Doug Ryder has made major strides, and today, the WorldTour’s sole African team is continuing to demonstrate – to the other teams and to the overall sport – an innovative model to improve the accessibility and sustainability of pro cycling.

American pro cycling in the 1980s is synonymous with Greg LeMond and Andy Hampsten. Both were supremely talented riders. The Outer Line recently caught up with Hampsten in Boulder, and had a chance to hear some of his reminiscences as well as his thoughts about the current state of pro cycling, and the future of the sport.

A legacy of abuse and sexism unfortunately continues to simmer just beneath the surface of women’s professional cycling – and particularly within the smaller and more thinly-supported teams. Steve Maxwell and Joe Harris from the Outerline talk to riders and suggest how to 'strengthen all of global pro cycling'.

Interview: Iris Slappendel was one of the most consistent one-day riders of her generation, adept at timing a winning move, and at strategically setting up her teammates for victory. The former top professional had many great moments in her career, numerous high placings and teammates’ victories in top-tier races. Her most notable career achievement was an unexpected and hard-fought National Championship of the Netherlands in 2014.

The Cycliste Professionnels Associés (CPA) was formed in 1999, to better coordinate professional cycling’s pre-existing national rider associations, to “act as a reference point” in the case of issues which went beyond national borders, and more generally to protect the rights and interests of riders. The Outer Line takes a close look at the CPA.

The world of anti doping in sport sometimes feels like a battle between opposing forces on the same side. The debate has become polarised between those advocating zero tolerance and those who want to accept performance enhancement as a reality to be managed.

The Fancy Bears hacking of the WADA/Olympic data base unearthed Bradley Wiggins' TUE use just before three important events has caused rumblings of doubt and calls of stretching the letter of the law. Wiggins has not broken the rules as they stand, but there is the moral question and whether or not the TUE system is wrong. Joe Harris and Steve Maxwell of The Outer Line ask; is it 'Treating or Cheating?'

The Lotto Soudal team has announced that it will not be sending riders to participate in the World team time trial championships in Doha, Qatar in October. They say that the cash outlay is not worth the return in publicity to their sponsor. Joe and Steve from 'The Outer Line' dig deeper into the background problems of the UCI's Flagship Event.

Two recent news flashes in professional cycling have underlined some key uncertainties about the future of the sport. First, it was reported that Peter Sagan was in talks with Team Astana about a contract for 2017, after Tinkoff Bank ceases its cycling sponsorship at the end of this year. More recently, it was confirmed that the IAM Cycling WorldTour Team will be folding at the end of the year, as its management was unable to secure a successor sponsor.