Welcome to Daily News, your roundup of news items from across the world of cycling. We keep this post updated throughout the week so that you can stay informed on all things bike racing, tech, industry, culture, advocacy, and more.
Here is what has been making the headlines this week …
Friday, September 20, 2024
- People are making thousands of dollars gaming Citi Bike
- Pirelli goes wide
- SDWorx-ProTime signs Czech talent Kopecky
- Mohorič crashes during Sea Otter Europe Girona gravel recon
People are making thousands of dollars gaming Citi Bike
What if you could make real money – thousands of dollars a month – just by redistributing bikeshare bikes? For years, a small number of Citi Bike users in New York City has been doing just that with the system’s “Bike Angels” program, which rewards users for redistributing bikes to stations around the city to keep them from being entirely empty or entirely full.
But, as the NY Times details in this fascinating read, some Angels game the system by creating the very imbalances they’re then paid to correct. In one hustle, Angels take all the bikes from one station to another a block away, fooling the system into thinking there’s an imbalance. Once the rewards are available, the Angels then ride bikes back to the original dock.
Now Citi Bike owner Lyft is cracking down, issuing warnings that user accounts that appear to be gaming the incentive system will be de-activated. That’s sparked a lively discussion about whether what these users are doing is abusive to Citi Bike and other users, or just a creative hack of the gig economy, which has always been tilted to favor tech platforms like Lyft. [New York Times]
Pirelli goes wide
Italian tire manufacturer Pirelli has announced that its P Zero TLR road tire collection is getting wider, with both a 35 mm and 40 mm option bolstering the range. The new tires use the same SmartEvo Compound and SpeedCore construction found on the narrower P Zero Race TLR tires.
As Pirelli says, “This performance race tire will be a popular option for those all-road cyclists who will be taking their bike on mixed terrains, smooth gravel, or gravel racers looking for all the speed on smooth courses.”
SD Worx-ProTime signs Czech talent Kopecký
Czech time trial champion Julia Kopecký (currently with AG Insurance-Soudal NXTG) has signed with SD Worx-ProTime through 2026.
The 20-year-old is one of several siblings – none of whom are Belgian star Lotte Kopecky – emerging as up-and-comers in the pro peloton. Julia Kopecký’s biggest career success so far came at this year’s Tour de Feminin, where she won to the overall title after taking two stages.
Mohorič crashes during Sea Otter Europe Girona gravel recon
Matej Mohorič, who is hoping to defend his title as UCI World Gravel Champion in October, crashed during a recon of the Sea Otter Europe Girona gravel race and will thus miss that event. The 29-year-old Slovenian is still slated to take part in Road Worlds in Zurich next weekend before the Gravel World Championships in Belgium the following weekend.
Quick hits
Peter Sagan has been named as a judge for the UCI Cycling for All & Sustainability Awards … 18-year-old Cat Ferguson gets her first pro win in just her third day as a Movistar stagiaire.
Thursday, September 19, 2024
- DS Frans Maassen says Vingegaard has to improve to beat Pogačar
- Giant subsidiary Spia acquires Stages
- Eight women’s teams have so far applied for ProTeam licenses in 2025
- Ribble adds a titanium frame option to its Allroad range
- New helmet rating concludes high price does not equal safer helmet
DS Frans Maassen says Vingegaard has to improve to beat Pogačar
Visma-Lease a Bike sports director Frans Maassen has acknowledged that Jonas Vingegaard will have to get better if he wants to keep up with Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates), who seemed to reach a whole new level in 2024.
“He wants to be the best and has to work very hard to get better, and it will be a challenge, because if he stays at the same level, he probably won’t be able to beat Tadej Pogacar anymore,” Maassen said of Visma’s GC leader in an interview with BT.
“He has to find a way to get better. Mentally, he has grown a lot after these years, and he is really mentally strong. Now his engine is under control again after the crash, and he himself is a guy who is hard to beat.”
Maassen also downplayed rumors of Vingegaard potentially heading to the Giro. [BT]
Giant subsidiary Spia acquires Stages
Months after laying off its workforce and filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, power meter and indoor cycling brand Stages Cycling has been purchased by Giant via its subsidiary Spia Cycling. Giant has long had a close relationship with Stages, was the manufacturer of most of the Stages indoor bikes, and agreed to acquire a 32.5% stake in the company in January of 2023 before that fell apart weeks later. Giant also hired four Stages executives in recent months.
Eight women’s teams have so far applied for ProTeam licenses in 2025
The UCI will introduce a ProTeam category, below WorldTeam but above Continental, for the first time next season. VolkerWessels, Lotto Dstny, EF-Oatly-Cannondale, St Michel-Mavic-Auber 93, Arkéa-B&B Hotel, Cofidis, Laboral Kutxa Fundacion Euskadi and Winspac all hope to secure the new license and a chance to race the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, along with other WorldTour events, in the coming years.
Ribble adds a titanium frame option to its Allroad range
British bike brand Ribble has expanded its Allroad range with a titanium frame option, which comes with an aero-optimised frame and component options and clearance for 38mm tyres (with low thread). Ribble says each frame is “individually hand polished” and features a 3D-printed headtube.
Ribble’s Allroad Ti pricing starts at £3,499 for a complete bike with a Shimano 105 R7100 mechanical groupset.
New helmet rating concludes high price does not equal safer helmet
Imperial College London’s new helmet rating lists a £50 helmet as the safest but also highlights the lack of uniform methods in helmet safety testing.
ICL’s Helmet Impact Protection Effectiveness Rating (Hiper) project, funded by the Road Safety Trust, tested 30 popular helmet models available from major UK retailers and found that higher-price helmets were not unequivocally linked to lower head injury risk, but that greater helmet weight resulted in a higher linear risk. The study also found that helmets with Mips rotational-energy absorption liners reduced the overall risk by over a third. [hiper]
Quick hits
Global Peloton reports that the Tashkent City women’s team is shutting down … COVID-19 will keep Jhonatan Narvaez out of Worlds.
Wednesday, September 18, 2024
- Van Aert will stay with Visma-Lease a Bike “until the end of his career”
- Chabbey signs with FDJ-Suez
- AGU finds a buyer
- Dygert renews with Canyon-SRAM
- Van der Poel shows Worlds form with Luxembourg win
Van Aert will stay with Visma-Lease a Bike “until the end of his career”
Wout van Aert will be with Visma-Lease a Bike from now until he hangs up his wheels. The 30-year-old Belgian has signed an unorthodox contract with the Dutch team that will keep him “until the end of his career.”
“This is unique in our sport, but we both didn’t have to think long about that,” said team CEO Richard Plugge.
Van Aert joined the team back in spring of 2019, coming over amid some controversy as he had been under contract with Vérandas Willems-Crelan. Since joining the squad then known as Jumbo-Visma, he has been one the most prolific winners in the pro peloton. His palmarès includes a Tour de France green jersey, a Monument win at Milan-San Remo, and multiple cyclocross world titles. He has also been a vital teammate for Jonas Vingegaard in both of the Dane’s Tour de France wins.
Van Aert is currently recovering from a knee injury sustained at the Vuelta a España, where he had been the clear favorite to take the points title before he crashed out.
Chabbey signs with FDJ-Suez
After four years with Canyon-SRAM, Elise Chabbey is headed to FDJ-Suez, the fifth rider to sign with the team for the 2025 season. The Swiss climbing talent will bring a host of experience with her. Her goal with the new outfit is to win races herself as well as help the French team take the final yellow jersey at the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift.
AGU finds a buyer
Dutch cycling clothing brand AGU, which supplies Visma-Lease a Bike with kit, has been bought by e-bike brand EcoMotion, Wielerflits reports. The acquisition comes just in time for AGU, which had been on the brink of collapse after applying for bankruptcy in August. [Wielerflits]
Dygert renews with Canyon-SRAM
World time trial champion Chloé Dygert will ride on with Canyon-SRAM through 2026. The 27-year-old American, also a major track cycling talent, has claimed two world TT titles since joining the squad back in 2021.
Van der Poel shows Worlds form with Luxembourg win
Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) claimed the opening stage of the Tour de Luxembourg on Wednesday in what was his first win since his brilliant spring campaign. The sprint victory over Christophe Laporte (Visma-Lease a Bike) and Andreas Kron (Lotto-Dstny) is an encouraging sign for the Dutchman less than two weeks before he tries to defend his world championship title in Zurich.
“It’s been a while since I could raise my hands,” he said.
Quick hits
Skylar Schneider is heading back to SDWorx-ProTime … Alpecin-Deceuninck and Jason Osborne are parting ways … Pidcock headlines Team GB for Worlds.
Tuesday, September 17, 2024
- Another Tour crash left Roglič questioning his career
- Ferrand-Prévot will race Road Worlds
- Gianetti: Pogačar will only get better
- Brompton goes gravel
- British Cycling is pushing for a Tour return
Another Tour crash left Roglič questioning his career
In an interview with Slovenian newspaper Délo, Primož Roglič (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) has described how crashing yet again at the Tour de France this year left him questioning whether he should continue in his career.
“When it happened to me again, which it did, my thoughts went in the direction of, ‘What do I need this for? I don’t need to be part of the cycling world anymore and suffer all this,'” he said.
It is easy to understand why Roglič, who has suffered setbacks on numerous occasions at the French Grand Tour, would have been so disappointed to have abandoned the race yet again in his first season at Red Bull. It also makes it all the more impressive that he re-found his proverbial mojo even as he worked his way back from the injuries he sustained in that Tour crash, going on to win a record-setting fourth Vuelta a España title. Even that win saw Roglič and his team push through adversity, as multiple members of the Red Bull squad were laid low by health issues in the last week of the race.
As Roglič put it, “We always stayed near the toilets,” even through the final stage and the podium ceremony. [Délo]
Ferrand-Prévot will race Road Worlds
Having already announced earlier this year she would hang up her mountain bike at the end of the season to target the Tour de France Femmes, Olympic MTB champ Pauline Ferrand-Prévot is wasting no time turning her attention to the road. She has been named to the French squad for the upcoming UCI Road World Championships in Zurich.
Ferrand-Prévot won the road race at Worlds back in 2014 but has hardly raced the discipline lately; appearances at French nationals have been her only road races since 2018.
Gianetti: Pogačar will only get better
As talented as Tadej Pogačar is, UAE Team Emirates boss Mauro Gianetti thinks he will only get better from here on out. “He’s still 26 and we know that riders can improve physically until they’re at least 30,” Gianetti told Wielerflits. “It’s also necessary that he continues to develop, because the competition does that too.” [Wielerflits]
Brompton goes gravel
Iconic British-based folding bike brand Brompton has released a new collection of bikes aimed at taking riders beyond the city and away from the pavement. Named the G Line, the bikes are based around 20-inch wheels that can accommodate a custom Schwalbe G-One tubeless tire. An electric G Line also joins the line-up with a 250-watt hub motor capable of supporting a rider for between 20-40 miles between charges, courtesy of an integrated 345Wh battery.
British Cycling is pushing for a Tour return
As City A.M. reports, British Cycling has begun directing its energies to bringing the Tour de France back to the United Kingdom for the first time since the 2014 Grand Départ in Yorkshire.
“We would love to come to London,” said British Cycling CEO Jon Dutton. “We’re looking at big population centers – London, Glasgow, Cardiff and more.” [City A.M.]
Quick hits
Tratnik is heading to Red Bull … Almeida will lead Portugal at Worlds … Skjelmose and Pedersen headline Danish Worlds team.
Monday, September 16, 2024
- David Lappartient is officially running for IOC president
- The 2028 Olympics will conflict with the Tour even more than normal
- Marlen Reusser will miss her home Worlds in Zurich
- Gomez Villafañe and Swenson take debut Chequamegon titles
- Luke Rowe may be heading for a DS role at AG2R
- Winner’s circle: Pogačar wins GP Montreal, Merlier and Wiebes take Euros
David Lappartient is officially running for IOC president
After a few months of rumors that he would be seeking the job, current UCI president David Lappartient is officially a candidate for the presidency of the International Olympic Committee. The IOC announced the seven candidates for the role on Monday.
Also among those candidates is former British Olympic star Sebastian Coe, who is the current World Athletics president. Lappartient, Coe, and five others will vie to succeed Thomas Bach, who has served in the role of IOC president since 2013, when he was elected to an eight-year term that was followed by a subsequent four-year term.
Lappartient has been the president of the UCI since 2017, when he was elected over then-incumbent Brian Cookson, and he is also an IOC member. The IOC elections will take place in March at the next major meeting of the IOC in Greece.
The 2028 Olympics will conflict with the Tour even more than normal
As Wielerflits reports, the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles are scheduled to run from July 14 to July 30, right in heart of the traditional timeline for the Tour de France. As Jonny Long details in today’s Spin Cycle, although it is normal for Tour to shift its start date to accommodate the Olympics, the upcoming Olympic Games would overlap even more with the Tour’s standard timeframe, which could force a major scheduling change. [Wielerflits]
Marlen Reusser will miss her home Worlds in Zurich
Swiss talent Marlen Reusser announced on social media that she will miss her home World Championships in Zurich for health reasons that have cost her much of the season. “Unfortunately, I won’t be able to be there due to my post-COVID syndrome,” she said. [Instagram]
Gomez Villafañe and Swenson take debut Chequamegon titles
Sofia Gomez Villafañe and Keegan Swenson won the Chequamegon MTB Festival, the fourth Life Time Grand Prix race. Gomez Villafañe sprinted to victory in the women’s category, while Swenson narrowly claimed the men’s title. Both now lead their Grand Prix standings by four points. Alex Howes won the beer stein-holding competition.
Luke Rowe may be heading for a DS role at AG2R
Veteran racer – and podcaster – Luke Rowe is set to retire from the pro peloton at the end of this season, but as Daniel Benson reports, the 34-year-old Welshman is apparently in talks to join Decathlon-Ag2r La Mondiale in a sport director role in the coming season. [Substack]
Winner’s circle: Pogačar wins GP Montreal, Merlier and Wiebes take Euros
Your brief recap of the big road races from the weekend starts with Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) taking a dominant solo win at the GP Montréal, where Pello Bilbao (Bahrain Victorious) finished second with Julian Alaphilippe (Soudal-Quick Step) in third.
Meanwhile, over in Belgium, Tim Merlier (Belgium) and Lorena Wiebes (Netherlands) both claimed European Continental road titles on Sunday in bunch sprints. Merlier stood atop the podium flanked by Olav Kooij (Netherlands) and Madis Mihkels (Estonia), while the women’s race saw Wiebes best Elisa Balsamo (Italy) and Daria Pikulik (Poland).
Quick hits
Lolë Brands has acquired Louis Garneau … The Biden administration finalized a tariff rule that affects Chinese-made e-bike batteries … Last week, PinkBike spotted what looks like a cable-actuated version of SRAM’s Transmission mountain bike derailleur.
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