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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]
Apple's 'Workout Buddy' adds to AI coaching trend
Core hardware and software companies in the cycling and endurance sports world have already staked a claim to AI-powered coaching services, but the trend got a big boost this week with Apple's announcement at its Worldwide Developer Conference that it is rolling out a new AI coaching service to its Apple Watch.
Called "Workout Buddy," it's mostly an AI-powered hype man (or woman), as its primary function is using AI to sift through workout data to highlight notable achievements and deliver text- and audio-based encouragement. At launch, the voice function is in English only, and works with seven types of workouts, which include outdoor rides but not (yet) indoor ones.
The new service so far lacks the ability to generate actual workout plans, so it likely won't soon supplant existing coaching apps (either human or AI) from other providers. But it's a notable statement of intent from Apple that spreads the concept of AI coaching to a far wider audience than existing options from TrainingPeaks, Strava, Wahoo, or Garmin. DC Rainmakerhas more details.
Evenepoel takes control at the Dauphiné with stage 4 TT win
Remco Evenepoel (Soudal-Quick-Step) won the stage 4 time trial at the Critérium du Dauphiné and took over the race lead on an intriguing day for the GC contenders. Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike) rode to runner-up honors with teammate Matteo Jorgenson in third, while Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) had to settle for fourth, 48 seconds behind Evenepoel and 28 seconds behind Vingegaard.
Soudal-Quick-Step says that Evenepoel's win is the 1,000th in team history, and the Belgian star dedicated the victory to now-retired team founder Patrick Lefevere.
"It's a victory for Patrick of course," he said. "It's his team since the beginning, in 2003, and I want to dedicate the victory and already the past few years of my career, to him."
Now the Vistar groupset is ready for sale. With TRP (the premium division of Tektro) as a brake manufacturing specialist, the hydraulic brake system promises good performance. Meanwhile, those levers are wired within the handlebar to a bar-end transmitter, not unlike that of Classified’s own system.
Similar to Shimano’s Di2 SynchroShift, TRP’s system can be set up to provide sequential shifting where the actuation of the hub gears can occur merely through the use of the rear gear shifter.
There are two rear derailleurs, one for road with a 34T maximum cassette cog capacity, and another for gravel with a 40T capacity. Machined steel 12-speed cassettes come in various gear options. TRP also has its own single-ring carbon cranks to complete the package.
Individual items are competitively priced, with a pair of shifters at US$250, a rear derailleur at US$395, a carbon crankset at US$350, and cassettes at US$210. Just be warned that a lot of expense sits in the required rear hub (US$900).
The Classic Brugge-De Panne will become the Ronde van Brugge
Organizers have announced that the Classic Brugge-De Panne, formerly the Three Days of De Panne, is getting another update. In 2026, the event will become the Ronde van Brugge, starting and finishing in Bruges.
As has been the case for the past several years, the event will feature men's and women's WorldTour races on back-to-back days. According to a press release, the races will be geared towards sprinters.
L'Oréal to replace AG2R as title sponsor?
According to Le Télégramme, French cosmetics brand L'Oréal is in talks to take over for AG2R as a title sponsor for the Decathlon-AG2R team.
Both L'Oréal and the team have denied the reports, but Le Télégramme reports that the company's arrival could boost the squad's budget. AG2R has been a title sponsor of the team since 1998, but is set to leave at the end of this season. [Le Télégramme]
Kuss: Vingegaard is 'in really good shape'
As they take on the Critérium du Dauphiné, Sepp Kuss has said that his Visma-Lease a Bike teammate Jonas Vingegaard is rounding into form with the Tour de France looming.
"He's in really good shape, and when it's a hard moment like that [on Sunday's stage 1], it never hurts to try it when you sense the moment," Kuss told CyclingProNet. "It's good confidence for him after not racing for a while. All the signs are there that he is going well." [CyclingProNet]
Romeo attacks to win stage 3 of the Dauphiné
Iván Romeo (Movistar) won stage 3 of the Critérium du Dauphiné after soloing clear of the day's break. The 21-year-old Spaniard attacked and then attacked again with 6 km to go, leaving behind a group that included Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck).
Romeo held on to take the stage win and the race lead with Harold Tejada (XDS-Astana) taking second ahead of Louis Barré (Intermarché-Wanty) 14 seconds later.
We Are One Composites is now part of Industry Nine
After years of collaboration, North Carolina-based bicycle hub and component manufacturer Industry Nine has acquired We Are One Composites, which produces carbon fiber rims (and previously components and bike frames) in British Columbia.
While both companies will remain in their existing facilities, the partnership is said to focus on "combining expertise and resources," according to a press release. As such, they "are already developing groundbreaking products that will evolve the cycling industry."
The two North American brands are no strangers to each other. We Are One rims have long been available through Industry Nine, making complete wheelsets with its hubs. This acquisition will formalize a collaborative vision for the entities, but, at least at first, "both companies will continue to operate in a parallel fashion, ensuring that business remains undisrupted, while providing the same levels of service and quality that customers have come to expect."
Additionally, each brand will continue to service product warranties and customer inquiries independently.
Astral offers a limited edition polished silver Radiant Disc wheelset
Eugene, OR-based Astral Cycling has made its Radiant Disc Wheelset available in a polished silver finish. This 700c alloy clincher has a 23 mm wide / 32 mm deep profile, which is tubeless-ready for tires up to 32 mm.
Astral has a history of offering limited product runs, which allows the brand to both respond to customer requests and test the market for mainstay offerings. With this release, it claims to have incorporated the popularity of its polished silver Outback gravel rim, along with demand for a similar look in a road-oriented wheel.
Laced to 28-hole CLD hubs from its sibling component brand, White Industries, these MUSA complete wheelsets weigh a claimed 1650 g and cost US$1,300.
Oquo introduces own Q10 hub and new wheels
Oquo, the wheel brand of the Orbea group, has released a new top-tier Q10 hub and a new generation of "LTD" road and gravel wheelsets. The new hub is fully designed and manufactured in the Basque Country from CNC-machined aluminium and utilises a design that allows completely tool-free maintenance.
In terms of the internals, the brand's first ever hub gets a 45-tooth "Shark Ratchet" system, with 8 degrees of engagement. The bearings are made of custom-designed stainless steel , and OQUO claims these, paired with specific seals and its own low-friction grease, offer superior durability and rolling resistance compared to many ceramic options.
The hubs weigh in at 104 g for the front and 175 g for the rear, and are (for now) exclusively available on the brand's four new LTD-level wheelsets, laced with Sapim CX-Ray T-Shape spokes onto the mini-hook rim design.
And speaking of wheels, the new sets are:
RA80 LTD: 80 mm deep profile, 23 mm internal width, and a weight of 1,626 g.
RA57 LTD: 57 mm deep, 23 mm internal width rim and weighs 1,460 g.
RP50 LTD: 50 mm deep rim with a wider 25 mm internal width, and weighs 1,421 g. For gravel/road use.
RP35 LTD: The lightest wheelset in the range, weighing 1,244 g with a 35 mm deep profile and a narrower 21 mm internal width.
The new wheelsets will all retail for €2,399 (about £2,000 / US$2,700) and will be available from mid-June.
Milan bosses stage 2 of the Critérium du Dauphiné
Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek) took a convincing win ahead of Fred Wright (Bahrain Victorious) and Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) on stage 2 of the Critérium du Dauphiné, taking the race lead in the process.
The Italian finished off a textbook lead-out from Lidl-Trek and hit the line well ahead of Wright to celebrate his first win since March with his Tour de France debut looming.
Lotto waiting for scans after De Lie crashes heavily
Amid a season of setbacks, Arnaud De Lie (Lotto) left the Antwerp Port Epic after crashing into a pole and hurting his arm. Fortunately, De Lie thinks he has avoided a signifiant injury, but rider and team are now waiting for further evaluations.
"The race doctor called us and said it might be a fracture. That is sometimes difficult to see at first glance, but now that Arnaud says it is not so bad, we are not assuming the worst," Lotto's Kurt Van de Wouwer said, as Wielerflits reports. "He is going to have scans tomorrow to be sure, but it looks good. There is no reason to panic." [Wielerflits]
Kielich wins a chaotic Antwerp Port Epic
Timo Kielich (Alpecun-Deceuninck) won the Antwerp Port Epic after a dramatic day of racing. The Belgian bested Rasmus Wallin (Uno-X Mobility) at the line with Tim Merlier (Soudal-Quick-Step) taking third on three seconds later.
Crashes on the cobbles took a few notables out of the race, including Arnaud De Lie (Lotto), while a large portion of the peloton took a wrong turn near the midway point of the day, leading to a brief neutralization to get things back on track. Kielich and Wallin attacked with just over 30 km to go and held on to battle for the win, with Kielich coming out on top.
Good signs pre-Tour for Merlier and De Lie at Brussels Classic
In his first race since Paris-Roubaix, Tim Merlier began his Tour de France build-up as well as could be hoped with victory at the Brussels Cycling Classic. The 205.5-kilometre race takes in some of the most iconic roads and features of the celebrated Spring Classics, including the Muur van Geraardsbergen and Bosberg climbs, before returning for a flat finish on the outskirts of the Belgian capital.
While it's a great win for Merlier, perhaps the even more notable result was Arnaud De Lie's third-place finish. The young Belgian has had a 2025 to forget so far, besides his storied Étoile de Bessèges stage win, with his major goals derailed by illness and/or overtraining. The last race he finished was Brugge–De Panne, with a DNF at Gent-Wevelgem a few days later marking the end of a disastrous spring campaign, and an uncomfortable few weeks behind the scenes as some at Lotto made their disappointment known.
De Lie's anticipated start at what would be his second Tour de France was coming into question, but this result comes at just the right time for the young Belgian.
Tour selection bids made at Tour of Slovenia as Anders Johannessen seals GC
The Tour of Slovenia has become one of the unofficial Tour de France warm-up races in recent years, or at least an attention-seeker when the big names choose elsewhere as Tadej Pogačar has done since he last dominated in 2022.
This year, the race failed to draw the biggest names – besides Dylan Groenewegen (Jayco-AlUla) who dominated the sprints – but because of this, the competition was far more interesting from start to finish, with some stretching their legs before the Tour de France, while for others, it may have been an audition for inclusion in their teams' Tour rosters.
For no one was this more true than overall winner Anders Johannessen (Uno-X Mobility) who has never raced a Grand Tour, unlike his twin brother Tobias who's earned a spot on both Uno-X Mobility's wildcard lineups the past two years. Now Anders' first pro win may just stamp his ticket for France, finally.
The final stage was won by Ivo Oliveira (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) after an aggressive challenge from Lidl-Trek's Juan Pedro López stayed away until just outside the final kilometre.
Stage 5 top 5
Ivo Oliveira (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) 2:56:16
Andrea Bagioli (Lidl-Trek) "
Fernando Barceló (Caja Rural-Seguros RGA) "
Fabio Christen (Q36.5) "
Ludovico Crescioli (Polti-VisitMalta) "
Final GC top 5
Anders Halland Johannessen (Uno-X Mobility) 19:06:07
Felix Großschartner (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) +0:14
Tao Geoghegan Hart (Lidl-Trek) +0:19
Jakob Omrzel (Bahrain Victorious) +0:35
Fabio Christen (Q36.5) +0:50
Vollering handed fine and penalty for celebrating teammate's Catalunya stage win
It was a big day for FDJ-Suez in Spain – and Britain – as Loes Adegeest took stage 3 victory to cap off a clean sweep of team wins at the Volta a Catalunya Femenina, including stage 2 and the GC with Demi Vollering.
Adegeest benefited from the luxury leadout provided by the race leader in the gallop for the line, and in doing so, Vollering crossed the line sixth – at first. However, the Dutch superstar was celebrating as she crossed the line, which is now very much against the rules thank you very much, and the race jury punished her accordingly: fine of 100 CHF, 3 points deducted, and relegation from 6th to last in her group (58th).
Vollering was, unsurprisingly, in good spirits despite the infraction, writing in an Instagram story over a photo of both herself and Adegeest celebrating: "Oops! This picture cost me ... But one heck of a great picture don't you think? No seriously, won't do it again, at least I'll try, difficult rule to get used to. Promise though. I understand the importance of these rules around safety."
Leogang XCO World Cup: Domination from Pieterse, fairytale for Cink
After her dominant solo win on Friday's XCC race, Puck Pieterse was firmly in control once again in Sunday's cross-country showdown. Now in the rainbow bands of world champion, the Fenix-Deceuninck rider had a strong start, dispatching her two closest rivals Samara Maxwell (Decathlon Ford) and Loana Lecomte (BMC) to take a half-minute lead into the third lap.
Pieterse proved especially strong uphill, eventually increasing her advantage to 50 seconds over Maxwell at the finish, with Ramona Forchini (BIXS Performance) taking a statement third place 1:26 down, and Lecomte slipping to sixth after her early efforts to follow the world champion.
In the men's race, Chris Blevins' hot streak was finally brought to an end in the Austrian mud as surprise winner Ondřej Cink (Cube Factory Racing) took victory, a first ever MTB World Cup win for the 34-year-old Czech rider, who got the better of Swiss powerhouse Mathias Flückiger (Thömus Maxon) and compatriot Fabio Püntener in the closing laps.
Top 5 Women's XCO – Leogang
Puck Pieterse 1:26:39
Samara Maxwell +0:50
Ramona Forchini +1:26
Jolanda Neff +1:41
Tamara Wiedmann "
Top 5 Men's XCO – Leogang
Ondřej Cink 1:25:05
Mathias Flückiger +0:18
Fabio Püntener +0:27
Mathis Azzaro +0:43
Lars Forster +1:13
FDJ-Suez dominates Catalunya finale as Adegeest takes stage 3 and Vollering seals GC
On a very good day for FDJ-Suez, the French WorldTour team completed their domination of the Volta a Catalunya Femenina with stage 3 victory and the overall title for Loes Adegeest and Demi Vollering respectively.
With her overall lead all but secured after winning stage 2, Vollering was on hand to provide teammate Adegeest with a huge leadout in Barcelona, where a third consecutive stage win was sealed for FDJ-Suez ahead of Eva van Agt (Visma-Lease a Bike) and Eline Jansen (Volkerwessels).
Vollering was joined on the final GC podium by teammate and stage 1 winner Elise Chabbey, and stage 2 runner-up Marion Bunel (Visma-Lease a Bike), the 20-year-old French rider also taking the best young rider's classification.
Pogačar swaps rainbows for yellow with surprise stage 1 win at the Dauphiné
The Critérium du Dauphiné's opening stage looked every bit like a one-day classic, and though a number of teams hoped to keep things under control for a sprint, including Jonathan Milan's Lidl-Trek, the GC contenders and Classics specialists were motivated to make something of the day, including pre-race favourites Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike), Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) and Remco Evenepoel (Soudal-QuickStep).
In a dramatic run-in, it was Vingegaard who made a move stick with about 5 km to go, taking with him his two main rivals, as well as Santiago Buitrago (Bahrain Victorious) and the ominous Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) who broke his wrist just two weeks ago. Lidl-Trek worked hard at the narrow gap, but the quintet worked well together and just about stayed away to the finish. Van der Poel opened up the sprint as the peloton closed in, but against all odds, both Pogačar and Vingegaard passed him in the closing metres, Evenepoel settling for fourth.
Jake Stewart (Israel-Premier Tech) led the peloton home in fifth place, catching the leaders a moment too late.
Wiebes finally gets her stage win as Wollaston snatches Tour of Britain overall
A dramatic Women's Tour of Britain came to an end on a technical circuit in Glasgow's city centre, culminating in the first bunch sprint of the four-day WorldTour event, won dominantly by Lorena Wiebes (SD Worx-Protime) ahead of long-time rival Charlotte Kool (Picnic-PostNL).
In third place was the perfectly positioned Ally Wollaston (Soudal-QuickStep) who was able to add to the bonus seconds gained earlier in the stage and snatch the race leader's green jersey from the back of 19-year-old stage 3 winner Cat Ferguson (Movistar). This marks Wollaston's first WorldTour GC title, and her team's fourth GC win of the season as FDJ-Suez continues to make their mark as 2025's preeminent GC super-team.
Roldan breaks femur 24 hours after stage 2 win as weather hits Tour of Britain
Stage 3 of the Tour of Britain was a treacherous day out in the rolling terrain around the Scottish border town of Kelso, as the weather went from chilly to torrential downpours.
The conditions turned the race inside out as the peloton took on a descent just inside 60 km to go, when stage 2 winner Mara Roldan (Picnic-PostNL) slid out from her position near the front of the pack, sending dozens of riders behind her skittling including Lorena Wiebes (SD Worx-Protime), race leader Kristen Faulkner (EF Education-Oatly), and stage 1 winner Kim Le Court (AG Insurance-Soudal). The incident caused the race to split apart, and ultimately contributed to the day's outcome.
Meanwhile, Roldan was added to the lengthening list of DNFs, including Le Court, as an estimated 30 riders crashed during the stage. Roldan's team Picnic-PostNL later announced that the 21-year-old had broken her femur in the crash, and would require surgery on Saturday.
Cat Ferguson leads British one-two on dramatic Tour of Britain stage 3
Teenage sensation Cat Ferguson (Movistar) triumphed in Kelso at the end of a dramatic stage 3 of the Tour of Britain Women, on which crashes, attacks, and good Scottish weather threw the general classification into disarray.
Ferguson found herself outnumbered in a lead group of five that attacked late in the 143.8 km stage in and around Kelso in the Scottish Borders, third-overall Ally Wollaston (FDJ-Suez) a significant threat, not to mention the UAE Team ADQ duo of Karlijn Swinkels and Eleanora Gasparrini. However, when the quintet sprinted for the line, it was fellow Brit Josie Nelson (Picnic-PostNL) who posed the greatest challenge for Ferguson, but the punchy youngster had more than enough power to take an emphatic debut WorldTour victory.
With race leader Kristen Faulkner suffering more than her fair share of early drama with crashes and multiple mechanical issues, Wollaston had looked poised to assume the race lead, but the British one-two put Ferguson into the leader's jersey by three seconds over the Kiwi, Swinkels moving up to third overall.
Tsarenko wins big at the Tour of Slovenia as breakaway takes Queen Stage
Ukrainian rider Kyrylo Tsarenko (Solution Tech-Vini Fantini) took arguably the biggest win of his career on stage 4 of the prestigious Tour of Slovenia, the 24-year-old's first victory on European soil after adding first ink to his palmarès with a stage and overall at April's Tour of Hainan.
Tsarenko got himself into the break of the day on the Queen Stage, an optimistic move but one unlikely to make it all the way with the race lead up for grabs. The 24-year-old Ukrainian survived, though, along with Samuele Zoccarato (Polti-VisitMalta), the pair of them taking first and second on the first-category Golte climb.
Anders Johannessen (Uno-X Mobility) was first across the line from the peloton a few seconds ahead of Felix Großschartner (UAE Team Emirates-XRG), now respectively first and second overall. Tao Geoghegan Hart's (Lidl-Trek) sixth-place stage finish was enough to move the former Giro d'Italia champion onto the GC podium with one stage to go.
More bad news for Picnic-PostNL as Degenkolb ruled out of Tour de France
John Degenkolb has long been a pillar of his team's Tour de France squad and had been hoping to be recovered in time for what would be his 11th appearance, however, the 36-year-old will remain sidelined as he continues to recover from the injuries sustained at the Tour of Flanders.
Degenkolb crashed just after the halfway point of the cobbled Monument, joining teammates Tim Naberman and Alex Edmondson in the nearby hospital. The German came off worst of the trio, with fractures to his collarbone, elbow and wrist, requiring surgery and a long period out of competition.
Like teammate Fabio Jakobsen, who is following medical advice and taking it slow and steady after iliac artery surgery, Degenkolb's seat on the Picnic-PostNL Tour bus will now be filled by someone else as the team seeks to scrounge much-needed UCI points in the battle to avoid relegation.
Vollering takes Queen Stage and race lead at Volta a Catalunya Femenina
A day after teammate Elise Chabbey won the opening stage of the Volta a Catalunya Femenina, Demi Vollering added to the FDJ-Suez haul with stage 2 victory on the infamous La Molina climb, the 19.1 km HC ascent (6.8% average) hosting the finale of a challenging 72.9 km test.
Vollering arrived at the finish solo after finally cracking French youngster Marion Bunel (Visma-Lease a Bike), who hung on admirably until the last kilometre. Vollering now leads the race by over two minutes to teammate Chabbey, who worked hard for her teammate's success before herself riding to fourth on the stage behind a Visma two-three.
'There's a pitbull in him', says Evenepoel's teammate pre-Dauphiné
Remco Evenepoel and some of his Soudal-QuickStep teammates have been preparing at altitude in Sierra Nevada for a huge block of racing, starting with the Critérium du Dauphiné, ahead of which, key domestique Pieter Serry has heaped praise on his leader.
"The whole team is good, the leader too," Serry told Het Laatste Nieuws. "You feel that as a teammate. When you are making a serious effort uphill and he passes you smoothly, then you know. He often did a block more than the rest of us, or trained an hour longer. He has also lost a lot of weight ... Remco is flying again. I don't think he had a bad day in those three weeks."
Serry also referred back to this time last year when there was a lot of stress in the build-up to Evenepoel's Tour debut after his Itzulia crash. This year, though, it's a different story
"Last year it was stressful during the training camp. That was a race against time ... [This time] he was calm, I saw more focus. Of course he has lost his temper at times, but that’s the way he is. There’s still a pitbull in him: that’s also why he’s so good."
