As day seven of the 2024 Tour Divide begins, the endless burrito barrage sits heavy with riders, leaders widen their gap in both the men's and women's fields, an intense singlespeed showdown continues, and Laurens Ten Dam is forced to leave the course after a string of flats. Catch up in our latest 2024 Tour Divide Debrief here with another excellent set of photos by on-the-ground photographer Eddie Clark...The post 2024 Tour Divide Debrief: Days 5-6 appeared first on BIKEPACKING.com.

There is around 2.3 million up for grabs in the 2024 race

The local authority admitted that responsible cyclists were issued 100 fines despite not committing a significant breach of the citys PSPO, and that education not fines should be prioritised

The national championships have seen plenty time-trials today and another set of results has come out. In Belgium Tim Wellens has won the nationals ahead of the Tour de France whilst Bruno Armirail net another win for Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale.In Belgium, the men's race was won by Tim Wellens who...

Remember all those 2025 Rockshox fork and shock updates from last week? Now you can get them with Flight Attendant electronic suspension controls.Earlier this year, Rockshox made a lot of updates to Flight Attendant, letting it pull data from more sensors on the bike, including the AXS ecosystem of shifters, derailleurs, and power meters, to better understand how youre riding your bike. It uses that data to learn, and then customizes the suspensions performance based on your riding style, shifting and pedaling habits, and the terrain.The new Flight Attendant Charger 3.1 damper is available to upgrade 2023+ forks, too, just make sure you buy the correct control module to go with it.All of those updates were first used on their XC products (SID and SIDluxe), but now theyre adding them to their complete lineup of top-level trail and enduro forks and shocks.It works the same, learning from your riding, automatically changing your compression damping settings between Firm, Pedal, and Open modes. So, its more than just open or closed, its actually using all three modes, and can adjust the fork and shock independently for even more granular control.You can also tune its bump tolerance, telling it to be more or less reactive to impacts, or just manually control the modes with your AXS shifter/dropper lever.In addition to the XC products, Flight Attendant is now available on:Pike 1,960g $1,499 (29, 140mm travel)Lyrik 2,100g $1,549 (29, 160mm travel)ZEB 2,450g $1,599 (29, 170mm travel)Super Deluxe 569g $949Vivid Air 780g OE onlyVivid Coil 960g OE onlyLimited upgrade options for rear shocks are offered for select Specialized, Trek, Santa Cruz, and Yeti models to start. Youll need at least a fork and pedal sensor (standalone spindle-based model or Quarq powermeter spider) to make it work, but it gets better when you add it to a full AXS-equipped bike with a Quarq powermeter.While you can upgrade 2023 and newer Pike, Lyrik & ZEB forks to have Flight Attendant, there are no upgrade kits to convert your existing rear shocks to add Flight Attendant to them. Aftermarket forks are sold with the travel listed above, but aftermarket travel adjustment/air spring kits are available separately.Rockshox.comThe post Rockshox Flight Attendant Trail now on Pike, Lyrik, ZEB, Super Deluxe & Vivid appeared first on Bikerumor.

34-year-old retired at the end of the 2021 season, and has been working as a DS at SD Worx-Protime

CyclistClassic climb: Col de Sarenne, the wild col that terrified the TourThe route planners of the Tour de France have always had a sadistic edge, but it took them 110 years from the races inception to find the courage to send the peloton to the rough roads, precipices and primitive landscapes of the Col de Sarenne.This notoriously wild col, which forms part of the hulking Grandes Rousses massif in the French region of Isre, provides a back door route to the cycling legend of Alpe dHuez. But when the Sarenne appeared in the Tour for the first time, in the centenary edition of 2013, the pro riders were not happy. Related Posts Classic climb: Col du Glandon, a Tour appetiser that always serves up a feast Classic climb: Col de la Croix de Fer, a Tour de France staple with a rich Alpine pedigree Classic climb: Col du Galibier, a Tour de France classic with a grandeur to suit its status Classic climb: Alpe dHuez, the most famous climb in pro cycling? The climb itself 958m of altitude gain over 12.8km with an average gradient of 7.5% and sharp ramps at 14.1% would have been brutal enough, but the problem was that the riders were not asked to ride up it. They had to tackle it as a descent.The turquoise water of the Lac du Chambon, by the 90m high walls of the Barrage du Chambon.Juan Trujillo Andrades / CyclistThe Col de Sarenne is Alpe dHuezs wild sister: strikingly beautiful but unpredictable and dangerous. Hidden in an ancient Alpine landscape just 9km from the iconic 21 hairpins of Alpe dHuez, the Sarenne is a gritty, grinding climb defended by abrasive roads, crumbling rockfaces and vertiginous drops. German rider Tony Martin called the Tours 2013 detour to the Sarenne irresponsible. He warned, Its a bad road, no guardrails. A mistake could see you falling straight down 30 metres.Chris Froome, who went on to win the 2013 Tour, said the Sarenne was dangerous, and called for caution: The road surface is not great, it is not level, it is not smooth if you go over on a corner you will go a long way down.Emerging from the cool shade of the Tunnel du Barrage du Chambon at the start of the ascent.Juan Trujillo Andrades / CyclistSeeing this wave of primal fear ripple through the peloton no doubt delighted the Tour organisers. Nothing boosts viewing figures like the potential for catastrophe.Fear and loathingAt 1,999m, the Sarenne is a shade taller than its celebrated sibling Alpe dHuez (1,860m), to which it is connected by a narrow mountain road. This road weaves through a stark landscape, then over and down the Sarenne, connecting Alpe dHuez to Lac du Chambon and the villages of Le Freney dOisans and Mizon in the Romanche valley below. And it is this simple geographical fact that led to the inclusion of the Sarenne on Stage 18 of the 2013 Tour.The picturesque village of Clavans-le-Haut, around 6km into the ascent, is an oasis of flower-filled squares and pretty mountain chalets.Juan Trujillo Andrades / CyclistFor decades, Tour organisers had fantasised about including two ascents of Alpe dHuez in a single day. But how to do it? The long-neglected Sarenne provided the solution. Riders could battle up Alpe dHuez, continue to the Col de Sarenne then descend into the valley, before completing a clockwise loop back to Bourg dOisans, from where they could ascend Alpe dHuez a second time. The rough roads of the Sarenne were spruced up for its Tour debut, but the riders were still edgy. The cols steep gradients, narrow roads and stomach-turning drops can be sketchy on a descent, especially if youre looking to gain valuable seconds in pursuit of the yellow jersey. And when Stage 18 arrived, there was no shortage of drama.The opening section of the climb serves up wonderful views of the Lac du Chambon.Juan Trujillo Andrades / CyclistThe route was a 172.5km dash from Gap to Alpe dHuez, which saw riders cross Alpe dHuez for the first time after 118km, then hit the Sarenne after 127.5km before tearing down the descent, through the valley and back up the Alpe. The Sarenne was crossed first by a small group of riders led by American Tejay van Garderen. But on the descent a rain shower added a lethal sheen to the road. Van Garderens chain slipped off and he later blamed the rough roads for causing the chain to hop around. This section is 7% but the road peaks at 14.1%.Juan Trujillo Andrades / CyclistFrenchman Christophe Riblon, Van Garderens breakaway companion, slid off the road on a left-hand bend and ended up miraculously still upright in a ditch. Riblon went on to overtake Van Garderen on Alpe dHuez to win the historic stage a moment he described as life changing.The higher you climb, the more precipitous the drops, making the Sarenne much more pleasant to climb than descend.Juan Trujillo Andrades / CyclistThe Tour has not returned to the Sarenne since that day, but the col was included this time as a climb, not a descent on Stage 7 of the Critrium du Dauphin in 2017. Peter Kennaugh and Ben Swift battled up the Sarennes wild slopes together, before Kennaugh surged to victory at Alpe dHuez.The wild wayFor amateur cyclists in pursuit of refreshing new Alpine adventures, climbing up the Sarenne instead of hurtling down it offers a gloriously gritty new way to reach Alpe dHuez via this back door approach. And it is well worth the detour.Juan Trujillo Andrades / CyclistThe ascent of the Sarenne begins 22km southeast of Alpe dHuez, by the towering 90m high walls of the Barrage (dam) du Chambon. You pass the turquoise waters of Lac du Chambon, which is nestled between the folds of plump forested mountains. The road then forks left and you begin the ascent to the village of Mizon, with fierce sections at 11.5%. On the way you tackle a section of hairpins, go through a tangle of trees, rock faces, pylons and road barriers, before gliding past the flowered balconies and ornate lampposts of Mizon.The rugged folds of the Alpine peaks look spectacular as you enter the back door of Alpe dHuez.Juan Trujillo Andrades / CyclistOn this opening section you will catch glimpses of the glittering Lac du Chambon below, but after passing Mizon the road plunges into a darker forested landscape surrounded by steep walls of rock. The road then heads through the village of Clavans-le-Haut, where it begins to narrow and roughen up. At the village of Le Perron, a menacing cluster of switchbacks delivers a sudden and shocking rise in altitude, but as the hairpins fold up and over one another, views of distant forests and snow-sprinkled peaks open up around you.As the road climbs higher, the wild terrain of the Sarenne gives it a uniquely eerie atmosphere.Juan Trujillo Andrades / CyclistIn this high-altitude landscape the road is imperfect and the terrain is pockmarked with scrub and stones. Seemingly far from civilisation, you feel like you should be wearing a wax jacket and wellies and toting a shotgun rather than Lycra and cleats and carrying a mini-pump. The Sarenne has a rustic charm that is a world away from the car-choked 21 hairpins on the other side of the massif.As you climb higher the landscape becomes even more dramatic, with rivers of grey scree, serrated peaks and vast Alpine meadows. And those vertiginous drops, which the pro riders were so worried about, begin to yawn beneath you. On one side a steep rock face rises above you; on the other looms a void of chilled mountain air.There is little fanfare at the summit, other than a sticker-clad signpost noting the 1,999m altitude.Juan Trujillo Andrades / CyclistThe mountain road here is badly patched and scarred, but as it curls in on itself you can peer back down the valley and observe the ribbon of tarmac that transported you into this high wilderness. At the summit there is a simple Arrive sign and a viewpoint that offers panoramic views of Alpine peaks and dark forests.From the top of the Sarenne, you can either continue riding to Alpe dHuez or brave the dubious descent. Just remember you arent chasing the maillot jaune when you begin your dash downhill. This article originally appeared in issue 154 of Cyclist magazine. Click here to subscribe Related Posts Classic climb: Col du Glandon, a Tour appetiser that always serves up a feast Classic climb: Col de la Croix de Fer, a Tour de France staple with a rich Alpine pedigree Classic climb: Col du Galibier, a Tour de France classic with a grandeur to suit its status Classic climb: Alpe dHuez, the most famous climb in pro cycling? The post Classic climb: Col de Sarenne, the wild col that terrified the Tour appeared first on Cyclist.

The 2024 Tour de France will be a special edition, with it's Grand Depart in Florence and Emilia-Romagna over the border in Italy, and for the first time in many years, a finale away from Paris as the riders will head into Nice for the race finale. It will take place from the 29th June to the 21st o...

DT Swiss say theyve broken the mold with their new top-tier 1200 series race-ready carbon mountain bike wheels. And what they actually mean by that, is theyve ditched their old carbon rim molding for a new rim manufacturing process that maxes out compression of the carbon fiber layers during production in more precise tooling that requires no post-finishing. The result is straight out-of-the-mold carbon rims that DT can quality control layer-by-layer, which are now more durable and lighter. Whether you are racing XC, exploring all-mountain, smashing enduro stages, or even shredding lightweight eMTBs.All-new DT Swiss 1200 series lightweight carbon MTB wheels(Photos/Cory Benson)4 wheelsets. 4 new carbon rims. Discipline-specific hub and spoke specs. And race-ready 1200-series carbon MTB wheels for XRC cross-country, XMC all-mountain, EXC enduro, and HXC lightweight eMTB.What really sets them all apart is the new carbon rim construction, which DT Swiss describes as unique to the cycling industry. But of course, the new industry disrupting rim manufacturing process is patent-pending so the details are quite vague. What do we know?(Rendering/DT Swiss)The new rims use a mechanical mold where DT places continuous fiber layers directly into the mold (instead of the smaller pieces that are conventionally laid up together and then placed into a mold), ensuring more consistent placement, less overlap, and less need for extra material as an additional safety factor to account for slippage within the layup. More consistency, combined with longer uninterrupted fibers, generally means greater lifetime durability and the ability to achieve the same strength at a lighter weight.(Rendering/DT Swiss)Molded from the outside surface layer of the rim first, and working inward step-by-step, DT is able to highly compress each layer into the one before it. That maximizes uniformity, pressing air bubbles and extra resin out for a more consistent finished carbon product. We dont actually know for sure. But DTs visuals look like fibers are wound around the inside of two half-rim negative molds, while some rotating inner element presses the material outward, kind of like how a mandrel presses out to shape a tube from the inside?Its unclear how the inner rim bed is formed, perhaps separately in a similar process, then joined to the outer rim walls and beads?Carbon Shield extra protection layers(Rendering/DT Swiss)Then, once the complete mountain bike rim is formed, DT Swiss adds one or more extra layers of continuous carbon from the outside of one bead hook, across the rim well, to the outside of the other bead. This additional long, uninterrupted fiber Carbon Shield delivers extra impact protection, further preventing hard hits from wearing the bond between carbon layers.All of the new DT Swiss 1200 wheels feature Carbon Shield tech, with the more aggressive disciplines getting more layers for a tougher shield.Finishing and checking(Photo/DT Swiss)A key point highlighting the precise construction is a new polished mold surface, so the rim needs no filler, paint, or clearcoat out of the mold. Just raw matte out-of-the-mold finish that even saves weight.(Rendering/DT Swiss)DT also says they have another patent pending on a layer-by-layer nondestructive inspection process that lets them conduct quality control on every single rim. To ensure that the product meets exacting trail0ready standards, every rim is completely scanned (somehow), ensuring the every DT Swiss 1200 series mountain bike rim is 100% fault-free before it gets built into a wheelset.Build specsThe three DT Swiss 1200 wheels feature front- & rear-specific carbon rims. Lighter up front for agility and tougher rear rim for enhanced durability. DT builds them then on new 180 hubs with fast 54T Ratchet EXP or faster 90T DEG internals. And they fit them with SINC ceramic bearings. Plus. DT laces them with their new premium multi-butted & fluted RevoLite spokes.The light eMTB HXC wheels get the same tough rim front & back, an ebike-specific hubset with the oversized 42T Ratchet EXP, and ebike-specific CompLite Hybrid spoke spec.XMC 1200: First ImpressionsWeve only had the new DT Swiss XMC 1200 carbon wheels for a few weeks. And Ive started riding them on my all-mountain/enduro hardtail and separately for a spin on a carbon full-suspension trail bike. First rides suggest a lightweight wheelset that is laterally stiff but doesnt seem that stiff vertically. That translates to an on-trail feel of snappy acceleration, precision tracking through tech sections and high-speed corners, but not shaking you up through rock gardens and over roots & ruts.That backs up some XC race teams wed spoken with that described the new XRC wheels as much faster for XC racing because they are apparently much more flexible vertically. They describe wheels that flex when hitting sharp-edged rocks & roots on technical XC courses, maintaining traction especially up techy climbs, feeling reduced rolling resistance, and reducing the occurrence of pinch flats.That all sounds quite good. And Im psyched to see if the all-mountain XMC 1200 wheels will translate that to more technical train riding.DT Swiss 1200 wheels Pricing, availability, and optionsDT Swiss offers 4 total wheelsets in the newly revamped 1200 carbon wheel lineup. They all feature a 30mm internal, hookless tubeless bead. And ricing is the same no matter the discipline: $2912 / 2500.XRC1200XMC1200EXC1200HXC1200You just have to pick the 1303g DT Swiss XRC 1200 for cross-country? Or go for the 1495g XMC 1200 for all-mountain with EXP or DEG, the 1756g EXC for enduro. Or lastly, the 1908g HXC for the latest lightweight eMTB riding.DTSwiss.comThe post DT Swiss 1200 Molds Lighter, Tougher Carbon Mountain Bike Wheels, from XC to EN First Rides appeared first on Bikerumor.

George Fox describes a long and stressful wait for a result after a complaint about his set-up was investigated