On the 4th of March the peloton in Italy will take on the Trofeo Laigueglia. After France and Spain have had incredibly extensive domestic racing; the competition in their historical neighbour begins in the Ligurian one-day race. We take a look at its startlist. The Italian one-day race was first h...

The new Katadyn BeFree AC Bottle features a two-stage filtration system, works in most bottle cages, and is available in 0.7L and 0.9L sizes. Learn more here...The post Katadyn Introduces BeFree AC Bottle for Bottle Cages appeared first on BIKEPACKING.com.

Pivots newest XC bike is the revamped Mach 4 SL. Gone is the choice between two models (short and long travel), replaced by a single version with adjustable travel between 110mm and 120mm. Rear suspension is delivered by Dave Weagles venerable DW-link design. The V4 includes down-tube storage that, along with the increase in travel from 95-115mm on the previous bike, should make this a more trail-friendly and versatile bike than the outgoing V3. Read more: Pivot Mach 4 SL Team XX SL review Adjustable travel DW-link rear suspension remains, but now with more travel, which is adjustable between 110mm and 120mm. Pivot Cycles Cross-country bikes have been seeing a gradual increase in travel and aggressive geometry in recent years, so it's interesting to see the new Mach 4 SL following suit. Although officially labelled an XC bike by Pivot, it could easily demolish trail centres as a downcountry bike, too. Pivot's Mach 4 SL V4 is more trail-oriented, with more travel and down-tube storage. Pivot Cycles Previous versions of the Mach 4 were offered in either short- or long-travel guises. The former, 95mm/103mm-travel, bike was supplied with a 100mm-travel fork and aimed at XC and marathon racing on less technical tracks. The latter 106mm/115mm-travel bike had a 120mm fork and was aimed at more technical XC racing and downcountry riding. Pivot has done away with this, now offering one frame configuration with longer travel adjustable between 110mm and 120mm 5mm more than the outgoing model, even in its longest-travel setting. The inclusion of down-tube storage makes the new bike even more trail- and downcountry-friendly than the more race-focused V3. Geometry The new Mach 4 SL is a whopping two degrees slacker than the outgoing version, with a 66-degree head angle. Pivot Cycles The head angle is an aggressive two degrees slacker than the old Mach 4 SLs 68-degree head angle. The bottom bracket height is slightly higher, at 336mm (compared to the outgoing versions 329mm), but due to the increased rear-wheel travel, expect the dynamic geometry (when the bike is under sag) to be very similar. There are five sizes on offer: XS, S, M, L and XL. Reach starts at 410mm and goes up to 495mm for the XL, while the wheelbase measures 1,131mm for the XS and 1,236mm for the XL. Build options With four models available and five builds (plus a frame-only option), it's up to you how to spec your Pivot Mach 4 SL. Pivot Cycles There are four models: Team, Pro, Expert and Ride. The Ride starts at $6,399 and prices rise to $13,999 for the top-spec Team model. The Mach 4 SL is available in Blue Stellar Fade and White Avalanche colourways. There are both RockShox and a Fox-equipped Team-build models available. The Team XX SL Eagle Transmission model has Fox Factory suspension and SRAM XX SL Eagle Transmission. The Team XX SL Eagle Transmission Flight Attendant bike comes with RockShox Flight Attendant suspension from the SID Ultimate fork and unconfirmed model of RockShox shock, and XX SL Eagle Transmission. The Pro build has Fox Factory suspension and SRAMs X0 Eagle Transmission. The Expert build has Shimano XT Di2 shifting and Fox Performance suspension. The Ride model is the most budget-conscious, with a Fox Performance 34 Step-Cast fork, Performance Float shock and SRAM Eagle 70/90 mechanical Transmission. A frame-only option is also available for riders wanting to build their own ideal setup, Pricing and availability The Mach 4 SL is burlier than ever, with slacker angles and more travel. Pivot Cycles There are four models available, including two Team builds and a frame-only option. Mach 4 SL V4 Team XX Eagle Transmission Flight Attendant: 13,999 / $13,999 / 12,999 Mach 4 SL V4 Team XX Eagle Transmission: 11,999 / $11,999 / 12,299 Mach 4 SL V4 Pro X0 Eagle Transmission: 8,799 / $8,799 / 8,799 Mach 4 SL V4 Expert XT Di2: 7,499 / $7,499/ 7,199 Mach 4 SL V4 Ride 70/90 Eagle Transmission: 6,399 / $6,399 / 6,199 Mach 4 SL V4 Frameset: TBC / $TBC / TBC

Well, that would be compound interest of course...

Remco Evenepoel left the UAE Tour searching for explanations. Former Vuelta a Espana stage winner Adriano Malori is not convinced they are the right ones. Evenepoels week in the Emirates followed a sharp arc. A dominant time trial victory. Then heavy time losses on Jebel Mobrah. Then another mounta...

In the latest video documenting his ongoing 20,000-kilometer journey around the world, Alex from Tall Bike Tour shares a heartwarming look at his ride across Trkiye with Nova, the stray puppy he adopted along the way. Find the 50-minute video with photos and some written insights into the trip here...The post Across Turkiye on a Tallbike (Video) appeared first on BIKEPACKING.com.

Theres something unapologetically fast about raw carbon. No paint fades, metallic flake, or wild graphics. Just carbon fiber layup on display, nowhere to hide, just clear-coated and ready to race. Thats exactly what Colnago is delivering with its new limited-edition V5Rs and Y1Rs Dark Series kits a stripped-back livery that lets the frames construction do the talking.And yes, its very much inspired by the raw-carbon bikes ridden by Tadej Pogaar during the 2025 Tour de France.(AllPhotos/@ulyssedaessle)No Paint. No Distractions. Just Carbon.The Dark Series finish is as minimal as it sounds.Colnago leaves the carbon fiber weave visible, applying only a thin transparent coating to protect the frame and ensure finishing quality. The branding, down-tube lettering, and the iconic Ace of Clubs head badge are rendered in a titanium-toned chrome plating, adding just enough contrast without breaking the stealth aesthetic.This isnt a cosmetic blackout edition. Its a celebration of the frame itself; the layup, the structure, the engineering.In a market saturated with bold graphics and layered paint schemes, theres something refreshing about seeing the actual carbon construction exposed. It feels purposeful.Y1Rs Dark Series flash.Limited to 300 of EachColnago is capping production at 300 V5R and 300 Y1R framesets worldwide. Thats it.And dealers must order them in paired packages one V5Rs and one Y1Rs per allocation. Its a nod to the shared racing DNA of the two platforms and ensures the Dark Series arrives as a cohesive story rather than a one-off colorway. Given Colnagos collector appeal and the Pogaar connection, its hard to imagine these lingering long.V5Rs Dark Series V5Rs: The Lightweight All-RounderWithin Colnagos V Series, the V5Rs represents the brands ultimate lightweight all-rounder. It carries a more traditional race geometry paired with an extremely light frame platform, built for riders who want climbing efficiency without sacrificing stiffness or aerodynamic integration.The V5Rs is the bike you choose when the route tilts skyward. In raw carbon, that lightweight personality becomes even more visually apparent. Theres no paint to hide behind. The structure is front and center.Y1Rs Dark Series YUBCY1Rs: Full Aero IntentIf the V5Rs lean toward all-around climbing efficiency, the Y1Rs are Colnagos extreme aero statement. This is the model built for flat courses, crosswinds, and pure speed. Its engineered for maximum aerodynamic advantage, designed to hold velocity once its up to pace.The Dark livery suits the Y1Rs particularly well. Aero bikes are already aggressive in silhouette. Add visible carbon and titanium-chrome accents, and the result looks like something pulled straight from a pro team race truck.Colnago positions both bikes as sharing the same racing soul, just tuned for different terrain profiles.Dark Series (V5Rs and Y1Rs)Built Like Pogaars Raw BikesOne of the more compelling details is that these Dark Series frames are produced the same way as the raw-carbon bikes Pogaar raced in 2025.That means minimal finishing layers, allowing the carbon structure to remain visible rather than masked beneath paint. While Colnago hasnt detailed any weight differences between standard painted versions and the Dark finish, historically, raw or lightly coated frames can save a marginal number of grams by eliminating heavy paint layers.Whether that translates to meaningful weight reduction here isnt specified, but the philosophy is clear: pure race aesthetic, minimal excess. There is none more black. V5Rs Dark Series VUBCPricing & AvailabilityThe Dark Series framesets carry the same pricing as their respective standard-color models.V5Rs Dark Frame kit (frame, fork, seatpost, small parts)Y1Rs Dark Frame kit (frame, fork, integrated cockpit, seatpost, small parts)Pricing: $6,200$7,500 USDInitial shipments begin in early March 2026 through Colnago Elite Dealers.The post Colnago Goes Full Raw Carbon with Limited V5Rs & Y1Rs Dark Series appeared first on Bikerumor.

Jordi Meeus delivered a statement sprint in Dour to claim his first victory of 2026 at Le Samyn, but the Belgian made clear afterwards that the win had been forged through hardship rather than comfort. Its really great to win here, Meeus said after overpowering the field in a reduced bunch sprint...

The preliminary startlist for Tirreno-Adriatico 2026 has been revealed ahead of the race, which runs from 9 to 15 March. The Race of the Two Seas once again looks set to host one of the strongest fields of the early WorldTour season, with Grand Tour winners, Classics stars and elite sprinters all cu...

CyclistOpinion: Mathieu van der Poel is the one to break the mens Omloop/Flanders curseMathieu van der Poels name is synonymous with success thanks to an extensive palmars that puts him among the very best cyclists of all time across both road and cyclocross. This past winter, he spent several weeks torturing his cyclocross competitors in what would became a record-breaking season with 13 consecutive wins, in the midst of which he toppled Belgian giant Sven Nys to stand alone with most UCI World Cup wins and culminated his campaign with yet another rainbow jersey.The 31-year-old is carrying this form onto the road once again in search of stacking yet more Classics wins. He began his tirade earlier than usual this year, making his debut at Omloop Nieuwsblad, where he predictably rode the final 16km alone on his way to victory. However that success has brought with it an interesting conundrum Van der Poel goes in search of what would be a record-setting fourth Tour of Flanders victory later this spring: no man has ever won both Omloop and the Tour of Flanders in the same season. But I think hes the man to break that curse.The flying DutchmanTim de Waele/Getty ImagesVan der Poel could and probably should be the one to break this pattern. Particularly when hes embracing a pattern of his own. Every other edition of Flanders since 2020 has borne witness to him standing on the top spot of the podium. Given his third place last year, if history repeats itself, all signs point to victory. Something has to give, realistically the only man standing in his way is Tadej Pogaar.Its Van der Poels versatility that has brought him so much success in this race, with three Flanders victories to his name the joint most wins ever in the Monument. He flies up the bergs, has the engine to go solo and maintains his strong sprint after the hardest days of racing. He opened his account in 2020 prevailing in a two-man sprint with eternal rival Wout van Aert. In 2022, he won a four-man sprint, after playing a game of chicken with Pogaar to bring two extra riders into the fold. 2024 was different. Instead of a sprint, he launched a 45km solo move on the Koppenberg at the same time many were forced to run up the slippery mud-slicken cobbles.Looking back at his preparation in those winning seasons, removing the topsy turvy Covid year in 2020, he didnt race much cyclocross in 2022 to recover from back issues and only returned to racing at Milan-San Remo; in 2024 he had a complete and very successful CX campaign, but again only returned for San Remo. Hes trying a slightly new recipe in 2026, but he needs to do something different to 2025 if hes going to get the better of Pogaar. After all, Flanders is currently set to be only the third race day of the Slovenians season.To win Omloop and Flanders in the same year, Van der Poel must also learn from the mistakes of others. The escaping actFlanders ClassicsDoing the Omloop/Flanders double is a rare feat in the womens peloton, only Lizzie Deignan and Lotte Kopecky managing to do so in 2016 and 2023 respectively, but no man has ever done it.Tom Boonen and Greg van Avermaet are two that have come the closest. Boonen finished second at Omloop in 2005 behind teammate Nick Nuyens, but won Flanders with a solo attack in the final 10km. The same fate befell Tommeke in 2012, losing a sprint finish to Sep Vanmarcke at Omloop yet winning the first edition of Flanders with its rejigged parcours and new finish in Oudenaarde. It was a rejuvenated race, the Muur van Geraardsbergen removed for a triple undertaking of an Oude Kwaremont/Paterberg circuit, but thats important when considering the curse of the Omloop/Flanders double. These races have evolved a lot and are still evolving, with Omloop adding even more former Ronde features this year like the Tenbosse. Related Posts 6 talking points from Opening Weekend Which riders could actually prevent Pogaar and Van der Poel dominating the Classics? Would cyclocross be better off without Mathieu van der Poel? Every Mathieu van der Poel Monument performance ranked Cycling Spring Classics 2026: Race dates, Monuments, cobbles and live TV guide Boonen never won Omloop, its the major Classic missing from his palmars. In a head-to-head against Vanmarcke in the race, Boonen only beat his compatriot once out of six times. He misjudged the finish in 2012, telling Sporza that this morning I checked out the finish area, but still I fooled myself. I thought I started my sprint at the right time but when I launched my sprint I ran out of gas. The race was 50 meters too long.What can Van der Poel learn from this? Apart from timing the sprint right, which he clearly can do, ensure a dangerous move doesnt go close to the line, but with Pogaar at his opponent himself looking to equal the record of three Flanders wins its not that easy. But he doesnt need to shake Pogaar off, he knows he has the better of the World Champion in a sprint, its just about sticking on his wheel to the finishing straight, just like hes done in both Flanders and Milan-San Remo.It certainly wont be an easy task, but if anyone can break the curse its Mathieu van der Poel, especially with the prospect of becoming the most successful rider in Tour of Flanders history on the line.The post Opinion: Mathieu van der Poel is the one to break the mens Omloop/Flanders curse appeared first on Cyclist.