🚴‍♂️ Weekly Cycling News Roundup — Monday, 23 June 2025
1. Madiot vs. the Machines: A Push to Uproot Race Radios and Power Meters
What’s new: Groupama-FDJ’s sportive patriarch, Marc Madiot, has launched a bold critique of modern race tech. He wants to see race radios, power meters, and GPS stripped from pro kits, hoping to dial racing back to gut feel and old-school millimetres of decision-making .
Why it matters: With crashes still haunting the peloton, the debate isn’t just nostalgic. Madiot claims teams have become “remote-controlled”—leading to mechanical, high-speed riding with less human wiggle room. His plea echoes recent UCI safety efforts, and it’s sifting the peloton into futurists vs. nostalgists.
Takeaway: If Madiot wins this one, your tech-heavy group ride will feel like a pit lane meeting. Be prepared to hear riders chanting: “Talk less, ride more.”
2. UCI’s Gear and Handlebar Clampdown: Safety or Sabotage?
The updates:
A two-pronged ruleset is rolling in:
- A trial limiting maximum gear ratios to 54Ă—11 (capping speed in high gear events) .
- A mandatory minimum bar width of 400 mm (horseshoes hiding aerodynamic shortcuts) .
Why it matters: Gear capping could mellow out monster sprinters, while the bar drama hits smaller riders—especially women—hard. Gear geeks hate losing their sweet 10t cogs; bar designers are doing emotional calculus on fit and fairness.
Takeaway: The UCI seems determined to cage-speed drift while navigating rideability. Expect hot water: part common sense, part regulatory overreach.
3. Almeida Shocks at Tour de Suisse Queen Stage
What’s happened: Lisbon-born João Almeida stole the limelight on Stage 7, dropping rivals on the final climb to Emmetten and snatching precious time bonuses .
Why it matters: Almeida split Vauquelin’s lead by mere seconds, setting up a cliffhanger before the uphill time-trial finale. Add Alaphilippe’s presence, and what looked like routine becomes a riveting tactical chess match.
Takeaway: This Carrera’s final day will either crown Vauquelin or rewrite the GC script entirely—punchy, elite, and exquisitely balanced.
4. Jordi Meeus and Lorena Wiebes Dominate Copenhagen Sprint Debut
Race recap:
The new Copenhagen Sprint hit the WorldTour calendar this weekend:
- Men’s winner: Jordi Meeus (BEL), with Alexis Renard and Emilien Jeannière on the podium .
- Women’s winner: Lorena Wiebes (NED) charging to the tape ahead of Elisa Balsamo and Chiara Consonni .
Why it matters: A sprint fiesta in Denmark? You bet. The riders made the fast circuit look like a carnival of speed. And balance on prize equity? Nice bonus from the UCI.
Takeaway: New race, same old thrill: two wheels, all gas, finish line fireworks.
5. Baloise Belgium Tour Stage 4: Emotional Berckmoes Triumph
The moment: Lotto’s Jenno Berckmoes broke clear up a steep Durbuy climb, crossing solo and overwhelmed with emotion—victory, personal battles and all .
Why it matters: At 30 °C, with the Golden Kilometre still pending, GC shakeups were inevitable. Filippo Baroncini took the leader’s jersey, dethroning Ethan Hayter by just four seconds.
Takeaway: Big rides. Bigger emotions. In nowheresville Belgium, cycling’s still about heartbeats, not heart rates.
đź“ť Final Word
This week’s headlines trace a vivid arc:
- Tech pushback: Madiot rallies to unplug the peloton.
- Gear fairness: UCI reshapes kit with new gear and bar limits.
- Racing drama: Almeida and Meeus/Wiebes deliver fireworks.
- Human stories: Berckmoes reminds us why we watch.
From safety standards and rule skirmishes to adrenaline-soaked finishes, this spectrum of cycling stories delivers balance, surprise, and more than a riffle of grit.
