Stage 3 of the Vuelta a Espaa will be quite a brutal day. On paper one for the sprinters but in reality one that not only features quite a lot of climbing but also extreme heat as the riders tackle another full day in Portuguese territory. The peloton arrives at what should be quite a difficult day...

One of the big hopes of Spanish cycling at their home Grand Tour, former national champion Carlos Rodriguez has a point to prove at the 2024 Vuelta a Espana after a somewhat disappointing Tour de France showing earlier in the summer."I have to be happy with what I did. I arrived in good shape. I wa...

Six months is a long time to wait for someone was used to winning race as Wout van Aert, but that's how long it's been since his triumph back in February at Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne. On stage 3 of the 2024 Vuelta a Espana though, the Belgian superstar returned to winning ways with a powerful sprint in...

After cross-party and civil society criticism last week of its new Lose Your Licence, Lose Your Independence campaign, the Road Safety Authority (RSA) has doubled down with the release of a video which outlines the message that people who dont drive are a burden for others.Around 20-25% of adults in Ireland do not hold a drivers license, a mixture of choice and not being able to drive for medical reasons, while its Government policy to promote sustainable transport and carpooling.The campaign video includes a gag about a young man getting a lift with his friend, a date, and their mother.The video has resulted in the RSA being accused by the public, politicians and campaigns of being tone deaf, out of touch with policy on sustainable transport and promoting car sharing, and being insensitive to those who are unable to drive due to medical reasons.According to the RSAs own website, medical reasons for not being able to drive are wide-ranging, including having epilepsy, Parkinsons disease, any condition affecting your peripheral vision, a total loss of sight in one eye, diabetes treated by insulin and or sulphonylurea tables, and sleeping and other disorders resulting in blacking out or sleeping uncontrollably. The launch of the Lose Your Licence, Lose Your Independence last week at Electric Picnic prompted criticism from politicians on opposite ends of the political spectrum and from campaigners.Ciaran Cannon, a Fine Gael TD for Galway, said: In the eyes of @RSAIreland, youre no longer a fully independent young person if you cant drive a car.He said: Truly disappointing messaging, but at least consistent in being unable to see the world from any other perspective.Paul Murphy, a People Before Profit TD, said: RSA not fit for purpose example 248. An organisation dedicated to road safety should not be promoting the myth that you can only be independent by owning a car.Cllr Oliver Moran, a Green councillor based in Cork City, said: Children arent safe walking alone to their friends house to play because of the risk from motorists, but its motoring thats freedom. The sooner these guys are wound up the better.Along with the video, the RSA tweeted today tweeted: When you lose your licence, you become reliant on other people to take you where you need to go and you become a burden for others. If you get caught drink or drug driving, you will be disqualified.Responding today, Cllr Feljin Jose, a Dublin-based Green councillor, said: There are a million different ways to talk about drink driving without saying people who dont or cant drive are a burden on others. Unbelievable.Better Ennis, a campaign group based in Co Clare, said: At what point does the @RSAIreland actually encourage modal shift to healthier and sustainable modes of transport, the result of which will be less risk of collision, fewer injuries and deaths? Their new ad pushes the opposite.Dave Tobin, deputy chair of the Irish Cycling Campaign, said: The RSA are attempting to shame people towards car ownership to fill their coffers. Its not road safety education nor is it supporting modal shift two key metrics in their own road safety strategy.Referring to plans to break up the RSA, he added: I dont believe theres any salvaging the RSA.I Bike Dublin, a campaign group based in Dublin, said: Weve said it before, and well say it again. Reform cannot come soon enough for @RSAIreland.They added: This sort of car-centric thinking illustrates very clearly the need to radically restructure the organisation and break the links with the motor sales industry.When you lose your licence, you become reliant on other people to take you where you need to go and you become a burden for others.If you get caught drink or drug driving, you will be disqualified https://t.co/bqecGYVfkN#RoadSafety #DriveSafely #VisionZero pic.twitter.com/fs9iQZtJIi RSA Ireland (@RSAIreland) August 19, 2024.

The second stage of La Vuelta a Espaa 2024 served as a reminderof Alpecin-Deceuninck's power in the world of sprinting. Kaden Groves, theAustralian sprinter for Alpecin-Deceuninck, outmanoeuvred Wout van Aert(Team Visma | Lease a Bike) in a frantic dash to the finish line, reaffirming histeams...

As the digital age drastically reduces the requirement for face-to-face interactions, a loneliness epidemic has garnered the attention of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the U.S. Surgeon General. Both the CDC and the U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek H. Murthy issued statements warning the public about the spread and serious physical and mental health implications of loneliness.Murthy wrote in the New York Times, At any moment, about one out of every two Americansis experiencingmeasurablelevels of loneliness. This includes introverts and extroverts, rich and poor, and younger and older Americans. Sometimes loneliness is set off by the loss of a loved one or a job, a move to a new city, or health or financial difficulties or a once-in-a-century pandemic.Medical school student Andrew Mohama decided to embark on a solo bikepacking journey from San Francisco to Chicago during a 2-month break from classes. Along the way, in small, dispersed rural towns, Mohama asked random people he ran into three simple, yet complex, questions.How do you feel about community?What do you not have that you wish you had?And finally:Do you experience loneliness?Mohamas focus was to listen intently, thus the film title, The Bike Listening Tour from Nate Mitka/Puffy Patch Films. Watch his eye- and mind-opening travels, as you may find the publics answers and his observations and conclusions to be surprising.This post originally appeared on gearjunkie.comThe post The Bike Listening Tour: Riding 2,500 Miles to Learn About Loneliness & Community appeared first on Bikerumor.

Time doesn't seem to affect Marianne Vos who even at the age of 37 is still among the best ladies in peloton, once again proving both her versatility and reliability over the week of racing at the Tour de France Femmes. The three top-5 finishes combined with intermediate sprints were just enough to...

This carbon Merit Jumbo is the first production gravel bike to embrace 750d wheels, and we got an exclusive chance to be the first to test-ride it. Yes, this is a new wheel size. Yes, the tire and wheel options are still quite limited. But especially for taller riders, 750d could make some sense. So we wanted to give it a closer lookMerit Jumbo 750d big-wheeled carbon gravel bike(Photos/Cory Benson)The driving factor of an all-new wheel size is tire and rim availability. WTB set this ball in motion when they rolled out their prototype 750d x 40mm Nano last summer before the MADE show, with alloy i25 750d wheels to match. Then at MADE, we got a closer look at the custom titanium Moots CRDD gravel bike that showcased the new wheel size. But 750d hasnt quite taken the world by storm just yet, and that CRDD still hasnt made it into the official production line-up in Steamboat.Still, WTB has added a fast-rolling Byway 750d semi-slick now, too.Bigger wheels mean better rolling over rough terrain, the ability to run lower tire pressure, and thus improved grip. We all know how 29 wheels were a game-changer that made 26 obsolete. (And WTB was the first to make a 29er production tire, a Nano too!) And for a gravel bike that also just means smoother riding over those same washboard gravel roads. Plus, for longer-distance riding, those larger diameter (and thus heavier) wheels should help maintain momentum, too.But the other real big benefit here is a better fit for bigger riders. And not only because it looks more proportional.And Merit has you covered now!Geometry, not so different than were used toThe Merit Jumbo 750d may have much bigger wheels than we are used to. But the geometry here isnt all that different. Merit did in fact design this big-wheeled bike for taller gravel cyclists, but its really not all that big. Design, and prototyped in titanium (which may also be offered down the road), now the carbon bike is ready. The L will fit a lot of medium to taller riders, the XL & XXL though are pretty exclusively for taller riders who might have trouble fitting on a conventional bike. The smaller of the 3 sizes on offer the Large that I tested has a shorter frame Reach and lower Stack than the M Grail that I recently tested, but slightly longer/higher than the M Ruut or M Yasei. The Large Jumbos fit on paper is a bit between a M & L in my mind.It gets quite short 435mm chainstays to manage those extra-large wheels. And relatively steep 70 head angle and 72 seattube, again to help give this extra-wagon-wheeled bike a snappy feel. The larger 750d wheels and extra rubber are invariably going to be heavier than 700c, so the quicker handling is there to prevent a sluggish feel.Jumbo 750d Tech detailsMerit developed this all-new carbon Jumbo 750d frame from scratch with the same Carbon frame manufacturer that has been making their conventional 700c carbon gravel framesets since around 2015. But its also not so much bigger than an adventure-ready 700c gravel bike, so you could still run 700x50mm gravel/XC tires for a more conventional setup.1100g frame (claimed, size L)full carbon 1.5 tapered steerer fork1.5 IS headset with full internal cable routinguniversal derailleur hanger (UDH) with T-type direct mount compatibilityT47 bottom bracket27.2mm seatpost, with a 31.8 conventional seatpost clampflat mount FM160 disc brakes, 180mm rotor possible in the front onlyRoad Boost thru-axle spacing 12x110mm front & 12x148mm rear750d x 45mm max tire clearance, or 292 / 700c x 50mm (+5mm clearance in the fork)1x only, with a 46T max chainring (47.5mm chainline)3-bolt downtube & 2-bolt seattube bottle cage mounts, plus toptube bag mountsMerit Turbo 750d Carbon Gravel WheelsA big part of making this 750d project make sense was lighter wheels. As soon as WTB was ready to announce their 750d Nano gravel tire to the world last summer, of course, they needed a rim to mount it to. Just making a slightly larger diameter i25 aluminum rim was easy enough. But the tires are already going to be about 10% heavier than 700c, and the wheels were going to be even heavier due to the need for more spokes and wider hubs.So from day 1, Merit set out to make lighter carbon 750d rims, as well. Opening up their own new mold, Merit opted for a light 35mm deep carbon rim, with a 25mm internal hookless bead. That helped them shed a few hundred grams off the complete wheelset. The wide carbon rim provides good support to the WTB tires, originally designed over 7 years ago for narrower rims.Merit says a big benefit to the larger diameter wheels is actually the wider Boost hubs and longer spokes, which do a good job at absorbing gravel road buzz while maintaining good lateral stiffness for predictable handling. Merit built the carbon wheels I tested with CX-Ray spokes (some of the best in the industry). But they also tested a new wheel build with carbon spokes that will be substantially lighter, while keeping the needed strength & stiffness.25mm internalhookless tubeless bead 660mm bead seat diameter31mm external x 35mm deep with a classic blunt nose aero profile495g per rim (claimed)complete wheelsets built up with alloy Bitex Road Boost hubs with 12mm thru-axles28 straight-pull Sapim CX-Ray bladed spokes per wheel, expected to be lighter with carbon spokescomplete wheelset weights of around 1650g now as I tested750d vs. 700c sizing comparisonThe Jumbo doesnt actually look all that jumbo in reality. I might say proportion-wise that this Large with 750d wheels looks pretty similar to a normal Medium gravel bike with 700c wheels. So how does this big wheel size compare to the rollout or circumference of other wheels in our workshop?750d x 40mm on a 25mm internal rim measures 43mm wide and is 756 in diameter, for a calculated circumference of 2375mm.A 700c x 40mm tire is measured at 2190mm around at 697mm in diameter,a 29er (also 700c) x 2.4 XC tire measures 2305mm in circumference for a 734mm height overalla 29 x 2.6 enduro tire measures 2320mm around to come in at 738mm in diameter.So yes, 750d is quite a bit bigger than classic 700c and will make you 8% faster with the same gearing and tire size. But compared to a proper 29er mountain bike tire, youre looking at a wheel thats only about 1cm bigger in radius, or an axle thats 1cm higher off the ground. Its a big enough difference I couldnt fit the 750d wheel in the gravel bike I have fitted with a 2.4 mountain bike tire.Putting the 292 mountain bike tire that Merit says will fit in the Jumbo would only have about a 3% change on your top speed vs. the 40mm tire. In fact, it would be only 1.5% smaller than the 34mm WTB Byways that I test-rode.Riding Impressions: A First Ride ReviewOK, but how does it ride?Last week, I took one of the first two pre-production Merit Jumbo 750d to familiar gravel roads and singletrack mountain bike trails on the outskirts of Prague to see how it handled. Without looking at geometry tables, I just set my saddle height and rode away. And my first impression, was wow, this bike is big. Then, I realized the saddle was slammed all the way back, and a bit too low. So, quickly putting the saddle in the right spot, immediately it felt like I was on the right-sized bike all of a sudden.The bike is undeniably big, but its not really the geometry. The geo and fit of the bike were pretty close to what I might want in a modern gravel bike with a short stem and a relatively narrow bar. (I am 185cm tall, and sometimes ride a large gravel bike, but often size down to a medium.) I was comfortable on the Jumbo 750d, but at the start of the ride when I moved from doubletrack forest roads to singletrack, I could instantly feel that it was more work to maneuver those big wheels through twisty spots, and quick ups & downsThe Jumbo made smooth work of an otherwise bumpy field crossing. The big wheels rolled over roots in the trail like they werent there. They smoothed chunky rocks, too. Even with these relatively low-volume, 36mm wide (marked 34750) WTB Byway semi-slicks. And yet, it was still manageable on tight sections.But this is a bike that begs for fast open stretchesShining on open dirt & gravel roadsYeah, this is a bike meant to rack up kilometers. On longer, straighter sections I could spin the big wheels up to speed, and they would effortlessly stay there. Maybe described as slightly sluggish on technical singletrack, on the gravel roads this bike was actually designed for, it was downright fast and stable. All-day comfort comes to mind.My only real downside is that I would rather swap on an 80mm stem (vs. the 100mm Redshift) and a narrower handlebar (vs. Merits own 46cm wide carbon Rodla loop bar thats 10cm wider in the drops.) But Merit expects theyll sell most of these as framesets anyway. These big wheels are always going to be a bit slower to turn, so a bit quicker handling cockpit setup would do wonders to balance that out. I was pleasantly surprised by how much grip I got out of the slick & narrow Byways. But unless you are riding more asphalt than gravel, the 40750 Nano is the best tire choice for the Jumbo. Now, we just need more people to buy into the 750d concept, so more lightweight tire options will come to market!At 9.1kg complete with 1650g wheels, its not much heavier than conventional gravel bikes, and none of the components here are ultra-fancy, weight weenie tech. So there is weight to be saved if you want. In any case, I had an easy time keeping up with a friend on an 8.5kg 700c gravel race bike with 1550g aero wheels that sells for about 10% more than the Jumbo.Merit Jumbo 750d Pricing, options & availabilitySo, it looks like the Czech gravel specialists at Merit Bikes are the first to bring a 750d production gravel bike to market. And really, it just looks like a normal, well-proportioned bike.The new Merit Jumbo 759d carbon gravel bike is available to pre-order now here in all three sizes (L-XXL). Framesets retail for ~1600 (40,000czk). But in reality, only the Large mold is already 100% finished and tested. So, pre-orders for those first L framesets will be the first available, with deliveries to start this October. Merit is finalizing the XL & XXL frame molds now, and those sizes are expected to ship to customers in January 2025.Complete bike pre-orders are also possible now. The complete Merit Jumbo 750d Rival GX Mullet AXS bike build like I tested with carbon 750d wheels sells for ~4800 (120,000czk). Merit will offer more complete bike builds, once the frames are available in stock. Merit regularly ships its frames, wheels, and complete bikes across the EU. And sometimes works with buyers further afield as well.Merit has toyed with the design of a fourth Medium size that they may make available in the future if there is real consumer demand. They also talked about opening sales of their full carbon forks down the road if custom steel, aluminum, or titanium frame builders want to offer a 750d option to their line-up. Merit even designed the Project 750d carbon fork to add 3-pack anything cage mounts in the future, if the 750d bikepacking scene takes off in a big way.Are you ready for bigger wheels again? Let us know in the comments below!Meritbikes.comThe post Merit Jumbo, a Big-Wheel 750d Carbon Gravel Bike You Didnt Know You Needed: First Rides appeared first on Bikerumor.

Juan Ayuso did not go to the 2024 Vuelta a Espana and according to Joxean Matxin, UAE Team Emirates' manager, that was because he was not in the right physical shape after the Tour de France. Was this actually the case though?Well according to the Spanish national coach, Pascual Momparler, in conver...

Aug 17th & 18th | National Youth Road Championships Promoted by Dungarvan CC Results all Road Race Championships U16 Boys U16 Girls U15 Boys U15 Girls U14 Boys U14 Girls U13 Boys U13 Girls U12 Boys U12 Girls U11 Boys U11 Girls Results all TT Championships U16 Boys U16 Girls U15 Boys U15 Girls U14 []The post National Youth Champs | Full results all races promoted by Dungarvan CC appeared first on Sticky Bottle.