The weekend may be over, but its not all bad: road racings on the TV, the footballs good again (you may disagree), and Ryan Mallons back with more cycling news, views, and silliness to distract you from the reality that is Monday

Possibly the most packable fully waterproof gilet around but it is quite short

All the hottest new tech we spotted in Belgium, including stuff from SRAM, Van Rysel, Silca, Eddy Merckx, Deda, Ridley, Fizik, Prologo and more

Mathieu van der Poel spent Sunday blowing apart the World Cup in Benidorm. On Monday, he turned 31. And instead of talking about celebrations, champagne, or rest, the world champion had something much simpler in mind. Normally with a long training ride, but that is something I really like doing. On...

A couple in their 70s were on a cycling holiday in Scotland when Aly Albosati lost control of his car and hit them both, Patricia Marshall airlifted to hospital where she died

Details of the 360 million in Government funding for active travel and greenways for 2026 have been announced. The funding includes 290 million for walking and cycling infrastructure in villages, towns and cities, which will be split between almost 1,000 projects and has been allocated via the National Transport Authority. The full allocation by county can be found on this PDF.Examples of these projects, listed in a Department of Transport press release issued under embargo yesterday, include the Broadmeadow Estuary Greenway in Co Dublin; the Lehenaghmore Road Improvement Scheme in Cork; the Mary Immaculate College to City Centre Active Travel Scheme in Limerick; and the Tramore Ring Road Active Travel Scheme in Waterford.The Department said that an additional 8 million is being allocated to what it called smaller-scale behavioural change and training programmes, including the CycleRight training programme in primary schools and the NTAs Smarter Travel Workplaces and Campuses Programme.The remaining 62 million is for greenways and National Cycle Network projects being allocated through Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII). The Department outlines examples of greenways being funded to include the South Kerry Greenway and the extension of the Ulster Canal Greenway in Monaghan.It also uses the N60 between Castlebar to Breaffy active travel project, and the Blacksod Bay Loop Scheme, both in Mayo, as examples of Significant projects include cycleway facilities, although the latter is mainly just markings and signage on a minor rural road and includes no cycleway.Minister for Transport, Darragh OBrien, Minister of State at the Department of Transport, Sen Canney, and Minister of State with responsibility for rural transport, Jerry Buttimer, announced the funding allocation. Minister OBrien said: The allocation of 360 million in 2026 for active travel and greenway projects demonstrates the Governments commitment to expanding sustainable transport options and delivering on the provision of safe and accessible walking and cycling infrastructure in both urban and rural areas.The 290 million invested in the NTAs Active and Sustainable Transport Investment Programme will assist with the development of key active travel networks in our villages, towns and cities, making walking and cycling a viable option for more of our population, he said.While he added: The investment of 62 million in our Greenways network, meanwhile, will help deliver key projects all over the country and is another step towards the development of a National Cycle Network.Minister Canney said: The continued expansion of our walking and cycling network through Greenway and active travel infrastructure is crucial in offering safe travel options to cyclists and pedestrians. It also contributes to our progress towards Vision Zero, our road safety strategy which sets out to achieve zero road fatalities or serious injuries by 2050.Minister Buttimer said: I particularly welcome todays funding announcement for Greenway projects which have been a valued addition to rural Ireland in recent years through showcasing our beautiful landscape, bringing visitors to overlooked areas and helping small local businesses to thrive.He added: Greenways also provide an outdoor recreational facility that all members of the community can enjoy. I look forward to the delivery of new and expanded routes in the coming years.While there has been ongoing criticism of using project length as a measure of success including because many key projects, such as junction redesigns, crossings, and filter permeability schemes, are not well measured by length and because poor schemes can be longer than more impactful ones that help link up existing routes the Department continues to use distance as its main metric.It said that 200 km of walking and cycling infrastructure will be delivered in 2026, in line with the target set out in the Climate Action Plan. This investment programme is a key enabler in reducing our transport emissions.Anne Shaw, Chief Executive of the NTA, said: The funding commitment announced today will allow the NTA to support every local authority across the country as they continue to deliver safer connections for pedestrians and cyclists, improved public spaces to enjoy, and an overall environment where more and more of us can choose active and sustainable travel for our everyday journeys.She added: Thanks to the Department of Transport, this continuation of a high level of funding for active travel will have a real impact for communities in our cities, towns and villages. We look forward to seeing what our local authorities can achieve with this funding in 2026 and in the years to come.Lorcan OConnor, chief executive of TII, said: The 2026 Greenway funding highlights the commitment of the Department of Transport and the Government to deliver active travel options throughout the country. TII, along with our Local Authority partners commit to working with other key stakeholders toward the delivery of these important Greenway Projects.Combined Active Travel and Greenway 2026 AllocationsCountyAllocation Carlow County Council 3,000,000Cavan County Council 3,250,000Clare County Council 3,985,000Cork City Council 27,050,000Cork County Council19,875,000Donegal County Council10,820,000Dublin City Council 35,950,000DLR County Council18,450,000Fingal County Council 24,000,000Galway City Council10,000,000Galway County Council4,460,000Kerry County Council 12,700,000Kildare County Council 16,127,500Kilkenny County Council 3,575,000Laois County Council 3,050,000Leitrim County Council 3,486,530Limerick City & County Council 19,355,000Longford County Council 3,000,000Louth County Council 4,600,000Mayo County Council 10,785,000Meath County Council 10,850,000Monaghan County Council 6,800,000Offaly County Council 3,860,000Roscommon County Council 4,640,000Sligo County Council4,050,000South Dublin County Council19,250,000Tipperary County Council 4,500,000Waterford City & County Council 9,010,000Westmeath County Council4,100,000Wexford County Council 7,185,000Wicklow County Council 8,250,000

Excellent tights suitable for all but the deepest winter days. 9/10

For years, Soudal - Quick-Step did not just build around Remco Evenepoel. They leaned on him. Not only for wins, but for protection. From expectation. From pressure. From the constant weight that sits on a Belgian team expected to win big races every spring and every summer. Now he is gone, and that...

Life Time has banned the use of drop handlebars on mountain bikes at the Leadville Trail 100 and Little Sugar races. The Leadville Trail 100 is a 100-mile MTB race on some of Colorados highest roads and trails. Pairing mountain bikes with the drops has become an increasingly popular option at the race. The control of a mountain bike and the speed of a drop-bar setup are ideal for the races combination of technical sections and high-speed gravel roads, which make up the majority of the course. The proof of how successful this combination of equipment can be is in the results. Cory Wallace and Dylan Johnson finished in the top 20 with the setup in 2022 and 2023, respectively. Keegan Swenson won the last two editions on drop-bar mountain bikes. In 2024, Swenson used a hardtail mountain bike with drop bars. In 2025, he took his setup one step further racing a full-suspension Santa Cruz Blur with drops. Read more: Pinarello adds a drop handlebar to its XC hardtail to create monster gravel bike Violations will result in disqualification Keegan Swenson on a drop-bar Santa Cruz Highball at the Leadville 100. Taylor Chase / Life Time Grand Prix But Life Time, which also organises Unbound, says competitors can no longer use these Frankenbike builds at its two premiere mountain bike races. For rider safety and course compatibility, drop-style handlebars (road or gravel bars with drops) are no longer permitted for the Life Time Leadville Trail 100 MTB and Life Time Little Sugar MTB. All competitors must use flat or riser-style handlebars at these events, Life Times updated rules read. Life Time says the rule will be enforced during pre-race inspections and on the courses, and violations will result in disqualification. Despite banning drop bars from the Leadville Trail 100 and Little Sugar, Life Times new rules state riders can use the handlebars for its other MTB race, the Chequamegon MTB Festival. Life Time hasnt provided an explanation for the exception. The popularity of drop-bar mountain bikes has spread from racers adapting their bikes to brands releasing models that tap into the trend. Trek released the full-suspension CheckOUT gravel bike in 2025 and Pinarello unveiled the new Grevil MX just last week.