There are performances that win races, and others that reshape how we see an athlete. What Tadej Pogacar did on the Tourmalet belongs clearly to the second group. It was not just a stage win at the Tour de France. It was such an overwhelming show of superiority that it forces a question that goes be...

Stage 6 of the Tour de France 2026 left an impression that goes far beyond Tadej Pogacars victory. The Slovenian not only won the Pyrenees queen stage, he also landed a psychological and sporting blow on Jonas Vingegaard that forces VismaLease a Bike to rethink its entire strategy for the next two...

This week's Reader's Rig comes from David in Denver, Colorado, who shares the All-City Gorilla Monsoon he uses for singletrack cruises, gravel rides, bird-watching getaways, and more in the nearby mountains. Meet David and find details on his bike here...The post Readers Rig: Davids All-City Gorilla Monsoon appeared first on BIKEPACKING.com.

Between the Whirled Cup and the Annual Touring of the France there is much to consume the attention of the international sports (or commie sports as we call them here) enthusiast, and while as usual Ive managed to miss most of the latter event thus far, I did happen to note this story:Firstly, Huub Artz is a great name for a boutique company that makes overpriced hubs that are way too loud:[Sorry, your loud hub sounds stupid.]Secondly, ,this is absurd:The Dutch rider was pulled up by the vehicles of the UCI race commissaires, and on the television coverage he could be heard asking them: Whats the limit? Can you explain whats wrong? Everybody does it.The cameras then showed one of the officials inside the car bending forward to mimic an aerodynamic position on the bike. Along with earlier footage of Artz in the race, it was soon apparent that this related tothe rule that states a rider cannot use the forearms as a point of support on the bike.Im sorry, but this is America, and even in an event that doesnt take place anywhere near America I say that riders should be free to assume whatever position they want on a bicycle. Its called Freedom of Movement, look it up!If youre free to leave and return to your own country then it goes without saying you should be able to visit any part of your bicycle with any part of your body that you choose, and penalizing someone for doing so is nothing less than a violation of their human rights.Not only that, but allowing riders more on-the-bike flexibility (literally and figuratively) would bring new talent to the pro peloton by encouraging athletes from other UCI disciplines such as artistic cycling to make the transition to stage racing:Plus, last time I checked, pro cycling was hastening the Climate Apocalypse:So shouldnt we be doing something about all those support vehicles? Well, if artistic cyclists take over the peloton and theyre allowed to assume whatever on-the-bike position they want, then we can finally get rid of team cars altogether! This is because if a rider flats or otherwise falls victim to a mechanical he will then be able to share a bike with a teammate without having to wait for a spare wheel or bike change:Its called teamwork, and you can look that one up toothough it may not be safe for work to do so:Speaking of the Tour de France, everybodys still making a big fuss over tire width:People have been using wide tires on road bikes forever, so why the hell are we supposed to care about a few more millimeters of rubber on a Tour riders bike?The data paints a fascinating picture of how modern race bikes are being optimised, and why the number printed on the tyre sidewall no longer tells the full story.Its the same story every year and its really not fascinating at allbut not only is this somehow newsworthy, but were also supposed to care about whose tires are the biggest:Its always a dick measuring contest, isnt it?Sorry, but its truly exhausting to watch the cycling world rediscover the same thing over and over again:I mean people knew pretty early on that drop bars were useful on mountain bikes:But 39 years later heres Canyon to the rescue!Its built for ultra-distance adventure bikepacking racers, which is way too many words:Who rides XC hardtails anymore? Canyon has the answer with this new Exceed CFR Gravel bike build and its ultra-distance adventure bikepacking racers in addition to classic cross-country and marathon riders. Dropbars on a mountain bike? Yes, please, say the backcountrylunaticsriderstaking on tough multi-day adventure bikepacking races like Tour Divide, Silk Road, Atlas & Hellenic mountain races.And now they wont have to piece together compromises when embarking on their ultra-distance adventure bikepacking races, because they can order a compromise straight from the factory:This is certainly convenient, but you know whats even better than a mountain bike that comes with a factory drop bar conversion? A bike that you dont have to forget to leave on your roof rack because it comes pre-driven into the garage:They really should have called it the Frontal Impact or the Crumple Zone, though I suppose that wouldnt have evoked its key feature:If you are a male born between, oh, lets say 1965 and 1978, youre still (barely) able to ride a Fred bike. Not only that, but youre also at at your peak purchasing power, and etched into your subconscious is this:So sure, they can make up all the crap they want:Pinarello says, The new configuration disperses road vibrations more efficiently through the four connection points, while the lower linkage minimises rebound, delivering a smoother, more controlled ride.But that, and nothing else, is what the Dogma X and its signature X-Stay is all about.Oh, well thats not entirely true, its also about Fifteen Thousand American Fun Tickets:Pricing is on the upper end of the spectrum and in line with the current Dogma F range. The Dogma X frameset will set you back 5,500 / $6,950 / 6,700, while full builds are 12,600 / $15,500 / 14,900.`Though that isnt so bad if you go halfsies with a friend:

If you've tuned into the Tour de France, you may have noticed that when a rider gets a flat puncture, they wait by the roadside until a helper comes and changes their wheel.It wasn't always this way, and riders used to fix a flat tyre themselves.Thats why youll see photos of riders such as Fausto Coppi, who won the Tour de France in 1949 and 1952, with a spare tyre wrapped around their shoulders, to swap in case of a puncture.Saving time Riders used to carry a spare tyre round their shoulders in case of a puncture. Getty Images The modern Tour de France may be thousands of kilometres long, but mere seconds can determine the winner of a stage and even the overall race.This is the main reason why riders no longer fix punctures themselves. The faster a rider can get on the move again, the better.Nowadays, each team will have a team car following, loaded with spare bikes and wheels. Its a lot quicker to swap equipment than to repair it and each team has specialist mechanics to sort out problems, replace flat tyres and clean bikes between stages. The race is followed by a procession of team cars and neutral service vehicles carrying spare bikes. A.S.O./Billy Ceusters When road bikes had rim brakes, it was usual to swap wheels when a rider got a flat tyre, because wheels had quick-release hubs that made for a rapid wheel change. Nowadays, a team car is more likely to swap a rider to a spare bike, because this is faster than unscrewing a thru-axle on a modern disc brake bike, although this does still occur.If a team leader has a mechanical problem at a key stage in a race, they may swap bikes with one of their supporting riders to avoid losing time. Its more usual for them to wait for one of their own bikes, carried by a team car, though, because this will be set up precisely for them. Usually, one or more of their support riders will drop back to help them draft back to the peloton.Shimano neutral service Neutral service cars carry an array of bikes which a rider can swap to. Shimano If a riders team car is a long way back and will take time to reach them, they can also call on neutral service. For a number of years, this has been provided by Shimanos blue-painted cars and motorbikes, and before that Mavics yellow cars.Neutral service will provide support to a rider on any team, whereas team cars (and riders) are only allowed to provide assistance to members of their own team.Neutral service motorbikes will supply a spare wheel for a riders own bike and may fix a mechanical problem. Neutral service cars can do the same, but also carry bikes that a rider can swap to, as Tadej Pogaar did at the 2026 Paris-Roubaix.Since riders are of different heights, neutral service bikes come in different sizes and have a dropper seatpost so they can be adjusted to fit the rider better. There will also be bikes fitted with different pedal systems, because different teams use different, incompatible pedals and shoe cleats.A rider will usually only ride a neutral service bike for a short distance, enabling their team car to catch up and give them one of their own spare bikes. More from the Tour de France New Cervlo R5 hiding in plain sight at the Tour de France Visma-Lease a Bike is trialling carbon-spoked Reserve wheels at the Tour de France Seven remarkable numbers behind Tadej Pogaar's Tour de France success Is this Colnago V5Rs with ENVE aero extensions Tadej Pogaars mountain TT bike? How to watch the 2025 Tour de France

Tadej Pogacar has dominantly won stage 6 of the Tour de France and carved 2:38 minutes on Jonas Vingegaard; as well as more over the rest of the field. Such a dominant performance has sparked questions once again, and social media has seen the resurgence of multiple doping accusations. Tom Dumoulin...

Rian McCrystal made it two in a row on the Quanta Capital Junior Tour of Ireland, winning Stage 4 into Kilfenora and tightening his hold on the yellow jersey.The Cycling Ireland rider crossed the line in Kilfenora after 122.8kilometres from Ennis in 2h4831, at an average of 43.72kph, ahead of Zach Barbour (SpokesOscar Onley Development) and Rab Drummond (Team Rauland). It was a repeat of Wednesdays success, and it leaves him leading three of the races five classifications.Castle Hill splits the raceThe day was defined by its second climb. The Category2 ascent to Cassidy Pub, at just over 50kilometres, went to Jacob Steed (Halesowen AcademyMapei) ahead of Hugh g Mulhearne and Rocco Schumacher, but the race stayed together.Castle Hill, the Category1 climb at 101.6kilometres, did the damage. Cormac Nagle (Hot Tubes) took maximum points at the summit from Schumacher (360 Cycling JRT) and Kaison Smith (EF EducationONTO), and behind them the field came apart on the road down into Kilfenora. Thirty-seven riders reached the line on the winners time; the next group conceded 229.Among those caught out was Fraser Gemmell, wearer of the points jersey, who lost 229 and slipped to 37th overall.McCrystal extends his leadMcCrystal now leads the general classification by 14 seconds from Alex Botha (Hot Tubes), with Lucas Lillistone (Halesowen AcademyMapei) a further two seconds back. Nagles work on Castle Hill lifted him to fourth at 19 seconds, and Drummond sits fifth at 24 seconds.The margins remain slender. Six riders are within half a minute of the race lead with two stages to run, and the Aillwee climb on Saturday offers the clearest opportunity yet to change that.McCrystal also leads the Cross Insurances points competition on 48 points from Gemmell on 32, and the Esmark Finch first-year junior standings. Because a rider may wear only one jersey, Gemmell carries green and Botha white on the road, while Barbour takes the Usher Energy stage jersey.Mulhearne holds the Wicklow200 mountains jersey on 25 points, two clear of Steed, with Schumacher third on 17.Hot Tubes lead the teamsHot Tubes head the team classification after four days, six seconds ahead of Cycling Ireland and eleven ahead of Halesowen AcademyMapei. Halesowen took the stage team prize.One hundred and ten of the 115 starters finished. Five riders abandoned during the stage and three did not start.Stage 5: Ballyallia LakeSaturdays penultimate stage runs 108.6kilometres from Ennis to a finish beside Ballyallia Lake, north of the town. After a Category3 climb at 54kilometres, the route turns for Ballyvaughan and the Category1 haul past Aillwee Caves, which begins at 68.8kilometres and tops out at 73.1.Thirty-five kilometres of largely descending and rolling roads follow the summit, through Leamaneh Castle and Ruan, before the finish. Anyone hoping to take time from McCrystal will have to do it on Aillwee, and then hold it all the way home.Yellow GC Quanta CapitalRian MccrystalCycling IrelandGreen Points Cross InsurancesRian MccrystalCycling IrelandPolka Mountains Wicklow 200Hugh Og MulhearneCycling IrelandSearch the GC & find a riderLook up any rider or classification standingStage 4 Result fullS4Stage 4 Result1Rian MccrystalCycling Ireland2h48m31s2Zach BarbourSpokes Racing Team - Oscar Onley Development2h48m31s3Rab DrummondTeam Rauland2h48m31s4Nils HummelTeam California 12h48m31s5Wendel BauerTeam California 12h48m31s6Tom HughesKilcullen CC - Murphy Geospacial2h48m31s7Desmond MohrBoulder Junior Cycling2h48m31s8Mikey RatcliffeHalesowen Academy-mapei2h48m31s9Sylvan GarreltsHot Tubes2h48m31s10Sam GenazziniLee Valley Youth CC Team 22h48m31s11Conor ReganKilcullen CC - Murphy Geospacial2h48m31s12Lucas LillistoneHalesowen Academy-mapei2h48m31s13Egan LittleTeam Velosport2h48m31s14Noah WhiteLee Valley Youth CC Team 12h48m31s15Caleb McgreevyCycling Ulster2h48m31s16Jacob SteedHalesowen Academy-mapei2h48m31s17Fionn KilleenCycling Ireland2h48m31s18Alex BothaHot Tubes2h48m31s19Callum MaciverTeam Rauland2h48m31s20Noah FinnCycling Leinster2h48m31s21Clark LavoieTeam Velosport2h48m31s22Hugh Og MulhearneCycling Ireland2h48m31s23Kaison SmithEf Education - Onto2h48m31s24Mason WilsonTeam Velosport2h48m31s25Raphael Jacquamet-rossSpokes Racing Team - Oscar Onley Development2h48m31s26Stephen Savino IvNew England Devo P/b Cadence Wealth Management2h48m31s27Cormac NagleHot Tubes2h48m31s28Andrew ConnollyTeam Munster Development2h48m31s29Enzo BerghoutEf Education - Onto2h48m31s30Jacob HinesEf Education - Onto2h48m31s31Alec SorbyIsle Of Man2h48m31s32Rocco Schumacher360 Cycling Jrt2h48m31s33Darragh ByrneCycling Ireland2h48m31s34Kash AdamskiHot Tubes2h48m31s35Matthew CrabbeHot Tubes2h48m31s36Roch MorganIsle Of Man2h48m31s37Nathan RiemerBoulder Junior Cycling2h48m31s38Jaiden LodhaIgnite Junior Cycling Team2h51m00s39Sebastian FunkTeam Velosport2h51m00s40Fraser GemmellSpokes Racing Team - Oscar Onley Development2h51m00s41Joel KowalonekNew England Devo P/b Cadence Wealth Management2h51m00s42Luca Geddes GascoLee Valley Youth CC Team 12h51m00s43Oran O CallaghanTeam Munster Development2h51m00s44Riley SmithCycling Ulster2h51m00s45James ArmstrongCycling Ireland2h51m00s46James MackeyCycling Ulster2h51m00s47Adam KubalaBoulder Junior Cycling2h51m00s48Oliver O ShaughnessyCycling Leinster2h51m00s49Bob MayeCycling Leinster2h51m00s50Gregor CalvertWest Lothian Clarion CC2h51m05s51Ben JonesLee Valley Youth CC Team 22h51m05s52John O MahonyTeam Munster Development2h51m05s53Ciaran O SullivanTeam Munster Development2h51m05s54Diarmuid CollinsTeam Munster Development2h51m05s55Jack LawlessLeinster - Shay Murphy Development2h51m05s56Seth HollandHouston Heat Cycling2h51m05s57Alex SniderEf Education - Onto2h51m05s58George CooperTeam Pau2h51m05s59Lasse Van HaesebrouckeHot Tubes2h51m05s60Louis ThornleySpokes Racing Team - Oscar Onley Development2h51m05s61Coleman HuntDdp Elite Cycling2h51m05s62Harper Johnson360 Cycling Jrt2h51m05s63Will SiminskiLeinster - Shay Murphy Development2h51m05s64Ben GloverIgnite Junior Cycling Team2h51m05s65Adam MatthewsCycling Ulster2h51m05s66Cian ConnollyNew England Devo P/b Cadence Wealth Management2h51m12s67Charles AlcockTeam Rauland2h54m22s68Taavi SnappBoulder Junior Cycling2h54m43s69Ollie LarnerTeam Pau2h54m43s70Jake McleanIgnite Junior Cycling Team2h54m43s71Carson BakerEf Education - Onto2h54m43s72Eli WatsonEf Education - Onto2h54m43s73Noah KeelDdp Elite Cycling2h56m41s74Luke WilliamsTeam California 22h56m41s75Jason GilsenanLeinster - Shay Murphy Development2h56m41s76Ethan CoursonDdp Elite Cycling2h58m23s77Casey WarrenTeam California 12h58m37s78Curtis MckeeCycling Ulster2h58m37s79Brion ThomasTeam Pau2h58m38s80Owen CairnsTeam Pau2h58m53s81George CollinsLee Valley Youth CC Team 12h58m56s82Noah WhellerLee Valley Youth CC Team 12h58m56s83Zach JonesIsle Of Man2h58m58s84Gabriel JakobsenTeam Rauland2h58m58s85Karl BryanBoulder Junior Cycling2h59m44s86Xander Brandon-higgsHalesowen Academy-mapei3h01m01s87Joe EganHalesowen Academy-mapei3h02m08s88Ewan SextonWest Lothian Clarion CC3h02m08s89Tavin GarciaTeam Velosport3h02m08s90Jack LeavellBoulder Junior Cycling3h06m31s91Darragh O KeefeLeinster - Shay Murphy Development3h06m31s92Joshua LoosDornan Cycling Munster3h06m31s93Benjamin BerginCycling Leinster3h06m31s94Patrick ThynneDornan Cycling Munster3h08m52s95Colin SheehanDornan Cycling Munster3h10m27s96Reid MclaughlinTeam California 13h13m04s97Gregory DebenedettiTeam California 13h13m04s98Lee McqueenSpokes Racing Team - Oscar Onley Development3h15m48s99Elliot English360 Cycling Jrt3h15m48s100Toby BarnesTeam Pau3h15m48s101Duncan HindWest Lothian Clarion CC3h15m48s102Reuben CoxTeam Pau3h19m19s103Bennett RoseNew England Devo P/b Cadence Wealth Management3h19m19s104David AveryTeam California 23h23m32s105Zachary RudyTeam California 23h29m19s106Hamish MayesSpokes Racing Team - Oscar Onley Development3h29m58s107William GoguenNew England Devo P/b Cadence Wealth Management3h33m09s108Adrian DoyonIgnite Junior Cycling Team3h33m12s109Ollie PatersonWest Lothian Clarion CC3h33m12s110James SaundersHalesowen Academy-mapei3h33m23sGeneral Classification after Stage 4 fullGCGeneral Classification Quanta Capital1Rian MccrystalCycling Ireland8h32m16s2Alex BothaHot Tubes+14s3Lucas LillistoneHalesowen Academy-mapei+16s4Cormac NagleHot Tubes+19s5Rab DrummondTeam Rauland+24s6Zach BarbourSpokes Racing Team - Oscar Onley Development+25s7Jacob SteedHalesowen Academy-mapei+28s8Nils HummelTeam California 1+28s9Wendel BauerTeam California 1+28s10Hugh Og MulhearneCycling Ireland+29s11Clark LavoieTeam Velosport+29s12Desmond MohrBoulder Junior Cycling+31s13Sam GenazziniLee Valley Youth CC Team 2+31s14Egan LittleTeam Velosport+31s15Caleb McgreevyCycling Ulster+31s16Fionn KilleenCycling Ireland+31s17Sylvan GarreltsHot Tubes+31s18Conor ReganKilcullen CC - Murphy Geospacial+31s19Noah WhiteLee Valley Youth CC Team 1+31s20Enzo BerghoutEf Education - Onto+31s21Noah FinnCycling Leinster+31s22Rocco Schumacher360 Cycling Jrt+31s23Mikey RatcliffeHalesowen Academy-mapei+31s24Stephen Savino IvNew England Devo P/b Cadence Wealth Management+31s25Kaison SmithEf Education - Onto+31s26Andrew ConnollyTeam Munster Development+31s27Alec SorbyIsle Of Man+31s28Kash AdamskiHot Tubes+31s29Darragh ByrneCycling Ireland+31s30Raphael Jacquamet-rossSpokes Racing Team - Oscar Onley Development+31s31Matthew CrabbeHot Tubes+55s32Tom HughesKilcullen CC - Murphy Geospacial+55s33Callum MaciverTeam Rauland+55s34Roch MorganIsle Of Man+55s35Nathan RiemerBoulder Junior Cycling+1m09s36Jacob HinesEf Education - Onto+2m19s37Fraser GemmellSpokes Racing Team - Oscar Onley Development+2m51s38Joel KowalonekNew England Devo P/b Cadence Wealth Management+3m00s39Oran O CallaghanTeam Munster Development+3m00s40Adam KubalaBoulder Junior Cycling+3m00s41James ArmstrongCycling Ireland+3m00s42Louis ThornleySpokes Racing Team - Oscar Onley Development+3m02s43George CooperTeam Pau+3m02s44Ben JonesLee Valley Youth CC Team 2+3m05s45Gregor CalvertWest Lothian Clarion CC+3m05s46Lasse Van HaesebrouckeHot Tubes+3m05s47Harper Johnson360 Cycling Jrt+3m05s48Ciaran O SullivanTeam Munster Development+3m05s49John O MahonyTeam Munster Development+3m29s50Jaiden LodhaIgnite Junior Cycling Team+3m47s51Oliver O ShaughnessyCycling Leinster+3m59s52Adam MatthewsCycling Ulster+4m04s53Luca Geddes GascoLee Valley Youth CC Team 1+4m14s54Seth HollandHouston Heat Cycling+4m47s55Alex SniderEf Education - Onto+5m36s56Mason WilsonTeam Velosport+5m46s57Carson BakerEf Education - Onto+6m43s58Ollie LarnerTeam Pau+6m43s59Charles AlcockTeam Rauland+6m46s60Taavi SnappBoulder Junior Cycling+7m42s61Eli WatsonEf Education - Onto+7m42s62Sebastian FunkTeam Velosport+7m51s63Diarmuid CollinsTeam Munster Development+7m56s64Jack LawlessLeinster - Shay Murphy Development+8m18s65Bob MayeCycling Leinster+9m25s66Ethan CoursonDdp Elite Cycling+10m21s67Casey WarrenTeam California 1+10m30s68Curtis MckeeCycling Ulster+10m37s69Noah WhellerLee Valley Youth CC Team 1+10m56s70Gabriel JakobsenTeam Rauland+11m18s71George CollinsLee Valley Youth CC Team 1+11m36s72Zach JonesIsle Of Man+11m38s73Karl BryanBoulder Junior Cycling+12m43s74James MackeyCycling Ulster+13m34s75Will SiminskiLeinster - Shay Murphy Development+13m48s76Coleman HuntDdp Elite Cycling+14m13s77Brion ThomasTeam Pau+15m29s78Jake McleanIgnite Junior Cycling Team+15m34s79Cian ConnollyNew England Devo P/b Cadence Wealth Management+16m39s80Ben GloverIgnite Junior Cycling Team+18m10s81Ewan SextonWest Lothian Clarion CC+19m37s82Luke WilliamsTeam California 2+21m37s83Noah KeelDdp Elite Cycling+27m19s84Owen CairnsTeam Pau+29m45s85Gregory DebenedettiTeam California 1+30m10s86Bennett RoseNew England Devo P/b Cadence Wealth Management+31m49s87Joe EganHalesowen Academy-mapei+33m35s88Reid MclaughlinTeam California 1+36m03s89Riley SmithCycling Ulster+36m48s90Elliot English360 Cycling Jrt+38m51s91Benjamin BerginCycling Leinster+39m24s92Jason GilsenanLeinster - Shay Murphy Development+39m48s93Jack LeavellBoulder Junior Cycling+40m17s94Lee McqueenSpokes Racing Team - Oscar Onley Development+46m16s95Xander Brandon-higgsHalesowen Academy-mapei+52m19s96Tavin GarciaTeam Velosport+54m40s97Reuben CoxTeam Pau+56m02s98Joshua LoosDornan Cycling Munster+58m48s99Toby BarnesTeam Pau+1h01m07s100James SaundersHalesowen Academy-mapei+1h07m26s101Colin SheehanDornan Cycling Munster+1h09m03s102Darragh O KeefeLeinster - Shay Murphy Development+1h09m55s103Hamish MayesSpokes Racing Team - Oscar Onley Development+1h10m00s104Duncan HindWest Lothian Clarion CC+1h11m06s105Zachary RudyTeam California 2+1h15m21s106Adrian DoyonIgnite Junior Cycling Team+1h16m06s107Patrick ThynneDornan Cycling Munster+1h21m44s108David AveryTeam California 2+1h27m48s109William GoguenNew England Devo P/b Cadence Wealth Management+1h49m16s110Ollie PatersonWest Lothian Clarion CC+1h57m38sPTSPoints Competition Cross Insurances1Rian MccrystalCycling Ireland48pts2Fraser GemmellSpokes Racing Team - Oscar Onley Development32pts3Nils HummelTeam California 126pts4Lucas LillistoneHalesowen Academy-mapei25pts5Alex BothaHot Tubes25pts6George CooperTeam Pau24pts7Desmond MohrBoulder Junior Cycling22pts8Zach BarbourSpokes Racing Team - Oscar Onley Development21pts9Rab DrummondTeam Rauland20pts10Ethan CoursonDdp Elite Cycling19pts11Wendel BauerTeam California 118pts12Casey WarrenTeam California 114pts13Jacob SteedHalesowen Academy-mapei13pts14Gabriel JakobsenTeam Rauland13pts15Cormac NagleHot Tubes13pts16Hugh Og MulhearneCycling Ireland12pts17Matthew CrabbeHot Tubes11pts18Mikey RatcliffeHalesowen Academy-mapei10pts19Egan LittleTeam Velosport10pts20Clark LavoieTeam Velosport10pts21Louis ThornleySpokes Racing Team - Oscar Onley Development10pts22Tom HughesKilcullen CC - Murphy Geospacial10pts23Nathan RiemerBoulder Junior Cycling9pts24Sylvan GarreltsHot Tubes9pts25Sam GenazziniLee Valley Youth CC Team 26pts26Caleb McgreevyCycling Ulster6pts27Ben JonesLee Valley Youth CC Team 25pts28Conor ReganKilcullen CC - Murphy Geospacial5pts29Carson BakerEf Education - Onto3pts30Noah WhiteLee Valley Youth CC Team 12ptsKOMMountains Competition Wicklow 2001Hugh Og MulhearneCycling Ireland25pts2Jacob SteedHalesowen Academy-mapei23pts3Rocco Schumacher360 Cycling Jrt17pts4Cormac NagleHot Tubes15pts5Kaison SmithEf Education - Onto11pts6Caleb McgreevyCycling Ulster10pts7Fraser GemmellSpokes Racing Team - Oscar Onley Development9pts8Sylvan GarreltsHot Tubes9pts9Desmond MohrBoulder Junior Cycling7pts10Hamish MayesSpokes Racing Team - Oscar Onley Development6pts11Louis ThornleySpokes Racing Team - Oscar Onley Development5pts12Alex SniderEf Education - Onto4pts13Gregory DebenedettiTeam California 13pts14Carson BakerEf Education - Onto3pts15Rian MccrystalCycling Ireland1ptsSearch the GC & find a riderLook up any rider or classification standing

After years of resisting the urge to make a hydration hip pack, Bellingham, Washington's High Above finally set out to make a better option, complete with a 1.5L bladder and a design suitable for big days out. Learn more about the new High Above Cascadia 4L here...The post The High Above Cascadia 4L Hip Packs Holds a 1.5L Bladder appeared first on BIKEPACKING.com.

At Eurobike, UK-made alloy bike builder had two complete Avinox ebikes on display. One was their current 160mm travel Phase all-mountain mullet shredder. But the other was a reworking of their more burly long-travel e-enduro Patriot eMTB, only this time with a bit more travel and a shift to the powerful Avinox motor, too. There was one more physical bike on display a Clockwork Orange, or rather an orange Orange Clockwork, but this time for 32 wheels on the trail hardtail. There were also tech drawings for two all-new 32 XC & gravel prototypes both dubbed Strange. Seems fitting, right?Orange eMTBs go Avinox in current Phase & future Patriot MX(All photos/Cory Benson)Weve long followed what the English bike designers and brutalist 6000-series alloy welders over at Orange Bikes have been crafting by hand in Halifax, UK.This black & white fade Orange Phase is their first ebike to move to the new, powerful Avinox M2S 1500W x 150Nm ebike motor. But it certainly wont be the last. Just keep scrolling for the next one. But, lets take a closer look at this one, firstOrange are welding just 25 of these limited-edition Phase Prestige eMTBs. They start with the stock Avinox-powered Phase, then get hand-painted in a black-to-white fade they are calling Smoke. Then, they get built up with a custom spec, based on Oranges classic Factory build, but swapping in shiny purple ano Hope components to create something special. The Orange Phase Prestige is available to pre-order now for 9600 / $12,700 / 11,200 complete, with delivery slated for the middle of September.Longer-travel Patriot MX is next to get an Avinox powertrainThe Patriot became an ebike back in 2023, but had been Bosch-powered ever since. That looks to change with this future Patriot MX project, also now sporting an Avinox M2S motor and that classic DJI/Avinox touchscreen controller in its top tube.The Patriot was already a long-travel enduro eMTB, with 170/170mm travel and a mullet wheel setup. But Oranges new Patriot MX drawings with the new Avinox motor inside look to extend fork travel to 180mm. More motor power for getting you back up the hill after each run, so why not a bit more travel for the downhills, too.As for geo update, the new Patriot MX Avinox looks like it gets a 1/2 slacker headtube, a 2 steeper seat angle, ever so slightly shorter chainstays, slightly shorter frame Reach, and improved standover at the same time.No word just yet on how soon the Patriot will make the motor switch. But current Bosch-powered models are officially out-of-stock, suggesting it could be pretty soon.A Clockwork Orange trail hardtail for 32 wheelsAs for big-wheeled hardtails, this unreleased Orange Clockwork Elite trail hardtail is the first weve seen in real life from the bikemaker designed for 32 wheels. The long & slack Clockwork was the original Orange hardtail, built to ride anything and everything. Orange makes it entirely in the UK, from custom butted 6061-T6 aluminium (aluminum!) tubes, with a bunch of machined elements and classic chunky welds. Typically designed around 27.5 wheels and mated to a 130mm travel fork, we wouldnt be surprised to see this new 32 iteration on either 120mm or 130mm of fork travel.No complete build yet, though. Although thats not a huge surprise, as the Clockwork has always been an affordable alloy hardtail mountain bike. The current made-in-England 27.5 bikes retail price is just 1500. So, until production-level 32 forks from the big suspension makers are available, itll be difficult to build one of these up to be trail-ready on a budget.32 Strange Orange prototypes for XC & GravelAptly named Strange, Orange had a couple of drawings on hand for some more 32 prototypes. One for classic cross-country riding and one for gravel.Their easily adaptable, in-house alloy frame manufacturing seems well-suited to building speculative frames around new wheel sizes. So, again, not a huge surprise to see them working on 32 prototypes.As more 32-specific components become available namely carbon gravel forks, affordable MTB suspension forks, high-performance wheels, and more tire options besides only Maxxis offering true options well look forward to seeing Strange new Orange XC & Gravel 32ers.Orangebikes.com

Belgian Tim Merlier took his fourth Tour de France career stage win in Bordeaux today after an unmatched sprint alongside the Garonne river. The Soudal-Quick Step rider timed his effort to perfection, leaving it late to make his move into a headwind. It had looked as though Alpecin-Premier Tech were in control of the sprint, as Matthieu van der Poel hit the front with around 600 metres to go. 100 metres later and he started his sprint but this proved too early. As his sprinter Jasper Philipsen was forced to open his sprint, Merlier was still sitting in fifth wheel, behind Biniam Girmay (NSN Cycling) and Fernando Gaviria (Caja Rural). Van der Poel swung off with 250 metres to go, leaving Philipsen sprinting into a headwind. Merlier didn't make his move until 150 metres to go, coming out of the slipstream and surging past his rivals.More to come....(Image credit: Getty Images)Two riders were given their freedom today, a sure sign that the sprinter's teams were determined to stay in control on the roads through the Landes and Gironde regions. Jakob Otruba (Caja Rural) and Baptiste Veistroffer (Intermarch Lotto) were given a maximum lead of one minute 38 seconds as Alpecin Premier tech and Soudal - Quick Step marshalled the front of the peloton, with occasional help from Decathlon CMA CGM. The French team might be more focused on Paul Seixas's GC ambitions, but following Olav Kooij's win on stage five into Pau means they had to show willing.The pair worked well together but after one last dig from Veistroffer, sat up and shook hands with 20km to go. They always knew they wouldn't survive to the finish, but acknowledged their hard work after what was another hot day in the saddle. From there the peloton took a few more kilometres to pick up the speed as thing started to get nervy. Coming into Bordeaux the likes of Alpecin, Soudal and Cofidis sent their trains to the front. But it was Netcompany Ineos that lead into the city as the road narrowed, thinking of their sprinter Dorian Gordon. Everyone made it safely to the three kilometres to go point and from there most of the peloton could relax and leave the action to unfold in the arrowhead of around 40 riders at the front. Stage 7, Hagetmau > Bordeaux, 175.1km1. Tim Merlier (Bel) Soudal-Quick step2. Sren Wrenskjold (Nor) Uno-X Mobility3. Biniam Girmay (Eri) NSN Cycling4. Max Kanter (Ger) XDS Astana 5. Jasper Philipsen (Bel) Alpecin-Premier TechTour de France 2026 general classification after stage six1. Tadej Pogaar (Slo) UAE Team Emirates-XRG, in 21:11:57 UPDATE2. Jonas Vingegaard (Den) Visma-Lease a Bike, +2:423. Isaac del Toro (Mex) UAE Team Emirates-XRG, +3:274. Remco Evenepoel (Bel) Redu Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe, +3:305. Juan Ayuso (Esp) Lidl-Trek, +3:346. Paul Seixas (Fra) Decathlon CMA CGM, +3:557. Florian Lipowitz (Ger) Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe, +4:008. Lenny Martinez (Fra) Bahrain Victorious, +4:219. Mattias Skjelmose (Den) Lidl-Trek,+4:5710. Mathias Vacek (Cze) Lidl-Trek, +7:10