Axeon dominates at Amateur Road Nationals

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Axeon Hagens Berman came out in full force on Thursday in Louisville, Ky., opening theAmateur Road National Championships presented by Papa Johnandrsquo;swith an overpowering performance in the U23 menandrsquo;s time trials.

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Stetina savours Tour de France return

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Peter Stetina will make his return to the Tour de France on Saturday and the 28-year-old will look to savour every minute of it after continuing his recovery from a life-threatening crash.

Last April the American collided with poorly marked traffic bollards and fractured his tibia, kneecap and four ribs at the Tour of the Basque Country. He missed the Tour de France as a result but after a length recovery period has begun to find his form.

"This is another step in proving that I’m back to where I should be," he told Cyclingnews at the team presentation ahead of the Tour on Thursday.

"I’m trying to put that accident behind me. To be selected for the Tour is gratifying in itself. I know you can’t get complacent with just starting, and I’m not, but it means something extra to be back here because that’s where my career was before, being in the Tour team and in the mountains with the leaders."

In 2014 – his first and only appearance at the Tour - Stetina battlted to 35th overall but more importantly, helped his then teammate Tejay van Garderen finish in the top five. He was a key climbing domestique for the BMC Racing leader and helped pick up his team leader after one particularily difficult day in the mountains.

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Now at Trek-Segafredo, Stetina is fully endorsing Bauke Mollema’s overall challenge.

"I’m here to do that with Bauke now and be there for him in the mountains. If you can climb well on the climbs then it ends up being good for you but we’re all in for Bauke now and if the cards fall right then he can podium or top five.”

Before anyone, including Stetina and Mollema, reach the mountains they must navigate through a difficult and tense opening week at the Tour de France. Trek-Segafredo have a number of powerhouses in the team, including Fabian Cancellara, and they will be charged with protecting Mollema while Stetina keeps his powder dry and legs safe.

"I just want to stay upright and get through it. It’s going to be a nervous first week but luckily the mountains come sooner rather than later and once we’re in the mountains, we’re really in the mountains. So for me it’s about staying safe and then getting into my playing ground."

Stetina joined Trek-Segafredo on a one-year deal and the American team have helped him reach the top once more. Although several teams are interested in his services for the future, the former BMC and Garmin rider hinted that he would re-sign. Regardless of where and who he rides for in 2017, each and every team could do with a slice of his outlook on racing.

“Things are moving in the right way and I hope to have news maybe by the start or the first rest day. My agent does all that and he sends me a text every day but he’s doing all that,” he told Cyclingnews.

“I’m just really happy to be racing and if you’ve found a good thing, a good job and a good life then everything comes as a bonus. I’m just enjoying it now and you realise that even though there are things that guys can bitch about, we’re doing a dream job for 10 years of our lives and then it’s done. I’m just enjoying it and I want to keep doing it for as long as I can, as long as the knee and the body holds up."

Hear more from Peter Stetina later this week in the Cyclingnews podcast. Download the podcast here. 

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Tour de France gets military send off in Normandy - Gallery

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The Tour de France embraced a World War II D-Day theme Thursday during the team presentation in Sainte-Mere-Eglise in Normandy, using vintage military transport vehicles to drive the teams one by one to the ceremony. Riders transferred to their bikes for the final ride up the ramp to the stage, where the large crowd cheered them on as the leaders answered pre-race questions one more time.

Defending champion Chris Froome, along with top general classification favourites Nairo Quintana and Alberto Contador, joined their teammates and the other 19 teams for the presentation just two days before the race begins Saturday on the streets of Le Mont-Saint-Michel.

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Check out the photo gallery above for a glimpse of today's presentation, then see the video below to get the Cyclingnews 10 GC riders to watch over the next three weeks.

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Romain Bardet's Focus Izalco Max - Gallery

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This article originally appeared on BikeRadar

Romain Bardet showed his worth in this year’s edition of the Critérium du Dauphiné. Narrowly missing out on a stage victory to fellow Frenchman Thibaut Pinot in Meribel, Bardet went on to finish second overall in the race – just 12 seconds behind Chris Froome.

AG2R La Mondiale’s lone hope for GC contention, Bardet has twice finished in the top ten in his past two attempts. Since 2013, AG2R La Mondiale has been riding on the German brand Focus, and this year’s edition is no different.

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Bardet was seen at last month’s Critérium du Dauphiné on two separate set-ups of the Izalco Max; the first set-up was seen with mechanical SRAM Red 22 groupset and the aerodynamic Zipp 404 wheels. External cable routing ensures ease of maintenance and set-up of the bike, while a long-cage rear derailleur and larger rear cassette ensure a wider gear ratio for climbing.

Romain Bardet’s second set-up of the Focus was equipped with the wireless SRAM Red eTap. Again 11-speed, the electronic groupset is equipped with a short-cage rear derailleur and a smaller cassette than on Bardet’s mechanical setup. Ever-reliable electrical tape is used to cover holes in the frame normally used for the internal cable routing of traditional electronic shifting.

On both setups, the Frenchman opts for traditional 53-39 chainrings, and while the eTap version doesn’t have a powermeter, the mechanical setup is equipped with a Quarq powermeter.

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PRT: UHC regains men’s team standings lead

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In a week that saw little change in individual standings, UnitedHealthcare regained control of the2016 Pro Road Tour (PRT)menandrsquo;s team standings with a strong weekend at the June 25-26Tour of Americaandrsquo;s Dairylandin Wauwatosa, Wis.

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Van der Breggen keeps one eye on Rio as she defends Giro Rosa title

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Anna van der Breggen (Rabo Liv) returns to the Giro Rosa this year with the number one of defending champion on her back. Van der Breggen took an emphatic victory in what was a superb season for the young Dutch rider.

Her preparation has not been ideal with a crash at the Women’s Tour that forced her to abandon. Fortunately, there were no long-lasting injuries for her, and she is looking forward to seeing how she fares.

“It’s nice. Every year is a new year so each time you are wondering again if you’re good enough and how hard it’s going to be,” she told Cyclingnews prior to her abandon at the Women’s Tour. “I like the Giro very much so I’m looking forward to it. I’m sure that the shape will come. I really like the circuit and the parcours in the Giro.”

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This year’s Giro Rosa has a testing course that includes an ascent of the Mortirolo on stage 5, plus a 21km time trial two days later. Van der Breggen will face some tough competition in the defence of her title from the likes of Mara Abbott (Wiggle-High5) and Megan Guarnier (Boels Dolmans). Like both Guarnier and Abbott, the Dutch rider will have half an eye on the Olympic Games in Rio. The lure of a medal at the Games will change both van der Breggen approach and how the general classification fight plays out.

With almost a month between the end of the Giro Rosa and the road race in Rio, timing will be key for those targeting both. “Rio is coming up, it’s a climbing circuit so I think that the Giro will show some climbers that you don’t expect,” she explained.

“I don’t want to be in shape too early, so I’m not in shape now so that is good. I hope that the shape will come in time for the Giro or otherwise it is going to be a hard Giro. After the Giro I will have a good rest and try to keep the shape until Rio, that’s the plan. You never know, because it is difficult. You can plan something, but it works out differently. Last year I was still ok in that moment, so I think it is possible.”

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Cavendish hits Tour de France from new angle

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Where Mark Cavendish’s form lies ahead of this year’s Tour de France is somewhat of an unknown. With a year devoted between disciplines as he juggles his ambitions for the Tour de France and the Olympic Games, he comes into July’s main event somewhat in limbo.

This season has had it’s high points, a world Madison title has been sandwiched between a stage and the overall in Qatar and a final-day triumph at the Tour of California. But with his track commitments being as they are the British rider has not been in a position to race on the road at 100 per cent.

“It’s been completely different,” he said of his Tour build-up at the Dimension Data pre-race press conference.

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“I’ve had a track build up and used racing to build my endurance. I really don’t know how it’s going to be. It could be the best thing I’ve ever done, it could be the worst. I’ve definitely made every second of every day count. I’m not coming to the Tour to just dick about. I’m here to represent team Dimension Data.”

Representing Dimension Data, for a sprinter of Cavendish’s high calibre at least, means one thing and one thing only: winning. Cavendish sees a number of stages as potential battlegrounds but given the form of Marcel Kittel this year and the luxurious riches the German has within his lead-out train, Cavendish very much starts as an underdog when it comes to winning the first stage and pulling on the yellow jersey.

“It was never a career target,” he said when asked about the chance of wearing yellow.

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Sagan stays cool before Tour de France depart

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Peter Sagan (Tinkoff) continued his laid-back, chilled-out approach to bike racing, even as the hours counted down to the start of the Tour de France, using his unique sense of humour mixed with sincerity and bravado to bat away questions during the Tinkoff team’s official press conference.

Sagan and Alberto Contador posed briefly for photographs but held separate press conferences. Contador’s was a serious affair, and the Spaniard gave little away about his form and future. Sagan, on the other hand, spent as much time pushing back his ever longer locks of hair as he did thinking of serious answers to the questions. Of course, he was sincere and reflective in some moments but still refuses to take himself and the pressures of the Tour de France too seriously.

Sagan only stayed silent when asked about his future. He has been linked to most of the big teams in the WorldTour, but his final destination for 2017 and beyond remains unclear.

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"We’re only here to talk about the Tour de France," Gabriele Uboldi, the team’s sponsorship manager said, butting in to stop Sagan answering a question about his possible move to Bora-Argon 18.

Sagan was happy to talk about his philosophy of racing and winning.

"In my life, I think that every day is one chance, so why not try," he said, when asked if he will again try to win every day, as he had promised last year but then failed to do.

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Giro Rosa: Abbott aims for third overall title while preparing for Rio Olympics

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Mara Abbott (Wiggle High5) will return to the Giro d’Italia Internazionale Femminile in an attempt to add a third overall title to her resume. The American, who was recently selected to the US team for the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, says she is focused on finding success in both Italy and Brazil.

“It's hard for me to even think about the Olympics with the Giro coming in just a few days,” Abbott said in a team press release. “It is an incredible honour to be selected for Rio - I can't even really believe it still. But the Giro is why I am still a cyclist. I could be coy... but I absolutely love this race and the experiences it has already given me means the world to me.

“Basically, if I am allowed any caffeine between now and August my head might explode due to excitement!” she laughed.

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USA Cycling announced the women’s road team for the Olympic Games to include automatic nominee Megan Guarnier and Abbott for the road race, and Evelyn Stevens and Kristin Armstrong for the road race and time trial.

But before Abbott can turn her attention to the Olympics, she will compete in the eleventh round of the Women’s WorldTour at the Giro Rosa. The 10-day event will start in Gaiarine, before travelling across the northern provinces of Italy, passing over the challenging Mortirolo during stage 5 and then to the Sanctuary of Madonna della Guardia in Alassio on the Ligurian coast on stage 8.

Abbott won the Giro Rosa in 2010 and 2013, and has won a total of six stages. Last year, she won the final mountain stage to San Domenico di Varza but it wasn’t enough to overtake overall winner Anna van der Breggen (Rabo Liv), and she finished second overall.

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Tour de France: Teams hit the roads training in Mont-Saint-Michel - Gallery

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There are just two days to go until the start of the 2016 Tour de France and the riders are facing a busy schedule of press conferences and training outings.

The rain fell heavily in the north of France on Thursday, but several teams still ventured out onto the roads around Mont-Saint-Michel to finalise their condition ahead of the Grand Départ. 

Team Sky, Etixx-QuickStep, Movistar, and Katusha were among those who braved the conditions in the picturesque town in coastal Normandy, while Peter Sagan (Tinkoff) opted to stay dry and spin the legs on the turbo trainer.

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Lotto Soudal rode out to Utah Beach on Wednesday to recon the opening stage of the Tour, which should end in a bunch sprint - a golden opportunity for their star rider André Greipel, who won four stages at last year's Tour, to don the yellow jersey. 

We've put together a gallery of some of the photos from the training rides, which you can flick through above. 

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Contador: Quintana is almost as big a favourite as Froome for Tour de France

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Alberto Contador has said that Nairo Quintana can be considered “almost as big a favourite" in the upcoming Tour de France as defending champion Chris Froome.

“I think Froome stands out as the top contender, for sure, and has a very strong team, but Nairo’s team and his ability to finish Grand Tours make him almost as big a favourite,” Contador said in a press conference at his Tour de France team hotel set deep in rural Normandy.

Contador, sitting between his press officer and top Tinkoff sports director Steve De Jongh, followed up that argument by firmly rejecting another journalist's idea that the Tour's GC battle could be reduced to a two-way fight between himself and Chris Froome.

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"That would be the wrong way of looking at it. I know I’m in a good condition to fight for the Tour, I’ve done it several times and I can be pretty confident of the way I analyse how I’m feeling. But although it’s a good route for me, it will definitely take 25 days before we know for sure what the outcome of this Tour is.” The difficult third week, of course, reinforces Contador’s argument about ‘waiting and seeing’.

As he had told Cyclingnews on Tuesday, Contador insisted that he had yet to sign any kind of contract for 2017 and beyond, although he recognised that “it would probably be a two-year deal" that he'll sign with Tinkoff set to fold at the end of the year. Recently published stories in the Spanish media continue to insist that Trek is his most likely destination but as yet nothing has been confirmed. In any case, Contador said on Thursday: “What I’m looking forward to right now is racing the Tour for a sponsor who’s been with us since 2012.”

Meanwhile, the question of how Sagan and Contador will race together in Tinkoff’s line-up was raised by several journalists, although in fact last year there were no issues between the two riders when they raced the Tour together. Contador confirmed that he was “really lucky to be sharing a team with Peter [Sagan], because we are very compatible. Peter is the rider with the most innate class, I think, that i’ve ever raced with in my career. He will be a key component at a tactical level and apart from that, I’m very proud to have him in my team. It’s a privilege.”

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Thomas sacrifices Tour de France GC ambitions for Froome

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Geraint Thomas’ (Team Sky) pre-race plans of enjoying a protected role during the Tour de France have been shelved for the time being with the Welsh rider set to throw his entire efforts into Chris Froome’s title defence.

Thomas has stepped up as a stage racer in 2016 and won the Volta ao Algarve and Paris-Nice earlier in the year. However he had a relatively flat Tour de Suisse by his standards and finished outside of the top-ten. Heading into the Tour, he confirmed that it had taken him some to change his focus but that helping Froome win back-to-back Tours was now his focus.

“Suisse didn’t really go to plan. It certainly wasn’t where I hoped to be. That was a big disappointment but I’ve rested up and I’m raring to go,” Thomas said at the Team Sky pre-race press conference at Omaha Beach in Northern France.

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“This is all about doing my job for Froome. Hopefully when we start climbing I feel good and if I’m up there, anything extra would be a huge bonus but in the last two weeks I’ve got my head around being here for Froome. If anything else happens that’s great but I’m not really thinking about personal ambitions.”

Thomas went into the Tour de Suisse as a genuine contender for the overall win. The race was blighted by poor conditions and Thomas missed his typical edge in the mountains. His foray into stage racing is a relatively new experience and the all-rounder – who finished 15th in last year’s Tour – admitted that he may have pushed him Tour preparations too far.

“I had a good camp in Tenerife and was a bit keen maybe and trained hard. I pushed the diet as well and it’s just one of those things. This is the first year I’ve concentrated on stage races and the start went really well. I think I was just a bit too keen. You have those races from time to time but I’ve done everything possible since then to freshen up and fuel up. I’ll be good when it matters.

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Ian Stannard's Pinarello Dogma F8 for the Tour de France

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Ian Stannard will be one of the eight Team Sky riders supporting Chris Froome’s bid for a third Tour de France. Stannard, along with his compatriot Luke Rowe, will look after Froome on the flatter roads and the smaller climbs.

He’ll be doing most of his duties on his black and blue Pinarello Dogma F8. Stannard measures in at 1.89 metres tall (or 6ft 2) and rides a 57.5cm frame. He also makes use of a 139mm Pro stem, longer than any of his teammates. His team leader Froome, who is just three centimetres shorter rides with a 121mm stem, while the 1.83m Geraint Thomas uses a 131mm. This gives him a much more aggressive position on the bike. The handlebars are also from pro.

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The Domga F8 comes with the Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 groupset, with Stannard opting for 53x39 set-up. Team Sky also uses Dura-Ace C50 wheels, which are fitted with Continental Pro competition tubular tyres. The bike is finished with a Fizik Arione saddle.

Flick through the gallery above for a closer look at Stannard’s bike.

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Bora-Argon 18: Sagan is too big a rider for us

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German Pro Continental team Bora-Argon 18 confirmed that they plan to step up to the UCI’s WorldTour in 2017 and that Bora-Hansgrohe will be the team name next year.

Hansgrohe, a bathroom company, will join as a secondary sponsor for an initial three-year period, the team confirmed at their pre-Tour de France press conference. The team, however, tried to distance themselves from reports that Peter Sagan would join the team in 2017, stating that the world champion was ‘too big a rider’ and too expensive.

“The final decision about the WorldTour is up to the UCI but in August we will present a strong roster to them, along with our budget. Then I hope that the UCI gives us the green light. It’s a big goal for me as the manager of  the team,” said Ralph Denk.

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Along with Sagan, the team have been linked with Specialized, the American bike manufacturer who are tied to the rider. Specialized coming on board with Bora would mean Argon 18 moving aside, and Denk admitted that changing bike sponsor could happen as the team are free to negotiate with bike brands if they move into the WorldTour ranks. However, he added that talks with Specialized had not yet taken place.

“We have a current contract with Argon but there is freedom if we move to WorldTour. I can’t confirm at this moment about Specialized. If you go to the WorldTour then we have the chance to choose what we want. At the moment there has been no contact with Specialized.”

With regards to riders, Denk said: “We’ve talked to a lot of riders and we know that teams are closing at the end of the year and that there are a lot of riders on the transfer market.

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Tour de France: Froome ready for toughest ever challenge

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He may be the favourite to win the Tour de France with the bookies but Chris Froome (Team Sky) isn’t taking anything for granted as he searches for this third title.

At Team Sky’s pre-race press conference at Omaha Beach in northern France it felt like business as usual for the defending champion as he faced the media. It was your archetypal Sky press conference with Dave Braislford opening proceedings before Froome offered his prepared thoughts.

“I’m in a privileged position to be leading such a great group of guys,” he said.

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“I’ve got all my bases covered with the guys we have here. I’m coming here off the back of the Dauphiné, which was a good confirmation of where I am. I feel as though I’m ready for the Tour de France.”

One of the areas in which Froome excels compared to his rivals is his support crew. That was abundantly clear at the press conference with Wout Poels, Geraint Thomas, Sergio Henao, Mikel Nieve, Mikel Landa, Luke Rowe and Ian Stannard on his flanks.

This is arguably the strongest squad Team Sky have ever selected for a Grand Tour – stronger, even, than their 2012 incarnation when they bossed proceedings with Wiggins and Froome finishing first and second. Six of the nine in this year’s team could consider themselves top-ten contenders in their own right. Whether they’ve arrived at the Tour and its tricky first week with too much of a climbing nucleus, only time will tell, but the fact that riders of Mikel Kwiatkowski’s qualitiy have been left out speaks volumes.

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Cannondale to merge with Drapac for 2017

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The Cannondale team will become Cannondale-Drapac for the Tour de France and the remainder of this season, with a full merger between the American WorldTour squad and the Australian Pro Continental Drapac outfit announced for 2017. The deal is set to run for five years. 

The Cannondale team announced the secondary sponsor on Thursday morning along with a new jersey, which the riders will wear at the Tour de France. Pierre Rolland is set to be the team's sole leader after Andrew Talansky opted to skip the Tour in favour of the Vuelta a España.

Drapac will continue their sponsorship of the Pro Continental team until the end of 2016. In 2017, the company will continue their sponsorship of the WorldTour squad and will also fund a development squad, which will be called Drapac-Pat's Veg. Riders and staff from the current Drapac team will be given an opportunity to step up to the WorldTour team while others will be moved into the development set-up. The Drapac Pro Continental team was set up in 2005, founded by Australian property developer Michael Drapac. He is now joint owner of Slipstream Sports, the company behind the Canondale team

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“Since Drapac Professional Cycling took out a Pro-Continental license in 2014, we have clearly stated that our goal has been two-fold; to reach the Tour de France, and to promote the philosophy of athletes well-being and holistic athlete development which has underpinned this team from the start," Drapac Professional Cycling’s General Manager Jonathan Breekveldt said.

“By joining with the Slipstream organization Drapac will now be able to both offer a complete development program with a direct pathway to the World Tour, as well as greater exposure for the philosophy that we work under, it will also see some of our existing riders achieve their - and our - sporting goals."

Slipstream Sports, already confirmed their partnership with Drapac in setting up a development team. The new Drapac-Pat's Veg continental squad will look to ensure riders have focuses and skills outside of the sport. They will require their riders to attend university or take on professional-level certifications or apprenticeships. The team will look to plan rider's commitments around those courses. 

“We need to teach our athletes to be whole. When the door of being an athlete closes, you would hope that they have the resources - financial and emotional - to transition to another phase of their lives. We need to understand that the human cost of professional sport is just horrific. And we want to win bike races, but that’s why I developed the holistic development team," Drapac explained. 

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Pinot extends with FDJ for two years

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Thibaut Pinot has put pen to paper on a new two-year deal that will keep him at FDJ through to the end of the 2018 season. 

The Frenchman's contract was set to expire at the end of this year, and he said at the start of the season that he would consider offers from other teams, though he did say he saw himself staying with the French national lottery-sponsored WorldTour outfit.

A deal in principal was drawn up a month ago and, after the terms were finalised - with a salary rise likely - the extension was announced at FDJ's pre-Tour de France press conference on Thursday morning. 

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"I didn't see myself leaving despite some better offers, which came from good foreign teams," said Pinot, according to L'Equipe. "Being approached was gratifying, and I listened to what they were offering."

FDJ, the French national lottery company, extended their backing of the team through to the end of 2018 earlier this year, which is understood to have smoothed Pinot's decision to stay, with the 26-year-old an important asset for a team sponsored by the French state. 

Pinot has been at FDJ since turning pro in 2010 and has since emerged as a leading French stage race hope for a nation that has waited 30 years for a home winner of the Tour de France. He finished in the top 10 at his debut Tour de France in 2012 and got himself on the podium in 2014 before a disappointing performance last year was redeemed by a famous win atop Alpe d'Huez.

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Cancellara gets special-edition Trek Madone for Tour de France

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Fabian Cancellara (Trek-Segafredo) has got his hands on another specially painted Trek bike this season, this time for the Tour de France. The Swiss star has already ridden a special-edition Trek Madone for Milan-San Remo and Domanes for the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix.

This latest white-look Madone will be Cancellara’s steed for the duration of the Tour and pays homage to his successes during his 16-year career. Trek-Segafredo released a short Twitter video on Thursday morning with the team’s technical director Matt Shriver talking through the design.

“For Fabian’s last Tour de France we decided to do a special paint scheme for him, just to recognise everything he’s done in cycling,” explained Shriver.

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“This is a Trek Madone. It says Spartacus - that’s his nickname so we really wanted to call that out for him. On his top tube you have all of his palmarès, 16 years as a professional, his nickname again, 100 plus podiums, king of the classics, king of the cobbles, gold medal, Olympian and even more palmarès here (on the chainstay).

"All the graphics represent the teams that he’s been on, the colours from the different teams. The paint is a white pearl with gold flecks in it for all the gold medals.”

Cancellara made his debut at the Tour de France in 2004 and has since won seven stages and spent 29 days in the yellow jersey, more than any other rider without winning. Click here for a gallery of Cancellara’s past performances at the Tour de France.

• Fabian Cancellara's Milan-San Remo Trek Madone
• Fabian Cancellara's 2016 Trek Madone - Gallery
• Fabian Cancellara's Flanders farewell Trek Domane SLR
• Fabian Cancellara's farewell Paris-Roubaix Trek Domane SLR

— Trek-Segafredo (@TrekSegafredo) June 30, 2016

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Team Sky ready to help Froome win a third Tour de France

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Team Sky was one of the first teams to face the Tour de France media on Thursday morning before they headed out for a training ride in the rain of northern France.

Chris Froome and team manager Dave Brailsford took centre stage, with the other riders in the strong Team Sky line-up flanking them on the long table. Ahead of them was a packed room of media and a dozen television camera ready to catch their every word.

Geraint Thomas, Mikel Landa, Wout Poels and Sergio Henao were the closest to Froome, just as they will be in the important mountains of the Tour de France. Luke Rowe, Vasil Kiryienka and Ian Stannard will be expected to help and protect Froome during the opening weekend in La Manche and on the flat stages.

Froome described targeting a third Tour de France victory as the “toughest challenge in my career to date” but looked lean, if not leaner than in previous years. The atmosphere was relaxed but also serious as the clock began to tick down in earnest to Saturday’s opening stage.

With media from across Europe and the world, there were even some question and quips about Britain’s decision to quit European Union and poor performance of the England football team. Brailsford preferred not to respond to a question about him somehow being involved in the future of the England football team but that only fuelled the idea that he could one day leave cycling to use his management skills in other sports. For now though he remained focused on winning the Tour de France.

“This is one of the high points of year for us. We get a feel of anticipation and excitement every year but it’s different this year, there’s a real excitement for the race, we know it’s going to be hard and very tough this year,” Brailsford said.

“We’ve got a fantastic leader. He took slightly different approach to the season this year, coming into top form later to hold it into the Olympics and second part of season. That’s been fun doing it, it’s been a different way of doing it but Chris is in great shape.”

“The defining factor is the strength of the team. Everyone has led Sky in their own right during the season and so they all know how to play a leadership role. Now the challenge is to come together and fulfil the team function. We’ve potentially got the strongest team on paper but as they say: A star team will always beat a team of stars. Now it’s about coming together and achieving that. It’s exciting, we all love this race. We grew up watching it and starting up in north is nice because we’re one of cycling heartlands of France.”

Thomas ready to work for Froome

After a disappointing Tour de Suisse, Thomas confirmed that he is ready to work for Froome before thinking about his own overall ambitions.

“Now it’s about doing my job for Froomie,” he said. “I hope to feel good when we start climbing. Anything else is a bonus. I’ve got my head around helping Froomie, I’m not thinking about personal ambitions at moment.”

Froome and Brailsford reiterated their strategy of building up gradually during the 2016 season to hit a high peak of form in the final week of the Tour de France and then hopefully hold through to the Olympic time trial and road race in early August.

Brailsford insisted that the Team Sky squad is strong for the mountains but also for the opening stages when positioning and protecting Froome is vital. Brailsford is not worried about the likes of Movistar, Tinkoff and FDJ joining forces to try to stop Froome winning.

“We’ve got a slightly biased team for climbers, we left some exceptional bike riders at home,” Brailsford said. “If you worry about people ganging up on you, you are not able to focus on yourself. We’ll make the race and choose our tactics accordingly. It’s about being proactive and controlling, rather than worrying about other people.”

Nairo Quintana (Movistar) is considered as Froome biggest threat but Brailsford believes he has identified chinks in the Colombian’s amour.

“He has had a good season. He usually has a strong last week and the question is if he’s stepped up. He’ll be asking himself the question as much as others. He’s confident but there’s a question there too because he’s never done it (won the Tour de France). That’s an opportunity for us. When he rides he’s brilliant but there are chink in his armour if an opportunity arises, we’ll take it.”

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Report: Bora-Argon 18 to sign Sagan and add Hansgrohe as naming rights sponsor

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Belgian newspaper Het Nieuwsblad is reporting German Pro-Continental team Bora-Argon 18 will confirm Hansgrohe as a naming rights sponsor with bicycle sponsor Specialized also coming onboard which has allowed for the singing of world champion Peter Sagan, his brother Juraj, Polish champion Rafa Majka, Michael Kolar and Erik Baska.

Bora-Argon 18 are scheduled to hold its pre-Tour de France press conference at 1:45pm today, to confirm the arrival of Hansgrohe as a sponsor. Hansgrohe are a bathroom products manufacturer with previous involvement in cyclo-cross, recently sponsoring the Superprestige series.

Regarding the signing of Sagan, Het Nieuwsblad adds that the deal was made possible by Specialized who are to end its sponsorship of the Astana team at the end of this season.

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The Tinkoff quartet are free to join Bora with team owner Oleg Tinkov withdrawing his sponsorship at the end of the 2016 season. Just as in the 2014 season, Sagan has been centre of the transfer market with several signings dependent on his momvent.

Cyclingnews will have further information later today and to keep up to date with the latest, join our 2016 Tour de France countdown by clicking here.

 

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Trek Fuel EX 9.9 29 first ride review

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Trek popped the top on the 27.5+ versions of the new Fuel EX in late May. Now Trek is ready to unveil the rest of the 2017 Fuel EX line. The latest Fuel EX is lower and slacker, with more travel than ever before.

Trek Fuel EX 9.9 29 highlights

• 130mm front and rear travel
• Adjustable geometry
• 27.5+ compatible
• Full OCLV carbon frame
• 25lb/11.3kg weight (size 17.5)
• Offered in five frame sizes
• Available now

A harder-hitting trail bike

It appears Trek’s design team has been paying close attention to the desires of trail riders, many of whom have been gravitating toward short-travel 29ers with slack geometry, and redesigned the Fuel EX accordingly.

“We saw the direction trail bikes are heading — riders are getting much more aggressive and we wanted to make a bike that was very capable, but that could still be ridden all day,” said Trek’s mountain bike brand manager Travis Ott.

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The previous iteration of Trek’s best-selling mountain bike featured 120mm of matched suspension travel. The new Fuel EX gets a bump in travel to 130mm at both ends. More noteworthy than the slight increase in suspension numbers is a significant overhaul of the bike’s geometry.

Like its predecessor, the latest generation uses Trek’s Mino Link to tune the suspension between a high and steeper setting or a lower and slacker position. In the low mode — which, by the way, is the position this tester has had most fun with — the Fuel EX sports a confidence-inspiring 67-degree head tube angle, a low bottom bracket height of 13.1in / 33.5cm, and chainstays that measure in at just 17in / 433mm.

Spirited and sporty handling

• Trek fattens up with the Fuel EX 27.5+

Frame features

Initial equipment observations

• Inside Trek’s RE:aktiv damper

• Five reasons why SRAM Eagle means the end of front derailleurs

Early verdict

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Tour de France: The alternative 'non-selected' nine-man team

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Over the past couple of weeks, 198 riders have been told to pack their bags for a three-week trip around France. Some, however, have not.

This year some notable names have missed out on selection for the biggest race of the year but – in what will be of no consolation whatsoever – we've made a home for them here, in the welcoming bosom of our alternative 'not-picked' team of nine. This is not a place for those who were never going to do the Tour de France, or those who have been injured, but rather riders who were in line to take part in La Grande Boucle, but didn't get the nod.

They say that one man's trash is another man's treasure, and so we proudly present the unofficial 23rd team of the 2016 Tour de France.

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Leader - Ryder Hesjedal (Trek-Segafredo)

Our team has proven Grand Tour pedigree in the form of 2012 Giro d'Italia winner Ryder Hesjedal, who will lead our bid for the maillot jaune.

The 35-year-old's primary goal for the season was the Giro d'Italia in May, but he was forced to abandon on stage 14 as he came down with a combination of pharyngitis and tracheitis. Hesjedal is no stranger to doubling up on the Giro and Tour, and his early exit strengthened the likelihood of him going to France to back up Bauke Mollema and perhaps go on the offensive in the mountains in the final week. However, having finished an hour back at the Critérium du Dauphiné, the team was not convinced of his form.

"It was the right decision by all involved in the process," said Hesjedal on Twitter regarding his omission. "Just not at the level I am usually at. Can't do Tour less than 100%."

Free role - Michal Kwiatkowski (Team Sky)

Super domestique - Dario Cataldo (Astana)

Plan B - Samuel Sánchez (BMC)

Road captain - Nicolas Roche (Team Sky)

Rouleur/time triallist - Alex Dowsett (Movistar)

Puncheur - Philippe Gilbert (BMC)

Sprinter - Tyler Farrar (Dimension Data)

Domestique/stage hunter - Zdenek Stybar (Etixx-QuickStep)

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Trek Powerfly FS 9 Plus first ride review

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The all-new Powerfly FS 9 shares a lot in common with the EX trail bike, but the addition of a Bosch pedal-assist motor turns it into quite a different proposition. It’s not quite perfect but the combination of a well thought out chassis and chubby rubber mean it’s capable of some quite amazing feats.

• Trek Powerfly FS+ electric mountain bike - first look
• 10 reasons you really should try an e-MTB

Trek Powerfly FS 9 Plus highlights

• 130mm front and rear travel
• Adjustable geometry
• Boost axle spacing
• 250W Bosch pedal-assist motor
• SRAM EX e-MTB-specific groupset

The bike gets 130mm of travel at either end, using Trek’s ABP design, which uses a concentric pivot at the dropout to help isolate brake forces from bump forces. On an e-bike, where the extra weight means being able to stop in good order is even more critical than usual, this is a very welcome feature. The Mino Link geometry adjusting chips in the seatstays are also present and correct, allowing a 5mm bottom bracket drop and 0.5deg off the head angle from the ‘High’ position figures of 338mm and 67.4deg respectively.

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As you’d expect from the people that invented it, you get Boost axle spacing at either end to help stiffen up the 40mm wide 27.5 rims shod in 2.8in rubber. A new feature to the bike is the Knock Block, which uses a system of keyed stem spacers and a special headset cap to limit steering lock and prevent the bars from hitting the top tube.

Trek is keen to push the adventuring potential of this bike and the ride showed that – to attempt it unassisted would require a very long day out and a lot of fitness

The system also means that Trek could use a straighter and therefore lighter down tube without fear of the fork crown contacting it. The FS doesn’t get the clever RE:Aktiv shock technology that the 150mm travel Powerfly LT gets, but it still has a bang-up-to-date metric-sized RockShox Deluxe RT3 shock with a trunnion mount.

The pulsing heart of the bike is a Bosch Performance CX pedal-assist motor pumping out up to 250W of extra go paired to a 500Wh battery that’s mounted conventionally on the down tube. Trek has added a custom bash plate to help protect the motor from damage, a feature first seen on the old Powerfly FS. It retains the integrated bottle opener too, so whether you’re going for mid ride picnic or post ride beer, you’ll not be left wanting on that count.

Testing times

The bulk of the bike adds to its feeling of stability and the fat tyres really help too

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Wiggle cleared to merge with Chain Reaction Cycles

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UPDATE 30/6/16: Online retailers Wiggle and Chain Reaction Cycles have received merger approval from the UK's Competition and Markets Authority. The new company will be called WiggleCRC.

It will be chaired by Brian McBride and managed by Stefan Barden, as Chief Executive Officer. Chris Watson, currently Managing Director of Chain Reaction Cycles, will sit on the board and will be a significant shareholder.

Barden said: “Together, Wiggle and Chain Reaction Cycles’ first class team of sports enthusiasts and strong heritage and expertise in cycling, running, swimming and tri-sports, will form the foundations for building a global champion.” 

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Previous coverage follows below...

Update: 12/02/2016 14:40 Both companies have now confirmed that they are to merge. The transaction, which is subject to a number of regulatory approvals, including merger control clearance from the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), will amount to a business with a combined revenue in excess of £300m.

The full press release is below:

Merger to create global champion

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