Irish rider Fiona Mangan has secured a place on a new French team that will mean she has a chance of riding bigger races, such as Paris Roubaix, next season. Limerick woman Mangans new contract with a new team tops a fantastic season for her, winning both the road race and TT titles at the []The post Double Irish champ Fiona Mangan gets contract with French team appeared first on Sticky Bottle.

This past weekend I stopped for, uh, important reasons and noted a strongly-worded sentiment as well as a crude rendering of a hand with five fingers and no opposable thumb making an obscene gesture:Really? Who could feel that way about a world so beguiling?Though maybe he was just referring to all the mindless sheep who live in it:See?As lovely as this day was, it was also bittersweet, as I was taking a farewell ride on the carbo-tanium LeMondor so I thought:I told myself Id finally return it to Classic Cycle once the Roaduno arrived, since I could really use the space:[I have so little space I had to cut the legs off all my pants.]But by the time I returned home Id changed my mind yet again.Bikes have a funny way of making you find both space and money for them that you dont actually have.Another way to free up some space would be to return George Plimptons Y-Foil, a.k.a. the Charity Ride Destroyer, a.k.a. the Pumpkin Spice Nightmare:Arguably nobody needs even one wildly extravagant bike from The Great Trek Bicycle Making Company, let alone two. But I suppose it was only a matter of time before I turned into the Lone Wolf:I also derive a sense of satisfaction from riding a joke from my own blog come to life, which means my next Trek will have to be the Worlds Greatest Madone:To this day it remains both the greatest commuter bike ever curated and the rolling embodiment of the Just Buy A Rivendell Already ethosthough arguably its not really a JBARA bike since it doesnt even have a stem riser on it:A true JBARA bike has at least that, and usually an adjustable stem, too:As we age our bars gradually skyward in a process similar to phototropism.I realize I should also stress that Im only kidding about wanting a real-life Worlds Greatest Madone:After willing the Plimpton bike into reality I should probably be extremely careful.Of course the Plimpton bike has its share of quirks, such as the Zero Gravity brakes:Few components could be less relevant in the age of discs than a pair of aftermarket weight-weenie brakes, back in the day people used to actually pay big money for stuff like this, and I enjoy learning their quirks:So dainty are these brakes that I was watching a video about how to install them and youre not even supposed to squeeze the pads together with your fingers. Instead when youre centering them youre supposed to do it like this:Apparently squeezing the pads together can damage the titanium spring, whichhow is that even possible? Anyway, Id stopped to make a brake pad adjustment, hence the above photo, and as you can see the bolt for the pad is so tiny I didnt even have the appropriate size on my multi-tool. So I figured Id swing by the handy public repair stand to see what it had:And it had no hex keys at all because someone had stolen them:Must have been the Fuck The World guy.

Seven cyclists received a fixed penalty notice for "contravening traffic signs on the one-way system" during curiously named operation that appeared to mainly target users of illegal e-bikes and e-scooters

UAE Team Emirates ended 2024 with absolute dominance over rival teams in terms of both UCI points earned and victories in a single season. Looking at the UAE team's overwhelming numbers, we can say that the investment made in the squad has exceeded the best expectations in terms of return and that n...

CyclistPro Log: Chris Hoy receives terminal diagnosis; Track Worlds highlights; Wout van Aert on The Masked Singer?Welcome to the latest edition ofPro Log, where we look at the pro cycling news from the past week. Heres a rundown of the latest results before we get started:UCI Track World Championships, Mens Madison, Sun 20th Oct: 1st Roger Kluge and Tim Torn Teutenberg, Germany, 76; 2nd Lindsay De Vylder and Fabio van den Bossche, Belgium, 60; 3rd Niklas Larsen and Michael Mrkv, Denmark, 59.UCI Track World Championships, Womens Keirin, Sun 20th Oct: 1st Mina Sato, Japan; 2nd Hetty van de Wouw, Netherlands; 3rd Katy Marchant, Great Britain.UCI Track World Championships, Mens Elimination Race, Sun 20th Oct: 1st Tobias Aagaard Hansen, Denmark; 2nd Elia Viviani, Italy; 3rd Dylan Bibic, Canada.UCI Track World Championships, Womens Points Race, Sun 20th Oct: 1st Julie Norman Leth, Denmark, 43; 2nd Lotte Kopecky, Belgium, 40; 3rd Lara Gillespie, Ireland, 39.UCI Track World Championships, Mens Sprint, Sun 20th Oct: 1st Harrie Lavreysen, Netherlands; 2nd Jeffrey Hoogland, Netherlands; 3rd Kaiya Ota, Japan.UCI Track World Championships, Womens 3km Pursuit, Sat 19th Oct: 1st Anna Morris, Great Britain, 3min 08.393sec; 2nd Chloe Dygert, United States, 3min 08.755sec; Bryony Botha, New Zealand, 3min 21.086sec.UCI Track World Championships, Mens Omnium, Sat 19th Oct: 1st Lindsay De Vylder, Belgium, 150; 2nd Simone Consonni, Italy, 138; 3rd Yanne Dorenbos, Netherlands, 128.Chris Hoy reveals terminal diagnosisVisionhaus/Getty ImagesBritish cycling legend Chris Hoy has revealed his cancer diagnosis is terminal and that he has two to four years to live. Speaking to the Sunday Times, the 48-year-old believed he had strained his shoulder before a scan revealed a tumour. A secondary scan found additional tumours in his pelvis, hip, spine and rib.Hoy said, You remind yourself, arent I lucky that there is medicine I can take that will fend this off for as long as possible? Related Posts The 21 best mens Grand Tour stages of the 2020s so far Pogaar vs Merckx: Who had the best season ever? Emma Finucane Q&A: The goalposts just keep moving Chris Hoy: Knight rider Great Britain shine at Track World ChampionshipsJonathan Nackstrand/AFP via Getty ImagesGreat Britain equalled their best result at the 2024 Track World Championships in Ballerup, Denmark, with 13 medals in total, claiming second overall in the table behind the Netherlands.It was an all-woman affair for gold medals. Anna Morris put in the performance of a lifetime to beat defending champion Chlo Dygert of the United States in the individual pursuit, while Emma Finucane beat the Netherlands Hetty van de Wouw 2-0 for rainbow bands in the sprint.The pair won an additional two gold medals, with Morris winning the team pursuit alongside Jessica Roberts, Katie Archibald and Josie Knight, and Finucane in the team sprint with Katy Marchant and Sophie Capewell against the Netherlands.Elsewhere, it was a double gold for Japan in the keirin, with the rainbow jersey coming home to the place where the discipline originated thanks to Kento Yamasaki, who became the first Japanese rider to win in the discipline since 1987, and Mina Sato for the women.The Netherlands Lorena Wiebes had a phenomenal debut Track World Championships as she won the scratch race ahead of defending champion Jennifer Valente. Great Britains Josh Charlton broke the world record set by Filippo Ganna in qualifying for the individual pursuit with a time of 3min 59.304sec, but was bested by Italys Jonathan Milan in the gold medal ride.Some big names retired at the end of the five-day event. Danish rider Julie Norman Leth bowed out after winning the points race and the madison, the latter alongside Amalie Dideriksen. Michael Mrkv, another Dane, raced in his last Track Worlds and won bronze in the madison with Niklas Larsen. Great Britains Dan Bigham also retired from pro racing after he won a bronze medal against teammate Charlie Tanfield in the individual pursuit.Harrie Lavreysen does the tripleArne Mill/BSR Agency/Getty ImagesDutchman Harrie Lavreysen came into the Track World Championships as the defending champion in the sprint and team sprint. He would also compete in the keirin, in which he is a three-time World Champion, and make his debut in the mens 1km time-trial.He got off to a perfect start, winning gold in the team sprint with Roy van den Berg and Jeffrey Hoogland against Australia, but a surprise exit in the semi-finals of the keirin meant he only managed eighth overall.His next event was described as a challenge in the 1km time-trial, in which he was making his World Championships debut. In typical Lavreysen fashion, the 27-year-old topped the standings with 57.321sec for victory, 0.9sec ahead of defending champion and friend Hoogland.A couple of days later, he finished the World Championships with another gold medal by once again beating Hoogland in the mens sprint. With his 16 titles in total, it had been a record-breaking week, Lavreysen now the most accomplished track cyclist in the World Championships after overtaking Frances Arnaud Tournant (14).Eli Iserbyt handed three-race banDavid Pintens/Belga Mag/AFP via Getty ImagesBelgian cyclocross rider Eli Iserbyt has been fined 2,500 Swiss francs (approx 2,225) and given a three-race ban after he stomped on rival Ryan Kamps bike. Iserbyt and Kamp both came down in a crash at Exact Cross Beringen last week and Iserbyt stamped on his opponents bike before the pair exchanged words. He was soon pulled from the race.Iserbyt apologised for his actions on social media and went on to place second in his next race prior to his suspension. Kamp has since revealed Iserbyt apologised to him on the phone.Is Wout van Aert on The Masked Singer?Unipublic / CxclingRumours are flying that Wout van Aert will be revealed as the Squirrel on the Belgian version of The Masked Singer this Friday. The show has celebrities disguise themselves in costumes and sing popular songs while panellists try to guess their identity.Van Aert had previously posted a squirrel emoji on a Strava ride in May around the time of filming, and another with the title lange staart which translates to long tail.It isnt the first time a pro cyclist has been on the show. Nairo Quintana famously featured on the Colombian version of the programme in 2021 while dressed as a chameleon. You can find a clip of Van Aert apparently singing Blurs Song 2 here. Do you think its him?See you next week.The post Pro Log: Chris Hoy receives terminal diagnosis; Track Worlds highlights; Wout van Aert on The Masked Singer? appeared first on Cyclist.

We take a quick tour of the Americas in today's edition of weekend Snapshot, checking in with readers in Canada, Brazil, and the United States. Head out for a spin with folks in three countries and use our quick submission form to share a photo from one of your recent bikepacking trips here...The post Weekend Snapshot appeared first on BIKEPACKING.com.

CyclistThe 21 best mens Grand Tour stages of the 2020s so farWeve reached the halfway point in the decade. Nows the perfect time, therefore, to take a breather and look back at the 15 excellent Grand Tours weve already seen in the 2020s.The decade began under uncertain circumstances with the three Grand Tours in unfamiliar autumnal slots. Since then, weve been treated to a smorgasbord of memorable Grand Tour moments. We witnessed Tadej Pogaar grow into a Grand Tour superstar, Jumbo-Visma take (and lose again) an iron grip on the Tour de France, plus the bulk of PrimoRoglis signature Vuelta escapades.For this ranking, weve taken a look back on the decades Grand Tours and selected the 21 best mens Grand Tour stages. To make the cut, stages have been judged on watchability, significance and excitement all important gauges for cycling enjoyment. Lets quit yapping and dive into the best mens Grand Tour stages of the 2020s so far.21. Vuelta a Espaa2023, Stage 17UNIPUBLIC / SPRINT CYCLING AGENCYTeam tactics can be the driving force behind a cycling chef-doeuvre, or they can create a beautiful mess. Stage 17 of the 2023 Vuelta a Espaawas more of the latter than the former.After a cunning gambit, Sepp Kuss found himself in the leaders red jersey early on. With his two teammates and reigning Grand Tour champions lined up behind him in the standings, Jumbo-Visma were poised for Vuelta glory with one of their riders. But which one?On the legendary slopes of the Angliru, the leadership hierarchy seemed to come crumbling down. As the climb teetered towards the top, Rogli towed Vingegaard away, leaving Sepp Kuss behind in the fog. Seemingly unbothered by the move, the Grand Tour-winning duo abandoned Kuss, ignoring the Americans calls on the team radio, leaving him to fend for himself in the final kilometres.As the Slovenian crossed the line, he didnt dare celebrate his second stage win of the race.The ensuing chaos in the Jumbo camp made for equally entertaining viewing. Rogli confirmed that he was here to win while Vingegaard kept quiet as he edged in on the overall lead. Kuss, Roglis most trusted lieutenant over the past few seasons, seemed rightfully miffed at all of this, and the boys received a slap on the wrist before finally agreeing to ride for their teammate. 20. Vuelta a Espaa2022, Stage 16David Pintens/BELGA MAG/AFP via Getty ImagesIt takes a lot for a sprint stage to end up on a list like this. However, the sixteenth stage of the 2022 Vuelta was a real comedy of errors.For most of the day, it looked like Stage 16 would end up in a formulaic sprint finish in Tomares. Within the final 5km though, all hell broke loose. Over a slight incline, Rogli launched an attack, bringing forward a group of hungry sprinters looking for stage glory. Meanwhile, at the back of the pack, race leader Remco Evenepoel raised his arm to flag a puncture with 2.2km still on the clock.Back at the front, Roglis plucky move paid off thanks to the contributions of the sprinters around him. In the dash to the line, Rogli collided with lead group companion Fred Wright, throwing him onto the tarmac in spectacular fashion. Right after, Rogli got back onto his bike, sunglasses hanging loose. He looked in real discomfort however as he rolled across the line 46 seconds adrift of stage winner Pedersen.The stage was left with plenty of questions to be answered. Would the 3km rule be applied? Would Evenepoel lose minutes? Could Enric Mas somehow end up in the red jersey?These questions were soon answered and Evenepoel remained in the race lead with no time loss enforced. Jumbo-Visma then hit out with a murky response to the crash, implying that it was Wrights fault. Rogli abandoned the following day as a result of his injuries. 19. Tour de France 2021, Stage 8A.S.O./Charly LopezNot long after Pogaars rise to glory in 2020, the Slovenian would leave his mark on his sophomore Tour by the end of week one.On Stage 8 to Le Grand Bornand, the UAE Team Emirates rider would debut his now signature move: the long-range solo. With a burst of power on the slopes of the penultimate climb, the Col de Romme, Pogaar went clear in an ambitious move. Behind, the GC group were left stunned as the white jersey wearer extended his advantage to several minutes.Ahead, Pogaar bridged up to the breakaway stragglers as they neared the finish line. The move wasnt enough to take the stage. Those honours would go the way of Dylan Teuns who out-muscled the rest of the escapees. However, by the end of the day, Pogaar claimed the yellow jersey with a four-minute gap to Alexey Lutsenko, the nearest podium hopeful. 18. Tour de France 2024, Stage 9A.S.O./Billy CeustersAfter years of resisting gravel mania, the Tour de France finally tackled the white roads in the 2024 edition.The allure of the Tours first gravel stage brought forward a star-studded escape group comprised of climbers, sprinters and Classics specialists alike. For the big four Pogaar, Vingegaard, Evenepoel and Rogli the stage was tense. Pogaar and Vingegaard rolled the dice over the gravel sectors while Evenepoel seemed at points flustered on the rough roads. Despite the brief fractures, no move stuck amongst the chaos.Up the road, the breakaway fight was closely contested (once Pogaar and co. had caught them and decided to drop back). A late flyer from Jasper Stuyven was reeled in by the final kilometre for one dash to the line. Anthony Turgis ended TotalEnergies seven-year stage drought, beating a frustrated Tom Pidcock to the win. For the yellow jersey rivals, the race thankfully calmed down by the time they reached the finish in Troyes.If it was ever in doubt before, Stage 9 proved that gravel does hold a place in the Tour. Lets hope it makes a comeback later this decade.17. Tour de France 2022, Stage 18Thomas Samson/AFP via Getty ImagesWith one mountain stage remaining of the 2022 Tour de France, Vingegaard was on the cusp of securing a first Tour de France trophy. After keeping Pogaar at bay throughout the Pyrenees, the Dane was rightfully ambitious on Stage 18s test to Hautacam.UAE Team Emirates might have been stripped bare as a result of a Covid outbreak in the team, but they tried their best to challenge the steadfast Jumbo team. Once Pogaars teammates pulled away Vingegaard and Pogaar were left to fight it out for one last time at the 2022 Tour.Unlucky for Pogaar, the green jersey Wout van Aert was still up the road, waiting to tow Vingegaard up the hallowed Hautacam. Once the Belgian joined the duo, he upped the pace, ousting Pogaar. Together, the Jumbo duo powered towards the summit. Soon enough, Vingegaard flew off in pursuit of another stage win, this time dressed in the maillot jaune.The champion-elect crested the climb to take the stage win, effectively sealing the overall victory. All that was left was the most modest of victory salutes after one of the most well-crafted team performances in recent Tour history.16. Vuelta a Espaa2021, Stage 17Luis Angel Gomez / Photo Gomez SportRace favourite and defending champion Rogli was playing a dangerous game in the overall standings at the 2021 Vuelta, allowing breakaway hopefuls to snag minutes here and there. However, by the time the final week rolled around, the Slovenian knew it was crunch time.When the race reached the foggy mountains of northern Spain, he saw an opportunity to put all these worries to bed on Stage 17s stage to Lagos de Covadonga. As the rain poured down, Egan Bernal attacked away with 60km to go. Despite his previous excitement, the Colombian was dislodged on the opening slopes of the final climb. The green light was given for Rogli to rev away solo.The balance of power lower down in the GC looked up in the air as they flailed in Roglis shadow. Nothing could stop the reigning Vuelta champion, however, as he crested the climb alone. It was a Vuelta-winning move, a perfect day for Rogli and Jumbo-Visma.15. Giro dItalia 2022, Stage 20The 2022 Giro dItalia was essentially decided by two days of racing: Stages 14 and 20. It wasnt a classic Grand Tour, but those two days certainly delivered some edge-of-your-seat viewing.By Stage 20, 2019 Giro winner Richard Carapaz looked pretty in pink able to hold back any title-making moves made by podium contenders Jai Hindley and Mikel Landa. However, Ineos Grenadiers confidence was unstuck on the final mountain stage.As the day played out, Ineos looked in control, much like they had been over the whole Giro. However, Bora would soon come into their own as the road up the Passo Fedaia ramped up. After Hindleys first offensive, Lennard Kmna placed the final nails in the coffin for Carapaz. The Ecuadorian was duly dropped and the Australian rode on into the distance. In the ensuing fifteen minutes, Hindley sailed away from all other GC contenders to build an almost two-minute advantage over Carapaz. Its rare to see a Grand Tour decided on one climb, but Hindley artfully knew when to make his move and wrap up his Giro dItalia victory.14. Tour de France 2023, Stage 6A.S.O./Charly LopezDuring the attritional opening week of the 2023 Tour, Pogaar and Vingegaard had already exchanged blows in the Basque hills and Pyrenees. After just five stages, a GC see-saw looked to be on the cards.The action was ignited early in Stage 6 as Jumbo-Visma isolated Pogaar over the passage of the Col du Tourmalet. By the 50km to go marker, the two rivals were going tit for tat. Wout van Aert came back from the breakaway to join the two previous Tour winners as they neared the final climb. These efforts were in vain, however, once Pogaar roared around one of Cauterets hairpins and launched his decisive move with 3km to go.With a real hunger in his eyes, the Slovenian gained a 23-second lead on the remainder of the climb. A well-measured victory bow later, the white jersey wearer had returned to the big time at the 2023 Tour de France. Just one day after a wobble at the hands of Vingegaard, Pogaar banished any woes surrounding his recovery from a wrist injury picked up in the spring.Despite his GC losses on Stage 6, Vingegaard claimed the yellow jersey in a muted fashion. A truer rivalry, youll be hard-pressed to find.13. Giro dItalia 2024, Stage 15Luca Bettini/PoolTheres no doubt that Pogaar was the assertive figure of the 2024 Giro dItalia. At this years Corsa Rosa, this culminated in his domineering Stage 15 performance to Livigno.On a snow-dusted day, a pink-clad Pogaar was delivered in pristine condition to the foot of the days final sequence of mountains. On the back of his teammates efforts, Pogaar launched a stinging attack. No one responded and the Slovenian was alone and in a race against time to bridge the three-minute gap to the breakaway.Free from any GC worries, the Slovenian swept up every lone escapee, including former Giro champion Nairo Quintana and future stage winner Georg Steinhauser. At 2km to go, the maglia rosa flew past the final breakaway hopeful to seal the once-deemed impossible assault to stage victory.Is this his most impressive Grand Tour stage win? Quite possibly.12. Tour de France 2024, Stage 11A.S.O./Billy CeustersAfter three tightly-contested Tours de France between Pogaar and Vingegaard, the 2024 race hinted at a chance for Pogaar to return to the top spot of the podium unopposed. On Stage 11 that assumption was challenged as the two riders gave us another battle for the ages, this time through the Massif Central.Pogaar confidently opened up the GC shake-up with an attack at 31km to go. It looked as though the stage would be sewn up by this point, but Vingegaard wasnt out of the equation just yet.On his own, the Visma-Lease a Bike leader bridged across to the lone Slovenian, becoming the only man to reel in a long-range Pogaar move during his Merckxian 2024 season. Pogaar and Vingegaard would then reprise their rivalry from Tours before in a tense two-up ride to the line in Le Lioran.For the first time in the rivalrys short history, the Dane would defeat Pogaar in a two-up sprint, claiming his only stage win of the 2024 Grand Boucle. For a brief moment, Pogaar looked human.11. Giro dItalia 2020, Stage 18Luca Bettini/Getty ImagesThe autumnal 2020 Giro felt like a fever dream. Neo-pro JooAlmeida had the race lead, two key GC teams had abandoned the race and it was uncertain whether the Giro would actually reach Milan with all the pandemic-induced uncertainty. In its final week, the race exploded on Stage 18s epic odyssey to Laghi di Cancano. As the peloton negotiated the dizzying Stelvio, the GC state of play was shattered into a million pieces. The maglia rosa was dropped, as were Grand Tour veterans Vincenzo Nibali and Jakob Fuglsang. With Ineos Grenadiers in control, the hierarchy was seismically shaken up, placing Wilco Kelderman in the provisional lead despite looming in the shadows a couple of hairpins behind.Under the command of Rohan Dennis, GC long-shots Tao Geoghegan Hart and Jai Hindley soon emerged as legitimate contenders for the Giro crown with every pedal stroke.As domestique Dennis peeled away on the final climb, the two youngsters were left to juke it out for stage glory and a real chance to win the race overall. Despite an earlier wardrobe malfunction, the Australian would go on to win a two-up sprint for the stage, teeing up the Corsa Rosa for a fragile final handful of stages. Related Posts Pogaar vs Merckx: Who had the best season ever? Grand Tour 2025 route rumours: What we know so far Ranking the last ten UCI Road World Championships Every Tadej Pogaar Grand Tour performance ranked Every mens UCI WorldTour race ranked: From the Tour de France to the Tour Down Under 10. Tour de France 2022, Stage 5 Bernard Papon - Pool/Getty ImagesStage 5 of the 2022 Tour de France saw an action-packed excursion to the cobbled roads of Paris-Roubaix. From a motivated breakaway hoping to claim the maillot jaune to crash-induced anarchy and a courageous Pogaar move, this stage delivered a barnstorming day of racing in the flattest of Tour terrain.Throughout the day, Jumbo-Visma disintegrated on the cobbles. Van Aert suffered a crash that looked to have jeopardised his place as race leader. Vingegeaard, the teams co-leader, endured a comical bike change that saw him climb onto Nathan van Hooydoncks extra-large Cervlo frame. For Rogli, the other leader in Jumbos arsenal, the fifth stage would spell the end of his GC efforts after a sobering crash.In this chaos, Pogaar saw his chance to take a flyer. Untouchable in this opening week, the Slovenian danced away on the cobbles of Hell to claim a small advantage over all other race favourites.Behind, the chase was scrambled in the fleeting hope of re-capturing him and placing a Jumbo rider back in the top echelon of GC. This wasnt without the interests of escapees Neilson Powless and Edvald Boasson-Hagen, who saw a real opportunity to take the overall lead in the finale. To their dismay, Simon Clarke took a shock stage win after a drag-race sprint against Taco van der Hoorn. Behind, Jumbo-Visma silenced the alarm bells to come within touching distance of Pogaar.A day of ups and downs maybe cobbles do belong in Grand Tours after all.9. Vuelta a Espaa2021, Stage 20Luis Angel Gomez / Photo Gomez SportThe 2021 Vuelta a Espaawas littered with drama, uncertainty and GC yo-yo-ing. As the last road stage of that years race, Stage 20 offered a swan song for the Spanish three-weeker. What ensued was a frantic battle through the northern Spanish hills on a profile that seemed relatively unsuspecting on paper.The kingmaker teams were depleted early on, making for a select battle. Miguel ngel Lpez, the third-place rider at this point and stage winner just 48 hours prior, climbed off the bike. The circumstances of this were unknown, but it was evident that a rift was emerging internally between Lpez and Movistar management. In his absence, the final spot on the podium was up for grabs. Adam Yates, Jack Haig and Egan Bernal emerged as the candidates for that bronze medal.Out front, the stage win held in the balance. The top four riders in the overall classification regrouped alongside the remnants of the break. In the end, Clment Champoussin came out of seemingly nowhere, rocking and rolling past the bulk of podium candidates to claim a surprise stage win. Behind, Rogli secured his third consecutive Vuelta crown with a dismayed Enric Mas limiting his losses to finish in second overall.An unpredictable day out in the Spanish hills, Stage 20 of the 2021 Vuelta was a charming calamity.8. Tour de France 2020, Stage 14Bernard Papon/Pool/GodingImagesIts easy to forget that the 2023 Tour de France was a nail-biting race for the first two weeks. Before Vingegaard flipped the script on Stage 16s time-trial and a fateful ascent of the Col de la Loze, the two rivals were fighting tooth and nail for daylight in the GC standings. This all came to a head on Stage 14s mammoth Alpine day to Morzine.As expected, the two favourites flew away on the final climb of the day, bringing with it an attack-fuelled cat-and-mouse chase up the climb. Searching for bonus seconds, Pogaars final attack over the summit of the Col de Joux Plane was halted by TV motorbikes. Frustrated, he seemed unsettled and Vingegaard grabbed the bonuses.By playing around over the summit, the duo were soon joined by UAEs Adam Yates and Ineoss Carlos Rodrguez. While Vingegaard and Pogaar made on-the-bike risk calculations, it was uncertain who would lead the Tour once the race dived down to the ski resort of Morzine. In this melee of confusion, Rodrguez slipped away on the descent.The Ineos rider would inevitably take the day and the two esteemed rivals rounded out the podium. Despite missing out on stage honours, this was the pinnacle of Vingegaard and Pogaars Tour rivalry. The two were closer than ever, and the stakes were so finely balanced.7. Giro dItalia 2022, Stage 14Tim De Waele/Getty ImagesAfter two weeks of tame racing, the 2022 Giro dItalia was feeling rather humdrum. Once Stage 14 rolled around, we were starving for some GC fireworks.The opportunity to change this came on a circuit around Turin on a profile that resembled a one-day Classic rather than a Grand Tour stage. When the peloton reached this jagged loop, the bolstered Bora-Hansgrohe ripped up the script.The German team caught some key players out. The pink jersey Juan Pedro Lpez was one of the victims of this ambush, eventually ceding his jersey to a more notable contender upfront. Under pressure, Richard Carapaz lit the fuse with a long-distance move. With him, Hindley, Nibali, Simon Yates, Almeida and Landa were all forced to join the party and trigger a 20km-long feud to the finish.Finally allowed to get something off their chest, Hindley and Carapaz took lumps out of each other, tussling for every last bonus second on offer. However, it would be Simon Yates no longer in the race for pink whod take a bittersweet stage win.6. Giro dItalia 2023, Stage 20Chris AuldGenerously speaking, the 2023 Giro dItalia was a slow burn. The race was ripped apart by Covid, poor weather and a reluctance from GC leaders to attack. Walking this fine line, the race remained on a knife edge coming into a mountain time-trial on Monte Lussari.At the start-gate, Geraint Thomas,Rogli andJoo Almeida were only separated by just one minute. As we learnt a couple of years prior, anything can happen in a mountain time-trial, and with Rogli involved, youre never sure of what you might get.On the day, the Slovenian certainly served up a characteristic rollercoaster of emotions. In hunting down Thomas, Rogli was edging closer to the Welshman in the virtual classification. With a couple of kilometres to go, the Jumbo-Visma leader slipped his chain and was in need of divine intervention to get back on track.As Thomas came closer to the summit, he looked in trouble. The clock ticked down and it became clear that the Ineos rider hadnt done enough to keep the pink jersey, meaning that Rogli had overturned the Giro by a slender 14-second margin.After the disastrous downfall on La Planche just three years prior, there was an overwhelming sense of vindication. On a mountaintop just over 10km away from the Slovenian border, Roglis victory atop Monte Lussari had all the hallmarks of a Disney finale.4. Tour de France 2020, Stage 9A.S.O./Alex BroadwayBefore the first weekend of September 2020, Pogaar had never won a Tour de France stage. This would soon change on an eventful day to Laruns.On a tough Pyrenean profile, the favourites distilled themselves from the mornings tightly balanced GC standings. As they approached the summit of the days final climb, the Col de Marie Blanque, Rogli and Pogaar clashed, almost taking each other off the bike in their pursuit for bonus seconds.They approached the line in an all-star group comprising race favouriteRogli, reigning champion Egan Bernal, Mikel Landa and Pogaar. By sweeping up the dangling escapee Marc Hirschi, it would all come down to an A-list sprint for stage honours.In a burst of speed, Pogaar edged ahead in the final dash to the line, yielding him his first Tour stage success. He couldnt hold back Rogli in the GC at this point, with the Jumbo-Visma rider taking the maillot jaune, beginning the iconic Slovenian ding-dong at the autumnal 2020 Tour.3. Giro dItalia 2021, Stage 11Tim De Waele/Getty ImagesRegardless of whether you think gravel is a stain on Grand Tour racing or not, the 2021 Giros gravelly eleventh stage was a worthy addition to the 2021 race.The breakaway battle was close-fought between riders young and old, but it would be the youngsters of Mauro Schmid and Alessandro Covi who would tame the white roads. However, the tussle for seconds in the overall classification was a much more enthralling attraction.Ineos Grenadiers powerhouse Pippo Ganna drove the pace through each sterrato sector, placing pressure on the peloton as early as 80km to go. At his debut Grand Tour, Evenepoel had a meltdown on the gravel roads. While in the maglia bianca, Evenepoel was dropped early on, leaving him to shake his head and throw his earpiece out.While Evenepoel waved farewell to Giro victory, the remaining GC contenders went tete-a-tete on the Tuscan hills. The strongest soon appeared to be the trio of Emanuel Buchmann, Sasha Vlasov and Egan Bernal. However, the 2019 Tour champion was holding back, leading to a flurry of thundering attacks in the final kilometres to claim a handsome advantage by the finish in Montalcino.Bernal laid the groundwork for his eventual second Grand Tour win here. An unlikely gravel specialist, a puncheur and ambitiously courageous, the Colombian entertained during this eleventh stage. Hopefully, Bernal can get back to these highs by the end of the decade.2. Tour de France 2020, Stage 20A.S.O./Alex BroadwayTime-trials are a hard sell. They rarely serve up drama when buried in a Grand Tour. However, when they deliver, they can serve up some of the most dramatic Grand Tour moments. In the case of Stage 20 of the 2020 Tour de France, this was the outcome.In a matter of one hour, the Tour de France was completely flipped on its head. After a commanding three weeks at the Tour, PrimoRoglis team boss claimed to have a 99% chance of winning the Tour before Stage 20. With a 57-second advantage coming into the day, it was understandable.Reality, however, was cruel to Jumbo-Visma. After a shoddy bike change, the live timings showed that the Tour was slipping out of Roglis hands. The buffer hed built over Pogaar was melting away before our very eyes.Crossing the line pale-faced and with his Lazer helmet pushed far back on his head, Rogli had capitulated. Soon-to-be debut Tour winner Pogaar was left startled as were we. Not even he believed that he could actually pull this off and Colnago had already sent him a custom-made white bike for Paris.Never has a Grand Tour stage left us in such a state of shock. Who said time-trials were boring?1. Tour de France 2022, Stage 11Pete GodingNo Grand Tour stage gets discussed more than Stage 11 of the 2022 Tour de France. A true legend of modern Grand Tour racing, the Col du Granon stage will live long in the cycling history books.The mechanics of this race were engineered from the flag drop. Jumbo-Vismas ambush began early on, with Rogli acting as the agent provocateur over the penultimate climb of the day. The Dutch team threw attack after attack at Pogaar, enticing him in his naivety to follow each one like the boy racer he was.Before the final climb, the clouds turned to grey and Pogaar tried to organise the peloton in vain. At 4.6km to go, Vingegaard launched his decisive attack. With laser-like precision, he danced away and immediately gained a substantial margin over the yellow jersey who was scrambling for help. Nothing RafaMajka could conjure up could bring back the Dane who had the bit between his teeth.Vingegaard looked imperial in the final kilometres of the Col du Granon. As Pogaar uncharacteristically unravelled, Jumbo-Vismas battle plan had played out perfectly on the road. Unassailable and alone in front, Vingegaard rolled over the line to claim a career-first Tour stage, moving him into the maillot jaune. On the Granon, Vingegaard proved that someone could not only defeat Pogaar, but someone was able to challenge the impending tyranny we once believed in.Disagree with our list? Let us know on Cyclists social media or in the comments. Stay tuned for another round-up of the best womens Grand Tour stages, thats to come later in the week. Related Posts Pogaar vs Merckx: Who had the best season ever? Grand Tour 2025 route rumours: What we know so far Ranking the last ten UCI Road World Championships Every Tadej Pogaar Grand Tour performance ranked Every mens UCI WorldTour race ranked: From the Tour de France to the Tour Down Under The post The 21 best mens Grand Tour stages of the 2020s so far appeared first on Cyclist.

Sir Chris Hoy, one of the most celebrated figures in Britishcycling, has revealed heart breaking news about his health. The six-time Olympicgold medallist has disclosed that he is battling terminal cancer, and doctorshave given him two to four years to live. In an emotional interview with TheSun...

Lara Gillespie has expressed her delight at being able to put a rough few days behind her at the UCI World Track Championships and come away with a bronze medal in the points race after a huge finish. The Team Ireland rider was on the attack during the race and though her efforts to gain []The post Lara Gillespie | Im so happy to do it for Ireland. Were strong and mighty appeared first on Sticky Bottle.

Guillaume Martin had once again a decent year, with a lot of racing and several results of honor... but once without a victory, nor any stand out performance to write home about. Thus, the current Cofidis rider will seek new motivation with a move over to another French WT team: Groupama - FDJ."I th...