The Golden Gravel Trail opens a new era for dirt road bicycle touring in the U.S., says endurance cyclist Sarah Swallow, who helped test and refine the new cross-country route

Team Visma | Lease a Bike have insisted Matteo Jorgenson was exactly where he needed to be in the decisive moment of Stage 2 at Tirreno-Adriatico, even if a crash on the gravel ultimately denied the American the chance to follow the move that decided the race. The stage exploded on the wet Tuscan st...

CyclistStrade Bianche bikes 2026: Not as interesting as they once were but still nice to look atIm not going to dilly-dally, weve got a lot to get through and taking you astray like a motorbike at the womens Strade Bianche wouldnt help anyone as it turns out.We sent photographer Xavier Pereyron behind the scenes in Siena on Saturday to get a closer look at the best bikes in the pro peloton. We have a few separate galleries for some of the more noteworthy names, but Ive added links below so you can jump to those if you fancy. If not, buckle up for a heck of a lot of 30mm tyres. Related Posts Pro bike: Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney's Strade Bianche 2026 Canyon Aeroad CFR Pro bike: Tadej Pogaar's Strade Bianche-winning Colnago Y1Rs Pro bike: Paul Seixas's Strade Bianche 2026 Van Rysel RCR-R Pro bike: World Champion Magdeleine Vallieres's new Cannondale SuperSix from Strade Bianche 2026 The best photos from men's Strade Bianche 2026 Xavier PereyronWell start with a couple of teasers. For more on Tadej Pogaars Y1Rs check out our separate gallery.Xavier PereyronLikewise click here for our look at Paul Seixass Van Rysel RCR-R.Xavier PereyronThis is the nicest looking BMC Ive seen in years. Julian Alaphilippe was running 30mm Schwalbe Pro Ones and a 52/39T SRAM Red crankset. Interestingly, when our Sam Challis reviewed the Teammachine R 01, BMC said the bike was optimised for 26-28mm tyres and anything above that began to compromise aero performance. Thats confirmation that comfort trumps aero even for Alaphilippe.Xavier PereyronAside from the new colour scheme, the most interesting thing about Ineoss setup in 2026 is the move to Scope wheels, with their fish-scale texture.Xavier PereyronThe white paint makes it much easier to see their K-Edge chain catcher behind the crankset.Xavier PereyronThey attached what looks like sandpaper to the inside of the lightweight Elite bottle cages to keep the bottles secure over the bumpy gravel. This is something teams do throughout the cobbled Classics too.Xavier PereyronThe other Pinarello on display in the mens race was with Tom Pidcocks Pinarello-Q36.5, and the blue and gold looks excellent. Pidcock was running 30mm Vittoria Corsa Pro tyres on his Zipp 454 NSW wheels, though he might need to make some adjustments to his SRAM Red setup after his chain slipped twice at the decisive moment of the race.Xavier PereyronMoving from Q36.5 to NSN this season is Scott, and Pau Marti was the teams best placed rider at Strade in 41st. Xavier PereyronThe new Giant Propel was being ridden by Jayco-AlUla, this one belonging to Italian National Champion Filippo Conca. The team were running 30mm tyres and wouldve been hoping to avoid another hookless disaster on the Cadex setup after the disaster at Omloop.Xavier PereyronIts great to see Bianchi back competing at the pointy end of cyclings biggest races having joined Bahrain Victorious in 2026. They were running 30mm GP5000s on the full-carbon Vision Metron RS wheels and a lightweight Elilee crankset.Xavier PereyronUno X have made some big changes to their setup over the last couple of years, switching from Dare to Ridley which have equally crazy looking aero bikes and over the winter swapping over to SRAM. They even had the OSPW on display here.These are the biggest tyres weve seen so far at 32mm, and Fredrik Dversnes was also using DT Swisss GRC gravel wheels.Xavier PereyronWilier has to be pleasantly surprised with the returns its getting from the Groupama-FDJ United partnership. Yes the bikes bright red paintjob is eyecatching and theyre flying the flag for tanwall Contis here, but mainly because Romain Grgoire is a star.Xavier PereyronBen Healys EF team were another to have moved onto SRAM in 2026, though that wasnt enough to help him in this one. Healy and co. were on 30mm Vittoria Corsa Pros on the Vision Metron RS wheels with flashy pink Muc-Off valves.Xavier PereyronAfter Ridley ditched them for Uno X, Lotto-Intermarch are on Orbea bikes with the Basque brands Oquo wheels. Unfortunately Lennert Van Eetvelt crashed this one.Xavier PereyronGerman brand Rose makes an appearance in the top bike races this year with Unibet-Rose Rockets. Its certainly one of the nicest looking bikes on the circuit, and a little different to the others with the older Vision wheels and VIttoria Corsa Pro Control tyresXavier PereyronThis is as Italian as they come with good Campagnolo representation from Bardiani. The seat stays on this De Rosa 70 are certainly funky looking.Xavier PereyronFellow Conti team MBH Bank-CSB-Telecom Fort have done a good job in making you think this is Cinelli Aeroscoop is a more Italian bike, but this is actually the bike of Hungarian champion Mrton Dina. Still nice to look at though, and a second on our list of 32mm tyres.Xavier PereyronSolution Tech-Nippo-Rali have a very loud kit, so theyre forgiven for this muted colour scheme here. Its not all about paint though, this is one of the more noticeable setups at the race, with the frame from Italian brand Rali and the popular Drive wheels from Chinese brand Elitewheels.Xavier PereyronSpeaking of Chinese brands, XDS-Astanas X-Lab bikes continue to be one of the best looking in the peloton. Curiously they had GP5000 TT tyres on this spare bike.Xavier PereyronIneos arent the only ones on Scope wheels, Polti-VisitMalta were using non-scaly rims with 30mm Vittoria Corsa Pro Controls on their Aurum frames.Xavier PereyronAnd the winner for nicest paintjob goes toXavier PereyronAnd this man, Gianni Vermeersch, left those lovely Canyons behind for whatever this is. At least hes on new 32mm Specialized Cotton TLR tyres.Xavier PereyronI think its time for Trek to make some lightweight versions of these aero bottle cages. Theyre huge. Good angle to see that Matteo Sobrero joined the 165mm cranks club.Xavier PereyronMoving over to the womens side, its fantastic to see Shirin van Anrooij back competing at the front of a race. Her Madone continues the 30mm tyre trend on these Pirelli P Zeros.Xavier PereyronWorld Champion Magdeleine Valleries was riding the brand new Cannondale SuperSix Evo with a rainbow colour scheme. Thats worthy of a separate gallery.Xavier PereyronAs is Strade runner-up Kasia Niewidoma-Phinneys beautiful red Canyon Aeroad. Click here for more on that one.Xavier PereyronWhile Demi Vollering got caught up in the group led astray by a motorbike, we can still appreciate her European Champions paintjob, and for the full breakdown of her bike check out our gallery here.Xavier PereyronBoth Vollering and her former SD Worx teammates were using those new Specialized Cotton tubeless tyres, and both were on 32mms.Xavier PereyronThe other Specialized team is Volker Wessels, who have a much different setup with FFWD wheels and 30mm Schwalbe Pro One tyresXavier PereyronThis handlebar measuring nonsense can get in the bin.Xavier PereyronFocus on real safety issues for goodness sake.Xavier PereyronElisa Longo Borghini and her UAE Team ADQ colleagues were on the Colnago V5Rs bikes, which is good to see with the mens UAE team sticking to the aero Y1Rs. Sadly it wasnt enough to get on the podium but that was more to do with line choice than performance.Xavier PereyronDespite a new Liv EnviLiv launching last week, the Liv-AlUla-Jayco team seemed to be opting more for the Langma, and Monica Trinca Colonel rode it to a strong eighth place.Xavier PereyronWhile shes not on EF anymore, Alison Jackson stuck on Cannondale this year, which is good news for all of us because theyve done a great job on this Canadian National Champs colour scheme.Xavier PereyronMixed opinions on this, thinking is good sometimes.Xavier PereyronMie Bjrndal Ottestad took her Ridley to 14th in Siena. Maybe the trick for Uno X was sticking to road wheels after all. Xavier PereyronPicnic-PostNL are struggling for wins this season despite some good performances. Lapierre and Ursus wheels will get their time in the spotlight this season Im sure of it. Xavier PereyronThere arent many races that Factor-sponsored riders get the O2 Vam out these days with the Ostro and the One taking up a lot of spotlight. For that were thankful to Ma Petite Entreprise and Nomie Abgrall. Her 32mm Hutchinson Blackbird Race tyres are brand new too, with the French brand expanding the range after its tests suggested 32mm should be the go-to for performance-oriented riders.Xavier PereyronAnother team that got unlucky with the motorbike debacle was Visma-Lease a Bike, who were also on the 30mm Vittoria Corsa Pros.Xavier PereyronWere getting into the business end now and its about to get good. The last of our mainstream brands is another appearance for Pinarello, this time with Campagnolo wheels and a Shimano Ultegra groupset for the Top GIrls-Fassa Bortolo team.Xavier PereyronVini Fantini-BePink are all bling this year with these Officine Mattio bikes, though the SRAM Force groupset is slightly less bling but thats fine because the Deda wheels make up for it.Xavier PereyronTeam Mendelspek E-Work were also on Ultegra groupsets with their Dynatek bikes and Vittoria Corsa N.Ext tyres, though this 28mm setup is the narrowest weve spotted. The worst part about this is the font on those name decals.Xavier PereyronYes 3T bikes are still in the peloton thanks to Italian team Aromitalia Vaiano. The Miche chainrings are a nice touch, as are the Corima wheels.Xavier PereyronFinally we have the Vittoria queens at the Isolmant-Premac-Vittoria team. The sponsors on the chainstays are endless, the Coppi frame is chunky and the Vittoria rims are loud. This is ciclismo. Related Posts Pro bike: Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney's Strade Bianche 2026 Canyon Aeroad CFR Pro bike: Tadej Pogaar's Strade Bianche-winning Colnago Y1Rs Pro bike: Paul Seixas's Strade Bianche 2026 Van Rysel RCR-R Pro bike: World Champion Magdeleine Vallieres's new Cannondale SuperSix from Strade Bianche 2026 The best photos from men's Strade Bianche 2026 The post Strade Bianche bikes 2026: Not as interesting as they once were but still nice to look at appeared first on Cyclist.

INEOS Grenadiers delivered the standout performance of Stage 3 at Paris-Nice, claiming victory in the 23.5-kilometre team time trial and transforming the early general classification picture in the process. The British squad edged their rivals by the narrowest of margins after a blistering ride thro...

The latest high-end travel bag release is the all-new EVOC Mountain Bike Bag Pro, which the brand says is the only MTB-compatible bag on the market that doesnt require removing the handlebars. Find details here...The post The EVOC Mountain Bike Bag Pro Aims to Simplify Travel appeared first on BIKEPACKING.com.

CyclistExplore the Strade BiancheStrade Bianche is for many people the most beautiful Classic on the cycling calendar. Its mix of steep climbs and white gravel tracks is set against an idyllic backdrop of Tuscan hills, cypress trees, hilltop villages and vineyards. Yet as sweet as this part of Italy is on the eye, its even more rewarding to experience on two wheels.With Saddle Skedaddle you can do just that, taking on the same roads as Tadej Pogaar and Mathieu van der Poel as part of your own week-long homage to Strade Bianche. And when youre not taking on a selection of the epic white roads from Strade Bianche and LEroica, Europes biggest vintage sportive, the relaxed pace of the Strade Bianche Explorer will give you the chance to explore more of what Tuscany has to offer than the pros will ever see. That includes visiting pilgrimage routes, UNESCO World Heritage sites and time-capsule villages during a week of sightseeing around this picturesque region.Spread over six days of riding based around Strade Bianches host city of Siena, with an average of around 60km and 1,000m elevation gain each day, youll make your way around the region in bite-sized chunks, soaking in the scenery and experiencing just what makes the gravel roads of Tuscany so beloved by cycling fans. All aspects of the tour have been put together by experts rich in local knowledge and expertise, and while taking on the iconic sterrato of the region is a large part of the experience, so is exploring hidden Tuscan gems, quiet backroads, vineyards and local cafes.Read on as we explore some of the high points from the weeks itinerary. Next available dates are 9th-16th May 2026 and 20th-27th September 2026, or you can set up a self-guided tour with flexible dates. For prices, details and itinerary as well as lots of other ride trip options click hereThe gravel sectors of sterrato that make Strade Bianche such a unique pro race form a large part of this quintessential Tuscan riding tour.Saddle SkedaddleThe Strade BiancheThroughout the six days of riding, youll spend much of your time on roads made famous by Strade Bianche and the Giro dItalia.Right from the start youll pick up the route of LEroica, the vintage sportive that birthed the pro Strade Bianche race of today, which serves up your first taste of white gravel through the Chianti hills. Other Strade Bianche staples are spread through the week, including visits to the 12km gravel road at Lucignano dAsso, Strade Bianches longest off-road stretch, and the three-star sector in Radi, a fixture in the early phase of the pro race.The uphill sterrato of Castiglione del Bosco approaching Montalcino on day five also deserves a mention for its 8% gradient over a punishing 3km climb.Monte Sante MarieMonte Sante Marie is a highlight of both the LEroica and Strade Bianche routes. Named after the village of the same name located in the picture-postcard Crete Senesi region, this five-star sterrato stretch is considered to be the toughest gravel section at Strade Bianche in fact, three race-winning moves have been made on this rough sector in recent years.In total, the white road spans 11.5km, with constant ups and downs and a final sting that reaches gradients of up to 18% along its winding slopes.Happily theres no race to be won here. Youre free to take things at your own pace on an opening day with just 57km of riding in total as you make your way through the undulating Tuscan hills.With an average of 60km of riding each day, youre free to take things as hard, or as easy, as you choose.Saddle SkedaddleTaking in the Tuscan sitesWithout the pressure of a pro peloton breathing down your neck, youll be able to experience Tuscany at the locals pace in the Strade Bianche Explorer.You can explore the regions cultural history at UNESCO World Heritage sites in Pienza, Radda in Chianti and Montalcino, including a two-night stay in the protected area of Val dOrcia. There, youll have the chance to enjoy a post-ride plunge in the Roman springs of Bagno Vignoni, an ancient hotspot on the Via Francigena pilgrimage route.Between the walled cities and hilltop vistas, youll sample some of the regions best cuisine, wine and coffee at local hangouts. Plus, you can look forward to some world-class gelato in San Gimignano on the final riding day.SienaAll white roads lead to Siena, at least in Tuscany. So what better conclusion to your week-long Tuscan adventure than to ride into the citys hilltop Piazza del Campo, where the Strade Bianche pro race reaches its dramatic conclusion each year?Once there, youll be free to roam the citys enchanting streets, with a tour of the Duomo di Siena, the citys liquorice-coloured cathedral, a must for any visitor.Whether its lingering in the Piazza del Campo to find out more about the Palio di Siena, the citys centuries-old horse race, sampling the local cuisine at tucked-away trattorias or visiting Renaissance-era churches, losing yourself in this medieval city is the perfect way to end your week-long exploration of Tuscanys timeless charm.The post Explore the Strade Bianche appeared first on Cyclist.

Paris-Nice produced its first major shake-up of the general classification on Stage 3, with the team time trial forcing several of the race favourites to reassess their position in the fight for the yellow jersey. For Team Visma | Lease a Bike, the day ultimately became one of limiting losses rather...

CyclistPro bike: Demi Vollerings Euro-themed 2026 Specialized Tarmac SL8Since claiming the European Championships last autumn, FDJ United-Suezs Demi Vollering has swapped her usual team colours for the blue bands and stars of continental champion. To match, her Specialized Tarmac SL8 has received a suitable Euro makeover, with enough blue and yellow to make even Ursula von der Leyen smile.Vollering has been in fine form since pulling on the European colours, having picked up the Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana and Omloop Nieuwsblad so far this year. However, the European Champion wasnt able to pick up a third Strade Bianche title due to a calamitous manoeuvre that saw the Dutchwomans group led off-course by a motorbike. Regardless, her teammate Elise Chabbey, a former Olympic kayaker, took the win for her FDJ United-Suez team and German Champion Franzi Koch took third. Ahead of Strade Bianche, photographer Xavier Pereyron managed to catch a glimpse of Vollerings Europop Specialized Tarmac SL8. Its douze points from us. Related Posts Strade Bianche bikes 2026: Not as interesting as they once were but still nice to look at Pro bike: Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney's Strade Bianche 2026 Canyon Aeroad CFR Pro bike: Tadej Pogaar's Strade Bianche-winning Colnago Y1Rs Pro bike: Paul Seixas's Strade Bianche 2026 Van Rysel RCR-R Pro bike: World Champion Magdeleine Vallieres's new Cannondale SuperSix from Strade Bianche 2026 Demi Vollerings Specialized Tarmac SL8Xavier PereyronThe Tarmac SL8 was the most successful bike on the Womens WorldTour last year, having been used by AG Insurance-Soudal, SD Worx-Protime and FDJ United-Suez.Xavier PereyronDemi Vollering handwrote her KM markers ahead of Strade Bianche on Saturday on old-school cotton rather than these new fancy stickers.Xavier PereyronThe European champion rode on a pair of Specializeds new Cotton TLR tyres in a 32mm width. The Cotton TLR tyres had been spotted at last years Tour de France, but they were formally released the week of Strade Bianche.Xavier PereyronThe Tarmac SL8 was released during the summer of 2023. Three years down the line, rumours suggest the Tarmac will be getting an overhaul soon.Xavier PereyronThe two-time Strade champion rode a 12-speed Dura-Ace groupset with a 2x 54-40T crankset.Xavier PereyronThe European colours return on the seat tube.Xavier PereyronThe Roval Rapide CLX III wheelset was released at last years Tour de France. The wheels offer a 51mm rim on the front and a 48mm rim on the rear. If you want to read more, our full review was published last week.Xavier PereyronAnd finally, Demis dog, Flo, who would never lead anyone down the wrong path. Never.The post Pro bike: Demi Vollerings Euro-themed 2026 Specialized Tarmac SL8 appeared first on Cyclist.

Race officials play a central role in shaping each stage of Paris-Nice, issuing formal decisions that can impact individual results, team strategies, and the overall classification. Here are the Jury Fines from the race's panel of commissaires. This rolling jury and fines report documents all offi...

The Waheela C is Otsos do-it-all gravel bike. The platform has seen several iterations over the years, adopting a carbon frame in 2019 and adding versatility with more tire clearance and mounting points.While the Waheela was certainly no slouch between the tape, it wasnt a dedicated race bike. But now it is, with Otsos introduction of the Waheela R.Changes to the Otso Waheela RPerhaps the most significant change Otso made to the Waheela R is a geometry tweak. The goal with this gravel race bike was to create a frame that was confident, stable, and comfortable at high speeds. They also knew the Waheela R would need to replicate this performance on rough terrain.Compared to the Waheela C, the R is a touch longer and slacker. Key changes are a 1-degree slacker headtube angle and a reach increase of more than 20mm. Otso also steepened the seattube angle by 1.5 and significantly increased the trail, providing a more upright position.Despite the Waheela R growing a bit longer, Otso still wanted the platform to remain agile. They did this by keeping the rear end rather short. Gone is the 20mm of adjustability from the Tuning Chip dropouts seen on the Waheela C, replaced with size-specific stays with UDH compatibility. Starting on the XS frame, the rear center is 420mm, extending up to 432mm on an XL.Otso also wanted to provide a different ride experience in terms of the carbon layup of the Waheela R. Given the needs and demands of gravel racing, engineers pushed to balance stiffness and compliance.Otso assessed compliance with respect to both front and side loads on the fork. A more compliant front end helps absorb chatter encountered in rough terrain, while added side-load compliance allows the bike to track better.Yet, a stiff frame is a quick and reactive frame. A stiffer bottom bracket and rearend help enhance power transfer, moving the Waheela R forward more efficiently.Frame features and designOtso opted for a more aero profile with the Waheela R, including the use of Kamm Tail shapes for both the frame and the fork. Otso says this is commonly found on sports cars and has decades of wind tunnel testing for proven aerodynamics.The new Waheela R also features three brake-routing options. Classic routing has lines entering at the top of the downtube, while semi-internal routing tucks the lines under the handlebars and enters the frame at the headset top cap. Lastly, fully internal routing has the lines tucked into the bars and, as the name suggests, is fully internal.Semi-internal (left), fully-internal (middle), and classic routing (right)Otso also future-proofed the bike with UDH dropouts. And, in keeping with modern trends, they added internal frame storage and clearance for up to 50mm tires. The Waheela R also has multiple mounting points, including three bottle cage mounts, multiple top tube mounts, and fender mounts.Waheela R buildsOtso offers five build options for the Waheela R, including a frame-only option. Prices range from just over $4,000 to $5,450, with the frame-only option retailing for $2,950. But Otso allows for some customization and upgrades with those options, which can add to the price.The five builds are:SRAM Force XPLR AXS 113 ($5,450)Shimano GRX 800 Di2 112 ($5,250)SRAM Rival XPLR AXS 113 ($4,850)Shimano GRX 600 ($4,250)SRAM Apex Mechanical ($4,050)Otso offers the new Waheela R in three colorways and five sizes, fitting riders 410 to 66.otsocycles.comThe post Otso Ditches Tuning Chip Dropouts for the New UDH-Compatible Waheela R appeared first on Bikerumor.