The 2026 Tour de France Femmes classifications will shift across nine stages of racing, from the Grand Depart in Lausanne on 1 August to the final stage in Nice on 9 August. Across sprint stages, hilly terrain, an individual time trial and major mountain tests, each day can alter the shape of the ra...

Sigrid Haugset admitted she could barely process what she had done after completing a record-breaking 88-kilometre solo to win Stage 3 of the Tour de France Femmes and take the yellow jersey. The Norwegian champion delivered the longest successful solo attack in the history of the womens Tour de Fr...

Mads Pedersen heads to the Vuelta a Espaa with ambitious goals after another successful Tour de France. The Lidl-Trek star is determined to add several more Grand Tour stage victories to his palmars, while also anticipating another thrilling rivalry with Wout van Aert in Spain. Fresh off winning a...

Were excited to launch Keep Bike Easy Rolling: Bike Easys August Sustaining Membership Campaign.For more than 23 years, Bike Easy has worked to make bicycling easy, safe, and fun for everyone in Greater New Orleans. Together, weve advocated for safer streets, taught thousands of people to ride confidently, distributed bike lights, hosted community rides, and built a stronger bicycling culture across our city.But today, nonprofits everywhere are facing a new reality:Grant funding is becoming more competitive. Government support is increasingly uncertain. While those funding sources will always remain important, they cant be the only thing that keeps Bike Easy moving forward.Thats where our community comes in.A Sustaining Member is someone who gives a small amount each month to ensure Bike Easy has dependable, unrestricted support: not just for one project, but for the everyday work that keeps our organization rolling.Become a Sustaining Member today!Whether were teaching a child to ride for the first time, advocating for safer infrastructure, organizing community events, or responding when opportunities arise, monthly supporters make that work possible. The campaign is designed to grow Bike Easys sustaining membership base and strengthen unrestricted monthly funding during a challenging funding environment.Heres what were working toward this month:Welcome 20 new Sustaining MembersEncourage current Sustaining Members to increase their monthly gift by just $5Build a stronger, more resilient Bike Easy for the years aheadTo celebrate the launch:Thanks to the generosity of Bike Easy Board Member Adam Davies, every new Sustaining Membership and every upgraded monthly gift made during August will be matched dollar-for-dollar, up to $1,000.As an extra thank you, everyone who starts or upgrades a Sustaining Membership this month can choose a Bike Easy water bottle or a Bike Easy bumper sticker set (To be delivered by our own Board Members!).Throughout August, well be sharing updates on our progress, celebrating new supporters, and highlighting the incredible impact that monthly giving has on our work. Keep an eye on our campaign thermometer as we get closer to our goal!Whether youre already a Sustaining Member, an annual member, a former member, or someone whos simply cheered us on from afar, theres a place for you in this campaign.Because every safer streetEvery Learn to Ride classEvery bike light handed outEvery Bicycle Second Linestarts with a community that believes this work matters.Will you help us Keep Bike Easy RollingBecome a Sustaining Member today!Thank you for believing in a safer, healthier, and more connected Greater New Orleans.With gratitude,

Sad, strange, and a shame are some of the words riders and sports directors used to describe the limited TV coverage of this year's Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift. Just two of the nine stages stage five from Mcon to Belleville-en-Beaujolais and the closing stage around Nice have been granted full, flag-to-flag broadcasts, with hours of coverage missing from the remaining seven stages. On Monday, Uno-X Mobility rider Sigrid Haugset attacked before the TV cameras had begun rolling, with 88km to go, and pulled off the farthest solo victory at the race. Had she made her move 5km later, fans at home would have been able to see it happen. Instead, the TV feed, licensed by the race organiser, ASO, missed it by around seven minutes. There wasnt so much to see, Haugset, the races new yellow jersey wearer, played down after the finish. It wasnt so much of a punchy attack, either... It was more like slowly drifting. Other riders, however, were more critical of the missed action. The best way to get more public is to show it properly, said Paula Blasi (UAE Team LIMAD). Today, I felt it was such an incredible race. [I have] all the love for mens [cycling], but when Tadej [Pogaar] goes, it is so easy to predict. With womens racing, sometimes you have much more interesting moves. Its quite sad that we cannot really watch it. On the eve of this fifth edition of the Tour de France Femmes, The Cyclists Alliance (TCA), the independent body that represents the womens peloton, warned that partial coverage would mean fans would miss the attacks, the tactics, and the moments that could define the race.For the biggest race in womens cycling, partial coverage is no longer enough, TCA wrote. The demand is undeniable and we are asking for the coverage to catch up.TCA also criticised the broadcast of Paris-Roubaix earlier this year, describing it as a massive affront to womens cycling that only the final hour and a half was shown live.A post shared by The Cyclists' Alliance (@thecyclistsalliance)A photo posted by on More than 26 hours of this years Tour de France Femmes will be broadcast live across the nine stages an average of around two and a half hours a day. The mens race, by comparison, was shown in full, every moment of every stage, for 21 days. Carmen Small, sports director at EF Education-Oatly, believes the partial coverage of the womens race is a bit strange. You would think they would do [full coverage] at least now. Its only nine stages, its not that were having three weeks like the men, she said.TV coverage is particularly important for teams at the Tour as it gives them crucial airtime for their sponsors. We race aggressively to show the jersey. We hope for results to show the jersey, Small explained. I mean, its all together, right? Its a shame that theyre not doing the whole entire stage. Picnic PostNLs Josie Nelson agreed. I think for the biggest race of the year, they could probably pull it out the bag a bit better, to be honest, she said. On days like today, when everything kicks off at the start, its a shame that no one gets to see how the race pans out. Another key moment the TV broadcast missed on stage three was a crash involving one of the GC favourites, Demi Vollering (FDJ United-Suez), which happened with 143km to go 55km before the broadcast went live. For those who weren't able to see it, the race organiser, ASO, shared a mobile phone video of the aftermath on social media. Crash in the peloton involving Demi Vollering. The 2023 Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift winner is back on her bike and riding again.Chute dans le peloton impliquant notamment Demi Vollering. La laurate de l'dition 2023 peut repartir. #TDFF2026 #WatchTheFemmes pic.twitter.com/9hndJscmBBAugust 3, 2026Stephen Delcourt, Vollerings FDJ United-Suez team manager, said he questioned ASO on the morning of the stage about broadcasting more of the race. I dont want to blame [ASO]. I know theyve improved a lot of things this year, [by adding] a time trial and a ninth stage, he said. Before we had no Tour de France, we had nothing, we had no TV, and I think were improving every year. Yes, we dream about full coverage, especially for a race like this, because it was really beautiful at the beginning of the stage. You just need to be patient. The Tour de France Femmes continues on Tuesday with an individual time trial. Coverage is due to begin at 15:45 local time (CET), meaning the starts of at least 55 riders 40% of the peloton will not be broadcast. Womens cycling has the audience and this race is the pinnacle of the sport, TCA wrote on Instagram on Monday. Now it needs full start-to-finish coverage.

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...

A message from Carlos Stich (Board Chair)Bike Easy is the voice for bicycle advocacy in the Greater New Orleans area. For over 20 years, weve pushed for safer streets, better bike infrastructure, and cycling education, powered by a volunteer board, dozens of committed programming volunteers, and a small staff.Right now, that work matters more than ever. Congress is drafting a new transportation bill that could strip funding for bike lanes and safety projects, while federal officials are already scrubbing bike safety guidance from government websites. Here at home, four cyclists have died in e-bike crashes since April, nearly a fifth of all traffic deaths in Orleans Parish this year. Were not backing down but we cant do this alone.Thats why this August, were launching our Sustaining Membership Drive.Bike Easy is powered by just 55 sustaining members. That number has to grow if we want to keep fighting for safer streets for the long haul, and we need your help to get there.So yes, youll hear a lot from us this month. Well be asking our community to become sustaining members. And if youre already part of that group (thank you, truly), youll hear from us too, asking if you can increase your monthly gift.Weve lined up some great incentives to thank you for stepping up, and we cant wait to share them soon. Community members, volunteers, and local businesses have already shown up in a big way to support this drive.Have an idea that could help? Reach out. Well have virtual phone and email banking opportunities throughout the month, plus matching gift opportunities to make your dollars go further.Thank you for all you do.

Comment & Analysis: A cost of 85,000, or 1,416 per space, for a secure bicycle shed for the National Maternity Hospital is cheap compared to building car parking, which is estimated to cost 5,000 to 85,000 per space in 2025. Added to this are the health benefits of staff cycling to work, including the general finding that active commutes mean fewer sick days (sources: 1, 2, 3), and providing staff facilities is important in the health sector where retention can be an issue.The cost of the Leinster House bicycle shelter at 336,000, or 9,333 per space, was unjustifiable. But after that scandal, Sinn Fin, Independent Ireland and a large chunk of the media tried to brand bicycle parking at hospitals as public waste, first with the National Maternity Hospital and then with Kerry Hospital. Last year Sinn Fin thought that the National Maternity Hospital bicycle parking would cost 100,000 according to a Freedom of Information request made by the Irish Independent, it actually cost less, 85,000.The issue was debated in the Dil on September 30th last during Leaders Question. About an hour later, during the Order of Business discussion in the Dil, Taoiseach Michel Martin seemingly corrected the record and said: in terms of the bike shed the Deputy referenced earlier, the Minister of State, Deputy Moran, is saying the approximate cost for the actual bike shed was 32,000. There is a lot more going on there.The Taoiseach seems to have questions to answer as to what he was talking about. None of the bicycle sheds or shelters that were mentioned in the debate earlier that day come close to that range of funding. Minister of State, Deputy Boxer Moran, whose responsibility includes the OPW, would also have had oversight over the Dil bike shed. But the OPW generally has no involvement in hospitals.But even if questions need to be answered on what he meant, the bicycle parking at the National Maternity Hospital seems to represent value for money or is at least not crazily out of line as its been made out to be by some politicians and commentators. The company which provided the bicycle shed, Wind Power, features the National Maternity Hospital bicycle parking on their website. The shed includes two-tier bicycle parking racks and vertical hanging systems.It describes the bike shed project as follows: The central challenge was to maximise cycle capacity within an awkward, tightly constrained footprint in a difficult-to-access inner-city location, while maintaining a safe, intuitive layout for everyday staff use. Head-Wind developed a bespoke enclosure that makes full use of every available square metre, combining gas-assisted two-tier cycle parking and semi-vertical racks for up to 60 bicycles.The structure features a powder-coated steel framework, a sedum green roof, and a combination of high-security mesh and steel panelling to balance security, privacy and architectural appearance. An integrated electronic card access control system provides secure staff-only entry. The project scope also included the demolition of the existing facility, associated groundworks and the complete design, manufacture and installation of the new enclosure.Its described as a Bespoke 60-space Eastbrook cycle enclosure with a gas-assisted two-tier cycle parking system, and dedicated e-bike parking. It is secured with an integrated electronic card access control system.The structure is made from a powder-coated galvanised steel framework with high-security mesh panelling and a green roof. The work included a full design, manufacture and installation service, including demolition of the existing facility and associated groundworks.Comparing bicycle parking to car parking makes the latter look even more value for money. In their latest published estimates, Buildcost, a quantity surveying firm which produces a regularly published outline of building costs in Ireland, puts the price of car parking at between 5,000 and 85,000 per space. See the image below and their latest report for details.IMAGES: Main image and image above from Head-Wind.

Praxis Works introduced the Podium flat pedals back in 2024, essentially creating a revised and modernized version of the Gamut Podium. Ultimately, Praxis changed the name to the Brodium, and those have remained the only flat pedal in the brands lineup ever since. Until today, that is, as the brand is introducing the Brodium SL, a new, lighter-weight and more refined version of its flagship flat pedal.The Brodium SL looks nearly identical to the standard Brodium, but weighs 36g less for the pair. Its also worth pointing out that Praxis also just gave the standard Brodium an update, with a refined body, hollow spindle, and larger bearings for durability. The Gen 2 Brodium weighs a claimed 400g/pair, and retails for $140.Praxis Works Brodium SL DetailsOne of the most obvious differences between the standard Brodium and SL version is the lighter weight. At 364g for the pair, they are lighter than most similarly sized aluminum-bodied flat pedals on the market, and 36g lighter than the Brodium. Praxis says it achieved this weight savings with a lighter precision-machined 6061-T6 aluminum body and a new hollow Chromoly steel spindle.The platform of the Brodium SL measures 115mm L x 112mm W. The pedal body is symmetrically shaped, although chamfering on the leading edges results in an asymmetrical platform/pin layout when viewed from above and from the side. The Brodium SL has a concave profile with 3.5mm of concavity, with a maximum thickness of 18mm at the leading edge and a minimum thickness of 11mm.The Brodium SL has 12 pins per side; 11 around the perimeter, plus one more centrally located by the pedal spindle. Riders can optimize grip and pedal feel by adding pin height spacers or by removing pins entirely. The backloading pins have 3mm Allen heads and are M4-threaded so other M4-threaded grub pins can also be used. The pedals come with 48 pins preinstalled, plus 12 extras and 48 pin spacers.According to Praxis, the Brodium SL features an updated hollow, heat-treated, high-grade Chromoly steel spindle, that uses an 8mm Allen for pedal installation/removal. The pedals spin on one Igus Bushing and 2 high-load Enduro Gothic Arch Bearings per pedal. The Gothic Arch Design reportedly doubles the points of bearing contact to four, which is claimed to improve durability, comparatively speaking.The Brodium SL pedals are fully rebuildable and Praxis sells pedal axle kits ($25), rebuild kits ($25), and pins/spacers ($17) separately. They also come with a 2-year warranty against defects in materials and craftsmanship.Pricing and AvailabilityThe Brodium SL pedals went live on the Praxis website today, but estimated availability is mid- to late-August. Were told they will initially be available in Black and Silver, with Kold coming shortly after (+/- 30 days). Once they are available, the Brodium SL pedals will retail for $200. Head to the Praxis website to learn more or find a dealer near you.praxiscycles.comFirst Ride ImpressionsNice machine work and plenty of pins. (photo/Jeremy Benson)Right out of the box, the Brodium SL pedals give a very strong first impression. They look absolutely fantastic in silver with intricate machining visible around the outer edge of the pedal body, and all around the inside, too. The platform size is relatively large, and with 12 pins per side, standing 7mm tall at the leading and trailing edges and 5.5mm tall on the side/middle, they look like they will be very grippy. Theyve also got quite a bit of visible concavity, which adds to the impression of grippiness.My test pedals weighed in at 182 grams each, adding up to 364 grams for the pair, which is exactly what Praxis claims. I measured the leading and trailing edges of the platform at 18mm, and the thinnest part of the pedal at 12mm. Its worth noting that the spindle/center of the pedal is a touch thicker than the outer edge at 15mm, although the central pin keeps the sole from contacting that part of the body. As mentioned above, they come with a bag of spare pins and pin spacers to fine tune grip. (photo/Jeremy Benson)Before riding with them, I pulled the spindle to see if servicing them was as easy as it seems. Pulling the spindle requires just 8mm and 3mm Allen keys, and it comes out very easily. A full rebuild would require some more tools, most of which are very common. Based on the instructions, it appears to be pretty straightforward.I installed the pedals on the new Yeti LT that Im currently testing, and Ive got a couple of shorter rides on them so far. My first impression is that they are just as grippy as they look. On the descents, the 12 pin layout and concave profile provides unwavering grip on the soles of my Five Ten Freerider Pro BOA shoes. My feet havent even come close to bouncing off, and the large platform provides plenty of support both fore/aft and laterally. As someone who spends the majority of time riding clipless, Im prone to pulling my feet off of flat pedals in technical uphill sections. Riding with the Brodium SL, Ive pulled my feet off far less than with the other flats in my current rotation, the OneUp Wave. The Brodium SL platform with the size 9.5 Freerider Pro sole. (photo/Jeremy Benson)The tradeoff, however, is that repositioning the feet requires a deliberate unweighting of the foot to get the pins to fully release from the sole, although this is pretty common with virtually all flat pedals that deliver this much grip. But, with the size of the platform and number of pins, I found there to be quite a bit of margin for error with my foot placement.I wear a size 9.5 US flat pedal shoe, and the Brodium SLs platform size feels great underfoot to me. Praxis doesnt specify a shoe size range for the pedals, but Id suspect that they might be a bit large for riders with feet at the smaller end of the spectrum, say size 8 US and under. I held my wifes size 7.5 US Womens shoe up to the pedal for comparison, and it seemed potentially a bit excessive. (photo/Jeremy Benson)My TakeawayIve only got a couple of rides on them so far, but the Brodium SL pedals have been delivering in the important areas of grip and support while coming in at a competitive weight. They look great, appear to be very well made, and should be relatively easy to service when needed. Im looking forward to spending a bunch more time testing them, and will try and report back with a full review in time.

The race jury at the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift will pay particular attention to riders clothing and body shape ahead of Wednesdays individual time trial, following reports of bra padding to improve aerodynamics. On Sunday, Dutch outlet Wielerflits reported that several womens WorldTour teams had expressed concern about riders using larger, padded bras as a chest fairings objects inserted into the skinsuit to smooth the airflow around the body. Wielerflits said the practice had been seen previously in womens cycling, including at the Paris 2024 Olympics. Research suggests that large chest fairings can result in time gains of almost a second per kilometre. UCI rule 1.3.032 specifically prohibits the use of any accessories that modify the morphology of a rider. Riders had previously been known to place water bottles or radios down the front of their jersey.Following stage three of the Tour de France Femmes, the race organiser, ASO, shared a press release that warned extra checks will be present during stage fours time trial. The full statement read: Riders must be to the final checks before the race (bikes and outfit) no later than 10 minutes before their respective start time. Particular attention will be paid to compliance with article 1.3.032 of the UCI regulations, including non-essential elements and clothing or other items/accessories worn by a rider (including but not limited to helmets, glasses, shoes or in-race communication devices) which could modify riders morphology.The UCI rulebook describes non-essential elements as any element which does not have a purpose which is exclusively of clothing or protection, or which is not strictly necessary for the functionality of the clothing, or other item, or accessory. Any rider found to have worn non-compliant" clothing will face disqualification and a fine of 50-200 CHF (46-184, $62-248), according to the governing bodys regulations. It is uncertain how the race jury will carry out checks for padded bras. Some reports have suggested inspections be done privately by female commissaires. Even then, confusion remains as to what exactly the jury will be looking for. The problem is how are you going to police it? Lidl-Treks head of technical and innovation, Koen de Kort, told The Athletic. Thats the biggest issue. You can say its not allowed [but] how can you say how much a woman needs? Thats time to get pretty much into a grey area of what youre allowed to check.Stage fours time trial stretches 21km between Gevrey-Chambertin and Dijon, with a 1.8km climb in the first half. It is scheduled to start at 14:51 local time (CET).