The 2026 Tour de France startlist is now complete, with Pinarello Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team becoming the final team to confirm their eight-rider lineup for Barcelona. Tom Pidcock leads the selection for the teams first-ever Tour de France, three years after the project was launched. Already a stage wi...

Do you think that you can build the ultimate Tour de France team? Or know some hidden gems that could star in the Grand Boucle? We've got just the fantasy cycling game for you. We've just launched CyclingUpToDate's FREE Tour de France Fantasy Manager to give you a chance to construct a team of Tour...

100 million of Shared Island funding described as Get-out-of-jail free card for NI Railways.Construction of elements of the Dart+ Coastal North is to be accelerated using the Shared Island funding, the Department of Transport has confirmed. The Shared Island funding is ring-fenced for investment that has North/South benefits. A Department spokesperson told this website that Construction is planned to commence next year and be completed by 2029.The Dart+ elements being fast-tracked are signalling upgrades, a turnback facility at Malahide station, and a track loop at Clongriffin station.The funding amounts to 93 million linked to Dart+ Coastal North. The Department said that the Dart+ funding will help to avoid scheduling conflicts between the cross-border Enterprise and Dart services on the Northern Line. A press release said that the works would enable Enterprise trains to seamlessly pass stationed Dart and Commuter trains, helping to improve the efficiency and reliability of the service.Minister for Transport Darragh OBrien said:The allocation by the Government of Shared Island funding to these projects will allow us to further strengthen cross-border rail. I am particularly pleased to see the acceleration of works on Dart+ Coastal North ahead of the entry into service of the new Dart fleet next year, and the new Enterprise Rail fleet ahead of its entry into service in 2030.IMAGES: Photos of one of the new battery-electric Dart trains to enter service next year. MAIN IMAGE ABOVE: An artists impression of the new Enterprise train due to enter service in 2030.The delayed battery-electric Dart trains are to enter service on the line from Dublin to Drogheda next year, while new overhead electric trains will also start to replace ageing Dart trains. Until the line is electrified beyond Malhide, the latter trains will continue to terminate there, while the battery-electric trains will serve stations from Malhide to Drogheda. The Department of Transport said that another 35 millionfrom the Shared Island funding will be provided for the continuation of the hourly Enterprise service to 2030. This expansion of the services was also first introduced with Shared Island Fund funding in October 2024. The Department said the funding will be matched its own fundingIt highlighted that since the introduction of the hourly service, Enterprise passenger numbers have increased by approximately 40%.The plan also includes a commitment for the North and South departments responsible for transport to work with relevant agencies so that there is a 15-20 minute transfer time between the Dublin-Belfast and Belfast-Derry lines, allowing for shorter wait times and improving connectivity between the three cities. Get-out-of-jail free card for NI RailwaysAnother 100 millionof Shared Island funding is also being earmarked for which was described by the Department of Transport as a series of planned track renewal projects in Northern Ireland along the Derry-Belfast and Belfast-Dublin lines, helping to boost line speeds, improve reliability and enhance connectivity with the North West and the Dublin-Belfast corridor.A large chunk of that funding 86m is for planned essential maintenanceof a 14-mile section of the Derry to Belfast railwaySteve Bradley, chairperson of Into The West, which campaigns for rail improvements and new lines in the north west, told the Belfast Telegraph newspaper that this approach is very strange for a basic maintenance project when the Shared Island funding was supposed to be for strategic projects adding to connectivity between North and South. Bradley said: Now at the eleventh hour Dublin has been persuaded to pick up the bill for maintenance work that Storont itself is already committed to doing and paying for, on a section of rail line that is entirely within Northern Ireland. So for Dublin to be paying for this is very strange, and reinforces Stormonts long-standing tradition of refusing to do major capital projects in Derry and the north-west unless someone else picks up the bill.The Into The West group issued its own press release outlining that the work was already contracted to begin in January 2027, just 6 months from now. They also expressed disappointment that Donegal has been forgotten yet again in this latest Shared Island rail announcement, in what they expect to be the last of such funding. The Northern Ireland Department of Infrastructure spokesperson told the newspaper that We dont agree with their assessment of the funding.And while the spokesperson said that the Department had also ring-fenced funding, and that the Shared Island funding will also enable it to reprioritise its spending once an Executive budget is agreed, to make meaningful progress on the All-island Strategic Rail Review, there was no clarity provided on the exact nature of this. In a press release issued by the Department of Transport in the Republic, the Northern Ireland Executive Minister for Infrastructure, Liz Kimmins, said: The announcement of Shared Island funding to support Derry-Belfast-Dublin connectivity is very welcome. The investment the Shared Island fund is making in rail will accelerate improvements on the Belfast-Dublin and BelfastDerry lines, strengthening regional balance and connectivity.She added: This investment will pave the way for faster journeys and greater reliability for services between Dublin, Belfast and the North-West delivering a more cohesive rail network, connecting communities and boosting the thriving all-island economy.

It's unclear if the filing is part of an effort to restructure the business or the first step towards liquidation

Florian Lipowitz returns to the Tour de France, and this time he no longer arrives as a surprise. After his sensational podium finish last year, the German starts the 113th edition of the French Grand Tour with a new status, greater expectations and a high-profile partner at his side: Remco Evenepoe...

S4C has announced that it has secured the rights to broadcast this year's Tour de France, and the live-stream will also be available on BBC iPlayer. While it comes late, with the race starting on Saturday, the news will be welcomed by those wanting to watch the Tour de France in the UK without having to pay for a TNT Sports subscription. S4C will sublicense the coverage from TNT Sports, who have exclusive rights, with its own Welsh-language commentary being broadcast live. The presenting team includes Rhodri Gomer, Peredur ap Gwynedd, Gruff Lewis and Manon Lloyd. How to watch the Tour de France 2026: global options for live TV and streaming with stage start times Select stages The start and finish of the race will be available for free. BERNARD PAPON via Getty Images S4C will only broadcast select stages live, including stages 1, 2, 3, 19, 20 and 21. Stage 18 will also be covered exclusively on S4C Clic, BBC iPlayer and S4C Chwaraeons YouTube channel. Its the 13th year in a row that the Welsh language channel has covered the race, and it says it is in negotiations to cover the Tour de France in 2027, when it begins in the UK and passes through Wales for the first time in its history. Alongside its live coverage, highlights will also be available via S4C and its digital platforms. S4C wont be the only place to watch free Tour de France highlights in the UK this summer, with 5 showing a daily highlights show. ITV 4 lost its rights to broadcast the race after Warner Bros. Discovery Sports Europe secured the Tours exclusive live broadcast rights. Presenter Peredur ap Gwynedd said: I am very happy that S4C is broadcasting the Tour de France once again, for the 13th year in a row. It's pretty bonkers that we've broadcast the race since 2014. And of course, with a stage of the Tour taking place in Wales next year, the word 'exciting' doesn't even come close to how I feel about the future!

Wout van Aert has delivered his clearest recovery signal yet since the infected elbow wound that ruled him out of the Tour de France, logging a 109.3km ride at 35.7kph on Strava. The Team Visma | Lease a Bike rider was on the bike for just over three hours on Wednesday morning, a major step up so so...

65% of the allocated funding for new EV grants is ringfenced for rural areas. Group calls for greater support for the switch to expersive electric and cargo bicycles.A pilot scrapage scheme aimed to replace internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles with battery-electric vehicles (EVs) has been closed after just a month, as 2,000 owners of older cars snapped up a 5,000 grant. It is unclear if all of the grants have been fully processed at this point, but the demand is so strong that the scheme is closed to new applications. The Department of Transport said: The ICE2EV Pilot Scheme is now closed for applications, after exceptionally strong interest in the new grant from car dealerships and their customers.The initiative was backed by 10 million in funding from the Climate Action Fund under the Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment, meaning that 2,000 ICE vehicles will be removed from our roads and replaced by EVs, a spokesperson at the Department of Transport said.The scheme made a 5,000 grant available to replace petrol- or diesel-engine vehicles aged over 13 years with new battery-electric vehicles. This is in addition to the existing 3,500 SEAI grant, which is generally baked into the advertised price of electric cars in Ireland.The spokesperson said: The high level of interest reflects growing consumer engagement with the transition to EVs among both rural and urban motorists. This momentum supports Irelands Climate Action ambitions, including the target for 30% of the national vehicle fleet to be electric by 2030.The scheme was administered by SEAI, and early figures indicate a spread of demand across all counties, with 65% of the allocated funding ringfenced for rural areas. Applications shows a predominance of older vehicles (with most scrapped cars aged 16 years or more), and good uptake among smaller EV and lower-cost models, suggesting the scheme is meeting its key objectives, the spokesperson for the Department of Transport said.The Department said that it will work closely with SEAI to review and evaluate the pilot. While a note on the scrpage grants webpage said: A review of the scheme will be undertaken by the Department of Transport& SEAIfollowing its conclusion, examining uptake, emissions impact, and overall value for money, to inform any future policy decisions in this area.The Department added: The existing SEAI EV purchase grant of 3,500 remains available to all private customers and continues to see strong growth. An additional 37 million was allocated from the Climate Action Fund to support the high level of demand in 2026, including vehicles purchased through the scrappage scheme.Show us your budget, and well show you your prioritiesWhen the new scrapage grant was announced, Dublin Commuters, a group which advocates for sustainable transport, criticised the lack of grants for bicycles.8,500 worth of grants & trade-ins available for electric cars and still no sign of a bike scheme for people in non-typical employment or to trade a car in for a cargo-bike. Show us your budget, and well show you your priorities, the groups said at the time. le-de-France, a region in France which includes Paris, offers financial aid for the purchase of bicycles up to 50% of the cost, with a ceiling of 100 to 1200 of aid depending on the type of bike.Campaigners in Ireland argue that a 10 million fund could provide support for 10,000 or more electric or cargo bicycles for people and businesses thats compared with the 2,000 cars that are to be grant-supported via the ICE2EV scheme. The last Governments Programme for Government promised wider incentives for bicycles the move was widely supported by Ibec, Government and opposition politicians, Department of Transport officials, active transport and climate experts, and campaign groups. There is sustained criticism that the Cycle to Work only works for PAYE workers and a limited number of other people, leaving most self-employed people, students, retired and businesses with no support.But besides widening the limits of the Cycle to Work scheme to better suit electric and cargo bicycles, there was no move to develop grants or government-backed low-cost loans for bicycles. As reported in 2022, the Green Party pushed for bicycle incentives, but their coalitionpartners and other department officials opposed such moves. In 2023, then-transport minister Eamon Ryan responded to a party colleague by recommitting to having officials research bicycle incentives. Nothing was changed before the end of the government term, and the Department has not published any research on bicycle incentives.

Bike racing fan or not, once July hits, theres a different energy in the air. Its time for the Tour. But whilst the Tour de France may be the oldest Grand Tour, theres another French event that predates it, and some might say its even tougher. Paris-Brest-Paris is a 1200-kilometre ride that ping-pongs riders between the two locations in under 90 hours. And that time includes everything: riding, sleeping, eating. Once the clock starts, it doesnt stop until the rider returns or the time is up. Whichever comes first.The first Paris-Brest-Paris (PBP) was a competitive event, held in 1891 and imagined by Pierre Giffard, an editor at Le Petit Journal. He wanted to create an event that celebrated the resilience of cyclists and showcased what a bicycle could do. The winner, Charles Terront, completed the route in 71 hours 22 minutes, riding without sleep.Riders line up at the start of the 2023 Paris-Brest-Paris (Image credit: Lisa Charlebois)The event continued as a competitive race until 1951. Nowadays, PBP is an amateur event that takes place every four years, but riding it is certainly not as simple as just strolling up to the start line. I would know, having completed my first PBP in 2023. Since then Ive taken on multiple long-distance routes of this nature, including the 1200km Midnight Sun Randonne (riding through the Arctic Circle), the Humboldt Coast 1200km (along the shores of Oregon and California) and the Gamblers 1000k (Reno to Las Vegas, through Death Valley) to name a few. Next up for me is the UKs infamous LEJOG (Lands End to John OGroats), in August. Needless to say, I've fallen in love with this sport. WELCOME TO RANDONNEURINGRandonneuring or Audax in the UK, India and Brazil is the sport of endurance cycling, not ultra racing. It's a subtle but distinct difference. Think of courses with time limits, not winners. The spirit of randonneuring is really in the name: from the French word randonne; the sport is about exploring, adventure and seeing what youre capable of, not fighting for the podium. Like most sports, randonneuring also has its own language. Heres a quick start guide to get you up to speed:Brevet: The name of each event. There are standard distances and each brevet has a maximum allowable time limit: 200km (13.5 hrs), 300km (20 hrs), 400km (27 hrs), 600km (40 hrs), and 1000km+ (75 hrs).Randonneur/Randonneuse: A rider who participates in randonneuring. Randonneur is masculine, randonneuse is feminine, though "randonneur" is often used as the general term.Control (or Contrle): A checkpoint along the route where riders must get proof of passage. Sometimes a stamp on a brevet card, a receipt from a local shop, answering a question about the locations landscape or simply passing through with your bike computer.Brevet Card: A paper card (sometimes digital) stamped at each control to show proof of passage.ACP (Audax Club Parisien): The most notable randonneuring club in the world as this is the local club that hosts Paris-Brest-Paris. Plus, they oversee randonneuring internationally, including setting the rules for brevets worldwide.Super Randonneur (SR): Completing a full series of brevets, 200km, 300km, 400km, and 600km, all within a single season (a calendar year). This is the qualification required for PBP.THE ROAD TO PARIS-BREST-PARISLisa (right) completed Paris-Brest-Paris in 2023 (Image credit: Lisa Charlebois)The next edition of Paris-Brest-Paris is coming up in August, 2027. If youd like to be one of the thousands of riders toeing the line in the official start town of Rambouillet, theres some real work you need to accomplish in 2026. Step one: ride your first brevet in 2026. It can be any length, from 200km up to 1000km or longer but there's a strategy to consider. PBP pre-registration opens first to those who've completed a 1000km brevet (or longer), then 600km, then 400km, 300km, and 200km. According to the ACP website, the number of participants will be capped at 8,000, but keep in mind 2,500 of those spots are reserved for French riders until March 31, 2027 (it is the Parisienne club after all). After this date, any remaining spots will be open for anyone to pre-register. If you miss your 2026 brevet, theres still a way to pre-register without a brevet it just depends if there are any spots left. For context, in the 2023 edition, there were over 6,400 riders from 66 different countries. So if you're worried about securing your spot, the smart move is to complete the longest brevet you can manage this year.COMPLETE YOUR SUPER RANDONNEUR SERIES IN 2027Your 2026 brevet only earns you a place in the registration queue it doesn't qualify you to actually start. Step two happens the following year: before the deadline of June 30, 2027, you'll need to complete a full Super Randonneur Series of 200km, 300km, 400km, and 600km, to confirm your place on the start line on Sunday, August 27, 2027.Each of these brevets must be completed with a randonneur club (you cant simply ride your own route and submit it). Plus, routes must be ACP approved, which means the brevet has been verified by the club in Paris and will act as a qualifier towards your Super Randonneur Series. FINDING A RANDONNEUR CLUBRandonneurs, or Audax in the UK, clubs are a friendly affair (Image credit: Lisa Charlebois)To find a club visit RandonneursMondiaux.org, or if youre in the US, you can visit RUSA.org. UK cyclists can go straight to audax.uk.Costs are very reasonable, sometimes less than the price of lunch, for a years worth of riding. But this is not a glitzy Gran Fondo. Riders take part self-supported; there are no SAG (support) wagons or follow cars, and no elaborate feed zones. Youre in charge of your ride, and to be honest, this is really part of the appeal. Just you, your fellow randonneurs, and the road. Keep in mind, youre not just joining a club. Youre joining a community. Brevets and all of the club activities are possible thanks to the dedicated volunteers. Giving back to the organization is how these rides happen. Which means, even if youre not riding, you can still participate by volunteering. Oftentimes, thats just as fun.IS IT WORTH ALL THE HASSLE?Having completed a series of long distance challenges, Lisa has fallen in love with the sport (Image credit: Rob Hawks)Thats really a question for you to decide. But Id give a resounding yes. When was the last time you rode a piece of history? Being able to pedal through picturesque villages, and participate in a ride with thousands of people, from cities and towns all around the world, not to mention the fact that this ride is unlike anything else. With such deep roots, there are generations of people who have been coming to the roadside to support: grandmas cheering at 2am, townsfolk handing out food and encouragement. Its a special experience with a unique spirit of camaraderie and connection.WANT TO RANDO?You still have time to do your pre-qualification ride. Find a club near you and sign up for your first brevet. And even if PBP isnt in the cards for this upcoming edition, its still worth giving randonneuring a try. Its a challenge without the anxiety of pinning on a race number. After all, racing doesn't have to be the only love letter to cycling. Sometimes the longest letters are the ones that say the most.