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 …
Saturday, January 11, 2025
- Remco Evenepoel is back on the rollers
- Michael Mørkøv is on a mission to get Vingegaard to his debut elite World Championships
- Marion Norbert Riberolle takes over from Sanne Cant as Belgian national champ
- Ethan Hayter is looking forward to new purpose at Soudal-QuickStep
- Peter Sagan swaps cleats for dancing shoes
- Q36.5 reveals new-look kit for team of ‘research scientists’
- Quick Hits
Remco Evenepoel is back on the rollers
Double Olympic champion Remco Evenepoel is taking a step forward in his post-crash recovery this weekend. Having been kept off the bike for almost six weeks following his nasty BPost dooring incident, the young Belgian is still unable to “absorb the shocks of the road” just yet, but as of this weekend, he’s set to begin training on the rollers, his sights set on a season debut at Brabantse Pijl on 18th April.
“From now on, it’s day by day, making sure everything heals 100%,” Evenepoel told media in a video call during his team’s early-season press conference on Thursday. “We want to be sure that everything is 100% recovered … A nerve on the outside of my shoulder has been hit. As a result, the outside feels a bit dead. The pain is bearable, except when I get up, then it feels like twenty trucks have run over it. There is also no muscle reaction yet. We have to keep an eye on that. But the most important thing is that I can start now.”
Evenepoel also committed to a return to the Tour de France this season, where he’ll race alongside Tim Merlier for Soudal-QuickStep. His build-up is set to include the Ardennes Classics, the Tour de Romandie, Critérium du Dauphiné and National Championships.
Michael Mørkøv is on a mission to get Vingegaard to his debut elite World Championships
All national federations are having to think further in advance than usual about the 2025 World Championships due the vaccination requirements of travel to Rwanda. Belgian favourite Remco Evenepoel is one rider who has already got his jabs sorted, while new Danish national coach Michael Mørkøv will be seeking out a ‘conversation’ with Jonas Vingegaard this month, hoping to entice the two-time Tour de France winner to his first-ever elite World Champs.
Vingegaard has only raced one solitary World Championships, finishing 63rd behind under-23 champion Marc Hirschi way back in 2018 on a lumpy Austrian course finishing in Innsbruck. Since then, he’s never been tempted back, one-day races having never really been his thing – the 2022 Drôme Classic stands alone on his 36-long palmarès – but Mørkøv considers the particularly hilly Rwanda a rare opportunity for his Danish talisman. [Ekstra Bladet]
Marion Norbert Riberolle takes over as Belgian national champ from absent 15-time winner Sanne Cant
Elite women’s cyclocross has been dominated in Belgium by one rider for a whole 15 years: Sanne Cant. But in her final season before bidding farewell to professional sport, Cant opted out of one last national title defence out of respect for the Belgian tricolore, telling Wielerflits, “It doesn’t feel sour or anything. It’s a decision I made myself [before the season]. It’s going to feel really weird, that’s for sure, but I still fully stand by it. It’s time for someone else.”
In her teammate’s absence, the on-form Marion Norbert Riberolle (Crelan-Corendon) delivered on her favourite status to seize the title ahead of Laura Verdonschot (De Ceuster-Bouwpunt) and Julie Brouwers (Charles Liégeois Roastery CX), overcoming a broken wheel at the start to take an emphatic victory four years after being granted Belgian citizenship.
Ethan Hayter is looking forward to new purpose at Soudal-QuickStep
British national champion Ethan Hayter was one of the more high-profile departures from Ineos Grenadiers this winter, and he’s now looking forward to a new lease of life at Soudal-QuickStep, a team whose culture and history was already a source of motivation when they first reached out in July 2024.
“We never really asked INEOS Grenadiers if we could stay longer and they didn’t make an offer,” Hayter said from his new team’s camp. “I think I didn’t really fit into their plans, they didn’t really know where to use me.”
Hayter’s 2025 programme is not fixed yet but he’s looking forward to showing his strengths in hilly spring events, with expected appearances at stage races including Volta a Catalunya, Itzulia Basque Country and the Tour de Romandie. [In de Leidurstrui]
Peter Sagan swaps cleats for dancing shoes
Retirement-era Peter Sagan continues to surf the waves of minor celebrity as he finds his latest challenge in the Slovakian version of reality show Let’s Dance. Apparently reluctant at first due to his lack of dance experience, the 34-year-old wrote on social media that he ultimately gave in to his love of theatre and dance.
“The offer came at the right time. Now that I have finished my sports career, I can devote myself to other adventures one hundred percent,” Sagan wrote. “Without enough time to practise, I wouldn’t have done it. I have absolutely no expectations, but I am looking forward to this new experience. I want to enjoy it and make it a big spectacle.”
Q36.5 reveals new-look kit for team of ‘research scientists’
The number of teams yet to launch their 2025 is dwindling fast, and the latest to light up the airwaves is Q36.5 Pro Cycling, the second-division squad of Tom Pidcock, Giacomo Nizzolo, Nickolas Zukowsky, Milan Vader and Emīls Liepiņš.
The Swiss-registered ProTeam has swapped last season’s yellow-flecked greyscale for white sleeves and a dark navy body that blooms with a sort of twilight blue, which brightens over the chest. Over black shorts, it’s a neat and simple look – and it’s on the shorts where one of the more intriguing elements of this launch is displayed. That is, the riders are being described as ‘research scientists’ in keeping with the proprietary relationships with the apparel brand. [Q36.5]
Quick Hits
Former Belgian national coach Sven Vanthourenhout is still without a job after a number of WorldTour options disappeared late in 2024 … French national champion Paul Lapeira has signed an extension with Decathlon-AG2R through 2027 … Ukrainian rider Mark Padun has quietly announced his retirement.
Friday, January 10, 2025
- 23 teams at Grand Tours?
- Schachmann looks to bounce back in new (old) environment
- Welsford and Pate win Australian criterium titles
- Light & Motion closes its doors
23 teams at Grand Tours?
According to reports in Marca and elsewhere, Grand Tour fields could grow by one team from 22 to 23 as early as this season as race organizers face tough choices drawing up the list of invited teams. Under the current system, the 18 WorldTeams and the previous season’s two highest-ranked ProTeams receive automatic bids to the three-week events, leaving organizers two wildcards to give out. The Grand Tours have previously expanded to 23-team fields to alleviate the pressure on teams during the COVID-19 pandemic, although fields have since dropped back down to 22 teams.
Traditionally, Grand Tour organizers have used at least some wildcard invitations to bring teams from the home country into the field. The men’s peloton of the moment, however, has multiple second-division squads that can field race lineups to rival many lower-ranked WorldTeams, putting organizers in a difficult spot. Marca reports that the AIGCP, the organization that represents teams, has been pushing for an additional squad to be added to the total number of invitees at each Grand Tour.
Vuelta a España technical director Kiko García addressed the dilemma of selecting teams in an interview with Relevo, and went on to suggest that organizers are also interested in coming up with a solution. That said, there are challenges with making any changes to the rules.
“It’s difficult, because things are not approved from one day to the next, they have their processes and their filters,” he pointed out, “but there have been cases in which powerful arguments have been shown and in which, with a broad consensus, it has been possible to do so.” [Relevo]
Schachmann looks to bounce back in new (old) environment
Having left Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe after six years to rejoin Soudal-Quick Step, where he first turned pro in 2017, Max Schachmann is hoping the change of scenery will get him back on track after several disappointing seasons. The 31-year-old German won back-to-back Paris-Nice titles in 2020 and 2021 but has had little success since then. In an interview with In De Leiderstrui, Schachmann said that “it wasn’t a good collaboration” between him and the Red Bull team in the end, and that he feels better supported at his new (old) team.
“It’s mentally easier to be in an environment where people believe in you one hundred percent,” he said. “If people don’t trust you, you notice that.” [In De Leiderstrui]
Welsford and Pate win Australian criterium titles
Sam Welsford (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) and Amber Pate (Liv AlUla Jayco) have been crowned Australia’s new criterium champions after claiming victories in Perth on Friday evening.
Welsford led through the final two corners of the elite men’s race before taking a much-expected victory from an elite group of 12 riders. Cameron Scott (Ccache x Bodywrap) and Blake Quick (Roojai Insurance) completed the podium, both riders having stepped back from the WorldTour to Continental level in 2025. This is the second Australian criterium title for Welsford after victory in 2020, with this latest success coming in his home town.
Amber Pate’s victory in the elite women’s race is also her second national criterium title, and comes after victory in 2023. Pate escaped early in Friday’s race with only 19-year-old Keira Will for company, before attacking late to cross the line alone. Will held on for second, with Maeve Plouffe (Hess) leading through a reduced peloton nearly four minutes off the pace. The race had earlier been shortened by 10 minutes to avoid Pate and Will lapping the field. Pate’s victory comes a day after finishing second in the Road Nationals time trial, behind Brodie Chapman (UAE Team ADQ).
Light & Motion closes its doors
In the latest news of struggling bike industry brands, lighting company Light & Motion announced this week that it is closing its doors, effective immediately. Light & Motion began 35 years ago and became one of the best-known companies in bike lighting (it also made lights for diving and photography).
In a brief post on its homepage, CEO Daniel Emerson said that “The challenges of being a US manufacturer are significant and the political winds, regardless of the talk, have been against US manufacturing, which continues its decline.” All products are listed as out of stock, and the company said it will also cease providing service for existing lights, although select retailers may be able to help with repairs. [Light & Motion]
Thursday, January 9, 2025
- Plapp and Chapman crowned Australian TT champs
- REI shutters Experiences division, cuts 428 jobs
- Raleigh suffers £30.1 million loss despite sales growth
- Merlier extends with Soudal-Quick Step, plans to race 2025 Tour alongside Evenepoel
- Neff headlines Cannondale Factory Racing roster
- Scarab Cycles calls out Factor Bikes over branding
- The Pro’s Closet officially relaunches with first bike sale
Plapp and Chapman crowned Australian TT champs
Luke Plapp (Jayco AlUla) and Brodie Chapman (UAE Team ADQ) are Australia’s time trial champions for 2025 after winning the first elite events of the 2025 Road Nationals in Perth.
For Plapp, the victory is his third national title against the clock, after victories in 2021 and 2024, and adds to his victories in the last three Nationals road races. On Thursday the 24-year-old stopped the clock eight seconds faster than Jay Vine (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) – who finished strongly in second after challenging Plapp in the final kilometers – while Kell O’Brien (Jayco AlUla) was third, another 46 seconds behind Vine.
In the elite women’s race, Chapman won her first TT national title, after finishing third and then second in her previous two attempts. Amber Pate (Liv AlUla Jayco) took silver at 33 seconds – after leading through the first time check – with Anya Louw (AG Insurance-Soudal) another 28 seconds behind in third. The win gives Chapman an Australian title in both the road race (2023) and the time trial.
REI shutters Experiences division, cuts 428 jobs
Outdoor retailer REI has announced the closure of its 40-year-old Experiences division, which included cycling tours, outdoor classes, and mechanics workshops. The decision, communicated via email by CEO Eric Artz, will result in 428 job losses and the termination of contracts with travel partners. Artz cited persistent unprofitability, noting the division served less than 0.4% of REI’s customer base last year, while consistently incurring significant financial losses, even during its peak in 2019.
REI said it plans to refocus on gear and apparel sales while exploring new approaches to outdoor education, and refunds will be issued for any booked experiences.
Raleigh suffers £30.1 million loss despite sales growth
British bike brand Raleigh ended 2023 with a £30.1 million loss, even though sales grew by 3.5% to £57.7 million. Despite the grim figures, the company directors said Raleigh is in a “strong position” for when the bike market stabilizes.
Raleigh’s turnover is still well below its 2020 peak of £74.4 million, marking the second year in a row without profits. In the company’s most recent financial report, the independent auditors flagged a “material uncertainty” over Raleigh’s ability to stay afloat without financial help from its parent company, Accell Group, which also reported a €390 million (£325 million) loss for 2023.
In leadership news, Accell Group CEO Tjeerd Jegen also said yesterday he is stepping down, with COO Jonas Nilsson set to take over by April 2025.
Merlier extends with Soudal-Quick Step, plans to race 2025 Tour alongside Evenepoel
Tim Merlier will ride on with Soudal-Quick Step through the 2028 season, the team announced on Thursday. In other Merlier news, the 32-year-old Belgian is expected to race this year’s Tour de France, where he won a stage back in 2021, as a featured rider alongside Remco Evenepoel.
For his part, Evenepoel has said that he is aiming to be recovered enough from his recent crash to race the Ardennes Classics and build towards the Tour from there.
Neff headlines Cannondale Factory Racing roster
Cannondale Factory Racing (CFR) has launched its 2025 team roster, answering the question of where Jolanda Neff will ride this season. The updated cross-country mountain bike squad features Charlie Aldridge, Jolanda Neff, Ana Santos, Cole Punchard, and Luca Martin.
Scarab Cycles calls out Factor Bikes over branding
Colombian bike brand Scarab Cycles has issued a cease-and-desist letter to Factor Bikes regarding the branding of its new OSTRO VAM Scarab bike. Scarab stated that the use of their name and a similar logo in Factor’s marketing has caused confusion, with some assuming a partnership between the two companies – something the brand has clarified does not exist.
In a statement shared with Escape Collective, Scarab said they hope to solve the issue with Factor amicably and that “since the logo and name have not been applied to the product itself, we believe it is straightforward and cost-effective for Factor to correct this mistake.”
The brand also highlighted its relationship with Factor: “We want to emphasize that we have nothing but respect for Factor as a brand and manufacturer. Like Scarab, they are one of the few companies in the cycling industry that designs and produces their own bikes, a rarity we deeply admire.”
The Pro’s Closet officially relaunches with first bike sale
Bike reseller The Pro’s Closet officially opened its doors to buyers this week, announcing it had made its first sale. The brand closed its doors last October after an accelerated bankruptcy process that saw physical assets sold at auction while the intellectual property was purchased by Elshair Companies, a small private equity firm. The company quickly reorganized under the new owners and longtime employees, and has been purchasing pre-owned gear for several months with an eye to building up inventory. [The Pro’s Closet]
Wednesday, January 8, 2025
- Trek aims to hit CO2 targets ahead of schedule
- Landa will lead Soudal-Quick Step at the Giro
- Gaudu will race the Giro and the Tour
- The parent company of Giro, Bell and Fox Racing has been sold
- Wolf Tooth adds a new headset for Enve’s In-Route internal system
Trek aims to hit CO2 targets ahead of schedule
Trek’s latest sustainability report – one of the most comprehensive in the industry – outlines its 2024 progress in addressing environmental challenges. The US-based company specifically highlights its efforts to switch to aluminum made with renewable energy, cutting emissions for its Marlin 5 model by 46%.
Trek also reported reductions through its recycled tire materials and tire recycling scheme, which saved 57 metric tons of carbon last year. The company now plans to halve per-bike emissions by 2027, five years ahead of its original 2032 target. Other initiatives include using recycled EPS and plastics in helmets, plant-based water bottles, recycled materials in accessories, organic frame graphics, and expanded used bike refurbishment through its Red Barn Refresh program. [Trek Bikes]
Landa will lead Soudal-Quick Step at the Giro
Mikel Landa will make his eighth career Giro d’Italia start in May, leading the way for Soudal-Quick Step in the Italian Grand Tour. The team announced the news on social media on Wednesday.
Remco Evenepoel had initially shown interest in taking on the Giro, but his training crash last month led rider and team to change plans. Landa has finished as highly as third overall on two separate occasions at the Giro, where he is also a former king of the mountains and three-time stage winner. From there, he may head onto the Tour de France to support Evenepoel as he did in 2024, although the team has yet to announce those plans.
Gaudu will race the Giro and the Tour
Groupama-FDJ has announced that David Gaudu will take on both of the first two Grand Tours of 2025, starting with what will be his debut in the Giro d’Italia.
The 28-year-old Frenchman will then go on to the Tour de France looking for stage wins after a 2024 campaign where he did not factor in the general classification.
The parent company of Giro, Bell and Fox Racing has been sold
Revelyst, formerly the outdoor-products division of Vista Outdoor, completed its sale this week to new owners Strategic Value Partners. Revelyst, which owned cycling brands Giro, Bell, Fox Racing, CamelBak and Blackburn as well as other outdoor brands, was sold for US$1.125 billion in an all-cash deal that takes the company private under SVP, a “global alternative investment firm” which claims it has more than $18 billion in assets under management.
The acquisition marks SVP’s first entry into outdoor sporting goods.
Wolf Tooth adds a new headset for Enve’s In-Route internal system
Starting with an EC44 (External Cup) version, Wolf Tooth has now released an IS52 (Integrated Standard) size of its Enve In-Route compatible headset. While not the only option, this new US$180 and low-stack headset improves options for matching Enve’s integrated cockpits with an array of integrated frames in the market. Wolf Tooth offers the headset in seven anodised colour options, each one using Enduro Stainless bearings.
Tuesday, January 7, 2025
- EF reveals 2025 kit
- Picnic-PostNL will send Bardet to the Giro and Onley, Jakobsen to the Tour
- Kooij will target San Remo and the Giro and skip the Tour
- Alaphilippe and Hirschi hopeful for Ardennes and Grand Tour opportunities as Tudor awaits invites
EF reveals 2025 kit
Continuing a long tradition of waiting until most or all of the other pro teams have revealed their kits, EF Pro Cycling’s men’s and women’s teams finally unveiled their new looks for 2025 on Tuesday. The Rapha-made kits will see Education-EasyPost and EF Education-Oatly riding on in pink with diamond motifs throughout.
Marketing materials say the diamond theme “celebrates the grit and guile of EF Pro Cycling athletes as diamonds forged under pressure.” It also harkens back to past kits of Slipstream organization teams, which featured an Argyle motif. The 2025 kit marks the seventh year of EF’s collaboration with Rapha. [EF]
Picnic-PostNL will send Bardet to the Giro and Onley, Jakobsen to the Tour
Picnic-PostNL, the newest iteration of the team that raced as DSM Firmenich-PostNL last year, has revealed some of the Grand Tour plans of its men’s squad for 2025, which include sending Romain Bardet to the Giro d’Italia before he retires after the Critérium du Dauphiné.
Max Poole and Casper van Uden are expected to join the Frenchman at the Italian Grand Tour while Osar Onley, Fabio Jakobsen and Frank van den Broek will headline the team at the 2025 Tour de France roster. Poole will then go on to target the Vuelta a España.
Kooij will target Milan-San Remo and the Giro and skip the Tour
Wielerflits reports that Olav Kooij will be a featured rider for Visma-Lease a Bike at Milan-San Remo this March (alongside Wout van Aert), and that Kooij is also expected not to ride the Tour de France.
The 23-year-old Dutchman, in his final year with the team, will instead return to the Giro, where he won a stage last year. [Wielerflits]
Alaphilippe and Hirschi hopeful for Ardennes and Grand Tour opportunities as Tudor awaits invites
As other top teams are laying out their plans for 2025, the second-division Tudor squad continues to wait for word of where, exactly, stars Julian Alaphilippe and Marc Hirschi will even be able to race this season. The punchy climbers are hoping to have a shot at the Ardennes Classics and perhaps a Grand Tour bid, but it remains to be seen whether the team will receive invites.
“We’d like to do Grand Tours and Ardennes Classics, but it’s not up to us,” team boss Fabian Cancellara said. “We know who we are, what we can do and how we approach things, we’re on our road, so let’s see if it’s yes or no.”
Monday, January 6, 2025
- Froome joins Van Aert in suggesting limiting gear size
- Van Aert will race the Giro and the Tour in 2025
- Van der Poel is building his program with Pogačar in mind
- Garmin launches new heart rate monitor and smartwatch
Froome joins Van Aert in suggesting limiting gear size
On the heels of similar comments from Wout van Aert, Chris Froome suggested limiting gear sizes as a safety measure in an interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport.
“The speeds needed to move a 60 chainring can be above 80 kph and you’re still pedaling. Maybe we need to put a limit on them,” Froome said.
“Maybe 56 or 54 needs to be the limit, to keep the speeds down on the descents.”
Froome’s comments match up with one of the possible solutions posited by Escape Collective’s Ronan Mc Laughlin in November, although as Ronan noted, higher speeds aren’t necessarily the primary reason riders are choosing bigger chainrings. You – and Froome and Van Aert if they are interested – can read that story here for more ideas. [Gazzetta dello Sport]
Van Aert will reportedly race the Giro and the Tour in 2025
In other Van Aert news, the Belgian is laying out his road goals for 2025. According to Het Laatste Nieuws, he plans to race both the Giro d’Italia and the Tour de France this year.
A Giro start would make Van Aert’s debut in the Italian Grand Tour; he had intended to make his first ever start there in 2024 but those hopes were dashed by the injuries he suffered in his crash at Dwars door Vlaanderen. [Het Laatste Nieuws]
Van der Poel is building his program with Pogačar in mind
Mathieu van der Poel told Sporza that the prospect of taking on Tadej Pogačar again at the Tour of Flanders has impacted the decision-making process around his calendar.
“It will be difficult to beat him, but it is a challenge that I am happy to accept,” Van der Poel said. “We are thinking about how we can close the gap to Pogacar. Because that will be necessary to beat him in the Tour.
“Maybe that can be done by slightly different and more difficult training. That is why I am canceling the World Cup cross in Benidorm, for example, because a training camp in that same period will make me better towards the spring.” Road racing isn’t the only thing on Van der Poel’s mind. As noted in Sunday’s Daily News, Van der Poel also told Sporza he would like to target the World Mountain Bike Championships, even at the expense of not racing the Tour de France. [Sporza]
Garmin launches new heart rate monitor and smartwatch
Garmin has launched a new Instinct 3 smartwatch and HRM200 heart rate monitor. The heart rate monitor comes in two sizes (XS-S and M-XL) and has LED indicator for battery and connectivity status – a first for Garmin heart rate monitors – and offers encrypted heart rate data transmission. The strap retails for £80/$79.
The Instinct 3 smartwatch represents the latest iteration of the brand’s rugged outdoor watches. It comes with a brand new AMOLED display and a built-in flashlight, as well as a promise of up to 24 days of battery life on a single charge for the solar model. There are two sizes available and prices start at £380/$449 for the AMOLED and £350/$399 for the solar model. [Garmin]
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