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, March 8, 2025
- Injury keeps Bardet out of last Paris-Nice before retirement
- Niewiadoma among the worst affected by crashes at Strade Bianche
- Pogačar among fallers at men’s Strade Bianche
- SBT GRVL debuts Femmes team category
- Zwift Academy winners announced
- Two new ultra world records set in the same week
- Higuita out of action after ‘very bad crash’ in training
- Winner’s circle: Favourites sweep Strade Bianche
Injury keeps Bardet out of last Paris-Nice before retirement
French veteran Romain Bardet has been withdrawn from the startlist of Paris-Nice on the eve of the race due to the lingering effects of a shoulder injury that saw him abandon the Volta ao Algarve, his team Picnic-PostNL reports.
After a strong performance on the previous day’s summit finish, Bardet was sitting fourth overall when he crashed out of the Portuguese stage race in late February. Hospital assessments showed the Picnic-PostNL leader had not suffered any significant injuries, and he was able to start the Faun-Drome and Ardèche Classics last weekend, but he’s yet to recover sufficiently for the French WorldTour stage race where he’s thrice finished in the top 10 overall.
It’s a big blow to the 34-year-old who is counting down the race days before retiring at the close of the Critérium du Dauphiné. He is next expected to appear at the Tour of the Alps in late April before taking on one last Liège-Bastogne-Liège. [Picnic PostNL]
Niewiadoma among the worst affected by crashes at Strade Bianche
A combination of good weather and the related road conditions made this a particularly quick and gritty Strade Bianche with a number of nasty crashes in both women’s and men’s races. One of those to go down hardest was Kasia Niewiadoma of Canyon-SRAM zondacrypto, the reigning Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift champion sliding out in a seemingly innocuous sweeping right-hander while the reduced peloton was on paved roads between sectors.
While her fellow fallers were mostly able to get up and continue, Niewiadoma stayed down clutching her helmeted head, leaving onlookers concerned for her wellbeing. However, updates soon after from her husband and former pro Taylor Phinney confirmed that the Polish star is ok, but was quickly taken to hospital for precautionary X-rays.
Read the full race report here at Escape Collective.
Pogačar among fallers at men’s Strade Bianche
Tadej Pogačar delivered on his status as overwhelming favourite to take back-to-back Strade Bianche victories, and become the first man to do so in the rainbow jersey, but his third win of the picturesque Italian one-day was not without incident, the world champion finishing battered and bruised after crashing at high-speed while leading the race with Tom Pidcock and Connor Swift.
In a race with a number of crashes, including for the breakaway, worst off were David Gaudu who was forced to abandon fairly early in the event – early reports suggest just superficial wounds for the climber who’s meant to lead Groupama-FDJ at Tirreno-Adriatico from Monday – and two-time winner Michał Kwiatkowski (Ineos Grenadiers) who reportedly crashed in the same downhill corner as Pogačar, and withdrew with some pretty nasty road rash.
Read the full race report here at Escape Collective.
SBT GRVL debuts Femmes team category
Steamboat Springs, Colorado event SBT GRVL announced two women-facing initiatives for the 2025 edition, to be held June 29. The first-ever Femmes Team Challenge, sponsored by Zwift, is open to groups of three or more female riders registering as a single team (you don’t have to be a formal team), and will feature a scoring format like cross-country running, where a team’s top three placings count toward its overall score. The challenge will offer a US$3,000 prize purse for the top three teams. Riders in the category will race the 80-mile “Black” amateur course. Entry for other categories is already full, but the race is now taking team registrations for the GRVL Femmes. [SBT GRVL]
Zwift Academy winners announced
Zwift’s 2025 Academy has concluded, with Emily Dixon and Noah Ramsay emerging as winners. The young Australian and Canadian talents will get one-year contracts for 2025 on the development teams for Canyon-SRAM zondacrypto and Alpecin-Deceuninck, respectively.
Two new ultra world records set in the same week
Matthew Lefthand of Marriott-Slaterville, Utah, broke the record for the most miles ridden in 24 hours (non-drafted) by completing 156 laps of a 3.66-mile loop to ride an astonishing 576 miles, or 927 km. Lefthand plans to take on the 24-hour indoor record in April. Speaking of, earlier in the week, Daniel Ironside of Sydney, Australia rode 290.5 miles (467.4 km) on Zwift to set the 12-hour indoor world record.
Higuita out of action after ‘very bad crash’ in training
One of the higher-profile transfers for XDS-Astana this winter, Sergio Higuita had high expectations for this season, but his objectives have been put on hold after sustaining multiple fractures and other more minor injuries in a training crash on Friday.
His team announced that their Colombian climber is expected to be out of competition for at least a month due to a laundry list of injuries including fractures to his right radius and ulna, along with heavy bruises to his knee and shoulder. Higuita quickly underwent surgery to his right arm, and he also required stitches to his shin and upper lip. [XDS Astana]
Winner’s circle: Favourites sweep Strade Bianche
The main event this weekend were both women’s and men’s Strade Bianche, with both proving dramatic for different reasons. In the earlier women’s race, there was a thrilling duel between Demi Vollering and Anna van der Breggen, with the former powering clear on the climb to the finish, beating her former coach and DS. Then Tadej Pogačar delivered another, albeit shorter, solo victory a few hours later, overcoming a high-speed crash that could have been so much worse.
Elsewhere, there was a first pro win for Visma-Lease a Bike’s Imogen Wolff on the final stage of the Vuelta a Extramadura Femenina, where Ellen van Dijk wrapped up the overall. While in Belgium, Matteo Moschetti (Q36.5 Pro Cycling) took a strong victory at the mini-classic GP Criquielion ahead of Hugo Hofstetter (Israel-Premier Tech) and Q36.5 teammate Giacomo Nizzolo.
Friday, March 7, 2025
- Deceuninck will step away from title sponsorship at the end of the season
- Roval releases sub-1,000-gram Control World Cup mountain bike wheels
- Paul Component Engineering releases new Short Reach Canti Brake Levers
- Fundraising Giveaway for Bikepacking Roots' BIPOC Adventure Grant
- Hutchinson drops two new Blackbird tires
- PRO introduces Sirin women's saddle
- Winner's Circle: Ottestad takes stage 2 in Extremadura
Deceuninck will step away from title sponsorship at the end of the season
Four seasons after taking over as a title sponsor of Alpecin-Deceuninck and seven years after first signing on to be title sponsor of Deceuninck-Quick-Step (now Soudal-Quick-Step), Belgian window and door system company Deceuninck will call time on its title sponsorship role of both Alpecin-Deceuninck and Fenix-Deceuninck at the end of the season. The decision will leave those men's and women's WorldTeams looking for a new title sponsor, although Deceuninck will continue to have a spot on the team jersey.
"The gratitude for their commitment is much greater than the disappointment over the decision to take a step back," said Alpecin-Deceuninck GM Philip Roodhooft. "Of course, this creates a challenge for us as a team, but we were informed in time and are doing everything we can to attract a solid second title partner again."
Roval releases sub-1,000-gram Control World Cup mountain bike wheels
Roval, a component division of Specialized, has announced its latest premium cross-country race wheelset. The new Control World Cup feature a new mini-hooked carbon rim with a shallow 24 mm depth and 28.5 mm internal width.
There are just 20 spokes front and rear, a low count made possible by them being carbon fiber (made by Vonoa). At the center are Roval’s own low-flange hubs, with DT Swiss 180 ceramic bearing internals. All told, Roval claims a lowly 998 g for the pair (with valves and rim tape). Such a low weight comes with a high price, US$3,000 a pair to be exact. Specialized.
Paul Component Engineering releases new short reach Canti brake levers
The Canti Lever from Paul is a favorite option to pair with the brand's Klamper mechanical disc brakes or other short-pull calipers. However, it wasn't a favorite for riders with small hands due to the relatively long lever size and reach. The new short reach version features the same dual sealed-cartridge bearing CNC-machined as the original, yet positions the lever blade closer to handlebars for a smaller hands or users that like to run their levers closer in than the standard option allows.
The levers are sold in pairs or single and in multiple finishes, with costs ranging from US$108-$259. [Paul Component Engineering]
Fundraising Giveaway for Bikepacking Roots' BIPOC Adventure Grant
Multiple cycling brands have teamed up to give away a one-of-a-kind Slackr hardtail MTB from Chumba. All proceeds go directly to support Bikepacking Roots’ (BPR) BIPOC Bike Adventure Grant. The bike will feature parts from the associated brands, including Astral Serpentine Wheels and a Cane Creek Helm fork, and components from White Industries, Shimano, Dispersed Bikepacking, and Paul Components. The giveaway winner will have the bike custom built to their specifications and it will ship to them in one of Bike Flights' new BBL Boxes. Runners up will receive gear from Old Man Mountain and Ornot.
You can make a donation and enter here: Bikepacking Roots.
Hutchinson drops two new Blackbird tires
Hutchinson has introduced two new tires to its Blackbird lineup: the Blackbird Race, its “fastest ever” road tire, and the Blackbird All Season, designed for durability and grip in wet conditions. The Blackbird Race has been developed with Intermarché-Wanty and features a lighter casing and a new “Mach Tread Ultimate” compound, said to reduce rolling resistance by 10% and cut weight to 240 g (in 700x28c).
The Blackbird All Season uses a bi-compound tread and Hutchinson’s Gridskin sidewall tech, increasing tread thickness by 24% for improved longevity and puncture protection. The Blackbird Race retails for £69.99 / €79.99, and the All Season is available in clincher (£43.99) and tubeless (£63.99) versions.
PRO introduces Sirin women's saddle
PRO has officially released the women-specific Sirin saddle we first saw at iceBike last month. The brand says the new saddle was developed from scratch after working with bike fit data, pelvic floor specialists, and female test riders. The Sirin comes in two models with either carbon or stainless steel rails, a narrower 35 mm nose, a 32 mm wide bridgeless cut-out, and it’s available in 152 mm and 162 mm widths.
Winner's Circle: Ottestad takes stage 2 in Extremadura
After a split stage opening day, Mie Bjørndal Ottestad (Uno-X Mobility) won stage 2 of the Vuelta a Extremadura Femenina on Friday. The 27-year-old Norwegian bested Ellen van Dijk (Lidl-Trek) and Imogen Wolff (Visma-Lease a Bike) in a sprint. Van Dijk continues to lead the GC ahead of stage 3.
Thursday, March 6, 2025
- Lefevere hospitalized overnight
- Hammerhead adds native app library to Karoo
- Van Rysel launches first carbon road and gravel wheelsets
- Esports Worlds will take place November 15 at Abu Dhabi's Space42
- Winner's Circle: Van Dijk and Marturano win in Extremadura
Lefevere hospitalized overnight
Patrick Lefevere, who recently retired from his lengthy tenure as the boss of Soudal-Quick-Step, spent Wednesday night in the hospital. According to media reports, the 70-year-old had experienced a drop in blood pressure and was taken to Ghent Univeristy Hospital.
Fortunately, he appears to be OK, as he expressed on social media on Thursday.
"Thank you for all the kind messages and support!" Lefevere said on X. "I’m feeling much better and happy to be leaving the hospital tonight."
Hammerhead adds native app library to Karoo
Hammerhead has launched a Native Extension Library for its Karoo cycling computers, allowing riders to install third-party apps directly – eliminating the need for sideloading. At launch, six apps (Epic Ride Weather, myWindsock, GibLi Tech, hDrop Hydration, VinApp, and HR2VP) are available, with more expected in the coming months, according to Hammerhead.
Van Rysel launches first carbon road and gravel wheelsets
Decathlon’s Van Rysel has introduced its first carbon wheelsets, the VR 35 and VR 50, for both road and gravel use. The wheels have 22 mm internal width and support 25 mm to 55 mm-wide tires, while the claimed weight for the VR 35 set is 1,490 g and 1,560 g for the VR 50. The wheelsets are currently only available in Europe, and priced at €800 and €900 respectively.
Esports Worlds will take place November 15 at Abu Dhabi's Space42
The UCI and MyWhoosh have announced that the 2025 UCI Cycling Esports World Championship live final will take place on November 15 at Space42, Abu Dhabi’s dedicated esports venue. A series of qualifiers and semi-finals will determine the finalists who will compete for the sport’s fifth world title in the second live in-person final.
The early announcement and later schedule – three weeks beyond last year’s October 26 final – is a welcome change, allowing elite riders more time to prepare, plan their seasons, and wrap up campaigns in other disciplines before shifting their focus to esports-specific training. Abu Dhabi will host the Road World Championships in 2028 and the Track World Championships in 2029. —Chris Schwenker, esports correspondent
Winner's Circle: Van Dijk and Marturano win in Extremadura
The Vuelta a Extremadura Femenina got underway on Thursday with some split stage action. Ellen van Dijk (Lidl-Trek) won the stage 1a individual time trial 10 seconds ahead of Mie Bjørndal Ottestad (Uno-X Mobility) with Ottestad's teammate Katrine Aalerud in third, 22 seconds back. The peloton then rolled out for stage 1b, ultimately won by UAE Team ADQ's Greta Marturano just ahead of Sigrid Ytterhus Haugset (Coop-Repsol), with Clara Copponi (Lidl-Trek) leading a large group home for third, 25 seconds later. Van Dijk takes the race lead into Friday's stage 2.
Wednesday, March 5, 2025
- Silca brings chain waxing services to Specialized stores
- Velocio launches its Hydration Pack
- Smith releases Forefront 3 MTB Helmet
- Winner's Circle: Ayuso wins again
Silca brings chain waxing services to Specialized stores
Beginning this week, all Specialized-owned retail locations (72 in the US and 4 in Canada) will also be Silca Chain Wax Service Centers. This partnership will equip Specialized retailers with Silca’s proprietary chain cleaning and waxing systems, along with the brand's Secret Chain Blend to provide a full waxing service.
According to Josh Poertner, Founder and CEO of Silca, “This partnership shows a big shift in thinking around chain wax, from a fringe marginal gain to the mainstream cycling drivetrain solution."
Cost for cleaning and waxing a used chain is US$50 and new chains are US$40. According to Silca: "One of the biggest benefits of chain waxing is the extended protection of the chain and components. If a chain is already showing signs of wear there’s not much that can stop it," thus it does not recommend this service for chains with over 500 miles of use or that have noticeable wear (0.1 or greater) on a chain checker. [Silca]
Velocio launches its Hydration Pack
A first-of-its-kind carry solution from the cycling apparel brand, Velocio launched the Hydration Pack this week. Available in two sizes (S/M, L/XL), the pack is size-specific to eliminate unnecessary straps and buckles while the minimalist design fits above jersey pockets. Additionally, each pack comes with a 1.5L HydraPack reservoir, two zippered front pockets, and additional storage areas at a cost of US$179. [Velocio]
Smith releases Forefront 3 MTB Helmet
Smith has released an updated version of its Forefront helmet. Still incorporating Koroyd for impact protection, the Forefront 3 features a redesigned deep coverage shell, internal injected "roll cage," and revised Mips integrated directly into helmet padding.
Airflow is reportedly increased by 25% thanks to 20 vents throughout, and a three-position visor adds versatility. There's also camera and light mounting compatibility. The new helmet is available in six color options for US$270. [Smith]
Winner's Circle: Ayuso wins again
Juan Ayuso (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) took his second win of the year, and his second in the past week, at the Trofeo Laigueglia. The Spaniard put on a show in the finale of the Italian one-day with repeated attacks and a stellar sprint. After trying to get away on multiple occasions, he came to the line in a group of four, where he convincingly outkicked his rivals to take the win. Christian Scaroni (XDS-Astana) took second with Michael Storer (Tudor) in third.
Tuesday, March 4, 2025
- Van der Poel wastes no time taking his first road win in his first start of 2025
- Continental launches new mid-range Grand Prix TR tire
- Continental tire division ups profits but sees dip in 2024 sales
- Rabobank set to return to sponsoring Dutch cycling federation
Van der Poel wastes no time taking his first road win in his first start of 2025
Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) had not been expecting to make his season debut at the Ename Samyn Classic, previously known as Le Samyn, but after a last-minute change of plans, he was at the start line on Tuesday morning. Four and a half hours later, he stood atop the podium, taking his first road win of the year in his first start of the year.
“I am very happy with this," Van der Poel said afterward. “I had good legs, but it was difficult to make a difference here. Many riders were also looking at me. At 50 kilometers from the finish I said to my teammates, 'I am going for the sprint today.'"
The 199 km race did indeed come down to a sprint, and Van der Poel proved fastest in Dour, Belgium, near the French border. Soudal-QuickStep's Paul Magnier took second on the day with Emilien Jeannière (TotalEnergies) in third.
The women's race also came down to a sprint and also celebrated a Dutch winner as Lorena Wiebes (SD Worx-ProTime) took a convincing victory over Linda Zanetti (Uno-X Mobility) and Lara Gillespie (UAE ADQ).
Continental launches new mid-range Grand Prix TR tire
Continental has launched a new Grand Prix TR tubeless tire to its mid-tier lineup to sit below the performance GP5000 tires. Unlike more premium German-made counterparts, the Grand Prix TR is manufactured in Hefei, China, helping to bring the price down to £55 / US$68 / €62 per tire.
Continental said the Grand Prix TR gets an all-new four-ply 60 TPI casing but continues to use the BlackChili compound. The tire is hookless-compatible, available in four widths from 25 mm to 32 mm, and has a claimed weight of 310g in 25mm. A tube-type Grand Prix TR version with a three-ply casing is also available in 28 mm and 30 mm, priced at £41 / $54 / €46.
Continental tire division ups profits but sees dip in 2024 sales
In other news from Continental, the German tire/car part giant had its share price tumble today as it released its 2024 financial figures, and told investors it expects 2025 to be weak and uncertain due to tariffs. The company’s tires division – which includes bicycle tires – pulled in €13.86 billion in sales, 0.7% less compared to the previous year, but profits still climbed 7.3% to €1.87 billion. In the earnings call, CEO Nikolai Setzer said that the company plans to cut 3,000 R&D positions by 2026 to manage expenses.
Rabobank set to sponsor Dutch cycling federation again
On the heels of the surprise news that Rabobank is returning to cycling as a minor sponsor of Visma-Lease a Bike, the team that once counted Rabobank as its title sponsor, the Dutch company is also set to sponsor the Dutch cycling federation again. That would mark another return to form for Rabobank, which had previously been a major financial backer of Dutch cycling.
Wielerflits reports that talks are ongoing and that more concrete details are expected in the coming months. [Wielerflits]
Monday, March 3, 2025
- Van der Poel will start his 2025 season at Le Samyn
- TV moto driver gets a yellow card for being too close after Faun-Ardèche wrong turn
- Jorgenson says Visma has not 'clicked yet' but remains confident
- Fox Factory sees Q4 sales growth, forecasts flat 2025
Van der Poel will start his 2025 season at Le Samyn
Mathieu van der Poel had initially planned to get his 2025 campaign underway at Tirreno-Adriatico, but Alpecin-Deceuninck has announced that he will instead make his season debut earlier than that, at Le Samyn on Tuesday.
"If the itch gets too strong, you just have to race!" Van der Poel said in a statement shared by the team.
Although Van der Poel's surprise decision has understandably led to speculation that he might also start Strade Bianche on Saturday, team co-leader Christoph Roodhooft told Het Nieuwsblad that that will not be happening. [Het Nieuwsblad]
TV moto driver gets a yellow card for being too close after Faun-Ardèche wrong turn
After the lead group at the Faun-Ardèche took a wrong turn in the finale, the UCI decided to give the driver of the television motorcycle a yellow card for being too close to the riders, and thus apparently being a contributing factor to the incident.
Saturday's wrong turn was the second time in two weeks that a mid-level race had ended in such a way, although in contrast to the Volta ao Algarve, where the stage in question and the erstwhile victory of Filippo Ganna (Ineos Grenadiers) were simply annulled, Romain Gregoire (Groupama-FDJ) took a Faun-Ardèche win that remains on the books.
Jorgenson says Visma has not 'clicked yet' but remains confident
Reflecting on a disappointing Opening Weekend, Matteo Jorgenson acknowledged that Visma-Lease a Bike is not off to quite the start they enjoyed last year – when they won both the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad and Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne – but that there is reason to be optimistic.
"We just haven't clicked yet, so it's also difficult," he said, as Cyclingnews reports. "We have a lot of new riders for the Classics in the team because of more bad luck, losing Christophe [Laporte] to really big sickness and then Dylan [van Baarle] still hasn't entered after his collarbone fracture in Down Under."
"So we're still missing our core team, but I think actually this year is going to be good. We didn't win both Opening Weekend races, but we can build into the Cobbled Classics a little bit instead of starting at the top and kind of petering out." [Cyclingnews]
Fox Factory sees Q4 sales growth, forecasts flat 2025
Fox Factory’s bike segment grew 8.3% in the last quarter of 2024, but full-year sales were down 14%, according to its latest financial report. The company, which owns Fox and Marzocchi suspension, RaceFace and Easton components, Ride Concepts shoes, and Lizard Skins accessories, expects flat sales in 2025, and has focused on cost-cutting and streamlining operations at its Taiwan factory while considering future expansion outside the island.
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