Going into a final of an international competition with a line-up that has never been practised or tested before is not ideal in anyones book, but Team England didnt have a huge amount of choice at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow yesterday, when Josh Charlton vomited all over a teammate's bike after a morning qualifying round. When it became clear that Charlton was unwell, a decision was made to roll the dice and swap one world champion for another, with Will Tidball being suddenly subbed into the four-man line-up for the team pursuit, joining Ethan Vernon, Charlie Tanfield and teenage sensation Henry Hobbs, who is taking part in his first major tournament. And it paid off massively, with England beating rivals and Olympic champions Australia in a dramatic final, to take the countrys first gold medal in the velodrome and set a new Commonwealth Games record to boot. A somewhat esoteric event, the Team Pursuit sees a quartet of cyclists attempt to ride four kilometres as quickly as possible, with the team's finish time taken from the third rider to cross the line, so often the strongest athlete will go out front and set a blistering pace before falling back towards the end of the race.Typically, the first three riders will cross the line in a tight group, but in the morning qualifying round Charlton came adrift, and at the finish it was confirmed that he was unwell. "To get subbed in, having not done any efforts in this team, or in this track, or in this order, it was always going to be a bit of a gamble," Tidball told the BBC afterwards. "At the end of the day it's just riding around in circles."Super sub William Tidball of Team England celebrates his surprise victory in the Men's 4000m Team Pursuit Finals Gold race in the Track Cycling at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games (Image credit: Getty Images)It was very dramatic final, which saw Hobbs heroically clinging on so England cold hold together as a quartet for three laps after the Aussies went down to three, providing a vital advantage to his teammates. "Henry did way longer than he should have done on the front and so did Charlie," Vernon said to the BBC afterwards. "I could tell we were up but we were also starting to fall apart a bit I was glancing across the track and trying to do enough to not drop my team-mate but also stay ahead of the Aussies."For Vernon and Tanfield in particular, who were both part of the Team GB quartet beaten by Australia in the final at the Paris Olympics, it was sweet revenge. But for Charlton, watching from the sidelines did nothing to calm his churning stomach. "It was more nerve-wracking than being in it," he told the BBC. "It was tight at times but I had faith they were going to pull away at the end and they did."In the end Tidball, Tanfield, Vernon and Hobbs won with a margin of 1.131 seconds, and remarkably they also set a new Commonwealth Games record, with a time of three minutes 47.092 seconds.

Liam has been very gravel curious as of late, but rather than drop the cash on a proper gravel bike, he wondered if he could make his mountain bike into a convertible gravel machine

Philippe Gilbert believes Remco Evenepoel can turn the tables on Tadej Pogacar at the Montreal World Championships, despite the Slovenians emphatic victory in their Tour de France battle. Pogacar secured his fifth yellow jersey with a margin of 6:26 over Evenepoel, repeatedly distancing the Belgian...

Unlike its male equivalent, the women's race begins with no clear favourite and jeopardy over the form of several riders...

The 2026 Tour de Pologne takes place between the 3rd and 9th of August and gives continuation to the World Tour calendar. Between the Tour de France and the Vuelta a Espaa, it often sees a few riders that participate in both; whilst providing opportunities for many different kinds of riders. We tak...

Watch Tour de France Femmes 2026 live streams from anywhere in the world as the prestigious stage race returns for its fifth edition across the first nine days of August.The race begins on Saturday, August 1, in Lausanne as the Grand Depart is held in Switzerland for the first time, before ending in Nice the following weekend. Tour de France Femmes: Need to KnowToday: Stage 1 Lausanne to LausanneFree Streams: SBS (Australia), France TV (France), RAI (Italy), RTBF (Belgium), RTVE (Spain), NOS (Netherlands)Watch Anywhere: Unlock your free stream with NordVPN (75% off)This year's route looks harder than ever, with a total distance of 1,175km and 18,275m of climbing, so whoever is wearing the yellow jersey after Stage 9 will have truly earned their achievement. Defending champion Pauline Ferrand-Prevot is looking to become the first person to win back-to-back titles, but Giro d'Italia winner Demi Vollering will be among those trying to take her crown.Widely considered the most prestigious event on the UCI Women's World Tour calendar, the Tour de France Femmes is back for another year. The race begins in Lausanne on Saturday, August 1, with Stage 2 ending in Geneva the following day. The race heads into France from Stage 4, beginning with an individual time trial and featuring a summit finish up Mont Ventoux on Stage 7, before the finale in Nice on Sunday, August 9.There are plenty of stars to watch out for alongside Ferrand-Prevot and Vollering, including 2024 winner Katarzyna Niewiadoma-Phinney, Puck Pieterse and Cedrine Kerbaol.Below, Cycling Weekly has gathered all the key information on broadcasters and live streams so you can watch the Tour de France Femmes wherever you are.Quick guide to watching the Tour de France FemmesUK: TNT Sports /HBO Max (30.99/mon)US: Peacock ($10.99/mon)Canada: Flobikes ($49.99/mon)Australia: SBS (Free)Free live streams: SBS (Australia), France TV (France), RAI (Italy), RTBF (Belgium), RTVE (Spain), NOS (Netherlands)Anywhere: Watch your local stream from anywhere with NordVPNCan I watch the Tour de France Femmes for free?Fans in Australia, France, Italy, Belgium, Spain and the Netherlands can watch the Tour de France Femmes for free.In Australia, the race is being shown on TV and online by SBS, the country's public service broadcaster. Streaming is available at SBS On Demand, with linear viewing available on SBS Viceland.In France itself, the Tour de France will also be shown live via host broadcaster France Tlvisions, with the action primarily on France 2 and online via France.TV.You can also watch for free in Italy through RAI Play online, in Belgium on RTL and VRT, in Spain on RTVE, and in the Netherlands on NOS.Coverage is geo-restricted, so if you're not in any of these countries right now, and these channels are your usual port of call, you'll need a VPN to get your usual coverage while abroad more on that below.How to watch the Tour de France Femmes while abroadMost streaming platforms have geo-restrictions these days, which means they only work in certain countries. But being locked out of the races is a thing of the past thanks to a VPN.A Virtual Private Network is a piece of internet security software that can alter your device's location, so you can unblock your usual streaming services, even when you're abroad. Unlock your Tour de France Femmes stream with NordVPNWith super fast connections, multi-device support and able to unlock any platform, NordVPN is our favourite for streaming. 30-day money back guarantee 3 months extra free 75% offGet NordVPN today and unlock your streaming service from anywhere in the world.View Deal Should I use a VPN to watch cycling? Explaining the benefits, costs, considerations, and best VPNs for streaming the racesHow to watch the Tour de France Femmes in the UKIn the UK, the race will be shown live across TNT Sports and HBO Max. Live streaming is available on HBO Max, with linear viewing on TNT Sports. Plans start at 25.99 per month, with rolling subscriptions available at 30.99.Unfortunately, Channel 5 will not be showing highlights of the women's Tour de France, as they did for the men's edition. This will change in 2027, when the channel is set to return with highlights coverage of the race.How to watch the Tour de France Femmes in the US and CanadaFor US viewers, this year's coverage of the Tour de France Femmes is going to be on NBC and PeacockBoth outlets come from the same NBCUniversal stable, with NBC available on many cable packages and Peacock which is set to show all nine stages live on a pay per month basis. It'll cost you $10.99/month.In Canada, Flobikes is in charge of broadcasting the Tour de France. Subscriptions cost CA$49.99 a month, with big savings for long-term plans. The Flobikes TV app is available on Roku, Fire TV, Chromecast and Apple TV, as well as on iOS and Android.How to watch Tour de France Femmes in AustraliaIn Australia, you can watch every stage of the Tour de France Femmes for free via SBS On Demand.All you will need is an account with a valid Australian postcode (e.g. 2034).What to expect at the Tour de France FemmesThe Tour de France Femmes 2026 will mark the fifth edition of the prestigious stage race, which has rapidly established itself as the centrepiece of the UCI Women's WorldTour calendar. This year's route covers 1,175km, beginning in Lausanne and finishing in Nice, with nine consecutive days of racing and no rest days to test the peloton from start to finish.After an opening weekend around the shores of Lake Geneva, with Stage 1 and Stage 2 both starting and finishing in Lausanne and Geneva respectively, the race begins to intensify on Stage 3 with a demanding finish in Poligny. The stage features the Category One Col de la Faucille (11.4km at 6.3%) among a series of climbs that will provide the first major test of the general classification contenders.Stage 4 sees the race cross into France with a 21km individual time trial from Gevrey-Chambertin to Dijon, the first time the discipline has featured on the Tour for two years. The battle for the yellow jersey then moves into the mountains, with Stage 5 opening the climbing phase before the iconic summit finish on Mont Ventoux arrives on Stage 7 at an altitude of 1,910m.The penultimate stage sees the riders tackle a gradual ascent to the Col de Toutes Aures before a technical descent into Nice, setting up a decisive final day on Sunday, August 9. Stage 9 covers 99.2km and features four ascents of the Col d'Eze before the race concludes on the Mediterranean coast.Pauline Ferrand-Prvot made history in 2025 by becoming the first French rider to win the Tour de France Femmes, and the Team Visma | Lease a Bike star will return in 2026 aiming to become the first rider to claim multiple victories in the race.Standing in her way will be a strong field of contenders, including FDJ United-SUEZ rider Demi Vollering, winner of the 2023 edition, and 2024 champion Katarzyna Niewiadoma-Phinney of Canyon-SRAM, both of whom will be looking to reclaim the yellow jersey.2026 Tour de France Femmes stage start and finish timesStageDateStartFinishDistanceTerrainStart timeEst. finish timeStage 1Saturday, August 1LausanneLausanne138kmFlat1:15pm BST / 8:15am EST4:44pm BST / 11:44am ESTStage 2Sunday, August 2AigleGeneva147.9kmFlat1:20pm BST / 8:20am EST4:47pm BST / 11:47am ESTStage 3Monday, August 3GenevaPoligny156.5kmHilly12:25pm BST / 7:25am EST4:40pm BST / 11:40am ESTStage 4Tuesday, August 4Gevrey-ChambertinDijon21kmITT1:34pm BST / 8:34am EST4:55pm BST / 11:55am ESTStage 5Wednesday, August 5MaconBelleville-en-Beaujolais140kmHilly12:45pm BST / 7:45am EST4:41pm BST / 11:41 ESTStage 6Thursday, August 6MontbrisonTournon-sur-Rhone153.4kmHilly12:35pm BST / 7:35am EST4:41pm BST / 11:41 ESTStage 7Friday, August 7La Voulte-sur-RhoneMont Ventoux146.8kmMountain11:50am BST / 6:50am EST4:17pm BST / 11:17am EST Stage 8Saturday, August 8SisteronNice171.9kmFlat12:40pm BST / 7:40am EST4:43pm BST / 11:43am ESTStage 9Sunday, August 9NiceNice99.2kmMountain3:05pm BST / 10:05am EST5:51pm BST / 12:51pm ESTWe test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example: 1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service). 2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad. We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.

The 2026 Vuelta a Burgos will take place from the 4th to the 8th of August. The Spanish race is one of the single biggest preparation races towards theVuelta a Espaaand will feature several stages where the climbers will be testing their form. We take a look at its startlist. The field is top...

Today, we get a sneak peek at the pre-production Volkswagen Sport eBike a bike/car collaboration that doesnt look terrible. On the landing page for the bike, Volkswagen states that This bicycle is currently still in development as a pre-production model, and delivery will take place once manufacturing is complete and the bike has been successfully certified in accordance with applicable EU regulations.So, I guess well see what happens.(Photos / Volkswagen)If the Volkswagen Sport eBike does come to fruition, it looks like it will have some cool gizmos, bells, and whistles. Plus, theres a whole Sport eBike ecosystem that will be available as well. Everything from a rear-facing camera that appears on a built-in handlebar screen to a smart helmet and some glasses.Volkswagen claims that because it can bring the best automotive innovation to two wheels, the Sport eBike is The worlds first Smart eBike. That seems a bit dubious, but there are some cool features.Radar-Activated Rear Radar CameraAgain, with the claim as the worlds first, the Volkswagen Sport eBike comes equipped with a Smart View Rear Radar Camera. The rear-view camera is automatically activated via a rear-facing radar. It is designed to alert the rider to upcoming traffic and risks. This seems like a smart evolution to the radar taillights that many riders are already using. Volkswagen Smart HelmetThis helmet is equipped with both front and rear lights. Having the lights at the highest point means the rider will be making a big light footprint that will be highly visible from 360 degrees.It also uses Smart Lighting. That means that turn signals, front and rear lights, and brake lights will be broadcast from the bike and the helmet simultaneously. It appears that the entire top tube will be a light on both sides, with one side lighting up as a turn signal, or both sides lighting up while riding in a straight line. The helmet even displays a front daytime running light and has crash detection technology built in.Smart GlassesThese fancy glasses are loaded with cool tech that was originally developed for fighter pilots. Like, radar-activated eBike blind spot alerts that project onto the heads-up display. It can also use your phones Bluetooth connection to display navigation directions on the heads-up display, as well. Thats pretty cool.While wearing the glasses, you can activate and deactivate the heads-up display by simply moving your eyes to look to the top right of the glasses. All of this, and it only weighs as much as a golf ball.Yamaha Mid-Drive MotorThe equipped Yamaha PW-X3 motor that is specd on the Volkswagen Sport eBike delivers 85Nm of torque. It only weighs 2.75kg (6lbs), so its lighter and smaller while still delivering more torque than before. Plus, the PW-X3s exclusively tuned Automatic Support Mode delivers optimal assistance by choosing from the Sport eBikes three settings: Eco, Standard, and High. The system is designed to reduce assist on level roads, while increasing assist when the situation gets steeper.Built-in Smart security is another cool feature of the Volkswagen Sport eBike. The bike utilizes a loud (85dB) alarm that is activated by an integrated motion sensor. And on top of that, it uses Apple Find My to help keep track of your bikes whereabouts, or to locate a bike that mayve been taken.All in all, it looks like a pretty cool bike. And at 3,999 ($4,547), its not horribly expensive. It will be available in a step-through frame as well, you know, when its actually available. Check the link below for more details.Smart.Bike.net

The Tour de France Femmes begins this Saturday and features plenty of the world's best. Amongst them is La Vuelta Femenina winner Paula Blasi, one of the main favourites in the fight for the yellow jersey; however apparently, not one of the leaders for UAE Team ADQ. The 23-year old has been one of...

This weeks Debrief features new White Industries hubs, a fresh alt-biking podcast, VHS-inspired graphics, Silca's new chain lube, tales from the Abyss, cardboard bike box wheels, a fancy bar-end mirror, recently released bags and gear, your weirdest bikepacking experiences, a couple of events to follow live, and more. Find it all hereThe post Friday Debrief: WZRD Quill Stem, Korean Coasts Zine, Attack of the Moth, Bike Box Wheels, Extreme Bikepacking, and More appeared first on BIKEPACKING.com.