Stage 4 of the Tour de Pologne has been neutralized following a mass crash. Many riders fell on the wet roads heading towards Karpacz, forcing race organizers into stopping the race due to the need for ambulances. The Polish race is one that in recent years has had several very serious accidents. I...

The Sierra Madre Oriental is not just a mountain range; its a vertical wall that separates the Gulf of Mexico from the interior plateau. This route rides that wall. La []The post La Travesia Oriental appeared first on BIKEPACKING.com.

Long thought of as their classic road bike, Stevens new Izoard now takes aerodynamic inspiration from their Arcalis and endurance comfort from their Xenith to build a better, more modern all-rounder road bike. With aero shaping, 10% weight reduction, bigger 32mm tire clearance, a classic 27.2 post, a mini integrated Fidlock frame bag, and more relaxed road geometry. The new Izoard is meant to be the ideal no-nonsense road bike for riders looking to just ride. Plus, its just as affordable as it was a few years ago. Thanks to a wide range of mechanical and electronic build options. 2026 Stevens Izoard all-rounder road bike updatedNamed after the 2360m pass in the French Alps topped with a small cycling museum and monument to Fausto Coppi, the Stevens Izoard is a one-stop-shop all-rounder road bike. (All photos by Markus Greber/Stevens)Aerodynamic fork, hourglass headtube & downtube shaping, plus fully integrated cable routing adapted from Stevens aero race bike ensure you wont be sacrificing watts in the wind. Its frame is not exceptionally lightweight, but now up to 160g lighter to handle some big climbing days. And still, the new Izoard keeps pretty sharp angles to preserve responsive handling. But it now gets longer chainstays, fitting bigger 32mm tires, and slightly shorter Reach & incrementally taller Stack to improve all-day riding comfort.What else is new?A revised sloping top tube layout, plus a new integrated seatpost clamp that gives more extension of the classic round seatpost for improved comfort at the saddle. Now, a new integrated Fidlock magnetic mount under the toptube provides a quick-release mounting point for a mini Vaude frame bag to carry ride essentials. Or on the other hand, use it to mount any other standard Fidlock bottle or accessory.Additionally, a move to the UDH standard out back means compatibility with all types of drivetrains, even 1x setups thanks to a removable front derailleur tab. And in good news for affordability, the new Izoards fully internal routing is still compatible with mechanical shift drivetrains.Tech detailshi-mod Carbon SL Fiber frame & full carbon tapered steerer fork1090g frame & 450g fork (claimed)fully internal routing through IS52 headset (with separate bar & stem on complete bikes)flat mount disc brakes12mm thru-axlesUDH & removable braze-on style front derailleur mountcompatible with both mechanical AND electronic 2x drivetrains Pressfit BB86 bottom bracket27.2mm round seatpost with side-access internal wedge clamp32mm max tire clearanceall bikes and framesets include mini frame bag made by Vaude with QR magnetic attachment by FidlockUCI-approved for racing6 frame sizes available (48-61cm)MY27 Stevens Izoard Pricing, options & availabilityThe new Izoard is available now four complete bike builds, or as a separate frame set for your own custom build. And starting next week, it will also be offered in Stevens online custom bike configurator.MY27 Stevens IzoardThe most simply-named Stevens Izoard is also the most affordable build at just 2400 with Shimano 105 mechanical 212, 30mm deep alloy DT Swiss AR LN Classic wheels with 370-level Ratchet hubs, and 30mm tubeless Continental Grand Prix tires, at 9.0kg complete (all claimed). Interestingly, thats the same entry-level price Stevens sold the previous generation Izoard since it debuted in 2022.Izoard 105 Di2Izoard ULTStep up to 3000 for the Izoard 105 Di2, which shocker carries the same general spec, upgraded to the semi-wireless electronic Shimano 105 Di2 212 groupset, at 8.6kg.Then, at 4000, the Stevens Izoard Ult goes up to Ultegra Di2 and a set of 45mm deep aero carbon Leeze CC 45 Basic AR wheels, at 8.0kg.Stevens Izoard ForceThe top spec model is the Izoard Force, a 4600 build with a SRAM Force AXS E1 212 wireless drivetrain and aero carbon Vision SC45 i23 wheels, at a weight of 7.9kg complete.MY27 Stevens Izoard framekitIf you want to build up your own custom bike, or just need more colorful paint options, then theres also a 1900 Stevens Izoard frameset. It comes in 4 colors: Solar orange, Phantom white, Mystic violet & True black not the Ocean green of the Force build, though.The all-new Izoard can be ordered now from your local Stevens dealer, with real in-shop availability expected in autumn 2026.StevensBikes.de

A few years ago I was competing in a 24-hour ultra-endurance event. Daylight had vanished and the road before me was lit solely by the light mounted to my helmet. Beside me, just three metres to my left, a barn owl tracked the very same beam. It flew with me for minutes and I felt privileged to play a small part in its evening hunt. This symbiotic encounter underlined something I already knew: the bicycle gives you the best seat in the house for wildlife viewing.Yesterday, though, up close and personal took on a whole new meaning. It was late afternoon, the temperature had dipped and the hills were waiting. Although Southeast England isnt bursting at the seams with premium-grade gravel surfaces, theres enough bridleways and green lanes to piece together a half-decent parcours. I specced three good off-road ascents of around five minutes in length, the goal being V02-max style efforts. But the scratch hadnt quite been itched, so I added 15 off-the-cuff minutes of threshold to conclude the session. Winding up some heavy-duty wattage I settled into the effort, happy to be riding fast, feeling strong, tyres skipping over loose green lane grit.Then beside me a dramatic melee in the foliage, followed by a bright russet explosion of fur and limbs and antlers that burst out onto the trail. A huge roe buck had jumped into the path less than metre from my front wheel.Roe deer are medium-sized deer, at around 60 to 75 centimeters high to the shoulder. Theyre abundant in the UK, according to the British Deer Society, and weigh 10-25 kilograms; the males (bucks) sport antlers (bad news for me). For a split-second our eyes met. I saw panic and fear. He saw resignation. This was going to hurt. I was riding at over 20 miles per hour too fast for this impromptu meet and greet to conclude without at least one of us leaving the scene in a lot of discomfort. I slammed on the brakes, clipped his rump with my right leg, hit the deck and unceremoniously scattered myself along a further five metres of the trail. The roe buck disappeared, thankfully seemingly unscathed. I lay on the floor in a state of complete shock, my right side starting to sting as I looked down to see a shredded pair of cycling shorts soaked through with blood. My jersey had suffered the same fate and my helmet had been reduced to a heavily-crumpled keepsake. Waking up this morning, my body ached. The bike escaped with little more than a scuffed bar end. I'll need a new helmet, a new pair of shorts, a new jersey and probably a few weeks for the bruising to subside.But what of the wider lesson? I love the outdoors, and I want to ride in a way that respects its inhabitants; I also don't like hitting the deck. I expect most of us feel the same. How can future encounters such as this be avoided? According to the British Deer Associations technical advisor and author of a catalogue of deer-based literature Charles Smith-Jones, the time of year (early August) likely played a strong role in my oh deer moment. (Image credit: Steve Shrubsall for Future)Roe bucks are particularly active at this time of the year, Smith-Jones explains. Its their rutting season so its common to see the bigger males move quickly to survey their territories.Fallow and red deer usually have their rut in the early autumn, and they can often be much bigger than roe, he continues.Id always considered off-road the safer landscape over the road, where cars certainly seem to rule the roost. However, the encounter has seen me reevaluate how comfortable I am letting excitement take over my senses in the pursuit of power numbers. On the bike its difficult but you have to learn to be aware of your surroundings, watch out for erratic movements in foliage, advises Smith-Jones. If youre in a car we always advise that you never veer for a deer as this can often have more significant consequences than hitting the animalThe highest periods of risk, when the deer are most active and likely to cross your path, are from sunset to midnight and the hours shortly before and after sunrise. And remember, if youve seen one, theres likely more about.I will continue to ride hard on gravel, but high-intensity efforts will exclusively take place in open expanses, where wandering wildlife can be preempted. And the next time Im weaving through a leafy countryside corridor, I'll be looking as much into the undergrowth as I will at the trail ahead.

The Tour de France Femmes is delivering a lot of action in its first half, with Demi Vollering, Marlen Reusser and Pauline Ferrand-Prvot delivering an exciting battle for the yellow jersey. Lance Armstrong has commented on the race up until stage 5, with one rider out of the mix for the yellow jers...

Stage 4 of the Tour de Pologne has been won by Bart Lemmen, the leader of Team Visma | Lease a Bike who crashed during the stage-marking fall late in the day; but overcame it to then take a strong victory on the first hilly day of the race. The breakaway of the day was made up of Dries de Bondt, Ma...

Good morning and welcome to the liveblog of the 2026 Tour de France Femmes. Stage 6 will take the peloton to Tournon-sur-Rhne on a mountainous, explosive and treacherous route, where attacks could come at any moment. Team strategy and tactics will be just as important as the riders legs today, wit...

Refreshed to be more capable than ever, the 2026 Moots Womble clears 29 x 2.6" tires, has a slacker head tube angle, and is designed around a 140mm fork. Take a closer look at Moots' new premium titanium hardtail here...The post The 2026 Moots Womble Is More Refined Than Ever appeared first on BIKEPACKING.com.

OK, so the only thing new about these limited edition DT Swiss ARC 1100 Dicut 55 LTD road wheels is that DT has given them some shiny polished white hubs and bright white logos. But in a world where every aero carbon wheelset looks like the next with black hubs, black spokes, black nipples, and black-on-black graphics, maybe there could be a trend towards getting flashy again with your road bike upgrades!Limited edition DT Swiss ARC 1100 Dicut 55 LTD road wheels(All photos/DT Swiss)Just to be clear, I am fully on board with shiny hubs, although maybe polished aluminum might look fancier. And I would love to see silver spokes & nipples, too. But unless you are literally the current World Champion racing in rainbow stripes, I still feel like we should all leave the white shorts at home. OK, now back to these nice limited edition DT Swiss ARC 1100 carbon wheelsTech Detailsonly the 55mm (left) comes in the new White LTDThese wheels are a special edition of the aero race carbon ARC wheels that were revamped last summer, available just in the 55mm depth with 22mm hooked internal tubeless beads.Whats different is shiny white-painted 180 hubs with polished silver graphics on the hubs, plus the same 2x big, eye-catching white DT Swiss rim logos, just like the pros race just like the Uno X team rode at the Tour.22mm internal hooked bead, tubeless-ready carbon rims55x28mm external1100 series with 180 hubs, Aerolite spokes & SINC ceramic bearingsaerodynamic Dicut alloy hubs with straight-pull T-head spokes20-spoke front & 24-spoke rearcenterlock disc brake-only and 12mm thru-axleslaced 2x with internal alloy nipplesfast 54T Ratchet EXP freehub internalsincludes both SRAM XDR and Shimano HG freehubs standard (Campy N3W & Shimano Microspline available separately)pre-taped for tubeless and include alloy tubeless valves, shaped valve guards, aero valve caps & wheel bags1471g claimed wheelset weightDT Swiss ARC 1100 Dicut White LTD 55 PricingThe limited edition wheels sell for $3604 / 2800. Thats only a slight premium over what the standard 3rd generation edition wheels already sold for in Europe, but a pretty big price hike in the US, likely due to changes in tariffs and exchange rates in the past year. The white-hubbed wheels are also available as a Limited Edition Wheel Tire System including a limited edition set of Tour de France tires from Continental with the aerodynamic Aero 111 front tire.Get yours now from your local DT dealer.DTSwiss.com

Stage 6 of the Tour de France Femmes was another hilly day that promised both action in terms of fighting for the stage win, and that for the overall classification. And it delivered. 153 kilometers on the menu and a lot of climbing. Like the previous day, the riders would find themselves on the Ma...