{"id":1839407,"date":"2026-03-21T09:16:54","date_gmt":"2026-03-21T06:16:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1839407"},"modified":"2026-03-21T09:16:54","modified_gmt":"2026-03-21T06:16:54","slug":"i-didnt-have-a-gravel-bike-cameron-mason-sets-unofficial-fkt-on-bikepacking-trail-on-aero-road-bike-stuffed-with-tyres-6mm-over-clearance","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1839407","title":{"rendered":"&#8216;I didn&#8217;t have a gravel bike&#8217; \u2013 Cameron Mason sets unofficial FKT on bikepacking trail on aero road bike stuffed with tyres 6mm over clearance"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/PjUBfVjMcNYPSUMiD38gPX-1920-80.jpg&#8221;]<\/p>\n<p><article class=\"page-content-onecol flex-1\nnews-article article\n\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"widget-area-group widget-area-group-2col flex flex-wrap box-border\">\n<div id=\"widgetArea16\" class=\"widget-area basis-full md:basis-2\/3 widget-area-g-md-vp-2-3 widget-area-g-lg-vp-2-3 widget-area-g-xl-vp-2-3 page-widget-area-16\">\n<div data-widget-type=\"hero\" id=\"hero\" class=\"clear-both widget widget-hero widget-hero widget-hero-hero widget-hero widget-hero-fter-news\">\n<div class=\"news-article\">\n<header data-component-name=\"Article:Hero\">\n<nav class=\"breadcrumb\" aria-label=\"Breadcrumbs\">\n<ol>\n<li>\nCycling Culture\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/nav>\n<h1>&#8216;I didn&#8217;t have a gravel bike&#8217; \u2013 Cameron Mason sets unofficial FKT on bikepacking trail on aero road bike stuffed with tyres 6mm over clearance<\/h1>\n<div class=\"byline-social\">\n<div class=\"byline\">\nNews<\/p>\n<div class=\"text-[13px]\"><span><br \/>\nBy<br \/>\nPatrick Fletcher <\/span><span><br \/>\npublished<br \/>\n<time data-component-name=\"UI:DateTime\" datetime=\"2026-03-21T09:16:54Z\" class=\"relative-date\"><br \/>\n21 March 2026<br \/>\n<\/time><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"strapline\">Scottish pro tells the tale of his ride on the John Muir Way<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"mx-auto mb-4 flex items-center justify-start mx-0 my-5 p-0\" id=\"affiliate-disclaimer\" data-component-name=\"AffiliateDisclaimer\" data-hawk-message=\"Affiliate disclaimer removed because hawk deemed there are no affiliate links on this page\">\n<p class=\"text-700 mb-2 text-[12px] leading-[18px] md:text-[13px] [&amp;&gt;a]:text-gray-700 [&amp;&gt;a]:underline\">\nWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here\u2019s how it works.\n<\/p>\n<\/aside>\n<\/header>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-widget-type=\"contentparsed\" id=\"content\" class=\"clear-both widget widget-contentparsed widget-content widget-contentparsed-content widget-content-parsed widget-content-parsed-content_document \">\n<div class=\"wcp-item-content\">\n<section class=\"content-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"box less-space hero-image-wrapper\">\n<figure class=\"mb-0\">\n<source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/PjUBfVjMcNYPSUMiD38gPX-1920-80.jpg.webp 1920w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/PjUBfVjMcNYPSUMiD38gPX-1200-80.jpg.webp 1200w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/PjUBfVjMcNYPSUMiD38gPX-1024-80.jpg.webp 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/PjUBfVjMcNYPSUMiD38gPX-970-80.jpg.webp 970w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/PjUBfVjMcNYPSUMiD38gPX-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/PjUBfVjMcNYPSUMiD38gPX-480-80.jpg.webp 480w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/PjUBfVjMcNYPSUMiD38gPX-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 1000px) 600px, calc(100vw - 40px)\" \/><figcaption class=\"mt-2\"><span class=\"credit\">(Image credit: Getty Images (left) | Strava\/Cameron Mason (right))<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"article-body\" class=\"text-copy bodyCopy auto paywall-locker\">\n<div data-analytics-id=\"utility-bar\" id=\"utility-bar\" class=\"flex justify-between items-center py-2 border-t border-b border-gray-300 border-solid mb-5 mx-auto\" data-component-name=\"UtilityBar\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"utility-bar\">\n<div class=\"flex gap-2 text-[#333] subcontainer\">\n<div class=\"relative tooltip-container\" role=\"tooltip\">\n<div data-component-name=\"Social:Dropdown\" role=\"menu\" id=\"utilitybar__dropdown--share\" aria-labelledby=\"utilitybar__button--share\" class=\"absolute left-0 top-full w-44 bg-white rounded-md shadow-md border border-neutral-200 z-[9996] list-none m-0 py-2 px-3 border-solid\">\n<ul class=\"!m-0\">\n<li class=\"!p-0 !m-0 list-none border-b border-gray-200 border-solid\">\n<li class=\"!p-0 !m-0 list-none border-b border-gray-200 border-solid\">\n<p>Facebook<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"!p-0 !m-0 list-none border-b border-gray-200 border-solid\">\n<p>X<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"!p-0 !m-0 list-none border-b border-gray-200 border-solid\">\n<p>Pinterest<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"!p-0 !m-0 list-none border-b border-gray-200 border-solid\">\n<p>Email<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"max-sm:hidden tooltip absolute left-1\/2 bg-gray-900 text-white text-xs leading-none px-3 py-1.5 rounded-md z-[10001] whitespace-nowrap\" id=\"tooltip-share-this-article\" role=\"tooltip\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\nShare this article\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"relative tooltip-container\" role=\"tooltip\"><span class=\"ml-1 sm:ml-1.5 font-base text-xs\"><span class=\"font-normal\">0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"max-sm:hidden tooltip absolute left-1\/2 bg-gray-900 text-white text-xs leading-none px-3 py-1.5 rounded-md z-[10001] whitespace-nowrap\" id=\"tooltip-join-the-conversation\" role=\"tooltip\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\nJoin the conversation\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"flex gap-2 text-[#333] subcontainer\">\n<div class=\"relative tooltip-container\" role=\"tooltip\">\n<p>Follow us<\/p>\n<div class=\"max-sm:hidden tooltip absolute left-1\/2 bg-gray-900 text-white text-xs leading-none px-3 py-1.5 rounded-md z-[10001] whitespace-nowrap\" id=\"tooltip-add-us-as-a-preferred-source-on-google\" role=\"tooltip\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\nAdd us as a preferred source on Google\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"relative tooltip-container\" role=\"tooltip\">\n<div role=\"dialog\" class=\"hidden fixed inset-0 z-[999999999999999999] bg-[#33333370] flex items-center justify-center p-6 newsletter-modal\" data-batch-endpoint=\"https:\/\/newsletter-subscribe.futureplc.com\/v2\/submission\/submit_batch\" data-batch-source=\"302\" data-component-name=\"Newsletter:Modal\">\n<div class=\"bg-neutral-100 rounded-xl shadow-xl w-full lg:w-2\/3 xl:w-1\/2 p-6 relative max-h-[95vh] overflow-y-auto\">\n<div id=\"newsletter-capture-modal\">\n<div class=\"sm:text-xl text-base font-bold text-black mb-3 p-0 bg-inherit font-ui-heading\">Get the Cyclingnews Newsletter<\/div>\n<p class=\"text-gray-600 mb-4 text-sm sm:text-base font-article-copy\">The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!<\/p>\n<div data-component-name=\"Newsletter:NewsletterForm\">\n<hr class=\"modal_hr mt-3 mb-4 h-px bg-gray-300 border-0\">\n<div class=\"modal_footer block text-left opacity-80 text-[.8em] leading-[1.3em] mt-2 [&amp;&gt;a]:underline font-article-copy\">\nBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms &amp; Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"newsletter-modal-confirmation\" class=\"hidden\">\n<p class=\"sm:text-xl text-base font-bold text-black mb-3 p-0\">You are now subscribed<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-gray-600 mb-4 text-sm sm:text-base\">Your newsletter sign-up was successful<\/p>\n<div id=\"newsletter-modal-confirmation__userlogin\" class=\"hidden\">\n<hr class=\"my-5 h-px bg-gray-300 border-0\">\n<div class=\"items-start flex flex-col h-full justify-between\">\n<div class=\"flcw-text pb-5 pt-2 leading-[1.3]\"> An account already exists for this email address, please log in.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"max-sm:hidden tooltip absolute left-1\/2 bg-gray-900 text-white text-xs leading-none px-3 py-1.5 rounded-md z-[10001] whitespace-nowrap\" id=\"tooltip-subscribe-to-our-newsletter\" role=\"tooltip\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\nSubscribe to our newsletter\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p id=\"8f82b369-845d-4921-99d6-895138a6e91a\">Pro racers don\u2019t usually bother going after Fastest Known Times on bikepacking routes for the thrill of it, but Cameron Mason is no ordinary pro, and his set-up for his assault on the John Muir Way was even less conventional. Sat aboard an aero road bike, stuffed with tyres 6mm over the official clearance, the Scottish rider blitzed the 212-kilometre multi-terrain route in under eight hours last week, adding to the never-more-relevant debate over what bike is the right tool for the job at hand.<\/p>\n<p>Mason, who races cyclocross for Seven Cycling and road for the Alpecin-Premier Tech Development team, was at a bit of a loose end earlier this month after capping his \u2018cross season with third overall in the X2O Trof\u00e9e series.<\/p>\n<p id=\"8f82b369-845d-4921-99d6-895138a6e91a-2\">\u201cI just was like, \u2018I need to scratch that itch of just doing a bit of a mission\u2019,\u201d he tells <em>Cyclingnews<\/em>. \u201cI\u2019ve known about the John Muir Way for years. My childhood family home is on the route, and actually now my own home in Edinburgh is also on the route, so it goes through two very important places to me.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"article-continues-below block py-2 text-sm\">Article continues below <\/span><\/p>\n<aside data-component-name=\"Recirculation:ArticleRiver\" data-recirculation-type=\"inline\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"Trending Bar\" data-nosnippet class=\"clear-both pb-0 pt-2 mb-4\"><span class=\"\n            flex\n            after:content-[''] after:flex-1 after:ml-4 after:my-[0.7rem] after:border-t after:border-solid after:border-t-[#ccc]\n            before:content-[''] before:flex-1 before:mr-4 before:my-[0.7rem] before:border-t before:border-solid before:border-t-[#ccc]\n            font-article-heading pb-0 !text-base uppercase sm:text-sm font-bold\n        \"><br \/>\n            You may like<br \/>\n        <\/span><\/p>\n<ul class=\"flex flex-col gap-0 m-0\">\n<li class=\"m-0 list-none border-b border-solid border-[#ededed] py-2\" data-recirculation-id=\"recirculation-card-1\" data-analytics-id=\"recirculation-inline-1\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"recirculation-inline-1\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/u5PtH7Zd3u8q9oKmyMjbWm-250-80.jpeg.webp 250w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/u5PtH7Zd3u8q9oKmyMjbWm-150-80.jpeg.webp 150w\" sizes=\"150px\" \/><span class=\"\n                            w-full font-article-heading line-clamp-3 md:line-clamp-2 text-base font-medium\">&#8216;The wind was 89 kilometres per hour&#8217; &#8211; Wicked weather derails Brendan Johnston from fastest known time attempt on Perth to Sydney ride<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"m-0 list-none border-b border-solid border-[#ededed] py-2\" data-recirculation-id=\"recirculation-card-2\" data-analytics-id=\"recirculation-inline-2\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"recirculation-inline-2\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/ykipDS7CxPGHn54eDnXffX-250-80.jpg.webp 250w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/ykipDS7CxPGHn54eDnXffX-150-80.jpg.webp 150w\" sizes=\"150px\" \/><span class=\"\n                            w-full font-article-heading line-clamp-3 md:line-clamp-2 text-base font-medium\">Best gravel bikes 2026: Our pick of the best bikes for drop-bar off-road action<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"m-0 list-none border-b border-solid border-[#ccc] py-2\" data-recirculation-id=\"recirculation-card-3\" data-analytics-id=\"recirculation-inline-3\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"recirculation-inline-3\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/qcK9ZjjeHs5QF73Qw84mkP-250-80.jpg.webp 250w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/qcK9ZjjeHs5QF73Qw84mkP-150-80.jpg.webp 150w\" sizes=\"150px\" \/><span class=\"\n                            w-full font-article-heading line-clamp-3 md:line-clamp-2 text-base font-medium\">&#8216;A real bucket list year&#8217; &#8211; Recently-retired 15-year road pro Michael Woods launches endurance campaign on gravel at Santa Vall then Unbound Gravel 200<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/aside>\n<p>The John Muir Way measures 212 kilometres from coast-to-coast in Scotland, starting in Helensburgh in the west and ending up in Dunbar in the east, featuring \u201ca mixture of forest tracks, singletrack, canal towpaths, walking paths, cycling paths, landrover tracks and sections on roads\u201d, according to the Bikepacking Scotland website.<\/p>\n<p>After going out to recon the parts of the course he didn\u2019t know so well, all that was left to do was wait for the trails to dry out and wait for a favourable westerly wind. \u201cA few of these things came together to actually do the route and the I woke up one morning and got the train through to Helensburgh, and then just cracked on,\u201d Mason says.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"van-image-figure inline-layout\" data-bordeaux-image-check id=\"1aec129a-841b-4816-88c2-0a6f44146126\">\n<div class=\"image-full-width-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"image-widthsetter\">\n<p class=\"vanilla-image-block\">\n<source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/BnCJwpmEHLEUQj5eTxFFSf-1200-80.png.webp 1200w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/BnCJwpmEHLEUQj5eTxFFSf-1024-80.png.webp 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/BnCJwpmEHLEUQj5eTxFFSf-970-80.png.webp 970w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/BnCJwpmEHLEUQj5eTxFFSf-650-80.png.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/BnCJwpmEHLEUQj5eTxFFSf-480-80.png.webp 480w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/BnCJwpmEHLEUQj5eTxFFSf-320-80.png.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 1000px) 970px, calc(100vw - 40px)\" \/><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\" inline-layout\"><span class=\"caption-text\">A screenshot from Mason&#8217;s Strava upload shows the stats <\/span><span class=\"credit\">(Image credit: Strava \/ Cameron Mason)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2 id=\"aero-bike-road-gearing-and-squeezing-in-38mm-3\">Aero bike, road gearing, and squeezing in 38mm<\/h2>\n<p id=\"930d0b26-62ad-4e9b-b5ee-c83375908374\">The wind needed to be blowing at Mason\u2019s back if he was to stand any chance of bettering John Mackenzie\u2019s FKT of 8h 19m 42s \u2013 not to mention the second-best time of 9h 01m 20s held by <em>Cyclingnews<\/em>\u2019 very own Graham Cottingham. But the dry conditions were especially important given his bike set-up.<\/p>\n<p>Remarkably, Mason completed the ride on a Canyon Aeroad, the German brand\u2019s all-out wind-cheating road racing frame that has won the past three editions of Milan-San Remo.<\/p>\n<div id=\"slice-container-newsletterForm-articleInbodyContent-w2tS9vG34amgkbxtfrSCPk\" class=\"slice-container newsletter-inbodyContent-slice newsletterForm-articleInbodyContent-w2tS9vG34amgkbxtfrSCPk slice-container-newsletterForm\">\n<div data-hydrate=\"true\" class=\"newsletter-form__wrapper newsletter-form__wrapper--inbodyContent\">\n<div class=\"newsletter-form__container\">\n<section class=\"newsletter-form__top-bar\">\n<div class=\"newsletter-form__header\">Get The Leadout Newsletter<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<section class=\"newsletter-form__main-section\">\n<p class=\"newsletter-form__strapline\">The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!<\/p>\n<footer class=\"newsletter-form__footer \">By submitting your information you agree to the Terms &amp; Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.<\/footer>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>\u201cNormally, I would have done it on a gravel bike, I just didn&#8217;t have one from the team yet, because we\u2019ve not had delivery of the new Stevens Camino, which is what I\u2019d normally do something like this on. I knew the new Aeroad does take quite wide tires so I was like, \u2018right, I\u2019ll see what I can fit into it\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"van-image-figure inline-layout\" data-bordeaux-image-check id=\"f2e2ca77-3362-45c9-8814-f7ceb9557df1\">\n<div class=\"image-full-width-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"image-widthsetter\">\n<p class=\"vanilla-image-block\">\n<source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/GrjL7sMUJUL2AsfNGDwMUV-1028-80.jpg.webp 1200w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/GrjL7sMUJUL2AsfNGDwMUV-1024-80.jpg.webp 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/GrjL7sMUJUL2AsfNGDwMUV-970-80.jpg.webp 970w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/GrjL7sMUJUL2AsfNGDwMUV-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/GrjL7sMUJUL2AsfNGDwMUV-480-80.jpg.webp 480w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/GrjL7sMUJUL2AsfNGDwMUV-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 1000px) 970px, calc(100vw - 40px)\" \/><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\" inline-layout\"><span class=\"caption-text\">Cameron Mason&#8217;s Canyon Aeroad for his John Muir Way ride <\/span><span class=\"credit\">(Image credit: Strava \/ Cameron Mason)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p id=\"ccd48226-29fc-4048-af5c-8c8c6ac5f047\">In the end, despite an official tyre clearance of 32mm, Mason managed to comfortably fit in a 38mm gravel tyre on the front, along with a 33mm cyclocross tyre at the rear.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe front tyre didn&#8217;t come up quite as wide as 38 because of the Dura-Ace rims I was on, so it fitted ok, but I needed it to be dry because I didn\u2019t have room to be dragging mud up through the frame,\u201d he explained.<\/p>\n<aside data-component-name=\"Recirculation:ArticleRiver\" data-recirculation-type=\"inline\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"Trending Bar\" data-nosnippet class=\"clear-both pb-0 pt-2 mb-4\"><span class=\"\n            flex\n            after:content-[''] after:flex-1 after:ml-4 after:my-[0.7rem] after:border-t after:border-solid after:border-t-[#ccc]\n            before:content-[''] before:flex-1 before:mr-4 before:my-[0.7rem] before:border-t before:border-solid before:border-t-[#ccc]\n            font-article-heading pb-0 !text-base uppercase sm:text-sm font-bold\n        \"><br \/>\n            What to read next<br \/>\n        <\/span><\/p>\n<ul class=\"flex flex-col gap-0 m-0\">\n<li class=\"m-0 list-none border-b border-solid border-[#ededed] py-2\" data-recirculation-id=\"recirculation-card-1\" data-analytics-id=\"recirculation-2-inline-1\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"recirculation-2-inline-1\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/ad8xSNwjkm6JdPqgDJmTFc-250-80.jpg.webp 250w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/ad8xSNwjkm6JdPqgDJmTFc-150-80.jpg.webp 150w\" sizes=\"150px\" \/><span class=\"\n                            w-full font-article-heading line-clamp-3 md:line-clamp-2 text-base font-medium\">New Factor gravel bike spotted in the wild, and it looks to have what the current Ostro Gravel dearly needed<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"m-0 list-none border-b border-solid border-[#ededed] py-2\" data-recirculation-id=\"recirculation-card-2\" data-analytics-id=\"recirculation-2-inline-2\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"recirculation-2-inline-2\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/7UstRqry6qfZFGZJ3rPjTW-250-80.jpg.webp 250w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/7UstRqry6qfZFGZJ3rPjTW-150-80.jpg.webp 150w\" sizes=\"150px\" \/><span class=\"\n                            w-full font-article-heading line-clamp-3 md:line-clamp-2 text-base font-medium\">&#8216;Small percentages can make a huge difference&#8217; &#8211; What&#8217;s the science behind cycling&#8217;s long-range attacks?<br \/>\n<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"m-0 list-none border-b border-solid border-[#ccc] py-2\" data-recirculation-id=\"recirculation-card-3\" data-analytics-id=\"recirculation-2-inline-3\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"recirculation-2-inline-3\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/n4FUsKSzXup3y8x57GKbnL-250-80.jpg.webp 250w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/n4FUsKSzXup3y8x57GKbnL-150-80.jpg.webp 150w\" sizes=\"150px\" \/><span class=\"\n                            w-full font-article-heading line-clamp-3 md:line-clamp-2 text-base font-medium\">&#8216;It&#8217;s going to be one hell of a ride&#8217; \u2013 Brendan Johnston sets off in 4,000km pursuit of fastest known time from Perth to Sydney<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/aside>\n<p>\u201cThe only thing I had to do was put a bit of electrical tape on the front derailleur Di2 cable, just to keep it flush so it wouldn&#8217;t rub on the tyre, and that was just a little mod beforehand. Everything else was totally stock and standard. Toe overlap was obviously worse, and that\u2019s something you have to be careful of \u2013 you can\u2019t turn very sharply. Apart from that, it was really sweet.\u201d<\/p>\n<p id=\"5a584b86-e0f9-4e39-82da-2d21fe6ea006\">The John Muir Way section of the FastestKnownTimes website says \u2018a gravel bike is typically the fastest steed of choice with a MTB offering more comfort over the rougher terrain\u2019. However, Mason went full aero frame and road gearing \u2013 54-39 chainrings, 11-34 cassette \u2013 and even road pedals.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOut of all of those kind of routes in Scotland, this is probably the only one that you could do with a kind of road set-up,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s not too hilly and there\u2019s plenty of tarmac and plenty of smoother off-road sections. It was a nice challenge, and it felt like the set-up was a good balance.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Mason\u2019s ride may attract further debate over what he describes as \u2018that age old question\u2019 over what kind of bike is actually the right tool for the job, in an industry where gravel bikes have made a major market position of the space between road and mountain bikes.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI feel like a lot of people go, \u2018all right, I want a gravel bike and I want to ride gravel\u2019. And then, in actual fact, the gravel they have available to them is like bridleways, canal paths and farm tracks. And that is so different from doing big mountain passes or gravel forestry,&#8221; Mason argues.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhere I grew up, in West Lothian, the best gravel bike was always a cyclocross bike, because it would kind of fit that brief the best. It\u2019s that age old question, and I still do recommend to people that they just buy a cyclocross bike if they want to buy a bike, because it still does the same job as it did 10 or 20 years ago, and there&#8217;s a reason why they were so popular.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"not-an-fkt-after-all-but-a-rider-bigger-than-himself-3\">Not an FKT after all, but a rider bigger than himself<\/h2>\n<figure class=\"van-image-figure inline-layout\" data-bordeaux-image-check id=\"10043059-8b74-4a86-bdb8-5a185089428a\">\n<div class=\"image-full-width-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"image-widthsetter\">\n<p class=\"vanilla-image-block\">\n<source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/eAgmZ46oxTwHkVKaMpzYJ8-1042-80.png.webp 1200w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/eAgmZ46oxTwHkVKaMpzYJ8-1024-80.png.webp 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/eAgmZ46oxTwHkVKaMpzYJ8-970-80.png.webp 970w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/eAgmZ46oxTwHkVKaMpzYJ8-650-80.png.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/eAgmZ46oxTwHkVKaMpzYJ8-480-80.png.webp 480w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/eAgmZ46oxTwHkVKaMpzYJ8-320-80.png.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 1000px) 970px, calc(100vw - 40px)\" \/><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\" inline-layout\"><span class=\"caption-text\">The map of Mason&#8217;s ride <\/span><span class=\"credit\">(Image credit: Strava \/ Cameron Mason)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p id=\"af837781-0f31-40a4-bae1-525d90720695\">In the end, Mason&#8217;s time of 7h 57m 51s, though over 20 minutes faster than Mackenzie&#8217;s 2023 benchmark, will not go down as an official FKT, given he planted bottles in hedges around Edinburgh the day before to pick up for feeds on the day. The FastestKnownTimes website, run by Dotwatcher, is as close to a governing body for this sort of thing as you&#8217;ll get, and their rules forbid &#8216;gear stashes&#8217; as part of &#8220;the spirit of self-sufficiency and equal opportunity&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p>Mason wasn&#8217;t aware of this section of the rule at the time \u2013 in fact it was only pointed out to him when we were editing this interview \u2013 but he took it gracefully and was more than happy to only have an unofficial FKT \u2013 &#8220;the ones who know will know, and the ones who wish it was pure can also wish such.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Besides, there was rather more to the whole endeavour than the stats and the leaderboards.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt was really good fun and it definitely like scratched an itch of doing something self powered and self planned \u2013 I think there&#8217;s something to be said for that,\u201d Mason explained.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd I do like that anyone can go on Strava, see what I&#8217;ve done, and then recreate it in their own way, under their own steam. They don&#8217;t even have to do the full route, or they don&#8217;t even have to do that same route \u2013 just the idea that these things are already out there for free, technically, to go and do. That\u2019s really, really nice.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI can use my physical ability to shoot for an FKT or whatever, but if it has the byproduct of maybe getting someone out just to go and ride their local bit of the route, or to go and get the train somewhere and ride home\u2026 I find that really, really motivating \u2013 probably more motivating than actually going fast. I think that\u2019s important to say.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"slice-container-authorBio-w2tS9vG34amgkbxtfrSCPk\" class=\"slice-container slice-author-bio authorBio-w2tS9vG34amgkbxtfrSCPk slice-container-authorBio\">\n<div class=\"author author__default-layout author--separator author--collapsible\" data-hydrate=\"true\">\n<div class=\"author__header\">\n<div class=\"author__avatar-block\">\n<figure class=\"image-wrapped__wrapper\" data-bordeaux-image-check=\"false\">\n<div class=\"image-wrapped__widthsetter\">\n<div class=\"image-wrapped__aspect-padding\">\n<div><source class=\"author__avatar image-wrapped__image image__image\" type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/2QoJgeVtEMbCKNujw2pLoH-140-80.jpg.webp 140w\" sizes=\"99vw\" data-normal=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/2QoJgeVtEMbCKNujw2pLoH.jpg\" data-original-mos=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/2QoJgeVtEMbCKNujw2pLoH.jpg\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/2QoJgeVtEMbCKNujw2pLoH.jpg\" data-pin-nopin=\"true\" data-slice-image=\"true\" \/><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"author__heading\">\n<div class=\"author__name\">Patrick Fletcher<\/div>\n<div class=\"author__role\">Deputy Editor<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"author__bio-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"author__biography\">\n<p>Patrick is an NCTJ-accredited journalist with a bachelor\u2019s degree in modern languages (French and Spanish) and a decade\u2019s experience in digital sports media, largely within the world of cycling. He re-joined Cyclingnews as Deputy Editor in February 2026, having previously spent eight years on staff between 2015 and 2023. In between, he was Deputy Editor at GCN and spent 18 months working across the sports portfolio at Future before returning to the cycling press pack. Patrick works across Cyclingnews\u2019 wide-ranging output, assisting the Editor in global content strategy, with a particular focus on shaping CN&#8217;s news operation.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<div class=\"mt-6 lg:px-0 relative max-w-[1070px] mx-auto viafoura-twig-component px-4\" data-component-name=\"Viafoura:Comments\" data-nosnippet data-community-guidelines-text=\"&lt;p class='vfcustom-community-guidelines'&gt;Please follow our &lt;a href=&quot;https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/about\/#section-community-guidelines&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;community guidelines&lt;\/a&gt;.&lt;\/p&gt;\" data-join-the-conversation-text=\"Join the Conversation\">\n<div class=\"absolute top-0 left-0 w-full h-full flex items-center justify-center z-50 bg-white\/90 border-1\">\n<div class=\"p-2 text-center\">\n<p class=\"mb-3 !text-lg\">You must confirm your public display name before commenting<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-3 !text-sm\">Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<section class=\"mx-2 my-5 sm:mx-0\">\n<aside class=\"w-full\" data-nosnippet data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-stacked\">\n<div data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-adviser:hybrid\">\n<div class=\"text-white py-4 px-3 mb-4 bg-[#333] uppercase font-bold custom-header-styles\">Read more<\/div>\n<div class=\"grid grid-cols-1 gap-4 mt-4 mb-5\">\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/u5PtH7Zd3u8q9oKmyMjbWm-840-80.jpeg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/u5PtH7Zd3u8q9oKmyMjbWm-650-80.jpeg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/u5PtH7Zd3u8q9oKmyMjbWm-500-80.jpeg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/u5PtH7Zd3u8q9oKmyMjbWm-450-80.jpeg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/u5PtH7Zd3u8q9oKmyMjbWm-320-80.jpeg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Teams &amp; Riders<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">&#8216;The wind was 89 kilometres per hour&#8217; &#8211; Wicked weather derails Brendan Johnston from fastest known time attempt on Perth to Sydney ride<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"relative recirc-feed sponsored-card min-h-[250px]\" data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-ads:native-cards\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-ads\" data-nosnippet data-ad-slot-path=\"feed-sponsored-post\" data-attribute-device=\"all\">\n<div class=\"sponsored-post--placeholder max-w-full animate-pulse\"><span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block bg-gray-100\">\u00a0<br \/>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/ykipDS7CxPGHn54eDnXffX-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/ykipDS7CxPGHn54eDnXffX-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/ykipDS7CxPGHn54eDnXffX-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/ykipDS7CxPGHn54eDnXffX-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/ykipDS7CxPGHn54eDnXffX-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Gravel Bikes<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">Best gravel bikes 2026: Our pick of the best bikes for drop-bar off-road action<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"relative recirc-feed sponsored-card min-h-[250px]\" data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-ads:native-cards\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-ads\" data-nosnippet data-ad-slot-path=\"feed-sponsored-post\" data-attribute-device=\"all\">\n<div class=\"sponsored-post--placeholder max-w-full animate-pulse\"><span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block bg-gray-100\">\u00a0<br \/>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/qcK9ZjjeHs5QF73Qw84mkP-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/qcK9ZjjeHs5QF73Qw84mkP-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/qcK9ZjjeHs5QF73Qw84mkP-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/qcK9ZjjeHs5QF73Qw84mkP-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/qcK9ZjjeHs5QF73Qw84mkP-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Teams &amp; Riders<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">&#8216;A real bucket list year&#8217; &#8211; Recently-retired 15-year road pro Michael Woods launches endurance campaign on gravel at Santa Vall then Unbound Gravel 200<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"relative recirc-feed sponsored-card min-h-[250px]\" data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-ads:native-cards\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-ads\" data-nosnippet data-ad-slot-path=\"feed-sponsored-post\" data-attribute-device=\"all\">\n<div class=\"sponsored-post--placeholder max-w-full animate-pulse\"><span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block bg-gray-100\">\u00a0<br \/>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/ad8xSNwjkm6JdPqgDJmTFc-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/ad8xSNwjkm6JdPqgDJmTFc-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/ad8xSNwjkm6JdPqgDJmTFc-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/ad8xSNwjkm6JdPqgDJmTFc-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/ad8xSNwjkm6JdPqgDJmTFc-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Gravel Bikes<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">New Factor gravel bike spotted in the wild, and it looks to have what the current Ostro Gravel dearly needed<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"relative recirc-feed sponsored-card min-h-[250px]\" data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-ads:native-cards\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-ads\" data-nosnippet data-ad-slot-path=\"feed-sponsored-post\" data-attribute-device=\"all\">\n<div class=\"sponsored-post--placeholder max-w-full animate-pulse\"><span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block bg-gray-100\">\u00a0<br \/>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/7UstRqry6qfZFGZJ3rPjTW-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/7UstRqry6qfZFGZJ3rPjTW-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/7UstRqry6qfZFGZJ3rPjTW-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/7UstRqry6qfZFGZJ3rPjTW-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/7UstRqry6qfZFGZJ3rPjTW-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Pro Cycling<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">&#8216;Small percentages can make a huge difference&#8217; &#8211; What&#8217;s the science behind cycling&#8217;s long-range attacks?<br \/>\n<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"relative recirc-feed sponsored-card min-h-[250px]\" data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-ads:native-cards\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-ads\" data-nosnippet data-ad-slot-path=\"feed-sponsored-post\" data-attribute-device=\"all\">\n<div class=\"sponsored-post--placeholder max-w-full animate-pulse\"><span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block bg-gray-100\">\u00a0<br \/>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/n4FUsKSzXup3y8x57GKbnL-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/n4FUsKSzXup3y8x57GKbnL-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/n4FUsKSzXup3y8x57GKbnL-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/n4FUsKSzXup3y8x57GKbnL-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/n4FUsKSzXup3y8x57GKbnL-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Cycling Culture<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">&#8216;It&#8217;s going to be one hell of a ride&#8217; \u2013 Brendan Johnston sets off in 4,000km pursuit of fastest known time from Perth to Sydney<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"relative recirc-feed sponsored-card min-h-[250px]\" data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-ads:native-cards\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-ads\" data-nosnippet data-ad-slot-path=\"feed-sponsored-post\" data-attribute-device=\"all\">\n<div class=\"sponsored-post--placeholder max-w-full animate-pulse\"><span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block bg-gray-100\">\u00a0<br \/>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<aside class=\"w-full\" data-nosnippet data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-stacked\">\n<div data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-solr:latest-category\">\n<div class=\"text-white py-4 px-3 mb-4 bg-[#333] uppercase font-bold custom-header-styles\">Latest in Cycling Culture<\/div>\n<div class=\"grid grid-cols-1 gap-4 mt-4 mb-5\">\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/QvsXqZZgznWeNnJBEV4tq3-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/QvsXqZZgznWeNnJBEV4tq3-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/QvsXqZZgznWeNnJBEV4tq3-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/QvsXqZZgznWeNnJBEV4tq3-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/QvsXqZZgznWeNnJBEV4tq3-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Cycling Culture<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">Rohan Dennis resurfaces on Instagram with a post labelled &#8216;deeply offensive&#8217; by Victims&#8217; Rights Commissioner<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"relative recirc-feed sponsored-card min-h-[250px]\" data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-ads:native-cards\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-ads\" data-nosnippet data-ad-slot-path=\"feed-sponsored-post\" data-attribute-device=\"all\">\n<div class=\"sponsored-post--placeholder max-w-full animate-pulse\"><span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block bg-gray-100\">\u00a0<br \/>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/4ntfobZ8iWb4PLKqhvznUF-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/4ntfobZ8iWb4PLKqhvznUF-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/4ntfobZ8iWb4PLKqhvznUF-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/4ntfobZ8iWb4PLKqhvznUF-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/4ntfobZ8iWb4PLKqhvznUF-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Streaming<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">How to watch Milan-San Remo 2026 \u2013 Live streams, TV channels for La Classicissima<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"relative recirc-feed sponsored-card min-h-[250px]\" data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-ads:native-cards\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-ads\" data-nosnippet data-ad-slot-path=\"feed-sponsored-post\" data-attribute-device=\"all\">\n<div class=\"sponsored-post--placeholder max-w-full animate-pulse\"><span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block bg-gray-100\">\u00a0<br \/>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/otzsskoVTuQezncUwTcfYm-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/otzsskoVTuQezncUwTcfYm-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/otzsskoVTuQezncUwTcfYm-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/otzsskoVTuQezncUwTcfYm-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/otzsskoVTuQezncUwTcfYm-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Cycling Culture<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">AusCycling special general meeting to go ahead after formal request from clubs but only one of four proposed motions will go to vote<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"relative recirc-feed sponsored-card min-h-[250px]\" data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-ads:native-cards\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-ads\" data-nosnippet data-ad-slot-path=\"feed-sponsored-post\" data-attribute-device=\"all\">\n<div class=\"sponsored-post--placeholder max-w-full animate-pulse\"><span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block bg-gray-100\">\u00a0<br \/>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/B9pdg2TycJCpTyCz66yVdL-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/B9pdg2TycJCpTyCz66yVdL-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/B9pdg2TycJCpTyCz66yVdL-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/B9pdg2TycJCpTyCz66yVdL-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/B9pdg2TycJCpTyCz66yVdL-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Training<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">The magic zone \u2013 A deep dive into zone 2 and how taking it steady has become the WorldTour&#8217;s go-to training strategy<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"relative recirc-feed sponsored-card min-h-[250px]\" data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-ads:native-cards\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-ads\" data-nosnippet data-ad-slot-path=\"feed-sponsored-post\" data-attribute-device=\"all\">\n<div class=\"sponsored-post--placeholder max-w-full animate-pulse\"><span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block bg-gray-100\">\u00a0<br \/>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/g7GcsiCp8UfqHde9kHuri4-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/g7GcsiCp8UfqHde9kHuri4-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/g7GcsiCp8UfqHde9kHuri4-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/g7GcsiCp8UfqHde9kHuri4-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/g7GcsiCp8UfqHde9kHuri4-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Streaming<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">How to watch Tirreno-Adriatico 2026 \u2013 Live streams, TV channels for Italian stage race<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"relative recirc-feed sponsored-card min-h-[250px]\" data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-ads:native-cards\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-ads\" data-nosnippet data-ad-slot-path=\"feed-sponsored-post\" data-attribute-device=\"all\">\n<div class=\"sponsored-post--placeholder max-w-full animate-pulse\"><span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block bg-gray-100\">\u00a0<br \/>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/uUx6uJAPCBrjVA4ZEGkj9h-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/uUx6uJAPCBrjVA4ZEGkj9h-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/uUx6uJAPCBrjVA4ZEGkj9h-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/uUx6uJAPCBrjVA4ZEGkj9h-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/uUx6uJAPCBrjVA4ZEGkj9h-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Cycling Culture<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">Multiple clubs formally call for special general meeting to vote on removal of AusCycling Chair and CEO, national cycling body considering request<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"relative recirc-feed sponsored-card min-h-[250px]\" data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-ads:native-cards\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-ads\" data-nosnippet data-ad-slot-path=\"feed-sponsored-post\" data-attribute-device=\"all\">\n<div class=\"sponsored-post--placeholder max-w-full animate-pulse\"><span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block bg-gray-100\">\u00a0<br \/>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<aside class=\"w-full\" data-nosnippet data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-stacked\">\n<div data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-solr:latest-articletype\">\n<div class=\"text-white py-4 px-3 mb-4 bg-[#333] uppercase font-bold custom-header-styles\">Latest in News<\/div>\n<div class=\"grid grid-cols-1 gap-4 mt-4 mb-5\">\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/VQ4An82zdeQCkZ8K4F6Gue-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/VQ4An82zdeQCkZ8K4F6Gue-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/VQ4An82zdeQCkZ8K4F6Gue-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/VQ4An82zdeQCkZ8K4F6Gue-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/VQ4An82zdeQCkZ8K4F6Gue-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Teams &amp; Riders<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">&#8216;I can&#8217;t hold my handlebars properly anymore&#8217; \u2013 Mathieu van der Poel sheds light on the crash and injury which left him out of the running at Milan-San Remo<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"relative recirc-feed sponsored-card min-h-[250px]\" data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-ads:native-cards\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-ads\" data-nosnippet data-ad-slot-path=\"feed-sponsored-post\" data-attribute-device=\"all\">\n<div class=\"sponsored-post--placeholder max-w-full animate-pulse\"><span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block bg-gray-100\">\u00a0<br \/>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/MY9nBKorFiDikHC6qjfVBF-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/MY9nBKorFiDikHC6qjfVBF-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/MY9nBKorFiDikHC6qjfVBF-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/MY9nBKorFiDikHC6qjfVBF-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/MY9nBKorFiDikHC6qjfVBF-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Women&#8217;s Cycling<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">&#8216;She was the Plan A&#8217; \u2013 Defending champion Lorena Wiebes happy to play team role for SD Worx-Protime as Lotte Kopecky wins Milan-San Remo Women<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"relative recirc-feed sponsored-card min-h-[250px]\" data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-ads:native-cards\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-ads\" data-nosnippet data-ad-slot-path=\"feed-sponsored-post\" data-attribute-device=\"all\">\n<div class=\"sponsored-post--placeholder max-w-full animate-pulse\"><span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block bg-gray-100\">\u00a0<br \/>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/QedAexqpRWEdTRa6XPy8iM-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/QedAexqpRWEdTRa6XPy8iM-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/QedAexqpRWEdTRa6XPy8iM-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/QedAexqpRWEdTRa6XPy8iM-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/QedAexqpRWEdTRa6XPy8iM-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Teams &amp; Riders<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">Tadej Poga\u010dar, Mathieu van der Poel, Wout van Aert caught in crash in finale of Milan-San Remo<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"relative recirc-feed sponsored-card min-h-[250px]\" data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-ads:native-cards\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-ads\" data-nosnippet data-ad-slot-path=\"feed-sponsored-post\" data-attribute-device=\"all\">\n<div class=\"sponsored-post--placeholder max-w-full animate-pulse\"><span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block bg-gray-100\">\u00a0<br \/>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/NHSmn8TtspEmPASkt8VLQH-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/NHSmn8TtspEmPASkt8VLQH-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/NHSmn8TtspEmPASkt8VLQH-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/NHSmn8TtspEmPASkt8VLQH-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/NHSmn8TtspEmPASkt8VLQH-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Women&#8217;s Cycling<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">&#8216;I&#8217;m getting one step closer every year, so maybe next year&#8217; &#8211; Noemi R\u00fcegg emotional after second Milan-San Remo podium<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"relative recirc-feed sponsored-card min-h-[250px]\" data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-ads:native-cards\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-ads\" data-nosnippet data-ad-slot-path=\"feed-sponsored-post\" data-attribute-device=\"all\">\n<div class=\"sponsored-post--placeholder max-w-full animate-pulse\"><span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block bg-gray-100\">\u00a0<br \/>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/J2avf6xE8QvUgi8SMahDTc-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/J2avf6xE8QvUgi8SMahDTc-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/J2avf6xE8QvUgi8SMahDTc-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/J2avf6xE8QvUgi8SMahDTc-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/J2avf6xE8QvUgi8SMahDTc-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Women&#8217;s Cycling<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">&#8216;They didn&#8217;t look good&#8217; \u2013 Kim Le Court-Pienaar gives update on serious Milan-San Remo Women crash which saw Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney among the fallers<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"relative recirc-feed sponsored-card min-h-[250px]\" data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-ads:native-cards\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-ads\" data-nosnippet data-ad-slot-path=\"feed-sponsored-post\" data-attribute-device=\"all\">\n<div class=\"sponsored-post--placeholder max-w-full animate-pulse\"><span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block bg-gray-100\">\u00a0<br \/>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/zCwubfMaMxny8WH9sU7ZPE-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/zCwubfMaMxny8WH9sU7ZPE-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/zCwubfMaMxny8WH9sU7ZPE-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/zCwubfMaMxny8WH9sU7ZPE-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/zCwubfMaMxny8WH9sU7ZPE-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Racing<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">Tadej Poga\u010dar loses key Milan-San Remo domestique to early crash<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"relative recirc-feed sponsored-card min-h-[250px]\" data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-ads:native-cards\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-ads\" data-nosnippet data-ad-slot-path=\"feed-sponsored-post\" data-attribute-device=\"all\">\n<div class=\"sponsored-post--placeholder max-w-full animate-pulse\"><span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block bg-gray-100\">\u00a0<br \/>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"widgetArea17\" class=\"widget-area md:basis-1\/3 widget-area-g-md-vp-1-3 widget-area-g-lg-vp-1-3 widget-area-g-xl-vp-1-3 page-widget-area-17\">\n<div data-widget-type=\"dynamic\" id=\"popular-data\" class=\"clear-both widget widget-dynamic widget-popular-data widget-dynamic-popular-data widget-dynamic-fter-popular-box\">\n<div class=\"wdn-fte-pb pos-relative space-t20\n\"><\/p>\n<div id=\"slice-container-popularBox\" class=\"slice-container popular-box-slice popularBox slice-container-popularBox\">\n<section data-hydrate=\"true\" class=\"popular-box\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__label\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__label__tab popular-box__label__tab--active\" role=\"heading\">LATEST ARTICLES<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<ol class=\"popular-box__articles-list popular-box__articles-list--active\">\n<li class=\"popular-box__article-list\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__container\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__image-wrapper\">\n<div><source class=\"popular-box__article-list__image image__image\" type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/VQ4An82zdeQCkZ8K4F6Gue-320-80.jpg.webp 320w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/VQ4An82zdeQCkZ8K4F6Gue-640-80.jpg.webp 640w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/VQ4An82zdeQCkZ8K4F6Gue-720-80.jpg.webp 720w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/VQ4An82zdeQCkZ8K4F6Gue-1280-80.jpg.webp 1280w\" sizes=\"99vw\" data-normal=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/VQ4An82zdeQCkZ8K4F6Gue.jpg\" data-original-mos=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/VQ4An82zdeQCkZ8K4F6Gue.jpg\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/VQ4An82zdeQCkZ8K4F6Gue.jpg\" data-pin-nopin=\"true\" data-slice-image=\"true\" \/><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__content\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__number-text\">1<\/div>\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__heading\">&#8216;I can&#8217;t hold my handlebars properly anymore&#8217; \u2013 Mathieu van der Poel sheds light on the crash and injury which left him out of the running at Milan-San Remo<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"popular-box__article-list\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__container\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__content\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__number-text\">2<\/div>\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__heading\">&#8216;She was the Plan A&#8217; \u2013 Defending champion Lorena Wiebes happy to play team role for SD Worx-Protime as Lotte Kopecky wins Milan-San Remo Women<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"popular-box__article-list\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__container\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__content\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__number-text\">3<\/div>\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__heading\">Milan-San Remo: Tadej Poga\u010dar strikes in closing metres to hold off Tom Pidcock in electrifying two-rider finish and earns masterful victory<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"popular-box__article-list\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__container\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__content\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__number-text\">4<\/div>\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__heading\">Tadej Poga\u010dar, Mathieu van der Poel, Wout van Aert caught in crash in finale of Milan-San Remo<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"popular-box__article-list\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__container\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__content\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__number-text\">5<\/div>\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__heading\">&#8216;I&#8217;m getting one step closer every year, so maybe next year&#8217; &#8211; Noemi R\u00fcegg emotional after second Milan-San Remo podium<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article class=\"page-content-onecol flex-1\nnews-article article\n\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"widget-area-group widget-area-group-2col flex flex-wrap box-border\">\n<div id=\"widgetArea16\" class=\"widget-area basis-full md:basis-2\/3 widget-area-g-md-vp-2-3 widget-area-g-lg-vp-2-3 widget-area-g-xl-vp-2-3 page-widget-area-16\">\n<div data-widget-type=\"hero\" id=\"hero\" class=\"clear-both widget widget-hero widget-hero widget-hero-hero widget-hero widget-hero-fter-news\">\n<div class=\"news-article\">\n<header data-component-name=\"Article:Hero\">\n<nav class=\"breadcrumb\" aria-label=\"Breadcrumbs\">\n<ol>\n<li>\nCycling Culture\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/nav>\n<h1>&#8216;I didn&#8217;t have a gravel bike&#8217; \u2013 Cameron Mason sets unofficial FKT on bikepacking trail on aero road bike stuffed with tyres 6mm over clearance<\/h1>\n<div class=\"byline-social\">\n<div class=\"byline\">\nNews<\/p>\n<div class=\"text-[13px]\"><span><br \/>\nBy<br \/>\nPatrick Fletcher <\/span><span><br \/>\npublished<br \/>\n<time data-component-name=\"UI:DateTime\" datetime=\"2026-03-21T09:16:54Z\" class=\"relative-date\"><br \/>\n21 March 2026<br \/>\n<\/time><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"strapline\">Scottish pro tells the tale of his ride on the John Muir Way<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"mx-auto mb-4 flex items-center justify-start mx-0 my-5 p-0\" id=\"affiliate-disclaimer\" data-component-name=\"AffiliateDisclaimer\" data-hawk-message=\"Affiliate disclaimer removed because hawk deemed there are no affiliate links on this page\">\n<p class=\"text-700 mb-2 text-[12px] leading-[18px] md:text-[13px] [&amp;&gt;a]:text-gray-700 [&amp;&gt;a]:underline\">\nWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. 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Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"newsletter-modal-confirmation\" class=\"hidden\">\n<p class=\"sm:text-xl text-base font-bold text-black mb-3 p-0\">You are now subscribed<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-gray-600 mb-4 text-sm sm:text-base\">Your newsletter sign-up was successful<\/p>\n<div id=\"newsletter-modal-confirmation__userlogin\" class=\"hidden\">\n<hr class=\"my-5 h-px bg-gray-300 border-0\">\n<div class=\"items-start flex flex-col h-full justify-between\">\n<div class=\"flcw-text pb-5 pt-2 leading-[1.3]\"> An account already exists for this email address, please log in.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"max-sm:hidden tooltip absolute left-1\/2 bg-gray-900 text-white text-xs leading-none px-3 py-1.5 rounded-md z-[10001] whitespace-nowrap\" id=\"tooltip-subscribe-to-our-newsletter\" role=\"tooltip\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\nSubscribe to our newsletter\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p id=\"8f82b369-845d-4921-99d6-895138a6e91a\">Pro racers don\u2019t usually bother going after Fastest Known Times on bikepacking routes for the thrill of it, but Cameron Mason is no ordinary pro, and his set-up for his assault on the John Muir Way was even less conventional. Sat aboard an aero road bike, stuffed with tyres 6mm over the official clearance, the Scottish rider blitzed the 212-kilometre multi-terrain route in under eight hours last week, adding to the never-more-relevant debate over what bike is the right tool for the job at hand.<\/p>\n<p>Mason, who races cyclocross for Seven Cycling and road for the Alpecin-Premier Tech Development team, was at a bit of a loose end earlier this month after capping his \u2018cross season with third overall in the X2O Trof\u00e9e series.<\/p>\n<p id=\"8f82b369-845d-4921-99d6-895138a6e91a-2\">\u201cI just was like, \u2018I need to scratch that itch of just doing a bit of a mission\u2019,\u201d he tells <em>Cyclingnews<\/em>. \u201cI\u2019ve known about the John Muir Way for years. My childhood family home is on the route, and actually now my own home in Edinburgh is also on the route, so it goes through two very important places to me.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"article-continues-below block py-2 text-sm\">Article continues below <\/span><\/p>\n<aside data-component-name=\"Recirculation:ArticleRiver\" data-recirculation-type=\"inline\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"Trending Bar\" data-nosnippet class=\"clear-both pb-0 pt-2 mb-4\"><span class=\"\n            flex\n            after:content-[''] after:flex-1 after:ml-4 after:my-[0.7rem] after:border-t after:border-solid after:border-t-[#ccc]\n            before:content-[''] before:flex-1 before:mr-4 before:my-[0.7rem] before:border-t before:border-solid before:border-t-[#ccc]\n            font-article-heading pb-0 !text-base uppercase sm:text-sm font-bold\n        \"><br \/>\n            You may like<br \/>\n        <\/span><\/p>\n<ul class=\"flex flex-col gap-0 m-0\">\n<li class=\"m-0 list-none border-b border-solid border-[#ededed] py-2\" data-recirculation-id=\"recirculation-card-1\" data-analytics-id=\"recirculation-inline-1\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"recirculation-inline-1\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/u5PtH7Zd3u8q9oKmyMjbWm-250-80.jpeg.webp 250w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/u5PtH7Zd3u8q9oKmyMjbWm-150-80.jpeg.webp 150w\" sizes=\"150px\" \/><span class=\"\n                            w-full font-article-heading line-clamp-3 md:line-clamp-2 text-base font-medium\">&#8216;The wind was 89 kilometres per hour&#8217; &#8211; Wicked weather derails Brendan Johnston from fastest known time attempt on Perth to Sydney ride<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"m-0 list-none border-b border-solid border-[#ededed] py-2\" data-recirculation-id=\"recirculation-card-2\" data-analytics-id=\"recirculation-inline-2\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"recirculation-inline-2\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/ykipDS7CxPGHn54eDnXffX-250-80.jpg.webp 250w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/ykipDS7CxPGHn54eDnXffX-150-80.jpg.webp 150w\" sizes=\"150px\" \/><span class=\"\n                            w-full font-article-heading line-clamp-3 md:line-clamp-2 text-base font-medium\">Best gravel bikes 2026: Our pick of the best bikes for drop-bar off-road action<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"m-0 list-none border-b border-solid border-[#ccc] py-2\" data-recirculation-id=\"recirculation-card-3\" data-analytics-id=\"recirculation-inline-3\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"recirculation-inline-3\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/qcK9ZjjeHs5QF73Qw84mkP-250-80.jpg.webp 250w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/qcK9ZjjeHs5QF73Qw84mkP-150-80.jpg.webp 150w\" sizes=\"150px\" \/><span class=\"\n                            w-full font-article-heading line-clamp-3 md:line-clamp-2 text-base font-medium\">&#8216;A real bucket list year&#8217; &#8211; Recently-retired 15-year road pro Michael Woods launches endurance campaign on gravel at Santa Vall then Unbound Gravel 200<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/aside>\n<p>The John Muir Way measures 212 kilometres from coast-to-coast in Scotland, starting in Helensburgh in the west and ending up in Dunbar in the east, featuring \u201ca mixture of forest tracks, singletrack, canal towpaths, walking paths, cycling paths, landrover tracks and sections on roads\u201d, according to the Bikepacking Scotland website.<\/p>\n<p>After going out to recon the parts of the course he didn\u2019t know so well, all that was left to do was wait for the trails to dry out and wait for a favourable westerly wind. \u201cA few of these things came together to actually do the route and the I woke up one morning and got the train through to Helensburgh, and then just cracked on,\u201d Mason says.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"van-image-figure inline-layout\" data-bordeaux-image-check id=\"1aec129a-841b-4816-88c2-0a6f44146126\">\n<div class=\"image-full-width-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"image-widthsetter\">\n<p class=\"vanilla-image-block\">\n<source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/BnCJwpmEHLEUQj5eTxFFSf-1200-80.png.webp 1200w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/BnCJwpmEHLEUQj5eTxFFSf-1024-80.png.webp 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/BnCJwpmEHLEUQj5eTxFFSf-970-80.png.webp 970w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/BnCJwpmEHLEUQj5eTxFFSf-650-80.png.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/BnCJwpmEHLEUQj5eTxFFSf-480-80.png.webp 480w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/BnCJwpmEHLEUQj5eTxFFSf-320-80.png.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 1000px) 970px, calc(100vw - 40px)\" \/><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\" inline-layout\"><span class=\"caption-text\">A screenshot from Mason&#8217;s Strava upload shows the stats <\/span><span class=\"credit\">(Image credit: Strava \/ Cameron Mason)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2 id=\"aero-bike-road-gearing-and-squeezing-in-38mm-3\">Aero bike, road gearing, and squeezing in 38mm<\/h2>\n<p id=\"930d0b26-62ad-4e9b-b5ee-c83375908374\">The wind needed to be blowing at Mason\u2019s back if he was to stand any chance of bettering John Mackenzie\u2019s FKT of 8h 19m 42s \u2013 not to mention the second-best time of 9h 01m 20s held by <em>Cyclingnews<\/em>\u2019 very own Graham Cottingham. But the dry conditions were especially important given his bike set-up.<\/p>\n<p>Remarkably, Mason completed the ride on a Canyon Aeroad, the German brand\u2019s all-out wind-cheating road racing frame that has won the past three editions of Milan-San Remo.<\/p>\n<div id=\"slice-container-newsletterForm-articleInbodyContent-w2tS9vG34amgkbxtfrSCPk\" class=\"slice-container newsletter-inbodyContent-slice newsletterForm-articleInbodyContent-w2tS9vG34amgkbxtfrSCPk slice-container-newsletterForm\">\n<div data-hydrate=\"true\" class=\"newsletter-form__wrapper newsletter-form__wrapper--inbodyContent\">\n<div class=\"newsletter-form__container\">\n<section class=\"newsletter-form__top-bar\">\n<div class=\"newsletter-form__header\">Get The Leadout Newsletter<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<section class=\"newsletter-form__main-section\">\n<p class=\"newsletter-form__strapline\">The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!<\/p>\n<footer class=\"newsletter-form__footer \">By submitting your information you agree to the Terms &amp; Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.<\/footer>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>\u201cNormally, I would have done it on a gravel bike, I just didn&#8217;t have one from the team yet, because we\u2019ve not had delivery of the new Stevens Camino, which is what I\u2019d normally do something like this on. I knew the new Aeroad does take quite wide tires so I was like, \u2018right, I\u2019ll see what I can fit into it\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"van-image-figure inline-layout\" data-bordeaux-image-check id=\"f2e2ca77-3362-45c9-8814-f7ceb9557df1\">\n<div class=\"image-full-width-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"image-widthsetter\">\n<p class=\"vanilla-image-block\">\n<source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/GrjL7sMUJUL2AsfNGDwMUV-1028-80.jpg.webp 1200w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/GrjL7sMUJUL2AsfNGDwMUV-1024-80.jpg.webp 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/GrjL7sMUJUL2AsfNGDwMUV-970-80.jpg.webp 970w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/GrjL7sMUJUL2AsfNGDwMUV-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/GrjL7sMUJUL2AsfNGDwMUV-480-80.jpg.webp 480w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/GrjL7sMUJUL2AsfNGDwMUV-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 1000px) 970px, calc(100vw - 40px)\" \/><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\" inline-layout\"><span class=\"caption-text\">Cameron Mason&#8217;s Canyon Aeroad for his John Muir Way ride <\/span><span class=\"credit\">(Image credit: Strava \/ Cameron Mason)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p id=\"ccd48226-29fc-4048-af5c-8c8c6ac5f047\">In the end, despite an official tyre clearance of 32mm, Mason managed to comfortably fit in a 38mm gravel tyre on the front, along with a 33mm cyclocross tyre at the rear.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe front tyre didn&#8217;t come up quite as wide as 38 because of the Dura-Ace rims I was on, so it fitted ok, but I needed it to be dry because I didn\u2019t have room to be dragging mud up through the frame,\u201d he explained.<\/p>\n<aside data-component-name=\"Recirculation:ArticleRiver\" data-recirculation-type=\"inline\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"Trending Bar\" data-nosnippet class=\"clear-both pb-0 pt-2 mb-4\"><span class=\"\n            flex\n            after:content-[''] after:flex-1 after:ml-4 after:my-[0.7rem] after:border-t after:border-solid after:border-t-[#ccc]\n            before:content-[''] before:flex-1 before:mr-4 before:my-[0.7rem] before:border-t before:border-solid before:border-t-[#ccc]\n            font-article-heading pb-0 !text-base uppercase sm:text-sm font-bold\n        \"><br \/>\n            What to read next<br \/>\n        <\/span><\/p>\n<ul class=\"flex flex-col gap-0 m-0\">\n<li class=\"m-0 list-none border-b border-solid border-[#ededed] py-2\" data-recirculation-id=\"recirculation-card-1\" data-analytics-id=\"recirculation-2-inline-1\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"recirculation-2-inline-1\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/ad8xSNwjkm6JdPqgDJmTFc-250-80.jpg.webp 250w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/ad8xSNwjkm6JdPqgDJmTFc-150-80.jpg.webp 150w\" sizes=\"150px\" \/><span class=\"\n                            w-full font-article-heading line-clamp-3 md:line-clamp-2 text-base font-medium\">New Factor gravel bike spotted in the wild, and it looks to have what the current Ostro Gravel dearly needed<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"m-0 list-none border-b border-solid border-[#ededed] py-2\" data-recirculation-id=\"recirculation-card-2\" data-analytics-id=\"recirculation-2-inline-2\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"recirculation-2-inline-2\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/7UstRqry6qfZFGZJ3rPjTW-250-80.jpg.webp 250w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/7UstRqry6qfZFGZJ3rPjTW-150-80.jpg.webp 150w\" sizes=\"150px\" \/><span class=\"\n                            w-full font-article-heading line-clamp-3 md:line-clamp-2 text-base font-medium\">&#8216;Small percentages can make a huge difference&#8217; &#8211; What&#8217;s the science behind cycling&#8217;s long-range attacks?<br \/>\n<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"m-0 list-none border-b border-solid border-[#ccc] py-2\" data-recirculation-id=\"recirculation-card-3\" data-analytics-id=\"recirculation-2-inline-3\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"recirculation-2-inline-3\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/n4FUsKSzXup3y8x57GKbnL-250-80.jpg.webp 250w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/n4FUsKSzXup3y8x57GKbnL-150-80.jpg.webp 150w\" sizes=\"150px\" \/><span class=\"\n                            w-full font-article-heading line-clamp-3 md:line-clamp-2 text-base font-medium\">&#8216;It&#8217;s going to be one hell of a ride&#8217; \u2013 Brendan Johnston sets off in 4,000km pursuit of fastest known time from Perth to Sydney<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/aside>\n<p>\u201cThe only thing I had to do was put a bit of electrical tape on the front derailleur Di2 cable, just to keep it flush so it wouldn&#8217;t rub on the tyre, and that was just a little mod beforehand. Everything else was totally stock and standard. Toe overlap was obviously worse, and that\u2019s something you have to be careful of \u2013 you can\u2019t turn very sharply. Apart from that, it was really sweet.\u201d<\/p>\n<p id=\"5a584b86-e0f9-4e39-82da-2d21fe6ea006\">The John Muir Way section of the FastestKnownTimes website says \u2018a gravel bike is typically the fastest steed of choice with a MTB offering more comfort over the rougher terrain\u2019. However, Mason went full aero frame and road gearing \u2013 54-39 chainrings, 11-34 cassette \u2013 and even road pedals.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOut of all of those kind of routes in Scotland, this is probably the only one that you could do with a kind of road set-up,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s not too hilly and there\u2019s plenty of tarmac and plenty of smoother off-road sections. It was a nice challenge, and it felt like the set-up was a good balance.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Mason\u2019s ride may attract further debate over what he describes as \u2018that age old question\u2019 over what kind of bike is actually the right tool for the job, in an industry where gravel bikes have made a major market position of the space between road and mountain bikes.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI feel like a lot of people go, \u2018all right, I want a gravel bike and I want to ride gravel\u2019. And then, in actual fact, the gravel they have available to them is like bridleways, canal paths and farm tracks. And that is so different from doing big mountain passes or gravel forestry,&#8221; Mason argues.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhere I grew up, in West Lothian, the best gravel bike was always a cyclocross bike, because it would kind of fit that brief the best. It\u2019s that age old question, and I still do recommend to people that they just buy a cyclocross bike if they want to buy a bike, because it still does the same job as it did 10 or 20 years ago, and there&#8217;s a reason why they were so popular.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"not-an-fkt-after-all-but-a-rider-bigger-than-himself-3\">Not an FKT after all, but a rider bigger than himself<\/h2>\n<figure class=\"van-image-figure inline-layout\" data-bordeaux-image-check id=\"10043059-8b74-4a86-bdb8-5a185089428a\">\n<div class=\"image-full-width-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"image-widthsetter\">\n<p class=\"vanilla-image-block\">\n<source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/eAgmZ46oxTwHkVKaMpzYJ8-1042-80.png.webp 1200w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/eAgmZ46oxTwHkVKaMpzYJ8-1024-80.png.webp 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/eAgmZ46oxTwHkVKaMpzYJ8-970-80.png.webp 970w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/eAgmZ46oxTwHkVKaMpzYJ8-650-80.png.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/eAgmZ46oxTwHkVKaMpzYJ8-480-80.png.webp 480w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/eAgmZ46oxTwHkVKaMpzYJ8-320-80.png.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 1000px) 970px, calc(100vw - 40px)\" \/><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\" inline-layout\"><span class=\"caption-text\">The map of Mason&#8217;s ride <\/span><span class=\"credit\">(Image credit: Strava \/ Cameron Mason)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p id=\"af837781-0f31-40a4-bae1-525d90720695\">In the end, Mason&#8217;s time of 7h 57m 51s, though over 20 minutes faster than Mackenzie&#8217;s 2023 benchmark, will not go down as an official FKT, given he planted bottles in hedges around Edinburgh the day before to pick up for feeds on the day. The FastestKnownTimes website, run by Dotwatcher, is as close to a governing body for this sort of thing as you&#8217;ll get, and their rules forbid &#8216;gear stashes&#8217; as part of &#8220;the spirit of self-sufficiency and equal opportunity&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p>Mason wasn&#8217;t aware of this section of the rule at the time \u2013 in fact it was only pointed out to him when we were editing this interview \u2013 but he took it gracefully and was more than happy to only have an unofficial FKT \u2013 &#8220;the ones who know will know, and the ones who wish it was pure can also wish such.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Besides, there was rather more to the whole endeavour than the stats and the leaderboards.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt was really good fun and it definitely like scratched an itch of doing something self powered and self planned \u2013 I think there&#8217;s something to be said for that,\u201d Mason explained.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd I do like that anyone can go on Strava, see what I&#8217;ve done, and then recreate it in their own way, under their own steam. They don&#8217;t even have to do the full route, or they don&#8217;t even have to do that same route \u2013 just the idea that these things are already out there for free, technically, to go and do. That\u2019s really, really nice.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI can use my physical ability to shoot for an FKT or whatever, but if it has the byproduct of maybe getting someone out just to go and ride their local bit of the route, or to go and get the train somewhere and ride home\u2026 I find that really, really motivating \u2013 probably more motivating than actually going fast. I think that\u2019s important to say.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"slice-container-authorBio-w2tS9vG34amgkbxtfrSCPk\" class=\"slice-container slice-author-bio authorBio-w2tS9vG34amgkbxtfrSCPk slice-container-authorBio\">\n<div class=\"author author__default-layout author--separator author--collapsible\" data-hydrate=\"true\">\n<div class=\"author__header\">\n<div class=\"author__avatar-block\">\n<figure class=\"image-wrapped__wrapper\" data-bordeaux-image-check=\"false\">\n<div class=\"image-wrapped__widthsetter\">\n<div class=\"image-wrapped__aspect-padding\">\n<div><source class=\"author__avatar image-wrapped__image image__image\" type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/2QoJgeVtEMbCKNujw2pLoH-140-80.jpg.webp 140w\" sizes=\"99vw\" data-normal=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/2QoJgeVtEMbCKNujw2pLoH.jpg\" data-original-mos=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/2QoJgeVtEMbCKNujw2pLoH.jpg\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/2QoJgeVtEMbCKNujw2pLoH.jpg\" data-pin-nopin=\"true\" data-slice-image=\"true\" \/><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"author__heading\">\n<div class=\"author__name\">Patrick Fletcher<\/div>\n<div class=\"author__role\">Deputy Editor<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"author__bio-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"author__biography\">\n<p>Patrick is an NCTJ-accredited journalist with a bachelor\u2019s degree in modern languages (French and Spanish) and a decade\u2019s experience in digital sports media, largely within the world of cycling. He re-joined Cyclingnews as Deputy Editor in February 2026, having previously spent eight years on staff between 2015 and 2023. In between, he was Deputy Editor at GCN and spent 18 months working across the sports portfolio at Future before returning to the cycling press pack. Patrick works across Cyclingnews\u2019 wide-ranging output, assisting the Editor in global content strategy, with a particular focus on shaping CN&#8217;s news operation.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<div class=\"mt-6 lg:px-0 relative max-w-[1070px] mx-auto viafoura-twig-component px-4\" data-component-name=\"Viafoura:Comments\" data-nosnippet data-community-guidelines-text=\"&lt;p class='vfcustom-community-guidelines'&gt;Please follow our &lt;a href=&quot;https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/about\/#section-community-guidelines&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;community guidelines&lt;\/a&gt;.&lt;\/p&gt;\" data-join-the-conversation-text=\"Join the Conversation\">\n<div class=\"absolute top-0 left-0 w-full h-full flex items-center justify-center z-50 bg-white\/90 border-1\">\n<div class=\"p-2 text-center\">\n<p class=\"mb-3 !text-lg\">You must confirm your public display name before commenting<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-3 !text-sm\">Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<section class=\"mx-2 my-5 sm:mx-0\">\n<aside class=\"w-full\" data-nosnippet data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-stacked\">\n<div data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-adviser:hybrid\">\n<div class=\"text-white py-4 px-3 mb-4 bg-[#333] uppercase font-bold custom-header-styles\">Read more<\/div>\n<div class=\"grid grid-cols-1 gap-4 mt-4 mb-5\">\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/u5PtH7Zd3u8q9oKmyMjbWm-840-80.jpeg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/u5PtH7Zd3u8q9oKmyMjbWm-650-80.jpeg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/u5PtH7Zd3u8q9oKmyMjbWm-500-80.jpeg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/u5PtH7Zd3u8q9oKmyMjbWm-450-80.jpeg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/u5PtH7Zd3u8q9oKmyMjbWm-320-80.jpeg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Teams &amp; Riders<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">&#8216;The wind was 89 kilometres per hour&#8217; &#8211; Wicked weather derails Brendan Johnston from fastest known time attempt on Perth to Sydney ride<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"relative recirc-feed sponsored-card min-h-[250px]\" data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-ads:native-cards\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-ads\" data-nosnippet data-ad-slot-path=\"feed-sponsored-post\" data-attribute-device=\"all\">\n<div class=\"sponsored-post--placeholder max-w-full animate-pulse\"><span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block bg-gray-100\">\u00a0<br \/>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/ykipDS7CxPGHn54eDnXffX-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/ykipDS7CxPGHn54eDnXffX-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/ykipDS7CxPGHn54eDnXffX-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/ykipDS7CxPGHn54eDnXffX-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/ykipDS7CxPGHn54eDnXffX-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Gravel Bikes<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">Best gravel bikes 2026: Our pick of the best bikes for drop-bar off-road action<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"relative recirc-feed sponsored-card min-h-[250px]\" data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-ads:native-cards\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-ads\" data-nosnippet data-ad-slot-path=\"feed-sponsored-post\" data-attribute-device=\"all\">\n<div class=\"sponsored-post--placeholder max-w-full animate-pulse\"><span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block bg-gray-100\">\u00a0<br \/>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/qcK9ZjjeHs5QF73Qw84mkP-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/qcK9ZjjeHs5QF73Qw84mkP-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/qcK9ZjjeHs5QF73Qw84mkP-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/qcK9ZjjeHs5QF73Qw84mkP-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/qcK9ZjjeHs5QF73Qw84mkP-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Teams &amp; Riders<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">&#8216;A real bucket list year&#8217; &#8211; Recently-retired 15-year road pro Michael Woods launches endurance campaign on gravel at Santa Vall then Unbound Gravel 200<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"relative recirc-feed sponsored-card min-h-[250px]\" data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-ads:native-cards\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-ads\" data-nosnippet data-ad-slot-path=\"feed-sponsored-post\" data-attribute-device=\"all\">\n<div class=\"sponsored-post--placeholder max-w-full animate-pulse\"><span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block bg-gray-100\">\u00a0<br \/>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/ad8xSNwjkm6JdPqgDJmTFc-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/ad8xSNwjkm6JdPqgDJmTFc-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/ad8xSNwjkm6JdPqgDJmTFc-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/ad8xSNwjkm6JdPqgDJmTFc-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/ad8xSNwjkm6JdPqgDJmTFc-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Gravel Bikes<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">New Factor gravel bike spotted in the wild, and it looks to have what the current Ostro Gravel dearly needed<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"relative recirc-feed sponsored-card min-h-[250px]\" data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-ads:native-cards\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-ads\" data-nosnippet data-ad-slot-path=\"feed-sponsored-post\" data-attribute-device=\"all\">\n<div class=\"sponsored-post--placeholder max-w-full animate-pulse\"><span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block bg-gray-100\">\u00a0<br \/>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/7UstRqry6qfZFGZJ3rPjTW-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/7UstRqry6qfZFGZJ3rPjTW-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/7UstRqry6qfZFGZJ3rPjTW-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/7UstRqry6qfZFGZJ3rPjTW-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/7UstRqry6qfZFGZJ3rPjTW-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Pro Cycling<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">&#8216;Small percentages can make a huge difference&#8217; &#8211; What&#8217;s the science behind cycling&#8217;s long-range attacks?<br \/>\n<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"relative recirc-feed sponsored-card min-h-[250px]\" data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-ads:native-cards\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-ads\" data-nosnippet data-ad-slot-path=\"feed-sponsored-post\" data-attribute-device=\"all\">\n<div class=\"sponsored-post--placeholder max-w-full animate-pulse\"><span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block bg-gray-100\">\u00a0<br \/>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/n4FUsKSzXup3y8x57GKbnL-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/n4FUsKSzXup3y8x57GKbnL-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/n4FUsKSzXup3y8x57GKbnL-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/n4FUsKSzXup3y8x57GKbnL-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/n4FUsKSzXup3y8x57GKbnL-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Cycling Culture<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">&#8216;It&#8217;s going to be one hell of a ride&#8217; \u2013 Brendan Johnston sets off in 4,000km pursuit of fastest known time from Perth to Sydney<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"relative recirc-feed sponsored-card min-h-[250px]\" data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-ads:native-cards\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-ads\" data-nosnippet data-ad-slot-path=\"feed-sponsored-post\" data-attribute-device=\"all\">\n<div class=\"sponsored-post--placeholder max-w-full animate-pulse\"><span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block bg-gray-100\">\u00a0<br \/>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<aside class=\"w-full\" data-nosnippet data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-stacked\">\n<div data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-solr:latest-category\">\n<div class=\"text-white py-4 px-3 mb-4 bg-[#333] uppercase font-bold custom-header-styles\">Latest in Cycling Culture<\/div>\n<div class=\"grid grid-cols-1 gap-4 mt-4 mb-5\">\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/QvsXqZZgznWeNnJBEV4tq3-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/QvsXqZZgznWeNnJBEV4tq3-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/QvsXqZZgznWeNnJBEV4tq3-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/QvsXqZZgznWeNnJBEV4tq3-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/QvsXqZZgznWeNnJBEV4tq3-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Cycling Culture<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">Rohan Dennis resurfaces on Instagram with a post labelled &#8216;deeply offensive&#8217; by Victims&#8217; Rights Commissioner<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"relative recirc-feed sponsored-card min-h-[250px]\" data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-ads:native-cards\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-ads\" data-nosnippet data-ad-slot-path=\"feed-sponsored-post\" data-attribute-device=\"all\">\n<div class=\"sponsored-post--placeholder max-w-full animate-pulse\"><span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block bg-gray-100\">\u00a0<br \/>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/4ntfobZ8iWb4PLKqhvznUF-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/4ntfobZ8iWb4PLKqhvznUF-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/4ntfobZ8iWb4PLKqhvznUF-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/4ntfobZ8iWb4PLKqhvznUF-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/4ntfobZ8iWb4PLKqhvznUF-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Streaming<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">How to watch Milan-San Remo 2026 \u2013 Live streams, TV channels for La Classicissima<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"relative recirc-feed sponsored-card min-h-[250px]\" data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-ads:native-cards\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-ads\" data-nosnippet data-ad-slot-path=\"feed-sponsored-post\" data-attribute-device=\"all\">\n<div class=\"sponsored-post--placeholder max-w-full animate-pulse\"><span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block bg-gray-100\">\u00a0<br \/>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/otzsskoVTuQezncUwTcfYm-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/otzsskoVTuQezncUwTcfYm-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/otzsskoVTuQezncUwTcfYm-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/otzsskoVTuQezncUwTcfYm-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/otzsskoVTuQezncUwTcfYm-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Cycling Culture<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">AusCycling special general meeting to go ahead after formal request from clubs but only one of four proposed motions will go to vote<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"relative recirc-feed sponsored-card min-h-[250px]\" data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-ads:native-cards\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-ads\" data-nosnippet data-ad-slot-path=\"feed-sponsored-post\" data-attribute-device=\"all\">\n<div class=\"sponsored-post--placeholder max-w-full animate-pulse\"><span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block bg-gray-100\">\u00a0<br \/>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/B9pdg2TycJCpTyCz66yVdL-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/B9pdg2TycJCpTyCz66yVdL-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/B9pdg2TycJCpTyCz66yVdL-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/B9pdg2TycJCpTyCz66yVdL-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/B9pdg2TycJCpTyCz66yVdL-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Training<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">The magic zone \u2013 A deep dive into zone 2 and how taking it steady has become the WorldTour&#8217;s go-to training strategy<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"relative recirc-feed sponsored-card min-h-[250px]\" data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-ads:native-cards\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-ads\" data-nosnippet data-ad-slot-path=\"feed-sponsored-post\" data-attribute-device=\"all\">\n<div class=\"sponsored-post--placeholder max-w-full animate-pulse\"><span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block bg-gray-100\">\u00a0<br \/>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/g7GcsiCp8UfqHde9kHuri4-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/g7GcsiCp8UfqHde9kHuri4-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/g7GcsiCp8UfqHde9kHuri4-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/g7GcsiCp8UfqHde9kHuri4-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/g7GcsiCp8UfqHde9kHuri4-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Streaming<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">How to watch Tirreno-Adriatico 2026 \u2013 Live streams, TV channels for Italian stage race<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"relative recirc-feed sponsored-card min-h-[250px]\" data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-ads:native-cards\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-ads\" data-nosnippet data-ad-slot-path=\"feed-sponsored-post\" data-attribute-device=\"all\">\n<div class=\"sponsored-post--placeholder max-w-full animate-pulse\"><span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block bg-gray-100\">\u00a0<br \/>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/uUx6uJAPCBrjVA4ZEGkj9h-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/uUx6uJAPCBrjVA4ZEGkj9h-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/uUx6uJAPCBrjVA4ZEGkj9h-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/uUx6uJAPCBrjVA4ZEGkj9h-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/uUx6uJAPCBrjVA4ZEGkj9h-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Cycling Culture<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">Multiple clubs formally call for special general meeting to vote on removal of AusCycling Chair and CEO, national cycling body considering request<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"relative recirc-feed sponsored-card min-h-[250px]\" data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-ads:native-cards\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-ads\" data-nosnippet data-ad-slot-path=\"feed-sponsored-post\" data-attribute-device=\"all\">\n<div class=\"sponsored-post--placeholder max-w-full animate-pulse\"><span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block bg-gray-100\">\u00a0<br \/>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<aside class=\"w-full\" data-nosnippet data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-stacked\">\n<div data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-solr:latest-articletype\">\n<div class=\"text-white py-4 px-3 mb-4 bg-[#333] uppercase font-bold custom-header-styles\">Latest in News<\/div>\n<div class=\"grid grid-cols-1 gap-4 mt-4 mb-5\">\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/VQ4An82zdeQCkZ8K4F6Gue-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/VQ4An82zdeQCkZ8K4F6Gue-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/VQ4An82zdeQCkZ8K4F6Gue-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/VQ4An82zdeQCkZ8K4F6Gue-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/VQ4An82zdeQCkZ8K4F6Gue-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Teams &amp; Riders<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">&#8216;I can&#8217;t hold my handlebars properly anymore&#8217; \u2013 Mathieu van der Poel sheds light on the crash and injury which left him out of the running at Milan-San Remo<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"relative recirc-feed sponsored-card min-h-[250px]\" data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-ads:native-cards\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-ads\" data-nosnippet data-ad-slot-path=\"feed-sponsored-post\" data-attribute-device=\"all\">\n<div class=\"sponsored-post--placeholder max-w-full animate-pulse\"><span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block bg-gray-100\">\u00a0<br \/>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/MY9nBKorFiDikHC6qjfVBF-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/MY9nBKorFiDikHC6qjfVBF-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/MY9nBKorFiDikHC6qjfVBF-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/MY9nBKorFiDikHC6qjfVBF-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/MY9nBKorFiDikHC6qjfVBF-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Women&#8217;s Cycling<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">&#8216;She was the Plan A&#8217; \u2013 Defending champion Lorena Wiebes happy to play team role for SD Worx-Protime as Lotte Kopecky wins Milan-San Remo Women<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"relative recirc-feed sponsored-card min-h-[250px]\" data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-ads:native-cards\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-ads\" data-nosnippet data-ad-slot-path=\"feed-sponsored-post\" data-attribute-device=\"all\">\n<div class=\"sponsored-post--placeholder max-w-full animate-pulse\"><span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block bg-gray-100\">\u00a0<br \/>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/QedAexqpRWEdTRa6XPy8iM-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/QedAexqpRWEdTRa6XPy8iM-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/QedAexqpRWEdTRa6XPy8iM-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/QedAexqpRWEdTRa6XPy8iM-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/QedAexqpRWEdTRa6XPy8iM-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Teams &amp; Riders<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">Tadej Poga\u010dar, Mathieu van der Poel, Wout van Aert caught in crash in finale of Milan-San Remo<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"relative recirc-feed sponsored-card min-h-[250px]\" data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-ads:native-cards\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-ads\" data-nosnippet data-ad-slot-path=\"feed-sponsored-post\" data-attribute-device=\"all\">\n<div class=\"sponsored-post--placeholder max-w-full animate-pulse\"><span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block bg-gray-100\">\u00a0<br \/>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/NHSmn8TtspEmPASkt8VLQH-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/NHSmn8TtspEmPASkt8VLQH-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/NHSmn8TtspEmPASkt8VLQH-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/NHSmn8TtspEmPASkt8VLQH-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/NHSmn8TtspEmPASkt8VLQH-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Women&#8217;s Cycling<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">&#8216;I&#8217;m getting one step closer every year, so maybe next year&#8217; &#8211; Noemi R\u00fcegg emotional after second Milan-San Remo podium<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"relative recirc-feed sponsored-card min-h-[250px]\" data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-ads:native-cards\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-ads\" data-nosnippet data-ad-slot-path=\"feed-sponsored-post\" data-attribute-device=\"all\">\n<div class=\"sponsored-post--placeholder max-w-full animate-pulse\"><span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block bg-gray-100\">\u00a0<br \/>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/J2avf6xE8QvUgi8SMahDTc-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/J2avf6xE8QvUgi8SMahDTc-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/J2avf6xE8QvUgi8SMahDTc-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/J2avf6xE8QvUgi8SMahDTc-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/J2avf6xE8QvUgi8SMahDTc-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Women&#8217;s Cycling<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">&#8216;They didn&#8217;t look good&#8217; \u2013 Kim Le Court-Pienaar gives update on serious Milan-San Remo Women crash which saw Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney among the fallers<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"relative recirc-feed sponsored-card min-h-[250px]\" data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-ads:native-cards\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-ads\" data-nosnippet data-ad-slot-path=\"feed-sponsored-post\" data-attribute-device=\"all\">\n<div class=\"sponsored-post--placeholder max-w-full animate-pulse\"><span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block bg-gray-100\">\u00a0<br \/>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/zCwubfMaMxny8WH9sU7ZPE-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/zCwubfMaMxny8WH9sU7ZPE-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/zCwubfMaMxny8WH9sU7ZPE-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/zCwubfMaMxny8WH9sU7ZPE-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/zCwubfMaMxny8WH9sU7ZPE-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Racing<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">Tadej Poga\u010dar loses key Milan-San Remo domestique to early crash<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"relative recirc-feed sponsored-card min-h-[250px]\" data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-ads:native-cards\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-ads\" data-nosnippet data-ad-slot-path=\"feed-sponsored-post\" data-attribute-device=\"all\">\n<div class=\"sponsored-post--placeholder max-w-full animate-pulse\"><span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block bg-gray-100\">\u00a0<br \/>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"widgetArea17\" class=\"widget-area md:basis-1\/3 widget-area-g-md-vp-1-3 widget-area-g-lg-vp-1-3 widget-area-g-xl-vp-1-3 page-widget-area-17\">\n<div data-widget-type=\"dynamic\" id=\"popular-data\" class=\"clear-both widget 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class=\"popular-box__article-list__content\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__number-text\">2<\/div>\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__heading\">&#8216;She was the Plan A&#8217; \u2013 Defending champion Lorena Wiebes happy to play team role for SD Worx-Protime as Lotte Kopecky wins Milan-San Remo Women<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"popular-box__article-list\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__container\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__content\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__number-text\">3<\/div>\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__heading\">Milan-San Remo: Tadej Poga\u010dar strikes in closing metres to hold off Tom Pidcock in electrifying two-rider finish and earns masterful victory<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"popular-box__article-list\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__container\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__content\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__number-text\">4<\/div>\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__heading\">Tadej Poga\u010dar, Mathieu van der Poel, Wout van Aert caught in crash in finale of Milan-San Remo<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"popular-box__article-list\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__container\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__content\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__number-text\">5<\/div>\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__heading\">&#8216;I&#8217;m getting one step closer every year, so maybe next year&#8217; &#8211; Noemi R\u00fcegg emotional after second Milan-San Remo podium<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<div class=\"news-article\">\n<header data-component-name=\"Article:Hero\">\n<nav class=\"breadcrumb\" aria-label=\"Breadcrumbs\">\n<ol>\n<li>\nCycling Culture\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/nav>\n<h1>&#8216;I didn&#8217;t have a gravel bike&#8217; \u2013 Cameron Mason sets unofficial FKT on bikepacking trail on aero road bike stuffed with tyres 6mm over clearance<\/h1>\n<div class=\"byline-social\">\n<div class=\"byline\">\nNews<\/p>\n<div class=\"text-[13px]\"><span><br \/>\nBy<br \/>\nPatrick Fletcher <\/span><span><br \/>\npublished<br \/>\n<time data-component-name=\"UI:DateTime\" datetime=\"2026-03-21T09:16:54Z\" class=\"relative-date\"><br \/>\n21 March 2026<br \/>\n<\/time><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"strapline\">Scottish pro tells the tale of his ride on the John Muir Way<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"mx-auto mb-4 flex items-center justify-start mx-0 my-5 p-0\" id=\"affiliate-disclaimer\" data-component-name=\"AffiliateDisclaimer\" data-hawk-message=\"Affiliate disclaimer removed because hawk deemed there are no affiliate links on this page\">\n<p class=\"text-700 mb-2 text-[12px] leading-[18px] md:text-[13px] [&amp;&gt;a]:text-gray-700 [&amp;&gt;a]:underline\">\nWhen you purchase through links on our 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Sat aboard an aero road bike, stuffed with tyres 6mm over the official clearance, the Scottish rider blitzed the 212-kilometre multi-terrain route in under eight hours last week, adding to the never-more-relevant debate over what bike is the right tool for the job at hand.<\/p>\n<p>Mason, who races cyclocross for Seven Cycling and road for the Alpecin-Premier Tech Development team, was at a bit of a loose end earlier this month after capping his \u2018cross season with third overall in the X2O Trof\u00e9e series.<\/p>\n<p id=\"8f82b369-845d-4921-99d6-895138a6e91a-2\">\u201cI just was like, \u2018I need to scratch that itch of just doing a bit of a mission\u2019,\u201d he tells <em>Cyclingnews<\/em>. \u201cI\u2019ve known about the John Muir Way for years. My childhood family home is on the route, and actually now my own home in Edinburgh is also on the route, so it goes through two very important places to me.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"article-continues-below block py-2 text-sm\">Article continues below <\/span><\/p>\n<aside data-component-name=\"Recirculation:ArticleRiver\" data-recirculation-type=\"inline\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"Trending Bar\" data-nosnippet class=\"clear-both pb-0 pt-2 mb-4\"><span class=\"\n            flex\n            after:content-[''] after:flex-1 after:ml-4 after:my-[0.7rem] after:border-t after:border-solid after:border-t-[#ccc]\n            before:content-[''] before:flex-1 before:mr-4 before:my-[0.7rem] before:border-t before:border-solid before:border-t-[#ccc]\n            font-article-heading pb-0 !text-base uppercase sm:text-sm font-bold\n        \"><br \/>\n            You may like<br \/>\n        <\/span><\/p>\n<ul class=\"flex flex-col gap-0 m-0\">\n<li class=\"m-0 list-none border-b border-solid border-[#ededed] py-2\" data-recirculation-id=\"recirculation-card-1\" data-analytics-id=\"recirculation-inline-1\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"recirculation-inline-1\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/u5PtH7Zd3u8q9oKmyMjbWm-250-80.jpeg.webp 250w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/u5PtH7Zd3u8q9oKmyMjbWm-150-80.jpeg.webp 150w\" sizes=\"150px\" \/><span class=\"\n                            w-full font-article-heading line-clamp-3 md:line-clamp-2 text-base font-medium\">&#8216;The wind was 89 kilometres per hour&#8217; &#8211; Wicked weather derails Brendan Johnston from fastest known time attempt on Perth to Sydney ride<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"m-0 list-none border-b border-solid border-[#ededed] py-2\" data-recirculation-id=\"recirculation-card-2\" data-analytics-id=\"recirculation-inline-2\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"recirculation-inline-2\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/ykipDS7CxPGHn54eDnXffX-250-80.jpg.webp 250w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/ykipDS7CxPGHn54eDnXffX-150-80.jpg.webp 150w\" sizes=\"150px\" \/><span class=\"\n                            w-full font-article-heading line-clamp-3 md:line-clamp-2 text-base font-medium\">Best gravel bikes 2026: Our pick of the best bikes for drop-bar off-road action<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"m-0 list-none border-b border-solid border-[#ccc] py-2\" data-recirculation-id=\"recirculation-card-3\" data-analytics-id=\"recirculation-inline-3\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"recirculation-inline-3\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/qcK9ZjjeHs5QF73Qw84mkP-250-80.jpg.webp 250w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/qcK9ZjjeHs5QF73Qw84mkP-150-80.jpg.webp 150w\" sizes=\"150px\" \/><span class=\"\n                            w-full font-article-heading line-clamp-3 md:line-clamp-2 text-base font-medium\">&#8216;A real bucket list year&#8217; &#8211; Recently-retired 15-year road pro Michael Woods launches endurance campaign on gravel at Santa Vall then Unbound Gravel 200<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/aside>\n<p>The John Muir Way measures 212 kilometres from coast-to-coast in Scotland, starting in Helensburgh in the west and ending up in Dunbar in the east, featuring \u201ca mixture of forest tracks, singletrack, canal towpaths, walking paths, cycling paths, landrover tracks and sections on roads\u201d, according to the Bikepacking Scotland website.<\/p>\n<p>After going out to recon the parts of the course he didn\u2019t know so well, all that was left to do was wait for the trails to dry out and wait for a favourable westerly wind. \u201cA few of these things came together to actually do the route and the I woke up one morning and got the train through to Helensburgh, and then just cracked on,\u201d Mason says.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"van-image-figure inline-layout\" data-bordeaux-image-check id=\"1aec129a-841b-4816-88c2-0a6f44146126\">\n<div class=\"image-full-width-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"image-widthsetter\">\n<p class=\"vanilla-image-block\">\n<source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/BnCJwpmEHLEUQj5eTxFFSf-1200-80.png.webp 1200w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/BnCJwpmEHLEUQj5eTxFFSf-1024-80.png.webp 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/BnCJwpmEHLEUQj5eTxFFSf-970-80.png.webp 970w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/BnCJwpmEHLEUQj5eTxFFSf-650-80.png.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/BnCJwpmEHLEUQj5eTxFFSf-480-80.png.webp 480w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/BnCJwpmEHLEUQj5eTxFFSf-320-80.png.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 1000px) 970px, calc(100vw - 40px)\" \/><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\" inline-layout\"><span class=\"caption-text\">A screenshot from Mason&#8217;s Strava upload shows the stats <\/span><span class=\"credit\">(Image credit: Strava \/ Cameron Mason)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2 id=\"aero-bike-road-gearing-and-squeezing-in-38mm-3\">Aero bike, road gearing, and squeezing in 38mm<\/h2>\n<p id=\"930d0b26-62ad-4e9b-b5ee-c83375908374\">The wind needed to be blowing at Mason\u2019s back if he was to stand any chance of bettering John Mackenzie\u2019s FKT of 8h 19m 42s \u2013 not to mention the second-best time of 9h 01m 20s held by <em>Cyclingnews<\/em>\u2019 very own Graham Cottingham. But the dry conditions were especially important given his bike set-up.<\/p>\n<p>Remarkably, Mason completed the ride on a Canyon Aeroad, the German brand\u2019s all-out wind-cheating road racing frame that has won the past three editions of Milan-San Remo.<\/p>\n<div id=\"slice-container-newsletterForm-articleInbodyContent-w2tS9vG34amgkbxtfrSCPk\" class=\"slice-container newsletter-inbodyContent-slice newsletterForm-articleInbodyContent-w2tS9vG34amgkbxtfrSCPk slice-container-newsletterForm\">\n<div data-hydrate=\"true\" class=\"newsletter-form__wrapper newsletter-form__wrapper--inbodyContent\">\n<div class=\"newsletter-form__container\">\n<section class=\"newsletter-form__top-bar\">\n<div class=\"newsletter-form__header\">Get The Leadout Newsletter<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<section class=\"newsletter-form__main-section\">\n<p class=\"newsletter-form__strapline\">The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!<\/p>\n<footer class=\"newsletter-form__footer \">By submitting your information you agree to the Terms &amp; Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.<\/footer>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>\u201cNormally, I would have done it on a gravel bike, I just didn&#8217;t have one from the team yet, because we\u2019ve not had delivery of the new Stevens Camino, which is what I\u2019d normally do something like this on. I knew the new Aeroad does take quite wide tires so I was like, \u2018right, I\u2019ll see what I can fit into it\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"van-image-figure inline-layout\" data-bordeaux-image-check id=\"f2e2ca77-3362-45c9-8814-f7ceb9557df1\">\n<div class=\"image-full-width-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"image-widthsetter\">\n<p class=\"vanilla-image-block\">\n<source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/GrjL7sMUJUL2AsfNGDwMUV-1028-80.jpg.webp 1200w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/GrjL7sMUJUL2AsfNGDwMUV-1024-80.jpg.webp 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/GrjL7sMUJUL2AsfNGDwMUV-970-80.jpg.webp 970w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/GrjL7sMUJUL2AsfNGDwMUV-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/GrjL7sMUJUL2AsfNGDwMUV-480-80.jpg.webp 480w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/GrjL7sMUJUL2AsfNGDwMUV-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 1000px) 970px, calc(100vw - 40px)\" \/><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\" inline-layout\"><span class=\"caption-text\">Cameron Mason&#8217;s Canyon Aeroad for his John Muir Way ride <\/span><span class=\"credit\">(Image credit: Strava \/ Cameron Mason)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p id=\"ccd48226-29fc-4048-af5c-8c8c6ac5f047\">In the end, despite an official tyre clearance of 32mm, Mason managed to comfortably fit in a 38mm gravel tyre on the front, along with a 33mm cyclocross tyre at the rear.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe front tyre didn&#8217;t come up quite as wide as 38 because of the Dura-Ace rims I was on, so it fitted ok, but I needed it to be dry because I didn\u2019t have room to be dragging mud up through the frame,\u201d he explained.<\/p>\n<aside data-component-name=\"Recirculation:ArticleRiver\" data-recirculation-type=\"inline\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"Trending Bar\" data-nosnippet class=\"clear-both pb-0 pt-2 mb-4\"><span class=\"\n            flex\n            after:content-[''] after:flex-1 after:ml-4 after:my-[0.7rem] after:border-t after:border-solid after:border-t-[#ccc]\n            before:content-[''] before:flex-1 before:mr-4 before:my-[0.7rem] before:border-t before:border-solid before:border-t-[#ccc]\n            font-article-heading pb-0 !text-base uppercase sm:text-sm font-bold\n        \"><br \/>\n            What to read next<br \/>\n        <\/span><\/p>\n<ul class=\"flex flex-col gap-0 m-0\">\n<li class=\"m-0 list-none border-b border-solid border-[#ededed] py-2\" data-recirculation-id=\"recirculation-card-1\" data-analytics-id=\"recirculation-2-inline-1\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"recirculation-2-inline-1\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/ad8xSNwjkm6JdPqgDJmTFc-250-80.jpg.webp 250w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/ad8xSNwjkm6JdPqgDJmTFc-150-80.jpg.webp 150w\" sizes=\"150px\" \/><span class=\"\n                            w-full font-article-heading line-clamp-3 md:line-clamp-2 text-base font-medium\">New Factor gravel bike spotted in the wild, and it looks to have what the current Ostro Gravel dearly needed<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"m-0 list-none border-b border-solid border-[#ededed] py-2\" data-recirculation-id=\"recirculation-card-2\" data-analytics-id=\"recirculation-2-inline-2\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"recirculation-2-inline-2\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/7UstRqry6qfZFGZJ3rPjTW-250-80.jpg.webp 250w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/7UstRqry6qfZFGZJ3rPjTW-150-80.jpg.webp 150w\" sizes=\"150px\" \/><span class=\"\n                            w-full font-article-heading line-clamp-3 md:line-clamp-2 text-base font-medium\">&#8216;Small percentages can make a huge difference&#8217; &#8211; What&#8217;s the science behind cycling&#8217;s long-range attacks?<br \/>\n<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"m-0 list-none border-b border-solid border-[#ccc] py-2\" data-recirculation-id=\"recirculation-card-3\" data-analytics-id=\"recirculation-2-inline-3\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"recirculation-2-inline-3\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/n4FUsKSzXup3y8x57GKbnL-250-80.jpg.webp 250w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/n4FUsKSzXup3y8x57GKbnL-150-80.jpg.webp 150w\" sizes=\"150px\" \/><span class=\"\n                            w-full font-article-heading line-clamp-3 md:line-clamp-2 text-base font-medium\">&#8216;It&#8217;s going to be one hell of a ride&#8217; \u2013 Brendan Johnston sets off in 4,000km pursuit of fastest known time from Perth to Sydney<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/aside>\n<p>\u201cThe only thing I had to do was put a bit of electrical tape on the front derailleur Di2 cable, just to keep it flush so it wouldn&#8217;t rub on the tyre, and that was just a little mod beforehand. Everything else was totally stock and standard. Toe overlap was obviously worse, and that\u2019s something you have to be careful of \u2013 you can\u2019t turn very sharply. Apart from that, it was really sweet.\u201d<\/p>\n<p id=\"5a584b86-e0f9-4e39-82da-2d21fe6ea006\">The John Muir Way section of the FastestKnownTimes website says \u2018a gravel bike is typically the fastest steed of choice with a MTB offering more comfort over the rougher terrain\u2019. However, Mason went full aero frame and road gearing \u2013 54-39 chainrings, 11-34 cassette \u2013 and even road pedals.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOut of all of those kind of routes in Scotland, this is probably the only one that you could do with a kind of road set-up,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s not too hilly and there\u2019s plenty of tarmac and plenty of smoother off-road sections. It was a nice challenge, and it felt like the set-up was a good balance.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Mason\u2019s ride may attract further debate over what he describes as \u2018that age old question\u2019 over what kind of bike is actually the right tool for the job, in an industry where gravel bikes have made a major market position of the space between road and mountain bikes.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI feel like a lot of people go, \u2018all right, I want a gravel bike and I want to ride gravel\u2019. And then, in actual fact, the gravel they have available to them is like bridleways, canal paths and farm tracks. And that is so different from doing big mountain passes or gravel forestry,&#8221; Mason argues.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhere I grew up, in West Lothian, the best gravel bike was always a cyclocross bike, because it would kind of fit that brief the best. It\u2019s that age old question, and I still do recommend to people that they just buy a cyclocross bike if they want to buy a bike, because it still does the same job as it did 10 or 20 years ago, and there&#8217;s a reason why they were so popular.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"not-an-fkt-after-all-but-a-rider-bigger-than-himself-3\">Not an FKT after all, but a rider bigger than himself<\/h2>\n<figure class=\"van-image-figure inline-layout\" data-bordeaux-image-check id=\"10043059-8b74-4a86-bdb8-5a185089428a\">\n<div class=\"image-full-width-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"image-widthsetter\">\n<p class=\"vanilla-image-block\">\n<source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/eAgmZ46oxTwHkVKaMpzYJ8-1042-80.png.webp 1200w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/eAgmZ46oxTwHkVKaMpzYJ8-1024-80.png.webp 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/eAgmZ46oxTwHkVKaMpzYJ8-970-80.png.webp 970w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/eAgmZ46oxTwHkVKaMpzYJ8-650-80.png.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/eAgmZ46oxTwHkVKaMpzYJ8-480-80.png.webp 480w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/eAgmZ46oxTwHkVKaMpzYJ8-320-80.png.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 1000px) 970px, calc(100vw - 40px)\" \/><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\" inline-layout\"><span class=\"caption-text\">The map of Mason&#8217;s ride <\/span><span class=\"credit\">(Image credit: Strava \/ Cameron Mason)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p id=\"af837781-0f31-40a4-bae1-525d90720695\">In the end, Mason&#8217;s time of 7h 57m 51s, though over 20 minutes faster than Mackenzie&#8217;s 2023 benchmark, will not go down as an official FKT, given he planted bottles in hedges around Edinburgh the day before to pick up for feeds on the day. The FastestKnownTimes website, run by Dotwatcher, is as close to a governing body for this sort of thing as you&#8217;ll get, and their rules forbid &#8216;gear stashes&#8217; as part of &#8220;the spirit of self-sufficiency and equal opportunity&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p>Mason wasn&#8217;t aware of this section of the rule at the time \u2013 in fact it was only pointed out to him when we were editing this interview \u2013 but he took it gracefully and was more than happy to only have an unofficial FKT \u2013 &#8220;the ones who know will know, and the ones who wish it was pure can also wish such.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Besides, there was rather more to the whole endeavour than the stats and the leaderboards.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt was really good fun and it definitely like scratched an itch of doing something self powered and self planned \u2013 I think there&#8217;s something to be said for that,\u201d Mason explained.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd I do like that anyone can go on Strava, see what I&#8217;ve done, and then recreate it in their own way, under their own steam. They don&#8217;t even have to do the full route, or they don&#8217;t even have to do that same route \u2013 just the idea that these things are already out there for free, technically, to go and do. That\u2019s really, really nice.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI can use my physical ability to shoot for an FKT or whatever, but if it has the byproduct of maybe getting someone out just to go and ride their local bit of the route, or to go and get the train somewhere and ride home\u2026 I find that really, really motivating \u2013 probably more motivating than actually going fast. I think that\u2019s important to say.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>[analyse_source url=&#8221;https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/cycling-culture\/i-didnt-have-a-gravel-bike-cameron-mason-sets-unofficial-fkt-on-bikepacking-trail-on-aero-road-bike-stuffed-with-tyres-6mm-over-clearance\/&#8221;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/PjUBfVjMcNYPSUMiD38gPX-1920-80.jpg&#8221;] Cycling Culture &#8216;I didn&#8217;t have a gravel bike&#8217; \u2013 Cameron Mason sets unofficial FKT on bikepacking trail on aero road bike stuffed with tyres 6mm over clearance News By Patrick Fletcher published 21 March 2026 Scottish pro tells the tale of his ride on the John Muir Way When you purchase through [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[226,68],"class_list":["post-1839407","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-politics","tag-crawlmanager","tag-cyclingnews-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1839407","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1839407"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1839407\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1839407"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1839407"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1839407"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}