Race winner Demi Vollering is among the riders using what appears to be an updated top-tier groupset, with markedly redesigned shifters and brake calipers

CyclistThe people behind a WorldTour team #5: The directeur sportifI remember early on, Allan Peiper said to me, You can do your work perfectly and get the worst outcome and be considered the most incompetent sports director around. Or you can do it all wrong and win a race. He was right.Despite the data-driven decisions that dominate modern road cycling, EF Education-EasyPosts head DS, Charly Wegelius, has been around long enough to know that there are few things that you can fully control in the world of WorldTour racing. Still, if you ask me the most satisfying aspect of my job, I wouldnt say victory. Its the situations where a rider might not have the vision to follow a certain tactic, but you persuade them, and it pays off. Related Posts The people behind a WorldTour team #4: The mechanic The people behind a WorldTour team #3: The soigneur The people behind a WorldTour team #2: The bus driver The people behind a WorldTour team #1: The team chef Born in Finland, educated in YorkWegelius was born in Espoo, Finland, to his Finnish father Harald Wegelius, a former banker who was also his countrys most successful show jumper and his English mother, Elizabeth Jane Murray.She met my father in Ireland in the 1960s and lived in Finland for 15 years, albeit they divorced when I was young. I ended up going to school in York, but basically flitted between the two countries, Wegelius says.Thats why, when he had the chance to compete at the 1999 European Road Championships, aged 20, he represented Great Britain. He won a silver medal in the under-23 time-trial at that event, and also raced professionally between 2000 and 2011. Now he, his wife and three children are based in Italy, but he spends long periods in Finland and still calls it home.Were reserved people and you have to work hard to break through socially. But if you get a Finn as a friend its a real friend for life. Its a highly organised and highly functioning society.Just the kind of attributes that any team looks for in a directeur sportif. Wegelius has been a DS at EF Education since 2012, with the last six years as head DS. It also helps that the Finns are renowned as rally drivers Finland is second only to France in terms of World Rally Championship wins. Wegelius reckons he has racked up tens if not hundreds of thousands of kilometres driving the EF team car.Were not obliged to take an advanced driving test, but at EF weve had extra driving practice from a Danish guy who races in the Porsche category. We drove the team cars around a track in Barcelona on a slippery, wet circuit. It was good but still couldnt mimic the chaos of the Tour. The number of spectators lining the roads can be hairy, especially on the mountains.Not that driving is the main part of the job: My biggest task now is being responsible for the riders racing calendar, he says. If you want to maximise results, ensuring the riders are ready and at a race that suits them with the people to support them, that can be a puzzle.Its a puzzle that Wegelius is becoming a master of solving. In 2023, the American outfit racked up its greatest number of victories over the season since he started as DS in 2012. Even more impressive from Wegeliuss viewpoint, the 26 wins were spread between 13 riders, with Irelands Ben Healy surprising many, including Wegelius himself, with the most successes (five).Thats why, when it comes to targets for 2024, its anything and everything, he says. Yes you make plans, but you know one rider might underperform and another might overperform. If youd asked me last year what our goal was for a race like Amstel Gold, I wouldnt have said for Healy to finish second.At the racesEF Pro CyclingWegelius estimates he covers around 120 race days a year: At a Grand Tour, well have three sports directors two in the first car and one in the second with one driving and one calling the race on the radio. The day starts at 6am when Ill go for a walk or run, have breakfast and then check in with the staff, like the doctor, to see if any issues have cropped up overnight. After breakfast Ill go for another walk with the sports directors and churn over the plan that day. People talk better and open up more when youre moving around rather than sitting.The heavy lifting will have been done well before the race. The DS who calls the race will have his presentations ready for the bus briefings. There will be a minimal amount to do in the morning, like how the weather might affect things and ascertaining the fatigue levels of the riders. Who are we going to use today? Who will we rest? If we go in a breakaway, wholl pull and how hard?If theres anything contentious, on the way to the start well have a chat with the riders. How do you feel? Can you manage it? We dont want to surprise them at the briefing and theyre sat there thinking, Shit, I wasnt expecting that. Everybody should leave that bus knowing what their task is. Ultimately, we look to create an open atmosphere. That said, I have 51% ownership in the decision making.And whats the best way to deal with the riders?Im not one for screaming down the radio or visiting the riders when having a massage for priest confession. But after the stage I like to debrief as quickly as possible. If there needs to be conflict, we want them to have it when the riders are hot. Debrief too late and they calm down and are afraid to say what they think for fear of upsetting someone.With 30 riders from 16 different nationalities, inevitably there are cultural differences German and Nordic riders can be incredibly blunt, although thats no bad thing but Wegelius prides himself on being 100% transparent with the riders.There is a hierarchy, so I suppose its a meritocracy. But its all about doing the best for the team. Basically, you communicate with the riders, you have a plan, you hit the start and thats when everything starts to go wrong! This article originally appeared in issue 152 of Cyclist magazine. Click here to subscribe Related Posts The people behind a WorldTour team #4: The mechanic The people behind a WorldTour team #3: The soigneur The people behind a WorldTour team #2: The bus driver The people behind a WorldTour team #1: The team chef The post The people behind a WorldTour team #5: The directeur sportif appeared first on Cyclist.

For the past months, weeks and days there have been multiple updates on the weather conditions atop the Passo dello Stelvio. None of them looked positive, with heavy snowfall and bad road condition. The climb has officially been excluded from the Giro d'Italia route.The announcement was already exp...

Perhaps the strongest racing team in the country in recent years, All human-VeloRevolution has unveiled a line-up for Rs Tailteann to be reckoned with as it goes back to the event in a bid to win overall for the second time in three years. While the nucleus of the team is made up of the []The post All human-VeloRevolution unveils all-star team for Rs Tailteann bid appeared first on Sticky Bottle.

Samox is making a big push into the world of high-end cranksets with their new Platinum line. Available in TM1 for Trail to Enduro use, or the DH1 for downhill, the cranks are made from carbon but with a focus on all-out durability. Samox is even backing up that claim with a no-questions-asked lifetime warranty on the cranks. Meant for 11 or 12-speed 1x drivetrains with Boost hub spacing and 52mm chainline, the cranks will not include a chainring for the advertised price. A big selling point of the TM1 is that it will be offered in sized for all, with 145, 155, 160, 165, and 170mm crank lengths. With more and more mountain bikers going to shorter cranks, this will definitely be a big hit with those looking for shorter carbon options. The DH1 will only be offered in 155 or 160mm lengths. Spec wise, the cranks take a page out of SRAMs book with a DUB 28.99mm spindle, and a 3-bolt direct mount chainring interface. Weights are claimed to be 378g for the 160mm TM1 or 435g for the DH1, both without chainrings. Available directly or through stocking QBP dealers, pricing is currently set at $300 for the TM1 or $325 for the DH1. samox.comThe post Samox Goes Platinum with New Carbon Cranks for Trail & DH Down to 145mm! appeared first on Bikerumor.

The Pirelli P Zero Race TLR RS is claimed to be the fastest road bike tyre the brand has ever made.Designed specifically for racing (RS stands for Racing Speed), the P Zero Race TLR RS features an updated Pirelli SpeedCore casing and a new SmartEvo rubber compound.According to the Italian brand, the P Zero Race TLR RS offers a 16 per cent reduction in rolling resistance and an 8 per cent reduction in weight, compared to the existing P Zero Race TLR.Given this, it appears to be designed to compete with the new generation of time trial tyres that are increasingly being used in road races, such as the Continental GP5000 TT TR and Vittoria Corsa Pro Speed TLR.Pirelli says the P Zero Race TLR RS also features an updated tubeless bead, which offers improved compatibility with hookless rims.Available now, the Pirelli P Zero Race TLR RS is available in four sizes from 700x26 to 70x32c, and costs 84.99 (international pricing is yet to be confirmed).Racing SpeedPirelli claims the P Zero Race TLR RS is the fastest road bike tyre it's ever made. - PirelliThe current P Zero Race TLR is already considered one of the best road bike tyres available, topping the rolling resistance group test we performed last year and winning plenty of races in the WorldTour.Nevertheless, weight-obsessed professional riders want things to be made lighter and faster.Pirelli claims to have done that with the P Zero Race TLR RS.Visually, the new P Zero Race TLR RS looks very similar to the current P Zero Race TLR. - PirelliPirelli claims it offers a 16 per cent reduction in rolling resistance, alongside an 8 per cent reduction in weight.According to Pirelli, the reduction in rolling resistance for the P Zero Race TLR RS comes thanks to an updated SmartEvo2 rubber compound and the new lighter casing.These changes also improve grip compared to the standard P Zero Race TLR, Pirelli says.Pirelli is pitching the P Zero Race TLR RS as its most racing-focused road bike tyre. - PirelliLike the P Zero Race TLR, the P Zero Race TLR RS uses a 120 TPI (Threads Per Inch) casing with Pirellis SpeedCore technology.This sees a thin layer of aramid-infused rubber used to help make the tyre airtight a critical feature for any tubeless tyre.This layer enables the rest of the tyre casing to be made thinner and lighter, reducing weight and rolling resistance.According to Pirelli, the updated casing has been lightened by modifying the thickness of the fabric layers and the tyres tread.The SpeedCore casing has been lightened and there's a new SmartEvo2 rubber compound to reduce rolling resistance. - PirelliA size 700x28c Pirelli P Zero Race TLR RS is claimed to weigh 295g.Notably, this is the same claimed weight as for a standard 700x28c Pirelli P Zero Race TLR when we reviewed that tyre though, our samples weighed 310g each (in the same size). Perhaps Pirelli will update its claimed weight for the standard model accordingly.Pirelli hasnt made any specific claims about the puncture resistance of the P Zero Race TLR RS, but its worth noting Pirelli-sponsored riders were using the tyres at the 2024 Paris-Roubaix (marked as prototypes).Pirelli P Zero Race TLR RS details, pricing and availabilityPirelli's P Zero Race TLR RS tyre goes straight to the top of its range, but the standard P Zero Race TLR will still be available. - PirelliThe Pirelli P Zero Race TLR RS is available now and costs 84.99. International pricing is still to be confirmed.At launch, Its available only in black and in four sizes; 700x26c, 700x28c, 700x30c and 700x32c.Pirelli says the P Zero Race TLR RS is compatible with hookless rims in a size 700x28c or larger the 26c tyre is not compatible with hookless rims.It also says the tubeless bead has been updated for better compatibility and air retention on modern rims.The tread pattern is the same on Pirelli's P Zero Race TLR tyre. - PirelliAccording to Pirelli, the P Zero Race TLR RS complements the existing P Zero Race TLR and does not replace it.Pirellis performance road bike tyre range now encompasses the P Zero Race TLR RS as its fastest option, with the standard P Zero Race TLR now denoted as more of an all-rounder.The P Zero Race TLR 4S remains Pirellis go-to option for all-season performance.Pirelli P Zero Race TLR RS claimed weights700x26c 270g per tyre700x28c 295g per tyre700x30c 320g per tyre700x32c 345g per tyre

"Once you get up to speed, it's hard to slow down," say Japanese athletes

Geraint Thomas enters the second week of the Giro d'Italia 2:58 minutes back on Tadej Pogacar and has good feedback from the first rest day. The leader of INEOS Grenadiers does not exclude a GC fight on today's difficult summit finish.I had a good rest day, although the first week went by very qui...

Longing to bolt water bottles, cargo cages, or mini panniers to your rear rack? In this Gear Tip, Josh explains how to make the Ortlieb Quick-Rack and other racks even more bikepacking-friendly using nothing but included parts and a few extra bolts. Find a detailed walkthrough here...The post Mounting Mini Panniers and Cargo Cages on a Quick-Rack appeared first on BIKEPACKING.com.

Pirelli's new P Zero Race TLR RS tire unseats the P Zero Race TLR when it comes to pure performance