The 2026 Tour de Romandie will take place from the 28th of April to the 3rd of May and will make for Tadej Pogacar's debut in a stage-race this year. The Swiss race provides the final big test ahead of the Giro d'Italia whilst also following the spring classics, a period where many are looking to sa...

Rapha CEO Fran Millar says professional cycling has been failed structurally and commercially in a new foreword to The Rapha Roadmap, reissued today. The cycling clothing company first released The Rapha Roadmap in 2019 as a blueprint for professional cycling, and it led to the creation of the Alternative Calendar for EF Pro Cycling and formed the basis of the Rapha Super-League initiative in the UK. Rapha has reissued the plan, with a new foreword by Millar and introduction, because today marks the deadline for the UCIs consultation on the future of professional road cycling. Rapha CEO Fran Millar: We are the originals, we started this The UCI launched the consultation in February to develop professional road cyclings long-term appeal. Although cycling is now hugely popular across five continents, its media coverage and the revenues generated for its stakeholders do not yet fully reflect its potential, the UCI said at the time. Cyclings international governing body said there has been several reforms in cycling that have helped to promote the development of the sport. But Millars foreword paints an alternate picture. Millar was the CEO of Ineos Grenadiers (now Netcompany Ineos Cycling Team) and then Belstaff before joining Rapha in September 2024. What struck me most coming back to cycling after four years is not how much has changed, but how much hasnt. When I left my role as CEO of the Ineos Grenadiers, the sport was debating reform. I returned to find the debate had gone backwards and that is deeply depressing, Millar writes in her foreword. She adds that the issues with the sport in The Rapha Roadmap seven years ago are the same problems identified by the UCIs consultation in 2026. She says the sport has an ineffectual governance system that often seems to prioritise self-preservation over growth. The questions haven't changed. But the answers haven't been implemented. And the sport can no longer afford the delay. We are living through times of extreme and rapid societal and technological change. Sports that understood this early and built a content strategy, data infrastructure and interactive communities have grown. Sports that didn't have watched their audiences age, fragment and their commercial value stagnate, she writes. Millar further highlights the growth and popularity of the womens professional sport. She says sports such as Womens Super League and the Womens Rugby World Cup show what was possible when the people running those sports stopped making excuses about audience size and started making the content that grows one. The time for endlessly debating and re-diagnosing the problem has passed. This consultation is an opportunity for action and change. I sincerely hope the UCI uses it this time, Millar says. Rapha worked with the original authors of the Roadmap, alongside cyclist and writer Joe Laverack, to review and update several of the proposals suggestions and recommendations. These suggestions include moving the Womens WorldTour to a closed-league system to aid economic predictability and long-term stability. The Roadmap also suggests equitable financial guardrails, such as a spending cap, for the mens WorldTour to counter super teams, which lead to a "competitive imbalance with only certain teams dominating results. You can read the updated proposals on Raphas website. You may like Rapha reveals first kit collection with USA Cycling It is a painful decision: Rapha is closing five of its clubhouses Team Amanis latest Rapha kit celebrates East Africa as its womens squad targets Tour de France Femmes

If Tadej Pogacars 2026 season has made him look close to untouchable, Thijs Zonneveld believes there is still one team capable of making him uncomfortable. Not because they try to match his style, but because Team Visma | Lease a Bike have built an entire racing identity around refusing to race on...

Race officials are set to play a key role throughout 2026 Tour de Romandie, where time penalties, fines, and other sanctions can have a direct impact on both stage results and the overall general classification. This article tracks every Jury and Fines decision issued during the race. Updated daily,...

The speed of Paul Seixas rise has forced a conversation that was not supposed to happen this early. Still in the opening phase of his WorldTour career, the 19-year-old has already delivered results that place him among the most influential riders of the 2026 season. That has inevitably brought att...

Campaigners from President Catherine Connollys home city of Galway said this week that they are looking forward to seeing the President back on their bike.Before being elected as President last year, she cycled around Galway for transport reasons and was pictured arriving to campain events, to vote and at the election count centre by bicycle. The Galway Cycling Campaign were responding to a Dutch Cycling Embassy post on Bluesky, which pictured Dutch King Willem-Alexander cycling, and said: This Kings Day, were celebrating more than tradition, were celebrating leadership. When the King is seen on a bike, it sends a message: cycling isnt just for sport, its a normal mode of transport. So whether youre dressed in orange or enjoying the day, hop on your bike and join the movement.Quoting that post, the Galway Cycling Campaign said: No comment on kings, but the person elected as our President, used to be seen cycling around her beloved Galway. She is quoted in a newspaper as it being one thing she misses in her new role (which might invite the question as to why a Dutch King can cycle around his realm).In an interview published in the Galway City Tribune, a local newspaper, in December, President Connolly said: It is surreal having people protecting me. Its surreal, and it is difficult. And theyre absolutely lovely. I cant parse them enough.The newspaper then reported that President Connolly is working on a plan that will allow her to get back on her bicycle. The President told them: My mind still wants to slip out and go on the bike, put my clothes into the cleaners or run around and do my jobs.Id like to stay physically healthy. Ill keep up my swimming and any other exercise I can. Id like to go back to my rollerblading, but that might cause a bit of a [security] crisis, the President told the newspaper while laughing.IMAGE: Still from President Connolly: How The Race Was Won from RTE, which can be watched online on the RTE Player.

The 2026 Giro d'Italia will take place from the 8th to 31st of May. We take a look at the profiles of the first Grand Tour of the season, a race that will include stages in the Dolomites, Valle d'Aosta, a 40-kilometer flat individual time trial and also summit finishes in iconic climbs such as Block...

Trek has paid more than $300,000 in recent years to bridge prize money gaps for its womens riders, stepping in at races where payouts remain significantly lower than in the mens peloton. Between 2021 and 2025, the American manufacturer contributed approximately $308,000 in top ups for its Lidl-Tre...

Ornots cargo bib shorts just got better. The updated bibs feature a new compression fabric made from 57% recycled nylon, replacing the previous strap material.They also include several functional upgrades focused on rider comfort and utility. A high-density endurance chamois provides increased airflow and comfort during extended rides, while wider shoulder straps distribute weight more evenly to reduce pressure points. The cargo pocket system has been refined to lie flat when empty, maintaining the garments profile while remaining accessible for storage needs during rides.Additional design elements include dyed-to-match leg grippers for a uniform appearance. The womens short gets a drop tail feature to facilitate bathroom breaks, which is accomplished by a low cut back panel (without the rear cargo pockets on the mens) with vertical straps that are tied together up at the shoulders. The bibs will be available in four colorwaysBlack, Midnight Blue, Slate, and Plumwith identical options for both mens and womens models. All colors feature 35 UPF sun protection and are made in Albania. The 2026 Cargo Bibs carry a retail price of $228, positioning them as a premium short without crossing into the $300-400 ultra premium territory. Available now. ornotbike.comThe post Ornot Cargo Bibs Get Updated with New Straps & Chamois for Improved Comfort appeared first on Bikerumor.

Crashes, illness, and withdrawals are an unavoidable part of any stage race, and the 2026 Tour de Romandie 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 classification...