Daily News

Tudor's Mathys Rondel unhurt after crashing into UAE car and breaking rear window

Withen Philipsen recovering after serious training crash

Albert Withen Philipsen has recounted the harrowing experience of a training ride crash in a post on social media. The 19-year-old rising star for Lidl-Trek is, fortunately, on the mend, having suffered a head injury but no broken bones in a high-speed fall.

"I had a nasty training crash on Friday. I don’t remember much – one minute I was descending at 80kmh and the next thing I remember was lying on the ground – alone, half conscious, trying to use the small window of adrenaline to call the emergency services while blood was dripping down my face," he wrote.

"I think this is the first time I’ve ever truly been scared after a crash. Fortunately, I was found quickly, and a group of people did an amazing job handling the situation until the ambulance arrived." [Instagram]

EF, Lidl-Trek among teams announced for Philly Classic reboot

The reboot of the Philly Classic, long one of the United States' premier one-day road races, will include major pro teams, including EF-Education First, Lidl-Trek, and Canyon-SRAM zondacrypto.

The race returns after a 10-year hiatus and will take place on August 30. The 60-mile (100 km) women's race kicks off at 8:30 am and the 120-mile (200 km) men's race starts at 12:30 pm. Both utilize the old 14.4-mile (23 km) Philly Classic course with only minimal modifications, including the icons: the 17% climb up the Manayunk Wall, Lemon Hill, and the start/finish on Benjamin Franklin Parkway.

Both races will be categorized as UCI 1.1s, and, between the two races, will include six WorldTour teams as well as top domestic programs.

Women’s teams:

CANYON//SRAM zondacrypto (GER)
Human Powered Health (USA)
BePink-Vini Fantini (ITA)
CCB Kenetik p/b Levine Law Group (USA)
PatoBike-BMC (MEX)
Virginia's Blue Ridge TWENTY28 (USA)
XDS China (CHN)
1KFlips-FTP Racing Jakroo Mixed (USA)
Aegis x Leaders of Enchantment (USA)
Automatic Racing ABUS (USA)
Competitive Edge Racing (USA)
Cyclery Racing - Abacus Data (CAN)
Fearless Femme Racing (USA)
HigherDOSE | Renova (USA)
Kingdom Elite Racing (USA)
Milton Revolution Women’s U23 Project (CAN)
United Cycling (USA)
Team Winston Salem (USA)

Men’s teams:

EF Education EasyPost (USA)
Lidl-Trek (GER)
Lotto–Intermarché (BEL)
Team Jayco AlUla (AUS)
Bardiani-CSF 7 Saber (ITA)
Modern Adventure (USA)
NSN Cycling Team (SWI)
Team Novo Nordisk (USA)
APS Pro Cycling by Team Cadence Cyclery (USA)
Competitive Edge Racing (USA)
Meridian Racing p/b de la Uz (USA)
Nu Colombia (COL)
Project Echelon Racing (USA)
Team Skyline (USA)

State's updated All-Road gets wider tires and an AXS option

State Bicycle has made a name for itself as a brand built on affordability, and its revamped 4130 All-Road model underlines that reputation. The latest version of the frame, announced this week, gets updates like clearance for 29 x 2.2" tires (or wider in 650b livery) and a UDH dropout. But the base-level complete build, with a house-brand 1x12-speed drivetrain, still comes in at a cool US$1,000.

To be sure, there are compromises: there are just four sizes and the brakes are cable-activated hydraulics. The stock fork is steel and adds over a pound to the build from a comparable carbon model. But under a grand for a complete bike that isn't a pile of trash is an achievement.

State offers multiple configurations, including a SRAM Rival XPLR AXS drivetrain and a Transmission mullet version, a dual 700c/650b wheelset option, a carbon fork or suspension fork, and wheel upgrades including a Zipp 303. A Rival/DT Swiss wheel/carbon fork configuration would still run you just US$2,750, although putting premium parts on a relatively heavy steel frame might not be your speed. Bikes are available for order now and are in stock, listed for early May delivery. [State Bicycle]

Aussie GC hope Talia Appleton promoted to Liv AlUla Jayco WorldTour squad

Up-and-coming Aussie climber Talia Appleton has been promoted from the Liv AlUla Jayco Continental team to its WorldTour outfit with immediate effect.

The 20-year-old joined the GreenEdge development team at the start of this year after a strong 2025 that included third overall at the Tour de l'Avenir Femmes. After "showing a strong level with consistently high performances" since January, the Victorian will join the WorldTour squad right away, racing the Navarra Women's Classic on Wednesday before Itzulia Women which starts on Friday.

"Looking back at how much I have already learnt this season makes me really excited to continue developing with this team and contribute to its success," Appleton said.

Stinner's Refugio Podium now comes in a 32" option

As the bike industry continues to speedrun its exploration of 32" wheels, many (including us) are actively wondering if gravel racing offers a more promising application than mountain biking, or at least a more easily achievable one. Stinner Frameworks appears to agree, as the brand has quietly launched a 32" version of its Refugio Podium gravel bike, testing the waters with an initial limited run of 50 frames. With the move, Stinner joins Baum, Salsa and Chiru as one of the first brands to offer a production 32" gravel bike.

The Refugio Podium is a stock, production-built titanium frame, essentially the middle tier of Stinner's three-level lineup. Within any of its five models, Stinner offers full custom, stock titanium (Podium) and stock steel (Select) versions. The 32" Podium variant is substantially similar to the 700c version, except wheel size. Notably, max tire width is a 2.4". In a sign that builders are still figuring out sizing questions, the bike comes in five sizes, but starts at medium and goes through XXL (the standard Refugio Podium is offered in cm sizing).

Stinner will sell the Refugio Podium 32" in three iterations: frameset, with an unbranded carbon fork (US$2,999), frameset and Stoic Carbon rims laced to DT Swiss 350 hubs (US$4,498), and as a complete bike with a SRAM Rival/ GX AXS mullet groupset and Maxxis Aspen 32 x 2.4" tires (US$7,295). Orders are open now for planned August delivery. [Stinner Frameworks]

St Michel-Preference Home-Auber 93 will shutter men's squad to focus on women's team

The St Michel-Preference Home-Auber 93 organization will shut down its men's Continental team at the end of the season to focus on its second-division women's squad.

"To meet the challenges of cycling today and tomorrow, the club will focus its resources from 2027 onwards on a single professional team: the women's team registered this season in the UCI Women's ProTeam," read a statement from the organization, which has fielded a pro men's squad for more than 30 years.

Tour de Romandie Féminin cancelled for 2026, organizers aim for return in 2027

There will be no Tour de Romandie Féminin in 2026. Organizers announced on Tuesday that the race has been "postponed for year," with a press release saying that the women's race is intended to return next summer.

Organizers cited "an exceptional concentration of major events in French-speaking Switzerland in the coming months" that includes the start of the women's Tour de France and a G7 summit, as well as a lack of sponsorship as the reasons driving the decision to call of the 2026 race.

Fast finishers De Lie and Groves abandon the Giro d'Italia

The Giro d'Italia sprint field shrunk on Tuesday as two high-profile fast-finishers dropped out of the race. Two-time Giro stage winner Kaden Groves (Alpecin-Premier Tech) and Giro debutant Arnaud De Lie (Lotto-Intermarché) both abandoned on stage 4 from Catanzaro to Cosenza.

Groves was among those crashing heavily in the finale of stage 1, while De Lie has been suffering for several days after contracting gastroenteritis last week.

Van Aert after winning UCI Gravel World Series race: 'I'll definitely be taking part more often'

After a break of about a month following his Paris-Roubaix victory, Wout van Aert was back to racing on rough roads on Sunday, this time at the Marly Grav Race in the Netherlands. According to a Visma-Lease a Bike press release, the Belgian star "headed to the south of Limburg without any specific expectations," but that didn't mean he wasn't there to compete. Indeed, he soloed away from a select lead group with 22 km to go and held on to win the UCI Gravel World Series event.

"It’s great to be able to compete in such a fair race and put my off-road skills to good use," Van Aert said. "I’ll definitely be taking part more often."

Arnaud De Lie has never 'felt so bad'

Recovering from gasteroenteritis made for a rough start to the Giro d'Italia for Arnaud De Lie (Intermarché-Lotto), who made it through stage 3 but has yet to really contest any of the stages so far in the race.

"I don't think I've ever felt so bad," he said, as Het Nieuwsblad reports.

De Lie is hoping to recover in time for the sprint opportunities ahead, with a clear one coming on Thursday's stage 6. [Het Nieuwsblad]

Another injury for Baroncini in Tro-Bro Léon crash

Filippo Baroncini, who sustained serious injuries and spent time in a medically induced coma after a crash at last year's Tour of Poland, is spending time with the doctors again after a crash at Tro-Bro Léon.

"Unfortunately Filippo Baroncini was involved in a crash at Tro-Bro Léon and suffered a suspected left clavicle/acromio-clavicular injury," UAE Team Emirates-XRG medical director Adrian Rotunno said. "He will undergo surgical assessment in Brussels [Monday] before traveling home for rehab and recovery under the supervision of team medical staff."

Filippo Fiorelli holds off chasers to take first win in Visma colours at Tro-Bro Léon

Tro-Bro Léon is one of the cult classics of pro cycling, taking place on the farm tracks and winding country roads of Brittany. After 202.1 kilometres of aggressive racing, Visma-Lease a Bike's Filippo Fiorelli capitalised on the frantic final phases to attack and ride to the line solo, just about holding off the small group of nine riders, including two of his teammates.

The chasers finished on the same time as the 31-year-old Italian who celebrated as he crossed the line, with Alexis Renard (Cofidis) securing second with a lunge ahead of Lewis Askey (NSN).

Brief results:

Filippo Fiorelli (Visma-Lease a Bike)
Alexis Renard (Cofidis) st.
Lewis Askey (NSN) st.
Pierre Gautherat (Decathlon-CMA CGA) st.
Jonas Hvideberg (Uno-X Mobility) st.

Yates abandons Giro on morning of stage 3, fractures confirmed for Soler and Vine

Adam Yates, UAE Team Emirates-XRG leader for the Giro d'Italia, will not start the last day of racing in Bulgaria after being caught up in the mass crash that resulted in a brief neutralisation of stage 2, and the immediate withdrawal of teammates Marc Soler and Jay Vine.

"Unfortunately we were badly affected by the crash on stage 2 yesterday," team doctor Adrian Rotunno said in a team statement. "Jay Vine suffered a concussion and an elbow fracture. Marc Soler has a pelvic fracture. At this stage, neither should require surgery.

“Adam Yates suffered a heavy abrasions and a laceration to his left ear. He was initially assessed on site for concussion, and cleared to continue, but subsequently he has shown delayed concussive symptoms. He will not take the start of stage 3 today.

“All three are under observation of our medical staff and will travel home in the coming days to continue their recovery and rehab.”

Natalie Portman and Jonathan Bailey to star in new movie set in 'cutthroat world of pro cycling'

Hollywood's apparently growing appetite for stories from the world of cycling continues with the announcement of 'Pumping Black', according to Variety, a new fiction film that follows an ageing professional cyclist who takes sinister measures to stay relevant under the guidance of a power-hungry doctor...

The film is set to star Hollywood favourites Jonathan Bailey (Broadchurch, Bridgerton, Wicked), crowned king of the box office – and People Magazine's Sexiest Man Alive – in 2025, and Natalie Portman (Star Wars, Black Swan, Thor), who is also producing, with acclaimed director of psychological thriller 'Fresh', Mimi Cave, attached to helm the project backed by independent production company Anton.

The film is currently in development with production set to begin late in 2026. Anton will market the film at the Cannes Film Festival, where it's distribution will be decided.

Buitrago cleared of serious injury after Giro DNF, but monitored for concussion

Santiago Buitrago was one of the worst affected riders in the Giro d'Italia's stage 2 crash, and one of just four to abandon on the spot. The Colombian climber, and Bahrain Victorious' leader for the Italian Grand Tour, was taken to hospital with a suspected neck and/or head injury, but examinations have shown him to be relatively ok.

"Following medical assessments and scans, no fractures were detected and all scans returned clear," reads the team's announcement on social media. "Santi sustained several superficial abrasions, bruising to the neck muscles causing restricted movement, and a concussion.

"He will continue to be monitored and undergo the standard SCAT concussion protocol."

Another of the day's withdrawals, Uno-X Mobility's Ådne Holter, was also cleared of significant injuries. While UAE Team Emirates' Marc Soler and Jay Vine's conditions are still awaiting update.

Stuyven criticises handling of Giro neutralisation

Stage 2 of the 2026 Giro d'Italia was overshadowed by a mass crash with 23 km to go, resulting in injuries to more than a dozen riders, and the temporary neutralisation of the stage. The race was allowed to resume after about 5 km, but with crashed riders still just getting going again, there was some disagreement about how the incident was handled, and whether the neutralisation should have been released when it was.

"There were no ambulances left, but there was still a descent coming that could be dangerous," Jasper Stuyven told Het Laatste Nieuws in Veliko Tarnovo. The experienced Belgian went on to explain that many riders had asked the commissaire if GC times might be neutralised in light of the risky conditions, like on stage 21 of last year's Tour de France. But it wasn't given much consideration.

"The race director said they were looking into it,” Stuyven said. “After which he stuck his head out of the car like a scared dog, started waving his flag and shouted ‘race’. Then he quickly put his head back inside the car."

The remaining 18 km of the stage, including the Red Bull KM that came just a few minutes after the restart, unfolded without further incidents, thanks in part to Visma-Lease a Bike and Jonas Vingegaard's efforts to reduce numbers racing into the technical, partially-cobbled finale: "The idea was to thin out the group significantly in order to avoid the dangers in the final kilometre."

Giro stage 2 temporarily neutralised after mass crash

The Giro d'Italia's stage 2 has been temporarily neutralised following a very nasty crash with 23 km left of the stage, which meant all the race's medical services were occupied with the injured. The race resumed just before the Red Bull KM with 18 km to go.

With the two-man breakaway caught a few kilometres earlier, the peloton was readying itself for the Red Bull KM when a crash rippled through the bunch, starting near the front where teams NSN and UAE Team Emirates XRG were amassed. Both teams saw many of their riders fall in the high-speed crash alongside the road's barriers – Mikkel Bjerg was the only UAE rider to miss it – with more than a dozen others also implicated.

Adam Yates looked to be one of the worst affected, but despite a bloodied face, the UAE team leader was able to resume. However, teammates Jay Vine and Marc Soler were put into the back of an ambulance, as was Ådne Holter, and Santiago Buitrago was also a confirmed DNF by day's end. The casualty list was expected to grow by the morning of stage 3.

Netcompany-Ineos still looking for a second co-title partner

The WorldTour's only British team entered a new chapter on Friday as petrochemical giant Ineos was joined by Danish IT company Netcompany as top-line title sponsor in time for the Giro d'Italia. But team management is reportedly still on the hunt for another co-title sponsor, which would replace Ineos in the team name.

"We have Netcompany as our first name-co title partner, but we're going back to market looking for a second co-title partner," Chief Commercial Officer Tom Hill said in a recent episode of the Leaders Worth Knowing podcast published 6th May. "Ineos will absolutely remain involved as a long-term backer, with a massive interest in cycling. That has never waned. Sir Jim [Ratcliffe] has a very passionate interest in cycling and has been a very fantastic supporter and backer.

"Ultimately, if we can broaden the financial base by having other partners in to help put investment into the team, create that virtuous circle of more investment, better riders, win more races, more sponsors. That is the next step for us, as of now."

'It was a bit dislocated' – Groenewegen provides update before Giro stage 2

Dylan Groenewegen was among the worst affected in the crash that held up most of the peloton in the final kilometre of stage 1. While Pinarello-Q36.5's Matteo Moschetti was unable to start stage 2 due to a concussion, everyone else was cleared to resume, including the Dutch sprinter for the Unibet Rose Rockets who provided an update on the morning of day two.

"I had more trouble with my shoulder [than my hand]. It was a bit dislocated," Groenewegen told CyclingProNet in Burgas. "It’s back in now and is a bit stiff, but it feels okay."

Having feared that he'd broken his collarbone, Groenewegen revealed that he'd repositioned his shoulder himself, and was later checked thoroughly by team doctors who cleared him to race.

Moschetti is first to abandon the Giro following stage 1 crash, Groenewegen good to continue

Matteo Moschetti is the first rider to abandon the 2026 Giro d'Italia following the stage 1 crash that interrupted all but a small number of riders about 600 metres from the line. Pinarello-Q36.5's Italian sprinter had obvious skin abrasions in the immediate aftermath of the high-speed crash, but medical examinations later confirmed a concussion that ruled him out of continuing his home Grand Tour.

With team leaders Erlend Blikra (Uno-X Mobility) and Kaden Groves (Alpecin-Premier Tech) also suffering abrasions, one of the riders who looked to have been worst affected by the crash was Unibet Rose Rockets' top sprinter Dylan Groenewegen, who crossed the line in clear discomfort, nursing what looked like an injury to his right hand and/or arm, leading to fears that the Dutch sprinter – the team's very best hope of success in its first ever Grand Tour – might be unable to continue. However, the Rockets announced a few hours after stage 1 that his injuries were not as bad as at first feared, and Groenewegen "is ready to focus on what's coming next."

De Lie describes manure-related illness that threatened his Giro – 'It was really super weird'

Arnaud De Lie thought he'd got everything he needed from the Lotto Famenne Ardennes Classic last weekend, chalking up a first win of 2026 before starting the Giro d'Italia five days later, but he came away with a lot more than he'd bargained for and it almost derailed one of the big goals of his season. He and a number of his teammates, along with a large portion of the Belgian mini-classic's peloton, were struck down with a very nasty stomach bug that has since been attributed to a common bacteria found in cow manure.

Lotto-Intermarché was worst affected, leading to a late change to its Giro roster – Liam Slock out, Josh Giddings in – and a very uncomfortable flight to Bulgaria for De Lie, who subsequently skipped the Giro's presentation on Wednesday evening. It was touch and go for Friday's stage 1, but the young sprinter was able to start.

"It’s going better, really better. I’m happy that I can start here. Mentally I’m doing okay. I will try to sprint today. But in the first 100 kilometres, I’ll see how I feel," Del Lie told Sporza before the stage, before going on to explain his first couple of days in Bulgaria, “I couldn’t eat. It was really super weird. My teammates Milan Menten [still able to race the Giro – ed.] and Liam Slock had exactly the same thing. I didn’t have it under control, I just had to accept it and try to start. My legs were bad, my stomach too. And my muscles were wrecked.”

A group of kids has found the head torn from Merckx monument

Just days after news broke that vandals had ripped a two-dimensional head from an Eddy Merckx monument in Sint-Pieters-Woluwe, on the edge of Brussels, the missing piece has been found by a determined group of kids.

With an official investigation underway to identify the culprits, Het Nieuwsblad has reported that a group of four children (age not specified) from nearby Goudvinkenplein took it upon themselves to search the local area. After several hours, the kids were successful, finding the depiction of Merckx's head under a bush.

Vingegaard and Visma paint nails to raise awareness for children's welfare in Denmark

Jonas Vingegaard and his teammates at the Giro d'Italia are all racing stage 1 of the Grand Tour with a bit of extra embellishment. Each of the riders is showing off a dash of red nail polish to raise awareness for children's welfare (Børns Vilkår) in Denmark, a cause important to their team leader.

"It’s a good cause. It’s a cause for children’s conditions in Denmark," Vingegaard said in a video posted to Visma-Lease a Bike's social media. "Every sixth child, one out of six, is getting abused either mentally or physically by their parents. So we want to fight this. Eery child needs to have good conditions at home. It’s a very important cause."

Aussie pro Amber Pate in recovery after tumour removal

Australian road racer Amber Pate (Liv AlUla Jayco) is recovering from surgery earlier this week to remove a malignant tumour from her pancreas.

The 31-year-old, who's in her fourth season on the WorldTour with Liv AlUla Jayco, took to social media on Thursday to explain her absence from racing in recent months.

"From a bike crash in January, on the broad scans checking for any breaks ... it was mentioned to get closer check on the pancreas, as it showed some slight enlargement," she wrote on Instagram. "Once I returned to Europe we got these scans done, followed by a biopsy. To which they found a very small / very slow growing malignant tumour in my pancreas."

Pate flew home to Australia and eventually went under the knife earlier this week.

"After a long 6h surgery (distal pancreatectomy) on Tuesday, all went extremely successfully to remove the tumour," Pate wrote. "And I am recovering nicely.

"Life has indeed thrown a curveball, but I am now stoked to be in recovery and full focus forward to get back to Europe to my teammates when my body is ready."

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by • Amber Pate • (@ambie_pate)

Specialized debuts S-Works Recon EVO mtb/gravel shoe

Gravel and mountain bike racers have a new top-tier shoe that promises unparalleled performance, but it comes at a steep price. Specialized's new S-Works Recon EVO is designed for racers looking for ultimate power transfer and control, while offering all-day comfort. Based on the brand's long-running Body Geometry architecture, it incorporates a redesigned heel cup and dual Boa dial closure system that is substantially similar to the Ares 2 road shoe for better power transfer.

There's a very stiff carbon fiber outsole wrapped in rubber heel and toe lugs and TPU pontoons for grip and long-wearing stability on two-bolt pedals. The pontoons are interchangeable so you can adjust the connection to various pedal platforms. Retail price is US$550, in sizes 36-49 with half sizes between 38-47. They're available now at Specialized dealers and Specialized.com

Famed mountain bike designer Mert Lawwill passes away

Mert Lawwill, a pioneering force in both mountain bikes and motorsports racing, passed away this week at the age of 85. Lawwill made his name in motorcycle racing as the 1969 AMA Grand Champion in dirt track racing and then went on to star in the iconic 1971 Bruce Brown documentary On Any Sunday, alongside famed actor Steve McQueen.

But Lawwill was also a major figure in the early days of mountain biking, where he made his name as a suspension designer. In 1978 he created one of the first production mountain bikes in the sport, the Lawwill/Knight Pro Cruiser. His 1990 suspension design for the Gary Fisher RS-1 was the first four-bar suspension in the sport and Lawwill may have been the first rider ever to race full suspension when he used the bike at the 1990 World Championships in Durango. He also designed the trailing-link Lawwill Leader suspension fork and suspension designs for Schwinn and Yeti (where he also ran the DH racing team).

Lawwill is perhaps the only person ever inducted into both the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame and the Mountain Bike Hall of Fame. According to his obituary, Lawwill passed away at 85 at his home in Idaho, surrounded by family and friends. No cause of death was given. Escape Collective extends its condolences to Lawwill's family and wide circle of friends.

Drug testing comes to MyWhoosh racing

MyWhoosh, the virtual cycling platform that is used for the UCI Esports World Championships, will introduce anti-doping controls starting this month for its Sunday Race Club events.

A random selection of competitors within a testing pool of around 700 athletes will undergo blood and urine testing each week, and MyWhoosh intends to test at least 10% of the athletes in the pool over the course of the year. Athletes will be told to stay where they are for up to three hours for the tests to take place.

"If someone’s cheating, they’re probably mechanically cheating,” MyWhoosh director of esports and game operations Matt Smithson told The Guardian. “But we’ve got a lot of verification to try to stop that now. Riders have to use a specific trainer to race, with two ways of showing their power. We also get our athletes to do what we call a power passport test. That includes a film test, so we know it’s that person. We can see their power, we can see their heart rate. We can see all of those things. And that gives us a physiological print of who they are.

“Our drug testing, which is the first of its kind, is another way to help everybody feel that they are racing on a level playing field.” [The Guardian]

Vingegaard says he is not the 'only favorite' in the Giro

Jonas Vingegaard may be the heavy favorite for the Giro d'Italia, but the Visma-Lease a Bike leader was sufficiently deferential to the rest of the field in a pre-race media appearance in Bulgaria, unwilling to agree with an interviewer who suggested that he was the "only favorite in the race."

"There's a lot of other strong guys here that also have a chance, so I don't think that quote is correct," he said on Thursday.

He also characterized this Giro as one that has challenges sprinkled throughout, saying, "There's a lot of hard stages here, already a little bit here in Bulgaria, but then there's a lot of hard stages to come throughout the Giro so you have to be focused every day."

Jan-Willem van Schip vents after another disqualification

Jan-Willem van Schip (Azerion-Villa Valkenburg) was disqualified from another bike race on Thursday as his positioning on his handlebars at the Tour of Hellas ran afoul of a ruling by UCI officials.

Van Schip is always on the lookout for ways to push the boundaries of what is legal within the UCI's tech specifications and has been DQed from races on multiple occasions in the past, but in this particular instance, the Dutchman and his team manager Paul Tabak were especially frustrated by the circumstances. Tabak told Wielerflits that Van Schip's bike was UCI-approved and he was being disqualified for a position that other riders have used without penalty.

"What a shitty sport," Van Schip said in a video (in Dutch) he posted to social media. [Instagram]