For a brief moment on the Kemmelberg, In Flanders Fields seemed set to deliver the head-to-head finish that cycling has been waiting for.Mathieu van der Poel and Wout van Aert rode clear together, distancing the rest of the field and turning the race into a familiar duel between two of the defining...

Last Friday, Mathieu van der Poel won the E3 Saxo Classic onboard an unreleased Canyon Endurace CFR. The fact that van der Poel won is hardly a surprise this was his third successive victory at the one-day race but the fact he did it on an endurance bike is more shocking. The Dutchman has become synonymous with the Canyon Aeroad, using it for every race and every stage, regardless of the terrain, begging the question of why he's switched to the Endurace. We spotted the Endurace out in the wild just last week, and Van der Poel using the bike could just be a marketing stunt hatched by Canyon that paid off spectacularly. But it also signals a shift in endurance bike design, which is a more intriguing story. The racy endurance bike Mathieu van der Poel's Canyon Endurace CFR looks racy, but I don't think it's as aggressive as the Aeroad he'll be used to. JASPER JACOBS / BELGA MAG / Belga / AFP via Getty Images Despite being an endurance bike, van der Poels Endurace carried all the hallmarks of a race-bike setup. And remember, this is a CFR (Canyon Factory Racing)-branded bike, with a suitably aggressive-looking layout. Thinking youve seen this kind of thing before? You have. The second-generation Trek Domane launched 10 years ago, and was available in two geometries a standard H3 endurance layout, and a H1/H2 fit, which was designed to be a more aggressive geometry without quite encroaching on the Madones territory. Trek's Domane has long led on the split-geometry approach. SRAM The racier layout was refined into the H1.5 geometry for subsequent generations, and remains available today on the Domane RSL frameset alongside the standard Domane SLR (and SL). Of course, its also possible that every new Endurace will get this layout, more similar to the original Specialized Roubaix, a race bike originally developed for the demands of the cobbles at ParisRoubaix. But I think this is unlikely, given the Enduraces established position in Canyons bike hierarchy, and the emerging trend away from overly aggressive, long-and-low fits. Less aggressive, more aero Blending aerodynamics and an endurance-oriented layout is becoming fashionable. Daniel Benson As Simon von Bromley noted when he analysed the photos of Florian Snchals bike taken by contributor Daniel Benson at the Tour of Bruges, the new Endurace CFR looks very much like the Aeroad race bike. Its likely that the upcoming Endurace is following a similar path to the Trek Domane, which manages to accommodate the extreme fit requirements of pro athletes but still lends itself to longer days in the saddle and the roughhouse nature of the cobbled classics. Snchal was running a 10mm spacer under his new swept one-piece cockpit, but the head tube didnt look especially short, while the space left behind the front tyres trailing edge suggests the front wheel might be pushed a little more forwards than on the Aeroad. We're seeing taller front ends, even on race bikes as aggressive as the Factor One. Factor If it does have a slacker head tube angle, that will make the steering less reactive, which is ideal for the hectic nature of a cobbled classic, and for tired endurance riders. Remember, bikes such as the Factor One are already on the scene, with claims that a taller front end is faster because the rider can hold a more aerodynamic position. This means any loss from the increased head tube surface area is more than compensated by the optimised rider position. Plus, the frame appears to benefit from a narrower seat tube profile than the Aeroad, which would improve comfort, alongside clearance for wide road tyres. Factor in the potential energy savings from a slightly more comfortable ride position, and its a modern recipe for real-world speed. What about the Endurace CF SLX and SL? So, where does this leave the Endurace CFR's more affordable siblings? Steve Sayers / Our Media No doubt, the Endurace CFR will come with a hefty price tag, and its more likely that you and I will be able to afford the second- or third-tier bikes. So what might we see here? If my theory holds true, I suspect the CF SLX and SL-grade bikes may come with an even more relaxed geometry, similar to the current-generation Endurace. Its also possible that Canyon will offer the SLX in a more relaxed layout, but with the aerodynamic tube profiles seen on the unreleased CFR, and then keep the SL with its current frame design. That said, in previous generations, the geometry has been the same across all models of the Endurace, and it would be a shame if Canyon decided to reserve the aero gains for those with deeper pockets. After all, that appears to be the point of the new Endurace its a race bike, but one all of us could ride, and perhaps should.

Jonas Vingegaards commanding start to the 2026 season has raised a familiar question. Not whether he can win again, but whether he is finally moving back towards the level that defined him before his career-threatening crash at the Itzulia Basque Country in 2024. The Dane has already delivered over...

Truck drivers turning from Dolphin Road to Dolphens Barn, while people were cycling on their left, has resulted in serious and fatal injuries.New signage and possibly other measures are to be installed at Dolphens Barn Bridge to reduce the risk of crashes between motorists turning and people walking and cycling. Cllr Noelle Brown (Social Democrats) said there was a meeting after a traffic incident involving a truck driver and a person cycling at Dolphens Barn Bridge last November, but no action has been taken since. As reported at the time, a woman in her 30s was seriously injured in a collision involving a truck driver turning at the bridge.At this months South East Area committee meeting, Cllr Brown also referenced a previous fatal collision when a truck driver was turning while a cyclist was using the cycle lane beside them in November 2023.The person cycling in this case was Josilaine Ribeiro, a 36-year-old Brazilian carer who was living in Dublin and cycling to work at the time of the crash. After that collision, bollards and planters were installed to protect the cycle lanes on the approach to the bridge, but that seems to have failed to fully address the issue. As a measure to prevent another incident, there could be temporary signage put in to alert drivers to pedestrians and cyclists turning left and the response I got was about BusConnects and all of the works due to take place, Cllr Brown said. She called for action ahead of longer-term works to prevent more severe injury or deaths. Colm Ennis, a senior executive engineer with Dublin City Councils Transport Advisory Group, said that the written response to the councillor should have referred to planned interim measures.I think it should have been included in the response that were looking at interim measures before the bigger job thats to be done by Active Travel on the bridge there, he said.He said that these interventions would include signage on the approach to both sides of the bridge.Ennis added: Its something that such a regrettable situation there. So rather than waiting for the big beautiful solution to it and putting interventions even if we need to do more before the bigger job.Cllr Brown asked for a timeframe around the works as she receives complaints from the public that nothing is being done to make the junction safer. Ennis said that additional signage should be added over the next few weeks, with extra work on the cycle and bus lane from the bridge to the South Circular Road in the weeks after that.TIPS WELCOME: Were aware that IrishCycle.com covers Dublin City South East Area committee meetings a lot there are a number of reasons for this, including the committee meetings being more focused on traffic issues than other areas, and it being an area of the city centre which residents from many areas use to get to work or elsewhere. Often, when a meeting is watched for one issue, other public-interest issues relevant to readers are covered as well. If there are other area committee meetings with issues of interest, please send a link. If there are other issues around the country that you want IrishCycle.com to cover, please get in touch. IMAGE: File image of the layout of the road and the ghost bike on the bridge installed after the death of Josilaine Ribeiro.

An announcement last week sent the bespoke bicycle industry into a tailspin. It wasn't a new product, standard, or innovative piece of tech that would change bikes forever. Rather, it was something far more ominous. Paragon Machine Works, one of the largest full-service machine shops in the world, declared its sudden and immediate closure. As the framebuilding industry grappled with the news, we reached out to a few builders for their reactions and insight...The post Paragon Machine Works Shuts Down, an Industry Reels appeared first on BIKEPACKING.com.

Cyclist7 talking points from the Volta a CatalunyaJonas Vingegaard doubled down on his excellent early season form at last weeks Volta a Catalunya, romped to the overall win ahead of Bahrain Victoriouss Lenny Martinez by 1min 22sec, with last years Tour de France white jersey Florian Lipowitz finding some of that form a further eight seconds back. Aside from the entertaining racing and weather interruptions, there was plenty to take away from the seven stages, including Lipowitz finishing ahead of new teammate Remco Evenepoel, Tom Pidcocks crash, and Dorian Godons sprint success for Ineos Grenadiers.Jonas Vingegaard looking strong ahead of Giro dItalia debutVisma-Lease a BikeJonas Vinegegaard is leading the way as he charges towards the Giro dItalia. Vingegaard, who breezed to overall victory at the Volta a Catalunya with two stage wins in the mountains, barely facing any serious competition across the seven days. Hes now two-for-two in stage races this season after dominating Paris-Nice too.It bodes well for the Visma leader as he eyes the maglia rosa. If he succeeds, hell join the elite club of riders to have won all three Grand Tours. Given his superior level so far this season, its a shame that he wont face off against Tadej Pogaar prior to the Tour de France to really gauge whether Vingegaard can make the Tour competitive this summer. Although is it better to build the tension for the seasons biggest test?Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll. Related Posts Pro Log: Nairo Quintana to retire; Debora Silvestri injury update; Chris Froomes new job is in AI Top 10 transfers to follow in the 2026 pro cycling season Cycling Spring Classics 2026: Race dates, Monuments, cobbles and live TV guide Giro d'Italia 2026 to have Bulgaria start, Passo Giau Queen Stage and a lot less climbing: Full route breakdown Remco Evenepoel usurped in Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe hierarchyMaximilian Fries / Red Bull Content PoolIt was not the best of weeks for Remco Evenepoel. He did make it to the start line despite almost getting stuck on Tenerife, immediately sprinted to second on the opening stage but crashed on a crack in the road in the Stage 3 finale after ripping the peloton minus Vingegaard apart, allowing the sprinters to take over and battle for the days honours. Stage 5 did the biggest damage to his GC aspirations as teammate Florian Lipowitz followed a move from Decathlon-CMA CGMs Felix Gall before Vingegaard then attacked with 7km remaining, eventually distancing the field a kilometre later. Evenepoel looked to ride at his own pace however the gap stretched until he sat over a minute and a half in arrears.Even though he started the year hot in Mallorca and Valenciana, the first proper tests in the UAE Tour and Volta a Catalunya have been less than ideal. Evenepoels main goal this season is the Tour de France and hell be riding alongside Lipowitz there too, so it was a positive for Red Bull that at least one of them is finding his climbing legs. The dynamic between the pair will certainly be an interesting one to follow.More injuries for UAE Team Emirates XRGNot our day at #VoltaCatalunya105, but @JooAlmeida98 fought his way back to the peloton after the crash and gave everything to the line. Fora Joo #WeAreUAE pic.twitter.com/zmpAZzoMMP @UAE-TeamEmirates (@TeamEmiratesUAE) March 27, 2026 More riders are joining the injured list for UAE Team Emirates XRG. Jay Vine hit the ground hard on Stage 3 and abandoned, Catalunya being his first race back after fracturing his wrist in that kangaroo crash at the Tour Down Under. Teammate Ivo Oliveira was involved in the same crash and able to carry on before pulling out prior to Stage 4.Team leader Joo Almeida was another to tumble, coming down on Stage 5 while being unable to really leave any mark on the race. He admitted to not knowing why he didnt feel too great and that he would conduct some tests with the medical team, perhaps a worrying sign for UAE prior to his leadership role at the Giro.Tim Wellens and Jan Christen are still out of action. Wellens sustained a broken collarbone at Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne while Christen suffered the same injury at Milan-San Remo. Jhonatan Narvez has not raced since his crash at the Tour Down Under either having fractured several vertebrae.Movers and shakers: Lenny Martinez, Valentin Paret-Peintre, Felix GallLuis Angel Gomez/SprintCyclingAgencyLenny Martinez has been putting together a strong season. The 22-year-old claimed a couple of podiums in French one-day races to kick off 2026 before racing to a stage win and fifth place overall at Paris-Nice. He only got stronger throughout Catalunya, hoisting himself up the GC to finish second overall. Soudal-QuickSteps Valentin Paret-Peintre burst into life with a second place on a stage in the mountains at Paris-Nice and was very active in the breakaway a few days later. Like Martinez, he too improved his GC standings at Catalunya as the gradient increased, with fifth on the Coll de Pal and fourth in Queralt to end fourth overall, 13 seconds off the podium. Its a good time to be French.Things were looking good for Felix Gall of Decathlon-CMA CGM on the Coll de Pall, with his second place taking him into second overall behind Vingegaard, however he slipped down to sixth on the roads to Queralt with some descending struggles.Dorian Godon shines for Ineos GrenadiersSzymon Gruchalski/Getty ImagesDorian Godon moved from Decathlon to Ineos Grenadiers over the winter and has been a revelation for the team.The French National Champion Godon saw off a close challenge from Evenepoel to win the opening stage and take the leaders jersey before winning again two days later and just missing out on the win on the final day in Barcelona. He is leading Ineoss sprinting hierarchy at the moment as the rejuvenated team rack up the victories, with 14 already this season, just three behind UAE Team Emirates. Godon has three individual wins to his name this year as well as one team time-trial, and will take huge confidence from this race with a big summer ahead at the Tour de France.Tom Pidcock has a scary crash while descendingSzymon Gruchalski/Getty ImagesTom Pidcock suffered a horror crash into a ravine on Stage 5, while not caught by the TV cameras he said he was drinking on the descent, misjudged a corner and came off the road, admitting I was lucky I could talk on the radio. I was far from the road and nobody knew I was there.Although he managed to finish the stage, after evaluation he was confirmed to have sustained a number of knee and wrist injuries. He had been riding well with podiums on Stage 1 and Stage 4 off the back of his breakthrough Milan-San Remo performance, and was scheduled to make a run at the Ardennes Classics in April, but that looks ambitious now.Giulio Ciccone back to what he does bestLidl-TrekLidl-Treks signings of Juan Ayuso and Derek Gee-West mean some of the GC pressure has been removed from the shoulders of Giulio Ciccone. This allows the Italian to revert to what he does best: explosive breakaways, winning mountains classifications and throwing his sunglasses.Now he hasnt done any of the sunglasses throwing just yet, but he went on the offensive on back-to-back days for Stage 5 and Stage 6. He was out of the running in terms of GC, but would end the race on top of the mountains classification.The post 7 talking points from the Volta a Catalunya appeared first on Cyclist.

Our 219th consecutive Monday-morning edition of Weekend Snapshot highlights reader-submitted photos from across the Americas. It features scenes from rides across Canada, Colombia, and the United States. Peek at this weeks roundup and take a moment to share a photo from one of your recent getaways hereThe post Weekend Snapshot appeared first on BIKEPACKING.com.

Victor Lafays delayed start to 2026 has taken another turn, with the Frenchman once again forced to postpone his long-awaited return to racing as illness continues to disrupt his early season. The Unibet Rose Rockets rider has yet to make an appearance this year despite being scheduled for multiple...

Photo by Sean RoweC1Des Hanlon Memorial C1 29/03/20261Conn Mc DUNPHYAPS Pro Cycling by Team Cadence Cyclery2Liam CROWLEYOrwell Wheelers Cycling Club3Jack CONROYVelo Performance Racing Team4Callum Mc CAFFREYNatural-Greatness-Rali-Ale5Josh CALLALYVelo Performance Racing Team6Gareth O NEILLAthlete Nutrition Coach Nordic Labs7Matteo CIGALADan Morrissey Pissei Cycling Team8Darragh BYRNEAsvillemur Cyclisme9Tadhg KILLEENKilcullen Cycling Club Murphy Geospacial10Conal SCULLYDan Morrissey Pissei Cycling Team11Lindsay WATSONCaldwell Powerhouse Racing12Daniel STONERoadman Cycling Club13James Mc KENNYVelo Revolution / Speed Queen14Darnell MOORECaldwell Powerhouse Racing15Paul KENNEDYBurren Cycling Club16Hugh Og MULHEARNEAsvillemur Cyclisme17Ronan O CONNORAPS Pro Cycling by Team Cadence Cyclery18Cian KEOGHAPS Pro Cycling by Team Cadence Cyclery19David HARRINGTONLucan Cycling Road Club20Eoin CLIFFORDVelo Revolution / Speed QueenC2Des Hanlon Memorial C2 29/03/20261Tom HUGHESKilcullen Cycling Club Murphy Geospacial2Conor REGANKilcullen Cycling Club Murphy Geospacial3James LOGUEPanduit Carrick Wheelers4Brian KAVANAGHGorey Cycling Club5Oliver O SHAUGHNESSYDan Morrissey Pissei Cycling Team6Luke CULLENVelo Revolution / Speed Queen7James GRIFFINWaterford Racing Club8Dermot RADFORDDan Morrissey Pissei Cycling Team9James DAVENPORTVelo Revolution / Speed Queen10Niall BROWNEDrogheda Wheelers11Matthew LANEOrwell Wheelers Cycling Club12Kevin DERRIGLucan Cycling Road Club13Caoilin CONSIDINEBray Wheelers14Neill DELAHAYEBellurgan Wheelers15Hugh MAGUIRETeam Stafford Bonded16Jake BICKERDIKEAthy Wheelers Cycling Club17Donal BYRNERoadman Cycling Club18Conor KELLYVC Glendale19Martin CASEYVelo Revolution / Speed Queen20Saran GREENEUn-Attached LeinsterC3Des Hanlon Memorial C3 29/03/20261Craig BROOKESComeragh CC2Daithi KILLEENKilcullen Cycling Club Murphy Geospacial3Callum STEWARTPhoenix CC4Kyle MINFORDNaas Cycling Club5Kieran KEEGANOrwell Wheelers Cycling Club6Mark ROWEDungarvan CC7David DONOVANUpperchurch Drombane Cycling8Seamus BABINGTONPanduit Carrick Wheelers9Dillon LYNCHKildorrery Cycling Club10Bob MAYEClonard RC11Thomas Anthony LAWLORCarlow RCC12Fearghal REGANKilcullen Cycling Club Murphy Geospacial13Anthony DUNNELucan Cycling Road Club14Shem CULLENSpin the Bean Power by Coffee15Brendan WARDClondalkin CC16Michael HICKEYOrwell Wheelers Cycling Club17Patrick ENNISUn-Attached Leinster18Joshua CHAMBERSLucan Cycling Road Club19Kresimir KUSICStarsky Cycling20Manuel MECO GOMEZUn-Attached LeinsterWDes Hanlon Memorial Womens Race 29/03/20261Abi CONWAYParalloy RT2Linda KELLYDan Morrissey Pissei Cycling Team3Aine DOHERTYDan Morrissey Pissei Cycling Team4Elena WALLACEHarps CC5Claire DIFFLEYOrwell Wheelers Cycling Club6Mia SMITHBrother UK Team OnForm7Stella SMITHBrother UK Team OnForm8Yvonne DORANOrwell Wheelers Cycling Club9Jennifer CAVERLYDublin Bay Cycling Club10Ysabella HUELERudyco Cycling Team vzw11Niamh O BRIENBarrow Wheelers12Joanne NI MHATHUNAGorey Cycling Club13Veronika KROLOVAGreenmount CA14Mary O DONNELLGreenmount CA

Photo by Eamon BrackenC1/C2C1/C2 Race Results Castlebar GPCastlebar, Co. Mayo1Conor McKEOWNMoynalty Cycling Club2Marc BLAINGBCC Members Group3Keith WALSHGreenmount Cycling Academy4Bren BROEKAARTTuam Cycling Club5Jarlath HASSETTBurren CC6Shane QUINNLongford Cycling and Racing Club7Conor GATHGBCC Members Group8Barry HOLIANWestern Lakes Cycling Club9Kevin MOLYNEAUXGalway Bay Cycling Club10David GORDONGBCC Members GroupC3C3 Race Results Castlebar GPCastlebar, Co. Mayo1Frank BARRETTAura Cycling Team2James HORANBallina Cycling Club3Luke CANAVANDIGNAMGBCC Members Group4Fran BRANNIGANThe Cycologist5Robert COAKLEYCovey Wheelers Westport Cycling Club6John OHALLORANWestern Lakes Cycling Club7Julian KENNEDYRIPPONChain Driven Cycles CC8Nicolas VORWERKLakeside Wheelers9Shane DONOGHUEAthy Wheelers Cycling Club10Richie WHELANAthy Wheelers Cycling Club