Pirelli has announced its association with the Women’s WorldTeam Fenix-Deceuninck as official partner from January 2025 to 2029. The team, which is led by Philip and Christoph Roodhooft, will be competing in the Milano-Sanremo Donne event this weekend after making its debut on Pirelli tyres in the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad and the Strade Bianche.

Puck Pieterse, a multi-time champion and influential personality in contemporary cycling, is one of the team's best athletes. Pieterse, the current MTB XCO World Champion and the 2024 Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift Best Young Rider, is renowned for her ability to switch between cycling disciplines with ease. Pieterse is a valuable asset for Pirelli because of her ability to transition between road, mountain, cyclocross and gravel riding with ease. Pieterse is able to provide Pirelli technicians with insightful feedback that helps the company develop its cycling tyres because of her technical expertise, which she has developed via riding on a variety of terrains, from gravel to rocks and roots, from mud to paved roads, from slippery terrain to compact trails.

Former Dutch professional cyclist Annemiek van Vleuten, who won the Tour, the Giro and the Road World Championships all in the same year (2022), will also join the team as a new Performance Mentor.

From 2018 to 2020, Van Vleuten participated in competitions with Pirelli tyres, significantly influencing the creation of the then-new P ZERO Velo line. Pirelli tyres helped her win some of her biggest races, such as the Women's Time Trial at the 2018 Road World Championships, the 2019 Road World Championships, two Strade Bianche (2019–2020) and two Giro d'Italia Donne (2018–2019). Van Vleuten has frequently trained with male cyclists, and she took part in the men's team's preseason training camps in 2019 and 2020. Her suggestions were crucial in improving the P ZERO Race TLR, Pirelli's first tubeless tyres.

Sharing her experience with Pirelli’s P Zero and Scorpion XC tyres, Pieterse said, “To me a road tyre must have low rolling resistance and adapt well to the terrain. My experience with the Pirelli tyres has been excellent from the start, I always felt confident in corners and fast on descents. The mountain bike tyres I’ve tested were also impressive, offering low rolling resistance and great grip. To me it’s important to move between disciplines. It keeps me mentally fresh and prevents me from focusing on just one thing – Of course, training varies accordingly”.

Felice Cusmai, Pirelli Cycling’s Commercial Director, said, “Our goal is to develop tyres that meet the needs of every kind of cyclist, regardless of their speed, weight, cycling style or sex. In this respect, our partnership with the Fenix-Deceuninck Women’s team is particularly important. This team is made up of world-class, interdisciplinary athletes, whose feedback will be invaluable for the evolution of our cycling tyres. We are also happy to once again work with Annemiek. Her attention to detail and her sensitivity when it comes to technical materials have always been a great asset for Pirelli, ever since the start of our project in the cycling world.”

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Continental has emerged as the dominant force in the 2026 independent European summer tyre tests, securing 13 outright wins and 19 podium finishes across 24 evaluations conducted by leading automotive publications and mobility organisations. The results span a diverse range of tyre segments and test conditions, reinforcing the German manufacturer’s reputation for consistent top-tier performance.

The company’s tyres excelled particularly in braking, wet grip and overall balance, showing reliability across vehicle classes from sustainable products to ultra-high-performance applications. Independent testers repeatedly highlighted Continental’s strong braking performance, high levels of wet adhesion and well-rounded driving behaviour, confirming its premium ambitions.

Among the standout achievements, the PremiumContact 7 was named overall winner in the Auto Zeitung UHP summer tyre test, praised for its balanced wet and dry handling. The SportContact 7 claimed first place in the Auto Bild sportscars UHP test, recognised for precise handling and shortest braking distances. Meanwhile, the UltraContact NXT achieved a leading position in the AvD summer tyre test, proving that sustainability-focused designs can deliver strong core safety performance.

Continuous development in tread design, compound technologies and tyre construction underpins these results, allowing a blend of safety, efficiency and driving dynamics. The 2026 test season ultimately demonstrates Continental’s ability to deliver reliable top-level results across a broad portfolio and a wide range of independent evaluations.

Andreas Schlenke, Tire Expert at Continental, said, “These results confirm the consistency of our product performance across different segments and test conditions. They show that our focus on braking, wet grip and overall balance translates directly into strong results in independent testing.”

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Hankook Tire is supplying its Ventus F200 racing tyre to the HWA EVO.R sedan, competing in the 2026 Nürburgring 24 Hours, taking place from 14 to 17 May in Germany. Serving as the Official Technology Partner of HWA AG, Hankook is providing technical assistance throughout the race weekend with the Ventus F200 fitted to the HWA EVO.R in the open SP-X class for high-performance tuned vehicles. The racing slick is engineered for dry conditions and aims to deliver stable performance under extreme endurance racing demands.

Recognised globally in motorsport, the Ventus F200 incorporates advanced compound technologies that enhance driving performance and achieve roughly a 10 percent weight reduction over its predecessor. The tyre offers strong grip, high-speed stability and precise handling under demanding race conditions. HWA AG, founded by former Mercedes-AMG Co‑Founder Hans Werner Aufrecht, is a noted global motorsport engineering company specialising in high‑performance vehicle development.

This collaboration expands an existing strategic partnership, following Hankook’s original equipment tyre supply for the limited‑production HWA EVO last year. Hankook currently provides several ultra‑high‑performance OE products for that model, including the Ventus evo Z, Ventus evo and Winter i*cept evo3. Moving forward, Hankook plans to strengthen its premium brand competitiveness by deepening cooperation with HWA AG in both OE and motorsport sectors.

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HS HYOSUNG ADVANCED MATERIALS has secured a place on the Dow Jones Best-in-Class (DJ BIC) Korea Index for three years running, marking consistent recognition from the S&P Global benchmark for corporate sustainability. This index, released by a major global financial information provider, is known as a highly trusted gauge of ESG performance. Membership is limited to the top 30 percent of companies per industry, drawn from the two hundred largest listed firms in South Korea by market value.

In a related achievement, the company also appeared in S&P Global’s Sustainability Yearbook 2026 for the second straight year. The latest assessment reviewed over 9,200 businesses across 59 industries worldwide, and HS HYOSUNG ADVANCED MATERIALS earned a Yearbook Member designation by placing within the top fifteen percent of its global industry.

To drive these results, the firm has built an ESG framework on four pillars: Zero Fatality for safety, Zero Emission for carbon reduction, Zero Waste for circular resource use and Zero Impact for stakeholder accountability. Senior management directly oversees a Sustainability Management Committee and specialised subcommittees, ensuring that ESG strategies are implemented across the entire organisation to boost corporate value.

Jim Jindal Lim, CEO, HS HYOSUNG ADVANCED MATERIALS, said, “Our inclusion in DJ BIC Korea for three consecutive years and our second consecutive listing in the S&P Global Sustainability Yearbook demonstrate that HS HYOSUNG ADVANCED MATERIALS has consistently implemented meaningful changes for sustainable management. We will continue strengthening our response to climate change and enhancing our corporate social responsibility.”

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Dr Suttipong Angthong, Secretary-General of the Association of Natural Rubber Producing Countries (ANRPC), attended the TRA & TLA Dinner 2026 on 8 May 2026. The high-profile gathering was jointly organised by the Thai Rubber Association (TRA) and the Thai Latex Association (TLA) at the Centara Grand at CentralWorld. The event brought together industry leaders, policymakers and key stakeholders from across the rubber and latex sectors to foster professional relationships and examine the shifting dynamics of the global natural rubber market.

The event served as a critical platform for Dr Angthong to engage in high-level discussions on market sustainability, trade relations and technological advancement. Particular attention was given to the long-term viability of rubber production, improving synergy between producers and exporters and the growing role of latex processing in the modern economy. His presence highlighted the ANRPC’s dedication to supporting member countries through close cooperation with national associations.

Thailand continues to hold a foundational position in the global natural rubber industry. The partnership between the TRA and TLA acts as a key driver of both innovation and regional stability, reinforcing the importance of collaborative efforts to navigate the evolving market landscape.

Dr Angthong said, "Events like the TRA & TLA Dinner are essential for maintaining the pulse of the industry. It is through these partnerships that we ensure the natural rubber sector remains resilient and forward-looking."

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