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Setmana Valenciana stage 3 cancelled due to strong winds
After two blustery opening stages, race organisers were forced to cancel racing the night before day three of the Setmana Valenciana.
"Due to the weather forecasts for tomorrow, February 14, and code orange issued by Aemet [the Spanish National Meteorological Institute] due to the strong wind gusts expected in the province of Alicante, the third stage, scheduled between Agost and La Nucia, will not take place,” read the official statement. “This is a collective decision that teams, riders and security officials, public and political representatives, the Guardia Civil and the president of the commissioner panel have agreed to as representative of the UCI.”
Demi Vollering (FDJ-Suez) retains the overall lead 56 seconds ahead of UAE Team ADQ's Maeva Squiban, with one stage now remaining on Sunday.
Marc Soler wins wind-shortened Murcia opener
After strong winds cut 90 km from the opening stage of the Vuelta a Murcia, UAE Team Emirates-XRG's Marc Soler took a solo victory from nearly 5 km out, with teammate Julius Johansen following for second. Tom Pidcock (Pinarello-Q36.5) was third in his first race of the 2026 season.
Stage 2 of the two-day race is 179 km, with several climbs, but the final 20 km are flat. Assuming wind doesn't alter the course again, UAE's hold on the race seems secure; Pidcock is the nearest rider from another team, 40 seconds down to Soler.
Strava to drop Facebook login from mid-March
Strava will stop supporting Facebook login from 16 March 2026, meaning users who currently sign in with their social media credentials will need to switch to another method.
According to Strava's support pages, users will be able to instead log in using their email and password, a one-time code sent to their email, or Google sign-in. The company has advised users to confirm or update the email address linked to their account before the March deadline.
The change also affects social features. Strava will no longer suggest friends based on the users' Facebook connections. Existing activities, connections and profile information will all stay unchanged.
Strava has not publicly given a detailed reason for the move. However, Facebook login has become less common across apps and websites in recent years, with many companies citing low usage and the maintenance burden of supporting third-party login systems.
Users who already sign in with their email or Google are not affected by the change in any way.
Vollering opens her season with a win at Setmana Valenciana
Trek Bicycle turns 50
The Wisconsin-based bicycle company is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2026. Through its Project One program, Trek has released three limited-edition Madone road bikes with two paint schemes that highlight the company’s history.
According to the company, the new First 50 ICON paint scheme (pictured) will be used by the Lidl-Trek teams at the Tour de France and Tour de France Femmes. Meanwhile, the No. 76 ICON offers a more subtle, heritage-inspired aesthetic. You can also expect to see more anniversary products rolled out, including bikes, clothing, and accessories.
Scott signs on as official XC bike partner for Mountain Bike World Series
Scaroni and XDS-Astana dominate final Oman stage
XDS-Astana is off to its now-customary fast start to a season. The team fended off an almost-certain relegation in 2025 with a strategy of targeting smaller races and while its WorldTour license is assured through 2028, it's wasting little time racking up points.
Climber Christian Scaroni scored the stage win and overall at the 2.Pro Tour of Oman with a solo victory atop Jabal al Akhdar (Green Mountain), finishing three seconds clear of teammate Cristian Rodriguez. They also went 1-2 in the overall. It's already the team's fourth victory of 2026, with Scaroni on a tear taking three of those.
Jasper Philipsen reveals spring race lineup
Top sprinter and Classics specialist Jasper Philipsen has a busy spring planned. The former Milan-San Remo winner will start his season at the "opening weekend" (February 28 and March 1) of Omloop Nieuwsblad and Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne before turning his attention to La Primavera (March 23), where he and Alpecin-Premier Tech teammate Mathieu van der Poel could form a formidable tandem – if Van der Poel opts to defend his title.
From there, Philipsen will target flatter cobbled Classics like In Flanders Fields (formerly Gent-Wevelgem) in the leadup to Paris-Roubaix (April 12). As with M-SR, he'll form half of the best tandem in the race along with three-time winner Van der Poel; Philipsen has twice been runner-up there. After Roubaix, it's a long break until his next "confirmed" race, July's Tour de France.
Basso updates Palta gravel bike with bigger tyres and down-tube storage
Basso has launched the Palta III gravel bike with more tyre clearance, updated geometry, more aerodynamically shaped tubes and new down-tube storage.
The carbon frame now fits up to 52mm front and 50mm rear tyres, and adds an internal storage compartment with a carbon hatch and magnetic closure system by Fidlock. Considering the "all-rounder" premise, the Palta III has top-tube bosses, three bottle positions in the main triangle and two under the down tube, but there are no fork cargo mounts or rack mounts.
Prices start at £3,999/US$5,995 with GRX 820 1x12, rising to £8,499/US$10,995 with SRAM Red XPLR AXS. Basso says the Palta is made in Italy and is offered with custom build options, plus bolt-on Apidura bags designed specifically for the frame.
Swift Industries Luminary bag collection features new fabric
The Luminary Collection from Seattle-based Swift Industries features many of the brand's mainstay products in a new print color and 600D recycled polyester textile called SI600X. Available in the Bandito, Zeitgeist, and Catalyst packs (each designed for handlebar or saddle/rear rack mounting), the Moxie top tube bag and two sizes of stem bags, "the tonal quality [of the Luminary print] and colors are intentionally organic and uniquely beautiful, and are meant to solicit the universal vastness that moves people to connect with nature" according to the brand. Developed for Swift, the SI600X fabric features a waterproof film reinforced with a diamond-shaped fiber grid and a brushed outer finish. Since the bags are sewn instead of welded, they are considered "water resistant" rather than waterproof. Swift Industries
Modern Adventure team admitted to MPCC anti-doping group
The new American ProTeam Modern Adventure was admitted provisionally to the Movement Pour un Cyclisme Credible (MPCC), an independent organization that sets ethical standards of conduct in pro cycling that are a higher bar than WADA anti-doping rules. The MPCC is not affiliated with any official governing body in the sport, and membership is voluntary.
Modern Adventure was granted provisional status after the organization considered the past history of co-founder George Hincapie and performance director Bobby Julich, who admitted doping during their careers.
In a statement from the MPCC, Hincapie directly referenced the sport's history as a reason for why he wanted his new team to join. "I witnessed firsthand the cultural shift in the sport many years ago, and I’ve seen both the damage that comes from turning a blind eye and the progress that’s possible when athletes choose integrity," he said. "By committing to the MPCC’s enhanced transparency standards, we’re proving that clean athletes can compete at the highest level and that credibility matters more than shortcuts."
MPCC membership has dwindled slightly in recent years. It counts seven men's WorldTeams and five women's WorldTeams as members as well as a number of ProTeams, but in 2024 two men's teams – Alpecin-Deceuninck and Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe – left the organization. The only other team with provisional membership at the ProTeam or higher level is Unibet-Rose Rockets. [MPCC]
20,000 Trek and Electra e-bikes recalled
Hyena, a Taiwan-based e-bike drive system supplier, is recalling Trek and Electra e-bikes sold in 2025 in North America after reports that the bikes' rear wheel bolts "may be affected by hydrogen embrittlement", which can lead to them breaking when torqued.
The recall covers about 19,890 bikes, including model year 2026 Trek FX+ 1 Midstep, Stepover, and FX+ 1S models, plus Electra Townie Go! Step Thru models sold before October 28, 2025, in the US and Canada. The US Consumer Product Safety Commission said Trek has received seven reports of bolts breaking, with no injuries reported. Bikes sold in Europe are not affected by the recall.
Consumers are advised to stop riding bikes with the recalled bolts and contact an authorised Trek or Electra dealer to schedule a free fix, which replaces the bolts with new silver ones. Trek is also offering a US$10 in-store credit for participating customers. [recall details]
Frog Bikes faces administration
British children's bike brand Frog Bikes has filed a notice of intention to appoint administrators, a move its founder, Jerry Lawson, described as a short term solution for the company to secure funding and restructure. At this stage, the filing doesn't mean that the business will enter administration or liquidate.
Frog was founded in 2013 and grew rapidly during the Covid-19, boom but has since been impacted by higher costs, weaker demand and Brexit-related trade friction. The company returned to a small profit of about £200,000 in the year to February 2024 and employed 62 people, according to its latest accounts.
Shimano reports modest sales increase in 2025
Shimano's final 2025 financial results show that the company increased its sales of bike components by 2.7%, while its operating income continued to decrease and was down 21% year-on-year.
Regionally, Shimano said Europe was the bright spot. Sales there jumped up by nearly 30% to some US$1.28 billion, which the company attributed in part to favourable weather. In contrast, sales in China fell by more than a third, with Shimano saying the road bike boom is easing even as interest in sport riding remains. The US was up by 3.2%, but was heavily impacted by broader economic and geopolitical uncertainties.
Despite the declining sales since the all-time-high results of 2022 and the decline in profits, Shimano's revenue has remained higher than in the years prior to 2020 and the Covid-19 pandemic.
Vingegaard and Jorgenson's coach leaves Visma
Visma-Lease a Bike's rollercoaster start to 2026 just took another sharp turn as Tim Heemskerk, coach to Jonas Vingegaard and Matteo Jorgenson, will leave the team effective immediately. No new destination was mentioned. Heemskerk was broadly responsible for working with a number of the team's stage racers, most notably two-time Tour winner Vingegaard.
Heemskerk, who had been with Visma for eight seasons, said of his abrupt departure that he had been "struggling to use my creativity and passion," a rationale that echoes his former charge Simon Yates, who quit in January citing concerns about burnout. Visma's head of performance, Mathieu Heijboer, will take over coaching Vingegaard.
A key hurdle to cyclocross in the Olympics? Money
The long-awaited decision on whether to relax the rule that Winter Olympic sports must take place on snow or ice – which would open the door to disciplines like cyclocross and cross-country running – is not set to take place until June. But Het Nieuwsblad reports that a central hurdle to their inclusion might be overcome if the International Cycling Union is open to skipping a payday.
The issue is how Olympic revenues are divvied up. Wintersports federations – which broadly already have access to a smaller pot of money than their summer sport counterparts – will accept the inclusion of sports like cyclocross provided the UCI and other "summer sport" federations don't claim a share of the revenue from the Winter Games, per Nieuwsblad. The decision on whether to expand the Winter Games – originally set for December – was postponed and will now reportedly take place June 30. If approved, cyclocross could debut as soon as the 2030 Games. [Het Nieuwsblad]
Bernal retains Colombian national road title
Egan Bernal has successfully defended his Colombian national road title in Zipaquirá, the town where he grew up.
Two days after seeing Ineos Grenadiers teammate Brandon Rivera scream to an extraordinary ITT victory by almost two minutes, Bernal beat Ivan Sosa (Equipo Kern Pharma) at the end of a brutal 208-kilometre road race. The reigning champion was dropped by his former teammate and Juan Felipe Rodriguez (EF Education-Aevelo) on the 13th and final time up the key Via de Pacho climb (1.5 km at 10.7%, max. 27%), but Bernal then made good use of the descent to put himself back in contention with just a few kilometres remaining.
Bernal's double national championship victory this time last year marked his first since the 2021 Giro d'Italia, and, more notably, his horror crash in early 2022; the 2025 season went on to complete the post-crash renaissance. Despite the metaphorical speed bump that was his broken collarbone at the Clásica Jaén, Bernal soon made his return to a Grand Tour top 10 at the Giro d'Italia, and peaked with victory on stage 16 of the Vuelta a España – doing so in a striking national champ's jersey reminiscent of the iconic Café de Colombia livery.
'It's better to stop than to prolong the suffering' – Adam Yates on twin Simon's shock retirement
Adam Yates is currently at the Tour of Oman where he hopes to defend his 2025 title with UAE Team Emirates-XRG, and ahead of the race, he opened up about his twin brother's shock announcement just a week into 2026.
"He spoke to me a couple of times [about retiring]. Obviously I was in Australia [for the Tour Down Under] and he was in Europe so with the time zone it was quite tricky to talk," Yates told gathered media. "But he was saying [he was] not feeling it, not motivated, and that's it. If you're not happy doing something, then it's better to stop than to prolong the suffering. We've been in this sport for a long time, I turned pro in 2014, so it's 11 or 12 years now, that's a long time, but actually we've been riding our bikes since I was eight or nine. Eventually you get tired of something and you need to change and do normal life ... He's enjoying life actually."
Yates was then asked if he's ever toyed with early retirement himself, but he was quick to reassure that he'll be around at least to the end of his current UAE contract, which runs through 2028.
"Me? No, I enjoy riding the bike and I'm here for the next three years at least. I think if you enjoy it, you keep going for as long as you can. He was not enjoying it, so he decided to stop, and that's how it is. I think if you're happy with what you've achieved and you're at peace with what you did in your career then you can stop and enjoy the rest of your life, enjoy normal life."
Valenciana GC marks win number six for Evenepoel in 2026
Remco Evenepoel has been on a mission so far in 2026, notching up yet another win by sealing the overall title at the Volta Comunitat Valenciana on Sunday's stage 5, which was won by Raúl García Pierna (Movistar) from the breakaway just two seconds ahead of the bunch.
Evenepoel took two individual stage wins on the way to GC victory, including stage 2's ITT – albeit with times neutralised due to windy conditions – and stage 4's solo move off the Cumbre de Sol. These and the overall bring his season tally to six after his trio of wins in Mallorca, including a TTT victory with new team Red Bull-Bora Hansgrohe. Evenepoel's next objective is the UAE Tour (16-22 Feb), his first WorldTour appearance of the season.
UAE Tour stage 4: Longo Borghini successfully defends her title on Jebel Hafeet
Elisa Longo Borghini (UAE Team ADQ) successfully defended her UAE Tour overall title on Sunday by taking victory on Jebel Hafeet.
The only uphill finish of the race came after 142 km of flat terrain, throughout which a couple of lone riders attempted to earn themselves a head start, but the pack was all together well in advance of the lower slopes of the 10.7-kilometre climb (6.9% average). Amanda Spratt was first to attack the UAE Team ADQ-led pack, and her move drew a reaction from Longo Borghini, with overall rivals Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney (Canyon-SRAM zondacrypto), Kim Le Court-Pienaar (AG Insurance-Soudal), Niamh Fisher-Black (Lidl-Trek), Monica Trinca-Colonel (Liv AlUla Jayco) and Femke De Vries (Visma-Lease a Bike) marking closely – Anna van der Breggen (SD Worx-Protime) was forced to withdraw prior to the stage due to illness.
Repeated attacks from among the leaders gradually forced the group to disintegrate until Longo Borghini's particularly stinging attack with about 3.5 km remaining. De Vries reacted well at first, and Niewiadoma-Phinney was able to regain contact, but only briefly. The Italian finally went solo a little outside 2 km to go, taking the stage 12 seconds ahead of resurgent chaser Trinca Colonel, De Vries just two seconds further back in third, a podium replicated in the final GC standings.
Evenepoel takes Valenciana lead with stage 4 victory
Remco Evenepoel (Red Bull-Bora Hansgrohe) took victory on stage 4 of the Volta Comunitat Valenciana with a solo move on the Cumbre del Sol 13 km from the finish, arriving in Teulada 24 seconds before chasers João Almeida (UAE Team Emirates-XRG), Red Bull teammate Giulio Pellizzari and Antonio Tiberi (Bahrain-Victorious).
The Belgian now leads the race by 27 seconds over Almeida going into Sunday's final short stage into Valencia, which comprises two substantial climbs, but with the last 45 km entirely downhill or flat.
UAE Tour stage 3: Wiebes unstoppable as she takes another stage
UAE Tour stage 2: Lorena Wiebes wins again
Vingegaard will not start UAE Tour
Jonas Vingegaard has withdrawn from Visma-Lease a Bike's starting lineup for the UAE Tour (16-22 February), the second WorldTour stage race of the season where he was expected to face former winners Remco Evenepoel (Red Bull-Bora Hansgrohe) and Adam Yates (UAE Team Emirates-XRG), among other GC contendors.
The Dane was intending to start the race for the first time since 2021, where he beat eventual winner Tadej Pogačar to the stage 5 victory atop Jebel Jais, a few months before their rivalry began in earnest at that year's Tour de France. However, Visma's premier GC racer is reportedly still suffering the after effects of his storied training crash, complicated by his falling victim to one of the many early-/pre-season illnesses currently sweeping through the sport – Visma-Lease a Bike raced Friday's Muscat Classic two riders down due to illness in the camp.
The team has yet to confirm its amended lineup set to race in the UAE. Meanwhile, Vingegaard's season debut will have to wait until the Volta a Catalunya (23-29 March) – also on the startlist are Evenepoel and Florian Lipowitz, racing as teammates for the first time, and UAE's João Almeida – which the Dane races for the first time as he builds towards a maiden Giro d'Italia.
Austrian sports apparel and equipment group HEAD has acquired British cycling apparel brand Le Col from Puma Private Equity. In a press release published on Tuesday, Le Col's former owner said they are "pleased to have exited Le Col to such a strong counterparty." HEAD will run the company as part of its sports division in Milan, Italy.
Le Col was founded by former pro Yanto Barker in 2009, and built its name with mainly road cycling kit. In recent years, it's been plagued with financial trouble, cutting SKUs, and pausing its footwear products. It's been controlled by private equity firm Puma since 2018. Barker stepped down from his position as the company director in October 2025.
Shimano crankset class-action settlement gets final court approval
A US federal judge has given final approval to the class-action settlement case over Shimano's Hollowtech II road crank recall, finalising the preliminary deal presented in July 2025.
The deal covers US owners of recalled Shimano Dura-Ace and Ultegra 11-speed cranksets made before July 2019. It adds a two-year extension of Shimano's "express warranty" for the bonding separation and delamination, covering any issues until 29 July 2027. It will also reimburse riders who have paid for replacement cranks out of their own pocket, and update the inspection programme. Shops must now use an expert-reviewed manual, complete training and inspect the cranks with a Shimano-provided, light-equipped magnifier.
Shimano has opened a claims process for US riders affected by the recall, allowing reimbursement and warranty submissions through this website.
The recall, which opened in 2023. covered some 760,000 cranksets in the US. Shimano has repeatedly denied any wrondoing regarding the handling of the issue, and said that the recall was voluntary, and that most cranksets work properly.
QBP cancels Frostbike 2026
Quality Bicycle Products (QBP) has cancelled the 2026 edition of Frostbike, citing potentially unsafe conditions for some attendees, due to ongoing federal immigration enforcement activity in the Minneapolis area.
An email to exhibitors and media, signed by QBP's president, Rich Tauer, said that the company had hoped for a de-escalation over the past six weeks but that "meaningful change" has not materialised.
Frostbike had been on hiatus since 2022 and was scheduled to return February 26-28 with a theme "Take the Lane". In the email, Tauer said, "There's no better example of our industry taking the lane together than last Saturday's memorial ride honouring Alex Pretti. Angry Catfish Bicycle Shop, with help from other businesses and local citizens, hosted the Minneapolis ride and guided organisers in more than 250 officially scheduled rides across 14 countries and 43 states. In Minneapolis alone, over 5,000 riders showed up despite the snow and cold weather."
He also added that in-person gatherings like Frostbike matter because face-to-face time helps the industry swap ideas and solve problems, which benefits everyone's business. QBP will contact exhibitors with logistics guidance, and said it is working on alternative ways to share educational content from the brands, while planning for Frostbike 2027.
Mads Pedersen crashes out of Valenciana
Stage 1 of the Volta Comunitat Valenciana wasn't the start that Mads Pedersen wanted for his 2026 season. The Danish Classics star crashed at a crucial pinch point on the opening stage and was taken to the hospital. His Lidl-Trek team hasn't yet said if Pedersen suffered significant injury, but in a post on social media it promised an update soon.
Stage 1 ended in a bunch sprint, with NSN's Biniam Girmay taking the win, NSN's second already of the young 2026 season.
Q36.5 launches women's gravel team
American Alexis Skarda will head up a new four-rider women's team on the off-road and alt racing circuits, apparel brand Q36.5 announced today. Skarda is joined by Cassia Boglio, Maddy Nutt and Maaike Coljé and will target a range of gravel events like The Traka and Unbound.
Skarda, a three-time US MTB Marathon national champion who formerly raced for Santa Cruz Bicycles' htSQD, placed fourth overall in last year's Life Time Grand Prix and returns to the series for 2026. The 28-year-old Coljé, of the Netherlands, formerly raced on the road for Arkéa-B&B Hotels. Nutt, 27 and from London, won the 2024 Safari Gravel event (part of the UCI Gravel Series). Boglio, a 25-year-old Australian, was second at another round of the 2025 UCI Gravel Series and was third at the 2025 national road championships.
