Jonas Vingegaard and Joo Almeida have battled in 2025 over several races and this spring the same was expected. However after Vingegaard joined the startlist of Paris-Nice, Almeida was removed as he has fallen ill ahead of the race and will have to delay the duo's first battle of the year. "Unfort...

The 2026 edition of Paris-Nice will be taking place from the 8th to the 15th of March and is, as every year, one of the key pro cycling events of the spring. It features opportunities for the climbers, sprinters and classics specialists alike. We preview stage 1, which is estimated to start and fini...

Team Visma | Lease a Bike riders Matteo Jorgenson and Wout van Aert both finished in the top ten at this year's Strade Bianche. After 203 grueling kilometers, including 64 kilometers of unpaved gravel sectors, the duo crossed the line in Siena well behind the unstoppable race winner, Tadej Pogacar....

Ride & Seek has added two new cycling tours in Japan, expanding throughout Hokkaido and Kyushu, giving you more to explore through the remote areas of Japans islands and inland mountains.These two new additions put them on all four of Japans major islands, with arguably the most extensive cycling tours in the country. We rode their Shikoku Islands tour, and it was amazingand it was just a small taste of whats on offer with the new 13-day Kyushu tour, which delivers all the amazing bridges and island hopping, then adds a traverse of Kyushu on the east.If you prefer to explore the northern island of Hokkaido, with a full rest day stop in Sapporo, the 14-day tour shows off a different type of nature. Heres what you need to knowBoth tours are full supported with lodging, breakfast, most lunches, dinner, and luggage shuttling, airport pickup & dropoff, guides riding with you, and van & snack support.Throughout the tours, you stay in both Japanese inns and Western-style hotels, and enjoy traditional cuisine and baths in natural hot springs. Ride & Seek has been operating in Japan for 20 years, and native guides provide local knowledge but speak perfect English, too.Hokkaido Japans Last Frontier (14 days)On the new Hokkaido tour, discover remote, peaceful cycling routes that reveal Japan at its most pure and untouched, riding smooth roads among vast forests and plains, volcanic landscapes with caldera lakes and towering peaks. Its a deep immersion in the nature and grandeur of Japans northernmost island.Highlights include:Cross the Tokachi Plain to learn about Indigenous Ainu culture and cycle through the vibrant flower fields and sweeping vistas of Daisetsuzan National Park.Find high-altitude adventure on Nisekos breathtaking Panorama Line and the volcanic calderas of Lakes Toya and Shikotsu.Pedal the stunning coast of the Shakotan Peninsula, famous for its crystal blue waters and world-class seafood.Soak in the mineral-rich waters of Shirogane Onsen and explore the steaming geothermal landscapes of Noboribetsu.Enjoy the lively urban atmosphere of Asahikawa and Sapporo.Taste the essence of Japans breadbasket with cuisine from hearty miso ramen to melt-in-your-mouth sushi and delicate sea urchin.The Hokkaido tour runs from Sept. 3-16, 2026. Pricing starts at $8,960 per person based on double occupancy. Details here.Kyushu The Enchanting South (13 days)The new Kyushu tour begins on Honshu, makes an iconic crossing to Shikoku and then continues to Kyushu on winding among dramatic gorges with waterfalls, lush valleys, a geothermal wonderland and volcanic peaks and timeless onsen towns. It becomes the third stage of Ride & Seeks Samurai Epic and can also be booked separately.Highlights include:Follow the bridges of the breathtaking Shimanami Kaido cycling route over the Seto Inland Sea.Explore the dramatic Oboke and Koboke gorges on the Yoshino River, and the mythic cliffs and cascading waterfalls of Takachiho Gorge.Pedal through a volcanic wonderland, circling Mount Aso, one of the worlds largest active calderas.Unwind in the riverside baths of Kurokawa Onsen, in the artistic hot spring town of Yufuin and among the geothermal wonderland of Beppu.Find an imposing samurai castle and rich warrior heritage in vibrant Kumamoto.Enjoy the warm hospitality of southern Japan while savoring regional specialties like thick udon noodles and savory tonkotsu ramen.The Kyushu tour runs from Oct. 30-Nov. 11, 2026. Pricing starts at $8,320 per person based on double occupancy. Details here.They recommend you bring your own bike that youre comfortable on and know how to maintain. Once there, they provide nutrition for rides, a Ride & Seek kit and water bottle, GPS with preloaded routes, and some toolsbut you should know how to work on your bike and bring any specialty tools you might need.With the addition of our new Hokkaido and Kyushu tours, were proud to offer what we believe is the most extensive guided cycling program in Japan, said Dylan Reynolds, founder of Ride & Seek. Our connection to Japan is deeply personal. Weve been operating tours there for nearly 20 years and benefit from a legacy of collaboration with local partners that have 40 years of experience. This depth of experience allows us to take our guests beyond the typical tourist routes to reveal the country through its scenic roads and legendary history and hospitality.Check out more photos, details, and their other global tours at RideAndSeek.com.The post Ride & Seek Expands Samurai Cycling Tours in Japan appeared first on Bikerumor.

Paris-Nice 2026 already has its route. The organizers unveiled the course for the 84th Race to the Sun on Wednesday in Versailles, starting on Sunday, March 8th 2026 in Achres and finishing a week later in Nice. Its a varied edition: chances for sprinters, wind-exposed days, a team time trial, pun...

The white dirt roads of Tuscany demand a unique combination of endurance, bike handling, and tactical patience. For former gravel world champion Gianni Vermeersch, the Strade Bianche provided the perfect opportunity to showcase those exact skills. The 33-year-old rider was the first Belgian to cross...

The iconic white gravel roads of Tuscany always deliver a demanding and exhausting race, and this year's Strade Bianche Donne was no exception. Dutch star Puck Pieterse fought hard for a podium spot before running out of energy on the infamous Via Santa Caterina climb, ultimately finishing sixth in...

A change of scenery can make all the difference for a professional cyclist. After a highly publicized and turbulent exit from UAE Team Emirates, Spanish climbing sensation Juan Ayuso has quickly found his footing as the new leader of Lidl-Trek. Kicking off his season with an impressive showing at th...

Welcome the start of a weeks worth of race previews and daily analysis from Paris-Nice.Todays stage will work the derailleurs of many a rider thanks to a hilly finishing circuit and the postcard celebrates the lost art of gearing.The Route: 171km and 1,950m of vertical gain, which is plenty of some sprinters. The climbing comes from riding around the Seine valley and tackling the flanks. The first climb out of Gargenville is a ramp out of town that levels off amid exposed farmland on a wide road before kicking up once inside woodland but it all feels like less of a climb and more a drag uphill. The next climb out of Vaux stings a bit more but its still wide.The course then arrives on the finishing circuit with two times across the finish line and three times up the climb of Chanteloup, over a kilometre at 8% and it gets narrower in town and keeps climbing beyond the KOM point. Its all on a long straight road. The descent features one wide hairpin bend which ordinarily isnt a problem but on the last lap riders wont want to lose position.The second time across the finish line is an intermediate sprint with 6-4-2 seconds in time bonuses as well as points for the green jersey.The Finish: a long straight road into Carrires and then a left turn with a rise to the line. Itll be familiar thanks to crossing the line before for a boulevard finish.The Contenders: the climbing makes it harder for heavyset sprinters but there arent many on the start line. A reduced bunch sprint seems the most likely scenario, especially as the top of the climb is 11km from the finish and after the descent the route to line is on a big wide road that wont help a lone attacker.Biniam Girmay (NSN) seems the best all-round pick, a fast finisher who is agile for these climbs and hes already won this season, ending his drought.Milan Fretin (Cofidis) is more than a sprinter and a Van Aert body-double, hes after his first World Tour win. Team mate Bryan Coquard has said hes done with sprinting but has two bunch sprint wins this season.Marijn van den Berg (EF) is a contender but will he go for it or team mate Luke Lamperti?Alberto Dainese (Soudal-Quickstep) might be the fastest in the field and gets the Quickstep lead out train but the climbs in the way and his low win rate make him hard to back. Similarly Phil Bauhaus (Bahrain) more often places than wins.Rick Pluimers (Tudor) is fast when others have been dropped. After wiping out last week on the Molenberg and losing several teeth if he could smile here then itd be a fairy tale result. Matteo Trentin brings experience and form too.Axel Zingle (Visma-LAB) is sort of the teams house sprinter but hes much better suited to uphill finishes that last rather than todays kick to the line.Cees Bol (Decathlon-CMA CGM) has a Paris-Nice stage win to his name. He was going well in the UAE Tour as the rider who almost got Isaac Del Toro back in the opening stages uphill finish but the hilly circuit with repeat climbs makes things harder.The likes of Ineos could try to force the pace on the climb in order to make life harder for the sprinters cited above and set up Dorian Godon. SimilarlyOrluis Aular (Movistar) is due a breakthrough win but hes among the sprinters who would like a hillier circuit but if Movistar were to join in it would help.Finally a couple of breakaway jokers in Ivan Romeo (Movistar) and Ewen Costiou (Groupama-FDJ).GirmayFretin, GodonBol, Dainese, Trentin, Van den BergWeather: sunny, 17C and calm.TV: KM0 is at 1.10pm CET and the finish is due for 5.00pm. TV coverage begins at 3.30pm on France3 for locals and VPN users. Otherwise it should be on the same channel you watch the Tour de France.Postcard from Chanteloup-les-VignesChanteloup used to host a race called La Polymultiplie which was later branded the Trophe des Grimpeurs, literally the Climbers Trophy. It seems audacious to hold a race with this name outside Paris rather than the Alps or Pyrenees but multiple ascents of the road to Chanteloup made it hard and climbers from Julio Jiminez, Luis Ocaa to Richard Virenque have won here before. Thomas Voeckler took the final edition in 2009.The Polymultiplie was created in 1913 celebrate the derailleur. Polymultiplication meant gearing. To explain, a chainring and a sprocket bring multiplication, as in a 48T chainring will turn a rear wheel with a 12T sprocket four times. Poly meant several gears, a choice of ratios to select while riding as opposed to a single gear and obviously a hilly course was needed to make the most of gears.Changing gears while riding was radical to the point where it was even portrayed as unsporting and lazy. Turning the pedals over was meant to be a manly act of brute force. It wasnt until 1937 when derailleurs were allowed in the Tour de France as the sadistic organiser Henri Desgrange had long been opposed. So it was cycle tourists rather than professional cyclists that embraced and helped to perfect gearing. Its no coincidence that the race wasnt launched by a newspaper but by Le Cyclotouriste, a magazine.While pro cycling belatedly adopted the derailleur its striking to see the likes of Fausto Coppi and Eddy Merckx riding up a mountain pass with their shoulders rocking pedalling with their ears as they toil to turn the pedals, partly because they did not know otherwise and above all they were limited with five or six sprockets.This laboured style continued right up until the end of the 20th century, even Miguel Indurain and Marco Pantani wrestled with their bikes. Gear selection mattered. Raymond Poulidor in part put losing the 1964 Tour de France down to the wrong gearing, he didnt have a low enough ratio for the Puy de Dme. More recently riders have struggled with the Zoncolan or Angliru and these climbs arguably owe their legend in part to being introduced to the Giro and Vuelta just before easy gearing arrived in the pro peloton and so establishing a feared reputation just in time.Embed from Getty ImagesAt times gearing crossed from mechanics to art and lore. Fitting a 24 or a 25 tooth sprocket at the back was a concession, a weakness. 1990 Tour de France mountains winner and 1993 Trophe des Grimpeurs winner Thierry Claveyrolat insisted on 4423 as his lowest gear as a make-or-break for him. Some riders opted for or against even or odd-toothed chainrings out of superstition.Today gearing in pro cycling is barely mentioned. Even the steepest roads can be tamed thanks to low gears and now at the press of a button too. The adoption of 212 speed means riders have gears to suit every occasion as standard. Some riders are using single chainrings as they dont even need all that choice. In Paris-Nice many will opt the same chainrings and cassette today as they will for next Saturdays stage to the Auron ski station. Watch today as riders climb the hill to Chanteloup and barely change cadence.The post Paris-Nice Stage 1 Preview first appeared on The Inner Ring.