Paul Seixas has spent the final days before his Tour de France debut answering questions about more than form. The 19-year-old Decathlon CMA CGM Team leader has also had to calm nerves around his knee, his recovery and whether a reshuffled squad points to a quieter approach in his first three-week r...

When NSN Cycling made its landmark signing in Biniam Girmay over the winter, they did so with a clear ambition in mind: to win a stage and chase green at the 2026 Tour de France. The Girmay transfer was a key piece of the puzzle, but so was carving a squad of riders around the Eritrean who could deliver him to Tour glory.Jake Stewart is set to be an important cog in that machine when the Tour sets off from the teams new home in Barcelona, operating as Girmays last man in the NSN sprint train. The main ambition is the sprint stages with Biniam, We want to go and win a stage at the Tour de France, Stewart tells Cycling Weekly ahead of his third Tour. That's a huge goal. I think it's the same as every other team's goal when they go to the Tour de France, they want to win a stage thereWe'll start to shift our focus to the green jersey if we see that he's in a good position to challenge for that in Paris, Stewart adds.(Image credit: Getty Images)The team endured a period of transition over the winter, taking on new branding and sponsorship following mass protests at the 2025 Vuelta a Espaa against the teams links to Israel, when the team was known as Israel-Premier Tech and bankrolled by billionaire Sylvan Adams. Things have changed on the performance side, too, with Girmay replacing GC rider Derek Gee-West as the teams talisman. The now Swiss-registered squad has had to morph into a Classics and sprint team, as opposed to focusing on the overall classification goals of Gee-West and Matthew Riccitello, who also departed. It's been a shift in terms of the team's focus this year, Stewart says. But it was also a discussion that we had within the team. It's so difficult nowadays for teams to focus on everything. Either you're a GC team, you're a Classics team or you're a sprint team.There's very few teams nowadays that are going to Grand Tours and targeting a GC and also sprint stages.So it kind of shifted the focus from that GC focus to stage-hunting, and I think it's been really positive for the team. It takes away a lot of the pressure from GC, which is a lot of pressure and it allows guys to focus on the days that suit them best and what suits us best as a team.Becoming the worlds best lead out manAfter racing the first part of the year in support of fellow Brit Ethan Vernon, Stewart linked up with Girmay for the first time at the Baloise Belgium Tour, guiding him to a stage win on the opening day. Stewart says that the pair have gelled well together and that Girmay knows what he wants and how he wants to execute sprints.Having started his career with Groupama-FDJ chasing his own opportunities, Stewart has settled into a lead-out role as he has matured. He admitted that the pressure of sprinting for himself had been tough to handle at times and he has started to see a sports psychologist. Now 27, Stewart is in his prime years as an athlete, and wants to build a reputation for his ability to deliver his sprinter to the line.My biggest ambition is to develop myself into one of the best lead out guys, the best last man in the world, Stewart says.I think my characteristics as a bike racer suit that last man role rather than winning myself in these big bunch of gallopsIf I do carry on progressing the way that I am, then I can kind of put myself in that realm of being one of the best last men in the world. That's definitely something that I'm striving to try and achieve. Obviously the Tour de France is the biggest stage to be able to show that on and execute that on. If I do a good enough job and Bini comes away with a stage win or two, then it's going to be a successful Tour de France for me.

Remco Evenepoel arrives at the Tour de France with almost everything carefully controlled. The race days have been limited, the altitude work has been prioritised, the training numbers have been released and Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe have built their July around a dual-leadership structure with Fl...

Time passes and things change. Kids dont do paper rounds anymore (many wont touch a newspaper in their entire lives), and it seems that young Saturday staff in bike shops are experiencing a similar extinction event. And this will cut off an entry point into the cycling world that has existed for decades, a leading industry body has said this week. But why are many bike shops no longer employing weekend staff? According to Jonathan Harrison, Director of the Association of Cycle Traders (ACT), it is mainly down to rising costs and onerous employment obligations. The ACT issuedIn a press release this week, he argued that the combination of minimum wage increases, holiday pay entitlements and new sick pay requirements introduced in April is deterring independent bike shops from taking on young part-time staff, which is choking off an entry point into the industry. "The Saturday lad or lass has been how generations of people fell into the cycle trade," Harrison said. "They came in for the love of bikes, learned the ropes, and many of them went on to build careers in the industry. That pipeline is now under serious threat."The release goes on to quote Paul Kenchington, director of The Bicycle Chain in Bridgwater, who said: "In the early days of our business the Saturday lad or lass worked for the experience and the staff discount, with a small wage as the bonus. Some of our best people started that way. But the product is now complex, the marketplace is cut-throat, and the cumulative cost of employing someone one day a week has reached the point where many of us are simply stepping back."When Cycling Weekly spoke to some independent bike shops, it was actually the complexity of the modern bicycle that came up as the biggest barrier to employing weekend staff, over and above any concerns about improved employees rights. We havent been able to employ any Saturday staff for some time, said Sid Soanes from Soanes Cycles, an independent bike shop that began life in Colyton, Devon, in 1902 as Liberty Cycles. Back then, bikes were handmade in the shop, and Sidney J Soanes (Sids grandfather) joined the business as a mechanic in 1910. Over a century, and four generations later, the bike shop is still owned and run by the same family, but a lot has changed. Saturday is our busiest day, and bikes are just too technical these days for an untrained young person to do anything meaningful with. Now were dealing with electronic gears, hydraulic brakes, tubeless tyres you just dont get the minor repairs and servicing that a Saturday lad might have been able to work on without supervision.Its the same with work experience, continues Soames. We used to take loads of kids on work experience, but its not doable now, because bikes are far too technical and complicated. It's a shame, but we cant spend enough time with them to make it worthwhile for them or us.Sid Soanes, owner of Soanes Cycles in Devon, inside the bike shop that has been in his family for four generations (Image credit: Pat Kinsella)Tom Armstrong, an elite rider who races for Wheelbase CabTech Castelli and placed second in this year's RutlandMelton CiCLE Classic, works for JE James Cycles when hes not riding, and he agrees. At one time, you could start as a Saturday lad in bike shop, sweeping the floor and so on, and when there was a spare minute learn how to true a wheel or something, but it's not like that anymore, he told Cycling Weekly. Bike shops have to range e-bikes, of course, and then youre dealing with motors and batteries, and you almost have to be an electrician. But even standard bikes are incredibly technical. Now, when we do a handover and give a bike back to a customer, you need to be there with a laptop, asking them what phone they use, talking to them about apps and all sort of things.Weekend jobs still exist in big bike shops, but theyre different. Now, unless youre a fully trained mechanic, youre likely to be out on the shop floor, showing customers whats available basically working as a sales assistant, but not getting your hands dirty. (Image credit: Getty Images)Harrison did also acknowledge this issue, recognising that the demise of Saturday jobs isnt purely down to cost: "The job itself has changed, he said. Customers expect expert advice on e-bikes, on fit, on technology. That's a lot to ask of someone working one day a week, and when the financial risk of employing them has also risen, many shop owners are simply deciding it isn't worth it." This is something Armstrong has seen firsthand, and he agrees that its having a big impact, not just on the industry, but also how kids get into the sport. The bike shop that really helped me out when I was a young rider, Broadgate Cycles in Preston, has just closed, he explains. It was a family business and had been passed down from generation to generation, but the times are so tough and margins so tight, that they decided it wasnt worth it. I got my first and second bikes from there Im very sad to see it go. The ACT, which is part of the Bira Group and represents cycle traders and retailers across Britain, championing independent bike shops, is appealing to the government to review the impact of recent employment legislation on small independent retailers, and to consider whether targeted exemptions or support for young and part-time workers could help preserve entry-level roles that are vital to the future of the trade.

The 2026 Tour de France will take place from the 4th to the 26th of July. Throughout the21 stages, the peloton will be racing through the mountains, sprint stages, cobblestones, individual and team time trials, and even. We take a look at all stages, their official profiles, and preview the days -...

Heat waves, earthquakes, war, rampant JCPenney closures Theres no shortage of things to be anxious about in this world. However, you can take solace in the fact that its never been a better[wait for it]TIME to be a Bicycle Fred and a Horology Fred trapped in the same body:First the million dollar Colnago watch and now this? Thank goodness I have two wrists!Plus, at just over Eight Thousand American Fun Tickets its practically free.And what do we have here?I do really like the color of the Coppi model, but I think Ill keep my powder dry until the Rivendell watch comes out:Just kidding!Obviously that isnt the Rivendell watch. Everybody knows the Rivendell watch will be low-normal like their new derailleur and the hands will move counter-clockwise. Duh.Oh, and that sundial watch isnt AI, its actually a thing on Amazon.(Well, it probably is AI, but apparently you can buy it.)Speaking of heat waves, its hot, yet I still headed to the forbidding Trails Behind The Mall yesterday:Thats because I needed to bring THE CAR THAT I OWN to the mechanic again, and so I brought a bike with me so I could squeeze in a ride. And while this isnt the old jalopy I was drivingthis is the old jalopy I was riding:The ride was as fun as it could be given the heat. The refurbished rear shock is also functioning well, and I even stopped to toe in the front brake pads, which seems to have taken care of that brake squeal you may have noticed the other day. Bike mechanics will often recommend you use a business card in order to do this:You may wonder who the hell is still using business cards in 2026, though I suppose if youre still using rim brakes you may also have business cards:Alas, I didnt have any business cars with me, since I generally dont carry them while mountain biking, though it would be fun to stop people on the trail and hand them something like this:That is of course AI, and it mostly ignored my prompt, which was this:A fancy business card that says Tan Tenovo: Bon Vivant, Bicycle Blogger, and Horology Noob, with an etching of a gentleman on a pennyfarthingActually that was my second prompt; in the first prompt I told it to incorporate actor Rip Torns mugshot, but it refused, presumably for copyright reasons. Anyway, I dont like that it thinks it knows better than me, and yet I do like the name Henry Plumptre, which is exactly the sort of moral quandary that makes this whole AI thing such an ethical minefield.So no, I didnt have a business card to toe in my brake pads. The other item youll hear people suggest is a credit card, but sadly mine was maxed out already thanks to the visit to the mechanic. Fortunately I have the perfect toe-inner with me on my keyring at all times, and Ive used it before with great success, and that item is the key to my mailbox, which is just the right size and thickness for the job.Being a city dweller is not without its challenges when it comes to mountain biking, and thats saying nothing about how badly a letter carrier will mangle your mail to get it inside one of those tiny boxes:But hey, if I lived in the country and I had one of these things instead Id be screwed:So the ride was good and the bike was good, though the brake squeal was soon replaced by a creak which Im hoping is not the bottom bracket, because if it is I am completely horrified by the prospect of dealing with this:Im fairly intolerant when it comes to noisy bikes, and normally Id start investigating as soon as I returned home, but in this case it was so damn hot I couldnt even make myself care:So I just hosed the sweat off of the bike and added it to the many things Ill deal with when conditions are optimal, and by optimal conditions I mean having both an air conditioner and a beer at arms length.All of this raises an important question:Should I have used a gravel bike or a mountain bike?Spoiler alertif you want a gravel bike choose the gravel bike, and if you want a mountain bike choose the mountain bike:So, what would we choose? For the road rider/XC rat turned gravel rider, we think the Vault is an uncompromising choice. Its got the chops for the dirt, its at home on everything, and can still pull double duty as a cross rig or all-road raconteur. The same can be said of the LES SL, with the bonus that its a little more at home on traditional mountain bike terrain.Wow.So glad I read that.Id better stop now before I exceed my weekly dated pop culture reference quota.

If you've ever opened up Duolingo and searched for 'Tour de France', you have our sympathy. Picking up the dialect of bike racing is not unlike going back to school and is no overnight thing. Not only are there an abundance of words and phrases that you've probably never come across previously, at least in this context, many of them are also in French, especially at the Tour de France. If you're new to it, it can all be rather baffling.We've put together this glossary of terms that you can save in your bookmarks to help you out while you're following the Tour de France, and next time a commentator tells you there's an echelon in the peloton you can nod sagely rather than going down the google route (again), or ploughing on in ignorance. Grand DpartWe might as well start here. A French phrase that translates as 'big start', it refers to the beginning of a Grand Tour and, in cases where it takes place in a country that isn't the usual host nation (such as Spain in this year's Tour), often refers to the entire three days spent in that country. BidonA water bottle, mounted on the riders bikes for hydration, often just referred to in English. These can be replenished while on the move from their team cars.MusetteSmall bag handed up by team helpers in designated feed zones containing food and gels.BreakawayA rider or group of riders who have managed to jump away from the peloton (see below). Often this is a speculative move and unlikely to last all the way to the finish line, but for small teams in particular it's a way of achieving precious airtime for their sponsors. On occasions the breakaway does succeed, with lumpy days that fall between 'mountainous' and 'flat' often yielding the most success.General classificationOften referred to simply as the 'GC', the general classification is the leaderboard showing which riders are leading the race overall. The leader will be the rider who has amassed the least time on aggregate across each of the stages, and they wear the coveted yellow jersey. The aim is to be at the top of the General Classification in Paris the rider who achieves that wins the Tour de France.MechanicalShort-hand for 'mechanical issue', this term is a catch-all for just about any bike-based issue that may befall a rider during the race. Usually signified by a rider standing at the roadside looking at their machine in dismay, these can range from slipped chains and broken gears (among the most common) to a broken frame (unusual) and anything in-between. There is also the good old puncture, although this would usually be referred to as such. Whatever the problem, a mechanical can often be attended to by the neutral service (see below).Neutral serviceProvided by components manufacturer Shimano, the distinctive blue neutral service cars and motorbikes at the Tour de France provide spare wheels and bikes to riders who have been stranded by mechanical issues and are a long way from their team cars. As the name suggests, the neutral service is not affiliated to any particular team. It carries replacement wheels and bikes for many sizes and fitments but not all, and sometimes riders must simply endure a frustrating wait for their team car to appear.Hors-catThe toughest category of climb in bike racing, and short for the French 'hors-catgorie', which essentially means 'beyond classification'. It usually refers to the biggest mountains with a challenging combination of length, gradient and altitude. Climb categories begin at 4 for the easiest, moving up through 3, 2, and 1 before reaching HC. Not all climbs on a stage will be categorised, but the big mountain ascents always are.GrupettoThis Italian word refers to the group of non-climbers (or simply those having a bad day) that amasses on mountain days to pace each other up the climbs and ensure they finish the stage within the designated time cut. It's sometimes referred to as the laughing group, but while they're riding more slowly than the leaders, mountain stages are never easy for anyone, and you won't see that much laughing going on.The peloton of the Tour de France scythes through the countryside (Image credit: Getty Images)PelotonThis one you'll hear a lot and, once again, it's French. It refers to the main body of riders in a race, which is often also called the 'bunch'. When all the riders are together, it's often simply used casually to refer to the race, but if there is a breakaway up the road it's also a useful way of denoting the main body of riders that are chasing behind, and if you're watching on TV you may well see a small 'P' for peloton in the top left corner, where the time gaps are shown. PuncheurA word mixing French and English to create a label for a rider that does pretty much what it says on the tin. These are the riders that pack a punch, usually denoting the ability to launch powerful attacks and even win on the smaller, steeper climbs useful on the in-between stages that don't involve major mountains or flat finishes.RouleurAnother rider label, denoting a powerful rider with the ability to ride hard for long periods, typically on flat to rolling terrain. Mountains are usually hostile territory for them, where they'll often be found in the grupetto. But once things flatten out, they can put the lightweight climbers to the sword, and will often be found at or near the front putting in sterling work for their teams in chasing breakaways.A Tour de France sprint finish in full flow (Image credit: Getty Images)Sprint day / sprint finishTheoretically, all days finish in a sprint, unless a rider wins alone. But if you see or hear a particular stage referred to as a sprint day, or that it's expected to be a sprint finish, it usually means that the riders are predicted to be all together at the end, with the very fastest power sprinters contesting the victory. This usually applies on the flatter stages; a hill or two mid-way won't usually change this, but one that comes near the end can really upset the sprinters' plans.LeadoutWhen sprinters thank their teams after winning a sprint finish, they're often effusive in their praise; this is because they've enjoyed a good leadout one of the most challenging, fraught and risky aspects of bike racing. Each team hoping to deliver a sprinter to victory will provide them with their own leadout a line of riders charging ahead of them to the finish line, offering shelter from the wind and keeping the speed high.Each rider will have their own job to do, with the first ones kicking in with perhaps 5km to go, and then pulling out of the line once their time is up and their legs exhausted. The final rider is the most important called the 'leadout man' in men's racing, and delivers their charge to the 250m to go mark, hopefully in a good position to sprint for the win.EchelonNot to be confused with peloton but not unrelated, this is when the bunch is forced to ride in a diagonal line across the road because crosswinds mean riders cannot find shelter directly behind each other like they usually would. Instead they shelter from the crosswinds to the side of each other, creating a line across the road. However, this line inevitably has to end when it reaches the far side of the road, forcing riders out of the line this is where an echelon becomes a key tactical device. The gaps created on windy days often mean the weaker teams can lose significant amounts of time. Flamme rougeGiven that the finish line is usually called (perhaps disappointingly) 'the finish line' and requires no explanation, the flamme rouge, or red kite as it's known in English, feels like an appropriate place to sign off. Suspended from a gantry spanning the road, this is a key marker in the race which signifies one kilometre to go to the finish. On a long, arduous day most riders will be extremely happy to see it, but when it comes to sprint days, it's where the action really begins and the fast finishers prepare to earn their crust.

The Tour de France is just around the corner and, barring a major surprise, it seems the fight for the yellow jersey will once again be reserved for Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard. They have monopolised the race in recent years, and imagining a different outcome means picturing a completely unex...

Its new bikes galore in 2026, from the likes of Specialized, Bianchi and Cube, alongside plenty of go-faster tech. Heres whats not been seen previously in the Tour de France

Few could have imagined news like this just four days before the start of the Tour de France. INEOS have left Carlos Rodriguez out of their line-up, a decision that has surprised many because of the timing and raised an unavoidable question: has the British team disrespected the rider from Granada?...