Apollo Tyres Ltd has launched the Vredestein Superpasso Pro competition-ready road bicycle tyres. This is the first model in the company’s all-new range of high-performance bicycle tyres scheduled for launch throughout the coming year.

The Superpasso Pro was developed using Apollo Tyres' cutting-edge ‘TriComp’ technology in Europe, which combines several rubber compositions for the tread and sidewall to maximise rolling resistance, puncture prevention and traction in both wet and dry situations. While the tyre's shoulder is composed of a softer composition to improve cornering grip at all speeds, the centre of the tread features a tougher compound to reduce rolling resistance and to prevent penetration. The new Superpasso Pro achieves a 14 percent improvement in rolling resistance, a 23 percent increase in puncture resistance and an eight percent weight reduction when compared to its Vredestein predecessor.

For TLR tyres, the new ‘Active Control’ technology offers a novel design that substitutes a bridging gap for the conventional overlapping centre join. Because of this development, the tyre is lighter and quicker, offering better control, better feedback and unwavering comfort. In order to increase puncture resistance and provide consumers the assurance that they can go farther, the Vredestein tyre also has a reinforced breaker layer. As part of a business collaboration with Apollo Tyres, the Dutch professional cycling team BEAT Cycling Club has put the Superpasso Pro through a rigorous testing process. Three sizes of the new Vredestein tyre are available: 700x25C, 700x28C and 700x32C. Both tubeless-ready (TLR) and tube type choices are available.

Nic Knippers, Division Head – Vredestein Two Wheel Tyres, Apollo Tyres Ltd, said, “The Superpasso Pro represents a significant leap forward in tyre technology, offering cyclists a product that excels in both performance and durability. With its innovative design and advanced materials, it delivers unmatched speed, comfort and reliability for cyclists of all levels.”

Thijs Zonneveld, Sportive Director, BEAT Cycling Club, said, “As a team that consistently pushes the limits of performance, we’ve been thoroughly impressed by the Superpasso Pro. The advancements in rolling efficiency, grip and durability have been evident in both race-day conditions and intense training sessions, and we’re excited to continue using it in competition.”

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The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd. has announced that Y.T. Rubber Co., Ltd. (YTRC), its Thai subsidiary focused on natural rubber processing, earned the Outstanding Provincial-Level CSR Organization Award. The honour formed part of the ‘CSR Award 2026’ initiative run by Thailand’s Ministry of Social Development and Human Security, and the presentation took place on 22 August 2026.

Built around the idea of ‘CSR Partnerships for Sustainable Thailand’, the award programme highlights organisations demonstrating exemplary corporate social responsibility at provincial or metropolitan level throughout the country’s 76 provinces and Bangkok. A total of 92 recipients – among them YTRC, other firms and bodies chosen nationwide and provincial CSR centres – convened at IMPACT Challenger Hall in Nonthaburi Province to collect commemorative plaques.

Governor Jumpot Wannachatsiri (left) presents flowers to YTRC Managing Director Noboru Takita (centre) and Department Manager Supachai Choosuwan at the Surat Thani Provincial Council.

YTRC, established in Surat Thani Province in 2008, has long pursued environmental preservation and dependable ties with nearby communities. Working with the Rubber Authority of Thailand (RAOT), it surveys natural rubber plantations and supplies management assistance to farmers, supporting sustainable procurement of the material. The company further backs agroforestry practices that give rubber farmers steadier incomes while partnering with the Surat Thani Provincial Office of Social Development and Human Security on efforts to nurture constructive community relations.

The recognition reflects YTRC’s continuous community-oriented CSR work and its notable local impact. A special event on 31 August saw the Surat Thani Provincial Council once more acknowledge those contributions, with the governor presenting a celebratory bouquet. Separately, the CSR Center of Surat Thani Province ranked among only nine centres nationwide to win the Outstanding Provincial CSR Promotion Center Award.

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Hankook Tire has unveiled a new generation of winter tyres for trucks, introducing the Smart Control AW53 for steering axles and the Smart Control DW53 for drive axles. Designed for harsh winter conditions, these models will eventually replace the previous Smart Control AW02 and DW07 winter tyres. They combine high traction on snow and ice with strong cornering and braking performance, along with high mileage. The pair debuts at IAA Transportation 2026 in Hannover, where the company exhibits from 15 to 20 September at stand E09 in hall 11.

Development prioritised strong winter performance across the tyres' full lifespan. Hankook achieves improved winter traction through advanced technology and a blend of tread features. Zigzag grooves and 3D sipes add grip on snow and ice, while tie bars stiffen tread blocks, supporting precise handling and stable driving.

Internal testing at the UTAC Test Centre in Ivalo, Finland, showed the AW53 and DW53 outperforming the earlier AW02 and DW07 models. Braking on snow improved by 2.8 percent, acceleration by 4 percent and handling by 3.7 percent. Central to the design is Hidden Groove technology, in which extra tread grooves emerge as wear progresses, maintaining snow traction and wet grip even when well worn. At 40 percent wear, additional 3D sipes appear, increasing tread block stiffness and improving grip while lowering rolling resistance. At 70 percent wear, further concealed grooves enhance wet grip. Alongside self-regenerating sipes, this sustains winter performance across the service life and extends it by as much as 15 percent.

Stone ejectors in the main grooves and Y-shaped lateral grooves reduce stone retention and shield the tread and carcass from damage. A newly developed compound further contributes to balanced grip. At launch, the AW53 comes in size 385/65 R22.5 164K (158L), rated for 5,000 kg per tyre. The DW53 is offered in size 315/80 R22.5 (156/150L), with a maximum load of 4,000 kg per tyre for single fitments or 3,350 kg for twin fitments. More sizes are planned. All new Smart Control winter tyres carry the 3PMSF label and both can be regrooved and retreaded to extend their working life further.

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Dunlop Motorcycle Europe is set to back teams and riders contending for championship honours at the 2026 FIM Endurance World Championship (EWC) finale, the 89th Bol d’Or, held at Circuit Paul Ricard.

The tyre manufacturer will assist 43 teams in total, serving as exclusive tyre supplier to all 24 Superstock and 13 Production Trophy entrants. Five manufacturers will contest the Production Trophy’s second title, while six privateer squads in the open-tyre Formula EWC class have opted for Dunlop, among them the No. 6 ERC Endurance Team, which recorded a 1:52.173 best lap in Bol d’Or testing.

The season-closing 24-hour race poses a demanding mix of technical corners and fast stretches, notably the 1.8-kilometre Mistral Straight, alongside day-to-night running and traditionally changeable weather that may test both dry and wet KR allocations.

Dunlop will provide its established KR108 and KR109 slicks, plus a latest-generation medium front specification, developed as G2_01 VAL3 and validated with EWC teams in 2025 for improved durability and performance. The range targets single-lap speed and multi-stint longevity, with intermediate and wet tyres available for all conditions.

David Auerbacher, International Motorcycle Race Event Leader, Dunlop Motorcycle Europe, said, “We’re excited to return to Circuit Paul Ricard for the season finale, where both the Superstock and Production Trophy champions will be crowned. It’s been another strong season for Dunlop across all categories, as we celebrate five years as the exclusive tyre supplier to the Superstock Trophy and two years supporting the Production Trophy. Both categories have continued to grow and develop, while leading privateer teams also continue to choose Dunlop as they fight for wins and podiums in the Formula EWC class. We’re looking forward to an exciting season finale and are proud to support all the teams and riders as they battle for championship success at the biggest race of the EWC calendar.”

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The Tyre Recovery Association convened its Briefing Day 2026 at Coombe Abbey Hotel in Warwickshire, drawing more than 100 senior figures from the UK tyre recovery, retreading, retail and manufacturing sectors alongside national regulators, parliamentarians and trade bodies. The event served as a platform to press for meaningful reforms covering tyre recovery, green procurement and domestic circular resilience.

Tessa Munt, the MP for Wells and Mendip Hills, delivered a keynote address that attacked the enduring disconnect between government policy rhetoric and industrial reality. Drawing on her parliamentary work regarding end-of-life tyre exports to India and her engagement with Somerset businesses, she condemned official inaction and set out four priority areas for reform, criticising a reliance on superficial slogans while domestic capacity lies stranded.

The MP highlighted what she described as a double standard, noting that the Environment Agency imposes strict Digital Waste Tracking on compliant domestic operators while granting misplaced goodwill and deadline extensions to non-compliant overseas exporters. Before the rules were diluted, proof-of-arrival compliance stood at just 20 percent. She further noted that more than 150,000 tonnes of licensed UK recycling and remanufacturing capacity remains entirely idle while raw waste is shipped abroad.

Her proposed reforms comprised the immediate statutory withdrawal of T8 exemptions to establish an audited permit regime, adoption of the Australian shred-only export model to end whole and baled tyre exports, instant revocation of export licences for brokers failing to supply timestamped and geotagged proof of delivery and mandatory green public procurement quotas for remanufactured tyres and rubberised asphalt. The RAC Foundation's Steve Gooding also addressed the conference, explaining that a modest 10 percent rubberised asphalt target in public highway contracts would absorb all idle UK crumb capacity, reduce road noise by three to five decibels and produce longer-lasting roads. Strong participation from the Tyre Recovery Association (TRA), the National Tyre Distributors Association (NTDA), the British Tyre Manufacturers' Association (BTMA) and the Imported Tyre Manufacturers Association (ITMA) underscored growing cross-sector unity.

Peter Taylor OBE, Secretary General, TRA, said, "The TRA Briefing Day proves that the British tyre recovery sector is united, highly innovative and ready to grow. Having around 100 key players and all four leading trade associations in one room shows that our industry is speaking with one voice. If the UK’s tyre recovery sector does not grow, it will soon disappear from these shores. We are gradually making progress in getting government to understand this, but there is a long way to go. We have the domestic processing infrastructure, the technical capability and the private capital ready to build a world-class circular economy. What we lack is a regulator and a government willing to back domestic industry by ending illegal whole tyre exports and enforcing green procurement. Tessa Munt MP highlighted this in her powerful speech. We are very grateful to her, Steve Gooding and all those who spoke yesterday, as well as our sponsors Vaculug, Murfitts and KwickFit. These contributions made the event an overwhelming success. The message from industry is clear: the time for policy talk is over, we need to statutory reform."

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