road.cc recap: ten of our top stories this week

1. Continental Grand Prix 5000 tyre with tubeless option launched

After 14 long years, Continental has finally launched the successor to the venerable GP4000, the brand new GP5000 which is lighter, has more grip, lower rolling resistance and improved puncture protection, and for the very first time; and it's also being offered in a tubeless version.
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2. Cycling has second-greatest gender gap among ways Britons commute, official statistics show

Analysis of the way people in the UK travel to work by the Office for National Statistics shows that cycling has the second greatest gender gap when it comes to how people commute. Only motorcycling showed a greater imbalance between men and women, while motor cars were the most “equal” mode of transport, as well as the most popular one.​
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3. Helmet-mounted bike indicators and brake lights backed on last night's Dragons' Den - but investors later pull out

The inventor of a product for cyclists that comprises indicators and a brake light that secured backing from two entrepreneurs in an episode of the BBC Two reality series has revealed that the pair subsequently decided to pull the plug on their investment – although there was no hint of that in the programme screened this week.
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4. Fundraiser launched for family of Jonathan Cantwell, who took his own life aged 36

A crowdfunding campaign has been started to financially support the young family of Jonathan Cantwell, the Australian former Saxo-Tinkoff rider who took his own life aged just 36 on Tuesday. ​
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5. Sir Bradley Wiggins: Doping allegations "nearly killed my wife"

Sir Bradley Wiggins says that the stress brought on by the storm resulting from the revelation by Russian hackers that he had raced while using otherwise banned drugs under Therapeutic Use Exemptions (TUEs) “nearly killed” his wife Cath.
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6. Andrea Tafi says he's found a "great team" for Paris-Roubaix return at age 52

Andrea Tafi, the last Italian to win Paris-Roubaix, says he has found “a great team” as he aims to take part in the race next year, on the 20th anniversary of his victory. The 52-year-old, who retired in 2005, revealed his ambitions last month of returning to the scene of one of the crowning moments of a career in which he won two other Monuments, the Tour of Flanders and the Tour of Lombardy.
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7. Hexo launch the world's first 3D-printed custom helmet

A British tech company has made the world's first 3D-printed cycling helmet, offering a custom fit and claiming it can control impact 68% better than foam with a patent-pending honeycomb structure.​
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8. Climb for Costa Zwift challenge smashes target

This from our Wednesday live blog - the Zwift climbing challenge, in which Zwift promised to donate $25,000 towards medical bills for Adrien Costa if 25,000 Zwifters completed it, surpassed its target with four days to spare. ​
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9. Muc-Off launch range of cleaning products for indoor training

More niche things from Muc-Off you may or may not need... this time it's a range of cleaning products specifically to use on your indoor training set-up, with a cleaner for your actual trainer and your bike available.​
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10. Geraint Thomas looking for co-leadership of Team Sky with Chris Froome at next year’s Tour de France

Geraint Thomas has said he hopes to defend his Tour de France title as joint leader of Team Sky with Chris Froome at next year’s race. Froome said at the weekend that winning a record-equalling fifth yellow jersey is his major aim for 2019. Thomas went into this year’s race as one of Team Sky’s two protected riders; but despite Froome losing nearly a minute on the opening stage and Thomas winning back-to-back stages in the Alps midway through the race to move into the yellow jersey, it was only in the final week that Team Sky threw its full weight behind the Welshman’s challenge.​
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