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Lorena Wiebes (SD Worx–Protime) left no doubt about who owns the fastest finish in women’s cycling, dominating the inaugural Copenhagen Sprint for her 104th career win.
Elisa Balsamo (Lidl-Trek) and Chiara Consonni (Canyon–SRAM zondacrypto) rounded out the podium after a crash on the final lap split the bunch. Wiebes was expertly led out by Barbara Guarischi and launched her sprint early, but no one came close.
“It feels really great… the crowds were amazing,” said Wiebes, who added to a 2025 tally that already includes Gent-Wevelgem and Classic Brugge–De Panne.
Abrahamsen’s Tour de France hopes still alive despite collarbone break
Jonas Abrahamsen (Uno-X Mobility) is not yet ruled out of the Tour de France despite fracturing his collarbone in a crash at the Baloise Belgium Tour, according to his team. New scans suggest the break is less severe than feared, and surgery may not be needed.
The Norwegian, a standout attacker and KOM jersey wearer at last year’s Tour, is already back training on the turbo, just 17 days out from the Grand Départ in Lille. “The chances remain very slim,” Uno-X said, “but he’s motivated to do everything possible to be ready.”
Team staff emphasized that his long-term health will dictate any final decision.
He’s not alone: Louis Vervaeke (Soudal–QuickStep) is also on a recovery race after breaking his collarbone at the Critérium du Dauphiné. With the clock ticking, both riders are clinging to slim but hopeful timelines.
Almeida sprints to Suisse stage 7 win, Vauquelin defends yellow into final TT
João Almeida (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) outkicked his rivals on the uphill finish in Emmetten to win stage 7 of the Tour de Suisse, but yellow jersey Kevin Vauquelin (Arkéa-B&B Hotels) held firm and will carry a 33-second lead into Sunday’s final time trial.
Vauquelin was the first to attack in the final kilometre, only to be passed by Almeida and Oscar Onley (Picnic-PostNL) in the sprint. The time bonuses—10 seconds for Almeida, six for Onley, four for Vauquelin—tightened the GC but didn’t change the lead.
Almeida, a strong time trialist, will still need to pull out something special to topple Vauquelin over the 10km uphill test in the finale. Julian Alaphilippe (Tudor) sits third overall at 41 seconds after finishing fifth on the stage.
Novak wins queen stage at Giro Next Gen, tightens GC battle ahead of finale
Pavel Novak (MBH Bank Ballan CSB) claimed a breakthrough win on stage 7 of the Giro Next Gen, dropping his breakaway companions one by one to take the race’s queen stage—and vault into GC contention. A late puncture for Aubin Sparfel (Decathlon-AG2R U23) cleared Novak’s path to victory and moved him up to third overall, just 27 seconds off pink.
Race leader Luke Tuckwell (RedBull-Bora Rookies) clung to the maglia rosa despite sustained pressure from Jakob Omrzel (Bahrain-Victorious U23) and Jorgen Nordhagen (Visma-Lease a Bike). Omrzel, now just 11 seconds back, remains the biggest threat heading into Sunday’s finale around Pinerolo.
Defending champion Jarno Widar (Lotto Dstny Development) crashed with 33km to go and was unable to rejoin the GC group, ending his title defense.
Nys pulls out of Belgium Tour with stomach bug, TDF debut still on track
Thibau Nys (Lidl-Trek) abandoned the Baloise Belgium Tour ahead of Saturday’s queen stage due to gastrointestinal issues. The 22-year-old Belgian had impressed in Friday’s time trial and was expected to contend for the overall, but team staff opted for caution.
“He had a bad night, but he’s not seriously ill,” said Lidl-Trek DS Maxime Monfort. “He should be able to get back on the bike on Sunday.”
Nys, seen as a rising star and Tour de France debutant in July, is still expected to be part of Lidl-Trek’s squad for the Grand Départ. The team has yet to announce its full lineup.
He wasn’t the only one sidelined—teammate Tim Declercq also withdrew with stomach issues, while Andrea Bagioli (Tour de Suisse) and Alex Kirsch (Belgium Tour) faced similar problems earlier in the week.
Hayter tops Ganna in Baloise Belgium Tour TT
Ethan Hayter (Soudal-Quick-Step) won the stage 3 time trial at the Baloise Belgium Tour, covering the 9.7 km from Tessenderlo to Ham four seconds faster than former teammate Filippo Ganna (Ineos Grenadiers). Florian Vermeersch (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) took third on the day.
Hayter now leads the general classification with two stages to go.
Meeus sprints to stage 6 victory at the Tour de Suisse
Jordi Meeus (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) sprinted to victory on stage 6 of the Tour de Suisse in what was his first WorldTour win since he won on the Champs-Élysées at the 2023 Tour de France.
The 26-year-old Belgian topped Davide Ballerini (XDS-Astana) and Lewis Askey (Groupama-FDJ) in a bunch kick in Neuhausen am Rheinfall, where the day's breakaway was caught with less than a kilometer to go. All of the big GC names finished safely in the peloton, leaving the top of the overall leaderboard unchanged.
Parlee launches new Z-Zero GT and $30k anniversary build
Parlee Cycles has introduced an all-new Z-Zero GT road bike to its top-tier Z-Series. Handbuilt in Massachusetts, US, the Z-Zero GT claims to be lighter (187 grams, to be precise), stiffer, and faster than any Parlee bike before. It features first ever Parlee-made fork, has clearance for 40mm tyres, UDH rear dropout, T47 bottom bracket, and an integrated cockpit.
Prices start at US$12,490 for the frameset and US$16,490 for complete builds.
Alongside the basic model, Parlee is also releasing a limited 25th Anniversary Edition of the Z-Zero GT, built to honour founder Bob Parlee, who passed away in 2024. There will be just 25 of these available, each featuring Campagnolo Super Record Wireless 13-speed drivetrain, custom paint with gold leaf inlays, and hand-picked premium components. Each will retail for $29,990, but for that, you do get the bike plus custom Lake shoes, a matching Silca floor pump, and a set of signed Silca tools in a wooden box. [parleecycles.com]
Canyon’s €1,000 Endurace AllRoad bike
The global consumer-direct bike brand, Canyon, has just announced a new price-focused do-it-all dropbar bike – the Endurace AllRoad.
With an aluminium frame and carbon fork, the bike can accommodate up to 40 mm tyres and has mounts for fenders and racks. It's available in seven sizes, with the German company claiming to fit riders from 159-204 cm (5' 3" to 6' 6").
Complete bikes start from €1,000 / £950, featuring wide-range Shimano CUES 2x10-speed shifting plus hydraulic brakes. The stock tyres are 35 mm Schwalbe G-One Comp. The bike is more expensive in the USA, priced at US$1,400.
Escape Collective has enquired about getting a bike for review.
Scarab Cycles adds to Páramo gravel lineup
Colombian bike brand Scarab Cycles debuted a new addition to its Páramo line of gravel bikes with the Páramo Integrated, unveiled today. The new bike sits between Scarab's adventure-focused Páramo Ultra gravel and Apüna all-road models.
The Párama Integrated is built with Columbus steel and features integrated cable routing with Enve's InRoute system (the existing Páramo with partly internal routing is currently still listed on Scarab's web site). The new bike can clear up to 50 mm tires, features a T47 bottom bracket and a UDH rear dropout. Framesets start from US$3,850. [Scarab Cycles]
Philipsen sprints to victory on stage 2 of the Baloise Belgium Tour
Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck) took his first win since March on the second stage of the Baloise Belgium Tour. The 27-year-old Belgian outsprinted Juan Sebastián Molano (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) and Jenno Berckmoes (Lotto) in Putte.
Molano, who finished second on stage 1 as well, now leads the race.
Onley outkicks Almeida to win stage 5 of the Tour de Suisse
Oscar Onley (Picnic-PostNL) topped João Almeida (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) at the line on stage 5 of the Tour de Suisse after the pair left their rivals behind in an uphill finale. Felix Gall (Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale) took third on the day, 22 seconds later.
Overnight leader Romain Grégoire (Groupama-FDJ) was dropped well before the line and ultimately dropped out of the GC top 10 with Kévin Vauquelin (Arkéa-B&B Hotels) moving into the leader's jersey in his stead, though Almeida continues to surge up the rankings and could find more time in the days to come.
UFO Ultra Endurance is CeramicSpeed’s first DIY hot melt wax
CeramicSpeed has arguably been selling hot-melt wax longer than any other business, and yet, until now, you could only buy the wax as a pre-treatment on a chain aimed at racing.
New UFO Ultra Endurance is a do-it-yourself hot-melt wax product focused on single-application longevity versus the absolute lowest watts. The new wax is claimed to last up to 1,000 km in dry conditions and up to 750 km in wet conditions in a single application. Those chasing race-day watts within the CeramicSpeed product line should still look to the pre-treated chains.
CeramicSpeed will sell its wax in bio-based bags for use with electric wax pots (starting from US$43 / €40 for 400 grams). Alternatively, they also offer the wax as a kit in a plastic container, with a chain holding tool, which can be used within a simmering pot of water (US$53 / €50, including 400 grams of wax). The new wax, like CeramicSpeed’s UFO drip wax lubes, is non-toxic and biodegradable.
Jonas Abrahamsen breaks collarbone, likely ruling out Tour de France start
The Tour de France participation of Jonas Abrahamsen (Uno-X Mobility) is in serious doubt, following a fractured collarbone at the Baloise Belgium Tour.
"After further discussions with a specialist, Jonas will require surgery to fix his collarbone. He is in great shape and remains highly motivated for the Tour de France, but we all accept that the chances of him being on the start line in Lille are very small," a team spokesperson told Escape Collective.
The Norwegian rider was one of the sensations of the 2024 Tour de France, courtesy of a mind-boggling 1,948 km in breakaways throughout the race – including 140 km solo on stage 8.
Uno-X Mobility was the first team to release its full Tour de France lineup on Monday, with a list comprising:
Magnus Cort
Søren Wærenskjold
Andreas Leknessund
Tobias Halland Johannessen
Anders Halland Johannessen
Jonas Abrahamsen
Markus Hoelgaard
Stian Fredheim
In the event that Abrahamsen is unable to recover in time, Uno-X Mobility told Escape Collective that his replacement will come from one of four reserve riders: Fredrik Dversnes, Johannes Kulset, Rasmus Tiller, and Alexander Kristoff, the team’s veteran star who is racing his final season.
Merlier takes a convincing win on stage 1 of the Baloise Belgium Tour
With his first Tour de France start in four years just around the corner, Tim Merlier (Soudal-Quick-Step) flashed his form in an uphill sprint on stage 1 of the Baloise Belgium Tour.
The 32-year-old Belgian went long in Knokke-Heist and took a no-doubt victory, crossing the line well ahead of Juan Sebastián Molano (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) and Ethan Vernon (Israel-Premier Tech). More sprint opportunities await in the coming days.
Almeida goes solo to claim stage 4 of the Tour de Suisse
João Almeida stormed to a stage victory and made some big GC gains too on Wednesday's stage 4 of the Tour de Suisse. The UAE Team Emirates-XRG rider powered away from a much-reduced field on the Cat. 1 Splügenpass climb and soloed all the way to the line to win 40 seconds ahead of Oscar Onley (Picnic-PostNL) with Ben O'Connor (Jayco-AlUla) taking third on the day, 42 seconds back.
Romain Grégoire (Groupama-FDJ) remains atop the GC standings in Switzerland, though Almeida climbed up to seventh overall with his impressive ride, and the Portuguese all-rounder could be in for more time gains in the challenging days to come.
After taking his first career WorldTour victory in stage 5 of the Critérium du Dauphiné, Jake Stewart has signed an extension with Israel-Premier Tech that will keep him with the squad through 2028.
"It feels like I'm turning a new page in my career," Stewart said. "The goal for the future remains the same with IPT; developing me into a world-class lead-out rider. But I also get my own opportunities and I try to make the most of them."
Thomas abandons the Tour de Suisse after stage 3 crash
Geraint Thomas, who won the Tour de Suisse in 2022, pulled out of this year's race after a crash on Tuesday's stage 3. The Welshman said after the incident that he "hit a lip on the side of the road" with a little less than 60 km to go, and he hurt his knee and hamstring in the fall.
He finished the stage just over 15 minutes down, and the Ineos Grenadiers announced on Wednesday that he would not start stage 4 "as a precautionary measure."
Hunt partners with Qvist
Based on an interesting freehub system that features three ratchet rings for 120 points of engagement, the Qvist Duo Classic is a hub the Escape tech team has been watching closely.
As teased in coverage from the Sea Otter Classic, Hunt has now partnered with the German-based components company, starting with a limited run of its 40 Limitless Gravel wheels. Limited to 40 pairs, these wheels combine Hunt’s front-and-rear-specific carbon aero gravel rims with Qvist’s hub in a dark graphite colour. Yes, you read that right, 40 limited (edition) 40 Limitless Gravel wheels. Expect to pay US$2,000 / £1650 / €2,000 for a complete set.
The two companies have teased further wheelset releases together. Meanwhile, tech editor Dave Rome has been testing the regular version of Hunt’s 40 Limitless Gravel wheels – the review of these wide aero wheels should wrap up soon.
Suspicions have been confirmed: Brembo officially enters World Cup DH
Specialized Gravity has announced a new partnership with Brembo, bringing the iconic Italian braking brand into the elite ranks of downhill mountain biking. Known globally for its high-performance systems in motorsport, including WRC rallying and MotoGP, Brembo’s move into top-tier DH racing signals a serious intent to expand its footprint in cycling.
The Specialized Gravity team, which includes top contenders like Loïc Bruni and Finn Iles, will now be racing with Brembo’s brake systems. While Brembo has dabbled in MTB before (back in 2005/6 which quickly became Vapor Ware), this marks its most prominent partnership to date in the discipline.
The partnership with Specialized Gravity makes sense as the team has been a long-time user of Öhlins suspension. Back in October 2024, Brembo acquired Öhlins for $405 million, bringing its operations under the Italian brand's umbrella.
Chris King brings back the Titanium headset for a limited time
The Chris King Titanium NoThreadset headset is one of those rare items that causes an older generation of bike nerds to salivate. Now, the American manufacturer is bringing the product back for a limited time.
Chris King hasn’t said how many they’re making, but numbers are limited. Like the last time they made them, they’re available only in an external cup to suit a 1 1/8in threadless steerer. All yours for the low, low price of US$475.
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.
