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 23, 2025
- Vingegaard takes statement TT victory and Algarve overall
- Mass UAE crash scuppers Chris Froome and Arvid De Kleijn
- Sanne Cant finishes just off the podium in farewell race
- Vos sets her sights on Italian classics post-calf injury
- Danny van Poppel has been shown his second yellow card of 2025
- Winner’s circle: Pogačar wins big in UAE as 2025 GC picture begins to take shape
- Quick Hits
Vingegaard takes statement TT victory and Algarve overall
Jonas Vingegaard has got his season underway in near-perfect fashion with an emphatic individual time trial victory on the final stage of the Volta ao Algarve, vaulting from sixth to first overall in the process.
There had been mutterings as to the two-time Tour de France champion’s form after he could only manage sixth behind the UAE Team Emirates-XRG pair of Jan Christen and João Almeida on the stage 2 summit finish, but the 19.6-kilometre final time trial told a different story. Vingegaard’s Visma-Lease a Bike teammate Wout van Aert set a strong benchmark earlier in the afternoon, but as the Dane got going, it soon became clear he was on a very good day.
At the finish atop the Alto do Malhao (2.1km at 9.3%), Vingegaard was 11 seconds faster than Van Aert, and crucially 30 seconds faster than Almeida. Race leader Jan Christen meanwhile, plummeted to 10th overall, two spots behind Primož Roglič (Red Bull-Bora Hansgrohe) who appeared to suffer a jour sans almost 50 seconds slower than his former teammate.
Mass UAE crash scuppers Chris Froome and Arvid De Kleijn
It’s been a week with plenty of crashes at the UAE Tour, and the seventh and final stage was no different. With Ineos Grenadiers leader Carlos Rodríguez among those not taking the start due to an incident earlier in the race, there was another nasty crash in the fast opening kilometres of the race to Jebel Hafeet, which saw Chris Froome (Israel-Premier Tech), Niklas Behrens (Visma-Lease a Bike), and sprinter Arvid De Kleijn (Tudor) all immediately abandoning the WorldTour event, Froome and De Kleijn later reporting broken collarbones.
Sanne Cant finishes just off the podium in farewell race
The cyclocross season finally came to an end at Sluitingsprijs Oostmalle, where the prolific Belgian veteran Sanne Cant chose to end her celebrated career. The 34-year-old was in the picture throughout Sunday’s race, but with Lucinda Brand (Baloise Glowi Lions) and Inge van der Heijden (Crelan-Corendon) sewing up first and second, Cant was unable to hold off Hélène Clauzel in the podium battle.
This season has nevertheless been a solid final bow for the Antwerp native who has amassed 127 victories over her decade-and-a-half-long career, including a 15-year span in the colours of Belgian national champion, and three each of the World Cup overall, European and World Championship titles.
Also at Sluitingsprijs Oostmalle, Joris Nieuwenhuis (Ridley) closed out his late-season surge of form with one last victory.
Vos sets her sights on Italian classics post-calf injury
Marianne Vos saw her minimal cyclocross season come to a premature end due to a freak calf injury, which cast concern over the legend’s Spring Classics preparation. However, the Visma-Lease a Bike leader has this weekend revealed that everything’s going well, and her first races of the season will be Trofeo Alfredo Binda and Milan-San Remo.
This means Vos will miss Omloop Nieuwsblad where she is reigning champion, but the Trofeo Alfredo Binda is also happy hunting ground for the Dutch rider who has won the old Italian classic a record-equalling four times.
Read more on the women’s WorldTour spring showdowns here at Escape Collective.
Danny van Poppel has been shown his second yellow card of 2025
Red Bull-Bora-Hansrgohe lead-out rider Danny van Poppel has been handed his second yellow card of the season after an irregular sprint on Saturday’s stage 6 of the UAE Tour. This follows a similar infraction on stage 2 of the Tour Down Under – when his leader Sam Welsford won – but with 31 days between them, he escapes cumulative punishment, for now.
The Dutchman will need to keep a lookout though, because if he makes a habit of this sort of move, he might find he gets closer to the criteria for suspension. That is, two yellow cards in the same event means disqualification and a seven-day suspension; three in 30 days means 14 days out of competition; and six yellow cards within 365 days would result in a 30-day suspension.
Winner’s circle: Pogačar wins big in UAE as 2025 GC picture begins to take shape
Another action-packed day saw an expected victory for Tadej Pogačar atop Jebel Hafeet after an aggressive race through crosswinds to the foot of the mountain, more than half the peloton left trailing by over three minutes. That and the significant finishing climb saw a GC shakeup, but there was no shifting the race leader who was joined on the final podium by Giulio Ciccone (Lidl-Trek) and Pello Bilbao (Bahrain Victorious).
It was close to being a perfect day for UAE in three separate countries, with Pavel Sivakov also wrapping up the overall in Andalucía as the breakaway took the stage for the second day in a row – this time Jon Barrenetxea (Movistar) taking honours – but Jan Christen, the third UAE rider to be leading a race going into its final stage, was unseated by a flying Jonas Vingegaard in Portugal.
Elsewhere, Dorian Godon (Decathlon-AG2R) won the second and final stage of the Tour des Alpes-Maritimes in a reduced bunch sprint as Christian Scaroni (XDS-Astana) successfully defended his overall lead from a determined Santiago Buitrago (Bahrain Victorious), and Ally Wollaston (FDJ-Suez) got her European campaign off to a glowing start with victory at the one-day Clasica de Almería.
Quick Hits
Arnaud De Lie did not start the final stage of the Volta ao Algarve as a precaution having suffered allergies during the race … Romain Bardet walked away without significant injuries from Friday’s race-ending crash, but will skip next weekend’s Faun-Ardèche and Drôme Classics.
Saturday, February 22, 2025
- Pogačar is bored in the bunch a day after breakaway fun
- Matthew Richardson is reigning national champion in two countries
- Michael Vink will race esports full-time
- Groenewegen out of UAE Tour with concussion
- Winner’s circle: Merlier doubles up in UAE, breakaway snatches victory in Andalucia
Pogačar is bored in the bunch a day after breakaway fun
UAE Tour race leader Tadej Pogačar knew exactly what the world hoped to hear from the charismatic Slovenian after the sprinter-friendly stage 6 of his team’s home race: “To be honest, I got bored, like probably most of the group today at some point.”
The penultimate stage of the UAE Tour marked the last chance for the peloton’s sprinters on the most pan-flat course of the week – only 117 metres gained in 165 km – and it played out exactly as anyone would have expected. It was a stark departure from the previous day when none other than Pogačar made it into the day’s 11-man breakaway, along with reigning champion Lennert van Eetvelt, apparently by accident. They were all reeled in in time for the expected bunch sprint, but it was a welcome flex in what would otherwise have been a formulaic cruise through the desert.
Matthew Richardson is reigning national champion in two countries
Six months after the announcement that top track sprinter Matthew Richardson would be switching allegiances from Australia to the the nation of his birth, the multiple World, Commonwealth and Olympic medalist has won his first national title at the ongoing British national track championships. This means that the 25-year-old holds national sprint titles in two countries at once, with the Australian track nationals set to take place in Brisbane 25-30th March.
In accordance with UCI regulations, Richardson was ruled out of the first world and continental championships following his switch of nationality, but after last week’s Europeans – where his nemesis Harrie Lavreysen extended his reign in the sprint and keirin titles – the newly minted British champ is free to compete.
Michael Vink will race esports full-time
Former UAE Team Emirates pro Michael Vink told MyWhoosh’s Inside The Ride podcast that he will switch to esports racing full-time for 2025. “It’s a case of head vs. heart,” explained the Kiwi. “My head says it’s 100% virtual racing, and being with MyWhoosh just in every way makes more sense than racing in the WorldTour.”
Vink joins Jason Osborne, who announced on Instagram in September 2024 that he would be parting ways with Alpecin-Deceuninck to pursue a career in cycling esports and gravel. Vink didn’t say whether UAE had offered a contract extension, but suggested that both he and Osborne had chosen esports over the WorldTour. The move is full circle in a sense for Vink, who got noticed and signed by UAE for 2023 in part by winning races on MyWhoosh. But a series of health challenges in 2024, starting with a bout of COVID-19 in January in Australia and a persistent battle with Epstein-Barr virus, spelled the end of his two-year run with the WorldTeam. - Chris Schwenker
Groenewegen out of UAE Tour with concussion
Dutch national champion Dylan Groenewegen has been forced to withdraw from the UAE Tour with a concussion after crashing on stage 5. The Jayco-AlUla leader was one of many victims of the crashes in the last 5 km of Friday’s sprinter-friendly showdown, with GC outsiders Pablo Castrillo (Movistar), Felix Gall (Decathlon-AG2R) and Carlos Rodríguez (Ineos Grenadiers) also hitting the deck and suffering fairly significant time loss before the final two stages.
Everyone involved in the crashes was able to finish the stage, but along with Groenewegen, non-starters before stage 6 included fellow sprinter Fernando Gaviria (Movistar), and WorldTour newcomers Victor Langellotti (Ineos Grenadiers) and Paul Seixas (Decathlon-AG2R).
Winner’s circle: Merlier doubles up in UAE, breakaway snatches victory in Andalucia
It’s been a bumper Saturday of racing with stages in the UAE, Spain, Portugal and France.
It was another sprint stage at the UAE Tour won for the second day in a row by Tim Merlier (Soudal-QuickStep) who managed to find several bike lengths of freedom between himself and rivals Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck) and Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek). At the Vuelta a Andalucía, or Ruta del Sol, 23-year-old Diego Uriarte (Kern-Pharma) snatched his first professional victory with a late attack from the fractured breakaway, as at the Volta ao Algarve in Portugal, the peloton kept control to ensure a sprint, won by the in-form Milan Fretin (Cofidis).
All three races are still being led overall by UAE Team Emirates riders Pogačar (UAE), Pavel Sivakov (Ruta del Sol) and Jan Christen (Algarve).
In France, Christian Scaroni made it two wins in as many days by out-smarting the Bahrain Victorious pair of Santiago Buitrago and Lenny Martinez on stage 1 of the Tour des Alpes-Maritimes. The XDS-Astana man has been hot off the blocks this season, single-handedly earning a quarter of the team’s total UCI points so far in 2025, all his eight race days ranked in the third tier of UCI classification.
Friday, February 21, 2025
- Lachlan Morton has set a new record
- Laporte will reportedly miss Opening Weekend
- 'Stray animal' causes Gaudu to crash in training
- Winner's Circle: Merlier wins in UAE after Pogačar has fun in the breakaway
Lachlan Morton has set a new record
Three and a half months after circumnavigating Australia in record time last October, Lachlan Morton went on to set a new record in January, riding from Auckland to Wellington, New Zealand, in just under 18 hours, 27 minutes.
A short video on Rapha's YouTube channel chronicles Morton's ride, which took him a whopping 640 km (400 miles) across New Zealand's North Island and was inspired in part by the story of 43-year-old postal worker Brian Fleck setting a record on the route back in 1983. That record had since been surpassed by Brian Lambert, and now it is held by Morton.
"This wasn't just chasing a new record, it was chasing a legend," Morton said in a Rapha writeup about the ride. "Attempting to bring the past into the present." [Rapha on YouTube]
Laporte will reportedly miss Opening Weekend
After illness derailed much of Christophe Laporte's 2024 Classics campaign, the 32-year-old Visma-Lease a Bike rider was probably hoping for a cleaner run at his one-day goals in 2025, but according to Wielerflits, he will miss the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad and Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne after another illness delayed his training buildup.
Laporte will therefore likely get his season underway at either Strade Bianche or, more likely, Milan-San Remo. [Wielerflits]
'Stray animal' causes Gaudu to crash in training
David Gaudu missed the Classic Var and will miss the Tour des Alpes-Maritimes after "a fall in training, caused by a stray animal," according to Groupama-FDJ. The team said on social media that "further tests" are underway after the bizarre crash.
Winner's Circle: Merlier wins in the UAE after Pogačar has fun in the breakaway
A pan-flat stage 5 at the UAE Tour still managed to provide some intrigue as race leader Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) spent most of the day in the breakaway, apparently just enjoying a chance to get up the road after somewhat accidentally finding himself in an early split. In the end, the move was reeled in, setting up a crash-marred sprinter finale. Tim Merlier (Soudal-Quick-Step) successfully navigated the chaos to win ahead of Matteo Malucelli (XDS-Astana) and Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek).
Alexander Kristoff (Uno-X Mobility) nabbed his first win of the year on stage 3 of the Ruta del Sol. The 37-year-old Norwegian bested Ben Turner (Ineos Grenadiers) and Maxim Van Gils (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) in an uphill finale in Pozoblanco. Meanwhile, Jordi Meeus also nabbed his first win of the season in stage 3 of the Volta ao Algarve, outsprinting Albeto Dainese (Tudor) and Biniam Girmay (Intermarché-Wanty).
In one-day racing news, Christian Scaroni (XDS Astana) picked up his first 2025 victory at the aforementioned Classic Var ahead of the Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale duo of Paul Lapeira and Victor Lafay.
Thursday, February 20, 2025
- Lotto signs Viviani
- Algarve director: TV moto was too close but 'we did not do enough to prevent' stage 1 mishap
- BMC recalls all Kaius 01 bikes and framesets
- Garmin reports record high revenue for 2024
- Penn State University is doing a research study on cargo bikes and you can help
- Winner's Circle: Milan triumphs again in the UAE
Lotto signs Viviani
Elia Viviani's career will continue for at least another season. The 36-year-old Italian sprinter, who has won stages at all three Grand Tours, has signed a one-year deal with Lotto.
"First and foremost, I want to keep sprinting for victories, but I also want to share my experience with this young team," Viviani said in a statement. "I’m ready to take on that role – giving my new teammates tips, whether they are sprinters or not, and helping them grow."
Viviani spent the past three seasons with the Ineos Grenadiers, but did not have a contract in place for this season until Thursday's announcement. Although he is some ways removed now from his time as a consistent winner of Grand Tour sprints, he picked up a handful of victories in 2023, including one at the WorldTour level at the Tour of Guangxi.
Algarve director: TV moto was too close but 'we did not do enough to prevent' stage 1 mishap
Volta ao Algarve race director Sergio Sousa has addressed the circumstances that led to a majority of the peloton diverting down the wrong road and missing the finishing straight on stage 1, acknowledging that multiple factors led to the mishap but that the race bears responsibility.
“I think the TV bike was the first to make a mistake,” Sousa said, according to Het Nieuwsblad. "That bike was too close to the riders and the riders made the mistake of following the bike, but it is also clear that we did not do enough to prevent this. We are very sorry about that. The organization is always responsible, but sometimes you can't control everything." [Het Nieuwsblad]
BMC recalls all Kaius 01 bikes and framesets
BMC announced a full recall of its Kaius 01 gravel bikes due to problems with fork steerers failing. The company said all complete bikes and framesets, model years 2023-2026, are subject to an immediate stop-ride order because BMC “has become aware of a few instances where certain fork steerer tubes have separated under heavy duty riding conditions.” BMC asks that all Kaius 01 owners take their bike to a local BMC dealer for inspection and possible fork replacement, at no cost. [BMC]
Garmin reports record high revenue for 2024
Garmin hit a record US$6.3 billion in consolidated revenue for 2024, up 20% from 2023. Its fitness segment – which covers cycling products – saw a 32% year-over-year sales growth and reached US$1.8 billion. The company said much of the growth can be attributed to the increasing demand for wearables.
Penn State University is doing a research study on cargo bikes and you can help
A professor of kinesiology at Pennsylvania State University is conducting a research study on cargo bike use and is inviting riders to complete a survey to help develop programs for promoting cycling. The 15-question survey, from principal investigator Melissa Bopp, asks for some demographic information as well as perspectives on cycling in your area, but answers are confidential. The survey can be found here.
Winner's Circle: Milan triumphs again in the UAE
Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek) took his second stage win of the UAE Tour so far on Thursday's stage 4. The 24-year-old Italian bested Tim Merlier (Soudal-Quick Step) and Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck) in a bunch kick at Umm al Quwain.
Meanwhile, at the Ruta del Sol, Tom Pidcock (Q36.5) kept the balling rolling on his strong start to the season, winning stage 2 ahead of Brandon Rivera (Ineos Grenadiers) and Pavel Sivakov (UAE Team Emirates-XRG). Sivakov now leads the race.
And at the Volta ao Algarve, Swiss youngster Jan Christen (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) stormed to a mountaintop victory on stage 2 just ahead of his own teammate João Almeida. Laurens De Plus (Ineos Grenadiers) was third on the day, and those three riders now sit in that order atop the general classification as well.
Wednesday, February 19, 2025
- Pogačar 'finally' gets his first win of 2025
- Sprinters take a wrong turn in Algarve finale
- Leg surgery for Iserbyt
- Winner's Circle: Van Gils takes Ruta del Sol opener
Pogačar 'finally' gets his first win of 2025
After coming up short in the first two stages of the UAE Tour, Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) stormed to victory and the race lead on stage 3 at Jebel Jais for his first win of the 2025 season. The reigning Tour de France champ convincingly outkicked Oscar Onley (Picnic-PostNL) and Felix Gall (Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale) atop the climb.
Getting that first win so early in the season would probably be an achievement for most riders, but in his post-race comments, Pogačar seemed relieved at having secured the win after missing out on a sprint stage and a flat time trial.
"It feels amazing. Finally back racing, finally a victory after three days," he said. "We are super happy."
Algarve opener annulled after sprinters take a wrong turn in the finale
The opening stage of the Volta ao Algarve took an unexpected turn when more than half of the peloton went the wrong way inside the final kilometer, following a commissaire vehicle as it was diverted onto a parallel road where many fans were gathered to watch what they thought would be a sprint.
Filippo Ganna (Ineos Grenadiers) was among the few riders who stayed on the actual race course, and with the race turned on its proverbial head, he crossed the line first. The race jury, however, ultimately decided to annul the stage entirely, awarding no winner and no times for the day. We have more on this story here.
Leg surgery for Iserbyt
Eli Iserbyt (Pauwels Sauzen–Bingoal) will undergo leg surgery on Thursday after tests revealed "reduced blood flow in the femoral artery."
The cyclocrosser had undergone medical evaluations after feeling like he "could not perform at 100 percent." Iserbyt is expected to be off the bike for six weeks following the surgery.
Winner's Circle: Van Gils takes Ruta del Sol opener
Despite the best efforts of UAE Team Emirates-XRG, Maxim Van Gils (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) took stage 1 of the Ruta del Sol at the famous Caves of Nerja in southern Spain. Van Gils topped his Belgian compatriot Tim Wellens (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) in a sprint, with Wellens' teammate Pavel Sivakov arriving seven seconds later and fellow UAE rider Marc Soler taking fourth for good measure.
Tuesday, February 18, 2025
- Van Aert's road season debut didn't go as well as planned
- Bernal breaks his collarbone in Jaén crash
- Bikeflights launches an upgraded version of its flagship bike shipping box
- Silca updates its tubeless tire sealant
- Winner's Circle: Tarling triumphs in UAE Tour TT
Van Aert's road season debut didn't go as well as planned
Although Wout van Aert expressed his excitement with the chance to race on gravel in the run-up to the Clásica Jaén, the Belgian star was unable to contend in his road season debut there, and he and Visma-Lease a Bike both seemed disappointed.
“I didn’t have a great feeling,” Van Aert said, as Het Laatste Nieuws reports. “I didn’t have the best legs and was on the limit a few times in the final." With that in mind, Van Aert went to work in support of teammate Ben Tulett on the day. The 23-year-old Brit took ninth in the end behind winner Michal Kwiatkowski (Ineos Grenadiers).
"We did not travel here for such a result," said Visma sports director Arthur van Dongen, as Het Nieuwsblad reports.
Nonetheless, Van Dongen also offered an optimistic outlook, saying: "It's hard to compare this Wout with the Wout from last year around this time, but I don't think they're that far apart. Although we also know that there's still room for a few percent. But don't worry." [Het Nieuwsblad]
Bernal breaks his collarbone in Jaén crash
Speaking of the Clásica Jaén, Egan Bernal (Ineos Grenadiers) looked strong through much of the race only to crash in the finale. Less than two weeks after taking his first wins since his career-altering 2022 training crash, the former Tour de France winner suffered a broken collarbone.
You can read more about it here at Escape Collective.
Bikeflights launches an upgraded version of its flagship bike shipping box
Bikeflights, the company known primarily for bike freight services, also offers a lineup of boxes made specifically for shipping bikes. The Bike Box Large (BBL) just received substantial updates including a clever flat pack storage configuration, more robust construction, and makes packing a bike easier with custom bits like wheel sleeves, dropout spacer, and small parts holder. The BBL costs US$100 plus shipping to the customer. [Bikeflights]
Silca updates its tubeless tire sealant
Silca’s original Ultimate Sealant made some bold claims on how effectively it would seal punctures with its single-strand carbon fiber within the natural latex mix. However, an inability to inject it through valve stems, clumping, and higher maintenance all proved to be barriers.
Silca has now announced a wholly revised version of the Ultimate Sealant, mixing natural and synthetic latex with far finer strands of carbon fiber. The American company claims the new sealant can now be injected through valve stems, offers a six-month install life (even in hot conditions), and can seal beyond 6 mm punctures. It’s priced at US$42.00 (1L), US$24.00 (500 Ml), and US$6 (65 Ml). [Silca]
Winner's Circle: Tarling triumphs in UAE Tour TT
Josh Tarling (Ineos Grenadiers) took stage 2 and the overall race lead at the UAE Tour. The Welshman proved fastest in a 12.2 km individual time trial on Al Hudayriyat Island, setting a mark of 12:55 to best Stefan Bissegger (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale) and Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates XRG). That trio now sits atop the general classification in that order heading into the third stage of the race.
Monday, February 17, 2025
- Geraint Thomas is officially retiring at the end of the year
- Philipsen relegated in UAE Tour sprint
- ICC orders former Scott CEO to sell stake in the company
- Fizik looks to be entering the helmet market
- Winner's Circle: Kwiatkowski wins Clásica Jaén
Geraint Thomas is officially retiring at the end of the year
Lest there be any confusion, Geraint Thomas (Ineos Grenadiers) has officially announced that he will call it a career after this season. The news is hardly a surprise, coming as more of a confirmation of widely held expectations that the former Tour de France winner would retire at the end of 2025.
"It’s not been a bad run eh?" Thomas wrote on Instagram. "Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine being a pro for 19 years. There’ll be lots of time to reflect but, before then, I’ve got some big races to prep for."
Just what those races will be remains to be seen. [Instagram]
Philipsen relegated in UAE Tour sprint
The first stage of the UAE Tour came down to a bunch kick with some big names contending for the win. Even Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates XRG) was among them, trying his luck by launching early, though he was quickly swamped by purer sprinters. Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek) bested Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck) at the line, but the results sheet shows Finn Fisher-Black (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) as runner-up after Philipsen was relegated for swerving in front of Fisher-Black.
The Belgian appeared to be admitting defeat to Milan in the closing meters, slowing rapidly as he swung in front of Fisher-Black, who threw up a hand in frustration. Philipsen, no stranger to relegation, was thus bumped down to 52nd overall, with Fisher-Black awarded second and Tobias Lund Andresen (Picnic-PostNL) in third. Philipsen will take comfort, at least, in the jury's decision not to hand him a yellow card.
ICC orders former Scott CEO to sell stake in the company
The International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) arbitration tribunal has ruled that former Scott Sports CEO Beat Zaugg must sell his 47% stake in the company to majority shareholder Youngone Corporation, signaling an end to a long-running ownership dispute.
The tensions between the two escalated in 2024 when Youngone removed Zaugg as CEO and took full operational control, appointing Pascal Ducrot and Juwon Kim as the co-CEOs. The reasoning behind the ICC ruling and the final sale price remain undetermined.
Fizik looks to be entering the helmet market
Fizik, best known for its shoes and saddles, looks to be expanding its product catalogue to include helmets. An image shared with us from within the industry shows Orbea Factory XC Team rider Pierre de Froidmont wearing an unreleased Fizik helmet at Internacionales Chelva in Spain this past weekend.
From the images, it looks as though this helmet is a ventilated all-rounder that will likely be positioned to cater to the gravel and mountain bike markets, potentially hinting that an aero helmet for the road may be in the works. Although there is little to officially go on, the back of the helmet has the recognisable yellow decal from Mips, and at the front, the helmet has a longitudinal vent laying across the rider's brow. It also looks fairly bulky in the images, whether that is how the product looks or whether he is using a size too big for him. We will have to wait until the product officially breaks cover.
Winner's Circle: Kwiatkowski wins Clásica Jaén
While the WorldTour calendar continued in the UAE Tour, plenty of other big names were in Spain for the Clásica Jaén, where Michal Kwiatkowski (Ineos Grenadiers) triumphed after an aggressive day on the gravel. Kwiatkowski was part of a large move that formed a little ways after the midway point of the race, and then he soloed away in the finale to take his first win since 2023. Isaac del Toro (UAE Team Emirates XRG) nabbed second with Ibon Ruiz (Kern Pharma) in third.
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