Fresh off the 2026 Arizona Trail Race, Geoffrey Wong was one of only two singlespeed finishers on the 800-mile route, and he completed a singlespeed Triple Crown Challenge. Find photos and a reflection from Geoffrey here, including why he describes the AZTR as the final boss of bikepacking races...The post Geoffrey Wong Completes AZTR and Singlespeed Triple Crown Challenge appeared first on BIKEPACKING.com.

The new Viral Wanderer 32 shares the same specs as the 29" version we reviewed a few years ago, but it has tweaked geometry to accommodate 32" wheels. Learn more about the Wanderer 32" and find pre-order details here...The post Pre-Orders Open for Pinion-Equipped Viral Wanderer 32 appeared first on BIKEPACKING.com.

CyclistCyclists 2026 mens pro cycling team of the yearWith the Tour of Guangxi accounted for, the 2026 mens road cycling season has come to a close.After ten months of WorldTour racing, Tadej Pogaar tops the year-end UCI rankings for the sixth year in a row, having built up a total of 9,331 points in 2026. Thats just 2,000 points clear of second-placed rider Remco Evenepoel and third in line Isaac del Toro. They could be considered the three best riders of the 2026 calendar, but theres more to the season than that.Today, well be fielding an all-star team of the eight best riders from 2026. The candidates have been chosen to reflect the general narrative of the season, factoring in 2026 achievements, UCI points and growth from previous years. Just think of this as your team of the year, and a team is what it is, its not just the eight riders at the top of the UCI rankings, well be choosing a GC leader, Classics riders, sprinters and support riders from the cream of the crop in 2026..Tadej Pogaar (UAE Team Emirates XRG)Xavier PereyronIts a no-brainer to pick Tadej Pogaar. To be honest, I should have banned him from this selection process, but here we are.The Slovenian was unbeaten in stage races this year at least, the stage races he finished meaning he completed the season with a Grand Tour victory and three Monuments. Given he was so dominant, its impossible to look past him as the best rider to pick as a GC leader.Sure, Jonas Vingegaard also went unbeaten in his completed stage races, but theres no real argument to be had here. Pogaar is the best rider in the world.Tim Merlier (Soudal Quick-Step)Xavier PereyronAfter choosing Jonathan Milan as my top sprinter last year, I have backed Tim Merlier as the all-star teams dedicated sprinter in 2026.The Quick-Step man had a near 100% hit rate in sprints this year. Hes only lost five of the sprints hes contested this year mostly to Olav Kooij, mind you which doesnt dampen his 14 wins this season. The only rider with more is his teammate Paul Magnier, who ends the year with 15 wins.Whether it be Classics, stage races or Grand Tours, Merlier rose to the occasion at them all, and to be honest, he looked head and shoulders above his opponents at many.Merlier has been incredibly consistent since joining Soudal Quick-Step in 2023. This year might not have been his most dominant, but the sprinting field has fragmented in 2026 more than in previous years. Merlier has nonetheless been the constant throughout this period.Jasper Stuyven (Soudal Quick-Step)A.S.O./Charly LpezWhats a sprinter without his leadout man? And for the second year running, I have paired up my sprinter of the year with his own leadout man.Jasper Stuyven proved to be the signing of the season in my opinion. Fresh in Quick-Step colours, the Belgian started the Giro, where he piloted Paul Magnier to three stage wins and a points classification victory. Then at the Tour, Stuyven acted as the final leadout man for Merlier, who also scored three stage victories. In football terms, Stuyven clocked six assists at Grand Tours this year.We cant forget his Classics performances either. With a third place at Paris-Roubaix, plus top tens at the Tour of Flanders and Milan-San Remo, Stuyven offers good bang for your buck.Gregor Mhlberger (Decathlon CMA CGM)Unipublic / Cxcling / Naike EreozagaIts not been a big year for domestiques. The fact that Isaac del Toro could contend for the best domestique prize says it all.On the whole, it feels as though everyone has been scared of Tadej Pogaar or Jonas Vingegaard. Domestiques feel redundant when those two launch a move with 50km to go.Nonetheless, contenders could have included Davide Piganzoli for the job he fulfilled at the Giro, Pablo Castrillo for wingmanning at the Vuelta or Isaac del Toro for poaching a podium while on lookout duties. My domestique of the year is Gregor Mhlberger, however.The Austrian was fantastic at the Vuelta, teeing up Felix Gall for attacks throughout the races first two weeks, back when Decathlon looked like the only team willing to shake things up. Mhlberger could have contended for the top ten overall, but he was forced to abandon ahead of the races final week. The Vuelta wasnt his only success either, with a strong domestique performance also posted at the Giro earlier this year. Its no wonder he managed to land a joint move with Gall to Lidl-Trek.Wout van Aert (Visma-Lease a Bike)Xavier PereyronFor the Classics, I could have gone with Mathieu van der Poel, although his 2026 form looked the most fragile it has been for some seasons now. I could have gone for Remco Evenepoel after his bold Flemish discovery in the spring. Heck, I could have picked the Tours green jersey winner Mads Pedersen in order to strike two birds with one stone.However, after something of an off-year in 2025, Wout van Aert returned from injury this winter as one of the best all-rounders in the sport. For that, he has to be considered one of the best riders of 2026.Of course, Van Aerts magnum opus this year came at Paris-Roubaix. However, the Belgian was consistent all spring long, with a podium finish at Milan-San Remo, a fourth at the Tour of Flanders and a second place at Dwars door Vlaanderen. This was later backed up by stage wins at the Tour Auvergne-Rhne-Alpes, albeit just before he was forced to skip the Tour de France.Besides Van Aerts ability to underpin a Classics squad and deliver sprint wins on tougher profiles, he can also slot into the role as leadout man. That was made evident at this years Vuelta, where he acted as the bodyguard for five-time stage winner Matthew Brennan. Despite taking more stages, Van Aert would bag the green jersey too, having gone in breaks and made the selection on tougher days.That versatility is what Van Aert is known for, and we may have lost sight of that before his rampant return this year. Maybe all it took was for his ankle to be snapped or for him to launch his own mobile network. Who knows.Paul Seixas (Decathlon CMA CGM)Xavier PereyronLast year, I smuggled several GC names into the final selection. This year, Ive limited it to two GC riders.Ill let you in on a secret. I was split between choosing Remco Evenepoel and Paul Seixas. On one hand, you have a rider who finished second at the Tour de France, won the rainbow jersey against the clock and finished the year with a European title to his name. On the other, you have a kid who finished fourth at the Tour, finished on the podium at Lige-Bastogne-Lige and Strade Bianche, then won a Monument. Thats before I mention that Seixas is the only one of the two to have won a WorldTour stage race this year.Its a tantalisingly close call, but I have sided with the 20-year-old from Lyon. Seixas has shown that he might be the closest thing we have to a Pogaar slayer. We saw that at both Strade and Lige, when he was the first rider in years to follow the yearly long-range attacks on the Monte Santa Marie and La Redoute.Although his debut Tour only resulted in a fourth place, Seixas was a strong force in GC. He was up there at TARA and he dismantled the field at Itzulia Basque Country. Dont forget the bronze medal against the clock at the UCI World Championships and the Flche Wallonne win either, or the frenzy of hype he stirred up around every corner of the 2026 calendar. This guy is the future, but he is also the present. Seixas will surely get a mention in next years list (and the year afters), but you cant deny that he has shaped the outcome of 2026.Mauro Schmid (Jayco AlUla)A.S.O./Morgan BoveLast year, my wildcard was Cristian Scaroni. The Italian scored an absurd amount of UCI points and managed to win a Grand Tour stage. For almost the exact same reasons, Mauro Schmid ends up on my list this year.The Swiss rider ends the season 13th on the UCI rankings, above the likes of Enric Mas, Giulio Ciccone, Mattias Skjelmose and Matteo Jorgenson.Schmid has been climbing well in 2026, evidenced by an overall victory at the Tour of Oman and a string of podium finishes on Tour de France stages. Pair this with his engine and ability to make key selections, and its clear that this guy becomes one of the best all-rounders in the bunch.His 2026 performances have landed him on a big-money deal at Pinarello Q36.5 next year. Reports suggest the Swiss rider will be on a salary of 2 million per year at his new home. However, I reckon Schmid would have been a lethal domestique at a squad like UAE, Red Bull or Visma. Surely this guy has the hallmarks of an annoying domestique de luxe.Tobias Halland Johannessen (Uno-X Mobility)Unipublic / Cxcling / Antonio BaixauliWeve gone even more rogue with our eighth and final pick: Tobias Halland Johannessen.The Norwegian has been something of a constant in the 2026 calendar, resulting in a seismic shift in the UCI rankings, leaving Halland Johannessen as the ninth best-placed rider in 2026.Halland Johannessen didnt necessarily take a huge leap forward this year, he just remained consistent across the calendar. A podium at Itzulia Basque Country, top fives at both TARA and Tirreno-Adriatico. He finished inside the top five on four Tour de France stages and helped support his teammate Andreas Leknessund to a first Grand Tour victory. That was all topped off with a stage victory of his own on the final stage of the Vuelta a Espaa.How does Halland Johannessen fit into this squad? Well, hes something of an everyman when the race goes uphill. He can get into the breakaway, contend for Classics, and ride for GC. Hes a jack of all trades this guy.Honourable mentionsChris AuldMaking a final selection of eight was far from easy. Some riders had to miss out. Heres our chance to sing their praises.In a GC department, we could have gone for Jonas Vingegaard, who seemed untouchable during the spring, winning Paris-Nice, the Volta a Catalunya and the Giro dItalia in dominant form. When pitted against Pogaar though, it feels like an easy choice to make.Similarly, Giulio Pellizzari could have snuck in as a back-up GC leader. The Italian was a real asset to Red Bull this spring, with several impressive performances at week-long stage races. His GC performance at the Giro might have let him down, but his domestique work for Jai Hindley proved Pelizzari might be more versatile than first imagined.Ben Healy managed to make the cut last year. In his place, Tom Pidcock could have fit in. The Brit was painfully consistent this year, despite missing a big-name victory in 2026. His skillset also gives us two bites of the cherry, following a Monument podium and a Grand Tour top ten in 2026.Mathieu van der Poel fans, I hear you seething. The Dutchman was on my list last year, but not in 2026. Despite winning Omloop Nieuwsblad and E3 Saxo Classic, Van der Poel faced his weakest Classics season since 2019. For the first time in five years, there were no Monuments to report this spring. Sure, bad luck ruled him out of Paris-Roubaix, but he just seemed a little below his usual standard. Im just hoping this line of argument helps us to look past the two stage wins he picked up at this years Tour de France.I didnt even get to justifying Evenepoels exclusion or spinters like Mads Pedersen, Jonathan Milan or Paul Magnier, who I admit was the winningest fastman of the season. Alas, itll give them something to work on for next year.The post Cyclists 2026 mens pro cycling team of the year appeared first on Cyclist.

Carlos Rodrguez has secured his future in the peloton for the coming seasons. The Almucar rider has extended his contract with Netcompany INEOS through 2029, according to MARCA, after renewing a deal months ago that was initially due to expire in 2027. The extension rules out any move to Movista...

Adding to the growing list of 32-inch components are the new Reserve 30 XC carbon wheels in a 32-inch version, available as a rim-only or complete wheelset. Learn more about them here...The post New 32-Inch Carbon XC Wheels from Reserve appeared first on BIKEPACKING.com.

Remco Evenepoel could be in line for a blockbuster Paris Roubaix debut in 2027 after Red Bull-BORA Hansgrohe team boss Ralph Denk signalled his support for the Belgian to aim for the monument next season. The 26-year-old made a splash last spring by riding the Tour of Flanders, finishing in third pl...

During a recent visit to St. Louis, Missouri, Nic stopped by the small, eclectic South City Stitchworks shop. As one of the more unique bag makers to make a big splash in the last few years, Nic was curious to learn how founder Zach Smith and his brand got started. This Field Trip dives deep into Zachs origin story, motivations, and history as a maker. Dive in belowThe post Inside South City Stitchworks: Made in St. Louis appeared first on BIKEPACKING.com.

Earlier today, we learned the unfortunate news that Cannondale is closing its Wilton, Connecticut offices as its parent company Pon.Bike consolidates operations. According to a report by Bicycle Retailer and Industry News (BRAIN), Cannondale filed a notice with the Connecticut Department of Labor today, Wednesday, notifying them of the upcoming closure. Cannondales Connecticut operations are scheduled to wind down by mid-2027, with the closure and layoffs being permanent and impacting up to 143 employees.The BRAIN report also included information from a letter to the Connecticut Department of Labor signed by Maggie Lansdale, Global VP of People for Sports Group, Cannondales business unit within Pon. It read: The entire office will be closed and almost all employees there will be impacted. The first separations are expected to occur on December 21, 2026, and separations are expected to continue in phases through December 31, 2027. The closure and separations will be permanent.Cannondales Team Dream CAAD14ConsolidationWith the closure of Cannondales Wilton, Connecticut office, Pon.Bike is aiming to consolidate and streamline both its North American and global operations. According to the media statement (see below), Cannondales current European headquarters in Woudenberg, Netherlands, will become its new global headquarters. Cannondales Engineering and R+D will remain based in Freiburg, Germany.In North America, Cannondale will be getting a new home on the West Coast, bringing operations closer to a couple of Pon.Bikes other brands, Santa Cruz and Cervlo. According to the media statement, this move is intended to strengthen North American operations and retailer support. They state they will also be adopting a new sales model with outside sales representatives covering multiple Pon.Bike brands to make it easier for retailers to work with Cannondale and other brands in the Pon portfolio.End of an EraCannondales founder, Joe Montgomery.This closure also marks the end of Cannondales 55 years calling the state of Connecticut home, a damn good run by any measure. Cannondale was founded by Joe Montgomery in Wilton, CT, in 1971, where it was named after a local train station, and its first product was a bicycle trailer. After many years of growth and some of cyclings most interesting bikes and innovations, Cannondale ultimately became part of Dorel Sports, which was later acquired for $810 million by Pon.Bike in 2021, creating a leading bicycle company in the world.But as weve seen in the past few years, the cycling industry has been going through its fair share of financial struggles. Bike brands and their parent companies have been tightening belts and consolidating in the face of ongoing economic uncertainty. This includes Cannondale, which recently announced that Cannondale Factory Racing (CFR) would not be returning to World Cup racing in 2027. That announcement already made it feel like the end of an era for Cannondale, and todays announcement reinforces that notion.CFR team member Jolanda Neff racing in 2026. (photo / Cory Benson)More than anything, though, we feel for the 143 employees who are now facing an uncertain future in the face of layoffs and the imminent closure of the brands Connecticut offices. We wish nothing but the best to all of the Cannondale employees affected by this decision.Cannondale North America Media Statement:Cannondale Announces Next Chapter of North American Operations and Retailer SupportCannondale today announced plans to strengthen its North American operations and retailersupport. The changes include a new home for its North American activities on the West Coastand offering its retailers easier access to other Pon.Bike brands, including Santa Cruz andCervlo, through a single point of contact.Over the next six months, Cannondale will adopt a new sales model in North America, with outside sales representatives covering multiple Pon.Bike brands. This builds on two years of closer commercial collaboration between the brands to offer retailers greater choice. For retailers carrying more than one brand, this means a single point of contact and simpler ordering and support services. The aim is to make it easier for retailers to work with Cannondale and access more of the Pon.Bike portfolio. Each brand will retain its own identity, models and relationship with riders.As part of this next step, Cannondale is creating a new home for its North American business on the West Coast, a region known for its cycling culture. A dedicated commercial, retailer and rider support team will be based there, providing Cannondale expertise and services to retailers and riders across North America.Alongside these changes, Cannondale is bringing its global teams closer together.Woudenberg (the Netherlands), currently Cannondales European headquarters, willbecome its global headquarters. R&D and Engineering functions, long based in Freiburg(Germany), will continue to engineer and develop the best bikes, building onCannondale expertise already there.As part of this transition, operations at the Wilton (Connecticut, USA) office will wind down by mid-2027. For more than five decades, Connecticut has been instrumental in shaping Cannondale into one of cyclings most influential brands. Cannondale is deeply grateful to the team members whose passion, creativity, and commitment built this incredible foundation. The innovative spirit they fostered remains a core part of Cannondales DNA as the brand proudly carries its legacy into this next chapter of growth and rider-focused innovation.

The 2027 Tour de France will return to Great Britain, thirteen years since its last visit in 2014. The Grand Depart in Edinburgh, Scotland will be a spectacular event, before riders visit England and Wales in the subsequent stages. But not all parts of the programme in Edinburgh will be free to atte...