If you listen to the marketing departments, AI is currently making you more productive, letting you create a million dollar ad in 15 seconds, and undressing every woman on the internet. Actually, the last one might not have been marketing. Regardless, in the cycling world, the AI tech is real. Vekta, the AI-powered training and coaching platform for endurance sport, has already proven to be a useful enough tech that it’s forced the biggest teams in the world to open their wallets. And its presence at the highest level of professional cycling is accelerating, with multiple WorldTour and elite development…
Author: Harold Dalton
Harold Dalton
Cycling industry professional with two decades of experience in professional journalism, television, and industry writing.
Just when you thought the cycling industry had reached peak electronic integration with wireless derailleurs and Bluetooth tire pressure sensors, the engineers at Shimano have decided to target the final frontier of fat guy manual labor: reaching down to tie your shoes. Or twist your shoe dials, we suppose. Whatever, it’s another fucking battery to charge isn’t it. The Japanese component giant filed a new patent that betrayed the fact that it’s exploring motorized, self-tightening cycling shoes. The concept replaces standard mechanical closures with a motorized lacing system that automatically adjusts on the fly based on a frankly terrifying array…
DerailedUK Archives:1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27a | 27b | 28 | 29 Interbike 2008. Running the media center. Climbing that big hill up from Lake Mead. Shaking hands. Getting in a fight with a guy three times our size in Harrah’s. What an era that was. We recently brought up the Las…
Now here’s how you write a press release. Really makes me feel like the brand wants to fuck me. Little bit coy, little bit horny. BlackHeart Bike, a company we don’t really know, has updated its dealer program. This new setup offers independent bike shops better margins, no minimums, exclusive territory, and co-marketing support to strengthen community-focused retailers. And they knew we wouldn’t write about all that, so they sent a press release that looks like a missed connection. That’s just good content, honestly. Here it is. We’re just going to paste it. We’re going to include some of the…
If you thought XDS Astana was just here for the early-season sunshine, you were wrong. The team formerly known for chaotic tactics and bright blue kits just pulled off a tactical masterclass on Green Mountain to seal the overall title. Christian Scaroni took the stage win and the General Classification, but the real story was the team dominance. His teammate Cristián Rodríguez finished second on the stage and second overall, securing a rare 1-2 finish on the brutal slopes of Jebel Akhdar. The Climb: The script was predictable: Adam Yates (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) launched his trademark attack inside the final…
The man who sounded like Elvis for three years is about to spend the next decade explaining why he only has one testicle. (ed’s note: This was a collaborative article. Please do email us if you think this subhead means its author should be banned from writing for us. We’re on the fence.) Didn’t we already write this story? Like, on the old website? The old, old website. Derailed, before we had the domain? Time is circular, it seems, because Hollywood has decided it’s time for another run at the Lance Armstrong story. Who’s playing him this time? Probably Jake…
If you had “Norwegian Powerhouse” on your bingo card for today, come collect your winnings. Erlend Blikra (Uno-X Mobility) scorched the tarmac in Sohar to take Stage 4 of the Tour of Oman, denying Juan Sebastián Molano his second win of the week in a chaotic, wind-affected finale. The day followed the classic “desert transition” script: a doomed breakaway featuring the indefatigable Patryk Goszczurny (Visma | Lease a Bike Development) spent the day baking in the sun before being swallowed up with 3km to go. In the final kilometer, Alpecin-Premier Tech tried to take control, but it was Uno-X who…
Mauro Schmid is making a habit of this. The Swiss champion claimed his second win of the week on Stage 3 of the Tour of Oman, conquering Eastern Mountain and snatching the overall lead. It wasn’t a straightforward march to the summit. A six-man break threatened to spoil the party, and two late crashes in the bunch shredded the peloton before the road even ramped up, catching out GC favorite Adam Yates. But Team Jayco AlUla stayed upright and organized. The MVP of the finale was Paul Double, who buried himself to close down an attack from none other than…