Former pro Michael Rasmussen believes the Tour de France battle could take a decisive twist very soon, specifically on stage six when the race hits the Pyrenees. In that scenario, he sees scope for Tadej Pogacar to open significant gaps on Jonas Vingegaard. The day starts in Pau, packs around 4,100...

It can get mighty toasty out there, even here in the UK. Here's how to stay protected and comfortable

The rumours this spring were intense that Jhonatan Narvez might be leaving UAE Team Emirates - XRG and head back to Netcompany INEOS. However the tables have been turned, and the Ecuadorian's success over the past month and a half has helped him make a decision on his future seasons. A departure w...

Superb tyre if fast, dry gravel is your thing

Catalunya will host a landmark date for world cycling in 2026. For the third time in its history, the Tour de France will start from Spain, with a Grand Depart firmly rooted in Catalunya. From the 4th to 6th of July, the opening three days will race on Catalan roads before the peloton heads into Fra...

They say beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but sometimes the beholder also has cataracts, which is the only way anybody could possibly look at this thing and like what they see:He wishes he hadnt looked at the price, but I wish I hadnt looked at the bike, because dear Lob that thing is atrocious:Lug?Lug!?!This is what a lug should look like:The things holding that Bastion together look like something youd use to cook fish on the barbecue:Who the hell designed that thing, David Cronenberg?But hey, you cant put a price on exclusivity.Wait, actually you can, and its $27,000 Australian Quasi-Dollars:Bastions yearly output is limited to only 100 bikes, with each said to be individually engineered for the customer.That means the Panterra is not only very exclusive, its also going to be very elusive as each bike comes with a seven-month lead time.Pricing for the Panterra starts from AUD $27,000 or approximately 14,300 / $18,594 (plus shipping/local taxes).This seems like a really bad business model, because anybody paying that much money for a bike that ugly will demand the very latest technology, yet seven months is an eternity in Gravel Years, and at the current rate of progress every single thing about the Bastion will be obsolete before you even take delivery.Meanwhile, remember the woman who was going to circumnavigate the globe via bicycle, even though you totally cant circumnavigate the globe via bicycle?Well, shes already bailed, and apparently you can blame climate change:In fact between the climate change and equity the entire sport of cycling may be doomed:The spectre of climate change and rising temperatures has haunted cycling a sport played out in the great outdoors in recent years, with races increasingly susceptible to extreme weather conditionsOf course the Climate Apocalypse is already long past its due date:But remember that the Tour de France has only lasted this long because theyve gotten luckly:In a new paper, published today inScientific Reports, the researchers looked at the future of European outdoor summer sporting events through the lens of the past half century of the Tour de France, the country-crossing bike race acting as a near-perfect case study for the impact of climate change and extreme heatwaves on summer sport.Looking at the analysis, the study suggests the Tour has been, thus far, actually quite fortunate to avoid the historical July days featuring the highest heat. This is, of course, down to chance and ASO cannot hope to continue to be lucky enough to avoid extreme heatwaves and the most dangerous conditions.Oh, please. Theyve been putting on this ridiculous race since 1903, theyve basically got a small city following them, and they see more doctors during a single stage than most people visit in their entire lifetimes. Theyll be just fine.I mean sure, its already hot over there:In fact its the hottest spring since they started keeping track in 1900:France experienced its hottest spring since records began in 1900, marked by a scorching early heatwave at the end of May, the countrys weather service said on Tuesday, June 2. With an average temperature of 13.8C, this spring of 2026 is the warmest ever recorded, Mto France said in a briefing note covering the months of March through May. The season broke previous spring records set in 2011 and 2020, the weather service added.But if you think that sounds bad just check out what things were like in 1900:If the extreme heat didnt get you then the rabies certainly would:So basically, if you were attempting to circumnavigate the globe by bicycle in 1900, youd have to abandon in France because the air was too thick with soot from the cat crematoriums:Rabies is also extending itself to the thousands of more or less wild cats which infest the fortifications and the great cemeteries of Paris. To exterminate this pest some energetic measures have recently been taken. At Pre La Chaise traps are set every night, and many cats are found caught in them the following morning by the cemetery guardians as they make their rounds. Poor pussys fate is then rather a cruel one. A cat has nine lives, and a cemetery guardians time is limited. So to settle the matter outright the guardian throws pussy still alive into the crematorium, where the heat is intense enough to get the better of the most tenacious existence quite quickly. Of course this practice has called forth violent denunciations from the lovers of animals, and I have no wish to defend it. I only trust that sentiment may not go too far, and that the plague of mad cats and mad dogs from which we are now suffering may soon be ended.Yet only three years later they kicked off this whole Tour de France thing, and the very first stage was 467 kilometers long:The roads sucked, the bikes sucked, and it was hot as balls, but at least it beat sweeping chimneys:So basically if you were lucky enough to survive the heat and the rabies then maybe you could get a job sweeping out the chimney at the cat crematorium and then spend the summer riding a fixed-gear bicycle around the entire country of France, win, and use the prize money to buy a gas station. (I believe thats what he ended up doing.)Thats not to say I dont worry about the future, but today were better off in pretty much every way, and the only thing that truly terrifies me about tomorrow is the bikes:First it was the AI road bike, now its the double decker 32-inch mountain bike:Hmm, if only there were already a type of handlebar that offered multiple hand positions Maybe it could also be paired with a wheel size that didnt require the bar to be integrated into the headtube.No, that would be crazy, what am I even thinking?

A curious, maybe portentous, image emerged from last week's racing at the Tour de Suisse. As the race passes through a postcard-beautiful riverside town, the spectators are nowhere to be seen until you look carefully. Then they appear, sheltering in small groups in dark spots beneath trees and among bushes not from the rain, but from the blazing sun.It may not have escaped your notice that a blanket of scorching heat is currently being wafted across Europe. Unusually high temperatures approaching 40degC (100.4deg F) have been forecast for the UK and for Spain, while France, on the eve of the world's biggest bike race, has already suffered temperatures above 43C (109.4F). Scorching, oven-ready readings that add up to 50% to the seasonal average.In my very British experience, I can vouch that people get rather excited when the mercury starts to rise. 'Only mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun', as the saying goes, and there's probably some truth in it likely a symptom of living in a country where grey skies are the default setting and, a bit like when it snows, many of us feel a certain amount of childish glee when the UV rises.But temperatures like this deserve to be taken seriously, as a resultant and tragic 20 deaths across France would attest.If you're planning on spectating at a bike race this summer, you might want to go prepared. The current heatwave may not last into August, but that isn't to say another won't come along, while temperatures in-between spikes may remain high.Dangers include sunburn, which with some planning can be mitigated for, and heatstroke, which is less predictable and poses immediate danger to life.In the UK, the NHS advises against going outside in hot weather between 11am-3pm as a heatstroke avoidance tactic. Unfortunately, when it comes to spectating at a race like the Tour de France, that is exactly the time bracket that's likely to see you out under the sun. With the surrounding roads closed and the time between the famed Tour caravan arriving and the passage of the riders usually around two hours, it's no quick out-and-in deal either. We're probably all sufficiently well-versed in sunburn prevention tactics. High SPF cream reapplied at intervals, hats and shady spots. Take it seriously and there's a good chance you can avoid the beetroot look.Heatstroke on the other hand is caused when the body overheats and is unable to regulate itself, and can be fatal. It's also a very good reason to avoid any open and unsheltered spots from which to watch a bike race. If you start to feel ill and you're a 30 minute walk from shelter, you could find yourself in trouble of the most serious sort.If you're determined to go watch a race and nothing not even the ramblings of a Cycling Weekly writer is going to persuade you otherwise, pick a town to do it from. Here, you are more likely to find air-conditioned shops that you can shelter in when you need to and will be genuinely cool, unlike a patch of shade under a tree. You'll also be able to find extra supplies and cold drinks, although given you'll need to take hydration as seriously as the riders, you'll no doubt have plenty packed already.If watching a bike race isn't on your radar this summer, that doesn't mean you're off the hook. Everything from family picnics to short rides is going to require the same kind of planning, and consideration as to whether you might be better off leaving it for a cooler day.And so concludes this public information message, coloured by the experience of an admittedly sun-cautious 50-something whose kids' devotion to daily UV ratings (higher the better, apparently), leaves him somewhat aghast. Stay safe out there.

Tobias Johannessen turned some heads with a blazing finish to theTour Auvergne-Rhne-Alpes as followed up a strong breakaway day with back-to-back general classification battles, but he doesn't necessarily want a repeat in the Tour de France. Uno-X Mobility know they have a genuine GC top ten conte...

With its massive frame triangle, mixed-wheel, plus-tire setup, unique front rack, and geometry unlike anything else in Konas lineup, the Unity doesnt follow the usual formula. After a couple of months of living with it, Logan shares his thoughts on one of the most interesting bikepacking bikes released in recent years. Find the full Kona Unity review hereThe post Kona Unity Review: Escaping Convention appeared first on BIKEPACKING.com.