Visma | Lease a Bike continues to lock in the future of its Grand Tour core. According to WielerFlits, the Dutch squad has extended Bart Lemmens contract through the end of 2029. The 30-year-old Dutch rider was already signed through 2027, but the team led by Richard Plugge has chosen to reward h...

Tom Pidcock is edging closer to completing the best Tour de France of his career. The Briton from Pinarello-Q36.5 used the stage 16 time trial to cement his place in the top ten of the general classification and keep another major goal intact: taking a stage win before Paris. The 26-year-old finishe...

Too long a sacrifice can make a stone of the heart. This isnt a line from a poem about the amount of work a rider puts into making the Tour de France ruining the romance of it, but it could be. The race did predate WB Yeats Easter, 1916 by over a decade, but that poem is about rather less trivial matters than a bike race.Still, too long a sacrifice can make a stone of the heart. The sacrifices that the 184 riders at this years Tour made just to get to the start line are innumerable, and would seem alien to most of the fans watching the bike race. As the race gets faster and harder, more is needed just to get to the base level for the whole peloton, not just for those who are aiming for the yellow jersey.Days at altitude are increasing, and even if riders arent racing, theyre away training. While a weekend in a hotel here and there might be a treat, to be living out of a suitcase for weeks feels less appetising, especially as riders almost never have agency over which hotel they stay in. Its rarely The Ritz.My whole life's a sacrifice in some ways, George Bennett of NSN Cycling explains to Cycling Weekly. Sometimes it doesn't feel like it, because you love what you're doing, and it's a super exciting process, but since January, we're living in this bubble of sleeping in altitude generators, I've done eight weeks without seeing my partner. It's not what I have to do, it's more what I don't do. I don't go for a beer with the boys, because I'm worried about getting sick. All these things you really lock down on before the Tour, I think I'm not alone in that. The whole peloton makes these sacrifices. We do a lot of things that are really hard, but it's more about what we don't do.Another day, another hotel (Image credit: Getty Images)Being away from home is a recurring theme when asking riders about the sacrifices they make to be a professional bike rider at this level. Those who are younger might enjoy the thrill of adventure, but as they grow older, different commitments cause more pain.It's the things out there that people don't really see, Picnic PostNLs John Degenkolb says. The family, especially, has to make sacrifices for you not being there for many, many weeks you're not there. You cannot just be like a normal father at home. It's a period of time in your life that is limited, so if you don't make those sacrifices, then you're not competitive. It's the price you have to pay in the end.Tom Skuji of Lidl-Trek echoes this: I wouldn't call them sacrifices, they're just choices. Spending a lot of time away from the family is probably one of the biggest ones now, as I have a young family with two daughters. This spring I was home for a very long time which was nice, because I was super sick, which obviously is not nice, but good side, down side. Since the beginning of May, I have slept in my house less than 10 times, and we'll be at the end of July now.To be exact, Dylan van Baarle of Soudal Quick-Step has counted: Since 20 May I have been home for four days, I think that says enough.Of course, it isnt just the time away which would seem alien to us about the life of a pro rider. Saying no to some of my favourite foods is another one [sacrifice], and my favourite drinks, is another, Skuji explains. Heat training is something I don't enjoy and people would find crazy. After a hard day already, riding indoors, dressed in more than you would outside is something that seems quite silly.Toms Skuji (Image credit: Getty Images)In general, it's just about dialling everything up a little bit before the Tour, stage winner Mauro Schmid (Jayco AlUla) tells CW. Before the Tour, you need to be in your own bubble, you can't do anything you would normally do off the bike. Be a bit more focused on nutrition and recovery. With the altitude camps, I was pretty strict on myself to get to the best shape possible.Altitude camps are a common theme when riders are asked about the stark choices they have to make, but being a pro cyclist does just seem sometimes like a life stripped of a lot of fun.My birthday was at an altitude camp, Pinarello Q36.5s Fred Wright says. I've obviously missed the World Cup, and the heat in the UK at the moment. It would be so nice to be in a pub just enjoying the games. We get to watch them, but it's not the same as being in the UK in the summer. I guess just less time with my girlfriend, too, it's not just these four weeks. It's commitment to an altitude camp, the build up races beforehand. We're close to the finish line now. It starts a lot further back than the first day of the Tour. It's such a weird bubble that we live in. There's a lot of weighing of food, which to a normal person, would be considered quite toxic. It's part of our job, so you get quite used to it.It isnt always this bad, especially if youre not a GC rider. Schmid explains: I try to really enjoy the winter and when I'm training in November, December I try to have a good time off the bike, because I know how many sacrifices I will have to make in the summer, so I really try to recharge, and enjoy the time at home. For us, it gets normal that during the year you're so dialled in, going from race to race. It's a lot of unpacking, and moving onto the next thing.Next time you watch the Tour, and youre supporting or cursing your favourite rider, make sure to think about the amount of work that has gone into getting to this point. Even the rider who finishes last will have sacrificed a whole part of their life to reach here. Just hope their heart hasnt completely turned to stone.

Matej Mohoric has confirmed that he was also the subject of a late-night doping test at the Tour de France. Following tests of Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard on Saturday night, Mohoric also faced a 5am wake up call during the race. The Bahrain Victorious rider is the only other rider outside of...

When To Replace... is a feature series in which we explore when one should replace common cycling products like helmets, apparel and various moving parts on your bike. Curious about a particular product? Shoot us an email at anne.rook@futurrnet.comTyres have wear indicators, chains can be measured, and clipless pedal cleats show distinct signs of wear. But how about less obvious things like when to replace your helmet or the sealant in your tyres?Tubeless tyre sealant serves two main purposes: it ensures an air-tight seal between your tyres and your rims, and fills small punctures on the fly. While sealant can prevent a puncture from ruining your day, it needs a little more care than a traditional inner tube.Depending on frequency of use, bike storage environment, riding conditions and weather for instance, youll need to perform a bit of maintenance on your tyres and wheels to keep them rolling.The most obvious time youll need to replace sealant in a tubeless setup is if you suffer a puncture and the sealant in your tyres spills out while doing its job. Another indicator it's time to check your sealant levels is if your tyres start losing air more quickly between rides.Cadex Cyclings Jeff Schneider likened tubeless tyre sealant to chain lube, as both are consumable products, and not set-it-and-forget-it.A common misconception is that tubeless systems are set-and-forget, said Schneider. In reality, sealant is a consumable maintenance item, much like chain lubricant. Periodic inspection and replenishment are essential to maintaining puncture protection and optimal system performance.Why tubeless tyre sealant ages and how to gauge sealant lossSilcas Josh Poertner explained why sealant dries and ages, and characterises the minor difficulties with troubleshooting sealant viability.Tubeless sealant relies on solid latex liquified by a high pH solvent. Once in the tyre, some of the solvent evaporates into the tyre air allowing the entire system to maintain a good pH level for that sealant to remain liquid. This solvent gas slowly escapes the tyre with the air in the tyre. When you add more air more solvent has to leave the sealant itself to allow the new air to reach equilibrium and the cycle repeats.As it loses solvent to evaporation, [the sealant] will thicken to something more like honey before eventually becoming hard.You are aging your sealant far faster if you are adding air every two days than if you are having to add it every two weeks, said Poertner.The consistency of the sealant will change over time (Image credit: Alex Derr/CC)There are several methods for checking tyre selant levels, as outlined by Poertner:Hold the wheel to your ear and shake it; the sealant in there should sound like water sloshing around.Use a dipstick (which requires complete tyre deflation and dragging sealant through the valve stem).Weigh the wheel/tyre system to see how much of the sealant liquids have been lost. Most sealants are on the order of 70-80% liquid solvent by weight, so if you add 50 grams of sealant to a tyre, your sealant will be completely dried out when you've lost 35-40g.Poertner indicated he uses the first method. Whilst using enough sealant that you can hear it sloshing may represent a weight penalty, he's not overly concerned, believing the trade off to be worth it. I use the shake method every week or two and then add sealant every 60 days or so even if it still sounds good. Better safe than sorry! Another 15 to 20g of sealant doesn't bother me, Poertner told us.Schneider recommends checking sealant every two to four months, depending on the environment.Factors affecting sealant lifespanRiders in hot, dry climates may find that sealant dries out more quickly, while cooler and more humid environments can extend service intervals, Schneider advised.Schneider, like Poertner, suggests using the shake method, among others, for determining if your sealant needs replenishment.Riders training or racing regularly, particularly those participating in long events where puncture protection is critical, checking sealant before major events is a good practice regardless of the service interval.Another sealant aging consideration Schneider cautions is the use of CO cartridges.CO gas can accelerate the coagulation and drying of some latex-based sealants, potentially reducing their effectiveness and shortening their service life.Riders using high-pressure road tubeless systems, where sealant volume is relatively small compared to gravel or mountain bike tyres, the effects of CO on sealant condition can be more noticeable, making post-ride inspection particularly worthwhile.If a rider uses a CO cartridge during a ride to repair and re-inflate a tubeless tyre, it is a good idea to inspect the sealant and, if necessary, refresh it once they return home. This is especially important if multiple CO cartridges have been used or if the sealant was already several months old, said Schneider.We asked the cycling maintenance authority Park Tools for its advice about signs and indications for when to replace road tyre sealant.This is not a cut and dry answer and depends on climate, amount of riding, tyre choice, and type of sealant being used, says Parks Truman Purdy.The type of sealant you use will impact how often it needs replacing, among other factors (Image credit: Future)My universal suggestion is that you should replace your sealant at the beginning of your riding season, check and refresh about half way through the season and (for best results) drain [and replace at] the end of the season, Purdy added.While this seems like a lot to do, in the larger scheme of cycling maintenance, the time spent proactively maintaining your tyre and wheel systems is well worth the investment to keep you rolling.Purdy cautioned cyclists who use tubeless systems in hotter and drier regions to do a little more proactive maintenance. The goal is to be sure that you have enough liquid sealant in the tyre to prevent small leaks and to fill larger holes as they come up. A person who rides a lot in hotter and dryer climates should be checking sealant monthly, Purdy said.How to remove old sealantSilca makes a sealant removing agent, useful for getting sealant off bikes, kit, floors, shoes, and other surfaces sealant may have leaked or sprayed onto while doing its job. But you dont want to use sealant remover on the inside of your tyres when refreshing sealant. This would compromise the newly installed sealant.The safest and most effective way to remove old, dried sealant from tyres is with a crepe rubber block (often sold as a sanding belt cleaner) or a heavy-duty natural rubber eraser. Some elbow grease is also usefuluse your thumbs to push and roll out clumped sealant.If the sealant is tricky, you can submerge your tyres and rims in hotbut not boilingwater to soften it up a bit before going to work on it. While some mechanics suggest using a small, plastic scraper, we think the risk of destroying tyres or marring wheels is great enough to avoid using tools.Stay away from acetone or other cleaning agents which can compromise new sealant, the materials comprising your tyres, and even your rims.

Mathieu van der Poel is clear about one of his key targets in the closing stretch of the Tour de France 2026. After all but tiptoeing through the stage 16 time trial, the Alpecin-Deceuninck rider said the whole team saved energy with the finish in Voiron in mind, a course he sees as ideal for both h...