David Gaudu was once the French climber who looked closest to turning home hope into a Tour de France podium challenge. Four years after finishing 4th overall at the 2022 edition, the Groupama - FDJ United rider is now reportedly set to miss the race altogether. The 29-year-old is unlikely to be sel...

Despite rough weather on the first day, the annual Bicycle Adventure Meeting (BAM!), welcomed nearly 10,000 people to the 2026 event in northern Italy for three days dedicated to celebrating all things bicycle-related. Two German artists, Arkadij and Jule, pedaled and painted 1,300 kilometers through Italy to the event where they presented their work. Find a written recap from Jule and an inspiring collection of photos from the organizers here...The post The Road to BAM: Painting Our Way Across Italy appeared first on BIKEPACKING.com.

A new Canyon Aeroad has been spotted at Eurobike, with the brand saying the unreleased aero bike has broken the sub-200 watts barrier in TOUR magazine's wind-tunnel testing. The new bike is said to have recorded 198W of drag, which the German brand puts down to the new CP0053 Race cockpit, designed for its pro racers to enable a longer, lower and more aerodynamic position. It's the same V-shaped, carbon monocoque bar that debuted on Mathieu van der Poel's new Endurace CFR earlier this year. While Canyon hasn't officially launched this bike yet, the display at the brand's Eurobike stand says the new cockpit is 120g lighter and two watts faster in the wind tunnel compared to the existing CP0048 Pace Bar, with its modular design and 'Gear Grooves'. As for the new Aeroad, Canyon's director of communications, Ben Hillsdon, remained tight-lipped, other than saying: "Simply put, this is the fastest Tour bike you can buy". The new Race Bar also has the option of an integrated computer mount. Nick Clark / Our Media Away from the handlebar, the bike looks to have been given various subtle updates, despite retaining a similar silhouette to the previous generation. It features a new dropout that is UDH-compatible, with the Aeroad CFR LTD on display making use of the Universal Derailleur Hanger thanks to the presence of SRAM's Red XPLR 1x groupset, although there is the option of running a double chainring. The new frame features SRAM's Universal Derailleur Hanger. Nick Clark / Our Media Canyon also says the bike features a world-class stiffness-to-weight ratio, but we assume more will be revealed when it is released formally. This CFR LTD edition also features DT Swiss ARC 1100 65mm wheels, booted in Continental's GP5000 S tyres. We'll bring you more on the new Aeroad when Canyon officially lifts the lid on the bike in the coming days. This 1x model features a cap over the front derailleur bolts. Nick Clark / Our Media The frame has a similar silhouette to the outgoing model. Nick Clark / Our Media More from Eurobike This Chinese brand looks set to revolutionise ebike motors and it's not Avinox 'Challenging what is possible': new Avinox MC Concept motor with integrated gearbox and regenerative braking spotted at Eurobike Supernova Superdropper is 'world's first dropper post with integrated tail light'

The UK is in the grip of an intense record-breaking heatwave, and temperatures have hit as high as 34 degrees, and more. The rarely seen red weather warning for extreme heat has been extended further in parts of England and Wales, and is now predicted to last into the weekend.If you're an indoor cyclist, you'll know that a high-quality fan for indoor cycling is already an absolute must, and that's just in normal temperatures. With the Amazon Prime Day sale running, I had a search for a better fan to improve my ride set-up (which could also double up as a normal fan). There are plenty to choose from, but an eye-catching fan that's specifically designed for cyclists is the Wahoo Kickr Headwind.Right now, the Wahoo Kickr Headwind is reduced by 15%, which means you can pick it up for just 194.99. That's 35 off the usual 224.99, and as it's loaded with loads of smart tech you'd expect from the Atlanta-based fitness giants, it makes for an appealing Prime Day purchase. Although I'm sure a high-quality industrial fan will do a similar job, the Headwind just looks cooler, especially if you're already in the Wahoo ecosystem.For US Amazon Prime Day shoppers, the deal is also 15% off, down from $319.99 to shoppers to $271.99.If you're not looking for a fan (why not?), then our Prime Day Live Blog is the place to check out all the best cycling deals, and our band of deal hunters will be updating this as we find the best reductions. Amazon Prime Day runs until June 26.Save 15%The first-ever smart fan designed with the cyclist in mind. Its Targeted Airflow Pattern mirrors the shape and position of a cyclist's body while riding. It's also sensor-controlled, so as your speed or heart rate increases, so will the fan speed. There are also 4 manual speed settings, which can hit 30 mph (48 kph), which means it's perfect for keeping you cool even when you're not on the bike.Read our fullWahoo Kickr Headwind Review.View DealSave 15%The Headwind is also on offer in the US, and has the same 15% discount for Prime Day.Read our fullWahoo Kickr Headwind Review.View DealThe Wahoo Kickr Headwind has four manual settings for maximum coolin, on or off the bike. (Image credit: Simon Smythe/Cycling Weekly)Launched in 2018, in our original Wahoo Kickr Headwind review, we scored it with a respectable 3.5 out of 5 stars. At the time, we noted that although it performed brilliantly, it was fairly expensive for just a fan. Saying that it's gone through many changes since then, and the smart tech has increased with features that can justify the price tag. A new Adaptive Cooling Mode, which ramps up with power and ramps down with a rider's heart rate, is a highlight, and the Targeted Airflow Pattern is also designed to mirror the shape and position of a cyclist's body while riding.Connectivity is also on par with the best bike computers, and ANT+ and Bluetooth mean you can connect a heart rate monitor, speed sensors, and the best smart trainers directly to the fan. As your speed or heart rate increases, so will the fan speed. For non-bike use, there are also 4 manual speed settings, should you want to set your own ideal airflow. You can control the fan directly from your smartphone via the Wahoo app, and with speeds of over 30 mph (48 kph), the Headwind will keep you cool during the hottest temperatures and also the toughest training sessions.

Cyclings most controversial figure is being brought back into the Tour de France conversation, with NBC confirming Lance Armstrongs return to its US coverage of the 2026 race through Peacocks post-stage show The Move. Armstrong remains banned from sanctioned cycling and was stripped of the seven...

The go-to option for riders taking on the Tour Divide, the Vittoria Mezcal has a reputation for offering an ideal balance of speed and grip and is one of the brands most recognizable models. Last fall, Vittoria released a new version of the tire, expanding its compounds with new XC Race, XC Trail, and Adventure models. Nic spent the past six months on the Mezcals and shares his in-depth review belowThe post Vittoria Mezcal Review appeared first on BIKEPACKING.com.

It was 20 years ago that the bicycle was voted the best invention ever in a BBC poll, taking 59% of the vote ahead of the radio, internet and nuclear power. Its appeal and value lie largely in its simplicity and affordability and while the humble bicycle is now more than 130 years old, it has been constantly refined in an effort to make it, perhaps, a little less humble. Some of these efforts have proved revolutionary; others failed to make the grade. While the derailleur, high-pressure valves, and clipless pedals became cycling staples, other innovations showed early promise but never took off, or were snuffed out by circumstance. We take a look back at the tech that fell by the wayside and ponder which new creations might, or might not, break the mould in coming years.1. Shimano Biopace chainrings(Image credit: Shimano)For a time in the Eighties and early Nineties, there was something that did not look quite right about a vast range of off-the-peg road bikes. The standard bicycle has grown up with a comforting triangles-and-circles aesthetic that was now being challenged by the industry giant that was Shimano with an oval chainset. Except it wasn't oval, not exactly. The less wieldy but more accurate description would be non-round, and it was called Biopace. Its non-conforming shape, which was somewhere between an egg and a square, was designed to improve pedalling efficiency by ironing out the dead spot over the top of the crank revolution, where power is much harder to put down.Launched in 1983, it was embraced by many, attracted to the futuristic new look. The design snowballed to a point that, in the early Nineties, many road and mountain bikes came specced as standard with Biopace. So what went wrong? Bike tech expert, the late Sheldon Brown, said that Shimano shot itself in the foot by overcomplicating the marketing in particular the claim that Biopace was optimised for a cadence of 90rpm. Many interpreted this as an indication that Biopace chainrings would somehow interfere with pedalling faster than that," Brown wrote. "[and] the conventional wisdom arose that Biopace was bad for high-performance cyclists for this reason."More recently non-round rings made a reappearance, with Sir Bradley Wiggins even winning the Tour de France on his Osymetric rings, and Chris Froome using them too. Did they really boost performance? According to then-Team Sky head of performance Tim Kerrison, "performance-wise, there is very little in it either way". It wasn't a team policy, he said, just a personal rider preference.2. Campagnolo Delta brakes(Image credit: Future)There was a lot to love about racing bikes in the Eighties, at least 50% of which was all the gorgeous polished alloy that hung on them (the other 50%, of course, were the lithe steel frames that held all the shiny bits). Groupsets were a thing of beauty that were being refined aesthetically with each new iteration and then, in 1985, Campagnolo raised the game with its Delta brake. Known officially as the C-Record brake, the Delta got its nickname from its triangular shape (like the Greek letter) and was famously bad at actually doing what it was designed to do stopping the bike. However, it looked beautiful. Unlikely as it sounds today, there are numerous groupset components from the Seventies and Eighties that might be referred to as iconic and few would omit the Delta from that list.Beneath a polished alloy cover adorned with the Campagnolo logo nestled a series of pivoting arms that the Italian firm called an articulated parallelogram. Between 1985 and its eventual demise in 1992, the Delta was released in five iterations, including a lower-tier Croce d'Aune edition. It has been labelled 'the greatest worst brake ever' by Bicycling, which probably sums it up rather well. Either way, it still has a dedicated following, as eBay prices of 1,000 and upwards for a NOS brakes attest.3. Direct mount brakesWhile we're on rim brake systems Theyve slowly improved over the years, and despite the advent of discs, rim brakes have very much stood the test of time. We've seen them offered in all sorts of formats, from early rod brakes to the dual-pivot design most modern riders have used, or at least seen perhaps on the group ride, along with a sticker proclaiming I heart rim brakes or similar. While the trusty dual-pivot is the modern iteration, direct mount saw it refined even further. Unfortunately it was a design that came along just in time for cycle manufacturers to embrace disc technology.The direct mount design is very similar to that of the dual pivot but instead of those pivots using the standard centre bolt, they are both mounted to the frame either side of the fork or seatstay, effectively bracing the brake across the rim. This means less flex and, as a result, better modulation. They are also more accommodating of wider tyre size than the standard-drop dual pivot, but only up to a point. 30mm, for example, so don't go looking for a gravel bike with direct mount brakes.Unlike Shimano Biopace rings or Campagnolo Delta brakes, direct mount brakes can still be bought brand new to service the plentiful frames fitted with the appropriate bosses. Thus, they have far from died off, but the advent of disc brakes means they've not thrived as they otherwise might have done.4. Shimano Octalink and ISISAnyone with a long enough memory to recall using square-tapered cranks may well also recall how vulnerable this system rendered your beautiful but rather soft alloy cranks either from the bottom bracket spindle itself, or the tool used to remove them. The issue was that the cranks were effectively wedged onto the tapered spindle, with the mechanic's own judgement usually the only measure of how aggressively this should be done. Not enough, and the crank could work loose midway through a ride, and any attempt to ride gingerly home with a loose crank could easily round-out the square hole, rendering it useless. Alternatively, tightening the crank too hard could lead to the opposing problem a crank that was an absolute brute to remove, with threads that could readily be stripped out by the removal tool. Again, a useless crank was the result.Surprisingly, square-taper cranks lasted more than 50 years by the time they began to be phased out.In their place came Octalink (a Shimano offering) and ISIS (International Spline Interface Standard), which was essentially open source. Unlike the square taper, the cranks were mounted rather than wedged onto a splined axle, meaning users were able to remove the cranks without losing their dignity or turning the air blue.Like direct mount brakes and square taper bottom brackets, there is still a market for both these splined BB standards so they are still sold. However, the 'big three' groupset manufacturers now predominantly use a design that sees the axle mounted to the cranks and the bearings mounted to the bike.5. Shimano Flight Deck with gear sensorThe idea of having a display indicating what gear you're riding in sounds as though it ought to be appealing. After all, if you add up all the time spent looking down at your sprockets over the course of a ride, it would likely amount to an alarmingly substantial portion of it looking in precisely the opposite direction to where you're supposed to.Shimano's Flight Deck, introduced in 1998 with the 25th anniversary Dura-Ace groupset, in theory did away with all that. It plugged into the STI levers and could display current gear and cadence, as well as the more usual metrics like speed, time and distance. Nearly 30 years ago, such a gadget was pretty much akin to wizardry and, along with Campagnolo's arguably better Ergobrain unit, had plenty of buyers. However, set-up required Olympian levels of patience, and even once that was done, not everyone got on well with it. Opinions from one selection of users ranged from 'ultimate cool' to 'the best thing I ever did for my bike was take off the Flight Deck and chuck it in the bin'.It was ultimately killed off by the advent of GPS units, and somehow nobody missed having a computer to remind them what gear they were in although it is a feature that has made a resurgence in modern head-units.6. Mavic Zap and Mektronic(Image credit: Mavic)The rise and fall of the then-ultra-futuristic Mavic Zap rear derailleur brings to mind the immortal line from Back to the Future, as protagonist Marty McFly attempts to explain away his before-its-time rendition of Johnny B. Goode: "I guess you guys aren't ready for that yet but your kids are gonna love it". Electronic gearing like Shimano Di2 and SRAM AXS is, after all, unfailingly popular with modern riders but back in the early Nineties it was a step too far.There were, perhaps, a few reasons why Mavic's early attempt did not gain the traction it might have. For one, unlike the modern electronic mechs, the grey and rather ugly Mavic Zap looked like it was from another planet compared to the standard polished groupset fare.Then there was the famously lofty price tag, and the fact it was made by a brand less popular as a groupset manufacturer (the Zap came as part of a full groupset that looked otherwise rather lovely). While Chris Boardman rode a Zap to Tour de France prologue victory in 1994, the wider buying public were less enamoured. The French brand tried again with the wireless Mektronic in the late Nineties, but it wasn't until 10 years after that, when Shimano introduced Di2, that electronic shifting began to catch on.7. Spinergy Rev-XThe spectrum of mid-ride component breakages ranges from inconvenient at one end to catastrophic at the other. Wheels are at the extreme end of the latter. The closest I've come personally to this happening is having a worn rear rim surface blow out less than half a mile from home. I might consider myself lucky though, given I was for a time the owner of a pair of Spinergy Rev-X eight-spoke wheels.These Nineties hoops were described by a former colleague as the James Dean of wheels, with a dangerous look and an even more dangerous reputation. From a distance these appeared to have four wide-bladed carbon spokes, but there were in fact eight, bonded in pairs. They looked great, and they were very fast, but they had a reputation for failing under the rider.That didn't stop their use in the pro peloton for a time, which yielded various stories of their blade-like spokes inflicting injury in crashes. Eventually, in 2001, they were banned by the UCI after failing to meet updated impact test regs. Perhaps surprisingly, they continue to have a keen following and, if you really want, you can buy yourself a pair on eBay for a few hundred quid.What comes next?New airbag clothing in action (Image credit: Van Rysel)It is hard to imagine a top-tier modern bicycle feeling antiquated but it's written, indelibly, in the stars. As new technologies and new science come down the line, the future becomes current, and current becomes old. But what exactly might those new technologies look like? Here are five things that could happen or perhaps already are to some degree. Whether they are eventually written about in years to come in a feature about technology that never made it, only time will tell.14-speed cassettes: currently, none of the 'big three' produce such a thing, though Campagnolo and SRAM are currently on 13 and Shimano, by all accounts, is almost there too. However, a 14-speed option available from Chinese brand Wheeltop shows it can be done it's hard to imagine the big brands not following suit eventually.Suspension tech in road bikes: with tyres get bigger and roads more poorly maintained, bike riders are beginning to realise that a lack of comfort is not inevitable. Elastomer-type road damping has been around for a long time on road bikes like the Specialized Roubaix and now, with the advent of all-road and recreational riders being less in thrall to pro peloton tech, expect to see more suspension options.Abrasion-resistant clothing: crashes happen, and road rash is never fun. Cycling togs from the likes of Ekoi and Santini now feature in-woven abrasion-resistant fabrics to protect against tearing and grazes. While they're not a magic bullet against crash damage, any reduction in injury has to be a good thing. Airbag tech: Still on crash protection, if you ever looked at the Michelin Man and thought he'd be well protected in the event of an 'off', you might be interested in one of the latest and most futuristic developments in cycling airbag clothing. Already garments from the likes of Decathlon/In&Motion and Aerobag offer airbag vests for cyclists that can detect a fall happening and deploy instantly. Not particularly aerodynamic, but definitely more cushioned in a crash.On-the-fly AI coaching: Should you go for that last interval set? Is today even an interval day? With AI already able to design coaching programmes, we can expect a system somewhere down the line that allows a wearable to interact with your head unit and advise you, in real time, on the course your ride should take using your own physiological data to urge you on to greater efforts, or tell you that today, discretion is the better part of valour.

Well, this is one way to bury the lead.Treks new documentary, The Journey: The Untold Story of Trek, is mostly a look back, the barn, the early days, the Waterloo roots, the people, the wins, the near-misses, the whole Trek origin story. But tucked into the background of one shot is something that looks a lot less like history and a lot more like a future wheel-size argument.Sitting behind Trek President John Burke, parked like its no big deal, appears to be a very large-wheeled Trek race bike. This thing looks like a proper race machine: super low negative stem, unknown suspension fork, a carbon frame that slightly resembles the 29 prototype that Trek Factory Racing is currently rolling and wheels that appear noticeably larger than the usual 29-inch setup.(Screenshot/YouTube)Could it be a weird camera angle? Sure.Could it be an internal test mule? Very possible.Could it be Trek quietly letting a 32-inch race prototype sit in frame during an official company documentary just to see who notices?Now were listening, and at the 37:00 mark, were watching closely. So, Are We Looking at a 32-Inch Trek?Thats the question.From the screenshot, the bike appears to have a very large front wheel relative to the frame and the other wheels in the room. The proportions look unusual compared to the way 29-inch bikes usually look weird. The bike in question has a tall front end, big hoop presence, and a frame that seems designed around making the wheel fit rather than just squeezing it in.Were not calling it confirmed. The image is blurry, the bike is in the background, and Trek has not announced a 32-inch XC race bike. But it does not look like an accidentand the timing makes this one worth a closer look.(Photo/Trek)Trek Factory Racing Is Already on a PlaceholderThis is where the background bike starts to feel a little less random.Trek Factory Racing is already racing a prototype placeholder (my words, not theirs) XC platform this season. That wording matters. A placeholder race bike is usually not the final answer. Its the bridge. Its the thing you race while the next thing gets finished, tested, broken, fixed, and argued over in meetings.That makes 2026 feel like a development year.And if this large-wheeled bike in the documentary is connected to that development path, then 2027 could be the real target.Thats the spicy part.Theres a real possibility we could see Trek Factory Racing move heavily, maybe even exclusively, toward 32-inch wheels for 2027. We just saw a new Thomus 32 XC race bike land on a World Cup Short Track podium, and that was the first time one was raced in competition.For Trek, a 32 race bike would be a huge statement, especially from a brand with Treks XC pedigree and resources.If Trek goes all-in, the conversation changes overnight.Let me just guard this totally normal bike here. (Photo/Youtube)The Background Bike ProblemThe funniest part is how casual the whole thing looks.If this is a 32-inch prototype, its not presented like a reveal. Its not under dramatic lighting. Theres no slow-motion mechanic handoff. No close-up of a tire label or tagline.Its just there. Which somehow makes it more interesting.Wait a second.what the hell bike is this? Maybe Trek didnt mean for anyone to notice.Or Trek absolutely meant for people to notice. Someone in Waterloo is laughing right now because the bike nerds are zooming in on a documentary frame like its a crime scene photo. Maybe Ive had too much coffee this morning, and the plants are talking to meEither way, it worked.Between the large-wheeled race bike spotted in the background of Treks own documentary, Trek Factory Racing already competing on a prototype placeholder this season, and the possibility of a bigger 2027 race platform, theres enough smoke here to start looking for fire.If Trek is preparing to move its top XC program toward 32-inch wheels, that would be one of the biggest shifts in mountain bike race tech since 29ers took over the sharp end of XC.But maybe Trek just gave us a blurry little look at where XC is headed next.The next wheel-size war might already be sitting on a stand in Waterloo.The post Did Trek Just Hide a 32-Inch Race Bike in Its Own Documentary? appeared first on Bikerumor.

Four WorldTour teams and one ProTeam are currently involved in the pilot programme, which aims to explore whether analysis of power data can be used as an anti-doping tool

With the Tour de France around the corner, the duel between Jonas Vingegaard and Tadej Pogacar returns. And with it, the eternal debate: who will prevail after three weeks of racing? One arrives with more stage-race mileage, the other has focused on one-day classics without neglecting week-long stag...