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 …
Sunday, February 2, 2025
- Van der Poel equals men's record with seventh CX world title
- Remco Evenepoel is 'back outside'
- Winner's circle: Jayco-AlUla finally have their Cadel's Race win
Van der Poel equals men's record with seventh CX world title
After Saturday's wins for Tibor del Grosso and Fem van Empel, and Zoe Backstedt's victory earlier on Sunday, Mathieu van der Poel became the fourth rider to successfully defend their World Championship title in Liévin, France.
The elite men's race carried a huge amount of anticipation in the run-up, especially after Wout van Aert's surprise announcement that he would in fact show up, but no amount of hope could blunt the chances that Van der Poel would run away with his seventh rainbow jersey for cyclocross. The Dutch superstar went to the front early and was soon clear of any rivals as Van Aert was forced to start in the fourth row, and got stuck in the traffic between himself and the front.
The Belgian contingent tried to band together and chase after the reigning champion, but he was gone. Even a puncture in the third lap couldn't keep him from maintaining or building his advantage at each passage of the finish line, and after eight laps, he was able to celebrate a record-equalling seventh victory, tying with Erik de Vlaeminck. Now only Marianne Vos has more CX world titles than Van der Poel.
Remco Evenepoel is 'back outside'
Two months after his unfortunate crash in early December, Remco Evenepoel has completed his first outdoor training rides this weekend. Before Saturday's 65-kilometre jaunt – entitled "Back outside" and captioned: "Getting there very slowly but surely 🤲🏼" – the double Olympic champion took to Strava to log a long run in early January, proving that his fitness was heading in the right direction if not optimal just yet, given the lingering nerve issue in his shoulder.
During his Soudal-QuickStep team camp, Evenepoel had said – via video link – that he hoped to get out on the road, and off the turbo, in early February, so it appears his recovery is on track. Whether he's progressing as hoped remains to be seen, but Brabantse Pijl is still expected to be his season debut in mid April.
Winner's circle: Jayco-AlUla finally have their Cadel's Race win
It's beginning to get a little more busy on the road racing front, with the first men's WorldTour-level one-day race taking place in the early hours of Sunday morning for those of us in Europe. After Ally Wollaston's win in the women's edition of Cadel's Race, Mauro Schmid took the victory today, finally delivering Australian WorldTeam Jayco-AlUla a long-awaited first win at their home race. Iain Treloar has the story at Escape Collective.
While the CX World Championships took most of the focus in Europe – Mattia Agostinacchio (Italy) winning the junior men's title before Zoe Backstedt (Great Britain) and Mathieu van der Poel (Netherlands) defended their under-23 and elite titles respectively – there were two winners on the road.
The Mallorca Challenge wrapped up with the Trofeo Palma, won by Olympic track cyclist Iúri Leitão (Caja Rural-Seguros RGA) who spoiled the sprinters' party with a late attack, while the lumpy GP La Marseillaise was snatched by Frenchman Valentin Ferron in his third race day with new team Cofidis.
Saturday, February 1, 2025
- Fem van Empel wins third title in a row as Dutch rule day one of cyclocross World Champs
- The UCI has acted on calls to ban carbon monoxide
- Luke Plapp’s early-season plans to be put on hold by wrist surgery
- Alexander Kristoff hints that 2025 may be his last season
- Challenge Mallorca’s Trofeo Andratx cancelled after 25 km due to dangerous conditions
- Winner’s circle: Victories for Ally Wollaston and Tom Pidcock
Fem van Empel wins third title in a row as Dutch rule day one of CX World Champs
The elite women’s CX world championship race was always going to be a blockbuster affair, and though the fast French course made it more selective sooner than many might have hoped, the thrilling fight for rainbows went all the way to the finishing straight where Fem van Empel finally dislodged Lucinda Brand from her wheel. Having been dropped at around the halfway point, Puck Pieterse held on for third and Inge van der Heijden made it a Dutch top four.
Earlier in the day, reigning under-23 men’s champion Tibor Del Grosso delivered on expectations to seal a dominant title defence, leaving his rivals to wrestle over the silver medal having broken clear in the opening lap. It was a very good day for the Dutch federation, however they were absent from the first podium of the weekend as the French 16-year-old Lise Revol took the junior women’s title, much to the delight of the home crowd in Liévin, France. [More results here]
The UCI has acted on calls to ban carbon monoxide
The UCI has officially banned the repeated inhalation of carbon monoxide in a new rule that seeks to protect against the potential health risks. It's not a complete ban, but it places strict regulations on when and where the method can be used, that is, only to measure haemoglobin mass and only in 'medical facilities'. The UCI also called on WADA to take a position on carbon monoxide's use in sport. Escape Collective's Ronan Mc Laughlin has the full story here.
Luke Plapp’s early-season plans to be put on hold by wrist surgery
Eagle eyes spotted some heavy strapping on Luke Plapp’s wrist at the Australian national champs in mid-January, where he came away with a third career TT title and second in the road race, and though he’s raced on since then, it now transpires that the old injury, aggravated in a December training crash, will require surgery.
In the immediate short term, this means the 24-year-old is ruled out of the WorldTour-level Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race, but it’s not clear yet how long he’ll be out of competition for surgery and rehabilitation.
Alexander Kristoff hints that 2025 may be his last season
37-year-old Alexander Kristoff is entering his 16th year in the professional peloton, and his third year with Uno-X Mobility, and though nothing is set in stone, the ‘Stavanger Stallion’ is weighing up his options for the future.
“I can't say for sure yet, but it's more likely that it will be the last season,” Kristoff told TV2 in Norway. “I'll have to have a very good season if I'm going to consider another year … For me, the big goal is to win 100 professional races [he has 96 to date]. It’s kind of out there as something achievable … I had eight last year; this year I need four.” [TV2.no]
Challenge Mallorca’s Trofeo Andratx cancelled after 23 km due to dangerous conditions
The fourth of five one-day races that make up the men’s Challenge Mallorca was cancelled after just 23 kilometres on Saturday. The decision was instigated by the riders who came to a stop partly as a reaction to the many crashes that plagued the opening hour.
The Trofeo Andratx-Pollença is the more mountainous of Mallorca’s event, taking place predominantly in the Serra de Tramuntana mountain range, and, particularly after the early incidents, it was deemed unsafe to continue over the mountainous terrain with no sign that the persistent rain would let up or road conditions improve.
It was a win for the voice of the peloton, but organisers were salty about the decision coming about without their say.
“We respect their decision, but we do not agree with it, and we do not like it at all,” race director Manolo Hernández told local media. “If this were the Tour de France or Vuelta a España, they would not have stopped. Organizing these events takes a lot of effort.”
Winner’s circle: Victories for Ally Wollaston and Tom Pidcock
After taking victory at the Surf Coast Classic earlier this week, Ally Wollaston kept the FDJ-Suez momentum rolling with a confident victory at the WorldTour Cadel Evans Road Race ahead of Karlijn Swinkels (UAE Team ADQ) and Noemi Rüegg (EF Education-Oatly) – Iain Treloar has more at Escape Collective.
Over at the AlUla Tour, the final stage was threatened by serious crosswinds that caught a couple of the GC contenders out, namely second and third-overall Rainer Kepplinger (Bahrain Victorious) and Alan Hatherly (Jayco-AlUla). Race leader Tom Pidcock was right where he needed to be though, as was his team which staged a huge upset by delivering Matteo Moschetti to sprint victory ahead of Dylan Groenewegen (Jayco-AlUla) and Juan Sebastián Molano (UAE Team Emirates-XRG), wrapping up three stage wins and the overall title for Q36.5.
Friday, January 31, 2025
- MP blasts WBD and fans lodge complaints with regulator over Eurosport move
- New SRAM patent shows mechanical Transmission derailleur
- UCI says that relocating Worlds from Rwanda is not 'planned at this time'
- Eekhoff recovering from jaw fracture and broken tooth
- Winner's Circle: Pidcock strengthens his AlUla Tour lead
MP blasts WB and fans lodge complaints with regulator over Eurosport move
After Warner Bros. Discovery announced the shutdown of Eurosport in the United Kingdom and Ireland and the subsequent shift of cycling coverage to TNT Sports, a Member of Parliament blasted the move and fans reportedly lodged a complaint with the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA).
"A terrible decision by @tntsports to put cycling coverage behind a paywall with a 400% price hike," Ben Obese-Jecty, MP for Huntingdon in Cambridgeshire, wrote on X.
"With @itvcycling having also lost the free-to-air rights of @LeTour, next month cycling coverage is going to become a prohibitively expensive luxury to a huge number of fans."
Meanwhile, road.cc reports that fans have lodged complaints over the decision with the CMA, the governmental competition regulator in the United Kingdom. The CMA previously looked into the agreement between BT Sport and Warner Bros. Discovery that laid the groundwork for WBD's control of broadcasting rights as it currently stands, though the regulator ultimately approved that merger. [road.cc]
New SRAM patent shows mechanical Transmission derailleur
A patent application filed on January 30 confirms what has been rumor for almost a year: SRAM is readying a mechanical version of its direct-mount Transmission rear derailleur. The patent, which credits as inventors two of the primary engineers behind Transmission and the Universal Derailleur Hanger standard, outlines a cable-activated version of its popular AXS electronic Eagle Transmission drivetrains.
Much of the patent deals with how SRAM solved the issue of setting proper B gap adjustment, which SRAM says “has a particularly significant influence on the robustness and the switching performance” of shifting gears. Escape Collective has more here.
UCI says that relocating Worlds from Rwanda is not 'planned at this time'
Amid reports that alternative options for the Road World Championships are being considered due to armed conflict near the Rwandan border in eastern Congo, the UCI said that "no relocation" is currently planned.
Het Laatste Nieuws and La Dernière Heure report that the governing body is working on contingency plans to move Worlds from the Rwandan capital of Kigali to Switzerland as a conflict between the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Rwanda-backed M23 rebel group has intensified in recent weeks. In its statement, the UCI said it was "closely monitoring developments in the eastern region of the Democratic Republic of Congo" but also that "the ongoing conflict is confined to the DRC, and Rwanda remains entirely safe for tourism and business."
The UCI stated that "no relocation of the 2025 UCI Road World Championships from Rwanda to Switzerland or any other location is planned at this time."
Eekhoff recovering from jaw fracture and broken tooth
Picnic-PostNL said Thursday evening that Nils Eekhoff suffered a broken jaw and one broken tooth when he crashed on stage 3 of the AlUla Tour. The 27-year-old Dutchman is out of the hospital in Saudi Arabia but "further assessments" will be done in the Netherlands to determine whether surgery will be required.
The team said that Eekhoff will be off the bike for "six to eight weeks" as he recovers.
Winner's Circle: Pidcock strengthens his AlUla Tour lead
Two days after nabbing his first win for Q36.5, Tom Pidcock took a second, winning stage 4 of the AlUla Tour and growing his overall lead there. The Brit crossed the line 12 seconds ahead of Alan Hatherly (Jayco-AlUla) with Rainer Kepplinger (Bahrain Victorious) taking third on the day.
Then, in Mallorca, Florian Stork (Tudor) rode to his first ever pro win at the Trofeo Serra Tramuntana, the third event in the Challenge Mallorca series. The German soloed to victory ahead of Martin Marcellusi (VF Group-Bardiani CSF-Faizanè) and Markus Hoelgaard (Uno-X Mobility).
Thursday, January 30, 2025
- A bad crash at the AlUla Tour
- Body Rocket introduces power meter pedals with big precision claims
- Ineos Grenadiers launch development partnership with Hot Tubes Racing
- Inflation brand Genuine Innovations to shut down
- Quality Bicycle Products lays off 2% of its workforce
- Winner's Circle: Andresen takes Surf Coast title, Van der Berg wins in Mallorca
A bad crash at the AlUla Tour
Nils Eekhoff (Picnic PostNL) has been hospitalized after crashing heavily in stage 3 of the AlUla Tour. The 27-year-old Dutchman, who fans may remember as the rider who was disqualified from the under-23 road race at Worlds in 2019 for having drafted a team car, had to swerve to avoid a falling Caja Rural-Seguros RGA rider and proceeded to crash into a lamppost. The riders went down about a kilometer from the finish line – where Tim Merlier (Soudal-QuickStep) took the stage win ahead of Dylan Groenewegen (Jayco-AlUla) and Juan Sebastián Molano (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) – but there were no barriers along the course.
The incident comes just a day after organizers temporarily neutralized stage 2 and removed some 30 km from the race route because of a rough road surface on a descent.
Picnic PostNL said on social media that Eekhoff is undergoing "further medical checks" and that the team will provide "a further update on Nils in due course."
Body Rocket introduces power meter pedals with big precision claims
Body Rocket has introduced new cycling power meter pedals, claiming they are the most accurate on the market with ±0.1% accuracy. Developed alongside the British company’s aerodynamic drag measurement system, the pedals feature a 20Hz sample rate and 40-hour battery life.
The price sits at £1,500 (US pricing not available). [Body Rocket]
Ineos Grenadiers launch development partnership with Hot Tubes Racing
On the heels of establishing its first U23 team partnership with German development team Lotto-Kern Haus-PSD Bank, the Ineos Grenadiers have formed a second partnership with highly regarded US junior development team Hot Tubes.
The move formalizes an existing connection, as Magnus Sheffield, AJ August, and Artem Schmidt all signed with Ineos after spending time on Hot Tubes. But the US devo team – founded by Toby Stanton and the longest running junior development organization in the US – also graduated Matteo Jorgenson from its ranks.
Inflation brand Genuine Innovations to shut down
Genuine Innovations, an American accessory brand known for its clever inflation products, is shutting down after 35 years. Its parent company, Illinois Tool Works, told Bicycle Retailer that “with the rise of low-cost and private-label competitors, the brand was ultimately squeezed out.”
Sister brand Slime, which includes bike tire sealants, will continue. [Bicycle Retailer]
Quality Bicycle Products lays off 2% of its workforce
Quality Bicycle Products (QBP), one of the largest independent distributors in the US, laid off 2% of its workforce on Wednesday. That follows layoffs in 2023 (5% of staff, and the closure of its mechanics school) and a 50-person layoff in 2022.
Winner's Circle: Andresen takes Surf Coast title, Van der Berg wins in Mallorca
In addition to Merlier winning in Saudi Arabia, two other WorldTour riders took victories in UCI events on Thursday. In Australia, Picnic PostNL's Tobias Lund Andresen sprinted to the win in the Surf Coast Classic ahead of Sam Welsford (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) and Tim Torn Teutenberg (Lidl-Trek). The result is Andresen's first one-day victory as a pro.
At the Trofeo Ses Salines, the second of four events in the Challenge Mallorca series, Marijn van den Berg (EF Education-EasyPost) took a sprint win of his own. The Dutchman bested Anthony Turgis (TotalEnergies) and Erlend Blikra (Uno-X Mobility) in Colònia de Sant Jordi.
Wednesday, January 29, 2025
- Wærenskjold says he skipped AlUla Tour 'because of human rights'
- Ritchey WCS components are losing the rainbows
- XDS Astana is following the data in pursuit of all-important UCI points
- Price-Pejtersen awarded Danish TT title seven months after disqualification
- Winner's Circle: Pidcock takes his first win for Q36.5, Wollaston gets her first win for FDJ-Suez
Wærenskjold says he skipped AlUla Tour 'because of human rights'
Søren Wærenskjold won stages at the Saudi Tour in 2023 and 2024, but he told TV2 that he asked Uno-X Mobility not to be sent to the rebranded AlUla Tour this year "for my own conscience."
"There is evidence of people being captured and killed because of their political views," the 24-year-old Norwegian said. "Gay rights, women's rights… there are many issues."
With that in mind, Wærenskjold said that he requested to be left out of his team's plans to go to the ASO-organized AlUla Tour, and team boss Thor Hushovd granted that request, saying, "I have to respect that athletes have different desires and take a stand on such important issues." [TV2]
Ritchey WCS components are losing the rainbows
For more than 30 years, Ritchey has used the World Champion Rainbow stripes on its WCS-level components.
As of January 1, 2025, that has come to an end. Expect Ritchey WCS components to transition to a grey graphic instead of the colorful logo. Iain Treloar has more on what actually happened here at Escape Collective.
XDS Astana is following the data in pursuit of all-important UCI points
In the final year of a relegation cycle that currently seems likely to bump his XDS Astana squad down to the second division, team boss Alexandre Vinokourov says that the Kazakhstani outfit has employed a data analyst to help put together a calendar maximizing chances to score UCI points.
"We've worked a lot on the question of the most beneficial courses for us thanks to a software program made by our data analyst which tells us to go to such and such a race depending on the depth of the field and the probability of getting more or less points," Vinokourov told L'Equipe, also saying that the squad must "remain in the WorldTour to continue to survive." [L'Equipe]
Price-Pejtersen awarded Danish TT title seven months after disqualification
Back in June of 2024, Johan Price-Pejtersen (then riding for Bahrain Victorious, now with Alpecin-Deceuninck) set the fastest mark in the time trial at the Danish national championships, but he was disqualified (and fined) for having briefly ridden on a path beside the road. Mattias Skjelmose (Lidl-Trek) was awarded the victory instead.
Several months after the fact, the Danish cycling federation has decided on appeal to reverse the disqualification, granting Price-Pejtersen the title. Price-Pejtersen told TV2 that he is seeking "compensation" from the federation for the way the situation was handled, noting that "I've been in a contract year, and the opportunities I haven't had because of this are something that will never come back." [TV2]
Winner's Circle: Pidcock takes his first win for Q36.5, Wollaston gets her first win for FDJ-Suez
Tom Pidcock wasted little time getting his first win for Q36.5, climbing to victory on stage 2 of the AlUla Tour. It was an unconventional day of racing that saw a stretch of the route removed and racing temporarily neutralized due to issues with the road surface. Racing was restarted for the final 5 km, where riders approached and then tackled a finishing climb. Pidcock attacked inside the final kilometer and held on ahead of Rainer Kepplinger (Bahrain Victorious) and Alan Hatherly (Jayco AlUla) to take the victory.
Over in Mallorca, Jan Christen (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) took the win at the Trofeo Calvià, the first race in the Challenge Mallorca series of one-days. The Swiss up-and-comer crossed the line six seconds ahead of Christian Scaroni (XDS Astana) with António Morgado of UAE Team Emirates-XRG in third.
And in Australia, after missing out on sprint chances at the Tour Down Under and the Schwalbe One Day Classic, Ally Wollaston (FDJ-Suez) put it all together at the inaugural Surf Coast Classic. She sprinted to victory in Torquay, ahead of Chloe Dygert and Georgia Baker to claim her first win for her new team.
Tuesday, January 28, 2025
- Six German national track team riders injured after being hit by driver
- Eurosport shutting down in the UK and Ireland, cycling coverage moving TNT Sports
- Wolf Tooth adds a third mini pump with internal storage
- Winner's circle: Merlier wins AlUla opener
Six German national track team riders injured after being hit by driver
Six members of the German national track cycling team were hospitalized after a collision with a car during a training ride in Mallorca.
According to the German Cycling Federation, riders suffered fractures but none of their injuries life threatening. The involved riders, who had just started a training ride from their hotel in Palma before they were hit, were Benjamin Boos, Tobias Buck-Gramcko, Bruno Kessler, Moritz Augenstein, Louis Gentzik, and Max-David Briese.
The driver of the vehicle, an 89-year-old man, apparently failed to see the cyclists, driving into them and causing the crash.
Eurosport shutting down in the UK and Ireland, cycling coverage moving TNT Sports
Warner Bros. Discovery has decided to shut down Eurosport in the United Kingdom and Ireland starting on February 28, moving cycling coverage to TNT Sports. Cycling fans who had been paying £6.99 for Eurosport will now be asked to shell out £30.99 a month for the premium sports package.
Jonny Long has more here at Escape Collective.
Wolf Tooth adds a third mini pump with internal storage
Wolf Tooth is expanding (shrinking?) its relatively new mini pump lineup. The new EnCase 30cc is an even smaller version that joins the pre-existing 40 and 85cc options, something we have previously covered.
A key feature of these pumps is the internal storage, with the 30cc version (from US$65) fitting the American company’s Encase Tubeless Tire Plug Tool within. [Wolf Tooth]
Winner's circle: Merlier wins AlUla opener
Tim Merlier (Soudal-Quick Step) sprinted to victory ahead of a strong field on stage 1 of the AlUla Tour. The Belgian took a clear win ahead of Juan Sebastián Molano (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) and Maikel Zijlaard (Tudor) on a stage that started and finished at the Al Manshiyah Train Station.
Monday, January 27, 2025
- Court confirms €662,000 judgment against Wout van Aert in dispute with former team
- Q36.5, Unibet-Tietema Rockets among those invited to Paris-Roubaix
- Yates on changes in nutrition: 'I enjoy the sport a lot more now'
- Dylan van Baarle is on the trainer again one week after breaking his collarbone
Court confirms €662,000 judgment against Wout van Aert in dispute with former team
Some six years after Wout van Aert broke his contract with Verandas Willems-Crelan to join the team then known as Jumbo-Visma, Belgium's Court of Cassation has confirmed a previous judgement that ordered him to pay €662,000 to former team boss Nick Nuyens.
Van Aert left Verandas Willems-Crelan (which was run by Nuyens's company Sniper Cycling) in 2018 and Nuyens sued for €1.1 million. At around the same time, his team folded. A labor court initially ruled against Nuyens in 2019, but an appeals court awarded him €662,000 in 2021.
Van Aert has long since paid that amount to Nuyens, but the case was taken to a higher court as neither party was content with the judgement. More than three years after the previous ruling, the Cort of Cassation ruled on Monday that the payment of €662,000 would stand.
Q36.5, Unibet-Tietema Rockets among those invited to Paris-Roubaix
Parix-Roubaix has unveiled the list of teams that are receiving wildcard invitations to the 2025 edition of the race. On the men's side, Q36.5, TotalEnergies, Tudor, and the Unibet-Tietema Rockets will join the WorldTour squads along with Lotto, Israel-Premier Tech, and Uno-X Mobility, all three of which receive automatic invitations.
On the women's side, the nine squads that will be attending on wildcard invitations are Arkéa-B&B Hotels, Cofidis, EF Education-Oatly, St Michel-Preference Home-Auber93, Winspace-Orange Seal, DD Group, Lotto, and Coop-Repsol.
Yates on changes in nutrition: 'I enjoy the sport a lot more now'
Simon Yates has told Velo that he is a happier pro cyclist now that the sport approaches nutrition differently than when he started his career.
"I enjoy the sport a lot more now,” Yates said. “Before this huge carb boom came around, it was the opposite. It was low-carb, saving your carbs, and that was hard not just on the mind, but on your body." [Velo]
Dylan van Baarle is on the trainer again one week after breaking his collarbone
Former Paris-Roubaix winner Dylan van Baarle (Visma-Lease a Bike) is back on the trainer one week after he fractured his collarbone in a crash on the opening stage of the Tour Down Under.
Pauline Ferrand-Prévot, Van Baarle's partner, posted a video to social media showing the 32-year-old Dutchman riding indoors on Monday. Van Baarle had initially been planning to race next at the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad; whether he will be recovered in time for "Opening Weekend" on March 1 remains to be seen.
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