Get the rosary beads out, its time to genuflect at the altar of Flemish bike racing

Defending Paris-Roubaix Femmes champion, Pauline Ferrand-Prvot will ride tubeless tyres that have been glued to the rim on her Cervlo S5 at this years race. The team ran the same setup at last year's event. At the time, many speculated it was to prevent the tyre from coming free from the rim in the event of a puncture, but according to the team, the real reason is rooted in the unique demands of racing over Roubaixs brutal cobbles. Speaking to Cyclingnews, Visma-Lease a Bikes head of performance equipment, Jenco Drost explained that his teams were experiencing noticeable air pressure loss due to burping when riding over cobbled sectors. Burping refers to the momentary instances when the seal between the rim and tyre is broken by a sudden compressive or lateral force in the event of an impact, typically when running lower pressures. Though the tyre doesn't unseat, air escapes briefly, lowering pressure, in turn making further losses more likely. Read more: How to watch Paris-Roubaix 2026 | Global options for live TV and streaming Ashley Quinlan / Our Media Visma-Lease a Bike says its riders had seen this result in small rim cracks in the rim, which sealant was sometimes unable to plug. The flexible glue is said to mitigate this problem, helping to provide a reliable seal that sealant can easily plug any gaps. This is even more important for the likes of Ferrand-Prvot and Wout Van Aert in 2026, who will be without the now-banned Gravaa Kaps tyre inflation system. This enabled riders to raise tyre pressures as needed after a cobbled section. Ashley Quinlan / Our Media In a further bid to reduce the chances of punctures, the team confirmed Ferrand-Prevot will be using Vittoria Air-Liner tyre inserts inside her 32mm-wide Vittoria Corsa Pro TLR tyres. Read more: These foam rings might save your life so why does nobody care about them? The tyres measure out at a shade over 34mm wide on the Reserve 42|49 wheels. Ashley Quinlan / Our Media Scroll on to see everything else we spotted on the bike Ferrand-Prvot will ride on her way to defending her Paris-Roubaix Femmes title. We expect all Team Visma-Lease a Bike riders will be on the S5 for Roubaix. Ashley Quinlan / Our Media Ferrand-Prvot will be running a 1x setup, with a 52-tooth chainring. A Wolf Tooth chain catcher helps retention. Ashley Quinlan / Our Media She has also opted to use a Garmin Edge MTB bike computer for the race. Ferrand-Prevot is an ex-MTB world champion, of course, and the Edge MTB comes with some additional impact protection compared to the Edge 850 and 550. But, weighing less than its road-going computers, the team confirmed the choice simply comes down to good old-fashioned pro rider weight-weenie-ism. Ashley Quinlan / Our Media Another possible weight saving trick is the use of a section of latex tube to fasten the race transponder to the fork leg, rather than a more commonly-seen butyl tube. Ashley Quinlan / Our Media In a neat touch, the team mechanics have also taped over the gaps in the seatpost head. This keeps mud out, might offer a tiny aero advantage, and will prevent stray debris from entering. Ashley Quinlan / Our Media Like the rest of the Visma-Lease a Bike riders, Ferrand-Prvot will also run a waxed chain. Ashley Quinlan / Our Media

On the 12th of April the women's peloton tackle the Hell of the North. In terms of profile it is flat, however it is perhaps the hardest of all one-day races on the calendar. We take a look at its profile, with the race expected to start and finish at 14:45 and 18:15CET. The queen of the cobbled cl...

I will be the first to admit, back packs or waist packs are not my favourite way to carry things on a bike, so I asked my good friend Dan Daniel Phillips Photography to try it out as he commutes by bike and also walks (shudder!) around taking photos with various bags so has a lot of experience of the genre. Here are his thoughts on the Victory Chimp Out There Hip/Sling Pack...When I first started riding, I used to use a Hip Pack (back then known as a Bum Bag) most ofthe time, especially when riding further afield and needing to carry a bit more than just aspare tube and a multitool. Ive used them in a range of different sizes and from severaldifferent brands, which is why Im guessing Gary from UK Gravel Collective asked me toreview the Out There Hip Pack/Sling Bag from Victory Chimp.Victoria Chimp Out There Hip/Sling Pack additional bungieVictoria Chimp Out There Hip/Sling Pack contentsNow I feel its only fair, for full disclosure, that I highlight the following, since my riding hasinvolved less mountain biking and more gravel riding/bikepacking adventures, strappingbags to my bike rather than to myself has become the norm, and for most rides, its ahandlebar bag or a small frame pack that I use to carry the essentials. Taking the bags off mybike and putting their contents into the Out There hip pack felt a bit odd, but there was noissue with fitting everything I usually carry into it with a fair bit of space to spare.The stated capacity is 6 litres and I easily fitted my wallet and phone (slid into the meshdivider for easy access), my keys attached to the provided key clip ensuring they could beeasily accessed rather than them falling to the bottom and needing to be rummaged for, abuff, a cycling cap, arm warmers, a multitool, tyre levers, spare tube, caf lock, a set oflights, my glasses , tubeless plugs and a small case I carry with spares, patches etc. All of thisfitted in the main pocket and I could have easily fitted some snacks had I not planned a cafstop. This also left the front and rear pockets empty had I needed any additional space.Victoria Chimp Out There Hip/Sling Pack optional bottle holderVictoria Chimp Out There Hip/Sling Pack quick releaseA feature I really liked is the quick release cargo net on the bottom of the pack which I usedto carry my waterproof jacket, (an essential with the recent changeable UK conditions). Thebungy cords that form the net are adjustable and held my jacket really securely, but thequick release buckle meant it could be easily accessed should I encounter a shower, withouthaving to open the pack and expose the rest of its contents to the elements.The pack Victory Chimp sent over came in a really nice olive-green colour, with reflective details, butblack and multi-coloured options are also available. It is made of 1000D Cordura so shouldbe very tough with a bright orange Waterproof liner covered in a subtle banana motif. Zipsare water resistant YKK AquaGuard and the waist belt connects using a really easy tooperate Fidlock magnetic buckle (Im a big fan of the Fidlock system and have several bagsthat utilise it).The pack was easy to adjust to size (Victory Chimp state it fits waists up to 56/142 cm) andonce set up the mesh padded back panel and wings made it comfortable to wear. One ofthe most annoying things Ive found with some hip packs Ive owned, is that the waist strapworks loose when riding ,resulting in the pack sliding lower and me having to stop to tightenit back up again. The Out There pack didnt suffer from this frustration during any of therides I used it on.Another nice little touch is the customisable Velcro patch system on the front of the pack,allowing you to add your favourite patch and make it your own. (Victory Chimp sell a coupleof different patch sets separately for this very reason).Victoria Chimp Out There Hip/Sling PackVictoria Chimp Out There Hip/Sling Pack paddingAs well as riding with the pack I also used it on a couple of walks, but utilised as a sling packon my back rather than around my waist. Again, it had plenty of capacity to carry everythingI needed, the only downside with wearing it in this way is that the main strap lacks any sortof padding meaning if you carry a reasonably heavy load, it does dig into your shoulder alittle.So, was there anything else I didnt like about the pack? Well yes there are a couple ofthings that I dont feel work that well and both of them revolve around the options providedto use the pack for hydration purposes.The first is the Hydration port which Victory Chimp suggest can be used for a water bladderhose or headphones. Although I didnt try using a bladder in the pack as I didnt have onethat would fit, I feel that this would really limit the storage space and also the weight itwould add, could make the pack quite uncomfortable to wear. I also dont know manypeople who use wired earphones since the advent of Bluetooth ear buds, so this seems anunnecessary addition and one that has the potential to make the pack less weatherresistant.Victory chimp Hip pack Specifications: Size:30 x 15 x 10 cm Weight:308g(392g with bottle holder) Carrying Capacity: 6 Litres Materials: Cordura + Ripstop nylon liner Zips: YKK AquaGuardThe second is the removable bottle holster. This attaches using straps which slide throughthe molle loops on either side of the pack. Its quick and easy to attach and remove and thebungy cord that slips over the top of a water bottle held it very securely in the holster. Theissue is the length of the straps used to attach it to the pack. Once attached the holster hasspace to slide up and down meaning that when riding over even slightly rougher terrain, itbounced up and down jabbing me in the ribs on several occasions. The holster worked muchbetter when I used it while walking, but as Victory Chimp is predominantly a provider ofgear for cycling, this seemed like a bit of an oversight. Again, as most cyclists have at leastone bottle cage on their bikes, I feel this is also an addition that could have been omittedand wouldnt have affected the usefulness of the pack.Overall, the Victory Chimp Out There hip pack is well made and generally well thought out. If yourelooking for one pack that can be utilised for riding, hiking and for everyday carry, then youwont go far wrong, providing being able to carry some kind of drink in it, isnt a dealbreaker for you.Big thanks to Dan for writing this review and for Victory Chimp for sending the out there packs for us to try, both the Bar bag (review here) and the Hip pack seem UK proof, i.e. well made, waterproof and robust and look like theyll take on everything gravel riding can throw at them. For more details and a look at Victory Chimps other products check out their website www.victorychimp.cc

Paul Seixas has had an Itzulia Basque Country performance that will live on for ages. He has won three out of the six stages, led the race from start to finish, and looked the strongest every single day in a race designed for the climbers. With the breakaway taking the win on three separate occasio...

Crashes, illness, and withdrawals are an unavoidable part of any stage race, and Itzulia Basque Country 2026 will be no exception. With narrow roads, technical descents, and relentless climbing throughout the week, incidents can quickly reshape both stage results and the overall general classificati...

UAE Team Emirates - XRG have travelled to Roubaix with the World Champion in its lineup. Tadej Pogacar has a day that can change his career this Sunday, as he takes on Paris-Roubaix, the only monument that he is yet to win. I dont have that much experience, since Ive only raced it once. But I ho...

The sixth and final stage of the Itzulia Basque Country delivered a compelling mix of tactical racing, harsh weather conditions, and breakthrough performances, ultimately culminating in a memorable victory for 20-year-old Andrew August. The young American rider proved to be the strongest from a red...

You still need the legs to win, but tech is never a footnote at Paris-Roubaix. The famous cobbled sectors place enormous strain on equipment, and the wrong setup can end a race before it ever truly begins. Nowhere is more attention paid than to tyres. An ill-timed puncture could end a hopefuls race, but with only 54.8km of pav in the 258km men's race, an excessively robust setup will needlessly waste precious watts elsewhere. After decades of relative stability, tyre tech at Roubaix has shifted dramatically in recent years, with tubeless systems, inserts and above all ever-wider tyres the key talking points. Were on the ground at the start of this years race, casting a hawkish eye over team setups here are the key tyre tech trends to follow before the big day tomorrow. Read more: How to watch Paris-Roubaix 2026 | Global options for live TV and streaming 1. Pogaar and Movistar go massive 38mm that's a confirmed whopper. Ash Quinlan / Our Media Read more: Pogaar will race Paris-Roubaix on enormous 38mm-wide tyres and a 1x drivetrain but no tubeless inserts To the best of our knowledge, Tadej Pogaar and Movistar Team are running the widest setup of Paris-Roubaix, with both using 35mm-wide Continental GP 5000 S TR tyres. In Pogis case at least, this measures a whopping 38mm wide once mounted to his ENVE SES 6.7 front wheel.He's stuck to a more 'normal' 32mm tyre for his rear SES 4.5 wheel. Meanwhile, Movistar's Ivan Romeo is running 35mm tyres front and rear. These are progressive choices, even by modern Paris-Roubaix standards, where tyre widths have been creeping upwards year-on-year. It's also likely right on the limit of the UCI's rules, which limits any wheel + tyre combo to a maximum diameter of 700mm. A 40mm-wide tyre typically balloons up beyond this when mounted, so don't expect to see anyone go wider than this. 2. Nobody is on anything smaller than 32mm We're yet to see a tyre narrower than 32mm at Roubaix. Ash Quinlan / Our Media While those two are outliers, so far, we havent seen anyone riding tyres smaller than 32mm wide and we dont expect we will. Thats a far cry from even a few short years ago, where spotting 28- or 30mm wide tyres at Roubaix was notable exciting, even. Even though the cobbled sectors only make up a relatively small proportion of the race, better testing, improved tyre tech and a more open-minded peloton means theres now little reason not to ride wider tyres at Roubaix. The question is whether riders will follow the lead of the likes of Pogaar, and go further still, en masse. 3. Not everybody is convinced by inserts Uptake of tubeless inserts appears to be mixed. Simon von Bromley / Our Media Read more: These foam rings might save your life so why does nobody care about them? Wide tyres might be in vogue, but tubeless tyre inserts remain a divisive topic in the peloton. Teams using them are nigh-on evangelical about their benefits, while others present a more cautious stance either unwilling to compromise on perceived, or real, performance losses, or simply unconvinced by their efficacy. The pro-inserts camp includes both the mens and womens Visma-Lease a Bike squads, as is Team Picnic PostNL. On the other hand, Pogaars wheel supplier, ENVE, has said it doesnt endorse the use of tubeless inserts in its wheels, while an Alpecin-Premier Tech spokesperson told us the team didnt want to take on the performance penalty. As they're hidden inside tyres, a comprehensive survey of every teams approach is near-impossible, but even from what we can see, there isnt a clear-cut case for inserts in the eyes of the pros just yet. 4. Gravaa is out, but theres still weird stuff out there Visma-Lease a Bike is still glueing tyres to rims. Ash Quinlan / Our Media The shock news that the UCI had banned the Gravaa pressure-adjust system just weeks before Roubaix due to uncertainty around its commercial availability removed one of the more entertaining tech highlights from recent editions of the race. The system enabled riders to adjust tyre pressure on the fly, and was ridden to victory by Pauline Ferrand-Prvot in 2025. Even with that out of the picture, there are still some weird and wonderful tyre tech highlights to be found. Sticking with VismaLease a Bike, some of the womens team are riding the same glued-on tubeless tyres as last year in a bid to help tyres seal if a tyre burps on the cobbles. The split valve inflates the insert and tyre respectively. Ash Quinlan / Our Media Elsewhere, as first reported by Cyclingnews, LidlTrek is set to use Odysseys Optis inflatable tyre liner at Paris-Roubaix. Read more: This inflatable insert promises easier fitting, lower weight and better protection than foam inserts (and no, it's not an inner tube) Unlike foam inserts, the liner is pressurised, allowing the tyre to be run at lower pressures while adding impact protection for the rim, and helping riders keep going after a puncture.

The words take the brake off, eh may haunt me forever