More flat time trial miles? Mike makes the case for them here, while also defending his pick for the best Grand Tour to follow. Meanwhile, Laurence Pithie (Red Bull–BORA–hansgrohe) storms to victory on the opening stage of the Four Days of Dunkirk, outsprinting Bryan Coquard and Lewis Askey on a punishing uphill finish in Laon. […]

Check out Mike’s real-world review of the Giro Imperial II All-Season road cycling shoe after a 200-mile, 11-hour double century. He covers the dual BOA Li2 fit system, on-the-fly adjustability, carbon outsole performance, and whether the $449.95 price tag is justified for serious riders — over long distances. Last Saturday I rode the Davis Double […]

PEZ Race Report: The Ecuadorian powerhouse added a third Giro stage victory to his growing collection, following wins on stages 4 and 8 with another perfectly judged ride into Chiavari. After surviving a brutal breakaway battle and distancing nearly everyone on the final climbs, Narváez outsprinted Enric Mas in a two-man drag race to the […]

PEZ Race Report:  Filippo Ganna delivered exactly what everyone expected — and somehow still managed to exceed expectations. In the 2026 Giro d’Italia Stage 10 individual time trial, the Italian powerhouse demolished the field over 42 flat kilometers from Viareggio to Massa, putting massive chunks of time into both the specialists and the GC contenders. […]

Toolbox: Carbohydrate-rich foods have gone through heaven and hell in the past decades. While the role of carbohydrates is well recognized in enhancing cycling nutrition and performance, it seems that the perfect harmony lies in eating according to the workout you are going to perform. Training adaptations In cycling and endurance sports, pasta is still […]

If you believe speed is in the details, MAAP’s Pro Aero Jersey and Pro Bib 2.0 are built to chase every last watt. Designed and raced at the WorldTour level, this premium cycling kit promises aerodynamic gains, second-skin fit, and the kind of comfort you need for fast summer miles. But with top-tier pricing comes […]

In this cycling news update, it’s a packed week: Sure, the Giro d’Italia, but also…Jakob Söderqvist (Lidl-Trek) claimed overall victory at the Tour de Hongrie after a dramatic weather-hit stage, while Laurence Pithie sprinted to victory at Rund um Köln for Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe. Mischa Bredewold successfully defended the overall lead at Itzulia Women despite being […]

Week 2 of the 2026 Giro d’Italia shifts the race north — and the difficulty level up. From the Tuscan coast to Liguria, through Piedmont and into the Italian Alps, the Giro enters its tactical middle phase where races are quietly won, legs quietly fail, and pink jersey dreams begin feeling either very real… or […]

PEZ Race Report: Jonas Vingegaard is beginning to turn the 2026 Giro d’Italia into a familiar story: wait, watch, and strike when it hurts most. On the long climb to Corno alle Scale, the Dane calmly followed Felix Gall’s ambitious attack before delivering a ruthless counter inside the final kilometer to claim his second stage […]

Book Review: Thanks to “Maglia Rosa: Triumph and Tragedy at the Giro d’Italia” by British author/Italian resident Herbie Sykes we have not only an English-language history of the Giro d’Italia, which is in itself distressingly rare, but an extraordinarily entertaining book. Here is a Golden Oldie! Published by Rouleur in 2011, this was not an […]

If you’re looking for big scenic rides, there’s no better place to aim for than Italy. The only problem is choosing just which part of this cycling heaven to roll my wheels.  I’ve always loved the Ligurian Coast, and its mix of hills flats, sea-salt air and palm trees, and have logged many a top […]

PEZ Race Report:  Jhonatan Narváez continues to make the 2026 Giro d’Italia his playground. The Ecuadorian timed his attack to perfection on the steep ramps into Fermo, riding clear from a three-man move to take a brilliant Stage 8 victory after a savage day across the Marche walls. While Narváez celebrated, Jonas Vingegaard, Afonso Eulálio and […]

PEZ Race Report: The Giro d’Italia finally reached the high mountains — and Jonas Vingegaard wasted no time reminding everyone who the biggest favorite really is. On the brutal slopes of Blockhaus, the Dane attacked with authority, dropped Giulio Pellizzari and Felix Gall, and soloed to a commanding Stage 7 victory after 244 hard kilometers […]

Mid-May is here, and Gear Break is definitely up to speed as we roll through Spring toward Summer. Chuck is flying to Italy with an AKASO 360 action camera and KOM Cycling CM06 rig ready for action, and gearing up to bring you some full-spherical footage from the roads around Riccione in the coming weeks. […]

When it comes to upgrading your cockpit, handlebars are often overlooked—but they’re one of the few components that directly affect comfort, control, aerodynamics, and fit on every ride. With the Kreuza Apex carbon fibre integrated handlebar, Elite Wheels steps into the integrated cockpit category with a bar designed to deliver aero efficiency, stiffness, and clean […]

The Giro d’Italia finally exploded into chaos on the streets of Naples as Davide Ballerini survived a crash-filled finale to win Stage 6 for XDS Astana. What looked destined to be a routine bunch sprint turned into a dramatic war of attrition after Dylan Groenewegen and lead-out man Elmar Reinders crashed on the slick cobbles […]

Didn’t get enough of Igor Arrieta’s rain-drenched win of a chaotic Giro d’Italia Stage 5? Or of Eulálio’s taking the Maglia Rosa in “one of the slowest sprints in recent memory”? In this EuroTrash, Mike offers quotes, photos, and videos of that memorable stage. Elsewhere, Tim Merlier returned from a month off the bike with […]

Absolute chaos exploded across southern Italy on Stage 5 of the Giro d’Italia as Spain’s Igor Arrieta survived crashes, confusion and even a wrong turn to steal one of the most dramatic victories of the race so far. In torrential rain and on treacherous roads into Potenza, Arrieta somehow clawed his way back to out-sprint […]

Scicon Aeroshade 2.0 Titanium Sunglasses These are the glasses the world champion and the best bike rider at the moment, Tadej Pogačar, wears when he wins a lots of races. Scicon can’t promise you a rainbow jersey, but you will look the part and clearly see where you are going. The look of a champion? […]

If you’re like me – you let out a sigh of relief as the Giro d’Italia finally landed on Italian soil Tuesday, and the first day in Calabria delivered exactly what we needed: unexpected pressure, attacks, cracks in the sprinters, and a finale that no one saw coning. When the dust settled in Cosenza, it […]

What Actually Happens to the Body with an Altitude Camp? We all hear about the pros going off for regular altitude camps to improve their performance. But we never get to see their data to see what actually happens. While I’m no pro, here’s the details on my own altitude camp this April. PEZ hits […]

It’s Rest Day #1 at the 2026 Giro d’Italia, and the race is travelling some 1500km from Sofia Bulgaria to Catanzaro Italy on the boot’s Tyrrhenian coast.  The beaches here are amazing the water a sapphire blue, and I was lucky to discover the region at the 2008 Giro. ~ My drive from Agrigento to […]

John Thomson’s Third Classic Photo Gallery: As the pro peloton heads into the Giro d’Italia, photographer John Thomson says good-bye to the Classics season with his final photo gallery from Belgium and northern France – As always an eclectic mix from John’s world of the cat-walk and the road-side. *** You can see the full […]

In this cycling news roundup, a wave of crashes is shaping — and distorting — the 2026 cycling season, from a chaotic Giro d’Italia opening to a string of earlier wipeouts felling Pedersen, Jorgenson, van Aert, and many more. Meanwhile, Paula Blasi delivers the breakout story of the spring with an improbable La Vuelta Femenina […]

The Giro d’Italia wrapped up its Bulgarian opening weekend with a much-needed return to order—and it was Paul Magnier (Soudal Quick-Step) who delivered, taking his second win in three days with a tight sprint victory in Sofia ahead of Jonathan Milan and Dylan Groenewegen. Behind him, Guillermo Silva safely defended the Maglia Rosa after a […]