“New fear unlocked”: Bike courier’s snapped steerer tube gives everyone the shivers; Gorewear closes; Remco confirms he WILL race Flanders; The story behind one of the best pro cycling photos + more on the live blog
SUMMARY
"New fear unlocked": Bike courier's snapped steerer tube gives everyone the shivers
Check your headset, folks. That’s a picture to strike fear into anyone who rides a bike. I’m struggling to think of a good time for your steerer tube to snap, perhaps (unrealistically and overly optimistically) as you wheel your ride out the front door for a spin? It’s less challenging to picture the bad times and worst case scenario for a snapped steerer tube, all of which are enough to send a shiver down your spine and potentially form the basis for your next nightmare.
Now, you’d suspect this could all have been avoided with a regular headset service and check of the fork and steerer tube, as someone joked on this Reddit post, “I’ve seen chrome sink drain pipes that looked better than that when they failed.”
Fortunately the snap didn’t cause any serious crashing or injuries, the bike messenger who can lay claim to the dubious honour of owning this incredible scientific specimen thankfully all okay.
There was some discussion in the comments about the thickness of the walls on the snapped tube, one person suggesting they appear (photo distortion, aside) a fair bit thinner than you’d expect.
“Perhaps it’s photo distortion, but that’s the thinnest walled steerer tube I’ve ever seen,” they commented. “Ordinarily, steel steeler tubes have over 1.0 mm and usually 1.2 mm wall thicknesses… and 1.3 mm or more for loaded touring and 80s/90s rigid MTB rigs. But yeah, that corrosion. Hope whoever was riding that still have their teeth.”
Unfortunately, we’re now all contractually obliged to check our headsets and steerer tubes, as per the rules of cycling psychology which state you will undoubtedly have this image flash into your mind every time, on every descent, until you check all is fine.
"I was like 'what the f***'": Marlen Reusser wins Dwars door Vlaanderen... then drops the F-bomb during post-race interview
Marlen Reusser plays it cool to win Dwars door Vlaanderen! 😎
The Swiss rider outspent Demi Vollering and a late surging Lieke Nooijen to take the win. pic.twitter.com/VpblQOvnm2
— Cycling on TNT Sports (@cyclingontnt) April 1, 2026
Anyone who thought the drama of the men’s edition of Dwars door Vlaanderen would not be topped had a rude (but brilliantly entertaining) awakening when the women’s edition concluded in an absolute thriller… followed by an f-bomb interview from the winner on live TV.
Former SD Worx teammates Demi Vollering and Marlen Reusser thought they had the top two spots on the podium locked, their advantage sat pretty above 20 seconds in the final kilometres.
However, Lieke Nooijen almost pulled off a remarkable chase to catch the stalling duo in the final couple of hundred metres, launch an attack over the top and almost nab the victory on the line.
In hindsight, Nooijen probably wouldn’t have done anything differently, the Visma-Lease a Bike rider fully committed to her shot at victory. Unfortunately for her, the line was just out of reach as Reusser and Vollering clawed their way back past and slogged it out to decide the race on a bike throw.
It was the Movistar rider who got the better of her former teammate here, Reusser’s excitement leading to everyone’s favourite post-race interview highlight… a rogue F-bomb on live TV.
“I was like ‘what the f***’” Reusser recalled the moment Nooijen shot past the lead duo, perfectly summing up the thoughts of everyone watching at home. No need to apologise for that one, TNT commentators, we all enjoyed it.
Cyclist to sue three police forces for £4.8m at High Court, alleging they covered up driver knocking him off his bike
The US-based bike industry joins the April Fools' hunt
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Filippo Ganna overcomes snapped handlebar and late bike change to win Dwars door Vlaanderen, as Wout van Aert denied in dramatic finish
It all looked over for Filippo Ganna when, amid a crushing Wout van Aert acceleration on the Eikenberg, the Italian slipped back through the field rapidly and eventually came to a standstill at the side of the road for a bike change.
The problem, as it turned out, was not a flat tyre or dropped chain, but something a bit rarer and testament to the bruising nature of the cobbled classics.
After a bike change (his second of the race, we might add), Ganna chased back to the peloton and those watching on assumed the remainder of his Dwars door Vlaanderen would be spent in service of Samuel Watson or Magnus Sheffield, his two Ineos Grenadiers teammates surely fresher considering how much effort Ganna would have expended chasing back on.
Nope. Not a bit. The former time trial world champion was back on the attack in the closing stages as Van Aert was agonisingly reeled in in the final few hundred metres. Ganna powered past the helpless Van Aert to crown a dramatic win that summed up the day’s 48km/h average speed and non-stop attacking.
FILIPPO GANNA BREAKS BELGIAN HEARTS 😮
The Italian catches Wout van Aert in the final 200 metres to claim Dwars door Vlaanderen 👏 pic.twitter.com/FbWStWswLW
— Cycling on TNT Sports (@cyclingontnt) April 1, 2026
Van Aert held on for second but the disappointment afterwards was clear, the blow suffered on the same stretch of finish straight where, 12 months ago, Neilson Powless pulled off the upset of all upsets, beating three Visma-Lease a Bike riders, including Van Aert, in the finale.
After so many setbacks, heartbreaks, injuries, crashes, illnesses and misfortunes, a win for the Belgian in the big one on Sunday would be an incredibly popular result in the peloton and beyond.
Electrolyte gravy and water-filled saddles: a couple more April Fools' Day specials for the round-up
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Neither is particularly believable, to be honest, but here are Decathlon and Prologo’s April Fools’ Day efforts, the saddle brand announcing how new liquid technology would redefine saddle comfort.
One release that, despite much speculation, isn’t part of the April Fools’ platter is Remco Evenepoel announcing himself as on the startline at the Tour of Flanders. His team, Red Bull-Bora Hansgrohe have now confirmed it and the 12pm deadline has passed with even more content coming from both parties.
In Evenepoel’s case that included the YouTube video below.
In that, Evenepoel records a recon (apparently from December 27) and suggests the late announcement was all part of his and the team’s strategy to hype up his debut at the race.
“We deliberately kept it under the radar to create a special moment for the fans – revealing it as a surprise on April 1,” the team said. “The fact that we were able to keep this internal for more than 100 days speaks to the cohesion and unity of this team.”
Now… I don’t know about you but if I were going to announce it this week, as part of a major ‘shock announcement’ campaign, I’d maybe not go with the morning of April 1 for the big reveal. In some ways, I’m more confused now than before reading the team’s confirmation statement. The clarification that it’s not an April Fools’ gag has somehow made it seem more like an April Fools’ gag. I need to get some fresh air, I reckon.
Thoughts?
Regular contributor Henry Winchester came across some interesting barriers down in South Gloucestershire recently.
The answer why this is so “incredibly hostile” is that it was on a footbridge linking to a footpath, not a bridleway, but as Henry said: “They really don’t want bikes going through there!”
He managed to upend his bike and lift the handlebars over the top to get past it, but a quick look on Google Maps at the location, the Banana Footbridge just north of Bristol, shows a few reviews pointing out similar issues. I’m sure the council would circle back to that earlier point about it being a footbridge to a footpath.
“No chance to avoid it”: Elite junior cyclist’s bike left in pieces after being ‘cut off’ by driver
Pre-crashed skinsuits and a trial on number plates for bikes: cycling does April Fools' Day
Yes, it’s just gone midday on the first of April, so it’s time for the annual round-up of gags and spoofs, starting with new pre-crashed skinsuits. The “distressed, raw and unafraid” design means riders can race without worry of crash damage or scrapes.
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Next up, The Gravel Rally who invented a new surface for racing bikes on: Tarmacadam. Tarmac, the future of gravel events…
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Bristol 24/7 went for the news angle, pushing their piece claiming Bristol is set to be a trial city for bicycle number plates. Curiously, this one hasn’t got a disclaimer explaining it’s an April Fools’ Day special, yet… surely not?
And finally, the pre-order, no-waste specialists at Kostüme decided April 1 was the day to launch its ‘Unlimited Edition™’. That is: “No batch limits. No time cut-offs. No frustrating wait. Pre-orders are now open indefinitely. We will make as many as possible, regardless of demand. To ensure maximum availability, we’ve also introduced rolling discount cycles: Because nothing says quality like excess.”
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It felt a little quieter on the April Fools’ Day front this year, perhaps the actual news cycle is mad enough?
April Fools!
Sorry about that… I’ll crack on with a round-up of the best (and worst) we’ve seen from across the bike industry this morning.
> BP encourages drivers to save 100% on soaring fuel prices by cycling to petrol stations instead
It's confirmed! No waiting for Thursday's recon to decide, Remco's racing Flanders
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"A massive thank you to all of you for your incredible support and your passion": Gorewear officially closes
The pioneering cycling apparel brand Gore has officially now shut its Gorewear clothing line. We broke the news back in November, Gorewear now announcing the day has come and thanking all its customers from the past four decades.
“A massive thank you to all of you for your incredible support and your passion,” the brand said in a statement. “The community we built together has been what mattered most to us. Sharing great adventures with you and being part of your journeys has been an honour.
“We are so grateful to have accompanied you on your rides and runs, keeping you warm, dry and comfortable when it mattered most. Thank you for your trust, your patience, your love, and your passion. You made every mile unforgettable! Keep chasing miles!”
The story behind one of the best pro cycling photos
In case you’re yet to see it, here’s Chris Auld’s remarkable photo from Gent Wevelgem… “So close you can smell them.”
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The man who took a Red Bull-branded lid to the nose on the Kemmelberg on Sunday has told Sporza in Belgium how it all unfolded.
“During the last time up the Kemmelberg, I had picked out a nice spot together with my little daughter, who was standing to my left and below me,” he explained.
“Mathieu van der Poel, who had opened up a small gap, sped past first. When I turned around to see Wout, he was already there and I touched him lightly. In the photo it looks like I slammed right into his nose, but actually it was more in the turn.”
The snap went viral on cycling social media, Van Aert even sharing it and seeing the funny side. The fan said they messaged Van Aert to apologise, if the contact bothered him, although the Belgian has taken the whole situation in good spirits.
All’s well that ends well, just maybe give the riders some more space on the Kwaremont on Sunday…
Could Remco Evenepoel be on the startline at the Tour of Flanders after all?
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Could Remco make a shock last-minute appearance at the Tour of Flanders this weekend? We thought he might for most of the winter, but then had those hopes abruptly halted when Red Bull-Bora Hansgrohe revealed the time trial world champion’s 2026 race schedule, the second Monument of the season absent from the list. However, reports coming out of the Dutch press this morning, have claimed the chances of Evenepoel making his Flanders debut are now “high”.
Wielerflits believes Evenepoel is now tagging along with his teammates’ recon of the race on Thursday and, providing there is not too much fatigue from Volta a Catalunya, he will likely race on Sunday.
Given Tadej Pogačar and Mathieu van der Poel’s form thus far in 2026, and the fact Evenepoel’s season has hardly enjoyed a flying start, you’d imagine the Belgian may need to have improved off the back of last week’s exploits in Catalunya, but fans have been crying out for him to race Flanders for several seasons, so fingers crossed.
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All I could think of watching that crash was how nice it would be to have that rain here in the UK at the moment.
@Sriracha Too bad the Police themselves, whose job it is to discriminate between legal and illegal and promote public understanding of the same, don’t know the difference They certainly don't know the difference between criminal offences proven by indisputable evidence, and reports they can just ignore with no action required - to the police they're the same thing. While preparing today for our Britain in Bloom regional Judgement Day I looked at the parish council notices display case. There was a Lancashire Constabulary poster urging people to report offences to the Neighbourhood Policing Team. I know, as result of choosing offences to report where I am not prevented from finding out what they actually did, the fate of those reports: straight into the bin
Still got the white one.
Maybe, but legal e-motorbikes & conventional e-scooters seem to be rather rare (Autotrader only lists ~30 used nationally). There probably should be a list of recognised electric vehicle names/descriptions. (Though it seems hard to even recognise that cycles are vehicles/traffic).
Groundbreaking bike
When the UCI said cycling needed to focus more on safety, I'm not sure hard hats, hi vis padded jackets, and steel toe caps was quite what they had in mind.
I would love it if bike manufacturers offered us more exciting paint jobs. Seems like some of the chinese brands are offering far more customisation in their framesets. You see so many cool paintjobs on professionals bikes and then you look at the offerings to us mortals and its depressing. I know part of this is that they also reserve the more interesting or exciting paint jobs for the top end bikes to lure people up the price ladder but its a shame nonetheless.
Not gonna lie, I would consider Merida bikes when buying a new bike if their paintjobs weren't utterly utterly awful. I don't know that I have seen a single one I like. They seem to manage to pick colours I don't like or think complement each other and then the actual use of said paint isn't in aesthetic ways. I know the paint doesn't make a bike good but we are all amateurs and if you don't like the look of your bike then there are dozens of other bikes that you would like just as much to ride that look better.
@mdavidford Too bad the Police themselves, whose job it is to discriminate between legal and illegal and promote public understanding of the same, don't know the difference: "doing wheelies on what the force described as a Sur-Ron "e-bike"
@wtjs Yes - surely better to filter out bugs than to eat dead ones or live mostly sterile ones that can't reproduce.
19 thoughts on ““New fear unlocked”: Bike courier’s snapped steerer tube gives everyone the shivers; Gorewear closes; Remco confirms he WILL race Flanders; The story behind one of the best pro cycling photos + more on the live blog”
Nasty looking steerer tube!
This happened to me yesterday, hopefully not due to lack of maintenance as only 3000 miles and wax lube only on a genuine 12speed chain. Snapped within 1/2 mile of home on the first ride of the year.
On closer inspection, nearly 30 outer link plates with at least one split so lucky it didn’t happen with any loss of control.
Returned to the Service Course and jumped on a different bike so all good
> nearly 30 outer link plates with at least one split
That is a really shocking failure level for a chain with just 3000mi, indeed for a chain having done any distance. Who is the manufacturer? I wonder if the chain really is genuine, I have read many posts claiming that counterfeit chains are a thing.
Original Shimano chain on a new Vitus bike. Looks the same as all the other HG+ chains I have, including the genuine one that’s going back on it. Wondered what the occasional ping was under load (not that much load as I have knackered knees!)
Have you checked the pins? Genuine Shimano HG pins are hollow, counterfeits are often solid.
Solid pins as it was a CN-M8100
Noticed that there seems to be a big variation in prices on that there internet but wouldn’t expect any of the usual suspects to be selling hooky ones
The only chain I have ever broken was a 7-speed Shimano one on my first MTB, less than 500 miles from new. I broke three links in three separate incidents (impoverished student) before I bought a Sedis replacement.
Several instances of cracked side plates on chains bought from genuine shops/authorised dealers. I’ve seen cracked plates on Shimano, 9, 10 and 11 spd. KMC 10 spd, YBN 10 spd and a Connex Wipperman (probably 10 spd.
Forgot to mention – all in Pune, Maharashtra, India. On bikes used by me and several of my friends.
The only time that I’ve had that happen to me was on a genuine Shimano chain. They probably use the same quality control as their cranks (i.e. some bloke squints at it and says “that’s good”).
I switched to using KMC chains afterwards and they’ve never let me down.
Surely as you wheel it in /after/ the ride would be preferable?
Rather good from Facebook, as with all the best ones you look at it and think well I know it’s a spoof but actually…
Nice … and with the small size of the wheels it ends up with the “e-fatbike” vibes that many if not most full-size bikes will have when they’re old enough to ride them *!
* Judging from the local rapid expansion of these – and not just used by food delivery riders. To misquote from Grosse Pointe Blank “it was just like everyone’s bike had swelled”.
“Unfortunately, we’re now all contractually obliged to check our headsets and steerer tubes, as per the rules of cycling psychology which state you will undoubtedly have this image flash into your mind every time, on every descent, until you check all is fine.”
Been this way since carbon fork steerers came out..
Re the cycle path barriers.
I live in Peterborough which is a “fat city”. A fair percentage of pedestrians would not get through that gap and come to think of it some overweight dogs would also struggle.
It’s the chihuahuamaxxing that is the saddest to see – shaped like wild haggis.
Imagine this perverse situation.
This pathway leads to a new Greggs megastore (the 28th Greggs to be opened in Peterborough. A Peterborough resident is experiencing hunger knock, having walked 250 yards and not eaten for two hours. The resident can’t fit through the path entrance restriction. The only option to reach Greggs is a 1 mile diversion (past the site of the demolished indoor swimming pool and athletics track, which is threatened with closure).
Important news: Bristol to be trial city for bicycle number plates
https://www.bristol247.com/news-and-features/news/bristol-to-be-trial-city-for-bicycle-number-plates/
A bit late for an April Fool!
As of today, the Ineos squad has already scored 15 wins against 28 for the 2025 campaign. One may assume riders made a deal with the team’s management – 50 victories in 2026 against a super cool outfit design for the 2027 sesson.