CyclistPro bike: Mads Pedersens golden jubilee Trek MadoneEveryone loves a custom paintjob, dont they?Well, to celebrate Treks 50th birthday, Mads Pedersen was sent a one-off Madone to mark the brands jubilee. The bike is awash with gold and silver, with Treks old logo even making an appearance on the frame.On board the birthday Madone, Pedersen rode to fifth place at the Tour of Flanders, finishing behind the all-star cast of Tadej Pogaar, Mathieu van der Poel, Remco Evenepoel and Wout van Aert.Photographer Xavier Pereyron was there to snap this one-off Trek Madone ahead of Pedersens ride at Sundays Tour of Flanders. Related Posts Pro bike: Demi Vollering's 2026 Flanders Specialized Tarmac SL8 Pro bike: Puck Pieterse's unreleased Canyon from the Tour of Flanders 2026 Pro bike: Tadej Pogaar's 2026 Ronde-winning Colnago Y1Rs The complete history of the Trek Madone Mads Pedersens Tour of Flanders 2026 Trek MadoneXavier PereyronTrek went back to basics using the old logo on the seat tube.Xavier PereyronThere are some vintage details towards the fork crown under Pedersens big stem.Xavier PereyronFifty years is deemed a golden anniversary. No surprise to see some of those tones sported here.Xavier PereyronFor weight purposes, I doubt any real gold was used in the making of these aero bottle cages.Xavier PereyronEven the small amount of exposed seatpost has been given the Midas touch.Xavier PereyronYou can just see it here, but Mads Pedersen rode SRAM Red 1x crankset at Flanders along with the Red XPLR rear derailleur and cassette.Xavier PereyronThe decals on Pedersens Aeolus RSL wheelset were also given a golden makeover. Sadly, Pirelli couldnt match that with the branding on these P-Zero Race RS tyres.Xavier PereyronHeres the birthday bike in action, as Pedersen leads the chase to the race leaders. Nonetheless, a fifth place to celebrate a 50th birthday feels appropriate.The post Pro bike: Mads Pedersens golden jubilee Trek Madone appeared first on Cyclist.

CyclistTour of Flanders bikes 2026: The new Endurace, SRAM Red XPLR and lots of 1xCobbled Classics season is tech watch season, and while Roubaix takes the biscuit though Cyclist tech editor Sam Challis has perfected the Roubaix build Flanders is a good warm-up, with teams having to blend cobble-friendly comfort features with low weight components for the steep bergs.Photographer Xavier Pereyron got stuck in in Oudenaarde to snap the pelotons bikes, and got ahead of the curve catching the womens bikes at Dwars door Vlaanderen mid-week too.Expect tyres averaging 30mm, lots of 1x cranksets and some made-for-gravel components too. Oh and the new Endurace up close before its official launch. Related Posts Pro bike: Demi Vollering's 2026 Flanders Specialized Tarmac SL8 Pro bike: Puck Pieterse's unreleased Canyon from the Tour of Flanders 2026 Pro bike: Tadej Pogaar's 2026 Ronde-winning Colnago Y1Rs The best photos from the Tour of Flanders 2026 Xavier PereyronWe kick things off with this actually very nice BH of team Burgos Burpellet BH, who set the tone with 30mm Pirelli P Zero Race RS tyres and aero chainrings.Xavier PereyronFlanders-Baloise are still flying the flag for Eddy Merckx bikes with maybe overly cautious 32mm Vittoria Corsa Pros. Whatever happened to underbiking? Romance is dead. Also remember that seat tube shape, itll be important for later.Xavier PereyronUno-X switched to SRAM over the winter and were making full use of that in Flanders, with aero 1x chainrings all over. They even used SRAMs gravel specialist Red XPLR AXS parts for the wide-range cassette and tough Direct Mount derailleur.Jonas Abrahamsens bike pictured here also has a nice WolfTooth chain catcher and the team were using Continentals Aero 111 front tyre and GP5000 S TR rear.Xavier PereyronNSN Cycling were using Continentals 30mm Tour de France special Archetype tyres, which were developed with Tadej Pogaar. If you cant beat himXavier PereyronEF Education-EasyPost also switched to SRAM this year and made the same choices as Uno-X with that single chainring and SRAM Red XPLR AXS rear derailleur and cassette. Like most of these 1x setups, this one has a 54t chainring.Xavier PereyronBack to the old school, Picnic-PostNL are sponsored by Shimano, who dont currently have a roadworthy 1x system though Pogaar did use custom chainrings to go 1x at Milan-San Remo. Which team also hasnt won a race all year? Picnic-PostNL.Interestingly theyve scribbled out the spec on their Michelin tyres.Xavier PereyronPinarello-Q36.5 were Pidcockless but they did get 12th place courtesy of Aim De Gendt. Their Pinarellos were fitted with 30mm Vittoria Corsa Pro tyres and interestingly they didnt go 1x despite being on SRAM.Xavier PereyronAnthony Turgiss TotalEnergies swapped Enve for Cube this year, so its a similar setup to Intermarchs 2025 bikes.Xavier PereyronIneos had Sam Watson and Magnus Sheffield both riding well in the front group until they crashed out. The team are Shimano sponsored so were using full Dura-Ace groupset and had Continental GP5000 tyres on their new-for-2025 Scope wheels.Xavier PereyronWatsons British National Champions bike is easy to spot.Xavier PereyronUnibet Rose Rockets talisman Luk Kubi has an eyecatching Slovakian National Champion themed Rose bike. They were also on the SRAM 1x and Red XPLR AXS combo and were using 30mm Vittoria Corsa Pros. He changed shoes for the race, fear not.Xavier PereyronBianchi will be enjoying their return to the WorldTour with Bahrain Victorious. Matej Mohori rode his Oltre (not this one) to eighth place in Flanders. There isnt much room for wider tyres in there.Xavier PereyronSoudal-QuickSteps Specialized tyres are going under the radar with no model name. Xavier PereyronYou can spot Daan Hooles bikes a long way away with that enormous head tube. Hes 6ft 6in if youre interested.Xavier PereyronMads Pedersen had the fortune of riding a new limited edition design on his Madone, which has been put together to celebrate Treks 50th anniversary. Behind that gloss Lidl-Trek were also running SRAM 1x and XPLR AXS.Xavier PereyronLottos normal Orbea Orca Aero looks rather boring in comparison to that Madone, and their 30mm Vittoria Corsa Pros are pushing that tyre clearance very close.Xavier PereyronSRAM-sponsored team. SRAM 1x. SRAM Red XPLR AXS. 54t chainring. There is definitely a theme. 30mm Vittora Corsa Pro tyres another theme.Xavier PereyronTudor are another that didnt get the 1x memo though. They did have Matteo Trentin going well until he crashed badly.Xavier PereyronYes that is Mathieu van der Poels lower half. Yes that is the Canyon Aeroad stay tuned for the new Endurace, which he wasnt using. His all black rims indicate these are unreleased Shimano Dura-Ace wheels though.Xavier PereyronDont think there was any danger of getting lost.Xavier PereyronLightly dusted.Xavier PereyronHere is the new Endurace, ridden to third in the womens race by Puck Pieterse.Xavier PereyronThis is a good angle for comparison between this new bike and the Aeroad below.Xavier PereyronXavier PereyronAnd theres your confirmation it is an Endurace.Xavier PereyronPlease dont press start. Please dont press start the rest of the peloton, probably.Xavier PereyronPogaar has racked up quite the collection of wins on the Y1Rs. Find the full breakdown of his bike here.Xavier PereyronLotte Kopecky and her SD Worx team are also using the unlabelled Specialized tyres. This and the following pictures of womens bikes were taken at Dwars door Vlaanderen earlier in the week, but the tech wont have been changed much if at all.Xavier PereyronElisa Longo Borghini and her UAE Team ADQ teammates do frequently use the V5Rs, which is good news for the bikes developers given Pogaar only rode it for about ten minutes before the Y1Rs came along.Xavier PereyronThe only Factors left in the WorldTour belong to the Human Powered Health womens team. No Factor One for Flanders, it was Ostros all round.Xavier PereyronKathrin Schweinberger didnt ride Flanders, but her Austrian National Champs bike we spotted at Dwars door is rather fetching.Xavier PereyronThe new EnviLiv, the womens equivalent of the Giant Propel is now light enough to be a true all-round race bike for Liv-AlUla-Jayco.Xavier PereyronFor the full breakdown of Demi Vollerings Euro Champs bike click here.Xavier PereyronFor those who dont need to know when the climbs are coming and when to feed.Xavier PereyronLidl-Trek were already testing the SRAM setup earlier in the week with Loes Adegeest getting the full works.Xavier PereyronAs did Uno-Xs womens team, with Linda Zanetti on the same setup as the men including the aero front tyre.Xavier PereyronWhile Astana dont have a womens team, they do have a technical and sporting parternship with Basque team Laboral Kutxa-Euskadi, whose X-Lab bikes have this pink and white paintjob.Xavier PereyronAlong with some cool detailing on the inside of the fork.Xavier PereyronIrish rider Fiona Mangans Mayenne Monbana My Pie squad rides this bling Winspace bike, with the brands Lun Hyper wheels with carbon spokes along with Hutchinson Blackbird Racing Lab tyres.The post Tour of Flanders bikes 2026: The new Endurace, SRAM Red XPLR and lots of 1x appeared first on Cyclist.

CyclistI dont remember the last time I got my VO2 max tested: Tadej Pogaar Q&ACyclist: Youre not from a cycling background. How did you get involved in the sport when you were younger?Tadej Pogaar: My parents were playing a lot of amateur volleyball, and one of the people they played with each week was the coach at a cycling team for young boys called Radenska. He was great friends with my parents so he recruited my brother first and then I followed.Who were your cycling heroes growing up?I always just wanted to beat my brother. I looked up to everybody in the Tour de France. Id wish that I was on the start line with a cool bike, white bar tape, white shoes, white saddle and Oakleys. It was just this glamorous dream rather than having riders idolised on my bedroom wall. I was dreaming about being on TV, riding a bike.Youve now got four Tour titles under your belt. What would it mean to win a fifth Tour de France and equal the record of great legends before?It would just be another win for me. In my head I reset after every year, so Im always starting from zero mentally. If I win the Tour again, it would be just as good as the other four.How do you celebrate big results like a Grand Tour or Monument victory?The first time I won Flanders I lost three hours to podium ceremonies, doping control and media interviews. When I got back to the bus, half the team was gone. People had flights, went home or were recovering for the next race. We couldnt really celebrate, even though we had just won a Monument, so I got on a flight and went home.We win a lot with UAE Team Emirates-XRG and if we were to party after every race win I dont think we would win as often. So we congratulate each other and live in that moment with the adrenaline. In the last few years I have learned that this is enough.Is it any different after you win a Tour de France, for example?When it comes to the Tour, the celebrations are a little different. Were riding for three weeks, but theres also the staff, sponsors and organisers who want to have a day off after the Tour. We normally have a nice dinner in Paris and celebrate with the sponsors. Its a long night after the podium ceremonies and speeches. Its not like we can just go out and blow off some steam with the boys. Its still a formal celebration. The off-season is the time that we can actually relax and celebrate the season.You mentioned the length of podium ceremonies. If you could change one thing about professional cycling, what would it be?There are too many things. Podium ceremonies are really nice, but if you win you spend a long time talking with the media and getting extra attention. I had to do this so many times at the Tour de France with both the white and yellow jersey, it got really tiring.I cant think too deeply about these kinds of things otherwise I would just be complaining, and I dont want to complain because I have a good life in pro cycling. Related Posts Pro bike: Tadej Pogaar's 2026 Ronde-winning Colnago Y1Rs Opinion: Tadej Pogaars Milan-San Remo victory is his finest win yet We created the anti-Pogaar Tour de France route Tadej Pogaar interview: Light is the crown Many people are calling you the GOAT: the greatest of all time greater than Eddy Merckx. How do you feel about that?Ive stopped paying attention to it. Its getting annoying being compared to somebody who was racing back in the 70s. It just doesnt feel natural to me because I wasnt even alive then.I was born in 1998. It feels nice at first when somebody calls you the greatest of all time, but then again, everybody has their own opinion. There will always be somebody who praises you, and somebody who says youre shit. In the last few years I have started to mind my own business, so my mind isnt thinking about all this nonsense when I race. I try to stay away from social media because its much easier for me when I do that.Whats left for you to win?If I dont win anything else, I would be happy with my palmars. The main thing for me is that I can still enjoy the bike and enjoy racing. I want it to stay like this for the next few years. I think I could achieve these results for many more years, but there is no one particular race I still think I need to win.Who are your favourite riders to race against at the moment?I would say Mathieu van der Poel and Remco Evenepoel are my two favourite riders to race against, because theyre pure racers. They have such good character on the bike and they ride with so much passion. Thats what I really value. I cant only say them, though. I also like to race against all the sprinters and Classics riders, and Jonas [Vingegaard], of course. I think we have a good bunch right now.Theres so much talk about FTP and VO2 max these days. Do you know your stats?I dont know them. I dont remember the last time I got my VO2 max tested. As for my FTP, I find that a bit bullshit. Every coach and expert will claim it differently. My coach has a good way to assess how hard I should train. I follow that and dont mind about my threshold. Obviously those numbers will be high, but I couldnt tell you what they are.What do you want your legacy to be when you retire?Im not going to get grey hairs worrying about what people think about me after my career. But cycling has given me so much, so I want to give back with my foundation and the Pogi Team, which helps young riders. I hope people will see me as a good guy and not an idiot on the bike. I dont care if they remember what I win or not, I just want them to see me as a good person.The 2027 Tour de France will start in the UK? Are you looking forward to the British Grand Dpart?I havent seen the routes yet, but I think its going to be pretty cool. Ive heard some stories about last time and it sounded awesome. If I race the Tour next year I will be happy to be there.If you werent a pro cyclist, what would you be doing in your life right now?Id probably not be doing much of anything. I dont think Id be very successful at anything else, so Im really lucky to have cycling.How do you pass the time off the bike?Theres more and more coffee in my life. Its getting out of hand. I also really enjoy cars, but theres no time for that at the moment.The post I dont remember the last time I got my VO2 max tested: Tadej Pogaar Q&A appeared first on Cyclist.

CyclistFaveros Assioma PRO RL power meter pedals are second to noneFavero, the Italian leader in power meter technology renowned for designing the most accurate pedal-based power meters on the market, has just launched the new Assioma PRO RL pedals, which complete the brands well-known Assioma PRO range with a Look-compatible system.The Favero Assioma PRO RL follows the PRO MX off-road power pedals and PRO RS SPD SL-compatible power pedals to create a rounded range that caters for both road and gravel cyclists.Not only that though, the PRO RL comes in with a host of stand-out features including its 130g per pedal total weight, which makes it the lightest adjustable Look-compatible power meter on the market.The pedals are priced at 389 for the Assioma PRO RL-UP, 399 for the Assioma PRO RL-1 and 649 for the top-end Assioma PRO RL-2.Key featuresThe lightest adjustable Look-compatible power meter 130g per pedalEasy maintenance and replacement of pedal body with all electronics in the patented spindleUp to 160 hours battery life on a single charge the longest of all power meter pedals+/-1% accuracy53mm Q-factorWide contact surfaceAdjustable release tension rangeFavero cleats provide 30% more grip and come in various floating degreesPedal body made from technopolymer reinforced with carbon fibreAdvanced metrics such as: PCO, which detects how force is distributed across the pedal stroke; PP, which shows which part of the pedal stroke generates torque; plus rider position, pedal smoothness and torque effectivenessHow it worksOne of Faveros biggest wins is that it houses not only the rechargeable batteries and electronic components but also force sensors in its patented stainless steel spindle, which is hermetically sealed. That protects the technology, strain gauges and rechargeable battery from dirt, dust, mud, moisture and water (as the pedals have an IP67 protection rating), and also ensures that the pedal body is free from electronics. This design makes it incredibly easy for users to maintain and replace the pedal bodies, with only basic tools required.The patented spindle is identical to the one used in the PRO MX and PRO RS pedals, which allows for easy interchangeability between pedal bodies in just a few minutes.Favero uses the IAV Power System, which stands for Instant Angular Velocity; it calculates power based on the real instantaneous angular velocity using a three-axis gyroscope, which detects the trend of the angular velocity with all its variations, and factors that into power calculation. This increases the overall accuracy to +/-1% and guarantees the same precision in real-world pedalling conditions.Why is that data essential?Pedalling is never regular or homogeneous think about sprinting, climbing etc IAV takes that into account, detecting all pedalling variations and factors it into the power calculation. Thats where Favero stands out from most power meters, which calculate power on the basis of the average angular speed per pedalling revolution, working on the false assumption that pedalling is always regular and uniform.The most important contributions that Faveros data provides goes way beyond riders just chasing power metrics, its series of metrics will contribute to gains in technique and even bike fit too. Platform Center Offset (PCO) tells the rider how their force is distributed across the pedal body to identify inefficiency and highlight both incorrect cleat positioning and muscle imbalances. Thats an essential data point for regular riders to adjust their setups as well as their pedalling technique to make their riding more comfortable, more efficient and pain- and injury-free.Other metrics include Power Phase (PP), which tells riders which parts of the pedal stroke are generating positive torque (another way to help technique), Rider Position (RP) can tell the time spent seated and standing, and Pedal Smoothness (PS) and Torque Effectiveness (TE) show left/right imbalances, which again will alert riders to possible technique and fit improvements.Lightweight, adjustable, comfortable, efficientBeyond the electronics, Faveros spindle technology allows the Italian company to improve the pedals themselves.The headline of the Assioma PRO RL may be its market-leading weight, but a closer look reveals its impressive 755mm2 wide contact surface area, enhancing stability, comfort and power transfer efficiency. Along with that, a reduced stack height of just 10.5mm further supports pedalling efficiency and power output. And despite housing so much advanced technology within the spindle, it maintains a standard 53mm Q-factor.On top of that, the body itself is made from a technopolymer reinforced with carbon fibre, to keep weight low and to strengthen the pedals, boosting resistance to cracking and deformation.The eagle-eyed will also noticed Faveros inclusion of the term adjustable in the Assioma PRO RLs selling points. That comes from its pedal design that includes an adjustable release tension range, making the Look system more personalised for the riders preference, and the pedal also come with Look-compatible Favero cleats, which have 30% more grip than other options and come in different degrees of float to help each rider tune their fit and feel even more.Finally, its also worth noting that the USB-C rechargeable battery charges fast, adding 15 hours with just a 15-minute charge, and the total life is up to a whopping 160 hours from just one full charge thats unmatched among power meter pedals.The optionsFavero sells the Assioma PRO RL in two models, dual-sided power pedals (Favero Assioma PRO RL-2) for 640, and single-sided power pedals (Favero Assioma PRO RL-1) for 399. Both models provide the same benefits, with the only difference being that the single-sided version collects data from the left pedal only. However, the only data omitted is the left/right balance. If you want to move from single- to dual-sided, Favero does provide an upgrade (Favero Assioma PRO RL-UP) for 389.To buy yours or to find out more, visit cycling.favero.com Related Posts Favero Assioma PRO RS power pedals: One for the road Favero Assioma Pro RS SPD-SL power-equipped pedals: First look Discover Faveros game-changing Assioma Pro MX power meter pedal system The post Faveros Assioma PRO RL power meter pedals are second to none appeared first on Cyclist.

CyclistTech Talk: Ive built the bike to win Paris-RoubaixThis article has been taken from a previous edition of tech editor Sam Challiss fortnightly newsletter, Tech Talk, which has a focus that hops between his thoughts on the latest kit to be featured by Cyclist and wider tech trends that people are talking about, or should be talking about. Clickhereto get Tech Talk directly to your inbox.Paris-Roubaix is my favourite race of the year. It isnt just because of the hugely unpredictable and exciting racing, but also because equipment choice has always been a unique conundrum. Optimise for 100km of smooth main roads, followed by 160km of winding farm tracks interspersed with 29 secteurs of brutal pav? Its an impossible equation that the tech nerd in me loves seeing the solutions for.Setups might have tempered from the wild designs of yesteryear (remember that prototype, full-suspension Bianchi that broke under Museeuw in 1994?), but even with todays ultra-capable equipment, the Paris-Roubaix pits remain a source of ingenious and non-standard kit selection.It does often get me thinking about how I would go about building a bike if I were to race Paris-Roubaix. Due to the restrictions of sponsorship agreements, entrenched team agendas and even individual rider superstitions, I think stones are still being left unturned. Im going out on a limb: I could put together a bike that suits the race better than any that will take to the start line on Sunday.Tyres are probably the most crucial part of the puzzle, so lets start with them. Id opt for something like Vittorias new 38mm wide Corsa Pro Controls. 38mm pushes things just about as large as they go without falling foul of the UCIs 700mm max wheel+tyre diameter rule. Early ultra-wide slicks had a bulkier construction than their narrower counterparts despite being named as the same tyre, but the latest crop are the same in construction, just wider. That helps mitigate the increase in weight, and if paired with the emerging tech that controls pressure on the fly, such as Gravaas KAPS system, they could be pumped up for the beginning of the race for a fast roll and let down when the cobbles start, for bump absorption, to get the best of both worlds. Its something that narrower tyres dont have the volume to do to the same extent. Admittedly, Gravaa has recently been declared bankrupt, but reports of interested parties looking to resurrect the brand plus with rumours of competing systems on the horizon as well mean I dont think well be without this technology for long.Lizzie CrabbId then mount those Vittorias on Zipps 303 XPLR SW wheels. The ETRTO might have something to say about that, but official compatibility issues aside, the wheels have the rim width to pair smoothly with wide tyres. Ive said since their release that the XPLR SW wheels would make better all-road aero wheels that they do gravel wheels (for reasons I delve into in my review), so this seems like an ideal application for them. I wont claim to know much about aerodynamics, but I at least understand that neat transitions between tyre and rim do generally result in cleaner airflow.Given the high speeds the race is ridden at, an equally aero frame is a must, but the width of tyre+wheel pairing Ive gone for rules out all road race frames. Therefore Id choose 3Ts RaceMax2, which puts together aero styling with wide clearances perhaps better than any other bike on the market.Gearing has to be 1x. Its considered to be more aero than 2x (having no inner chainring or front derailleur), and the races course accumulates next to no elevation, so gearing range isnt an issue. That being the case, Id opt for SRAMs Red XPLR AXS. For a while Id have had no choice; it was the only choice on the market as a wireless 13-speed 1x system. Campagnolo has since released its Super Record 13 family, which includes 1x options and means SRAM has competition in the category, but Id still lean towards SRAM.Campagnolo offers more cassette options and SRAMs single 10-46t block is perhaps overkill in terms of range, but its 13 sprockets still ensure adequate gear steps, and the large sprockets do at least mean you could run one of SRAMs huge aero chainrings for drivetrain efficiency gains. SRAMs rock-solid full-mount interface would hold up well in a cobbles crash as well. Related Posts Paris-Roubaix tech gallery 2025: 1x chainrings, Cervlo Soloist and Gravaa tyre pressure adjuster Big Ride: Flanders vs Roubaix Photo Essay: The brutal reality of Paris-Roubaix Paris-Roubaix 2025 preview: Routes, favourites, how to watch, start lists and history 3T offers its More integrated stem for the RaceMax, so thatll do there, then Id perhaps go left-field for the bars, using Profile Designs Canta model. The aerofoil tops, long reach and narrow width (they have been designed to push the limits of UCI rules) should coax some extra speed via a more aggressive body position.So there we have it: my Roubaix winning bike. Now I just need to find an extra 200 watts for my FTP and a WorldTour contract, and Ill have that cobble on my mantelpiece in no time.The post Tech Talk: Ive built the bike to win Paris-Roubaix appeared first on Cyclist.

CyclistPro bike: Demi Vollerings 2026 Flanders Specialized Tarmac SL8FDJ United-Suez wreaked havoc during the womens Tour of Flanders on Sunday while setting up Demi Vollering for a race-winning attack up the Oude Kwaremont.With that move, Vollering claimed her first Tour of Flanders title and the third Monument of her career. This continues a consistent streak in the Classics, which has seen the Dutchwoman finish within the top two at every cobbled race shes entered in 2026. In other words, the ideal preparation for a Tour de France bid in August.Xavier Pereyron snapped Vollerings bike ahead of Dwars door Vlaanderen last week. She finished second in that race, but she kept her equipment unchanged for her victory at the Tour of Flanders the following Sunday. Related Posts Pro bike: Puck Pieterse's unreleased Canyon from the Tour of Flanders 2026 Pro bike: Tadej Pogaar's 2026 Ronde-winning Colnago Y1Rs The best photos from the Tour of Flanders 2026 Pro bike: Demi Vollering's Euro-themed 2026 Specialized Tarmac SL8 Demi Vollerings 2026 Classics Specialized Tarmac SL8The Tarmac SL8 is expected to have a revamp soon, but for now Vollering is still on her trusty SL8. With her close relationship with Specialized, you can be sure shell be one of the first to get her hands on the new bike.Xavier PereyronThe clearance for the Tarmac SL8 is 32mm, the same width used by Vollering throughout the cobbled Classics.Xavier PereyronLike at Strade Bianche, Vollering was using Specializeds new Cotton TLR tyres in a 32mm width.Xavier PereyronAs European champion, Vollering gets to enjoy the Euro stripes around the fork. No such details can be found on the hub, on the other hand.Xavier PereyronThe European champion was sporting a 54/40T crankset during her second-place finish at Dwars door VlaanderenXavier PereyronIs your cassette as clean as this? I doubt it.Xavier PereyronHere she is in action. She attacked away on the Oude Kwaremont and remained solo all the way to Oudenaarde.The post Pro bike: Demi Vollerings 2026 Flanders Specialized Tarmac SL8 appeared first on Cyclist.

Cyclist6 talking points from the Tour of Flanders 2026The Tour of Flanders took over Easter weekend, with Tadej Pogaar rising to the challenge from Mathieu van der Poel and taking his third Ronde van Vlaanderen title to equal the record for most victories in the race. After hed done the business on the mens side, FDJ United-Suez laid down the law in the womens race, with Demi Vollering mirroring Pogaar in going solo from the Oude Kwaremont to victory her first Flanders title.Here are the six key takeaways from the second Monument of the season.Mens raceOne step closer to total Pogaar dominationXavier PereyronAfter Tadej Pogaar accelerated on the Oude Kwaremont, the crme de la crme came to the fore in an initial leading group of the World Champion himself, Mathieu van der Poel, Wout van Aert, Remco Evenepoel and Mads Pedersen. This quickly whittled down to just Pogaar and Van der Poel, with the Dutchman then sliding off Pogaars wheel after an unmatchable acceleration on the final ascent of the Oude Kwaremont. Pogaars lead would only stretch from there, as he notched his third win out of three so far this year after his Strade Bianche and Milan-San Remo successes.With Milan-San Remo and the Tour of Flanders under his belt this season, and Lige-Bastogne-Lige and Il Lombardia having been near-habitual victories for him in recent years, only Paris-Roubaix now seems to be standing in his way in terms of cyclings five Monuments. Could 2026 mark the year Pogaar wins all of them?Remco Evenepoel makes the podium on debutXavier PereyronA lot was said about Evenepoels participation in the Tour of Flanders (and the secrecy around it in the lead-up), and as a result he made his debut to much fanfare. After all, a Belgian rider hasnt won the mens race since Philippe Gilbert in 2017, and the Olympic road and time-trial champion took to the start having had a mixed season so far with uncharacteristic struggles in small stage races.When Pogaar attacked and Van der Poel followed in Flanders, Evenepoel put up a strong fight attempting stay on their wheels but remained in no mans land for what much have felt like a never-ending period of suffering. At times, he was so close he could see them, but Pogaar simply increased his own pace when he saw Evenepoel in his rear-view and eventually the Belgian reached his limit. He crossed the line third, 37 seconds down on second placed Van der Poel but ahead of experienced cobble contenders Van Aert and Pedersen. Not bad for a debut.Next up for the Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe riders is the Ardennes. No train delay for the breakawayChaos in Flanders as a train splits the bunch in two The break carry on unhindered and make more work for UAE Team Emirates pic.twitter.com/AG8gQtmIEi Cycling on TNT Sports (@cyclingontnt) April 5, 2026 A level crossing on the course closed with 212km to go in the race, splitting the main peloton while the breakaway continued several minutes up the road.Race director Scott Sunderland ensured those in the peloton that had made it through slowed down, allowing the rest of the group including Van der Poel to be reabsorbed, but reports suggest they may be in trouble with the local police for jumping the red light. Related Posts The best photos from the Tour of Flanders 2026 Pro cycling winners and losers in March Itzulia Basque Country 2026 preview: Route, favourites, how to watch and start list Womens raceDemi Vollering notches first Flanders winXavier PereyronDemi Vollering added another Monument to her palmars with her first Tour of Flanders title. The European Champion entered as one of the clear favourites as per usual after winning Omloop Nieuwsblad and finishing second at the mini-Flanders of Dwars door Vlaanderen. Her previous best result was second place to then-teammate Lotte Kopecky in 2023, so this win has been due.Teammate Franziska Koch was MVP of the day, vital in positioning and driving the pace. Eventually, Vollering made her move on the final ascent of the Oude Kwaremont and was never seen again. Behind, Pauline Ferrand-Prvot and Puck Pieterse formed a cooperative partnership to complete the podium.Young stars shineXavier Pereyron23-year-old Pieterse finished third after yet another strong performance. So far this year shes raced to sixth at Strade Bianche, fifth at Trofeo Oro and fourth at Milan-San Remo. Last season she was even stronger in the Ardennes after a similarly strong performance, winning La Flche Wallonne. Shell surely be even tougher to beat this year.Canyon-SRAM-Zondacryptos Zoe Bckstedt came home in a hugely impressive fifth, finishing just behind Lotte Kopecky in the sprint for the line. The Brit is only 21 years of age and a performance like this will strike fear in the rest of the peloton. Bckstedt has been at the pointy end of the past few races, and still has her favourite race to come in Paris-Roubaix a race her dad won in 2004.Cyclist Magazine Podcast: Zoe Bckstedt Why I love Sundays in HellUAE Team ADQ: Strong but unable to get the job doneXavier PereyronUAE Team ADQ ended up with three riders in the top ten, a familiar occurance so far in 2026. Karlijn Swinkels led them in, finishing sixth in the third group on the road, with Silvia Persico and Elisa Longo Borghini crossing the line a few seconds later. While they had numbers, the execution was not there to trouble the podium. It will be slightly disappointing for the team, but with team leader Longo Borghini struggling with illness in recent weeks it wont have been too much of a surprise.Read more: Its time for UAE Team ADQ to kick things up a notchInjuries, crashes and abandonsXavier PereyronMany riders would ultimately abandon the Tour of Flanders after crashing. Most notably, Marlen Reusser suffered a fractured vertabra and Kim Le Court-Pienaar fractured her wrist in a crash just prior to the Koppenberg. Lorena Wiebes, meanwhile, crashed twice but managed to avoid serious injury.In the mens race, Matteo Trentin, Magnus Sheffield and Sam Watson were all looking strong near the front of the race when they crashed, with Trentin breaking his collarbone.The post 6 talking points from the Tour of Flanders 2026 appeared first on Cyclist.

CyclistPro bike: Tadej Pogaars 2026 Ronde-winning Colnago Y1RsTwo-time world champion Tadej Pogaar got his cobbled Classics campaign off to a flying start last weekend with a third career win at the Tour of Flanders. Now with the first cobbled obstacle dealt with, all eyes are on Paris-Roubaix, where he could pick up a fifth consecutive Monument to complete the full set.For Flanders, the UAE Team Emirates-XRG leader opted, as usual, for Colnagos aero bike, the Y1Rs. Unique for its seagull-shaped cockpit, bayonet fork and seatpost junction, the bike has been the Slovenians weapon of choice since last years Tour de France. However, this was his first Tour of Flanders victory on the bike, as he rode the old V4Rs during his previous triumphs. However this is now his third consecutive Monument victory with the Y1Rs.Pro photographer Xavier Pereyron caught up with the race-winning bike after Pogaars Flanders victory in Oudenaarde. Related Posts The best photos from the Tour of Flanders 2026 Pro bike: Tadej Pogaar's Strade Bianche-winning Colnago Y1Rs Tour de France bike: Tadej Pogaar's new raw-carbon Colnago Y1Rs Pro bike: Tadej Pogaar's Tour of Flanders Colnago V4Rs Tadej Pogaars Tour of Flanders Colnago Y1RsXavier PereyronPogaars Y1Rs has a more exposed paintjob this year after he first debuted the raw carbon at last years Tour de France. This saves a couple of hundred grams from the build.Xavier PereyronOn the whole, his equipment looks similar to Strade Bianche. The difference seems to be shallower rims.Xavier PereyronThe Y1Rss bayonet fork is only slightly mud-splattered here, and those tyres are close to the limit of the bikes clearance. Could he squeeze in any bigger for Roubaix?Xavier PereyronIt doesnt look as though he needed any thicker bar tape for this one, well see how much that changes for Roubaix.Xavier PereyronPogaar rode a custom Fizik saddle, presumably moulded to the same shape as the one seen at Strade Bianche a few weeks ago. The difference here is the angle of the saddle. It looks much flatter than at Strade.Xavier PereyronThe raw carbon was hidden underneath dirt after Sundays race.Xavier PereyronDoes Pogaar hold the record for the most races spent with the number one dossard? Someone let me know.Xavier PereyronThe Slovenian was rolling on a pair of Continental GP5000 TT tyres and an Enve SES 4.5 wheelset.Xavier PereyronHeres what his chainstay looked like before the race. A little less mucky, lets say that.Xavier PereyronSimilarly, the Carbon-Ti chain rings on his spare bike looked pristine. Hes been riding this crankset model for some time now.The post Pro bike: Tadej Pogaars 2026 Ronde-winning Colnago Y1Rs appeared first on Cyclist.

CyclistPro bike: Puck Pieterses unreleased Canyon from the Tour of Flanders 2026While Mathieu van der Poel opted for his trusty Canyon Aeroad at the Tour of Flanders, Puck Pieterse was spotted on the new, unreleased Canyon as she rode to a podium finish on Sunday.This wasnt the first time the bike had been seen in the Classics, either. Movistar, Alpecin and Fenix-Premier Tech riders have been using this frameset intermittently throughout the Flemish Classics, including for Van der Poels E3 victory last month.Rumours suggest the bike is an updated version of the brands Endurace, which has typically sat between the aero and endurance categories. The frame looks radically different to the previous model however, with aero-friendly tubes, dropped seatstays and a whopping great head tube. On close inspection, the clearance looks more generous than the Aeroad.Photographer Xavier Pereyron took a closer look while Puck Pieterse took to the podium. Related Posts The best photos from the Tour of Flanders 2026 Pro bike: Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney's Strade Bianche 2026 Canyon Aeroad CFR Pro bike: Mathieu van der Poel's Paris-Roubaix 2025 Canyon Aeroad Puck Pieterses unreleased CanyonXavier PereyronReports suggest this is a new version of Canyons Endurace CFR, which was last updated in the summer of 2023.Xavier PereyronThe cockpit looks to be the same as the Aeroad in this photo, with its one-piece setup and aerofoil profile. On the other hand, some of the rumoured Enduraces have been fitted with a different cockpit. Those adopt a V-shape, close to the ones on Meridas updated Reacto and Colnagos Y1Rs.Xavier PereyronIf it is an Endurace, the head tube is far deeper than its predecessor. This follows a trend of aero optimisations enabled by a UCI regulation change to permitted tube profiles.Xavier PereyronThe clearance looks more generous on this unreleased bike than on the Aeroad, which officially maxes out at 32mm.Xavier PereyronJudging from the SP0077 code on the seatpost, its the same as the one fitted on the Aeroad. Its much deeper and streamlined than that on the previous Endurace.Xavier PereyronLess notably, Pieterse rode a Shimano Dura-Ace C50 wheelset with a pair of Pirelli P-Zero Race TLR RS tyres. Dont worry, neither are secret.The post Pro bike: Puck Pieterses unreleased Canyon from the Tour of Flanders 2026 appeared first on Cyclist.

CyclistThe best photos from the Tour of Flanders 2026Just like that, the stone has been rolled back and the Flemish Week has come to a conclusion following Sundays Tour of Flanders.Rising to the Monument occasion, Tadej Pogaar sprung a move off the Oude Kwaremont, leaving Mathieu van der Poel in his wake. The Slovenian would continue on to win his third Flanders title, with Van der Poel second and Tour of Flanders debutant Remco Evenepoel in third.In the womens race, the Tour de France favourites prevailed once more. Demi Vollering profited from the same launchpad as her European champion contemporary Pogaar. And like Pogaar, she wouldnt be caught, leaving reigning Tour champion Pauline Ferrand-Prvot and Puck Pieterse to complete the podium spots.Photographer Xavier Pereyron was on the ground for the mens and womens races, crossing the country in search of these yellow jersey names-come-Classics contenders. Related Posts The best photos from the Women's CiCLE Classic Pro bike: Tadej Pogaar's Strade Bianche-winning Colnago Y1Rs The best photos from men's Strade Bianche 2026 Xavier PereyronThe race returned to Antwerp after a year in Bruges.Xavier PereyronUntil Sunday, Pogaar hadnt won a Monument as World Champion with black shorts.Xavier PereyronRemco Evenepoel announced his participation just four days before the Tour of Flanders.Xavier PereyronBeers, bergs and Belgians. It must be Flanders.Xavier PereyronThe Lion of Flanders (the flag, not Johan Museeuw) on full display.Xavier PereyronThe weather was temperamental, but the sun would come out again for the final 70km.Xavier PereyronRemco Evenepoel rode the Tour of Flanders like a seasoned Classics man. Third on debut is impressive.Xavier PereyronThe two leaders hit the Koppenberg. On a rainy day, most riders are forced to walk up its 20% slope.Xavier PereyronGiven Mads Pedersens grimace, walking isnt a bad option up here.Xavier PereyronAny extra protein needed?Xavier PereyronLike yin and yang.Xavier PereyronPogaar crests the Oude Kwaremont alone, just like he did in 2023 and 2025.Xavier PereyronThat only means one thing. Its a proven formula for victory.Xavier PereyronHow long until someone asks about Roubaix?Xavier PereyronVan der Poel hasnt finished outside the top two of this race since he won in 2020.Xavier PereyronNow to the women. By the time the TV cameras cut to their race, Demi Vollering was in prime position.Xavier PereyronCrucially, she had distanced rival Pauline Ferrand-Prvot, who was runner-up for the second year in a row.Xavier PereyronAfter getting pipped to Dwars door Vlaanderen glory, Vollering adds another Monument to her palmars.Xavier PereyronClink clink, boys.Xavier PereyronIts all hugs now between Vollering and Ferrand-Prvot. The two will go head-to-head this summer at the Tour de France. Exciting times ahead.The post The best photos from the Tour of Flanders 2026 appeared first on Cyclist.