A massive controversy has brewed on the Belgian world championships team. However, this is one that does not actually include any of the riders that are taking part, but instead one featuring Tim Wellens' absence from them and the entire discourse surrounding it. The UAE Team Emirates - XRG rider i...

Former world cyclo-cross champion Fem van Empel has reignited her road career effective immediately after nearly a year out of the sport.Last December, the 24-year-old Dutch rider announced that she was putting her career on pause "for an indefinite period", having lost joy and motivation for the sport.Her team at the time, Visma-Lease a Bike, said that they had done "everything possible" to persuade her to stay.Van Empel, who had now taken up a place with FDJ United-SUEZ, said at the time: "During the Koppenbergcross, my body and mind gave a very clear signal. I am someone who doesnt give up easily, but unconsciously, a decision had already formed then. This feels like the right step for me now.""This is a well-considered decision that I feel good about," she added. "At the moment, both the motivation and the enjoyment I have had in cycling for years are missing. I wanted to be honest and fair about this with the team."Now, though, the three-time elite cross world champion is raring to restart and make a go of it with the French team. Among her teammates there will be Tour de France Femmes champion Demi Vollering and emerging British star Lauren Dickson."I'm ready for a new adventure and really excited to start again from scratch," she said in an FDJ United-SUEZ Instagram post. "Above all, I want to have a lot of fun."Van Empel has not raced since that day at the Koppenbergcross in the Netherlands, which she did not finish. Her last professional race on the road was the Choralis Fourmies Fminine, in mid-September last year.FDJ United-SUEZ general manager Stephen Delacourt emphasised that the team would be doing everything it could to help Van Empel rediscover the joy in bike racing.Fems arrival means a lot to us, he said. We all know what a tremendous champion she is and everything she has already accomplished. But today, our priority is first and foremost to support her so that she can rediscover the joy of riding, her smile, and the freedom to fully express herself.The first races on her program have yet to be revealed.

Might the 2026 World Championships deliver a surprise? The time trial events kick things off this Sunday, with Remco Evenepoel as the main favourite for the men's elite race. But Great Britain might spoil the fun, if all the pieces of the puzzle fall in place. Speaking to Het Nieuwsblad, former tea...

Is cycling your career already, and if not, do you want it to be? We've hiring for a new role within the Cycling Weekly team. And, if your world revolves around bikes, we want to hear from you.Cycling Weekly is the most-read cycling magazine in the UK, and cyclingweekly.com is one of the world's biggest cycling websites. This is a role that will help to shape, grow, and transform our brand, helping deliver and create social and video content that informs and inspires our audience. Our sibling title, Cyclingnews, is pretty big too, and this role will work across both brands. This is a UK-based full-time role. It will take the form of hybrid working, with two days a week in our Winnersh office, close to Reading, and three days working from home. To apply for this role, please submit your CV and a covering letter explaining why this is your dream job.If you haven't heard of our parent company, Future, it's the global leader in specialist media. With over 3,000 employees working across 200+ media brands, Future is a prime destination for passionate people worldwide looking to consume trusted, expert content that educates and inspires action - both online and off - through our specialist websites, magazines, events, newsletters, podcasts and social spaces.Social Media EditorWhat you'll be doingReporting into the Video Manager, you'll be shooting, editing and posting video content on Cycling Weeklys and Cyclingnews social media channels. You'll come up with shareable, innovative ideas for new videos - organic and paid - and bring them to life. You'll be covering a range of topics from the grassroots cycling to bike tech to the Tour de France. You'll be video presenting and storytelling, understanding the latest social media trends and create content that helps grow both brands' audiences.Experience that will put you ahead of the curveAn interest in and knowledge of the cycling marketAbility to present high quality, engaging video contentKnowledge and experience of social video editing toolsAbility to use native analytics to report on and inform content strategiesAble to interpret and use audience behavioural data to inform content strategyInterested? Find out more, and apply, here.

Paul Seixas's current contract ends in 2027 and the speculation over his future sees no end in sight. Pinarello - Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team is one of the teams interested in signing the Frenchman, with Tom Pidcock being a trump card for the team's negotiation agreements. Rebirthed in 2023, the Q36.5 t...

The internet is up in arms after an ad released by sports betting company Novig starring Sydney Sweeney stirred controversy this past week. The ad features Sweeney, an American actress, using different sports equipment to cover elements of her naked body, whilst she says the words sports, and then, its just sports. The response from female athletes has been pretty loud and unanimous, expressing frustration with what they perceive to be the sexualisation and mockery of women in sport, with several prominent athletes taking to social media with content showing what a woman in sport looks like to them. Amongst others, Tour de France Femmes winner Demi Vollering shared a reel with her audience in which she also said; its also sad women still need to have this conversation.Womens sport has been on the rise in recent years, with more and more eyes tuning in and, as a response, better funding going into it. We saw the Lionesses (Englands womens football team) win Euros in 2022 and 2025, which helped stir up public interest in womens sport in the UK, and in cycling we have recently seen the return of the womens edition of the Tour De France with viewership increasing year on year and crowds turning out in full force to spectate the race. The stats have shown that womens sports popularity is on the rise, and with this comes the respect for and perception of the female athletes themselves. For me that is why this ad felt like such a kick in the teeth to a movement that has been gaining so much traction in recent years. "This ad felt like a kick in the teeth to a movement that has been gaining so much traction"As a professional female athlete, I know how hard it can be to get people to take you seriously in your sport and how hard it is to maintain female participation levels. Two-thirds of teenage girls drop out of sport by the age of 16 as a result of the barriers to continued participation. There exist many cultural and social reasons for this. The barriers to reaching a level where you can earn a full-time salary from your sport are greater still. Our bodies go through such extreme changes in adolescence, and body confidence can really impact levels of participation in young people, particularly women. Add in the media shooting out an advert of a naked, slim, beautiful actress in sporting contexts, and you send a rather extreme, unhealthy message to these young women about what a woman in sport should look like. "Womens sport has been on the rise in recent years," says Nutt (Image credit: Jess Meniere)Some have sprung to the defence of the advert, and Sweeney herself pointed out that professional athletes have taken part in naked photoshoots in the past, asking where the difference is with the Novig campaign. For me, the clear distinction here lies in a professional showing off their athletic body with the goal of promoting body positivity: showing its strength and power. Versus someone who is not an athlete sexualising their body in order to sell a product. In this instance, a gambling product aimed at men. It is a celebration of male voyeurism rather than a celebration of an athletic female body.A post shared by Maddy Bchner-Nutt (@maddy_nutty)A photo posted by There is no denying that this advert has been successful. It has been divisive and is clearly provocative, perhaps made intentionally to anger people. The age-old saying no PR is bad PR seems to apply here, as the backlash has meant that the advert has spread even further, and perhaps to new audiences. Even by the people it upset. I see these conversations as an opportunity to highlight womens sport in a positive light and the need for these discussions about respect for women in sport, as well as their participation in sport at all levels. What shocked me the most this week was not the advert itself, but the comments on the social media feeds of the female athletes who spoke out. Misogyny is still very much present in some parts of our society, and, unfortunately for me, a section of the internet that was fed my content via the algorithm. "Misogyny is still very much present in parts of our society" Amongst many rather unpleasant comments, a follower of mine told another woman in my comments to go back to the kitchen, while I was told by other men that nobody cares about women's sports, and Riding a bike? Wowyouve achieved what most have by age 6. There were also comments about how only five women would be able to finish the Tour if it was the length of the mens race, and others such as womens sport is a joke. And this was only on my post. These comments are replicated thousands of times across multiple responses to the ad. This campaign really unearthed a wider and deeper problem, which is that there still exists a real societal issue with the perception of women, and in particular within sporting settings. In 2026 this feels rather crazy to be saying, but I do think that with the rise in popularity of figures like Andrew Tate comes a rise in a rather depressing sub-section of society who really do lack respect for women in all walks of life. So what can we do? We can keep shouting from the rooftops about how exciting womens cycling is. (It really is!) We can inspire other women to get on two wheels or just move their bodies in the way they feel most comfortable. We can encourage those around us to interact with womens sport in whatever way they can. We can support and encourage the female athletes in our lives: our mothers, our sisters and our daughters. Because this advert shouldnt be a step back for womens sport, but an opportunity for a huge leap forward.

At a moment in time where riders' contracts don't unquestionably bind them to their teams, UAE Team Emirates - XRG is said to have bought out the contract of one French rider who is rather under the radar. This week, he has put himself in the spotlight by challenging Mathieu van der Poel at the Tour...

Heres some pretty exciting news from the crew over at Camp and Go Slow (CAGS)! Theyve announced that they will be working with North Carolinas bikepacking bag-making aficionados, Rockgeist, to offer custom, made-to-order frame bags. Thats pretty exciting because you get to pick the bag style, fabric, trim, and any number of features on CAGS website.(Photos / Camp and Go Slow)Some of the features you can add are zip options, bolt-on or lace-mounted options, hang loops, or even an AirTag pocket. The price of the bag will update as you build it. And shipping is freeeee!Custom Framebags!CAGS customers have been asking for custom bags from the brand for a long time, and they pondered it while waiting for the right time to make it happen. The right time happened to be last Fall when the CAGS crew met the team at Rockgeist. It was kismet.Rockgeist has been making custom frame bags for 12 years. They make a high-quality product and are currently the only company in North America welding frame bags. Welded frame bags cannot be custom ordered and are available in universal shapes. The made-to-order bags from CAGS are custom-fit to your steeds specifications, so they are sewn.How does it work?When you order your dream bag on Camp and Go Slows website, youll start by choosing your fabric(s), trim tape, and all the optional features you want.As soon as you place your order, its automatically sent to Rockgeist, and youll be entered into their queue. While you wait, youll create aPhotoFittemplate of your bike. Rockgeist will use this template to ensure your bag fits perfectly. When its done, it will ship directly to you from Rockgeist.Rockgeist Retail & Standard FeaturesRetail: $240 (base price)Variable Velcro attachment to the top tube near your stem. This allows compatibility with your choice of top tube bag.All bags that do not select bolt-on or lace-up attachments will default to Velcro connections.Drive-side main zippered compartment giving access to entire bagCell phone/wallet pockets inside the map pocket for bags large enough.If a zippered horizontal divider is not chosen, large frame bags at risk for leg rub will come with vertical divider.Hydration/electronic access from both the map pocket and main compartment.Drain portDurable molded #10 YKK zippers1050D ballistic nylon spine fabric (black)Dumpling Hip Packs Back in Stock!Retail: $175 (Big Dumpling), $140 (Little Dumpling)Camp and Go Slow has new stock of the popular Camp and Go Slow/Rockgeist Dumpling Hip Packs. This is CAGS go-to hip pack. You can pick from two different sizes and four color options. Plus, the smaller size, the Little Dumpling, now features a 1 daisy chain right across the front of the bag, just like the larger size. Big Dumpling Specs:Seam-welded construction with Eastern Rattler, Western Rattler, Brown Trout, or Great Horned Owl trim tape6L max capacityHip wings/straps adjust to fit 30 to 46 in circumferenceRoll top/flap enclosure so there are no zippers to failInternal cell phone or wallet sleeveClosed-cell foam & 3D mesh back and hip padding1 1/2 inch belt with side-release buckle closureTag placement may vary from the ones photographedMade by Rockgeist in Asheville, North CarolinaLittle Dumpling Specs:Seam-welded construction with Eastern Rattler, Western Rattler, Brown Trout, or Great Horned Owl trim tape3L max capacityHip wings/straps adjust to fit 28 to 44 in circumference.Roll top/flap enclosure so there are no zippers to failInternal cell phone or wallet sleeveClosed-cell foam & 3D mesh back and hip padding1 1/2 inch belt with side-release buckle closureTag placement may vary from the ones photographedMade by Rockgeist in Asheville, North CarolinaTrims and Sample GalleryCheck out all of the amazing Camp and Go Slow goodies at the link below.Campandgoslow.com

The time trial World Championships take place this Sunday afternoon in Montral, and the leading favourite is Remco Evenepoel. The Belgian has done it three times in a row, and his team staff see no reason why a fourth consecutive title shouldn't land. Were not really looking at the opposition, s...