5 Pounds of Raw Muscle: How Pogačar Bulks for the Cobbles and Cuts for the Climbs
Tadej Pogačar deliberately adds about two kilograms of muscle each winter, swapping his lean climber frame for a more powerful build that excels on the cobbled classics. The shift, driven by a new coaching team led by physiologist Javier Sola, emphasizes strength work, torque intervals and heat sessions alongside precise nutrition tracking. The added mass translates into higher absolute power on steep cobbles while preserving a competitive watts‑per‑kilogram ratio for mountain stages. As a result, Pogačar entered the 2026 Tour of Flanders with a noticeable bulk and is now poised to trim back for the Tour de France later in the year.
Easton Ups the Ante With an Uber-Strong, Uber-Light Gravel Crankset
Easton has launched the EC90 ALX, a 419‑gram gravel crankset that claims to be the market’s most durable, outperforming its nearest rival, SRAM Red XPLR, by 27 percent in strength tests. The crankset endured a peak force of 5,974 N before failure and features...
The Wildest Taipei Cycle Show Tech and a Broken Factor One
The Taipei Cycle Show unveiled a $31,000 3D‑printed titanium road bike, the industry’s first 32‑inch suspension fork, and a new Chinese gravel model priced at roughly half of comparable Western offerings. Reporters also examined budget power‑meter pedals and Pirelli’s claim...
7 Months Too Long: Kristen Faulkner Returns (Finally) at the Tour of Flanders
U.S. double Olympic champion Kristen Faulkner returns to WorldTour racing after a seven‑month hiatus, debuting with EF Education‑Oatly at the Tour of Flanders. The break followed a torn labrum, shoulder surgery and a burnout‑laden 2025 season that ended prematurely at...
How ‘The Pogačar Effect’ Rewrote the Rules of High-Carb Fueling for the Cobbled Classics
High‑carb fueling has become a cornerstone of the cobbled classics, with riders now ingesting roughly 120 g of carbohydrate per hour from the start of races like the Tour of Flanders and Paris‑Roubaix. The so‑called “Pogačar Effect,” driven by Tadej Pogačar and...
Why a Former Tour De France Pro Recommends Gaining Weight
Former Tour de France pro Svein Tuft joins Mike Levy’s podcast to recount wild career anecdotes, from train‑hopping across North America to a UFO sighting in British Columbia. He argues that ultra‑endurance athletes should deliberately gain weight rather than arrive...
Calculate Your VO2 Max at Home in Just 5 Minutes, No Complex Lab Tests Needed
A 2021 study introduced a simple equation that estimates a cyclist’s VO2 Max from a five‑minute maximal power output expressed in watts per kilogram. The formula (VO2 Max = 16.6 + 8.87 × relative power) demonstrated an adjusted R² of 0.988 when compared with traditional graded exercise tests....
New Bike Tech: $120 Musette Bags, Colorful Headsets, and A New Aero Cargo Base Layer
MAAP unveiled its ALUULA Tech Bag Collection, featuring recyclable Graflyte fabric in tote, pouch and $120 musette formats aimed at everyday cyclists. Wolf Tooth introduced semi‑integrated IS52 and EC44 headsets that route cables through the headset, while Muc‑Off launched a four‑year‑developed...
The CAAD14 You Can’t Buy, Giant’s Aero Fine Print, and Mid-Ride Road Rage
The Velo podcast episode dives into three hot topics: recent road‑race misconduct that led to disqualifications and fines, Giant’s fourth‑generation Propel claiming an 18‑watt aerodynamic advantage, and Cannondale’s new CAAD14 launch that arrives heavier with a non‑sellable brushed‑aluminum version. Hosts...
North America’s First Road Cycling World Championships in a Decade Will Be Brutal
The 2026 UCI Road World Championships return to North America after a ten‑year gap, with Montreal hosting the elite races from September 20‑27. Organizers unveiled a classic‑style circuit centered on Mont Royal, featuring repeated 8% climbs and a total vertical...