More than 6 months have now passed since Shimano introduced the mechanical shifting version of their new GRX 12 speed group. At the time, it was assumed that a Di2 electronic shifting version of the 12 speed GRX group would follow shortly, but that didn't happen. With Shimano's Dura-Ace, Ultegra, and 105 road groups now all firmly in the 12 speed Di2 "family", it is curious that GRX 12 speed Di2 never materialized. So what happened? What could be driving a delay of the launch of GRX Di2 12 speed? Excess inventory in the bicycle industry is not a big secret. Both manufacturers and bike shops ar ..read more

Belgian Toon Aerts is set to return to cyclocross racing in the coming weekend, as he serves the final days of a two year doping suspension. Aerts has a new team and will be able to return to catch a few races at the tail end of the 2024 season, before a planned full 2024/25 season starting this Fall. Toon Aerts doping suspension ends Februrary 15, 2024 Aerts' suspension comes to a conclusion on Feb. 15, 2024, two years after he was initially banned by the UCI in the run-up to the 2022 cyclocross world championship. He's eligible to race starting on February 16, and plans to get back in a ..read more

With the Tábor cyclocross World Championships in the rearview mirror, attention turns to the Spring Classics and Grand Tours coming up in the next few months and a break for the full-time cyclocrossers. As we begin to look forward to the upcoming 2024/25 'cross season, let's examine 5 cycloross trends to watch for starting this Fall: #1: Fueling during races Historically, cyclocross races featuring short, intense efforts lasting only 45-60 minutes haven't been thought to have needed in-race fueling from a nutritional standpoint. You occassionally see riders start with a water bottle on th ..read more

Starting February 1, 2024, the Max streaming service (formerly HBO Max) will offer live streaming bicycle racing coverage through the subscription Bleacher Report ("B/R Sports") add-on. With GCN+ ceasing operations, that leaves the new Max / Bleacher Report streaming services as one of the primary streaming options for cycling fans in the USA. Let's take a look at how much the Max / Bleacher Report service will cost, features, race coverage, and some pros and cons. Which cycling races will be on the Max service with Bleacher Report add-on? Thus far, the B/R Sports schedule inclu ..read more

The 2024 Cyclocross World Championship is just a few weeks away! The world's fastest 'cross riders will tackle a challenging course in Tábor, Czech Republic (Czechia) on February 2-4, 2024. Let's preview the course, review your options for live stream race coverage, and meet the favored riders. When and where is the 2024 Cyclocross World Championship? The 2024 Cyclocross World Championship takes place in Tábor, Czech Republic, starting Friday, February 2, 2024 and ending on Sunday, February 4, 2024. Events are spread across a 3 day period: Team Relay on Friday, February 2 Junior Wom ..read more

Watch cyclocross racing long enough, and you'll hear references to the "80% rule" - but the letter of the rule, and its application, isn't always obvious or easy to understand. The 80% rule is intended to protect racing integrity, by removing slower riders from the race before they are lapped so they don't interfere with the race leader. Let's take a look at the details of the 80% rule and how it can affect racing outcomes in cyclocross. What is the 80% rule? The 80% rule states (paraphrasing) that riders who are more than 80% of a lap behind the leader can be removed from the race, unless it ..read more

One of my favorite New Year's Day traditions is the GP Sven Nys cyclocross race from Baal. While many other races come and go and pop up on various days on the calendar, the GP Sven Nys is generally always on January 1, the perfect way to ring in the new year. Kerstperiode racing With it's traditional January 1 date, the GP Sven Nys is sort of the unofficial conclusion to Kerstperiode, the special block of back-to-back races that take place between Christmas and New Year's. Named in honor of Sven Nys You know you've arrived when they name the race after you... the legend Sven Nys won this ..read more

USA Cycling has released the tech guide for the 2023 cyclocross national championships, scheduled for December 5-10, 2023 in Louisville, Kentucky. Here's what you need to know about maximum tire sizes, GPS tracks for course preview, pit passes, live streaming, and more. Maximum tire width / sizes A few years ago I translated the tech guide into plain English regarding tire size. The rules for 2023 appear to be largely the same as the revision that was made in 2019: No spikes or studs in any category For events held under UCI rules, tire width is limited to 33mm. That's for Elite Men and Women ..read more

Stan's NoTubes tire sealant is one of the most popular tire sealant solutions on the market today. It's become so ubiquitous, in fact, that many riders automatically think of the Stan's NoTubes brand when someone says "tire sealant", the way "Xerox" is synonymous with "photocopy." Some riders are not aware, however, that NoTubes actually makes two different, and distinct tire sealant formulations: The first, "Race" and the second, what might be called the "Standard" version. Depending on your terrain and riding style, one of these two options will likely be a better choice for your bike. Let's ..read more

We're only a couple weeks away from the 2023 Cyclocross World Championships! Here's how to watch via live stream, and riders to keep an eye on.  2023 Cyclocross World Championship Live Stream For viewers in the USA, FloSports has the broadcast rights to the 2023 Cyclocross World Championship with their FloBikes subscription service. FloBikes is an annual subscription package that offers live streaming of different cycling disciplines; notably, the cyclocross World Cup and World Championship events. Outside the USA, check out GCN+ / Eurosport in some other countries, including the Uni ..read more