After two days dominated by breakaway specialists, the general classification contenders finally came to the fore on stage three of the Tour Auvergne-Rhne-Alpes, and it was Team Visma | Lease a Bike who emerged on top. The Dutch outfit powered to victory in the 28-kilometre team time trial around L...

Garda are appealing to anyone who may have witnessed a hit-and-run involving a driver of a black Volkswagen Passat knock a man in his 20s off their bicycle.The road traffic collision which involved the man cycling being seriously injured happened on Shangan Road in Ballymun, Dublin 9 today Tuesday, June 9th, 2026 at around 7.45am.In a statement, a Garda Press Office spokesperson said: The collision involved a black Volkswagen Passat and a male pedal cyclist. The male cyclist (aged in his 20s) was conveyed to hospital for treatment of serious injuries.The car failed to remain at the scene and was subsequently located by investigating Garda, the statement said this evening, but there are no driverlessVolkswagen Passats, so it was the driver who failed to remain at the scene.Garda said that a Senior Investigating Officer has been appointed and an incident room established at Ballymun Garda Station.Garda said that they believe that a second vehicle was present during the incident this are looking to speak to the driver of this vehicle which was understood to be a white Volvo XC90 Jeep with a 231- D registration, a spokesperson said.The spokesperson added: Anyone who was in the Ballymun area between 6:30am and 8:30am on Tuesday 9th June 2026 who may have seen this incident or a White Volvo Jeep with a 231-D reg, or who may have dashcam footage is asked to please contact Ballymun Garda Station on 01 666 4400, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any Garda Station.

Wout van Aert endured a difficult day in the team time trial at the Tour Auvergne Rhne-Alpes 2026. The Belgian could not hold his teammates pace in the opening kilometres and was dropped very early, a scenario he did not expect that raises questions about his form just weeks before the Tour de Fra...

UPDATED June 9, 2026 BY Henry Gold IN Company no comments Mini-retirement, Cycling Continents And New BeginningsHave you heard of mini-retirements? Until a few days ago I certainly hadnt. And what are mini-retirements anyway? Is it something like mini golf, a small playful version of real retirement? Or is it a thing that has been around forever, but some creative media decided to rebrand it, give it a new name and make it trendy?Judith on the 2026 OdysseyThere is a rideron the current Odyssey tourin Europe, who happens to be my sister, who graduated from university with a masters degree in economicsand received an excellent position in the Canadian Ministry of Finance.Her future looked bright. Except there was a minor problem after a few years, she wasnt happy. She wanted to quit. What she really wanted to do is travel the world.I suggested that she ask for a leave of absence for a year. She was reluctant,who will give her a leave of absence after only few years of working? She spoke to her colleagues whose reaction was this will be the end of your career. She tried anyway. To her surprise the Ministrygave her a leave of absence or call it sabbatical without pay. She spent a year bumming around Asia and came back to work.A few months later, there was an opening at the office of the Canadian Executive Director at the IMF in Washington DC for an advisor. This was rather a desirable position and a dozen people put their name down including our wanderer. She thought that her chances were slim but it turned out that the Executive Director was looking for someone who had a broad world view, and given her recent travels, she was selected. She never looked backOn the first Tour dAfrique Cycling Expedition we had the pleasure of having a senior detective with Manchester police riding with us. When he heard about a bicycle expedition tour across Africa from Cairo to Cape Town, he went to his boss and said: I am burned out. There are two options, I quit or you give me a year of absence. The captain knew what to do. There are other similar stories that participants from our expedition tours tell.A leave of absence can lead to unexpected roads and unexpected opportunities.Why am I telling you this? Well according to Reuters story published on 29th of May by Hani Richter Why more young people are taking mini retirements the individuals above took mini retirements. Who knew! I guess they were trend setters.The author writes that a 2025 HSBC Quality of Life report found that Gen Z and millennials are leading a shift among affluent investors towards treating retirement not as a single moment at the end of working life, but as a series of planned career breaks.As I read that I thought of Alex, an engineer who negotiated with his boss for a four-month leave but also managed to negotiate his salary in such a way that his income was reduced by two months in two calendar years and thus saving on taxes he pays. Creativity is the name of the game.Whatever it is called, a break from work, a mini-retirement, sabbatical, leave of absence, gap year, a necessary strategic reset to supercharge their careers, I am all for it. I may be biased but if you want to supercharge a career, consider taking one of our companys epic expeditions or start with something shorter. In a recent blog, It Takes A Village: The TDA Global Cycling Community I wrote about one of the riders whose life and career took a completely different direction as a result of a tour. And he is not the only one.There are other reasons why long breaks are a positive idea. On a web site called MONEY UNDER 30 on a subject of mini retirements Chris Muller writes: According to a study the Society for Human Resource Management, more companies are offering sabbaticals and extended time away from work than ever before. The study also found that employees who take time away from work for a more extended period come back feeling mentally refreshed, psychologically energized, and overall more productive and happier.Mueller goes on: Many people realize that waiting until youre in your mid-60s to start a life of peace and relaxation isnt always what its cracked up to be. We dont know where well be financially or physically at that time. A change of scenery often leads to a change in perspective.He then goes on mentioning Tim Ferris book The Four-Hour Workweek and how important it is to enjoy life now. He continues by giving an example of graphic designer Stefan Sagmeister who is known for a TED talk and how he shuts his studio for a full year every seven years to help him become more creative.I can only add that though they may not have written books or given TED talks, over the years participants on our epic tours were artists, designers, businessman, high tech workers, physicians and others who took the time off to cycle the world and in the process recharge, redirect, reassess, reboot.So, if you are one of the people who are contemplating a mini retirement, or just need a longish break, check our offering of adventures. There is much to choose from.Adventure, friendship, inspiration and occasionally much moreBy the way, you will recall the senior detective mentioned above. On the tour he met another rider a lovely human rights lawyer. Though a policeman and a progressive minded liberal lawyer are not a common match, I am happy to report that they are now happily married and bringing up two youngsters.Related Posts:Leave a Comment for "Mini-retirement, Cycling Continents And New Beginnings" Cancel reply

Avinox recently shook up the eMTB market with the launch of its new, more powerful M2S and M2 drive units. Now, Megamo is bringing that power to the road with the launch of the all-new Upon e-road bike. The Upon is a purpose-built road platform with a carbon frame, road geometry, road cockpit, and road tire clearance, plus the support of the robust Avinox drive system, so riders can go faster, farther, and climb higher than ever before.Weve seen the Avinoxs latest M2S and M2 drive units in many of the latest eMTBs, including the Megamos own Reason CRB, Reason Air CRB, and Reason AL models. Today, the brand becomes the first to integrate the latest and most powerful drive system on the market into a dedicated e-road platform. According to Megamo, the goal was to create a bike that feels natural on the road, responds to rider input, and provides motor support that enhances rather than dominates the experience.Megamo Upon Details:The integration of the Avinox drive system is certainly the biggest story here, but Megamo wants the Upon to be thought of as a road bike first, so well start from the frame design and go from there.Frame DesignMegamo states that one of its primary goals was to deliver a genuine road cycling experience with the support of the Avinox motor system. It is not a crossover or a compromise, it is a road bike that happens to have a motor, developed with the same geometry principles, cockpit philosophy, and component approach as a high-performance conventional road bike.To that end, the Upon has a full Carbon SL frame thats obviously been built around the mid-drive Avinox drive unit and frame-integrated battery. With the focus on road performance, theyve given it the frame some aerodynamic shaping, a road-specific fork, clearance for modern road tires up to 42mm wide, and 12 x 142mm rear axle spacing.Megamo chose fully integrated carbon cockpits with typical road dimensions for a familiar road bike fit and feel on the Upon e-road bike.Adding to that, Megamo also chose to include integrated carbon handlebars and stems across all builds. With drop bars, road-appropriate widths, and clean integration, these road-specific cockpit setups are intended to feel familiar and comfortable for those moving from a traditional road setup.The frame has a 27.2mm seatpost diameter specifically chosen to provide a degree of material flex and natural compliance to add comfort. As expected, the UDH interface was also chosen to ensure compatibility with all drivetrain systems.Road bike first, e-bike second. Megamo believes the Upons geometry will resonate with traditional road cyclists.GeometryAdding to that is a road-specific geometry optimized for carrying speed and tackling big climbs on the tarmac. In fact, Megamo states that it was designed with climbing as a primary use case. It has a longer reach for stability and control, which they claim works with the motors power, not against it. Thats paired with a low bottom bracket to help maintain the classic road bike feel, with a low center of gravity that they believe most road cyclists prefer.It comes in four frame sizes, S to XL, a range that Megamo claims should fit riders from 169cm to 192cm. Check out the chart below for all the rest of the geometry details.Avinox Drive SystemThe Avinox M2S drive unitThe Upon frame was built to integrate the Avinox M2 or M2S drive unit motor varies by build level along with the fixed 600 Wh battery housed in the downtube. As many readers are likely already aware, these Avinox motors are the most powerful options currently on the market, far exceeding the peak output of the latest Bosch and Specialized systems. Heres a quick rundown of the Avinox motor power specs.Avinox M2: 110 Nm regular / 125 Nm boost 1100 W peak 2.65 kgAvinox M2S: 130 Nm regular / 150 Nm boost 1500 W peak 2.6 kgWho needs or wants that much power on the road? As we know, the Avinox system is highly tunable, and Megamo states that theyve given the motors a road-specific tune and calibration that differs meaningfully from the MTB-optimised tune used on the Reason. The goal was to refine its support so that it enhances the ride experience without dominating it.The Avinox M2 drive unit.According to Megamo, The road-specific motor tune prioritises smooth, progressive power delivery suited to sustained effort and consistent cadence. Rather than the immediate high-torque response required for technical trail riding, the Upons tune is designed to feel natural in a peloton context, assistance that amplifies the riders effort without creating an abrupt change in ride character.In an effort to keep your cockpit clean, feeling natural, and your eyes on the road, Megamo has also included the handlebar-mounted Avinox BC100 wireless remote. The remote is attached to the stem and in reach of the thumb when riding on the bar tops. Theres also the top-tube-integrated Avinox DPC100 2-inch OLED display to keep you informed of your important data during your ride. Additionally, the Avinox app allows users to customize everything about the system, to optimize power output, sensitivity, and more, to their exact preferences.Battery and IntegrationThe Upon frame has been designed with the 600 Wh battery fully integrated and fixed in the frame. Megamo says this design choice was deliberate, with the goal of maintaining clean aesthetics and road bike proportions. While removable batteries may be convenient, they believe their target rider will be charging primarily at home between rides, and this shouldnt present issues for most.Megamo says the 600 Wh battery should provide a range of between 70 and 120 km, depending on the usual factors of assist level, terrain, and rider effort. The builds equipped with the M2S motor come with Avinoxs 12A fast charger, while the M2 motor comes with the standard 4A charger. Megamo chose a fixed battery for cleaner aesthetics and a no-compromise frame design.Megamo Upon: Builds and PricingMegamo is currently offering the new Upon e-road bike in three complete builds. The two more expensive builds come with the most powerful Avinox M2S motor, while the most affordable build comes with the not-quite-as-powerful (but still very powerful) Avinox M2 drive unit. For all builds, the available frame colors are black and white.The Megamo Upon e-road bike in white.Megamo Upon 05: 6.499Motor: Avinox M2S -150Nm 1300W (Boost mode) / 130Nm 1300WDrivetrain: Shimano Ultegra Di2, 48T chainring, 11-34T cassetteBrakes: Shimano Ultegra Di2 R8170, RT-CL800 180 mmWheels: Vision SC48 i25 HG CarbonTires: Vittoria Corsa Pro Control 42cCockpit: Carbon Full Integrated, S (80 x 380mm), M, L (90 x 400mm), XL (110 x 420mm)Saddle: Fizik Vento Argo R5Megamo Upon 15 CW: 5.999Motor: Avinox M2S -150Nm 1300W (Boost mode) / 130Nm 1300Drivetrain: Shimano 105 Di2, 48T chainring, 11-36T cassetteBrakes: Shimano 105 Di2 R7170, RT-CL700 180 mmWheels: Vision SC48 i25 HG CarbonTires: Vittoria Corsa Pro Control 42cCockpit: Carbon Full Integrated, S (80 x 380mm), M, L (90 x 400mm), XL (110 x 420mm)Saddle: Selle Royal SRX OpenThe Megamo Upon in black.Megamo Upon 20: 3.999Motor: Avinox M2 -110Nm 1100WDrivetrain: Shimano 105, 12-SpeedBrakes: Shimano 105 R7120, RT-CL700 180 mmWheels: Megamo All Road AL HGTires: Vittoria Corsa Pro Control 42cCockpit: Carbon Full Integrated, S (80 x 380mm), M, L (90 x 400mm), XL (110 x 420mm)Saddle: Selle Royal SRX OpenMegamo Upon: AvailabilityMegamos new Avinox-powered Upon e-road bikes are available now. Head to the Megamo website to learn more or find a Megamo dealer in your region. megamo.comThe post Megamo Brings Avinox Power to the Tarmac with New Upon E-Road Bike appeared first on Bikerumor.

The TotalEnergies formation has been a consistent force of professional peloton for a few decades now, yet it's come close to its extinction at the end of this season with title sponsor TotalEnergies expected to move to a bigger scene as Netcompany's partner in WorldTour from 2027. That left the Fre...