Niki Terpstrawas racing the 200-mile adventure Unbound Gravel in Kansas last week, but he also found time to hold his podcastSpeed on Wheels. In it, the Dutchman answers any and all questions. Yes, all. Terpstra, who has ridden theTour de Franceeight times, didn't even try to dodge the s-word bu...

Former French champion against the clock Bruno Armiral had a good result in mind for Critrium du Dauphin time trial and in that regard, the Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale rider can look back at his eighth place with certain level of satisfaction in a press release by his team."I was aiming for a top 5...

While it was formally stated at the start of the season that BORA - hansgrohe would not take a sprinter to the Tour de France, throwing all resources into Primoz Roglic's mountain train, the German team now seems to be opening the door again. Fast man Jordi Meeus has been put on the longlist again.M...

A likely sprint stage. If you want to watch this on TV, note the very early finish.Flying colours: if this years Dauphin sets some tests for Remco Evenepoel, hes passed the first one with ease. He won the stage, beating Josh Tarling by 17 seconds, Primo Rogli by 39 seconds and they were the only rivals within a minute. Evenpoel looked calm, his trajectories were prudent rather than desperate and he let his chainring do the talking.This now sets up the second test for Evenepoel and his team, he is in yellow and its on him and his team to defend. He kept repeating day by day in post stage interviews and the high mountains remain the real frontier for him, more so as hes making his way back from injury and doesnt look razor sharp yet. It sets things up nicely for a duel with Rogli but plenty of others who are down on GC and so might have to move early which can make for lively racing.The Route: 200km and over 2,000m of vertical gain, this is a possible sprint stage but far from certain.The Cte de Givors climbs out of the post-industrial city of Givors but keeps going beyond the KoM point to the Col de la Croix Rgis.The Bel-Air climb closer to finish is nothing scary, a wide road.The Finish: there are more scenic ways into Lyon, this one goes past the railway yards and factories for a flat finish and there are nine roundabouts in the last 10km and several turns and bridges over railways to contend with.The Contenders: a rematch for Sam Bennett (Decathlon-Ag2r La Mondiale) and Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek) and normally they can get over some climbs that others cannot which means todays hill course is within their range.Its the last day though for riders who cant climb so we should expect some moves in the finish.M PedersenBennettGrgoire, Gee, Lazkano, Page, MeurisseWeather: warm but cloudy and the chance of rain, 25C.TV: note the change in the timings with the finish is forecast for 2.30pm.Postcard from Saint-PriestTodays stage finishes in the suburbs of Lyon, Frances third largest city. Walk around Saint-Priest and amid the housing estates, hospitals and the sprawling Renault trucks factory theres every chance you might spot a van with a CNS logo, or people wearing CNS branded clothes. Its a cleaning company and theres a cycling connection because CNS stands for Calzati Nettoyages Services, Calzati Cleaning Services.Those with long memories might remember the ex-team Sky rider Sylvain Calzati, a Tour de France stage winner in 2006. CNS is his business and hes been cleaning up in more than one way.Swapping Team Sky for contract cleaning doesnt sound like the most glamorous of retirement plans. But dont imagine Calzati swapping his Pinarello for a mop he took over the business from his father and has grown it rapidly. Last year he had over 150 staff cleaning 2,300 buildings, turning over 7 million a year and banking profits of 1 million. Now hes just sold the business, presumably for many times the annual profit. He might have left Sky as one of their least famous riders but he might now be one of their richest retirees.Embed from Getty ImagesThe post Critrium du Dauphin Stage 5 Preview first appeared on The Inner Ring.

Ive been eyeing the DJI Mini 4 Pro since it launched. Ive almost pulled the trigger on it twice. But Ive held off knowing that both the House and the Senate have, for years now, considered banning the brand in the U.S.Theyve already restricted or banned use of DJI drones by many government agencies and first responders, and now House Bill HR 2864 (Countering CCP Drones Act) wants to ban all new DJI drones and possibly retroactively ground all currently owned DJI drones regardless of whether theyre for personal and professional use.Wait, what? Why ban DJI?At the heart of it is fear-mongering based on an anti-China sentiment. Yes, there are legitimate concerns about China spying on the US (Weve already banned certain Chinese telecom brands, but also, its complicated and it can get weird). But does that mean we need to ban all technology made in China? No. I mean, hello, iPhones?Should we single out DJI in particular just because their drones (like all drones) use and transmit GPS data to operate? Absolutely not.But thats the general rallying cry around banning them. Using a similar logic as the proposed TikTok bans, which absolutely does capture and store user data, Congress is saying that DJI captures user data, and that that data is available to the Chinese government, essentially allowing them to surveil US territory and our behaviors. Proponents (i.e. Internet commenters) argue that the drones LIDAR (used for obstacle avoidance) is essentially mapping our terrain for China, and that flight logs add more data to the mix. DJI maintains this isnt the case, and that users can opt out of data collection entirely and restrict all data to the local device. Enterprise users can even use 3rd party flight software to control the drone, opting out of DJIs app entirely.Graphic from DJIs Instagram.What does the Countering CCP Drones Act do?The act adds DJI to the FCCs Covered List, which means the agency would not be allowed to approve any device made by DJI. It also means it cant approve any software made to operate on a DJI drone, regardless of who makes that software, even if theyre based in the U.S.The 3rd party (independent, non-partisan) Drone Advocacy Alliance estimates this would have a devastating impact overall, saying:The Countering CCP Drones Act would have a massive impact on the drone industry writ large and even the broader U.S. economy. According to a 2023 economic impact analysis by John Dunham & Associates, removing DJI and its products from the market would result in the closure of 67% of American small drone businesses and the loss of more than 450,000 U.S. jobs. In addition, cutting the leading manufacturer out of the drone market would lead to rising costs and product shortages for all users. It also takes a life-saving tool out of the hands of first responders, putting lives on the line. Further, this legislation would expand the authority of the FCC to include the developers of software that operates on DJI equipment, even U.S. software developers.OK, but is DJI really safe to use?Rather than paraphrase, heres the statement from the DAA website:First, DJI drones feature a default opt-in approach to sharing photos, videos or flight logs if users do not want to share that data with DJI, they dont have to. By default, flight logs, photos, videos, and mobile data across consumer and enterprise drones are not synced with DJI. If an operator does wish to store their flight logs, photos and videos, it is kept in U.S.-based servers such as AWS.Additionally, DJI drones feature a Local Data Mode which severs the connection between their flight app and the internet. When Local Data Mode is on, the app will close all data services and will not send any network requests. When users capture photos and videos, the data is stored locally on SD cards. Whats more, DJI enterprise operators can bypass the DJI flight app entirely by using third-party software, including software provided by American companies. Unfortunately, even these companies could be subject to the Countering CCP Drones Act.And both the US Government and 3rd party organizations have verified that, when users opt out of data sharing, that DJIs equipment, software, and online services do not transmit any such information and pose no security risk.Who cares, Ill just buy a different brand of drone.Good luck.Skydio made waves a few years ago with their consumer drone promising next-level obstacle avoidance and subject tracking, but then dropped out of the consumer market altogether. Autel and others dont even come close to DJIs technology, features, and pricing.The truth is that nothing on the market, whether for Consumer or Professional use, comes close to offering the features, technology, ease of use, or competitive pricing of DJI.And thats a big part of the rub. First responders and other emergency services are being forced to pay more for sub-par equipment, which literally translates into life/property loss and/or worse service at higher costs to taxpayers.Consumers have, thus far, been immune to it. But these new regulations would give the FCC the new power to retroactively de-authorize previously approved electronics based solely on where they are made. Meaning, your current DJI drones might become illegal to fly, but also this could set a precedent for other retroactive bans.Like conspiracy theories?There are a few.One is that DJIs U.S.-based competition is pushing this agenda to force DJI out of the market. True or not, the absence of a leading competitor will definitely NOT incentivize others to level up. This means U.S. consumers (i.e. you and me) will be stuck with lower quality, higher priced options just because theyre made outside of China (although Id wager some of their electronics are coming from abroadpossibly China).Others say this is a clear signal that the U.S. government expects China to make bigger, bolder moves in the near future, and that were simply being proactive. Maybe. Weve already started limiting exports of our own technology in an effort to curtail Chinas ability to advance its own manufacturing, AI, and other technological progress. Limiting potential access to localized data is another step in that direction because, honestly, its probably easier than convincing every DJI user to opt out of data sharing.What can I do?If you like DJI drones, want to keep using them, and maintain consumer choice, reach out to your Senators and Representatives and let them know that you oppose HR 2864. This form makes it quick and easy (30 seconds). Best to do it before June 12, 2024, when a vote is expected in the House.The post Like Your DJI Drone? Tell the Feds to Back Off. appeared first on Bikerumor.

Ever wondered what is Peter Sagan up to now that he's not bound by professional duties and with Olympic dream shattered?Apparently, regular TV followers in Slovakia will be seeing the three-time world champion's face over and over as Sagan stars in a new ad for local beer brand 'Zlat Baant'. With...

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National coach Sven Vanthourenhout and assistant Serge Pauwels have visited Zurich in recent days. The largest Swiss city should provide for a challenging World Championships course at the end of September. Reportedly one for climbers. But what do the Belgian coaches think about it?"It's quite diffi...