Eight teams have a stage win, 14 dont and this should make for a lively start as this is the last stage open to half the peloton.Contre la montre: the stage win for Remco Evenepoel who blitzed the course, only Tadej Pogaar was within a minute of him and he seemed untouchable from the first time check that he was against the clock rather than his rivals, a quest to find the biggest winning margin.Yes this is his speciality but the margin of victory was big. With Switzerland on the horizon with its watchmakers he looked as precise as some of the timepieces made nearby. His confidence is growing and well see where he takes this in the mountains, moments of being dropped at Le Lioran and on the Col du Haag feel distant but they occurred after multiple, sustained climbs and theres plenty of that to come.Any cheer for Red Bull was muted by Florian Lipowitz crashing, washing out on a bend in the streets of Thonon and sliding into the kerb first, then some padded barriers. He is out of the Tour now with a broken collarbone. Thats two GC contenders out in two days of racing.Mattias Skjelmose was the surprise of the day. Hes always been handy a hilly time trial but he beat expectations, including his own but more so as his team mate Juan Ayuso was 15th and this puts the Dane within a minute on GC now of his colleague but he says the plan is still to ride for Ayuso.Paul Seixas was fourth, easy to bank as unsurprising but astonishing for a teenager. He pipped Isaac Del Toro by five seconds whose strong ride reinforces his stage racing credentials, a potential weakness overcome. The battle ahead for the third podium spot and the white jersey should be something to watch.The Route: 175km and 2,200m of vertical gain. A scenic start after KM0 to past the Bourget lake and then the road climbs to the Massif des Bauges, part of the Alps. It looks the part with jagged peaks below which dairy cows sport clanging bells, only just no steep Alpine passes here, this is a gentle and more approach into the mountains, climbing up alongside a white river to get into the mountains. The descent is steeper and trickier, via a small rise, and takes the race back to the start in Chambry.The rest of the course is on rolling roads. The Col de Couz is a mountain pass inside a valley but a gentle one. Approaching Voiron theres a final climb of 1.6km at 4% on a wide road.The Finish: big boulevards in town and in the final kilometre theres a 90 right bend, 90 to the left and then a 90 to the right. Its the same as the 2019 Dauphin where Wout van Aert took his first World Tour level road race win.The Contenders: a big day for the breakaway. If this was the first week it could be for the sprinters but desperation means too many riders and teams will fight to get something from this Tour. The Tour is so important this kind of attitude ought to be the default from Day 1 but its human nature to start with plans and then if these fail try anything. Also a lot of riders are tired which makes things harder to control, plus with Tim Merlier out of the race, one of the two prime teams that chased wont do so either.If Wout van Aert has won in Voiron before, so canMathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-PremierTech). Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek) is another obvious pick, able to make moves at the start and then at the finish, while also able to win from any kind of sprint and he is also boosted by a very strong team that can shape the race, Quinn Simmons and Mathias Vacek are candidates too but can set up their leader for the win.When Mauro Schmid (Jayco) won the stage he brought down the average number of pro wins for a stage winner as hed only won 13 races before compared to 72 wins but the quality came from having Luke Plapp, Ben OConnor and Michael Matthews assist him. He can do the same again and Matthews is a contender too.Visma-LAB are stage hunting now and Victor Campenaerts has won Tour stages in the third week.Breakaway specialists Kasper Asgreen (EF) and Jonas Abrahamsen (Uno-X) should be in the mix but making the move and winning from it is a big ask.Romain Grgoire (Groupama-FDJ) seems ideal for the stage but has been trying to recover after suffering on the early stages so a harder pick. Likewise Dorian Godon (Netcompany-Ineos) was suited to this on paper but he has been struggling from injuries after being caught up in the crash among sprinters in Chalon-sur-Sane which he probably shouldnt have been contesting and if hes on the mend hes a harder pick now but team mate Filippo Ganna can try.A sprint can still happen, in part because so many teams could ride each other down and any gruppetto forming early has a chance to get back. So Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-PremierTech), Biniam Girmay (NSN) and Olav Kooij (Decathlon-CMA CGM) have a chance with Philipsen in the best place given Merlier is out.Van der Poel, PedersenSimmons, PhilipsenGanna, Campenaerts, Asgreen, Kanter, MatthewsWeather: sunny and 29C. A 10km/h breeze from the north could gust to 35km/h.TV: KM0 is at 1.35pm and the finish is forecast for 5.20pm CEST. The start should frantic.The post Tour de France Stage 17 Preview first appeared on The Inner Ring.

The British star admits he uncharacteristically slowed on the routes technical downhill section, but still finished 12th on the stage, cementing his position in the top 10 overall

Remco Evenepoel underlined his status as the world's finest time trial specialist by claiming a dominant victory on Stage 16 of the Tour de France. The Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe rider was in a class of his own over the 26.1 km course between vian-les-Bains and Thonon-les-Bains, setting the fastes...

Specialized continues the expansion of its Turbo Levo family of eMTBs with the addition of the brand-new Levo R S-Works Ultralight. Launched earlier this year, the Levo R added a lighter mid-travel model alongside the Levo 4 and Levo 4 Evo. The new S-Works Ultralight build sheds a whopping five pounds from the existing S-Works Levo R, bringing starting weights down to just 41.4 pounds / 18.8 kg with a full-power motor.The Ultralight features the same lightweight carbon frame and powerful S-Works 3.1 motor as the standard S-Works Levo R, but is built up with some very fancy and light components to reduce its overall weight. Perhaps the biggest factor contributing to its weight reduction, however, is the smaller 600Wh battery, which weighs 2.6 lbs / 1.2 kg less than the 840Wh included on the other builds.Levo R S-Works Ultralight DetailsThe S-Works Ultralight shares the same frame design as the rest of the Levo R lineup. It features a FACT 11m Carbon frame with 130mm of rear-wheel travel, a 140mm fork, and 29 wheels front and rear. It shares the same versatile, trail-oriented geometry, along with the same geometry adjustments for head angle, bottom bracket height, and chainstay length. The Levo R Ultralight is currently only offered in sizes S2 to S5. For all of the details, you can get the full Levo R rundown here.Lightweight ComponentsLike the standard S-Works Levo R, the Ultralight comes with the same Fox Float Factory GENIE shock and Fox 36 SL Factory fork. The drivetrain setups are nearly identical as well, with the Ultralight opting for the slightly lighter XX SL derailleur. After that, however, the Ultralight build starts to resemble that of a high-end XC bike.That lightweight, high-end rabbit hole starts with the Trickstuff Direttissima 4-piston brakes. The Roval Control SL VI wheels with Industry Nine Solix hubs and Vonoa Carbon spokes weigh just 1,275 g for the pair and spare no expense at $2,900. Those wheels are wrapped in a light-for-an-e-bike set of Specialized Trail Control/Ground Control tires.The cockpit includes a lightweight Roval Control SL RISE integrated setup with Supacaz foam grips. The Bike Yoke Revive 3.0 dropper is topped with an S-Works Power Mirror saddle with carbon rails and shell. The Ultralight comes in Satin Carbon only, with classy-looking silver accents on the dropper, brake calipers, brake levers, and fork.S-Works 3.1 Drive SystemAs an S-Works model, the Levo R Ultralight comes with Specializeds more powerful S-Works 3.1 drive unit. This top-spec motor puts out up to 111Nm of torque and 850W of peak power, versus 105Nm and 810W of the standard 3.1.To save weight, Specialized specced the Levo R S-Works Ultralight with a 600Wh battery. Not only does this reduce the total weight by 2.6 lbs / 1.2 kg compared to the 840Wh battery, but it also lowers the center of gravity in the frame, which, theoretically, improves handling and agility. For longer rides, the Ultralight is also compatible with Specializeds 280Wh range extender, which adds up to 90 minutes more ride time.Specialized Levo R S-Works: AvailabilityThe Levo R S-Works Ultralight retails for $13,000 / 11,999 / 13,999 and is available now. Head to the Specialized website or your favorite local Specialized dealer to learn more about this tricked-out lightweight e-MTB.specialized.com

Scary moment at the Tour de France: Florian Lipowitz suffered a heavy crash in the individual time trial of stage 16. The German hopeful missed a corner on the technically demanding descent, was catapulted over his bike, and slammed hard onto the asphalt. After somersaulting, Lipowitz apparently l...

For almost 20 years, Strider Bikes has specialized in and become known for kids balance bikes. Today, Strider has announced that it has become the exclusive retailer for the European mountain bike brand Kellys Bikes. (Photos / Strider)They chose Kellys because they share many of Striders values and features. Strider states that Kellys bikes are lightweight, dependable, low maintenance, high performance, and feature kid-specific components that keep riding fun.Strider is bringing three models of bicycles from Kellys for kids, ranging in age from 5-12. This makes Strider the exclusive authorized retailer for Kellys in the States. Lets check out the bikes. NAGA Air Belt (ages 5-7)Retail: $749.99Air Belt 20 Air Belt 18 The Naga Air Belt is perfect for the beginner riders who just mastered pedaling. The Air Belts belt drivetrain means that its low-maintenance and easy to just get on and ride. It features a superlight aluminum frame thats easy to control and an automatic 2-speed internal hub that shifts for the rider. The NAGA Air Belt gives your lil ones the freedom and confidence to push farther on every ride. Its available in both 18 and 20 models.NAGA Air 50 (ages 6-12)Retail: $549.99Air 50 20Air 50 24For the lil shredders that are beginning to learn advanced riding, the NAGA Air 50 will give them the capability and freedom they need. The NAGA Air 50 features a 7-speed Shimano drivetrain. Plus, it uses an integrated cockpit for a lightweight setup with no need for bar adjustments. Its also available in 20 and 24 models.NAGA Air 70 Disc (ages 6-12)Retail: $699.99Air 70 Disc 24Air 70 Disc 20Finally, theres the NAGA Air 70 Disc. Its specifically designed for those bolder kids who are ready to tackle some technical riding. Equipped with a Shimano Claris 8-speed drivetrain and an integrated cockpit, riders have more range for faster riding on varied terrain.The NAGA Air 70 Disc is available in both 20 and 24 models.You can get more details and order yours at the link below. StriderBikes.com

Tom Dumoulin has suggested the overnight doping controls involving Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard may have been intended as a warning to the entire Tour de France peloton. The two leading figures of the race were tested outside the usual control window, with Lquipe reporting that the Internati...

Remco Evenepoel's commanding victory in the time trial on stage 16 of the Tour de France was the his second stage win on the bounce, confirming his status as the best rider at the race not called Tadej Pogaar.Despite taking 28 seconds off the race leader on the 26.1km course between vian-les-Bains and Thonon-les-Bains, Evenepoel effectively acknowledged that, bar a major mishap, the Slovenian UAE Team Emirates XRG rider had an unassailable lead in the general classification.While he might not be aiming for yellow any more, Evenepoel has now won two stages back-to-back, after his victory on the Plateau du Solaison on Sunday's stage 15. The world time trial champion has also won a time trial at the Tour in three consecutive editions."Today was another planet," he said in his winner's press conference. "Now I'm focused on the second place overall, and I will do everything to defend it. That's my goal."Today showed that mishaps are never too far away in elite bike racing. It was a "bittersweet" day for Evenepoel and the Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe team, after Florian Lipowitz dramatically crashed and was forced to abandon the race with a broken collarbone, having started the day in fifth place in the GC.Despite coming second today, however, Pogaar has never looked like slipping since he donned the yellow jersey. But, even while conceding that he would have to settle for second, Evenepoel was adamant that the Slovenian's dominance of the sport is not making the Tour dull. "I don't see it as boring," he said. "I see it as being super impressive. The performances that he's putting out... I'm looking up to that, you know. I try to learn from that and I try to reach that level as well... I mean, he's a superstar. "He's the best rider ever. So I don't think people should consider it as boring. For us, it's a challenge. It's a big honour to race against a champion like that. It's exciting to see it from very close by. "You should not forget, we are witnessing history. Maybe he's going for a fifth Tour de France, which is going to be equal to the record. So, you should not consider that as boring at all."

Isaac del Toro took another step toward the podium at the 2026 Tour de France after a solid ride in the stage 16 individual time trial. The Mexican finished fifth on the day and, although he conceded five seconds to Paul Seixas in their head-to-head for third overall, he kept his virtual podium spot...