Good morning, friends. Welcome to the liveblog of the Tour de Romandie. After Dorian Godon claimed the Yellow Jersey yesterday by winning the opening prologue, today the first road stage of the race takes place. How will the teams of the main general classification contenders approach this day? Join...

The Giro d'Italia starts next week in Bulgaria and whilst the riders will not spend the entire race in Italy, it won't remove the dangers it presents. The first Grand Tour of the season has plenty pitfalls in it and whilst Jonas Vingegaard will be the undisputed man to beat, there is much more to it...

Woom has today announced the official launch of its direct operations in the UK, marking a significant step for the Austrian childrens bicycle company that has seen massive growth in recent years. Founded in a garage in Vienna in 2013, Woom has grown to sell its premium kids' bikes in 40 countries and had its highest-ever revenue last year at 149 million (approximately 130 million). At a press event yesterday, Woom CEO Bernd Hake said: In 2025, we put 400,000 bikes and 140,000 helmets on the road globally. We are today one of the top 10 premium bicycle brands in the world in regards to units sold. A phenomenon Woom saw 121% growth in the UK last year. Woom Hake said the companys growth is a phenomenon. We have been able to really outperform the market by seven times. Whereas the market for kids bikes grew by 3 to 4%, we were growing by 27%, he said. He added that Woom is currently up 15% year-over-year, which suggests 2026 will be another record year. Part of this success is due to growth in the UK. Available through third-party retailers, Woom saw 121% growth in the UK last year, after the company focused strategically on the territory. Now, Woom has integrated its UK partner since 2017, The Little Bike Company, into the company to set up its third subsidiary, after Vienna and Austin, Texas. Woom hopes to penetrate the UK market better and provide the best possible service and product to consumers. It doesn't matter if they shop online or if they shop bricks and mortar, as long as they see us, as long as they experience our brand, and as long as they are excited about the products we bring to the market, Hake said. Succeeding where British brands have not The Woom Wow 'self-balancing' balance bike. Woom Wooms success compared to the childrens bike market, outperforming it by seven times, is remarkable in an industry that has faced headwinds. But its growth in the UK is starkly different from homegrown kids' bike brands. In 2023, Islabikes ceased the production and sale of bikes, citing a turbulent and difficult time in the industry. Although it continues to produce spare parts and revealed the Rosetta gravel bike last week, Islabikes status in the market is far diminished from what it was only a few years ago. Earlier this year, Frog Bikes appointed administrators as a precautionary measure and said 2024 had been a year of continued headwinds. Simon Timlett, who has been appointed country manager to lead Wooms British operations, said what sets Woom apart is its innovation. One such innovation is the Woom Wow balance bike. According to Chris Small, Wooms vice president of innovation, the Wow started from the observation that balance bikes dont balance by themselves. But as a balance bike that does stand up, the Wow teaches children from nine months old about what a bicycle is. The kids at that age can see how the object functions, said Small. The Woom Wow balances by itself but still enables kids to learn how to fall. Woom Small said Woom also decided not to make the Wow stay upright through being heavy to teach another lesson about life on two wheels: Kids need to learn how to fall, pick themselves back up again, and get off. To aid the development of its products, Woom has also revealed its Kids Advisory Board. This initiative integrates children directly into the design and storytelling process, ensuring that the next generation of bikes is built not just for kids, but with them. This philosophy is at the core of the new global brand campaign, enjoy the ride, Woom said in a press release. But innovation isnt the only reason The kind of innovation seen on the Wow extends across the Woom range, which includes bikes with 12in wheels and no pedals to mountain bikes with disc brakes and suspension forks for 14-year-olds. But the innovation doesn't represent the full picture of Wooms success in the UK, or more precisely the demise of Islabikes and Frog Bikes. Timlett acknowledged that Isla Rowntree, the founder of Islabikes, invented the lightweight kids bike. Yet its Woom that has become the market leader in this space. Hake, who lives in London,had a more matter-of-fact view on why the likes of Islabikes and Frog Bikes have struggled: Brexits impact on UK companies. Frog Bikes said Brexit led to friction for its business and that it contributed to a loss of 530,476 in 2022. Brompton CEO Will Butler-Adams also told Raconteur in 2023 that there were enduring problems caused by bloody Brexit, and the indoor bicycle storage company Cycloc said leaving the European Union led to a 25% decline in sales. As an Austrian company, Woom was isolated from the implications of Brexit and now it seems poised to grow further in the UK and focus on its guiding mission. Our goal is to ignite a lifelong love of cycling because we truly believe that every child who discovers the magic of two wheels brings us one step closer to a healthier, more sustainable world, Hake said.

Matthew Glaetzer makes decision to swap helmet for hose, leaving the velodrome to pursue a career as a fire fighter in South Australia

The crossing is the latest cycle infrastructure to be criticised by the pro-motoring Facebook group but the council say the markings "ensure pedestrian safety"

The Giro d'Italia is the first Grand Tour of the season and one of the most important races in professional cycling. Throughout 21 days of racing, the World Tour peloton has plenty opportunities to take prestigious wins, with the likes of Jonas Vingegaard and Filippo Ganna headlining the 2026 editio...

No wonder he's winning so much this season

The 2026 edition of the Eschborn-Frankfurt classic will take place on the 1st of May. This one-day race is perhaps Germany's most popular cycling event of the year and, inbetween the season of the spring classic and the Grand Tours, provides a last-ditch attempt for the classics specialists and spri...

Campagnolo has announced the release of new Record 13 a groupset weve been clamouring for and a serious rival to Shimanos Ultegra Di2/GRX Di2 and all iterations of SRAMs Force AXS for 1x. With no fewer than five configurations of the new Record 13, it covers road, all-road and gravel bikes. The new groupset looks good, too, sharing much of the same design as Super Record, with common lever ergonomics, derailleur architecture and crankset. Like Super Record, its all European-made. The only differences are the materials Campagnolo has used, with Record employing more cost-effective alloys and steel bearings, where Super Record gets carbon, titanium and ceramic. Read more: Campagnolo launches 1x13-speed gravel groupset and hints something "more affordable" is on the way Campagnolo Record 13 everything you need to know 5 groupset options for road, gravel and all-road bikes 1,400 cheaper than Super Record Only 208g heavier than Super Record Gravel option is 210g lighter than Shimano GRX Di2 7 road crankset configurations plus crank-based power meters Fully compatible with Super Record and Super Record Ultra upgrades Weights, prices and options The Record crankset is available in seven chainring combinations. Campagnolo Record is between 208g and 342g heavier than Super Record, dependent on specification. Of course, thats to be expected. The exciting news is that Record is significantly cheaper than Super Record, to the tune of more than 1,400 / 1,600, and in the same price range as Ultegra Di2, GRX Di2 and SRAM's Force AXS iterations. It's priced at 2,300 / 2,399 for the 2x13 version and 1,800 / 2,129 for 1x. Adding a power meter adds another 560 to the price. Ultegras RRP is 2,683, with GRX Di2 1,702. The Record Ergopower shifters, like Super Record's, see the welcome return on the thumb shifter. Campagnolo SRAMs offerings come in at a similar level, with Force AXS 2x12-speed at 2,168 / $2,432 / 2,423 or 2,528 / $2,842 / 2,823 with a power meter. Force XPLR AXS 13-speed is 2,102 / $2,358 / 2,345 with a power meter or 1,917 / $2,153 / 2,135 without. However, the SRAM and Shimano groupsets have been on the market for longer, so you can find all their configurations significantly cheaper than the official RRPs. Claimed weights The gravel-specific Record X crankset with power meter. Campagnolo The 2x13 groupset comes in at 2,783g versus 2,480g, a weight penalty of only 375g for the 2x setup, and 208g more for the 1x13 option at 2,777g. Shimano Ultegra Di2 in 2x12 weighs 2,716.5g (66.5g lighter) and SRAM Force AXS 2x12 is 2,689g (94g lighter). For gravel, Force XPLR AXS comes in at 2,648g (129g lighter), with Shimanos GRX Di2 1x12 weighing in at 2,987.5g (210.5g heavier). That sees Campagnolos Record 13 slipping in between Shimano and SRAM, both on price and weight. When it comes to options, however, the Vincenzo component master has its Chicago and Sakai rivals beat. 3 disciplines, 5 configurations, lots of options The Record derailleur looks very similar to Super Record. The Record X version gains a Nano Clutch. Campagnolo Record 13 now comes in versions aimed at road, gravel and all-road/adventure. That means 2 different Record rear derailleurs the standard road model and a Nano-Clutch equipped Record X model that's designed to maintain chain tension on rougher surfaces. Campagnolo has the competition beat for chainrings, too, with 55/39, 54/39, 53/39, 52/36, 50/34, 48/32 and 45/29 options for 2x road and all-road, and 38, 40, 42, 44, 46, 48, 50 and 52 single-ring cranksets with a 45.8mm chainline. For gravel, there are single-chainring options of 38, 40, 42, 44, 46, 48, 50 and 52, with a 47.5mm chainline. The Record X cranksets are available in 165, 170 and 172.5mm arm lengths. When it comes to cassettes, Record has two road options, 10-33 and 11-36, although Record is fully compatible with Super Record, so you can also add a choice of 10-29 and 11-32. For gravel, a single cassette option of 10-48 is available, although Super Record adds a close-ratio 9-42. Record 13 configurations and weights The Record brake calipers are the same as Super Record's, albeit with a subtle matt/gloss all-black finish. Campagnolo Record 2x13 road: 2,783g Record X 1x13 gravel (specific rear derailleur with Nano Clutch. Compatible with 42/48t cassette): 2,777g Record 1x13 road (rear derailleur with Nano Clutch for both road and off-road. 36t cassette): 2,656g Record 2x13 all-road (rear derailleur with Nano Clutch for both road and off-road. 36t cassette): 2,806g Record X 1x13 road (specific rear derailleur with Nano Clutch. Compatible with 42/48t cassette): 2,820g Subtle differences, same functionality The wireless Record groupset uses the same batteries as Super Record. Campagnolo All the Record components look very similar to Super Record. The construction and materials have been the subject of subtle, cost-effective changes. For instance, the crankset has the same marble-like UD carbon finish as Super Record, but the carbon construction is different, with a little more material than the lightweight hollow method and forgoing the similarly lightweight titanium spindle in favour of an alloy one. The power meter crankset is based on the same HPPM meter on the Super Record crankset. However, here it comes with a claimed +/- 2% accuracy,compared to the Super Record meter's +/- 0.5%. The difference in the rear derailleur is more subtle, with the Record derailleur's body the same two-piece, fully carbon design. The Record unit uses stainless steel bearings throughout, though, compared to the ceramic of Super Record. The cage plates are steel and alloy, compared to Super Record's carbon/alloy design, and the rear derailleur can be specified with a standard hanger fitment or a UDH. The 13-speed cassette comes in two road options and one gravel. Campagnolo Both front and rear derailleurs use the same onboard batteries as Super Record. There's the same 750km range and the same mag-lock to USB-C charge-cable compatibility. This means you can charge the batteries via any power source, including your phone, so you should never get caught short without power. The shifters follow the same design as Super Record too, with the same internal thumb shifter, shift lever, mode button, smart button and status LED. The hydraulic disc calipers are the same bodies as Super Record, but here the finish is monotone gloss/matt black. Like the Super Record calipers, they are compatible with both 140 and 160mm rotors. The brakes come with organic pads, with sintered pads offered as an option. Campagnolo has also made Record fully compatible with both Super Record and the suite of Ultra upgrades, including the aero-carbon chainrings, should you want to add a touch of bling to your group down the line. My Campy app control Record uses the same tech as Super Record and it's compatible with the highly regarded MyCampy app. With a featureset to rival SRAMs AXS, the My Campy app offers a digital garage where you can add multiple bikes with individual profiles and settings. It will monitor each bike for updates and battery condition. Like SRAM and Shimano, you can also fully customise the Ergopower controls and assign functions to buttons, with lots of factory presets and accessibility presets for one-handed riding. It also promises seamless integration with bike computers, with full compatibility with Garmin and Wahoo along with other major brands. With ANT+ connectivity, you can assign Ergopower buttons to control screen switching or control lights, too. Its coming on bikes too Orbea is now offering the Terra in both Record 13 and Super Record 13 builds. Orbea In recent years, its been apparent that Campagnolo has struggled to get any real traction as original equipment on bikes. Aside from a few premium/exotic brands, we havent seen Campagnolo on major bikes in a long time. Thats all set to change. With Trek one of the launch partners for Record 13, well see a 2x13-speed Madone in stores very soon. Orbea has also announced the Orca M22 LTD Power, at 6,999 / $8,299 / 7,999 with Campagnolo Record 2x13 and power meter. There's also the new M22 Team, with the same groupset and power meter for 5,299 / $6,299 / 5,999. The Orbea Orca is now available with a 2x13 Campagnolo Record build for 5,299. Orbea For gravel, there's the Terra Race M22 LTD 1x at 5,543 / $6,299 / 6,299 with 1x Record 13, and the Terra M22 Team 1x at 5,299 / $5,999 / 5,999. Trek is offering the Madone with a Campagnolo Record build. Campagnolo Orbea has also announced a Super-Record equipped gravel option with power meter and Fulcrum Sharq 47 wheels at 8,799 / $10,499 / 9,999.