For The Love Of Cycling

Paul Seixas has solidified himself as one of the biggest talents in cycling with a stunning victory at Il Lombardia, but just how good is the young Frenchman, and is it too early to start comparing him to Tadej Pogačar?

Ned Boulting and David Millar break down the final Monument of the season, a brutal 239km route from Bergamo to Como with around 4,600 metres of climbing. With a succession of climbs building towards the decisive finale, including the legendary Madonna del Ghisallo and the steep ascent of Civiglio, Lombardia once again delivers a race that rewards the strongest climbers and punishes anyone who gets it wrong.

The main story is Seixas, who produced a phenomenal ride to win by 48 seconds from Enric Mas, with Giulio Ciccone third. His decisive attack came on the Civiglio, where he dropped his rivals and rode solo to the finish. At just 20 years old, he becomes the youngest winner in the history of the race, and makes a statement that is difficult to ignore.

We get into just how much better Seixas looked than the rest, the maturity and strength behind his performance, and what this victory tells us about his potential. With Pogačar absent after his Vuelta crash, we also ask the obvious question: if Pogačar had been on the start line, could anyone have stayed with Seixas? And are we watching the emergence of the one rider capable of challenging cycling's dominant force over the coming years?

Plus, we look at the rides from Mas, Ciccone and Remco Evenepoel, how the race unfolded across the climbs, and what this year's Lombardia tells us as the professional road season draws to a close.

Il Lombardia might be the final Monument of the year, but Seixas has given us plenty to think about for the next one.
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The European Championships have delivered another brilliant weekend of racing in Slovenia.

Ned Boulting and David Millar start with the men’s race, which took the riders nearly 200km from Ljubljana to Šenčur, with plenty of climbing along the way and a tough finishing circuit around the town. The race gradually whittled down as Belgium took control, putting their disappointment at the World Championships firmly behind them and dominating the finale.

Remco Evenepoel and Giulio Ciccone emerged as the two strongest riders, but the finish was anything but straightforward. After attacks, a Remco crash and a dramatic chase, the pair arrived together in Šenčur with the European title on the line. What followed was one of the closest sprints you’ll ever see, with Evenepoel eventually taking the win by an almost invisible margin. Ned and David get into the photo finish, the controversy and whether Remco really had enough to win.

Then it's the women's race, where the Dutch produced a remarkably familiar performance. Over 130km and a similarly tough final circuit, the Netherlands took control and once again used Puck Pieterse to set up Demi Vollering for the decisive move.

Just as at the World Championships, Pieterse put the pressure on and Vollering made the most of it, riding clear to win the European title for the second year in a row.

A ridiculously close men's finish, Belgian redemption and another Dutch masterclass, the European Championships had it all.

'Mûr de Ned' Hill Climb: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/nsf-mur-de-ned-hill-climb-tickets-2000039132886
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The 2026 World Championships are done, and what a weekend in Montréal.

Ned, David and Lizzie start with the men's race: 273km, 3,800m of climbing and 12 laps of the brutal Mont-Royal circuit. After France drove the pace and the favourites began to disappear, Brandon McNulty made his move with 33km to go. What followed was an extraordinary finale as the chasing group slowly dragged him back, only for McNulty to somehow find another gear and hold on for a stunning solo victory, with Michael Matthews and Mathieu van der Poel taking silver and bronze.

David was also in Montréal, so we get his perspective on how the race unfolded, the huge attacks and how on earth McNulty managed to pull it off.

Then it's the women's race and Demi Vollering's first World Championship title.

On a 180km course featuring eight laps of Mont-Royal, the Dutch team controlled the race before Puck Pieterse launched Vollering up the final climbs. She eventually found herself clear with Kasia Niewiadoma and Elisa Longo Borghini, before a dramatic final lap and uphill sprint saw Vollering finally take the rainbow jersey.

Lizzie was there in Montréal as a DS for the women's race, giving us her perspective on the chaos unfolding inside the team cars and what it was like to watch the race play out from the other side of the radio.

Two incredible races, two very different victories, and one very memorable World Championships.
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What is it actually like to ride a World Championship time trial?

We’re joined by Alex Dowsett for a special episode exploring the discipline from the perspective of someone who has spent years mastering it at the highest level.

Alex takes us inside the unique demands of a World Championship time trial, from approaching a course like Montréal to the importance of pacing, aerodynamics and equipment. He explains what is going through a rider’s head on the start ramp, how you actually pace yourself over 40km and why watching a time trial on TV doesn't necessarily capture what it feels like to ride one.

We then go through some of the biggest performances from the World Championships, getting Alex's take on Remco Evenepoel, Paul Seixas, Filippo Ganna, and Isaac Del Toro.

And finally, we look ahead to the road race and ask how much a rider's TT performance can tell us about their chances over 270km. How different are the physical demands? Which time trial specialists can translate that form into a World Championship road race? And who does Alex think could thrive in Montréal?

A deep dive into the World Championship TT, and what it really takes to be a time trialist, with Alex Dowsett.
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The World Championships are underway in Montréal, and we’re breaking down the opening time trials before looking ahead to what promises to be a fascinating men’s road race.

First up, we get into the men’s individual time trial, where Remco Evenepoel produced another dominant performance to take the world title, with Filippo Ganna and Paul Seixas completing the podium. We look at how the race unfolded, including the huge gap Evenepoel had already established over Ganna at the first time check, Seixas’ remarkable ride and the riders who either delivered or fell short of expectations.

We also briefly discuss the women’s time trial, with the podium taking shape around Marlen Reusser, Zoe Bäckstedt and Franziska Koch, before saving the full breakdown of the women’s Worlds for a dedicated episode next week.

Then we turn our attention to Sunday’s men’s road race. With Tadej Pogačar absent, the rainbow jersey is up for grabs, opening the door for a whole host of riders who might otherwise have found themselves racing for second place. Remco Evenepoel, Tom Pidcock, Mathieu van der Poel, Wout van Aert, Isaac Del Toro and Paul Seixas all arrive with realistic ambitions.

We look at the Montréal course, which covers 273.7km with 3,803 metres of climbing, including 12 laps of the Mount Royal circuit, and ask where the race is likely to be decided and what type of rider will ultimately be best suited to the parcours.

And keep an eye out later in the week for a special episode with Alex Dowsett, who joins us to give his expert take on the World Championship time trial.
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