The International Testing Agency (ITA) has undertaken night-time anti-doping tests on multiple more riders at the ongoing Tour de France, Cycling Weekly has learned.Visma-Lease a Bikes Jonas Vingegaard and race leader Tadej Pogaar of UAE Team Emirates-XRG were woken up at 2am and 5am respectively on Sunday morning by doping control officers and made to provide an anti-doping sample.Tests between the hours of 11pm and 6am are prohibited, except in exceptional circumstances, when the ITA has to request permission from the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).The UCI's anti-doping rules states: "Unless the rider has identified a sixty minute testing window between the hours of 11:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m., or has otherwise consented to testing during that period, the UCI will not test a rider during that period unless it has a serious and specific suspicion that the rider may be engaged in doping."In a statement late on Sunday, the ITA said that effective testing must, in limited and justified circumstances, be capable of occurring outside standard daytime hours.Pogaar said he did not get back to sleep after being woken, while stage 15 winner Remco Evenepoel of Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe said that it was inhumane and its something that actually we should not accept as riders."Sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed to Cycling Weekly that at least two other teams have been tested at 5am during the Tour, one in the first week and one in the second week.Cycling Weekly understands that a number of other teams perhaps as many as eight have also been subjected to night-time testing.A spokesperson for the ITA confirmed that more teams were tested outside usual hours.The riders union, the Professional Cycling Associations (CPA), released a statement on Monday lending its support to the anti-doping movement, but questioned the relevance of night-time testing.The Tour de France is a competition that demands exceptional physical effort, the CPA statement said. The quality of sleep and recovery is essential not only for performance but also for the health and safety of the riders.It is clear that this practice hinders athletes recovery during the most important and difficult race on the global calendar and runs counter to the intended objectives.Cycling contributes approximately 10m to funding the fight against doping within the ITA for the collection and analysis of samples, while at the same WADA spends, on average, only $5 million per year across all sports on basic research to develop new methods for detecting and identifying new doping substances.Would it therefore be more appropriate to invest more in scientific research and detection technologies, rather than increasing the number of particularly intrusive unannounced tests?Night-time testing is only used when anti-doping authorities have concerns that an athlete may be engaged in doping practices. It is particularly useful at detecting substances which may have been taken in small doses referred to as micro-dosing that isnt detectable several hours later. Benjamin Cohen, the director general of the ITA, told The Athletic in April that he was in favour of restrictions around night-time testing loosening but cautioned against blanket testing in the early hours.If you go and speak to the (ITA) testing department, they would say: yes, we need to be able to test whenever we can. Certainly, based on information [the ITA has], it would suggest that there is an issue, Cohen said.I dont think you would want to do mass testing at the Tour de France, for example, and wake up all the athletes at 3am that doesnt make sense. I think you would need to have very concrete suspicions (about an athlete) and use that in a very cautious manner. I wouldnt advocate for mass night testing, but certainly for some flexibility if you believe that there is an issue.French sports daily Lquipe reported on Monday that the ITA made their requests ahead of the Tour.As is customary in the lead-up to the Tour de France, the public health divisions of the Paris and Marseille judicial courts, which have jurisdiction over doping matters, are in contact with the UCI (International Cycling Union) and the ITA, the Paris prosecutors office told Lquipe.The judges of these two jurisdictions have concurrent jurisdiction to rule on requests for nighttime doping controls. A judge of liberties and detention in Paris was therefore indeed contacted by the ITA, pursuant to Article L.232-14-4 of the French Sports Code, to authorise the doping controls that took place on the night of July 18-19."

Its never easy racing at the Tour de France and this last week was no exception with high temperatures and horror hotels.With two weeks of racing on the roads of France now behind the peloton we take a look back at how the world of cycling, including celebrity fans and a barista with panache, chronicled the last week on social media.1. "The special one" aka Jos Mourinho has got his priorities all wrong here, choosing to stop watching the Tour de France to go for a run. You wouldnt catch us doing that. A post shared by Jose Mourinho (@josemourinho)A photo posted by on 2. The French monarchy was abolished in 1792 but if they did decide to have a king again itd probably Thibaut Pinot who saw the race come through his hometown this last week.Oh! Look who is here Oh! Regardez qui est l #TDF2026 pic.twitter.com/3LuYx1iJUeJuly 17, 20263. EF Education-EasyPost chefs Owen Blandy and Chris Woodward are taking you on a culinary Tour de France as they breakdown/show off all the deliciousness theyre cooking up for the riders each day over on their Instagram.A post shared by Chris Woodward (@chris.woodward_)A photo posted by on 4. The iceman - AKA Silvan Dillier - cometh! Be afraid, be very afraid.A post shared by Alpecin-Premier Tech (@alpecin.premiertech)A photo posted by on 5. Apparently there has been some other big international sporting event going on over the last week, I dunno what its called, but the Tour organisers decided to pit riders of France and Spain against each other last Tuesday in tribute. Weirdly, the French organisers seem to lose interest after that.A post shared by Tour de France (@letourdefrance)A photo posted by on 6. Its not a bike race unless someone is dressed in a rabbit costume/devil outfit/mankini. To all those that do so, we salute you.A post shared by Tour de France (@letourdefrance)A photo posted by on 7. The Tour is a glamorous event, until you reach your hotel and discover youd be better off sleeping on the balcony. A post shared by Tobias Johannessen (@tobias_johannessen)A photo posted by on 8. How bad can it be though really? you ask. Pretty bad, as Tobiass brother Anders shows. This combined with UAE Emirates-XRG sleeping in hotel with no air conditioning led to something of a social media story that meant Tour race director Christian Prudhomme had to step in and respond. "If we want the race to visit beautiful parts of France and have beautiful stages, it means that sometimes there aren't five-star hotels everywhere," he told ICI.Could be worse, this is ours pic.twitter.com/ijPNxKc69YJuly 13, 20269. If you ask us Uno-Xs real problem was that after what was clearly not a great nights sleep they didnt have Julian Alaphilippe to make them coffee in the morning.A post shared by TNT Sports Cycling (@tntsportscycling)A photo posted by on 10. Lets end on a high note with the always reliable social media trope of riders kids at the Tour de France. This time its Tiesj Benoot and his daughter.A post shared by TNT Sports Cycling (@tntsportscycling)A photo posted by on

At the Tour de France, bikes cannot weigh less than 6.8kg, a minimum limit set by the sport's governing body, the UCI, which applies in any race under its jurisdiction. With some of the best teams in the world struggling to ensure they're not under the limit, you might expect every bike to achieve a weight as low as 6.8kg. But that'd be far from true, despite the amount of money and engineering expertise at teams' disposal and the supposed advantage that lower weight brings. As the Tour de France meets the high mountains, only a select few riders' bikes will be at or near the minimum weight limit. As we'll explain below, this is due to bike and component sponsorship deals, specific rider roles, rider size, and greater emphasis on aerodynamics. Tadej Pogaar's Y1Rs aero bike is claimed to tip the scales at just over 7kg, thanks to shaved off paint and lightweight ancilliary components (Image credit: Aaron Borrill)Aero is still everythingWe expect to see most riders on all-out aero bikes or all-rounders that combine low weight and low drag, even on the most mountainous days. This is because they climb so fast, with the best exceeding 25km/h, that aerodynamics still trump weight as they do on flat and rolling terrain.This is more pertinent if a team can get its aero bike close to the weight limit. Jonas Vingegaard and Tadej Pogaar have exclusively raced the Cervlo S5 and Colnago Y1Rs in recent years because their teams can get these aero bikes down to the 7kg-mark in their smaller frame sizes. They seem to have calculated that this option is faster overall than riding a 6.8kg climbing bike.Aero bikes may also be better for riders whose job it is to pull on the flat or set the pace early on climbs. They need to optimise for low drag, not low weight, because they'll drop back when the pace picks up on the ascent. But a climber or GC favourite who shelters in the wheels at these points will benefit more from a lighter bike, especially smaller riders for whom the bike constitutes relatively more of their system weight (bike, equipment, clothing, body). For example, Paul Seixas is likely to continue to ride his Van Rysel prototype in the mountains while some of his teammates stay on the RCR-F aero bike. Some riders from Jayco-AlUla have access to a stripped down Giant Propel Advanced SL aero bike rumoured to meet the UCI weight limit of 6.8kg (Image credit: Aaron Borrill)One-race-bike platforms Many Tour de France teams race the same bike on every road stage. In terms of weight, if they're lucky, this will be an all-rounder, such as the Jayco-AlUla's Giant Propel, Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe and Soudal-Quickstep's Specialized S-Works Tarmac SL9, or EF Education-EasyPost's Cannondale SuperSix Evo. These major bike brands have succeeded in making either climbing bikes more aero or aero bikes lighter, making a 6.8kg build eminently possible. At the Grand Depart, we weighed Remco Evenepoel's 52cm S-Works Tarmac SL9 complete with pedals, bottles and cycling computer fitted at 7.05kg.The trend for team leaders to get a special-edition blacked-out frame, saving 150-200g of weight in paint, makes this easier, as does the option to ditch a front derailleur and opt for a one-by drivetrain.Frame size is influential too. Movistar's diminutive climbers will be able to get their Canyon Aeroads down to 6.8kg. This will be harder for Alpecin-Premier Tech's taller Classics-style riders.Remco Evenepoel's Specialized S-Work's Tarmac SL9 weighs just 7.05kg with pedals, bottles and cycling computer fitted (Image credit: Aaron Borrill)The less fortunate teams will have one bike that may be fast but isn't that light. In previous years, Uno-X Mobility, for example, has climbed mountains on its Ridley Noah Fast 3.0, which weighs about 8kg. This year, the Norwegian team will probably ride the Belgian brand's unreleased Falcon RS climbing bike, although this might still be above the UCI weight limit. As attractive as it is, Groupama-FDJ United's Wilier Filante SLR ID2 is also likely to be a few hundred grams over the weight limit. Teams also report that their riders generally prefer to race the same bike all year round. Such tuned-in cyclists like having consistent geometry, handling, contact points and components. They usually don't consider it worthwhile to forsake all this for a slightly lighter climbing bike a handful of times a year. As aero bikes and all-rounders have become the go-to choices in the WorldTour, several bike brands have differentiated their climbing bikes through renewed focus on low weight this includes the Canyon Ultimate, Giant TCR and Scott Addict RC Pro, each of which is light and competent enough to be used in the high mountains of the final week of the Tour de France. This leaves the Scott-sponsored NSN Cycling Team with just the Foil RC for racing. Being quite an old aero bike, released in 2022, it's not the lightest of the pro peloton's do-it-all race bikes, weighing 7.28kg in size 54cm on our scales. We'd expect Scott to address the Foil's weight in the next generation, but for now, NSN is giving away about 500g to rivals whose bikes are at the weight limit. Team UAE Emirates-XRG has access to aftermarket titanium bolts and hardware from Carbon-Ti (Image credit: Aaron Borrill)Budgets and sponsorshipsThe amount of money, whether in cash or in kind from sponsorships, available to teams influences bike weight, too. The better-funded teams have the means to lower the weight of stock bikes that worse-off rivals don't. Most wheel brands these days can hit 1,300g or lower in a 50mm-deep wheelset, so teams are on a pretty level playing field regarding rims. But squads whose bike or component sponsor makes a lighter, climbing handlebar can save weight by switching from the thicker, aero bar. EF Education-EasyPost, for example, can save about 110g by changing from Cannondale's SystemBar Road to the SystemBar Road SL, which has thinner, rounded tops. The Cannondale SuperSix Evo is one of the all-rounder bikes that balances aero, stiffness and weight. Even in size 56cm, Kasper Asgreen's SuperSix Evo weighs 7.29kg (Image credit: Aaron Borrill)The biggest budget teams can go aftermarket, too. Lidl-Trek, for example, has been using $1,200 hubs to save 70g as reported by sister site, Cyclingnews while Tadej Pogaar's UAE Team Emirates-XRG is sponsored by lightweight component company Carbon-Ti. Parts such as its X-CarboRing Evo chainrings cost 436, and its X-Hanger DM integrated derailleur hanger costs 42. While these parts won't cut massive weight from the complete system, they do add up and arguably improve performance, too.The cost-to-benefit ratio of such modifications is marginal at best and well beyond the means of Cofidis or Caja RuralSeguros RGA. It goes to show that the richest teams can not only afford the best riders but also equip them with the best equipment, giving them a further advantage.

Tadej Pogaar's UAE Emirates-XRG have amassed more than double the prize money of their nearest competitors at the Tour de France this year so far, according to the race organisers.That success has been driven by five stage wins for the squad through Pogaar and white jersey wearer Isaac del Toro. Each stage win is worth 11,000 (9,340), while each day Pogaar spends in the yellow jersey comes with just 500 (420) in prize money.The team has collected 124,530 (105,000) in the first two weeks of the race.Lild-Trek, the team in second place has got less than half that with 58,400,00 (49,000) driven mostly by the consistently high placing, including a stage win, of Mads Pedersen.The squad is also leading the lucrative but often overlooked teams classification, for which it receives 2,800 each day.Just behind them in third are Soudal Quick-Step, who, thanks to three stages wins from Tim Merlier, have totted-up a prize fund of 43,890 so far.There is a prize pot of 2.3m at the Tour de France, but much of this is handed out for the final placings. So far just 606,000 in prizes have been dolled-out to the riders and teams. At the other end of the prize money table after two thirds of the race is run is Picnic PostNL, who are having a torrid Tour. The teams best result is a fifth place for sprinter Pavel Bittner on stage eight into Bergerac. That netted the team 840 (710/$960) of their 5,270.Their results in France are matched only by their poor season which has seen them slip to 30th in the UCI team rankings, below many ProTour teams. Their best result has come from Bittner who was second at sprinters classic Scheldeprijs.However, there are other teams that are struggling too at this years Tour. Groupama-FDJ United have so far banked just 5,420 while Tudor Pro Cycling have won only 5,560.If Pogaar is able to hang onto to the yellow jersey all the way to Paris then hell collect a further 500,000 for the team, plus the prizes for wearing the jersey each day.

A custom paint job carried out by Lumarcolors (Image credit: Aaron Borrill)Remco Evenepoel has moved into second place on the general classification following an emphatic first road stage win at the Tour de France. The Belgian has come into this year's race in impeccable form, and is clearly able to compete with the leading protagonists in the high mountains something he failed to achieve last year when he abandoned the race in the Pyrenees. With a 26.1km/500m individual time trial on the cards for stage 16, Remco can potentially claw back some time on Tadej Pogaar and cement his second place on the podium. Lets take a closer look at the reigning Olympians Specialized S-Works Tarmac SL9.Name sticker just to make sure nobody else on the team rides the golden Tarmac SL9Aaron BorrillA closer look at the glittery gold paint and handpainted 'Remco' detailAaron BorrillHaving stolen the headlines at the Grand Depart for his unreleased Specialized S-Works Shiv TT bike, the Belgian also has an S-Works Tarmac SL9 at his disposal both a regular team-liveried option (which he raced to victory on stage 15) and a gold-themed edition that celebrates his Olympic Championship win from 2024 in Paris. The bike pictured here, however, is the latter, and was customised by Italian master frame painters, Lumarcolors.A slammed front end has become a staple on Remco's bikes over the years (Image credit: Aaron Borrill)Golden K-Edge computer mount keeps the theme running strong (Image credit: Aaron Borrill)Lumarcolors has done an amazing job with the bike, as it complements the Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe team livery and pays homage to Evenepoels Olympic gold medal. Naturally, theres a lot of gold at play here, but its all done tastefully and not over the top. As a result, it utilises a bespoke glittery white and gold paint scheme that still fits in with the team design Red Bull and keyline logos are applied as a water transfer and subtly fade from gold to white.More gold! A golden cassette and chainAaron BorrillContrasting golden base of the Specialized S-Works Power Evo with Mirror saddleAaron BorrillK-Edge chain catcher finihsed in, you guessed it, goldAaron BorrillRoval Rapide CLX III wheels are shod with Specialized Cotton TLR 30mm tyres, complete with tan walls that pick up the gold accents on the frameAaron BorrillThe gold theme continues with his cassette and chain, base of the saddle, the inside crank arms (and SRAM logo on the outside arm), and the K-Edge computer mount and chain catcher. The level of detail is truly inspiring.The Belgian runs 165mm cranks, pictured here with extra golden features (Image credit: Aaron Borrill)Gearing comes compliments of a 54/41T, 10-33T drivetrain (Image credit: Aaron Borrill)Having changed teams for 2025, Remco is now riding a SRAM Red AXS-equipped machine rather than the Shimano Dura-Ace Di2-outfitted bike he raced on at Soudal-QuickStep. 51/48mm mixed-depth Roval Rapide CLX III wheels ensure a good mix of aerodynamics and weight (Image credit: Aaron Borrill)For the Tour de France, Remco has opted for a 54/41T, 10-33T gearing configuration, driven by 165mm cranks. As a Specialized rider, he meets sponsor obligations by using Roval Rapide CLX III wheels shod with 30mm Specialized Cotton TLR tyres. Other details/components include a Specialized S-Works Power Evo with Mirror saddle, a K-Edge computer mount and chain catcher, and Tacx Ciro bottle cages.As usual, he's using a slammed Roval Rapide integrated cockpit.All in, Evenepoel's 52cm S-Works Tarmac SL9 tipped our scales at 7.05kg complete with pedals, two bidons/cages and cycling computer.Frameset: S-Works Tarmac SL9 Fact 12r CarbonFork: S-Works Fact 12r CarbonCockpit: Roval RapideSeatpost: S-Works Tarmac SL9 CarbonGroupset: SRAM Red AXS 54/41T, 10-33TWheelset: Roval Rapide CLX IIITyres: Specialized Cotton TLR 30mmSaddle: Specialzied S-Works Power Evo with Mirror

Jonas Vingegaard said that he was lucky to only break his collarbone in the crash that took him out of the Tour de France, as he abandoned the race for the first time.The Visma-Lease a Bike rider, a two-time winner of the race, crashed on an innocuous bend on stage 15 of the race on Sunday, depriving the Tour of the man in second place.He was taken away in an ambulance for an X-ray, which confirmed that he had fractured his collarbone, and that he will need surgery."It's going surprisingly well," he told Danish TV station TV2 later. "It's of course very disappointing for us to end up like this, and for the Tour to end like this. But that's how cycling is. Luckily, it's only a broken collarbone."Of course it's a huge shame. We're disappointed, and I just hope the boys can now focus next week and hopefully win a stage or two."I just talked to my family a little bit. That was the most important thing for me. We've come up with a plan for what's going to happen now, and I've talked to some of the team. It's no use hanging your head. It just makes it worse."On Sunday evening, Visma-Lease a Bike reasoned that the crash might have happened because of the line the lead motorbike took through the corner."We maybe came into this roundabout a little too fast, and then my front wheel just slips. I can't do anything," Vingegaard said. "That's how cycling races are sometimes. It's just super annoying for us, to be honest."Maybe the motorcycle makes a mistake, but we can't trust the motorcycles. We have to have our own judgment," Vingegaard continued. "People make mistakes, and we can't change that now."In his yellow jersey press conference, Tadej Pogaar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) suggested that part of the reason for the crash could be that Vingegaard was woken at 2am by anti-doping testers."It is clear that it has not done anything good for it, you could say. Whether that is the reason, I dare not speculate. It may well have done something. I should not be able to say that," Vingegaard replied, however."I don't want to blame it on that, because it's a bicycle race, and crashes happen in bicycle races. So I don't dare answer that."

Just short of three years ago, the cycling world was stunned into silence by the news that two of the sports biggest teams Jumbo-Visma and Soudal Quick-Step were discussing an astonishing potential merger. A week later, talks fell through, and three years on, both teams remain their own separate outfits, and continue to win stages of the Tour de France.But the prospect of the teams joining forces was a sobering reminder of the fragile reality of cyclings economic model, in which teams are almost entirely reliant on sponsorship money just to survive. And with budgets increasing year-on-year, the fight to remain, let alone be competitive, in the WorldTour gets ever harder.So how, then, to react to the news that from next season, for the first time in 24 years Quick-Step would not be a title sponsor of Soudal Quick-Step? The flooring company is moving to a smaller sponsorship role that is likely to involve its logo being placed at the back of the teams bib shorts.Stepping up to replace Quick-Step in the teams name will be the Belgian shoes and protective equipment brand Safety Jogger, with the team being renamed to Soudal Safety Jogger from next season until 2028. Quick-Step reducing its investment comes just three months after journalist Daniel Benson reported that the team would end its 19-year partnership with Specialized bikes next season, with the Belgian team apparently set to ride Merida bikes.In just a few months, Jurgen For, who took over control of the team from Patrick Lefevere at the beginning of 2025, has essentially lost or partially lost in the case of Quick-Step two backers who have been inherently linked with the team throughout all or most of its existence.But nothing lasts forever. Life moves on, businesses evolve. Its the beginning of something new, For said, in response to being asked if it was the end of an era.Though the optics of losing Quick-Step as a main sponsor may look concerning, its also true that under Fors guidance, lead title sponsor Soudal, the womens teams main sponsor AG Insurance, and Quick-Step, albeit in a more minor role, have all committed to finance the team until 2030.The two companies behind the team are financially in good health and we have some reserves we can survive off in the loss of a particular sponsor for a certain period," For told Cycling Weekly.Our accounts are in a good shape, just like our riders, and that gives us a stable output. The agreements to 2030 with Soudal, AG Insurance and Quick-Step give us a long, stable outlook to build upon for the next four to five years. Zdenk [Bakala, the team's owner] is also a big supporter of the team so were in a good place as a team.In recent years, big multinational companies like Lidl, Decathlon and Red Bull have invested into cycling and taken controlling stakes of the teams they lend their name to. That has generally been accepted as an indication of cyclings apparent increase in popularity and attractiveness.But For is happy for his team not to go down that path. If we compare everything to Red Bull and Lidl, everyone can go home now, For said, more in reference to both teams greater budgets.We look to solid companies, companies who are investing and growing and have an important business to consumer component. If you're a Belgian-based company operating internationally [like Soudal and Safety Jogger], cycling sponsorship is a relevant way to support or boost your growth. And you can still be a relevant sponsor in cycling.We keep hold of our ownership which is important for the teams independence. Its a good thing that big sponsors enter the sport, but just because there are four big names in the sport right now, it doesnt mean all the rest of us should go home. We have autonomy to discuss and make choices for ourselves and thats a good situation to be in.Safety Jogger currently sits on the back of the team's bib shorts (Image credit: Getty Images)Cycling Weekly understands that the team is in talks with a bigger company to join Soudal as co-title sponsor from 2028, possibly replacing Safety Jogger ,who may be acting as a placeholder sponsor, though nothing is yet agreed.According to financial accounts available online, Safety Jogger is a smaller company than Quick-Step, but its general director, Tom Gybels told Cycling Weekly that the business had quadrupled its output in just four years. It was also hoping to sell 100 million products in the next five-to-10 years, a 400% increase from now.Dont underestimate the size of Safety Jogger. Were quite a big player globally and we can easily manage this investment and sponsorship, Gybels said. If you evolve from selling 6 million pieces to 20 million in a short period of time, its not like that growth and momentum is going to stop. We believe this [co-title sponsorship of the team] will be the next extra rocket to catapult us into a top-three place [worldwide in its sector].Less seriously, though Gybels laughed that I want totally yellow in reference to the 2027 Soudal Safety Jogger kit, For hinted that the teams blue, white and black livery wont change too much.Next to the Wolfpack [moniker] we have always been team blue and we are a tradition of teams, so blue will always be in the team colour, For said. We will stick to that. We are developing everything for next year and we will look nice and classy.

What do Mathieu van der Poel, Sren Wrenskjold and Mauro Schmid all have in common? If you said theyre all stage winners of this edition of the Tour de France youd be right. But theres also something else, a detail so subtle you might not have spotted on the TV: they all shave their arms. Though not a new practice, arm-shaving has seemingly become more common in big races. Cycling Weekly carried out a visual survey on the ground at this year's Tour, assessing riders' forearms as they passed through the pre-stage media zone, and found that around half of the peloton now shave their arms maybe even a slight majority.It got us wondering why. The advantages of smooth legs are well known in cycling less aerodynamic drag equals seconds saved but why the arms too? Their surface area is smaller, they dont block the air flow as much as the legs, and if the riders bike position is low enough, they barely poke up above the handlebars. Surely theres no point in shaving them? In search of answers, we asked the riders themselves. Caja Rural-Seguros RGA's Fernando Gaviria, a two-time Tour stage winner, said this is the first Tour for which he has shaved his arms. I spoke with [my team-mate, Alex] Molenaar about whether we should do or not, he said. Then we spent a night in the room and we said, Ok, lets do it. As a sprinter, Gavirias main motive is to go faster. Its just for more aerodynamics, the Colombian said. I dont feel the difference in the climbs. I get dropped all the same. But what does the science say? Is there an aero advantage? (Image credit: Getty Images)In 2015, bike brand Specialized carried out a test in their wind tunnel, and found that shaved arms saved 19 seconds over 40km. Though the study wasnt far-reaching (their sample size was a single rider), its conclusion was clear enough: the aero gains are small, negligible even, but they exist all the same. According to Casper von Folsach, performance director at Uno-X Mobility, the impact of arm-shaving is very individual, and depends on how much arm hair a rider has. Overall there is for sure a much more significant aero penalty in leg hairs as most people have more significant hair growth on their legs, legs make up a larger surface area and are more exposed, he said. But that doesn't mean there's not a difference for arm hairs. Its partly for this reason that the entirety of Von Folsachs Uno-X Mobility squad came to this years Tour with smooth arms. Gaviria did the same because he has a lot of hair on his body. But even riders who arent so naturally hirsute are shaving their forearms. This is because theres another, perhaps more important reason to do so, as stage 13s winner Schmid explained. It makes it a bit more clean in case you get a little road rash. Its not only for aero gains, the Jayco AlUla rider said. Its the same thing with the legs; in case you crash, I think it makes it much easier because then youre not ripping all the hairs out if you get bandages.Lotto Intermarchs Baptiste Veistroffer, this editions breakaway hero, concurs. Its because of crashing, firstly, he said. If you crash and you need to clean it, or you need surgery, its easier without hair. It was fortunate, then, that Gavirias arms were hairless when he crashed on stage 12, and shredded his skin on the asphalt.(Image credit: Getty Images)Veistroffer, pressed for more information on his arm-shaving habits, was understandably perplexed by Cycling Weekly's questioning. This is not expected, he laughed, but conceded he shaves his arms every one to two weeks only when Im racing, not when Im home. Conversely, Schmid doesnt shave his arms as routinely as he does his legs, and only originally did so to copy another rider. I think Marc Hirschi normally does it, and I saw him do it and thought, Maybe thats the reason why hes so good, he says. So there you have it: riders shave their arms for a few reasons, namely the perceived aero advantage, and for ease in case of road rash. Oh, and there's another minor reason, as Von Folsach points out. For what it's worth, many riders also report that sun screen application becomes easier, he said, so that's also something I guess.

Tom Pidcock was fined 400CHF (370, $500) and docked 20 seconds in the general classification of the Tour de France for pushing off a car on stage 15. The Pinarello Q36.5 rider was judged to have committed the offence twice during the stage, in which he spent more than 100km in the breakaway. Each offence carried a fine of 100CHF and a 10-second penalty in the general classification. Pidcock was also docked 30 points in the UCI rankings and eight points in the Tours mountains classification. The time penalty ultimately changed little for Pidcock, who is ninth in the overall standings going into Mondays rest day, nine minutes and five seconds clear of TotalEnergies rider Jordan Jegat in tenth. The last climb, the last 5km, I was crawling up, just trying to get to the top. Completely f***ed, he said after the stage, having crossed the line 13th, almost three minutes behind the winner atop the Plateau de Solaison, Remco Evenepoel (Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe). The Briton was part of the breakaway on Sunday for the third day in a row at the Tour. Im getting quite good at getting in the breakaways, he said. Has anyone ever been in the breakaway three days in a row in the top 10? I dont think so. Tadej can break loads of records but so can I. Pidcock was one of four riders fined on stage 15; Alex Baudin (EF Education-EasyPost) received a 500CHF (460, $620) fine for 'feeding on foot outside the feeding zone; Jan Tratnik (Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe) was fined 200CHF for a sticky bottle; and Tim van Dijke (Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe) was fined 200CHF for feeding from his team car in a fixed feeding zone. One other rider has been docked time at this year's Tour; Tobias Halland Johannessen (Uno-X Mobility) received a 20-second penalty on stage 10 for unauthorised feeding during the last 15km.

The body responsible for anti-doping in cycling has defended the nighttime tests carried out on Tadej Pogaar and Jonas Vingegaard at the Tour de France, saying they are part of "effective testing".On Sunday morning, ahead of stage 15, the pair were awoken Pogaar of UAE Team Emirates-XRG at 5am and Vingegaard of Visma-Lease a Bike at 2am by testers from the International Testing Agency (ITA). The UCI's anti-doping rules, Article 5.2, reads: "Unless the rider has identified a sixty minute testing window between the hours of 11:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m., or has otherwise consented to testing during that period, the UCI will not test a rider during that period unless it has a serious and specific suspicion that the Rider may be engaged in doping." A spokesperson for the ITA confirmed the unusual tests on Sunday evening, and defended the decision to test in the night, after it was criticised by Pogaar, Vingegaard and Remco Evenepoel (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe). Pogaar said he accepted the tests if they were necessary.Evenepoel, the winner of stage 15, said: "It's pretty disrespectful. To be honest, if I had it, I would send my team to wake them up to feel how it is. It's something inhuman, it's something that we should not accept as athletes."Vingegaard crashed out of the stage following the nighttime test, which Pogaar suggested was partly caused by the disturbed rest. He said: "In my interview with France TV, it got me thinking that it could be also like a small percentage why he crashed because he probably didn't sleep good today."A spokesperson for the ITA said: "The International Testing Agency (ITA) has been entrusted by the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) to implement its anti-doping program in an independent manner since 2021. The ITA can confirm that anti-doping controls were conducted overnight involving riders participating in the Tour de France."The ITA is conscious that night-time testing may be disruptive to riders' rest and recovery. Due consideration has therefore been given to minimise as much as possible the impact testing activities have on riders."However, the ITA, on behalf of the UCI, has the responsibility to ensure the effectiveness of the cycling anti-doping program and the integrity of cycling races. As such, effective testing must, in limited and justified circumstances, be capable to occur outside standard daytime hours. "All testing activities conducted at the Tour de France and at any other international events, including decisions as to the specific timing of such tests, are carried out in accordance with the ITAs testing strategy and subject to the safeguards established under the World Anti-Doping Code, the UCI Anti-Doping Rules and French law, with due consideration for riders welfare, equity and fundamental rights."