Every cyclist has a “bonk” story — that moment when the legs go empty and the ride goes sideways. Mine came on a fast group ride back in 2016, when I discovered the hard way that fitness alone isn’t enough if you don’t fuel the work. In this month’s Toolbox, I dig into the real […]

It’s our Monday morning cycling news roundup, and we’re still breathless from a remarkable Milan-Sanremo — breathless, so we turn to the riders themselves, from Tadej to Pidders to Wout to one George Hincapie, for their reactions. We also cover the women’s version of MSR, bid farewell to Nairoman, check in on some non-Italian racing, […]

In the late 1990s, Frank Vandenbrouke, known to his fans as “God” or “VDB,” set the professional cycling world on fire with his exciting performances and assertive style but in only a few short years his rocketing star burned out, and the end came in a squalid hotel room in Africa after a decade of […]

If you thought La Classicissima couldn’t get any wilder, Tadej Pogačar just rewrote the script. The World Champion delivered one of the most improbable wins in recent Milan–San Remo history — crashing before the Cipressa, chasing back on, attacking anyway, and then outsprinting Tom Pidcock after blowing the race apart on the Poggio. Wout van […]

Back in 2009 ‘The PEZ’ crew was out in force for La Classicissima, here is Ed Hood’s report of the day. In January 2025 we lost our friend and colleague Ed Hood, two years after his devastating stroke. We will never forget Ed and his knowledge, connections in the cycling world, his writing style and […]

My journey to see my first Milan-San Remo started by crossing the Lombard plain and the coastal mountains, then smelling the sea-salt air of the Mediterranean for the first time is an amazing experience – hard to put into words, but impossible to forget. Milan-SanRemo Primer: One Step & 300km Closer My original theme for […]

Though Milan may be known primarily for its fashion, its cathedral and the great Milan-San Remo bike race, it is only slightly less well known for its creamy, golden, saffron-infused risotto. Though I typically do not like to repeat dishes and/or styles of dishes (barley risotto…), this dish is just too classically “Milanese” to overlook […]

We are stoked! It’s the first Gear Break of Spring! Winter is over…even if it isn’t. Today’s Gear Break spans the full spectrum of modern gravel and road evolution, from BlackHeart’s category-blurring Road Plus launch and Q36.5’s tribute to the “Shark of Messina,” to the effortless tech of Hammerhead’s Karoo Share and Northwave’s World Tour-inspired […]

It’s the Thursday cycling news roundup — the Thursday before Milan-San Remo, aka 90% tedium, 10% electric. Mike offers his pre-race rankings — and reveals your rankings of the Spring Classics. Plus we caught some midweek races that offered up signals for this weekend; Lenny Martinez captured our fandom — and a bunch of kids […]

VIDEO:  Milan-San Remo is here — and as La Primavera once again sets the tone for the Spring Classics, we revisit our inside-the-peloton breakdown with Chris Horner. In this still-timely conversation, Horner dissects what makes San Remo so unpredictable, how the race really unfolds over 300km, and the critical moments on the Cipressa and Poggio […]

San Remo Primer: There’s no better way to spend race day in San Remo than on the Poggio – and going by bike ahead of the race is a must for any self-respecting fan. Back in March 2010, the ‘Pez’ himself took to his bike on the road to Sanremo. Here’s the best way to […]

Some of my best moments on the bike have happened while riding the hallowed roads of our sports biggest races.  One of my favorite stories came from PEZ’s Nick O’Brien as he was pre-riding the 96th la Primavera – Milan-Sanremo 2005, and found himself in a two-up duel to the finch on Via Roma. Now […]

Product reviews can often trend towards the mundane. Reviewers like to keep things coldly analytical and “scientific.” We weigh everything, wax poetic over torque values, grams and aero-profiles as we push the “tech is king” mantra on most products crossing our path. This isn’t that. Ok, well it is some of that, but the first […]

The WorldTour’s most chaotic week delivered exactly what we’ve come to expect from cycling’s split personality: brilliance, imbalance, and just a hint of absurdity. With Paris–Nice and Tirreno–Adriatico once again running head-to-head, fans were treated to a non-stop stream of racing—but not necessarily best-on-best competition. Jonas Vingegaard obliterated the field in France with a historic […]

While heat is often associated with reduced athletic performance and the dangers of heat stress, research increasingly shows that controlled heat exposure can provide powerful long-term health benefits. In this interview on CBC Radio’s The Dose podcast with Dr. Brian Goldman, PEZ ToolBox editor and environmental stress expert Dr. Stephen Cheung explores the latest science […]

SUMMARY AND PERMALINK TOP STORY Reader Poll: What’s the Best Spring Classic to Watch? RACE NEWS Race to the (Eventual) Sun Conclusion: Vingegaard Shines at Paris-Nice Race of the Two Seas (and Many Bruises): Tirreno-Adriatico Wrapup Swinkels Claims First WorldTour Victory at Trofeo Alfredo Binda Tour of Rhodes: Astana Development’s Matteo Scalco Wins Stage 3 […]

For many cycling fans, professional bicycling racing more or less begins and ends with the Tour de France but bicycle races, like the cyclists who contest them, come in many styles beyond the Grand Tours. In 2014 British author Peter Cossins’s book “The Monuments,” covering the history of these five events, was published to acclaim […]

The Successful Comeback Men: Lance Armstrong cemented his comeback from cancer with his Tour de France wins, then lost them, partially due to his second comeback. Ed Hood takes a look at ‘Big Tex’ and thirteen other comeback men from the pro peloton, just to show it can be done. In January 2025 we lost […]

Here we are exactly 4 week since the last Friday the 13th. This week Gear Break is Lucky Ɛ⇂. Though, with kit and equipment this good, you probably won’t need any luck. Bianchi’s new all-road (and very gravel capable) Infinito is here. Muc-off has just dripped their all new drip wax lube onto the world. […]

Mike’s midweek cycling news roundup wonders whether how many more years races like Paris-Nice and Tirreno-Adriatico have left, considering the toll they take on riders. Still, those races offered some exciting racing, with attacks, cracks, and comebacks on wet roads and amid shellacking crosswinds. Plus the women continue to offer up exciting racing — and […]

Italy has long been a dream destination for cyclists, combining legendary climbs, breathtaking landscapes and a deep culture of food and wine. Through Italy Bike Hotels, riders can experience some of the country’s best cycling regions — from the high Alpine passes of Valle d’Aosta and the vineyard roads of Piedmont to the dramatic scenery […]

Pro cycling never exists in a vacuum. The sport’s biggest stories—from Tadej Pogačar’s dominance at Strade Bianche to the rapid emergence of teenage talent like Paul Seixas—reflect deeper forces shaping the modern peloton. In this edition of AIRmail, The Outer Line looks beyond race results to examine the structural dynamics influencing the sport: the competitive […]

Saying RED-S doesn’t exist may sound like blasphemy to some and clickbait to others, but it’s a captivating title — and the focus of a recent 2024 paper. If that question has you thinking, “Of course it exists — what the heck is this paper talking about?” Let’s hear the authors out. The premise of […]

It’s PEZ’ cycling news roundup — and our first-ever exhortation to watch both men’s and women’s cycling. We base this on last weekend’s Strade Bianche, where all the fire and intrigue were on the women’s side. Photos, quotes, video — we’ve got it all as we look back to Tuscany and forward to Paris-Nice and […]

Following on from our October review of “The Vintage Bianchi Book” here, how better to celebrate the launching of an open edition of the book in softcover but with an interview with collector extraordinaire Carsten Rademacher?  The man they call “Dottore Bianchi” is the curator/custodian of the impressive collection revealed in the book and was […]