We headed to Tudor Pro Cyclings hotel during the Tours second and final rest day in the Alps to find out

Tadej Pogacar is well aware that his Tour de France could be turned upside down if he endures a day saimilar to Adam Yates on Wednesday. The British rider was suffering from illness and finished 26:36 down on winner Jasper Philipsen. UAE Team Emirates -XRG sent Tim Wellens back to help the climber p...

The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) has defended the anti-doping control tests carried out by the International Testing Agency at night during this year's Tour de France.It emerged on Sunday that Jonas Vingegaard and Tadej Pogaar were awoken at 2am and 5am respectively by doping control agents, and it was later revealed that other riders have been subject to nighttime tests during the Tour de France.The tests have prompted fierce debate over the legitimacy of nighttime testing, rider welfare and the necessary measures to ensure cycling is free from doping.The UCI released a statement yesterday, in which it wished to respond to statements made about the nighttime tests and to reaffirm that the fight against doping is an absolute priority.Cyclings international governing body specifically highlighted the statement made by the Cyclistes Professionnels Associs (CPA) riders' union.Professional riders are the first to want a clean sport, the CPA said. To preserve the integrity of their discipline, they contribute directly to funding the fight against doping (they are the only athletes who contribute financially to testing).However, nighttime testing raises questions about its relevance: Interrupting their rest in the middle of the night for testing now warrants serious consideration.Our goal is not to call into question the fight against doping quite the contrary. We want it to be increasingly effective, targeted and efficient in identifying cheaters, but always while respecting fundamental rights, health, and recovery conditions.In response, the UCI wrote in its statement that it was aware that nighttime tests could be disruptive to cyclists' rest and recovery, and that conducting tests outside the usual 6am-11pm window for doping controls remains an exceptional measure.While fully aware of how onerous such a measure is for riders, the UCI nevertheless underscores that these controls serve an overriding interest: the fight against doping, the UCI said. An anti-doping testing kit at the 2024 Tour de France. Thomas Samson / Getty Images The UCI has entrusted the ITA to manage its anti-doping programme independently since 2021.With this in mind, the UCI fully supports the ITA's use of every means at its disposal to carry out its mission as effectively as possible, in compliance, naturally, with the World Anti-Doping Code of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), UCI Regulations, the UCI said.The nighttime tests were carried out after being authorised by a judge in Paris before the Tour de France started. This legal procedure is similar to that of a search warrant in criminal law, and there must be "serious and consistent suspicions for authorisation.The UCI will continue to support the ITA in carrying out its mission, in full and complete respect for its independence, in the service of a cleaner and more credible sport of cycling, the statement said.Although the CPA raised concerns about nighttime testing, EF Education-EasyPost manager Jonathan Vaughters said testing at night is an effective way to prevent riders from microdosing prohibited substances.If the UCI had tested us in 2001 at 2am? Wed all have been suspended and saved the sport 25 years of drama, Vaughters wrote on X. More on the 2026 Tour de France Is doping a problem at the Tour de France? "We should be testing at all times" Tour de France's nighttime doping tests reveal a tension at the heart of professional sport Pogacar's dominance at the Tour de France reveals cycling's two true loves: uncertainty and the underdog An incredibly low heart rate and an unbelievable engine: the physiology of a Tour de France cyclist in numbers Every team bike at the 2026 Tour de France

As the Tour de France enters the Alps, Callum is back on the live blog, seeing which off-piste cycling tangent takes his fancy

Jasper Philipsen was all smiles again at the Tour de France 2026 after sealing one of the grittiest wins of his career on stage 17, a triumph that even surprised Lance Armstrong, Bradley Wiggins, and the rest of The Move team. The analysts agreed the Belgian delivered far more than a simple sprint...

In summer, water bottles quickly turn into hot water reservoirs and fail to deliver the well-deserved, cool refreshment we crave. The double-walled Elite Nanofly 0-100 promises hours of cooling, without the weight of a clunky thermos. But does it hold up in a real heat test? We put it to the test in temperatures exceeding 30 C.ELITE Nanofly 0-100 | 141 g | 34.90 | Manufacturers WebsiteAnyone who has ever reached for a long-awaited sip from their water bottle after two hours in the saddle in midsummer, only to be served warm broth complete with plastic aromas, knows the misery. Classic thermos flasks promise rescue here, but usually drag along the dusty image (and weight) of clunky camping gear. This is exactly where the Elite Nanofly 0-100 wants to fit in: it promises ice-cold (or boiling hot) performance, packed into a featherlight and easily squeezable road bike format. The core feature: the double-wall construction is supposed to keep the beverage temperature in check for up to four hours, without making you feel like you are riding around with a stainless steel thermos flask in your carbon cage. Visually, the bottle, with its grey, textured surface, immediately makes it clear that it has no intention of being just another boring, run-of-the-mill bidon.What is the Elite Nanofly 0-100 capable of?On paper, the concept of the Nanofly 0-100 sounds pretty smart: low weight, an operating range of 0 to 100 C, and a gel insulating layer between the inner and outer walls. However, the double-walled design has a catch that you should be aware of before buying: pack size and capacity dont match. Externally, the bottle looks like a classic 750 ml bidon, but it only holds 500 ml. Riders who drink a lot on long rides will need to budget for this shortfall and plan more frequent refills.Always ready to remind you: basic data to truly enjoy your sip.When it comes to grip, the material really delivers: the textured surface remains grippy even with sweaty fingers, and the bottle is easy to squeeze without having to deathgrip your bidon, as is the case with some other models. Due to its concept, its slightly stiffer than Elites single-walled Fly Tex, but in practice this is hardly noticeable. The flow rate through the familiar Elite valve is high, without unwanted spillage while drinking. And if the cap should leak after months of continuous use: Elite sell a range of spares, so you dont have to throw the whole bottle away.The textured surface is very grippy, even with sweaty fingers.Things get interesting when it comes to the key question: does the insulation live up to Elites four-hour claim? We tested the Nanofly 0-100 on three different rides at the end of June, during the first heatwave of the year. Regular bottles tend to become unpleasantly warm after just 30 minutes in the sun, especially at temperatures above 30 C. With the Nanofly 0-100, however, the water was still noticeably cool even after two hours of direct sunlight. In practice, a 500 ml bottle will usually be empty well before the four-hour mark typically within one to three hours, depending on the conditions and intensity of the ride. Considering how well the insulation performed during that time, Elites four-hour claim seems entirely plausible. Of course, the colder the bottle and its contents are at the start, the longer they will stay cool.If you store the empty bottle in the fridge before a ride, you thoroughly cool down the material and the cavity. When refilling on the go, for example at a fountain, its worth holding the entire bottle under cold water for a little while this quickly cools down the heated outer skin. But even without these tricks, the insulation works reliably in the sun.We tested the bottles with the new Elite Leggero Carbon bottle cage: minimalist, made of carbon fiber, and with a surprisingly low weight of just 13 grams, they blend well into the overall look of any bike. We had the predecessor in use for a long time, and there was nothing to complain about regarding durability. Whether the new model will last just as long will only be revealed in a long-term test. The first impression, however, is strong: despite the minimalist design, the bottle sits firmly in the cage.The Elite Leggero Carbon bottle cages are a feast for the eyes of minimalists.Who is the Elite Nanofly 0-100 the right bottle for?The Elite Nanofly 0-100 delivers exactly where conventional bottles fail: it saves your palate from nasty broth gulps in Saharan temperatures. The insulation works surprisingly well in practice and clearly leaves any standard bottle behind. However, you pay for this with the pack size of a 750 ml bottle for the filling volume of a 500 ml bottle. The Nanofly 0-100 is the ideal choice for anyone who doesnt want to go without cold drinks in midsummer, doesnt want heavy metal vacuum flasks, and can refill regularly at wells anyway. The Leggero Carbon bottle cage matches well both visually and functionally light, minimalist, and quite elegant.Whether hot or cold, day or nightthe Elite Nanofly is a loyal companion.Conclusions: Would we buy the Elite Nanofly 0-100?Absolutely! The Elite Nanofly 0-100 is HOT (or, depending on the drink, COOL) for everyone who prefers to drink cool rather than lukewarm water in summer. The insulation performance delivers what Elite promise. Its a blessing for hot days, but due to the 500 ml limit in a 750 ml pack size, it requires minor compromises in route planning. On long or particularly hot tours, this simply means more frequent refill stops. If you can live with that, you get one of the most reliable thermal bottles we have tested so far.Topslow weighteasy to squeezeFlopsNoneMore information at elite-it.comDer Beitrag Hot or Not? Elite Nanofly 0-100 in Review erschien zuerst auf GRAN FONDO Cycling Magazine.

Has Tadej Pogaar got what it takes to win an egg and spoon race? Can anyone challenge Remco Evenepoel in a boccia tournament? Will Filippo Ganna be the anchor in the Netcompany Ineos tug-of-war team?These are all questions weve been asking ourselves after spotting the Tour de France peloton donning baggy tabards just after the finish line.But thats not why the usually aero-obsessed pros have changed into something resembling the flappy primary-coloured outfits of a school sports day. (Image credit: Getty Images)The bibs are handed out to the riders at several of the summit finishes including Gavarnie-Gdrestage on stage six and Plateau de Solaison on stage 15. They are to protect the riders as they descended off the mountain on days where the team buses have to park at the bottom of the final climb due to extremely limited parking at the top.In those circumstances, Tour riders are allowed to descend back down the course to get back to their bus or hotel even if the groupetto is still making its way up the climb. However, there is always a risk that spectators looking down the hill for the riders still racing wont see them coming. The bibs help mark them out and riders are also given whistles engraved with their race number to help them alert people. The bibs also reduce the chances of gendarmes tasked with keeping the route clear from taking mistaking them for spectators and taking exception to the pros riding back down the course.A post shared by GreenEDGE Cycling (@greenedgecycling)A photo posted by on Luke Durbridge is among the fans of the bibs in the peloton. "I've been waiting all week to put this on," he said when presented with it on stage six. The next day when asked, jokingly, on Jayco-AlUlas Instgram is he slept in it he replied: Oh yeah, its a great vest.The risk its working against is real in 2018 Tour de France winner Chris Froome was pulled from his bike by a gendame who mistook him for a fan riding on the course as he descended off the remote Col de Portet.At the time Froome was wearing a large coat that obscured his team kit. The confrontation resulted in an angry Froome swearing at the policeman.

Rock solid and dependable glasses that make up for in performance what they lack in features

Good morning and welcome to the liveblog of Stage 18 of the Tour de France. Today's stage takes the peloton over a demanding route, culminating with the summit finish at Orcires-Merlette. It could be the perfect opportunity for a strong breakaway to fight for victory, while we should also expect an...