Indholdsfortegnelse for December 5, 2019 i Cycling Weekly

Once again it’s that time of the season when we list our riders of the year. The riders who impressed us in 2019 with their results and thrilled us with their performances. Only this year there was a difference — you chose most of them. When we put the top three of all but two of the rider categories to the vote, you voted in your thousands and I think your choices were spot on. Even in the categories where there were three equally strong contenders, you chose fitting winners. And they do each receive an award. Many of them were at our awards event in London last week, while others will have to wait for their trophies as they were away on training camps or racing. We also recognised…

Following his last race of the season San Sebastián Classic, Yates went on holiday to Fiji and Los Angeles. At the time of writing he was on his second of two camps in Gran Canaria. The plan had been to give him a longer run in to the 2020 season, to allow for any issues with illness or injury. Mitchelton-Scott are cagey about his exact plans though they are “early” in the season — so most likely a tilt at he Giro again. Yates has also previously expressed a desire to win gold in the Olympic road race. The course with its mountains suits him and he’s a proven and instinctive winner, probably the best GB has at its disposal.…

In association with Freewheel.co.uk When identifying regions of the British Isles which have given us clutches of professional cyclists the Isle of Man would be right up there. Most of us could name at least two from the island, and with a population of only 80,000 it has no right to have been such a cycling production line. Mark Cavendish is perhaps the most famous, and easily the most decorated, but there is Pete Kennaugh, Mark Christian, his sister Anna, Lizzie Holden, Matthew Bostock and more. One person all these top riders have in common is Dot Tilbury MBE. For years Dot has been organising and running cycling training, racing and leagues for the Isle of Man’s young people, and has influenced each of them to a lesser, or likely…

In association with Le Col “This award means everything,” says Graham Hurst, president of Poole Wheelers Cycling Club, following the awards ceremony. “It confirms that we are doing what the members want and we need to keep building on it.” In February 2018, when we rode with the South Dorset-based club as part of our Ride With series, we found a club blessed with abundant route options, with the Purbecks to the west, the New Forest to the east, and the rolling plains of Dorset to the north. In 18 months, membership has jumped from 190 to over 300 — and more than 100 of those are female. “The women’s Monday night ride used to have 20-plus women. Now one of the Sunday intermediate rides has more female than male…

In association with Specialized Chloé Dygert’s only recollections of falling to the wet Harrogate tarmac after winning the World Championship time trial come from watching her ride back on TV. “It looks so bad,” she tells CW. “I had no strength to hold myself up, but it looks 10 times more dramatic than it would have if I’d just got off my bike. I just needed to lay down.” As she was helped to her feet she would not have been fully aware of the scale of her achievement. Not only had the 22-year-old just won her eighth rainbow jersey, she had conclusively beaten two of the world’s best, putting 1.32 into Anna van der Breggen and nearly two minutes into Annemiek van Vleuten over 30km. Taking the title in…

In association with Sports Tours International Kenny Smith has been raising funds for the Multiple Sclerosis Trust since 2002, after his sister, Kathleen, was diagnosed with the condition, which affects the sufferer’s spinal cord. Since then he has tackled an extensive and fearsome list of physical challenges, from trekking to the Machu Picchu in the Peruvian Andes to riding London to Paris twice. However, since Kathleen died five years ago he has well and truly upped his game, his activities becoming increasingly ambitious and including more cycling. This year, to celebrate what would have been Kathleen’s 50th birthday, Smith set off to ride round Britain in 50 days, hoping to raise £50,000. “I treated it as my job — set the alarm, have breakfast, set the bike up, and off…

CYCLO-CROSS SUN, DECEMBER 1 Wessex Cyclo Cross League round 11 (Abingdon Airfield, Oxfordshire): Seniors: 1. Sam Allen (Pedal On) 58.35; 2. T. Couzens (Zappi Racing Team) +1.34; 3. T. Timberlake (Dyson Cycles) +3.44; 4. T. Nightingale (Didcot Phoenix CC) +4.32; 5. K. Norfolk (Pedal On) +4.39; 6. A. Watkins (Sarum Velo) +4.58; 7. O. Hutchings (VC Venta) +5.16; 8. D. Roper (Ride 24/7) +5.27; 9. P. Morris (Fareham Wheelers) +5.45; 10. A. Shackel (unattached) +6.13. Women: 1. Amy Perryman (Hargroves Montezuma’s RT) 41.52; 2. H. Pattinson (Hargroves Montezuma’s RT) +1.53; 3. L. Brazier-Larkin (Sarum Velo) +2.10. Veterans: 1. Paul Lloyd (Banjo Cycles) 38.32; 2. J. Allaway (Pedal On) +1.03; 3. J. Smith (unattached) +1.34. Eastern League round nine (Hillyfields Nature Reserve, Colchester, Essex): Seniors: 1. Joe Kiely (Welwyn Wheelers CC)…

Very early bicycles generally did not have mudguards, because they were so monumentally unsuitable for road use that for most riders it wasn’t an issue. The first effective road bike was the penny-farthing, which still didn’t feature anything other than the most vestigial of mudguards. As a result, mud covered the crotch of the rider. However, what with the danger, the difficulty of riding and the risk of being run off the road by a coach driver, a muddy crotch was the least of a penny-farthing rider’s concerns. The earliest mudguards (copied from horse-drawn carriages; after all, who wants a muddy postillion) appeared on the very first attempts at a chain-driven safety bike, even on some of the unsuccessful machines that predated the revolutionary Rover Safety in 1885. By 1886…

It speaks volumes about the success of British cyclists in recent years that coming second at the Tour de France can be seen as an underachievement. The bar gets higher every year. But some riders find a way to clear it and keep the racing exciting and fascinating to watch. These awards acknowledge a host of historic performances from British and foreign pros alike. Also, with our Lifetime Achievement award we pay homage to one of the greatest people to ever pedal a bike, who continues in his post-riding career to be an inspiration to generation after generation. We always feel proud to hunt out the winners of Club of the Year, Charitable Initiative and Local Hero awards. These are the people who keep our scene alive and make cycling such a…

In association with Lazer 10 NEAH EVANS When British cyclists were lighting up the velodrome at Rio 2016, Neah Evans was working as a vet, but four years later she is on course to race at Tokyo 2020. It was a trumphant year on the boards for Evans. The 29-year-old joined the Olympic team pursuit shortlist when she won with the team at the European Track Championships. The bulk of the Scot’s victories came in the Madison. She won with Katie Archibald at the Manchester and London six-day races, and with Emily Nelson in Hong Kong. 9 NIKKI JUNIPER Nikki Juniper has spent 2019 mostly racing abroad with the Isorex team. Her impressive performances secured her a spot on the British team at the World Championships in Yorkshire. There she…

In association with Zwift 5 CHARLIE QUARTERMAN One of the British under-23s who has graduated to WorldTour level is 21-year-old time triallist Charlie Quarterman. Quarterman has gone from strength to strength racing in Europe over the past three years and has landed a place on Trek-Segafredo for 2020. The highlight of the year for Quarterman was going one better than 2018 at the under-23 National Time Trial Championships with a winning margin of 44 seconds. Quarterman joined the British team at the Baby Giro where he finished in the top five in the prologue and third on stage seven where team-mate Fred Wright won. 4 LEWIS ASKEY Laying claim to be the next Tom Pidcock — even though he’s only two years his junior — is 18-year-old Lewis Askey. The…

Friendly: With increasing numbers of members taking the initiative to start up new group rides, and volunteers — “too many to name” — supporting the club, there is something for everyone. “We are a friendly club, whatever your ability,” says Hurst. Diverse: The club’s strength lies in its diversity, with a membership ranging from school-aged to nonagenarian. “You have people there because they want the social riding, and some want the racing. It could be on or off-road, time trial, track. We are a club that caters for all.” Inclusive: From the Wednesday night ride where “lots of kids come out with their parents and get a sense of being part of the club,” to track nights, everyone is involved. “We are a fully inclusive club,” says Hurst. “It’s not…

In association with BikeZaar With 160 career victories across a variety of Grand Tours, Monuments and one-week stage races, the decision to give Cycling Weekly’s Lifetime Achievement award to Sean Kelly was fairly easy. When Cycling Weekly asks the ever-humble Kelly what the highlight is from a long and illustrious career his response that there are a ‘number of highlights’ is an understatement. But a few races stand out more than most: “I think when I won my first Paris-Roubaix that is probably the one I cherish most. I remember quite a lot of it too. I was in excellent shape and I remember during the race when the peloton was getting smaller and smaller I wanted to attack with about 60 kilometres from the finish. I spoke to my…

DVV Verzekeringen Trofee: Kortrijk (November 30) Mathieu van der Poel won his eighth race of the cyclo-cross season as he dominated once again in the third round of this season’s Trofee. The world champion won by 27 seconds from Tim Merlier. Toon Aerts rounded off the podium in third. The elite women’s race was a much tighter affair with Lucinda Brand (Telenet-Baloise Lions) narrowly beating Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado (Corendon-Circus) by a second. Zilvermeercross (December 1) With most of the headline riders beginning their mid-season break ahead of a hectic festival schedule, Laura Verdonschot proved to be the best of the rest as she comfortably won the women’s race ahead of Shirin van Anrooij. Van der Poel triumphed in the men’s race, celebrating victory on the podium alongside his Corendon-Circus…

In association with Hope 10 HUGH CARTHY Hugh Carthy proved this year that he is ready to take further leadership duties at EF-Education First. The 25-year-old from Preston won many admirers at the Giro d’Italia, where he finished highest in his team and even wore the white jersey on stage 13. Then at the Tour de Suisse, Carthy showed that on his day he is a formidable climber. On the hilly parcours of stage nine, Carthy took his maiden WorldTour win. After a long-range attack, Carthy soloed his way to victory in Goms. EF-Education First rewarded Carthy by extending his contract to at least 2021. 9 CHRIS LAWLESS Great Britain is spoilt for choice when it comes to punchy, fast finishing, 20-something riders and Lawless stands at the head of them.…

Ronny Lauke has been manager at Canyon-SRAM since its inception in 2016; he signed Barnes two years later and knows her well. “We didn’t sign her for her results, it was what we had not seen yet that raised our interest,” Lauke tells CW. “When you meet her you don’t really see her as someone who will be fighting for the finish line in a sprint because she seems to be too relaxed. You can get the impression the focus is not there.” Lauke believes this laid-back attitude may be holding her back in the sprints. “As the sprinter you need to show confidence to your team-mates, and I believe she has not mastered that yet because she has not been in that role often, but she has made progress…

In association with PedalSure 5 CHRIS FENNELL Fennell led the way domestically in time trials this year, winning 22 of the 25 races he started. But his crowning achievement was winning the National 25-mile TT Champs. The 24-year-old, who is studying for a Masters at the University of Kent, had his preparation for the race altered very slightly when bad weather pushed the race back a month. His main rival looked to be defending champion Marcin Białobłocki, but the date change meant the Pole missed the race and Fennell went in as resounding favourite. Riding at an average power output of 382W, Fennell won the event in a time of 46:07 with a winning margin of 26 seconds. 4 MATT BOSTOCK It was a breakout year on the domestic scene…

In association with Sigma Sports 5 EGAN BERNAL At only 22 years of age, Egan Bernal became South America’s first Tour de France champion and the youngest winner of La Grande Boucle since Henri Cornet in 1904. Unlike Cornet, Bernal did not need to worry about his rivals taking trains to beat him, but he did need to contend with the elements on the descent of the Col de l’Iseran, which resulted in the stage being shortened. Would the Tour have been any different had the organisers not had to shorten the Alpine stages due to landslides? We will never know, but what was perfectly obvious was that the young Colombian had all the chops to win the race regardless. 4 MARIANNE VOS One of the greatest cyclists of all…

In association with Aviation American Gin 5 INEOS After nine years Team Sky rebranded to Team Ineos in May with backing from British billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe. The team won their seventh Tour de France with a fourth different rider in the shape of Egan Bernal. The young Colombian gave warning early on by winning Paris-Nice, before triumphing at the Tour de Suisse. Alongside that Ben Swift claimed National Champs stripes in the road race, and younger riders flourished with Chris Lawless winning the Tour de Yorkshire and Pavel Sivakov the Tour of Poland. Having signed Richard Carapaz, they will begin 2020 with four Grand Tour winners, making their line-up even stronger. 4 CANYON-DHB-BLOOR HOMES Fast becoming Britain’s premier domestic team, Canyon went from strength to strength this season. The…

I can’t tell you how much I will miss Katie Archibald’s column, now that she is off to focus on Tokyo. Every week she has been fun, insightful, self-deprecating and formidable, all at the same time. I’ve enjoyed stories about her rather mad family just as much as her cycling exploits. She has managed to be candid while at the same time respecting the boundaries of confidentiality. Professional and fun all at the same time. Tales of her heartbreak when races didn’t go as well as she’d hoped were inspirational and heartfelt. I’m sure the rest of the readership join me in wishing her the best for the coming Olympics, but she should be assured that she’s already a winner from our perspective. Steve Hallam, Wrexham Ed — We’re glad…

EXPECT SETBACKS When you write or follow a training plan, always have some flex in there for the fact that at some point something will go wrong. You’ll benefit from some wiggle room. PERMIT ANGER Getting upset is fine. Shout. Stamp your cleats. Sulk. The process is cathartic. But only for 48 hours. Then move on. GATHER INFORMATION The more information we have about the setback, the better resolutions we can make, so reflect, assess and consider what you might do differently in future. FIND EXPERTS It is hard to move on alone, so use the setback as an opportunity to get advice and help from people who know the areas you are struggling in. SET RECOVERY GOALS Coming back from any setback is easier if you know what you…

As I mentioned last week, I’ve been suffering from a cold for several weeks. The bad news is that it’s still there. The good news is that I’ve decided to ignore it and go cycling anyway. If it kills me, it kills me. You’ll all be able to say, “At least he died doing what he loved.” You will doubtless overlook the detail that since at the moment I’m doing much of my riding in the company of my friend Bernard, in practice what I’ll have died doing is listening to one of his lengthy and badly reasoned cycling lectures. (“At least he didn’t suffer” would also, therefore, be thoroughly inappropriate.) His current obsession is e-racing. It would be a massive understatement to say he’s against it. It is at…

Some years ago at a club time trial, I saw two tandem riders performing a ‘bobsleigh start’. The pilot was on the bike and clipped in, the stoker was standing beside it holding his bars. At ‘go’, the stoker ran as hard as he could to push the bike up to speed, then jumped on board, cyclo-cross style. It was a spectacular departure. I was reminiscing about it with a clubmate not long ago. “Ah,” he said. “You only ever saw it when it worked. At least half the time the stoker missed completely. Often as not the pilot had to stop and wait while his mate came clattering after him on his cleats.” I’m sorry I never saw that. It sounds even better.…