Brandon McNulty won the elite mens road race at the 2026 World Championships in Montral, ending the United States 33-year wait for a rainbow jersey. The race took place on Sunday 27 September, without defending champion Tadej Pogacar, whose crash at the Vuelta a Espana ruled him out for the remai...

Spains national coach Alejandro Valverde reflected on the 2026 World Championships in Montral after the road race left his team well short of expectations. Enric Mas, Ral Garca Pierna and Ivn Romeo encountered different problems during the race. Juan Ayuso made it into one of the key splits, bu...

Social Democrats Cllr says hes mystified by the delay, adds his party supported the trial. Weve now had two full summers with no action, campaigners say. A senior Dublin City Council official has told the councils mobility committee that plans for a Strand Road cycle path idea has not gone away.There is no clear publicly available reason for the city councils delay in implementing the trial, but. as this website reported earlier this year, sources claimed that Richard Shakespeare, chief executive at Dublin City Council, has got cold feet on the project. At the time, officials also said that they are still looking at optionsThe issue was raised again this month in a wider debate about the slow delivery of active travel routes in the Dublin City area. Cllr Karl Stanley (Social Democrats) said the active travel team are phenomenal, but the report is really concerning, before bringing up the issue of the Strand Road cycle path, which was to be delivered as a quick-build trial in 2021 before Sandymount residents blocked it after taking High Court action. The plan to build a two-way cycle path trial by making Strand Road and Beach Road one-way was eventually given the legal green light when the High Court ruling was overturned by the Court of Appeal in April 2025. The appeal court was highly critical of the High Court ruling. This month, when he asked for an update on what happened with Strand Road, which Cllr Stanley said seems to be off the table, but he said: I dont know what the rationale is for that, and I just want to get on the record that we as Social Democrats strongly supported this scheme when it came out, and Im mystified as to why it hasnt been delivered under the powers that we have.Cllr Stanley added: And if the answer is that it was just democratically unpopular locally, thats fine, but Id like to hear that answer as opposed to were just going to stop talking about this now.Siobhan McNamara, a representative of the Dublin Cycling Campaign, also raised the issue at the committee meeting.She said: A question I had, and somebody already beat me to it, but Im also curious about Strand Road and what the story is with that. Weve now had two full summers after Dublin City Council won their appeal. Two full summers where nothing has happened to make that very hostile road safe for vulnerable road users, and we in Dublin Cycling Campaign are very curious as to what the next steps are.Brendan OBrien, executive manager of Dublin City Councils traffic and transport department, said: Strand Road has not gone away as they say. We are working on it, and well be taking it to the area committee in due course. ALSO READ: Despite northbound closure of Strand Road, southsiders still find Dublin AirportSandymount traffic remained pretty constant while Irish Water had Merrion Gates blocked off northboundArmageddon forecast of traffic chaos when Strand Road made one-way hasnt happened, claims residents

Just 1.1km added to network in 2026 with 6km expected next year.LONG READ: Everybody is frustrated by the slow delivery of Dublin Citys active travel network, this months Mobility and Public Realm Committee was told, but councillors sounded at breaking point, with a number commenting that theyd be dead or long retired from politics before the network is finished. It relates to the 214 km of the network which is planned to be implemented by Dublin City Councils active travel office. Other projects such as BusConnects Core Routes, its infrastructure project, will deliver more of the network, topping out at around 314km. A report was compiled after the chair of the Mobility and Public Realm Committee, Cllr Janet Horner, asked the Active Travel Office for a report on their work, including an estimate of the time and cost to complete the network.The report said that between 2022 and 2025, Dublin City Council delivered approximately 13km of high-quality active travel infrastructure. This includes the Clontarf to City Centre Scheme and the Royal Canal Greenway phase 3, which went through the planning process in 2017 and 2015, respectively.The document, authored by Chris Manzira, acting director for the active travel programme office, said: A further 1.1 km of the network has been delivered in 2026 with an additional 4.2 km tendered for construction and 7.6km in the final stages of detailed design. Designs for another 12.7 km are at an advanced stage and could be tendered across 2027 and 2028. Beyond these projects, a further 41 km of the network are in the early design phase.He said that in 2022, Dublin City Council commissioned an independent quantity surveyor to prepare what he called a high-level cost estimate for delivery of the active travel network. This found a costing of between 7.5 and 13.1 million per kilometre, and would result in a total cost of 1.6 billion to 2.8 billion.This costing aligns with published 2024 estimates from the National Transport Authority (NTA), which suggest around 7 million per km for the upper end of the cost of full-build segregated active travel routes and more for junctions. Manzira wrote: The delivery of the network requires considerable consultation and engagement with communities, and it is not simply an engineering exercise. The ambition of the office is that now that the establishment phase is complete and there is a pipeline of designs that the delivery will accelerate. A delivery rate of 6 km a year would result in a delivery timeframe of 30 years.Obviously, if more kilometres can be delivered consistently each year this reduces the delivery time. This would require ongoing considerations informed by the extent of infrastructure improvements to be applied, such as level of public realm enhancements and utility services, and the funding levels available, noting that inflation will also impact overall cost of schemes, he said.At the committee meeting, Jason Cullen, chair of the Dublin Commuter Coalition, said; Theres some really astonishing numbers in there. Im going to start on the fact that its going to take 30 years to complete the 180km of cycle tracks It is just unacceptable to be presenting a 30-year plan for that. You have to speed up.Cllr Karl Stanley (Social Democrats) said the active travel team are phenomenal, but the report is really concerning.There has never been a year where weve delivered 6km a year. In 2026, it looks like were going to deliver 1.1km a year. So Im curious to know what steps the active travel team is taking to accelerate their pace so they can actually meet that time frame, which unfortunately I dont think is adequate, he said. On interim projects, he said: I was surprised to hear that interim schemes are now not allowed, or were not doing them anymore. Im curious to know if thats an official policy and whos driving that because I dont remember that ever being debated or discussed publicly.Zoe Baker, a representative of the Blend Residents Association, said: I just want to put across the disappointment thats been expressed by community groups along the North Circular Road and, in general, of uptake of ideas and opinions in a heritage area when dealing with the active travel team.It seems like budget is a factor, and to the point where you know, theres no point even consulting with the community if ideas and opinions arent taken on board and its just down to the NTAs budget line, she said. So if were going to really maintain the level of consultation and engagement, we really need to be, you know, pushing for really the uptake of their ideas. Cllr Paddy Monahan (Social Democrats) said: I was also curious about the move away from interim schemes. It seems like were really doubling down on bigger and bigger schemes and, just looking at the raw figures in the report there, theyre absolutely eye-watering.When it comes to finances, Im wary that roads are extremely expensive but rarely criticised and things like bicycle parking and hospitals are politically opportunistic. People will have a pop with them. So, the raw figures are hard to put in context, he said.Cllr Monahan said: But when youre talking about 30 years, I mean, that its that figure that really hurts my head that my kid is going to be in his 40s that Ill be 80 by the time were talking about this getting done. And then, as other people have mentioned, we dont have a great track record of 30-year planning for schemes in Ireland. So, Id have severe doubts either about it going ahead or about it being anything like the costs that were looking at now. Cllr Hazel Chu (Green Party) said she knows that the team works really hard, but looking at this summer where the world is melting, and our active travel programme and network in the city is completely out of step with the climate and transport crisis that we have to address, and thats very clear.Cllr Donna Cooney (Green Party) said: I know youre [the active travel team] working really hard, but I just Id like to know the reasons why its taking so long to get the projects built.She said that councillors were aware that it would take time to set up an active travel office and get staff in place in the early stages, but that they understood that after that the roll-out would be much quicker.Cllr Cooney said: I dont think Ill be around in 30 years time to see this through to fruition, and Id like to see my youngest to be not in his 40s either before this happens. So I suppose its a bit depressing. She said, with quicker-build schemes which the councils active travel team has all but abandoned, youre getting the benefits of some safe cycling in the interim rather than us having to wait 30 years.And were building developments based on the fact that were going to have active travel routes in them on Richmond Road, for instance. And we have been told were not even going to look at that until post-2028. Yet all these developments with thousands and thousands of bike parking spaces are based on the fact that people will be able to cycle when they cannot do that at the moment because its not safe, said Cllr Cooney.Dr Caoimhe Clarke of the Irish Doctors for the Environment referred to an NTA report on the benefits of active travel, but she said that the return to the Exchequer would not be seen without a network of routes.She said: As the doctor in the room, were not going to see the health benefits unless all of these active travel networks are in place ASAP. We know we have the stats from years ago, and when we talk about if people are cycling or taking public transport or walking instead of taking their car, that has huge health benefits in terms of chronic illness, mental illness, and physical health illnesses.Robbie Sinnott, who is one of the founders of the Voice of Vision Impairment, a disabled persons representative organisation (DPRO), said: I firstly have to absolutely commend the amazingly brilliant, I think its a model in terms of consultation with DPROs in terms of UNCRPD (United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities) compliant disability proofing; its absolutely exceptional, and its taken a while to get there, but it is absolutely fantastic, so like thats the first thing, and so theres fair play.Unfortunately, its happening within a rubric policy framework that has not been disability proofed, he claimed.He again as he has done on previous occasions argued against the use of raised crossings and continuous footpaths. He claimed they were less safe, although these kinds of traffic-calming measures are widely seen as safer and more accessible, with international research pointing to the same. Cllr Horner (Green Party), chairperson of the committee, said: The reason for putting this report in the kind of framing of our current level of delivery broken down by kilometres and looking at the cost expenditure is that element that we can see clearly that we are not delivering at the pace that we anticipated we would be a number of years ago when the active travel office was launched.We continue to face significant challenges. Weve got a development plan that sets targets for the modal shift. As I understand it, we are not on course for walking and cycling. We are on course for public transport because things like the 2 fare were so successful, but obviously thats not on the cards right now, she said.Cllr Horner said: We have targets that we are not hitting, and our current strategy in order to hit them is the investment in the infrastructure, and the active travel network. At our current pace, we will not be delivering that. Similarly, BusConnects has moved significantly slower than I think anyone in the NTA would have anticipated it was going to.The report helps us to see clearly that there is an issue there in terms of our expenditure versus actual progress and delivery. But we have to, as a city council, recognise what those barriers are, what we need to overcome and whether theres something we need to bring, whether its to the minister or to the NTA or where it might be, to say this is actually how we need to get back on track with how we deliver appropriately for the city, she added.Manzira, the acting director for the active travel programme office, said: In terms of the time it takes to deliver a scheme, going through the design process and the governance process for the individual projects, we are looking at two to three years generally, depending on the complexity of the scheme, and theres various processes and approvals, theres stakeholder engagement, including other statutory bodies, utility companies, and then, of course, there is the non-statutory public consultation that we use and then reviewing that.So thats generally the time frame for bringing a scheme through. The more complex the scheme, the longer it takes, and there is an opportunity there for us to try and speed up delivery on some sections where we have a long stretch, and one of the things we have started doing is to break up some of these schemes so that we can deliver a little bit quicker and try and still have continuity.Manzira said that this is something the active travel team has done on the Kilmainham to Thomas Street Active Travel Scheme, where the project, including the delivered section around St Jamess Walk, is split up into sections. He said: We are doing something similar as well on the Grand Canal from Portobello to Blackhorse Bridge.He said, subject to approval, the active travel department may go to tender on another project or two before the end of the year.On the interim schemes one of the things that has become apparent is that when you put some of the interim schemes and then the effort that needs to go in for the ongoing maintenance of some of those measures to try and manage that and also try and deliver new schemes. It would then become a challenge, and wed be getting occasional complaints in some areas. So that means that we are now just focusing on the permanent schemes that was the driver on that decision, Manzira said.He admitted there were budget constraints with doing everything residents want, but gave examples of design changes where public consultation on the North Circular Road project changed the design. Manzira added: In terms of how we are prioritising our schemes. The focus is on trying to get continuous links, and it might be that when we are coming out to construction we are doing small segments of it and that is because there is a segment that we see ourselves being able to get started on quicker and well come back to do the other [sections].Cllr Horner said that there was a need for a course correction and called the current situation has prompted a sense of frustration among councillors where the network will not be delivered within their political lifetimes, if not our actual lifetimes.Celina Barrett, assistant chief executive covering transportation and public realm for Dublin City Council, said: Were not setting six kilometres as our target. I suppose maybe whats lost in the report because of all the numbers is the acceleration that the team, the acceleration phase the team are in terms of whats planned for next year. We hope to build on the delivery from next year and move on from that.She said that they are engaging with the NTA and with other council departments, including road maintenance and when maintenance is being done on a road, they are looking at a road, they ask: Is there an opportunity to deliver parts of the cycle scheme with that?She said: Were also looking at ways that we can reduce costs and deliver faster. So, were saying six kilometres because were confident that we can achieve that next year, but we want to build on that ambition. So were not saying six kilometres as a limiting factor.We are doing a lot of work internally. We recognise the frustration, and the team are frustrated as well because they want to be delivering. But we think the team has developed to the point where we now have a pipeline, and we have a focused pipeline. So we want to set the delivery targets for next year and have projects rolling behind that, she said.

Brandon McNulty still had to finish the job in Montreal, but Adam Blythe believes some of the biggest names in the World Championship gave the American exactly the opening he needed. By the time McNulty attacked with a little over 30 kilometres remaining, the race had already been pulled apart and p...

I had two goals going into the race, Isla Short told Cycling Weekly, the day after winning the 3-Peaks Cyclo-cross challenge, justifiably deemed as Britains toughest event of its kind. They were kind of pipe dreamy goals because it was my first time and I really didn't know what would happen. And I achieved both of them.Her first goal was to win the race. The second was to set a new course record. Not a bad Sundays work really, especially for someone who has barely ever competed in a senior cyclo-cross event in her adult life. Having announced her retirement from elite-level World Cup mountain bike racing at the end of last month, four-time British national MTB champion Isla Short emerged victorious from the 3-Peaks Cyclo-cross challenge on Sunday, in her debut appearance at the infamously tough event in the Yorkshire Dales.The 30-year-old Scot beat three-time 3-Peaks winner, Bryony Halcrow, and also set a new womens record for the legendary 61km (38-mile) course, finishing in 03:36:30, despite her lack of experience with dropbars. When I was younger, I raced a lot of the Scottish Cycle Cross series, and then I raced a couple of national trophies, she explained to CW. And I've done one race in Belgium, three or four years ago. But I would say this is quite different. It didn't feel like a cyclo-cross race as such. It just felt like big adventure.I only got my gravel bike three weeks ago. And I've never ridden on the drops before either, so I've been putting my heart and soul into trying to be as prepared as possible.Halcrow's Hope Tech Factory Racing teammate Madeline Moorhouse-Smith was third-placed in the women's race, but as with the mens race in which Lachlan Morton beat Giles Drake in a thrilling sprint finish it was the contest between the leading pair that defined the day.(Image credit: Andy Jones)While Shorts wealth of mountain bike experience was obviously invaluable, the strict rules around the 3-Peaks prohibit straight handlebars and place limits on tyre size, despite the high technicality of the course. Its a unique race, and being a newcomer, the challenger was at a disadvantage against Halcrow, who is also an accomplished fell runner (useful when at least 6km of the route is deemed completely unrideable).I'd spoken to lots of people who had done the race and the chat was very much centred around it being awful and very hard, and how I would be full of regret while I was doing it and then after I finished, I would think: Oh, that was amazing I'll do it again. And because I went in with that mindset, prepared for it to be really brutal, it was actually way more enjoyable than I had anticipated.I do quite a lot of running, I would say, for a mountain biker, obviously not compared to Bryony, but I run on average 10k a week and then a little bit more in the winter and I do a lot of hiking as well. So, I felt, I actually felt reasonably prepared for those sections, and it was kind of nice as well, because all the, everyone was questioning that part of my skills, and I felt like a bit of a secret weapon.But I have a metal plate in my collarbone, so I have been stressing and figuring out how I could actually tolerate having the bike on my shoulder for any length of time. I've been made fun of for having top tube padding, but honestly, I wouldn't have been able to carry the bike without it, so needs must.Bryony is a very good descender on foot, I noticed especially, but also on the bike, on drop bars, Short said. And, [her] having ridden the descents four times before, versus me having never ridden them, there was a clear disparity in our level there.I think the biggest thing isnt necessarily the drops, its the lack of suspension. I don't ride a hardtail, I only ride a full-suspension mountain bike. When you hit rocks and stuff on a full-suss bike, the rocks get out of the way, whereas when you hit stuff on a rigid drop-bar bike, you move and not the rocks.I didn't have a dropper on the bike. I wanted to fit one, but unfortunately the frame wasn't compatible. I was speaking to Bryony at the finish and she said that was a change that shed made that really helped. So I need to have a think about that for next year.(Image credit: Andy Jones)The two riders swapped the lead several times throughout the race, but rarely found themselves together. I summited every climb first, recalls Short. After Ingleborough, Bryony got me on the descent. The road section from Ribblehead back to Pen-y-Ghent was awful. The headwind was relentless and I didn't have anyone with me. I was just riding, hoping that Bryony was also on her own. I knew Pen-y-Ghent would be my strongest climb, because it was the most rideable, so I made sure I fuelled really well so I came into the bottom of the ascent able to give it everything. I caught her halfway up, and I just tried to get the gap as big as possible at the summit because I knew she was descending quicker than me. I definitely went faster than I would have liked to on the descent because I knew she was chasing me.In the end, both lead riders broke Louise Robinsons course record for the race, which has stood since 2003, despite the ground conditions being really wet, and raging headwinds kicking in after Ingleborough. There's a 3-hour 30-minute carrot dangling for both of us for next year, says Short. And I think both Briony and I have kind of got that in our sights now.First though, she is off to South Africa to race Gravel Burn. Since deciding to retire from World Cup mountian biking, she is focussing more on marathon MTB, but it definitely seems like Short is leaning into the gravel scene too, and in true style, shes jumping in at the deep end.

Shortly after a hot, sweaty early summer ride that left me with exceptionally sore legs, I got an email from Skratch Labs offering me some products to test. I gladly accepted the offer, and with the help of their Hydration Sport Drink Mixes, Energy Bars, and Energy Chews, I got through the rest of my summer without any unexpected post-ride soreness.Skratch Labs nutritional products are designed to benefit anyone, but as a type 1 diabetic rider (something I found out late in life), I was curious to see how the drink mix would affect my blood sugar levels throughout rides. Please note I am not a doctor and this is not medical advice! Ive included some notes for my fellow diabetics but intentionally left out specific info because anyones nutritional requirements may be different from mine.I have to ride with snacks on hand to keep my sugars from getting dangerously low, but with the drink mix slowly feeding me carbohydrates, I wanted to see if I could get away with fewer, or no snack stops during rides. I still did carry snacks on every ride, so it was nice to try out Skratch Labs Energy Chews and bars too. Skratch Labs Energy Bars:Skratch Labs Energy Bars are made from real food ingredients like nut butter, ancient grains, oats, and fruit. These energy bars are all GMO-free, gluten-free, dairy-free, kosher, and vegan.Nutrients and contents vary, but to sum up some key points, the three flavors of energy bars I tried offer between 260-270 calories and 30-33g of carbohydrates. Sodium levels vary quite a bit from 110-250mg, but sugars are similar at 9-11g. The bars offer 4-5g of protein and 13-14g of total fat. The above photo shows the exact amounts of everything, plus the content of calcium, iron, potassium, magnesium, etc.Size-wise, the Skratch energy bars are a bit smaller than a Clif bar. Theyre about the same length, but they are narrower and thinner, weighing in at 50g (vs. 68g for the Clif bar). The packaging never tore itself to shreds upon opening, so you can easily stash half a bar for later in your ride.Of the three different bars, my favorite was the Raspberry Lemon. Both flavors come through nicely and taste like real fruit. I really liked the fact that this bar is not dry like a typical granola bar; with quite a bit of fruit content in there, its juicy enough to get your mouth watering, and thats great mid-ride. There are still plenty of grains, nuts, rice, and solid bits in them, so theyre more like a juicy granola bar than a fruit snack.The Cherry Pistachio bars were not quite as juicy as the Raspberry Lemon. I like cherries, so I think they taste great, but comparatively, these are made more like a typical granola bar with bits of cherries here and there.The Peanut Butter and Chocolate bars were very tasty! These dont contain any fruit, but theyre still not as dry as a normal granola bar. If you like peanuts, there are lots of crushed-up bits in this bar, which of course pair very well with chocolate. Despite the chocolate, these bars arent too messy You wont open one and wind up with it melting all over your hands.In terms of fueling me through rides, the bars did exactly what Id expect from monitoring my blood sugar levels over the last two and a half years. As a type 1 diabetic, sugars/carbs are of key importance to me, and the Skratch Labs bars boosted my levels just as I suspected they would based on their contents. I wouldnt say the carbs in the Skratch bars lasted notably longer than carbs from other sources, but the energy bars tasted great and kept me moving! I would gladly purchase Skratch Labs Energy Bars for future rides. Energy Chews:Flavoured with real fruit, Skratch Labs Energy Chews are gluten-free, dairy-free, and vegan. They are crafted to be easy on your stomach, relying on simple carbs (glucose and fructose) to offer quick absorption and provide energy fast.Each 50g package contains 10 gummies, which is considered two servings. One serving of gummies provides 70 calories, 18g of carbs, 13g of sugar, 45mg of sodium, plus a little calcium and iron. The gummies contain no fat, cholesterol, fiber, or protein.I was given a box of the Sour Apple Energy Chews, which are basically sugar-coated jujubes. I enjoyed their flavor; they are juicy, soft, and easy to chew, and a bit sour but not puckering. Even if youre not hungry, it wouldnt be hard to eat a few of these mid-ride. My stomach never felt irritated or upset even after eating a whole pack of chews. There is a slit to tear the corner open, so the package opens nicely. I never had one rip itself wide open, so it was easy to wrap up the remaining chews for later. The gummies get a bit sticky inside, but I always managed to squeeze a few out without much trouble.The Energy Chews carbohydrates definitely helped me maintain my blood sugar levels, just as any sugar or carbs would. I could see with my glucose monitor that they were fueling me as expected. Between the Skratch Labs drink mix and several chews, I tackled my longest climb and ride of the year and got home with no sore muscles. While my particular need is sugars/carbs, the chews various nutritional elements will benefit any rider. Id happily recommend the energy chews as a convenient, tasty snack. Hydration Sport Drink Mixes Watermelon and Cucumber Lime:The Cucumber Lime flavor is on the left, and Watermelon is on the right. Both flavors of the Hydration Sport Drink Mixes I tried offer almost the same nutritional content, with only tiny variations in calcium, potassium, and magnesium. Per scoop, the mixes provide 80 calories, 400mg of sodium, and 19g of carbohydrates. Skratchs recommended dose is one to 1 scoops per 12-16oz of water, depending on how much you sweat.The Skratch Labs drink mix mixes fairly well, but the powder doesnt fully dissolve. Even after whisking the mix for three minutes, there was still residual powder in my measuring cup. I checked out Skratch Labs website and found an explanation for this: Since the powder does contain bits of real fruit, its expected that it wont fully dissolve. Not a cause for concern!Mold and Bacterial Growth (new to drink mixes? Take note):Soon into my testing, I learned something inconvenient about nutritional drink mixes. I tested the Skratch Labs mix with a hydration pack, and wondered right away if the mix would encourage mold or bacteria forming in the water. I didnt see any warnings about this on the products packaging, so I assumed this wouldnt be a problem but kept an eye on it.After sitting for two weeks, I checked my reservoir, and there were black spots on the inside and sediment floating in the drink. I had cleaned this reservoir recently, so I dont think there was any residual bacteria in it. At this point, I read through Skratch Labs website, but found no disclaimers about leaving mixed drink sitting for any length of time. I then emailed Skratch Labs rep and was told its not recommended to leave the mix in a bottle or pack for more than 24 hours.Im surprised Skratch Labs provides no info about this, but it seems no one else does either. I checked a few websites for similar products, and found no warnings. Only Nuuns website said their mix can be left in a fridge for up to a week, and beyond that they only say the flavor and electrolyte profile might degrade. I now know all drink mixes will promote mold growth, and Im just surprised that not one company warns users about this this seems to be one of those things that everyone knows, but no one really spells out for first-time users. Given that its necessary to clean a bottle or reservoir after every use, I wont be a regular user of any drink mix. I still mostly ride with packs, and cleaning a reservoir is a hassle, so the next time Ill do what most riders do: keep plain water in the reservoir and mix up drink mix in a separate bottle. Taste:I did enjoy sampling both flavors of the Skratch Labs drink mixes It is nice to have something with a little taste versus plain water. For most of my rides, I stuck with 1 scoop/16 oz water, but eventually tried 1 scoop/12oz with the Cucumber Lime flavor.I thought the Watermelon drink mix tasted pretty good. The flavor is obvious but not overpowering (at 1 scoop/16oz), and it doesnt taste too sweet. Between the two, I preferred the taste of the Watermelon mix.The Cucumber Lime mix also tasted good to me. The flavor isnt too strong at 1 scoop/16oz, but there is a bit of sweetness to it. I took a whiff of the powder before mixing it and thought the flavor might be pretty strong, but it smells much more potent than it tastes. At the higher 1 scoop/12oz ratio, the mix does taste sweet, and the flavor is noticeably stronger than the weaker blend. Its still a long way from tasting like normal juice, Gatorade, etc., but I prefer the more diluted mix. The 16oz blend is like water with a hint of flavor whereas the 12oz mix is more like flavored water.Carbohydrates and Nutritional Content:Like the snacks above, the drink mixes were definitely contributing to keeping my blood sugar levels up during rides. With diabetes, there are tons of factors that determine glucose levels, so its tough to make precise determinations, but after several rides it was obvious the drink was providing a little boost of sugars/carbs.I did pull off a few rides with just the drink mix and no snacks, but its definitely not enough for me to rely on by itself; other days I still ate one or more snacks along the way. During one 1:45 ride with the watermelon drink mix, I also ate one granola bar to maintain my blood sugar.On another ride with the Cucumber Lime mixed at 1 scoop/12oz, I got through a hot and sweaty 1:40 lap with no snack breaks. Between a pre-ride breakfast and half a liter of the higher dose mix, my blood sugars stayed in an ideal range throughout this ride.Throughout a bigger 3:15 ride (including two hours of climbing), I drank one liter of drink mix, plus ate seven energy chews and one energy bar. On this ride, I suspect I would have eaten more snacks if I wasnt sipping the drink mix throughout. Ive had to eat a lot of snacks while lapping the same trail on previous rides.I made sure to have some Skratch Labs drink mix prepared for the Bosch eMTB Challenge this year. It fueled me through the race too bad it doesnt help with navigation!On a long pedal home after one ride, I realized something beneficial about the drink mix: Often I get near the end of my rides and feel like I probably should have drunk more water. This prompts me to drink more, even as Im ending my ride and pedalling home. With the drink mix, its less likely my sugars will drop sharply after a ride, since Im still taking in carbs right until I get home.On every ride with the drink mix (with or without the other Skratch Labs snacks), I always felt good on the bike, the mix never bothered my stomach, and I came home without any sore muscles. For other diabetic riders reference, Ive included info about how my blood sugar levels were affected, but of course every athletes body needs fuel! There are many important nutrients beyond carbohydrates in Skratch Labs products, so every rider should benefit from their nutritional content.skratchlabs.com

Professional road and gravel rider Lachlan Morton took victory at his third time of trying in the 3-Peaks Cyclo-cross race this weekend, beating Giles Drake from Wheelbase Cabtech Castelli by the slenderest of margins in the most exciting finish to the infamously tough event seen for over 60 years.Last year the Australian was beaten into second place by Jenson Young, who missed this years event because hes heading Down Under to compete in the Gravel World Championships. On Sunday, it looked as though the EF Education-EasyPost rider might miss out again, with two-time previous winner Drake maintaining a lead for the majority of the race, which takes place on extremely technical terrain in the Yorkshire Dales, with at least 6km of the course being deemed completely unrideable, so participants have to master the art of running while carrying their bikes. In the end, after 67km (38-miles) of brutal racing, it all came down to a sprint for the line. A post shared by Rafe Littlefield (@____rafe)A photo posted by We were together for the entire race, just with little gaps opening up here and there, Drake told Cycling Weekly. I was running a bit stronger than Lachlan, but I think he very much paced his running, rather than going into the red. On every summit I had a 10-, 20- or 30-second gap, but he was never out of sight. It was always super close. We were together on both road sections, and all the way up Pen-y-ghent, until the steps at the top, where I just put a little burst in. We traded turns on the road, but the only time he was ahead of me was when he caught me off Pen-y-ghent. He went in the lead a little bit down there, but other than that, he was, he was pretty much glued to my wheel on the ascents and descents. As we headed into the bridge, he came past me. He overshot the corner a little bit, which allowed me to nip in inside and then it was just a drag race for 10 metres to the finish line, and he just pipped me. I'm obviously a bit gutted about it, but I gave it everything, and so did Lachlan. And the chips fell where they did.Lachlan Morton and Isla Short - winners of the 2026 3-Peaks Cyclo-cross race (Image credit: Andy Jones)According to historians of the legendary race, 1961 was the last time it went down to a sprint finish, so while he might have missed out on a fourth victory, Drake was a key player in something that will be long remembered at the weekend. To be part of that, it's worth it, he concedes, magnanimous in defeat. Lachlan is a super nice guy. The thing I like about him is that he doesn't need to come and do this race, but it's clearly under his skin. He wanted to come back and he wanted to give it his all and win it. And I think that's a great thing for the race.Jack Lucas from Spectrum racing finished third, two minutes after the lead pair, and 3-Peaks legend Rob Jebb was fourth, on his 27th time of racing.Competing in the event for the eighth time, Drake said it never gets any easier, but the year would feel empty if he didnt do it, and hell likely be back next year for another attempt at getting his third victory.Every year I say, I don't know if I can do this again, I don't know if I can put myself through this again, he told CW. But until I think I can't be competitive, or life takes a whole different turn, I think I'll be there and come last weekend in September. I think people underestimate this race. Because they're a good bike rider or a good fell runner, they think I can do that. And It's not until you ride it that you really realise how hard it is, and how unique the skill set is. And how amazing it is as a race, because honestly, if somebody came up with this idea in 2026, the health and safety people would say: No, you're not doing that!Isla Short wins in debutHaving just announced her retirement from UCI World Cup mountain bike racing, four-time British national MTB champion Isla Short won the womens race at the 3-Peaks Cyclo-cross challenge on Sunday, on her first attempt.The 30-year-old Scot beat three-time 3-Peaks winner, Bryony Halcrow, and also set a new womens course record, finishing in 03:36:30, despite a distinct lack of dropbar race experience. I got my gravel bike three weeks ago, Short told Cycling Weekly. And I've never ridden on the drops before. I've been putting my heart and soul into trying to be as prepared as possible.(Image credit: Andy Jones)Halcrow's Hope Tech Factory Racing teammate Madeline Moorhouse-Smith was third, but as with the mens, it was the contest between the lead pair that defined the day. The two front riders swapped the lead several times. I summited every climb first, recalls Short. But after Ingleborough, Bryony got me on the descent. I knew Pen-y-Ghent would be my strongest climb, because it was the most rideable. I caught her halfway up, and tried to get the gap as big as possible, because she was descending quicker than me. I definitely went faster than I would have liked to on the descent, because I knew she was chasing me.What made the race so exciting was that we both went under the previous record, which has been held by Louise [Robinson] since 2003. And yesterday we had raging headwinds and wet ground conditions. There's a sub-3.5-hour carrot dangling for next year, and I think both Briony and I have that in our sights now.

The gravel bike landscape has taken many different identities as its evolved over the years. And Colorados Moots Cycles has been there since 2013 with their Routt titanium gravel bike. After teasing the new Routt at the MADE show, Moots has officially announced the new Routt, and condensed Routt line, in both nomenclature and bikes offered.(Photos / Moots Cycles)The new version focuses on where gravel riding has gone over the last decade. In the last ten years, weve seen gravel bikes come equipped with bigger tires. Also, gravel rigs built for rougher terrain, and bike geometry that blurs the line between long gravel roads and quick singletrack. But out of all that change, bigger tire clearance seems to take the cake as the biggest selling point for some riders.Moots knows that and has added tire clearance to the updated Routt. And they didnt do it by merely stuffing in more tire clearance and calling it a day. No, Moots says the new Routt is built around a 50mm tire, but can fit up to a 57mm tread.Moots says the Routts bigger tire clearance gives riders more low-pressure grip and composure on the rough stuff, while still keeping the snappy, direct ride feel thats always defined it.The RouttSome of the new features of the Routt are in the engineering details. For instance, the fancy new 3D-printed yoke. This is where Moots pulls off that big, up to 57mm tire clearance. Plus, you can still run a 48t front chainring up front.Moots new, redesigned carbon gravel fork has a new D shaped steerer. This allows for completely integrated brake lines through their titanium stem. This gives the Routt a super clean front end.The Routt also sports fully machined UDH dropouts. These pretty dropouts are machined in-house in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. They keep the bike up to date for todays modern drivetrains, as well as future-proofing the Routt.Moots made sure to offer the ability to pick from a broader selection of drivetrain options. The new Routt can be built up using everything from a traditional gravel drivetrain to a wide-range mullet setup. This makes the Routt more flexible and versatile.Moots Takes Two Different RouttsMoots is offering the Routt as a premium frame upgrade rather than a separate Routt model. This will give riders a frame platform with two distinct tubing options.Moots says the new Routt replaces the Routt 45, Routt CRD, and the Routt RSL in their gravel lineup. So, that means going forward, Moots will offer the Routt in a single platform, with the RSL offered as a premium tubing upgrade. That makes things simpler, as you can see below.The Standard RouttThis version uses straight-gauge 3/2.5 titanium tubing that Moots says offers the typical Moots ride. That means balanced, durable, and well-suited to long days and mixed terrain.Straight-gauge 3/2.5 titaniumBalanced ride feelBuilt for all-around gravel useRoutt RSL (available early 2027)The RSL upgrade uses ride-tuned, double-butted titanium tubing. This not only removes weight, but also sharpens the feel when under power. So, it was designed and fabricated for riders who want to build up a lighter, more race-focused version.Double-butted RSL titanium tubingLower frame weightQuicker, more direct feelBuilt with performance and weight savings in mindRoutt GeometryRoutt Retail & Frame DetailRetail: $5,499 (frameset), RSL version and pricing due in 2027Routt Force: $9,999Routt Force Mullet: $10,199Routt Red: $12,499Pricing for Routt RSL Force, RSL Force Mullet, and RSL Red will come in 2027.Frame DetailsFork Specs: Moots carbon gravel fork, 395 axle-to-crown, D-shaped steerer for internal routingFork Offsets: 50 & 57Frame Material: Straight Gauge 3/2.5 Ti, RSL upgrade: double-butted RSL tubingWheel Size: 700cHeadset: Chris King i7 ZS44 upper & EC44 lowerBrake Hose Routing: D-shaped steer, internal through stemShifter Housing Routing: Electronic routing standard mechanical shift not offered internallySeatpost Diameter: 27.2Seatpost Collar Diameter: 34.9Number of Bottles: Two in front triangle, and third H2O underside of DTAdditional Accessory Mounts: Bento mount standard, fender mounts standard on base model but there are no fenders on the RSL, upper rack mounts optional on base modelMax Chainring Size: 48t 1XChainline Spec: Gravel Chainline 47.5mmBottom Bracket Spec: BSA 68Brake Mount: Flat MountRear Rotor Size: 160mmFront Rotor Size: 160mmFront Axle Spec: 10012Rear Axle Spec: 14212Rear Derailleur Hanger: UDHFront Derailleur Compatible: YesDesign Tire Size: 50mmMax Tire Size: 57mmDropper Post Compatibility: Electronic & mechanicalRoutt Build Kits OfferedThe Routt is one frame that can go from either a light race build to a wide-range mullet setup without turning into a niche, over-specialized bicycle. Hit the link below for all the details.Moots.com

In a departure from his usual travel videos, Eric from Monkey on 2Wheels recently uploaded a 12-minute YouTube tutorial on how to make your own custom frame bag. Watch it and find a sampling of our many gear-making tutorials here...The post How to Make a Bikepacking Frame Bag (Video) appeared first on BIKEPACKING.com.