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.
Spoken, formerly known as the Handmade Bicycle Show Australia, is on in two weeks. Having been a staple of the Melbourne scene for years, it’s now moving to Sydney.
The show will be held at Carriageworks (Redfern, Sydney) between June 20th and 22nd. Spoken’s director, Nathan Lorkin, has announced that the show has evolved, and while the focus remains on the boutique and custom builders, the event will also include more mainstream premium brands such as Pinarello, Look, and Wilier. The exhibitor list now includes over 75 builders and brands.
Tech editor Dave Rome will be covering the show, and you can see his coverage from last year’s event here. More info at Spoken.cc.
Dave Brailsford looks to be headed back to cycling
Sir Dave Brailsford is stepping back from his day-to-day role at football club Manchester United and is expected to refocus the cycling team he once led to Tour de France dominance, according to a report in The Athletic.
Brailsford, who left his post as team principal of Ineos Grenadiers in early 2024, is now set to play a bigger role in guiding the team back to the top level of professional cycling. TotalEnergies is likely to come on as a co-sponsor and Brailsford is expected to help shape the future leadership, potentially alongside Geraint Thomas, who is likely to step into a management role post-retirement.
Brailsford's return marks a renewed push by Ineos to revive its cycling ambitions after years of subpar results.
Richard Plugge doesn't like the Montmartre TDF finish
Visma-Lease a Bike team boss Richard Plugge has slammed the decision to send the final stage of the Tour de France up Butte Montmartre, calling it unsafe. “You’re sending a tired peloton of 150 riders up a risky climb. That’s not the same as the small group during the Olympic road race,” he told WielerFlits.
Two of Plugge's riders, Jonas Vingegaard and Wout van Aert, are already on the record in opposition to the change.
Plugge argues the traditional sprint finish on the Champs-Élysées is a highlight of the season and fears this new route could discourage sprinters from continuing the race. Riders like Van Aert, Evenepoel, and Vingegaard have also criticized the plan, though Mathieu van der Poel’s team is in favor.
Despite the concerns, Plugge is clear: “It’s part of the course now. So we’ll embrace the chaos.”
Groenewegen, heating up with the Tour looming, wins Slovenia opener
Dylan Groenewegen (Jayco-AlUla) is heating up a month out from the Tour de France. The 31-year-old Dutchman took his first win of the year in a stage of the Tour de Hongrie last month, and on Wednesday, he won the opening stage of the Tour of Slovenia.
Groenewgen out-sprinted Phil Bauhaus (Bahrain Victorious) and Manuel Peñalver (Polti-VisitMalta) in Škofljica. He now leads the Tour of Slovenia heading into stage 2, where the sprinters will try to hold on over a lumpy parcours.
UCI announces details of 2025 Esports World Championships
The UCI announced preliminary details about the format for the 2025 UCI Cycling Esports World Championships, the event's fifth edition and the second live in-person final in Abu Dhabi hosted on the MyWhoosh platform.
A total of 40 riders (20 men, 20 women) will qualify via National Federation selection (70%) and open qualifiers (30%) for the November 15 final at Space 42 Arena. The semi-finals and finals will each consist of three stages: “Sprinter’s Paradise” (8 laps of a 1.5 km points-based sprint circuit), “Punchers’ Playground” (a hilly 12 km course with sprints and KOMs), and “Last Rider Standing!” (an elimination race with multiple checkpoints on a 7.2 km climb). Cumulative points across all stages will determine the 2025 rainbow jersey winners.
Vingegaard returns at Dauphiné, chasing a new high to beat Pogačar
Jonas Vingegaard is back. The Visma-Lease a Bike leader will race for the first time since March at the Critérium du Dauphiné this weekend, and he says he feels “like a completely different person” compared to last season. After a concussion sidelined him for nearly three months, the two-time Tour winner has rebuilt steadily and now sets his sights on reclaiming yellow from Tadej Pogačar.
“Last year, I still believed I could win, but this year feels totally different—my body reacts better to training, and I’m just stronger,” he told Eurosport from his Sierra Nevada altitude camp. His team believes he’s taken another step, but Vingegaard knows that to beat this version of Pogačar, he’ll need to surpass even his 2022 and 2023 levels.
“Everybody is raising their level, so I also need to be better than I was two years ago,” he said. It’s a clear-eyed assessment from the man who lost last year’s Tour by more than six minutes—and a nod to the mountain of work still ahead. But Vingegaard insists he enjoys the process: “I always enjoy doing the hard work for the Tour.”
The Dauphiné marks the first time he’ll line up against both Pogačar and Remco Evenepoel in 2025. “If I were racing without Tadej, it wouldn’t be the same,” he said. “Hopefully, he feels the same.” With Hautacam and Col de la Loze back on the Tour route in July, the rematch is set.
Final season of Unchained to drop just before Tour de France
Netflix’s Tour de France: Unchained is coming to an end—its third and final season will release on July 2, just three days before the Grand Départ in Lille. The new trailer puts the spotlight on 2024 champion Tadej Pogačar and UAE Team Emirates, along with key storylines like Cavendish’s 35th stage win, Girmay’s breakthrough, and the race’s usual dose of drama and crashes.
The decision to cancel the docuseries after three seasons was confirmed earlier this year, reportedly due to high production costs and underwhelming viewership in France. Originally launched in 2022 to bring pro cycling to a broader audience, Unchained followed the playbook of Drive to Survive, delivering behind-the-scenes access to some of the sport’s biggest moments.
For those wondering, yes, we still plan to produce the Unchained Binge podcasts, just as we did for the last two seasons. Given the proximity to the TDF start, exactly when we'll make them is not yet sorted out. For now, just subscribe to that podcast channel and you'll get them when they're released.
Read more about the conclusion of the series from Jonny Long here.
Evenepoel back in action, but not chasing Dauphiné victory
Remco Evenepoel is easing back into racing at the Critérium du Dauphiné after a high-altitude training block in the Sierra Nevada. The Olympic champ isn’t eyeing the overall win this time, with Tour de France prep taking priority. “I’m mainly here to check my form,” he told Sporza. “Of course, I’d love to go for some strong results, especially in the time trial, but we’ll take it stage by stage.”
Team manager Tom Steels is also managing expectations. “The time trial will give us some insight, though the gaps probably won’t be huge. The real test comes in the final mountain stages,” he said. “Remco has a strong, balanced team around him, and we’re going to do our best—but fighting for the GC isn’t the plan.”
Van Aert breaks (his own) records with Colle delle Finestre climb
Wout van Aert’s performance in the penultimate stage of the 2025 Giro d’Italia wasn’t just race-altering. Powering up the brutal Colle delle Finestre (18.5 km at 9.2%), the Belgian star from Visma-Lease a Bike produced his highest-ever one-hour power output (at least that he's uploaded publicly): 428 watts. His effort helped teammate Simon Yates secure overall victory by setting up a decisive attack.
Van Aert crested the climb ahead of Yates and then led him for nearly 16 kilometers through the descent and flatter run-in to the final climb to Sestrière. According to his Strava data, Van Aert even claimed three KOMs along the route, including a standout time on the 13.6 km stretch between Balboutet and Pragelato.
By the time Yates linked up with Van Aert, he was 1:45 ahead of rivals Isaac Del Toro and Richard Carapaz. That gap ballooned to nearly five minutes thanks to Van Aert’s pulling, though it’s worth noting that Del Toro and Carapaz were focused more on each other than on organizing a chase.
Gerry Ryan sheds light on Jayco's parting of ways with Matt White
Gerry Ryan, who owns the Jayco-AlUla and Liv-AlUla-Jayco teams under the GreenEdge umbrella, has shed some light on the decision to part ways with now-former Director of High Performance and Racing Matt White, who had long been a key part of team leadership.
"Matt White left a mark on the team but if you keep doing the same thing, you get the same result," Ryan told Cyclingnews.
Roughly halfway through the season, the men's Jayco team sits near the bottom of the UCI rankings for WorldTour outfits, while the women's squad has yet to secure a win on the year.
"We're doing a restructure," Ryan said. "We sat down with Matt and saw where he wanted to be. Out of it came a decision by mutual agreement to move on." [Cyclingnews]
Pro Cycling Council meeting could determine One Cycling's near-term fate
The UCI Professional Cycling Council (PCC) meets this Wednesday in a pivotal session that could determine the future of the ambitious One Cycling project. With $250 million in expected Saudi investment and plans to revamp the WorldTour through a new global race series, project leaders are set to make a key presentation to the PCC, hoping to gain approval—or at least momentum—for a 2026 launch.
The 18-member PCC, representing stakeholders across pro cycling, will vote on race licenses (and thus the race calendar) for 2026–2028, a decision that could either open the door to One Cycling’s proposed new events or shut them out entirely. The UCI has made clear that all new races must fit into the current calendar structure, with strategic, sporting, and regulatory criteria fully met—something One Cycling has yet to publicly demonstrate in detail.
Growing frustration around the project’s lack of transparency may weigh heavily on the PCC’s decision. UCI President David Lappartient emphasized again in an interview with Marca last week that reform must happen within the UCI framework and not benefit a “breakaway league.” The final say will come from the UCI Management Committee, which convenes June 10–11 in France, but this week’s council vote will be a defining early test.
GP Québec tweaks course for 2025
The organizers of the Grand Prix de Québec announced a new, shorter circuit for 2025 with slightly less elevation gain per lap than previous editions. The revamped course retains its urban flavor and remains centered on the historic Plains of Abraham park, but cuts out the Côte des Glacis climb that took the race into the heart of the Old City section. In its place, the new circuit cuts a zig-zag route back to Rue Saint-Louis and onto the Avenue Georges VI to the start-finish line.
That makes the race's primary difficulty the Cóte de la Montaigne, which climbs 62 meters at 9% average, and leads to a draggy 3% pull up the Montée Cóte Saint-Louis to the finish line. Both climbs are situated in the last two kilometers of the circuit. While the new circuit is shorter, at 12 km, riders will do two more laps (18 total) for a distance of 216 km, while total elevation gain climbs incrementally, by around 100 meters total. The race will be held September 12.
Up-and-comer Niedermaier will ride on with Canyon-SRAM through 2028
Canyon-SRAM-Zondacrypto has announced that Antonia Niedermaier has signed a lengthy extension that will see her stick with the squad through 2028. That will be her seventh year with the organization after she first joined the Canyon-SRAM development team back in 2022. The 22-year-old German, who has won the under-23 time trial title in the past two world championships and took a stage at her debut Giro Donne in 2023, is one of the most promising youngsters in the women's peloton.
"In my opinion, she’s one of the future GC contenders – strong on long climbs, combined with an excellent TT ability," said team manager Ronny Lauke in a statement. "She’s still very young but brings a strong mindset."
Aussie champ Lucie Stewart sidelined with pelvis fractures
Australian road race champion Lucinda Stewart (Liv AlUla Jayco Continental) is facing a lengthy stint on the sidelines after fracturing her pelvis in a crash last week.
The 20-year-old, who took a surprise win at Aussie Road Nationals in Perth earlier this year, revealed on Instagram on Sunday that a fall last Tuesday left her unable to walk. She flew home from Girona to Melbourne where scans revealed three pelvis fractures. "Will be a long road ahead with rehab and recovery but I have the best support crew around me and will be back firing for the 2nd half of the season," she wrote.
Brennan never finishes outside top two on his way to Tour of Norway title
Revelation of the season, Matthew Brennan, took his second stage win of the four-day Tour of Norway on Sunday to seal the overall victory.
Still a teenager for another two months, Brennan never finished lower than second all race, winning the sprint behind lone survivor Storm Ingebrigtsen (Coop-Repsol) on stage 1, then taking the lead with victory the following day. Maxim van Gils then got the better of him on stage 3, but Brennan was back on top in the Stavanger finale, edging out veteran Alexander Kristoff (Uno-X) who is almost twice the winner’s age.
Brennan can’t seem to stop winning in his first pro season with Visma-Lease a Bike, which started with a handful of small French races in March, giving way then to WorldTour wins at the Volta a Catalunya and Tour de Romandie. Including the times he’s raised his arms with the Development squad, he’s brought his tally to 10 so far in 2025.
Mauro Vegni bows out on a high from his tenure as Giro director
Giro d’Italia director Mauro Vegni is set to bow out on a high after the 2025 edition this Sunday. The 66-year-old Italian took over from Michele Acquarone in 2014, and has developed a passionate, ebullient reputation as the organiser of the Italian Grand Tour.
News of his retirement hasn’t been widely reported, and it’s unknown if he’ll be stepping down from his role across RCS Sport, but he teased on TV coverage earlier this week that this would be his last Giro as director.
Mnstry announces a new Bicarb and carbohydrate gel
German brand Mnstry Nutrition has released what it claims is the first gel-based supplement combining bicarbonate with carbohydrates for in-race use. The new Bicarb Gel 40 Lemon 1:0.8 is designed to allow athletes to maintain elevated bicarbonate levels during prolonged or high-intensity efforts, something it says was previously limited to pre-race loading strategies. The company says the gel uses encapsulation technology to deliver bicarbonate directly to the small intestine, aiming to avoid gastrointestinal discomfort typically associated with sodium bicarbonate use.
Along with five grams of bicarbonate, each gel contains 40 grams of carbohydrate in a 1:0.8 glucose-to-fructose ratio, intended to support sustained energy delivery. The product has been developed with input from professional athletes and is batch-tested by Informed Sport. It is free from artificial sweeteners and animal products.
Unbound Gravel crowns winners
After the close of a super-fast Unbound XL, the records continued to tumble in the 200, with Cameron Jones (Scott-Shimano) obliterating the elite men’s benchmark after leaving Simon Pellaud (Tudor Pro Cycling) in his dust. In the women’s event, Karolina Migoń (PAS Racing) soloed to an emphatic victory in what has been a phenomenal season so far, which has included a successful Traka 360 defence and victory at Gravel Locos just last week.
In the 100-mile event, Australian national champion Tiffany Cromwell (Canyon-SRAM zondacrypto) took her second victory, while the men’s event came down to a two-up sprint for the title, won by U23 athletes Hayden Christian ahead of Isaac Allred after the pair spent 75 miles together.
Possible Visma Tour de France replacement Zingle reveals fractured vertebra
Frenchman Axel Zingle was on track for overall victory at the Four Days of Dunkirk last month until a crash sent him to hospital in the pink jersey of race leader. At the time, he was given a clean bill of health, but for some discomfort, however subsequent tests have shown a fracture to the C7 vertebra, low down in the cervical spine (i.e. base of the neck).
After the inevitable withdrawal of compatriot Christophe Laporte, Zingle had been considered a likely contender for Visma-Lease a Bike’s Tour de France squad set to start the Grand Boucle in five weeks’ time, a booking that would be Zingle’s third appearance at his home Tour – he finished twice with previous team Cofidis. However, though he’s hoping to be able to return to competition before too long, it’s a setback for the Frenchman and potentially reduces the options for the Dutch team.
Annemiek van Vleuten announces pregnancy
Retired Dutch pro Annemiek van Vleuten has announced that she is pregnant and expecting her first child in September.
The multiple world champion, prolific stage racer and two-time winner of the Tour of Flanders, Strade Bianche and Liège-Bastogne-Liège scored a total of 104 wins across a career that spanned a decade and a half, after coming to cycling later than usual in her mid 20s. Van Vleuten retired near the top of her game at the end of 2023, but has never been far from the cycling scene with regular appearances throughout the pro women's calendar. [Van Vleuten via Instagram]
Injury-plagued Visma-Lease a Bike pulls out of the Tour of Slovenia
Visma-Lease a Bike was due to start the five-day Tour of Slovenia on 4th June, but the WorldTeam has had to withdraw last minute as the Dutch squad continues to struggle with the number of injuries.
A provisional starting lineup including young hopefuls Tom Gloag – who is currently at the Tour of Norway – Loe van Belle and U23 road world champion Niklas Behrens, along with British veteran Dan McLay had been provided, but the WorldTeam has opted to direct their resources elsewhere in what is set to be a busy month as the summer gets going.
Rob Britton and Heather Jackson take record wins at Unbound XL
The mammoth 350-mile Unbound XL has two new winners in Rob Britton and Heather Jackson, both recording new fastest times by their respective arrivals in Emporia, Kansas.
Canadian rider Britton had trailed Lachlan Morton, reigning champ of Unbound Gravel 200, throughout the night, only catching the Australian 10 miles from the finish for a memorable victory. Morton finished 5:44 after Britton's new course record of 17:49:51, with third place going to Robin Gemperle over an hour later.
In the elite women's race, former triathlete and seven-time Ironman champion Heather Jackson took the biggest win of her short gravel career with a solo effort that she'd cemented by the halfway point, and despite a crash and mechanical issues shortly before sunrise, she soldiered on to another course record of 20:57:57, two hours 28 faster than Cynthia Frazier's 2022 benchmark.
Fuglsang announces that the Giro is his last race with Israel-Premier Tech
Jakob Fuglsang has announced that Sunday’s final stage of the Giro d’Italia will be his last appearance for Israel-Premier Tech.
“When I signed my last contract with the team last year, we agreed on a seven-month deal, for me to be able to be part of our GC project with Derek [Gee],” Fuglsang announced via Instagram. “We started last year with the Dauphiné [where Gee finished third], and it’s been a super-nice journey, but seven months are coming close and so is our GC ambitions here in the Giro.”
The 40-year-old Dane enjoyed most of his personal successes while racing for Astana, including two overall Dauphiné titles, two Monuments in Liège-Bastogne-Liège and Il Lombardia, and top 10s at both the Tour de France and Giro. He transferred over to Israel-Premier Tech in 2022, entering more of a mentor role for his young teammates.
“It’s been a fantastic journey, and I’ve enjoyed it. And I’m happy that I can finish on a level where I still make a difference, still can be part of the race, and give something back to guys like Derek … But every good thing comes to an end and it’s time for me to enjoy more time with the family and to let the young kids go ahead. One last push!”
Laporte on the road to recovery: ‘I honestly would’ve preferred to break something’
After being unable to race or even train this spring due to cytomegalovirus, culminating in his recent inevitable withdrawal from the Tour de France lineup, Christophe Laporte has opened up about the tricky period as he tentatively returns to light training.
“About ten days ago, I started training again,” Laporte told French newspaper L’Équipe. “Very lightly, but I’ve managed a few days on the bike without too many issues. It’s taking a long time to recover and it’s still not fully behind me. I still get headaches and bouts of fatigue now and then.
“I honestly would’ve preferred to break something, because at least then you know when you’ll be back. When I first got sick, I thought I’d be fine in a month. But the team doctor warned me it could take a long time. For most people, cytomegalovirus is harmless, but in my case, it really affected me. As long as the virus is in your system, relapses can happen.”
The 32-year-old Frenchman will slowly rebuild towards returning to racing at the Bretagne Classic, Renewi Tour, the Canadian WorldTour one-days, or perhaps the Vuelta a España.
Winner's circle: Chris Harper wins Finestre stage as Simon Yates seizes control of the Giro
An extraordinary final mountain stage of the 2025 Giro d'Italia culminated in a marvellous stage victory for 30-year-old Australian Chris Harper (Jayco-AlUla), as the GC competition erupted on the lower slopes of the infamous Colle delle Finestre. On the same mountain that staged his collapse seven years ago, Simon Yates went from third to virtual leader by the summit as Isaac Del Toro and Richard Carapaz got caught in a game of chicken behind him, and with Wout van Aert's help in the valley that followed, the Brit's lead grew to almost four minutes by the finish in Sestriere – read the race report here at Escape Collective.
Away from the Giro, the pro men have also been racing in France and Norway, with Aaron Gate taking stage 2, and more UCI points for XDS-Astana, at the Boucles de la Mayenne, and at the Tour of Norway, Maxim van Gils finally got the better of Matthew Brennan on stage 3, though the young Visma rider retains the lead.
Also in Norway, Justine Ghekiere took stage 1 victory at the Tour of Norway Women, just ahead of young Scottish rider Lauren Dickson, with Sarah Gigante making it a one-three for AG Insurance-Soudal in her first race back since her Aussie summer was derailed by diagnosis and surgery for iliac artery endofibrosis.
Specialized to shut Colorado office and move staff to Morgan Hill HQ
Specialized is centralizing US operations by moving its staff from Louisville, Colorado to its California base in Morgan Hill. About 50 Colorado-based employees have been offered roles in California, according to Bicycle Retailer and Industry News (BRAIN).
The future of the Louisville site, previously HQ to Pearl Izumi’s and later home to Retül and equipment development, is now up in the air. Specialized said in a statement it’s focusing on expanding its Morgan Hill campus, which already houses its R&D, "Win Tunnel," and performance labs. [BRAIN]
Van Dijk recovering from concussion and fractured shoulder
Ellen van Dijk (Lidl-Trek) is recovering from a concussion and broken shoulder after crashing in the Ronde van Lekkerkerk criterium, which was cancelled after the crash.
Van Dijk's partner Benjamin de Bruijn posted an update on her status on Friday.
"When I arrived, Ellen was out of conciousness. Luckily she responded after a short while," he wrote. "She was then brought to the hospital where she was diagnosed with signs of a concussion and a fractured shoulder. Which was kind of a relief. She could go home with me already yesterday."
Roglič family camper broken into during the Giro
Slovenian outlet SIOL reports that thieves broke into the camper van that Primož Roglič's wife and children had taken to Pisa to watch the Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe rider in the Giro d'Italia's stage 10 time trial.
"Literally in the middle of the day, they broke into our camper," Lora Klinc said. "They broke the window and stole a laptop that was hidden in the bed, a mobile phone that Primož brought me from the Tokyo Olympics, money and two rings." [SIOL]
Dierckxsens dies during ride
Belgian former pro Ludo Dierckxsens passed away on Thursday after collapsing during a charity ride.
A Tour de France stage winner and former Belgian national champ, Dierckxsens was 60 years old.
Kent International closes South Carolina bike factory
Kent International will shut its Bicycle Corporation of America facility in Manning, South Carolina in June 2025, and lay off 64 employees. Chairperson Arnold Kamler said the move was largely driven by high tariffs on Chinese-made parts, which has made US assembly financially unfeasible.
Some 90% of Kent bikes are imported from China, and in March alone, Kent paid US$3.1 million in tariffs. The company has since cancelled new orders from China and said restarting operation at South Carolina would require major policy changes.
