RIDE Media

Luke Tuckwell is part of the Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe team that’s currently racing the final Grand Tour of the season, the Vuelta a España. On the first rest day of the Vuelta, we had a chance to talk about a race that has evolved dramatically in recent days. Tadej Pogacar crashed out [of the Vuelta] during stage eight and the dynamic of racing, in theory, was likely to change in the absence of the former race leader.

By Luc Herincx (L’Equipe) With 22 race wins during the 2026 season – a tally that includes three of cycling’s five one-day ‘Monuments’ as well as his record-equalling fifth Tour de France title – Tadej Pogačar was expected to surpass his record of 25 victories from 2024. Even before he lined up for his second appearance in the Vuelta a España, this year has already seen him achieve an unprecedented list of conquests.

“To anyone who is new to cycling and is looking for a good adventure, come here! To anyone who has ridden all their lives – like me, come here! To anyone who wants to just get an understanding of what joy can come from the act of pedalling, come here!” My summary of a stunning ride in Ehime as part of a visit to Japan in November 2025 suggests this part of the world is perfect for cycling.

“When we kicked off the race sponsorship [in 2022], 18 percent of new accounts were women on Zwift. That’s up to 23 to 24 percent, and I think it even might be higher than that now,” says Kate Veronneau about the virtual training platform that, she believes, is as much about building community as it is about improving fitness. “That’s huge growth when you consider how hard it’s been to get women into this sport.

There are plenty of famous climbs in cycling, but few carry the weight of Alpe d’Huez. Twenty-one hairpins, decades of Tour de France history and an atmosphere that transforms an alpine road into the beating heart of the cycling world. After days of bikepacking across Europe from Frankfurt, I finally rolled onto the mountain that had been sitting on my bucket list for years. The climb itself was an experience long before the race arrived.

Power meters have become one of the smartest upgrades you can make to a bike. Once reserved for pro teams and riders chasing marginal gains, they’re now commonplace on most modern bikes. Regardless of whether you’re following a structured training plan, or simply trying to ride smarter, having accurate power data has become far more valuable than relying on heart rate or speed alone. Alongside that growth has come a huge increase in choice.

If you’ve been thinking about upgrading your indoor training setup, now’s a good time to do it. To coincide with the Tour de France, JetBlack Cycling has dropped the price of its Zwift Ready Victory Smart Trainer to $599 until 26 July, saving riders 20% off the regular retail price. The Victory comes supplied with a Zwift Cog and Zwift Click, allowing riders to use virtual shifting without worrying about matching cassettes.

This team bike gallery features the evolution of title sponsors and brands for what is now the number-one team in the world, UAE Team Emirates-XRG. Essentially this team emerged out of the ashes of what was once Lampre, a brand that had a strong link with Italian brands (Wilier key amongst them) but there was also that season (2005) when Cannondale muscled its way in to the bike supply after a merger with what was the Saeco team.

The latest instalment in our #BikeGallery series looks back at the bikes raced by French outfit Cofidis from 2004 through to 2026 (with one notable omission – we’re still searching for images from the 2020 season). It’s also a fascinating look at one of professional cycling’s longest-standing equipment partnerships.

We’re kicking off what will become a long-running series looking back at the bikes raced by Tour de France teams over the past two decades. First up is the team now known as Netcompany INEOS. Before that it was INEOS Grenadiers, and before that, Team Sky. Despite the changes in name, one thing remained constant throughout the team’s rise to Grand Tour dominance: Pinarello.