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...

The Tour de France has become a melting pot for experimentation - not just from manufacturers and teams, but the riders, too, who sometimes implement some ingenious hacks and adaptations to gain an advantage over their chief adversaries. While we expect to see a host of new bikes at this year's edition - the Specialized S-Works Tarmac SL9 and new Orbea Orca Aero have already officially broken cover - theres always an unexpected prototype or two lurking in the paddocks and peloton, and well break that news as we spot it.New frameset liveries have already started to break cover with none other than Tom Pidcock and Pinarello Q36.5 doubling up with a limited-edition Tour de France kit, too. As the race unfolds, well see more special colorways as riders vie for the various Tour de France jerseys - Green (points), Polkadot (mountains), and White (best young rider) jerseys. We expect the GC leader after Stage 1 to be kitted out in yellow-themed paraphernalia come Stage 2.Having spent a good few days this year trawling the paddocks at the biggest races, there have been some common themes seen employed by teams to ensure better integration and uniformity. Sometimes, manufacturers treat computer mounts and number holders as afterthoughts and dont look at the details, which means riders and team mechanics need to get creative to ensure that slippery frame remains as fast once on the road. This year, weve predicted what we expect to see based on common themes already employed, not to mention the hot weather and the most climbing metres we've seen from a Tour de France route in recent history.3D-printed Leap Components computer mount (Image credit: Aaron Borrill)More 3D-printed components and accessoriesClever solutions to number board holders, computer mounts, chain keepers, and other nifty features have risen in prominence across the board in the WorldTour. Weve seen many 3D-printing specialists coming out of the UK (RaceWare) and Europe too with Neat and Leap components - these companies step in when innovation fails to grasp the needs and ergonomic requirements of riders. We expect to see a host of smart solutions employed during the TTT on Stage 1 and ITT on Stage 16. Keep an eye out for our mega tech gallery from the Grand Depart where well unpack all the best tech hacks and finds.(Image credit: Aaron Borrill)The rise of stem spacersSlammed front ends matched to long stems were standard practice in the past, allowing pro riders to funnel themselves onto smaller frame sizes to achieve a more forward-based position - which delivered a snappier, more manoeuvrable bike. As the science of the sport has progressed with more focus on biomechanics and rider comfort, as well as a better understanding of aerodynamics, riders are seeing greater benefits by utilising higher stacks from adding spacers under the stem.Not only can this improve comfort but in certain instances, it can also boost aerodynamics, allowing riders to hold a better position for longer periods of time. With a race as long as the Tour de France, comfort will ultimately make riders faster in later stages of the race, meaning less aggressive setups will potentially lead to fresher riders come the last week of the Tour.(Image credit: Aaron Borrill)Wider tyres are here to stay but 28mm still has a placeWhile we did see a few riders using 28mm tyres at Opening Weekend in Belgium early in the season, the bulk of the peloton was using 30mm, with some using tyres as wide as 32mm. We expect to see 30mm used across the board at the Tour, as this width provides a good balance between aerodynamics, rolling efficiency and grip when paired with lower tyre pressures. As always, time trial-specific tyres will be used by some teams, too - most notably by Continental and Vittoria tyre-sponsored teams and while these options are lightweight and offer better rolling resistance, puncture protection is not as good as regular compounds. That said, we also do expect a few outliers to run 28mm tyres - particularly for the steep mountain stages where weight trumps aerodynamics. Considering the possible weight savings of up to 100g per pair over the 30mm equivalent, there's potential to reduce weight without impacting performance by switching to 28mm on the high-mountain stages.Return of the climbing bikeWhile last year was ruled by the lightweight aero bikes from Colnago, Cervelo, and Giant and all-rounders from Specialized, Cannondale, and Trek, we expect to see the return of a dedicated climbing bike - well, for some brands at least. Uno-X Mobility has an extraordinarily fast aero bike in the Ridley Noah Fast 3.0, but it's fairly heavy, with weights exceeding 8kg in certain build specifications, putting the team at a significant disadvantage. Decathlon CMA CGM has the same issue with the Van Rysel RCR-F Pro, and Paul Seixas will want the lightest bike possible for the mountains.With new dedicated climbing bikes spotted at the Tour Auvergne-Rhne-Alpes (formerly Dauphin), Uno-X Mobility and Decathlon CMA CGM riders will now have the option of using a lightweight climbing/all-rounder bike for the high mountain stages of which there are many this year - with much steeper gradients and two ascents of Alpe d'Huez on Stages 19 and 20.(Image credit: Specialized Bicycles)Vented aero helmetsThe aero helmet has come a long way, moving from solid shells to mildly vented options. Given the extreme heat expected this year and the faster speeds of the peloton, out-and-out aero lids are no longer paramount, and extra venting for cooling can provide a significant performance boost in the right conditions. With more riders still wanting the fastest option but with added cooling for marginal improvements, helmet suppliers have looked at ways of preserving aerodynamics while adding extra vents - Specializeds Evade 4 and Mets new Manta are cases in point. While we expect dedicated aero road lids to become more versatile going forward, we also expect to see a similar approach adopted for time-trial helmets.EF Education-EasyPost's Ben Healy went all in on stage 6, utilising a POC Procen Air road lid, a Rapha Pro Team TT Aero skinsuit with cut sleeves and aero socks to secure stage honours (Image credit: Getty Images)Faster, cooler fabrics and rider kit hacksThis is one of the most rapidly developing areas of pro cycling, and it's something weve covered in detail over the past year. Take Jayco AlUla for example and the Maap Pro Aero jersey that was developed for the team and used at last year's Tour de France With a possible heat have hitting this years Tour de France, we foresee most teams rolling out special fabrics to keep riders cool as well as their skin protecte from harmful UV rays - while still offering aerodynamics gains at the typical pro peloton riding speeds. Furthermore, on some of the breakaway days, we may yet again see riders getting creative and modifying their TT-specific skinsuits to combat the heat while keeping the tripping properties intact for extra watt savings. We saw this with Ben Healy, who masterfully trimmed the sleeves of his Rapha Pro Team TT Aero skinsuit to stay cool without negatively impacting the aero benefits - small yet effective modifications that helped him solo away from the group and win stage 6 in Vire Normandie.

Tim Merlier enters the 2026 Tour de France as one of the clearest sprint-stage threats in the race, but the Belgian champions route to green now looks different after a late points classification change. CyclingUpToDate were present at the Soudal - Quick-Step pre-Tour press conference to document e...