The bike I'm borrowing is much lighter than my own, with tyres twice the width, and drop handlebars splayed out to the sides for extra control. The gearing goes much lower than I am used to, meaning even the steepest slopes should be eventually surmountable.
Vingegaard, who was the race favourite in his first participation, took control in the Pyrenees with stage five and six solo victories. The Dane, who also won two stages and the overall title at Paris-Nice earlier this month, is planning a Giro d'Italia and Tour de France double assault later in the year.
Pogacar made his decisive move just as he had done two years ago on the Monte Sante Marie gravel section. His UAE Team Emirates colleagues had put the hammer down heading into that section and once Pogacar attacked on a tough climb, he quickly distanced everyone else. Seixas was the rider who resisted the longest even briefly dragging back Pogacar before the world champion accelerated again and disappeared over the horizon for good.
Start with the tires and chain. Is your chain cleaned and lubed? Is the sealant in your tubeless tires good to go? If not, refresh both. Pop your bike in a stand like the Feedback Sports Pro Mechanic or Sport Mechanic 2.0, confirming that it's shifting correctly and brakes are functioning properly before embarking on any significant cycling journey.
I had trained for a full year to complete a self-supported bicycle tour from San Diego to Las Cruces, New Mexico. It was meant to be the next-to-last chapter in my coast-to-coast cycling journey - one more long stretch of road before the final piece fell into place. Thirty-four miles into the ride, it was over. A microfiber towel caught in my derailleur. A fluke. One of those things you never plan for and still struggle to explain afterward.
While most modern competitions recruit riders with similar skillsets and design courses to suit them, Natural Selection flips the script. By drawing riders from a wide range of backgrounds, NST creates a format that values creativity and individuality as much as technical execution. It is one of the few competitions where the structure of the contest comes secondary to the riders themselves.
Quick Take: For this post, stacking means two rides in one day-morning and evening-so I practice riding when I'm not perfectly fresh. It prepares me for 7 straight days of touring without destroying myself in training. I'm training for a 7-day, 470-mile Mississippi River tour where the real test isn't day one-it's day five. By then your legs have opinions, your energy fluctuates, and your mind starts negotiating.