Opinion

The Alaphilippe effect: How France’s charming pyromaniac and his stunning 2019 season defined cycling’s in-between era

The 2019 Tour de France (the race’s best edition this century, according to Ryan anyway) was peak Julian Alaphilippe. It also marked the end of an era, one in which the swaggering Frenchman stood (almost) alone as a bulwark of old-school panache
Sun, Aug 23, 2026 21:30
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The Alaphilippe effect: How France’s charming pyromaniac and his stunning 2019 season defined cycling’s in-between era

The 2019 Tour de France (the race’s best edition this century, according to Ryan anyway) was peak Julian Alaphilippe. It also marked the end of an era, one in which the swaggering Frenchman stood (almost) alone as a bulwark of old-school panache
Sun, Aug 23, 2026 21:30
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Julian Alaphilippe: the man who made the world yearn

Looking back at some notable moments from his career, Callum is grateful for how the newly-retired Frenchman made racing feel
Fri, Aug 21, 2026 14:57
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Julian Alaphilippe: the man who made the world yearn

Looking back at some notable moments from his career, Callum is grateful for how the newly-retired Frenchman made racing feel
Fri, Aug 21, 2026 14:57
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I cannot wheelie. I cannot ride with no hands. I am s**t at bikes.

VecchioJo finally admits he’s not very good
Mon, Aug 17, 2026 16:05
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I cannot wheelie. I cannot ride with no hands. I am s**t at bikes.

VecchioJo finally admits he’s not very good
Mon, Aug 17, 2026 16:05
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The fall of Raleigh is a British cultural tragedy: To me and many other riders of my generation, this feels personal

When the news that Raleigh was facing insolvency broke it was of no great surprise to me, though it’s downfall hits hard and way beyond the business of simply selling bikes for many of us, and to me in particular
Fri, Aug 14, 2026 13:30
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The fall of Raleigh is a British cultural tragedy: To me and many other riders of my generation, this feels personal

When the news that Raleigh was facing insolvency broke it was of no great surprise to me, though it’s downfall hits hard and way beyond the business of simply selling bikes for many of us, and to me in particular
Fri, Aug 14, 2026 13:30
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Sometimes, cyclists can be a**eholes too — and it’s OK to say that

Whistling along merrily to the Hey Duggee theme tune, our regular columnist George Hill is in the driver’s seat rather than the saddle today. He might need to go for a nice relaxing bike ride after reading the comments…
Wed, Aug 12, 2026 16:35
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Sometimes, cyclists can be a**eholes too — and it’s OK to say that

Whistling along merrily to the Hey Duggee theme tune, our regular columnist George Hill is in the driver’s seat rather than the saddle today. He might need to go for a nice relaxing bike ride after reading the comments…
Wed, Aug 12, 2026 16:35
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I would much rather be underbiked than overbiked

With the glitz and glamour surrounding big, plush and rather pretty enduro bikes, Liam would rather have a tougher time on a trail bike and make the absolute most of it
Fri, Aug 07, 2026 14:00
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I would much rather be underbiked than overbiked

With the glitz and glamour surrounding big, plush and rather pretty enduro bikes, Liam would rather have a tougher time on a trail bike and make the absolute most of it
Fri, Aug 07, 2026 14:00
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What happens when a social media influencer gets pulled over on his heavily modified electric motorbike by undercover police dressed as roadmen? Yet more confusion and mixed messages about the legality of e-bikes

While these very well disguised officers were actually hoping to nab Al Capone for tax evasion, over in Birmingham a delivery rider had his perfectly legal electric cargo bike destroyed for no good reason. What message does all this inconsistency send?
Tue, Jul 28, 2026 15:53
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What happens when a social media influencer gets pulled over on his heavily modified electric motorbike by undercover police dressed as roadmen? Yet more confusion and mixed messages about the legality of e-bikes

While these very well disguised officers were actually hoping to nab Al Capone for tax evasion, over in Birmingham a delivery rider had his perfectly legal electric cargo bike destroyed for no good reason. What message does all this inconsistency send?
Tue, Jul 28, 2026 15:53
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“It’s like a football stadium on a mountain”: The chaotic duality of Alpe d’Huez

The iconic summit finish, visited twice by the 2026 Tour, is one of sport’s greatest theatres. But you have to learn to take the rough with the smooth (and a few bare arses, too)
Sat, Jul 25, 2026 18:22
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“It’s like a football stadium on a mountain”: The chaotic duality of Alpe d’Huez

The iconic summit finish, visited twice by the 2026 Tour, is one of sport’s greatest theatres. But you have to learn to take the rough with the smooth (and a few bare arses, too)
Sat, Jul 25, 2026 18:22
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This year’s Tour de France route does the race organisers no favours

Despite the organiser’s aim to keep the race close, their decisions have contributed to a lack of jeopardy as the race enters its final week
Tue, Jul 21, 2026 14:14
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This year’s Tour de France route does the race organisers no favours

Despite the organiser’s aim to keep the race close, their decisions have contributed to a lack of jeopardy as the race enters its final week
Tue, Jul 21, 2026 14:14
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My newest bike is a 21-year-old Giant XTC… and that’s good enough for me

Steve reminisces about the many adventures had on his 20-year-old Giant XTC, a bike he still rides to this very day
Fri, Jul 17, 2026 14:00
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My newest bike is a 21-year-old Giant XTC… and that’s good enough for me

Steve reminisces about the many adventures had on his 20-year-old Giant XTC, a bike he still rides to this very day
Fri, Jul 17, 2026 14:00
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DeTourmalet: A timely reminder that the Tour de France is about so much more than the yellow jersey (and Tadej Pogačar)

It’s also about wheelies and drunkards in inflatable pig suits…
Fri, Jul 10, 2026 21:42
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Fri, Jul 10, 2026 21:42
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The mainstream drop bar mountain bike is officially here, and you may think it’s pointless… but I want one!

Back to the future? Canyon’s new Exceed CFR Gravel will either be a master or a disasterstroke, and that makes it the perfect bike for me. Well, almost…
Fri, Jul 10, 2026 13:40
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The mainstream drop bar mountain bike is officially here, and you may think it’s pointless… but I want one!

Back to the future? Canyon’s new Exceed CFR Gravel will either be a master or a disasterstroke, and that makes it the perfect bike for me. Well, almost…
Fri, Jul 10, 2026 13:40
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The day I got peed on at the Tour de France

Covering the biggest race in the world can be a messy business sometimes…
Wed, Jul 08, 2026 20:07
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The day I got peed on at the Tour de France

Covering the biggest race in the world can be a messy business sometimes…
Wed, Jul 08, 2026 20:07
7

Reduce, reuse, recycle, respray: How I breathed new life into my very well-used Kinesis Tripster

VecchioJo paints new life into an old bike…
Tue, Jul 07, 2026 17:31
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Tue, Jul 07, 2026 17:31
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Some say that enduro might be dying, but La Thuile’s night stage shows that it’s still very much alive

Although teams are dipping out of the sport, the swathes of spectators at La Thuile’s night stage proves there’s still a thirst for enduro
Mon, Jul 06, 2026 14:15
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Some say that enduro might be dying, but La Thuile’s night stage shows that it’s still very much alive

Although teams are dipping out of the sport, the swathes of spectators at La Thuile’s night stage proves there’s still a thirst for enduro
Mon, Jul 06, 2026 14:15
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This is what happens when a mountain biker designs their own custom titanium gravel bike

Ty’s been on a bit of a journey designing his own titanium gravel bike built in China. This is how, why and what went down
Fri, Jul 03, 2026 14:00
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This is what happens when a mountain biker designs their own custom titanium gravel bike

Ty’s been on a bit of a journey designing his own titanium gravel bike built in China. This is how, why and what went down
Fri, Jul 03, 2026 14:00
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Mountain bikes have become little stale, so we need more bikes like Canyon’s sci-fi Lux Era

We’re not seeing the breadth of wild designs we saw in the earlier days of MTB, and that’s not as exciting, Liam thinks
Fri, Jun 26, 2026 14:00
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Mountain bikes have become little stale, so we need more bikes like Canyon’s sci-fi Lux Era

We’re not seeing the breadth of wild designs we saw in the earlier days of MTB, and that’s not as exciting, Liam thinks
Fri, Jun 26, 2026 14:00
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Why cyclists should be more excited about Andy Burnham than most

There could be a bicycle-shaped silver lining to all of this, argues George Hill in his latest column…
Wed, Jun 24, 2026 12:12
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Why cyclists should be more excited about Andy Burnham than most

There could be a bicycle-shaped silver lining to all of this, argues George Hill in his latest column…
Wed, Jun 24, 2026 12:12
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Michael Gove vs the disgruntled camera cyclist: Sometimes optics matter more than being in the right

Encountered any life peers that stepped out into your path on the commute recently? Wanted to give them a piece of your mind and upload the footage to a trillionaire’s personal disinformation platform? I’d advise showing more restraint next time…
Wed, Jun 17, 2026 10:32
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Michael Gove vs the disgruntled camera cyclist: Sometimes optics matter more than being in the right

Encountered any life peers that stepped out into your path on the commute recently? Wanted to give them a piece of your mind and upload the footage to a trillionaire’s personal disinformation platform? I’d advise showing more restraint next time…
Wed, Jun 17, 2026 10:32
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I was hit by an illegal e-biker who ran a red light. Tougher regulation can’t come soon enough

Jamie was minding his own business before an illegal e-biker clipped his bike’s rear wheel. Surely it’s time for authorities to take this more seriously?
Sun, Jun 14, 2026 09:00
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I was hit by an illegal e-biker who ran a red light. Tougher regulation can’t come soon enough

Jamie was minding his own business before an illegal e-biker clipped his bike’s rear wheel. Surely it’s time for authorities to take this more seriously?
Sun, Jun 14, 2026 09:00
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Anti-pedal kickback devices may just be a sticky plaster slapped onto high-engagement freehubs

Devices designed to reduce pedal kickback are all of the rage right now, but Liam reckons they’re merely fixing a negative biproduct of modern freehubs
Fri, Jun 12, 2026 14:00
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Anti-pedal kickback devices may just be a sticky plaster slapped onto high-engagement freehubs

Devices designed to reduce pedal kickback are all of the rage right now, but Liam reckons they’re merely fixing a negative biproduct of modern freehubs
Fri, Jun 12, 2026 14:00
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I tried to beat Wout Van Aert in a UCI gravel race Sponsored

Surprisingly, the 2026 Paris–Roubaix and multiple Tour de France stage winner came out on top! Find out more about the Cube Nuroad C:62 EX gravel bike that Liam used to conquer the epic Marly Grav Race
Thu, Jun 11, 2026 16:01
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I tried to beat Wout Van Aert in a UCI gravel race

Surprisingly, the 2026 Paris–Roubaix and multiple Tour de France stage winner came out on top! Find out more about the Cube Nuroad C:62 EX gravel bike that Liam used to conquer the epic Marly Grav Race
Thu, Jun 11, 2026 16:01
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Camera crews, disqualifications and debris disputes: have self-supported cycling events become too difficult to police?

Following the controversial disqualification of Radek Gołębiewski at the Trans Balkan Race for allegedly accepting assistance from “an unannounced and unauthorized external media team”, Matt Page attempts to weigh up publicity vs protocol
Wed, Jun 03, 2026 16:54
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Camera crews, disqualifications and debris disputes: have self-supported cycling events become too difficult to police?

Following the controversial disqualification of Radek Gołębiewski at the Trans Balkan Race for allegedly accepting assistance from “an unannounced and unauthorized external media team”, Matt Page attempts to weigh up publicity vs protocol
Wed, Jun 03, 2026 16:54
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Vingegaard’s Giro canter proves he’s the 2nd best cyclist in the world

The Dane still faces an uphill battle to overcome a certain Slovenian in July
Mon, Jun 01, 2026 13:56
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Vingegaard’s Giro canter proves he’s the 2nd best cyclist in the world

The Dane still faces an uphill battle to overcome a certain Slovenian in July
Mon, Jun 01, 2026 13:56
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The Pace RC35 fork, when an inch and a half was a game changer

The Pace RC35 was my first suspension fork, and what a game changer it was
Fri, May 29, 2026 13:54
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The Pace RC35 fork, when an inch and a half was a game changer

The Pace RC35 was my first suspension fork, and what a game changer it was
Fri, May 29, 2026 13:54
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