The cyclist was initially offered a fixed penalty notice which went unpaid, following which a full criminal prosecution was launched

UAE Team Emirates are virtually ready for the Tour de France, and at the time being all of the team is united at Isola 2000 in the French Alps. Joxean Matxn, a core part of the team's management, has talked about Tadej Pogacar and his preparation for the Tour which starts in only week and a half's...

After hinting at the potential for individual rider customization with their first 3D-printed Adaptive saddles, Fizik One-to-One finally delivers that full custom saddle fit. Powered by proven GebioMized saddle pressure mapping, the true innovation is just how easy Fizik has made the custom fitting process. Developed to be simple and fast, Fizik will measure you on your bike, then custom print a saddle to meet your specific support needs. Its not cheap, but its also not that expensive as little as 15% more than the cost of their previous top-tier Adaptive saddle.(All photos/Cory Benson)We were intrigued. So I got fitted. I got a custom saddle made. And Ive been riding it for the past 2 months. And the custom fit really does deliver on comfort.Fizik One-To-One custom 3D-printed bicycle saddle3D-printed saddle padding basically made 2 main claims from the start. 1, it meant that every separate zone of a saddle could offer a unique level of support, depending on how much was needed in each area. And 2, since the padding was printed one at a time, the only thing stopping each saddle from being custom printed for each rider was a need to collect individual rider data and design a padding structure tailored to that rider.Corys new custom 1-to-1 Aliante Adaptive (l) vs. a standard Aliante Adaptive (r)So first, Fizik developed their stock 3D-printed saddle line with the entire (and recently growing) Adaptive range. Its zonal cushioning offers stiffer support under the sit bones where you need it, but less resistance against soft tissue. Its a pretty big deal, and the driver behind Specializeds similar Mirror saddles. Both based on piles of averaged rider position data, matching rider physiology with targeted support structures in the padding.Then, Fizik worked on individual customization.GebioMized pressure mapping made simpleThe main obstacle to making a custom fit saddle available to the masses was collecting individual rider fit data.So, Fizik when to the company that was already doing it on a smaller scale. German company GebioMized has been using their unique patented pressure mapping system for 20+ years to measure real live pressures between the cyclist & saddle. A big part of that is used for refining rider position on the bike and matching the best existing saddle to the rider. I did a GebioMized pressure map fit 4 years ago, and lowered peak pressure by 20% a real game changer. But I stuck with one of their stock saddle shapes and padding.The trouble is/was, it was a long fit process, and required about 90 minutes with a skilled bike fitter. Not a low-cost process, and easy to add at least $200+ to the cost of a saddle. Still totally worth it in my mind for a committed cyclist, though.An interesting aside, Czech custom saddle maker Posedla got around the complex data collection process with a much lower-tech solution to bring custom fit 3D-printed saddles to market two years ago, at a slightly lower price.But, Fizik worked with GebioMized and their pressure sensor tech to make the process faster and easier.One-on-One, step-by-stepSo, Fizik worked with GebioMized to create a simple smartphone app-based setup that can collect rider pressure data quickly and get you on the right saddle for customization. All you have to do is pop into one of the select Fizik fit studios with your own bike, get a fast pressure fit test in about 15 minutes or less to create a custom 3D-padding profile unique to the individual support needs of your body on your bike.To do that, you roll your bike on to a Wahoo roller trainer that grabs your front wheel. Fizik puts their new 64-point Bluetooth pressure sensor mat on top of your current saddle. You ride for a minute in a few positions to get a general pressure map profile. The app suggests what saddle shape and width seems most appropriate.So then, the bike shop will swap in the standard Fizik saddle in that shape. And they rerun the pressure map test. The resulting pressure readout is then sent to Fizik, where their parametric design system adjusts their honeycomb padding structure to offer support where you need it, and soft structure where you dont.You pick which saddle rails you want, and then, Fizik adds it to the 3D-printer queue. The saddle padding gets printed (which takes about half a day), and then ultimately attached to a stock shell. And then delivered back to you to ride a full custom saddle.So how does it feel & how does it ride?I went to Italy a little over two months ago and got my own custom fit, 3D-printed Fizik One-to-One Adaptive saddle. The process put me on a wide 155mm Aliante saddle shape, which I would not have thought of. And it identified an imbalance that me saw putting more pressure on the right side.And the saddle it created is distinctly asymmetrical in its padding stiffness. There is even a super soft area on the middle of the left side where it feels like there is almost no support, but which corresponds to my pressure readings. (look close at Corys asymmetric hex density)The Fizik One-to-One Adaptive saddle does not correct any fit issue or correct imbalance that you currently have, it simply responds to the pressure from your sitting positions, and accommodates that with matching support.So, I have been riding most of my road and gravel rides for the past several weeks on this saddle and I can say the fit is great. I dont feel like I have the flexibility to move around as much on the saddle as I normally would on a flatter saddle. But I am perfectly content to just sit in place and spin, in total comfort.I know its not cheap. And I know for cyclists with multiple bikes, the thought of spending five hundred bucks on every saddle is a bit wild. But we spend so much time sitting on a saddle. I think it is really worth putting in the extra effort to optimize comfort under your butt.Fizik One-to-One Adaptive saddle Pricing, options & availabilityThe new Fizik One-to-One 3D-printed Adaptive saddles are available now when you get a custom fit in one of their select 25 worldwide dealers already equipped with the special trainer and pressure-mapping tech. Get fit, and get a custom saddle.The saddles themselves are available in six shapes on carbon-reinforced shells, and 2 widths each, from road to gravel to XC to triathlon. And pricing is $499 / 459 for the R3 series with ti Kium rails, or $599 / 499 for R1 with full carbon rails to save a few grams. Fizik chose not to offer a custom One-to-One Adaptive saddle at the full carbon 00 level, as the additional stiffness does not ensure the same rider comfort afforded by the custom fitting.All saddles are made-to-order (obviously) in the northern Italy factory headquarters of Fizik. And once ordered and paid for through your local shop, Fizik will either ship it directly to you. Or you can have it sent to the Fizik dealer shop where they will do a follow-up pressure mapping test to show how your saddle pressure has improved.Youll be riding on a custom 3D-printed saddle about 2 weeks after you get your custom fit.Fizik.com/one-to-oneThe post Fizik One-To-One Custom 3D-Printed Saddles Use Quick GebioMized Pressure Fit: Review appeared first on Bikerumor.

A first-time Grand Dpart for Italy, an unprecedented finish away from Paris with a final day time trial... Le Tour 2024 could be a seminal edition

CyclistThe climbs that will decide the 2024 Tour de FranceWe all know that the mountains are the main attraction at the Tour de France. The peaks of the Alps and Pyrenees tend to decide the state of play in the fight for the yellow jersey.Alpe dHuez, Mont Ventoux and the Col du Tourmalet are among the most famous names in the Tour de Frances illustrious list of iconic climbs. However, each year the organisers try to spice things up by discovering new places and revisiting old favourites. Dont worry, the Tourmalet is on the agenda this year and Alpe dHuez will host the Tour de Frances Femmes finale.So which are the most crucial climbs for this years fight for yellow? Weve checked the route for what we think will be the key moments in the race. Related Posts Pro Log: UAE dominate the Tour de Suisse, Belgiums next great hope, blonde Ben Healy and Magnus Cort packs his bags How are the favourites preparing for the Tour de France? Mens Tour de France 2024: Route, how to watch and all you need to know Col du Galibier: Stage 4, Tuesday 2nd JulyGeorge Marshall / CyclistThe climbing starts immediately this year, and the first substantial Alpine climbs arrive as early as Stage 4. It goes straight in at the deep end too, beginning with the Col du Galibier.The 23km climb averages a gradient of 5.1%, with the first 14km less challenging, averaging around 4%, before it then ramps upward into 8 and 9% kickers in the final 5km. The peak of the Galibier towers at 2,642m above sea level, which would usually make it the highest point of the race, but this years route is exceptional and that honour goes to the Cime de la Bonnette, which well get to later.The Galibier holds legendary status in the long history of the Tour de France, having first been climbed in the 1911 edition of the race. These days, the first rider over the Galibier wins the Henri Desgrange prize, named after the Tours founder, whose monument sits near the summit. In 2024, there will also be bonus seconds on offer at the summit of the climb.Stage 4 doesnt finish at the summit of the Galibier. Instead, the riders will descend down to Valloire, a town where Nairo Quintana took a stage win back at the 2019 Tour de France. Cue Tom Pidcock?Read our Col du Galibier Classic ClimbPla dAdet: Stage 14, Saturday 13th JulyTim de Waele/Corbis/Getty ImagesPla dAdet is a paint-by-numbers Pyrenean climb. Its short, steep and exposed to heat. Its the kind of place that could see a major breakup in the GC fight, especially at the end of a relatively straight-forward second week.The opening 3km are in excess of 10% in gradient.The slopes level out somewhat when the race passes through Saint-Lary-Soulan ski station before kicking up one final time to the finish.On a day bumped up by the Col du Tourmalet earlier on, the Pla dAdet will stand as a pivotal Pyrenean test in this years Tour. The climb will also serve as the first hors-catgorie (HC) summit finish at the 2024 Tour de France.A Tour de France stage came here a decade ago. Back in 2014, RafaMajka took the stage honours dressed head to toe in polka dots as the leader of the mountains classification. This year will be the seventh time the Tour has included the Pla dAdet.Plateau de Beille: Stage 15, Sunday 14th JulyGeorge Marshall / CyclistThe Tour de France returns to the unsung Pyrenean summit of Plateau de Beille on Stage 15. The closing climb of week two comes on Bastille Day, Frances national day, on a route packed with climbing.Plateau de Beille is a 15.8km climb with an average gradient of 7.9%.Its most testing slopes come 5km after the climb begins in the valley town of Cabannes. From there it steps down to 7 and 8% until the final kilometres where it becomes slightly easier.The Plateau de Beille held a summit finish on a rainy day in 2015. On that occasion, crowd pleaser Joaquim Rodrguez took stage honours.The climb has also proved to be a fortune-teller for the GC. A big 66% of stage winners on the climb have gone on to win the Tour de France that year and in 2007, Alberto Contador took his first Tour de France stage win on the climb.Read our Plateau de Beille Classic ClimbCime de la Bonette: Stage 19, Friday 19th JulyThe tallest road in France, and the highest point to ever be taken on the roads of the Tour de France, the Cime de la Bonette returns to the Tour de France in 2024.The Bonette rarely appears in the Tour. In fact, this is only the fifth time that Europes third-highest road (asterisks needed) is included in the Grande Boucle. The last occasion was almost 20 years ago in 2008, so a return to the Bonette is long overdue.The Cime de la Bonette lasts for 22.9km at an average gradient of 6.9%. Its relentless with long sections at over 8% and its toughest slopes going over 10% in the final kilometres as the riders move closer to the ceiling of Europe.It goes without saying that the Bonette will be a test in both length and altitude. It will also be the highest point in the Tour de France this year. Given the rarity of its appearance, relish the Bonette this year.Read our Cime de la Bonette Classic ClimbIsola 2000: Stage 19, Friday 19th JulyArkea SamsicIsola sits on the border between France and Italy, but nudged on the French side of the frontier. The Tour has visited Isola on a couple of occasions, but its no cornerstone Alp.Isola 2000, however, is the highest mountain resort in the Southern Alps and hosts an abundance of ski runs and winter sports.Coming at the end of a brutal day of 4,400m of altitude gain, the climb to Isola 2000 is 16.1km long at a 7.1% average gradient, which makes it Category 1. It starts with a bang at 10% and stays around there for the whole first half. It reduces in difficulty for the back half but the test continues all the way to the summit with an 8% kicker to the line to finish it off.Tadej Pogaar will have been on an altitude camp in Isola 2000 for 19 days in the run-up to the 2024 Tour, so he may have the edge with his local knowledge. Arka and Cofidis have also used Isola as a base for training in recent years, so place your Guillaume Martin bets.Col de la Couillole: Stage 20, Saturday 20th JulyA.S.O./Aurlien VialatteThe final road stage of the 2024 Tour de France sees the riders tackle 4,600m of altitude gain over iconic Maritime Alps including the Col de Turini, Colmiane and finally the Col de la Couillole.The Col de la Couillole is consistent in gradient with a 7.1% average over its 15.km. Its not the craziest climb at the Tour but its last-chance saloon status more than warrants its inclusion. We are bound to witness some riders chase last-minute glory here if they want to salvage anything ahead of Stage 21s individual time-trial around Nice.This year will be the Couilloles Tour de France stage finish debut but the Couillole featured in Paris-Nice in 2023, when Tadej Pogaar took the crown ahead of David Gaudu and Jonas Vingegaard. La Turbie: Stage 21, Sunday 21st JulyA.S.O./Billy CeustersLa Turbie may seem like a minnow on paper. The ascent is only 8km long and the gradient is manageable at 5.7%. However, it comes at a crucial point in the Tour as the only categorised climb in the final time-trial into Nice.Talk of bike changes and aero adjustments will be on full blast ahead of the Turbies Tour cameo. The climbs position almost straight out of the blocks from Monaco paired with the long descent from the Col dze adds an extra element to the tactics in this final showdown against the clock.Many cyclists, including Pogaar, will know the route well and will probably be able to see their Monaco houses from the summit.From 1968 to 1995, the final time-trial of Paris-Nice took place on the climb to La Turbie. The area took on a new place in the cultural psyche at the time as Grace Kelly, former Princess of Monaco, died in a car crash off the Avenue du Cap dAil, another road down from La Turbie to the coast.Keep up to date with all the Tour news in our Tour de France hub. You can also preview the stages in full with our race guide. Related Posts Pro Log: UAE dominate the Tour de Suisse, Belgiums next great hope, blonde Ben Healy and Magnus Cort packs his bags How are the favourites preparing for the Tour de France? Mens Tour de France 2024: Route, how to watch and all you need to know The post The climbs that will decide the 2024 Tour de France appeared first on Cyclist.

The main block of the national championships takes place this week. Right before the Tour de France, most of the world's top countries will host their own events to decide on who will wear their country's colours for the next 12 months. You can follow this list for a better comprehension of all resu...

The former member of the National Assembly Joachim Son-Forget was driving at excessive speeds and refused to slow down when the police followed him

The Netherlands anticipate a lot of big nations this week by hosting the elite time-trial national championships this Wednesday, and there have been surprises. Daan Hoole and Riejanne Markus will wear the country's colours for the next 12 months against the clock.In the men's event it was an incred...

UAE Team Emirates have put in a masterclass in UCI point gathering at the Tour de Suisse, finishing first and second in the overall classification. Their gap to rival teams will be of almost 10.000 points into the Tour de France, with only the national championships left to go.UAE Team Emirates obv...

Tom Pidcock is one of the most interesting riders to focus on during this year's Tour de France. The Olympic champion is focusing on Mountain Biking pre and post Tour, but he will aim to fight for the overall classification at the Grand Boucle.The Briton has ridden the previous two Tours but has no...