Generally speaking, I dont go in for the whole The world is falling apart and humanity is doomed thing. Life is an ugly business, its human nature to be afraid, and the sense that weve somehow fallen from grace and are being cosmically punished from our misdeeds is so deeply ingrained in us that its the basis for the worlds most popular religions. Sure, theres scary stuff in the news, but if you really do think were somehow worse off than ever I bet youd feel differently if someone offered you a one-way ticket in a time machine.Still, even I cant ignore the sense of impending doom thats in the air right now. In fact, its feeling downright apocalyptic out there. For example, half the peloton has been smitten? smited? smote? by a manure-borne illness:If you thought conditions aboard the MV Hondius were unsanitary, just try a race in the Ardennes:Lotto said the riders may have been contaminated by cow manure on the Ardennes course, with wet roads causing excrement to be splashed on to riders.Although the exact cause has not yet been confirmed, campylobacter a type of bacteria responsible for gastrointestinal infections is suspected to be the source.If any of you have ever raced bicycles in New York City this will immediately sound familiar to you, as each lap of Central Park takes you through a stretch colloquially called Horseshit Alley, so-called because of the leavings of all the carriage horses, which you breathe deep into your lungs as you attempt to make your way to the front for the inevitable bunch sprint at the top of Cats Paw.I dont know if carriage horse manure also contains campylobacter, though that would be a great name for a new Campagnolo gravel group below Ekar, which also sounds like a bacteria:By the way, I told the AI to generate An advertisement for the new Campagnolo Lobacter electronic gravel bike drivetrain, and instead of giving me a messed-up image with dyslexic syntax as usual, it gave me the image above and asked me for more notes, so I told it to add that text. Horrifyingly, it pretty much nailed the Gravelista, right down to the dainty tattoos. Now Im truly frightened. I liked AI a lot more when I could laugh at it.Anyway, if that wasnt apocalyptic enough, the same article mentions that an Eddy Merckx monument has been vandalized:Not just vandalized but [intern, find me a dripping-blood font]decapitated:The Brussels municipality was alerted on Wednesday morning by local residents that the head of the sculpture, created by Stefaan De Croock, had been torn off.This is clearly a sign of the End of Days, though in the unlikely event that this is non-Biblical in nature I wonder if the police have spoken to Roger De Vlaeminck.Frightened yet? Well, earlier this week we met shroom-addled e-bike enthusiast Paul Stamets, the one-man Ben & Jerrys of Fungus, who was recently featured in a promotional video for Specializeds line of electrificated Levo line of bicycles:The idea may have been to open the doors of perception, but instead they seem to have unlatched a trap door causing the bottom to fall out, and now Specialized is slashing prices like Crazy Eddie*:*[Youll get the Crazy Eddie reference if you know what Horseshit Alley is.]Yes, prices across the entire industry are falling, falling, fallingto [Intern, find me a flaming letter font] HELL:Please note Im not telling you to buy a Lynskey or not to buy a Lynskey. Comments on this blog range from Greatest bike I ever owned to They break if you fart near them. All Im saying is theyre practically half-off:I mean there are closeouts on brand new bikes everywhere you look:Its spring and demand for bikes should be at its highest, yet it seems like you cant find a bike thats not discounted by at least a One Thousand American Fun Tickets:Are things really that bad for the bike industry? Is it possible for it to survive when theyre taking a grand off the price of a bike like its the reflectors? Theres even desperation in the used market, where sellers on Craigslist seem to be resorting to propaganda in order to convince you to buy a bike:I assume that was posted by whoever is selling this:Maybe the Apocalypse has already happened. Its the only reasonable explanation for that bike.

Long before the 2026 Giro dItalia has even reached the mountains, Jonathan Milan is already emerging as one of the defining stories of the race. Not simply because of his speed. Not only because he starts as favourite for the ciclamino jersey. But because, in the eyes of TNT Sports analyst Robbie M...

A mixed-depth aero wheelset that balances weight, stiffness, and cross-wind performance

Paul Magnier powered to victory on the opening stage of the 2026 Giro dItalia in Burgas, surviving a late crash-marred finale to hand Soudal - Quick-Step the first maglia rosa of this years race. The Frenchman emerged fastest from a reduced front group after a heavy crash inside the final kilometr...

Just a few weeks after seeing the new Sapim RC-1 spokes at Sea Otter, were getting a look at the first wheels to be built with them, along with more information about the spoke itself. The new Ursus Arya G gravel and all-road wheels are built around the new Sapim RC-1 PBO spokes connecting new rims and hubs. The combination debuted at Paris-Roubaix under Team Picnic-PostNL, helping smooth the cobbles thanks to the spokes ability to compress and absorb impacts.Whats PBO? Long before Bikerumor was a twinkle in Tylers eye, Spinergy used flexible PBO-fiber spokes to save considerable weight over that eras lightweight wheels. While that brand had its wins and losses in terms of product, the technology behind the spokes was sound and has occasionally been repurposed in the cycling world (and is still used in many lightweight wheelchair wheels).In contrast to carbon fiber spokes, PBO (Polyphenylene Bensobisoxazole) is a synthetic fiber from Applied Fiber thats flexible, but not stretchable. Meaning, PBO spokes allow the wheel to compress radially to soak up impacts and vibration, but not flex laterally.Sapims RC-1 spokes are just 1.9g each (260mm length) and are made of 16,000 PBO fiber filaments with a UV-resistant outer sheathing. They use specialized nipples that install and true like normal, but are ~5.5mm thick, requiring the rim to have slightly bigger holes.The spokes themselves are round, measuring 2.2mm in diameter, making them better suited for rough surface rides where aerodynamics play second fiddle to comfort and traction.The spokes arent just added onto existing parts. Ursus OmniTune System (OTS) means a custom build with the straight-pull Ursus U-RG60 hub using their Y-stars (2:1) lacing pattern, going to a 50mm deep, 31mm wide (external) carbon rim. Internal rim width is 25mm.This combination produced a massive 79.67% vibration reduction (in the lab, claimed) compared to their Proxima R50 model, yet remains agile with sharp handling, even on the chunk. Does it work? Heres what the team riders have to say:From the first moment I rode the Arya G on the cobbles during my recon rides for the Spring Classics, I immediately felt that sense of stability and reactivity, combined with the ability to absorb the harshness of the stones on the hardest sectors. Comfort is performance, says John Degenkolb, rider for Team Picnic-PostNL.Arya G is a truly innovative and fundamental tool for the team, because it allows us to tackle mixed surfaces at full intensity while keeping reactivity completely intact and delivering an exponential increase in comfort, adds Piet Rooijakkers, Team Picnic-PostNL R&D Expert.Running 21 spokes front and rear, the complete wheelset weighs 1,340g (40g). Hubs fit Center Lock discs. MSRP is 2,500 per pair, available with HG, XDR, Campagnolo/Ekar, and Microspline freehub bodies.Ursus.itThe post Ursus Arya G All-Road Wheels Are the First to Get New Sapim RC-1 Flexible Spokes appeared first on Bikerumor.

Only 11 riders contest finish in Burgas after peloton blocked by crash

Its impossible to work with this stress every day. Some of my colleagues are going crazy, one driver said, amid calls for tighter regulations which could see cyclists banned at certain times on popular roads like the famous Sa Calobra climb

Paul Magnier arrived at the 2026 Giro dItalia insisting this year would be different from his first appearance in the race twelve months ago. In 2025, the Frenchman described his Giro debut as a learning experience. This time, Soudal - Quick-Step travelled to Italy with a sprint team built around h...

The 32" Singular Pterodactyl is the latest bike from the UK-based brand design solely for riders taller than 5'10". With a carbon fork, titanium frame, and clearance for 32 x 2.5" tires, this massive rolling chassis is another addition to the rapidly growing 32" category. For more details on this new 32er, dive into the details below...The post The Singular Pterodactyl is a New 32-inch Monstercross Bike appeared first on BIKEPACKING.com.

The full general classification, along with the latest stage result, and the standings for the other jerseys