the Inner Ring blog
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News, chatter and interaction from The Inner Ring cycling blog.
Pogačar wins L'Equipe newspaper's "Champion of champions" trophy ahead of Duplantis and Alcaraz. Only the second cyclist to win it after Greg LeMond in 1989
December 29, 2025 at 8:04 AM
Pogačar wins L'Equipe newspaper's "Champion of champions" trophy ahead of Duplantis and Alcaraz. Only the second cyclist to win it after Greg LeMond in 1989
//INRNG: Christmas holiday quiz inrng.com/2025/12/chri...
December 26, 2025 at 9:30 AM
//INRNG: Christmas holiday quiz inrng.com/2025/12/chri...
Two page interview with Mathys Rondel (Tudor) in L'Equipe after a promising first full season. He's moved to the Pyrenees with his family (sister Léa is pro too) to find better training roads. They've renovated a house where he has a Thibaut Pinot-style animal collection with rabbits, a pet pig...
December 24, 2025 at 11:37 AM
Two page interview with Mathys Rondel (Tudor) in L'Equipe after a promising first full season. He's moved to the Pyrenees with his family (sister Léa is pro too) to find better training roads. They've renovated a house where he has a Thibaut Pinot-style animal collection with rabbits, a pet pig...
Now only Derek Gee to go in the rider transfer advent calendar
December 23, 2025 at 6:18 PM
Now only Derek Gee to go in the rider transfer advent calendar
Oscar Onley will ride for Ineos, it's official. Picnic PostNL say they had several offers from other teams "all of which were initially declined" then "a very late but appealing offer was made in recent days" by Ineos
December 23, 2025 at 6:03 PM
Oscar Onley will ride for Ineos, it's official. Picnic PostNL say they had several offers from other teams "all of which were initially declined" then "a very late but appealing offer was made in recent days" by Ineos
//INRNG: Michele Dancelli obituary inrng.com/2025/12/mich...
December 22, 2025 at 4:04 PM
//INRNG: Michele Dancelli obituary inrng.com/2025/12/mich...
Remember the marine worm with blood that inspired research and a medical start-up to make blood substitutes? On a sports radar for doping possibilities. Corriere reports labs are now making the molecule for doping. Can be tested for, but has short half-life www.corriere.it/sport/25_dic... (🇮🇹)
December 22, 2025 at 3:02 PM
Remember the marine worm with blood that inspired research and a medical start-up to make blood substitutes? On a sports radar for doping possibilities. Corriere reports labs are now making the molecule for doping. Can be tested for, but has short half-life www.corriere.it/sport/25_dic... (🇮🇹)
Champagne "capital" Reims bids to host 2028 Tour de France grand départ, press conference today... and sounds like a done deal with Christian Prudhomme present and knowing the need to have a home start from time to time
Reims et la Région Grand Est ont officiellement déposé leur candidature pour accueillir le Grand Départ du Tour de France 2028.
La remise du dossier s’est tenue à Reims en présence de Christian Prudhomme.
🔗 www.velo-club.net/actualites/r...
#TourDeFrance #GrandDepart #Cyclisme
La remise du dossier s’est tenue à Reims en présence de Christian Prudhomme.
🔗 www.velo-club.net/actualites/r...
#TourDeFrance #GrandDepart #Cyclisme
Reims candidate pour le Grand Départ du Tour de France 2028
La ville de Reims et la Région Grand Est déposent officiellement leur candidature pour accueillir le Grand Départ du Tour de France 2028.
www.velo-club.net
December 22, 2025 at 11:12 AM
Champagne "capital" Reims bids to host 2028 Tour de France grand départ, press conference today... and sounds like a done deal with Christian Prudhomme present and knowing the need to have a home start from time to time
Georg Steinhauser struggled this season, 2 hour rides felt like 4 and he was once so tired he stopped training and got a train back home. It took time to find out why, turns out he had Lyme disease (bacteria from a tick bite). Recovered now & training for 2026 www.kicker.de/wie-borrelio... (🇩🇪)
December 22, 2025 at 9:01 AM
Georg Steinhauser struggled this season, 2 hour rides felt like 4 and he was once so tired he stopped training and got a train back home. It took time to find out why, turns out he had Lyme disease (bacteria from a tick bite). Recovered now & training for 2026 www.kicker.de/wie-borrelio... (🇩🇪)
Marc Madiot to step down as general manager of the Groupama-FDJ team in April, will hand over to Thierry Cornec who was recruited as his deputy with a view to taking over. Article in Le Monde sums up the changes over the years www.lemonde.fr/sport/articl... (🇫🇷)
December 20, 2025 at 9:45 AM
Marc Madiot to step down as general manager of the Groupama-FDJ team in April, will hand over to Thierry Cornec who was recruited as his deputy with a view to taking over. Article in Le Monde sums up the changes over the years www.lemonde.fr/sport/articl... (🇫🇷)
Pogačar finishes his December camp in Spain with an improved KOM on the Coll de Rates, beating his own PB by 24s. It gets ridden like a Paris-Nice team time trial and looks like he was also helped by a NW tailwind today. Did it during a 226km ride too, via @velofacts.com
It's official now
December 19, 2025 at 5:42 PM
Pogačar finishes his December camp in Spain with an improved KOM on the Coll de Rates, beating his own PB by 24s. It gets ridden like a Paris-Nice team time trial and looks like he was also helped by a NW tailwind today. Did it during a 226km ride too, via @velofacts.com
👀
December 19, 2025 at 5:12 PM
👀
UCI working at moving rider contracts away from calendar year to November-October year so riders can attend training camps in their new team's kit and, more importantly, be employees/contracted while working with their new team www.knack.be/sport/wielre... (🇳🇱), by @jonascreteur.bsky.social
Remco Evenepoel die nog de outfit van zijn vorige ploeg moet dragen? UCI werkt aan oplossing voor onlogische regel
Waarom Remco Evenepoel nog niet in zijn nieuwe ploegkleding mag rijden. De UCI bevestigt dat ze werkt aan een aanpassing van de contractregels.
www.knack.be
December 19, 2025 at 10:18 AM
UCI working at moving rider contracts away from calendar year to November-October year so riders can attend training camps in their new team's kit and, more importantly, be employees/contracted while working with their new team www.knack.be/sport/wielre... (🇳🇱), by @jonascreteur.bsky.social
RIP Michele Dancelli who has died at the age of 83. He dropped out of school to become a construction labourer, buying a bike to get to work. One thing led to another and "the daydreaming nomad" won Milan-Sanremo, the Italian champs, 11 Giro stages, a wardrobe of maglie rosa, a Tour stage & more.
December 18, 2025 at 10:16 PM
RIP Michele Dancelli who has died at the age of 83. He dropped out of school to become a construction labourer, buying a bike to get to work. One thing led to another and "the daydreaming nomad" won Milan-Sanremo, the Italian champs, 11 Giro stages, a wardrobe of maglie rosa, a Tour stage & more.
Lidl-Trek appoint Andy Schleck as deputy manager of the team, under general manager Luca Guercilena. This comes after his brother Fränk Schleck was recently hired as a sports director, via press release
December 18, 2025 at 8:03 AM
Lidl-Trek appoint Andy Schleck as deputy manager of the team, under general manager Luca Guercilena. This comes after his brother Fränk Schleck was recently hired as a sports director, via press release
The Intermarché team accounts for 2024 have been published today. For background the team racked up big losses in 2022 and 2023 and took on debt from its sponsors to keep going while pledging to cut costs and balance the books (blog post here inrng.com/2024/10/inte...) ...
December 17, 2025 at 7:13 PM
The Intermarché team accounts for 2024 have been published today. For background the team racked up big losses in 2022 and 2023 and took on debt from its sponsors to keep going while pledging to cut costs and balance the books (blog post here inrng.com/2024/10/inte...) ...
Vuelta a España 2026 route. 2 time trials and plenty of mountains, "one of the most difficult editions in the history of La Vuelta" says course designer Fernando Escartin. The finish will be at the Alhambra in Granada
December 17, 2025 at 6:45 PM
Vuelta a España 2026 route. 2 time trials and plenty of mountains, "one of the most difficult editions in the history of La Vuelta" says course designer Fernando Escartin. The finish will be at the Alhambra in Granada
Edvald Boasson Hagen has gone from drafting in the peloton to drafting... architectural plans. His second career is a drafter designing apartments and creating floor plans, via www.seher.no/kjendis/avsl... (🇳🇴)
December 17, 2025 at 4:47 PM
Edvald Boasson Hagen has gone from drafting in the peloton to drafting... architectural plans. His second career is a drafter designing apartments and creating floor plans, via www.seher.no/kjendis/avsl... (🇳🇴)
Fabio Jakobsen getting involved in 🇳🇱 local politics
Municipal elections here in March'26. What catches my surprise, a certain Fabio Jakobsen is a canidate for the local VVD fraction (that's Rutte's former party, on right side). He's unelectable for his 10th position but still causes some controversy, as Fabio lives in a neighboring gemeente/parish.
December 17, 2025 at 4:07 PM
Fabio Jakobsen getting involved in 🇳🇱 local politics
//INRNG: 2026 Paris-Nice route inrng.com/2025/12/2026...
December 17, 2025 at 1:59 PM
//INRNG: 2026 Paris-Nice route inrng.com/2025/12/2026...
2026 Paris-Nice route. Includes 23.5km TTT. Steep climb of the Signal d'Uchon the day later +two more hilly climbs to Colombier-le-Vieux and Apt. Then weekend with Auron ski station summit finish on Saturday. Final stage around Nice but with a different route to recent years
December 17, 2025 at 10:49 AM
2026 Paris-Nice route. Includes 23.5km TTT. Steep climb of the Signal d'Uchon the day later +two more hilly climbs to Colombier-le-Vieux and Apt. Then weekend with Auron ski station summit finish on Saturday. Final stage around Nice but with a different route to recent years
Benoît Cosnefroy hinting at similar things in L'Equipe, he's moved to UAE but will be aiming to win smaller races, they'll even go back to the GP du Morbihan etc to try and aim for 100 wins in a season
The strive for 💯 is on! Part of an interview with Tim Wellens (UAE-XRG) in Het Laatste Nieuws, reveals his race program is tailored to lower level wins in races that suit him.
[Google translation, font style set to calibri.]
[Google translation, font style set to calibri.]
December 16, 2025 at 4:36 PM
Benoît Cosnefroy hinting at similar things in L'Equipe, he's moved to UAE but will be aiming to win smaller races, they'll even go back to the GP du Morbihan etc to try and aim for 100 wins in a season
"We need a show of unity from our two leaders at the Tour"
"Put them in the same jersey"
"They already wear the same team jersey"
"Put them in the same jersey"
"Put them in the same jersey"
"They already wear the same team jersey"
"Put them in the same jersey"
December 16, 2025 at 12:14 PM
"We need a show of unity from our two leaders at the Tour"
"Put them in the same jersey"
"They already wear the same team jersey"
"Put them in the same jersey"
"Put them in the same jersey"
"They already wear the same team jersey"
"Put them in the same jersey"
2026 Tudor team kit, very similar to previous season but no longer Assos 🇨🇭 but now made by Sportful 🇮🇹
December 15, 2025 at 4:56 PM
2026 Tudor team kit, very similar to previous season but no longer Assos 🇨🇭 but now made by Sportful 🇮🇹
Ineos announce the signing of Australian sprinter Sam Welsford on a two year deal
December 15, 2025 at 11:01 AM
Ineos announce the signing of Australian sprinter Sam Welsford on a two year deal