Indholdsfortegnelse for November 28, 2024 i Cycling Weekly

As the ‘Star-Spangled Banner’ hammers out from the loudspeakers, I can’t help but feel like a big kid on a grand adventure. Around me, all the Americans have their helmets off, their hands on their hearts. Ahead of us lies more hours of gravel racing than we even dare to guess at. As the national anthem dies down, whoops and cheers of “America” punctuate the hush. Racing on the US gravel scene hadn’t been in my career plan – I’m a fish out of water, an idiot abroad – but standing on the start line, it feels just right. I’d stepped away from full-time road racing at the end of the 2022 season. My WorldTour dream hadn’t worked out, in the familiar way: a spell of racing for development teams,…

1 It breaks the 6kg barrier Scott proudly markets the new Addict RC Ultimate as the world’s lightest production road bike, tipping the scales at just 5.9kg. However, this claim invites debate. Technically speaking, the AX Lightness VIAL Evo Ultra is lighter at just 4.8kg, but Scott sets itself apart by offering convenient, usable features such as disc brakes, robust tyre clearance and reliable handling. Its real competition is Specialized’s S-works Aethos at 6.34kg. Breaking the six-kilo mark wasn’t just about setting records but showing how lightweight engineering can meet real-world functionality. While internet debates about the ‘lightest’ bike will rage on, one thing is clear: Scott has created a groundbreaking off-the-shelf race machine. 2 Weight loss is radical To achieve such a low weight, Scott pushed engineering boundaries. The…

Shimano’s RC703 road cycling shoe is designed for those seeking a level of performance similar to the brand’s range-topping S-Phyre (RC903) model but at a lower price. Consider this an Ultegra-level shoe, intended for keen amateurs looking for fast-ride performance but at a more reasonable cost-to-benefit ratio. Construction The RC703 is constructed with a ‘high rigidity, hollow carbon midsole’ mated to a synthetic leather upper, and fastened by two BOA L6Z dials. The upper material partially wraps around the carbon sole, which Shimano claims ‘reduces overlap and provides a glove-like fit’. I can’t say I entirely agree. To me, ‘glove-like fit’ suggests a soft, comfortable, supple fit, whereas the RC703 offers a firm, sturdy, locked-in feel. What the wraparound upper does provide is the illusion of a sleek-looking shoe possessing…

Bob Jackson Cycles has long been a favourite of classic bike enthusiasts. Built in Leeds since 1935, they exemplify the British tradition of handbuilt, elegant steel lightweights with a racing bent. In recent times, it’s been a tumultuous period for the brand. In 2020 the then-owner (Jackson himself retired in 1986) announced it was closing its doors, citing both the pandemic and an aging workforce as contributing factors. But its fortunes were revived after it was bought by the other staple of the Yorkshire handbuilt scene, Woodrup Cycles. It’s not the first time the two builders have joined forces. After World War Two, Maurice Woodrup and Jackson combined under the JRJ Cycles banner, until Woodrup set up shop on his own. This never-ridden racing tandem is a classic Jackson and…

A new start Matthew Richardson waves to the crowd ahead of his first race as a British rider at the opening round of the Track Champions League in Paris. The Kent-born rider has just switched from Australia. Balancing act Luxembourg champion Marie Schreiber battles to stay upright in the sand of the UCI CX World Cup in Antwerp last Sunday. The 21-year-old went on to finish third, her second ever World Cup podium finish. Shining light Not content with being the world champion, Tadej Pogačar was awarded the title of best Slovenian cyclist for the fifth year in a row last week. Here he contemplates his success. Critical mass Cyclists take to the roads of the fourth largest city in Kenya, Nakuru, to protest for safer roads in the east…

Claims faced by Sir Bradley Wiggins’s estate have doubled to almost £2 million in his ongoing bankruptcy proceedings. The 2012 Tour de France winner’s company, Wiggins Rights Limited, entered voluntary liquidation in 2020, with the former cyclist declared bankrupt in June this year. At the time, Wiggins’s liquidators, MHA, claimed his company owed £979,953.53 to creditors. This figure has since increased to £1,976,157.73, in a “revised uplifted claim” by the liquidation firm. Georgina Eason, insolvency practitioner at MHA, wrote: “During the prior reporting period, I received response from third parties regarding access to the Company’s Books and Records and have conducted interviews of key personnel. As a result of these investigations, I have been able to substantiate the increased claim within the Director’s [Wiggins’s] bankruptcy proceedings (increased to the sum…

This time of year is always my favourite, training wise. Off-season has just finished and it’s time to dust off the cycling shoes and finally get some kilometres back in the legs. For me after a typical four-week off-season I’m usually desperate to get back on the bike. I like to wait enough time so I’m really excited to train again. There’s nothing worse than forcing yourself back into it. I got back in the gym during the off-season just to maintain a bit of routine. As someone who’s used to a lot of exercise, suddenly dropping it all off to nothing makes me a bit cranky. I did a bit of running as well but nothing can really prepare you for that very first week back, because your fitness…

Being a privateer isn’t glamorous. Yes, I have full freedom to travel to whichever races I choose, and I’m my own boss, with no team tactics to obey. But there are still things I miss about the old days of road racing. The hardest part is the budget. It costs money to go racing: flights, hotels, race entries, insurance – the list goes on. As a privateer, these are all my own responsibility, whereas on a team, my only duty was performance. I’m constantly juggling – there is a lot to think about beyond pedalling my bike. I’m certainly not complaining, as I love what I do, but the more time I spend going at it alone, the more acute my sense of how babied I’d been on the road.…

Pinarello has introduced the F1, a new addition to its acclaimed F series lineup, offering a more affordable entry point at £3,000. The F1 retains Pinarello’s distinctive silhouette and proven geometry, borrowing heavily from the elite Dogma F while delivering a more accessible package. With a slightly higher stack and shorter reach, it balances performance with added comfort. The F1 uses lower modulus T600 carbon-fibre to keep costs down, making it slightly heavier than its siblings but ensuring durability and value. Spec-wise, the bike features a Shimano 105 12-speed mechanical groupset and alloy Shimano WH RS-171 wheels, sacrificing some premium touches for affordability. Stacked against rivals like the Specialized Tarmac SL8 Sport (£3,250) or Canyon’s value-driven Ultimate CF SL 7 (£2,349), the F1 positions itself as a competitive offering. A…

GB cross ace Dan Barnes powered to victory in the East Midlands Regional Champs at Markeaton Park in Derby, while veteran Kate Eedy proved victorious in the women’s race at an event promoted by Derby Mercury RC. Evergreen Eedy (Team Empella), the reigning national champion in the 40-49 female category, produced a storming first lap to pull clear of her rivals and win by over four minutes from junior Megan Cherry (Leicester Forest CC). Meanwhile Barnes (Spectra Racing p/b DAS), who hasn’t finished outside the top four at the first three National Trophy Series events so far this season, was just over a minute clear of James Swadling (Pedal Power Loughborough). In Tyne and Wear Hetton Hawks hosted the North of England Championships, and it was Yorkshire-based juniors Harry Hudson…

A head of the London 2012 Olympics, committee chairman Lord Sebastian Coe called volunteers the “lifeblood” of the Games. The stage might not be as grand, nor the prestige as high, but the same is true of the UK’s road racing scene, where volunteers and marshals have become increasingly hard to find. It is no exaggeration to say that bike races cannot take place without volunteers. Every British Cycling event is required to have accredited marshals – those who have completed a course that gives them the power to stop and hold traffic. Without them, as well as volunteers spotting hazards, providing first aid, and driving cars in the convoy, races cannot go ahead. “IF WE HAD FIVE OR SIX ACCREDITED MARSHALS WE WOULD BE FINE” For Will Foster, a…

Relaxed, allroad geometry with wide tyre clearances means that the Allroad Ti is not aimed at racers or KOM chasers, rather, it is suited to riders who value the ability to navigate poor road surfaces, potholes, grassy lanes and even gravel trails without too much concern. Ribble offers the bike in four builds: Sport, Enthusiast, Pro and Hero. Our test bike was the Pro-level, Ultegra-equipped model, which weighed in at 9.35kg. 587.6mm and 391mm respectively, for a large/56, but nothing too controversial. As befits a bike of this type, claimed tyre clearance is impressive at 38mm, although all models ship with more versatile 32mm rubber. This means that even if you take advantage of the integrated mudguard mounts there should be plenty of space for tyres wider than 30mm without…

Chris Snook, former elite rider with Madison Genesis, now squeezes in training around his busy job as PR director at Zwift. “As someone juggling work and childcare, I’ve found that the most efficient way to squeeze in a ride is to jump on the indoor trainer. During Covid, I switched to a smart-bike, and it’s been a complete gamel changer – no need to fit or swap bikes, which removes that mental barrier. Excuses? Gone. “I still try to get outdoors whenever I can. One thing I keep reminding myself is to organise my kit. Hunting for a missing arm-warmer is a waste of precious minutes. Planning sessions is another lifesaver. Whenever I have a spare moment, I’ll add routes to ‘My List’ [on Zwift] so when it’s time to…

This wonderful picture looks very much like a riff on the old ‘how many people can you fit in a Mini’ world record, only with bikes. It is of course an old Mini pickup race vehicle, in this case belonging to race mechanic Harry Hall, who you can see perched in the back. Hall and his Mini became an iconic sight around the bike races of Britain in the Seventies. His experience was vast, having even been the spanner man for the Great Britain team on the fateful 1967 Tour de France – and first on scene when Tom Simpson faltered on Mont Ventoux. Hall’s Manchester shop, Harry Hall Cycles, was one of the most famous of its time. In fact, it endured for 67 years and, having been run…