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Welcome to Rouleur 138, which celebrates the transformative power that bike riding has in our lives. We have an exclusive interview with the breakout star of 2025, UAE rider Isaac del Toro, plus Rouleur’s contributors have ridden in Scotland, California, the French Alps, Rwanda and the Dolomites, to enjoy the stunning landscapes of these regions, but also to show us the many different reasons we all love to ride.

WHAT’S IN THE MAG? ARTICLE SUMMARIES

Isaac del Toro: Poise, Power, Pérdida

Isaac del Toro has been one of the revelations of 2025, coming within a couple of days of winning the Giro d’Italia but also capturing the hearts of cycling fans the world over with his aggressive style and the palpable sense of fun he brings to races. He talks Rouleur through his Giro experience.

Here & Now

Rouleur joins with Sir Chris Hoy and the Perthshire Peloton to enjoy three days of stunning riding against a backdrop of stunning landscapes and idiosyncratic weather systems.

Layers of History

Highway 33, which heads skywards to its summit at Reyes Peak, is the longest road climb in California and is a great place to ride. But it’s also a place where decades and centuries of history and local culture overlay each other, making it a repository for memories and experiences.

A Mountain to Climb

Television presenter and journalist Orla Chennaoui sends us this dispatch from her experience of participating in the inaugural Étape du Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, which finished atop the Col de la Madeleine. As Orla, our regular columnist for many years, discovered, sometimes it’s the journey, not the destination that matters.

Climbs of Passion

A selection of cycling writers celebrate the world of riding uphill by sharing with Rouleur’s readers which climbs have particular personal resonance for them.

Molteni: Cycling & Humanity

The Molteni family is well known for being the sponsors of one of the most successful cycling teams of all time, whose leader Eddy Merckx is still celebrated as the greatest of all time. These days, they are still involved with the sport through their foundation, and while they don’t win big races any more, they are still inextricably tied to the sport.

Beauty has no Mercy for the Brave

Rouleur goes along for the ride at the Race Around Rwanda, a 1,000-kilometre bikepacking race in which its competitors will face adversity and challenge. It’s a unique event in a unique country.

Explore: Three Days in Heaven

We spend three days cycling perfect roads on perfect mountains with perfect scenery and eating perfect food. The Supermaratona dles Dolomites is an itinerary which offers the very best of life on two wheels.