Tadej Pogačar’s ‘Do Not Disturb’ jersey divides internet – as cycling fans say “at least it’s better than an autocratic state with human rights abuses”; Hire bike borders “Checkpoint Charlie”, says Dara Ó Briain; Vuelta eco protest + more on the live blog

> “We are fair game for crazy drivers”: Cyclist says “I need to cycle with a police officer from now on” after bike camera footage of close passes rejected as “insufficient evidence” due to lack of witness

 

 

 

 

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Probably best not to show this to the chaps at OGT, or even your local aero-obsessed time trial enthusiast, they’ll be all over it.

But just think of the possibilities – could bring a whole new meaning to the phrase ‘chewing the handlebars’…

Q36.5 Pro Cycling really mean business.

Yesterday, the Swiss team announced that Jayco-AlUla’s Irish stage racer Eddie Dunbar is set to join them next year, adding to their grand tour firepower.

Dunbar’s signing couldn’t have been timed any better, coming just one day after his compatriot, and current Irish champion, Rory Townsend stormed to the squad’s first ever WorldTour victory at the Cyclassics Hamburg, defying the big-name sprinters with a stunning breakaway ride.

And this morning, the Tom Pidcock-led outfit has signalled, yet again, its ambition to reach the top of the sport – and appeal to fans from these islands – by announcing the arrival of former British champion Fred Wright from Bahrain-Victorious.

Wright turned pro with Bahrain back in 2020, following stage wins at the Tour de l’Avenir and U23 Giro, and has since proved a constant attacking presence at the cobbled classics and grand tours.

Alex Whitehead/SWpix.com

While his British champs success in 2023 remains his only pro win to date, the previous year he finished second on stages of both the Tour de France and the Vuelta a España, where he also finished second in the points classification.

This season, he secured his first top ten at Paris-Roubaix, finishing ninth, and placed second behind Jonathan Milan, and ahead of Mathieu van der Poel, on stage two of the Critérium du Dauphiné in Issoire. His best result at the Tour was seventh from the breakaway in Toulouse.

And, in a statement announcing his new three-year deal with Q36.5, the 26-year-old admitted he’s ready for a change after spending his entire pro career so far with Bahrain-Victorious.

“I have been part of this team for my entire career so far and without discrediting them and all the opportunities I had here, it’s time for a new environment after six years,” he said.

“Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team feels like a good fit for me. I have known Tom [Pidcock] and Mark [Donovan] for a while and the group they are building for the future feels familiar already.”

A.S.O./Charly Lopez

Reflecting on his career and his ambitions for the future, Wright said: “I have always loved races like Paris-Roubaix and the Tour of Flanders. When I was 13 we travelled to Belgium to do the Flanders sportive with VC Londres. We watched on the Oude Kwaremont and it was so cool to see Tom Boonen win and feel the spirit of thousands of enthusiastic Belgian fans.

“Back then I didn’t realise I would be part of those races because road cycling is not the most logical choice for a kid in south London. Later on, I never could imagine a pro road career because my future plans were on the track with the aim of qualifying for the Olympic team pursuit.

“When my coach said I had what it takes to be pro, I was incredulous at first but the coin flipped and I set my sights on road cycling.

“I do want to win again, naturally, and feel like a new environment with a fresh focus, new ideas, and new people will help me achieve that goal.

“There are opportunities for me in many races and after having done more or less the same race schedule for years, I am looking forward to discovering new races too. I am here to help build the team but they are on a great trajectory already. The ambition is there and they will keep growing.

“Everything they now already have is quite premium: the look and feel online and offline, the staff, the clothing of course. They are already at the highest level in terms of knowledge. I already met some people of the Q36.5 brand as well. You wear the kit everyday so knowing the people behind it, see their passion and what they stand for is inspirational.

“Tom explained already how happy he is with everything from clothing and nutrition and how short the communication lines are with the sponsors, so I can’t wait to get started.”

Alex Whitehead/SWpix.com

“Fred is an intelligent rider,” added Q36.5 general manager Doug Ryder. “He reads the races well and is very versatile. He has already achieved top tens in Monuments like Milan-Sanremo, Tour of Flanders, and Paris-Roubaix, and adding a focused classics block to his season will be a big objective for us together.

“He was close to wins in the Tour de France and Vuelta a España already, and I feel we can offer him the final step to win again. His engine is big and his attacking style is always great to watch. When we were looking for riders to strengthen the classics team, he was quickly on our radar.

“He turned pro young and still is only 26, so I am really looking forward to seeing what we can achieve together in the next three years.”

> Anti-cycle lane protesters block road and claim new bike path will make route a “death trap” and “obstacle course”

Fred Wright isn’t the only British rider on the move today.

Cannock-born Groupama-FDJ pro Lewis Askey’s transfer to Israel-Premier Tech has also been confirmed, the 24-year-old signing a deal that will keep him at the squad until 2029.

Askey, who turned pro with Groupama in 2022, has enjoyed a breakthrough season in 2025, beating Benoît Cosnefroy to take his first professional victory at the Boucles de l’Aulne one-day race in May, before winning a stage of the 4 Jours de Dunkerque a week later.

Zac Williams/SWpix.com

Askey will join an Israel-Premier Tech team stacked with promising British talent, including Joe Blackmore, Jake Stewart, Ethan Vernon, and Stevie Williams (though Chris Froome, the squad’s very own Dad’s Army, is set to leave at the end of this year. Though the 40-year-old still hasn’t confirmed whether he’s going to retire, declaring at last week’s Tour of Poland that he wants to “keep going”).

“Groupama FDJ did a lot for me and I’m thankful for my time with them, but it felt like the right time to move on,” Askey said in a statement, as his transfer was confirmed.

“I need some new motivation, new faces, new style, fresh air, and new ways of thinking. I’m at a point in my career where I should be coming into my best years, and I feel like moving somewhere else will give me the extra gear, the motivation to step up and try new things.

“I started speaking with IPT quite early in the season, and then I went on to take my first two wins. That was already a turning point for me, and a lot of people might not realise it happened in that order.

“It gave me relief and freedom so I could take more risks without the stress of failing. That release, being able to race on instinct and take risks, without the pressure, made a huge difference to my season.”

Olly Hassell/SWpix.com

He continued: “From the beginning of our conversations, everything felt very professional from the start – from the research, training, nutrition, altitude planning, and analysis.

“Secondly, I already know so many people at the team – not just UK riders but others too, close mates I spend a lot of time with. And I’ve learned it makes a huge difference when you’re racing with people you genuinely want to race for, because you’re a team that wants each other to succeed, not just because you’re paid to do it.”

The Vuelta a España’s plans for a firework-packed mountainous finale on the Bola del Mundo could be in jeopardy, after an environmental group raised concerns that the race – and its accompanying crowds, infrastructure, and traffic – could damage the area’s fragile eco-system.

The Bola del Mundo, also known as Alto de Guarramillas, is a 3km concrete track which reaches gradients of 23 per cent, located above the Puerto de Navacerrada, one of the Vuelta’s most commonly used climbs due to its proximity to the grand tour’s annual finish in Madrid.

Unipublic:Graham Watson

The Bola del Mundo, which finishes at an altitude of 2,247m, has been featured twice at the Vuelta, making its debut in 2010, when Ezequiel Mosquera (who later that month tested positive for blood doping) beat Vincenzo Nibali at the summit, as the Italian limited his losses on the severe gradients to claim his maiden grand tour triumph.

When the race returned in 2012, Denis Menchov took the stage win, while Alberto Contador – who pulled off one of the Vuelta’s great coups three days earlier to Fuente Dé – secured his second Vuelta win, a month after returning from his own doping ban.

Unipublic:Graham Watson

But, with the Bola del Mundo set to feature at the Vuelta for the first time in 15 years on stage 20 of this year’s race, the Ecologists in Action group has criticised the race’s organisers, claiming they didn’t follow the guidelines to protect the area in 2010.

According to the group, the race did not have sufficient waste bins, vehicles were allowed on the climb despite the organisers promising only motorbikes and ambulances would use the road, advertising banners were pushed into the ground, and fans were not prevented from trampling on the area’s flora.

“In the opinion of the environmental organization, there shouldn’t be a third time because the authorities responsible for protecting the Sierra de Guadarrama shouldn’t make the same mistakes over and over again,” the group stated.

Unipublic:Graham Watson

“It seems worrying that the finish line of the race will not take place in an urban area, as specified in the PRUG (master plan for use and management) of the National Park in Annex XII for the Vuelta a España, which suggests possible impacts on the park due to noise, waste, and overcrowding of people and vehicles.”

The group added that Javier Pantoja, the director of the Autonomous Agency for National Parks also expressed concerns about the finish, while similar environmental objections saw the Vuelta’s plans to finish on the remote Pico Veleta in 2022 cancelled.

Yes, that’s right. Lotto’s special multi-coloured jersey, launched back in April at the Tour of Flanders to celebrate 40 years of the Belgian team (and its, ahem, impressive variety of different looks over the past four decades) is back for another outing at the Vuelta:

 

 

 

 

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And I for one can’t wait for another endless debate about whether it looks good or not…

> Bike industry on hold as uncertainty around Trump’s controversial tariffs continues

Richard Carapaz’s turbulent second half of the season continues, after EF Education-Post confirmed that the Ecuadorian is set to miss out on the Vuelta a España, following a slow recovery from the gastrointestinal infection that ruled him out of the Tour de France.

The 32-year-old enjoyed a successful Giro d’Italia, winning a stage and finishing third overall in Rome, but was pulled from EF’s Tour squad at the last minute with illness, a development that arguably paved the way for Ben Healy’s fruitful stage and yellow jersey-hunting exploits in France.

Carapaz instead set his sights on the Vuelta, but following what his team described as a “stop-start recovery”, he will now miss the Spanish grand tour, in favour of a crack at next month’s road world championships in Rwanda, along with the hilly Italian classics in October.

Zac Williams/SWpix.com

“After the illness I had, I had to stop several times as I couldn’t train for more than two or three days at a time,” the former Olympic champion and Giro winner said today.

“Now in Ecuador, I’m trying to get back to normal with training and continue moving forward with what we had planned. I’m almost fully recovered now.

“Now, the next goals we’ve set are the Italian classics, especially Il Lombardia, and also the world championships in Rwanda. It’s a very special world championship for me, where I have a big opportunity, and I want to prepare for it the best way possible.

“That’s why I came to Ecuador: to do some altitude training, regain motivation, and focus 100 per cent. Certain factors play in our favour, and we want to make the most of them.”

And the award for best Vuelta team announcement goes to…

 

 

 

 

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Considering they’re the team that brought us the Call Me Maybe video (remember that?), fair play to Jayco-AlUla for posting this 1980s Donington Monsters of Rock festival-inspired Vuelta line-up.

Top marks.

All you cycling and rave enthusiasts on the south coast, cancel your Sunday lunch plans with the family…

Dom Whiting and his pedal-powered DJ decks are sure getting about this summer, aren’t they?

Researchers studying the impact of long-term exercise on the brain believe that completing multi-week cycling programmes may restore neural connections in Parkinson’s patients. The study notes that there has long been a known positive impact of exercise for Parkinson’s patients, the latest research hoping to shine a light on why this may be the case.

Read more: > Cycling programme may restore neural connections in Parkinson’s patients, new study finds

Tom Pidcock has been named as the leader of Q36.5 Pro Cycling’s Vuelta a España squad, the Swiss team confirming that the double Olympic mountain bike champion will target the general classification on a course that “suits him perfectly”.

Pidcock finished 16th at May’s Giro d’Italia, his first grand tour leading his new team, and declared last week that he is aiming for a top ten overall finish at the Vuelta, on what will be his first return to the Spanish race since his three-week debut for Ineos back in 2021.

He will be supported in his latest grand tour bid by promising Swiss rider Jan Christen, Damien Howson, Nick Zukowsky, and a quartet of Spaniards, Xabier Mikel Azparren, Marcel Camprubí, David de la Cruz, and David González.

There is no room in the Q36.5 squad, however, for Irish champion Rory Townsend, who upset the sprinters with a superb, nail-biting win at the Cyclassics Hamburg on Sunday, the squad’s first ever win at WorldTour level.

Zac Williams/SWpix.com

“The course this year is very diverse but still typical of the Vuelta, with its many uphill finishes,” Pidcock, who won a stage of the Arctic Race of Norway earlier this month after a summer largely spent on his mountain bike, said in a statement today.

“There are plenty of stages with profiles that could suit a rider like me, and there’s even a stage in Andorra, quite close to where I live. We learned from the Giro and had more time for thorough preparation this time, with an altitude camp and the Arctic Race of Norway.

“I’m curious to see what I can do in the general classification. For that, we have a strong team, with riders who each bring their own strengths. It’s a well-rounded group, we’ve prepared well, and I’m really looking forward to starting in Piemonte this Saturday with the boys.”

The 26-year-old’s first crack at a grand tour GC bid for Q36.5 at the Giro proved largely underwhelming, as he missed out on a stage win, despite bagging three top fives, and faded in the Alps in the final week.

Zac Williams/SWpix.com

Q36.5’s head of racing Alex Sans Vega, however, is optimistic that his British star can come up with the goods in Spain.

“I am curious how far he can go in the GC because the course suits him perfectly. We have a strong team in general and I am confident for a good team performance,” he said.

“The Vuelta is the most special race of the year,” added the experienced De la Cruz. “I will help Tom like in Tirreno where we were a good tandem. He is exploring his capacities as a Grand Tour rider.

“No one knows yet, even himself, what he can do and I am happy to help with my experience but I also look forward to get my own chance when one presents itself.” 

Quick, there’s a celebrity on social media talking about hire bikes in London! And this time it’s not Joan Collins!

Nope, it seems the Dame has taken a break from her crusade against “dangerous” cycling in the capital. And, instead, Irish comedian Dara Ó Briain has stepped up to offer, you’ll be relieved to hear, a take on London’s cycle hire schemes from the cycling side of the fence.

The former Mock the Week host, who regularly rides his bike in London, took to X/Twitter to complain that the uncoordinated efforts of local authorities when it comes to hire e-bikes has left most of the bridges in West London resembling an active travel version of Checkpoint Charlie.

> “Pavements are for pedestrians”: Joan Collins says she’s “shocked” at “loutish” behaviour of Lime bike users in Instagram post

“Hounslow council have banned Lime bikes, and licensed Forest and Voi; neighbouring Richmond has licensed Lime and banned the others,” Ó Briain posted.

“So every bridge is Checkpoint Charlie, with loads of Lime bikes parked on one side and loads of Forest and Voi on the other. Top work everyone!”

The comedian’s take on the bizarre scenario, where London’s several hire bike providers switch off their e-bikes’ electric assist at the border with the next non-licenced borough, leading to users leaving them at the boundaries, prompted quite the discussion.

“To be fair Dara, Richmond had little say in this,” Lib Dem councillor, and the chair of Richmond’s transport committee, Alexander Ehmann replied.

“Until some weeks back, Hounslow used Lime, same as Richmond.  Hounslow then changed providers and we’ll consider that decision in our own review later this year.  Regardless, bikes don’t stop at boundary – just parking prohibited.”

“Oh, I don’t believe Richmond, or Ealing, are to blame for this, it’s entirely on Hounslow,” Ó Briain replied. “I can’t imagine you’ll thrilled with the bikes stacking up on the boundaries. But yes, the bikes/scooters do stop functioning at the boundary, as indicated by the website.”

Meanwhile, others weighed in with the usual nonsense associated with e-bikes.

“People, just ride a Bicycle FFS,” wrote Ian. “You’ll get sweaty, but won’t get fat and unhealthy. Unough [sic] of this performative Electric Eco Bollox.”

“Pretty performative tweet though, Ian,” Ó Briain hit back at the tweeter, who was seemingly unaware he was dealing with a professional comedian.

“People use rental bikes for different journeys to when they would use their own bikes; and them being electric opens them out to people who might not otherwise cycle at all.

“But sure, call people fat and unhealthy! You do you.”

Well played, Dara.

Tadej Pogačar does not want to be disturbed.

The four-time Tour de France winner has made that stance extremely clear over the past week – by imploring his fans to avoid asking for selfies, or just generally bothering him, in the form of two novelty cycling jerseys (which may or may not be coming to an online shop near you soon).

At last week’s ill-fated Tour de Romandie Féminin, where his partner, AG Insurance-Soudal rider Urška Žigart, narrowly missed out on the overall win on the final day, Pogačar was seen sporting a sleek white jersey bearing the slogan ‘Please Do Not Disturb! Disturb! Disturb! Disturb!’ and a ‘no camera sign’ on the sleeve.

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(Oh, and before you all start, we’re not having a debate on whether the ‘no camera’ logo actually means not taking photos isn’t allowed. I just don’t have the strength for it…)

That call for minimum interaction from his adoring public also extended, rather more seriously, to Žigart’s relationship with the press at the Tour de Romandie, with reporters at the race afforded just three questions in total with the then-race leader following Saturday’s stage.

And as Pogačar and Žigart headed out for a post-Romandie recovery spin on Monday – accompanied by Q36.5-bound Irish rider Eddie Dunbar – the world champion upped it a notch, once again ditching his rainbow jersey for an, ahem, out-there new look:

Hmmm… Is it supposed to be punk or something? I prefer the rainbow bands, if I’m honest.

And the 26-year-old’s novel approach to dealing with selfie enthusiasts and autograph hunters (are those still a thing?) has certainly divided people on the internet.

Some, for example, were supporting of the New Cannibal’s latest sartorial endeavour – and even thought it looks cool.

“This is better than every jersey in the pro peloton,” cycling writer Kate Wagner wrote on X/Twitter.

“I suspect Tadej still has a sense of humour about it all. The jersey is hilarious,” added Bradley.

“It’s the same instructions we get when we go to the zoo… ‘Don’t feed me’ is missing,” noted Minette, while Mike said he was “cool” with Pogačar’s ‘do not disturb’ approach to his fans while training at home.

“I think this is fair,” added Dave. “He is entitled to quiet days and not to be bothered when out.”

“He deserves a rest. He’s been doing (and winning!) a staggering amount of racing,” said Tony.

Yes, he really wore this jersey during today’s ride. pic.twitter.com/qdOGufAxQg

— Lukáš Ronald Lukács (@lucasaganronald) August 18, 2025

However, not everyone was impressed.

“What a gracious rider to the fans he is,” wrote a sarcastic James. “If he’s not approachable, even for a hello, he will start to lose the fan appeal and the reason we love him.”

“He gets 6m a year from a dubious country and he lives in Monaco. He can’t handle the fact that people want to have a picture with him,” argued Lenart.

“We broke him,” said Carolina. “His villain era began sometime in the second week of the Tour.”

Others, meanwhile, were even more cynical about the whole thing, noting that photos and videos of the world champion and his new jersey just so happened to appear on social media.

“When will they start selling this for €399?” asked one user.

And some – the real pro cycling nerds – were busy obsessing over whether Pogačar was even contractually permitted to wear a non-UAE Team Emirates jersey while training.

“How is he getting away with not wearing his team kit?” asked one user – not that everyone was yearning to see his usual UAE colours, of course.

“It’s better than the logo of an autocratic regime with a history of human rights abuse,” said Simon.

In any case, Pogačar’s new threads are another reminder of the world champion’s current tumultuous relationship with his own unique standing in his sport.

On his way to winning his fourth Tour de France last month, the world champion cut a somewhat jaded figure, burnt out and fed up, his attacking instincts curtailed – as Tudor’s Michael Storer claimed – by the apparent need to avoid antagonising the French fans on the roadside by, you know, winning more bike races.

In a post-Tour interview with L’Equipe, the 26-year-old even revealed for the first time that he is contemplating quitting the sport after the 2028 Olympics, despite his bumper contract with UAE Team Emirates running until 2030.

And speaking to the media at home in Slovenia – during a scheduled meeting with his fans at home in Komenda – Pogačar repeated that he is “prepared to stop” racing.

“It may seem funny to most people that I’m already counting down to retirement, but the fact is that a sports career isn’t very long,” he said.

“I started winning quite early and everything has been going strong ever since. Every year we train harder and faster, so I look forward to my future with pleasure.

“On the one hand, I know that my sports career will not be long, but on the other hand, I am aware that I can enjoy the level I am at now for a few more years.

“However, I expect that this level will drop at some point and that there will be no more victories in the season than now and that there will be a bad year at some point.

“I am prepared for everything that is coming, so I am all the more aware that I have to enjoy the moment. I have to be prepared to stop, say thank you and say goodbye to racing at the highest level.”

For the moment, anyway, Tadej Pogačar is happy to be racing. As long as you don’t disturb him, of course.