Are the Montral World Championships too difficult for Mathieu van der Poel? Potentially, but that remains to be discovered this coming Sunday. Dutch pundit Thijs Zonneveld has discussed the potential tactics the Dutchman can deploy. As a pure puncheur and classics specialist, van der Poel is perha...

The main favourites for the 2026 World Championships road race are clear. Remco Evenepoel, Paul Seixas, Isaac del Toro, Mathieu van der Poel or Tom Pidcock are in the spotlight. However the race promises an action-packed thriller where outsiders could thrive. On September 27, the elite men will take...

There's no shortage of excellent mountain bike shoes on the market, but you'd struggle to mistake most of them for something you'd choose to wear down the pub.Drift is looking to change that with its new ARC, a waterproof leather cycling shoe that hides an SPD-compatible sole beneath what looks, at first glance, like a fairly conventional sneaker.The ARC is the first new shoe from Drift, which has recently relaunched and has roots stretching back more than 15 years.The people behind Drift previously founded DZR, which launched in 2010 with the aim of producing cycling shoes that could be worn on and off the bike. The brand says it returned to the drawing board in 2024, working with a footwear craftsman to develop its latest range.The ARC continues that original concept, but brings a decidedly premium construction and a $240 price tag.Never mind the rain The perforations in the upper should add some ventilation. Scott Windsor / Our Media Unlike the synthetic uppers used on many mountain bike shoes, the ARC is constructed from full-grain leather.A waterproof lining sits underneath, with Drift pitching the shoe as an all-season option capable of dealing with the wet conditions the brand encountered while developing its footwear around Squamish, Victoria and Whistler in British Columbia. There are streetwear vibes emanating from the shoes. Scott Windsor / Our Media There's a reinforced toe box to add some protection from rocks and other trail debris, while a small cover snaps over the laces to keep them out of the way while riding.Underneath, things get considerably more bike-specific. It's a refreshing take on cycling shoes. Scott Windsor / Our Media The rubber outsole hides a two-bolt cleat mount, making the ARC compatible with Shimano SPD and other two-bolt mountain bike pedal systems.Drift has also added a stiff composite shank through the sole, which it says improves power transfer to the pedals.This should give the ARC more support underfoot than its casual appearance might suggest, although I'll have to get them out on the trails to see how they compare to more conventional mountain bike shoes.The rubber outsole is also designed with walking in mind, which should make the shoes better suited to hike-a-bike sections, or walking to the bar after a ride, than more aggressively shaped clipless shoes.Cycling shoes in disguise There's a flap for lace retention. Scott Windsor / Our Media This Black and White pair wouldn't look unusual away from the bike, with the predominantly black leather upper and white sole doing a decent impression of a conventional pair of trainers.There's little to give away the fact you're wearing a pair of clipless cycling shoes, aside from the inevitable castanet of the cleats when walking on hard surfaces.That could make the ARC an interesting proposition for commuters or anyone who doesn't fancy swapping shoes every time they get off the bike. The sole looks to be very grippy. Scott Windsor / Our Media The ARC is available in several colourways, including Black & White, Charcoal, Stone, Forge and Ceder (sic), with each priced at $240.That puts them firmly at the premium end of the market, but the full-grain leather construction, waterproofing and small-batch approach go some way to explaining the price.Whether they can deliver the pedalling performance of a dedicated mountain bike shoe while remaining comfortable enough to wear all day is the bigger question.We'll be putting them through their paces to find out.

In 2000, Romans Vainsteins shocked the cycling world to take the victory at the World Championships for Latvia. 26 years later, Toms Skujins finds an opening to bring the Eastern European nation back into the top of the cycling world. "Im not someone who will demand the team to ride for me. And a...

In the absence of the reigning champion Tadej Pogaar, and on a course that suits his explosivity, Britains Tom Pidcock is looking forward to his best shot so far at winning the UCI Road World Championships on Sunday. The 27-year-old is among the favourites for the elite mens road race in Montreal, Canada, which stretches 273.4km and counts 12 laps of a punchy city-centre circuit. He placed 6th on a similar course at the Grand Prix de Montral earlier this month, a result that gave him confidence ahead of his fifth elite Road Worlds. Its definitely a course that suits me, thats for sure, Pidcock told Cycling Weekly and other media in a round table interview earlier this week. I think its a course that also favours saving for one big move. If you ride it attritionally and make efforts all the time then I think, in the end, its difficult to make the proper difference, to get people off your wheel. The climbs not very steep.Following the GP de Montral, Pidcock travelled to Colorado in the US for some last-minute altitude training. He arrived back in the Canadian city on Thursday evening, in what he feels is really good form. I did some VO2 efforts at 2,500m for the first time ever, and I actually managed to do them, so that must be quite a good thing, he said. But in one-day races, you can get it wrong, even if you feel good leading into it. I think becoming road world champion would be something that would be truly amazing in my career. Its going to be so hard to win. I think this is my best opportunity so far in my career, thats for sure. But having said that, I think the depth is so deep I might not even stand on the podium. I think its quite an open race, and even having said that, its my best shot so far. Pidcock won the cross-country mountain bike world title in August. (Image credit: Ed Sykes/SWpix.com)Part of Pidcocks increased chances comes due to the non-attendance of Slovenias Pogaar, the winner of the last two road world titles, who is recovering from neck and collarbone fractures suffered in a crash at the Vuelta a Espaa last month. Asked if Pogaars absence will make the race more open, Pidcock said: 100%. I wouldnt know who to bet on now. If Tadej was racing, I would have bet on him. Instead, the Briton singled out two other favourites. I think the two stand-out guys are [Frances Paul] Seixas and [Mexicos Isaac] Del Toro, he said, also citing time trial world champion Remco Evenepoel (Belgium) as a rider who will for sure be good. As for Mathieu van der Poel (Netherlands) and Wout van Aert (Belgium), two names that feature prominently on contenders lists, Pidcock believes the amount of climbing 3,800m makes it not their perfect course. But they will still do well, I have no doubt about that. Victory at the Italian one-day race GP Industria & Artigianato earlier this month is the Briton's most recent scalp. (Image credit: Getty Images)Already this season, Pidcock has won five times for his trade team, Pinarello Q36.5. He also finished ninth at the Tour de France, and earned his second career mountain bike world title. He will lead the British squad in the mens road race alongside Adam Yates, his former team-mate at Ineos Grenadiers, now of UAE Team Emirates-XRG, and winner of the GP de Montral in 2023. [Adam and I] kept trying to have a call [to discuss leadership tactics] and then it kept getting cancelled. People were on flights and recons and all sorts of things, but no, we will discuss it, Pidcock said. Its no different to any other race. Adam has won Montral before, hes got a lot of experience, and has also been part of the winning team [at the GP de Montral] for the past five years. Hes very experienced on this course.The eight-rider British squad also includes Oscar Onley, Fred Wright, Callum Thornley, Mark Donovan, James Shaw and Finlay Pickering. The elite mens road race is the final event of this years UCI Road World Championships and is scheduled to start at 9am local time (2pm BST) on Sunday 27 September.

I realised, toggling the training bias on my last indoor training session down to a 92% effort because 100% felt a bit hard, that Ive not tested my functional threshold power (FTP) for around six years.Back in 2020, it was Covid lockdowns that put paid to my seasons goals. Whilst the lay-off was longer than expected for most of us, the race calendar did eventually power back up. I, however, did not. Or at least, I powered in a very different direction: new house, baby one, baby two, you get the idea. And here we are, six years later, with an unknown entity hovering around in the space of a number that used to mean a lot to me.FTP, the power a rider can hold for sixty minutes, is a benchmark in cycling performance. Whilst there are variations (Wahoos 4DP, Critical Power), nearly all training plans and software use a percentage of a known, and ideally regularly tested, power figure to set rider efforts during training. When your head is locked into racing, it can be easy to assume that everyone is completing structured sessions using pre-set power zones.The reality is that taking a more relaxed what does my body need to do today? approach is actually more common than the training literature might suggest. Adjusting volumes and intensity based on feel, fatigue and external factors is not without its benefits, with a few caveats in place. Most riders with no recognised FTP test still use workoutsThe majority of riders use cycling as a way to stay fit and healthy (Image credit: Future)A Cycling Weekly audience survey revealed that 73% of respondents considered themselves fitness riders, using the bike to stay fit and healthy. Just 16% put themselves in the competitive cyclist bracket. Wanting to get away from screen time and feeling sluggish were primary triggers for getting on the bike, so it seems reasonable to assume that townsign sprints with friends and lunchbreak power hours are more common than structured VO2 max efforts. Numbers at Zwift concur. Asked for stats on the number of riders actively testing FTP the metric used to set zones for Zwifts workout library a representative said over the last year, around three in four active Zwifters recorded a workout [which would feature structured intervals], while fewer than one in four recorded a recognised FTP-test ride. Zwifts rep added: Even among riders without a recognised test ride, about two in three used workouts. Most riders combined workouts with other kinds of riding. The brand added, Most riders with no recognised FTP test still use workouts (67.7%). It is worth noting that Zwift will calculate a 'zFTP' based on activities completed in the last 90 days, and an FTP number could be given after completing a 20-minute effort, such as riding the platform's climb 'The Grade'; 97.5% of Zwifters without a recognised FTP test do have a calculated zFTP/zMAP record. But, this is much more ad hoc than a rider actively seeking out a benchmark and repeating the test monthly. Perhaps interestingly, competitor MyWhoosh's September update saw the brand release a new 'Smart Workout Selector', which it says helps riders narrow down the MyWhoosh workout library based on what they want from their session and how they are feeling on the day. Sessions are suggested after riders report on factors such as recovery, sleep, muscle soreness and available time. Looking at the wider picture, Stravas Year in Sport of 2025 showed that over half (54%) of users take part in two or more sport types, with 34% recording over three sport types. There are generational changes too, Strava reported that Gen Z athletes (born between 1997 and 2012) were twice as likely as older generations to pick strength training as their main sport. Despite being an aged millennial (1981 and 1996) this certainly chimes with my own habits; and Id suggest hitting the weights or training in other sports on non-riding days can shift the bike focus from chasing numbers to a more holistic muscle soreness and recovery function. A post shared by Michelle Arthurs-Brennan (@ridewriterepeat)A photo posted by The final piece in the puzzle is that we know participation numbers across competitive bike racing, certainly in the UK, are dwindling, with more and more exercisers citing mental health as a reason for getting active. If youre pushing the pedals to feel happier rather than to turn the screw in the latter half of a road race, its hardly surprising that number crunching has taken a back seat.All in, the wider picture suggests that cyclists are broadening their interests, and that training platforms may be adapting to the reality of recreational athletes' lifestyles, where hitting a goal on the bike that day may just not be the priority. A lot of cyclists dont do well riding off feelRiders can over-cook easy rides and under-perform on efforts if not controlled (Image credit: Roo Fowler for Future)Obviously, the training a rider completes day-to-day will be heavily influenced by their goals and training history. If its not, well, something is wrong.Set power zones come in handy for riders with ambitious goals, where they need to avoid under- or overtraining. Riding off feel is something a lot of riders don't do well, Sport and Exercise scientist and coach at ATP Performance, Andy Turner, outlined. Though if were being picky, Turner did note he prefers to use Critical Power over FTP.Lamenting the disorganisation that can occur when targets go out the window, he noted: Zone 2 [easy] rides end up tempo. Effort rides end up too easy, or too hard, and people do maximal efforts at every opportunity.I've seen chronic cases where there is exercise addiction and a sort of cortisol addiction too. Training less gives withdrawal symptoms. So using thresholds to keep training at the appropriate level ensures [the rider] is not overdoing it, says Turner.However, there are instances where hell have cyclists ride blind, without the numbers, both to push the maximal [effort], but also to test how well they can hit a power zone without actually looking at numbers. It's also useful to know the RPE compared to power for determining when fatigue might be becoming too much and rest is needed. Returning and beginner riders are another caveat, he adds: I have a rider starting up again after three years off the bike, and we won't be testing for a few months. We'll go off Rate of Perceived Exertion and Heart Rate initially, as those are good metrics to become attuned with before using watts and taking those as gospel, Turner said.If youre a type A personality, numbers can be unhelpfulJosie Perry advises athletes focus on the metrics that appeal to their motivations for riding (Image credit: Future)It's fairly unanimously accepted that training with set zones has its place. However, when focus shifts from performance goals to enjoyment, things change. Particularly if external events and responsibilities (allostatic load) dictate energy levels and performance. If you're a highly intelligent perfectionist, that type A personality, [these people] love numbers, but they can actually be really unhelpful because the numbers just create threat," outlines Sports Psychologist Josie Perry. When their brain sees threat, i.e. I might fail, they have biological responses in the body. They're unable to get the best out of themselves, so they're much better at focusing on inputs to their performance, [such as] how many sessions [theyve completed a week], or how hard they work in sessions, or specific ways of doing sessions, Perry outlines. Some other personality types might get on better with set targets. If you're a more pragmatic rider, we tend to be lazier. Then numbers can be helpful because they give us something to focus on when actually what our brain is saying is take it easy. In short, she says: If you have a brain that is constantly trying to push you to do more and more and more, Ill put my hand up and admit thats me, by the way, numbers don't help. If you have a brain that tends to default to let's do as little as possible, numbers can be helpful because they give you something to drive you towards and will make you work a bit harder. So, whats the prescription for those Type A riders, for whom set power zones dont sit well with leisure and fitness riding goals? My advice would be to pick three or four data points that help [you monitor well-being and fitness] and probably ignore everything else, Perry says, stating that she keeps an eye on resting heart rate as a guage of wellness. If you need a little more, she takes it back to RPE, or Rate of Perceived Exertion. Thats completing efforts using a subjective measure of how hard your body is working. A 20-minute push would probably be ridden at around 7/10, 3-5 intervals likely at around 8 or 9, and your all-out sprint is a 10. If your session is a six out of 10, moving it up to an eight for 20 minutes in the middle, and back down to six, you can always achieve that, even if it means on that day your numbers were down. Youre still going to achieve whats set, Perry says. 'Just twist the dial to make it harder'As long as riding doesn't have competitive goals, I'll stick with the RPE scale (Image credit: Roo Fowler for Future)When I set out upon this article, which began life as a light-hearted opinion piece and somehow morphed into a mini-feature along the way, it occurred to me that the logical conclusion was likely going to result in me clipping in for 20-minutes of brutal testing.Refreshingly, I was wrong. Power testing absolutely has a valuable place. If I wanted to race again, I'd want to set myself a benchmark to work against.For now? I'll be taking Perry's advice. When I ride intervals, I use a Wattbike, and I just twist the dial to make it harder, the psychologist who is still winning races for fun told me. My version would be just toggling the effort down to 92% because I fed a baby back to sleep eight times last night, and, well, havent tested my FTP for six years, anyway.

The Montral 2026 World Championships couldbecome much more than a race for Amaniel Desta. The young Ethiopian arrives at the international event with his national team after a season that has put his name on the map, but also with major uncertainty looking ahead to 2027, as he told MARCA. Team Am...