“Vingegaard and Remco, they’re dropping you!” Tadej Pogačar’s coaches use Tour de France rivals as motivation in training clip; Wout van Aert stopped by MVDP-loving sheep – but not by flooded bike path; Nike returns to cycling + more on the live blog
SUMMARY
Are self-heating bib tights the future? The way the weather’s been lately, I certainly hope so
In the second of our two exclusive interviews with Castelli boss Steve Smith, we ask him about the future of cycle clothing and find out about new eco-fabrics, integrated heating and lighting, and piezo technology could potentially create a new era in self-generated warmth for your cycling garments:
> Will self-heating cycling bib tights make overshoes obsolete? Castelli’s Steve Smith on the future of cycle clothing
Mediocre pizza delivery, Dutch-style
Someday, in the not-too-distant future, we’ll look back in bewilderment at a time we built cities mandating a 2,000 kilo machine to haul a kilo of stuff.
— Melissa & Chris Bruntlett (@modacitylife.com) January 8, 2025 at 7:09 AM
Nike returns to cycling, as American sportswear giant becomes “lifestyle apparel supplier” of FDJ-Suez
Throughout the 2000s, Nike was a ubiquitous presence within the pro peloton, thanks to its partnership with a certain Lance Armstrong and the Texan’s US Postal, Discovery Channel, and Radioshack teams, along with its role designing the Tour de France’s yellow jersey.
But after an absence of 13 years, a consequence of Armstrong’s downfall and the sport’s ruined reputation, the American sportwear giant has recently started dipping its toes back into the cycling pool, securing personal sponsorship deals with the likes of Mark Cavendish, Cameron Wurf, and Letizia Paternoster.
Last April, 2023 Tour de France Femmes winner Demi Vollering announced her own personal deal with Nike, which despite not currently manufacturing any cycling-specific products has been rebuilding its cycling presence through Red Bull-style rider partnerships, with the brand’s famous swoosh logo appearing on Cavendish’s rebranded record-breaking DMT shoes at this year’s Tour.
And thanks to Vollering, the Dutch star’s new FDJ-Suez team announced last night its own agreement with the US company, becoming the only cycling team, men’s or women’s, to currently work with the biggest sportswear brand in the world.
According to FDJ-Suez, which along with signing a global star in Vollering from SD-Worx also secured the Dutch rider’s old bike supplier Specialized for 2025, Nike will come on board as the team’s official “lifestyle apparel supplier”.
That essentially means supplying all the squad’s off-bike clothing, such as tracksuits, t-shirts, and by the looks of the video announcing the deal, those horrible ‘90s retro trainers too. Gobik, meanwhile, will continue to provide the team’s cycling-specific gear.
“This partnership with Nike is a unique opportunity for our team. Collaborating with such an iconic brand will strengthen our identity while bringing a fresh dimension to our project,” said FDJ general manager Stephen Delcourt in a press release.
“We look forward to building this collaboration over the long term, enhancing our team’s image both on and off the competition stage.”
And beyond the financial benefits for FDJ, the French squad’s new deal could also prove important for cycling in general, particularly the women’s side of the sport. After a decade in the wilderness, Nike – and its money and power – is back in the peloton. And that can only be a good thing for the sport as it continues to grow.
Training at 3,000m altitude… in your garage, in Belgium
Belgian champion Arnaud De Lie here, showing everyone it’s not necessary to traipse all the way to Mount Teide to boost those red blood cell levels – I know what you’re thinking now, don’t even go there…
Minus five UCI points for using the phrase ‘pain cave’, however. Sorry, Arnaud, I don’t make the rules.
And the winner is…
January is now well under way, which means just one thing (and no, I’m not talking about people giving up on their training plans already)… It’s time for our annual road.cc Recommends awards!
So, with my finest suit (ha!) and shiny gold envelope ready, let’s see the nominees in the ‘Accessories of the Year’ category…
> Check out the road.cc Recommends Accessories of the Year 2024/25: the best tools, glasses, helmets, bags and loads more
“I noticed how something quite simple, that you or I might take for granted, just made a massive impact on his daily life”: Donated bikes help refugees connect with community and improve physical and mental health, charity says
A charity in Scotland which collects donated bikes, fixes them up, and gives them to refugees or asylum seekers has handed out its 3,000th bike – which it says can help people new to the UK connect to the local community and improve their physical and mental wellbeing.
Bikes for Refugees was founded in 2016 by Steven McCluskey, after he and partner Beth met Yaman, who’d recently arrived from Syria and had bought a rusty old bike which he’d taken to his local shop, Pedal Forth Cycles in Leith, to get fixed.
“The bike wasn’t worth repairing but the guy who ran the bike shop very kindly donated a bike to Yaman,” Steven told the BBC this week.
“I noticed how something quite simple, that you or I might take for granted, just made a massive impact on his daily life. It helped him to connect to local services, it promoted his mental health and wellbeing. It enabled him to meet other people.”
Since then, Bike for Refugees has expanded and now boasts 50 volunteers and community hubs in Glasgow and Edinburgh, receiving, fixing, and donating over 3,000 bikes.
“It has grown organically. It’s been about identifying a need and trying to respond to in a creative way,” Steven said.
“If you are an asylum seeker you’re not allowed to work. You’re given an allowance of £7 a day for food, clothes, and public transport costs, so a simple thing like a bicycle can really help with people’s resettlement.”
“It will help me in navigating the city,” Edith, a member of the group who is looking forward to receiving a bike after arriving from Nigeria last year, also said.
“I don’t need to board the bus. Now I’ll ride my bicycle and go anywhere I want to go. That will help me build my confidence and also save me some costs on transportation.”
However, with more than 300 households on their waiting list, Bikes for Refugees currently aren’t able to meet demand as quickly as they’d like, with New Year donations viewed as vital to their work.
“Very simply, we always need new bicycles,” Steven says. “We want to get bikes into people’s hands as quickly as possible, so the better condition the bikes are in, the better.
“If you have a bicycle in your shed or your garage, then please think of us and the people we support.”
“Bad news: they got Chiles”
Yes, we’re still banging on about it – and there’s a podcast episode to come.
Now it’s the turn of Hill vs Chiles – let the battle (or e-bike-assisted hill climb) commence…
> George Hill: Adrian Chiles’ Panorama episode on e-bikes is poorly researched scaremongering that isn’t worthy of your attention
Team Roglič has entered the chat
Pre-season shots fired from the social media fanbase:
At least he won’t know how to react when Primož drops him 😏
— VamosCiclismo (@vamosciclismo.bsky.social) January 8, 2025 at 12:58 PM
Why don’t cyclists use the bike stands provided?
One cyclist was in for a shock when they returned to their safely secured bike near the Lowry at Salford Quays this week:
Answers on a postcard for what was responsible…
“I hear he’s only at 20 per cent of his potential and that he’s only just started to have a good breakfast”: Julian Alaphilippe lauds “phenomenon” Pogačar – but says “panache and aggression can always beat power numbers”
If there’s one thing that will take a while to become accustomed to in 2025, it’s Julian Alaphilippe not wearing the blue of Soudal Quick-Step.
The 32-year-old turned pro with the mighty Belgian squad in 2014, going on to win two world titles, six Tour de France stages (and a lengthy spell in yellow during his spectacular 2019 race), Milan-Sanremo, Strade Bianche, and three editions of Flèche Wallonne.
However, after an injury-plagued few years and the very public souring of his relationship with team boss Patrick Lefevere, Alaphilippe has finally upped sticks and moved to Fabian Cancellara’s Tudor team on a three-year deal, where we’ll have to get used to seeing the swashbuckling all-rounder clad in the all-black of the Swiss squad.
“There is not one specific reason why I opted to move to Tudor, but I have the freedom to be who I am and they wanted that, too,” the Frenchman said at the squad’s media day this week.
“Yet they’re also professional and know what they want to achieve. It’s a good mix to be professional and to enjoy life.
“I’m not here to compare teams. I was happy during my time at QuickStep but I’m here at Tudor now. It’s all new, the teammates, the staff, and the equipment but I’m happy to be here.”
Alaphilippe wins stage 12 of the 2024 Giro d’Italia (Zac Williams/SWpix.com)
Reflecting on his move to a Conti team reliant on invites to cycling’s biggest races, Alaphilippe said: “To be honest, when I had to make my decision I didn’t think about WorldTour or not WorldTour. It was just about my feelings and what I wanted.
“I feel super happy and motivated to join this project and to see it from where they started, where they are now and where they want to be. It’s a challenge for me but I’m happy and proud to be part of it.”
Alaphilippe is joined at Tudor by fellow new signing Marc Hirschi, with the duo hoping to challenge Tadej Pogačar’s hegemony in the hilly classics.
“I hear he’s only at 20 per cent of his potential and that he’s only just started to have a good breakfast,” the 32-year-old joked about Pogačar’s current dominance.
“Pogačar is a phenomenon and it’s beautiful for cycling to see him dominate in the rainbow jersey. But luckily there’s not only him out there. I’m focused on my own racing. I’m not focused on beating Pogi, that’s now how I race.”
(Zac Williams/SWpix.com)
And for those wondering if Alaphilippe’s veteran position at Tudor will mean he’ll adopt a more conservative approach to racing at Tudor, think again.
“I’ve always been an attacker and at Tudor, I feel I have space to be a leader but also help teammates. It’s not all about me, it’s the team too,” he said, adding that it would be a “dream” to race the Tour this year.
“Panache and aggression can always beat power numbers. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be here anymore. I enjoy cycling by going on the attack. I’m working to be back to my best and when I’m at my best level, I enjoy myself. My goal is to be the best I can be.
“I think cycling needs a lot of panache and things that are extraordinary. Numbers and calculations are taking a bigger place in the sport year after year, we’re pushing the limits.
“But I still like to race with my instinct and I think I’ll keep that until the day I stop racing.”
Another end of an era for Belgian cycling as Flanders Baloise boss Walter Planckaert leaves squad after 20 years in charge
It’s all change in the world of Belgian cycling at the moment, it seems.
After it was confirmed a month ago that Soudal Quick-Step CEO Patrick Lefevere was stepping down immediately from his role at the team, a year earlier than planned, it was revealed this week that the longstanding manager of Team Flanders Baloise (formerly Topsport Vlaanderen) Walter Planckaert has left the squad after 20 years in charge.
76-year-old Planckaert, a winner of the Tour of Flanders, Amstel Gold, E3, and a Tour de France stage during his racing career in the 1970s and 1980s, and the brother of fellow successful pros Eddy and Willy, is one of the sport’s most established managerial figures.
His almost 40-year career in management includes stints at Panasonic and Lotto, before he took over the Vlaanderen 2002 team in 1994, which later became Topsport Vlaanderen in 2008 and Flanders Baloise in 2023, a second-tier squad which acts as an important stepping stone for young Flemish talent.
Announcing the veteran manager’s departure, the team said in a statement: “With warm gratitude for the past two decades, we announce that our cycling team, Team Flanders Baloise, and Walter Planckaert, after an impressive career of 20 years as a sports manager within our team, have mutually agreed to end the co-operation.
“Walter has made an invaluable contribution over the years to the sporting side of our cycling project. His experience and dedication have not only strengthened our team but also inspired and guided countless young riders in their development. The knowledge and insights he shared with them form a lasting legacy for the future of Team Flanders Baloise.
“We wish Walter all the happiness and success in the future and hope that he continues to enjoy his passion for cycling.”
More bike industry woes to kick off 2025, this time courtesy of Raleigh
> Raleigh suffers £30 million loss in 2023 despite sales increasing by 3.5%, with “material uncertainty” potentially casting “significant doubt” over business – but directors claim iconic British brand is in “strong position”
How do you slow down Wout van Aert? Stick a flock of sheep in the middle of the road (because flooding the bike path doesn’t work)
After a turbulent, up-and-down 2024, marked by a strong if abruptly curtailed classics campaign, a swashbuckling display – again cut short – at the Vuelta, a second Olympic medal, and two horrific, season-threatening crashes, it’s fair to say Wout van Aert has hit a rich vein of form in the new year.
After battling Eli Iserbyt to take his first cyclocross win for almost a year in Gullegem on Saturday, the Visma-Lease a Bike star powered through the horrible, squelchy mud of Dendermonde the next day, dominating the field and beating his nearest rival, cyclocross’ latest young prospect Emiel Verstrynge, by 1.20.
And while Van Aert won’t be competing for the rainbow jersey early next month (only Mathieu van der Poel to worry about for that one, simple), his ‘cross rivals will still be scratching their heads wondering what they can do to stop the Belgian superstar during the rest of his winter campaign.
But judging by the second clip in Van Aert’s recent Instagram post, detailing his first week of 2025 – which also included some fireworks, chocolate, and an interesting glove washing technique employed by his wife – the answer is simple… get a flock of sheep and make them block the road:
Ah, the joys of cycling in the countryside. I remember one sheep following me almost the whole way up a particularly steep climb, before running back into the field – I assume he thought I was too slow for him. Which I was.
And while Van Aert, skilled off-roader as he is, was able to expertly weave his way through the woolly barricade without much fuss, there was nevertheless one sheep who didn’t fancy making life easy for Belgium’s favourite son:
Must be a Van der Poel fan.
Could a stray lamb or two on a corner prove the secret weapon for Van Aert’s ‘cross rivals this January? Because as they worked out in Dendermonde, a drop of rain and a few puddles won’t do much to slow the rampant 30-year-old down.
Exhibit A: This clip of Van Aert, while training near his Herentals home this week, easily navigating a flooded off-road bike path under a bridge…
.@WoutvanAert fazendo arte pic.twitter.com/MFpOdvhPJ4
— O País Do Ciclismo (@opaisdociclismo) January 6, 2025
Bread and butter stuff. Where’s Shaun the Sheep when you need him?
“Vingegaard and Remco, they’re dropping you!” Tadej Pogačar’s coaches use Tour de France rivals as motivation in training clip
It’s fair to say that Tadej Pogačar’s winter training is going well.
Just before Christmas, the world champion – attempting to improve on the perfection that was his dominant, era-defining 2024 season – smashed the iconic Strava KOM on the Coll de Rates, a benchmark climb for pros training on Spain’s Costa Blanca, by a whopping 17 seconds.
In fact, Pogačar’s mind-boggling time of 12:21, at an average speed of 31.2kph, on the 6.5km climb was so fast, Decathlon-AG2R’s French teenage sensation Paul Seixas fell 40 seconds short of it on 2 January, despite tackling the Rates with a full support team (of course, it must be pointed out that Pogačar was also aided by a full UAE mountain train).
So, after one of, if not the greatest season of all time, how do UAE Team Emirates’ coaches motivate the Slovenian to tear himself inside out as he prepares for 2025?
By telling Pogi his closest rivals at the Tour de France – Jonas Vingegaard and Remco Evenepoel – are dropping him and riding away for the stage, that’s how.
In a clip shared by the team on TikTok yesterday, entitled ‘2025! Let’s start’, the 26-year-old can be seen riding up a Spanish climb, before getting on the drops and putting some grimace-inducing power through the pedals.
@teamemiratesuae 2025! Let’s start🔥😄 #UAETeamEmirates #WeAreUAE #pogacar ♬ Let’s Go – Jaden Bojsen & David Guetta & Sami Brielle
And while the ambient sound of the clip is covered by the ghastly musical stylings of David Guetta, Jaden Bojsen, and Sami Brielle’s 2024 song Let’s Go (I know who one of those people is), if you turn the captions on, you can find out what Pogi’s coaches were shouting from the motorbike.
“Nice! Bravo, buddy! Attack! Attack!” came the first shouts, prompting the three-time Tour winner to hit the drops.
“Vingegaard is close to the win. And Remco, they’re dropping you!”
Nothing like the fear of your closest contenders for the yellow jersey simply riding away from you on Mont Ventoux six months down the line to stop you resting on your laurels, eh?
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Believe it or not, Raleigh was a major cultural icon in the USA also - at least for serious cyclists of my age. My first geared bike was a Robin Hood three-speed. I longed for a Chopper, but it was never to be. Then, in 1970, my father bought himself a Raleigh Gran Sports. It was third in line of the racing bikes in the US catalog. Luckily for me, my father discovered that he was afraid of cars. So in 1974, when I was 13, he gave that bike to me. I became obsessed. It had 531 tubing. It was chrome. I was in love. I eventually ended up road racing from the late 1978-1982. Then I moved to NYC to be a junior "executive" (a YUPPIE). I left that bike with my parents in the suburbs where it would be safe and bought a series of NYC-safe bikes - two of which were stolen. That bike had legs. I eventually started riding it again in the 2000s once I was in the suburbs. Eventually it sat and rusted. Finally in 2017 I started a restoration project to resurrect it into a city bike. It took two years to complete. That bike is still with me today. My faithful Raleigh. When I ride it, I am in love.
@Rendel Harris I watched him at the world champs in Glasgow and he was never going to win but he still kept going around waving to fans and has always been a top pro who appreciates the fans.
Absolutely. And cycle ball (Radball). One for fixie fans. Oh, sorry, that should be on cycleball.cc ...
Nowt wrong with quick release axles. Squishy 2.4" tyres, factory built under-tensioned wheels will flex well before a properly set up QR.
If we're asking bicycle ballet has always impressed me. Skills!
Having experienced the near lunatic kind of driving that Italy has I think he'd be better off regulating cars. I would be surprised if there wasn't some way of over-ruling this measure, either through the local council or the regional government.
@mdavidford And bicycle polo. Why isn't there more coverage of bicycle polo on here?
As per usual. Rapha Core jersey looks a bargain. And it is, but only if you are size medium, small and extra small. So, no bargains for normal sized people.
11 thoughts on ““Vingegaard and Remco, they’re dropping you!” Tadej Pogačar’s coaches use Tour de France rivals as motivation in training clip; Wout van Aert stopped by MVDP-loving sheep – but not by flooded bike path; Nike returns to cycling + more on the live blog”
Interesting article in the
Interesting article in the Slate (US, obviously):
What Our First Big EV Terror Attack Can Tell Us About Car Safety
Most of the infrastructure that stops drivers from hitting people, buildings, and one another is designed for smaller, lighter vehicles.
https://slate.com/business/2025/01/new-orleans-terrorism-electric-vehicle-bollards-infrastructure-safety.html
I didn’t think the US was
I didn’t think the US was into smaller, lighter vehicles. Quite the opposite.
It’s all relative though, a
It’s all relative though, a cybertruck is about 3.1 tonnes unladen, and that is a lightweight compared to the GM Hummer EV which weighs over 4.1 tonnes (which Car & Driver awarded 8/10).
AFAIK the most popular
AFAIK the most popular personal vehicle in the US is still the full fat F150 (which qualifies as a ‘small’ truck in the US) which is already 2.5t empty – so them moaning about the extra weight of an EV is somewhat ironic.
Well, sure, but if you design
Well, sure, but if you design the bollards to stop a Hummer or a U-Haul truck (like the one used in this incident in 2017) someone will just drive an unregulated e-bike between the bollards and into a crowd, killing hundreds!
FYI, my normal Illinois driving licence (class D) allows me to drive any single vehicle 16000 lb (7.25 metric tonnes). But…
Holders of a Class D license may operate rental vehicles up to 26,000 pounds when transporting their own personal property or that of an immediate family member for nonbusiness purposes within the State of Illinois. The driver is required and should be provided information to successfully complete a safety course regarding the safe operation of that vehicle from the rental company.
I can rent one of these 26′ (8 m) trucks without any extra testing. They’re 13000 lb empty, but can be loaded up to 26000 lb (11.8 metric tonnes.)
andystow wrote:
Its crazy isn’t it, my UK car licence is limited to 7500kg but I can tow a trailer weighing another 5500kg behind it or for real loss of life drive a minibus with up to 16 passenger seats weighing up to 7500kg with the same trailer. There is no requirement for any safety course and I have never had any training in towing a trailer!
Dutch sheep getting in the
Dutch sheep getting in the way of Wout there. Poor Wout, nearly always being frustrated by some Dutch.
“Bike stand and bike
“Bike stand and bike flattened in Salford
Answers on a postcard for what was responsible… “
Not just “a motor vehicle”.
A human being behind the wheel of a motor vehicle.
A positive cycling story on
A positive cycling story on the BBC?
Did it get broadcast nationwide or just stay on BBC Alba?
Well then there’s this:
Well then there’s this: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cg525d9jlvlo
If he was a 50 something year old driver with multiple priors, that left a cyclist for dead, he’d never see prison.
It was on Reporting Scotland
It was on Reporting Scotland – The BBC One Scotland news that comes on after the News at 6