PEZCycling News owner & publisher, – Richard Pestes (aka: The Pez) announced the news quietly on March 12, 2020, as the new site went live amid no fanfare, because, well... just in case.
"It's been 18 years since I pressed the GO button on PezCycling News.com (https:PezCyclingNews.com) way back in Feb. 2002, and this is our 5th version of the website. Our last major update was in 2013, and since then site technology, and reader usage has changed so much, that it was high time we caught up with the times."
"And it kinda worked out that this launch coincided with our 18th birthday. On the other hand - the global corona virus is causing chaos and the sport is grinding to a halt – but not being tied to reporting just racing, we've got so much great road cycling content for readers to enjoy in the coming weeks – and get us through the current stop in the race schedule." said Pestes.
Changes include a complete layout redesign, implementation of an entirely new Wordpress back end to make site response even faster, and a completely new mobile version as well.
Pestes added: "Up front you'll notice the whole site looks a lot different, some of you might even say we look like current again – (and I won't hold it against ya...). Expect better performance too - on all platforms - desktop, mobile and tablet."
"On closer inspection, you'll find simpler navigation and all of your favorite sections and features are still right where they oughta be - Tech N Spec, our ToolBox training section - with over 800 original articles - what I say is the best cycling Travel section of any cycling publication, our candid and honest Interviews with the sport's most interesting people - be they top pros or someone you may never have thought who's got a great story to tell - Readers' Rigs where we discover what you all are riding - our ever-fresh EuroTrash semi-weekly news roundup, and so much more. And let's not forget the growing PEZ Youtube channel. Yep - there's a lot to look at."
"Our heart still lies with the top level races that make our sport: le Tour de France, the Giro d'Italia, the Classics, Worlds - and so many other cool races and rides that come along as well. As die-hard fans, our perspective remains solidly on our side of the barriers, but with some much appreciated back-stage access to take you along for a closer look at something we all love so much.
"I hope you enjoy the new look - and please let me know your thoughts - comments - suggestions - and we'll look forward to seeing you back whenever you get a chance to drop in."
"In addition to one of the best and longest running editorial crews in cycling, I'm grateful to our readers, who are maybe the most loyal anywhere. And I'm also thankful to have such a fine group of sponsors and advertisers, who recognize and have benefitted from the value of associations with a publication like PEZ."
- Richard Pestes