valley, woth an advantage of just over three minutes on the peloton.

82km to go: the energy seems to have rather gone out of the breakaway through the feed zone. If they're to challenge, they need to get organised and ride hard. No time to stop for a sandwich.

79km to go: for those of your wondering, Tom Pidcock has made it back to the peloton at the base of the climb. I suppose that's the advantage of being a demon descender.

Watching the peloton come through the feed zone makes me terrified of cycling into a full water bottle. I'm surprised more crashes don't come about like that.

78km to go: Alessandro Tonelli of Polti VisitMalta won that intermediate sprint, by the way, not that it means anything apart from some prize money now - Mads Pedersen has that competition sewn up.

74km to go: the second first category climb of the day is looming into view - the Col Saint-Pantaléon, which is 16.5km at 7.2%. It's more its length than its gradient which is the killer, but it's yet another leg-sapping one on this hot day. This is the antepenultimate day, after all.

Thank you, Adam, for holding fort for the last hour.

It's Tom here back and ready to take you to the finish.

70km to go: David Gaudu is suffering in the break and already dropping away.

Tudor Pro Cycling and Red Bull are driving the tempo in the bunch behind the break.

Red Bull will be looking to move Giulio Pellizzari up in the GC if they can.

68km to go: This is very interesting indeed. EF have moved to the front of the peloton with Owain Doull and started to really ramp things up.

The break's lead has really diminished on this climb. Darren Rafferty has dropped like a stone for EF and has obviously been told to sit up for Carapaz shortly.

67km to go: Romain Bardet has just been dropped from the break, clearly fatigued after his efforts the day before yesterday into Bormio.

Adam Blythe on the TNT Sports motorbike says this is the hottest day he's experienced on the in-race motorbike in the last five years.

These are the last men standing at the head of the race for now:

Tiberi and Bilbao (Bahrain-Victorious)
Moniquet (Cofidis)
Prodhomme (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale)
Steinhauser (EF Education-EasyPost)
Germani (Groupama-FDJ)
Meintjes (Intermarché-Wanty)
Verona (Lidl-Trek)
Cattaneo (Soudal Quick-Step)
Harper (Jayco AlUla)
Lemmen (Visma-Lease a Bike)
Arrieta (UAE Team Emirates-XRG)

65km to go: Chris Harper is on the offensive from the break and has really pushed on.

We're about halfway up this climb now.

The break have caught him but Harper evidently is feeling very good today.

64.9 km to go: Rafferty is now back at the front of the remnants of the day's peloton. We've got all the usual suspects in there for now, including race leader Isaac del Toro.

62km to go: Bart Lemmen is back at his team car in the break, picking up much needed water and ice as the climb continues.

Steinhauser has been dropped from the leaders now for EF.

60km to go: Visma and Israel-Premier Tech have moved to the front of the peloton. Max Poole (Picnic-PostNL) is hanging off the back as a result of the acceleration.

Visma have got Steven Kruijswijk leading the charge. The high pace being set by the Dutch veteran has cut the time deficit to the leaders to 2:05

Only 15 riders are left now in the GC group. Carapaz has no teammates left for EF which will be why Steinhauser has started to drop back.

58km to go: Bart Lemmen (Visma) and Chris Harper (Jayco) are also now hanging off the back.

Kruijswijk is still on the front of the GC group. The Dutchman is doing some real damage here.

57km to go: When will Simon Yates attack? That is the question.

Visma have got both Kruijswijk and Wilco Kelderman alongside Simon Yates.

57km to go: Prodhomme is trying to distance the other few guys still left in the break for Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale.

We're around 300 metres from the summit.

55km to go: The break have gone over the summit.

Visma are leading the GC group towards the top now.

Afonso Oliveira Eulálio has abandoned for Bahrain Victorious

Two more climbs left to go today.

The peloton are onto the descent now.

Worth mentioning that Eulálio was the first man over the Mortirolo climb the other day. The young Portuguese rider has had a really impressive Giro, even if he has now packed it in and climbed off the bike. Chapeau.

RAI Sports are reporting that Intermarche have had a team car break down mid-race.

Not ideal at all!

47km to go: The break are ripping it up down this descent and are almost at the bottom.

Here's who is left in the GC group:

Pellizarri (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe)
Caruso (Bahrain Victorious)
Carapaz (EF Education-EasyPost)
Bernal (Ineos Grenadiers)
Castroviejo (Ineos Grenadiers)
Gee (Israel-Premier Tech)
Rubio (Movistar)
Bardet and Poole (Picnic-PostNL)
Piganzoli (Polti-VisitMalta)
Kelderman, Kruijswijk, Simon Yates (Visma-Lease a Bike)
Storer (Tudor Pro Cycling)
Del Toro, Majka, McNulty, Adam Yates (UAE Team Emirates-XRG)

38km to go: Everyone is in the brief flat section now before beginning the Col de Joux.

The break's lead has gone upto 2:58 now on that descent.

35km to go: Tiberi, Verona and Prodhomme have jumped away from the rest of the break and are now into the Col de Joux.

Marco Brenner (Tudor) is the next man to abandon.

33km to go: Max Poole (Picnic-PostNL) is starting to look really fatigued on the climb. He's got multiple teammates around him, encouraging him on.

The young Brit is 11th on GC at the moment.

31km to go: Visma are really hammering this in the GC group, they've taken almost a minute out of the leader's advantage. Adam Yates (UAE) is slipping and sliding off the back.

Egan Bernal is also now hanging off the back.

29km to go: Antonio Tiberi has gone from the front. Prodhomme has pushed on as the leader's advantage drops to a minute and a half now.

Bart Lemmen is back in the GC group for Visma. The Dutch rider has gone straight to the front for a quick turn to help out his team.

I think Simon Yates is going to attack towards the summit here, not sure Del Toro will be able to initially respond. He's a plucky character, the Mexican, and neither Yates or Richard Carapaz will want to take him to the bottom of the final climb.

29km to go: The leaders look exhausted now. They may well get caught before the summit.

27 km to go: Prodhomme has attacked again but this is futile now, it really is all over for the break.

The GC group is less than a minute now from the leaders.

UAE Emirates have taken up the pace now in the GC group, Lemmen and Kruijswijk have dropped away.

26km to go: Del Toro is in fourth wheel in this group, is he going to try something?

25km to go: Pellizzari (Red Bull) looks like he's getting ready to attack out of the GC group.

24.4km to go: it's 4km to the top of the Col de Joux, the hardest bit on its way now. There's 1:06 between Nicolas Prodhomme out front and the pink jersey group, which has just 14 riders in it now. Will someone make a move? Or are they all waiting for tomorrow?

24km to go: that group of favourites, by the way:

Pellizzari (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe)
Tiberi and Caruso (Bahrain-Victorious)
Carapaz (EF Education-EasyPost)
Bernal (Ineos Grenadiers)
Meintjes (Intermarché-Wanty)
Gee (Israel-Premier Tech)
Rubio (Movistar)
Yates (Visma-Lease a Bike)
Storer (Tudor)
Del Toro, Majka and McNulty (UAE Team Emirates-XRG)

23km to go: no significant attacks have happened yet... will anyone try something before the top? It's getting to now or never, for today anyway.

ATTACK:

21km to go: Richard Carapaz has launched on as they get towards the summit. Yates has followed.

Del Toro is trying to get on terms.

That was just a teaser as Carapaz has sat up.

20km to go: Prodhomme is the last man standing at the front.

He's got 55 seconds left.

14km to go: Prodhomme has a minute now on the rest of the race.

12km to go: Prodhomme is well into this final climb. The GC group don't seem interested in the stage anymore, the Frenchman's lead has grown again.

10km to go: The GC group are onto the last climb now and Prodhomme is still up the road with over a minute and a half.

ATTACK:

Carapaz attacks from the GC group, Del Toro is with him.

No sign of Yates.

The Ecuadorian can't shake Del Toro at the moment.

6km to go: Derek Gee (Israel-Premier Tech) is trying to get across to them with Yates on his wheel.

Gee is still trying to get across. Yates is struggling here.

5km to go: Carapaz is still with Del Toro.

This is like the finish into Bormio the other day.

This move from Carapaz and Del Toro is pushing Yates out of contention in this Giro at the moment. Yates is 20 seconds back down the road.

4km to go: Prodhomme has gone over the summit.

30 seconds now between Del Toro and Carapaz back to Yates.

1km to go: Prodhomme has got this in the bag.

An amazing result for the Frenchman, he's been out front for most of the day.

Here come Carapaz and Del Toro now.

Del Toro takes second ahead of Carapaz.

This has been a bad day for Yates, this is far from ideal ahead of the Finestre tomorrow.

Crash in the finale -

Pellizzari has gone down.

Thanks for joining again today.

We'll have a full report for you on the site shortly.

She also travelled to her native Alaska to tackle (and win, again) the Iditarod Trail Invitational 350, a 350-mile fat bike race in the frozen tundra of Alaska. She’s currently in Emporia, Kansas, with the hopes of turning her incredible base and newfound speed into another Unbound XL victory.

“I’m excited! It’ll be fun,” she practically shouted with her trademark giggle.

But what people may not realise is that beyond that ever-present smile, buoyant energy and contagious laughter, Wilcox is as fiercely competitive as they come. She doesn't want to be beaten. Not by anyone. And especially not by men.

Which is why, now that she’s secured the women’s record for fastest circumnavigation of the globe, Wilcox is setting her sights even higher: the overall world record. That means going after the eight-year-old record of ultra-endurance cyclist Mark Beaumont. The Brit completed the 18,032-mile journey back in 2017 in a time of 78 days, 14 hours, and 40 minutes.

“Yeah, I want to beat the men’s record! It’s a classic battle of the sexes,” Wilcox said. “Everyone’s been asking, ‘What man is going to go after this record?’ And none are asking, or even considering, that a woman could do it. And, I think I can.”

It’s classic Lael: optimistic, defiant, audacious.

Around The World in 78 Days

In 2024, Wilcox covered her 18,125 miles across 22 countries and three continents in just over 108 days, averaging about 180 miles a day. To beat Beaumont’s record, she’ll need to ride closer to 230 miles daily and shave a whole month off her previous time.

The idea of that kind of mileage in a day, let alone 78 days in a row, would scare the vast majority of cyclists. But Wilcox? She sees it as doable.

“Last time, I rode 12 hours a day and I was off the bike 12 hours a day because I stopped to talk with people, eat, sleep, all this stuff,” she explained.

“It felt like not only a record ride, but also a global celebration of cycling. And I love the way we did it. It was so fun. But next time I'm going to have to have more of a program to get four more hours a day on the bike, which I can do, you know?"

In this next attempt, the celebration and community aspect will have to take a back seat. She’ll also have to tame her love of climbing and sightseeing. That means a flatter, faster route. Fewer mountain passes. Fewer major cities. Less romance, more rigour.

“Last time I went over all these mountain passes and rode through every major city. I climbed like 640,000 feet or something like that, which is crazy, but I like that. But both of those are kind of time sucks,” Wilcox said. “They're fun, but if it’s a record going for efficiency, you don’t do that.”

To qualify for an Around the World record, riders must cycle a minimum of 18,000 miles in one direction, start and finish at the same location, and traverse at least two antipodal points. Air and sea travel between continents is allowed (but only miles ridden count toward the total), and so is support from a crew. You just cannot draft behind any rider or vehicle.

Wilcox said she’ll have a support crew on this next attempt—someone to help her stay on top of her calories, ensure the bike runs smoothly, and alert her of any detours or road obstructions.

And whereas she “was winging” it the last time around, never truly knowing what she’d be ending up by the end of the day, the route planning will be more methodical this time.

“ For preparation, we have to have a couple options for routes. For efficiency, but also, politically, in case we can’t do one or the other. That’s the reality of now; things are very dynamic,” she commented.

“But also it's such a cool time to do something so hopeful. To have a big dream and show that women are capable of this kind of thing.”

Wilcox truly believes there are more women like her out there, and it’s down to a lack of visibility and access that we don’t see more women taking on big endeavours such as these.

“I think more women can [do this]. If they see that I'm trying to do this, they're like, maybe I could do something like that. Just go for it. We don't always have examples of that. Growing up, we didn't have that.”

Is this even possible?

As with her 2024 record ride, Wilcox will be joined by her wife, Rue Kaladyte, a professional photographer and videographer. Kladyte’s full-length documentary about that ride, Lael Rides Around the World, premiered on YouTube this week after a tour of independent theatres in North America and Europe.

“ The last ride was beautiful. It was great for shooting, but it's not good for racing,” Kaladyte acknowledged. And while the film celebrates a global cycling community and seeing the world on two wheels, she remarked that it may not always paint a full picture of Wilcox.

“I think people get a misconception about Lael 'cause she's always smiling and happy, and I know that they think she's a serious athlete, but they think that it's easy for her or something,” she said. The coverage to come out of the next attempt will likely be very different. One of grit, determination and the suffering required to untake these herculean adventures, Wilcox likes to much.

“The story for next year, it's more about like, is this even possible?” Kaladyte said.

Of course, if anyone can pull it off, it’s Lael Wilcox. Not just because she’s strong or fast, but because she has yet to find her own limit. Let alone one assigned by gender.

“There’s a lot of pieces to put together to make it happen,” she said, “but yeah, I think it is [possible]. And I’m turning 40 next year, so why not?"

Specialized, however, did little to conceal their soft-release. Gleaming in a bright red and yellow paint job, it appears a new Diverge is well on its way.

As Unbound week gets underway, Specialized riders like Lael Wilcox, Geerike Schreurs, and Ian Boswell have been spotted around Emporia, getting comfortable on the new steeds.

With bike still officially under embargo, the athletes couldn't reveal too much about the latest iteration of Specialized's dedicated gravel model, but Cycling Weekly was told that it's simply "better" and "more zippy" — two qualities the riders will no doubt welcome as they prepare for the world’s premier gravel race.

Here's what we can tell by just looking at the bike, which admittedly retains much of the industrial design from the previous version:

The obvious development is UDH integration for compatibility with SRAM’s latest off-road groupsets. The tyre clearance also appears to have gotten a boost. The previous version of Diverge had clearance for up to 47mm tyres, and this one appears to fit a 2.2' or maybe even bigger.

There are also more bosses on the fork — three instead of two.

And, knowing Specialized, the bike will probably have shed a gram or two in the design process as well.

It’s not clear if the hover bar will be stocked on the commercial version of the bike or not. Wilcox had her bike outfitted with flat bars without any rise to them but she's racing the Unbound XL and will likely add clip-on aerobars.

Future Shock suspension remains a prominent feature up front, but it appears Specialized chose not to further pursue its STR rear suspension—at least not on this iteration of the Diverge.

We reached out to Specialized for a comment on the mystery model, and they were unsurprisingly tight-lipped. A spokesperson quoted only their standard ‘Project Black’ response, which refers to their professional rider testing and development programme:

“Specialized relies on feedback from professional athletes in both developing and testing advanced pre-production products in real-world applications.”

As Specialized has done in the past, the paint scheme is a nod to its mountain bike heritage, this time modelling an early Rockhopper.

Using what the London-based brand described as “an innovative sublimation print technique”, race photography from Pauline Ballet and Charly Lopez has been added to the frames of the new C-Line and P-Line models.

"For five decades, the Brompton folding bike has been an indispensable tool for those who like to do things differently – transforming how people move in and around cities across the globe. Like us, the Tour de France does things its own way. What started as a visionary idea in 1903 is now the biggest race on earth. Billions of viewers follow teams of riders in both the Tour de France and Tour de France Femmes," Chris Willingham, marketing director at Brompton said.

The new C-Line uses imagery from Ballet and comes in a "Leaders Yellow" colourway. The bike also features a standard Brompton saddle, complete with a Tour de France print, the Tour de France logo and decals on the frame, and a Brompton x Tour de France bike box.

The P-Line is available in "Sprinters Light Green" and uses Lopez’s photography on the frame. Similarly to the C-Line, the photo printed bike includes Tour de France decals and motifs, as well as a Brompton x King of The Mountains edition Selle Royal saddle.

Willingham added: "We might be from different ends of the cycling spectrum, but we’re united in our belief that bikes have the power to change everyone and anyone’s world. Racing Alpe d’Huez or pedalling through the city, the sense of joy and possibility is shared. Once you know it, it never leaves you. We celebrate that feeling with two limited edition Brompton x Tour de France folding bikes. For the riders. For the fans."

Both bikes are hand built in Brompton’s London headquarters using the photo printing technique. According to Brompton, the photo printed frames are resistant to dirt, rain and UV rays. Pre-sale for the new models begins today (29 May) online, in Brompton stores, and with other retailers who regularly stock the brand. General sale will then begin on 3 June.

Unsurprisingly, this type of event had grown a small, but lively scene in the US. And now it was over here.

With that tongue-in-cheek quote borrowed from the man who made Captain Kirk a cultural icon, Charlie managed to cut through all the BS we put ourselves through ahead of a big ride that sits outside of our comfort zone. In doing so, he immediately put the assembled riders (self included) at ease and cleverly rendered pointless many of the questions we all had.

We all have questions ahead of an event. Especially if it’s new to us. ‘Am I fit enough?,’ ‘Have I got the right bike?, the right clothing?’, ‘Have I packed too little, too much, the right kit?”, “Where am I going to stay?”

All of this is essentially shorthand for: “What the hell have I let myself in for?” It’s only natural to ask these questions, and it’s only natural for an event that involves sleeping out overnight to bring up more of them.

But don’t worry, Cycling Weekly has your back. We’ve spoken to the experts to help put you at ease and, hopefully, lure you into the wonderful world of bikepacking.

What sort of training do I need to do?

Training is at the top of a lot of people’s minds before embarking on the overnight rides, and it seemed only right to start with Charlie’s sage advice.

“Training is for losers. 99% of people who train for a race don’t win. So, on the big weekend a steady as she goes approach will see you alright. Just keep on keeping on, and eat, don’t train – keep your tank full,” said Charlie.

Whether you’re racing or riding for fun, fuel is essential and shouldn’t be overlooked. It’s unlikely if you’re considering an overnighter gravel ride that you’re starting fresh to the world of riding.

You’ll have a good idea of what you’re capable of, how far you can ride and just need to trust in yourself – and the way to keep the faith is as Charlie puts it to “keep your tank full”. He’s not alone in this point of view. Riders who compete in the UK’s 24hr time trial event jokingly refer to it as an eating competition on two wheels.

Fuelling the tank

Someone who knows about keeping themselves fuelled on the go is Vedangi Kulkarni; an explorer and writer who set up the Adventure Shed, a consultancy that helps people plan their trips.

When I spoke to her, she was four days short of completing her second circumnavigation of the world by bike and riding through the searing heat of an Indian spring. Understandably, keeping properly fuelled was at the forefront of her mind.

“With nutrition and hydration, don’t try anything new when you’re on your big trip.” She told me as I heard her tyres hissing on the road and lorries roar by. “Keep to the tried and tested – whether that’s electrolytes on your ride, or a dehydrated meal at the end of the day.”

What about the kit?

Overnighter’s are more than a ride as there’s also the camping aspect to consider, which means working out how you’re going to load up your bike.

What kit you need depends on you, your bike and whether you’re camping (and if camping are you bivying, using a tent, hammock…), if you’re planning on cooking and whether you’re riding solo or with others. It’s a lot to consider and most people will spend years dialling in their system to find what works best for them.

There’s a bewildering array of types and styles of luggage to try with your gravel riding – what started once upon a time with the minimal ethos of Transcontinental founder and endurance rider Mike Hall with minimal dry bags strapped to your frame, has now gone full circle with racks, panniers, saddle bags and even baskets making regular appearances in the gravel scene.

Whatever set up you go with, the message is clear: “Test your kit,” says SRAM ambassador Rachael Walker who is part of Sisters in the Wild, a community focussed on making gravel adventures accessible for women, non-binary and trans riders.

“Testing heading out on your first overnighter means working out what can fit in your bags, how to reattach the bags again and importantly - do they wobble or rub!”

Vedangi agrees and points out the importance of learning from your mistakes too.

“If you’re thinking you’re carrying too much and your bike is too heavy - go with that setup and do what you have to do,” urges Vedangi. “But then come back from this journey and look at what you did and didn’t use, and then take out what you didn’t use - minus your first aid kit – for next time.”

Campside considerations

For some (self included), these overnighters are as much about the mid-ride fun of the camp as the ride itself. I enjoy the challenge of cooking outdoors, and have found practicing on shorter day rides pays off on the big rides, culminating in a porcini risotto presented to fellow riders at Cape Wrath following a long wet day in the saddle – those moments are worth savouring and prepping for.

Stef Amato bikepacker and events lead at Brooks England, renowned for laying on campside feasts and coffee long pours, agrees. “Having something to look forward to at the end of a ride, especially with pals around the camp table, is always a highlight for me on trips,” he says. “With 100g gas canisters and minimalist, lightweight stove-pot sets, there is no reason not to cook up a storm.”

Save on washing up and faff by keeping things “one pot” like risotto and stew suggests Stef, take inspiration from local dishes and always leave space for picking up local produce – or take a musette if space is limited.

And of course, “Make sure you've got something to wash it down with! Even packing a little bottle of cordial is enough to jazz up bidon-bottle water.”

Preparing for the night out

Camping is often where many fledgling overnight riders feel the most anxiety, especially if you have never done stayed outside of a campsite. Katherine Moore, cycling journalist and author of Gravel Rides: South West England answer is, “Choose a location near home or somewhere you know well for the first time out.

“Riding in a place that's known to you can certainly still be an adventure; but it'll let you focus on the overnight element without also having to think about practical elements such as where to pick up supplies, and navigating cultural differences.”

Rachael Walker also suggests keeping an eye on the weather, and preparing accordingly with suitable clothing and equipment like a hot water bottle if you feel the cold, “For your very first overnighter it’s important to be comfortable and enjoy the night or the chances are you might not want to head out again.”

Theres the rub. Gravel overnighters are experiences that are beyond the ride and worth doing in the right way for you.

Get that right and you’re in for a smorgasbord of fun, that will take you to stunning locations, witness the familiar in unfamiliar ways. You’ll join a vibrant and welcoming community and in doing so create memories to stay with you to your last days. So what’s stopping you?

Well, wasn't yesterday's stage exciting? More of the same today, please.

Good afternoon, and welcome back to Cycling Weekly's live coverage of the key stages of the 2025 Giro d'Italia. Today's stage 17 is yet another day in the mountains, the second of four in this final week. Today the Mortirolo is tackled, the big one, but there are two other classified climbs, and anything could happen.

Isaac del Toro (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) is still in pink, but the momentum appeared to be with Richard Carapaz (EF Education-EasyPost). However, Simon Yates (Visma-Lease a Bike) is still there too, with the trio separated by just 31 seconds.

How do you see it going? Email me - tom.thewlis@futurenet.com - should you have anything insightful to add.

The profile is below if you want to remind yourself of what's on the menu.

Here's your stage result and general classification after yesterday.

1. Christian Scaroni (Ita) XDS-Astana, in 5:35:05
2. Lorenzo Fortunato (Ita) XDS-Astana, at same time
3. Giulio Pellizzari (Ita) Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe, +55s
4. Richard Carapaz (Ecu) EF Education-EasyPost, +1:10
5. Derek Gee (Can) Israel-Premier tech, +1:23
6. Jefferson Cepeda (Ecu) Movistar, +1:43
7. Michael Storer (Aus) Tudor Pro Cycling, +1:52
8. Simon Yates (Gbr) Visma-Lease a Bike, at same time
9. Gijs Leemreize (Ned) Picnic-PostNL, +2:19
10. Yannis Voisard (Sui) Tudor Pro Cycling, +2:31

1. Isaac del Toro (Mex) UAE Team Emirates-XRG, in 61:31:56
2. Simon Yates (GBr) Visma-Lease a Bike, +26s
3. Richard Carapaz (Ecu) EF Education-EasyPost, +31s
4. Derek Gee (Can) Israel-Premier Tech, +1:31
5. Damiano Caruso (Ita) Bahrain Victorious +2:40
6. Egan Bernal (Col) Ineos Grenadiers, +3:23
7. Michael Storer (Aus) Tudor Pro Cycling, +3:31
8. Antonio Tiberi (Ita) Bahrain Victorious, +4:07
9. Giulio Pellizzari (Ita) Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe, +4:36
10. Adam Yates (Gbr) UAE Team Emirates-XRG, +5:08

The riders are setting off from San Michele all’Adige as we speak, on their way to Bormio.

On their way, they'll tackle the Passo del Tonale (15.2km at 6.1%), the Passo del Mortirolo (12.7km at 7.6%) and Le Motte (3.1km at 8%).

It might be another day for the breakaway, but it is far too early to tell.

154km to go: An early attack for Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek). The man in the purple points jersey clearly keen to build his lead, with the first intermediate sprint coming in 20km time at Cles.

151km to go: The group that has split off the front is huge, with varying aims in there. There will be people going for points, and people trying to get in what could be a decisive breakaway.

The first official climb doesn't begin for about 40km, but there's a lot of general uphill before then, if I'm looking at the profile right. A lot of time to fight to escape the peloton.

There's already a real battle to get in the breakaway. Surprise surprise, Wout van Aert is on the attack again and trying to force a split.

It's Richard Carapaz's birthday tomorrow, the Ecuadorian turns 32. Could he be wearing the Maglia Rosa on his birthday? He might well be if today goes to plan.

The road is already starting to rise, although the classified climbing doesn't start for a few KM yet. An FDJ rider is now at the head of the peloton and trying to animate the race.

Here's a nice video from The Col Collective to whet the appetite for what's coming shortly.

The riders aren't riding the Mortirolo in the same direction as Mike Cotty, but the climb really is one of the most famous ascents in professional cycling. You get the idea from this video. It really is brutal.

140km to go: Dylan van Baarle (Visma-Lease a Bike) is on the offensive now and trying to make something happen. The former Paris-Roubaix winner is really stretching out the peloton.

Adam Blythe is on a motorbike for TNT Sports within the race convoy again today. He says that Juan Ayuso is already off the back of the peloton and has his jersey unzipped. The Spaniard had a horrific stage 16 and completely dropped out of contention. Not good news for UAE Emirates at all if he's on a bad day again today.

It is worth noting that Ayuso has been carrying an injury for several days. He came into this Giro with so much expectation and it's always sad to see a major rider start to suffer after a difficult few stages.

The peloton is approaching the first intermediate sprint of the day.

Lidl-Trek are all over this as they look to tee up Pedersen for more points.

130km to go:

Pedersen takes the points with ease, beating Dries de Bondt (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale) to the line. Barring a major disaster, the Dane has got the points jersey wrapped up.

Lidl-Trek have got what they came for, it's over to the GC teams now as we gradually approach the first climb of the day, the Passo di Tonale.

125km to go: Adam Blythe says Ayuso is in a group that is already dropping away.

Sounds like Ayuso's gap is already around a minute to the peloton.

Here's Isaac del Toro at the start this morning.

116km to go: There's a group of about 40 riders breaking clear at the moment. It seems everyone is trying to get on the front foot before anything serious kicks off.

Del Toro himself tried to get across to the front just now but his acceleration was covered by Derek Gee (Israel-Premier Tech).

As we all expected, this has been a really high octane start to the stage. We're still a little way off the foot of the Tonale.

113km to go: Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe have been extremely active so far.

The German team lost Primož Roglič to injury yesterday, so it's no wonder they've started the way they have this afternoon. Giulio Pellizzari had a heck of a day for the team on the road to San Valentino. It's all in for the young Italian now.

106km to go: We're almost onto the Tonale now and a massive breakaway has finally formed. Visma are well represented in there, as are Red Bull.

We've got at least 37 riders in the break today. The key names to be aware of are: Wilco Kelderman, Steven Kruiswijk, Bart Lemmen and Dylan van Baarle (Visma-Lease a Bike), Brandon McNulty (UAE Team Emirates-XRG), Romain Bardet (Picnic-PostNL), Lorenzo Fortunato (XDS-Astana), Nico Denz, Dani Martinez and Jan Tratnik (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe), Mathias Vacek and Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek).

102km to go: The breakaway has 3:21 on the peloton at the moment.

Georg Steinhauser (EF Education-EasyPost) and Hugo Houle (Israel-Premier Tech) are also both present, two potential satellite riders for Richard Carapaz and Derek Gee later today.

99km to go: And it's Kelderman taking it up as the Tonale begins.

Kaden Groves was in the break for Alpecin but he is already dropping away. The Australian is a pure sprinter, he's already won a stage at this Giro, so it's not a shock to see him going backwards.

Here's a nice shot of the breakaway just now, courtesy of Tim de Waele for Getty Images.

95km to go: Fortunato is trying to split up the break as they progress up the climb. Kruijswijk is going with him for Visma at the moment.

ABANDON:

Luke Plapp (Jayco-AlUla) has pulled out of the race. The Australian won stage eight last week.

93km to go: Fortunato's acceleration has caused a few riders to drop away, including Mads Pedersen. The Italian has faded himself now, but Chris Harper (Jayco-AlUla) is the next rider to try and jump with Kruijswijk.

Pello Bilbao (Bahrain Victorious) and Steinhauser (EF) are on the duo's wheel.

89km to go: The Tonale is really starting to bite now. It's not as difficult as the Mortirolo, but it's already starting to cause some damage.

The gap to the leaders is now 3:12

There are 23 riders left at the front.

88km to go: Van Baarle has dropped away for Visma, but the Dutch team still has Kelderman, Kruijswijk and Lemmen in the lead group.

The break are almost at the summit now. Lorenzo Fortunato is looming ominously and getting ready to launch a jump for more mountain points.

Fortunato takes the points.

83km to go: The peloton are over the summit now too and onto the descent back down the valley. The race will go up almost instantly again and onto the Mortirolo.

The peloton are controlling the gap to the breakaway much more effectively than yesterday. This could well materialise into a GC stage - for both the stage win and overall victory - later on this afternoon.

73km to go: as the riders descend towards Vezza d'Oglio, it's time for Tom to take a break and for me, Adam Becket, to jump into the reigns for the next hour - it's almost Mortirolo time.

Jay Vine (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) has just abandoned the race for unknown reasons. We did see him drop back earlier, but that's a blow for UAE and Isaac del Toro's chances of winning overall.

69km to go: there are still 25 riders in that front group, but the peloton are just 3:34 behind right now, so the elastic has very much not snapped.

65km to go: with Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek) no longer in the front group, no one really bothered with the intermediate sprint in Vezza d'Oglio. Diego Ulissi (XDS Astana) took the win, but all that really means is a bit of cash - €500 to be exact.

61km to go: the Mortirolo is very almost here. The break's gap has actually gone out to almost four minutes now - is that enough?

59.6km to go: the Mortirolo is 12.6km at 7.6%, with a max fradient of 16%. Easy! This is the 'easier' side as well, so should all be fine. Visma-Lease a Bike are pushin on in the break through Wilco Kelderman, Steven Kruijswijk, and Bart Lemmen.

Riders are already dropping back from the break, so the action is here.

59km to go: in the peloton behind, EF Education-EasyPost, Ineos Grenadiers, Bahrain-Victorious, Movistar, and Tudor Pro Cycling are all on the front. Isaac del Toro is still there in pink.

Polti VisitMalta are the team now on the front of the bunch, probably in aid of Davide Piganzoli, who currently sits 12th overall.

57km to go: UAE Team Emirates-XRG are now close to the front of what's left of the peloton - which we should probably start calling the group of favourites as it has slimmed down. They will be trying to deter anyone attacking Isaac del Toro. There's still over 9km of this climb to go for them.

55km to go: the breakaway is shrinking, with Stefano Oldani (Cofidis), Andrea Vendrame (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale) and Lorenzo Milesi (Movistar) all dropped.

Meawhile, Antonio Tiberi (Bahrain-Victorious) is struggling to hold on in the peloton.

54km to go: there are now 18 riders left in the front group. Every 500m it appears that someone else is dropping back. They have 2:54 on what's left of the peloton, which is being led by Ineos Grenadiers now. Will anyone attack?

53km to go: we're halfway up the Motirolo, and both the break and the peloton are slimming down. There's a bit of movement in the peloton, maybe someone will make a move soon...

53km to go: action at the front as Lorenzo Fortunato (XDS Astana) pushed on, led by Chris Harper (Jayco AlUla). It appears they're coping, with Steven Kruijswijk (Visma-Lease a Bike) the big casualty.

But then: Dani Martínez (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) atacks.

52km to go: on the television they've just said it's raining over the top of the Mortirolo. Not the news the riders wanted to hear. There's 5km to the top of the climb, and 2:46 between Dani Martínez and the peloton.

52km to go: Chris Harper has joined Dani Martínez up front. There isn't a huge gap between the pair and the rest of the breakaway, however, which is led by Bart Lemmen. Kruijswijk is back in, so there are 15-ish in that group.

51km to go: Lorenzo Fortunato (XDS Astana) and Georg Steinhauser (EF Education-EasyPost) have jumped from the break too. There's basically a break from the break, with Romain Bardet (Picnic PostNL) joining too.

50km to go: the breakaway is all back together, with 2.5km to the top. In the peloton, UAE Team Emirates-XRG are leading through Igor Arrieta.

50km to go: This is the steep bit of the Mortirolo. I don't think I would enjoy this right now, especially as I have a broken ankle... The break has 3:34 on the peloton.

49km to go: Romain Bardet (Picnic PostNL) has pushed on at the front, followed by Afonso Eulálio (Bahrain-Victorious). This group is very slimmed down now.

Meanwhile, in the group of favourites, Giulio Pellizzari (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) is on the front, followed by Richard Carapaz (EF Education-EasyPost). Simon Yates (Visma-Lease a Bike) and Isaac del Toro (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) are distanced a little, but they've come back now.

48km to go: at the front, Afonso Eulálio is leading Romain Bardet. Richard Carapaz attacks from the peloton. Isaac del Toro and Simon Yates are very much not responding to this.

47km to go: Simon Yates is attempting to claw back time on Richard Carapaz now. The Ecuadorian is close to the top of the Mortirolo, so it probably isn't race-winning, but it is yet more evidence of Isaac del Toro not having the momentum. Carapaz has a 15 second gap.

46km to go: to fill in the gaps, Afonso Eulálio was first over the top, followed by Lorenzo Fortunato in the blue jersey. Behind, there is 10 seconds between Richard Carapaz and the pink jersey group. That would be enough for him to leapfrog Simon Yates in the GC as it stands.

44km to go: even this descent looks like a lot. There's about 10km of this to go before the race starts climbing again. Richard Carapaz now has 20 seconds, but there isn't a lot of tough climbing still to come.

40km to go: I think Richard Carapaz is close to being swallowed up by the group of leaders now, so that threat has been extinguished, for now...

Up front, Afonso Eulálio, Mattia Cattaneo and Romain Bardet lead, with over two minutes.

33km to go: Thanks to Adam for his updates in the last hour, it's Tom Thewlis back here and ready to take you to the finish.

Carapaz is still attacking this descent but he isn't really able to pull out a huge gap at the moment.

The Ecuadorian is coming to the bottom of the climb now and has picked up Steinhauser.

32km to go: This is far from over yet. Isaac del Toro is driving the pace in the group behind Carapaz and looking to shut him down himself.

Giulio Pellizzari is present with Carapaz for Red Bull-Bora. The EF riders have found themselves some good allies here, although Pellizzari has his teammate, Dani Martinez, up the road too.

Carapaz, Steinhauser and Pellizzari have been caught by the GC group in the valley roads. We've got a stalemate for now, but there's still a category three climb to Bormio still to come.

23km to go: The eight-rider strong breakaway has just gone through the Red Bull kilometre as Q36.5 look to take it up at the head of the next group on the road.

The break have a 1:45 advantage as things stand.

21km to go: Tom Pidcock has attacked from the GC group as they head towards the final ramp of the day.

Damien Howson (Q36.5) is absolutely emptying the tank in this GC group in a final effort to pull the break back in. Tom Pidcock must be feeling really good.

Worth noting that this isn't technically a summit finish today. Once the race tops Le Motte, there's then a quick descent into Bormio.

14 km to go: Around two kilometres to Le Motte.

A brief reminder of the men in the breakaway: Lorenzo Fortunato (XDS-Astana), Dani Martinez (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe), Afonso Eulalio (Bahrain Victorious), Mathias Vacek (Lidl-Trek), Mattia Cattaneo (Soudal Quick-Step), Romain bardet (Picnic-PostNL), Wilco Kelderman (Visma-Lease a Bike) and Florian Stork (Tudor)

13km to go: It's just 35 seconds for the break now. Damien Howson has almost single-handedly brought the eight men back. If this comes off for Pidcock today then he owes his teammate a beer this evening.

They're onto Le Motte now. The climb has a 13% slope at one point!

11km to go: Pidcock has slipped back now in the GC group.

Stork has made a move in the breakaway but the GC leaders are gaining. Romain Bardet has tried to respond to Stork's move.

Bardet has jumped over Stork now.... can he hold on?! We've still got 10km to race here.

Here's Stork making his attack for Tudor

Bardet has pushed the gap out to 31 seconds with not much left to climb until the summit now.

700 metres to the top for the Frenchman.

This is turning into a storming day for Picnic PostNL.

Bardet is digging deep but the pressure is mounting now.

Isaac del Toro attacks now.

Carapaz has gone with him, there's no sign of Yates

8 seconds between these two and Bardet.

That really was a Pogacar-esque attack from the Mexican there. He's still in this race

Yates is sprinting down the descent as he looks to regain contact.

Carapaz will jump to second in the GC here if this continues. Yates was completely caught out at the top of that climb.

Del Toro and Carapaz fly straight past Bardet... he's trying to hold Del Toro's wheel.

This trio have put 11 seconds into the Yates group now.

4km to go: Can Bardet recover slightly and then beat the GC duo in the sprint for the stage win? I'm not sure he can. Del Toro and Carapaz are far more explosive than the Frenchman.

7 seconds to the Yates and Derek Gee group now, this could all come back together.

There's bonus seconds up for grabs at the finish.

Del Toro has attacked and gapped Bardet and Carapaz.

Del Toro has opened up a massive gap. He's flying

The Mexican has really bounced back here, what a performance.

Del Toro takes the stage.

He bowed as he crossed the finish line - quite the celebration.

He's been absolutely mobbed at the finish. What an incredible turn of events on the road to Bormio

That was spectacular.

Bardet took second as Carapaz came home in third.

Carapaz has leapfrogged Yates in the overall classification.

Bormio has absolutely delivered as a finishing town today once again.

Yates came across the line in fourth, Derek Gee took 6th

Who have we seen celebrate like this before? What a stage.

Thanks for joining myself and Adam again today.

We'll have a full report on the site shortly.

Quietly, the brand has revived its presence on social media, and on Monday, a YouTube video was posted by Evans which claimed the "all new dhb range had landed". It is "performance cycling wear made to move with you, breathe with you and go the distance" according to Evans.

One difference appears to be that the initialism now stands for something different - "Don't Hold Back" - as opposed to being simply the initials of its founders. The brand was founded in 2004 as Wiggle's own-brand kit, and was known for its quality and relatively affordable prices.

dhb was acquired by Frasers Group, the owners of Sports Direct and Evans, last year along with the rest of Wiggle Chain Reaction Cycles after it went into administration at the end of 2023. Wiggle and Chain Reaction Cycles returned in March last year, with new websites.

While old dhb stock continued to be sold by the refreshed Wiggle website over the last year, this is claimed to be an "all new" set of kit. It was first trailed by dhb in an Instagram post last month, after sporadic social media posting in the year since the takeover.

It is already at a discount, though. On Evans Cycles, most is at least 45% off, with many items at half price. For example the dhb Aeron Short Sleeve Jersey is listed as £75, down from £150, while the Aeron Men's Bib Shorts are £80, down from £159.99. It's unclear whether they have ever been sold at full price since being sold on Evans Cycles and the newly revamped Wiggle, however.

There are still bigger discounts to be had on old stock, too, like the Women's Short Sleeve Jersey on Wiggle, which is on sale for just £8, down from £35.

"We believe in the power of sport, whoever you are and whatever your goal. It should be accessible to all; we should be encouraged to push our boundaries and conquer challenges with no limits and unrivalled confidence", dhb's marketing blurb says.

Good afternoon, and welcome back to Cycling Weekly's live coverage of the key stages of the 2025 Giro d'Italia. Today's stage 16 is a big one - almost 5,000 metres of climbing with four categorised climbs, including the summit finish at Passo di San Valentino. Isaac del Toro (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) is still in pink, but this will be a big test for his overall victory credentials.

How do you see it going? Email me - tom.thewlis@futurenet.com - should you have anything insightful to add. The stage starts quite soon, due to the sheer distance and climbing today, so buckle in.

The race is heading towards the start of the final climb of the day to San Valentino. A strong breakaway - led by Astana's Lorenzo Fortunato - is still up the road and looks set to contest the stage win. Will we get a GC battle back down the road?

It's raining at the start in Piazzola sul Brenta, which I'm going to say is not ideal for the riders tackling today's stage. Procyclingstats has this as the hardest stage of the race, so don't miss a minute!

Primož Roglič (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) will be riding today, despite losing time on Sunday's stage 15 - the mountains will be a real test to see whether the Slovenian still has a part to play in this race.

And they're off! Kilometre 0 has passed, and that's stage 16 begun.

There are riders trying to get up the road in the pouring rain, but the rain jackets don't make it particularly easy to identify who...

The first climb begins in about 50km, so we have a while until the action proper begins.

On the menu today: the Carbonare (12.9km at 4.9%), Candriai (10.1km at 7.5%), Santa Barbara (12.6km at 8.3%), and then finally the Passo di San Valentino (18.1km at 6.2%). Easy!

198km to go: Every move is being shut down for now. I think it's going to be one of those days. The rain is incessant, and I would simply stay inside if I was riding today.

Two non-starters to talk you about today: Paul Magnier (Soudal Quick-Step) and Milan Fretin (Cofidis) have both been pulled by their teams. With the weather and the climbing, you can imagine why.

Small crash in the bunch, with Thymen Arensman (Ineos Grenadiers) and Gianmarco Garofoli (Soudal Quick-Step) hitting the deck. Garofoli already has three broken ribs, apparently, so this is not the start to the day he wanted.

192km to go: There are a few attackers up the road, including Josh Tarling (Ineos Grenadiers), Josef Černy (Soudal Quick-Step), Xabier Mikel Azparren (Q36.5 Pro Cycling). There are seven of them at the moment, but it's difficult to tell who exactly...

Arensman, meanwhile, is still off the back, on quite a tow from an EF Education-EasyPost car.

Wout van Aert (Visma-Lease a Bike) is one of those up the road. Now, that's exciting.

188km to go: There is a break now, with 30 seconds. The seven men are: Darren Rafferty (EF Education-EasyPost), Lorenzo Germani (Groupama-FDJ), Josh Tarling (Ineos Grenadiers), Jon Barrenetxea (Movistar), Josef Černy (Soudal Quick-Step), Wout van Aert (Visma-Lease a Bike) and Xabier Zaparren (Q36.5 Pro Cycling.

It has not been let go, yet, though.

The peloton is just passing through Sandrigo, the home of Pippo Pozzato, the former Italian pro. It looks nice, but wet.

39 seconds for that group now. It's significant to see both Tarling and Van Aert in there, ready to act as potential satellite riders for when the climbs start arriving later for Egan Bernal and Simon Yates.

It was remiss of me to not include Rafferty in that too. The Irishman's teammate, Richard Carapaz, will almost inevitably try and attack Isaac del Toro later.

CRASH!

Josh Tarling has gone down hard on a wet roundabout. This does not look good at all for the Welshman.

Confirmation through that Tarling has immediately abandoned the race.

Hard to know exactly what happened there. Tarling's bike just slid out from underneath him on the wet roads, he then slammed into the barrier at the edge of the roundabout. That looked like a pretty heavy impact so fingers crossed that he's ok.

Meanwhile Primož Roglič was very downbeat at the start this morning.

The Slovenian endured a difficult day in the mountains on Sunday and was physically unable to ride his bike during Monday's rest day.

The gap to the breakaway now stands at 1:26 as the leaders get closer to the first climb of the day.

The first ascent isn't too tricky. It's a category two climb to Carbonare, with the average gradient sitting at 4.6% across 12. 9 kilometres.

Ineos have just shared this update on Tarling on X. Keep an eye out for more updates from the team on Tarling's condition later today.

Almost two minutes now for the break as Pello Bilbao (Bahrain Victorious) tries to jump across.

Bilbao has sparked a solid counter move there. The Spanish rider has pulled several others into the second group on the road with him, including Lorenzo Fortunato (XDS Astana).

The peloton is now almost three mins down on the first group. Wout van Aert has just led the six-men at the head of proceedings onto the Carbonare climb.

18 riders are in that second group.

David Gaudu is in there for Groupama-FDJ, as is Kim Heiduk (Ineos)

A whopping eight riders in that group are Italian!

The Bilbao group are 1:41 behind the Van Aert led attackers.

The leaders are gradually pulling off their wet weather gear as they push on up the climb. You can now see Darren Rafferty's beautiful Irish champion's jersey that was hidden underneath his black team-issue Rapha rain jacket.

EF have just pulled Richard Carapaz to the side of the road. It looks like they are now completely changing his radio after it got drenched in the rain. He's been given a new jacket too. Not ideal at all for the Ecuadorian but if they were going to make that change then they needed to get that done now.

The peloton have really sat up and the gap to the leaders is now 6:18

Everyone seems pretty stress free at the moment which is why EF were able to get that radio changed for Carapaz relatively quickly in the end.

The Bilbao group has now joined the six leaders at the head of the race. There are now 24 riders in one large group up ahead. XDS Astana did some excellent work to make contact there, with Fausto Masnada and Fortunato pulling the group across.

Here's Isaac del Toro earlier on this morning. Will he be duking it out for a stage win later this afternoon?

Lorenzo Fortunato took the maximum 18 points on offer at the top of the Carbonare to extend his lead in the mountains classification.

The break are now well into the descent which looks treacherous indeed.

The break has broken up a little on that descent. Not really a surprise as the roads are absolutely soaked. Riders will be aiming to keep as safe as possible as they get off the mountain and back down for some brief respite in the valley road.

Ouch! One of the two riders from the Bardiani team has just slid out on a wet corner and gone right off the road and into a ditch.

He appeared to slide right into a side road there. Let's hope the doctor's car is nearby as that looked really unpleasant.

Pello Bilbao is hanging right off the back of the break as they continue to go downhill so that he avoids any incidents as has plenty of space around him.

100km to go: The riders are now into the last 100km of the stage. The breakaway's advantage stands at eight minutes exactly.

The average speed today is 43kph, but that's about to fall away as the breakaway hits the lower slopes of the category-one Candriai climb.

This one's 10km at 7.5%, an amuse-bouche for the two category-one beasts to follow.

Primož Roglič (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) and Richard Carapaz (EF Education-EasyPost) are reported to have crashed.

That information comes courtesy of Adam Blythe, who's on a motorbike in the peloton with TNT Sports.

The incidents weren't shown on television, but Blythe says both riders are up and riding.

Roglič is now jumping in the team car, according to Blythe. This looks like race over for the 2023 Giro winner.

90km to go: Juan Ayuso (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) has dropped off the back of the peloton. He's now 30 seconds behind the pink jersey group, and relying on assistance from his team car to get back in the bunch.

We've got an update on Alessio Martinelli, the Bardiani rider who crashed into a ditch.

His team have said he is conscious and on his way to hospital.

Panic over for Ayuso. The Spaniard is back in the peloton.

87km to go: The breakaway's gap has fallen from eight to six minutes on the climb to Candriai. Ineos Grenadiers can take credit for that, having pressed the pace for a lot of the climb.

After a spate of crashes and three DNFs (Tarling, Roglič and Martinelli), the skies have finally cleared at the Giro d'Italia.

71km to go: Egan Bernal (Ineos Grenadiers) is the latest rider to hit the deck. He doesn't look hurt, but this is proving to be an attritional day for the GC favourites.

Riders are pulling off warmers now and shaking their legs out in the valley roads. The climbs aren't over yet though, there's some real monsters left to come.

66km to go: UAE are pacing at the front of the peloton in the sunshine, with Simon Yates and Visma the next team in the bunch.

Bernal is nearly back in the bunch. He's with the Ineos team car currently taking on a bottle as he makes his way back in.

Del Toro has just stopped to get some help taking some wet shoe covers off. It's amazing, really, how quickly mechanics work when they're stopped with a rider at the roadside. They really are the unsung heroes on a lot of teams.

As things stand, the breakaway has a real chance of victory today. The gap has gone out to nearly ten minutes as the penultimate climb of the day approaches.

Big attack from Fortunato in the breakaway with 11km of the Santa Barbara remaining.

Bilbao manages to go across with him, along with Jefferson Cepeda (Movistar)

Meanwhile in the peloton, Visma and EF are on the front and upping the pace. Will Carapaz and Simon Yates try something soon?

Whatever happens behind them, I'd say the breakaway are set for the stage win today with this kind of margin. Unless something crazy happens back down the road, I can't see anyone bridging across with the tempo still what it is.

EF have nearly all their riders on the front of the main field now and things are getting interesting. Juan Ayuso (UAE Emirates) has dropped out of the group of favourites and is nowhere to be seen, underlining UAE's decision to go for victory in this Giro d'Italia with Del Toro.

Tudor Pro Cycling clearly fancy this with Michael Storer too, the Australian climber is the sort of rider who could make a difference here.

That injection of pace from EF has cut the gap to the breakaway to six minutes. This might not be over yet in terms of the stage victory.

ATTACK:

40km to go: Storer has launched a big one! That was a stinging acceleration but I'm not sure it's enough for now.

Juan Ayuso is nearly a minute behind the GC group. It really is all over for the Spaniard at this Giro. Adam Blythe has just said from the TNT Sports motorbike that the Spanish climber is looking really angry on the bike. Blythe says he's banging the handlebars and airing his frustration.

This is not a good day for Egan Bernal now either. The Colombian is getting dropped from the GC group.

Simon Yates has nearly shut down that move from Storer and Max Poole (Picnic-PostNL) singlehandedly.

Ayuso is now more than two minutes behind Del Toro on the road.

37 km to go: It's 4:48 now between the GC group and the breakaway.

Bernal has nearly made it back into the GC group, he's not done yet.

32km to go: Fortunato took the maximum points on offer again at the summit of the Santa Barbara. He's got that jersey wrapped up already at this Giro.

The San Valentino is now beginning. Voisard (Tudor Pro Cycling) is the first man from the break to begin the climb.

Wout van Aert dropped back down the road a short while ago and is now back in the GC group, ready to pace Yates before he goes for it.

16 km to go: It's just 31 seconds for Voisard at the moment. More notably, the GC group are almost five mins back down the climb.

Unless the attacks start soon, the stage appears to be the breaks to contest today.

Scaroni ups the pace in the break as he tries to get across to Voisard.

Voisard has now been caught by the Scaroni led group.

Van Aert is really driving the GC group now. The Belgian has almost dropped the leader's advantage to under four minutes with 12 km left to race. Adam Yates has almost dropped out of the back of the group due to the pace being set by the Visma man.

Van Aert is pushing well over 500 watts here, a remarkable effort.

Meanwhile at the front of the race, Lorenzo Fortunato has jumped over the top of Scaroni and is trying to get away from the leaders. Scaroni is with his teammate but Cepeda from Movistar is glued onto the Italians.

Scaroni has now dropped his team leader and Cepeda.

Astana have absolutely worked over Cepeda on this climb, with both of the Italians repeatedly hitting the Ecuadorian with attacks. Scaroni is long gone and Fortunato has now dropped him too.

Fortunato has now caught Scaroni. We look set to have an Astana 1-2 for the stage win today.

8km to go:

The duo are working cohesively together here. Both are excellent climbers in their own right and might have enough if they continue like this. Cepeda is 10 seconds back.

With Roglic out of the race, Giulio Pellizzari has been given licence to go on the attack for Red Bull and has put 45 seconds into the GC group.

ATTACK IN THE GC GROUP:

Simon Yates attacks! He's pulled Carapaz (EF) and Del Toro with him.

The Bury-born rider waited for the steeper ramps to make a move.

Derek Gee (Israel-Premier Tech) was trying to pull the rest of the group back across but Yates has gone again.

Now Carapaz has gone! That's a big attack and he's got a gap.

Nobody can respond to that.

Yates is with Del Toro for now, Gee is also still present with the GC riders.

Wow! Carapaz has taken another 25 seconds on Del Toro now. Del Toro and Yates, dare I say it, look like they're struggling.

Carapaz has a vast gap and it's growing

The Ecuadorian has almost 45 seconds now, he could ride into pink here with more than 5 kilometres still to go.

Now goes Yates!

Here's Carapaz when he went

Carapaz has reached Pelizzarri now.

Del Toro has cracked! Simon Yates has dropped him and is riding away from him!

Yates needs to ride hard here as Carapaz could end up taking pink himself, he's really on a mission here.

I don't recall seeing Carapaz look this good in a long long time. He is very much on Giro winning form here, similarly to when he won in 2019.

Del Toro is haemorrhaging time here. The Mexican is now back with Bernal and nowhere near Yates now.

I'd almost forgotten about the stage win with all of that going on.

The Astana duo, Scaroni and Fortunato, are just 500 metres from the line now. They've got a minute and a half on Carapaz at the moment.

Looks like Scaroni is going to get handed the stage win here for everything he's done for Fortunato in the fight for the maglia azzurra today

Scaroni takes the stage!

Carapaz crosses the line

Here comes Yates

Here comes Del Toro now. The Mexican made up a bit of the time he'd lost there, but was it enough to keep pink?

They're still figuring out the time gaps here, but Del Toro could have done just enough to keep the jersey. Richard Carapaz put a lot of time into Simon Yates, this Giro is shaping up to be a cracker.

We'll have a full report and reaction on the site shortly.

Thank you for joining us today.

“He’s pretty useless, bless him,” says Millar. “When I was speaking to him about [the Traka] 560 – we went for a ride a couple of weeks before – I asked him a couple of questions and realised it was just pointless, because he’s like, ‘Ah, you can just ride through.’

“For him, he’s done all these sorts of things, so his perception of what’s possible has been pushed so far that he’s got such a sort of pragmatism about it… I’d recommend, if anybody wants advice on doing ultras, don’t ask Lachlan Morton, because he just takes it all in his stride.”

Millar hopes he too will take racing in his stride when he lines up in Kansas this Saturday. It will be the 48-year-old Brit’s first taste of American gravel, at the calendar’s marquee event. His goal is clear: make it to the finish line.

“I’m going in with a fairly open mind,” he tells Cycling Weekly. “I literally don’t know if I’m going to be flying or dying, or even if I can finish it.

“Knowing me, I’ll probably start out going as hard as I can, just to see what it’s like and see what the level is.” He won't try to follow the pros, though. “I made that mistake at Santa Vall earlier in the year and I lasted 2km. Those days are over.”

In the build-up to Unbound, Millar completed the Traka 560 earlier this month, riding 560km unsupported over 30 hours on gravel trails near his home in Girona, Spain. The event, he says, gave him a “huge paradigm shift in distance”, but left him “buckled” and nursing a busted knee.

“I was a mental milkshake, just completely broken, like a walking zombie,” he says, recalling the hallucinations he experienced mid-race, and the fatigue that followed. “It took me to a pretty weird place that I was kind of fascinated by.”

Millar was known throughout his racing career for his speed against the clock. He won time trial stages at the Tour de France, Giro d’Italia and Vuelta a España, and retired in 2014, aged 37.

In a newly released documentary about his Traka 560 ride, Millar said he reached the “lowest point in my life” two and a half years ago.

“I’d sunk into alcoholism and lost all meaning for life,” he said in a candid piece to camera. “I’d stopped riding my bike, I’d stopped doing sport, I’d never been as unhealthy as I was. I woke up in the morning kind of not looking forward to the day.”

Together with his sister Fran, now the CEO of Rapha, he took part in his first off-road event in 2023 in South Africa’s Cape Epic. Millar has since competed in the Migration Gravel Race in Kenya, the Traka, and other gravel events near his home, challenges he has found “very fulfilling”.

“Now I have a very deep understanding of why people do it, because I think it takes them out of their comfort zone. It gives them an experience that’s so far removed from their everyday life,” he says.

Alongside his full-time role as brand director of Factor Bikes, Millar has done a lot of his Unbound training indoors, on the cycling platform Zwift. He’ll ride Factor’s OSTRO Gravel on race day, a bike that’s so fast, he says, “I broke the Rocacorba road descent [record] on it three weeks ago”.

How is he approaching his debut at gravel’s biggest event? “Unbound is about going out there and getting amongst it, and hoping I don’t puncture,” he says.

“I’m kind of just excited about it. I’ve got no trepidation for it. I’m more worried that, if it rains, I have to go through one of those kilometres of mud walking scenarios.”

The Life Time Unbound Gravel 200 takes place in Kansas, USA on 31 May. The race can be streamed live, for free, on the Life Time Grand Prix YouTube channel from 10am CT (4pm BST).

In an update issued this week, the company said the deleted activities had been uploaded with the “wrong sport type” or “recorded in vehicles”. The move comes as part of a concerted effort on the exercise tracking app to stop users unfairly taking KOM and QOM crowns.

Strava revealed in February that it was using machine learning to analyse activities, taking into account “57 factors” such as speed and acceleration, and clamping down on cheats.

“As part of Strava’s ongoing efforts to uphold fair and legitimate leaderboards, the company is continuing to advance the application of its machine learning model to reprocess the top 10 spots on ride and run leaderboards,” a new update read.

“This effort has removed 4.45 million activities with the wrong sport type or recorded in vehicles so far, helping to rightfully restore KOMs and QOMs to reflect true performances.”

Strava users collect crowns, known as KOMs and QOMs, for posting the fastest times on segments. The company’s new machine learning model is built to flag suspicious activities, prompting the user to either remove them or make them private.

Other users are also encouraged to flag activities if they believe the performance is not credible.

Strava’s rules specifically state that users should not upload public ‘ride’ activities, which appear on leaderboards, if they include data recorded in a car or motorcycle, using an e-bike, or pacing a vehicle.

According to the company’s February update, users are flagging 72% fewer activities as suspected to have been carried out “in a vehicle” since the machine learning system rolled out.

Also this week, Strava announced further updates to its subscriber offering, including new AI-powered route tools, ‘tappable’ points of interest – such as cafés and toilets – and point-to-point routing, helping users plot direct routes from A to B.

The company also announced on Thursday that it has acquired the cycling training app The Breakaway. “This announcement is another signal of Strava’s accelerated growth and commitment to innovation,” a press release read.

The exercise app is used today by more than 150 million people around the world.

Last year, in just the second WorldTour race day of his career, the then-20-year-old Mexican racer made a move that drew comparisons to one of del Toro’s new teammates, who just happens to be, arguably, one of the greatest cyclists of all time.

“Pogačar-esque” is how commentator Robbie McEwan described the attack del Toro launched on the second stage of the 2024 Santos Tour Down Under, his first race as a WorldTour pro with UAE Team Emirates-XRG. He attacked late, with fewer than two kilometres remaining on the day’s 141.6-kilometre parcours, leaving a group of some of the world’s fastest sprinters in his wake. Four stages later, he climbed onto the podium, finishing the race in third overall and winning the young rider classification in the process.

Fast forward a year and some months, and a few decent results—fourth at Tirreno-Adriatico, seventh at Itzulia Basque Country, 13th at Milan-Sanremo, sixth at Worlds—and del Toro is standing on top of the cycling world. He captured the maglia rosa following a head-to-head with none other than Wout van Aert (Visma -Lease a bike) that culminated with a final sprint up the famed and feared ascent into Siena’s Piazza del Campo. In doing so, he became the first-ever Mexican to pull the pink jersey over his shoulders. He’s also the youngest rider in this century to lead Italy’s Grand Tour.

Given his strength in the mountains, many are saying the Giro d’Italia is del Toro’s race to lose.

But who is Isaac del Toro? And how did he not only make his way to the WorldTour, but onto one of the best teams in the sport? In an era when information is everywhere, readily available and easily Google-able, del Toro is a bit of an anomaly: a top-tier athlete we somehow know almost nothing about.

Surely, the lack of information about del Toro has much to do with his age and relative inexperience. If he keeps up the pace he’s currently on, we’ll no doubt know everything there is to know about the young all-rounder by this time next year. Hell, if he keeps up the pace he’s currently on, we might know everything there is to know about him by the end of this month.

At just 21 years old, del Toro is only in his second year as a WorldTour racer. And while he’s lined up for some of the biggest races on the calendar, he’s had little success of note. Of course, there are those aforementioned fourths, sixths, sevenths, and thirteenths. But those aren’t finishes that force journalists to chase stories.

What we don’t know about del Toro right now could fill volumes. But here’s what we do know.

Del Toro was born in Ensenada, Baja California, a port city on Mexico’s Pacific coast, to a pair of cycling-mad parents. Growing up, he was an active mountain, cross and road racer, eventually competing with the Mexican national team. In 2021, when he was 18, del Toro was racing in Europe for A.R. Monex Pro Cycling team, a then-new UCI Continental outfit made up exclusively of staff and riders from Mexico.

He spent the next two years learning his craft, lining up in smaller tetes like the 2.1-rated Sibiu Cycling Tour in Romania, Italy’s 1.2 Coppa della Pace, and France’s 2.2 Tour du Loir et Cher.

However, his breakthrough came in late summer of 2023, when, after three inauspicious stages at the Tour de l’Avenir, he rebounded in fantastic fashion, finishing second, ninth, first, third, second, and second again in the race’s remaining six stages. Del Toro’s performance was good enough to capture all four of the race’s classifications: the race winner, the points jersey, the best climber and best young rider titles.

The performance at l’Avenir was head-turning enough that del Toro was offered a contract with UAE Team Emirates, where he would team up with another former l’Avenir winner: Tadej Pogačar. The team was so confident in the young talent that they gave him a contract through the end of the 2029 season.

He wasted no time, netting the aforementioned result on just his second race day in the white and black livery of his new team. He spent the rest of the year rounding out his busiest schedule ever: 66 race days between January and September, during which he gave another sweeping performance at the UCI 2.1 Vuelta Asturias Julio Alvarez Mendo, where he took home the GC, points and young rider jersey.

He started his 2025 season off with a less busy schedule, finishing 19th at Tirreno-Adriactico, 13th at Milan-Sanremo, and an inauspicious 33rd at Strade Bianche.

He also won mid-March’s 1.Pro race Milano-Torino, the world’s oldest race, beating Visma Lease-a-Bike’s Ben Tulett by just one second at the summit finish.

But the knowledge gained during that 33rd-place finish at Strade Bianche might have proven more valuable than anyone could have guessed at the time. It was just a few weeks later, during the Giro d'Italia’s ninth stage, where del Toro made his biggest splash yet as a WorldTour racer.

It was on one of those same roads where del Toro and van Aert dropped the rest of the peloton, and battled through the lower roads of Siena, up its canyonesque streets and, eventually, into the colosseum of Piazza del Campo.

And though he couldn’t best van Aert on that day, his performance was enough to net him the pink jersey.

As of this writing, del Toro has yet to win a Grand Tour stage. If and when he does, he’ll join Raúl Alcalá and Julio Pérez Cuapio, his countrymen and native forebears, as the only Mexicans who’ve ever done as much (Alcalá is a two-time Tour de France stage winner, Cuapio won three Giro stages in his career). If he can keep hold onto the maglia rosa over the next nine stages, he’ll become the first-ever Mexican to win a Grand Tour.

But no matter what he does in the coming weeks, one thing is absolutely certain: Isaac del Toro won’t remain a mystery for much longer.

This July, Sir Mark Cavendish is offering fans a chance to join a free – yes, free – cycling experience with him inside the Grand Palais in Paris, France. There will be a meet-and-greet with the 35-time Tour de France stage winner, an indoor group ride, and a chance to ask him for sprinting tips, as part of a “cycling masterclass”.

The opportunity comes as a result of a new collaboration between the Tour de France and Airbnb, the holiday rental website. Together, the two brands are staging unique ‘experiences’ throughout this July’s race – and the masterclass with Cavendish is the flagship offering.

“I've experienced numerous victories and unforgettable moments with the Tour de France, but I've never had the opportunity to cycle in the Grand Palais during the Tour de France,” Cavendish said in a statement. “I am incredibly excited to share this exclusive Airbnb experience with guests.”

Sign-ups to the Cavendish event open next Tuesday 27 May at 5pm BST, and will be available through the Airbnb website. Only 20 guests will be able to join, with places allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.

The experience will take place on 26 July, the evening before the Tour de France culminates in the French capital. This year’s final stage, it was announced this week, will stray from the usual processional finish, with three ascents of the punchy Butte Montmartre climb planned.

Fans will meet Cavendish outside the Grand Palais, where he will share stories from across his 15 Tour de France participations. There will then be a warm-up session on turbo trainers, during which time the Brit will teach “the art of sprint cycling”.

After a few laps inside the glass-roofed palace, fans will sit down for another chat with Cavendish, and gain a closer look at the bike he rode to his record-breaking 35th stage win. Each person on the experience will leave with a signed jersey and VIP tickets to Sunday’s Tour finale on the Champs-Élysées.

As well as the Cavendish event, the Tour de France and Airbnb are offering similar experiences with retired French pros Thomas Voeckler and Steve Chainel.

The trio aren't the only pros getting up close with fans this year. In October, the world’s top-ranked cyclist, Tadej Pogačar, will challenge fans in a race up his favourite climb in Slovenia. Entries to the ‘Pogi Challenge’ are open now.

The question came up just recently over a post-work beer with CW’s lensman Richard ‘Butch’ Butcher. As we debated the city’s best mode of transport, Butch casually threw down a challenge: a race across London – me on two wheels, him relying on trains and buses. It was the perfect chance to put theory to the test.

A few weeks later, the date was set and the route mapped out. The challenge: a race from Heathrow Terminal 3 in the west to Lee Valley VeloPark in the east. Once we’d arrived at Heathrow, Butch had the simpler task – head downstairs to the Elizabeth Line, hop on a train, and ride it to Stratford before making the short walk to the VeloPark. On paper, his journey was straightforward: a 48-minute station-to-station ride. But London’s transport network isn’t always predictable, and he’d have to navigate crowds of commuters, tourists and students making the most of February half-term.

My journey was somewhat more complicated. Covering 22 miles by bike, I could theoretically make it in 60 to 70 minutes – helped by mostly flat terrain, just 300 feet of elevation and a prevailing tailwind. But London is, to state the bleeding obvious, a frantically busy place. Beating Butch would take speed, luck, and – let’s not dress it up – a touch of madness.

Placing total faith in my Garmin, I ripped so fast away from the airport that I claimed a Strava KOM on the neighbouring road tunnel. Heading into the suburbs of Hounslow and Osterley, with the Great Western Road now under my wheels, I could truly fire up my Canyon Endurace, which buzzed beautifully along a mostly well maintained cycle path. Cars next to me restricted to 20mph could only watch on with envy as I pushed hard on the pedals – no ULEZ, no diesel, no petrol. Proceeding free of charge and fast, I wondered how Butch’s journey was treating him. By now he was surely aboard a Stratford-bound tube, a thought that instinctively led me to click up a gear and drop down into a more aerodynamic position.

As I passed through Brentford then Chiswick, my speed started to suffer. It was half-term after all, the car traffic was humming with day-tripping families. Here I was, a minnow snared amid people carriers and 4x4s the size of basking sharks. Fortunately, London now boasts more than 400 kilometres’ worth of cyclepaths – generally not segregated from traffic, but on this part of the journey, they were well maintained and well marked. It’s easy to get lost in the noise of the big city, it becomes overwhelming. But if you take a mental step back and assess the situation with a clear head, it becomes less daunting. There’s a 20mph speed limit, there’s a network of paths for the exclusive use of bicycle riders – meaning it might even be safer than riding my local roads in Berkshire and Hampshire. It’s hard to compare the risks, but bear in mind that, between 2019 and 2023, 58% of cycle fatalities occurred on rural roads despite those roads accounting for only 31% of traffic. Last year, 10 cyclists were killed on London’s roads – two more than in 2023 (of a total 87 fatalities nationwide), but still significantly down on the 2010-2014 baseline of 13 per year.

The closer you get to the centre of London – by now I had bisected Hammersmith and was forging a fast path towards Kensington – the day-tripping vehicles were thinning out. Although now a new set of obstacles began to emerge: double decker buses became the bain of my existence. They stop, they go, they stop, they go, and then they just stop. A mile later, Kensington and Hyde Park were delightfully bus-free, and I made time amid the chatter of parakeets and the multi-lingual patter of backpackers enjoying an uncharacteristically warm February day. The sun washed a long winter from my face – I began to feel free, optimistic, and almost forgetful of the task at hand. No, cycling across London isn’t likely to feature on any bucket lists, but beholding famous monuments – the Royal Albert Hall to my right, Kensington Gardens to my left – it was hard not to be dazzled. The upbeat moment soon passed, however, as I was now entering Trafalgar Square – and immediately started hating everything again.

This was the busiest section so far: I literally had to stop cycling. Every direction I turned, a wall of people stood barring the way. I should’ve spent more time planning the route. Never mind that this was the shortest route, as the crow flies, I’d forgotten to factor in the 21 million tourists that visit London each year – most of them flocking to Trafalgar Square, evidently.

Once again, a bike path came to my rescue. This one, adjacent to the river, is a fast-rolling gem. I formed an aero tuck as best as my ample midriff would allow and dropped a wattbomb towards the East End. After quickly checking his location on Whatsapp, I was amazed to see that Butch and I were level pegging. He was in Farringdon with just two stops left until Stratford. I made a mockery of the Moorgate traffic, shot through Shoreditch and rode like a bat out of Bethnal Green towards Victoria Park – the last expanse of the capital’s greenery I’d traverse today.

The way London transitions through an architectural metamorphosis from side to side is seamless but stark. From the middle-class wealth and detached homes with double garages in the west, the tall, glass office blocks and immaculately preserved Gothic buildings of the city centre, to the worryingly well-populated cardboard cities in Blackfriars, and the council estates and tower blocks silhouetted against the East End’s skyline. The sights, the sounds, the aromas of a place become so much more tangible on a bicycle than in a bus or in a car – and are completely missed on the Tube.

But today was not about scenery – could I prove cycling was also the fastest option? I feared Butch would already be there, poised to triumphantly shove his Oyster Card in my face: “Read it and weep, Lycra Boy,” he’d say, and demand an ale at the closest pub. I couldn’t let it happen. I skirted West Ham’s home ground at speed – my heart rate now high, pushing into Zone 5 territory. I arrived at the Velodrome. Butch wasn’t there.

I checked my Garmin. It had taken me an hour and 40 minutes to ride what transpired to be 25 miles, across one of the busiest cities in the world – a plucky 15mph. According to TFL, it should’ve taken Butch 10 minutes less. Had he been and gone? Hang on, I recognised that gait, and that jacket, and those trainers. Butch was shuffling towards me from the direction of the Tube station. I won? I won! He grinned. We bumped fists. “Yes, you won, you spawny sod,” he said, before launching into excuses about his slow progress.

Would I ride in London again? Unless Butch ups the ante and starts talking cold hard cash, no, probably not. Is this because I felt unsafe? Put it this way, I wouldn’t be happy for my daughters to ride bikes in London – but then nor would I be happy if they rode bikes in rural Hampshire. I felt not greatly more at risk traversing the capital than I do riding down to the end of my road on the Hants/Berks border.

As cyclists, we sadly have to draw up a risk assessment every time we ride. Every time I think I’ve plotted a ‘safe’ route, I’m hit with an anomaly – a close-pass here, a hidden pothole there. In London, you’re not expecting a relaxing ride – you’re expecting close passes, but the cycle paths I rode on were blemish-free. If I lived in London, I would happily commute on a frequent, if not daily, basis. It’s got to be better than the Tube, right?

CW photographer Richard Butcher tells his side of the story…

Never make bets over a beer – a valuable life lesson. A convivial post-work beer initiated the debate, and the amber nectar had kicked in when Steve insisted he could beat me across London on a bike.

Brimming with confidence at the start, I tapped my Oyster card at Heathrow Terminal 3, and descended the escalator, confident of my unhindered travel ahead. Easy money, I thought, as I approached the platform and the train that would whisk me to Stratford. I wouldn’t even need to change trains. Besides, Steve was probably still faffing with his Garmin.

And then, just as I was picturing my inevitable victory, a man in a fluorescent vest burst my victorious bubble. “Problems on the westbound line, mate. You’ll have to get off at Ealing Broadway and get on the central line to Stratford.” Of course.

I stood on the platform and watched helplessly as the minutes ticked by, my lead evaporating before the race had even properly begun. The Elizabeth Line, London’s pride and joy, its futuristic answer to ‘getting nowhere fast’, had let me down at the very first hurdle.

By the time we finally moved some 20-odd minutes later, I checked my phone. Steve was already on the Chiswick High Road! I kept my composure – just about – and as soon as I reached Ealing Broadway, I leapt off like a man on a mission. That was when they arrived. Schoolchildren. Hundreds of them.

My simple commute turned into a challenge to survive as I was jostled and bumped, pushed and pulled in many different directions and I barely made it to the correct train. By the time I finally wrestled my way onto the Central Line, I was rattled, and wedged among 150 excitable children and a man with a suspiciously large suitcase.

Despite the chaos, I made good time on the Central Line, as the train whooshed along, the air thick with that signature Underground scent – a mix of warm metal, damp coats, and existential regret. I looked down at my phone again. Steve was catching me fast. Then, in a moment of true commuter incompetence, I missed Stratford. All it took was a second of distraction. So busy was I checking my phone for Steve’s GPS signal, and my pale blue dot on the map, that I forgot how many stops had preceded the very one I was at now. The doors pinged shut, I half-stood, hesitated for a fatal moment, and then watched, in horror, as Stratford disappeared behind me. I was en route to Leyton.

The train doors flung open again, and this time I bolted onto the platform, scrambling for the opposite side. I leapt onto a train heading east and stood there, fuming with no concept of how I had managed to be so inept. I had one job, I muttered to myself. Gasping, I ran through the retail park, towards the velodrome, just in time to see Steve smugly coasting towards me. “I thought you’d been and gone,” he grinned. I had – but from Leyton.

This feature originally appeared in Cycling Weekly magazine on 3rd April 2025. Subscribe now and never miss an issue.

There are many great traditions in British cycling - the chaingang itself, with its unspoken rules, frantic callouts, and last-minute sprint showdowns, is one of them. But there exists a quieter, lesser-celebrated custom that deserves its own moment in the sun: the magical post-chaingang pint.

No, this is not an endorsement of midweek beer consumption (other drinks are available, and equally treasured). This is about something much deeper than a cold drop in a glass. This is about the ritual. The reward. The absolute joy of rolling into a pub garden after an hour of all-out suffering, arm in arm with the very people who inflicted it upon you.

For me, the destination is a small institution in Oxford with a beer garden that feels like an open-air clubhouse. Our jerseys may still be damp, the legs twitching with lactic acid, but morale? Never higher.

Every week, waiting for me, is the Dodo APA, brewed by the Dodo Pub Co. It's a wonderful schooner, one that tastes somehow better when consumed with helmet hair and slightly sunburnt forearms.

But let’s not get distracted. This isn’t just about the pint. It’s about the debrief.

You see, the chaingang is never just a ride. It’s an unofficial race wrapped in a social contract. It’s orderly through and off for 34km, followed by chaos, glorious chaos, for the final six. Once we’re sat at the table, drinks in hand, the commentary begins – we all become pundits.

“Did you launch on the last climb, or was it James?” “Chaps, I genuinely did double puncture – I didn't stand a chance.” “I think we'll break the KOM with that group next week.”

There's a wonderful contrast in how seriously we take it, and how unseriously we reflect on it. One minute we’re debating power numbers and tyre pressures, the next we’re chatting about someone’s nightmare week at work, or who forgot to bring lights again – there's always one.

Someone always caves and orders a burger and chips. The chaingang is hungry work, after all. Like crafty seagulls, the rest of us swipe in for scraps.

And I think that’s what I love most about the post-chainy pint: the sheer normality of it. There are no protein shakes, no prescribed recovery protocols, just a group of mates, chatting as the sun sets, slightly knackered and extremely content. It's important to remember that riding bikes is meant to be fun – take the time to talk absolute nonsense about it in the process.

It’s also the surest sign that summer is arriving. We’re finally back to those golden evenings where the kit dries on your back before you get home, you don’t need arm warmers, and you can sit outside with your mates for a few extra hours, legs ruined, but soul restored.

So here’s to the post-chaingang pint. Long may it pour.

As an avid cyclist who uses her bike for transportation, recreation and a source of community, I hoped my new companions could liven up my home and become part of my cycling life as well.

Here’s how I’ve managed to bring Daisy Mae and Lacey into my two-wheeled world, and the lessons I’ve learned along the way

Introduction to the bicycle

Daisy Mae and Lacey are rescues who came to me late in their lives. As such, I had no idea what their previous lives looked like. Had they been introduced to a bicycle before? Would they be frightened? Curious? Completely indifferent? With five bikes crammed into my small one-bedroom apartment, the girls would have no choice but to become familiar with them. Luckily, neither of them seemed to bat an eye when the bikes came out, concerning themselves instead with the more important matters of treats and walks.

At a combined sixty pounds (27 kilos), I started looking for a solution that would allow me to bring them with me on my rides. After some brief internet searching, I decided to try a bike trailer. I found a screaming deal on a used two-kid trailer online, drove thirty minutes to pick it up, and after some minor modifications, began introducing the dogs to the trailer.

To make sure the dogs were both safe and comfortable in a trailer not designed for canine passengers, I had to make a few adjustments. I modified the restraint system (the seatbelts) so that I could attach their harnesses and leashes. I also removed the bench seat to give them more space. I attached the bike trailer to my bike using the quick-release axle and rolled it into the living room so the dogs could see it, sniff it and get used to it. I then scattered some treats inside the trailer, incentivising the dogs to investigate this new contraption even closer.

The plan worked. Within minutes, both dogs independently climbed in and were generously rewarded for their curiosity with more treats. I then buckled them into their new transport wagon, and we were off for our first ride.

I only intended to go for a few blocks, but I was still nervous. I kept glancing behind me to check in on them. A good thing, too, because Lacey, the more adventurous of the two dogs, had managed to get her front paws out of the trailer and was attempting to escape. I stopped, gave them some love, repositioned her harness, and finished the ride around the block.

This setup worked for us for a few weeks, but ultimately, I found the trailer to be heavy, cumbersome and frankly not that much fun to ride with. The dogs didn’t seem to enjoy it very much either, and I knew there had to be a better solution.

Ditching the Trailer for a Cargo Bike

After watching countless YouTube videos about riding with dogs, I was most intrigued by the idea of a front-loading electric cargo bike. I had a feeling Daisy Mae and Lacey weren’t thrilled about riding behind me in the enclosed trailer, and I figured that a more open, front-facing setup might make the experience more enjoyable for all of us. They'd be feeling the wind in their fur, and I would be able to keep an eye on them. After test-riding a cargo bike myself (which I highly recommend), I returned for a second test ride with the dogs in tow.

Using the same treat approach as with the trailer, I coaxed the dogs to get in and explore the front bucket of the cargo bike with some of their favourite treats. I also brought a blanket for them to sit on, and carabiners to secure their harnesses to the bicycle. After a bit of finagling, both dogs were secured in the front of the bike, and we were off for our first adventure. Within the first minute of riding the cargo bike, it was clear that we had found an excellent solution for our family biking adventure. We were all grinning from ear to ear.

Once the bike—a Larry vs Harry Bullitt—was in our possession, I again made a few modifications to enhance our experience. A friend helped devise an easy solution for securing the dogs in the cargo bucket, using the attachment points on the bike, short leashes that still allowed for movement within the bike, and locking carabiners. For their comfort, I lined the bottom of the cargo space with a Z-fold camping pad and a soft blanket. I even invested in a rain cover to shelter my precious cargo from the relentless Seattle rain.

The cargo bike quickly became our favourite way to get around. Everywhere we went, we were met with smiles. And every ride left me in a better mood. We explored the city from end to end, even embarking on an ambitious overnight bike camping trip that included a ferry ride. Fully charged, the bike could carry all of us more than 40 miles, even with a full load!

Rules, Regulations & Best Practices for Riding with your Dog

Five years and a cross-country move later, the cargo bike is still my favourite mode of transportation with dogs. Sadly, Lacey crossed the rainbow bridge a few years ago, but I still ride regularly with Daisy Mae in our new hometown of Bentonville, Arkansas. During that time, I’ve been asked countless questions about our setup, and I'm more than happy to pass along everything I’ve learned. Here are some of the most common inquiries:

Is it legal to ride with a dog like that?

Yes, however, you must obey any local rules and regulations regarding not just riding bikes but also dogs ownership in general, including applicable leash laws.

Has the dog ever tried to jump out?

Yes once, when I let a friend pilot my bicycle and I was riding alongside. Her harness kept her in the bike. We quickly pulled over, switched pilots, and have never had an issue since.

What do you do in the summer/winter/inclement weather?

For rain, I use the aforementioned rain screen. And now that I live in the south, hot temperatures are a real concern. We don’t go out if its too hot, saving our rides for early mornings or evenings when it’s a more comfortable temperature outside. My rule of thumb is “If I wouldn’t take her for a walk right now, I’m not taking her for a bike ride.”

In colder temperatures, I bundle her up with a jacket and more blankets. We don’t ride when it’s super cold, because that’s no fun for anyone!

What do you do about water/snacks/supplies for the dog?

Thankfully, it’s a cargo bike so we’ve got plenty of space for stuff. We always have a water dish and bottle of water on hand as well as an extra leash and poop bags.

How do you know that she likes it?

While I don’t technically speak dog, all indications point to her liking the bike. Whenever I open the garage door, she goes straight to the bike, and has been known to fall asleep while we’re riding.

Do we need any protective equipment for the dog?

Accessories like dog goggles exist, which can protect your dog’s eyes from wind or bugs. I tried these with Daisy Mae but she was unfortunately not a fan.

Riding a bike with your dog is an incredible way to experience both bike riding and bonding with your furry companion. In addition to trailers and cargo bikes, there are a number of other options to bring your pooch along. These include specially designed backpacks (ideal for small dogs), handle-bar mounted dog seats, and for the especially adventurous dog, bike-attached running leashes.

No matter which option you choose for you and your dog, take it slow. Introduce this new experience gradually, with plenty of treats, praise and patience. The goal is to make it safe and enjoyable for your dog so it'll become something they look forward to and not fear. A little extra time at the start can make all the difference in building their confidence and creating a positive experience for both of you.

The former Classics star, nicknamed the Lion of Flanders, placed 17th in his age category behind winner Udo Bölts, a former team-mate of Jan Ullrich.

That was until the organisers got in touch by phone to tell Museeuw that he had been disqualified for failing to ride the correct course.

The problem lay in the fact he had ridden around a bottleneck, instead of waiting until it had cleared, he told Het Nieuwsblad, and blamed the organisers of the 155km race – held earlier this month – for allowing too many riders to take part.

“I think the organisation could have prevented this," he said. "We stood still there for half an hour, at least. And then I just kept on cycling. I tried to cycle on, but apparently that was not on the course."

He added that the race was, for him, about fun, and that he would continue to ride it. "What my place or result is, does not really matter to me," he said. “When they called me, they asked if I had followed the road. Yes, I followed the road, but when we stopped, I tried to ride through the forest without stopping and that was apparently wrong.

"If that is cheating for them, OK," Museeuw told Het Nieuwsblad. "For me it is mainly about having fun and I will continue to do it, but in my own way. I don't feel like dwelling on that for long either. There was a bit of chaos at that moment, but I didn't give any defence when they asked me if I had ridden through that forest like many others. Yes, I did that."

Johan Museeuw retired during the 2004 season, following a final outing in the Spring Classics that saw him place fifth at Paris-Roubaix – a race which, along with the Tour of Flanders, he had won three times during his career.

He continues to ride regularly, and to take part in gravel races.

“I walked in a little sheepishly and said I’ve been really busy the last week,” she tells Cycling Weekly.

‘Really busy’ is an understatement. Last Friday, Ruggins broke the overall record for cycling the length of the UK and back – John o’ Groats to Land’s End to John o’ Groats (JOGLEJOG) – doing so in five days, 11 hours and 14 minutes. During that time, she rode 2,700km, climbed almost 20,000m, and slept for only eight hours.

“People are struggling to comprehend the distances,” she smiles. “As am I, to be fair.”

A PhD graduate from Canada, now a finance professional, the 37-year-old had spent five months planning the record attempt, together with a crew of eight people, who would support her from two vehicles on the road. Less than two days before the scheduled start, however, the plan changed suddenly. Stormy weather in Cornwall made it safer to start in Scotland, and do the route backwards. LEJOGLE became JOGLEJOG. The team made its way up north.

It was 8am on a Sunday, 11 May, when Ruggins set off from John o’ Groats. “I was very calm and ready, with a clear mind,” she says. “When I started, I was almost in tears, but it was from gratitude for having my crew around me, and the fact that I was able to make it to that point.”

There were years in the Canadian’s life when she feared she would not walk again.

After a childhood spent on the athletics track, breaking national running records, Ruggins was diagnosed with a rare autoimmune condition. She was 15 at the time, bedridden and in need of round-the-clock care. It would take 10 years before she had the strength and confidence to return to sport.

“All I remember was that the pain was so bad,” she remembers. “People would ask me how I felt about not being able to run, and I didn’t care. I just cared about getting through the day. I couldn’t go to school. I couldn’t do anything. I remember just feeling fear, and feeling like I wanted to give up. I didn’t care about anything, and I thought it would never get better for me.”

Through posts on her Instagram page, Ruggins’s crew gave updates on her JOGLEJOG progress. The plan was to stop every four hours, but only for 10 minutes. Each day’s nutrition involved taking on 11,000 calories, served in Huel shakes, cream cheese bagels, and porridge laced with double cream and peanut butter.

Everything started swimmingly. Ruggins reached Land’s End – the midway point – on a high, clocking the fourth fastest one-way time. She allowed herself 30 seconds for the turnaround, and before she knew it, she was riding back through Bristol, where hundreds of fans cheered her on.

Then the sleep deprivation began to set in. In the hours that followed, the Instagram updates shifted in tone, telling of “cracks” starting to show and lapses in lucidity. Some posts voiced concerns for her physical health.

“For the crew who had never seen anyone in a heavily sleep deprived state, it was quite startling to see,” Ruggins says.

At one point on day four, the 37-year-old collapsed on her bike. Fortunately, one of her crew members had anticipated the fall, and ran out of the van to catch her before she hit the floor. “I’ve been told this – I don’t remember it,” she now laughs. “I started swerving like a young child who’s just off their training wheels, and I was slowing down quite significantly.

“That accumulated sleep deprivation shows up in your body mentally through confusion. I forgot why I was riding a bike. I forgot where I was. I needed my crew in my ear, in comms, basically reassuring me that everything was fine.”

At the same time, though, the bouts of confusion left Ruggins in a “semi-meditative state”, something she found “quite peaceful, actually”.

Returning to John o’ Groats, five and a half days after she left, Ruggins became a Guinness World Record holder. Under the weight of the exhaustion, she folded her body against the signpost, and sat on the grass.

“I just started sobbing, and I couldn’t stop for quite some time,” she says. “I think it was just that release that I did exactly what I said I was going to do.”

Her new record took almost seven hours off the previous benchmark, held by James MacDonald since 2017. It was a feat of will and determination, a “ long bike ride”, in Ruggins’s words, by a woman who was told she might never walk again, and who only took up cycling two and a half years ago.

What’s the lasting message she wants people to take away from her achievement? There's no pause as Ruggins launches into her answer. “You can accomplish anything if you’re surrounded by the right people, and if you talk to yourself the right way,” she says assuredly. “If I could do it, other people can do it.”

Ruggins is collecting donations for two charities: The Bike Project and Bikes For Refugees. At the time of writing, she has raised more than £17,500. Donations can be made through her GiveWheel page.

Wearing balaclavas, Romario Henry, Ali Sesay and Jo Jobson broke into Cavendish’s house in Essex while he and his family were asleep before attacking Cavendish in his bedroom. Cavendish had a zombie knife held to his throat before the trio stole two high end Richard Mille watches, worth more than £700,000, as well as other items.

The three men were all jailed in November 2023. According to a BBC report, the gang of robbers have all now been told that they must repay £754,525 within the next three months or face extensions to their prison sentences, a judge at Chelmsford Crown Court said.

Two phones, worth £2,325, an empty safe and a £2,200 Louis Vuitton suitcase were also all stolen from Cavendish and family.

Speaking in a hearing in Chelmsford, Judge Alexander Mills said that the trio took "joint control" of the stolen property which meant that they then "obtained the benefit" from the violent incident that they had committed.

Henry previously claimed that the stolen watches had been sold, although Judge Mills said that the two items were "never located at the scene and have not been seen since" and that they would act as a "store of wealth".

Mills said that he believed the convicted trio had all benefited financially from the robbery and attack on Cavendish’s home.

Discussing the trio’s finances, Mills said that all three of the men could pay the £754,525 sum outlined in the hearing. It was revealed by Mills that Sesay owned a Mercedes car worth £1,000 and had £24,750 in cash, but Henry had no assets. Along with Sesay’s items, the BBC report states that Jobson was said to have an unspecified amount of cash in a bank account which was seized by authorities.

Mills also ordered £1,897 in compensation to be paid to Cavendish and £3,359 to his wife, as well as an unspecified amount to the company who are understood to have leased the watches to the couple.

Henry, 34, was previously told he must serve a prison term of 15 years while Sesay, 30, is now serving a 12 year term.

Jobson, who went on the run after the home invasion, was handed a 15 year jail sentence in a separate trial to the other members of the gang.

In a previous interview with The Telegraph, Cavendish said that he had regular flashbacks to the incident. After the trio were handed prison terms, Peta Cavendish said the crime had "turned a loving family home into a constant reminder of threat and fear".

"No family should ever have to go through what we went through," she said. "But no matter what the sentence was, any parent will understand, I'm sure, that no time in prison could make up for what they did to us that night."

Good afternoon and welcome to our live blog for stage 10 of the 2025 Giro d'Italia, the second time trial of the race, and the longest too at 28.6km. It's a key day for the general classification riders, with any time lost against the clock time to claw back in the mountains over the remaining stages.

Josh Tarling (Ineos Grenadiers) won the first TT in Albania on stage two, so is favourite to do so again in Italy today, but there will be lots more to watch out for as the day goes on. Make sure you have checked out our guide on how to watch the race, and also the key riders' start times.

In case you've been living under a rock, Isaac del Toro (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) is in pink, 1:13 ahead of his teammate, Juan Ayuso. Unless something unexpected happens, Del Toro will probably still be in the overall lead later, but by how much?

Here are the key times for the stage today - the action kicks off at 13:20 in Italy, which is 12:20 in the UK. Who will you be rooting for?

Some news from our colleagues at Cyclingnews, who caught Primož Roglič (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) crashing during his recon of today's time trial. The Slovenian, already bandaged from a crash on Sunday's stage nine, got back on his bike, but it is the latest bit of misfortune for him - he currently sits in 10th, 2:25 behind Isaac del Toro. Ordinarily, he'd be a favourite for today - is he still?

We have answers to many of your questions, but please do email me - tom.thewlis@futurenet.com - if we can answer any others.

How does the general classification work at the Giro d'Italia?

How to watch the Giro d'Italia 2025: Everything you need to live stream the Italian Grand Tour

How much prize money does the winner of the Giro d'Italia get?

What is the 'Red Bull KM' at the Giro d'Italia? Everything you need to know about the 'groundbreaking' sprint for bonus seconds

What do all the Giro d'Italia jerseys mean? Pink, purple, blue and white explained

While there is still about 50 minutes to go until Alexander Krieger (Tudor Pro Cycling) rolls down the start ramp, why not relive Wout van Aert's wonderful win on Sunday.

The weather isn't looking particularly special in Tuscany this morning, with rain forecast in Pisa, where the time trial ends - that is likely why Roglič slid out on a corner, and will be in the minds of everyone going round the course today.

Matt Stephens is predicting that Primož Roglič could move back into the top five after today.

He's got a significant amount of time to make up... but it's doable.

For what it's worth, I think Tarling will win the stage. This sort of course is perfectly designed for riders capable of putting down pure power and Tarling fits that bill.

And we're off! Alexander Krieger has flown down the start ramp and onto the course.

I was in Pisa just a few weeks ago during a brief holiday. It was far sunnier back then that it appears to be now. You can see the stains on the roads from the rain in Tuscany earlier this morning.

Olav Kooij (Visma-Lease a Bike) is the next rider down the start ramp. Sprinters like the Dutchman will be treating today as a training exercise more than anything else.

Kooij's teammates Van Aert and Affini will both fancy their chances this afternoon.

For those of you that wondered, the 28.6 km course today is almost pan flat. There is one uncategorised rise in the middle of the parcours but it shouldn't trouble any of the main contenders for the stage.

The latter half of the course should make for some incredible pictures as the race follows the Medici aqueduct to the Arno river and a finish in front of the Leaning Tower of Pisa.

Ethan Hayter is now out on the course.

He put in a solid time during the TT in Albania and I would imagine he will set the best time so far at the finish when he gets there.

I mentioned my trip to Pisa earlier...

I actually had the worst ice cream in Italy that I've possibly ever had while I was there.

You would think you can't get bad gelato in Italy but I'm telling you that you can! It was shocking.

Hayter is tearing through this course already and handling the corners well.

Meanwhile Australia's Michael Hepburn (Jayco-AlUla) who went off earlier has set the quickest time so far at the first check point (10:24).

Hayter is now the quickest rider at the first time check, he's 12 seconds quicker than Hepburn. This is a really impressive ride from the Londoner so far!

The Medici Aqueduct looks incredible in the television pictures - we'll try and get some images for you shortly.

Right then! Edoardo Affini (Visma-Lease a Bike) is up and running.

Luke Rowe tipped him as a potential dark horse for the win today on the Watts Occuring podcast. Affini is the current European Time Trial Champion.

Jensen Plowright (Alpecin-Deceuninck) is the first rider over the finish line in Pisa. The Australian set a time of 35-44 but that will be cleared by minutes later tonight.

Affini is just a single second off Hayter's time at checkpoint one. That just shows how impressive Hayter's start was earlier on in Lucca.

Hayter has crossed the line and set a time of 32:40 - that's the best time at the finish and hugely impressive indeed. Hayter was 40 seconds quicker than Michael Hepburn, let's see if Affini can top that when he arrives in Pisa shortly.

Affini is going along beneath the viaduct now. The Italian was two seconds slower than Hayter at the second time check but he could catch him by the finish.

Here's Hayter beneath the aqueduct earlier. The young Brit enjoyed a rain-free time trial but the word on the ground is that there's about to be a bit of a downpour!

Affini is through the finish - he's 14 seconds slower than Ethan Hayter.

I wonder how long the Brit will hold the hot seat? Luke Plapp could unseat him and the Australian is now underway.

Hello! Adam Becket popping in while Tom gets some lunch. Daan Hoole (Lidl-Trek) has set the fastest time at the second timing point, and is nearing the finish.

Meanwhile, Australian champion Luke Plapp (Jayco AlUla) is on the course, and is among the favourites for the day.

Onto the course next is a big name - Wout van Aert (Visma-Lease a Bike), the man who won on Sunday. Can he win yet again? He has won a time trial at the Tour de France before, of course.

New fastest time! Daan Hoole is over the line ten seconds quicker than Ethan Hayter. The Dutch champion was attacking every corner there. Could it be more Lidl-Trek success?

We are very much into a glut of favourites for the win here, with Josh Tarling (Ineos Grenadiers) setting off next. He's already won a time trial at this Giro, after all. Can he do it again?

Jay Vine (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) follows Tarling down the start ramp. Favourite after favourite in Lucca right now - all coincidence, of course.

On the television, they reckon it might be raining in the next 15 minutes - this could scupper the chances of riders like Van Aert, Tarling and Vine, who have all just finished.

Plapp was second fastest through the first time check, two seconds behind Hoole. Interesting to see how the Jayco AlUla rider goes, another stage winner at this race - on Saturday's stage eight.

Vine needed a bike swap, that has probably scuppered his chances for the win. He's actually having trouble getting his bike computer onto his new bike, frustratingly.

The man in the purple jersey, Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek) is next down the start ramp. You wouldn't imagine the Dane would go hard today, given he's out of the overall classification now, but you never know.

It's raining in Pisa, apparently. Not ideal for those riding now. Meanwhile, Van Aert has overtaken his minute man as he comes to the first time check, seven seconds down.

Josh Tarling (Ineos Grenadiers) has smashed the first time check, beating Daan Hoole's time by 17 seconds. Given its raining towards the end, he might need more of a cushion by then.

Tarling averaged 50.73km/h over the first part of the course, simple. Hoole, meanwhile, says on TV he's going to do a rain dance...

Poor Jay Vine hasn't been slow, but his effort was clearly ruined by that bike change.

Tarling almost caused himself a huge problem when overtaking Mikkel Honoré of EF Education-EasyPost, almost running into the back of him. Thankfully for both, there was no touch of wheels. Very fine margins!

Luke Plapp (Jayco AlUla) is about to hit the second time check at Asciano - this will show us how the Australian is faring compared to current leader Daan Hoole. Sadly for the 24-year-old, he lost time on the descent, and is 31 seconds behind the Dutch leader.

I said Mads Pedersen wouldn't be really going for it today, but he's hardly rolling around - he averaged 47km/h over the first sector.

Josh Tarling is flying. He has overtaken the man who started three minutes ahead of him, Paul Double (Jayco AlUla). Could it be two stage victories for the 21-year-old? We all know of his TT prowess.

Wout van Aert (Visma-Lease a Bike) is not flying as much as he would have hoped - he's 49 seconds behind Daan Hoole at the second time check. Could Tarling catch him?

Good news for Lidl-Trek's Daan Hoole - Josh Tarling (Ineos Grenadiers) is four seconds behind him at the second time check. This is going to the wire...

It's clear that Daan Hoole absolutely flew down the climb. Luke Plapp (Jayco AlUla) has just finished in fourth place, 44 seconds behind the leader.

Tarling has 4km to go, but we don't know how far behind Hoole he still is - get ready for a countdown to the finish.

Wout van Aert (Visma-Lease a Bike) is into the final 2km. He's not going to challenge for the win, but he did put an awful lot of effort in on Sunday, after all.

Josh Tarling (Ineos Grenadiers) is going to have to be aggressive in this last section.

The balance of power probably lies with Daan Hoole right now, but there's still time...

Wout van Aert has just finished, inside the top 10 for now.

Josh Tarling crosses the finish line and the clock has gone red - seven seconds behind Daan Hoole.

This is good news for the Lidl-Trek rider... is that the win?

To wrap another story up, Jay Vine (UAE Emirates-XRG) still managed to finish fifth as things stand, despite that bike change. An impressive ride from the Australian.

Now we have a bit of a lull until the GC riders start to appear. As things stand, it looks very good for Daan Hoole (Lidl-Trek), who currently sits in the hot seat. With rain forecast, it might be a difficult time to beat.

Hoole rode the 28.6km in 32:30, at an average speed of 52.8km/h.

Tom here back in the hot seat. Thanks to Adam for covering for a bit! Looks like things got interesting the moment I stepped away.

Rather surprising that Tarling didn't manage to set the best time. He tore through the majority of the course but did that near miss with Mikkel Honoré cost him? It's looking that way at the moment

Seems like Hoole was just faster than Tarling on the descent rather than the near miss being to blame for the Welshman's drop off in speed.

Either way, it's another impressive ride from Tarling considering he buried himself for his teammates on the gravel stage on Sunday.

While we wait for the next swathe of big name riders to start, I recommend having a read of this piece on Josh Tarling's beginnings in time trialling by my colleague, Tom Davidson.

I can remember Tom doing some of the interviews for this article while we were on the road at the Tour de France last summer. It's one hell of a story and well worth your time reading up on Tarling if you don't know a lot about him already.

There's a bit more British interest out on the road now. Max Poole has got his time trial underway and will be looking to improve on his current GC position where he can.

We're well into the top 20 now.

Derek Gee [Israel-Premier Tech] is out on the road.

Gee is the first man within four minutes of the maglia rosa. It won't be long now before we see the likes of Bernal, Giulio Ciccone (Lidl-Trek) and others on the course.

Italian Mattia Cattaneo (Soudal Quick-Step) has just set a quicker time than Hoole at the first check point, he was still 13 seconds slower than Tarling though.

Cattaneo is 12 seconds down on Hoole at the second checkpoint, it's looking doubtful that he can make that back up before he reaches the leaning tower.

Neither Gee or Max Poole will be getting anywhere near the stage win.

The two riders set the eighth and ninth best times at the first time check respectively.

Cattaneo has just finished. The Italian is 4th, 23 seconds slower than Hoole.

We've got two Brits currently on the podium, Tarling and Ethan Hayter.

We're into the top ten now - Primož Roglič has just started his effort and is immediately putting the hammer down.

Roglič is going at well over 50 kmph at the moment as the rain starts to come down. There was a real fear that the weather would start to turn when we were into the closing stages. It has now arrived and means that nerves will be getting increasingly amplified.

Hello! Adam here again, popping back to the live blog.

Simon Yates (Visma-Lease a Bike) has just started, so we're well into the top 10 now. His twin, Adam, of UAE Team Emirates-XRG, has just gone through the first time check 38 seconds down on Josh Tarling's time.

Derek Gee (Israel-Premier Tech) finished in 14th, a minute down on Daan Hoole at the finish.

Top five time - Giulio Ciccone (Lidl-Trek) is powering away. The interesting thing about Lidl-Trek in time trials is that the whole team wear different helmets, with licence given to riders to wear different lids.

The roads are so different to the dry setting we saw earlier. It's a different race for the GC guys to the TT specialists from over an hour ago.

Brandon McNulty (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) is a minute down on Josh Tarling's time at checkpoint one. That's meaningless, but he is 30 seconds behind Primož Roglič (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) already.

Richard Carapaz (EF Education-EasyPost) is away. Not long until everyone is on the course now.

I wouldn't want to be trying to go fast on these roads on a TT bike, that's for sure. Not that I've ever been fast, but still. One misjudged acceleration and that might be it.

Egan Bernal (Ineos Grenadiers) is 1:23 behind his teammate Josh Tarling at the first checkpoint, which suggests time might be lost for the Colombian today.

Top three time. Antonio Tiberi (Bahrain-Victorious) sets off.

At the second check, Michael Storer (Tudor Pro Cycling) is 1:37 behind the lead pace set by Daan Hoole. That might be a good time, impossible to know so far...

Mathias Vacek (Lidl-Trek) is next to finish, and he has rolled in 2:32 down. Tom Pidcock (Q36.5 Pro Cycling), by the way, finished almost 2:30 behind Daan Hoole.

Juan Ayuso (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) the next off. Can he limit his losses to Primož Roglič (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe)? The Slovenian has just gone through the second time check under a minute behind Daan Hoole, which might be a good time in the wet.

Thymen Arensman (Ineos Grenadiers) finished 1:32 down on Daan Hoole at the finish.

It is very much a boom day for umbrella merchants in Pisa today. The rain has really changed the whole picture, probably disadvantaging riders the higher up GC they are.

And finally, Isaac del Toro (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) is off. Earlier, I said it would require a lot for him to lose pink today, considering he has a lead of 1:13 over his teammate Juan Ayuso. The rain could be that difference.

Damiano Caruso (Bahrain-Victorious) is next to finish, he's 1:54 behind Daan Hoole at the end.

By the way, Simon Yates went through the first time check just 35 seconds behind Josh Tarling, which is not bad considering the precipitation.

Fair to say Juan Ayuso is taking it very gingerly around some of these corners. It's understandable, considering how damp the roads are. Let's hope everyone stays upright.

Tom here, back to take over to the finish.

It's getting nail biting now watching these guys take this on.

Wow! That's a huge ride from Primož Roglič.

He's 1:15 off Hoole but he's almost certainly taken time back there.

33:45 for the Slovenian.

Brandon McNulty finished 2:23 down on Daan Hoole which means Roglic will jump above him at least. The Slovenian needed a big ride today and he's delivered one.

The day hasn't gone as well for Giulio Ciccone. The Italian is struggling on this course and is more than two mins down at the second check point.

But Simon Yates is having an incredible day! He's just a few seconds slower than Roglic at the second check.

Bernal just crossed the finish line, 2:58 down on Hoole. Not a good day for the Colombian but he's a long way from being out of contention yet.

This Giro is well and truly on for Simon Yates! He finishes 1:43 down on Hoole but has taken well over a minute on Egan Bernal.

Urgh! It's tipping it down now.

Daan Hoole will win the day but his Lidl-Trek teammate Giulio Ciccone has shipped time in the fight for the pink jersey.

Antonio Tibieri has finished, he's 1:53 down on Hoole.

The Italian is still very much in the fight but Simon Yates has taken time on him.

Del Toro is about to finish but that's Hoole's victory confirmed.

We'll have a full report on the site shortly, thank you for joining us today.

The venue first hosted the championships in 2024, and USA Cycling plans to come back to the city for several more years.

Elite racing kicks off on Wednesday, May 21, with the time trial races before moving onto criterium racing on Friday, May 23, and finishing on Monday, May 26, with the road races.

The courses

The time trial course takes place exclusively on Kanawha Boulevard along the Kanawha River. The 10.4-mile race against the clock is pan-flat with just 95-feet on elevation gain, and the course features two U-turns to keep racers on their toes.

Friday’s criterium features a flat, six-corner course that starts and finishes at Haddad Riverfront Park.

The road race course consists of two distinct loops with two climbs to make a 13.1 miles lap with 1,126-feet of elevation gain. Elite men are scheduled to complete 10 laps for a 131-mile race and more than 10,000-feet of climbing, but the women only complete 6 laps for a 79-miles race with 6,756-feet of climbing.

The course immediately heads to the otherside of the river from the start/finish for the first climb up Bridge Road before descending back down and crossing the river again. Racers then head along a flat section parallel to the river over to a climb up Wertz Avenue. After descending back down to Kanawha Boulevard, riders navigate an 8 turn circuit to get back to the start/finish.

Names to Watch

For the time trial, last year’s elite women’s leader, Taylor Knibb (Hoka-Trek), will be in Charleston to defend her stars and stripes jersey, but she'll be met with some strong competition from last year’s second-place finisher, Kristen Faulkner (EF-Oatly-Cannondale). Also comfortable in the aero extensions this year is Alia Shafi (Fount Cycling), who won this year's Redlands Bicycle Classic TT stage.

In the men’s time trial, Tyler Stites (Caja Rural - Seguros RGA) finished second last year and will be a fast man to watch. Jugo Scala Junior (Project Echelon Racing) and Eric Brunner (Competitive Edge Racing) have also had TT success this year at Redlands and the Tour of the Gila.

Last year, the men’s criterium was dominated by Project Echelon Racing, which swept all three podium steps with Stephen Bassett, Brendan Rhim and Scott McGill—all three of whom will be in attendance. Lucas Bourgoyne (Team Cadence Cyclery PB Encore Wire) and Michael Garrison (MGR p/b +SpeedStudio) have seen success on the USA Crits circuit this year, while L39ion of Los Angeles and Team Winston Salem will have strong squads.

The women’s crit in 2024 was won by Coryn Labecki, who is now retired. But runner-up Elizabeth Dixon (Fount Cycling Guild) and third-place Kendall Ryan (L39ion of Los Angeles) will be competing. Cynisca’s Alexis Magner and L39ion’s Holly Breck will also be riders to watch. LA Sweat and United Cycling will also have strong teams.

Olympic gold medalist Faulkner will undoubtedly be a threat in the road race, where she'll be looking to repeat her 2024 victory. Previous national champion Lauren Stephens (Aegis Cycling Foundation) also plans to toe the line. Fount’s Shafi and Ellexi Snover are coming off consistent stage results at Redlands, while Galen Bollard (Competitive Edge Racing) won stage 4 of Gila (Stephens was victorious in the overall).

None of the men’s 2024 podium performers are on the start list for this year. Instead, the roster is headlined by WorldTour talent in Quinn Simmons (Lidl-Trek) and Riley Sheehan (Israel Premier Tech). Simmons’ little brother Colby will be there for EF Education Easypost, and the Ineos Grenadiers will be represented by Andrew August and Artem Schmidt. Scott Mcgill (Project Echelon Racing), Quinn Felton (CycleSport.com), and Owen Cole (Team Winston Salem - Flow) are also names to watch.

How to watch

The criterium and road race will be streamed live on FloBikes.

May 23

6:30 p.m. ET - Women's Elite Criterium

8 p.m. ET - Men's Elite Criterium

May 26

8 a.m. ET - Women's Elite Road Race

1 p.m. ET - Men's Elite Road Race

By 2004, the year he became U23 time trial world champion, a serious problem had set in: he had become addicted to cycling.

"I started with no knowledge of cycling, aged 17, and as a junior would ride 1,200km a week with only one day off." Along with the compulsive training came compulsive control of his eating.

"There were parts of my life that I didn't like and didn't have control over," says Brajkovič. "Riding my bike and eating copious amounts of food felt liberating. But it was a vicious circle: eat, purge, then binge again."

Bulimia, the cycle of bingeing and purging, had a vice-like grip on him. A studious young man, Brajkovič wasn't naive to the effect of his lifestyle.

"I read and analyse a lot, and I knew what I was doing was a plan for destruction," the Slovenian says, "but I wasn't strong enough to seek help. I was very introverted, and when you have an eating disorder your self-respect and self-confidence are below zero."

It didn't matter that he'd had a top ten finish at the Tour de France, or rode for some of the biggest teams - Discovery Channel, RadioShack and Astana - as a pro cyclist, he always felt alone, unsupported and in a downward spiral.

But now, more than two decades on, he's come through the other side and is determined to help others. "I knew other people with similar problems who couldn't find the answers, so I wanted to help them." At every step along the way, whatever team he was on, Brajkovič's habit of excessive training rarely changed.

"Even in years with little racing, I'd ride more than 40,000km." Before the arrival of Primož Roglič and Tadej Pogačar, he was Slovenia's best rider on the world cycling stage.

Two-hundred-kilometre solo rides were the norm for him. "In the morning, I'd have a breakfast of 3,000-4,000 calories, and I'd feel great because the dopamine was so high," he remembers.

"But when I was done, the sensation of guilt would come, and only when I purged would I feel liberated. From the outside, you think: it's simple, don't eat, don't throw up. But it's like being a drug addict who needs their fix. The only period in the day when I wouldn't binge and purge was when I was riding my bike."

Brajkovič estimates that "on each team I raced on, 10-15% of riders struggled [with disordered eating]." Only occasionally could he wrest back control from his demons.

"The longest I was able to properly manage my food was 60 days," he says. These brief periods of control saw some of his best results, including winning the 2010 Critérium du Dauphiné and finishing ninth at the 2012 Tour de France.

Cycling has been criticised for not adequately addressing the issue of eating disorders, but Brajkovič points out that affected riders deliberately conceal the problem. "With bulimia, you slowly distance yourself from other people, as that allows you to do whatever you want. I'd do training camps by myself so no one could see me. Only one person, a team doctor in 2013, ever suspected I had a problem."

Brajkovič was fully conscious of the harm he was causing himself. He concluded that he had an addictive temperament - and feared what might have happened if he had not become a cyclist. "Alcohol abuse was prevalent in my family and I hated it," he says, "but I'm 100% sure I would have abused hard drugs." What makes him so sure? "Cycling allowed me not to feel those negative emotions.

Drugs do the same; they numb you." Cycling may be a safer addiction than class-A drugs - but Brajkovič was convinced the binge-purge cycle was slowly killing him. "After my contract [with Bahrain Merida] wasn't renewed in 2017, I lost hope that I'd ever fix my food issues, and I knew that people died from bulimia. I thought that was my destiny."

In 2019, while riding for Continental team Adria Mobil, Brajkovič's private fight took a dark turn: he was notified by the UCI that he had returned a positive test for banned substance methylhexaneamine, a stimulant marketed as a fat-loss supplement. Brajkovič claims he had unwittingly consumed the substance in a meal replacement powder and that only a trace amount was detected - though he accepts full responsibility.

During the proceedings, UCI officials accidentally copied him into an internal email chain in which, he claims, they were mocking him - though he refuses to specify the exact wording. The effect was profound. "If I hadn't had kids, I'd have committed suicide, 100%. I thought everything I had was being taken away from me, and there was no reason for me to live." He was banned for 10 months, but didn't return to competition at a Continental level until the summer of 2022.

Shortly afterwards, Brajkovič penned a blog revealing his struggles with bulimia. "With the ban, it really hit me: I thought, if I continue like this, I'll die from bulimia. I thought of my wife and three kids - what was I going to do?" He began to suspect he had harmed his health irreversibly. "Do this for six months, and you do some damage but it can be fixed. Do it for 17 years and there's a depletion of minerals in the body, chance of heart problems, and of course mental problems. I've done a lot of damage to my body."

Acting on a recommendation, in 2020 Brajkovič met Aleš Ernst, the creator of the AEQ Method, a physical and mental therapy purporting to resolve chronic pain. The near-three-hour meeting changed his life. "He explained how for my whole life I had been ignoring and suppressing problems and emotions." The AEQ method is a psychosomatic process that aims to get at the root cause of deeply ingrained problems, unblocking repressed emotions to release tensions.

"I was raised in a household where, if there was a problem, everything went silent," Brajkovič remembers. "My learned solution was riding my bike - by blowing off steam, I would feel better. I was essentially abusing exercise rather than addressing the problems."

After just one AEQ method session, Brajkovič felt hope - at last. He regained control of his eating and his cycling. He became such a firm believer in the method's guided breathing and sensory awareness exercises that, within a year of therapy, he decided to become an AEQ teacher.

Since then, Brajkovič has created his own business, coining the "JB method", based on the AEQ method but adapted for athletes. He now assists a number of sportspeople, including some professional cyclists. "There is incredible potential in this method, but it won't happen quickly for everyone - it takes time. There will be painful realisations, but embrace it like I did, and it can change everything."

As he reflects on his extraordinary journey over the past two decades, during so much of which he was hiding a dark secret, Brajkovič now strives to assure others that there is always hope, always a solution. "If problems aren't addressed as soon as they happen, they pile up," he says. "The most important thing is having self-awareness - anyone who has that can overcome their problems."

A friend's view: He's a new man

Stewart Alan Howison, owner of Revolution Cycles Dubai, has been friends with Brajkovič for 15 years I first met Jani in 2010 when he was riding for RadioShack. He'd flown to Dubai to prepare for the Tour de France unaware it'd be 45°C so I loaned him a turbo trainer.

From there, we developed a friendship that has lasted to this day. As I got to know Jani, he seemed very introverted, someone who kept himself to him himself, as if his only goal in life was to ride his bike.

I knew he had a very restrictive diet, but I assumed that was the norm for elite cyclists. We had a conversation one night in my lounge over whisky: he told me everything - how he had starved his body, fuelling on cola alone. His transformation since then has been night-and-day.

He is a totally different person now, and we have long, deep conversations about everything. Ten years ago, he wasn't able to speak in front of people, but now he holds and inspires a room. He's a hive of knowledge that for years was all kept in a vault; now he just wants to share what he knows and his passion. He has a new zest for life.

If you've been affected by issues raised in this article, you can call (UK) Samaritans on 116 123; Mind on 0300 102 1234; the National Suicide Prevention Helpline on 0800 689 5652, or the Beat eating disorder helpline on 0808 801 0677

Technically, this year's Vuelta Femenina wasn't my daughter's first rodeo; she actually attended the Tour de France in 2014 when it came to Yorkshire. Although if you're quick with math, you've probably already figured she was just a couple of months old and spent the whole time asleep or feeding in a sling.

This time around, however, on the eve of her eleventh birthday, she was wide-eyed at the spectacle, absorbing every moment of the race and the carnival surrounding it.

She's seen a lot of bike racing on TV and has even started to dabble herself, so she's well-versed in the main event, but being so up close and personal gave her (and me) a whole new perspective, reminding me why attending your first Grand Tour is so special.

Questions my 10 year old asked

The game changing question she didn't ask

Only after we arrived home from our Grand Tour mini-break did I realise there was one question my daughter had failed to ask the entire time we were at the Vuelta Feminina.

Not once did she ask for her tablet (we'd left it at home) or to play a game on one of her parents' phones.

I'm not sharing this to appear smug; rather, I recognise how difficult it can be for a nearly 11-year-old child to spend four days with just her parents in a non-English-speaking city, even without owning a smartphone herself, and with minimal access to computer games.

Coming home with the desire to become a professional rider, the urge to travel again, and the wish to watch more live racing, especially women's racing, without missing any electronics, is a game changer - and that must surely be the biggest win of the race.

It is yet to be verified by the record keepers, but the 37-year-old completed the ride faster than the previous record holder, James MacDonald, according to her tracking data, by six hours and 39 minutes. He had set a time of five days, 18 hours. She also set a new women's record in the process, beating Louise Harris' 10 days, five hours.

She rode in aid of The Bike Project and Bikes for Refugees, two initiatives close to her heart.

To break the record, to complete the 2,700km challenge - with 16,000m of elevation - she rode 500km a day. A huge challenge, for any kind of ultra cyclist, let alone someone who only got back into cycling a couple of years ago, and who also has bounced back from a rare and debilitating autoimmune disease which left her paralysed.

She dealt with sleep deprivation, a brutal route, and a tough headwind in the final 100km to break the record.

On Instagram, her team posted: "Thank you to ever single person who has dot watched, donated, stood on the side of the road, cheered, followed, shared and supported.We are sat here at John O Groats in awe taking in the feeling of Sarah having finished. She has requested fish and chips and a shower. Big love to you all."

"I could cry thinking about how grateful I am for my health now, and basically my second chance at life," she explained to Cycling Weekly last month. "There was a point where I didn't think I was going to make it and if I did make it, they thought I might be in a wheelchair for the rest of my life. Now I'm at this point where my body hasn't failed me and I'm ready to go out and show other people that it is possible. I'm just reflecting on gratitude and my privilege to be able to do this.

"I think one of the reasons I am interested in doing this ride and pushing myself to such a level is because it will allow me to reintroduce those feelings of discomfort and those dark moments that I experienced when I was ill. But now I'm coming at it from a place of strength. It's my choice now. So, in a way, it will be quite healing for me and hopefully inspirational for some of the fundraising as well."