Exactly 20 years ago today, a young Tom Boonen claimed his first Paris-Roubaix victory, marking the arrival of cycling's next cobblestone king. The 24-year-old Belgian, already victorious at Tour of Flanders two weeks prior, dominated the Hell of the North with raw power and tactical brilliance. Breaking away
Johan Museeuw stormed to his first Paris-Roubaix victory on this day in 1994, cementing his status as a classics legend. After 270 grueling kilometers across the cobblestones of northern France, the Belgian strongman broke clear with Fabio Baldato and Andrei Tchmil. With 30km remaining, Museeuw launched a devastating attack that
Zone 2 training has taken over cycling discourse — but a landmark 2025 peer-reviewed paper suggests the popular narrative is built on shakier ground than most coaches admit. Here's what the evidence actually supports.
That horrible hollow feeling 90 minutes into a big ride? It's not bad luck — it's bad fueling. Here's a simple, ride-length formula that keeps your legs turning and your brain functioning all the way home.
Dehydration doesn't announce itself with a bonk — it creeps in quietly, shaving watts and clouding judgement before you even notice. Here's a scenario-by-scenario guide to getting your fluid and sodium intake right, whether you're grinding up a twenty-minute col or smashing intervals on the turbo.
1. Cyclo‑cross opener: Lucinda Brand holds on in freezing Tábor On 23 November 2025 the opening round of the 2025/26 UCI Cyclo‑cross World Cup took place in Tábor, Czech Republic, and Brand claimed the women’s elite win. Why it matters: Brand’s win shows that even
Introduction Cycling performance depends on aerobic capacity, muscular endurance, recovery ability and the capacity to produce high power when required. One widely supported training approach that has gained substantial scientific backing in recent years is polarised training. This method distributes training intensity so that the majority of work is completed
1. Indoor training kicks off with style (and a discount) If the nights are drawing in and you’re eyeing your turbo trainer warily, you’ll like this: during “Indoor Cycling Week” at Cyclingnews, they’ve rolled out a full set of advice on how to get the most out
Jeannie Longo stood at the track center, eyes fixed on the clock. October 1996, Mexico City's thin air hummed with anticipation. For 48 minutes, she had maintained a metronomic pace, pushing the boundaries of women's cycling. When the gun finally sounded, she had done it: 48.
Eddy Merckx lay exhausted on the wooden track of Mexico City's velodrome. October 25, 1972 – he had just ridden further in one hour than any human in history. The Cannibal's legs trembled, his lungs burned, but the numbers spoke volumes: 49.431 kilometers. For 12 years,
In endurance cycling, performance isn’t just about training volume or biomechanics. What and when you eat — plus how you recover nutritionally — can make a meaningful difference in power output, fatigue resistance, recovery, and adaptation. Nutrition influences: * Fuel supply (muscle & liver glycogen, blood glucose) * Substrate utilisation (carbs vs fat,
What Is “Durability”? In the context of endurance cycling, “durability” refers to an athlete’s capacity to sustain performance (power, speed) under accumulated fatigue — whether late in a race, after many hours in the saddle, or following prior hard work. It is distinct from pure aerobic capacity (e.g., VO₂
In cycling (especially endurance or stage racing), performance is not just about training or physiology — how you fuel, recover, and adapt nutritionally can shift margins significantly. Good nutrition supports: * Sustained power output (by maintaining glycogen, blood glucose, substrate availability) * Reduced metabolic stress & fatigue * Faster recovery & adaptation (repair, glycogen
What Are Muscle Synergies & Why They Matter in Cycling When you pedal, your neuromuscular (nervous + muscular) system does not always activate each muscle in full isolation. Instead, groups of muscles commonly fire together in coordinated patterns or “modules” known as muscle synergies. These synergies represent how the central nervous
1. Pogačar Goes Monumental Again: Fifth Straight Il Lombardia Win Tadej Pogačar has officially redefined what “closing the season in style” means. At Il Lombardia 2025, he launched a solo attack with 36 km to go (on the Passo di Ganda) and held it to the finish, claiming his fifth
Why Nutrition Matters for Cycling Cycling performance is not solely determined by training or genetics — how you feed, fuel, and recover has a large cumulative effect. Key nutrition goals are: * Maintain energy supply (muscle & liver glycogen, blood glucose) to support sustained power output * Minimize metabolic fatigue (e.g. via
What Is Eccentric Cycling? In standard (concentric) cycling, the muscles shorten (contract) to produce force as you push the pedals. In eccentric cycling, the muscles resist force as they lengthen — effectively applying a braking or negative work load while the crank is driven (or resisted) in reverse or via specialised
1. Pogačar Doubles Down: Europe’s Crown After Worlds Solo Fresh off his dramatic solo win at the World Championships, Tadej Pogačar wasn’t satisfied. On October 5, he unleashed another long break — this time ~75 km from the finish — to win the 2025 European Road Championship in Guilherand‑Granges,
1. Pogačar Pulls Off Monumental Solo to Win 2025 World Road Title In a performance that’ll be replayed in highlight reels for years, Tadej Pogačar launched a daring solo break over 105 kmfrom the finish and held on to take the 2025 Elite Men’s Road World Championship in
Eddy Merckx set an hour record in Mexico City that would stand for 12 years, covering an astonishing 49.431 kilometers. The Cannibal later described it as "the hardest ride I ever did." Racing at altitude to minimize air resistance, Merckx pushed himself to absolute limits, collapsing after
1. Remco Evenepoel Takes Third Straight Men’s Time‑Trial World Title in Kigali In the opening time trial of the 2025 UCI Road World Championships in Kigali (first ever in Africa), Belgium’s Remco Evenepoel proved again that he’s the master of the solo ride against the clock.
Recent studies have sharpened our understanding of how nutrition can optimize performance, recovery, and adaptation for cyclists. Some of the most relevant findings: 1. More precise carbohydrate supplementation * A 2025 review “A Review of Carbohydrate Supplementation Approaches” (Cao et al.) examines how factors like types of carbs, ratios (e.g.
What Are Muscle Synergies? “Muscle synergies” are patterns of activation across multiple muscles acting together to produce movement. The concept is that the nervous system doesn’t always control each muscle in isolation, but rather through groups (synergies) that simplify control. Efficiency, coordination, and power output in cycling are influenced
Beryl Burton rode through the Yorkshire countryside, her pedal strokes smooth and powerful. In the 1967 12-hour time trial, she wasn't just racing against women – she was fastest overall. Her distance of 277.25 miles set a new absolute record, beating both men's and women'