While the Red Bull–Bora–hansgrohe mechanics tried their best to keep it under wraps, the camouflaged Specialized S-Works Shiv TT bike of World Champion Remco Evenepoel has garnered a fair bit of attention at the Tour de France Grand Depart.

In the automotive industry, striped camouflaging is used to hide the shape and detail of a new test mule, but the downside is a vivid and easy-to-spot object - no riding incognito here. The same can be said for Specialized and what is clearly an all-new S-Works Shiv TT bike, a fact validated by the UCI prototype sticker on the upper seat tube.

Originally launched in 2019 at the Tour de France Grand Depart, the Specialized S-Works Shiv TT has long needed an update - despite still being competitive and winning races, Olympic gold medals and World Championships under the legs of Belgian Remco Evenepoel. Known for its lightweight chassis and sleek aerodynamic design, the Morgan Hill-based company has looked to up the ante of its best time-trial bike and bestow it with a more contemporary design.

Like the newly launched Specialized S-Works Tarmac SL9, the new Shiv will undoubtedly benefit from a fresh Fact 12r layup, entirely new tube shaping, and balanced weight distribution throughout the chassis. In terms of the new blueprint, the bike benefits from a radically narrower leading edge on the headtube, which is also deeper in profile than the current model.

The fork, downtube and seat tube are also notably deeper and sharper, and more in line with current aero trends, while a distinct Win Fin-style seat tube cutout extends over and hugs the rear wheel.

The rear triangle, in particular, is akin to an arrowhead: the seat stays join the seat tube at 90 degrees, mirroring the chainstay below, and then meet at the dropouts. We expect this to have been implemented for a boost in aerodynamics, compliance, and tyre clearance (presumably up to 32mm) - and one that visually sets it apart from its chief rivals. Like his teammates, Evenepoel's prototype Shiv was running 30mm Specialized Turbo TLR tyres.

Closer examination of Evenepoel’s spare bike on the roof of his team car showed a SRAM Red AXS groupset complete with a whopping 68T chainring paired with a 10-36T cassette and 160mm cranks. There’s also a new aerodynamic seatpost clamp allowing saddle tilt and fore-aft adjustments.

The cockpit is fairly similar affair to what we’ve seen used by Remco in the past, with a vee-shaped basebar attached to custom carbon-fibre extensions. As has become commonplace on SRAM-sponsored teams at this year's Tour de France, Remco is using custom Leap Components Aero Grip Blip Mount shifters emblazoned with his initials, R.EV.

While the Roval solid disc rear appears unchanged, the front Roval wheel is notably deeper than that of his teammates, all of whom are riding the current Specialized S-Works Shiv TT.

We'll update this with more information and details as we receive them.

One thousand and seventy seven days. That's how much time has passed since Jonas Vingegaard last wore the yellow jersey in the Tour de France. But when he finally tried it on for size again in Barcelona on Saturday evening, after leading Visma-Lease a Bike to victory in the stage one team time trial, he found it still fitted him just fine.

Vingegaard stormed through the finish with eight seconds in hand over second-placed Filippo Ganna of Netcompany-Ineos, after his team pulled off a near-flawless TTT masterclass. Above all, though, he triumphed over Tadej Pogačar, his Tour de France nemesis and the defending champion that many consider near-unbeatable.

Vingegaard has worn yellow before – he is a double Tour winner, don't forget – but it was clear that this jersey meant as much to him as it has ever done, and maybe more.

Describing it as a "dream come true", he said: "Being back in the yellow jersey is for me the most important. I'm just extremely happy, it's something I dreamt of for the last three years.

"It's a dream for everyone in cycling, I think, and just to be wearing this jersey is something special, and I will enjoy every moment in it."

Much has happened in Vingegaard's career during those 1,077 days since he last wore it in Paris at the end of the 2023 Tour de France. Perhaps most significantly, a massive crash at Itzulia Basque Country in early 2024, which left him badly injured and, in the immediate aftermath, believing he might die. Being able to wear the maillot jaune once again, he said, provided a certain level of closure.

"I've struggled at times in the last few years," he told journalists, "[but] now I feel like I can close this chapter in the book, if you can say it. Of course, it will always be a part of my book, laying there on the ground, believing that I'm going to die. And then coming from that to this point is also for me a bit emotional."

Much as wearing yellow once more was a huge moment for Vingegaard, it wasn't won in a straight fight between himself and Pogačar. Both riders were beholden to their team's abilities against the clock, and while Pogačar's UAE Team Emirates-XRG squad were 13 seconds behind come the third and final time check, when both riders were unleashed up the final climb of Montjuïc, it was the Slovenian who prevailed. He was three seconds quicker than Vingegaard's 1:26 and hence will wear the polka dots on stage two.

Vingegaard was acutely aware, he said, that his stage one victory was only the very beginning of a long three weeks. He is now a expecting a hard fight that will begin almost straight away.

"I think the next stage will already be very hard," he said. "I think it's just gonna be, from now on, fighting every single day to do the best possible, to be honest."

Visma-Lease a Bike sports director Marc Reef emphasised that the team's underlying goal was yellow in Paris, and that Vingegaard would not necessarily attempt to keep it in the immediate future.

"[Paris] is the goal; it's not the goal to directly keep it, but of course when the chance is there it's OK," he said. "And of course tomorrow we have immediately another explosive stage; stage three is another explosive stage with an uphill finish… We'll see day by day – we're happy with the situation we're in. We have a small gap over our opponents but in the first place we're happy with this win."

A team time trial – especially one that essentially acts as one long leadout train for the protected rider – always creates notable differences among the general classification riders, and stage one of the 2026 Tour de France has left a number of key riders already playing catch-up.

The 19.6km TTT in Barcelona ended with a climb up to Montjuïc, the fortress that overlooks the Mediterranean port city. Jonas Vingegaard, twice a Tour winner, proved victorious, with defending champion Tadej Pogačar finishing 12 seconds in arrears to his rival.

That’s a time gap that could be closed as early as stage two, but there are others with a lot more work on their hands.

Paul Seixas, the great French hope, finished 39 seconds back from Vingegaard, while Britain’s Tom Pidcock was 57 seconds slower than the stage winner. In fact, Seixas and Pidcock lost time to all of their expected rivals in the battle for a top-three finish.

Uno-X Mobility's Tobias Halland Johannessen, viewed by some as an outsider for a top-five spot, was one minute behind, and Netcompany-Ineos are already facing an uphill battle – Thymen Arensman was 1:01 adrift, and Kévin Vauquelin was 1:14 shy of Vingegaard.

Nineteen-year-old Seixas, however, was in an optimistic mood, having made his Tour debut. “Really good,” was his assessment of the day. “It was special because it was a TTT and we were really focused on it.

"I took it as a normal TTT and we did a great job today. We did the best we could do today and that’s the most important thing for me.”

Like Pogačar, Seixas is aiming to claw back time as soon as stage two, which finishes on the same Montjuïc circuit. “It’s a good stage for me I think,” he said. “I did different work for this race so we will see how it goes and how I feel. I hope it will be a good stage tomorrow.

“They [Vingegaard and Pogačar] are the best in the world so we will see how it goes during the coming weeks. I hope to really perform and see what I can do.”

Pidcock, who hasn’t publicly stated his ambitions in the race, is also needing to fight back if indeed he is targeting the GC as is assumed. He had known he would have had to, but he also would have hoped to have lost less time than he did.

“It’s a hard final and you want to keep Tom’s best skills intact – he’s very explosive and powerful on that kind of finish and our strategy was to save as much energy as possible. I don’t think it was a bad strategy,” Pinarello-Q36.5’s coach Kurt Bogaerts said afterwards.

Pidcock’s punchiness makes him one of the top contenders to win stage two, but claiming yellow seems out of the question now. “I think there are many stages that are good for Tom on paper, but it all depends on how the ball falls on the day,” Bogaerts said.

“That kind of finish is all about momentum, legs and having a little bit of luck. We will definitely go for tomorrow.”

On the flip side, the TTT confirmed the positive condition of some of the other podium contenders: Juan Ayuso of Lidl-Trek was only 16 seconds slower than the winner, and just four seconds back from Pogačar.

Time trial world champion Remco Evenepoel, meanwhile, was 19 seconds down but crucially finished 16 seconds faster than his Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe teammate Florian Lipowitz.

“The difference was limited,” Red Bull sports director Klaas Lodewyck told the Belgian press, who like most are intrigued who will come out on top in the Evenepoel-Lipowitz battle for team leadership. “Does this immediately clarify the hierarchy between our leaders? I don’t think so – the final reckoning will only be made in Paris.”

Evenepoel uttered the same thing. “Whether I am now leader number one? I’m not concerned with that. I just did my thing,” the Belgian said.

“This is more or less the result we expected. It was quite OK. I don’t think we could have ridden any faster. It was a successful first day.”

One day down, and the GC is already taking shape.

Second on the stage, Egan Bernal in the green jersey, and still there was a feeling that Netcompany-Ineos had started the Tour de France with a dash of bad luck.

In the race’s opening team time trial in Barcelona, Filippo Ganna steered the team to within eight seconds of the stage win, and the race’s first yellow jersey, won instead by Jonas Vingegaard and Visma-Lease a Bike.

It seemed like a plan almost perfectly executed. Except Ganna was never meant to lead the charge to the line, Netcompany-Ineos director of racing Geraint Thomas said. It was supposed to be Kévin Vauquelin, who punctured with 7km remaining of the 19.6km course, and finished a minute back.

“It was a tough one, really, with Kévin puncturing,” Thomas told Cycling Weekly. “He was our guy to finish it off. He was the one that was going to, well, he was sitting on to sort of save the legs really for that last effort.”

Due to the new timing system, whereby riders received individual times across the line for the general classification, a stage win would have put the Frenchman in the yellow jersey.

That dream quickly fell away, but in the face of potential disaster, the team improvised, and Ganna took on the baton himself.

“Everyone stepped up and did their bit,” Thomas said. “The way the boys responded to [the puncture] and adapted to the plan was really good to see. Pippo, fair play to him, we wanted him to empty the tank by the top of the first climb and he had to finish it off [on the second].

“As I said earlier today, you have your plan and it'll never go to plan. It's how you adapt to it. It's just a shame to lose Kévin with that puncture. I feel for him, because he hasn't had much luck this year, but it's the way it is, and I think everyone did what they could in the moment.”

Netcompany-Ineos have two riders in the top 10 after stage one: Ganna in second at eight seconds, and Tobias Foss in ninth at 38.

Vauquelin, who placed seventh overall last year with Arkéa-B&B Hotels, is 26th, one minute and 14 seconds behind the leader Vingegaard.

Thomas assured the Frenchman's time loss is not a catastrophe: “[Vauquelin] was coming here to not worry about the GC and just go after the stages,” he said, adding that the team plans to treat the race like “21 one-day races”.

As a final, unexpected treat after the stage, Egan Bernal was called to the podium, where he was presented with the green jersey, as leader of the points classification. The 2019 race winner earned the honour by being the fastest to the first time check 5km into the stage.

Asked by Cycling Weekly if it was the plan to go for green, Bernal said: “No, for sure not. The objective was to ride as fast as we can for the stage.”

Like Thomas, the Colombian's take on the day struck a bittersweet tone. “I think it was good. We came second,” he said. “Of course, you always want to win, but this is cycling, we’re in the highest level in the world, and I think the others deserve the victory.”

Not since the final stage of the 2023 race has Tadej Pogačar been chasing Jonas Vingegaard at the Tour de France. He is now though.

Stage one of the 2026 edition, a 19.6km team time trial in the centre of Barcelona, ended with Vingegaard in the yellow jersey, his Visma-Lease a Bike team having produced a flawless performance. UAE Team Emirates-XRG’s Pogačar finished 12 seconds adrift.

The race is long – it’s just the start of what will be three punishing weeks – but the first blow has been landed by Vingegaard.

Not that Pogačar is too concerned. The 27-year-old, who is targeting a record-equalling fifth title, knows that his rival’s advantage is minimal. But psychologically it matters that Vingegaard is on top and he is in the unfamiliar position of being the hunter and not the hunted.

“No,” he said when asked if he was disappointed. “I’m really happy – we did a super good performance. Of course you always aim for the victory but I think we did a really good team time trial. We went all in and we got third place so it was really good. We can be proud of that.” Netcompany-Ineos's Filippo Ganna was sandwiched between the two favourites for yellow.

A positive for Pogačar was that he climbed the finishing 860m ascent three seconds quicker than Vingegaard, meaning he leads the mountains classification and will be dressed in the polka dot jersey on stage two.

It’s also a sign that his third place on the opening stage was more a reflection of the performance differences between his and Vingegaard’s team.

“Good news: I have climbing legs!” Pogačar laughed. “But it was quite short, the climb. The legs are good, the sensations are really good, so the shape should be here. I hope I can continue like this. We can be happy with today and be really motivated for the next few days.”

Stage two, which starts in Tarragona – the furthest south the Tour has ever visited – before arriving back in Barcelona and finishing on the same Montjuïc circuit, offers Pogačar an immediate chance to cut his deficit to Vingegaard.

“We will fight for the yellow in the coming days, maybe tomorrow, but tomorrow is a super hard, tricky stage so you never know,” Pogačar said.

“Tomorrow we will need to be as calm as possible because already before the final I think there will be a lot of stress so we have to be ready for that.”

There’s always a temptation to read too much into the results of a single stage out of 21, and the reality is Pogačar’s losses to Vingegaard are small enough that they can be recovered in one climb alone.

But Vingegaard being in yellow for the first time since he won the last of his two maillot jaunes is significant. For a change, it’s the Dane in the driving seat, and the Slovenian on the (relative) backfoot.

He’s already shown signs of frustration, too. “I’m also super happy the day is over,” he said. “It’s super hard to do this day because it’s long, you prepare just for these 20 minutes with the team and it’s really stressful. But I enjoyed it today. It's been a long time since I’ve done a team time trial.”

Advantage Vingegaard, albeit a minor one.

Jonas Vingegaard roared into the first yellow jersey of the 2026 Tour de France after leading his Visma-Lease a Bike team home in the opening team time trial around Barcelona.

He takes an early advantage into a lumpy second stage from Tarragona to Barcelona, leading Filippo Ganna (Netcompany-Ineos) by eight seconds, with reigning Tour champion Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) 12 seconds down in third.

Points were not awarded in the green jersey competition in the opening stage. Instead, the green jersey was handed to the first rider over the line for the fastest team in the first intermediate time check. That meant that Egan Bernal of Netcompany-Ineos will wear green on stage 2 after the British team's fast start.

Similarly, there were no mountains points handed out on the opening day. Race organisers instead awarded the polka dot jersey to the fastest rider over the last 3.7km section, which was Pogačar.

Thanks to his fourth place on the stage, Juan Ayuso (Lidl-Trek) went in to the white jersey on stage one.

Netcompany-Ineos are in the lead of the teams competition, with two riders sitting in the top-10.

Tour de France stage one report

Everything you need to know about the 2026 Tour de France

Tour de France 2026 route analysis

Tour de France 2026 start list

Tour de France 2026 team guide

Tour de France 2026, Stage 1: Barcelona > Barcelona, 19.6km

1. Visma-Lease a Bike in 21:47
2. Netcompany Ineos, +8s
3. UAE Team Emirates-XRG, +12s
4. Lidl-Trek, 16s
5. Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe, +19s
6. Decathlon-CMA CGM, +39s
7. Alpecin-Premier-Tech, +39s
8. Groupama-FDJ United, +41s
9. Bahrian Victorious, +47s
10. Jayco-AlUla, +51

Tour de France 2026 general classification after stage 1

1. Jonas Vingegaard (Den) Visma-Lease a Bike in 21:47
2. Filippo Ganna (Ita) Netcompany-Ineos, +8s
3. Tadej Pogačar (Slo) UAE Team Emirates-XRG, +12s
4. Juan Ayuso (Esp) Lidl-Trek, +16s
5. Remco Evenepoel (Bel) Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe, +19s
6. Isaac del Toro (Mex) UAE Team Emirates-XRG, +26s
7. Davide Piganzoli (Ita) Visma-Lease a Bike, +28s
8. Florian Lipowitz (Ger) Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe, +35s
9. Tobias Foss (Nor) Netcompany-Ineos, +38s
10 Paul Seixas (Fra) Decathlon-CMA CGM, +39s

Tour de France 2026 points classification after stage 1

No points awarded on stage one. Egan Bernal (Netcompany-Ineos) to wear points jersey on stage 2.

Tour de France 2026 mountains classification after stage 1

No points awarded on stage one. Tadej Pogačar will wear the KOM jersey on stage 2.

Tour de France 2026 youth classification after stage 1

1. Juan Ayuso (Esp) Lidl-Trek in 22:03
2. Isaac del Toro (Mex) UAE Team Emirates-XRG, +10s
3. Davide Piganzoli (Ita) Visma-Lease a Bike, +12s
4. Paul Seixas (Fra) Decathlon-CMA CGM, +23s
5. Romain Grégoire (Fra) Groupama-FDJ, +25s

Tour de France 2026 teams classification after stage 1

1. Netcompany-Ineos in 01:07:08
2. Visma-Lease a Bike, +39s
3. Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe, +1:11

Jonas Vingegaard will wear the first yellow jersey of the 2026 Tour de France after a superlative team time trial performance by his Visma-Lease a Bike squad in Barcelona.

Filippo Ganna led Netcompany-Ineos to the line as the British team finished second on the day ahead of Tadej Pogačar's UAE Team Emirates-XRG.

Vingegaard goes into the maillot jaune after setting a time of 21:47, leading Ganna by eight seconds, with Pogačar a further four seconds down as the 2022 and 2023 Tour de France winner lands the first blow in the 2026 race.

Netcompany-Ineos came into the stage as the main favourite, thanks to the team's phalanx of time-trialling stars. The British squad put in the time to beat, covering the course in 21:55 ahead of the start of the main General Classification teams.

However, Visma-Lease a Bike roared through the middle section of the course to take the lead heading into the climbs. Davide Piganzoli and Matteo Jorgensen led Vingegaard into the final section before the Dane put his Dutch team into first place.

Pogačar's UAE Team Emirates-XRG were the final team to finish and looked to struggle in the early stages, losing Adam Yates and Nils Politt early on. The team were 13 seconds behind Visma-Lease a Bike on the final time-check and Pogačar was able to pull back just a single second on the run to the line.

The opening test of the race sets up the early general classification, with Lidl-Trek's Juan Ayuso into 4th, 16 seconds back, Remco Evenepoel of Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe in 5th at 19 seconds and young star Paul Seixas riding for Decathlon-CMA CGM the biggest loser of the favourites in 10th, ceding 39 seconds.

It's the first time that Vingegaard has held the maillot jaune since he last won the race in 2023. The Dane was understandably overjoyed to finish of the strong work by his team on the final climb to the line.

"I would say it's the perfect start," Vingegaard told the TV cameras after the race. "It's still a long tour, obviously, but it's the perfect start."

"My teammates did an amazing job today, they were so strong. I didn't have to do much to be honest, they just drove me all the way to the finish."

"To take the stage win for us and to take the yellow jersey, also for me personally after a few years without it, a few hard years. It's nice for me to experience it again."

"It's the biggest race of the world. It's an amazing victory for us," Vingegaard added.

The Tour is 21 stages long, with many more decisive days to come, so Vingegaard hept his usual air of tranquility when asked about how this opening day impacts the GC fight to come.

"Of course I'm here to do the best possible GC and to try to win, but it's only stage one, there's a long way left, a long way still of the Tour de France. We have a small gap now, but of course this is the perfect start for us. I couldn't dream of a better start, to be honest."

How it Happened

The much-anticipated opening team time-trial of the 2026 Tour de France began in Barcelona’s warm afternoon sunshine, with Spanish debutants Caja Rural-Seguros RGA kicking things off, followed by Picnic-PostNL and TotalEnergies, as the Tour’s protagonists were made to wait for their first opportunity to push the pedals in anger with individual times counting towards the overall.

Caja Rural set the first time of the day, covering the 19.6km course in a hair under 24 minutes. They were narrowly beaten a few minutes later by TotalEnergies, who held the lead in the early stages before being overhauled by Groupama-FDJ United.

The opening day wasn’t without problems for several teams. Before the stage began, Belgian sprinter Arnaud de Lie failed to complete the morning recon with his Lotto-Intermarché team due to illness, but made it through the opening stage. Groupama-FDJ United also suffered due to a crash involving climbers Guillaume Martin and Clement Berthet, who looked particularly battered and bruised as he crossed the line.

Overall contender Cian Uijtdebroeks was unexpectedly distanced by his Movistar team-mates in the final climb to the line. He would go on to lose 1:53 to Vingegaard.

The first team to get past Groupama-FDJ United was Alpecin-Premier Tech, who put in an impressive ride led home by Mathieu van der Poel. He will be targeting an early stint in the yellow jersey over the coming days.

Netcompany-Ineos were major favourites coming into the day, with a raft of time-trialling heavy-hitters at their disposal. The British team went fastest at the first and second time-checks at that time, before a puncture for French leader Kévin Vauquelin ahead of the two closing climbs.

The team elected to leave Vauquelin behind as they zoned-in on their goal to win the stage. Shortly after, Egan Bernal was dropped, meaning that it fell to Filippo Ganna to finish off the job. Netcompany-Ineos became the first team to complete the course in less than 22 minutes.

The GC favourites were saved for the finale, with Paul Seixas’ Decathlon-CMA CGM heading off first of the yellow jersey-chasing teams. The French team faded in the early stages, and the youngster eventually ceded 39 seconds to Vingegaard and sits 10th overall.

Lidl-Trek, with Barcelona-born Juan Ayuso, put in a strong time, finishing 4th, 16 seconds down. Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe set off third-from-last, with Remco Evenepoel finishing ahead of Florian Lipowitz, the pair losing 19 and 35 seconds respectively.

The penultimate team to finish was Visma-Lease a Bike who blasted through the middle section of the course to take the lead heading into the climbs. Davide Piganzoli and Matteo Jorgensen led Vingegaard into the final section before the Dane put his Dutch team into first place with just one team left to go.

Finally, as the sun dipped over Catalunya, Tadej Pogačar’s UAE Team Emirates-XRG began their Tour de France assault. Adam Yates and Nils Politt appeared to drop off the pace early, and the team were a touch off the pace in the intermediate points. Pogačar had a 13-second deficit to Vingegaard at the last check, with just Isaac del Toro for company on the lead in to the last climb. The four time winner pulled back just a single second at the line and sits in third place heading into tomorrow's punchy stage, which will also finish in Barcelona.

Results

Tour de France stage one: Barcelona > Barcelona, 19.6km

1. Visma-Lease a Bike in 21:47
2. Netcompany Ineos, +8s
3. UAE Team Emirates-XRG, +12s
4. Lidl-Trek, 16s
5. Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe, +19s
6. Decathlon-CMA CGM, +39s
7. Alpecin-Premier-Tech, +39s
8. Groupama-FDJ United, +41s
9. Bahrian Victorious, +47s
10. Jayco-AlUla, +51

General Classification after stage one

1. Jonas Vingegaard (Den) Visma-Lease a Bike in 21:47
2. Filippo Ganna (Ita) Netcompany-Ineos, +8s
3. Tadej Pogačar (Slo) UAE Team Emirates-XRG, +12s
4. Juan Ayuso (Esp) Lidl-Trek, +16s
5. Remco Evenepoel (Bel) Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe, +19s
6. Isaac del Toro (Mex) UAE Team Emirates-XRG, +26s
7. Davide Piganzoli (Ita) Visma-Lease a Bike, +28s
8. Florian Lipowitz (Ger) Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe, +35s
9. Tobias Foss (Nor) Netcompany-Ineos, +38s
10 Paul Seixas (Fra) Decathlon-CMA CGM, +39s

After announcing his resignation in January, Jon Dutton’s tenure as British Cycling CEO has now come to an end, with an interim CEO put in place until a permanent replacement can be appointed.

Dutton joined British Cycling in 2023 after a five-year period as chief executive of the Rugby League World Cup. He has been appointed to one of the most prominent roles in British sport as the new CEO of the British Olympic Association.

British Cycling board member Lee Gibbons has been drafted in as interim CEO, beginning the role on the 13th of July.

“Gibbons brings a wealth of experience from the sports agency sector, other sports rights holders and commercial brands, including nine years at adidas where he ran the sports marketing division,” read a British Cycling statement.

British Cycling say that recruitment for a new CEO is now in its final stages and Gibbons will remain in post until a new CEO is able to join the organisation.

These changes come at a time when the organisation’s board is without a chair, following Frank Slevin’s decision to step down from the position in March due to a bowel cancer diagnosis. Slevin held the role for eight years.

Andy Cook and James Davies have shared the role of acting chair in Slevin’s absence. British Cycling say that a new chair of the board will be announced soon.

Dutton came on board with British Cycling at a turbulent point in its history, during which the organisation lost around 200,000 members shortly after petrochemical company Shell made an agreement to become a major sponsor - a deal which was struck before Dutton’s stint in charge.

British Cycling has also faced recent criticism for its policy that stopped transgender women from competing in female racing categories.

Dutton led a period of strategic change within British Cycling, seeking to boost its social impact and instilling a new mission statement to ‘bring the joy of cycling to everyone’, while working to grow the sport as one that is more accessible and inclusive.

He told Cycling Weekly last year that he hopes to see Great Britain & Northern Ireland's Olympic selection over the coming cycles “to be truly representative of society.”

“We want cycling across Great Britain to represent society, and it is clear in some areas that is not the case,” he added.

Under his tenure, British Cycling played a key role in bringing the 2027 Tour de France grand départes to British soil and also stepped in as the organisers of the Tours of Britain.

“The finish line has arrived far sooner than I had anticipated,” Dutton wrote in a post on LinkedIn signalling the end of his time with BC.

“This journey has been a rollercoaster of challenge, joy, and everything in-between. I’m eternally grateful for the humbling opportunity to lead such a magnificent organisation.”

“It’s been a privilege, an honour and a pleasure,” he added. “I’ve made mistakes, some will cheer my time on while others will jeer, but I leave knowing I’ve given it my all.”

Defending Tour de France champion Tadej Pogačar goes into Stage 1's 19.6km team time trial on a new Colnago time trial bike, code-named the TT2. The Slovenian was spotted using it during the Tour de Romandie prologue in April already - no doubt a move to get some race-effort miles on it in preparations for July.

According to Colnago, complete bikes, including a solid-disc rear, can be built to the UCI weight limit of 6.8kg, which is an incredible feat. The TT2 is some 580g lighter than the model it replaces, with savings said to come from across the bike to improve stability and weight distribution and to aid performance on modern WorldTour TT courses and uphill finishes. Of course, it's faster, too, thanks to a new-fangled front end with a conventional steerer (no bayonet here) that is claimed to save 2 watts over the TT1 and cull weight.

The new bike is also bang-on trend to accommodate wider tyre clearances – up from 28mm to 30mm. Based on what we examined, that might be considered overkill, as Tadej's bike was fitted with 25mm Continental GP5000 TT TR tyres.

The bike is built with Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 components and adorned with Carbon-Ti trim here and there. Up front is a one-by-specific 64T Carbon-Ti chainring with an 11-30T cassette out back, driven by 160mm cranks – a balanced gearing configuration for the flats but something that will pose a notable challenge for the double-kick ascent up Montjuïc hill to the Olympic Stadium.

Despite the narrow-wide profiling of the Carbon-Ti chainring, Pogačar is using a UAE-branded K-Edge chainkeeper to ensure retention across all terrain types.

An interesting move was the fitment of 25mm Continental GP5000 TT TR tyres – the narrowest size we've seen across all the teams we visited at the Grand Depart weekend in Barcelona. Despite the 22mm internal rim width of the Enve SES Pro wheels, the tyres will - at the most - inflate to between 26-27mm, which suggests it's been employed as an aerodynamic move. UAE Team Emirates-XRG have also been running 28mm tyres on their Colnago Y1Rs and V5Rs road bikes, again an aerodynamic ploy, according to the mechanics.

Pog's Colnago TT2 rolls on a pair of Enve SES Pro wheels with a 100mm depth up front and a solid disc at the rear.

The touchpoints come compliments of Enve and Fizik. The Slovenian's cockpit is a custom one-piece Enve solution that mounts directly to the basebar via dual risers. For extra support, there's a bridge near the top that doubles as a Wahoo computer mount.

After parting ways with Prologo at the end of the 2024 season, UAE Team Emirates-XRG are now using Fizik saddles, with Tadej opting for the 192g 3D-printed Aeris 1.0 TT model.

We spotted some interesting hacks on the Colnago TT2. For hand retention during cornering, the base bar has grip tape mounted over a layer of black electrical tape – not the prettiest solution, but these rudimentary solutions have become part of the discipline.

Closer examination of the front end reveals an extra shifter button that has been hot-glued onto the Dura-Ace Di2 ST-R9180 STI TT brake levers. Given that these levers already have a remote shifter button, the extra shifter offers an alternative for shifting with the index finger rather than the thumb.

Other details worth noting are the gold Bikone ceramic bottom bracket, gold Carbon-Ti UDH-compatible dropout and axles, 140mm front/rear disc rotors, and Shimano Dura-Ace pedals. Sadly, no baby Hulk sticker was to be found.

Colnago TT2 bike specs

• Frameset: Colnago Carbon monocoque
• Fork: Colnago Carbon fork with 25mm steerer
• Cockpit: Custom Enve bar and extensions
• Seatpost: Colnago Aero
• Groupset: Shimano Dura-Ace Di2: 64T, 11-30T
• Wheelset: Enve SES Pro front, SES Disc Pro rear
• Tyres: Continental GP5000 TT TR 25mm
• Saddle: Fizik Aeris 1.0 TT

The Tour de France is a colorful kaleidoscope of jerseys and team kits, emblazoned with names like CMA CGM and Visma. But have you ever wondered what half of these companies actually do?

Me too, so here’s a breakdown of every major team sponsor on every jersey in the 2026 men's Tour de France peloton. Some of them might even surprise you.

Alpecin-Premier Tech

Alpecin is a German-based, caffeine-infused shampoo, marketed as helping reduce hair loss. Does it work? Perhaps the focus of a different article. Premier Tech is a Canadian industrial and agricultural technology company that manufactures industrial automation equipment, agricultural and horticultural products. They joined as a new co-title sponsor for 2026. Former co-sponsor Deceuninck (a window and door manufacturer) has stayed on but dropped from the team name.

Bahrain Victorious

Bahrain Victorious is sponsored by the Government of Bahrain. The team was founded in 2016 with support from the royal family, and has faced criticism in the past over Bahrain's human rights record. If you’re wondering where this place is, Bahrain is an island country in the Middle East, situated in the Persian Gulf between the eastern coast of Saudi Arabia and the Qatari peninsula.

Caja Rural-Seguros RGA

This team snagged one of the wild card invitations to this year’s Tour (TotalEnergies got the other). This Spanish-based team is officially called Grupo Caja Rural. It is a conglomerate of 29 Spanish credit cooperatives.

Their focus is on serving retail customers, agricultural workers, and small- to medium-sized enterprises across Spain. Seguros RGA, which means Insurance RGA, is the insurance subsidiary of Caja Rural. The team is making its Tour debut in 2026, fittingly for a Spanish-sponsored team, with the Grand Départ in Barcelona.

Cofidis

This team is one of the longest-running sponsorships in cycling, dating back to 1997, when it was founded, and it’s backed by a French consumer credit company owned by Crédit Mutuel Alliance Fédérale. Their main focus is personal loans, revolving credit, and business financing. Unfortunately, in 2026, the team was relegated, losing its former WorldTour status.

Decathlon CMA CGM

Decathlon is a go-to sporting goods chain in France, with shops in over 80 countries worldwide. They also own the team outright and supply the squad with bikes, kit, helmet, sunglasses, nearly everything a rider needs through their in-house brand Van Rysel. CMA CGM is a French shipping and logistics giant. In fact, they are one of the largest container shipping companies in the world.

EF Education-EasyPost

EF Education First is an education and experiential travel company, focused on language learning, study abroad programs, and cultural exchange. EasyPost is the team's other namesake, a software company that helps businesses streamline their shipping and logistics. Together, they’re funding one of the most distinctive-looking teams in the peloton.

Groupama-FDJ United

Groupama is a French insurance company. It stands for Groupe des Assurances Mutuelles Agricoles. FDJ, an acronym for Français des Jeux. It’s now rebranded as FDJ United and is France's national lottery operator. They also sponsor FDJ United-Suez on the UCI Women’s WorldTour.

Lidl-Trek

Most folks in Europe are already familiar with Lidl. If not, it’s a German discount supermarket chain, a big rival to Aldi. This year, Lidl moved beyond title sponsorship to take majority ownership of the team, shifting its registration from the USA to Germany. Trek is probably familiar to most. It’s an American bike manufacturer and remains a co-owner of the team.

Intermarché-Lotto

Lotto is Belgium's state-owned national lottery and has been a long-time supporter of professional cycling since its first sponsorship in 1985. Intermarché is a French-based supermarket and convenience store chain, owned by the larger Les Mousquetaires retail group. The team was formed in 2026 through a merger of Lotto's previous squad with Intermarché- Wanty. For the Tour, they've swapped their name around.

Jayco AlUla

Jayco is an American manufacturer of recreational vehicles and campers, headquartered in Middlebury, Indiana. However, the team’s financial backing comes from the Australian businessman Gerry Ryan, who owns Jayco Australia.

The co-sponsor is AlUla (the correct spelling), an ancient oasis city in Saudi Arabia. Their sponsorship goal is to help promote the location as a tourism destination — an initiative driven by the Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU), a Saudi Arabian government agency chaired by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

Movistar

Movistar is a telecommunications giant offering telecom services such as mobile and landline services. Plus, movie and entertainment streaming through their Movistar Plus+ — the largest subscription TV provider in Spain. All of this falls under Telefónica, the Spanish telecoms giant, which operates across Spain and Latin America. Founded in 1980, Movistar is considered the oldest continuously operated pro team in the WorldTour.

Netcompany-Ineos

Ineos is a massive multinational company based in London. Most consumers will know the name from the Ineos Grenadier off-road SUV, but the conglomerate is the world's ninth-largest chemical company. Netcompany is new to the peloton; it’s their first year of sponsorship. They are a Danish IT consultancy focused on developing and maintaining IT operations for companies throughout Europe.

NSN Cycling

NSN stands for "Never Say Never." The team is funded by two backers: Andrés Iniesta, a retired Spanish footballer, and the Swiss investment firm Stoneweg (which is part of an even larger investment firm called SWI Group). Despite its blended DNA, the team races under a Swiss flag and is based in Spain.

Picnic PostNL

Picnic is an online Dutch grocery delivery company. There are no physical stores, just an app and a fleet of delivery vehicles across the Netherlands, Germany, and France. PostNL is the Dutch national mail and parcel delivery service. A grocery app and a postal service, both in the business of getting things to your door.

Pinarello Q36.5

Pinarello is the legendary Italian bike manufacturer, and this year they’re stepping up as title sponsor and bike supplier for the squad. Co-sponsors are Q36.5 — a Swiss-based, high-end, performance cycling kit brand. The team is owned by Ivan Glasenberg, a South African-Swiss billionaire and former CEO of Glencore, one of the world’s largest natural resources companies.

Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe

If you’ve seen any professional sports, you’ve seen Red Bull. Considered to be the third-largest soft drink brand in the world (just behind Coke and Pepsi). Bora Hansgrohe is actually two different companies. Bora is a German kitchen appliance company known for making cooktops, ovens, and refrigerators. Hansgrohe is a German manufacturer of showerheads, taps, kitchen faucets, and bathroom fittings.

Soudal Quick-Step

Soudal is a Belgian manufacturer of silicone, caulk, polyurethane foam, and adhesives. Essentially, if you take on any construction or DIY, chances are you’ve used Soudal products. Quick-Step is a global flooring manufacturer known for producing high-quality laminate, vinyl, and hardwood flooring — owned by the global company Unilin. Between the two of them, you could renovate an entire house.

TotalEnergies

If you’ve driven a car around France, chances are you’ve seen a Total Energies petrol station. However, they’re much more than just gas. This multinational, France-based company produces and markets oil, gas, biofuels, and renewable energy. In fact, they’re one of the largest energy companies in the world. Sadly, 2026 is the last year TotalEnergies will be sponsoring the team.

Tudor Pro Cycling

Tudor is a Swiss luxury watch brand and a sister company of Rolex. But the team is really owned by former cycling pro, and double Olympic Champion, Fabian Cancellara. He won two Olympic gold medals in the Men's Individual Time Trial (Beijing 2008 and Rio 2016). The team is now in its second year and already at the start of numerous WorldTour races, so definitely more to come from this young squad.

Visma-Lease a Bike

If you need some HR help, Visma is the answer. This company makes cloud ERP systems, HR management platforms, and financial reporting software. Based in Oslo, Norway, they serve over 2.5 million customers worldwide. Lease a Bike, the other sponsor, is a Dutch-based bike-leasing operation focused on offering bike leases to employees as a company perk.

The team is currently looking for a new title sponsor, trying to keep up with the deep pockets of some of the other world tour teams.

UAE Team Emirates-XRG

One of the juggernauts of the peloton. The team has been backed by the government of the United Arab Emirates since 2017. XRG is an international energy investment company, owned by the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company. Emirates is the world’s largest long-haul airline and the largest airline in the Middle East. It’s also owned by the government of Dubai.

Finally, XRG is an international energy investment company wholly owned by the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC). Essentially, state money is funding the team behind Tadej Pogačar, which has faced criticism from human rights groups.

Uno-X Mobility

Uno-X runs a network of self-service petrol stations across Norway and Denmark. They also offer EV charging stations — operated as the low-cost arm of YX Energi. The team is fully owned by Reitan AS, a Norwegian retail conglomerate that also owns the Rema 1000 supermarket chain and 7-Eleven franchises in the region — both of which also appear on the team kit.

XDS Astana

XDS is making big moves in the cycling world. Fans might know them better as X-LAB — the consumer-facing, Chinese-based bike brand and the team's new title sponsor. Astana remains in the team name as it’s the capital city of Kazakhstan. The team has been backed by the Kazakh state and sponsored by Samruk-Kazyna, a coalition of state-owned companies from Kazakhstan, since 2008.

The 2026 Tour de France begins on Saturday with a team time trial in Barcelona, Spain.

The course, 19.6km long, opens on the city's seafront, before heading past the Sagrada Família and south to Montjuïc, finishing on a double-header of climbs: first, the Côte de Montjuïc, 1.1km at 5.1%, before the Côte du Stade Olympique, 800m at 7%, at the top of which the finish line is drawn.

Tour debutants and wild-card invitees Caja Rural-Seguros RGA will be the first team down the ramp at 17:05 CET (16:05 BST).

The remaining 22 teams will then set off at five-minute intervals, with UAE Team Emirates-XRG, the team of defending champion Tadej Pogačar, the last to begin their effort at 18:55 CET (17:55 BST).

The stage is expected to finish around 19:15 ET (18:15 BST).

It is the first time since since 1971 that the Tour has started with a team time trial.

This year, the race organiser, ASO, has introduced a new timing system at the race: times will be recorded individually, not as a team.

ASO has been trialling this system at Paris-Nice since 2023, and did so again at the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes last month.

The winner of the stage is the entire team, rather than the fastest individual. However, individual times will count towards the general classification, and the race's first yellow jersey will go to the fastest rider across the line on the day.

Any riders who finish outside an extra 30% of the winner's time will be eliminated from the race.

Below are the start times for all 23 competing teams. For information on how to watch the race, visit our streaming guide.

Stage 1 team time trial start times

For the 24th year in succession, I head to the Tour de France. This year, however, things will be very different. There will be no big TV truck, nor accreditation hanging around my neck. No Gary Imlach and his polo shirts, nor Chris Boardman, with his easy-dry non-iron performance leisurewear. No Matt Rendell, nor Daniel Friebe, none of my many friends and colleagues whose names you cannot be expected to know, but whose work you might have been watching if you happened upon the ITV coverage of the last quarter century.

There will, however, be David Millar. David, along with Pete Kennaugh, Lizzie Deignan and myself have got together with Crowd Network, the team behind Watts Occurring and many other huge sports podcasts, and launched For The Love of Cycling. It is, for those of you who may have been listeners, a natural evolution of the much-loved Never Strays Far podcast, which often strayed so far from the subject as to not mention cycling at all! But “FTLoC” will have the Tour de France (Hommes and Femmes) at its very heart. And not just the Tour, but all cycling , all year round. Like ITV, it will of course be free to listen to, and to watch on YouTube.

We had initially hoped to be able this year to live stream a form of watch-along commentary. But, at least for now, the commercial, technical and legal hurdles were too high a bar in the first year. Instead, David and I, plus Lizzie and Pete when they can, will be at the roadsides of the Tour every day, catching the race as the fans that we are, watching it on French TV from cafés and bars, before producing a daily podcast as quickly as we can after the end of each stage.

This way, we will reflect on the race, as well as bring you a flavour of our own journeys of discovery around the country we all love so dearly. I do hope you sign up and subscribe for free in your thousands!

It will be strange for both David and for me not to be commentating. I have no doubt that, from time to time, we’ll fall back into old habits and start getting excitable in bunch sprints, drawing puzzled looks from our fellow afternoon Tour watchers in whichever little French village we have turned up in. But, equally, we are both thrilled by the sudden freedoms we can enjoy now we are fully in charge of our own content, free from the constraints of a mainstream broadcaster, and able to express ourselves more fully and naturally.

The same will be true for both races, as well. Lizzie will join us briefly during the men’s race, but will accompany me all the way around the women’s race. Pete will pop up from time to time, when his Astana commitments allow, and already we are building a list of other exciting potential guests.

Last year I was involved in some early conversations about continuing to work for TV, but honestly my heart was no longer in it. This feels to me like a whole new adventure and I actually cannot wait to get going. Vive le Tour!

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Bookmakers were thrown into panic in April when a French teenager won three stages and the overall at Itzulia Basque Country. They might not have heard of him, but at that moment, Decathlon CMA CGM's 19-year-old wonderkid Paul Seixas became the youngest rider in history to win a World Tour stage race – presenting the bookies with a problem. Could this upstart kid win the Tour de France? Too terrified to rule it out, they slashed Seixas's odds to 5/1, making him joint second-favourite, with two-time champion Jonas Vingegaard, to win the world's biggest race.

Surely the bookies were being overcautious. Not since 1937 has a rider younger than Seixas started the Tour, let alone won it. Besides, at the time of Itzulia, the Frenchman hadn't even committed to making his Tour debut – that would come a month later, with a social media video of him breaking the news to his grandparents.

As of today, the longest stage race Seixas has finished was just eight days. But the manner of his Itzulia victory showcased a physical maturity that makes those statistics practically irrelevant. Bolstered by the hopes of a home nation desperate to end a four-decade drought, Seixas arrives with the kind of boundless momentum that signals one of the most captivating Tour debuts ever.

The youngster's rise has been genuinely unprecedented. After winning the junior time trial world title in 2024, he turned pro at 18, and has since won a major Classic (Flèche Wallonne), finished runner-up in a Monument (Liège-Bastogne-Liège), and podiumed at the elite European Championships, all before his 20th birthday.

Tadej Pogačar was, at the same age, yet to become a pro cyclist; as for Vingegaard, he was still working part-time in a fish factory. Even the great Eddy Merckx, the most prolific cyclist of all time, was 20 when he took his first of more than 500 victories. Seixas's physical talents are undeniable, then, but what no one can predict is how well he'll handle the psychological toll.

How does a 19-year-old shoulder the heavy hopes of a win-starved nation? France in July is a pressure cooker of national pride, catalysed by a media deprived of a homegrown champion since Bernard Hinault in 1985. It's a pressure that has, over the years, overwhelmed even hardened veterans. Now it's the turn of a teenager to try and bring the yellow jersey home.

Chris Froome is the earliest Tour winner Seixas remembers watching. He was just six years old when he sat alongside his paternal grandfather José Manuel following the 2013 edition on TV. Two years later, he started riding with local cycling club Lyon Sprint Evolution.

Seixas would visit his grandparents in the Alps regularly, and train on the 4km climb behind their house. At eight years old, he was already riding "as if he had three lungs", according to his former coach Marc Pacheco.

Yet anyone assuming this early promise translated into immediate, untouchable dominance would be mistaken. He was small for his age – "he had the motor of a Ferrari in the body of a Renault Twingo," Pacheco told RMC Sport.

Camille Charret, now of Cofidis, first met Seixas when the two were 12 and competing in the same local race circuit. "He was a very late bloomer, really thin, but still very strong for his size," Charret says. "He didn't win all the time. He won regularly, but not every weekend. He wasn't dominating."

That changed around the time Seixas and Charret became team-mates at VC Villefranche Beaujolais in 2021. Seixas won the under-17 national road championships that July, a breakthrough victory that cemented his promise but changed nothing about his character.

"He's very humble," Charret says, noting a laidback approach that extended to his team-mate's housekeeping – "when you're sharing a room with Paul, you can't be scared of mess," Charret laughs – and, crucially, in how he absorbed the weight of always being the favourite. "Even when the whole team was counting on him, he never seemed stressed. It's not at all in his nature."

Still, the Tour's a different beast to junior racing, and the French fans, for all their polka-dot-clad passion, can be demanding. Might Seixas fare differently with millions watching? Charret doesn't think so. "Knowing him, he's a bit – how can I say this without causing offence? – euphorique, a bit lost sometimes. I don't think he clocks everything," he says.

"He can be really detached from things, and that's an advantage in cycling because it means he doesn't know what's waiting for him. He doesn't put pressure on himself, because he knows what he can do. Clearly it works."

Seixas's ability to handle pressure will be tested as never before this July. Until now, he has risen to the hype; on his Strade Bianche debut, he finished second to Pogačar, and did the same at Liège-Bastogne-Liège, a race he won as a junior just two years ago.

When his Tour participation was announced in May, the media furore took on a new dimension. Former French pro Pierre Rolland hailed Seixas as "the chosen one" on L'Équipe's evening television show, saying he was "born to win" the Tour. National outlets Le Monde and France24 both labelled him a "prodigy".

Then, just three weeks ago, as Seixas-mania swelled, disaster struck. On the penultimate stage of the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, he crashed heavily, then somehow closed a four-minute gap to get back to the bunch before collapsing at the finish, childlike, in his father Emmanuel's arms. "I'll keep fighting until I have nothing left in my legs," the bloodied rider said afterwards.

That moment came the following day, when he was dropped on the opening climb and abandoned the stage, his arms heavily bandaged.

The race had been supposed to stamp Seixas as a main contender for the Tour. Instead, the bookies swung his odds back out to 10/1. L'Équipe published eight articles on its website documenting Seixas's crash and withdrawal. Le Figaro, one of the country's biggest national newspapers, published nine.

Fortunately, the injuries were inconsequential, but the saga served to remind that the rider described as "buitenaardse", or extraterrestrial, by Belgian outlet Sporza was, in fact, human. It also showed that, win or lose, Seixas remains a huge news story.

How, then, might the media approach his Tour debut? Alexandre Roos, L'Équipe's chief cycling writer, is wary of "overselling" Seixas's prospects. "The media has to have a balanced approach," he tells Cycling Weekly, "and avoid starting hazardous comparisons with Hinault or Pogačar when he hasn't won that much yet."

Roos believes Seixas is right to ride the Tour this year – to "get used to it early" – adding that the media should not be expected to treat him differently from any other high-profile rider. "His team particularly has to protect him, because they can't prevent the media from writing about him."

At Decathlon CMA CGM, Seixas has a designated press officer who deals with his interview requests. It's a measure only super-talents like Pogačar and Peter Sagan have had before him. In researching this feature, Cycling Weekly asked to speak to Seixas's coach and a sports director, but our requests were denied by the team; a press officer assured us it wasn't personal, it was policy.

To assist him further in navigating the pressure, the team has drafted in Romain Bardet as an aide – well qualified for the job as the last Frenchman to finish on the podium at the Tour (third in 2017) and joint holder of the best French GC result this century (second in 2016).

The man who shares that accolade with Bardet is Jean-Christophe Péraud, the 2014 Tour's runner-up. Did he find it hard to cope with the home pressure that year? "No, absolutely not. I was focused on my personal objectives in the race," Péraud says.

"I was also lucky that the media didn't take a lot of interest in me because I only went into second place after the time trial, the day before the Champs-Elysées. They were focused on Thibaut [Pinot] and Romain, the young guard. The media had chosen their little sweethearts, and I was protected behind that."

It also helped that Péraud was already a mature, experienced rider. A latecomer to road cycling, having started out in mountain biking, the Frenchman was 34 when he made his Tour debut, and 37 – almost twice Seixas's age – when he finished second. The expectations on him, he acknowledges, were not as great as they will be for his teenage compatriot.

Even so, he does not foresee Seixas being fazed by the furore this July. "It's about your mentality and how you apply it," Péraud says. "Performance is about maturity, and you can be mature in your discipline at 19 years old, just as you can be at 25, 30 or 35." He goes further. "It'll be easy for Paul. He knows what he wants and where he's going, and he's got the legs for it. I get the impression that media pressure just runs off him. [The team should] just let him be. He's ready."

The portrait of Seixas ahead of his Tour debut is one of a calm and fearless racer, a boy who can retreat into his bubble, undaunted by immense expectation. In interviews, he has seemed bullish about his prospects - prompting his maternal grandmother Annie to joke to Le Télégramme that he had "some nerve". Her grandson had been quoted in a team press release saying: "It is not in my nature, nor is it my conception of cycling, to compete in the Tour de France with the sole aim of learning the ropes."

The preparation is over. Seixas spent the second half of May on a training camp in Spain's Sierra Nevada, racking up more than 37,000m of climbing in just two weeks, before heading to the Pyrenees to recon the key mountain stages.

It's a lot of volume, a lot of stress on the body of a teenager; yet, as Seixas's results have shown, he isn't like other riders his age. Is there a serious chance he could upset the bookies? "He can be in the mix for the podium this year, and probably win it in the next three years," says L'Équipe writer Roos.

Decathlon CMA CGM are being more cautious. "At 19, in the Tour de France, there's no such thing as failure," said sports director Luke Rowe on his podcast Watts Occurring. "Being on the start line is already a success." The yellow jersey odds may be against him, but Seixas is ready to have a punt.

The Continental GP5000 is one of the best road tyres on the market, and a popular choice with some of the world's best riders, including the all-conquering Tadej Pogačar. The Slovenian will open his defence of the yellow jersey in Barcelona this weekend as the Tour de France starts in the Catalan capital.

The GP5000 is one of the most expensive road tyres on the market, and as it's so popular, discounts don't come around very often. I've had a hunt around and found these Tour de France deals on Merlin Cycles. They're listing the Continental GP5000 S TR down from its usual £84.95 to just £52.95, a huge 38% off.

The deal is the same for US shoppers at Merlin, with 38% off, down to $59.57 from the usual $95.57. Although you will have to pay import duty rates from the UK to the US of around 15%.

Below, I've added the UK and US deals at Merlin, and the best US price (without import duty) I could find at Competitive Cyclist. So if you want to see for yourself why the Continental GP5000 S TR is so rated, or if you're already a fan, then stocking up with this road bike tyre deal is highly recommended.

Continental claims the GP5000 S TR sets the standard in road tubeless-ready tyre technology. The brand also says it's the lightest, fastest version to date and comes with increased puncture protection. The carcass of the Grand Prix 5000 S TR features a robust construction that is designed to be impervious to damage and penetration from foreign objects.

The German tyre manufacturer says it makes its tyre a versatile, lightweight and attractive offering. It also features the brand's BlackChili Compound, aimed to deliver the best balance of grip and rolling resistance in a road cycling tyre.

These brand claims come backed by real-world testing and pro-level performance – the GP5000 in the Tour de France claimed the joint title for the most stage wins and was used by more teams in the race than any other.

The price vs performance is the clincher here, making them a bargain buy.

It won't have escaped your attention, I'm sure, but the Tour de France begins today. The real thing is here. Forget about the FIFA World Cup for a second, because the world's biggest bike race is here to take over your lives for the next three weeks.

In April every year, I'm convinced that the Classics, the crescendo of the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix, are the best races of the year. In May, you find some hipsters suggesting that the Giro d'Italia is where it's at. The truth is, however, that nothing beats the Tour de France. July starts, and something changes. It's all I will care about until August, and then it's the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift. My friends might not get much of me until after that.

It's 10 years since I first saw the Tour in person; my Mum and I went on a trip to Cherbourg after I'd finished university to get a glimpse of the famous race. We only fitted in one stage, but we were blown away by the whole spectacle, after not really knowing what to expect – I envy anyone who is going for the first time this year, and gets to see the madness. The caravan, the speed of the riders, the cavalcade, and just the sheer enormity of it all. I had to check, Peter Sagan won, but I think I was just as excited to see Mark Cavendish in yellow that day.

This Tour will be my seventh as a cycling journalist, and the fifth consecutive race I've been to in person. Sometimes, sitting far from the action, cynicism about how exciting something is easily found, but up close, when you're there, there's nothing like it. Saying the Tour is the world's biggest bike race is an almost self-fulfilling prophecy, but it really is.

This year's race is tantalising. Sure, Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) is the favourite for the race, and it would be a surprise were he not to win the race, but it's not at all implausible that Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike) could mount a stern challenge. He's the only rider to ever beat Pogačar at the Tour, after all, and won the Giro d'Italia this year; his and Visma's contention is that he's better in the second Grand Tour of the year, and we will see if that's true, and enough to win.

That's exciting enough, but the Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe duo of Remco Evenepoel and Florian Lipowitz is intriguing, and might well provide some moments of entertainment, if nothing else. Then there's Paul Seixas (Decathlon CMA CGM), the 19-year-old who is aiming to become the first Frenchman in 40 years to claim the yellow jersey. There's a lot in the GC race, and there's more that I haven't mentioned, but there's more to the Tour than that.

This Tour route is back-loaded, but that doesn't make it any easier. There will be day-after-day of start-to-finish gripping action. This might well be the Tour of breakaways, with teams like Soudal Quick-Step, Netcompany-Ineos and EF Education-EasyPost seemingly fully built around maximising the most of those hard days. With Pogačar so far above most other riders, there will be such a fight to make the most of punchy days, those stages where things are up in the air. There's going to be racing from the gun that you won't want to miss. Even if things to end in a bunch sprint, it won't have been easy.

All of this makes it even more heartbreaking, and frustrating, that this is the first Tour de France that won't be shown live on free-to-air television in the UK, after the demise of ITV's coverage, and live coverage now exclusively being on TNT Sports, after ITV chose not to renew its rights. People have found workarounds, whether that's through using VPNs, or watching it in Welsh for certain stages. There will also be highlights on 5, so all is not lost. However, I fear for the casual fan, the person who would switch on the Tour for hours every July, who is now lost. We can try and convey the action through words, but in 2026, it's not quite the same.

I wish I could change this. Cycling on television is beautiful. A bike race like the Tour shows a whole country, in a way that no other sport – barely any other thing – can.

That's enough moping, though. This Tour will be thrilling, I can feel it. Watch what you can, and follow along with Cycling Weekly for everything else. It's time.

The extravaganza of cycling that is the Tour de France is upon us, and that means many teams will be sporting special kits for the next month, to help us spot them in the peloton and give their sponsors some eye-catching real estate as star riders are broadcast around the world, pedalling across majestic mountain passes, huffing a puffing up hors catégorie climbs and sprinting for coveted stage wins.

In Grand Tours, certain coloured jerseys have huge significance, so some teams have to change their kits in order to avoid creating confusion. So, let’s have a look what some of the best-known names in cycling will be wearing when you next see them, as they prepare to tackle the 3320.7km route.

Visma-Lease a Bike

In the case of Visma-Lease a Bike, a wardrobe change is always required – since they usually race in a yellow kit that would look rather presumptuous during La Grande Boucle. The Dutch team decided on a design featuring iconic buildings and a honeycomb motif that signifies strength, all inspired by Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí, who shaped the skyline of Barcelona where the Tour begins with a team time trial on Saturday.

However, someone then came up with the bright idea of letting fans decide which colour their riders should be sweating in, and given a choice between a cool white and a heat-conducting black kit, the sagacious supporters went with… the latter. However, team Head of Performance, Mathieu Heijboer, insists that the fabric is far more important than the colour, and says they’ve tested the clobber on “mannequins that can sweat”, and got no complaints from the crash test dummies. Whether Jonas Vingegaard will be so understanding, we shall soon find out.

Movistar

Movistar have chosen bust out some new threads for the Tour, as their standard white kits could cause confusion with the best young rider jersey. The Spanish team, which will be led by Belgian Cian Uijtdebroeks, have gone with a brilliant blue kit, with graphics also inspired by the signature architecture that surrounds the Grande Depart. The subtle design features some of the "shapes, textures and geometries of the Sagrada Família" – although you’d need to be a Gaudí expert to spot them.

Jayco AlUla

In an unforced change, Australian team Jayco AlUla have pimped their purple Maap kit, with the prominent addition of some go-faster green flames rising from the waist and the sleeves. Impressively, the hot design – which will help multiple stage-winner and veteran puncheur Michael Matthews, plus Luke Plapp, Ben O'Connor and co stand out in the peloton – was first unveiled during Paris Fashion Week.

Pinarello Q36.5

For their debut appearance at the Tour, Tom Pidcock and his Pinarello-Q36.5 squadmates will be trading the team’s typical navy gear for a special light-blue and faint grey-coloured kit that promises to keep them cool.

Caja Rural-Seguros RGA

Another wild card entry taking part in this year’s race, for the first time Spanish outfit Caja Rural-Seguros RGA are celebrating their debut appearance at the world’s biggest bike race with a classic kit coloured green and white (a nod to an earlier incarnation of the team, way back in the 1980s), which poignantly features the inscription ‘#ForçaJaume’, a touching reference to team rider Jaume Guardeño, who was seriously injured in a crash in April and remains in neurological rehab.

Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe

German team Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe have gone with a redesign rather than a complete palette change for the Tour, and the squad – led by Remco Evenepoel and Florian Lipowitz – will be rolling out in a kit that remains blue and red on white, but with some extra design flourishes and patterns.

National Champions

The other distinctive kits you might spot at the Tour are the jerseys worn by national champions, including the one very newly minted for freshly crowned British champion Fred Wright (Pinarello Q36.5).

When you think of Chris Froome, what do you picture?

Is it that victory on La Planche des Belles Filles at the Tour de France in 2012, ahead of Bradley Wiggins, as he announced himself on the world stage? Is it his dominant performances in 2013 and 2015, as he became the first British rider to win the Tour twice? Is it any of the madness of his third Tour crown in 2016, the running up Mont Ventoux, the attack off the Peyresourde to victory, or getting in a breakaway with Peter Sagan? Is it his surge to victory at the 2018 Giro d'Italia, the epic on the Colle delle Finestre? There's so much to choose from.

Or is it anything after the horror crash he suffered at the Dauphiné in 2019? The five years at Israel-Premier Tech, which saw only eight top-20 finishes, and two individual top-10s? Is the Chris Froome you think of the one who finished 97th at the Tour de Suisse last year, or 113th at the Vuelta a España in 2022, the rider who won the whole race twice? Is it even his use of asthma drug salbutamol in 2017, which he received an adverse analytical finding for, over which he was exonerated?

There's Froome the influencer, the brand ambassador, the figurehead, as opposed to Froome the great racer. It feels almost a shame that the memories of the two have become blurred.

Three years ago, when asked if Froome has been value for money, Israel-Premier Tech's owner, Sylvan Adams, told Cycling Weekly: “Absolutely not. How could we say we had value for money? We signed Chris to be the leader of our Tour de France team and he’s not even here so that cannot be considered value for money.

“This is not a PR exercise. Chris isn’t a symbol, he isn’t a PR tool, he’s supposed to be our leader at the Tour de France and he’s not even here, so no I couldn’t say he’s value for money, no.”

Looking back, it's easy to suggest that Froome should have retired while he was at the top, and not had this public battle with form and relevance. It's true, we might have a very different view of Froome if he had left the sport in 2019. However, who are we to deny Froome the opportunity to keep on racing, which he clearly loved, given he was offered a five-year contract to keep doing his job. He suffered from serious injuries, and bounced back, wanting to return to the top – his commitment should be respected.

Froome's retirement, long-expected, long-trailed, long-awaited, was finally confirmed this week. The truth is, in time, we will remember Froome the rider, the dominant stage racer of his generation, the man who made the Tour de France predictable before Tadej Pogačar was even an adult.

A short list of British riders who have won more than one Grand Tour: Chris Froome, Simon Yates. An even shorter list of British riders who have won more than two Grand Tours: Chris Froome. That's his legacy.

Fans in the UK wanting to watch the Tour de France live for free have a lifeline in Welsh-language channel S4C.

Also available on BBC iPlayer, S4C will show live coverage of stages 1, 2, 3, 18, 19, 20 and 21. This means fans will be able to watch the key Grand Départ stages in Catalonia, and the denoument on Alpe d'Huez and in Paris, although coverage will obviously be in Welsh.

This season will be the first season in decades that the Tour will not be shown live, in full, on television for free in the UK. In 2025, it was revealed that ITV would no longer televise the Tour, the exclusive UK rights having been sold to Warner Bros Discovery (WBD), the parent company of TNT Sports.

Live English coverage in the UK will remain on TNT Sports and HBO Max, with contracts costing £30.99 a month, although it can be purchased for £25.99 a month on a 12-month contract.

However, free-to-air highlights will be shown on 5 for the first time this summer. The terrestrial channel, formerly Channel 5, has signed a deal until 2028 to show daily coverage of Tour, as well as highlights of the Giro d'Italia and Vuelta a España, presented by Rebecca Charlton.

The station will also show live coverage of the UK Grands Départs of the Tour de France and Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift in 2027. Highlights will be on 5 at 7pm every evening, starting Saturday 4 July in Barcelona. Daily highlights of the 2027 Tour de France Femmes will also be available on 5.

S4C is also in negotiations to cover the Tour de France in 2027 when it begins in the UK and passes through Wales for the first time in its history.

This year, the presenting team includes Rhodri Gomer, Peredur ap Gwynedd, also known as a guitarist for Pendulum, Gruff Lewis and Manon Lloyd.

Ap Gwynedd said: "I am very happy that S4C is broadcasting the Tour de France once again, for the 13th year in a row. It's pretty bonkers that we've broadcast the race since 2014. And of course, with a stage of the Tour taking place in Wales next year, the word 'exciting' doesn't even come close to how I feel about the future!"

Stages 1, 2, 3, 19, 20 and 21 will be shown on S4C, S4C Clic, BBC iPlayer and S4C Chwaraeon’s YouTube channel, while stage 18 will be on just S4C Clic, BBC iPlayer.

Read our full guide on how to watch the 2026 Tour de France here.

The Tour de France 2026 begins today on Saturday 4 July in Barcelona, as Tadej Pogačar and Jonas Vingegaard once again fight it out for the yellow jersey.

Today it all kicks off with Stage 1, a team time trial around Barcelona that should set an early GC benchmark. Both Vingegaard and Pogačar will be desperate to get off to a strong start, with their teams playing a pivotal role in helping them gain a few precious seconds early in the race.

For many riders and fans alike, the Tour is the season's peak – the biggest stage where the greatest stars challenge each other over some of cycling's most legendary battlefields.

The race enters the Pyrenees as early as stage three. Following that mountain range the race heads north to Bordeaux before cutting diagonally across the country, through the Massif Central, onto the Vosges, before heading down into the Alps and two stage finishes up Alpe d'Huez.

Alongside Pogačar and Vingegaard, Tom Pidcock, Paul Seixas, Remco Evenepoel and Mathieu van der Poel are among the stars to watch over the three weeks of the French Grand Tour.

Below, Cycling Weekly has gathered all the key information on broadcasters and live streams so you can watch the Tour de France wherever you are.

Quick guide to watching the Tour de France

• UK: TNT Sports / HBO Max (£30.99/mon)
• US: Peacock ($10.99/mon)
• Canada: Flobikes ($49.99/mon)
• Australia: SBS (Free)
• Free live streams: SBS (Australia), France TV (France), RAI (Italy) RTBF (Belgium), RTVE (Spain), NOS (Netherlands)
• Anywhere: Watch your local stream from anywhere with NordVPN

Can I watch the Tour de France for free?

Fans in Australia, France, Belgium, Italy, Spain and the Netherlands can watch the Tour de France for free.

In Australia, the race is being shown on TV and online by SBS, the country's public service broadcaster. Streaming is available at SBS On Demand, with linear viewing available on SBS Viceland.

In France itself, the Tour de France will also be shown live via host broadcaster France Télévisions, with the action on France 2 or France 3 and online via France.TV.

In Italy through RAI Play online, in Belgium on RTL and VRT, in Spain on RTVE, and in the Netherlands on NOS are also all free.

Coverage is geo-restricted, so if you're not in any of these countries right now, and these channels are your usual port of call, you'll need a VPN to get your usual coverage while abroad – more on that below.

How to watch the Tour de France while abroad

Most streaming platforms have geo-restrictions these days, which means they only work in certain countries. But being locked out of the races is a thing of the past thanks to a VPN.

A Virtual Private Network is a piece of internet security software that can alter your device's location, so you can unblock your usual streaming services, even when you're abroad.

► Should I use a VPN to watch cycling? Explaining the benefits, costs, considerations, and best VPNs for streaming the races

How to watch the Tour de France in the UK

In the UK, the race will be shown live across TNT Sports and HBO Max.

Live streaming is available on HBO Max, with linear viewing on TNT Sports. Plans start at £25.99 per month, with rolling subscriptions available at £30.99.

However, if you just want to watch highlights, these will be on free-to-air channel 5 every evening, as part of a new deal.

Also, if you don't mind watching in Welsh, stages 1, 2, 3, 18, 19, 20 and 21 will be shown on Welsh-language channel S4C.

How to watch the Tour de France in the US and Canada

For US viewers, this year's coverage of the Tour de France is going to be on NBC and Peacock

Both outlets come from the same NBCUniversal stable, with NBC available on many cable packages and Peacock – which is set to show all 21 stages live – on a pay per month basis. It'll cost you $10.99/month.

Meanwhile, in Canada, Flobikes is in charge of broadcasting the Tour de France in Canada. Subscriptions cost CA$49.99 a month, with big savings for long-term plans. The Flobikes TV app is available on Roku, Fire TV, Chromecast and Apple TV, as well as on iOS and Android.

How to watch Tour de France in Australia

In Australia, you can watch every stage of the Tour de France for free via SBS On Demand.

All you will need is an account with a valid Australian postcode (e.g. 2002).

What to expect at the Tour de France

The Tour de France 2026 will be the 113th edition of what most bike racing fans view as the greatest bike race in the world. It will cover 3,333km over the course of three weeks and 21 stages – with two rest days along the way.

Starting on Saturday 4 July, the French Grand Tour begins in Barcelona with a team time trial, and then another lumpy stage in Spain, before it heads north to France to finish stage three in the Pyrenees.

From there, the race deals with the Pyrenees early, then cuts through the Massif Central up to the Vosges, then through the Jura to the Alps, where there is a showdown on Alpe d'Huez with two stages back-to-back on the antepenultimate and penultimate days.

The race ends on Sunday 26 July in Paris with a repeat of the Montmartre circuit which was such a success last year.

There are multiple contenders for the famous yellow jersey, but Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) stands above them all. Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike) will attempt to the do the double after he won the Giro d'Italia in May.

Remco Evenepoel is back, but with a new team in Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe, where he will share leadership with last year's third-place, Florian Lipowitz, while the hopes of France hinge on the success of 19-year-old Paul Seixas (Decathlon CMA CGM).

In between all those, there's a hatful of sprinters, puncheurs, and climbers who will be hoping to make their mark with a stage win.

2026 Tour de France stage start and finish times

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Smart rings have become a popular alternative wearable for tracking health and fitness. They can deliver largely the same biometric data as the best smartwatches for cycling, but in a much more discreet, sleek, and stylish design.

The best bike computers handle your real-time training data perfectly. A smartwatch just duplicates that on a smaller screen. A smart ring doesn’t try to compete with these things; it focuses more on what happens when you're not on the bike, with deep sleep analysis, resting heart rate metrics, insights into how hard you can push on your next ride, and women's health.

Get the Oura Gen 4 Smart Ring for just £199.99 at Amazon

Now based in San Francisco, health technology company Oura has recently released the Oura Smart Ring Gen 5, but at a significantly increased cost of £500. Which makes this Amazon deal on the previous model, the Oura Smart Ring 4, at up to 50% off, just £199.99, look like a bargain.

Amazon UK pricing varies by size and chosen finish, and Oura recommends purchasing a sizing kit in advance, which costs £10 and is credited back when you purchase your ring. For US shoppers, the Oura Smart Ring Gen 4 has a smaller 20% reduction, down to just $399.

In her original Oura ring review, Cycling Weekly North American Editor Anne-Marije Rook scored it with a 4 out of 5 star rating, saying, "The Oura provides 24/7 health monitoring for a comprehensive view of your health. Its combination of advanced features and user-friendly insights makes it a powerful tool for anyone seeking to optimise their well-being."

For cyclists, the lack of real-time activity metrics, especially heart rate transmission and GPS tracking, means the reviewed version of the Oura Ring serves better as a supplemental tool for recovery and overall health than as a dedicated cycling activity tracker.

However, the discounted Oura Gen 4 has addressed these issues, and heart rate transmission means you can view your live heart rate on most bike computers. GPS tracking still requires you to carry your smartphone (which I always do), and that means the Oura Ring will sync with the phone's GPS signal and the Oura app, saving your route details and enabling a Strava connection.

We ask a lot of the best radar bike lights: to accurately warn of approaching traffic, to provide audio and visual prompts, and even to include cameras to capture any erroneous activity. That is all before we even consider how they perform as a bike light.

Unfortunately, due to this complexity, some just aren't up to the job, turning a genuinely useful safety device into an expensive and dangerous gimmick. In my testing of the best rearview radars, I am looking for products that don’t report false positives – warnings of vehicles when there are none – or false negatives – a failure to warn of approaching vehicles. I’ll also assess detection range, detection angle, and accuracy at lower speeds, as well as how they interact with the best bike computers and against the enormous range of best bike lights.

To test the effectiveness of the best rearview radars, I rode a predefined 13km circuit that included a variety of traffic conditions and reflections from buildings and structures that could confuse a bike radar. I also set up a static rig on a long, straight stretch of road, which enabled me to accurately test range and confidently log false positives and negatives.

The winner of this test might not come as a suprise. While it was close, the founding brand of this category recently stepped it up with a new model, and that new model is, without a doubt, the new market leader. The Garmin Varia RearVue 820 might be expensive, but its accuracy is unmatched.

Best Radar Bike Lights 2026:

Best overall radar bike light

The Garmin Varia RearVue 820 has quite the reputation to live up to – its predecessor, the Garmin Varia RTL515, was widely regarded as the gold standard and one of our own best bike lights. The change from Micro-USB has seemingly taken Garmin aeons to implement; however, this has allowed the brand not just to update the plug but to redevelop the product and take a step ahead of the competition.

The flagship Varia now delivers up to 100 lumens in day flash, and battery life is nothing short of phenomenal – I managed an impressive 11 hours 15 minutes in solid mode with radar. The seismic change is the switch from low-resolution 24 GHz radar to significantly more precise 60 GHz waves. In practice, this means it’s more responsive, more accurate, and better at tracking traffic at the same speed.

In the field, the difference is night and day; from an increased range – regularly surpassing 160 metres during my static test, even for smaller cars – to the RearVue 820’s ability to better pick out individual vehicles in a group. Same-speed vehicles are tracked with greater persistence, no longer dropping out at slow-moving roundabouts or at the approach to road junctions.

Less convincing is the classification of vehicles by size. Knowing whether you’re being followed by a bus, a car, or a motorbike is a seductive idea, but in practice, it's not yet reliable.

Nevertheless, the newfound clarity elevates the RearVue 820 to best-in-class status, something I’m willing to pay a premium for.

• Rear my full review of the Garmin Varia RearVue 820

Best Garmin alternative

Since switching to a Wahoo Trackr Radar last June for the majority of my riding, after four happy years with Garmin radar products, I haven’t been disappointed.

In a market awash with unimaginative blocks of plastic, the Trackr has clearly seen the sharp end of a designer’s pencil. Sleek and softly rounded, it’s easily the best-looking radar, as well as being functional. It’s easy to attach to either round or aero seat posts and holds with limpet-like tenacity. Setup is straightforward via Wahoo’s generic smartphone app, and head unit control is slick – I have used the Trackr Radar with both with serveral of the best bike computers, and the near-indistinguishable user experience has been positive.

Out on the road, radar functionality is flawless, with no history of false positives or negatives. With the only blip coming in my static tests, where small vehicles were not detected until around 75 to 95 metres. On the flipside, the Trackr is good at isolating vehicles within a group. Speed-matched vehicles would inevitably disappear but quickly reappear when traffic moves again.

One of the few units here with well-spaced twin LEDs, a useful feature that lets the top LED operate a different pattern from the lower. There are only four lighting modes – but they cover most bases. Output is relatively low at 53 Lumens, but that provides up to 800m of daylight visibility.

It's hard not to like the Trackr; it is one of the best units I have tested. Given how cheap it is compared to the Varia RearVue, you might overlook its slightly narrow field of view.

• Rear my full review of the Wahoo Trackr Radar

Best standalone radar light

The feature-rich Lezyne Radar Drive 300 is among the most versatile I tested. While many require a bike computer to display traffic threats, the Lezyne offers a couple of alternatives. Firstly, a free app or it can be purchased with a 1,200-lumen front LED light – Lezyne’s Radar React System displays traffic alerts on a rear-facing illuminated panel. Even when nothing is connected, the Lezyne will still warn passing traffic by utilising its light function to increase intensity. So, if you have no need for a bike computer, there’s no need to buy one. However, if you already own one, the Radar Drive 300 offers seamless integration with most leading brands.

Lezyne's detection algorithm is excellent, throwing no false positives or negatives during my tests, and the maximum detection range of 150m was routinely exceeded by larger vehicles. Its ability to detect Speed-matched vehicles was in line with those lights with a tighter 35° field of view.

The tail light outputs a whopping 300 lumens in Day Flash mode, which is exceedingly bright for a rear light. Its brutish aesthetic screams ‘see’ and be seen, but it’s slightly let down by a cumbersome mounting arrangement that forgoes any quick-release or quarter-turn mount solution in favour of a basic rubber strap design.

The Radar Drive 300 represents serious competition for Wahoo and Garmin.

• Rear my full review of the Lezyne Radar Drive 300

Best budget radar light

The IGPSport SR Mini breaks the mould, not just in size - being considerably more compact than others - but also in its hoop of 12 LEDs around its outer edge, over the conventional single-centred design used by Garmin and Wahoo.

The SR Mini performed brilliantly in my static range test, consistently picking out small cars at distances of 100 metres or more. This is about a 20-metre improvement over many other units in this test, giving me an extra second of warning. More often than not, it also managed to identify individual cars within tight groups, provided they weren’t completely blocked by a larger vehicle.

Riding out with the SR Mini on my test circuit, I noticed no false negatives, but at least two false positives. The first was a reflection off a stone wall from an oncoming vehicle, and the second was a ghost vehicle that briefly appeared about 50 meters behind me. While not critical, false positives are distracting enough that I'm economical with the SR Mini’s rating.

The iGPSports companion app is a bonus if you don’t own a bike computer, and the mounting interface is quarter-turn, but for some reason, iGPSports only supplies a saddle rail mount. Would it be too much trouble to include a simple seatpost mount?

• Rear my full review of the iGPSports SR Mini

Also tested...

As part of this test, I also tested two other lights: the Magene L508 and the Magicshine SeeMee R300. While they function perfectly well as lights, with both having feature-rich specifications that offer decent value, neither performed particularly well as radar units, regularly throwing false positives and negatives. Thats not to say that you shouldn't buy them at all, by any means; I'd certainly consider others above first, particularly the IGPSport if you're on a budget.

• Magene L508 ★★★☆☆
  The Magene L508 performed well as a light and, in terms of range, detected smaller cars at 80 to 125 metres and larger vans and pickup trucks at up to 140 metres. However, it faltered more than most at picking out individual vehicles from tight groups, particularly when out riding, even when cars were well spaced. The bargain-priced L508 has much more potential than the Magichshine and could compete with the IGPSport if Magene improves its accuracy through firmware updates.
• Magicshine SeeMee R300 ★★★☆☆
  If I were awarding prizes for packaging, the Magicshine SeeMee R300 would top the podium. It’s a highly visible solution, day or night, thanks to its 270° coverage and 300 lumen output. Unfortunately, out on the road, this well-priced radar began to unravel. It was plagued with false positives, and in two particular scenarios in my static test, it was triggered by a vehicle travelling away from me on my circuit; it failed to alert me to a car as I exited a local village, which is a complete no-no.

How I tested the best radar lights

As part of this year's testing, I assessed well over a dozen radar and smart bike lights for use year-round.

Specifically, in my testing of the best radar bike lights, I broke down my data acquisition into two smaller tests. I wanted to provide both a scientific and real-world data log.

For the first test, I set up a static rig along a long, straight section of road. This, first and foremost, allowed me to understand how each light worked, but to accurately test the range and log false positives and negatives with confidence. This was simply measuring out a long 200m section of road and placing my bike in a stand with both a Wahoo and a Garmin Bike computer to hand.

I then verified this data in real-world scenarios by riding a predefined 13km circuit multiple times for each light, across a variety of traffic conditions and at different times of day.

Not to mention, I also tested all of these lights for their general function and features. This included battery capacity, recharge times, mounts, and compatibility with the best bike computers, in which I used both the Garmin Edge 1050 and the Wahoo Elemnt Roam 3.

Meet the expert

Radar lights testing results

How to choose a rearview radar

It's worth noting that radar lights are an additional feature on what is already a complex product: rear bike lights. So, your first port of call when considering which one might be best for you should be to consider what you need from a rear light first, before delving too deeply into radars.

Here is a quick recap on how to choose a rear light, which should help narrow things down:

• Output and Lumens - How bright the light is always plays a big part in your visibility, but there is a trade-off with battery life, and how that light is projected.
• Beam pattern or visibility angle - The output of your light is next to useless if it's not visible from a wide range of angles. Where you mount your light can significantly impact this.
• Orientation and mounting - this can be determined by how the manufacturer arranges the battery cells and where they place the LEDs; it could also be affected by the shape, height, and what sits behind your seatpost, like racks.
• Runtime - the light's orientation and size play a big role in how many cells it has, ultimately determining how long it will last.

So, how do you choose a rearview radar light?

Previously, this was largely driven by compatibility with the best bike computers. If you were running a Garmin unit, you would likely look to the Varia and so on. With more brands coming to the market, there is now a much more urgent need for computer brands to open up either platforms to others. Worth noting that, in the same way, it is opening up the computer market as well, with brands like Magene and IGPSport keen not just to sell you their lights.

In a way, this is good news for consumers, as it places less emphasis on brand compatibility and more on the units' features, such as detection range and the radar's viewing angle. Ultimately, it puts the emphasis on where you ride.

If, like me, you live in a rural area with lots of twisty, tight lanes, you may well want to consider models with greater detection ranges and those that can do this at very wide angles, like the Garmin Varia RearVue 820, so you can nip into a pull-in or layby.

For those who hit the main roads into the city or town, while detection range will certainly be a consideration, you will likely want the unit to be better at picking out vehicle groups and their sizes, as well as the speed at which they are approaching. This is where units like the Wahoo Trackr Radar thrive.

Frequently asked questions about Radar bike lights

This is actually the second release of the Nimbl Urano shoes. Previously released in the winter of 2024, after testing and feedback from professionals, Nimbl shelved the shoe so that they could fix some issues. Now, it's back with the Italian brand hoping that the Urano will set the standard for high end gravel race shoes.

Construction

The Urano are built upon the same monocoque carbon fibre sole as the rest of the Nimbl line of shoes. This results in the same incredibly low stack height of around 2mm, with the rear of the sole extending up to create a stiffer heel cup. The main differences are the two-bolt cleat mounting for Shimano SPD cleats, and the inclusion of rubber treads. A TPU toe guard, front and rear treads, and mid-sole protective piece have been added for off-road walking traction and sole protection, a feature you see on many of the best gravel shoes.

As with other Nimbl shoes, retention comes via the two Boa Li2 dials. These allow for micro adjustments for tightening and loosening, with a pull to release system. These are the plastic topped version rather than the metal ones on the Ultimate and Ultimate Glide shoes. A grippy exterior is still included on the dials, in rubber this time, to allow for easy grip and retention adjustments.

On the upper, the structure is the same as the Ultimate shoes, with a conventional tongue design. However, the microfibre upper has been redesigned to be more resilient, and easier to clean given the off-road design of these shoes. For ventilation there are multiple perforations across the sides of the upper material.

A size 43 is quoted as being 254g per shoe, the size 45 on test was 248g per shoe including all the parts and insoles. Sizes range from 39 to 47, with half sizes from 41 up to 47. Black and white colour options are available.

The Ride

In terms of performance, I have been mightily impressed by the Nimbl Urano shoes. Using them on the road with Shimano SPD pedals, the power transfer and light weight has meant the setup feels.as good as the usual Speedplay setup I use for road riding. Power transfer for sprints and higher capacity efforts feels planted and direct, while the low weight does feel better at higher cadences when the shoe is moving faster.

To really test these shoes, I used them for the Gralloch UCI gravel race. They clearly didn’t slow me down, after 3.5 hours of racing I had averaged 291 watts and set plenty of power PBs. In essence, they felt like road racing shoes, providing impressive stiffness as a platform to launch watts from.

Comfort wise, these have taken less breaking in time than the Ultimate Air or Glide shoes I’ve tested. The upper is stiff, but not unforgiving and the low entry to the shoes means there is very little chance of any upper material rubbing on ankles. This low entry also does not result in any lack of retention around the heel. The rear of the shoe cups the heel nicely with a fit that is narrow enough on my heel and ankle, but not constricting.

Of course the Boa Li2 dials play a big part in the retention. I personally prefer the tongue-less design of the Ultimate Glide and I find that dial setup does lead to better pressure distribution when really clamping down the dials. However, on the Urano, the two dial setup with tongue can still be tightened down enough to secure the foot well for most high capacity efforts without being overly tight on any section of the foot. The Boa Li2 dials have been praised enough in many shoe reviews I have done, as well as by others, and remain the standard bearer for retention dials on cycling shoes with both the micro-adjustments for tightening and loosening, as well as the pull to release for easy foot release.

After 3.5 hours of racing, the outside of my right foot was aching, due in part to the stiff carbon sole. I have a high arch, so even with arch support I can get a pressure buildup on the outside of my foot, but after this amount of time on rough terrain, there was certainly some aching.

The main difference between the Urano and the rest of the Nimbl lineup is of course the gravel element of them. The sole uses two two bolt attachment points for Shimano SPD cleats rather than the three or four bolt road options. The upper is also more rugged and easier to clean, with dirt wiping easily off them after a day of racing.

On the sole of the shoe there are also more rugged tread elements for walking off-road and maintaining some grip. These are effective, and have proven useful riding on bridleways and requiring a fair bit of walking in some cases, but these are race shoes and these are not as grippy as more adventure focussed gravel shoes.

There is one glaring issue with these shoes though, and that is the quality of the finish. On the front tread section especially, a good amount of it is visibly glued on, and can be lifted quite easily by hand. It’s not the quality I would expect for a pair of shoes that cost more than half a grand. I have seen far better quality of the tread fitting on shoes that are a third of the price. They appear secure enough, with sections that fit into the sole itself on some small openings, but it’s still a little bit tardy in terms of finish quality.

The insoles are the same basic ones that come with all Nimbl shoes, and I am in two minds when it comes to criticism of these. On the one hand, if you spend £550 on cycling shoes, you are likely performance focussed and use custom orthotics. If you don’t, you should, it’s a far greater performance gain. On the other hand, the insoles that come with the QUOC M3 shoes with adjustable arch are fantastic and I use them instead of the custom insoles I have, as with the high arch support they work well for me. Regardless, with the Nimbl Urano you will likely need to buy insoles, or use whatever pair you already use, as the supplied ones don’t offer much support for anyone with any form of arch in their foot.

Value

As with previous Nimbl shoe reviews, value is an area where the price tag does just mean they struggle comparatively. £550 / $649 is a huge amount to pay for cycling shoes, regardless of how good they are. The simple fact is at this price there is certainly a case of diminishing returns on investment.

I have previously been racing in a pair of Specialized S-Works Recon Lace shoes, which retailed for £300 / $325. They are lightweight, fit well, and offer a great level of power transfer, for nearly half the price. Spending my own money, I could not justify spending £250 more on a pair of shoes for what is a small increase in performance based on statistics.

Even the new S-Works Recon Evo, based on the Ares 2 shoe, are £399 /$549, and feature a broader spectrum of sizes. On the face of it some of the finish of those is slightly better than the Urano as well. However, the more convoluted path of the Boa dial lace is ripe for damage from mud and grit ingress over time.

The new Sidi Aeron is another consideration, again £399 / $570 and carbon soled, dual-dialled, and with good levels of tread. The carbon sole is also less exposed for longevity, but this will add weight even if that figure is not disclosed.

But then this is a high-performance race shoe. Compared to most dual-boa-dial equipped shoes the Urano are around half the weight. That’s often around 500g saving which at a higher performance level is not insignificant. The power transfer is also exceptional, so much so that I can happily use these shoes for fast paced road rides on SPD pedals. For those seeking every advantage, there may be value to them in these shoes. For most of us, I’d say you are far better buying in the £250-300 price point for performance gravel shoes. They will be mostly as good, likely feature greater longevity features, and cost far less.

Conclusion

The Nimbl Urano shoes are quintessentially Nimbl. They are extortionately expensive, exceptionally lightweight, wonderfully stiff, secure and comfortable, and lust worthy in their style and desirability. If you want the fastest gravel racing shoe option for SPD cleats, you’ll likely struggle to do better than these. If you want almost all of that performance but for significantly less cash and potentially greater longevity, look elsewhere.

Jonas Vingegaard has played down suggestions of fatigue after winning the Giro d’Italia, declaring himself fitter, stronger and happier as he attempts to win a third Tour de France.

The Visma-Lease a Bike rider cruised to the Giro title in May without serious opposition, in doing so becoming only the eighth man in history – and first since the now-retired Chris Froome in 2018 – to win all three Grand Tours.

Now the Dane, 29, is aiming to deny his eternal rival Tadej Pogačar a fifth and third successive Tour de France title in what is set to be the duo’s latest ding-dong battle.

Speaking to press in Barcelona before the start of the 113th Tour, Vingegaard was asked about the physical and mental toll of riding the Giro before the Tour. “Without taking anything away from anyone at the Giro, it is true that I did not have to completely kill myself [to win the race]. I didn’t come out of the Giro completely on my knees,” he said.

Vingegaard won all five mountain-top stages at the Italian race and his closest challenger, Felix Gall, finished more than five minutes adrift of him in the general classification. It was, in reality, a procession for the rider who also won the Vuelta a España last September.

“That means you can recover faster afterwards and start your training and get into a good rhythm quicker. If you are on your knees after the Giro, you need two weeks, maybe even more, to recover," Vingegaard added.

“Then it is hard to start building towards the Tour because then the Tour is already coming. For me at least, I came out of the Giro in a good way and pretty quickly I could start building towards the Tour de France.”

Pogačar, in 2024, was the last rider to win the Giro and Tour in the same year, the Slovenian becoming the first rider to do so since Marco Pantani in 1998.

The 26-year stretch without a double winner led many commentators and riders to dub it the near-impossible task. Vingegaard is hoping to add his name to the short roll call of successors.

“We tried something new [in going for the Giro-Tour double], which was also the plan, because I think we realised after last year that it was not really so enjoyable to do what we did every year,” Vingegaard said.

“So now we tried to mix it up with the preparation for the Tour, and it has been going really well this year.

“I think I’m ready for this race and I am really looking forward to it. It has been an amazing year for me so far and I am looking forward to it hopefully continuing,”

Vingegaard and his Visma team have repeatedly said in the past few months that he is in better shape than ever before, and it was a message that the rider himself repeated.

“I’m both better and stronger,” he said. “I would even say I’m happier in a mental state also; I’m in a very good place. I’ve had a very good year so far. I’ve enjoyed riding a bit more this year than I did last year.

“I’ve had a very good season so far already with the three races I’ve done” – he also won Paris-Nice and Volta a Catalunya – “and of course it takes some pressure off me and off the team.

“But the Tour de France is still the biggest race. It is still the race you really want to win. I’m not saying that I’m not happy with what I’ve already won this year because I am extremely happy, especially also winning the Giro d’Italia title and now having won all three Grand Tours.

“But again, the Tour de France is just the biggest race of the year and I’m here to go for the victory.”

Tom Pidcock and Pinarello Q36.5 kick off their 2026 Tour de France campaign with a challenging 19.6km team time trial around Barcelona's iconic roads on Saturday.

Pidcock comes into the three-week Grand Tour among the GC favourites and will be looking for the best possible start, which will require a strong, well-executed team effort. As the leader of Pinarello Q36.5, he has a host of riders to support him, including newly crowned British National Road Race Champion Fred Wright.

As a multi-discipline rider, Pidcock has myriad bike options at his disposal, but will naturally be riding a Pinarello Bolide F time trial bike. While his teammates will use the same bike, albeit with the regular navy-blue-and-gold livery, the Yorkshireman will ride a unique black-and-gold-themed machine.

Let's get into the details.

The Pinarello Bolide F underwent an update in 2024, borrowing technologies from the Bolide F HR – the bike used by the men’s and women’s Italian track teams in the Olympic endurance events. Look closely, and you'll notice the ribbed, drag-reducing edging on the seat tube and seatpost called AirStream technology.

The front end is fairly high, with a dual-stack, five-spacer system that supports custom one-piece bar extensions by Most. While the cups use standard foam padding, two 3D-printed strips - like the lattice structures you'll find on some saddles - are located on each extension to support the forearms.

The Bolide F is outfitted in a full SRAM Red AXS groupset, including a power meter. Pidcock has opted for a fairly traditional 1x gearing configuration comprising a single 60T chainring that drives a 10-36T cassette via very short 160mm cranks. While the X-Sync narrow/wide tooth profiling should keep the chain in place, there's a Wolf Tooth chainkeeper for added security.

Look closely, and you'll notice that the BB ends of both crankarms have been filled with 3D-printed plugs to smooth the surface and possibly save a few watts . There's also a waxed chain.

The wheels come compliments of Zipp. In this case, an 858 NSW front and Super-9 solid rear disc wrapped in surprisingly 'narrow' 28mm Vittoria Corsa Pro Speed tyres – no doubt a personal choice and aerodynamic decision. The Bolide can accommodate tyres as wide as 32mm, so the chosen configuration is far from maxed out.

Because SRAM only supplies its wireless blips with adhesive tape, to improve the look and ergonomics, Pidcock has used a 3D-printed Leap Components Aero Grip Blip Mount for the brake levers and TT Shift assembly to neatly house the blips. It looks super refined and also adds extra grip when holding the basebar during cornering. While Leap products are becoming popular among riders and teams who use SRAM, we're told Pidcock sourced these items himself.

The Prologo Predator saddle has become a popular choice for riders during time trials, thanks to its aero and ergonomically optimised shape. Pidcock's one is the new 02 version, which gets added padding and grip from Connect Power Control technology strips along the top. This model is constructed from injected carbon fibre and uses a standard Nack (nano carbon-fibre) 7x9mm rail - and is compatible with any seatpost. At £520 a pop, it's not a cheap component, but at 163g it is light and promises a 6.4-Watt saving over the previous model.

The finishing touches include a pair of Shimano Dura-Ace PD-R9100 pedals and a Taxc time trial bottle cage.

With many fully built time trial bikes tipping the scales at between 9-10kg, Pidcock's Pinarello Bolide F weighed in at a feathery 8.85kg.

Pinarello Bolide F TT bike specs

• Frameset: TorayCa 1100G, TiCR
• Fork: Bolide TT Onda Fork with ForkFlap
• Cockpit: Custom Most TT basebar and extensions
• Seatpost: Pinarello Aero
• Groupset: SRAM Red AXS 60T, 10-36T
• Wheelset: Zipp 858 NSW front/ Super-9 Disc rear
• Tyres: Vittoria Corsa Pro Speed 28mm
• Saddle: Prologo Predator 01//TT
• Weight: 8.85kg (with pedals)

Four-time Tour de France champion Chris Froome has confirmed his retirement from professional cycling.

The 41-year-old, who has not raced since last August, confirmed the news on Thursday at an event in Barcelona for Škoda, the car brand for whom he is an ambassador.

According to a report in Sporza, Froome was asked directly if he had retired, to which he responded: “Yes.”

“Unfortunately, there was that fall last summer. That wasn't the way I wanted it to end. But even then, I knew it was over,” he said.

Froome was airlifted to hospital in August last year after a training crash in which he suffered five broken ribs, a spine fracture, a collapsed lung, and a pericardial rupture, a life-threatening tear to the sac that surrounds the heart.

His last race came two weeks before the crash, at the Tour de Pologne, where he finished 68th overall.

Froome's contract at Israel-Premier Tech was not renewed at the end of 2026. He has been without a team for the past six months.

The announcement of his retirement comes days before the start of the 113th edition of the Tour de France in Barcelona, Spain.

Froome’s legacy will last as the greatest Grand Tour racer of his generation. During his 19-year-career, he won four Tours de France, two Vueltas a España, and a Giro d’Italia, making him one of only eight men in history to win all three races, even holding all the titles at the same time in 2018.

He is best known for being the leader of Team Sky, for whom he rode for 11 seasons between 2010 and 2020. It was during this time that he claimed all of his 46 professional victories, including his remarkable Giro d'Italia comeback in 2018, when he overhauled a more than three-minute gap with a solo attack over the Colle delle Finestre.

His Giro title that year remains his last victory. The following year, 2019, he crashed into a wall in a time trial recon at the Critérium du Dauphiné, suffering fractures to his sternum, neck, femur, elbow and ribs, and losing four pints of blood.

He joined Israel-Premier Tech on a five-year deal in 2021, but struggled to regain his form. The last Grand Tour he rode was the 2022 Vuelta a España, where he finished 113th overall, and scored a stage best of 71st.

Since leaving Israel-Premier Tech at the start of this year, he has taken on new roles as chief innovation officer of AI training platform Vekta and a cycling ambassador for Škoda.

Brimming with energy and sporting a blonde-dyed buzzcut that will put paid to any ideas of tufty hair protruding from helmet vents, Tadej Pogačar addressed a packed Tour de France press room in Barcelona for a look ahead to the race.

Last in a series of big GC players to subject themselves to media questioning in the sumptuous surrounds of the city's Recinto Modernista, with the Sagrada Familia looking on just a block away, the UAE Team Emirates-XRG rider had his 'Pogačar' dialled up to 11 as he began by offering his smiley thanks to the media for turning up, flanked by team-mate Isaac Del Toro.

The questions went this way and that, with those asking them perhaps aware that the usual 'what are your hopes for the race?' and 'how's your form?' were somewhat redundant ('winning' and 'pretty amazing, thanks', presumably being the answers).

Asked about his rivals and in particular Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike), Pogačar took the first of more than one opportunity to big up the young team-mate sitting beside him.

"I don't think [Vingegaard] is the only one that can come close. I think there's quite a few guys here that could push for the victory – this guy next to me…" he said, nodding towards a slightly embarrassed looking Del Toro.

"But competition between me and Jonas the last four years was spectacular, I would say. I think we push further to new heights every year," he said.

A certain amount was also made of his scant 2026 racing calendar – he has only raced 16 days up to now, but he said he was feeling, "pretty good. Only 16 days of racing, but the training kilometres also count, and there's been a lot."

Was racing fewer days helping him to enjoy it more, he was asked.

"I've enjoyed racing all my lifetime," he responded, batting the question away, "but I must say that maybe I even enjoy it more every year because I've stayed in the same team with the same riders and people around me, so every race I feel like I look forward to coming back with the teammates and staff. The race is also there, but mainly I enjoy just seeing the team and being around the guys."

The 27-year-old, who is gunning for a landmark fifth Tour de France win this year, was asked, too, about his pro cyclist girlfriend Urška Žigart, who broke her jaw in a crash in the recent Tour de Suisse. "Thank you for the thought," he offered, before explaining that she was healing fast and already riding outside, even if the doctors had advised against it. And he addressed, too, the €100,000 he donated to his home village of Komenda, which was hit by a storm last month, with roofs ripped off houses. "I think it's quite important to have a roof over your head," he said. "While I was growing up in Komenda, for me everything was perfect, all the neighbours, all the people there… It's my time to give back."

The Tour de France begins on Saturday with a team time trial, around a city that is already thrumming to the beat of the race, dripping in Tour de France Yellow. Pogačar will hope to be sporting that yellow too come Saturday night, and he left no doubt as to how much he was looking forward to it, giving local journalists the top line they had perhaps turned up for.

"I really like Barcelona. It's one of the coolest cities ever," he gushed, before quipping, "It would be better to be here for vacation. But yeah, I'm really looking forward to the Grand Départ here, and really excited to race around here and similar roads as in [the Volta a] Catalunya. I think we are in the same hotel as we were on stage one in Catalunya, so it's quite familiar."

And Pogačar in the race lead on Saturday? That might be more familiar still.

23 teams line up in Barcelona for the team time trial around the Catalonian capital that opens the 2026 Tour de France this weekend. Once again the race pits the big budget super teams against the minnows of the sport, getting by on a budget that's a fraction of the size.

Tadej Pogačar is not only the strongest rider in the peloton, he is supported by the strongest team. But only three teams are starting the race with a realistic goal of taking home the yellow jersey at the end, the rest will be battling for stages, classification jerseys or just some TV time.

Below is our guide to all the teams, what their goals are, and how they might go about achieving them.

Read more: Tour de France 2026 | Tour de France 2026 start list | Tour de France 2026 route

UAE Team Emirates-XRG

Visma - Lease a Bike

Red Bull - Bora hansgrohe

Netcompany-Ineos

Alpecin-Premier Tech

Bahrain Victorious

Decathlon CMA CGM

EF Education-EasyPost

Groupama-FDJ United

Jayco-AlUla

Lidl-Trek

NSN Cycling

Pinarello Q36.5

Soudal Quick-Step

Uno-X Mobility

Movistar

Caja Rural-Seguros RGA

Picnic PostNL

XDS Astana

TotalEnergies

Intermarché Lotto

Tudor Pro Cycling

Cofidis

Paul Seixas is three minutes late for his press conference. Inside a side room of Barcelona’s former Sant Pau hospital, a grand auditorium with yellow tiles on the ceiling and stained glass windows, the suspense is building. The 90 or so chairs are not enough for the more than 150 journalists that have turned up. Those that came last are standing along the wings, waiting cross-armed for the rider of the moment: France’s teenage darling, the youngest Tour de France debutant in 89 years.

Hushed whispers announce Seixas’s arrival. Fresh-faced and dressed in a white shirt and cream chinos, he could be mistaken for a teenager on work experience as he files through the crowds. He steps up onto the small stage, drops into a chair, and relaxes his body against the armrest. Alone, he then looks out to the back of the room, where 10 television cameras point back at him.

It’s unheard of for the Tour to host a pre-race press conference for a 19-year-old debutant. These events are usually only reserved for the reigning yellow jersey, world champions, and multiple stage winners – in two hours, Tadej Pogačar will sit in the same seat. But the furore around Seixas demanded this occasion.

How does he feel, then, at the centre of it all? “It’s a bit particular,” Seixas says, rushing his words slightly. “It’s true that the Tour brings a new dimension, and this is the proof of that. It’s a new experience for me.”

Such is the excitement in Barcelona around the Decathlon CMA CGM rider that the French media couldn’t contain their questions until he arrived; in Mathieu van der Poel’s press conference, held just before, one reporter asked the Dutchman what he expected of the race’s youngest rider, purely because the two share French ancestry. “He’s capable of doing great things,” Van der Poel said. “He has shown he has the level to compete with the best.”

That same belief is shared in the room. This spring, the world watched Seixas finish runner-up to Pogačar at Strade Bianche and Liège-Bastogne-Liège. People were in awe when he won Flèche Wallonne in April, soaring up the final climb as if shot out of a canon.

One journalist begins his question by comparing Seixas to Lamine Yamal, the FC Barcelona footballer, who at 18 years old is already among the best in the world. The rest of the room laughs, but the parallel isn’t so far-fetched.

Does the hype faze Seixas at all? It appears not. “The priority is the general classification,” he says, focused, two days before the Grand Départ. He may be the youngest rider on the start list, but he’s here to win; he’s been saying the same ever since his Tour participation was announced in May.

“What position [I can finish], I don’t know yet,” he says. “But I won’t take any risks for anything else other than the general classification.”

The risks, perhaps, are a nod to his crash at last month's Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes. Seixas left his final tune-up race early, his arms bandaged in gauze after crashing into a ravine. “It was a mistake on my part… It happens,” he says of the crash, but there’s no worry about any lingering pains.

Instead, stepping into the unknown of a three-week Grand Tour, he’s approaching the race as he would any other: with the will to learn, and a desire to win.

“Of course there are different ways to win on a course like this,” Seixas says. “I will see how it goes, how I can perform, at which level, and in which place, and we'll see if we can call it a win or not.”

The cycling world will watch closely, too.

The Tour de France has become a melting pot for experimentation - not just from manufacturers and teams, but the riders, too, who sometimes implement some ingenious hacks and adaptations to gain an advantage over their chief adversaries. While we expect to see a host of new bikes at this year's edition - the Specialized S-Works Tarmac SL9 and new Orbea Orca Aero have already officially broken cover - there’s always an unexpected prototype or two lurking in the paddocks and peloton, and we’ll break that news as we spot it.

New frameset liveries have already started to break cover with none other than Tom Pidcock and Pinarello Q36.5 doubling up with a limited-edition Tour de France kit, too. As the race unfolds, we’ll see more special colorways as riders vie for the various Tour de France jerseys - Green (points), Polkadot (mountains), and White (best young rider) jerseys. We expect the GC leader after Stage 1 to be kitted out in yellow-themed paraphernalia come Stage 2.

Having spent a good few days this year trawling the paddocks at the biggest races, there have been some common themes seen employed by teams to ensure better integration and uniformity. Sometimes, manufacturers treat computer mounts and number holders as afterthoughts and don’t look at the details, which means riders and team mechanics need to get creative to ensure that slippery frame remains as fast once on the road.

This year, we’ve predicted what we expect to see based on common themes already employed, not to mention the hot weather and the most climbing metres we've seen from a Tour de France route in recent history.

More 3D-printed components and accessories

Clever solutions to number board holders, computer mounts, chain keepers, and other nifty features have risen in prominence across the board in the WorldTour. We’ve seen many 3D-printing specialists coming out of the UK (RaceWare) and Europe too with Neat and Leap components - these companies step in when innovation fails to grasp the needs and ergonomic requirements of riders.

We expect to see a host of smart solutions employed during the TTT on Stage 1 and ITT on Stage 16. Keep an eye out for our mega tech gallery from the Grand Depart where we’ll unpack all the best tech hacks and finds.

The rise of stem spacers

Slammed front ends matched to long stems were standard practice in the past, allowing pro riders to funnel themselves onto smaller frame sizes to achieve a more forward-based position - which delivered a snappier, more manoeuvrable bike. As the science of the sport has progressed with more focus on biomechanics and rider comfort, as well as a better understanding of aerodynamics, riders are seeing greater benefits by utilising higher stacks from adding spacers under the stem.

Not only can this improve comfort but in certain instances, it can also boost aerodynamics, allowing riders to hold a better position for longer periods of time. With a race as long as the Tour de France, comfort will ultimately make riders faster in later stages of the race, meaning less aggressive setups will potentially lead to fresher riders come the last week of the Tour.

Wider tyres are here to stay but 28mm still has a place

While we did see a few riders using 28mm tyres at Opening Weekend in Belgium early in the season, the bulk of the peloton was using 30mm, with some using tyres as wide as 32mm. We expect to see 30mm used across the board at the Tour, as this width provides a good balance between aerodynamics, rolling efficiency and grip when paired with lower tyre pressures.

As always, time trial-specific tyres will be used by some teams, too - most notably by Continental and Vittoria tyre-sponsored teams and while these options are lightweight and offer better rolling resistance, puncture protection is not as good as regular compounds.

That said, we also do expect a few outliers to run 28mm tyres - particularly for the steep mountain stages where weight trumps aerodynamics. Considering the possible weight savings of up to 100g per pair over the 30mm equivalent, there's potential to reduce weight without impacting performance by switching to 28mm on the high-mountain stages.

Return of the climbing bike

While last year was ruled by the lightweight aero bikes from Colnago, Cervelo, and Giant and all-rounders from Specialized, Cannondale, and Trek, we expect to see the return of a dedicated climbing bike - well, for some brands at least. Uno-X Mobility has an extraordinarily fast aero bike in the Ridley Noah Fast 3.0, but it's fairly heavy, with weights exceeding 8kg in certain build specifications, putting the team at a significant disadvantage. Decathlon CMA CGM has the same issue with the Van Rysel RCR-F Pro, and Paul Seixas will want the lightest bike possible for the mountains.

With new dedicated climbing bikes spotted at the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes (formerly Dauphiné), Uno-X Mobility and Decathlon CMA CGM riders will now have the option of using a lightweight climbing/all-rounder bike for the high mountain stages of which there are many this year - with much steeper gradients and two ascents of Alpe d'Huez on Stages 19 and 20.

Vented aero helmets

The aero helmet has come a long way, moving from solid shells to mildly vented options. Given the extreme heat expected this year and the faster speeds of the peloton, out-and-out aero lids are no longer paramount, and extra venting for cooling can provide a significant performance boost in the right conditions.

With more riders still wanting the fastest option but with added cooling for marginal improvements, helmet suppliers have looked at ways of preserving aerodynamics while adding extra vents - Specialized’s Evade 4 and Met’s new Manta are cases in point. While we expect dedicated aero road lids to become more versatile going forward, we also expect to see a similar approach adopted for time-trial helmets.

Faster, cooler fabrics and rider kit hacks

This is one of the most rapidly developing areas of pro cycling, and it's something we’ve covered in detail over the past year. Take Jayco AlUla for example and the Maap Pro Aero jersey that was developed for the team and used at last year's Tour de France With a possible heat have hitting this year’s Tour de France, we foresee most teams rolling out special fabrics to keep riders cool as well as their skin protecte from harmful UV rays - while still offering aerodynamics gains at the typical pro peloton riding speeds.

Furthermore, on some of the breakaway days, we may yet again see riders getting creative and modifying their TT-specific skinsuits to combat the heat while keeping the tripping properties intact for extra watt savings. We saw this with Ben Healy, who masterfully trimmed the sleeves of his Rapha Pro Team TT Aero skinsuit to stay cool without negatively impacting the aero benefits - small yet effective modifications that helped him solo away from the group and win stage 6 in Vire Normandie.

I spent a lot of time on the outgoing Orbea Orca Aero and lauded it for its speed and handling finesse back when I tested it in 2022. With a blueprint inspired by the Ordu time trial bike, it was discernibly aerodynamic and looked the part, too. It was not, however, without fault - it was on the heavier side when compared with its rivals.

In fact, depending on the configuration, the outgoing Orca Aero was upwards of 8kg with lighter models hovering around the 7.5kg mark. As seen at last year’s Tour de France, aero bikes were chosen ahead of dedicated climbing bikes by some teams for the high mountain stages, with some bikes dipping under 7kg thanks to stripped-off paint and lighter wheels.

While Orbea already has a dedicated climbing bike, the regular Orca, the goal for the new Orca Aero was to make its best aero bike even faster and also reach parity on the weight front - the brand claims to have achieved both. The new bike has been in the making since 2024, and we managed to get a sneak peek at it in the paddocks of the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, a race long considered a dress rehearsal for the Tour de France.

The company has put a lot of resources into making the Orca Aero even faster - not because the outgoing model needed it but rather because WorldTour average race speeds are getting faster, with 2026 set to become the fastest road racing season ever. As a result, the design team took a total-system approach (rider and frameset combined) this time around, since having the fastest frameset alone is meaningless in real-world racing scenarios.

Shaped for the new racing speeds of the WorldTour peloton

The design team fitted various shapes and fairings to the outgoing model to see which combinations were faster in the wind tunnel, and conducted CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) analysis to examine the tube shapes of the whole bike. These studies showed significant savings but not massive improvements across all yaw angles.

Orbea even considered widening the fork as seen on the Factor One, but found that a narrower, slimmer, and deeper fork was the best way forward. Unsurprisingly, the designers found that a more pronounced leading edge on the headtube tested fastest. Compared to its predecessor, the head tube is also deeper when viewed from the side.

An interesting finding was the introduction of a keel on the base of the bottom bracket junction. This shape reportedly reduces resistance and turbulence, smoothing airflow around the underside and rear of the bike. There are also thinner seatstays with a lower attachment point, which improve the stiffness-to-weight ratio and vertical compliance.

As before, an aero bottle cage system has been retained and refined to make the downtube even wider, aiding aerodynamics and the sailing effect at various yaw angles. Orbea found that positioning the cage and bottles lower on the downtube reduced drag and created a better surface for passing wind.

The seat tube and seatpost have also undergone a makeover, becoming thinner and deeper thanks to the relocation of the Di2 battery to the bottom bracket.

All these changes have resulted in a claimed drag reduction of 5.1W at 50km/h over its predecessor (frame-only). Add a rider to the mix, and this equates to a 14W improvement. On steeper eight-per-cent gradients, Orbea claims a 2W saving thanks to the OMX-level carbon frame's stiffness-to-weight ratio.

As before, there's a Service Box that fits under the downtube, serving as a fairing. While it's UCI-illegal, triathletes and amateurs can benefit from the 1.1W saving.

The new model also has the lowest bottom bracket drop on the market - 78mm across all frame sizes. Orbea claims this has improved stability and control in corners, lowered the center of gravity, and reduced rider frontal drag, too. Despite the 4mm lower BB than the current model, Orbea says there's still ample clearance in corners, even with 175mm crankarms.

Other changes include a new seatpost clamp design with a two-bolt system and two seatpost options: zero offset and offset.

System weight

The outgoing Orbea Orca Aero was far from light, which held it back from achieving greatness, but the brand always had the Orca climbing bike to fall back on. With modern aero bikes now reaching weights as low as 6.8kg, Orbea has had to step up and provide its customers, not to mention WorldTour team Lotto-Intermarché, with a fast-riding aero machine capable of overcoming gravity like a climbing bike.

Much of the weight savings has come from reducing excess carbon and improving the layup and recipe of the brand's premium OMX carbon fibre. High-end models are now more in line with direct rivals from Colnago, Giant, and Cervelo, with a 53cm Dura-Ace Di2-equipped model tipping the scales at 7.04kg. This drops to 6.9kg when specced with SRAM Red AXS.

Tyre clearance, handlebar sizes and futureproofing

Tyre clearance is up 7mm to 37mm, making it one of the most versatile options on the market. Orbea says the bike can maintain its full aerodynamic performance with tyre widths ranging from 29-35mm, and that it can save 6-7 watts at 40 km/h on cobbles or rough asphalt by reducing vibration losses.

There are 13 handlebar combinations to choose from with widths pegged at 36-, 38-, and 40cm. These widths can be matched to various stems that increase in 10mm increments: 90-140mm (40cm) and 80- 140mm (36 cm and 38 cm).

The Orbea Orca Aero is compatible only with electronic groupsets and plays nicely with UDH dropouts, too. There's a new 90-degree 'Spin Block' to prevent the handlebar and fork from spinning and knocking the downtube, as well as fork protection on the bottom of the drop-outs to prevent damage when fixing a puncture.

Crank length (165-175mm), handlebar/stem size, and seatpost offset are specifiable at purchase.

Model range, specifications and pricing

Six models are available in seven sizes (47, 49, 51, 53, 55, 57, 60cm) with groupsets handled by Shimano, SRAM, or Campagnolo.

The Orbea Orca Aero M10i LTD and M11e LTD are priced at £9,999 / $12,127 / €10, 999. The M10i LTD gets a Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 groupset complete with power meter, while M11e LTD comes ressed with SRAM Red AXS. Both models are outfitted with the same components, including Oquo Road Aero RA57LTD wheels and a Fizik Vento Antares R1 carbon saddle.

One level down is the £6,599 / $8,268 / €7,499 Orca Aero M21e LTD, which gets SRAM Force AXS, Oquo Road Performance RP50LTD wheels, and a Fizik Vento Antares R1 carbon saddle. The Orca Aero M20i LTD gets the same components as the M21e LTD but swaps Force for a Shimano Ultegra Di2 groupset. It comes up cheaper at £5,899 / $7,386 / €6,699, but doesn't get a power meter as standard. You'll need to upgrade to the optional left-side 4iiii power meter to bring it to the same level as the Force AXS bike. At the same price as the M20i LTD Ultegra Di2 model is the Campagnolo Record-outfitted M22i LTD. It shares most of the components, save for the Oquo Road Performance RP50Team wheels

The lowest rung is occupied by the Shimano 105 Di2-equipped Aero M30i LTD. At £4,999 / $6,284 / €5,699, it's the most affordable option in the range but loses out on the fancier wheels and carbon-railed saddle of its siblings in favour of more durable parts.

If you've ever opened up Duolingo and searched for 'Tour de France', you have our sympathy. Picking up the dialect of bike racing is not unlike going back to school and is no overnight thing. Not only are there an abundance of words and phrases that you've probably never come across previously, at least in this context, many of them are also in French, especially at the Tour de France. If you're new to it, it can all be rather baffling.

We've put together this glossary of terms that you can save in your bookmarks to help you out while you're following the Tour de France, and next time a commentator tells you there's an echelon in the peloton you can nod sagely rather than going down the google route (again), or ploughing on in ignorance.

Grand Départ
We might as well start here. A French phrase that translates as 'big start', it refers to the beginning of a Grand Tour and, in cases where it takes place in a country that isn't the usual host nation (such as Spain in this year's Tour), often refers to the entire three days spent in that country.

Bidon
A water bottle, mounted on the riders bikes for hydration, often just referred to in English. These can be replenished while on the move from their team cars.

Musette
Small bag handed up by team helpers in designated feed zones containing food and gels.

Breakaway
A rider or group of riders who have managed to jump away from the peloton (see below). Often this is a speculative move and unlikely to last all the way to the finish line, but for small teams in particular it's a way of achieving precious airtime for their sponsors. On occasions the breakaway does succeed, with lumpy days that fall between 'mountainous' and 'flat' often yielding the most success.

General classification
Often referred to simply as the 'GC', the general classification is the leaderboard showing which riders are leading the race overall. The leader will be the rider who has amassed the least time on aggregate across each of the stages, and they wear the coveted yellow jersey. The aim is to be at the top of the General Classification in Paris – the rider who achieves that wins the Tour de France.

Mechanical
Short-hand for 'mechanical issue', this term is a catch-all for just about any bike-based issue that may befall a rider during the race. Usually signified by a rider standing at the roadside looking at their machine in dismay, these can range from slipped chains and broken gears (among the most common) to a broken frame (unusual) and anything in-between. There is also the good old puncture, although this would usually be referred to as such. Whatever the problem, a mechanical can often be attended to by the neutral service (see below).

Neutral service
Provided by components manufacturer Shimano, the distinctive blue neutral service cars and motorbikes at the Tour de France provide spare wheels and bikes to riders who have been stranded by mechanical issues and are a long way from their team cars. As the name suggests, the neutral service is not affiliated to any particular team. It carries replacement wheels and bikes for many sizes and fitments but not all, and sometimes riders must simply endure a frustrating wait for their team car to appear.

Hors-cat
The toughest category of climb in bike racing, and short for the French 'hors-catégorie', which essentially means 'beyond classification'. It usually refers to the biggest mountains with a challenging combination of length, gradient and altitude. Climb categories begin at 4 for the easiest, moving up through 3, 2, and 1 before reaching HC. Not all climbs on a stage will be categorised, but the big mountain ascents always are.

Grupetto
This Italian word refers to the group of non-climbers (or simply those having a bad day) that amasses on mountain days to pace each other up the climbs and ensure they finish the stage within the designated time cut. It's sometimes referred to as the laughing group, but while they're riding more slowly than the leaders, mountain stages are never easy for anyone, and you won't see that much laughing going on.

Peloton
This one you'll hear a lot and, once again, it's French. It refers to the main body of riders in a race, which is often also called the 'bunch'. When all the riders are together, it's often simply used casually to refer to the race, but if there is a breakaway up the road it's also a useful way of denoting the main body of riders that are chasing behind, and if you're watching on TV you may well see a small 'P' for peloton in the top left corner, where the time gaps are shown.

Puncheur
A word mixing French and English to create a label for a rider that does pretty much what it says on the tin. These are the riders that pack a punch, usually denoting the ability to launch powerful attacks and even win on the smaller, steeper climbs – useful on the in-between stages that don't involve major mountains or flat finishes.

Rouleur
Another rider label, denoting a powerful rider with the ability to ride hard for long periods, typically on flat to rolling terrain. Mountains are usually hostile territory for them, where they'll often be found in the grupetto. But once things flatten out, they can put the lightweight climbers to the sword, and will often be found at or near the front putting in sterling work for their teams in chasing breakaways.

Sprint day / sprint finish
Theoretically, all days finish in a sprint, unless a rider wins alone. But if you see or hear a particular stage referred to as a sprint day, or that it's expected to be a sprint finish, it usually means that the riders are predicted to be all together at the end, with the very fastest power sprinters contesting the victory. This usually applies on the flatter stages; a hill or two mid-way won't usually change this, but one that comes near the end can really upset the sprinters' plans.

Leadout
When sprinters thank their teams after winning a sprint finish, they're often effusive in their praise; this is because they've enjoyed a good leadout – one of the most challenging, fraught and risky aspects of bike racing. Each team hoping to deliver a sprinter to victory will provide them with their own leadout – a line of riders charging ahead of them to the finish line, offering shelter from the wind and keeping the speed high.

Each rider will have their own job to do, with the first ones kicking in with perhaps 5km to go, and then pulling out of the line once their time is up and their legs exhausted. The final rider is the most important – called the 'leadout man' in men's racing, and delivers their charge to the 250m to go mark, hopefully in a good position to sprint for the win.

Echelon
Not to be confused with peloton but not unrelated, this is when the bunch is forced to ride in a diagonal line across the road because crosswinds mean riders cannot find shelter directly behind each other like they usually would. Instead they shelter from the crosswinds to the side of each other, creating a line across the road.

However, this line inevitably has to end when it reaches the far side of the road, forcing riders out of the line – this is where an echelon becomes a key tactical device. The gaps created on windy days often mean the weaker teams can lose significant amounts of time.

Flamme rouge
Given that the finish line is usually called (perhaps disappointingly) 'the finish line' and requires no explanation, the flamme rouge, or red kite as it's known in English, feels like an appropriate place to sign off. Suspended from a gantry spanning the road, this is a key marker in the race which signifies one kilometre to go to the finish. On a long, arduous day most riders will be extremely happy to see it, but when it comes to sprint days, it's where the action really begins and the fast finishers prepare to earn their crust.

Time passes and things change. Kids don’t do paper rounds anymore (many won’t touch a newspaper in their entire lives), and it seems that young Saturday staff in bike shops are experiencing a similar extinction event. And this will cut off an entry point into the cycling world that has existed for decades, a leading industry body has said this week. But why are many bike shops no longer employing weekend staff?

According to Jonathan Harrison, Director of the Association of Cycle Traders (ACT), it is mainly down to rising costs and onerous employment obligations. However, retailers we spoke to cited changing bike trends, such as electronic gears, hydraulic disc brakes and tubeless tyres as major factors.

In a press release this week, Harrison argued that the combination of minimum wage increases, holiday pay entitlements and new sick pay requirements introduced in April is deterring independent bike shops from taking on young part-time staff, which is choking off an entry point into the industry.

"The Saturday lad or lass has been how generations of people fell into the cycle trade," Harrison said. "They came in for the love of bikes, learned the ropes, and many of them went on to build careers in the industry. That pipeline is now under serious threat."

The release goes on to quote Paul Kenchington, director of The Bicycle Chain in Bridgwater, who said: "In the early days of our business the Saturday lad or lass worked for the experience and the staff discount, with a small wage as the bonus. Some of our best people started that way. But the product is now complex, the marketplace is cut-throat, and the cumulative cost of employing someone one day a week has reached the point where many of us are simply stepping back."

When Cycling Weekly spoke to some independent bike shops, it was actually the complexity of the modern bicycle that came up as the biggest barrier to employing weekend staff, over and above any concerns about improved employees’ rights.

“We haven’t been able to employ any Saturday staff for some time,” said Sid Soanes from Soanes Cycles, an independent bike shop that began life in Colyton, Devon, in 1902 as Liberty Cycles. Back then, bikes were handmade in the shop, and Sidney J Soanes (Sid’s grandfather) joined the business as a mechanic in 1910. Over a century, and four generations later, the bike shop is still owned and run by the same family, but a lot has changed.

“Saturday is our busiest day, and bikes are just too technical these days for an untrained young person to do anything meaningful with. Now we’re dealing with electronic gears, hydraulic brakes, tubeless tyres – you just don’t get the minor repairs and servicing that a Saturday lad might have been able to work on without supervision.”

“It’s the same with work experience,” continues Soames. “We used to take loads of kids on work experience, but it’s not doable now, because bikes are far too technical and complicated. It's a shame, but we can’t spend enough time with them to make it worthwhile for them or us.”

Tom Armstrong, an elite rider who races for Wheelbase CabTech Castelli and placed second in this year's Rutland–Melton CiCLE Classic, works for JE James Cycles when he’s not riding, and he agrees.

“At one time, you could start as a Saturday lad in bike shop, sweeping the floor and so on, and when there was a spare minute learn how to true a wheel or something, but it's not like that anymore,” he told Cycling Weekly.

“Bike shops have to range e-bikes, of course, and then you’re dealing with motors and batteries, and you almost have to be an electrician. But even ‘standard’ bikes are incredibly technical. Now, when we do a handover and give a bike back to a customer, you need to be there with a laptop, asking them what phone they use, talking to them about apps and all sort of things.”

“Weekend jobs still exist in big bike shops, but they’re different. Now, unless you’re a fully trained mechanic, you’re likely to be out on the shop floor, showing customers what’s available – basically working as a sales assistant, but not getting your hands dirty.”

Harrison did also acknowledge this issue, recognising that the demise of Saturday jobs isn’t purely down to cost: "The job itself has changed,” he said. “Customers expect expert advice on e-bikes, on fit, on technology. That's a lot to ask of someone working one day a week, and when the financial risk of employing them has also risen, many shop owners are simply deciding it isn't worth it."

This is something Armstrong has seen firsthand, and he agrees that it’s having a big impact, not just on the industry, but also how kids get into the sport. “The bike shop that really helped me out when I was a young rider, Broadgate Cycles in Preston, has just closed,” he explains. “It was a family business and had been passed down from generation to generation, but the times are so tough and margins so tight, that they decided it wasn’t worth it. I got my first and second bikes from there – I’m very sad to see it go.”

The ACT, which is part of the Bira Group and represents cycle traders and retailers across Britain, championing independent bike shops, is appealing to the government to review the impact of recent employment legislation on small independent retailers, and to consider whether targeted exemptions or support for young and part-time workers could help preserve entry-level roles that are vital to the future of the trade.

In the hours after Fred Wright won the British National Road Championships last weekend, cogs started to turn at Pinarello Q36.5. Only four days separated the event from the Tour de France’s team presentation in Barcelona, Spain, where Wright will line up ahead of his sixth appearance at the race. He had earned his right to wear the British bands. Could his team make him a new kit in time? “They were the first emails being sent,” Wright says. “That evening, on Sunday, that was the first thing: ‘OK, how are we going to get this ready?’”

The matter quickly became pressing. The truth is, not only does Wright want to show off his second national champion’s jersey, the spoils of his latest victory, he’s also plotting to win in it.

Since making his Tour debut in 2021, Wright has led breakaways at the race, tallied a string of stage top-10s, and scored a near-miss second place behind Mads Pedersen in 2022. This year, having swapped Bahrain Victorious for Tour debutants Pinarello Q36.5, he hopes everything will fall into place.

“I’m always going to be at the start line of a Grand Tour wanting to win a stage. I think that’s how I am as a rider,” he tells Cycling Weekly. “I just want to be in the mix for stages, showing the bands. I got in a few breakaways last year, but I probably wasn’t as up there and involved as I’d have liked. Wherever there’s a chance, I’d like to be there.”

Wright, 27, is now in his seventh year as a pro. To date, a major international win has eluded him, despite his will to attack. Five times he has finished in the top five of stages at the Vuelta a España, once at the Tour, and until his National Championships win in Aberystwyth on Sunday, which came from a three-man shout-out with Lewis Askey (NSN Cycling) and Connor Swift (Netcompany-Ineos), he hadn’t won for three years – his only other pro victory being the same in 2023.

To win again, he says, felt “really special – it’s nice to know that I can still play a final well and come out of it on top. In a scenario where you’re not necessarily the favourite, knowing that I can still wangle my way to the win, that bodes well for the Tour.

“One thing’s for sure: I felt really good, which is always nice. Everyone’s flying at the Tour, everyone’s going well, but I can confidently say I’m in very good shape.”

Pinarello Q36.5 manager Doug Ryder announced on Wednesday that the team are planning to race “proactively” on their Tour debut. The squad will be led by Vuelta podium finisher Tom Pidcock, who, along with his seven team-mates, will “look for opportunities every day”, Ryder added.

Wright has already singled out his chances over the three weeks. “There’ll be a bit of helping Tom, but I think the plan also is to go for breaks,” he says. “I’ve already got some stages in my head, how the race is going to flow. It’s really exciting.”

Naturally, Wright would not be drawn on announcing the days he is targeting. “With these breaks, especially in high-level races, it’s random enough that you don’t want to think about it too much,” he says.

“You never really know how the GC gets involved, or what breakaway stages are going to be like. But no, I’ve got my eye on some stages and I’m always going to be hopeful, always going to be trying.”

After waiting three years to win again, Wright's next victory could be days away. The finish line shot, arms outstretched in the red, white and blue of the British champion's jersey, would surely sit nicely in a frame on the mantelpiece.

When NSN Cycling made its landmark signing in Biniam Girmay over the winter, they did so with a clear ambition in mind: to win a stage and chase green at the 2026 Tour de France. The Girmay transfer was a key piece of the puzzle, but so was carving a squad of riders around the Eritrean who could deliver him to Tour glory.

Jake Stewart is set to be an important cog in that machine when the Tour sets off from the team’s new ‘home’ in Barcelona, operating as Girmay’s last man in the NSN sprint train.

“The main ambition is the sprint stages with Biniam, We want to go and win a stage at the Tour de France,” Stewart tells Cycling Weekly ahead of his third Tour.

“That's a huge goal. I think it's the same as every other team's goal when they go to the Tour de France, they want to win a stage there…We'll start to shift our focus to the green jersey if we see that he's in a good position to challenge for that in Paris,” Stewart adds.

The team endured a period of transition over the winter, taking on new branding and sponsorship following mass protests at the 2025 Vuelta a España against the team’s links to Israel, when the team was known as Israel-Premier Tech and bankrolled by billionaire Sylvan Adams.

Things have changed on the performance side, too, with Girmay replacing GC rider Derek Gee-West as the team’s talisman. The now Swiss-registered squad has had to morph into a Classics and sprint team, as opposed to focusing on the overall classification goals of Gee-West and Matthew Riccitello, who also departed.

“It's been a shift in terms of the team's focus this year,” Stewart says. “But it was also a discussion that we had within the team. It's so difficult nowadays for teams to focus on everything. Either you're a GC team, you're a Classics team or you're a sprint team.

“There's very few teams nowadays that are going to Grand Tours and targeting a GC and also sprint stages.”

“So it kind of shifted the focus from that GC focus to stage-hunting, and I think it's been really positive for the team. It takes away a lot of the pressure from GC, which is a lot of pressure and it allows guys to focus on the days that suit them best and what suits us best as a team.”

Becoming the world’s best lead out man

After racing the first part of the year in support of fellow Brit Ethan Vernon, Stewart linked up with Girmay for the first time at the Baloise Belgium Tour, guiding him to a stage win on the opening day. Stewart says that the pair have gelled well together and that Girmay “knows what he wants and how he wants to execute sprints.”

Having started his career with Groupama-FDJ chasing his own opportunities, Stewart has settled into a lead-out role as he has matured. He admitted that the pressure of sprinting for himself had been tough to handle at times and he has started to see a sports psychologist.

Now 27, Stewart is in his prime years as an athlete, and wants to build a reputation for his ability to deliver his sprinter to the line.

“My biggest ambition is to develop myself into one of the best lead out guys, the best last man in the world,” Stewart says.

“I think my characteristics as a bike racer suit that last man role rather than winning myself in these big bunch of gallops…If I do carry on progressing the way that I am, then I can kind of put myself in that realm of being one of the best last men in the world.”

“That's definitely something that I'm striving to try and achieve. Obviously the Tour de France is the biggest stage to be able to show that on and execute that on. If I do a good enough job and Bini comes away with a stage win or two, then it's going to be a successful Tour de France for me.”

The ink on the Specialized S-Works Tarmac SL9 launch is barely dry, and you can already grab yourself a deal on select Tarmac SL8 models with Balfe's and Sigma Sports, here in the UK.

It should come as no surprise that once a new model has been launched, the old one is discounted. What's more surprising is the fact that Specialised only announced the arrival of the top-tier S-Works version of the all-new Tarmac SL9 this week, providing no information on how that might affect the lineup below it.

The S-Works SL9 is available in both SRAM and Shimano builds, both coming in at a whopping £12000. Typically, we'd expect the likes of Shimano Ultegra and 105 builds to follow, but at present details on lower-tier groupset offerings are yet to be released. This, however, hasn't stopped retailers slashing prices on SL8 builds.

• Shop all Sigma Sports Tarmac SL8 deals
• Shop all Balfe's Bikes Tarmac SL8 deals

Regardless, if Specialized decides to 'trickle down' the S-Works level SL9 tech, the stronger argument for considering the SL8 now and not waiting around for mid-level builds of the new SL9 is that Specialized was only able to find 4 watts of aerodynamic performance over 45Kph/28Mph.

Now, for mere mortals like you and me, that is likely not a speed you regularly ride at. So, in real-world terms, you may be only saving a single watt, if that.

The good news for you, regardless, is that you can now save over £1100 on the bike that CW's tech experts voted as the very best road bike available.

The Tarmac SL8, as I said, is our pick for the best aero road bike on the market, and has been for some time now. In the summer of 2024, Tech Writer Joe Baker, after riding 2000 kilometres in order to crown our Race Bike of the Year, declared the SL8 the best there was. He then followed that with a 12-month long-term review and concluded that it remained the benchmark to beat in 2025.

It's 2026 now though, I hear you say, and Tarmac SL8 is still widely considered one of the best road bikes ever made. It's a bike whose geometry hasn't really changed since we moved to disc brakes, but it's the refinement over the years that puts the Tarmac SL8 head and shoulders above the rest.

That can be seen clearly in the release information of the SL9. Whilst there have been many subtle changes, Specialized was only able to find 4 watts of improvement after 3-4 years of development at 45kph/28mph. It's a tough job to make the best better.

I have currently only found Specialized Tarmac SL8 deals in the UK, but I will report back as soon as I find some more.

When, in 1982, Gerald O’Donovan, then head of Raleigh’s elite Specialist Bicycle Development Unit (SBDU), discovered that Tommy Godwin was riding time trials at the ripe old age of 61, he didn’t hesitate to build the veteran Olympian a bike suitable for a champion.

“As well as being a remarkable engineer with a natural gift for marketing, Gerald was one of the most generous people I have ever known,” explains current owner, Dave Marsh, of the Universal Cycle Centre, Rotherham.

Godwin was a cycling icon for decades. He won two bronze medals at Herne Hill during the London 1948 Olympics, managed the British team at the Tokyo 1964 Olympics, and was, at 91, an official ambassador and torch bearer for the London 2012 Olympics. Marsh first met him trackside after winning the Masters category of the 1997 National Championship points race at Manchester Velodrome.

“Tommy presented me with my medal,” Marsh fondly recalls. “Little did I suspect that I’d be buying this bike from him four years later at a Kidderminster cycle jumble.”

Godwin was having a clear-out that included his TI Raleigh Team Bike. “We did a meticulous restoration,” remembers Marsh, “including a respray by talented ex-SBDU frame painter Phil ‘Skill’ Insley, who first painted it back in ’82. Even the decals are original.”

The frame is built entirely from heat-treated Reynolds 753 tubing, a stronger, thinner-walled version of 531. The rest of the build is almost entirely ‘no expense spared’ Campagnolo Super Record. The training wheels shown feature 28/32 spoke Mavic Mach 2 CD grey anodised rims shod with durable Vittoria Rally tubulars, but Marsh also owns the original TT-ready 28/28 spoke Arc-en-Ciel rims that Godwin paired with fast silk tubulars.

The Saba stem evokes ’80s nostalgia. It’s a Cinelli, but pantographed by Italo Berigliano, whose London-based company Saba imported lust-worthy bike components from Italy. The bars are also Cinelli, a 42cm width model 64.

Bike racing fan or not, once July hits, there’s a different energy in the air. It’s time for the Tour. But whilst the Tour de France may be the oldest Grand Tour, there’s another French event that predates it, and some might say it’s even tougher.

Paris-Brest-Paris is a 1200-kilometre ride that ping-pongs riders between the two locations in under 90 hours. And that time includes everything: riding, sleeping, eating. Once the clock starts, it doesn’t stop until the rider returns or the time is up. Whichever comes first.

The first Paris-Brest-Paris (PBP) was a competitive event, held in 1891 and imagined by Pierre Giffard, an editor at Le Petit Journal. He wanted to create an event that celebrated the resilience of cyclists and showcased what a bicycle could do. The winner, Charles Terront, completed the route in 71 hours 22 minutes, riding without sleep.

The event continued as a competitive race until 1951. Nowadays, PBP is an amateur event that takes place every four years, but riding it is certainly not as simple as just strolling up to the start line. I would know, having completed my first PBP in 2023.

Since then I’ve taken on multiple long-distance routes of this nature, including the 1200km Midnight Sun Randonnée (riding through the Arctic Circle), the Humboldt Coast 1200km (along the shores of Oregon and California) and the Gamblers 1000k (Reno to Las Vegas, through Death Valley) to name a few. Next up for me is the UK’s infamous LEJOG (Land’s End to John O’Groats), in August. Needless to say, I've fallen in love with this sport.

WELCOME TO RANDONNEURING

Randonneuring — or Audax in the UK, India and Brazil — is the sport of endurance cycling, not ultra racing. It's a subtle but distinct difference. Think of courses with time limits, not winners. The spirit of randonneuring is really in the name: from the French word “randonnée”; the sport is about exploring, adventure and seeing what you’re capable of, not fighting for the podium.

Like most sports, randonneuring also has its own language. Here’s a quick start guide to get you up to speed:

• Brevet: The name of each event. There are standard distances and each brevet has a maximum allowable time limit: 200km (13.5 hrs), 300km (20 hrs), 400km (27 hrs), 600km (40 hrs), and 1000km+ (75 hrs).
• Randonneur/Randonneuse: A rider who participates in randonneuring. Randonneur is masculine, randonneuse is feminine, though "randonneur" is often used as the general term.
• Control (or Contrôle): A checkpoint along the route where riders must get proof of passage. Sometimes a stamp on a brevet card, a receipt from a local shop, answering a question about the location’s landscape or simply passing through with your bike computer.
• Brevet Card: A paper card (sometimes digital) stamped at each control to show proof of passage.
• ACP (Audax Club Parisien): The most notable randonneuring club in the world as this is the “local” club that hosts Paris-Brest-Paris. Plus, they oversee randonneuring internationally, including setting the rules for brevets worldwide.
• Super Randonneur (SR): Completing a full series of brevets, 200km, 300km, 400km, and 600km, all within a single season (a calendar year). This is the qualification required for PBP.

THE ROAD TO PARIS-BREST-PARIS

The next edition of Paris-Brest-Paris is coming up in August, 2027. If you’d like to be one of the thousands of riders toeing the line in the official start town of Rambouillet, there’s some real work you need to accomplish in 2026.

Step one: ride your first brevet in 2026. It can be any length, from 200km up to 1000km or longer — but there's a strategy to consider. PBP pre-registration opens first to those who've completed a 1000km brevet (or longer), then 600km, then 400km, 300km, and 200km.

According to the ACP website, the number of participants will be capped at 8,000, but keep in mind 2,500 of those spots are reserved for French riders until March 31, 2027 (it is the Parisienne club after all). After this date, any remaining spots will be open for anyone to pre-register.

If you miss your 2026 brevet, there’s still a way to pre-register without a brevet — it just depends if there are any spots left.

For context, in the 2023 edition, there were over 6,400 riders from 66 different countries. So if you're worried about securing your spot, the smart move is to complete the longest brevet you can manage this year.

COMPLETE YOUR SUPER RANDONNEUR SERIES IN 2027

Your 2026 brevet only earns you a place in the registration queue — it doesn't qualify you to actually start. Step two happens the following year: before the deadline of June 30, 2027, you'll need to complete a full Super Randonneur Series of 200km, 300km, 400km, and 600km, to confirm your place on the start line on Sunday, August 27, 2027.

Each of these brevets must be completed with a randonneur club (you can’t simply ride your own route and submit it). Plus, routes must be ACP approved, which means the brevet has been verified by the club in Paris and will act as a qualifier towards your Super Randonneur Series.

FINDING A RANDONNEUR CLUB

To find a club visit RandonneursMondiaux.org, or if you’re in the US, you can visit RUSA.org. UK cyclists can go straight to audax.uk.

Costs are very reasonable, sometimes less than the price of lunch, for a year’s worth of riding. But this is not a glitzy Gran Fondo. Riders take part self-supported; there are no SAG (support) wagons or follow cars, and no elaborate feed zones. You’re in charge of your ride, and to be honest, this is really part of the appeal. Just you, your fellow randonneurs, and the road.

Keep in mind, you’re not just joining a club. You’re joining a community. Brevets and all of the club activities are possible thanks to the dedicated volunteers. Giving back to the organization is how these rides happen. Which means, even if you’re not riding, you can still participate by volunteering. Oftentimes, that’s just as fun.

IS IT WORTH ALL THE HASSLE?

That’s really a question for you to decide. But I’d give a resounding ‘yes’.

When was the last time you rode a piece of history? Being able to pedal through picturesque villages, and participate in a ride with thousands of people, from cities and towns all around the world, not to mention the fact that this ride is unlike anything else.

With such deep roots, there are generations of people who have been coming to the roadside to support: grandmas cheering at 2am, townsfolk handing out food and encouragement. It’s a special experience with a unique spirit of camaraderie and connection.

WANT TO RANDO?

You still have time to do your pre-qualification ride. Find a club near you and sign up for your first brevet. And even if PBP isn’t in the cards for this upcoming edition, it’s still worth giving randonneuring a try. It’s a challenge without the anxiety of pinning on a race number.

After all, racing doesn't have to be the only love letter to cycling. Sometimes the longest letters are the ones that say the most.

Tom Pidcock will lead Pinarello Q36.5 at its first appearance at the Tour de France, it was confirmed on Wednesday afternoon,

The 26-year-old returns to the Tour this season after missing the 2025 edition due to his ProTeam not being invited; with Pinarello Q36.5 on the start line, the Yorkshireman returns.

He will be joined by British champion Fred Wright, alongside Xabier Mikel Azparren, Chris Harper, Quinten Hermans, Damien Howson, Xandro Meurisse and Brent Van Moer.

The Tour returns to Alpe d'Huez for two stages this July, for the first time since Pidcock won atop the mountain in 2022. It remains his sole stage win to date, although he did come close with second-place on the gravel stage to Troyes in 2024. He finished third overall at last year's Vuelta a España, his best Grand Tour result to date.

Wright has finished in the top 10 on stages eight times, coming second once in 2022. He is yet to win a race other than the British National Championships, but has finished second twice this year. Harper rode the Giro d'Italia in May, and won a stage at the same race last year.

Team principal Doug Ryder said: "From day one, the Tour de France has been a clear objective for this project. To now be on the start line is an important step, but more importantly, it reflects the consistency of the work that’s gone into building this team.

"We come with a group that combines experience, versatility and the mindset we want to race with. Our approach is simple we’ll race proactively, look for opportunities every day and make sure we’re present throughout all three weeks.

"This milestone goes well beyond the eight riders selected. It’s the result of years of commitment from the staff, the belief within the organisation, and the support of our partners Q36.5, Pinarello, UBS and many others who’ve helped create an environment where performance can grow.

"Being here is significant, but for us it’s not an end point. It’s another step in the progression of the team."

The team are riding in a special kit for the Tour, in a lighter hue, "to give the riders a distinctively fresher summer-weather look and feel while standing out clearly in the peloton throughout July".

The full route details for the five stages of the 2026 Lloyds Tour of Britain Men were revealed on Wednesday by British Cycling, which gets underway on Wednesday 2 September and runs until Sunday 6 September.

The course will see some of the world's top riders racing across 910.3k (565 miles) of Britain, from Michaelgate in Lincoln, via the Yorkshire Dales to the Lammermuir Hills, just across the border in southern Scotland, tacking 8814 metres of ascent enroute.

"The route brings unique challenges to the riders, while delivering a backdrop which shows the best of Britain, from the beautiful coastline, across the highways, through our stunning countryside, and up some iconic and challenging categorised climbs,” says Jonathan Day, Director of Events for British Cycling Ventures.

Stage one, Lincoln-Lincoln, Weds 2 Sept 2026, 187.6km

This is the first year Britain’s biggest professional men’s cycle race has visited Lincoln, but riders will see plenty of the city on this 187.6km stage, which takes rolls out of town into the Lincolnshire Wolds and through Market Rasen, riding north to visit Caistor in the West Lindsey District, before wending west through Waddingham and then south to head back towards Lincoln via Ingham.

Once back in the city, with 120km already on the clock, riders will climb Michaelgate (11.3% average gradient) five times while doping crowd-pleasing laps of the famous Lincoln Grand Prix circuit, a prestigious part of the Lloyds National Road Series.

Stage two, Boston–Skegness, Thurs 3 Sept 2026, 185.2km

Day two will see the race start further south, in Boston, with riders heading north past Coningsby (WWII base of the 617 Squadron - better known as the bomb bouncing 'Dambusters') and pedalling through Woodhall Spa, Horncastle and Wragby, before heading east back into the Lincolnshire Wolds, where the route intersects with the stage one course at Binbrook.

The peloton will then ride east, via Louth to meet the coast and ride beside the North Sea through Mablethorpe and Sutton-on-Sea, with a climb close Langton Hill, before dropping to end in a sprint finish into Skegness.

Stage three, Hull–Beverley, Fri 4 Sept 2026, 200.6km

The tour starts north of the Humber on day three, with the peloton departing Hull and heading up England's east coast, pedalling through Withernsea and continuing up to Hornsea and Skipseam before bearing inland to Burton Agnes.

Riders face a sequence of climbs en route to Driffield before descending into Wetwang, racing four times around a 16km circuit in Beverley, with the finish line positioned atop a testing uphill final stretch to the racecourse.

Stage four, Helmsley–Leyburn, Sat 5 Sept 2026, 170.5km

Riders face 2459m of ascent during the toughest stage of the 2026 Tour, as the race moves into North Yorkshire and tackles terrain that will likely prove pivotal in determining the final General Classification standings.

From the market town of Helmsley in the North York Moors National Park, the course winds through Easingwold, Boroughbridge and the cathedral city of Ripon before entering the Yorkshire Dales National Park. From Pateley Bridge, a stiff climb out of Greenhow Bank (4km at 7,2% average gradient) takes riders west towards Grassington and Wharfedale before the course head north to Buckden.

Between Cray and the finishline in Leyburn, the peloton will pass through some spectacular scenery - familiar to those who spectated the 2014 Tour de France Grande Depart - as riders climb Kidstones (2.9km at 6.3% average gradient and 12.6% max), race past Aysgarth Falls and tackle the climbs of Greets Moss (4.4km at 6.9% average gradient) and Grinton Moor (4.4km at 5.3% average gradient).

Stage five, Earlston–Earlston, Sun 6 September 2026, 166.4km 

On the final day the race heads into southern Scotland, to the Berwickshire town of Earlston, making its debut appearance on the Tour of Britain.

Heading east, through Smailholm towards Kelso, the route then elbows north to visit Hume, Greenlaw and Duns. Riders will then do battle during climbs in the Lammermuir Hills, passing Whiteadder Water before ascending to Redstone Rig and Duddy Bank. The route then returns to Earlston, where riders will race around two circuits of a 19km lap to the final finish line.

Further details about the routes of all five stages, and more information about the race and host venues, is all available on the BC website.

Tour of Britain 2026 stage table

Netcompany-Ineos will "race aggressively" over the three weeks of the Tour de France, Geraint Thomas promised, as the team announced their lineup on Wednesday.

In the absence of GC-hopeful Oscar Onley, the team is packed with stage-hunting talent, although there is the possibility of general classification success too.

The eight riders are: Thymen Arensman, Egan Bernal, Tobias Foss, Filippo Ganna, Dorian Godon, Michał Kwiatkowski, Josh Tarling and Kévin Vauquelin.

"This team has some great racers who people love to watch," Thomas, the team's director of racing, said. "They’ll have the freedom to go for it and race aggressively across the three weeks. Fortune favours the brave. We didn't come to this Tour to follow the race - we came to shape it.

"Barcelona’s team time trial presents a great opportunity to start strongly. This year we’ve performed well in this discipline so will give it everything we’ve got. From there, it’s going to be full-on and we’re ready to take on the challenge."

Arensman won two stages of the Tour de France in the mountains last year, and comes into the race off the back of finishing fourth at the Giro d'Italia. He starts alongside 2021 Tour winner Egan Bernal, who finished 10th at the Giro.

"I'm super happy and proud to get selected for the Tour this year," Arensman said. "I think riding the Giro d’Italia is actually pretty good preparation and I’ve taken some time to recover and look after the body. I have some great memories from last year’s Tour and I’m motivated to be there again and see what we can deliver.

"We have a strong team and it’s a really good group dynamic which is always really important."

Vauquelin, meanwhile, will race the Tour for Ineos for the first time after he moved from Arkéa-B&B Hotels over the winter. He won a stage in 2024, and finished seventh overall last year, the highest Frenchman. It was not clear whether he would be targeting general classi

"As a French rider, the Tour is always an incredible thing to be part of," he said. "And this is my first with Netcompany-Ineos so it’s going to be even more special. This is a strong group and I am looking forward to racing aggressively, attacking and hunting for wins together."

Tarling, meanwhile, has made a remarkable recovery to be in shape for his debut Tour, after he broke his collarbone at the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes last month.

"I’m just super happy and really looking forward to it," he said. "We’ve got a power team so I’m really excited with the team that we have for the TT and stages, so we’re going to have a good Tour together."

After first peeking at the two prototype gravel bikes at Unbound Gravel, Giant and Liv have officially revealed that we all guessed correctly - the new Giant Revolt Advanced SL and the Liv Devote Advanced SL gravel bikes.

It was a textbook move by the Taiwanese brand, which just two years ago pulled a similar stunt by strategically leaking a prototype of the current-generation Giant Revolt Advanced Pro ahead of its then official launch.

As two of the best gravel bikes, the new models move away from the do-it-all adventure roots of previous generations, with both platforms completely reimagined with a single aim: unconditional race speed.

Engineered as fully integrated, holistic speed systems rather than a collection of standalone parts, these new platforms claim to deliver large aerodynamic drag reductions, dramatic weight savings, and aggressive geometry tailored for demanding gravel races, and doing away with the gravel adventuring modus operandi of the previous models.

While marketed to different audiences, these two elite platforms are cut from the same cloth. Built in the same specialised facilities, they share the same composite manufacturing processes designed to achieve weight savings and aerodynamic efficiency.

Shared carbon architecture

To truly understand these bikes, you have to look at their identical underlying skeletons. Both the Revolt and Devote Advanced lines utilise Giant Bicycle Group's most proprietary high-modulus carbon resin. This shared advanced composite framework relies on a triad of manufacturing systems:

Carbon Nanotube Technology (CNT): A resin blend that boasts strengthened microscopic bonds between fibre layers, aiming to improve impact resistance.

Continuous Fibre Technology: The application of long, unbroken sheets of carbon fabric, which aim to eliminate overlapping joints, and therefore strip away dead weight while maximising structural strength.

Precision Cold-Blade Cutting: Laser-precise, mechanical cutting of individual composite swatches, which claims to ensure a flawless, minimised layup with zero wasted material.

Translating this industry jargon into plain English: both brands are using high-tech glue, longer carbon strands, and a much sharper knife to craft their frames. This carbon-equivalent aerospace-grade alloy allows engineers to strip away unnecessary material, ensuring both frames remain featherweight yet stiff enough for the highest echelons of racing.

All in all, it's a relatively new, though not cheap, process for Giant Bicycles.

Translating shared tech to unique metrics

Because they share the same technological foundation, both bikes have achieved performance improvements over their predecessors.

For the Giant Revolt Advanced SL, this system-engineered approach yields a complete bike that is claimed to be 288g lighter than the previous generation. The bare frame boasts a drop to a scant 839g (a 151g reduction), while its fork shaves down to 385g, saving a combined 176g on the chassis alone.

Meanwhile, the Liv Devote Advanced SL uses the exact same layup process but with Liv's female-specific ergonomics. Optimised in the wind tunnel using "Georgia," its 3D-printed mannequin modelled after professional athlete Georgia Baker. Its core racing setup (frame, fork, wheels, and cockpit) tips the scales at a claimed 4,223g, cutting nearly 300g from the previous model.

Integrated cockpits and progressive geometry

The similarities extend beyond the carbon sheets. Both platforms integrate their front ends to optimise stiffness. The flagship builds for both models utilise ultra-light integrated handlebars, the Contact SLR XR, which weighs a claimed scant 295g.

They also share a major shift in progressive gravel geometry. Both the Revolt and Devote feature lower stack height, longer reach, steeper head tube angles and reduced fork trail. With the framesets more closely resembling road-faring bikes.

Giant and Liv both say these reworked geometries deliver substantial aerodynamic savings, with the Giant Revolt boasting a claimed 18.99-watt advantage and the Liv Devote promising a massive 20.03-watt saving, both over the previous incarnations.

Looking at the Revolt at a granular level, Giant says that total wind-tunnel testing confirms a 13.81W linear drag, 3.03W rolling resistance, plus rotating-wheel savings.

Compared to the previous generation, the new Revolt SL has a lower frontal profile (557mm stack height vs 586mm), 10mm more reach (395mm reach vs 385mm), and a +1.0-degree seat tube angle (74.5 degrees vs 73.5 degrees).

Sliding the microscope over the Liv Devote and the numbers are even more impressive. Taking advantage of 'Georgia', Liv's 3D-printed, fully adjustable mannequin modelled after the exact body dimensions of professional Liv AlUla Jayco athlete Georgia Baker, the brand claims to have optimised the Devote's AeroSystem Shaping to maximise real-world efficiency.

The new Devote is much more aggressive. Across almost all sizes, with a lower Stack and a longer Reach. Taking a size medium, for example, the stack is now 17mm lower and 8mm longer than the outgoing model.

To make it even more aggressive, the Devote comes specced with longer stems across the board (70–90mm vs. the original 50–80mm).

It is slightly disengenous however, to claim that the full wattage saving comes from the geo alone, with Liv confessing that the two bikes were measured differently in the wind tunnel, with the original Devote configured in a more upright, traditional all-road position.

Back to the joint launch statements, and both brands state that this reworking of the Revolt and Devote promise highly stable front-ends to achieve a composed ride feel, even on high-speed fire roads and in loose, unpredictable corners. Furthermore, they both offer a maximum 53mm of tyre clearance, giving racers total flexibility to adapt to changing course conditions.

Mirrored wheelsystems

While the heart of any bike is the frameset, it could be argued that the lungs are the wheels.

It will come as no surprise by now that this is another shared platform for Liv and Giant.

The top models, the Liv Devote and Revolt Advanced SL, use the brand new Cadex Max GRX Wheelsystem, which is a carbon 50mm hookless wheel with carbon spokes, fitted with Cadex GXR 45c tyres.

The Giant Bicycles house-brand wheelsets were launched just a couple of weeks ago, with the Advanced SL models being the first to be specc'd with the wheel-tyre combo.

The team behind Cadex say that the wheelset weighs just 1320g (1280g without valves and tape). Weight with the tyres is, as yet, an unknown quantity, despite the system-based approach, and the Cadex and Giant is quick to share stats such as the total aero drag reduction (linear + rotational) is now -15.96W and the total system resistance reduction saves 18.99W, both when compared to the previous Cades GX 40mm wheels.

It's worth noting at this stage that the wheelset can also take up to 53mm tyres, which, according to Cadex, isn't the optimal set-up for speed, but I would say it could be for the gnarlier gravel.

Purchased on their own, the Cadex GRX Wheelsystem is priced at $ 4000/£3499, and the GRX tyre is $ 85/£65 each.

The Reality Check: old vs new

When you look past the matching marketing claims - like Liv's "25% Better Pedalling" and "38.5% Better Handling" - the shared physical reality of these frames comes down to raw stiffness-to-weight efficiency.

Making a frame harder and lighter means less energy is lost when you pedal. It doesn't mean 25% more speed; it means they cut weight and used a better carbon layup and resin than in previous iterations.

Without some context, you'd think the previous models rode like wet spaghetti;

However, understanding that Advance SLs that gain (or lose) these headline numbers are totally new bikes.

The range name is about all they now share, so it feels very disengenous of both Liv and Giant to make any comparisons on improvements between old and new.

To be honest, I suspect it's only down to the immense cost and time involved in registering and trademarking a new range that these new bikes fall under the Devote or Revolt umbrella at all.

That's no shade on the brands for this naming-keepsake move; it's a cost that would have been passed down to end consumers, so it saves money in the right places. However, to try to wow us with the 'improvements' is pretty naughty.

Will that stop me loving the new bikes - probably not. There aren't many Liv bikes I haven't wanted to keep forever, and I suspect the same for my colleagues with their thoughts on Giant; I can't see why either of these two gravel platforms would be any different.

Specifications: models and prices

I'll spare you the granular specification charts for both new bikes and every model in the range and share more on that when we have the bikes.

But as a quick summary, the Advance SL tops the range, and both the Devote and the Revolt use the same SL-grade carbon for the frame and fork, Giant Contact SLR XR D-Fuse carbon seatpost, and, interestingly, the same Cadex Amp saddle.

The Contact SLR XR integrated handlebars differ between the Liv and Giant brands, but only in size: Liv specifies slightly smaller cockpit dimensions depending on size; for example, on size-small bikes, the Liv Devote uses a 70x420mm setup, while the Giant Revolt scales up to 420mm.

The other area that is matched, but not identical, is the SRAM Red cranksets. This time, both smalls run 165mm cranks with a powermeter as standard, but the 1x chainring on the small Devote is 42t, while the small Revolt again sizes up to 44t; both, however, get the same 13-speed 10x42 cassette.
As expected, both top models run the flagship Cadex Max GRX wheelsystem mentioned above.

Depending on the model, the bikes will cost between $7,300/ £5,499 and $12,000/ £10,000 for either the Liv Devote or Giant Revolt.

We'll bring you more details about all the models and their specifics once the new bikes have landed with us, but in the meantime, both bikes will be available to purchase in the EU and UK only, while Giant's CEO still unpicks the import tangle. which is currently still enforced in the USA.

This weekend is a big one; not only is it the start of the Tour De France, but it's also July 4th, America's 250th birthday!

Many brands celebrate the holiday with deals and offers, and I'm already looking through a raft of excellent deals ahead of the July 4th weekend from the likes of REI, Competitive Cyclist & Mike's Bikes.

Independence Day weekend regularly brings Black Friday-level discounts, particularly in outdoor sectors like cycling; call it the mid-season sale if you wish. Let us not forget this weekend is the big two-five-zero celebrations, and it seems bicycle retailers are looking to match the hype with some mega offers.

I have been back into the listings so you don't have to, picking out the best cycling deals from the July 4th sales. I've found a ton of our top-rated products on sale, particularly many of the best bike computers and best smartwatches from Garmin.

Happy Birthday, America!

My focus here is obviously on the July 4th Weekend sales, and the offers in the US around Independence day. However, if you are outside US check out below for some of today's best offers, on product featured above.

Wheelset prices are getting out of control, and finding a lightweight, performance option at a reasonable price from the established Western brands has become a rather futile exercise. Add carbon fibre architecture into the equation, and things get even pricier – especially among the upper echelons of the best road bike wheels.

SRAM-owned component manufacturer Zipp, however, claims to have a solution, unveiling a new carbon-fibre wheelset aimed at attracting new customers without watering down the brand's substance.

The Zipp 404 S replaces the 303 S, a model that became the go-to training wheel for WorldTour riders and regular consumers, thanks to its versatility as an all-road and gravel wheelset.

When Zipp unveiled the 303 XPLR SW and S-level gravel-specific wheel and 1Zero HiTop S cross-country mountain bike wheels in 2023, this left a gap in the range for a dedicated road wheel, and so the 404 S was born. The 404 S takes everything the American brand knows about carbon layups and aerodynamics and packages it into a wheel that Zipp says ‘punches well above its weight’ with a two-watt improvement over the 303 S.

The specifications look pretty good on paper, with a combined system weight of 1,585g per pair. The hoops measure 50mm deep and are built around a contemporary 23mm hookless internal rim, allowing tyres ranging from 28-29mm to be run at low pressure. Like most wheels in Zipp’s range, the 404 S was developed to work best with the Goodyear Eagle F1 tyre, claiming a 1-watt improvement over other 28mm tyres paired with the same rim. The wheels utilise the company’s tried-and-tested 76/176 hubset and are laced with 20/24 Sapim-CX Sprint spokes in a two-cross pattern.

The hubset employs a three-pawl system with 30 points of engagement, eschewing top-end performance in favour of durability. Customisation is fairly limited, with decal options available in white and dark grey. Owing to Zipp targeting the lower end of the best road bike wheels, tyre pressure sensors are not included, as they would significantly drive up the price.

In terms of durability, the wheels are constructed with standard steel spokes and contact seal bearings to prevent contamination during wet-weather riding. There’s also a handy lifetime warranty and crash replacement policy for peace of mind.

Zipp has done well to price the 404 S in a space it currently doesn't occupy – the sub-£1,000/$1,300 category. At £985 / $1,300 / €1,100 for the pair, these are among the most affordable 50mm-deep performance-wheel offerings from an established brand on the market.

We'll be getting a pair on test soon and will report in detail on how they perform in racing and training scenarios, as well as putting their durability to the test over the wet season.

Zipp 404 S tech specs

• Price: £985 / $1,300 / €1,100
• Weight: 1,585g
• Disc layout: Centrelock
• Spoke count: 20/24 front/rear
• Rim depth: 50mm
• Internal rim width: 23mm
• Rim type: Hookless

Tadej Pogačar remains the overwhelming favourite for the Tour de France. That much is clear. It doesn’t mean it’s a done deal, that the race will be boring, or that Jonas Vingegaard has no chance. However, it will be a significant surprise if the Slovenian isn’t on the top step in Paris in a month’s time.

His nearest challenger is expected to be Vingegaard of Visma-Lease a Bike, he is the only rider to ever beat UAE Team Emirates-XRG’s Pogačar at the Tour de France, after all, and is coming into the race off the back of winning the Giro d’Italia. If his contention that he is usually better in his second Grand Tour of the year is correct, then we could be in for a fascinating battle across France.

That all said, the focus for many will be on the presence of Paul Seixas, Decathlon CMA CGM’s 19-year-old French phenomenon, who will be making his debut at his home Grand Tour. Just a few months ago, the idea of the teenager racing was preposterous, but here we are, and he will become the youngest starter at the Tour in 89 years as a result, and only the second 19-year-old to take part in the 21st century. The man from Lyon has vowed to “give everything I have over these three weeks and achieve the best result possible”.

It’s easy to get swept away in the tide of Seixas fever. He’s French, and the French haven’t had a genuine hope of winning their French Grand Tour in years, aside from Julian Alaphilippe’s 2019 heroics, ultimately in vain. They haven’t won the men’s race since 1985, although Pauline Ferrand-Prévot did win the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift last year.

Seixas has already won six races this year, he was the only rider anywhere near Pogačar at Strade Bianche, where he finished second, and he could very well take to Grand Tour racing like he has to the rest of the WorldTour, with aplomb.

That said, I don’t think he’s the young Tour debutant with the best chance of winning the whole thing. That’s Isaac del Toro. The Mexican is currently the third-best rider on the UCI’s rankings. At just 22, he has won the UAE Tour, Tirreno-Adriatico and most recently the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes this year, where he showed the kind of form which would ordinarily make him a favourite for the Tour.

Unlike Seixas, Del Toro has already ridden two Grand Tours, and came so close to winning the Giro d’Italia last year, until that Simon Yates masterstroke. There will be less pressure on him, no French media storm.

There is a problem with Del Toro as a contender: he also rides for UAE Team Emirates, and therefore will ultimately be in the service of Pogačar, who, as discussed, will be hard to beat. There could be a point of the race where the Mexican is forced to sacrifice his race in the name of his leader’s quest for a fifth yellow jersey; I can imagine Del Toro doing this with grace, he seems like a solid teammate.

That said, Pogačar might not need this sacrifice, and as the race goes on, I can see both UAE riders flying high on general classification. If anything happens to Pogačar – which is far-fetched, given his ridiculous fortune at Grand Tours – then Del Toro will be there, the ultimate understudy, ready to step in.

The hype machine will be focused on Seixas, understandably, but my attention will be on Del Toro just as much. A Mexican wave on the podium is not out of the question.

This piece is part of The Leadout, the offering of newsletters from Cycling Weekly and Cyclingnews. To get this in your inbox, subscribe here.

If you want to get in touch with Adam, email adam.becket@futurenet.com.

The Tour de France 2026 starts in Barcelona, Spain, on the 4th of July. The Grand Départ of the 113th edition starts Le Tour in style with an always thrilling team time trial around the Catalan capital.

However, if your excitement is at fever pitch already, you can get ready for the Tour de France by streaming some of our favourite cycling documentaries from anywhere with NordVPN.

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Tour de France: Unchained

Tour de France: Unchained is a three-season Netflix docuseries that features unprecedented access to various WorldTour cycling teams and riders, capturing the drama of the peloton in a never-before-seen dynamic. TDF: Unchained offers a raw, highly dramatised look at the riders, managers, mechanics, and medical staff. Showcasing the highly anticipated showdowns between cycling heavyweights—including Tadej Pogačar and Jonas Vingegaard, and explores the immense pressure to capture the Yellow Jersey and the fierce rivalries that unfold on the road to Paris.

Netflix has 3 seasons of Tour de France: Unchained filmed during the 109th-111th editions of the race. Episodes focus around the battle for Yellow, plus the races underdogs and outsiders – highlighting smaller teams cyclists striving to topple the giants, and also the financial and psychological pressures of the race, capturing the internal conflicts and sacrifices made on the hunt for a stage win and a GC podium place.

The Least Expected Day: Inside the Movistar Team

Before Tour de France: Unchained hit our screens, The Least Expected Day: Inside the Movistar Team set the wheels in motion for the cycling docuseries. It gave viewers an inside view into the Spanish Movistar team, who at the time were one of the world's biggest cycling team.

Netflix has 5 incredible seasons of El Día Menos Pensadoto, covering the internal team friction as top of their game riders like Richard Carapaz, Nairo Quintana, Alejandro Valverde and Mikel Landa battle their peloton rivals and each other across Grand Tour campaigns from 2019 to 2022, and for leadership with the Movistar Team.

Season 5 Season 5 of The Least Expected Day: Inside the Movistar Team (subtitled Una Nueva Generación/A New Generation) premiered back in January 2026, and unlike previous seasons it leans into a theme of transition, renewal, and the teams shift in identity.

30 for 30: Slaying the badger

Greg LeMond, who is the first and only American to win the Tour de France. Slaying the Badger is the story of LeMond's 1986 Tour de France triumph and the fierce, bitter rivalry between LeMond and his French teammate/mentor Bernard Hinault (nicknamed "The Badger"). It explores betrayal, the complexities of team dynamics, and LeMond's historic triumph.

Pantani. The accidental death of a cyclist 

Pantani: The Accidental Death of a Cyclist is a documentary that chronicles the meteoric rise and tragic fall of Italian cycling superstar Marco Pantani. Widely regarded as one of the greatest climbing specialists in the history of the sport The Accidental Death of a Cyclist explores his historic 1998 Grand Tour victories in both Giro d'Italia and the Tour de France, the pinnacle of his career, before debilitating addiction, doping scandals, and a fatal cocaine overdose lead to his untimely death at age 34.

What is a VPN & how does it work?

For frequent travellers or holidaymakers, a VPN is a simple piece of software that lets your devices appear to be in your usual location. So wherever you are, you can access your streaming services to enjoy the best cycling documentaries and, of course, all the Tour de France 2026 action from anywhere.

If you subscribe to streaming services like Disney+, Netflix, or Peacock, you'll already know that viewing while travelling can often result in your service being blocked due to geo-restrictions. The best way to negotiate these is by securing a reliable VPN service.

DisclaimerWe test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example: 1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service). 2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad. We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.

The French retail giant Decathlon has invested in Britain’s largest bike manufacturer, Brompton with a strategic partnership aimed at turbo charging the brand's iconic folding bikes penetration into key markets, specifically Germany and China.

In a deal thought to be worth about £18 million, which became public knowledge on Tuesday morning, reported on in The Guardian, Decathlon Pulse (the investment and innovation arm of Decathlon) have secured a 10% stake in Brompton Bicycle, while BA Capital (a Shanghai-based venture capital firm) have bagged a 5% interest.

Founded by inventor Andrew Ritchie, Brompton bikes were born in London in 1975 and now, 50 years and 1.2 million bikes later, the signature three-way folding mobility machines are available in 47 markets around the globe, along with electric versions of the bikes, powered by the brand's proprietary e-Motiq system, and the more-recently launched G Line model, which gave the bikes gravel riding capability.

“For over 50 years, Brompton has been dedicated to helping people move around cities in a way that is simpler, more flexible and more enjoyable," said Will Butler-Adams, Brompton CEO, who opined that the European bike industry was “over the worst” after a slump in sales following the Covid-created boom and insisted that “cycling is in the ascendant.”

"As demand for smarter and more sustainable urban transport continues to grow, we see a tremendous opportunity ahead," he continued. "Decathlon Pulse and BA Capital bring complementary expertise, global networks and a shared belief in our mission. We are excited to welcome them as long-term partners as we continue to grow while staying true to who we are.”

Decathlon has previously partnered with – and added some financial heft to – brands such as bike computer and bike light manufacturer Magene and smartwatch makers Coros. And despite the significant size of the investment, spokesfolk for the brand are anxious to stress that the quality and style of the steeds will not change, saying 'Brompton will remain Brompton'.

"Brompton embodies a unique combination of performance, durability and community engagement that perfectly complements our approach," added Franck Vigo, CEO of Decathlon Pulse. "This partnership is about scaling that model while preserving what makes Brompton truly unique. This partnership is about scaling that model while preserving what makes Brompton truly unique.”

As much as the Brompton brand masters attempt to reassure their existing customers and fanbase, however, the immense gravitational pull of the Chinese market, and transformative potential of penetrating it, is writ large in the deal.

“The rise of experience-driven consumption is reshaping China’s consumer market," enthuses Michael Zhang, Managing Partner of BA Capital. "As health awareness grows and outdoor lifestyles gain momentum, cycling is expanding beyond sport into everyday occasions such as commuting, travel, and social activities. Brompton’s strength lies not only in its product leadership, but also in its unique ability to bring together products, culture, and community.

“We believe globalisation is a two-way journey. As China becomes an increasingly important market for international brands, we are proud to be part of Brompton’s long-term journey in China as it brings exceptional cycling experiences to more consumers."

After months of speculation, Specialized has officially dropped the covers off its flagship do-it-all S-Works Tarmac SL9 road bike, just in time for the Tour de France.

The redesign hasn't been the brand's best-kept secret, with leaked images surfacing online and a blacked-out version spotted in the wild at the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes.

Specialized is touting the new S-Works Tarmac SL9 as "the fastest road bike ever made". A bold claim indeed, especially given the frame looks - to the eye - almost identical to its predecessor.

However, Specialized says it's the result of an entirely new approach to optimisation. Rather than basing the claim on isolated wind tunnel data, it instead used a physics-based simulation output that predicts racing time over specific real-world courses, using a collection of measured inputs from aerodynamics and rider power to environmental conditions and more.

Specialized is calling this its ‘Time to Finish’ metric, and it's the first time we've seen a bike brand take the concept of computational race simulation - used by WorldTour teams to optimise set-ups and tactics - and use it to inform engineering.

In this instance, the brand has benchmarked the SL9 over various races, from Monuments to Grand Tour stages. In one of its simulations, Specialized claims Demi Vollering would have crossed the line some 14 seconds faster than she did on her SL8 at the 2024 Tour de France Femmes stage up Alpe d’Huez, and ultimately won the General Classification by 10 seconds.

In testing, the design team used a mannequin with moving legs (dubbed the Moving Leg Mannequin) to analyse how a rider in motion affects airflow across the bike, a step up from frame-only or half-mannequin tests carried out elsewhere. While the result looks largely the same as before - a subtle overhaul, if you will - every tube shape has reportedly been redesigned at the brand’s Morgan Hill Innovation Center.

The re-sculpting created a bike that’s claimed to be four watts faster - using Specialized's 'Moving Leg Mannequin' at 45km/h - than the previous model, and lighter; the claimed frame weight for the S-Works SL9 is just 687 grams, with complete builds of 6.2-6.5kg possible depending on wheels and cockpits (there's a choice of Rapide and Aplinist).

As before, every size from 44-61cm gets a size-specific layup to ensure stiffness, compliance, and handling are consistent across the range.

Let's get into the details.

The more things change, the more they stay the same

While the S-Works Tarmac SL9 looks a lot like the SL8, there are a few ways to tell them apart.

For starters, the 'Speed Sniffer' headtube, introduced with the SL8, is now narrower thanks to the rerouting of the rear brake cable along the right side of the steerer. While the new S-Works Tarmac SL9 utilises the same headset bearings and hardware as the outgoing SL8, the slimmer headtube means the design team had to get creative with the internal plumbing of the brake hoses. To get around this, the steerer tube is slightly offset to the left so that the hoses can pass through the right side without added friction and interference to the steering.

Specialized says the slimmer, hourglass shape makes for a 10 per cent reduction in the SL9’s frontal area. There’s also a steerer stop to prevent the rear crown from making contact with the downtube.

The fork appears much deeper than before, with the legs now ‘twisted’ outwards to better guide airflow along the frame and reduce drag across the front of the bike. Both the head tube and fork are designed to work with a dropped downtube, featuring a reduced gap between the fork, head tube, and front tyre to reduce drag.

There's also a redesigned seatpost that resulted from additional Moving Leg Mannequin analysis. During these tests, it was shown that as a rider pedals, their legs accelerate airflow into the space between their thighs and the frame, which then strikes the seatpost. To improve airflow in this zone, Specialized has created a deeper yet thinner post.

Dubbed the 'Win Fin', the seat tube and rear triangle junction has been reimagined and inspired by breakaway riders who ditch their second bottle for improved aerodynamics. Specialized adjusted the design through this real-world configuration, and says it saves 0.5 watts.

Specialized says the redesigned, optimised tube shapes eliminate unnecessary carbon layers, which explains the drop in the frame’s weight. As for the Fact 12r layup, each ply is reportedly designed to help the SL9 respond positively under load, thereby allowing fine-tuning across the bike, balancing stiffness and compliance to match those of the SL8.

What about the geometry?

As before, seven frame sizes are available, with the geometry numbers nearly identical to those of the outgoing model across the sizing chart. The only exception the 54cm, where an increased fork offset (44 to 47mm) and a 0.5-degree reduction in the head tube angle (73 degrees to 72.5 degrees) were implemented to increase toe clearance with the front wheel.

Other than that, the trail and chainstay numbers remain the same, but there are subtle differences in reach and stack, headtube length, and wheelbase measurements.

Specialized S-Works Tarmac SL9 - first ride impressions

Having spent six months on a long-term Specialized S-Works Tarmac SL8, I was pretty excited to get my leg over the new model and test the new claims for myself. I was invited to Specialized UK's headquarters in Dorking to sample the bike on UK roads, but more importantly, roads I use to test most of the bikes I review for Cycling Weekly.

With frame angles pretty much unchanged over the previous model, the new S-Works Tarmac SL9, unsurprisingly, feels a lot like the model it replaces – it's very direct and responsive to pedal inputs and possesses the same well-balanced handling characteristics and precise steering as before. It's this sense of familiarity that will help current owners quickly adjust to the new platform and transfer their bike-fit measurements without fuss.

While Specialized was quick to dazzle me with all the improvements and marketing glitter regarding ride quality, and with claims that it's a faster bike than before at speeds upwards of 45km/h, I approached this bike with no expectations and assessed it as objectively as possible. Having spent a lot of time on its chief adversary, the Cannondale SuperSix Evo, I was eager to see how the S-Works Tarmac SL9 stacked up on the same roads.

Ride quality is always a personal thing and can vary with rider weight and tyre pressure, but the S-Works Tarmac SL9 remains buttery smooth without sacrificing detail or feel. My test bike came fitted with 30mm Specialized Cotton TLR tyres set up tubeless, which delivered a superbly cosseting ride quality and grip levels. Like before, the Tarmac can fit tyres up to 32mm with 4mm of clearance, but that's based on rim width and pressures.

With a full SRAM Red AXS groupset and 50/37T, 10-33T drivetrain assembly, my test bike tipped the scales at 6.89kg without pedals. That's more than light enough for the average rider and ideal for the lumpy terrain that snakes around the Surrey Hills.

Climbing is unsurprisingly easygoing, and despite the larger-than-usual gearing (most SRAM Red and Force AXS-specced bikes come with 48/35T, 10-33T gearing), I didn't feel the need to use the small ring on any of the climbs – this included Combe Lane (7.1% average grdient), Box Hill (5% average gradient) and Newlands Corner (4.5% average gradient). Having a taller final drive ratio means you shouldn't spin out like a rabid hamster on the descents either.

In terms of outright speed, the S-Works Tarmac SL9 sure feels quick. While it's impossible to quantify whether it is, in fact, four watts faster than its predecessor, it certainly holds momentum incredibly well, and the 50-10T means you can carry more speed over rolling terrain. Once it reaches speeds of 40km/h and above, like many of its rivals, it doesn't require much effort to keep it moving, and the sensation of speed and the sound from the tyres provoke you to ride it harder and faster.

At speeds typical of the average rider, however, and we're talking 25-30km/h here, it doesn't feel any different to the SL8 and perhaps most riders would be better off not upgrading to an S-Works Tarmac SL9 and rather waiting for the 'more affordable' sub-S-Works level grades to launch. After all, Specialized is pitching this bike at the WorldTour rider, where average race speeds are as high as 46km/h, and that four-watt improvement actually matters.

Either way, Specialized has refined the recipe rather than tampered with it, and created one of the most complete bikes in the pro peloton. It's super smooth, rich in communication and feedback, and descends as well as it climbs. Is it the best all-round bike on the market? Well, that's tough to call after just 70km on the bike, but it sure has all the markings of a segment leader.

Bring on the group test!

Build and pricing

As expected, the Specialized S-Works Tarmac SL9 is available in two high-end build options: SRAM Red AXS and Shimano Dura-Ace Di2, which differ slightly in pricing.

SRAM Red AXS-equipped bikes come in at £11,999 / $14,000 / €13,999 and feature 50/37T, 10-33T chainsets complete with a power meter. Most of the components come from Specialized's in-house component arm, Roval, and gain Rapide CLX III wheels, a Rapide cockpit, Ceramic Speed bearings, and an S-Works Power with Mirror saddle.

Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 builds utilise the same finishing kit, wheels, cockpit, and saddle, and cost the same as the SRAM Red AXS version in the United Kingdom and Europe (£11,999 / €13,999), but $500 less for the American market - a small saving that is quite significant at this level.

If you want to merely swap over the components on your current bike, Specialized offers a frameset-only option at £5,249 / $5,800.

While there's no news on the balance of the Tarmac SL9 range, like the new Crux lineup, we expect Specialized to roll out its new S-Level and Expert models in the coming months.

The gravel category has reached an interesting, and perhaps inevitable, point in its evolution. What began as cycling's answer to the n-1 bike has gradually fractured into a collection of increasingly specialised subcategories. Riders are now routinely asked to choose between aerodynamic race bikes built for podiums and adventure rigs capable of disappearing into the wilderness for days at a time.

Take, for example, the evolution of the Specialized Crux. Once celebrated for its versatility and cyclocross roots, the latest version has evolved into something closer to a fat-tyred Tarmac, prioritising speed, efficiency and aerodynamics above all else. At the opposite end of the spectrum sit slacked-out bikes with suspension forks, mountain bike geometry and huge tyre clearances, to the point where they're often little more than hardtails with drop bars attached.

In specialising, most new gravel bikes have drifted away from the all-round versatility that defined the category in the first place. Yet a handful of brands still seem interested in solving the original gravel equation: building a true all-rounder. Look believes its newest gravel platform, the G85 Cezal, is exactly that.

"The G85 Cezal is a fast and versatile carbon bike designed for all-around gravel rides, bridging the gap between amateur racing and long-distance adventure," says the French manufacturer.

"Amateur racing" is a curious positioning. After all, Look ambassador Russell Finsterwald has spent much of the season racing the G85 Cezal at some of gravel's biggest events, including Unbound Gravel and The Traka. He even opened the year with victory aboard the bike at Belgian Waffle Ride Arizona, so it's clearly at home at the sharp end of modern gravel racing as well.

On paper, the G85 Cezal appears to sit directly between gravel's increasingly polarised identities. It combines progressive geometry, generous tyre clearance and suspension-corrected design with the responsiveness and efficiency traditionally associated with Look's road-racing pedigree. Look has not, however, placed much emphasis on aerodynamics, which are becoming increasingly important across the vast, flatter stretches of Kansas and Girona.

Is there still a place for an all-rounder gravel bike in today's market? I rode the Look G85 Cezal for several weeks across Oregon's fast gravel roads, chunky doubletrack, technical singletrack and long mixed-surface days to find out.

Meet the Cezal

At The Traka and Unbound this year, we witnessed a purposeful move away from versatility in the pursuit of all-out speed. Big tyre clearance is in, yes, but other rider-friendly features such as round seatposts, 2x compatibility, cockpit options, suspension-fork compatibility and even in-frame storage have largely disappeared from the latest race machines, including the Specialized Crux 5, unreleased Factor and Giant prototype.

The G85 Cezal, therefore, stands out because it deliberately leans into versatility. It's also a significant departure from the French brand's previous gravel efforts, which sat decidedly on the road side of the spectrum.

The G85 Cezal arrives with a geometry, feature set and aesthetic that place it firmly within the modern progressive gravel conversation.

There's a slack 70-degree head angle paired with a relatively short wheelbase, a large front triangle with ample storage options, 50mm tyre clearance (57mm in the fork), integrated frame cable routing paired with a semi-integrated cockpit and boatloads of versatility built into the platform.

1x or 2x drivetrains, suspension forks, wireless or mechanical groupsets, a 27.2mm round seatpost, integrated storage and stack and reach figures that accommodate a wide range of cockpit options – the G85 Cezal is yours to configure however you see fit.

"With the G85 Cezal, we wanted to move away from the white lines and marginal gains, returning to why we ride in the first place: expression... This bike doesn't ask you to follow a path or a trend; it adapts to your style, your terrain and your rules," said Romain Simon, Bike Product Manager at Look.

While part of me feels this bike may be two or three years behind the curve, it's refreshing that the Cezal was purposefully not designed for the pointy end of racing and therefore comes with features the average consumer – racer or not – will very much appreciate.

"Early on in my conversations with Look, it became clear they were serious about re-entering the gravel space. The G85 Cezal delivers on that in a big way," said racer Russell Finsterwald. "It checks all the boxes of a modern gravel bike: generous tyre clearance, geometry corrected to accommodate a suspension fork and a racy platform."

Specs:

• UDH compatible
• Internal downtube storage
• Bottom bracket: T47
• Suspension-corrected geometry
• Tyre clearance: 700 x 50 rear, 700 x 57 fork. 45mm in a 2x setup
• Wheels: FULCRUM Soniq Carbon 2WF
• Tyres: Hutchinson Touareg 700X45C
• Seatpost: LOOK LS1 UD Carbon - 27.2mm
• Cockpit: DEDA SuperZero Gravel Alloy & LOOK LS3 stem
• Drivetrain options: The test bike came with a 13-speed SRAM Force AXS XPLR groupset and retails for £6,190 / $7,500. LOOK also offers builds with Shimano's GRX Di2 2x option and GRX 1x mechanical set up. The latter is priced at £3,499 / $4,300. Framesets retail for £2,300 / $2,750.

The Ride

First things first: the G85 Cezal has presence.

The roomy front triangle, rounded lines, purple-speckled paint and contrasting red graphics make it a bike that demands a second look. Personally, I love it. In a sea of increasingly monochrome gravel bikes, the Look feels unapologetically fun.

Secondly, it's respectably light. Despite topping out at a SRAM Force XPLR build rather than the flagship SRAM Red groupset, my test bike tipped the scales at 8.5kg ready to ride, complete with bottle cages.

I rode this bike on all my favourite local loops, as well as a big day in the Columbia Gorge where I battled the infamous headwinds from start to finish. What stood out almost immediately was how at home I felt on the bike.

Half an hour into my first ride, I knew we were going to get along. And that feeling came down largely to the handling.

The Cezal is lively.

In the pursuit of stability, tyre clearance and off-road capability, too many gravel bikes have become muted. They're smooth and competent, certainly, but not always particularly engaging to ride. The G85 Cezal is an exception, and one that I, as a former cyclocrosser, very much appreciate.

The bike accelerates eagerly, carries speed well and responds instantly to rider input. There's a responsiveness that's clearly influenced by Look's road-racing heritage. Yet unlike many road-derived gravel bikes, that responsiveness never comes at the expense of control.

The slacker front end and generous tyre clearance bring confidence once the terrain becomes rougher or the descents more technical. On loose surfaces, the bike remained composed and predictable, but never dull.

What impressed me most was how seamlessly it adapted to whatever ride I asked of it.

It's steady on climbs and efficient on long drags into a headwind. It's controlled on loose surfaces but still playful enough to encourage the occasional singletrack detour. It feels equally comfortable lining up for a gravel race, heading out for an all-day adventure or taking the long way home simply because a trail looks interesting.

In short, it's fun and capable.

And that's a difficult balance to strike. Most bikes excel at one thing and merely tolerate the rest. The Cezal genuinely seems to enjoy all of it.

The versatility of the platform only reinforces that impression. Thanks to the 27.2mm round seatpost, suspension-corrected geometry and generous tyre clearances, riders can tailor the bike to suit their priorities. Racers can keep things relatively lean and efficient, while riders interested in rougher terrain, underbiking adventures or backcountry exploration have plenty of room to experiment.

For those looking to race vast courses like Unbound Gravel, it is important to note that one thing the Cezal doesn't do is chase aerodynamic gains.

There are no aero talking points, no truncated tube profiles and no obvious attempts to squeeze marginal gains from the wind tunnel.

Instead, the emphasis remains firmly on ride quality, handling and versatility. It can race, but it's made for riding.

Whether that's a disadvantage depends entirely on your priorities, but it feels refreshingly confident in a market increasingly focused on optimisation.

Value & Verdict

So is there still a place for an all-rounder gravel bike in today's gravel market?

After several weeks aboard the G85 Cezal, I'd argue there's more need for one than ever. While much of the category has split into increasingly specialised race and adventure machines, the Cezal is a reminder that most riders don't neatly fit into either camp. Most of us simply want a bike that's fun, capable and versatile enough to handle whatever ride we have planned that day.

At $7,500 for the SRAM Force XPLR build tested here, the G85 Cezal is still an investment, but it feels appropriately priced. You'll get a lot of bike for the money, with a decent build.

What makes it so good is its refusal to chase extremes.

It's light and lively without feeling twitchy, stable without feeling dull, fast enough to pin on a race number, versatile enough for an all-day adventure and capable enough to make questionable route choices along the way.

Riders focused purely on racing or, conversely, on multi-day expeditions will find more specialised options elsewhere. But if I were shopping for a new gravel bike tomorrow, the G85 Cezal would be on my shortlist.

Joe Whittingham met me from the future over a virtual call. It was 9am for him in Xiamen, China, 9pm for me in Philadelphia, USA. He had a head start on the day, and in many ways, so do the brands he works with. Whittingham is the founder of Panda Podium, an English-language retail platform for Chinese cycling brands. A former teacher who moved to China 17 years ago, he stayed, learned Mandarin, and found himself living within driving distance of most of the factories he now sells for.

From those factories come bikes with lighter frames, better-value specifications and greater customisation options than comparable offerings from familiar Western brands. Chinese bike and component brands have crept from the corners of weight-weenie forums and AliExpress rabbit holes into World Tour races and the shopping lists of riders who, not long ago, would have sniffed at them.

The question for real-world road riders is no longer whether Chinese bikes are any good, but whether the trust, service and warranty infrastructure has caught up with the product. That is before you even consider the industry's open secret: many of the Western bikes riders already own were quietly built in those exact same factories.

Whittingham offers a sharp insight into why weight, not aerodynamics, has shifted perceptions. "Every brand claims to have the fastest bike in the wind tunnel," he says. "They can't all be right." Weight, by contrast, is easily measured. Chinese manufacturers chased grams with a single-mindedness that appealed directly to the riders who cared most: the weight obsessives, the people drilling holes in their carbon handlebars at midnight. By satisfying those extreme early adopters, the brands built real credibility. Now the mainstream is catching up.

Economical elitism

That cultural shift has produced its own status economy. For decades, cyclists bought expensive brands the way drivers bought German cars - for social status. These days, that logic is being turned on its head: boasting rights come from finding a product of comparable quality at a much lower price. "If your friend buys Enve wheels, you buy Farsports," Whittingham picks up the thread.

"It's not to show you have more money. It's to show you've spent half what they spent and your wheels are lighter." The bike, in other words, has begun to signal something other than wealth. It signals attention, research, critical thinking and the willingness to look past the down-tube logo. Quick Pro, Magene, Tavelo: names that mean nothing to a casual rider and everything to the trend-setter at the top of the pyramid, whose opinion the level below is quietly watching.

At this year's Sea Otter Classic, the largest consumer cycling expo in North America, the asymmetry was hard to miss. In a field of over 900 exhibitors, one mainland Chinese brand was making its road debut: X-Lab, the consumer-facing arm of manufacturer XDS, whose premier aero road bike, the AD9, developed with input from former pro Alex Dowsett, retails at about £6,000, or £9,900 for the Astana spec, undercutting comparable halo models - many of which are made in the XDS factory - from established names by around 40%.

Panda Podium was also at Sea Otter for the first time, its booth a few places down from Specialized and across from Shimano, drawing a near-constant queue of interested riders. Among the bikes on display was the Quick Pro AR:One that Harry Hudson rode to a junior world title. Trek did not exhibit. Specialized, Giant, Pinarello and Canyon were all there - but, for once, they didn't own the spotlight.

Unbeatable value

To understand why brands like X-Lab, Winspace, Yoeleo, and Farsports are unsettling the established order, it helps to remember how that established order works. Most Western bike brands do not own their factories.

Typically, carbon frames are contracted to one manufacturing partner, alloy frames to another, wheels to a third. Each link in the chain adds margin. A frame with an actual cost of a few hundred dollars can end up retailing for thousands by the time it reaches a shop floor.

XDS, by contrast, owns its entire process, as CW discovered when we became the first western media brand to visit its factory in Shenzen this year. XDS produces its pre-preg carbon fabrics from dry fibre, cuts its own multi-piece steel clamshell moulds, and hydroforms its aluminium tubing in-house using proprietary alloy blends.

Robot-welding, painting, testing and assembly all happen under the same roof. The company claims to produce around eight million bikes a year as a contract manufacturer: more than 20,000 frames a day, including weekends. When XDS launched X-Lab as its own consumer-facing brand, it did so with three decades of refined infrastructure already behind it.

"They're kind of holding all the cards in a lot of ways," tech journalist James Huang told me. "Their OEM clients aren't going to find it easy to leave." The result is pricing that puts a smile on the face of the budget-conscious modern consumer. Compared to Specialized S-Works Tarmac SL8, which costs from around £12,000, X-Lab's AD9 is literally half the price; a Trek Madone SLR lists at £10,000.

At the entry point, X-Lab's RS5 - an alloy road bike with a dual-sided power meter and a one-piece cockpit - retails at £1,050. Patrick Pan, X-Lab's head of international growth, frames this keen pricing not as undercutting but as correction. "Prices have been inflated artificially," he told me.

We put questions to the biggest brands. Specialized, Trek, and Giant all formally declined to comment. Ribble and Canyon did not respond, nor did several of the Chinese brands we approached, including Quick Pro, Farsports, and Light Bicycle. Strict non-disclosure agreements and guarded trade secrets mean neither the mega-factories nor the legacy brands will officially confirm whose frames are made in whose plants.

Manufacturing expertise

"Ninety per cent of the leap forward in carbon frames is manufacturing," says Shawn Small of Ruckus Composites, a US carbon-fibre repair specialist. "The material itself hasn't changed that much in 30 years. It's how we're using it that's smarter." The Asian workforce that has spent two decades making frames for Western brands has, in the process, become extremely good at it.

In the book Apple in China, journalist Patrick McGee argues that Western companies did not simply exploit Chinese factories: they educated them. Apple deployed its own engineers on factory floors, transferred precision techniques at scale, and in doing so built the very capabilities that now power its domestic competitors.

The cycling industry has been running a quieter version of the same experiment for 30 years. Every spec sheet sent to a contract manufacturer, every quality rejection, every technical back-and-forth is a transfer of expertise. XDS did not arrive at World Tour-quality carbon manufacturing by accident. The brands currently declining to comment helped get it there.

Phil Gaimon, a former World Tour professional now sponsored by Panda Podium, takes a pragmatic approach to Chinese tech. His own set-up is a mix: Chinese wheels and accessories sourced through Panda Podium, a Shimano drivetrain, and a State Bicycle frame - an Arizona brand whose carbon is made in Taiwan.

Partial trust, in his telling, is not a contradiction. It is a rational position built over years of sampling - he trusts what he has found to be dependable. What marketing researchers call country-of-origin bias, or the instinct to judge a product by where it was made rather than how it performs, is fading in cycling, and may soon disappear entirely.

Aftermarket qualms

None of this means the question of trust is settled. Distribution hubs, warranty turnaround, replacement parts, crash replacement, after-sales service: this is the unglamorous infrastructure that established brands have built over decades and that newer Chinese brands are still constructing.

"Local support is going to be really important," says Huang, drawing a comparison that will sting for some: even SRAM, one of the largest component manufacturers in the world, once left Canyon owners unable to source UDH derailleur hangers for a period. Some, like Light Bicycle, now hold stock in American and European warehouses. Others do not.

A Western rider buying direct is buying performance and pricing, but accepting a different relationship with what happens after the sale. A Farsports client who recently destroyed a rear wheel on a pothole received a 35% crash discount within days. That is not the same as walking a cracked rim into your local shop, but it is arguably no less convenient.

Safety testing sits in the same grey area. ISO 4210, the global benchmark, was largely designed around steel and aluminium in the late 1990s and has notable gaps - carbon steerer tubes carry no required test at all. Dan Chabanov, a tech editor at Bicycling who tests wheels professionally, has spoken to engineers at multiple major Western brands who describe the standard as inadequate: a product can pass it and still fall short of what the industry would consider genuinely safe.

The question worth asking any brand, Western or otherwise, is whether they test beyond the minimum. Zipp and Roval, for instance, say they do, but many brands do not advertise this information. For UK riders buying direct, there is a further consideration: pursuing a claim against an overseas company with no domestic presence is a different legal proposition from a dispute with a brand that has a British importer behind it.

Among enthusiasts, the wheels argument is largely settled. When Chabanov recently received a set of 55mm Light Bicycle wheels for review, Zipp had just released a new lightweight 35mm wheelset. The Zipp came in at around 1,090g and retailed at £3,150.

The Light Bicycle set was 20mm deeper, weighed 20g more, and cost around £1,180. "If you're shopping on price, weight, and depth," Chabanov says, "you have to ask, what am I missing with the Light Bicycle that I would get with the Zipp?" One rider on Trainer Road's forum bought a Light Bicycle set three years ago, put 12,000 miles on them, and immediately ordered an identical second set.

Frames are a different conversation. UK-based experts offer a more nuanced view. Alex Thomas at Peak Torque, an engineer who has tested Yoeleo and Winspace, remains measured; his reservations focus less on build quality and more on geometry. "The Chinese brands care more about the aesthetic than actual biomechanics," he says, pointing to short head tubes as an area of concern.

Reviewer Dan Chabanov found the Silverstone-validated Seka a "genuinely strong alternative" to the Tarmac, at half the price, with a finish that gave no cause for concern. Cyclingnews has tested an X-Lab AD9, saying it sets the stall out for Chinese bikes being more than a match for western brands.

Whittingham is careful to qualify his position. "Not all Chinese stuff is good," he says. "Everyone's gone from 'it's all dangerous' to 'it's all fine.' Neither is true." Brands like Farsports and Light Bicycle have review histories, race provenance and established customer bases. The unreviewed product on a marketplace platform, with no accountable brand behind it, is a different proposition entirely.

The challenge is on

Imagine walking into your local bike shop and seeing the usual line-up of Specialized, Giant and Trek carbon alongside a carbon road bike from X-Lab and a hand-built steel or titanium frame from a boutique maker, British or otherwise. Three price points, three philosophies, three different types of road bike buyers served. Today this looks unlikely, but it may be the reality within a few years.

Most of us are not looking for a revolution. We're looking for a bike we can afford and that looks good, from a brand we know we can trust. A fresh-looking carbon frame at an affordable price tag may not reflect a "Chinese takeover". It may simply be the correction the industry has been postponing for years.

The irony worth sitting with is this: the very brands democratising the market today could be the ones that monopolise it tomorrow. "If no one else is going to compete with them," Huang asks, "why wouldn't they want to make more money?" If manufacturing giants like XDS drive enough mid-tier Western brands to extinction, the resulting market won't be a paradise of consumer choice.

Instead, we could be left with a hollowed-out industry - a handful of global mega-brands, a thin layer of ultra-premium niche makers, and not much in between.

Aaron Stinner, whose Stinner Frameworks operation has grown from 30 titanium and steel frames a year to around 3,000, with a team of 12, is not panicking. But he is paying attention. "The big brands are going to have to be on their toes," he told me.

"They're going to change the game." He means it as a compliment to the disruptor and a warning to the incumbents, more or less simultaneously.

For now, the riders are the ones already adjusting. They scroll the forums, watch the YouTube reviews, click through to Light Bicycle, and compare the savings against the weight. The established brands will catch up, or they will not. Many riders have already decided not to wait and find out.

This feature was originally published in the 21 May 2026 print edition of Cycling Weekly magazine – available to buy on the newsstand every Thursday (UK only) while digital versions are available on Apple News and Readly. Subscriptions through Magazine's Direct.

Ben Healy has promised to race with an "air of unpredictability" at the Tour de France as he was revealed as one of EF Education-EasyPost's eight riders for this year's race.

The Irishman finished ninth overall last year, and was one of the riders of the race for the way he relentlessly attacked on his way to a stage win and a day in the yellow jersey.

He will be joined by Richard Carapaz, Kasper Asgreen, Michael Valgren, Alex Baudin, Sean Quinn, Max Walker, and Georg Steinhauser, as the team seek to hit those highs again. Find out who else is riding the Tour here.

"Last year was a standout year and it would be amazing to replicate it, but even half that success would still be a successful Tour in my eyes," Healy said. "There’s not too much pressure – I just want to be up front and in a fight for a stage win, maybe even two. There are a lot of hard transitional stages this year, so I think there'll be plenty of opportunities for breaks."

Healy is yet to win a race in 2026, but says he is in "good shape and ready to race".

"Our team is super strong and pretty well balanced," he argued. "We can go into this Tour with any goal in mind and be adaptable to any situation. We have a lot of experience, a lot of young guys – it's going to be a fun one.

"I have had a good prep. I did an altitude camp, which I was able to do the full block of, and then Dauphiné as a prep race – even though I got sick, I didn't really miss too much and was able to get back into training fairly quickly. And yeah, some heat work in Mallorca. Hopefully that's me ready.

"I will just have to race the same way, with an air of unpredictability. Even if they know how I'm going to race, if it's still unpredictable then it's still hard to predict. Even last year people kind of knew who I was and I was still able to do it. So nothing's going to change really – just going to try and rinse and repeat."

Carapaz won the polka dot jersey along with a stage in 2024, but was forced to miss both last year's Tour and this year's Giro d'Italia.

"I'm very motivated for this Tour," the Ecuadorian said. "After a long period at home training at altitude, things have gone really, really well. I'm coming in with high motivation and, above all, high morale, which I think is crucial for starting this great race. I am very happy and very eager. I believe that's the most important thing for the start of this Tour."

Britain's Walker will make his Grand Tour debut on Saturday. "It doesn't really feel real at the moment," he said. "I don't think it will till I get there, but it's really exciting. I can't really believe it's happening."