The 113th edition of the Tour de France gets underway on Saturday, July 4, with the Grand Dpart in Barcelona. Cycling fans can once again look forward to three weeks of spectacular racing as the world's best riders battle for the yellow jersey. Fresh from his commanding victory in the Giro d'Italia...

The newest Campagnolo carbon road wheels arent limited to the road anymore, as Zonda becomes more gravel-curious now in carbon. And now, the most affordable Campy carbon wheels ever!Modern road bikes have begun to fit tires bigger than what we would have seen on a cyclocross bike a decade ago. And mixed surface tarmac and dirt rides are all the rage on your latest gravel race bike. So, Campy Zonda wheels now split the difference with all-road capabilities in a 50mm deep aero profile, mid-wide hooked bead, reasonable lightweight, and a pretty affordable price especially considering these are 100% made in Europe!(Photo/Campagnolo)There was a time when every bike had a clear purpose. A road bike for asphalt, a gravel bike for dirt. Today, that distinction no longer exists.Routes change without warning. Smooth tarmac turns into broken pavement, gravel takes over, and an unexpected detour becomes the best part of the ride. This isnt a new discipline: its simply the way people ride today.That is why Zonda Carbon All Road was created. Maximum speed and responsiveness on the road, total freedom when the asphalt ends. Because today, the road rarely ends where the map does.Campagnolo Zonda All Road 50mm deep aero carbon wheelsZonda has long been Campagnolos mid-tier all-rounder alloy road wheels. Zonda even introduced the Italian drivetrain makers first foray into disc brake wheels, back a decade ago. And an aluminum Zonda GT wheelset still carries on in the Campy gravel wheel family. But, in the years since, theyve refined their carbon rim production to be much more versatile, and importantly, more affordable.So now, Campagnolo Zonda carbon wheels can be ready for all roads. Still at a reasonable 1550g wheelset weight for a 50mm deep aero wheel. And more affordable than any Campy carbon wheel beforeTech Detailshigh-modulus UD carbon all-road wheels25mm wide internal 2-Way Fit tubeless-ready hooked bead50mm deep aero profile, 30mm wide externalC-Lux straight out of the mold finish with no additional clearcoatrated for 29mm and larger road & gravel tires, up to 60mmuninterrupted MoMag rim bed for tubeless compatibility without tapeclassic asymmetric Campy G3 grouped spoke layout with 2:1 lacing for even spoke tension21 butted straight-pull stainless steel spokes with alloy nipplesoversized flange, CNC-machined alloy hubssteel cup & cone bearings for long-term performance12mm thru-axle, AFS (centerlock) disc brake onlyCampagnolo N3W, Shimano HG & SRAM XDR freehubs availableASTM 2 all-road & gravel ratedbuilt by hand in the European Union1550g claimed wheelset weight2026 Campagnolo Zonda All Road wheels Pricing, options & availabilityThis new EU-manufactured Campagnolo Zonda All Road wheelset sells for just 1420, making it the most affordable carbon wheelset weve ever seen come out of Vicenza. Technically, second only to the original Shamal Carbon wheels that debuted the N3W freehub standard six years ago, although cheaper at launch, the most recent iteration of those now retails for 1730.The new carbon Zonda all-road wheels come standard with an N3W freehub for Campy 10-13sp road and gravel groupset compatibility. But you can also get them with SRAM or Shimano freehubs, you just cant get rid of the screen-printed and laser-etched graphics reminding you that Campy made them. The wheels ship with tubeless valves & tire levers, packaged in a Campy accessories bag.Campagnolo.comThe post Campy Zonda Wheels Go All-Road, Lines Blur, Everything is Aero & Carbon More Affordable! appeared first on Bikerumor.

Orbea has revealed an update to the Orca Aero, which it claims offers a 21-watt advantage over its 2022 predecessor, thanks to a raft of changes including improved aerodynamics of the bike plus its rider and improved stability from a bottom bracket drop it says is the largest in the pro peloton. We first spotted the new bike at the Tour Auvergne-Rhne-Alpes, where Orbea had helpfully added yellow arrows to the frames black paint to highlight what had changed from the 2022 model. The Orca Aero sits alongside the (non-Aero) Orca lightweight bike in Orbeas portfolio for the Lotto-Intermarch team at the Tour de France and is priced from 5,000 to 10,000. 21 watts faster The Orca Aero's 78mm bottom bracket drop places the rider in a lower position that's more aero and more stable. Orbea says the 2025 road race season was, overall, the fastest ever and it will continue to develop specific lightweight/aero and aero bikes, offering its sponsored WorldTour team a choice depending on the nature of the stage. But Orbea claims the new Orbea Orca Aero is efficient not only on flatter stages, but also when theres more altitude gain and that it is one of the fastest bikes in the WorldTour, with a 21-watt claimed aero gain over the 2022 model. It attributes this to its total system approach, which it says takes account of how the bike interacts with the rider, rather than simply designing a bike thats fast on its own in a wind tunnel. So, although it started off with the standard CFD and wind-tunnel analysis, this was followed up with testing in a velodrome and extensive road testing by Lotto-Intermarch riders. Wind-tunnel testing of the bike on its own showed a 5.1-watt aero gain over the 2022 Orca Aero at 50km/h and Orbea says this number is similar across a range of wind speeds and yaw angles. The 37mm tyre clearance is the widest in the pro peloton. But Orbea has also worked on the aerodynamics of bike-plus-rider to achieve the claimed 21-watt figure. It says this comes from a range of factors, including enhanced rider stability, thanks to a 78mm bottom bracket drop that sits the rider lower. This is said to increase positional stability and control at higher speeds and when cornering, as well as reducing the riders frontal area. Theres also an extensive range of cockpit fit options, with 13 different bar/stem dimensions and 40mm of vertical adjustability via spacers. Thats supplemented by two seatposts that together offer offsets between 0 and 25mm. There are an additional 13 sizes for the Lotto-Intermarch pro riders that offer longer reach, with most concentrated in the narrowest 360mm bar width. Orbea says its positional benefits reduce drag by a further 14 watts at 50km/h when riding on the flat. Theres another 6 to 7 watts of claimed gains from reduction of vibration losses on cobbles or rougher tarmac thanks to the ability to fit tyres up to 37mm, which it says are the widest that would be allowed under the UCIs 700mm wheel-plus-tyre diameter regulation. The Orca Aero is most aerodynamically efficient with tyres from 29mm to 35mm, Orbea says. Finally, Orbea quotes a frame weight of 900g, but claims the new bike is comparable in stiffness to a climbing bike, which could save around 2 watts when tackling an 8% climb at 17km/h. More aero frame design A wide range of bar widths and stem lengths enable the rider to optimise their ride position. Orbea says the Orca Aeros head tube is as narrow and sharp as possible. It still fits a standard round steerer, rather than designs such as the Delta steerer preferred by Cannondale or the bayonet fork of the Colnago Y1Rs. Orbea says its accompanying integrated handlebar is aero, lightweight and stiff. The fork is designed to sit close to the down tube with a range of tyre widths and to be aerodynamically efficient across a range of wind yaw angles, while the down tube itself has been widened, because Orbea claims the extra width enables more efficient airflow management. The extra width also improves the aerodynamics over the aero bottle cages. The down tube merges with the bottom bracket area, creating a keel in front of the rear wheel, which Orbea again claims helps to reduce drag while staying within the UCI regulationss. Meanwhile, the rear of the new Orca Aero has been slimmed down, with a narrower seat tube and thinner, lower-placed seatstays, increasing compliance and reducing frontal profile. Theres a redesigned seatpost that augments rear-end aerodynamics, and the battery in Shimano systems has been moved to the bottom bracket area to enable it to be kept narrow. Orbea says its lower aero bottle cages improve aerodynamics. Turning to the bottle cages, these have been designed to sit flush with the frame and are positioned low down to improve aerodynamics. Its a feature shared with other aero road bikes such as the Wilier Filante SLR ID2 and Trek Madone, although Orbea has designed its cages around standard round bottles. Orbea continues to provide the service box, which was a feature of the 2022 Orca Aero, and sits on the front side of the lower down tube. It acts as a fairing, lowering drag, while enabling the rider to stash ride essentials without the need for down tube storage. Its removable and not permitted by the UCI in races, so you wont see it on the bikes of the Lotto-Intermarch team at the Tour de France. Orbea Orca Aero specs and prices Orbea specs the Orca Aero with carbon wheels from its Oquo sister brand. Orbea will sell the new Orca Aero in seven sizes, from 47 to 60, and in three stock colours per spec level, as well as offering colour customisation and a range of component upgrades via MyO. Orca Aero M10i LTD Frame/fork: OMX carbon Groupset: Shimano Dura-Ace w/ power meter Gearing: 52/36t x 11-34t Wheelset: Oquo Road Aero RA57LTD carbon spokes Tyres: Vittoria Corsa Pro Speed Wide Rim, 29mm Cockpit: OC SH-RA10 carbon one-piece Seatpost: OC Road Aero RA11 carbon Saddle: Fizik Vento Antares R1 Price: 9,999 / $12,127 / 10,999 Orca Aero M11e LTD Frame/fork: OMX carbon Groupset: SRAM Red AXS w/ power meter Gearing: 48/35t x 10-33t Wheelset: Oquo Road Aero RA57LTD carbon spokes Tyres: Vittoria Corsa Pro Speed Wide Rim, 29mm Cockpit: OC SH-RA10 carbon one-piece Seatpost: OC Road Aero RA11 carbon Saddle: Fizik Vento Antares R1 Price: 9,999 / $12,127 / 10,999 Orca Aero M21e LTD Frame/fork: OMX carbon Groupset: SRAM Force AXS w/ power meter Gearing: 48/35t x 10-33t Wheelset: Oquo Road Performance RP50LTD Tyres: Vittoria Corsa N.Ext Wide Rim, 29mm Cockpit: OC SH-RA10 carbon one-piece Seatpost: OC Road Aero RA11 carbon Saddle: Fizik Vento Antares R1 Price: 6,599 / $8,268 / 7,499 Orca Aero M20i LTD Frame/fork: OMX carbon Groupset: Shimano Ultegra Gearing: 52/36t x 11-34t Wheelset: Oquo Road Performance RP50LTD Tyres: Vittoria Corsa N.Ext Wide Rim, 29mm Cockpit: OC SH-RA10 carbon one-piece Seatpost: OC Road Aero RA11 carbon Saddle: Fizik Vento Antares R1 Price: 5,899 / $7,386 / 6,699 Orca Aero M22 LTD Frame/fork: OMX carbon Groupset: Campagnolo Record 13 Gearing: 52/36t x 11-36t Wheelset: Oquo Road Performance RP50TEAM Tyres: Vittoria Corsa N.Ext Wide Rim, 29mm Cockpit: OC SH-RA10 carbon one-piece Seatpost: OC Road Aero RA11 carbon Saddle: Fizik Vento Antares R1 Price: 5,899 / $7,349 / 6,699 Orca Aero M30i LTD Frame/fork: OMX carbon Groupset: Shimano 105 Di2 Gearing: 52/36t x 11-34t Wheelset: Oquo Road Performance RP50TEAM Tyres: Vittoria Corsa N.Ext Wide Rim, 29mm Cockpit: OC SH-RA10 carbon one-piece Seatpost: OC Road Aero RA11 carbon Saddle: Fizik Vento Antares R3 Price: 4,999 / $6,284 / 5,699

Orbea says its redesigned aero road bike saves 21 watts over the previous model at 50km/h thanks to a new Total System Approach that optimises both bike and rider, with aero refinements, increased tyre clearance and a claimed 900g frame

The 2026 Tour de France is going to be an edition with plenty to offer for the sprinters after organisers made a crucial change to the green jersey competition. With the points classification set to return to the sprinters, many of the best fast men in the world are lining up. The 2026 Tour will fea...

Former professional cyclist Alex Dowsett has critiqued Thomas Tuchels concerns that there isnt enough time to prepare the England World Cup squad for playing at high altitude before they face Mexico on Monday. Following their victory over DR Congo yesterday, the England team will head to Mexico City and the Azteca stadium, which is roughly 2,200m above sea level, for their last-16 match against the co-hosts. Tuchel told the BBC that: "The altitude will be a big disadvantage because we cannot physically adapt to it. "It just takes too much time. We have only three days in between these matches. It's physically just not possible to adapt to the altitude," the England manager added. Kylian Mbapps World Cup boots cost less than Tadej Pogaars cycling shoes I think were being ripped off "I don't get how it's still a problem" Thomas Tuchel says there isn't time for England to adapt to the altitude of the Azteca Stadium. Richard Pelham / Getty Images Alex Dowsett queried Tuchels remarks in a LinkedIn post today. Watching England's altitude problem this week, I don't get how it's still a problem, he wrote. I spent big chunks of my career living at 2,000m in Andorra. Waking up that high wasn't some special block we bolted on, it was just where we lived and trained. Altitude camps were normal life as a pro cyclist. You went up, you slept high, the body did the work in the background, and you came down sharper, he continued. Although theyre markedly different sports, Dowsett, who co-founded the AI training platform Stride earlier this year, drew comparisons between the hard efforts required in cycling and football. For me the biggest change was recovery from anaerobic efforts spattered within threshold blocks, like a hilly Time Trial. Going hard, going again, and again after that, and still holding the quality. I'm no football expert but that's every sprint and every press in a football match surely? A tent in your bedroom It takes time for the body to adapt to high altitude and many of the effects of training at altitude do not occur immediately. Research suggests there is no increase in red blood cell count within the first seven to 10 days of altitude training, which is why athletes spend extended periods of time at altitude. This is whats behind Tuchels remarks about his squad, captained by Harry Kane, not having time to prepare for their match against Mexico. But Dowsett takes a different view. A tent in your bedroom does most of the job, he wrote, referring to altitude tents that simulate a higher altitude. Makes you wonder how many known gains get left on the table, in sport and everywhere else, just because nobody made them normal, Dowsett concluded.

Light, warm, great value, and grippy with added signal visibility

Paul Seixas arrives at the 2026 Tour de France as one of the most fascinating names on the startlist. At just 19 years old, the Decathlon CMA CGM Team rider is set for a historic debut, carrying both Frances long-term GC hopes and the immediate attention that comes with entering the biggest race in...