“Too much skin, not enough suit”: Cyclists shocked by time trialist wearing “very bdsm” see-through skinsuit and latex gloves — others more concerned with dangling sunnies and unshaven legs; Carry s*** Olympics + more on the live blog
SUMMARY
“We cannot turn Jonas into Pogačar”: Visma performance head concedes “best in the world” Tadej Pogačar gave them a “nice punch in the face again”, but still confident about Dane’s third Tour de France title chances
You don’t see Vingegaard say or react much, not in the press room, not on social media, and definitely not on the bike. But even for someone as measured and meticulous as the two-time Tour de France winner, one can assume that the recent reality check from Tadej Pogačar at the Critérium du Dauphiné must have stung a little.
After a sluggish time trial raised a few eyebrows, Pogačar returned two days later with the loudest of bangs on stage 6 — a devastating long-range attack on the Côte de Domancy that dropped both Vingegaard and Remco Evenepoel, and saw the world champion solo to victory in Combloux.
Vingegaard finished second on the day, with the gap to the leader being one minute. The visual and psychological gap, perhaps more
So, how do you respond to that? If you’re Vingegaard — and Visma-Lease a Bike — you go back to your safe space. You go to Tignes.
It’s where Vingegaard always prepares for the Tour, and where he’s returned again this June, as he looks to build toward a possible third yellow jersey. Speaking to Domestique, Visma-Lease a Bike head of performance Mathieu Heijboer admitted the team took a hit at the Dauphiné.
“He’s the best rider in the world right now,” Heijboer said of Pogačar. “He gave us a nice punch in the face again. We try to learn from him, but we cannot turn Jonas into Pogačar. We have to focus on getting the best out of Jonas and the team.”
There’s no panic, though. Vingegaard started his season well at the Volta ao Algarve but missed Catalunya after a concussion at Paris-Nice, leaving him a little light on racing before June. Still, Heijboer insisted: “I don’t think we could have prepared better… there was still some work to do in Tignes, of course, but I think he was even a little bit ahead of what we expected.”
Crucially, the team believes the controlled environment of Tignes has given them time to fine-tune every facet of Vingegaard’s fitness — especially for what they see as his territory: the heat, the altitude, and the third week of the Tour. That’s when Pogačar, for all his brilliance, has historically shown some vulnerability. In both 2022 and 2023, Pogačar cracked in the Alps — first on the Col du Granon, then a year later on the Col de la Loze. And Visma will be hoping history repeats.
“Last year, we were in a hurry,” Heijboer explained. “He was still coping with the consequences of the crash, even mentally… this year, those insecurities are gone. He feels comfortable in the peloton, there’s no fear… we’re way more confident in Jonas’ level and performance for this Tour than last year.”
Heijboer acknowledged that Vingegaard’s 2024 Plateau de Beille numbers were his best-ever over a longer climb, but warned that a Tour de France isn’t won on one monster effort. “Performance is much more than that,” he said. “This year, everything has been more secure. We’ve been able to work on strength, explosivity, time trialling, and longer climbs. It’s a different world.”
There’s also a different Jonas: the shy Dane who once couldn’t eat from nerves while leading the Tour of Poland is now a more confident figure within the team. “Since then, his level of confidence has increased so much,” Heijboer said. “We really coached him to develop his leadership skills… now there are fewer surprises in cycling for him. He’s always ready for the fight.”
Matteo Jorgenson is expected to be Vingegaard’s final lieutenant in the mountains, while Sepp Kuss returns after skipping the Giro. There’s risk in the decision to include Giro finishers Wout van Aert, Edoardo Affini and Simon Yates — but Visma believe they’ve balanced it carefully, and they’re also “realistic” about not being the favourites.
Heijboer added: “Although we lost at the Dauphiné, it was still a battle… Pogačar didn’t take two minutes on every stage. There were positives to take, and we were confident Jonas could improve his level.”
Latest entry for ‘carry s*** Olympics’: Cyclist tows friend’s bike by velcro strapping it to their bike rack “like a makeshift trailer”
A cyclist has found a novel solution to that age-old problem: what do you do when your mate’s bike ends up at your place and they’re not around to collect it? If you’re Reddit user u/batkobatko, the answer is simple — strap the thing to your own bike like a glorified trailer and cycle it back.
In a post on the subreddit r/bicycling, they explained how the whole thing came about: “After a recent trip, we had a guy transport our bicycles back home via truck. My friend’s roadie ended up at my place.” Rather than wait around or figure out another lift, they decided to ride it back — sort of. “So to bring it back to him,” they wrote, “I MacGyvered a way to strap it to the rack of my commuter like a makeshift trailer.”
Towing a friends road bike strapped to my bike rack (video in comments)
byu/batkobatko inbicycling
All it took, apparently, was “just 4 velcro straps and a canvas belt, very tightly wrapped” — and despite the rather DIY setup, “it was way easier than I anticipated. And it was a pretty easy 35-minute ride, no problems on the way.”
I’ll admit, “velcro straps and a canvas belt” isn’t exactly industry-standard towing gear — but clearly it did the trick. The accompanying photos show the road bike hitched vertically to the commuter, one wheel lofted skyward like it’s mid-bunnyhop as the pedals turned themselves throughout the whole trip.
Reddit commenters were suitably impressed. One person said it was “brilliant” and added: “For those who don’t have a car but do have multiple bikes, this might come in handy.”
Another user shared their own low-tech solution: “I have done this by taking the front wheel off and wrapping the fork in old shirts or towels, and then dropping it into the pannier. Use some straps to prevent the thing from falling over. Then strap the wheel to the frame or rack of the towed bike.”
Perhaps the highest praise came from the user who simply nominated the post to another subreddit Carry S*** Olympics, the wonderful corner of the internet where cyclists one-up each other by hauling the most ridiculous things imaginable on two wheels — from fridges and mattresses to Christmas trees… and, erm, even as hearses.
"Devastating consequences": US bike industry may not recover from Trump tariffs until end of the decade, lobby group warns
“I had no other choice”: 27-year-old French pro “forced” to retire as endofibrosis diagnosis brings an end to six years in the peloton
Cofidis rider Eddy Finé has announced his retirement from professional cycling at the age of 27, bringing an end to a six-year WorldTour career that was repeatedly interrupted by a debilitating iliac artery condition. Despite multiple operations, the problem proved incompatible with elite-level racing.
“In consultation with the team’s medical staff, Eddy has made the difficult decision to end his sporting career,” Cofidis said in a statement. “The rider is struggling with an abnormality in the iliac artery, a problem that is incompatible with top-level sport. Eddy had worked hard to return to competition after undergoing three operations since joining the team in 2019.
“He has a smile, a talent for motivation, and is a great teammate. Eddy has been a key figure on the Cofidis team for six seasons. Over the years, he has developed into a brave teammate who strives to give his best for the team in every race.”
Finé joined Cofidis midway through 2019, stepping up from French Continental teams Charvieu Chavagneux Isère Cyclisme and VC Villefranche Beaujolais. He never rode for another professional team, and over six seasons became a well-regarded figure in the peloton — a dependable teammate who featured in two editions of Paris-Roubaix and made his Grand Tour debut at the 2021 Vuelta a España, and even came closest to a professional victory at the 2024 Tro-Bro Léon, where he finished fourth.
His retirement was prompted by endofibrosis, a condition seen in high-level endurance athletes where the iliac artery gradually narrows or becomes compressed, limiting blood flow to the legs and causing pain, loss of power, and reduced performance during intense efforts.
“With repeated exertion, the artery becomes blocked, and residue builds up, leading to endofibrosis,” Finé explained. “I had been struggling for a while, and we had made use of all options. I had no choice; I was forced to stop racing.”
In his farewell message, Finé reflected on the difficulty of the decision and the frustration that followed: “Of course, it’s painful; no one wants to end their career like this. I will be eternally grateful to this team, the only one I have ever known at a professional level. Ending your sporting career in this way is inevitably very painful.
“It was a forced decision, but I knew I had no other choice. It was a difficult time to get through. After that, there was inevitably a lot of frustration. I said goodbye to the team where I spent six years of my life.”
Wishing Eddy Finé good health and better days ahead — wherever the next ride takes him.
“It felt like an easy decision”: Matteo Jorgenson signs new Visma-Lease a Bike contract through 2029
Fresh contract, birthday candles, and a Tour de France start list — not a bad week for Matteo Jorgenson. The American rider, who turns 26 today, has signed a new deal with Visma-Lease a Bike that will keep him with the team until the end of 2029.
Jorgenson only joined the Dutch squad last season after four years at Movistar, but he’s already become one of their most valuable and versatile riders. In the past 18 months, he’s won Paris-Nice twice, Dwars door Vlaanderen, finished second overall at the Critérium du Dauphiné, and secured a top ten finish at the Tour de France — all while still as the supporting act for Jonas Vingegaard.
“I felt at home here straight away and I don’t see any other team where I can work with the same trust and calmness as I do here,” he said. “The mentality within the team matches mine and so does the way of working.
“For a rider like me, who pays a lot of attention to small details, it’s really important to work in an environment where you can trust everyone around you. I’ve found that here, with the coaches, sports directors, food coaches, management, and all the other specialists. They look at the details even more closely than I ever could, which allows me to focus fully on my job: training and racing.”
That attention to detail has clearly paid off — and changed the way Jorgenson thinks about his own ceiling: “Winning Paris-Nice twice was something I never thought was possible before I joined this team. It has changed my goals and ambitions and allowed me to dream bigger.
“Honestly, it felt like an easy decision. I’ve set ambitious goals for the next four years and want to make this the peak of my career. I’m happy I can pursue those goals in this environment.”
The team clearly sees him as a cornerstone for the future. Head of racing Grischa Niermann said: “Even though he was still under contract, it was our priority to secure Matteo for the long term. Matteo is a very important rider for us in both the Grand Tours and the Classics. We have big plans with him, and we’re happy he has committed his future to us.”
Jorgenson will be back in action at the Tour de France this weekend, riding alongside Simon Yates, Sepp Kuss and Wout van Aert in support of Vingegaard. And perhaps soon with even bigger goals of his own down the road.
‘Wood’ you believe it? Cyclist straps full sheet of plywood to cargo bike — “just cos”
Because why not? Brighton-based filmmaker Tom Cattoni decided to strap a giant sheet of plywood to his cargo bike and take it for a spin, sharing the image on his Instagram stories with the caption “Just Cos”… I believe it’s exactly the kind of energy the Carry S*** Olympics was made for.
Between this and our Reddit rider towing a full road bike with velcro straps, we have some strong entries today…
Town where cyclists ordered to pay £1,000 for cycling on high street claims terrified locals are "scarred for life" by "anti-social" cycling
Accell Group revenue drops 22% to €1 billion amid “challenging” market and ongoing transformation push
It’s been another tough year for Accell Group — the Dutch company behind brands like Raleigh, Haibike, Babboe and Lapierre — which has reported a 22 per cent drop in revenue for 2024, down from €1.29 billion to just over €1 billion, as deep discounting, stock write-offs and the ongoing fallout from the Babboe cargo bike recall continue to weigh heavily on performance.
In a statement, CEO Jonas Nilsson said the first half of 2025 showed the company was “on the right track towards a sustainable recovery,” but acknowledged that “there is still a great deal to be done,” reports Bike Europe.
He added: “We have demonstrated resilience and have begun to reap the benefits of our integration, becoming less complex and more efficient. The strength of our brands is unparalleled and we see growth in our Parts & Accessories (P&A) business as well as in key regions.”
While the company didn’t reveal its exact EBIT figure for the year, it did note that earnings were in line with 2023 — which saw a €390 million loss — with one-offs in 2024 linked to obsolete stock, capital restructuring, and Babboe-related costs.
Accell has been in the midst of a major overhaul, which has included cutting the number of warehouses from 85 to 28, outsourcing production to both owned and third-party factories, and making its Hungarian plant the group’s central manufacturing hub. The transformation has also involved divesting its Turkish factory and, according to reports, quietly laying off staff at its Heerenveen facility — raising questions about the long-term future of its Dutch production site.
Babboe, the cargo bike brand embroiled in faulty frames recall saga, has now resumed sales in Germany, France and Denmark, with Nilsson saying the brand is well-positioned to meet “growing demand for safe and innovative cargo bikes,” particularly in the mid-range segment.
Near Miss of the Day 931: Cyclist "perplexed" as two almost identical close passes treated very differently by police force
“Too much skin, not enough suit”: Cyclists shocked by time trialist wearing “very bdsm” see-through skinsuit and latex gloves — others more concerned with dangling sunnies and unshaven legs
We’ve seen some bold time trial skinsuits before — fishnet panels, wild colourways, questionable zips — but this one might take the prize (not the good kind).
A photo of a rider in a see-through mesh bodysuit has surfaced on r/CyclingFashion, and it’s left most of the subreddit somewhere between horrified, impressed, and completely baffled. It’s less ‘skinsuit’ and more a… sheer bodystocking.
The fit in question includes black mesh fabric, long white socks, dangling sunglasses, latex gloves, and a time trial helmet that looks like it could double as a satellite dish. One commenter said: “Looks like someone’s kink. The latex gloves seal the deal.” Another added: “This is why you should be thankful for the UCI.”
Beyond the… styling choices, several users were focused on more practical concerns. “Whatever. I’m more interested in the saddle height decision,” said one person.
That saddle height became something of a subplot. “It’s a photo opp for sure,” one sceptic wrote. “That saddle height is so far from right that it’s clear nobody on set knew anything about bikes.” Another user wasn’t having it: “You should take a second look at those quads before claiming he knows nothing about bikes. Dude’s packing some serious heat…”
Some responses veered (predictably, I’d say) into full NSFW territory. One person wrote: “When you have a crit at 2pm and a Brazzers shoot at 4pm.”
As ever, there were some very brave and unabashed defenders, one of them writing: “Honestly love it. It’s great to see someone confident in their body. It’s also pretty tastefully done, I would say. 10/10 no notes.”
Someone even brought out a deep cut: “Chris Froome’s fishnets suit was a little more opaque than this one!”
Who the rider is, and whether this was a genuine attempt at marginal gains, some kind of off-season shoot, or a promo for a Berlin nightclub, remains unknown. But if anyone tried pulling this off during the recent UK heatwave, they’d be leaving the start ramp with third-degree burns. Dan is still recovering from the weekend’s sunblast, and he was wearing an actual kit (I hope).
Maybe it’s aero. Maybe it’s chic. Maybe it’s both. Let us know in the comments what you think…
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I’d say that colour was more like fuchsia (and coming soon to a Rapha Pro Team jacket near you).
@yodhrin I believe the fairer summary is "we don't know - but making the main point advocating a form of PPE with relatively limited protection - and to a group of likely experienced cyclists - isn't very helpful..." I've only read one of the reports but that suggested the skull removal was to alleviate pressure from major brain swelling. And a given helmet *might* be better than the standard. So I think "don't know" is fairest.
@robgodd The poor guy himself suffered a traumatic brain injury and his skull was so badly shattered a significant portion of it had to be removed - do me a favour, have a look around cycling helmet manufacturers and see if any of them claim the foam hats they produce will protect against or even mitigate that level of injury. I'll wait if you like, but I can save us both the time and tell you what you'll find: none of them. Not a single one of them will. Because they don't, and they *can't* based on simple physics. Once the point of failure in a material is reached all(or as near as makes no odds) of the additional force beyond that necessary threshhold transfers through to the object beneath. Since bicycle helmets are rated for forces roughly equivalent to being dropped straight down from a stationary start 1.5m above a hard surface. Now, I'm not an expert in vehicle crash investigation, but I'm *fairly* sure that any impact or series of impacts powerful enough to render a quarder of your skull into gravel, put you in a weeks-long coma, give you massive amnesia, and leave you with ongoing symptoms of traumatic brain injury are a little bit, a teeny-weeny amount, a little smidgeon-widgeon more than what bike helmets are rated for. That's why none of the companies that make them claim they will help in such circumstances: because they know it would be a lie, and that unlike uninformed punters, carbrained journalists, or "medical professionals" who think wearing a helmet would save you from a broken arm(an actual scenario encountered by a mate, who's nurse at the A&E tutted and harrumphed her way through his whole treatment due to his lack of helmet despite his bonce having come through *being hit by a car* - another scenario bike helmets are worthless in - completely unscathed), the lawyers for those companies know their business and understand that if you lie in advertising you will get sued into the ground.
The Battle of Ypres April 1915. The German infantry division advanced using das Brumptstadt Fahrarden. The slow speed kept them behind the cloud of chlorine gas as it drifted towards the Commonwealth trenches. The offensive cleaved a two mile gap in the Western Front. The use of cycles was copied by the Japanese as they invaded Singapore and Burmah. By then war technology had embraced wider low pressure tyres, carbon frames and hydration gels. The German forces decided not to incorporate cycling as part of Operation Session, as bike theft in London and the South East was rife and would have caused huge casualties. Ironically superior advancement of tyre technology led to a British victory at El Alamein. This technology played a key part in the US Marines victory at Iwo Jima.
The appropriate response to Google pissing on your cereal is not a fancy new sugar that removes the taste of urine. Stop using Google products where you can. Firefox browser and DuckDuckGo search engine have had noticeable upticks in market share by explicitly NOT pushing AI.
my thoughts exactly...I wonder how that approach is working, with motor vehicle drivers...🤔
I do not wish to diminish the personal tragedy, but one never hear calls for pedestrians or even hikers to wear clothing with integrated lightening rods.
RE Andy Burnam / Heidi Alexander - this is the best thing in many ways - set an example (even if currently it leads to lots of online name-calling). And imagine some of the political alternatives! The folks in the apparently second-placed party seem incredibly unlikely to be doing so. And even the current "new Greens" seem less interested in ... y'know, environmental things. OTOH I wish Heidi could be bolder. And I fear that like anyone ambitious enough to get to the top (exception B Johnson - well, I guess there was the Corbyn bicycle...) Burnam will be trimming his transport policy sails to fit the wind (should that be "bunker-fuel-burning engines"?)
@mattsccm Bull bars aren't banned, they just have to conform to regulations so they are deformable or have plates that allow crumple give on contact, rather than rigid steel bars that can smash into pedestrians and cyclists with no give at all, catch them and drag them under the wheels. If you think that's a problem, do one. Why should who is responsible for a collision remove the responsibility of people driving a tonne of machinery on the road from having safety features to at least mitigate some of the effects of a collision?
I'd be willing to bet that's lazy use of stock photography rather than deliberate misinformation, but the result is still the same.
20 thoughts on ““Too much skin, not enough suit”: Cyclists shocked by time trialist wearing “very bdsm” see-through skinsuit and latex gloves — others more concerned with dangling sunnies and unshaven legs; Carry s*** Olympics + more on the live blog”
That looks brilliant, I wish
That looks brilliant, I wish someone would come up with a commercial version of something like that (I think if I were going out on the road with it I’d want something a bit more sturdy than Velcro straps), frequently experience situations (train cancellations etc) in which it would be really useful to get Mrs H’s bike over to her using my bike.
Could use some ratchet straps
Could use some ratchet straps from Halfords.
Edit: Or just a basic luggage strap.
KDee wrote:
Just been searching through the old parts bin and thinking what might work. Not sure about straps, even sturdy ones, there would be a lot of flex to cope with. Wondering if a bar bag holder welded to a rear rack might do the job…
Why is the saddle on
Why is the saddle on backwards though?
Hadn’t spotted that! Guessing
Hadn’t spotted that! Guessing the seatpost has been pushed right in to provide as much clearance as possible for the saddle and as the saddle appears to be well set back turning it round that way added a few centimetres of extra clearance when going over speed bumps et cetera?
The back rider would
The back rider would definitely need a helmet.
I mulled using a front hub
I mulled using a front hub attached to the rear rack using pipe clamps. Strap the front wheel to the rear bike…somehow.
Old wheel bag with a strap or
Old wheel bag with a strap or two? Then wear it on your back turtle style.
I’ve done this a few times.
I’ve done this a few times. It’s okay when moving, but a real pain to get it all set up and ready to roll. Everything wants to tip over and bend in the wrong place until you’re on the bike and moving. You really need a wall, and maybe a helper, to get the initial setup right, but two Voile straps pulled really tight will do it.
Action shot.
Action shot.
Another occasion. Slightly
Another occasion. Slightly different setup, looks like I used five straps.
Old fashoned toe straps would
Old fashoned toe straps would be my preference, very versatile and adjustable.
Quote:
In ’22 he made a series of tactical and fuelling errors that were exacerbated by having a Covid-weakened team that didn’t have the firepower to get him back in (no excuses, entirely his fault) and in ’23 he was underprepared having had to have so much time off with a broken wrist. Can’t see either of those applying this time, hope it’s close (the ideal scenario obviously would be to see them seconds apart dinging away at each other on the three climbs of the Butte on the final day) but really can’t see beyond it being #4 for Pogacar barring crashes or illness. The bookies have as the three favourites Pog at 5/11, Jonas 13/5 and Remco 14/1 at present, meaning they think it’s nearly six times more likely that Pogacar will win than Jonas, and I’ve not met many poor bookmakers…
Sounds about right, and if so
Sounds about right, and if so the GC could be dull.
I’ll be looking to Young Riders, Green Jersey, KOM, breakaways and stage wins, as well as scenery, history and culture, for interest in this year’s Tour.
HarrogateSpa wrote:
Pog detonating the GC may be getting a tad predictable but for the stage at least it’s never dull.
TJV TdF squad looks dedicated
TJV TdF squad looks dedicated, experienced and strong. They have all it takes to blast Pogi at the first signs of weakness. Collectively, they are able to defeat him because he’s too often left isolated by his team mates.
MaxiMinimalist wrote:
The core of the Visma Lease a Bike (not TJV) team is the same as last year, though admittedly the addition of Simon Yates and Campanaerts is promising. UAE are the same team as last year apart from bringing in Narvaez for Ayuso, arguably an improvement, and that was the team that beat the (then) TJV last year, so not sure on what you’re basing those assumptions.
Quote:
What the hell kind of bunnyhops are you doing that involve throwing a backflip into the mix‽ That’s some showing off!
I’d wager that no motorists
I’d wager that no motorists ‘close-passed’ the rider of that cargo bike…
This
This
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/jul/01/parking-space-sized-gardens-impress-hampton-court-flower-show-judges