Georg Steinhauser is counting down the days until his long-awaited Tour de France debut. The 24-year-old German, who claimed a breakthrough stage victory at the 2024 Giro d'Italia, hopes to animate the race from breakaways and become one of the most combative riders of the race. While he is looking...

Tom Pidcock and Pinarello Q36.5 kick off their 2026 Tour de France campaign with a challenging 19.6km team time trial around Barcelona's iconic roads on Saturday. Pidcock comes into the three-week Grand Tour among the GC favorites and will be looking for the best possible start, which will require a strong, well-executed team effort. As the leader of Pinarello Q36.5, he has a host of riders to support him, including newly crowned British National Road Race Champion Fred Wright.As a multi-discipline rider, Pidcock has myriad bike options at his disposal, but will naturally be riding a Pinarello Bolide F time trial bike. While his teammates will use the same bike, albeit with the regular navy-blue-and-gold livery, the Yorkshireman will ride a unique black-and-gold-themed machine.Let's get into the details.A dual-stack, five-spacer system that supports custom one-piece bar extensions by Most (Image credit: Aaron Borrill)The Pinarello Bolide F underwent an update in 2024, borrowing technologies from the Bolide F HR the bike used by the mens and womens Italian track teams in the Olympic endurance events. Look closely, and you'll notice the ribbed, drag-reducing edging on the seat tube and seatpost called AirStream technology. The front end is fairly high, with a dual-stack, five-spacer system that supports custom one-piece bar extensions by Most. While the cups use standard foam padding, two 3D-printed strips - like the lattice structures you'll find on some saddles - are located on each extension to support the forearms. A 60T chainring is used up front, there's a 10-36T cassette at the rearAaron BorrillA Wolf Tooth chainkeeper brings added security, while a waxed chain reduces friction through thr drivetrainAaron BorrillGearing is handled by a 60T, 10-36T by a one-by-specific chainsetAaron BorrillThe Bolide F is outfitted in a full SRAM Red AXS groupset, including a power meter. Pidcock has opted for a fairly traditional 1x gearing configuration comprising a single 60T chainring that drives a 10-36T cassette via very short 160mm cranks. While the X-Sync narrow/wide tooth profiling should keep the chain in place, there's a Wolf Tooth chainkeeper for added security. Look closely, and you'll notice that the BB ends of both crankarms have been filled with 3D-printed plugs to smooth the surface and possibly save a few watts . There's also a waxed chain.A Zipp 858 NSW front and Super-9 solid rear disc take care of rolling duties (Image credit: Aaron Borrill)The wheels come compliments of Zipp. In this case, an 858 NSW front and Super-9 solid rear disc wrapped in surprisingly 'narrow' 28mm Vittoria Corsa Pro Speed tyres no doubt a personal choice and aerodynamic decision. The Bolide can accommodate tyres as wide as 32mm, so the chosen configuration is far from maxed out.Leap Components provides an ergonomic and aesthetic solution to housing the wireless blipsAaron BorrillA button on the inside activates the wireless blip, which is located in a compartment along the top of the Aero GripAaron BorrillBecause SRAM only supplies its wireless blips with adhesive tape, to improve the look and ergonomics, Pidcock has used a 3D-printed Leap Components Aero Grip Blip Mount for the brake levers and TT Shift assembly to neatly house the blips. It looks super refined and also adds extra grip when holding the basebar during cornering. While Leap products are becoming popular among riders and teams who use SRAM, we're told Pidcock sourced these items himself.165mm cranks are now commonplace on most road bike setups, but Pidcock has chosen to go with 160mm on his TT bike. This ensures an aggressive, aerodynamic position without sacrificing power, thanks to the less restrictive hip angle (Image credit: Aaron Borrill)The Prologo Predator saddle has become a popular choice for riders during time trials, thanks to its aero and ergonomically optimised shape. Pidcock's one is the 01 TRI CPC version, which gets added padding and grip from Connect Power Control technology strips along the top. At 1,161 a pop, it's a frighteningly expensive component, but at 163g, it's not only super light but promises a 6.4-Watt saving over the previous model.The finishing touches include a pair of Shimano Dura-Ace PD-R9100 pedals and a Taxc time trial bottle cage.With many fully built time trial bikes tipping the scales at between 9-10kg, Pidcock's Pinarello Bolide F weighed in at a feathery 8.85kg.Prologo's now widely employed Predator TT saddle promises a 6.4-Watt saving over the previous model (Image credit: Aaron Borrill)Pinarello Bolide F TT bike specsFrameset: TorayCa 1100G, TiCRFork: Bolide TT Onda Fork with ForkFlapCockpit: Custom Most TT basebar and extensionsSeatpost: Pinarello AeroGroupset: SRAM Red AXS 60T, 10-36TWheelset: Zipp 858 NSW front/ Super-9 Disc rearTyres: Vittoria Corsa Pro Speed 28mmSaddle: Prologo Predator 01//TTWeight: 8.85kg (with pedals)

Tadej Pogacar is the clear favourite to win the 2026 Tour de France, but according to Alberto Contador, Jonas Vingegaard can be right with him all the way to Paris in the race for the yellow jersey. The UAE Team Emirates - XRG rider is aiming to win his fifth Tour title, enjoying a stellar 2026 seas...

Jonas Vingegaard has played down suggestions of fatigue after winning the Giro dItalia, declaring himself fitter, stronger and happier as he attempts to win a third Tour de France.The Visma-Lease a Bike rider cruised to the Giro title in May without serious opposition, in doing so becoming only the eighth man in history and first since the now-retired Chris Froome in 2018 to win all three Grand Tours.Now the Dane, 29, is aiming to deny his eternal rival Tadej Pogaar a fifth and third successive Tour de France title in what is set to be the duos latest ding-dong battle.Speaking to press in Barcelona before the start of the 113th Tour, Vingegaard was asked about the physical and mental toll of riding the Giro before the Tour. Without taking anything away from anyone at the Giro, it is true that I did not have to completely kill myself [to win the race]. I didnt come out of the Giro completely on my knees, he said. Vingegaard won all five mountain-top stages at the Italian race and his closest challenger, Felix Gall, finished more than five minutes adrift of him in the general classification. It was, in reality, a procession for the rider who also won the Vuelta a Espaa last September.That means you can recover faster afterwards and start your training and get into a good rhythm quicker. If you are on your knees after the Giro, you need two weeks, maybe even more, to recover," Vingegaard added.Then it is hard to start building towards the Tour because then the Tour is already coming. For me at least, I came out of the Giro in a good way and pretty quickly I could start building towards the Tour de France.Pogaar, in 2024, was the last rider to win the Giro and Tour in the same year, the Slovenian becoming the first rider to do so since Marco Pantani in 1998. The 26-year stretch without a double winner led many commentators and riders to dub it the near-impossible task. Vingegaard is hoping to add his name to the short roll call of successors.We tried something new [in going for the Giro-Tour double], which was also the plan, because I think we realised after last year that it was not really so enjoyable to do what we did every year, Vingegaard said.So now we tried to mix it up with the preparation for the Tour, and it has been going really well this year.I think Im ready for this race and I am really looking forward to it. It has been an amazing year for me so far and I am looking forward to it hopefully continuing,Vingegaard and his Visma team have repeatedly said in the past few months that he is in better shape than ever before, and it was a message that the rider himself repeated.Im both better and stronger, he said. I would even say Im happier in a mental state also; Im in a very good place. Ive had a very good year so far. Ive enjoyed riding a bit more this year than I did last year.Ive had a very good season so far already with the three races Ive done he also won Paris-Nice and Volta a Catalunya and of course it takes some pressure off me and off the team.But the Tour de France is still the biggest race. It is still the race you really want to win. Im not saying that Im not happy with what Ive already won this year because I am extremely happy, especially also winning the Giro dItalia title and now having won all three Grand Tours.But again, the Tour de France is just the biggest race of the year and Im here to go for the victory.

The 2026 Tour de France will bring 23 teams of all colours and designs to the roads of both Barcelona and France over the coarse of the next three weeks. Starting with a team time trial on Saturday, the eyes of the cycling world descend on the Grand Boucle. When the world's best riders arrive from f...

Smart rings have become a popular alternative wearable for tracking health and fitness. They can deliver largely the same biometric data as the best smartwatches for cycling, but in a much more discreet, sleek, and stylish design.The best bike computers handle your real-time training data perfectly. A smartwatch just duplicates that on a smaller screen. A smart ring doesnt try to compete with these things; it focuses more on what happens when you're not on the bike, with deep sleep analysis, resting heart rate metrics, insights into how hard you can push on your next ride, and women's health. Get the Oura Gen 4 Smart Ring for just 199.99 at AmazonNow based in San Francisco, health technology company Oura has recently released the Oura Smart Ring Gen 5, but at a significantly increased cost of 500. Which makes this Amazon deal on the previous model, the Oura Smart Ring 4, at up to 50% off, just 199.99, look like a bargain. Amazon UK pricing varies by size and chosen finish, and Oura recommends purchasing a sizing kit in advance, which costs 10 and is credited back when you purchase your ring. For US shoppers, the Oura Smart Ring Gen 4 has a smaller 20% reduction, down to just $399.Save 50% on the Oura Gen 4 smart ring. As a 24/7 wearable, a smart ring is a great choice for tracking your health and fitness. The Oura Gen 4 has research-grade sensors that monitor biometric indicators with precision, delivering all the details and stats to the well-presented Oura app. It won't track ride-specific details directly, like speed, distance, or GPS tracking, but it will sync with your phone to enable this via the app. A live heart rate broadcast is also a feature on Gen 4.View DealSave 20% For US shoppers, the Oura Ring is discounted by up to 20%; again, pricing varies by finish and size. The Rose Gold version has the best $100 discount.View Deal(Image credit: Anne-Marije Rook)In her original Oura ring review, Cycling Weekly North American Editor Anne-Marije Rook scored it with a 4 out of 5 star rating, saying, "The Oura provides 24/7 health monitoring for a comprehensive view of your health. Its combination of advanced features and user-friendly insights makes it a powerful tool for anyone seeking to optimise their well-being."For cyclists, the lack of real-time activity metrics, especially heart rate transmission and GPS tracking, means the reviewed version of the Oura Ring serves better as a supplemental tool for recovery and overall health than as a dedicated cycling activity tracker.However, the discounted Oura Gen 4 has addressed these issues, and heart rate transmission means you can view your live heart rate on most bike computers. GPS tracking still requires you to carry your smartphone (which I always do), and that means the Oura Ring will sync with the phone's GPS signal and the Oura app, saving your route details and enabling a Strava connection.

Great fun read and useful resource by a passionate cycling (and cake!) enthusiast

The Tour de France is perhaps the hardest stage-race to take a win in, and Mauro Schmid knows it first hand. In 2025, he came close in Toulouse, but missed out on what could've been a career-changing triumph. He returns 12 months later more confident, stronger and without less pressure as one of Tea...