Praise has understandably been flying in from all angles toward 2024 world champion Tadej Pogacar after his incredible display in Zurich on Sunday afternoon. Legendary Spaniard Alejandro Valverde knows what it takes to win a Rainbow Jersey, but even the 2018 world champion was left open mouthed at P...

Watch Emil Johansson, Brett Rheeder and Hannah Bergemann tackling some epic terrainRed Bull AnytimeRed Bull Media House and Anthill Films has released a new film called Anytime. It follows the journey of 15 Continue reading

In the wake of Hurricane Helene, the city of Asheville and Western North Carolina have seen catastrophic damage. The region is home to Industry Nine, Fox, Cane Creek, Rockgeist, DeFeet, String Bean Bags, and others, and they need our help. Learn more about Jared Harber's GoFundMe campaign here... The post Western North Carolina Needs Our Help appeared first on BIKEPACKING.com.

Ridleys Astr RS is a lighter, faster, fatter-tired gravel race bike than the Belgian bike builder has ever made. Its a premium race-ready carbon gravel bike that Id also be happy to ride as my go-to for casual gravel riding, too. Ive tested a lot of gravel bikes, including the 3 Ridley gravel models that this one mashes up the Kanzo Fast, the Kanzo Adventure, and the Grifn. And the new Astr undeniably comes out on top in my book. Its significantly lighter, much more versatile, and the most comfortable of the bunch on par with the ADV on that last one.2024 Ridley Astr RS light aero carbon gravel race bike(Photos/Cory Benson)Classified Ridley Factory Team racers demanded a more capable gravel race bike for tougher races like Unbound, Traka, Badlands, The Rift & more where fast intense racing gets mixed up with rougher terrain. They wanted all the aerodynamic gains, a lighter bike, AND a minimum of 47mm tire clearance. So Ridley went back to the drawing board. And they essentially created the all-new Ridley Astr RS gravel race bike by scaling up their latest aero all-road Grifn RS to create a fat tire gravel bike with aero road race bike inspiration.The key takeaways on the new bike include:a frame that now weighs just 890g for a medium Ridley Astr RS, for 369g saved compared to the Kanzo Fast aerodynamic tube shaping and cockpit integration, just like on Ridleys Falcn RS aero road race bikeup to 52mm wide tire clearance with a 1x setup, or 47mm clearance with a road compact 2xgravel race geometry that manages to combine all of that without sacrificing responsiveness or high-speed stability(Infographic/Ridley)Want to get the full breakdown of everything thats new in the Astr RS? Read my in-depth launch coverage from earlier this morning, here.So, how does the bike actually feel to ride?Riding Impressions: Faster on fatter tiresIts a lightweight race bike, so I shouldnt have really been surprised at how quick the new Ridley Astr RS felt once I hopped on it. But it still caught me off guard a bit. Burned into my brain is the thought that fat gravel tires will feel heavy & slow, and that you only really need big tire volume for backcountry adventures or riding gravel bikes on mountain bike trails. But just like we see riding high-end 30 & 32mm slick tires on the road, these fast-rolling 47mm Vittoria tires helped make the Astr RS feel light & quick. The wider, bigger volume tires meant I could run lower pressures to smooth out even smooth gravel roads. They meant I increased grip in sandy and loose gravel corners. And when the gravel roads got rough, I simply did not have to slow down to feel like I was still in control.Race Geometry Review:Tweaked for taller tiresAnd while big tires lent some comfort & confidence-inspiring cush, the frame itself felt snappy and responsive. Stomp on the pedals and the short chainstays rocketed the bike up to speed. Then, leaning it hard into turns and the steep (for me) 71.5 head angle dove into the corners. Ridley talks about the extra 3mm of BB drop being there to add more stability at speed and cornering. But since the axles are already sitting about 7mm higher off the ground than the Kanzo Fast because of bigger tires, weight balance is still a bit higher here. So, its more the longer front center / increase in overall wheelbase that boosts stability, since it appears that the Astr has more fork rake to offset the otherwise longer fork Trail that comes from bigger, taller tires.The bonus counterpoint to the increased bottom bracket height, the Astr RS has 13mm lower frame Stack than the Kanzo Fast, which brings weight distribution back down, and decreases the riders profile into the wind. Fit-wise, Im quite flexible, so I appreciated that lower Stack, and probably would have cut another cm off the steerer tube if it was my personal bike.Riding Review: A fast, but versatile all-rounder gravel race bikeA lot of bikes focused on racing seem to require constant attention to keep them in control and going fast. Yet, this bike felt very balanced. The geometry on paper looks so similar to the Kanzo Fast, which I found a bit too harsh and twitchy for my liking. But I feel that the combination of larger/taller tires, longer overall wheelbase, and lower bar position makes this bike much more stable and comfortable to control.Its a noticeably more neutral handling feel that kind of just disappears beneath you in a good way. Just pedal and go.Yes, this is a race bike. And an expensive one at that. But it would also be a great all-rounder bike for my everyday gravel rides. Fast and easy on casual group rides. And a race-ready rocket when its time to pin a number on and see how fast you can put the hammer down.Weighing the Pros & Cons Big 52mm tire clearance means you can pick something like these fast-rolling 47mm Vittoria Terreno Dry semi-slicks or full knobby 50mm/2 MTB-style treads with tons of grip. Fatter tires simply offer better traction, improved control, and more all-day comfort. A couple of years ago I would have said that 50mm tires were unnecessarily heavy and stiff feeling, but there simply are so many great high-volume tires available now that going wider is a much easier decision to make. Its hard to argue with lightness on a bike that youll be constantly accelerating whether up steep terrain, or just getting back up to speed after a rough section of gravel. At 890g (claimed) for the frame and a real 7.84kg for the complete medium SRAM Red bike with a powermeter without pedals (8.24kg with my Eggbeaters and a bolt-on toptube bag), this in an undeniably light feeling ride. The same goes for aerodynamics. Do we need all gravel bikes to be aero? Of course not. But if you can get even small incremental aero gains without sacrificing comfort or weight, Im 100% on board. At least the free watts might offset the slightly wider tire profile into the wind. But, the high price is really hard to bear here. With a frameset selling for 5000 and the cheapest complete bikes from 7300, there simply are many much more affordable gravel bikes that are still race-ready. The lack of mechanical drivetrain compatibility is a bad thing in my book. Call me a luddite, if you want. Sure, the bike world is trending electronic and wireless. And UDH is good. But I prefer the reliable simplicity of a mechanical groupset (and never having to remember to charge it), especially for a gravel bike where I want to venture a bit off the beaten track. Plus, you can still build a lighter mechanical setup, than one with multiple batteries interspersed throughout the bike. Its a sneaky plus here for Ridleys new gravel race family though. But the regular carbon Astr is simply a much better value than this Ridley Astr RS, at less than half the price. You save 2700 off a frameset, only sacrifice 200g in frame weight, and gain a round seatpost and that mechanical drivetrain comparability, all at the same time. The standard Astr is simply a more logical choice, unless you have an unlimited budget. One of the things I dont really like about my Ridley Astr RS test bike was the long 110mm x 400mm wide unflared cockpit, with a kinda deep 130mm drop & 75mm reach. I still get the feeling that Ridley is a bit old school in their fitting long (virtual) stems and longer bars to their dropbar bikes. But this doesnt really have to be a minus, because Ridleys online custom configurator tool makes it easy to get the bike set up like you want. Buyers can choose their ideal crank length, chainring size, and importantly the best handlebar fit for them. The 4ZA Cirrus Pro integrated cockpit on this bike also comes in a flared version that I would prefer. And were I to buy this bike I could pick the perfect 90mm stem, 380mm wide at the hoods, 440mm wide at the drops with its 16 flare, and a more compact 120mm drop & 70mm reach combo. Another downside in my mind is the proprietary internal cable routing solution Ridley uses here. The bike features a tapered 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 steerer that is D-shaped to allow the brake lines to fit inside the relatively small upper headset bearing. It makes for a narrow headtube and clean looks once everything is in place. But its a mechanics nightmare to get everything set up with so little extra room to work in, and even changing bar height is a tricky problem to solve with little room for error. Custom colors are a great way to make your bike unique, too! If you keep the standard design, picking your favorite from 37 single colors doesnt even cost any more. Or for 400-700 more you can get even more creative. The only downside being that it will slightly delay how fast you get your new bike. The only other functional downside could be limited mounting points. People looking for more bikepacking adventures might want fork mounts. And year-round riders might want fender mounts. But Ridley has the Kanzo Adventure specifically for that. Anyway, my own 3-5-day-long bikepacking trips usually dont necessitate fork-mounted gear, and I get by well-enough with strap-on fenders if needed. (I do highly recommend the Win Wing!) Parting thoughts on the Ridley Astr RS gravel race bikeThere are a lot of ups and downs when I dive into what I like and dislike about the new Ridley Astr RS. But I feel like the only one issue that sticks in my mind is that price. If you can stomach the cost, this is surely one of the best gravel race bikes you can buy at the moment. It feels fast. It feels comfortable. And it is just as happy taking it easy on casual rides with friends, as it is when you are riding all-out as fast as your legs & lungs will allow. Now, I preface this closing statement with the fact that I have NOT actually ridden the much more affordable standard hi-mod carbon Ridley Astr. (Astr photo/Ridley)But I have the feeling that it will deliver almost exactly as well as its RS big sibling. The aero shaping is the same. The geometry is the same. And the tire clearance is the same. So, if I were looking to build up a new carbon gravel race bike and I didnt have an extra few thousand euros to burn (I dont), Id give the regular Astr a hard look. While the Ridley Astr RS looks great, it almost makes the value of the Ridley Astr seem even better by comparison.Ridley-bikes.comThe post Ridley Astr RS Gravel Bike Balances Race-Ready Speed & All-Rounder Versatility: Review appeared first on Bikerumor.

On Wednesday the 2nd of October, the peloton takes on the challenge ofElfstedenrace 2024. Included on the start line in the Netherlands will be some very notable names.The final startlist includes the likes of: Simon Dehairs, Timo Kielich, Gerben Thijssen, Madis Mihkels, Fabio Jakobsen, Emils Liep...

A two time Tour de France champion, Jonas Vingegaard is widely regarded as one of the top Grand Tour riders in the peloton today. In one day races however, the Dane is much less of a proven force and thanks in part to this, Vingegaard has not been seen in his national jersey at past World Championsh...

CyclistBikes of the World Championships road races 2024While the headlines are dominated by the winners, the UCI World Championships bring together hundreds of elite cyclists and with that a lot of interesting tech that you dont see in all the WorldTour races. This years wasnt packed with high-profile new releases like in previous years Specialized launched the Tarmac SL8 in Glasgow last year for example but eagle-eyed viewers can pick out new products or, more likely, sponsor-incorrect tech that riders are using while theyre not racing with their teams (a great place to find that is @cyclingspy on Instagram).We sent photographer Xavier Pereyron out before the racing got going he also shot both the mens and womens road races to see what was lurking behind the scenes. There wasnt lots of new tech this year but there were loads of cool paintjobs and quite a few brands you dont often see in top tier races.Xavier PereyronWhile Simon Yatess bike looks pretty standard, his Jayco-AlUla team have been using Vittoria tyres this season and hes gone for Continental Grand Prix 5000 TT tyres for this one.Xavier PereyronHe also looked to be using an unreleased saddle from Giant or Cadex, neither has a 3D printed saddle for sale currently and it looks like the same shape as Giants Fleet SLR saddle.Xavier PereyronHiding in the womens peloton was this understated Lapierre. It looks like the Xelius with the extended seatstays (which the Aircode doesnt have) but the tube shapes and cleaner lines look more aero-optimised than the exiting Xelius.Xavier PereyronWonder whose bike this isXavier PereyronThis one gives it away.Xavier PereyronMathieu van der Poel is normally a rider testing new stuff for his sponsors, but with the new Aeroad being launched just this year its safe to say this is that bike.Xavier PereyronThere were plenty of different variations of the Specialized S-Works Tarmac SL8, including Remco Evenepoels gold bike and a couple in the Belgium womens team.Xavier PereyronLotte Kopeckys bike had a little Zefal mudguard a la Ass Savers.Xavier PereyronAs well as this motto on the top tube, Pedal the planet forward. That comes from Specializeds 50th anniversary celebrations.Xavier PereyronXavier PereyronThis was also the first Worlds for the Red Bull Specialized bikes, this one belonging to Bob Jungels.Xavier PereyronMauritiuss only rider in the womens race was Lucie Lagesse with this understated but very nice Specialized Tarmac SL7 with a red wine colour scheme.Xavier PereyronThere were plenty of cool paintjobs about too. Rui Costas Cannondale SuperSix is decked out to celebrate his Portuguese national title.Xavier PereyronTom Pidcocks Pinarello Dogma F is new for this year and he was riding a non-Ineos paintjob (red flag). Its very cool, has a fun GBR decal and features these loud Princeton CarbonWorks rims too. Those cost a few quid.Xavier PereyronAmir Arsalan Ansari was riding for the Refugee Olympic Team on this rather lovely aero-edition (old school these days) Trek Madone.Xavier PereyronElla Wyllies New Zealand national championship-inspired bike is another one for the cool paintjob list. Xavier PereyronA strong lineup of bikes across the New Zealand team.Xavier PereyronColours are cool but sometimes you cant beat a black bike. Slovakias only rider in the mens race was Luk Kubi and his all black Wilier looks very cool, especially with the raw carbon wheels.Xavier PereyronThis all-black Liv is also a stunner, it belongs to Thailands Phetdarin Somrat. Also notice she used a deeper rim on the rear than the front.Xavier PereyronYou dont see many 3Ts in top level racing anymore. This Strada belongs to Lithuanias Rasa Leleivyt.Xavier PereyronYou definitely dont see many of these. Romanias Iustin-Ioan Vaidian was riding this bright bike by Chinese brand Yoeleo (which also makes the wheels), which is the sponsor of his MENtoRISE MLMsuperstars team.Xavier PereyronQatari rider Fadhel Al Khater was also riding a Chinese bike. This one is the Pardus Spark Evo with wheels from fellow Chinese brand Scom and a very big OSPW.Xavier PereyronMaltas Andrea Mifsud was on this stealthy bike from French brand Girs with a custom chainring swapped in for the standard Shimano Dura-Ace one.Xavier PereyronPortugals Daniela Campos was riding this from Spanish brand Mendiz, set up by former KAS pro Eusebio Vlez de Mendizbal, who had two Vuelta podiums in the 1960s.Xavier PereyronWith all the focus on Tadej Pogaars special bike, trade teammate Pavel Sivakov played a big role in keeping him away on this standard UAE team edition Colnago V4Rs, seen alongside his French teammates Wiliers.Xavier PereyronThis was probably the first and only time well see Pauline Ferrand-Prvot racing on a Pinarello road bike as she moves to Visma-Lease a Bike for her road comeback in the new year.Xavier PereyronContinentals GP5000 TT tyres were a very popular choice. Tadej Pogaar was on them too.Xavier PereyronAlthough most riders seemed to be on 28mm tyres, Norways Ingvild Gskjenn was rocking 30s in the rain. She finished a strong 28th leading a big group in.Xavier PereyronIt was one of her last outings on this Liv-AlUla-Jayco get-up before she heads to Uno-X.Xavier PereyronRace plan: steady ride, keep fuelling. Oh no, Pogaars attacked with 100km to go throw it all out the window.Xavier PereyronWorking for a team at Worlds is hard work with so many different setups and riders you dont always work with. Judging from the notes this is from the Canadian team. Their highest placed finisher was Magdeleine Vallieres who had a great race, ending up 14th. You might be able to make out on the bottom right she was running 4/4.2 bar tyre pressure in the rain.Xavier PereyronSara Nicole Torrico from Bolivia was ready for the rain. Although probably not that much rain.Xavier PereyronRwandas Diane Ingabire rides for Canyon-SRAM Generation so she was riding this very bright Aeroad. Itll be a big one for her in 2025 when the show goes to Kigali.Xavier PereyronThis pictures nice.Xavier PereyronAnd finally, rim brakes are not dead. Shoutout Namibias Monique du Plessis. Related Posts Pro bike: Kristen Faulkners gold star spangled Cannondale SuperSix Evo from the World Championships Pro bike: Remco Evenepoels gold Specialized S-Works Tarmac SL8 from the World Championships Pro bike: Tadej Pogaars World Championships-winning Colnago V4Rs The best photos from the UCI World Championships mens road race 2024 The best photos from the UCI World Championships womens road race 2024 The post Bikes of the World Championships road races 2024 appeared first on Cyclist.

According to multiple sources, staff at Orro's parent company have not received pay for September and were asked to leave on Monday having been made redundant

Arnaud De Lie now has seven victories this 2024 season, the latest of which came in a very impressive sprint on the cobbled finale of Binche - Chimay - Binche on Tuesday afternoon.I didnt feel great in the morning. I didnt have great legs during the first two or three hours of the race, but on t...

CyclistThe young riders who impressed at the World ChampionshipsThe favourites for the 2024 Road World Championships surprised no one at all by winning the rainbow jerseys in the elite races. However, the competition also revealed a number of young riders who are staking their claims as stars of the future.Ive picked out seven young riders who left their mark throughout the week in Zrich. Cat Ferguson, Great BritainTim de Waele/Getty ImagesBritish rider Cat Ferguson rode to a phenomenal double gold at the World Championships in just two days. The 18-year-old won the 18.8km junior womens individual time-trial by 35sec ahead of Slovakias Viktria Chladonov and then sprinted to junior road race victory against Chladonov and Spains Paula Ostiz, going one better than last year in Glasgow to win the rainbow bands.It caps a phenomenal season for Ferguson who became the Junior National Champion this summer amid an abundance of overall wins from the Omloop Borseke Juniors, Tour du Gvaudan Occitanie and Bizkaikoloreak Juniors. The young star continues to develop with the Movistar squad on a three-year contract. And while writing this, she has just won Binche-Chimay-Binche as a stagiaire as well. Related Posts Ranking the last ten UCI Road World Championships The best photos from the UCI World Championships mens road race 2024 The best photos from the UCI World Championships womens road race 2024 Where are the rising stars of the 2014 UCI World Championships now? Puck Pieterse, NetherlandsTim de Waele/Getty ImagesIts a shame that the U23 women have, so far, not enjoyed their own World Championships race. Instead they compete for the U23 title within the elite race. While this is set to change from next year, 22-year-old Puck Pieterse secured the rainbow jersey for the U23 women with her 13th place overall.Not only an accomplished rider on the road with her new U23 title and a Tour de France Femmes stage victory this year, Pieterse has multiple titles across mountain biking that include the World and European XC Championships, plus a national title in cyclocross. Great things are expected of her in the future, but shes already one of the worlds best in all disciplines she rides.Imogen Wolff, Great BritainDario Belingheri/Getty Images18-year-old Imogen Wolff finished on the podium of the junior individual time-trial, 37sec down on Ferguson for her highest-placed finish at the World Championships. She followed this with an impressive sixth place in the road race.Wolff led home a British one-two at the Trofeo Binda Juniors earlier in the season, ultimately winning by 19sec ahead of Ferguson. She then won the individual time-trial at the National Championships and finished second in a sprint against Ferguson in the road race. Shes signed for Visma-Lease a Bike for the next few years so keep your eyes peeled for big things.Jakob Sderqvist, SwedenDario Belingheri/Getty ImagesJakob Sderqvist rode to second place in the mens U23 ITT, finishing 32sec behind Spains Ivan Romeo. Its yet another silver medal for the Swedish TT Champion who also collected one at the European Championships too, when he finished 31sec down on Alec Segaert of Belgium.The 21-year-old has been a time-trialling force to be reckoned with this season, winning the stages against the clock at the Flche de Sud and Giro Next Gen.Seb Grindley, Great Britain Tim de Waele/Getty ImagesSeb Grindley made quite the name for himself at the World Championships with his second place in the junior road race, the result of dogged determination over multiple ascents in the pouring rain. He couldnt claw back Italys Lorenzo Finn, but he did grab Great Britains first ever medal in the event. It comes a year after he finished eighth in Glasgow.His palmars is littered with victories this year, from Nokere Koerse to the Junior Tours of Mendips and Wales, and he looks like he might be stepping up to Lidl-Trek Future Racing from 2025.Niklas Behrens, GermanyDario Belingheri/Getty ImagesIn the finale of the mens 173km U23 road race, Germanys Niklas Behrens and Slovakias Martin Svrek engaged in a fierce two-up sprint to the line, with the former coming out on top, adding to his recent silver medal in the U23 road race at the European Championships.At the time, he was the only rider in the top five of the race that wasnt already a professional. However it has now been announced hes officially signed with Visma-Lease a Bike for the next three years.Oscar Onley, Great BritainJoan Cros - Corbis/Getty ImagesLast but not least, Oscar Onley shone in his debut World Championships, at one point in a chasing trio behind Tadej Pogaar. His ride to 16th place overall also made him the youngest rider in the top 20. Some feat for the 21-year-old. Related Posts Ranking the last ten UCI Road World Championships The best photos from the UCI World Championships mens road race 2024 The best photos from the UCI World Championships womens road race 2024 Where are the rising stars of the 2014 UCI World Championships now? The post The young riders who impressed at the World Championships appeared first on Cyclist.