The Velunite Journal
Every week our take on the pro races: road cycling and mountain biking, results, talking points and what to watch. Have your say in the comments.
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Hinault and LeMond, 1986: betrayal or a team lesson?
Forty years on from the 1986 Tour: Hinault's promise, hand in hand on Alpe d'Huez and a final gap of 3'10". Which side are you on?
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Sallanches 2027: the Domancy, twenty times, and Pogačar's plan
The 2027 World Championships hinge on a 2.5 km climb at 9.4%, repeated 20 times. What is settled in Pogačar's plan, and how to try your own Domancy.
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Giro 2027: Mortirolo twice in one day? What is true
The Giro 2027 route is unveiled on 3 November, yet it is already leaking: Trieste, Gavia, a double Mortirolo, Zoncolan. What is confirmed and what is not.
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Tour 2027 route on Thursday: Montmartre, yes or no?
On Thursday 22 October Paris unveils the 2027 Tour, starting in Edinburgh. What is official, what is only a rumour, and the three things we look for in the route.
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Milan's 3:58.850: the first sub-3:59 starts slow
Milan lowers the individual pursuit world record to 3:58.850 in Shanghai. What the perfect race looks like and what it teaches about pacing, even at 30 km/h.
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Seixas in Como, Hagenes in Tours, Sarrou in Fréjus: the pro weekend
Velunite Journal #1: Seixas wins Il Lombardia at 20, Hagenes outsmarts the field at Paris-Tours and Sarrou takes the Roc d'Azur, with Seixas on the MTB.
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Amsterdam, 2:03:33 in the rain, and a faster second half
On Sunday in Amsterdam eight men ran under 2:05 and the women's course record fell, in the cold. The real number is the second half: the maths and what you can learn.
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New York 2026: 50 years of five boroughs and three Italians
On 1 November the New York Marathon turns 50 on the five-borough course. Who runs up front, the three Italians and what time to watch it from Europe.
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Chicago, 2:01:09: the second half cost just 27 seconds
Kipruto won Chicago in 2:01:09 with a second half almost identical to the first. What we can copy, scaled down, for your own marathon pacing.
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Valencia puts 1 million on 1:59:30. Will anyone take it?
On 6 December Valencia pays 1 million euros to whoever beats the marathon world record, now 1:59:30. What that pace means, in numbers you can feel in your legs.
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Clocks back: sunset jumps to 5:23 pm. What about your run?
On Sunday 25 October sunset in Milan goes from 6:24 pm to 5:23 pm. How to rearrange your running week around darkness, daylight and group runs.
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Neapolis Marathon: 8,000 entries, half from abroad
The sixth Neapolis Marathon runs in Naples on Sunday and it is sold out. Why two laps of the seafront draw runners from all over the world, and what to learn.
Read & commentWhat the Velunite Journal is
The Journal is our weekly column on professional racing: road cycling, mountain biking and, when there is something worth telling, running too. It is not a minute-by-minute report: for each race we point out the result, the moments that decided it and one idea to take out on the road the following Sunday, with an eye on people who ride and run for passion.
Articles are grouped by discipline, newest first, and each one can be commented on: if you saw the race differently, tell us. The same pieces also appear on the blog, where you will also find training plans, gear advice and practical guides.
If you are looking for somewhere to ride or run instead, open the routes with map, elevation and GPX, or the 2027 race calendar. See you on the road.