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Daily News: Lapierre unveils its fourth-generation Pulsium endurance bike

Also, Cédrine Kerbaol is headed to EF-Oatly-Cannondale.

Dane Cash
by Dane Cash 05.11.2024 Photography by
Cor Vos, Kristof Ramon
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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 is making the headlines this week …

Wednesday, November 6, 2024

Lapierre releases fourth-generation Pulsium endurance bike

Lapierre has introduced the fourth generation of its Pulsium endurance road bike, with key improvements found in aerodynamics, lighter weight, and more aggressive geometry. It borrows its aero seat stay design features from the recently updated Xelius race bike, and features the unique 3D Tubular seatstay design that connects to the top tube rather than the seat tube. And despite the fourth-generation model forgoing the elastomer insert found in previous Pulsium versions, Lapierre still says the frame is also more compliant and comfortable than the previous models.

According to the French brand, the new Pulsium frame weighs 992g for size M, which is approximately 100g lighter than its predecessor. The redesigned frame shapes, on the other hand, reportedly save 6.1 watts at 50km/h – equivalent to about five seconds saved over 10 kilometers.

The Pulsium’s geometry is revamped with a longer reach and lower stack, and there is a sixth XXL frame size added to the range too. In terms of clearance, the frame now supports tyres up to 38mm wide, and there are top tube mounts for a bag.

The 2025 Pulsium is priced from £2,899 to £5,699 in the UK.

Kerbaol joins EF

On Tuesday, Ceratizit-WNT announced that Cédrine Kerbaol would be leaving the team after the team’s delayed application for WorldTour status triggered a clause allowing her to terminate her contract. On Wednesday, Kerbaol’s destination for 2025 was revealed. The 23-year-old Frenchwoman has signed on to join EF-Oatly-Cannondale.

“Her style of riding is exactly how we want to race. It’s exciting to watch how she will risk losing in order to give her all for a result,” said EF team manager Esra Tromp. “She is an impressive rider and still quite young. We both have big ambitions and I am confident that we will grow and achieve together. Cédrine’s strength and versatility make her the ideal rider to complete our 2025 roster.”

Accell Group gets creditor support for recapitalization plan

Accell Group has announced it has secured support from creditors for a major recapitalization effort aimed at stabilizing its financial and operational future. The European bike company behind brands such as Haibike, Ghost, Lapierre, Raleigh and Babboe said that it secured backing from approximately 80% of its senior lenders and unanimous support from other key creditors to proceed.

The recapitalization is expected to be completed by early Q1 2025 and will reduce Accell’s senior debt by approximately 40%, from €1.4 billion to €800 million. The plan also includes a cash infusion of €235 million to boost the company’s liquidity and fund growth initiatives, the company press release said. Accell has been navigating debt pressures since its acquisition in early 2022 by global private equity firm KKR. The acquisition was part of a €1.56 billion deal aimed at strengthening Accell’s position in the bicycle market.

Cummings leaves Ineos

Steve Cummings, the former pro who went on to become Director of Racing at the Ineos Grenadiers, has left the team, as reported by Daniel Benson on his Substack.

The news comes after months of speculation following a decision not to take Cummings to the Tour de France and his general absence from most events in the latter half of the season. His departure represents yet another change for an Ineos organization that is undergoing a major management shakeup. [Substack]

Strava use by security staff revealed locations of Biden and other world leaders

A report from Le Monde reveals that the locations of Joe Biden, Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin, Emmanuel Macron, and other world leaders have been apparent at times thanks to the Strava usage of their security staff.

Le Monde cited instances of United States Secret Service agents using the fitness app to track their workouts while they were staying in close proximity to President Biden, revealing the president’s location. The report pointed to similar location leaks with other world leaders. [Le Monde]

Northwave releases new Revolution shoes

Northwave has introduced a “completely renewed” road cycling shoe, the Revolution. The new shoe features a brand new Morph Carbon sole with a stiffness index of 13 out of 15, the upper is crafted from PU synthetic leather with breathable mesh, and the closure is handled by a dual SLW3 rotor system. There are standard and wide fit options available in sizes 36 to 50, and the RRP stands at $249.99 a pair.


Tuesday, November 5, 2024

Cédrine Kerbaol at the Tour de France.

Kerbaol and Ceratizit-WNT part ways after WorldTour license delay

When Ceratizit-WNT missed a deadline to apply for a WorldTour license last month for administrative reasons, a contract clause kicked in to allow Ceratizit riders to terminate their contracts. Cédrine Kerbaol, one of the sport’s most promising youngsters and a stage winner at this year’s Tour de France Femmes, has done just that, even though the team has since squared away all of the WorldTour licensing paperwork.

Ceratizit announced on Tuesday that rider and team were “mutually” splitting up, although team manager Claude Sun expressed his discontent in the associated press release.

“Naturally, we’re disappointed to see Cédrine depart in this way but we respect her decision and wish her all the best for the road ahead.”

Kerbaol was a key part of Ceratizit’s success on the season, one that saw the team make modest gains in the overall WorldTour rankings. Where she will end up racing for 2025 remains unclear.

Pogačar’s termination clause is €200 million

La Gazzetta dello Sport has revealed details of Tadej Pogačar’s contract with UAE Team Emirates, and the financials provide an interesting sense of just how valuable the Tour de France winner is to his team.

According to La Gazzetta, Pogačar will earn €8 million a year over the course of six seasons, easily the highest yearly salary in the pro peloton. Perhaps more interestingly, there is a termination clause of €200 million in his contract, which will effectively guarantee no team can poach the Slovenian. [La Gazzetta dello Sport]

Pon to close Mainz factory and shift Santa Cruz and Cervélo production

Pon Bike Performance will close its Mainz, Germany facility and relocate European production of Santa Cruz and Cervélo bikes some 400 km away in Emstek, Germany, by April 2025. The Mainz location opened production just over two years ago and reportedly made some 3,500 bikes in the first year. The goal was to scale this up to 30,000 bikes annually and expand the team to nearly 100 employees – but Pon said the site struggled to reach these targets, prompting the shift to Emstek for improved efficiency. While the manufacturing shift will impact around 80 employees, Mainz will remain a hub for sales and marketing.

Albert has high expectations for Nys but preaches patience

Former cyclocross World Champion Niels Albert has high expectations for Thibau Nys (Lidl-Trek), but he is also preaching patience. Albert weighed in on whether Nys’ latest results represent a big step forward after he won the European Continental ‘cross title and, more generally, after a great campaign on the road.

“Crossing a new threshold in cyclocross would mean: riding to the finish tomorrow with Wout van Aert and/or Mathieu van der Poel and beating him/them in the sprint,” Albert said in a Het Laatste Nieuws column. “We are not going to place him at that level. Again: not yet. Because turn it or twist it however you want: at a certain point it will go in that direction. I am not talking about equalling, let alone surpassing. But certainly ‘leaning close to.'” [Het Laatste Nieuws]

Sven Nys blames SRAM chain failures for keeping more Baloise Trek riders from Euros success

Speaking of the Nys family, Baloise Trek manager Sven Nys has suggested that more of his riders might have joined his son Thibau in putting up big results at Euros but for chain failures.

“We are riding with a new derailleur group from SRAM this season, which we have already had problems with during training,” Nys told Het Laatste Nieuws. “They addressed those problems, delivered new chains and then the problem was gone, but apparently not. We need to investigate that, chains are not supposed to fail when a rider puts a lot of force on the pedals.” [Het Laatste Nieuws]


Monday, November 4, 2024

Shirin van Anrooij at the Tour of Flanders.

Van Anrooij undergoes iliac artery surgery

Versatile Dutchwoman Shirin van Anrooij will not race cyclocross this season and will miss the beginning of her upcoming road campaign as she recovers from surgery to treat iliac artery endofibrosis.

“After some hard months on and off the bike, we finally got to the bottom of what was causing me problems in my left leg,” Van Anrooij said via a Lidl-Trek press release. “I have had successful surgery to repair a narrowing of my external iliac artery. It was definitely a scary discovery at first, but everything went well and I am happy that I can now start my recovery.”

Van Anrooij enjoyed a breakthrough 2023 campaign on the road that included a win at the Trofeo Alfredo Binda, and she was again in the mix throughout the European spring this season. Later in the year, however, the 22-year-old began experiencing “experiencing unusual sensations in her left leg,” as Lidl-Trek explained in the press release. She was subsequently diagnosed with iliac artery endofibrosis.

Rider and team will hope that last week’s surgery will, after a full recovery, see Van Anrooij bounce back to her previous level. She is set to return to racing by May of next year.

Red Bull reportedly made Evenepoel a sizable offer that included bringing on teammates

After months of rumors around a potential transfer to Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe, Remco Evenepoel has said he is staying put at Soudal-Quic kStep – apparently despite a hefty offer being on the table.

Het Laatste Nieuws reports that Evenepoel was offered a massive €10 million sum as well as spots for several of his favored supporters, although Cyclingnews reports that the monetary offer was likely closer to half of that per year, bringing it roughly in line with what Evenepoel now makes: between €4 and €5 million. In any case, Soudal-Quick Step boss Patrick Lefevere was not going to be convinced to let Evenepoel go, and Evenepoel will thus lead the way for the Belgian team into 2025.

Pidcock is back with his Ineos Grenadiers teammates

As Dan Benson reports on his Substack, Tom Pidcock was back to hanging out with his Ineos Grenadiers teammates on Sunday at a Manchester United game. The reunion comes a little less than a month after was surprisingly left out of the Ineos selection for Il Lombardia, a move followed by weeks of speculation that he might be leaving the team imminently.

Pidcock was rumored to be in talks with Q36.5 but more recent reports suggest that a deal fell through and that he will stick with the Ineos Grenadiers. His Sunday outing to see Manchester United – of whom Ineos owner Jim Ratcliffe is a major shareholder – is further indication that he will ride on with Ineos for the foreseeable future, even if it isn’t exactly ironclad proof of anything. [Dan Benson Substack]

Patrick Bevin is retiring

Patrick Bevin had originally planned to ride on into 2025 with DSM Firmenich-PostNL, but the Kiwi is calling it a career instead.

Health issues have significantly impacted Bevin’s racing campaigns in recent seasons; the 33-year-old missed a significant stretch in 2023 due to a cardiac arrhythmia. His last race of the 2024 season came in March at the Volta a Catalunya. As it turns out, that will mark his final race as a pro as he now hangs up the proverbial wheels after a career that saw him take two stage wins at WorldTour races as well as the overall title at the 2019 Tour of Turkey.

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