Roberto Capello will take the next step in his career in 2027 after earning promotion from EF Education-Aevolo to EF Education-EasyPost. The 19-year-old Italian is set to join the WorldTour squad following his first season with the team's development program, which was disrupted by injuries but also...

Michael Vanthourenhout and Cameron Mason had a verbal altercation after the finale ofNoordzeecross Middelkerke on Thursday evening in which he swore at the British champion and was fined by race officials. Vanthourenhout and Mason bumped shoulders mid-race, leading to the Belgian coming down.Follo...

I've ridden plenty of electric mountain bikes over the years and one thing has become increasingly clear: the rate at which motor technology is developing is extraordinary.Not long ago, 85Nm of torque and 600W of peak power were considered more than enough. Now, Avinox is offering up to 150Nm and 1,500W, while Bosch has responded with increasingly powerful software updates.Against this backdrop, I recently had the opportunity to test Shimano's new EP810 motor, fitted to Honda's RN0 electric mountain bike.With 100Nm of torque, 750W of peak power and a claimed weight of 2.3kg, Shimano's latest motor is already some way behind the leading competition on paper.Unfortunately, my experience on the trails suggested the gap could be even greater than the numbers imply.Power isn't everything Avinox's M2S motor delivers an immense amount of power. Scott Windsor / Our Media Having recently ridden the Avinox M2S, I wasn't expecting Shimano's latest offering to match its extraordinary power output. Frankly, I don't think it needs to.The M2S produces enough assistance to make even the steepest climbs feel manageable, but it's the precision with which that power is delivered that impresses me most.Bosch's latest Performance Line CX is similarly accomplished, with predictable assistance that enables you to negotiate technical terrain without constantly fighting the motor.The Shimano motor, however, felt a couple of generations behind. My biggest criticism was its sensitivity, or rather its lack of it.On relatively tame technical climbs, I found myself dragging the rear brake to control the motor's assistance, using it almost like a clutch to prevent the bike from surging forward.It's a technique I thought I'd largely left behind as motor technology improved.On both the Avinox and Bosch systems, I'd expect to negotiate the same obstacles by carefully adjusting pressure on the pedals.Crucially, it was only after I'd completed my testing that I was informed the motor fitted to the Honda was a pre-production unit.Until that point, I'd been riding and assessing it without being made aware of its development status.I was told changes could be made before production, although what those changes might involve, and whether they would address my criticisms, hasn't been confirmed.It's an important caveat, but it doesn't change the experience I had on the trails.And it left me questioning where Shimano fits into an increasingly competitive market.The competition isn't standing still Bosch's Performance Line CX motor can now deliver 120Nm of torque. Scott Windsor / Our Media Shimano's problem isn't simply that Avinox has raised the power ceiling.Bosch has demonstrated how much performance can be unlocked through software, with its latest Performance Line CX update increasing maximum torque to 120Nm.Meanwhile, Avinox has rapidly expanded its presence across the industry, with manufacturers increasingly adopting its motors.But perhaps the biggest threat to Shimano's position isn't another conventional mid-drive motor.At Eurobike this year, I saw emerging eCVT systems from Avinox and Gobao that could fundamentally change how electric mountain bikes are designed.By integrating a continuously variable transmission into the motor assembly, these systems promise to eliminate the conventional rear derailleur, enabling automatic, stepless gear changes.They could also reduce maintenance requirements, remove vulnerable drivetrain components and enable riders to concentrate on the trail rather than selecting gears.There are still plenty of unanswered questions surrounding efficiency, weight and durability, and the latest systems have yet to prove themselves on the trails. However, the direction of development is clear.Manufacturers are no longer competing solely on power and torque. They're increasingly looking at the entire drivetrain as a single integrated system.That's potentially concerning for Shimano, a company whose business is built around both motors and conventional bicycle drivetrains.Where does Shimano go from here? Early impressions of the EP810 on Honda's RN0 eMTB suggest Shimano may have some catching up to do. Honda Shimano, of course, still has plenty going for it. Its established relationships with bicycle manufacturers, extensive component range and experience developing electronic shifting systems put it in a strong position to respond.There's certainly room in the market for motors that prioritise reliability, efficiency and natural-feeling assistance over headline-grabbing power figures. However, those qualities need to be demonstrated on the trail.My initial experience of the EP810 suggests Shimano still has work to do, particularly when it comes to delivering the precise, intuitive assistance that riders are increasingly coming to expect.The production motor may address these concerns and I'll reserve my final judgement until I've ridden one.For now, though, I can't help feeling Shimano is chasing a moving target.While it works to refine its latest motor, competitors are already exploring what could come next.With the industry developing this quickly, simply catching up might no longer be enough.

The weekends almost here, just one more steep hill to go And to distract you from the small ring pain and misery of a Friday in work, Ryan Mallons here with all the latest cycling news on the procrastination station that is the live blog

Shimano has officially unveiled its new EP810 eMTB motor, with 100Nm of torque, 750W of peak power, and a system that can change gears and adjust assistance without you touching the controls.At 2.3kg, it weighs 300g less than the Avinox M2S and 400g less than Bosch's Performance Line CX-R. Shimano has managed to drop 400g compared to the EP801, while increasing torque from 85Nm and peak power from 600W.The interesting bit, however, is how Shimano has brought its automatic shifting and adaptive motor assistance together. It calls this True Auto, and the idea is you can spend less time processing modes and gears, and concentrate more on your riding.The new EP810 features on the new Honda RN0 eMTB, which Nick Clark tested for BikeRadar and described as "one of the noisiest bikes I've ridden". Has Shimano already fallen behind in the eMTB motor race? Its latest motor has me worried Choosing the right gear Shimano's third-generation Auto Shift works with compatible Di2 drivetrains, automatically selecting gears based on cadence, rider input and terrain. Shimano Auto Shift has been around for a while, but the EP810 gets the third-generation version, with updated software and motion sensing to help it decide when to change gear.With a compatible Di2 drivetrain, the system uses cadence, pedal torque, speed and gradient information to make those decisions. You can adjust its preferred shifting cadence using the bike's controls, so you're not tied to whatever setting Shimano has chosen.Auto Assist works alongside it in the new Trail+ mode. It adds support on climbs, with Shimano saying it also manages the power to help maintain traction and keep the front wheel down. On flatter ground, it reduces assistance to save battery, while support is backed off on descents.Other motor systems, from the likes of Avinox and Bosch, already offer automatic assistance.We'll be keen to find out how well Shimano's motor and gearing work together when a trail gets complicated. Will it drop into the right gear as you approach a steep section, or leave it until you're already struggling?Auto Shift is available with Di2 versions of XTR, Deore XT, Deore, GRX and CUES, so you'll need a compatible electronic drivetrain to use it.Getting going again Despite weighing only 2.3kg, the EP810 delivers 100Nm of torque and 750W of peak power, making it one of the lightest full-power eMTB motors around. Shimano There are a few more features intended to help on technical climbs, especially when you run out of momentum.Hill Hold helps prevent the bike from rolling backwards when Walk Assist is engaged on a slope. Lift & Shift is particularly useful in theory. If you stall in a hard gear, you can lift the rear wheel and double-press the assist-down button in Walk mode to shift into an easier one before setting off.Shimano has also included two features for when pedalling gets awkward. Assist Remain smooths support if your pedal strokes become uneven. Assist Carry Over, effectively motor overrun, continues to give you a little assistance after you stop pedalling. You can adjust how long that lasts.What's changed on the motor? Shimano's new 720Wh battery weighs approximately 4.1kg, giving it an energy density of 176Wh/kg, some way behind the latest batteries from Bosch and Avinox. Shimano The EP810 uses a magnesium housing with cooling fins and Shimano says changes to its internals have helped reduce noise. It provides assistance at cadences of up to 160rpm.While Shimano's 2.3kg motor is impressively light, its new 720Wh battery weighs 4.1kg, giving it an energy density of approximately 176Wh/kg. That's some way short of the latest batteries from Avinox and Bosch. Maybe Shimano has prioritised durability, or price.There are new top-tube and handlebar displays, a wireless controller and a USB-C charging module. The Shimano Connect app handles settings, ride tracking and firmware updates. Shimano's new D-FLY+ wireless protocol isn't compatible with earlier D-FLY equipment. The new SC-EN700 top-tube display shows key ride information, including speed, battery level and assistance mode, while keeping the handlebar free of clutter. Shimano If you're wondering whether you can fit the motor to an older EP8 bike, the answer isn't straightforward. A Shimano spokesperson told us: While the EP810 retains the same mounting bolt locations as the EP801, the overall shape and dimensions of the drive unit have changed. As a result, most manufacturers will need to update designs to accommodate the new system.So the bolt pattern matches, but a straightforward retrofit can't be assumed. UK pricing and availability are still to be confirmed.We'll be interested to see whether True Auto makes tricky trails easier to ride, or whether it's something we'd rather switch off.

Need yet another wheel size option? Newmen's got you covered...

Newmen has launched a new gravel wheelset, the Streem G.48. As you might expect, the new wheels are 48mm deep. However, alongside the 700c wheelset, there are 30.5in and 32in-diameter options, although Newmen describes these as available in the future.32in wheels are emerging as the next big thing in gravel and mountain bikes and were a hot ticket for smaller bike brands at the Bespoked show in London back in April, although mainstream bike brands have still not committed fully, showing prototypes rather than ready-to-market designs.However, the in-between 30.5in wheel size is still something of a rarity, as are tyres and indeed gravel bikes to go with it. Schwalbe has been working on 30.5in tyres, while Neuhaus Metalworks built an experimental 30.5in titanium gravel bike with wheels from Astral and WTB Nano Light tyres to test out the size for itself. Newmen G.62 wheels are an upgrade option on the Avona Callis 32 gravel bike. Nick Clark / Our Media Newmen added a 32in diameter of its ultra-deep Streem G.62 to its range last month, although only as an OEM product fitted to complete bikes. German direct sales bike brand Avona offers them as an upgrade option on its Callis 32 gravel bike, on which Leon Kaiser won the UCI Gravel World Series race at Sea Otter Europe in Girona in September.Wide and deep The new wheels have a 45mm external rim width. The new Streem G.48 wheels are a shallower cousin of the Streem G.62, which Newmen launched in 700c diameter back in May. Warren reckoned the G.62 could be his new favourite fast gravel wheels when he reviewed them.Although the rim depth has been toned down, the G.48s other dimensions have not. The new rims share the G.62s 45mm external rim width, although the internal width remains a more run-of-the-mill 27mm and theres a hooked bead.Newmen says the Streem G.48s rounded rim profile helps absorb small, rapid trail impacts and increases crosswind stability. It will offer the 700c Streem G.48 in two versions: one with 21 Vonoa carbon spokes, the other with 24 Sapim CX-Ray steel spokes. Newmen's wheels are hand built in its factory in the Czech Republic. The shallower depth sees the G.48s weight with carbon spokes drop by 130g from the G.62, to a claimed 1,400g. The steel-spoked wheelset weighs a claimed 1,550g.As with the G.62, Newmen uses its Aero Valve System, which sees the valve hidden in the rim, saving a claimed 0.5 watts. A custom Schrader valve extender is needed to inflate the tyres.The carbon-spoked G.48 is priced at 1,499 and will be available shortly, the steel-spoked wheelset costs 1,250 and will be sold from spring 2027. Theres no word on when the larger wheel sizes will be launched.

Tadej Pogacar and Mathieu van der Poel's racing relationship has often transcended just a mere rivalry. Their undeniable synergy and chemistry makes them the stuff of nightmare for a peloton as the duo often find themselves on the same wavelength: determined to blow up the race in pursuit of victory...

Belgian rider Michael Vanthourenhout was fined after shouting and pushing British champion Cameron Mason at a cyclo-cross race on Thursday night.Four-time British CX champion Mason was involved in an altercation with Vanthourenhout in the immediate aftermath of the Superprestige Middelkerke , with the Belgian rider verbally abusing and aggressively shoving the Brit after the race, which was won by Joran Wyseure. Vanthourenhout (Pauwels Sauzen-Altez Industriebouw), who is leading the series but dropped points in Thursdays race under the lights in Noordzeecross, appeared to see red after losing his balance on lap eight of the 10-circuit event, following a coming together with Mason (777tv).The Belgian had attempted to prevent Mason from passing him just before the pair reached a technical sandy section of the course, by leaning into the British rider with his shoulder. The move backfired, however, and Vanthourenhout ended up with his feet on the floor, slipping a few positions in the process and temporarily losing contact with the lead group. Conditions were challenging during a race thats traditionally held in February, which was moved to November and was being run beneath bulbs. Moisture in the air meant corners were extra greasy, and Mason, who had led the race for a spell on the fifth lap, subsequently suffered a spill of his own, coming into contact with the barriers. Both men quickly recovered, but victory on the night went to Corendon-Crelans Wyseure, with Vanthourenhout finishing second.Although Mason appeared entirely blameless in the earlier incident, which didnt prove particularly consequential in overall outcome of the race, Vanthourenhout looked volatile and incensed after the two riders crossed the finish line, and was seen angrily remonstrating with the Scot, and even attempting (somewhat lamely) to shove him over.Dutch outlet Wielerflits reported that the Belgian was fined for his post-race outburst."That was in the heat of the battle," Vanthourenhout explained to the press. "I don't think he [Mason] should pass along the inside just before the climb, but it's a manoeuvre that's allowed. I lose my balance, suddenly esd sixth and then it is difficult to slide up. So it did play a role in the result, but that is part of the course. I kept giving everything."Such a thing happens in the moment. You know your course is over when you go down there. I'm disappointed, but also happy with the stage."The two men will be facing off once again during the European Championships this weekend, in which Vanthourenhout remains a top favourite in Zeddam, the Netherlands.

Warning letters issued to motorists have dropped from 65 a month to just two, with Derbyshire Police noting that its officers cannot measure speed or distance from submitted footage