Welcome to Escape Collective. Please select your language.
Please note that this is an automated translation and it will not be perfect. All articles have been written in English and if anything appears to not make sense, please double check in English.
Garmin launches its first head unit made for mountain bikers
GPS giant Garmin announced today its first-ever computer made expressly with mountain bikers in mind. The Edge MTB differs from Garmin's other head units in several ways, chiefly that it's a bit more ruggedly designed and features a higher recording rate to better capture twisty trails.
The Edge MTB uses a transflective TFT display tucked behind a Corning Gorilla Glass screen. Seven overmolded buttons are designed for better tactile interaction on trails (like other Garmin units, it features IPX7 water protection). The multiband GPS uses a 5 Hz recording rate, which more faithfully renders switchbacks and other trail features in your ride files. Battery life is 14 hours, and up to 26 in battery saver mode.
There's the usual host of Garmin metrics, plus a few mountain bike-specific ones like map data from Trailforks, Downhill and Enduro ride profiles that help differentiate human-powered from chairlift vertical, a "Forksight" mode that offers info like trail difficulty and distance back to trailhead, and it'll track how often and how far you jump and even your hang time, because apparently steez can now be data-optimized. The unit retails for US$400 and is available now. [Garmin]
Petition launched to reverse UCI handlebar width rule
The UCI’s newly announced minimum handlebar width rule is facing continued pushback, including a petition on change.org that garnered more than 1000 signatures in just a few hours on Tuesday.
Set to take effect Jan. 1, 2026, the regulation mandates a 40 cm minimum width (outside-to-outside) and 32 cm between the narrowest point of the brake levers. It is aimed at improving control and rider safety.
But critics say the “one-size-fits-all” rule overlooks rider diversity. The petition argues the rule could force smaller riders, particularly women, into unsafe, uncomfortable positions. Top female riders are on the record saying the change compromises fit and risks injury. The International Bike Fitting Institute has echoed those concerns, citing evidence that many riders require narrower bars.
Developed with input from SafeR, the rule is part of a broader UCI safety push. But as dissent mounts, calls are growing for exemptions or revised standards that reflect real-world rider needs. So far, the UCI hasn’t responded publicly.
Knee issue will keep Williams out of the Tour
Stevie Williams (Israel-Premier Tech) will not be able to start the Tour de France as he continues to deal with lingering health woes. The 29-year-old Welshman gave an update on his status on social media.
"Since the start of my season in Australia, I’ve had an issue with my right knee, a quadriceps tendinopathy, which is very tricky to manage, and it hasn’t resolved," he wrote. "I was able to come back for Giro d’Abruzzo and the Ardennes but since then, things still aren’t completely right. Unfortunately, this means I won’t be able to race the national championships in Wales, or the Tour De France. I’m gutted to miss them, especially racing Nationals in front of a home crowd. But, I’m working really hard to get back to full fitness with the support of the team and I hope I’ll be back on the start line soon."
Simmons takes Suisse stage 3 from the break
Quinn Simmons (Lidl-Trek) picked up his second WorldTour win so far this year on stage 3 of the Tour de Suisse.
The US national road champion jumped into the early breakaway and then soloed clear with about 20 km to go. He held on to win 18 seconds ahead of the peloton, with João Almeida (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) taking second on the day and Oscar Onley (Picnic-PostNL) in third. Romain Grégoire finished safely to retain his overall race lead.
First seen under a winning Marianne Vos, the new Cervelo Aspero 5 gravel race bike is now official. Cervelo has leaned strongly on the aero angle, claiming it to be the fastest of its direct competitors (we’re yet to confirm what brands that includes, but 3T and Factor are established options in the aero gravel space). It joins the more affordable Aspero released last year.
With official room for 45 mm tyres and a frame that meets UCI approval, it reads more like a new cyclocross bike than some of the latest big-rubber gravel bikes. Still, it proves a segmenting of gravel, where narrower tyres may still be best for the UCI’s tarmac-laden approach to gravel racing, or at least, to how many use a gravel bike.
Available in six sizes, the bike features downtube storage, a T47 threaded bottom bracket, can be set up with a front derailleur, and has a UDH. Like before, the Aspero 5 is Cervelo’s most premium gravel model, with framesets at US$5,500, and complete bikes starting from US$8,700 (with SRAM Force AXS E1). Escape’s tech editor, Dave Rome, has one of these in the workstand mid-assembly. More to come.
Rouvy to raise subscription prices by up to 38%
Indoor cycling platform Rouvy has announced it will increase its subscription prices starting 15 July 2025. Monthly plans will rise to $19.99 / €19.99 / £17.99, up from the current $14.99 / €14.99 / £12.99.
The Czech platform said users can, however, lock in current prices for another year by switching to or renewing an annual plan before July 15. Explaining the price change, Rouvy CEO said, "This price increase will help us keep improving ROUVY and delivering the great rides and experiences you love, whilst maintaining the high quality level we continually strive for."
No Tour for Kristoff in his final season
Uno-X Mobility has unveiled its Tour de France roster, revealing that veteran sprint star Alexander Kristoff has not been selected "in what is expected to be his final season." The 37-year-old Norwegian is a four-time stage winner but Uno-X has decided to focus on the future with its Tour lineup. To the team's credit, that decision was addressed as part of the roster reveal.
"Leaving out Alexander was incredibly tough,” said team boss Thor Hushovd. "He absolutely deserved a final Tour appearance, and I'm confident he would have delivered – just like he always does. But this year, we've chosen Søren Wærenskjold as our main sprinter. He's shown he can win sprints against the very best. Together with Stian Fredheim, he forms a promising duo. It's a decision that also reflects the future of our team."
Evenepoel rues pollen at the Dauphiné
Remco Evenepoel (Soudal-Quick-Step) has told Het Laatste Nieuws that allergies impacted his Critérium du Dauphiné campaign, and that he is hoping things are better at the Tour de France.
"As a child, I even had severe asthma attacks. I have medication for that, but it’s been two years in a row that I’ve been bothered by it in the Dauphiné. It starts with the nose, then it goes down to the airways. You get mucus everywhere, everything gets a bit stuck," he said.
"I hope the pollen count will be lower in the Tour." [Het Laatste Nieuws]
Albanese gets his first WorldTour win at the Tour de Suisse
Vincenzo Albanese (EF Education-EasyPost) rode to his first ever victory at the WorldTour level on Monday's stage 2 of the Tour de Suisse.
EF set the tempo for the bunch in the closing kilometers, putting Albanese into a strong position for the final push to the line, where Quinn Simmons (Lidl-Trek) tried to steal a march on the faster finishers with a surge inside the final kilometer. The American was unable to open much of a gap but his move did catch several would-be contenders off-guard – but not Albanese, who bested Fabio Christen (Q36.5) and Lewis Askey (Groupama-FDJ) to take the win.
Grégoire takes Suisse stage 1, as O'Connor gains heaps of time on GC rivals
Stage 1 of the Tour de Suisse took place on exactly the same course as the finale of the women's event, a punchy Classics-style race of just 129.4 km. The chances of it being a sprint stage were slim, but few would reasonably expect to lose much time at this early point in the eight-day race – but that's exactly what happened to many of the favourites.
After an aggressive start, a large breakaway of 28 riders formed ahead of the peloton led by the UAE Team Emirates-XRG lineup supporting João Almeida, widely considered the man to beat at the Tour de Suisse. Of the UAE deligation, only Felix Großschartner made the move, along with a host of dangerous names including Kévin Vauquelin (Arkéa-B&B Hotels), Julian Alaphilippe (Tudor), Romain Grégoire (Groupama-FDJ) and GC contender Ben O'Connor (Jayco-AlUla). Against the odds, and in grizzly conditions, the gap ballooned out towards four minutes, and the peloton was never able to do much damage in the chase.
The breakaway ultimately broke up again on the smaller local loop, but the leaders had plenty of time in hand. Grégoire took a solo victory on the stage, with Vauquelin leading a small chase group 20 seconds behind. A minute 7 seconds later, O'Connor led the next group home with Großschartner on his wheel, with the peloton's arrival delayed by a further two minutes and 5 seconds, setting up an intriguing week of racing in Switzerland.
Lenny Martinez wins stage 8, Pogačar adds Dauphiné to his tally
The Critérium du Dauphiné wrapped up on stage 8 with stage victory for Lenny Martinez (Bahrain-Victorious) from the breakaway, his third WorldTour stage win of the season, and a consolation prize after suffering a jour sans on Saturday's Queen Stage.
Deserving though Martinez was of a visit to the podium, there was a sense of Tadej Pogačar pulling the strings from the peloton; the world champion could have, but didn't want to win a fourth stage of the race because, with the GC to boot, it would prematurely bring his victory tally to 100 – “I'd rather save that one hundredth victory for the Tour,” Tadej Pogačar joked on Saturday morning, before taking number 98.
Pogačar's rivals almost spoiled it for him, though, with attacks flying on the final climb before the five-kilometre plateau to the line. But the gap to Martinez held, and Jonas Vingegaard led the world champion over the line 33 seconds after the stage winner, meaning Pogačar took his first Dauphiné title ahead of the Tour de France, where his 100th victory will be waiting.
Magnier outsprints Philipsen at Elfstedenronde Brugge
A day after winning Dwars door het Hageland, young sprinter Paul Magnier (Soudal-QuickStep) doubled up at the more sprint-friendly Elfstedenronde Brugge, out-sprinting Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck) in the bunch gallop.
The conditions were rather better than for the previous day's attritional racing, and with just two cobbled 'sectors' on the 196-kilometre parcours, with negligible elevation over that distance, it was much easier for the teams to control in order to bring the bunch to the line together. In the finishing straight, Magnier glued himself to the wheel of Philipsen who is building towards the Tour, so when the Alpecin rider launched, Magnier was ready to respond. It was close, but the young Frenchman lunged over the line ahead of his rival for an important victory. Best of the rest was Lotto's Elia Viviani.
Top 5
Paul Magnier (Soudal-QuickStep)
Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck)
Elia Viviani (Lotto)
Oded Kogut (Israel-Premier Tech)
Joes Oosterlinck (Volkerwessels)
Reusser beats Vollering to Tour de Suisse title with solo stage 4 victory
The women's Tour de Suisse enjoyed a dramatic finale in and around Küssnacht on Sunday's stage 4. The GC was finely poised at the start, with stage 1 winner Marlen Reusser (Movistar) still holding the race lead, though by only three seconds over former teammate and new rival Demi Vollering (FDJ-Suez), who had won every stage race she'd started in 2025 before arriving in Switzerland.
Attacks flew throughout the 129.4-kilometre stage, but everything was neutralised in time for the last ascent of the Michaelskreuz climb (3 km at 9.1%) 15 km from the line. Reusser forced a selection on the biting gradients, taking many of the GC contenders over the crest with her, but when the Swiss TT powerhouse lit it up again nine kilometres out, there was no response. Vollering and third-overall Kasia Niewiadoma (Canyon-SRAM zondacrypto) eventually went off in pursuit, but it was too late.
Reusser crossed the line in Küssnacht 28 seconds ahead of the chasing duo, with Niewiadoma taking second and Vollering third, meaning Reusser also won overall by a 36-second margin over the Dutch rider, with Niewiadoma third, 1:56 down.
Wiebes and Magnier win action-packed editions of Dwars door het Hageland
While WorldTour racing has been ongoing in Switzerland and France, one-day racing has returned to Belgium for the men's and women's Dwars door het Hageland.
With damp conditions bringing even more drama to the gravel sectors, cobbles and punchy bergs, Lorena Wiebes emerged from the murk to triumph ahead of 19-year-old Fleur Moors (Lidl-Trek) and Millie Couzens (Fenix-Deceuninck), despite having to switch onto her (smaller) teammate Barbara Guarischi's bike for the finale. It marks Wiebes's tenth win of the season.
In the men's race, an elite selection was made early on, including a dominant presence from Alpecin-Deceuninck with Jasper Philipsen, Quentin Hermans, Tibor Del Grosso and Timo Kielich all making the cut. The powerhouse team seemed very much in control, even sending Hermans off the front for a stint to force their rivals to work, but when attacks resumed in the last 20 km, Philipsen appeared to struggle. The Belgian was able to latch onto Paul Magnier (Soudal-QuickStep) and Rasmus Tiller (Uno-X Mobility) when they launched 16 km out, but he was later dropped 4 km from the finish. Del Grosso and Hermans were able to bridge the narrow gap without too much trouble, but Magnier and Tiller had the pace and staying power to take the top two spots on the ramp to the Diest Citadel.
Women's top 5
Lorena Wiebes (SD Worx-Protime) 3:18:02
Fleur Moors (Lidl-Trek) "
Millie Couzens (Fenix-Deceuninck) "
Ilse Pluimers (AG Insurance-Soudal) +0:04
Zoe Bäckstedt (Canyon-SRAM zondadacrypto) +0:05
Men's top 5
Paul Magnier (Soudal-QuickStep) 4:00:29
Rasmus Tiller (Uno-X Mobility) +0:03
Tibor Del Grosso (Alpecin-Deceuninck) +0:09
Quinten Hermans (Alpecin-Deceuninck) +0:14
Mike Teunissen (XDS-Astana) +0:24
Pogačar lands another blow as Visma's Dauphiné plan fizzles out on Queen Stage
Jonas Vingegaard and his team Visma-Lease a Bike inevitably hit the Queen Stage with a plan to overturn their defeat suffered 24 hours earlier at the hands of Tadej Pogačar. But to no avail, the race leader scored back-to-back stage victories to strengthen his grip on yellow with one day to go.
After a lengthy battle for the day's move, Visma's Sepp Kuss made it into the day's breakaway, ready to help out with the first phase of attacks over the summit of the Croix de Fer, and the team was later well represented in the reduced yellow jersey group by the climb to the line. However, Pogačar seemed content just to let them tire themselves out before launching his own attack 12 km from the top of the Montée de Valmeinier. Vingegaard tried to follow, but his rival slipped from his grasp.
If there's any consolation that Visma-Lease a Bike can take from the day, it's that the Dane only crossed the line 14 seconds down, although Pogačar didn't need to do any more than keep Vingegaard at arm's reach. Behind them, Florian Lipowitz (Red Bull-Bora Hansgrohe) was best of the rest 1:21 down, and Tobias Johannessen (Uno-X Mobility) out-climbed Remco Evenepoel (Soudal-QuickStep) over a minute further down.
Balsamo wins Tour de Suisse stage 3, Reusser keeps race lead
After a long solo breakaway from Kristen Faulkner (EF Education-Oatly), further attacks in the hilly finale, including from her teammate Cédrine Kerbaol, Kasia Niewiadoma (Canyon-SRAM zondacrypto), Blanka Vas (SD Worx-Protime) and stage 2 winner Amber Kraak (FDJ-Suez), stage 3 of the Tour de Suisse culminated in a frantic bunch sprint.
Despite the best efforts of SD Worx-Protime to dominate the finale, Lidl-Trek had things under control. It was close on the line, but Elisa Balsamo denied Mischa Bredewold a chance to make an SD Worx-shaped mark on the WorldTour stage race.
Meanwhile, Marlen Reusser (Movistar) was well looked after in the pack to secure her leadership of the race going into the final day. However, with former teammate Demi Vollering (FDJ-Suez) just three seconds down and a punchy parcours to come, the Tour de Suisse is finely poised going into stage 4.
Baudin: 'When I saw Pogačar catching up with me, I couldn't resist grabbing the wheel'
The first summit finish of the Critérium du Dauphiné saw Tadej Pogačar flipping the script on his doubters as he put over a minute into arch-rival Jonas Vingegaard on the Côte de la Cry. While the world champion was on his way to a statement stage win, he scooped up the remaining breakaway riders, including EF Education-EasyPost's punchy climber, Alex Baudin.
"When I saw Pogačar catching up with me, I couldn't resist grabbing the wheel to see how fast he was!" Baudin said at the finish. "It killed me for two or three minutes."
The Frenchman still finished sixth on the stage, took over the mountains classification, and was awarded with the combativity award for his dogged efforts.
Kraak goes long to take Suisse stage 2
Amber Kraak (FDJ-Suez) won stage 2 of the Tour de Suisse after a long day out front. The 30-year-old Dutchwoman joined the day's early break and then soloed clear some 25 km from the line to take the win. Fellow breakaway rider Marta Lach (SD Worx-Protime) finished second on the day and then Elise Chabbey (FDJ-Suez) led a select group over the line in third.
Marlen Reusser (Movistar) finished in the next group, shipping a bit of time to a few GC rivals but still maintaining her healthy advantage in the general classification with two stages to go.
Pogačar storms to victory on stage 6 of the Dauphiné
Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) took a decisive win on stage 6 of the Critérium du Dauphiné, more than making up for the disappointment of the stage 4 time trial and taking the race lead too.
The world champ attacked on the first of two short climbs in the finale and arrived just over a minute ahead of Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike) with Floran Lipowitz (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) taking third on the day. Remco Evenepoel (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) started the stage in the race lead but struggled with UAE's tempo on the steep stuff, settling for fifth place nearly two minutes behind Pogačar.
Direct-to-consumer bike brand Canyon has opened its first Experience Center in the US at the Los Angeles, California location of Southern California retailer Pedalers Fork. Canyon Experience Centers offer a rotating fleet of demo bikes across Canyon's road, gravel, mountain and urban lines, including e-bikes. Other services include repair by Canyon-certified technicians, live demos and community events.
Canyon also announced plans to build a network of 300 service partners across the US by the end of summer 2025, an ambitious goal that would dramatically increase Canyon's in-person customer service. Canyon also plans to open more full-fledged Experience Centers, with the next location slated for The Meteor Cafe in Dallas, Texas, this fall.
Matthew Lefthand sets another endurance record
In his first attempt, Matthew Lefthand shattered the 13-year-old Race Across the West course record. The Utah-based ultracyclist completed the challenging 860-mile (1,384 km) route from Oceanside, CA, to Durango, CO, featuring over 45,000 ft (13,715 m) of climbing, in 44:53 at an average pace of 19.8 mph (31.87 km/h). That breaks the previous record of 46:19. Veteran Marko Baloh of Slovenia finished second in 55:16. As of this report, Dorina Vaccaroni leads the women's field and is within hours of finishing. We recently covered Lefthand's multiple-record-setting virtual ride here.
Michael Matthews halts all physical activity after signs of pulmonary embolism discovered
Michael Matthews has been forced to immediately pause all physical activity until further notice after his Jayco-AlUla medical team discovered signs of a pulmonary embolism during a recent altitude training camp.
"Matthews’ health condition is stable. The Medical Team are now thoroughly investigating the extent of the issue and possible cause, to define a safe and optimal recovery process for the athlete," Jayco-AlUla said in a statement.
"During this period of investigation, as a safeguarding measure, Matthews will refrain from competition to ensure there is no risk to his health and well-being, therefore ruling out his participation in the upcoming Tour de France."
Unno updates the Horn full-suspension XC race bike
Known primarily for its niche and boundary-pushing designs in the gravity segment, Unno has also dabbled in XC bikes for nearly 10 years. The updated Horn – the former version was last made in 2022 – is the brand's latest foray into building a lightweight and fast race machine, which looks to incorporate a variety of interesting features. Tipping the scale at a claimed 9.6 kg for the complete "Factory" build, Unno reports to have made "one of the world's lightest race-ready 110 mm XC production bikes."
Beyond such marketing claims, the Horn appears to resemble innovative designs we've seen in recent years from larger brands, including the Specialized Epic World Cup Dave reviewed in 2023. Such elements include a semi-hidden rear shock and a block-lock headset. Yet the Horn also allows for up to 29 x 2.6" tires, fully accessible shock assembly, two in-frame water bottles across the size range, and includes rear flex stays in lieu of a traditional chainstay pivot. All builds come with dropper posts. Unno offers the Horn in four build configurations – Factory, SL, Pro, and Race, plus a frame with Fox Float SL Factory rear shock. Pricing is €3,195 for the frame and shock, with complete builds starting at €7,095. See more at Unno.
Stewart takes the biggest win of his career on Dauphiné stage 5
Jake Stewart (Israel-Premier Tech) sprinted to a no-doubt victory on stage 5 of the Critérium du Dauphiné. The 25-year-old Brit bested Axel Laurence (Ineos Grenadiers) and Søren Wærenskjold (Uno-X Mobility) in Mâcon, France, in the heart of the Burgundy wine region.
The win is the biggest so far in Jake Stewart's young career, and it is also the first ever for the eye-catching Factor aero bike that the Israel-Premier Tech team brought to the race.
Race leader Remco Evenepoel (Soudal-Quick-Step) went down in a crash inside the final kilometer but remounted immediately and seemed unhurt. Given that the incident occurred so close to the line, he registered the same finishing time for GC purposes as the rest of the peloton.
Reusser outkicks Vollering in a decisive opening stage of the Tour de Suisse
Stage 1 of the Tour de Suisse Women seemed unlikely to have big GC implications, but Marlen Reusser (Movistar) and Demi Vollering (FDJ-Suez) had other ideas. Reusser went clear shortly after summitting the Cat. 1 Jaunpass climb and Vollering linked up with her, and from there the pair worked together for more than an hour to build up a serious advantage to a small chasing group.
Reusser bested Vollering at the line, and now both riders sit well ahead of the rest of the field. Kasia Niewiadoma (Canyon-SRAM-Zondacrypto) took third on the day, 1:42 behind Reusser, and Niamh Fisher-Black (Lidl-Trek) and Urška Žigart (AG Insurance-Soudal) were the only other riders within two minutes of the leaders.
Dutch federation expresses concern around Road Worlds
The Dutch cycling federation is calling for changes in how World Championship venues are selected, saying that human rights concerns must be a factor in future decisions. Speaking to Trouw, KNWU managing director said the federation is "uncomfortable" with the Kigali venue, due to Rwanda's reported role in supporting a rebel insurgency in neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo.
It's not enough to consider technical and logistical factors like the course or surrounding infrastructure, Leeser said. While saying it was "fantastic" for Worlds to take place in an African country, he added that "it would be good if other criteria, such as human rights, were given a more prominent place in that consideration. As a prominent cycling country, the Netherlands plays an important role in such a discussion." The Dutch federation, like several others, plans to send a reduced contingent to the race, citing both security and cost issues.
Separately, Rwandan cycling federation president Samson Ndayishimiye told Cycling Weekly that preparations are proceeding normally and security concerns won't be a factor. "This is Rwanda. It’s not DRC … We’ve made it clear that we can’t invite you or welcome you if you’re not going to be safe, because we won’t be safe ourselves," he said. "It’s been a few months and nothing has come up on that." Kigali Worlds has also received strong support from the UCI, with president David Lappartient saying there is "no plan B" for an alternate venue.
Strava's value grows to US$2.2B
After a fresh round of funding, Strava's valuation has raised US$2.2 billion, including debt, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal. This follows the acquisitions of AI-driven training apps Runna and The Breakaway, and the continued growth of the platform to over 150 million users globally. Strava's previous fundraising took place in 2020, when the company was valued at US$1.5 billion.
Mike Martin, Strava's CEO, said the company is set to reach US$500 million in annual revenue in the near future.
Regarding the acquisitions, Strava confirmed to Escape Collective that The Breakaway’s cycling performance tools will be absorbed into the main app, while Runna will remain separate "for now." When asked about what’s next, Strava spokesperson said: "Our business is strong, and our future remains extremely bright."
New bipartisan bill wants to boost bike assembly in the US
Two US Congress representatives have brought forward a "US Bicycle Production and Assembly Act," suggesting the removal of import duties on components used to build bikes in the United States, making it more financially viable to assemble bikes domestically. Presented by bipartisan reps. Vern Buchanan and Mike Thompson, the bill covers traditional bikes, e-bikes, and tricycles, and would effectively suspend duties on a wide range of bike parts used in the assembly.
It also includes ambitious targets, suggesting two million bicycles could be assembled annually within five years of the act's passage and five million annually within ten years.
Last year, a similar piece of legislation, the "Domestic Bicycle Production Act," was introduced by then-Representative Earl Blumenauer. However, it failed to gain bipartisan support.
4iiii announces power meter options for XTR M9200
Shimano XTR M9200 launched last week, and as our review pointed out, the range lacks native power meter options.
Canadian-based 4iiii has been quick to fill such a gap with its crank-based Precision 3+ system. Available in either left-only and dual-sided options, 4iiii’s latest system claims +/- 1% accuracy, 800 hours of battery life, and has integrated Apple ‘Find My’ functionality in case your bike gets stolen.
Currently, 4iiii is only offering its M9200 power meters through factory fitment, meaning you send your crank to them, and they’ll add the power meter. The company will have ride-ready cranks for sale in a few months. Pricing starts from CAD$450. More at 4iiii.com.
Skjelmose's illness woes continue with Suisse DNS
Mattias Skjelmose's Tour de France prep is decidedly not going to plan. The Amstel Gold Race winner was ruled out of this week's Critérium du Dauphiné due to illness, and that continuing complication has now knocked Plan B – next week's Tour de Suisse – off the calendar as well.
The culprit: a persistent and somewhat mysterious stomach infection, which receded but then came back briefly. "There's just not enough time to get back to the level I want to reach," he told Wielerflits. "The focus is now on recovering, finding my rhythm again and building what I have lost. From now on, it's all about being ready for the Tour de France."
Skjelmose said there's no panic. "This is not the first time things have not gone according to plan – and it will not be the last time either," he said. The 24-year-old Lidl-Trek rider, who finished fifth overall in last year's Vuelta a España, said he is still focused on being ready for the Tour. [Wielerflits]
