The Cycling Brief

We build durable cyclists. New performance videos every week on YouTube: 👉 https://go.semiprocycling.com/go/rxa5ed --- Kaden Groves plans to return from a two-month knee layoff at the Giro d'Italia. We break down why using a Grand Tour as a comeback race is a massive gamble, what it reveals about Alpecin-Premier Tech's roster problems, and why the sprinter is unlikely to finish three weeks.The Cycling Brief — Daily cycling intelligence, produced by SEMIPRO CYCLING.

12-Week Plan — https://go.semiprocycling.com/go/8j4dgw This week: a 2025 meta-analysis on sleep deprivation and cycling performance — why aerobic endurance takes the biggest hit, why everything feels harder before it actually gets harder, and why partial sleep loss might be costing you more watts than skipping a week of training. Plus: what to do when a bad race gets in your head. Study: Gong et al. (2025). Effects of sleep deprivation on sports performance and perceived exertion. Frontiers in Physiology, 16, 1544286. The Cycling Brief — Daily cycling intelligence, produced by SEMIPRO CYCLING.

We build durable cyclists. New performance videos every week on YouTube: 👉 https://go.semiprocycling.com/go/dw89u5 Alex and Sam break down the tactical scenarios for Liège-Bastogne-Liège, mapping Pogačar's attack options across Roche-aux-Faucons and Saint-Nicolas, Pidcock's punch potential at Q36.5, and how a northeast headwind could reshape the 15km run-in to the finish. A tactical race recon to watch tomorrow's race smarter. The Cycling Brief — Daily cycling intelligence, produced by SEMIPRO CYCLING.

We build durable cyclists. New performance videos every week on YouTube: 👉 https://go.semiprocycling.com/go/p8zzhb --- Alex and Sam debate Giulio Pellizzari's breakthrough Tour of the Alps GC win and what it means for the Giro d'Italia, the Vingegaard preparation controversy, Pogačar's shot at a historic four-Monument spring at Liège-Bastogne-Liège, and Van Aert's pivot toward the World Championships.The Cycling Brief — Daily cycling intelligence, produced by SEMIPRO CYCLING.

We build durable cyclists. New performance videos every week on YouTube: 👉 https://go.semiprocycling.com/go/9apnek --- The Saturday debrief breaks down Giulio Pellizzari's dominant Tour of the Alps GC victory and what it means for the Giro d'Italia, then previews Pogačar's historic shot at a fourth Monument at Liège-Bastogne-Liège. Plus: Van Aert's season reset and Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe's leadership headache.The Cycling Brief — Daily cycling intelligence, produced by SEMIPRO CYCLING.

We build durable cyclists. New performance videos every week on YouTube: 👉 https://go.semiprocycling.com/go/t9gfkb --- The Tour de Suisse drops to just five days for 2026, and that's not just a scheduling tweak — it fundamentally changes the race's role as a Tour de France preparation event. We break down what the compression means for GC teams' periodisation and why this is part of a bigger calendar trend.The Cycling Brief — Daily cycling intelligence, produced by SEMIPRO CYCLING.

We build durable cyclists. New performance videos every week on YouTube: 👉 https://go.semiprocycling.com/go/x285p7 --- Zondacrypto's financial turmoil puts Canyon-SRAM's future in question — again exposing cycling's dangerous dependence on volatile sponsors. We look at why the UCI's licensing system can't prevent this, and what it means for the women's peloton.The Cycling Brief — Daily cycling intelligence, produced by SEMIPRO CYCLING.

We build durable cyclists. New performance videos every week on YouTube: 👉 https://go.semiprocycling.com/go/h6mec7 --- UAE Emirates-XRG's injury crisis might actually make Pogačar more dangerous at Liège-Bastogne-Liège. Plus: why the Merckx comparison is being framed wrong, and where Evenepoel's real chance lies on Sunday.The Cycling Brief — Daily cycling intelligence, produced by SEMIPRO CYCLING.

We build durable cyclists. New performance videos every week on YouTube: 👉 https://go.semiprocycling.com/go/mm3p2w --- The German cycling industry association announces a rival trade fair to Eurobike, and Shimano's already walked away. Why this isn't just trade show drama — it's a fight over cycling's future identity between specialist roots and urban-mobility ambitions.The Cycling Brief — Daily cycling intelligence, produced by SEMIPRO CYCLING.

We build durable cyclists. New performance videos every week on YouTube: 👉 https://go.semiprocycling.com/go/dpzf88 --- Brembo officially launched its GR-Pro gravity brake after months of World Cup testing with Specialized. We break down why an automotive giant entering cycling components signals a fundamental shift in where the money — and the technology — is really flowing in this sport.The Cycling Brief — Daily cycling intelligence, produced by SEMIPRO CYCLING.

Newsletter (Free): https://go.semiprocycling.com/go/xt6k76 A meta-analysis of 51 studies puts a number on the optimal interval length for VO2max. Here is what that means, why it lines up with what I see in coaching, and how to think about it. Plus: confidence, proving it to yourself, and why comfort is the enemy of progress. The Cycling Brief — Daily cycling intelligence, produced by SEMIPRO CYCLING.

We build durable cyclists. New performance videos every week on YouTube: 👉 https://go.semiprocycling.com/go/hnf62p The Big Three are absent and Amstel Gold Race 2026 is wide open. Let's break down the Keutenberg's 22% maximum gradient, map three tactical scenarios — from vacuum attacks to Cauberg committee sprints — and identify who could step into the power void. A tactical race recon from The DeBrief. The Cycling Brief — Daily cycling intelligence, produced by SEMIPRO CYCLING.

We build durable cyclists. New performance videos every week on YouTube: 👉 https://go.semiprocycling.com/go/nw3dze --- The Saturday debrief covers Anders Foldager's unexpected Brabantse Pijl victory, Adam Yates winning the queen stage at O Gran Camiño, Soudal Quick-Step's reported switch to Merida, and previews Amstel Gold Race with the Pogačar question looming over the Ardennes.The Cycling Brief — Daily cycling intelligence, produced by SEMIPRO CYCLING.

We build durable cyclists. New performance videos every week on YouTube: 👉 https://go.semiprocycling.com/go/3zu2s4 --- Alex and Sam break down Anders Foldager's surprise victory at the Brabantse Pijl, the tactical collapse that cost Van der Breggen and Adegeest in the women's race, and the Specialized-Soudal Quick-Step split. Plus: predictions for Amstel Gold Race on Sunday.The Cycling Brief — Daily cycling intelligence, produced by SEMIPRO CYCLING.

We build durable cyclists. New performance videos every week on YouTube: 👉 https://go.semiprocycling.com/go/9uhwu6 --- Canyon's revamped Endurace has made the Aeroad nearly obsolete, and it's not just a Canyon problem — the entire aero bike category is under threat. Plus, SRAM's courtroom battle with the UCI over gear restrictions connects to the same story about technology outrunning the industry's old boundaries.The Cycling Brief — Daily cycling intelligence, produced by SEMIPRO CYCLING.

We build durable cyclists. New performance videos every week on YouTube: 👉 https://go.semiprocycling.com/go/qj4w73 --- Colnago's new C72 flagship comes with relaxed geometry, 35mm tyre clearance, and in-frame storage. It's a beautiful bike — and a quiet admission that the pure road race category is dead at the premium end. We break down what it means for the industry.The Cycling Brief — Daily cycling intelligence, produced by SEMIPRO CYCLING.

We build durable cyclists. New performance videos every week on YouTube: 👉 https://go.semiprocycling.com/go/w9mrtj --- Specialized's Ambush 3 helmet claims to have finally cracked comfortable BOA fit. We look at why helmet retention systems are the next battleground in cycling gear, and predict BOA will become the default on premium helmets within 18 months.The Cycling Brief — Daily cycling intelligence, produced by SEMIPRO CYCLING.

We build durable cyclists. New performance videos every week on YouTube: 👉 https://go.semiprocycling.com/go/2gkpbf JPMorgan Chase is reportedly in talks to become an IOC TOP sponsor ahead of LA 2028. We break down why the influx of institutional finance into Olympic sport could reshape cycling's economics — and not necessarily for the better. The Cycling Brief — Daily cycling intelligence, produced by SEMIPRO CYCLING.

We build durable cyclists. New performance videos every week on YouTube: 👉 https://go.semiprocycling.com/go/cb4w3g --- Five simple physical tests predict how long you can keep riding — and three of them expose a critical gap that cycling culture actively creates. We break down why your aerobic fitness might be masking structural fragility, and what the pro peloton figured out years ago that most amateurs still ignore.The Cycling Brief — Daily cycling intelligence, produced by SEMIPRO CYCLING.

Newsletter (Free): https://go.semiprocycling.com/go/3an3rv Your brain runs a prediction model during hard cycling efforts and you can edit the inputs. Three studies show that changing one word in your self-talk makes you faster on the bike without feeling harder. Plus: what has shifted behind the scenes at SEMIPRO. The Cycling Brief — Daily cycling intelligence, produced by SEMIPRO CYCLING.