If it ain’t on Strava… Tadej Pogačar secretly “blew up Strava” with “mind-blowing” Col de la Madone effort 45 seconds faster than current KOM, according to Michael Matthews; Humiliating marginal gains + more on the live blog

Kate Wagner has made a link on X between the recent Olympic performance-enhancing scandal and cycling.

She said that “cycling and ski jumping are sister sports. Both love cheating within certain margins in pursuit of infinitesimal gains that are simply not worth the requisite humiliation.

This follows the report from the New York Times that alleges ski jumpers are injecting their penises with hyaluronic acid to fly further due to a larger ski suit circumference. As suits must be no more than 4cm larger than the body’s surface area, any excess material can create a sail-like effect.

As Kate highlights, this obsession with marginal gains is reflected in the world of cycling.

For example, when Michael Woods blew up the cycling internet in 2024 for eating a spoonful of bicarbonate gel during the early stages of a 273km race in 2024.  The gel, which he ate from a plastic pot with a wooden spoon, supposedly helps counteract the negative effects of lactic acid buildup.

“It was just some Maurten bicarb, it’s really effective,” Woods told Flobikes. “I like using it, but the problem is it only lasts five hours, so I had to have it about an hour into the race.”

Another well-known example is Team Sky’s long-standing practice of bringing its own mattresses and pillows to major races to ensure riders get a good night’s sleep, which is considered an effort worth making.

“The differences between the hotel rooms that we use are extreme,” says Carsten. “If we come to a hotel room that’s not in a good state in the Tour, for example, our staff give the place a proper clean. You’d be surprised at how dirty a hotel room can be. Quite often they move the bed and clean everywhere.

“In a Grand Tour a rider’s breathing system is really challenged and just small amount of dust in a dirty room can make them sleep quite badly.”

More recently, marginal-gain thinking has extended to equipment choices, such as the trend for ultra-narrow and inverted brake levers, a practice the UCI has since clamped down on. Under the new rules, handlebars must be at least 35cm wide.

For those chasing aerodynamic gains, some estimates suggest that bringing the hands 2cm closer together can be worth as much as 25 watts at 40km/h. However, these setups have proved controversial, with several riders and commentators raising safety concerns. During the Tour Down Under, one viewer summed it up bluntly, describing the positions as “pre-crashed”.

> “It comes pre-crashed – saves time that way”: Funky handlebars, torrential rain, chin straps, and crashes at the Tour Down Under

Are these obsessions with marginal gains creating genuine advantages? Or, as Kate puts it, are they just “infinitesimal gains that are simply not worth the requisite humiliation”?

An Instagram account known for posting trick videos on Citi Bikes has shared a clip showing a cyclist using a pile of snow by the side of a Toronto road as a ramp to jump over a car.

This follows the tongue-in-cheek post shared earlier, which suggests that the City of Toronto was offering “mountain biking lanes” to cyclists.

 

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A post shared by citybikeboys (@citybikeboys)

In a video posted by citybikeboys, a cyclist on a Citi Bike is shown jumping over a car, using the piles of snow as a ramp.

In the caption, they call the rider a “psychopath” who has the “mindset to push the limits of bike riding.”

In the comments, they clarify that “the car was wrecked and totalled in front of the police station. We don’t f*** with ppls cars.”

However, some of the comments have still called the action “inconsiderate” and that they should “at least apologise to the lady.”

“The Toronto Bike Brigade delivers food and essentials from foodbanks (and other community orgs) to people in need, many with mobility issues. Our riders are out nearly 365 days a year in all weather and all temperatures.

“However, without bike lanes separating us from motorists on slippery city streets, many of our riders do not feel comfortable or safe out there. We’ve seen a reduction in our volunteers, impacting our partners and their clients from getting food and necessities during a snowstorm that on its own impedes (or eliminates) their often-limited mobility.” 

Members of We Say No To Cardigan Town Pedestrianisation have said they were alarmed by a map on a Welsh Government website showing a proposed cycling route along Cardigan High Street as part of the Active Travel Scheme.

However, the Ceredigion County Council have reiterated that there are no current plans to make the town centre traffic-free.

The group have criticised the pavement extensions introduced during the Covid-19 pandemic, saying the changes have made it harder for elderly and disabled drivers to access shops and essential services.

In a statement to the Tivyside Advertiser, the group said: “At the time, certain town and county councillors extolled the virtues of a ‘café culture’ in the heart of our town, promoting a car-free High Street.

“After much protest, we were assured by Ceredigion County Council that this was all a temporary measure. But when Covid ended, instead of removing the pavement extensions, they made them permanent.

“We opposed these pavement extensions for the very reason that they could be a step toward permanent pedestrianisation. Most of our town council agreed with us.

“Yet here we are, several years later, with a cycling route proposed for our High Street and, of course, the only way to do that safely is to pedestrianise it.

“Although the Active Travel consultation is imminent, there is unlikely to be any mention of pedestrianisation, but surely this is what the policy means? Essentially, it would be pedestrianisation by stealth.”

> Active travel progress “slows” in Wales, as campaigners warn “less effective” cycling infrastructure possible under new funding changes

The group also criticised what they described as a lack of transparency, adding: “Looking at the county council’s recent regeneration proposals for Cardigan, there are clearly drastic changes in the offing – changes drawn up by a select few while the rest of us are strategically kept in the dark.

“We are asking our county council to act with clarity and transparency – it’s the least we deserve.”

Pembrokeshire County Council has already published its Active Travel consultation document, but Ceredigion County Council has yet to issue its own.

Responding to the claims, a Ceredigion County Council spokesperson said the authority is required to consult on its Active Travel Network Map (ATNM) before re-submitting it to the Welsh Government by December 1.

> Are drivers and cyclists just as dangerous to pedestrians?

“The council is planning a Stage 1 consultation in February or March, lasting approximately six weeks, to request public comments,” the spokesperson said.

“Following that, any feedback received will be considered, and a further 12-week Stage 2 public consultation will take place later in the summer or autumn.

“The council has no current plans to pedestrianise Cardigan High Street, and this was also communicated to local campaigners during the previous ATNM consultation in 2021.

“As indicated at that time, Future Route reference ‘CER-FR-CA-021’ is included to ensure the needs of cyclists are considered as part of overall route connectivity and future feasibility work.”