The Col du Galibier is 23 kilometers long at 5% and has it's steepest sections towards the summit finish at above 2600 meters of altitude. It is a day where big differences can be created, but Jonas Vingegaard is not looking to do that. The Tour de France's defending champion is not feeling the pres...

Money makes the wheels go around and every pro team is reliant on funding from its title sponsors who can easily supply 90% of the income needed to keep the squads on the road. But do you want some Wanty, do you know what Visma does and do you know the connection between Cofidis and Arka?There are 22 teams in the Tour de France with a variety of sponsors from household goods to governments. Heres a quick explainer of what they all do, presented in the start list orderTeam Visma-Lease A BikeJumbo-Visma this time last year, only for the Dutch supermarket to half and almost crater the team. Visma is a Norwegian IT services company that does dull but essential things like accounting and corporate payrolls. Lease A Bike is a company that works with employers to allow employees to, you guessed it, lease bicycles via payments out of their salary. Its part of Pon, a Dutch conglomerate named after Bernadus Pon, the man who came up with the idea for the VW camper van and which today owns bike company Cervlo.UAE Team EmiratesThe clue is in the name, the UAE is the United Arab Emirates, a federation of oil and gas rich kingdoms with Abu Dhabi as the capital that has literally risen out of the desert and is now a destination for many, from casual shoppers to organised criminals fleeing arrest. Along with the state itself is Emirates, the flag-carrier airline which is part of the state. With success the team has become more central to the ruling family, many sub-sponsors on the jersey are linked to Sheikh Tahnoun bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the prince also known as TBZ, he is the countrys spy chief and a corporate kingpin whose business interests include frame company Colnago.Team Jayco-Al UlaJayco is an Australian caravan manufacturer which sounds like a niche backer but its just one of several companies owned by Australian tycoon and sports fan Gerry Ryan, one of several sugar daddy sponsors. Its his fortune that is behind the team, as he likes to joke hes spending his childrens inheritance. Al Ula is a Saudi tourist project designed to bring tourism, including cyclists, to the desert town of Al Ula.Ineos GrenadiersIneos is petrochemicals company for the plastics that surround us. Its grown so big that it now drills for oil and gas in order to get both its raw materials and the energy to power its chemical plants. Owned by James Jim Ratcliffe, Britains third richest person he doesnt just play sport, he funds it. He has a sailing team, owns French football club OGC Nice, is a sponsor and part owner of the Mercedes Formula 1 team and is now the new minority owner of Manchester United. Why? Because he can, but being a sugar daddy sponsor brings VIP opportunities galore. The Grenadiers name is a side project to produce a luxury 44 utility vehicle. Despite the team name the squad uses Mercedes team cars.Lidl-TrekLidl is the upstart German discount supermarket which has been expanding in Europe and now the US in recent years and grabbed significant market share. The arrival of this big public-facing multinational is a boost for the sport in general, a coup for the team as it came just as Jumbo. The team owned and backed by the US bicycle brand Trek making the only factory team from a bike brand left in the World Tour. The squad is now on the up and trying to make the top tier of pro teams with an increased budget and ambitions.Decathlon-Ag2r La Mondiale TeamNew for 2024 is Decathlon, the French sporting goods retailer has come on board as a title sponsor. Operating out of retail warehouses it has outlets around the world, from Brazil to China and now India and if the squad has had a great start to the season this has delighted the new backers who have seen big demand for the team-issue bikes, particularly in Asia. Ag2r La Mondiale is one of Frances largest social insurance companies allowing savers to take out life insurance, pension plans and additional healthcare cover.Bahrain VictoriousAn obvious one, this is the oil-rich island in the Middle East. The key man behind the team is Sheikh Nasser, a sports-mad prince from the ruling family with business interests and the spy chief brief for the kingdom, much like his counterpart in the UAE. A case study in sportswashing because the term itself is so wrong: there is no laundry of reputation. Instead an oppressive country that sits 173rd out of 180 on the press freedom index two places down from last year is here and we have to deal with it. The Victorious label is also code for your name here as the team might be sponsored by a wealthy nation state but theres no unlimited credit line and they are keen for a co-sponsor in order to bolster funding and strengthen the squad.Soudal Quick-StepSoudal make adhesives and other chemical products for construction, you can buy their tubes of glue and silicone in DIY stores. It is a Belgian company founded and still owned by Baron Vic Swerts that has spread around the world. Quick-Step makes laminated, wood and vinyl flooring and while originally a Belgian company is is now owned by a US firm. You can use the two sponsors together, spread some Soudal adhesives to stick your Quick-Step flooring down.Red Bull-Bora-HansgroheAustrian sports drink company Red Bull is more than a sponsor, its an owner having now acquired the German team and the team has just got a new name and kit. Red Bull is all caffeinated excitement, lively marketing and now coming into road cycling but surely no rider will actually drink Red Bull in-competition. Mind you, nobody will use a Bora kitchen cooker mid-race either, the selling point is that the extractor fan is built on the hob rather than above and so no big unit has to be installed above. Hansgrohe makes plumbing, think mixers and shower heads.Groupama-FDJA 50-50 joint venture owned by the two title sponsors. Groupama is a giant mutual insurance company whose rural logo hints at the original name of Groupe des Assurances Mutuelles Agricoles, Groupe AMA Groupama. FDJ is short for La Franaise des Jeux, its the French national lottery and now a privatised company that wants to run more lotteries, it does the Irish one and is also expanding into gambling across Europe. Groupamas corporate colour is green but as they get to go first on the team name theyve accepted the blue kit.Alpecin-DeceuninckAlpecin is a shampoo brand from Germany with caffeine in it (reviewed on this blog). Can they sign a bald rider? Was Simon Dehairs hired because of his name? Oddly for a team out for exposure in France, the shampoos not for sale in supermarkets nor the myriad of pharmacies in France. Continuing the construction site theme among Belgian sponsors, Deceunincks a Belgian maker of PVC windows and doors.EF Education-EasypostEF Education is language and study-abroad business that was started in Sweden and now HQd in Switzerland and now the team owner. EF Education First sounds like a pleonasm but loyal readers will know the initials EF actually stand for Europeiska Ferieskolan, Swedish for European Holiday Schools because this is what the founder Bertil Hult named his venture. Easypost is an e-commerce platform to help ship small goods and packets.Lotto-DstnyOne of the second-tier teams outside of the World Tour after relegation but a fixture in the sport. Another lottery operator with Belgiums state operator and with this, some political oversight that can stray into interference but mostly its benign, like a duty to recruit both from Flanders and Wallonia to bridge the divides. Its been a team sponsor since the 1980s. Dstny is Belgn tlcms cmpny (yes, this blog can hrdly tlk) that now operates in several European countries which means it wants wins abroad, particularly at the Tour de France.Israel-PremierTechAnother second-tier team this is owned by Israeli-Canadian real estate mogul Sylvan Adams, a keen cyclist and another sugar daddy sponsor. The Israel label is presumptuous, its Adams promoting his new country rather than the state as a sponsor but fraught for this because people will see this team through the prism of politics and war rather than just following it as a cycling team backed by a massive cycling fan if it was labelled, say, the Adams Academy. PremierTech sounds all fancy but it is a Canadian company that start mainly sells soils and fertiliser for horticulture but has some sidelines in agricultural machinery.CofidisCofidis is a consumer credit company. It began giving credit to people buying from the Trois Suisses catalogue retailer and now offers instant credit. Its part of the big Crdit Mutuel group, more which in a moment. Cofidis has been an exclusive sponsor of the team since 1997 and had ups and downs from super team to doping scandals. Its not flashy today but thats the point, for all the cycling is the new golf talk, the team are out to connect with a different demographic who might suddenly need cash, in France and beyond which part explains why the team has Spanish, Italian and central European riders.Movistar TeamMovistar is mobile telecoms operator that belongs to Spains Telefonica, it is a brand in Spain and Latin America. It has a sub brand in O2 which is used in Spain,Germany, the UK and other markets. A fixture in the peloton as a sponsor, it backs the oldest team in the peloton. The squad is actively hunting for a co-sponsor but this is always around the corner. As Spains only top tier team hopefully they can land a deal and Movistar are happy to share naming rights if it means results improve because they would be mentioned more often.Arka-B&B HotelsHaving mentioned that Cofidis is part of French banking giant Crdit Mutuel, so is Arka. But the group is disparate and youd need a large organigram to find both Cofidis and Arka. Anyway Crdit Mutuel Arka is a group of their banks in Britannia and South West France. B&B Hotels sounds like an oxymoron but it tells you plenty, a hotel that gives you a bed and then breakfast, its that functional and the French hotel chain is expanding around Europe, typically found by autoroute junctions.Intermarch-WantyIntermarch is a French supermarket but the sponsorship here is via their Belgian shops to appeal to Belgian shoppers, telling in a small way how Belgium is cycling crazy. Wanty does civil engineering, think building bridges or specialist demolition projects. The particularity of the team is that since the 1970s has grown out of a local club, the Vlo Club Ath that, starting with sponsorship from watch brand Rodania, has gradually risen up the ranks, getting an invite to the Tour de France in 2017, promotion to the World Tour (via the expired CCC licence) in 2021 and now won its first Tour stage win.Team DSM Firmenich-Post NLCurrently wearing out keyboards thanks to the long name, this squad has been backed by Dutch life sciences company DSM since 2021. The firm makes plenty from vitamins to dyes to put in fish food so that farmed salmon is the right colour when filleted for customers; and since then it has merged with Swiss peer Firmenich whose speciality is aromas, theres a good chance any detergent or deodorant you have has molecules cooked up by Firmenich. Post NL is more obvious, as the Netherlands postal service.Astana Qazaqstan TeamThis is the Kazakh state but in varying forms over the years as the actual provenance of the funds has come from different agencies and entities; at times its not come causing unpaid wages and not wanting to be the bringer of bad news, the fear is the team is struggling for stable financing for next year and facing World Tour relegation beyond. Astana used to be the capital citys name but it was renamed in tribute to long term ruler Nazabayev but has recently reverted to Astana. The Qazaqstan is the new name for the vast energy and mineral rich country which wants to drop the Russian/cyrillic K and opt for a more romanised term; its the origin of the cossack.Uno-X MobilityAn invitee team, this is a Norwegian retailer, a chain of service stations that is moving into charging stations, useful in Norway which has Europes highest rate of electric car use. Other names on the kit include Reitan and Rema-1000 but theyre all under the same corporate umbrella of Reitan, a Norwegian conglomerate that has business in Denmark too. The more Jonas Vingegaard wins, the more Danes tune in and so they get more exposure but the team is cohesive and can get its own results too but identifiably local teams are risky ventures because of the asymmetry where the talent pool is deliberately restricted all while the best riders from the area Norway and Denmark here can also sign elsewhere.Total EnergiesThe paradox of the weakest team in the race but backed by a corporate giant, oil company Total, or TotalEnergies as its now called. The oil major got into cycling by accident when it acquired Direct Energie, an alternative electricity supplier in France but has used the team as a vehicle to help with the rebranding from Total to TotalEnergies and the sponsor does everything from service stations to lubricants, alternative energy to drilling for oil and gas. The Total boss, as in the oil man, has personally said hed break open the money box to sign a star rider and they need this star appeal as invitations are already drying up and their Tour place is in danger in the coming years.CommentThere are plenty of sponsors selling goods to consumers, the traditional sponsorship method with the likes of, say, Alpecin shampoo wanting to reach you. For all the Tours reach there are only a few global brands like Emirates, Lidl, Red Bull and Total; there are plenty with a local reach too like Uno-X or Cofidis.Many teams are happy to get mass publicity, take DSM Firmenich whose management probably want the company to be more widely known but for they and many sponsors the real value of sponsorship comes internally, being able to take VIPs to Tour stages or to orientate employee communications about stories of victory, the hidden side of sponsorship.The Tour de France is crucial too all of this, by many accounts 70% of more of a teams media exposure but also massive added pressure because sponsors are not just watching, they are in the team car or on the bus right now. If you really want to find more big names look to the Tour itself with sponsors like Nestl, Continental, VW Group.The post Pro Team Sponsors first appeared on The Inner Ring.

Team Visma | Lease a Bike are on sky high motivation. After having months of doubts on Jonas Vingegaard's form, several riders sidelined from the Tour de France due to injuries and even several crashes in the opening two days of the race; Vingegaard matched Tadej Pogacar's stinging attack on the Mad...

In our second set of coverage Bespoked UK 2024, find several more inspiring stories of small frame builders and makers at Bespoked UK, including a wild frame conversion from Bousif Custom Bikes, the best in show bike from BTR Fabrications, a new "carry" bike from Assembly, bags born from "British Gravel" and more...The post Bikes and Builders of 2024 Bespoked UK (Part 2) appeared first on BIKEPACKING.com.

In 2024, for the first time in my life, I saw through a New Years resolution, that being to reduce my total number of bicycles. Now, I didnt exactly cut it close to the bone, but I did manage to get my total number of road bikes down to threearguably two more than anybody really needs, but pretty good for a semi-professional bike blogger and recovering middle-aged Fred. I had the Milwaukee, which was to be my main road bike:I had the Cervino, which was my ceremonial cosplay bike, because theres really nothing like riding a classic road bike in wool on a crisp autumn day:And I had the Faggin, which was my rusty, dinged-up hot rod, and which also has sentimental value:Not only that, but the ride is far more refined than the bikes garish appearance would suggest, and its only enhanced by the recent addition of those Spinergys and their surprisingly springy ride quality, though the exquisite thrill of knowing it could end at any moment when the wheels collapse is no doubt part of what makes the sensation so intoxicating.Please note that the Normcore Bike DOES NOT COUNT, as its now my elder sons bike:Though theres something both endearing and deserving about this unassuming bicycle, and one day Ill take it back and adorn it with something ridiculously extravagant like a Campagnolo C-Record drivetrain complete with Delta brakes, just because:Either that or Ill just slap a pair of Spinergys on there and call it good.Anyway, I was quite pleased with myself for consolidating my holdings, and I was ready to ride these three humble road bikes into retirementor at least until I was no longer able to reach the bars and I became a full-time Rivendell rider, whichever came first. I had all I needed, and that was that:But fate had other plans, and I was soon the recipient of a battered and bruised Surprise Marinoni:As well as a new test-cycle from Classic Cycle:Once again, I was overloaded and over-roaded, and naturally Im now in the difficult situation of having fallen for both. I had plenty of frustration in overhauling the Noner, yet despite myself its now running quite smoothly:And even the 8-speed Ergo levers Id just assumed were moribund feel fantastic after being treated to new hoods, cables, and a liquid lubricant shvitz, and they miss nary a shift:As for the LeMond, having eased into an all-steel existence, I figured Id revel in the material excesses of the early 21st century for awhile and send it back:But naturally Ive become infatuated with it. Not only is it both roomy and comfortable, but its quite light on its feet, and while Ive never cared much about bike weight or endeavored to build a superlight bike, once you have one it starts to feel like something you should have at least for special occasions, in the same way you sometimes feel like using the fancy wine glasses. Its also like having a second chance at the Litespeed, which I returned after much soul-searching, and which is one of the few former bikes I still feel a pang of longing for when I look at it:I dont even feel anything when I look at the Engin, if you can believe it, and that was a custom bike made just for me:But the Litespeed I miss, go figure.Also like the Litespeed, the LeMond hails from the era that was the high water mark of my Fredness, so theres a certain satisfaction in riding around on a bike that I could never have dreamed of owning at the time as it was the rarefied domain of dentists and other jet-setters who live impossibly glamorous lifestyles:So if the LeMond Tete de Course was the most exotic bike you could purchase from the Great Trek Bicycle Making Company at the time, does that mean in 20 years Ill be similarly infatuated with the top-of-the-line Teks I scoff at today, such as the new Madone?Setting aside for the moment the very real possibility Ill be physically unable to ride such a bike in 20 years, I guess I could see it happening. Besides it probably being a lot of fun to ride, I also suspect that that by then all the stuff that currently turns me off about this bike because of my retrogrouchical predudices (the disc brakes, the battery-powered derailleurs, the integrated everything) will seem impossibly quaint, and Im sure that by 2044 Ill be going on and on about how satisfying it is to press an actual button to shift instead of changing gears by means of telepathy or blinking or pressing your tongue to the roof of your mouth or clenching your sphincter or however it is that drivetrains will work by then. (Probably some combination of all the aforementioned methods depending on personal preference and how you feel about inserting your blips rectally.) In fact its entirely possible that the very idea of riding a road bike outside will be a think of the past; just as the safety bicycle replaced the pennyfarthing, so too could the Zwift bike replace the regular road bike:Safety bike, you say? Well it doesnt get any safer than that.Then again, Im not sure its as simple as the passage of time, because Im not sure that in 20 years a Trek Madone will fill me with a sense of nostalgia. The feel of a Dura-Ace 9-speed lever or the look of a Chris King headset in a titanium headtube evokes for me the aspirations of yesteryear and the the satisfaction of having finally realized them. However I have no such associations with internally-routed hydraulic hoses and PNS jerseys, and had already hardened into a crusty old fusspot by the time they entered cycling, so its hard to imagine my current feelings towards them evolving into affection.But you never know.

Remco Evenepoel has shown only good signs on the first days of the Tour de France and is excited for the first high-mountain challenge at the Col du Galibier this afternoon. This morning at the start in Pinerolo, the Soudal - Quick-Step rider had cautious words regarding the finale into Valloire.F...

The Eritrean became the first black African to win a Tour stage on Monday, after doing similar at the Giro dItalia two years ago, but he shouldnt be the only black rider in a peloton of 176

The Tour of Austria began this Tuesday and will be one of the races tackled simultaneous to the Tour de France. A few riders use it to prepare for the Olympic Games including Filippo Ganna; but in a three-week prologue he was beaten by Lidl-Trek's under-23 team rider Cameron Rogers - the nephew of f...

Weve spotted the Lidl-Trek team using a prototype automatic chain waxing machine at the 2024 Tour de France.The device made by Belgian brand, Cyclowax is claimed to be the holy grail of immersive chain waxing, as it can wax a chain without removing it from the bike.The machine, which looks somewhat akin to a smart trainer, holds a bike in place via the rear wheel and slowly draws the chain through a compartment containing melted paraffin wax (and other friction-reducing additives).According to Cyclowax, the device is being used by the Lidl-Trek team at this years Tour de France, alongside more traditional chain waxing equipment (two heated ultrasonic cleaners), to enable the team to run waxed chains for every stage.In theory, this could offer the team a performance advantage compared to riders and teams using more traditional chain lubricants.Prior to the start of the race, we spoke to Cyclowax about how the device works and its ambitions for the machine.An on-bike chain waxing revolution?Could this machine revolutionise how riders lubricate their chains? - CyclowaxChain waxing is often touted as a watt-saving, wear-reducing goldilocks solution to bicycle chain lubrication.However, according to Cyclowax, one of the biggest hurdles riders face when using waxed chains is the need for the chain to be removed from the bike for re-waxing.Waxed chains typically last for around 300 to 400km in dry conditions before needing to be re-waxed.After riding in wet conditions, waxed chains need to be immediately dried and re-waxed to prevent corrosion.For professional or keen amateur riders, this can necessitate removing the chain from the bike for re-waxing after almost every ride.Not only does this require a significant investment in time and effort which is difficult for professional team mechanics who have dozens of bikes to clean and maintain every day at races such as the Tour but the cost of replacement chain pins or quick-links can easily add up over time.With its automatic chain waxing device, Cyclowax is looking to solve this conundrum.How does the Cyclowax automatic chain waxing machine work?Lidl-Trek is using Cyclowax's prototype automatic chain waxing machine at the 2024 Tour de France. We saw Giulio Ciccone's bike being put through the machine after his final pre-Tour training ride. - George Scott / Our MediaA bike is mounted on the prototype device in a similar manner to a smart trainer or bike stand.A section of chain below the non-drive side chainstay is then placed within a compartment that clamps around it.According to Cyclowax, this compartment contains a small valley of wax, a heating element and a mechanism to slowly pull the chain through the valley.When switched on, the heating element melts the wax, then the chain is automatically drawn through it.As the chain exits the compartment, the wax solidifies on the chain as it cools to the ambient temperature.The machine draws the chain through a heated pool of wax, automatically waxing a chain in around half an hour. - George Scott / Our MediaAfter around 30 minutes, the whole chain will be waxed and freshly lubricated. The waxing compartment will then automatically pop open to release the chain and bike.At this point, the rider simply needs to run through the gears on the bike (on a workstand, for example) to free the links of solidified wax and allow the chain to articulate properly before riding.Cyclowax says the device is only designed to re-wax chains that have already been waxed or fully stripped of all factory grease.It isnt like Silcas StripChip and Ultimate Chain Waxing System, which allows a chain to be degreased and waxed in one fell swoop.For riders who dont wish to degrease their own chains at home, though, Cyclowax sells ready-to-ride waxed chains for a variety of drivetrains, from 10- to 13-speed and for track bikes.Chain waxing at the Tour de FranceWith only one prototype automatic machine available, Cyclowax has supplied the Lidl-Trek mechanics with more traditional chain waxing equipment too. - George Scott / Our MediaAs an official partner to the Lidl-Trek team, Cyclowax has supplied the team with pre-waxed SRAM Red AXS chains for the 2024 Tour de France, and the equipment for the mechanics to re-wax them.As the automatic device can only do one chain at a time (we saw Giulio Ciccone's bike being put through the machine after his final pre-Tour training ride), the Lidl-Trek mechanics will alsobe using more traditional methods to re-wax team chains.Cyclowax has provided the team with two heated ultrasonic cleaners, to be used in a two-step process.Chains are threaded through a wire carrier and dipped into successive baths of hot wax, before being hung to dry. - George Scott / Our MediaThe first ultrasonic cleaner contains its Basic wax blend and is intended to flush the chain of contaminants.The second step then involves dipping the chain in a special Performance Pro wax, which is blended with additional friction-reducing additives (Cyclowax is coy on its specific formula).Following this, the chain is removed and stiff links can then be broken and the chain re-installed on a bike.How much does the Cyclowax automatic chain waxing machine cost?Cyclowax's automatic chain waxing machine is currently only a prototype but the brand says you'll be able to buy one at some point. - CyclowaxAs its currently in prototype form, Cyclowax told us it couldnt estimate an eventual price for its automatic chain waxing machine.Given the brands standard, off-bike waxing kit (which consists of a 500ml wax heater with an integrated stand) costs 101, we suspect it wont be cheap.Despite this, Cyclowax says its sights are firmly set on making the device appealing to individual riders and not simply local bike shops.At a glance, we think thats an ambitious objective, but we can certainly see it as a way for bike shops to offer quick and easy chain waxing services to their customers.Either way, though, were intrigued.Cyclowax says it made every effort to get the prototype device ready for use at the Tour, so it doesnt know when a final, production-ready version will launch.As always, though, when it does you can be sure we'll bring you all of the details.