Indholdsfortegnelse for June 29, 2023 i Cycling Weekly

There are many plotlines to follow through a Tour de France, but there’s one that I’m following more closely than any other this July – that of Mark Cavendish’s bid to win one more stage. For me it’s not all about that record. It’ll be great for him to get that, but I’m more interested in the fact it’s his final Tour de France. I remember his debut Tour in 2007 and just how devastated he was at not winning stage one in Canterbury. I couldn’t believe it. There was no expectation of a win on this fresh-faced, 23-year-old neo-pro riding in his first Tour. But make no mistake, he wanted to win that stage. His tears that day when he was held up by a crash and didn’t even…

MEN’S ROAD RACE Fred Wright (Bahrain Victorious) in 4:43.52 James Knox (Soudal - Quick Step) at 0.08 Stephen Williams (Israel-Premier Tech) at 0.16 WOMEN’S ROAD RACE Pfeiffer Georgi (DSM) in 3:56.46 Claire Steels (Israel-Premier tech Roland) at 0.05 Anna Henderson (Jumbo-Visma) at 0.13 U23 MEN’S ROAD RACE Sam Watson (Groupama-FDJ) in 4.45.25 Joshua Golliker (Groupama-FDJ) at 3.47 Max Walker (Trinity) at 10.35 U23 WOMEN’S ROAD RACE Ann Shackley (SD Worx) in 3:56.59 Flora Perkins (Alpecin-Deceuninck Continental) at +6.56 Elynor Bäckstedt (Trek-Segafredo) at s.t.…

ELITE MEN 1. Josh Tarling (Ineos Grenadiers) 41.1km in 48.50 2. Fred Wright (Bahrain Victorious) at 1.03 3. Connor Swift (Ineos Grenadiers) at 1.11 ELITE WOMEN 1. Lizzie Holden (UAE-ADQ) 27.4km in 37.02 2. Anna Morris (WardPerformanceUK.com) at 0.14 3. Elinor Barker (Uno-X) at 0.16 UNDER - 23 MEN 1. Josh Charlton (Saint Piran) 27.4km in 33.45 2. Max Walker (Trinity) at 0.22 3. Joshua Gollicker (Gorupama-FDJ) at 0.33 UNDER - 23 WOMEN 1. Maddie Leech (Lifeplus-Wahoo) 27.4km in 38.17 2. Lucy Gadd (Stade Rochelais Charente Maritime) at 1.00 3. Flora Perkins (Fenix-Deceuninck Continental) at 1.16…

Three British riders – Jed Smithson, Tomos Pattinson and Matthew Brennan – will join Jumbo-Visma’s development squad for 2024. The trio, all of whom are 17 years old, will race next season in under-23 events with the Dutch team, as they continue their progress towards the professional ranks. The under-23 Jumbo squad recently won the Baby Giro through young Norwegian rider Johannes Staune-Mittet. The team’s development director Robbert de Groot said: “These are riders we have scouted very carefully. “They have already proven themselves. Tomos has experience on the track and in cyclo-cross, while Jed and Matthew have track backgrounds. “Based on their performance, training data and personalities, they have everything necessary to succeed.” This season, all three cyclists have added major results to their palmarès. Pattinson won the junior…

Some GC hopes will vanish into the thin Pyrenean air on the first mountaintop finish of the race that comes after the 89th crossing of the Col du Tourmalet. Today’s route The less cool brother of Pau but still frequently visited, Tarbes will be the site of nervous tension at the start as the Tour hosts its earliest summit finish in the Pyrenees since 1981, when Lucien Van Impe won atop Pla d’Adet on stage five and Phil Anderson became the first Australian, and first non-European no less, to wear yellow. Around 20km is when the climbing gently begins and there’ll be a big tussle to get into the breakaway before they begin the ascent of the Col d’Aspin. It’s a quick descent off the Aspin down to the bottom…

A lumpy finale means this could go the way of a great number of riders, from sprinters to rouleurs and even the GC riders. Today’s route The only stage in France with a distance over 200km starts from Libourne, and for the first 120km it should be a gentle cruise east. But as soon as the peloton crosses from the Dordogne into the Haute-Vienne, the profile rises and falls, with two cat-four KoM climbs and an uphill sprint in the city of Limoges, hosting its 14th stage finish. What to expect The sprinters will be hoping that it’s a day for them, and they won’t be too worried by the succession of hills, given their short length and a predominantly downhill run-in to Limoges. Where things might complicate a sprint…

There’s no easy reintroduction to the racing for the peloton after the rest day, with a difficult-looking stage in store for the riders. Today’s route The Puy de Dome is now in the past, but volcanoes very much remain at the forefront of the race’s collective mind, the stage starting in the grounds of Vulcania, a volcano-themed scientific and amusement park. Today’s continuously undulating profile doesn’t dip below an altitude of 800m in the first 120km, and climbs up to six separate peaks over 1,000m, before two fast descents bookend the final ascent of the day, the Cote de La Chapelle-Marcousse. It tops out at just over 30km from the finish in Issoire. What to expect The only other time Issoire – the tourism board describes the small town as…

Bastille Day heralds the start of five huge stages that will shape the final general classification, with the modern-day favourite, Grand Colombier, the finishing post. Today’s route The week-long odyssey north-east finally reaches its destination of the Alps today, but not before a relatively tame 120km that is only broken up by the long 16.4km, 3% climb of the Col de la Lebe. The summit is near 1,000m above sea level but it’s not even a classified climb. When the riders reach the bottom of the Grand Colombier, a prominent standalone peak in the Jura mountains that has outstanding 360° views, they’ll only be 17.8km from the finish, but a difficult test faces them with regular ramps into double-digit gradients. What to expect There are two things that are likely…

The second summit finish in three days, with an eye-watering 4,500m-plus of elevation having to be ridden in 180km. Today’s route The good news for the riders is that they’ll probably be able to see the start line from their hotel windows when they wake up, so no lengthy bus transfer to the start. The bad news is that they’ve got to tackle mountain after mountain in what promises to be a punishing day in the saddle. They better hope there’s enough to eat at the breakfast buffet. The Col de la Forclaz, a popular climb among locals near to the city of Annecy, is the day’s first categorised ascent, and the Col de la Croix Fry and Col des Aravis come just after. The stage concludes with a short,…

For the second time in four years the Col de la Loze is this edition’s Souvenir Henri Desgrange: the award bestowed on that year’s highest mountain pass. Presented in honour of the man who created the Tour de France in 1903, the award is most synonymous with the mighty Col du Galibier, where there is a statue of the founding father of the race. The award, however, hasn’t always had a mountain connection. In fact, the first year it was introduced, the elevation of the award point in Beauvallon on the French Riviera was just 1.5 metres above sea level – Beauvallon, as that was Desgrange’s final residence, the town was used a further five times. Though the prize money of €5,000 is less than a current set of WorldTour-standard…

A sting in the tail that could catch out a GC rider who hasn’t got a little something left in the tank as 3,500m of climbing through the Vosges may have the final say. Today’s route The penultimate stage of this year’s Tour seems to take its inspiration from the second-to-last stage of the 2022 Tour de France Femmes, when Annemiek van Vleuten produced a masterclass to not just take the yellow jersey but to guarantee herself overall victory. The first of the day’s categorised climbs, the Ballon d’Alsace, begins pretty much from the start town of Belfort. Five ascents follow, two of which award KoM points, crammed into 35km. A long descent off the Col de la Schlucht precedes the final two tests of this year’s Tour: first, the…

The long-running and much-maligned French team have enjoyed a decent first half of the season with several riders performing well across a range of parcours. Every year their lengthy stage win drought is brought up, but at least they possess a number of riders who are more than capable of finally putting to bed one of cycling’s most-cited stats. They boast an eight-man line-up that can attack a variety of stages, and you can bet they will be a frequent presence in breakaways during the race. Star: Guillaume Martin (Fra) Everyone’s favourite cycling philosopher and author, Martin is a sure bet to disrupt the race, often via a brave move in the breakaway that will catapult him up the GC standings, as he did at the 2020 Tour and 2021…

Relegation from the WorldTour at the end of last year really stung the Belgian team, who have been in existence since 1985. They have had a moderately successful season so far in their quest to return to cycling’s top table, but their line-up doesn’t compare to the big-hitters in the Tour. They have a mixture of youth and experience aboard their team bus, and on days when they aren’t preparing their sprint train, they will be looking to form part of the breakaway, with riders like rising Classics riders Florian Vermeersch. Star: Caleb Ewan (Aus) Sprinter Caleb Ewan is looking for his first wins at the Tour since he doubled up in 2020. The Australian has been a shadow of himself in the past two years but on his day…

Since dispensing with Nairo Quintana in the off-season following the Colombian’s two positive tests for the painkiller tramadol at last year’s Tour, the French team have looked a shadow of their former selves, with just a handful of race wins ahead of the Grande Boucle. It’s no exaggeration to say that the team from Brittany have failed to kick on since securing promotion to the WorldTour. Freed from the shackles of having to protect a GC rider like Quintana, most of the team’s eight riders will be tasked with infiltrating breakaways. Expect to see the team in contention for a multitude of stages, but it would still be a happy home surprise if they were to pull off their maiden Tour victory. Star: Warren Barguil (Fra) While hot-headed sprinter Nacer…

Time bonuses A time bonus of 10, six and four seconds will be awarded to the first three riders across the finish line each day (not including TTs). These bonus seconds are taken off their stage and therefore overall time. Bonus seconds of eight, five and two seconds are also awarded on certain, strategically placed climbs on stages one, two, five, 12, 14 and 17. Climb categorisation Climbs are categorised due to their severity (4, 3, 2, 1 and HC), based on their length, gradient and position on that day’s route. A 10km climb early in the stage could be a second-category climb, but a 10km climb of similar severity that comes at the end of a 200km stage could be first-category. King of the Mountains Points for the red…

The Prime Doyenne 56 Carbon Disc Wheelset – previously the RD56 – are deep-section road wheels designed to add a bit of aero speed to any road bike. According to Prime, the wheels are aimed at “road riders across all disciplines who prioritise performance, technology and reliability.” Prime, like Vitus, is a brand of Wiggle-CRC and designs all its rims in-house. The newly named Doyenne line is a lower-cost alternative to Prime’s higher-end Primavera wheels. The Doyenne wheels share the same profile as their Primavera cousins but they use a lower-grade T700 UD carbon rather than the T800 used on the Primaveras. “We just wanted to create a wheelset that was as reliable as possible while being easy to maintain. With improved quality and performance over their predecessors, we made…

All of last year’s Grand Tours were won by riders who had never before won a three-week race: Jai Hindley in the Giro d’Italia; Jonas Vingegaard in the Tour; and Remco Evenepoel in the Vuelta a Espana. The latter’s coach, Koen Pelgrim, summarises how the current world champion ensured he was in peak condition to win the Spanish race. “He needed a really good base to be able to work on. A few months before we were focusing on shorter work, and then closer to the Vuelta it was about specific and longer efforts so that he could handle multiple consecutive days and multiple efforts. “The Vuelta had a lot of steep ascents, so he did a lot of efforts on steeper climbs, and he also trained in the middle…

This will be Thibaut Pinot’s last Tour de France. And I’m going to miss him. We’ve all got riders for whom we have a bit of a soft spot. We always keep an eye out for them, and we use them to help make sense of a race. Pinot is one of mine. The first Tour stage report I wrote was for stage eight in 2012, which Pinot won in Porrentruy in Switzerland. It was his first Tour stage, he was the youngest rider in the race. It was also the first win for either a French rider or a French team in an edition of the Tour that went so badly off-script for the nation that it was won by Sir Bradley Wiggins. It was also the stage that…

Megan Barker and Ollie Wood ran out victors in last Friday’s National Circuit Races in Redcar. Barker (Team Inspired) sprinted home ahead of junior rider Cat Ferguson (Shibden-Hope Tech-Apex) and under-23 time trial winner Maddie Leech (Lifeplus-Wahoo), while Wood (unattached) powered away alone early on to take a solo victory. The evening races were held on a technical 1km circuit around the North Yorkshire seaside town, with the women first to go. Perhaps buoyed by her time trial win two days previous, Leech was active early on, making a number of attempts to break away. She was countered by Katie Archibald (Ceratizit-WNT) but reeled in, with Ferguson making moves of her own. Archibald eventually succeeded in breaking free, carving out a sizeable gap, only for her race to be ended…

One look at the winning move at this year’s men’s road race championship told the story of how the British infiltration of the pro peloton is complete, with riders from seven different WorldTour teams represented. British riders getting on to the development teams of those squads has been a major part of that. This relatively new pathway to the pro ranks means British Cycling has felt able to scale back its own U23 development programme. But the only British-registered WorldTour team, Ineos Grenadiers, is not among those with an U23 arm. Is it missing out on the talent that will define the next 10 years of British racing? Currently it’s hard to argue it is. Newly minted national time trial champion Josh Tarling joined the team from the junior ranks…

I was very disappointed that several cyclists withdrew from the Tour of Switzerland. In my opinion this showed disrespect to the race organisation and to Gino Mäder and his family. I thank the many cyclists who decided to continue in the race no matter how difficult this must have been for many of them. When Tom Simpson died while riding up Mont Ventoux in July 1967, I cannot recall many cyclists not competing the following day, albeit only in a procession, and letting Barry Hoban take stage honours. Tom was a friend and I felt terribly sad upon the news of his death. I also felt very sad hearing the terrible news of Gino, and shed a tear at around 4am here in New Zealand. As a one time cyclist…

There’s no better fiesta in cycling than a race through the Basque Country. The Tour’s three-day stay in north-western Spain gets under way with a parcours typical of this cycling-mad region: hills, hills and more hills. Today’s route From the start in Bilbao – a historic industrial city that frequently hosts the Vuelta a España and Itzulia Basque Country – the peloton heads north to the Bay of Biscay via Santurtzi, the home town of Ineos Grenadier Omar Fraile. On their journey east across the coast, they will climb out of San Juan de Gaztelugatxe, a striking island fortress with a grand stone staircase that featured in the TV series Game of Thrones, where it was known as Dragonstone. The final 60 kilometres sees four climbs, three categorised, with each…

The first sleepy day of the Tour where you tune in more for the commentary about les châteaux et le fromage than you do for the inevitable catch of the doomed breakaway before the sprint finale. Today’s route This is the type of stage that pleases a large proportion of the peloton: the GC riders enjoy the relative rest, and the sprinters are thankful for so few climbing metres and the near-certain bunch sprint that awaits them. They get under way in Dax, a small town that is most famous for being the birthplace of several French rugby union stars, including Raphaël Ibañez, who was the team’s captain at the 2007 World Cup. On the journey east across the interior of the Landes department, there’s not much in the way…

France’s long, barren run without a Tour victor now stretches to 38 years and though the country’s riders have mostly struggled to mount a serious run for yellow ever since then, they still remain unchallenged in the quest to earn the Souvenir Jacques Goddet. Awarded to the first rider to cross the summit of the Col du Tourmalet (2,115m), French riders have claimed the €5,000 prize 11 of the 15 times since its inauguration 22 years ago. Named after the race’s second director and former sports journalist Goddet, it was introduced for the first time in 2001, seven months after his death. The first recipient was the Swiss Sven Montgomery, but since then it's been a roll-call of modern-day French cycling greats: Laurent Jalabert, Thomas Voeckler, Julian Alaphilippe and Thibaut…

A long-awaited return to the Puy de Dôme, the Tour’s first visit since 1988, will round off the first week of racing in a brutal manner, ahead of the first rest day. Today’s route Saint-Léonard-de-Noblat, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that counted French racing legend Raymond Poulidor among its residents until his death in 2019, is the start town for only the second time. Despite the presence of four classified climbs in the first 150km, it’s a relatively benign route until the showstopper of the Puy de Dôme, where the peloton will have to engage their climbing legs for the HC-ranked volcanic climb to 1,415m above sea level. We say a 'relatively' benign route because the race's journey east that reaches the rest day location of Clermont-Ferrand, is along roads…

Probably the only chance the sprinters will have all week, they’re unlikely to let it slip through their fingers. Today’s route For the third morning in a row, riders will be waking up in the same hotel – a luxury rarely afforded at the Tour de France. Clermont-Ferrand, which was the setting for the rest day, waves goodbye to the race as the peloton heads north to Moulins, a host for the very first time. There are three classified climbs to get over, but the first two are crammed into the opening 60km, and the final one comes 60km from the finish. It’s a slightly lumpy journey towards Moulins, but the final three kilometres are pan-flat. What to expect Sprinters are not as starved of opportunities as they were last…

Day two in the Alps will have its crowning moment on the HC climb of the Col de Joux Plane before a descent to the finish. Today’s route Riders will need to engage their climbing legs as soon as they roll out from Annemasse as there is 18.7km of gentle climbing all the way to the top of the third-category Col de Saxel. Two first-cats follow before the 1,029m Col de Jambaz where the organisers, rather cruelly, have placed the day's intermediate sprint. The big tests, however, are reserved for the final 65km, with the Col de la Ramaz (13.9km at 7.1%) appearing before the leg-sapping Col de Joux Plane, an ascent that averages 8.5% for 11.6km, and frequently has even tougher sections. Upon cresting the summit, it’s a hair-raising…

The only time trial in this edition and it doesn’t even suit the purists. Heck, some might even switch to a road bike. Today’s route Rolling down the start ramp in Passy – an idyllic mountain resort making its Tour debut – riders will barely get into their stride before they are faced with the Côte de la Cascade de Coeur. A fast 10km ensues through Sallanches before the categorised ascent of the Côte de Domancy, a 2.5km climb that averages 9.4%. Featuring in the Tour for the second time in three years, the upper stretches are closer to 12%. Upon reaching the top, where King of the Mountains points are awarded to the riders fastest between time checks two and three – separated by 2.8km – there’s still a…

The first stage for the sprinters in eight days – whoever has survived the mountains in best shape will be the glorious victor. Today’s route The race’s five-day stay in the high Alps has concluded and while the stage starts in the Isère valley in the shadow of the mountains it is a one-way escape route, with the peloton following the most direct route out of Moûtiers over more forgiving terrain. There are a few lumps along the way – this is the Prealps, after all – but overall it’s a mostly flat parcours towards the finish in Bourg-en-Bresse. What to expect One thing’s for sure: by this point in a three-week race it’s a very tired peloton, and after a week of intense battles for the yellow and polka-dot…

Nationality: Denmark Age: 26 2022 Tour result: 1st, GC; 2x stage win 2023 highlights: Winner of Critérium du Dauphiné Winner of Itzulia Basque Country Nine stage wins Strength: Strongest climber in the world Weakness: His sprint is not as strong as Pogacar's CW Rating As a child, Jonas Vingegaard was pretty hopeless on a bike. Stories go around of him crashing, being dropped and hopping into his father’s car early. The former part-time fish auctioneer started to come good in his late teens, however, and burst onto the scene unexpectedly in 2021, where a steady stream of positive results culminated in him finishing second at the Tour. A year later, he upgraded to first, taking two stage wins en route. His stage 11 takedown of Tadej Pogačar was an instant…

Known as the WorldTour team who prioritise youth development before letting them skip off to better-funded teams, more than two-thirds of the Dutch team’s riders are aged 25 and under. However, their Tour team errs on the side of experience, with just two riders under 25 in a starting line-up that looks very much like it's there to support Bardet in his GC bid. Just before the Tour they welcomed Firmenich on board as co-title sponsor after the merger between the Swiss company and DSM; it is expected that in the long term there will be a boost to their coffers, but that the team will likely not change its strategy. Star: Romain Bardet (Fra) Romain Bardet, 32, remains a darling of French cycling and he should be considered among…

Whether it’s because of the image of their oil-producing sponsor or the fact that they rarely win in important races (just nine WorldTour stage wins in the past decade), the French team don’t really prompt excitement from the roadside fan or armchair viewer. Part of cycling’s second-tier ProTeam ranks, expect to see them in many breakaways, their riders looking to win the team’s first stage at the Tour since the legendary Thomas Voeckler won two stages in 2012 when they were known as Europcar. Star: Peter Sagan (Slv) There will be one reason for many fans to will on TotalEnergies this year – it will be the last appearance in the Tour of three-time world champion and seven-time green jersey victor Peter Sagan. The Slovak, 33, isn’t as strong as…

Nationality: Slovenia Age: 24 2022 Tour result: 2nd, GC; three stage wins 2023 highlights: Won Tour of Flanders Won Paris-Nice Won Fleche Wallonne Strength: He can do everything Weakness: Returning from injury CW Rating Until he hit a pothole and broke his left wrist at Liege-Bastogne-Liege in late April, Tadej Pogačar was having the type of season that Eddy Merckx used to have – in short, unbeatable. The stats were astounding: in 18 race days, he won 10 times and claimed the GC in the only stage races he competed in, the Ruta del Sol and Paris-Nice. It was Merckxian not just by how convincing his victories were but in the variety of races. He began the season by winning the part-gravel race in Spain, Jaen Paraiso Interior, and after…

Nationality: Australia Age: 27 2022 Tour result: DNS Strength: Climbs, big ones Weakness: Not as explosive as the top guys CW Rating Arguably losing the 2020 Giro d’Italia to Brit Tao Geoghegan Hart was the best thing to happen to Jai Hindley’s GC career. He refocused, got better, learned to put a jacket on while riding in the cold and last year returned to the Italian race backed by a stronger team and clinically dispatched Richard Carapaz on the race’s final mountain stage. However, he wasn't able to recapture that magic at the Vuelta a Espana later that year and has looked more solid than menacing in 2023 with no wins but top-20 GC finishes at the Tour Down Under and Tirreno-Adriatico. Eighth at the Volta a Catalunya in March…

Stars of their own Netflix series which highlights their hilarious mishaps and misgivings more than successes, arguably the most-derided team in cycling seem to have got their act together and go into this Tour with a genuine possibility of threatening the overall classification for the first time since 2016 when Nairo Quintana was third. Getting on the podium with either Enric Mas or Matteo Jorgensen isn’t their only stated aim; they have won only three Tour stages in the past nine editions, a paltry return for one of cycling’s biggest teams, and they’ll be keen to finally pick up some more wins. They will be desperate to reverse their fortunes given the race starts in the Basque Country, next door to their base in Pamplona. Star: Enric Mas (Spa) A…

How to play Fill out the spaces below with the riders you think will finish in the top 10. At the end of the race award yourself three points for a rider in the correct position or classification jersey, and one point for a rider who finishes in the top 10 but not in the position you predicted. Send a picture of your predictions to cycling@futurenet.com or tweet with the hashtag #cwtdfpredictiongame before the start of stage one. Good luck!…

To test the capabilities of the SLR01 I took the BMC into the hills of the South Downs. With plenty of punchy climbs, with gradients consistently in the high teens, rolling, twisty lanes that allowed me to throw it around the bends and corners and even some flatlands, it proved the perfect playground to test out the Teammachine. I racked up the testing kilometres with a variety of lengths of rides, from 100km easy spins to 60km sprint sessions and hill reps, so I was able to really put the bike through its paces.…

Neither of the new road race national champions Pfeiffer Georgi or Fred Wright are planning on requesting white shorts to match their white champion’s jersey. “I sort of joked I’d think about going for white shorts,” said Wright on Monday morning. “I don’t know how many sets I’ll get but you basically have to ride a new skinsuit every race if you go for white shorts. “I’ll be doing the Classics and everything and I can’t be whacking through skinsuits.” When asked if she’d be wearing black or white shorts Georgi said “100%” she’d choose black before coming to a realisation. “Though now we have navy shorts because our team has had a change of title sponsor. So they’ll be navy,” she said.…

Josh Tarling became the youngest ever winner of the National Championship time trial last week, when he took the title at a canter ahead of Fred Wright (Bahrain Victorious) and Ineos Grenadiers team-mate Connor Swift in North Yorkshire last Wednesday. At just 19 years and 126 days, Tarling was the title’s youngest ever winner, younger even than under-23 winner Josh Charlton (Saint Piran). The Welsh rider recorded 48.50 for the 41.1km course, which started and finished at the Croft motor racing circuit south of Darlington. The only man to average over 50kph, Tarling beat Wright into second place by 1.03, with bronze medallist Swift coming in a further seven seconds behind. “Super-happy to have won against some really big hitters” “Super-happy to have won against some really big hitters” “It’s…

It was a weekend of national title races last weekend, with national stripes earned all over Europe and beyond. Among the familiar WorldTour names who came away successful were Elisa Longo Borghini in Italy, Demi Vollering and Dylan Van Baarle in the Netherlands, Remco Evenepoel and Lotte Kopecky in Belgium, Tadej Pogačar in Slovenia – showing that his wrist is healing OK – Quinn Simmons and Chloe Dygert in the USA, Emmanuel Buchmann and Liane Lippert in Germany, recent Tour de Suisse winner Marlon Reusser and Marc Hirschi in Switzerland, Ben Healy in Ireland, Christine Majerus in Luxembourg and Alison Jackson in Canada. In the time trials, double winners included Kopecky, Dygert and Pogačar (who was taking a third win in the Slovenian TT), with the latter’s better half Urška…

No Tour for Froome Chris Froome has not been selected for the Tour de France this year, his Israel-Premier Tech team has confirmed. The four-time winner has competed in 10 Tours de France, and this will be the first edition a fit Froome has missed since 2011. Instead, Canadian Michael Woods will lead the team. “We feel we selected eight riders best suited to fulfilling our performance objectives,” said team boss Kjell Carlström. Pantani mysteries may remain unsolved Some questions surrounding the death of Marco Pantani will never be answered, according to Italian journalist Lorenzo Bodrero, who features in a new BBC podcast on the subject. Pantani: Death of a Pirate examines the life and death of ‘Il Pirata’, the mercurial Tour de France and Giro d’Italia winner. He died…

The legendary climb of Jaizkibel will go a long way in deciding the outcome of the second Spanish stage. Today’s route Beginning in Vitoria-Gasteiz, the second most populous city of the Basque Country, the riders first traverse then descend off the high plateau after an hour of racing. They’ll then be confronted with a series of undulations that the region is famed for. As the peloton approaches the coast, the Côte de Gurutze will act as a final leg-warmer before they climb the eastern side of Jaizkibel, a dramatic ascent that features in the Clásica San Sebastián. Seventeen kilometres after cresting the summit, the stage finishes along the marvellous Playa de La Concha. Everything about San Sebastián is wonderful: its world-famous food, its gothic centre, its golden sand, its turquoise…

The profile of the first half of the Pyrenean double-header may not look too difficult, but hopefully it encourages brave and daring racing. Today’s route Few towns are as synonymous with the Tour as Pau, a stage host for the 74th time. Its role once again is to act as the base camp, with the mountain ascents in the Pyrenees just over 60km away. The first test for the peloton will be the 15.2km Col de Soudet, before a fast descent then a run through the valley that's broken up by the short Col d’Ichere. The Col de Marie Blanque then acts as the day’s final climb, its summit coming 19km from the finish. The lower slopes are gentle and not too taxing, but the final 4.8km average 10.5%, with…

And… relax. The fun of the Pyrenees is behind the peloton as the riders race away from the mountains and towards the vineyards and a sprint finish in Bordeaux. Today’s route The start in Mont-de-Marsan is famed for being the adopted home of the late Spanish champion Luis Ocaña, the 1973 Tour winner who is affectionately remembered by the French as l’Espagnol de Mont-de-Marsan. After the ceremonial race banner is cut by dignitaries, it’s a very gentle and easy ride north through the Nouvelle-Aquitaine, the largest region of France, famed for its wine production and quintessential French way of life. Predominantly straight roads without too many technicalities should ensure a bunch sprint involving all of the fastest riders. What to expect A lot of attention will be paid in the…

Savage Grand Tour time trials that are basically glorified hill-climbs are not just a 21st century hype. Back in 1959, stage 15 of the Tour was a 12km test against the clock up the Puy de Dôme, going from the bottom to the top of the volcano. The stage was won by Spaniard Federico Bahamontes by 1.26, and though it wasn’t enough to see him overhaul Jos Hoevenaers at the top of the GC, two stages later he would finally take yellow and hold on for the win in Paris, becoming the first Spanish rider to do so. Now 94, Bahamontes was voted by L’Équipe in 2013 as the greatest climber in the history of the Tour, winning seven stages and six King of the Mountains titles. Bahamontes, known as…

Another hilly day with plenty of ups and downs and more than 3,000 metres of elevation is in store for the peloton. Today’s route The first thing you need to know about the stage start in Roanne is that the charming town alongside the Loire river probably has the best collection of high-end restaurants in a concentrated space in the whole of France. It’s a foodie’s dream. For the bike riders, though, it’s nothing more than the starting gun for a very rolling day that features three sharp climbs in just 40km towards the end of the stage. The action comes to a conclusion in Belleville-en-Beaujolais, a town that gives its name to the famous light-bodied red wine. In short, we’re in French holiday mode today with all this excellent…

Few climbs in the Alps have quite as complex a history as the Col de Joux Plane, making its 13th appearance in the race since its debut in 1978. For starters, it’s unique in that it’s never been used as a summit finish, but always the prelude to a descent into the ski town of Morzine below, a position on the parcours that generates ferocious attacks and daredevil descending. In 1997, Marco Pantani rode away with ease from Jan Ullrich and summited the col in a lightning quick time of 32-50, a record that no one has come close to beating. While the Italian livewire danced up the severe gradients, the col has previously put the likes of Laurent Fignon and Lance Armstrong into serious difficulty. It’s the descent, however,…

This year’s Queen stage features no fewer than four massive climbs making for the proverbial shark-tooth profile map. It promises to be a cracker. Today’s route The riders are back in Saint-Gervais Mont-Blanc for the start of what is undoubtedly the toughest stage of this year’s Tour. Any rider wanting to escape from the Alps will be disappointed by the roadbook showing four ascents of some of the Savoie region’s hardest climbs. The Col des Saisies (13.3km at 5.3%) is first up, but that’s merely a warm-up for the Cormet de Roselend, a lengthy climb of 19.9km that averages 6%. Making its fourth appearance in six years, the Roselend would have featured in 2019, but a landslide blocked the road, easing the way for Egan Bernal to take yellow. Shortly…

We’re in the Jura department so that means lots of lakes and holiday camps. But this is no holiday for the riders and it’s a potentially tricky stage. Today’s route Beginning in Moirans-en-Montagne, a town curiously renowned for being the capital of wooden toys, the day’s general direction of travel is north, although the first few kilometres head south along the emerald blue Lake Vouglans. Although there’s only a cat-four and cat-three climb today, the route's constant undulations along the way to Poligny could make this a difficult day. The Côte d’Ivory comes 30km from the finish, ideally placed for an attack from either the bunch or the break. What to expect The final eight kilometres could not be any more straightforward and although there is a rise to the…

Take in the red arrows and Arc de Triomphe, for the Tour will be breaking with tradition and finishing in Nice in 2024. Today’s route The final stage has a symbolic start, with Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, the headquarters of the French Cycling Federation and the home of Olympic track cycling competitions in 12 months' time, waving the peloton on its way. Following the customary glass of bubbly and celebratory photos, the peloton will reach the centre of Paris for eight laps around the capital’s most iconic landmarks: among them the Arc de Triomphe, Louvre and Place de la Concorde. What to expect The most predictable of all Tour de France stages, it is extremely unlikely that a breakaway rider will win, but that won’t stop a few valiant riders from attempting the…

■ Born 10 December 1996 in Thy, Denmark. ■ Joins Thy Cykle Ring, his first club, in 2007. ■ Turns professional with ColoQuick-CULT in 2016. ■ Signs for Jumbo-Visma in 2019. ■ Wins stage one of the UAE Tour in 2021, finishes second overall at the Tour de France in July. ■ Wins Tour de France in July 2022, also takes home King of the Mountains prize and wins two stages. ■ Starts 2023 with first overall at Tour of the Basque Country, wins points classification as well as three stages. Follows up with overall victory at the Critérium du Dauphiné before heading to Bilbao for Tour de France defence.…

Nationality: Great Britain Age: 23 2022 Tour result: one stage win; 16th overall 2023 highlights: Winner of Strade Bianche, second at Liege-Bastogne-Liege, three MTB World Cup wins Strength: Versatility and descending Weakness: GC potential remains unknown CW Rating The irrepressible Yorkshireman is carving out a reputation as a superstar across three different disciplines: road, cyclo-cross and mountain biking. Indeed, the 2022 cyclo-cross world champion prepared for the Tour by winning three rounds of the cross-country mountain bike World Cup in May, proving that he has lost none of his off-road skills ahead of an expected defence of his Olympic cross-country mountain bike title in Paris next summer. Full of energy and exuberance, Pidcock is the sort of rider who the bike seems attached to and that is never more obvious…

Highly regarded for their professionalism and modern approach to everything they do, the Norwegian team – making their Grand Tour debut – are expected to become a major player over the next decade, even if their results still languish behind other ProTeam outfits. Currently they operate a policy of only employing Norwegian and Danish riders, and in Torstein Træen have a real feel-good story: the Norwegian, 27, survived testicular cancer last summer. Træen and other team-mates will be visible in a number of breakaways throughout the race, and they also possess four-time stage winner Alexander Kristoff among their numbers. Star: Tobias Johannessen (Nor) Tobias Johannessen, 23, is one of the most exciting GC talents out of Scandinavia for a generation, the Norwegian making his name by winning the 2021 Tour…

Demotion from the WorldTour to the ProTeam ranks has not brought with it much-needed wins for the team, although the performance of Derek Gee at the Giro d’Italia earned them a new cadre of fans. Canadian Gee will not be among the team’s Tour roster, however, with the Israeli outfit opting to stand by their many veterans in the hope they can pull off breakaway success, just like Hugo Houle and Simon Clarke both managed 12 months ago in emotional circumstances. The absence of Chris Froome is indicative of the four-time Tour winner’s continued troubles since his crash in 2019. Star rider: Michael Woods (Can) The former track runner was signed in 2021 to support Froome, but now finds himself as the team's best bet of a GC challenge. A…

There has never been, and possibly will never be, a greater sprinter in the history of the Tour de France than Mark Cavendish. As the Manx Missile prepares to hang up his racing wheels after almost two decades in the sport, he will do so with a 14th and final appearance in the race that has defined him as much as he has defined it. From a debut on home soil right through to two green jerseys and a record-equalling 34 stage wins, Cavendish’s relationship with the Tour has been as up and down as his career as a whole, with enormous highs and the deepest lows. Starting out Cavendish made his Tour de France debut as a neo-pro in 2007 aged just 22, earning selection not just because of…

ONE UP BMC Teammachine SLR01 Three £8,700 The SLR01 family comprises six bikes, the Ltd, and then One through to Five, which use the same frameset matched to a variety of components. The Three comes equipped with Shimano’s 12-speed Ultegra Di2 alongside DT Swiss ARC 1650 carbon wheels and the ICS cockpit, rather than the ICS2. ONE DOWN BMC Teammachine SLR01 Five £7,150 Perhaps surprisingly, the model down also uses Shimano Ultegra Di2. From here it’s like-for-like, with the Five equipped with the same wheelset and cockpit as the Four. If your preference is Shimano over SRAM then BMC’s pricing structure should be an agreeable one.…

Although Tadej Pogačar isn’t going into this year’s Tour as the defending champion, it is widely accepted that the Slovenian is the greatest bike rider on the planet. Some believe he may even surpass the winning feats of Eddy Merckx. But what makes him so good? “First things first, he has a massive motor,” says Allan Peiper, his former DS, “and a recuperative power that I’ve never seen before. There are very few guys who can go into a Grand Tour and get better and keep the motor running, but Tadej’s one of them. “On [UAE-Team Emirates] training camps riders have ridden themselves into the ground trying to keep up with him and it hasn’t been beneficial for them.” It’s not just the 24-year-old’s exceptional cardiovascular system. “The other defining…

TIME TRIALS SUNDAY, 25 JUNE Sussex CA 50 (Steyning, West Sussex): Men: 1. Andrew Critchlow (Paceline RT) (course record) 1:42.21 2. H. Shaw (trainSharp) 1:46.49 3. C. Coxon (Brighton Mitre CC) 1:47.06 4. P. Wright (Paceline RT) 1:47.36 5. H. Bayley (Blazing Saddles) 1:50.01 6. J. Franklin (Twickenham CC) 1:50.26 Basildon CC 50 (Chelmsford, Essex): Men: 1. Jack Levick (Rose Race Team) 1:45.56 2. D. Halliday (Team Bottrill) 1:49.27 3. C. Ward (Essex Roads CC) 1:53.56 4. P. Turton (Team Vision Racing) 1:55.34 5. A. Wenham (Shaftesbury CC) 1:57.22 6. R. O’Grady (Hub Velo) 1:57.28 Women: 1. Louise Robinson (Essex Roads CC) 2:05.59 2. E. Cowper (Walden Tri) 2:18.24 3. R. Halamandres (Basildon CC) 2:23.52 Giant Helston 25 (Lanivet, Cornwall): Men: 1. Conrad Moss (Nopinz) 49.06 2. J. McGowan (Giant…

A friend of mine was the victim of a very close pass from a driver last week. What made it all the more galling was that the car had a couple of very nice mountain bikes on a roof rack. He managed to catch up with the driver at the next junction. “What was that?” he asked. “You gave me about an inch and a half!” “So?” said the driver. “It’s not as if you don’t know what it’s like from my end,” said my friend, and indicated the bikes. “Really only ride MTB,” said the driver. “I’m not much into the road scene.” And drove off.…