When Uno-X Mobility were awarded a Tour de France wildcard for the 2023 edition, the news was greeted with shock and joy. Jens Haugland, the teams then manager, said he just started screaming when he found out. He then made a vow: Were not going to be defensive were going to be very positive and attacking in our racing.Four years on, the Norwegian team (with a few Danish riders along for the ride) have not only come good on Haugland's words, but fully established themselves as Tour de France regulars, and winners. The first year was all about being seen, and the team did that, recording 11 top-10s. Invited back again in 2024, Jonas Abrahamsen went in more breakaways than gruppettos, before the same man returned 12 months later and pulled off a gutsy stage win just four weeks after breaking his collarbone.Now the team in red has swapped its colours for yellow. On stage four of the 2026 Tour, Torstein Tren, cancer survivor and leader of last years Vuelta a Espaa for four days, was one of 34 riders to go up the road in the first big breakaway of the race. The group was whittled down to 11 towards the finale and with Lidl-Trek counting three riders in it, it was inevitable that Lidl-Trek's Mads Pedersen would win the sprint finish.Tren and American Sean Quinn of EF Education-EasyPost were the only riders in with a chance of taking the race lead off Tadej Pogaar, who was happy to hand it over. Tren was five minutes and six seconds adrift of the defending champion, and Quinn was 28 seconds further back. The gap between them and the peloton was around three minutes for most of the stage, but then in the final 80km it stretched further and further out. Tren had time to prepare for the biggest moment of his life: he would be in yellow, the leader of the Tour de France.What can I say? Im always happy to perform at the Tour, the biggest race in the world, and most of all Im grateful that the team selected me, he said, resplendent in the worlds most coveted cycling jersey.(Image credit: Getty Images)In the previous two seasons, Tren raced for Bahrain-Victorious, leaving the team that had developed him. He did well at Bahrain that Vuelta lead, of course, plus a stage win at the Tour de Suisse but the grass isnt always greener. Tren feels at home at Uno-X and recognised that they are now deserved Tour de France regulars.They received wildcards for the past three years, but now theyre automatically invited as one of the 18 WorldTour teams after being promoted from the second division. Far more established teams like Groupama-FDJ United, Movistar and Picnic PostNL have done less than Uno-X in the Tour since 2023. Often much less. Their participation is no fluke. To be honest, its the same team as before the people are the same, and how everyone is working is the same, Tren said.I knew how they were working, and with Thor Hushovd coming in [as team manager in 2024] it was really exciting. They are all still my friends and I still spoke to them even when I wasnt on the team. It was always a dream to come back and be with them, and, [after] seeing how they were performing last Tour, its just a pleasure to be here.Hushovd, who was the first Norwegian to lead the Tour de France all the way back in 2004, summarised the scale of the achievement for a team that imposes its own self-limitations all in the name of developing homegrown talent. Its a big moment for us, said Hushovd, the 2010 world champion. We have a different project to others. We are a Scandinavian team with a Scandinavian identity, with riders only from Norway and Denmark. It makes the road more complicated because we cannot pick and choose riders from different countries, and we also have less budget, but if you do a good job and do things properly, then we stand here today and lead the Tour de France.Given the parcours in the forthcoming week, coupled with Trens 7:53 advantage to Pogaar and Jonas Vingegaard, its very feasible that the Norwegian will be in yellow for quite a while possibly until the final week, when the Vosges mountains are followed by a lumpy time trial and then the Alps. Tren could lead the race for more days than anyone else in this Tour.Meanwhile his teammate Tobias Halland Johannessen will likely be accompanying him in the GC top-10, as the Uno-X aim for another high placing. He was sixth last year and we will try to do better this year, Hushovd said. We think were in a good position and leading the Tour de France gives more motivation to the group.A lot of teams handed wildcard entries to the worlds biggest bike race dont do much beyond appearing in breakaways. Theres nothing wrong with that they have smaller squads and smaller budgets compared to the heavyweights, and a doomed day out front is often the best way of ensuring visibility.But just like they have done in a number of areas, Uno-X have done things differently. They used their debut Tour in 2023 as a stepping stone to greater things. Tren gaining yellow in 40-degree heat in Foix further cemented their reputation as Tour mainstays. Leading the Tour de France is already a success, Hushovd added, but we know we want much more.

After stage 3 of the Tour de France, debate on The Move podcast reached an almost unanimous conclusion: Tadej Pogacar and UAE Team Emirates-XRG are dictating the race from day one, and Visma-Lease a Bike must find a different formula if it wants Jonas Vingegaard to mount a challenge. Lance Armstrong...

In 2024, Mondraker introduced the Arid, the first proper gravel bike from the progressive mountain bike brand. Two years on, the Arid is getting a refresh, with updated colors, builds, and several subtle updates to refine its performance. It seems clear that Mondraker already enjoys its unique Arid platform, but felt it could be just a little better with some minor tweaks, not a complete redesign.Spec updates include wider-range MTB/drop bar drivetrains, proportional, size-specific handlebar widths, and a new Carbon RS build. Mondraker also updated the Arid frames with sleeker, lighter, and more compliant forks, plus a redesigned in-frame storage compartment. Finally, five new colorways developed in-house in Mondrakers Blue Lab bring fresh looks to the lineup.Mondraker Arid: Same But DifferentThe Arid gravel bike was introduced in 2024, and it remains mostly unchanged from Mondrakers original design. You can learn all about it in our launch coverage here. The Arid frame stands out in a sea of similar-looking gravel bikes with a fairly unique design that falls in line with Mondrakers design language. While it doesnt look exactly like the brands mountain bikes, the slim top tube and cutouts in the seatstay junction give it some of that signature Mondraker aesthetic.And for the most part, the Arid frame remains the same. The geometry is unchanged, and the frame has clearance for tires up to 50mm wide. It is designed for use with 1x drivetrains only, with clearance for a 46T max chainring. Its compatible with 27.2mm dropper posts and dedicated gravel suspension forks with 30mm or 40mm of travel. The Arid is meant to be a versatile ride thats fast enough for racing while remaining comfortable for adventurous all-day rides.Whats New?Mondraker obviously felt there was room for improvement, so they made some minor changes. Again, these are fairly subtle, but intended to refine the Arid platforms comfort and performance.Redesigned ForkArguably, the biggest change to the Arid platform is a redesigned fork on the carbon models. The brand took a less-is-more approach, removing the three-pack mounts for a sleeker, more streamlined look. This also allowed for a refined carbon layup, a bit more vertical compliance, and a modest 20-gram weight savings.Surely some riders will lament the loss of mounts on the fork, but it seems the folks at Mondraker think the enhanced ride quality and comfort will benefit the majority of riders who arent using fork mounts anyway.Updated In-Frame StorageMoving to the downtube, Mondraker says it has redesigned the internal compartment of its Carry-On in-frame storage, making bag extraction easier and smoother than before. While this change wont impact the bikes ride quality, it should make it slightly easier to live with and potentially improve the rider experience.Proportional Bar WidthsIn the mountain bike world, Mondraker helped to revolutionize geometry with its progressive designs. The brand claims it is still obsessed with geometry and has extended that obsession to the cockpit on the Arid gravel bike. While size-specific bar widths are nothing new, Mondraker claims that its handlebar widths are now matched precisely to frame size. Stock bar widths are: S: 400mm, M and M/L: 420mm, L: 440mm, XL: 460mm. This should help to provide a more comfortable and natural riding position, which can improve handling and reduce fatigue for all riders, regardless of frame size.Mullet DrivetrainsFor 2027, Mondraker has chosen to make mullet drivetrains standard across its RR, RS, R, and S models. Whats a mullet drivetrain? Its essentially a wide-range mountain bike drivetrain paired with drop bar shifting. Wireless technology has made it much easier to combine the massive gear range and the durability of mountain bike components with drop bar shifters. Mondraker feels this is the most honest solution for real gravel.Fresh ColorsMondraker has also updated the Arid with five new frame colors. In the brands own words: More than just a color palette, the Arid range has been developed as a collection of distinct visual identities. Each finish carries its own emotional intention and character: the graphic contrast of Silverflash, the raw solar energy of Suncore, the quiet authority of Superblack, the ever-shifting character of Atmos, and the expressive confidence of Ionite Blue.Okay All of the new Arid frame colors were reportedly developed in the Blue Lab, which is the name of Mondrakers in-house color and materials department. Marketing speak aside, the new frame colors are eye-catching, with diverse options to suit a range of tastes. Im partial to Superblack.New Carbon RS BuildFor the race-oriented riders, gram counters, and watt watchers, Mondraker is adding a new high-performance Carbon RS build. Equipped with Shimano GRX Di2 electronic shifting and Fulcrum Sharq GR wheels, the RS is designed for those who push limits on race days and refuse to compromise on the days in between.Mondraker Arid: Builds and PricingAll of the carbon-framed Arid builds are available in four colors: Superblack, Silverflash, Atmos, and Suncore. The Arid Carbon is also available as a frameset in Superblack or Ionite Blue for 1,999 / 1,799. The affordable alloy-framed Arid R is available in Bunker Grey or Tokyo Blue, and the Arid S comes in Greyhound Grey or Rustbelt Red.Arid Carbon RR SL: 8,999 / 8,499 / $10,999SilverflashArid Carbon RR: 6,499 / 5,999 / $7,499SuncoreArid Carbon RS: 5,399 / 5,199 / $6,499AtmosArid Carbon R: 4,499 / 4,299 / $5,799SilverflashArid Carbon S AXS: 3,499 / 3,399 / $4,499SuperblackArid Carbon S GRX: 2,999 / 2,999 / $3,799SuncoreArid R: 2,699 / 2,399Tokyo BlueArid S: 2,299 / 1,999Rustbelt RedAvailability:Mondrakers new Arid gravel bikes are available now. Head to the brands website or your nearby Mondraker dealer to learn more.mondraker.comThe post Mondrakers Arid Gravel Bike Gets Fresh Colors, Builds, and Subtle Refinements for 2027 appeared first on Bikerumor.

As new Tour de France GC leader Torstein Tren is already finding out, being the wearer of the yellow jersey in the Tour de France is at once the most privileged and the most onerous job in cycling. But when your name is Tadej Pogaar that pressure is doubled.No wonder he seemed perfectly happy to have handed it over on stage four. He'll pass the next few days, maybe more, in comparative anonymity or as close to that as Tadej Pogaar wearing the rainbow bands can ever come in the Tour de France while Tren fields the various podium and press conference duties required of the yellow jersey.Also ahead of Pogaar are Sean Quinn (EF Education-EasyPost) and Mathias Vacek (Lidl-Trek), who are at 28sec and 3:50 to Trn, while Pogaar is languishing at full 7:53 in arrears. The stage, from Carcassonne to Foix, was won by Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek).That isn't to say the maillot jaune will be forgotten about by Pogaar and UAE Team Emirates-XRG, far from it. Following stage four, he spoke to journalists as he warmed-down on a trainer in the still-broiling shade behind the UAE bus in Foix."I mean, obviously the goal is to take back the yellow jersey," he said. "But yeah, you never know. They are really good, and it's quite a big gap, so we will see. Now we will fight, but yeah, I think they can keep the yellow jersey for a long time."With the mercury soaring to 39deg C (102F) along the course, according to Cycling Weekly's overworked car, cooling protocols in the peloton were at the forefront of every team's strategies. Race regulations were also amended to allow more water bottles to be handed up at feed zones.Pogaar was affected just as much as anyone else, saying: "When we started, I had a full headache, and I was thinking this is gonna be one long day," he said. "But then we kept showering each other with the water, and all was good."Exactly how much performance benefit there was in being able to skip duties such as press conferences and podium duties was hard to measure, Pogaar said, adding: "But some days there is probably a lot of stress with media, and some days it's easy to do. It just depends on the day, and it's hard to tell."Today will be one-and-a-half hours less obligations, so it definitely helps with recovery," he added. "But I think now I'm pretty used to doing all the podium stuff, and we've got good protocol, and I have good help around me, good people that help me to stay cool and calm, and yeah, to recover as best as possible, even when we have to do the podium."Pogaar also had a word of praise for the Lidl-Trek team, saying that if a team of their calibre went in the breakaway, then it would likely succeed. They did a "super-good job", he said, but praised the efforts of his own team too. "We kept it cool, calm, and we arrived at the finish, I think, not spending a crazy amount of energy, obviously. I think Nils [Politt], Florian [Vermeersch] and Tim [Wellens] were super good today, dividing the work," he said.The next week or so looks like friendly territory for a rider looking to hang on to yellow for a while. Assuming Tren survives the big mountains of stage six, which crosses the cols d'Aspin and Tourmalet, with an uphill finish at Gavarnie-Gdre, and the hard and mountainous stage 10 to Le Lorian, he could certainly keep it till stage 14 a 10-day tenure. That's when the big mountains of the final week kick in, starting with a finish at Le Markstein.And at the end of that, Tren may well feel more than happy to hand back those media and podium duties perhaps to Pogaar, but not necessarily and with it the yellow jersey.

Tour de France is a special event. For riders and fans alike, it can often be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be part of the race. That is why many of the spectators are willing to go the extra mile to grab the attention of TV cameras. And to step their experience up a level. As much is fine, bu...