Chrissy Marshall-Bell

Jean-Étienne Amaury, one of three owners of ASO and present every year at the Tour de France presentation, is singled out at the start of the Ballon d'Or ceremony. ASO's other company, Groupe Amaury, owns France Football magazine which is behind football's most coveted individual award.

Curious, really. A man who doesn't give interviews and keeps away from the spotlight as much as he possibly can is the first person the attention is centred on, albeit briefly. Highlights that if ASO is ever sold (big if), it wouldn't just be cycling and the Tour de France affected.

nytimes.comSpanish cycling enjoyed a golden season, but is the situation at the country’s anti-doping agency a concern?The Athletic looks at the ongoing situation with Spanish anti-doping agency CELAD, and why both WADA and USADA have become involved

Investigation into still-sanctioned Pepe Martí and CELAD has found: 💉WADA has appealed 8 CELAD cases to CAS since 2024. 🚴‍♂️CELAD paused 15 anti-doping cases into cyclists 🇪🇸Martí has co-authored a study that had access to "50 pro cyclists". www.nytimes.com/athletic/770...

I recently visited Martí at the university where he works in Valencia. He wouldn't speak on the record, but repeated that his work with Benjamín Noval and Jaume Soler (Marc Soler's dad) related to his university thesis. Jaume Soler's 18-month ban was overturned in June by an administrative court.

CELAD was investigated by WADA in 2024 for failing to pursue a number of anti-doping positives. The same thing is happening again – so many cases are being suspended due to a lack of investigators, including more than dozen cases of cyclists. WADA heavily hinting that it's unhappy with CELAD – again

cyclingweekly.com'The perfect partner to continue advancing cycling coverage' – TNT Sports extends deal to show Tour de France to 2032TNT Sports extends agreement with ASO to show races until at least 2032

This is significant for another reason. ASO already had a deal with TNT/Eurosport until 2030. They didn't need to extend that yet. Why have they? To make it harder for team-led reform group CCG to get hold of broadcast revenues. ASO ensuring that ALL the profit stays in the Amaury purse.

Cycling Weekly@cyclingweekly.com

'The perfect partner to continue advancing cycling coverage' – TNT Sports extends deal to show Tour de France to 2032 www.cyclingweekly.com/racing/tnt-s...

The UCI will today release provisional team registration details for 2027 season. Sources say that a few of the 18 men's WorldTour teams will have an asterisk next to their name, meaning missing paperwork or the UCI has concerns. In theory, affected teams' riders are free to negotiate with others.

nytimes.comWhy Filippo Ganna’s departure may not be the only big change at Netcompany INEOS this winter (Gift Article)Lisandro Martinez's explosive comments about Manchester United may have struck a chord with several current Netcompany INEOS riders

It's all confusion and unhappiness at Netcompany Ineos - again. 👨‍🦲Brailsford's vice-like grip on management 🧔‍♂️Thomas "doing his best but can't disagree with Dave" 🇮🇹 the Italian agent dictating transfer policy 🔚 existing riders and staff looking for an exit www.nytimes.com/athletic/768...

Oh! And TotalEnergies are weighing up their investment in the team. Company didn't deny it when I asked them.

escapecollective.com16-day Grand Tours, smaller teams, and pooling broadcast rights: UCI lays out its vision for cycling’s futureCan the UCI stave off revolution by accepting evolution?

The UCI's Future of Cycling report is manifesto for a controlled evolution rather than revolution. It’s probably enough to appease most teams and maybe stave off the threat of the team-led CCG group, but not the ones most desperate for wholesale change.

Escape Collective@escapecollective.bsky.social

This week, the UCI published its 40-page Future of Cycling report, detailing a range of proposals to strengthen cycling's calendar, economic model, fan engagement, safety, and integrity. Chris Marshall-Bell reports. escapecollective.com/16-day-grand...

@globalpeloton.bsky.social

16 day Grand Tours, and reducing team sizes to (probably) six riders is really fascinating. These were both taboo subjects as recently as last week - ideas people had but were too fearful to go on the record with. Now the cat is out the bag.

Chrissy Marshall-Bell reposted

Dan Challis

What will the World Championships in Pune, India, actually be like? 🇮🇳 I spoke to a 10-time Indian national champion to find out. “The number of people that are going to be on the side of the road, man, it's going to be insane.” @escapecollective.bsky.social escapecollective.com/what-to-expe...

escapecollective.comWhat to expect from the 2032 World Championships in India‘It’s going to be insane’, according to ten-time Indian national champion Naveen John, who unpacks the vision, context, and possible route of the Worlds in Pune

nytimes.comNighttime anti-doping tests in cycling set to continue in 2027

Remco Evenepoel called anti-doping nighttimes tests "inhumane". The ITA (backed by the UCI) have said they're necessary and they'll continue. Pogacar, Vingegaard et al. were targeted at the Tour because "there exists, unfortunately, some suspicion of doping." www.nytimes.com/athletic/762...

Speaking at the UCI congress, David Lappartient says r.e. the reactions to the nighttime tests at the UCI: "They must remain the exception but it's important we do everything we can to keep our sport clean." Echoes comments others in the anti-doping community have been making: they're here to stay.

Lappartient also confirms that the UCI will release a document called 'Future of Cycling' tomorrow with regards to its own reform attempts, with more detail at the WorldTour seminar in December. The plan is for new measures to be introduced in 2029. Teams-led reform groups want change NOW.

escapecollective.comTeams opposed the UCI's new 'best host nation rider' jersey. They lost.Reduced sponsor visibility headlined teams' opposition. They will receive additional hotel rooms and VIP passes as compensation.

22 Sept

As one Escape member commented: Hereinafter known as the General Seixassification. Nice idea, if you ask me. Big riders and teams won't care, but smaller riders and teams will. Teams against it though. Even tho, in theory, it'll give *more* exposure to their sponsors they say will lose out.

Escape Collective@escapecollective.bsky.social

2027 will see the introduction of a fifth jersey at national tours. While race organizers, the UCI, and the riders' union supported the "best host nation rider" jersey, the teams did not. escapecollective.com/teams-oppose...

Chrissy Marshall-Bell reposted

Jacob Whitehead

@jacobwhitehead.bsky.social

22 Sept

Cycling promised change after Muriel Furrer’s death. Two years on, it is still prevaricating. Important reporting from @cmbreports.bsky.social for @theathletic.com on the ongoing safety tracker dispute. This is simple technology which should be solvable:

nytimes.comPro cycling urgently needed GPS safety trackers. Now it has to decide which one to use (Gift Article)A series of race deaths have put safety firmly in the spotlight, but tensions between the UCI and Velon threaten to stall progress

nytimes.comIndia poised to win race to host 2032 Cycling Road World Championships

18 Sept

This is big: India is expected to be awarded hosting rights to the 2032 Road World Championships. Vote to be held next Weds, UCI chiefa strongly favour India. Good news for cycling's worldwide development but question marks over transparency and voting process. www.nytimes.com/athletic/760...

18 Sept

Potentially very significant in India's bid to host 2036 Olympics. UCI president David Lappartient will be one of 106 people able to vote in that contest in mid-2029. Doha, Qatar seen as India's biggest rival. Sources at the current Asian Games tell me this will cause a stir.

nytimes.comMiddlesbrough and the meaning of football in troubled times (Gift Article)It has not been an easy fortnight for Teesside, an area which has long experience of being talked down. But the football club offers hope

15 Sept

This is an outstanding piece of writing. A close friend works for Cleveland Police, and family members work in social services across Teesside. They keep telling me how on edge the mood is. It's a region that has been shockingly let down - under funding leads to these kinds of problems.

Michael Walker@mwalkerfoot.bsky.social

Middlesbrough and the meaning of football in troubled times www.nytimes.com/athletic/759...

@jacobwhitehead.bsky.social

15 Sept

Nice mention of Middlesbrough playing at Hartlepool in 1986 as they were locked out of their home ground. My dad, a big Pools fan like me, still says Boro haven't paid Pools back for that haha.

Chrissy Marshall-Bell reposted

Jacob Whitehead

14 Sept

“La Vuelta es Mas”. Enric Mas was Spain's great hope, but had never bonded with the wider public — until now. After three second-place finishes, the red jersey is finally his. Has it kept his team alive? Inside story from @cmbreports.bsky.social for @theathletic.com:

nytimes.comFrom ‘useless’ to perfect: How Enric Mas and Movistar won the 2026 Vuelta a Espana (Gift Article)Spain's WorldTour squad finally won their home race again – this is how they did it

12 Sept

As Spaniards in Monaco predicted before the race even started....

nytimes.comAmerica’s Sepp Kuss is about to complete one of endurance sport’s hardest feats (again) (Gift Article)Kuss is just days away from completing the Giro d'Italia, Tour de France and Vuelta a España in the same season, for a second time

11 Sept

I chatted with Sepp Kuss about the physical challenge of riding all three Grand Tours in a row – again. The affable American also discusses his struggles with the public's perception of him after his 2023 Vuelta win, and his relationship with Primož Roglič. www.nytimes.com/athletic/758...

escapecollective.comTour of Guangxi future in doubt as women’s race cancelled for 2026A local government debt crisis across China is forcing severe spending cuts, and the Tour of Guangxi could be on the chopping block

Great reporting, as ever, from cycling's global news reporter. Combine this with the war in the Middle East that will no doubt affect the Jan/Feb races, and cycling's global calendar is looking decidedly... European again, with a little bit given to Aus and Canada.

Dan Challis@globalpeloton.bsky.social

The 2026 women's Tour of Guangxi has been cancelled, and the men's race is in trouble too amid drastic spending cuts which could have even wider implications for cycling in China. Full story on @escapecollective.bsky.social escapecollective.com/tour-of-guan...

escapecollective.comThe next battle to reform pro cycling is hereCollective Cycling Group has garnered deeper team support than prior efforts. Will ASO and the UCI finally come to the bargaining table?

Been listening to The Move and reading The Outer Line (the best cycling newsletter, IMO) and want to address some comments about my reporting on reform efforts. Contrary to what's being inferred, my information doesn't come from one single source, but many... 1/

Chrissy Marshall-Bell@cmbreports.bsky.social

We've had One Cycling, then TeamCo. Let me now introduce you to... Collective Cycling Group! CCG for short. Same ideas as ever, same problems as ever. The difference? Significantly advanced. A lot of optimism up to 21 teams will become shareholders imminently. escapecollective.com/the-next-bat...

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Most don't want to talk to me about CCG as they want to keep it out of the press, but it's impossible to keep this a secret when 25+ teams have been part of discussions. It's also suggested that I may have received information in exchange for a "guaranteed exclusive story". One word: bullshit. 3/

I'll repeat: I have multiple sources on this matter, and my work does not rely on just one person leaking crucial info to me to advance their own interests. Final thing: the idea that press reports gives the UCI/ASO an upper hand is absurd - they got hold of the documents well before I did. 4/

Chrissy Marshall-Bell@cmbreports.bsky.social

And, to clarify, the supposed single source that many assume they know their identity of was not actually consulted at all during my reporting of this story. The latest article took months of work and included conversations with around a dozen people. 2/

5 Sept

A coming of age victory for Marco Brenner, the win he was expected to deliver a few years ago. One of the peloton's more interesting personalities, aged 18 he became manager of his eponymous junior team. Enjoyable interview with him from 2023: www.rouleur.cc/racing/team-...

rouleur.ccrouleur.cc

nytimes.comAre Spain and Movistar about to end their long wait for glory at the Vuelta a Espana? (Gift Article)With Enric Mas in the form of his life, one of cycling's most historic teams could be about to experience major success again

4 Sept

For cycling fans of a certain generation, Spain's biggest team leading a Grand Tour isn't anything surprising. But should Enric Mas hold onto his Vuelta a España lead, it'd be Movistar's biggest and most important triumph in a generation. Can he do it? www.nytimes.com/athletic/756...

4 Sept

What's been most striking about Mas has been his and Spain's transformation. He's a new rider and a new man, thriving in his newfound status as a loved leader. And his countrymen and women are, for the first time, fully supporting him. History beckons.

nytimes.comCycling is facing the brunt of climate change. It depends on countryside to create its spectacle (Gift Article)Europe, the fastest warming continent, is hotter and drier than ever — and it is having an impact on the Grand Tour season

3 Sept

"Wildfires are the biggest problem facing Europe and Spain," says Vuelta director Javier Guillén. A special report from one of the many Spanish villages heavily affected by wildfires in recent years. Cycling is more at risk than any other sport. www.nytimes.com/athletic/755...

2 Sept

Escape Collective@escapecollective.bsky.social

With a host of top teams on board and multiple high-power financiers involved, the latest attempt to reform pro cycling might have the best chances yet. But substantial obstacles remain. escapecollective.com/the-next-bat...

2 Sept

Someone said to me recently: "Sports politics is really dry and uninteresting... until it's highly relevant and explosive." This story has the potential to fall into the latter category in the coming months. The teams aren't fully united yet, but there is cohesion that previously hasn't existed.

nytimes.comPrimoz Roglic interview: “I never dreamed of being a cyclist – I wanted to be a ski jumper” (Gift Article)This Vuelta could be one of cycling's favourite sons' last Grand Tours - the 36-year-old is in reflective mood as he discusses his career

1 Sept

Exclusive interview with Primož Roglič: 🤔"Not decided" if he'll retire or not 🚑The pre-Vuelta crash left him "wondering if it (his leg) would ever be OK again 🤳His message to Pogačar after his exit 🇪🇸How he plans on beating Enric Mas And more! www.nytimes.com/athletic/755...

1 Sept

Also includes the following paragraph: Eh, buah, huh, phwoar, pfft. Linguists would call them interjections, used to express emotion, often when the speaker does not deem there to be an appropriate word; cycling simply knows them as the dialect of Primož Roglič.

nytimes.comTadej Pogacar’s ability to avoid serious injury was almost unprecedented – then came his crash at the Vuelta (Gift Article)The five-time Tour de France winner suffered several fractures and injuries after falling on stage eight of the Vuelta a Espana on Saturday

30 Aug

The reason Pogačar's Vuelta withdrawal is so shocking is that he had appeared invincible - he'd crash, but never get injured. I spoke with his teammates and rivals to find out how - until yesterday - he manages to escape so many crashes and serious injuries. www.nytimes.com/athletic/754...

29 Aug

The CV-6765, 400m from Simat de la Valldinga, a charming, medieval village better known for being the wettest place in the otherwise sunny and dry Valencia region. From now on, it'll be known as the place where Tadej Pogačar, the cycling GOAT, crashed out of the Vuelta a España. Blood marks remain.

nytimes.comInside Tadej Pogacar’s first Vuelta a Espana: The start of a sporting dynasty (Gift Article)No-one expected much from Pogačar at his first Grand Tour, but he quickly showed why he is arguably the sport's greatest-ever rider

29 Aug

The inside story of when Tadej Pogačar raced the Vuelta a España in 2019, announcing himself on the world stage. 💎"It was clear he was a gem" ⚡ to attack or not? ❄️air-con: on or off? 🛌his only Grand Tour roommate 🧘‍♂️"he didn't feel the pressure" www.nytimes.com/athletic/754...

nytimes.comVuelta a Espana stage six: Pogacar caught on climb and nearly crashes on descent, but still wins

27 Aug

Did Pogačar misjudge his effort on the gravel? Or was Mas just simply flying? www.nytimes.com/athletic/754...

26 Aug

Good luck to Tadej Pogačar getting out of the press room

gofund.meDonate to For Fin, organized by Jamie BIn Loving Memory of Finlay Tarling August 14, 2026 – The tragic passing of Finlay Tarling during Stage 8 of the Vo… Jamie B needs your support for For Fin

16 Aug

gofund.me/4707253be

Chrissy Marshall-Bell reposted

Peter Cossins

@petercossins.bsky.social

7 Aug

No one has ever taken the stage win and the yellow jersey on the Ventoux as far as I can remember. Looks like Kasia has the stage won, taking yellow as well would be historic, one of the great mountain performances

@globalpeloton.bsky.social

7 Aug

No one ever believes Kasia can do it, until she does it. If Vollering is the rider of her generation; Kasia is the fighter. Remarkable performance, again, from the Pole. She always provides drama and excitement.

Chrissy Marshall-Bell reposted

Dan Challis

26 July

The best piece I’ve read from the Tour this year. Top work @cmbreports.bsky.social @cyclingweekly.com www.cyclingweekly.com/racing/tour-...

cyclingweekly.com‘I was on the verge of crying’ – heartache and salvation inside the broom wagon on Tour de France queen stageCycling Weekly was inside the Tour de France’s broom wagon on stage 20. It was a day of tears, crashes and salvation.

26 July

I spent the Tour de France queen stage in the broom wagon. The best piece I've written from the race, if I do say so myself. Sticky bottles, tears, crashes, burgers and hot dogs, and a realisation that the broom wagon does not end dreams but keeps them alive www.cyclingweekly.com/racing/tour-...