Indholdsfortegnelse for January 23, 2025 i Cycling Weekly

Noemi Rüegg (EF Education-Oatly) took the biggest victory of her career last week, winning the Tour Down Under after triumphing on Willunga Hill and clinging on to her overall lead on the final day. The Swiss champion attacked with one kilometre to go on stage two to Willunga Hill, dropping Silke Smulders (Liv Alula Jayco) in the process, to go into the final stage with a 15-second advantage. For the first time, the women’s peloton tackled Willunga twice, with the climb, as ever, proving decisive. Rüegg then survived multiple attacks on stage three, finishing third in the end, to take home the ochre leader’s jersey. On a lumpy stage from Stirling to Stirling, Rüegg was isolated, and teams like Lidl-Trek repeatedly challenged her, forcing her to chase, but the EF…

Cormac Nisbet was one of Britain’s most promising juniors in 2023. Signing for Soudal Quick-Step’s development team in 2024, the pathway to the top had opened up for him. “The team is unbelievable and everything was set up for me to excel at Quick-Step,” Nisbet says. But just eight months into his U23 career, the young Londoner realised that the dream he’d chased since the age of nine – to become a professional cyclist – no longer appealed to him. “There were two main reasons: one, the danger of the sport has massively increased. We’re racing alongside people who we know might go on to lose their life in a bike race later in the season,” he says, “and two, there’s a lack of mental stimulation when you’re a pro…

The best teenage cyclists are now competing with – and even beating – seasoned pros in the WorldTour, a shift that might lead you to believe today’s young champions are training harder, or differently, from kids of the past. And you’d be partly right. Schoolage cyclists, future stars of the sport, now have access to cutting-edge training tools like power meters, GPS, biometrics trackers and smart trainers – equipment their predecessors couldn’t have dreamed of a generation ago. With precise performance measurement at their fingertips, these young riders know exactly what they need to reach the top. What’s more, junior gear restrictions were abolished in 2023, meaning youngsters now use the same ratios as the pros – there is nothing holding them back. Exceptional talent aside, these young prodigies face…

Lightweight and aero, Sophie Heighton’s Scott Foil maintains an old-school vibe with its Shimano Ultegra 10-speed groupset – rim brakes included – and 22mm tubs. On the other hand, it also features a Stages power meter and a 52/36 semi-compact chainset. Wheels are Planet X tubular carbon shod with Continental Sprinter tyres. Want us to feature your race bike? Send a pic and information to cycling@futurenet.com…

Restoring a classic bicycle to its former glory is always a labour of love, but some machines require a little more labour than others. Take this Birmingham-built Hercules Kestrel as an example. This elegant, 1950s bike had suffered the embarrassment of being hand-painted black and white by a previous owner. Clearly, sourcing some new paint was an immediate priority. Just that first step proved challenging enough, as catalogues from the era used artwork rather than photographs. The two-tone metallic gold was eventually chosen after consulting some existing completed builds. A purpose-made Kestrel decal was added to the seat tube as a finishing touch. Remaining faithful to the original bike was equally taxing when it came to tracking down components. The 26in wheels were rechromed and fitted with appropriate tyres and…

Whirr of activity The peloton ascends a hill outside Adelaide on stage one of the Tour Down Under, under the constant gaze of a television helicopter. The azure sky melts into the ocean in the distance. Tough start A serious crash on the final corner of the Tour Down Under Classic on Saturday saw a dozen riders hit the deck, and a spectator injured. The riders involved appeared not to be seriously hurt. Cool it Rachele Barbieri goes back to basic cooling measures after stage three of the Tour Down Under in Stirling, South Australia. Temperatures reached the low 30°Cs, a big change from the cold of Europe. Tibor takes aim Under-23 cyclo-cross world champ Tibor del Grosso celebrates as he crosses the line in the men’s U23 race at…

Tom Pidcock is the headline name at Q36.5, but he’s not the only Pidcock donning the team’s livery: his brother Joe has turned pro with the second-tier team. The younger Pidcock, 22, has made the step up to professional level after four years racing in the U23 ranks, first for Groupama-FDJ’s development team and latterly for the now-defunct Trinity Racing. His past two seasons have been blighted by three cases of concussion, but as a fast finisher and a rider capable of getting over climbs, Pidcock won a stage of the prestigious U23 race Ronde de l’Isard last May. In it to win it Pidcock said: “I wouldn’t have accepted a place here if I didn’t think I was capable,” pointing to his past successes. “If you want to win,…

Hamish Armitt was never meant to become a professional cyclist. He had raced bikes for fun as a child, but put it on hold in his teenage years, choosing instead to focus on running. Despite being diagnosed with type 1 diabetes aged 15, he became one of Britain’s best junior runners. “When I was 17, I ran 14 minutes dead in the 5km, which was top five all-time at the time,” says the 22-year-old [Armitt remains the sixth-fastest UK under-20 of all time]. “I was very, very high-level at running. I won loads of Scottish titles all through the age groups.” It was a trajectory that seemed to point straight to the Olympics. But years of underfuelling and the high-impact demands of running led to stress fractures in his feet…

Ribble’s Allroad SL R is one of a trio of versatile, contemporary all-road bikes the Preston-based brand launched last summer under its Road+ banner. Price-wise, it takes middle honours in the line-up, the other two bikes being the more elemental Allroad SL and the visually striking titanium-framed Allroad TI. All three owe a debt to Ribble’s existing Endurance range, but they’re genuinely new models developed from the ground up for mixed-surface riding. The Allroad SL R also clearly borrows design cues from the Ultra SL R, Ribble’s hardcore aero race machine. You only need to glance at the uncompromising aero cockpit and thick Kamm-shaped frame tubes to spot the family resemblance. These aero enhancements provide the Allroad SL R with some performance advantages but, as I’ll reveal, they come at…

Optimum Coaching’s Kieran Jarvis secured his fifth win of the season – and his 15th podium spot – with victory at round six of the Leicestershire League in Northamptonshire on Sunday. The 24-year-old from Norfolk, who most recently won the Nova Cross at Ripley Castle on New Year’s Day, crossed the line alone and almost a minute clear of runner-up Bruce Johnston (Pembrokeshire Velo) after eight laps of a circuit in West Glebe Park in Corby. But it wasn’t plain sailing. “I had a tough start after being gridded further back,” said Jarvis. “But I avoided the crashes and worked my way back to lead the front group.” “I punctured and got caught, but after a quick pit change, I got back into the lead and took it steady to…

The most remarkable story behind this 1971 photograph is not that it shows Beryl Burton about to set out to win what would be her 50th British national time trial title – or the competition record of 57.48 for the 25 miles. Nor, perhaps, is it that her daughter Denise, shown here on the left and aged just 15 at the time, would become the youngest ever British National Championship medallist thanks to her ride as part of the winning Morley CC team (which of course included her mother). These are, of course, all worth celebrating in their own right. But the most eyebrow-raising factor is surely that after their successful outing in this event in Royston, Hertfordshire, the Burtons, complete with father Charlie (centre) saddled up once again and…

Simon Yates departed Jayco-Alula after 11 seasons to make sure that he finished his career without any regrets, he explained last week. The winner of the 2018 Vuelta a España has signed a two-year contract with Visma-Lease a Bike, and the 32-year-old will lead the Dutch team’s GC ambitions at the Giro d’Italia, before then switching to a support role at the Tour de France for Jonas Vingegaard. Describing his exit from Jayco as “quite emotional” after more than a decade there that encompassed 33 wins, including five GC titles, Yates told Cycling Weekly and other press why he opted to switch. “I just think time waits for no one, and I’m not getting any younger. I was at a crossroads: was I really happy doing what I was doing?”…

I’m not suggesting I’m a diehard cyclo-cross fan, but I’ve followed it as an armchair fan since 2012, back when I was coaching Hannah Payton, who was getting her first World Cup starts. This year feels different. I wouldn’t say I’m any less interested – yes, there’s always a bias toward following it more closely when British hopes like [Tom] Pidcock are racing or when you expect a big battle between Mathieu van der Poel and Wout van Aert – but this year, I’ve really missed the boat. I’m old enough to remember getting my news from Cycling Weekly or other less impressive cycling magazines. Then came the shift to digital, and later, social media. It’s been years since I last checked a website for news because social media used…

Why not try? It would be good for him and the sport. Larry Sauber Even Remco found it hard to sustain day after day in the mountains, and he’s nowhere near Wout’s size. Let him have a go and find out. James Haynes He’s got the engine – why not? Sarah Hurlington He said himself that he would have to lose too much weight for this purpose. Pierre-Yves Berken He could. But it’s not feasible. Green jersey and stages. Conrad Hendrik Your mission… Test and put as much pain into UAE as possible. John Young He should stick to proper road racing; one-day Classics! Nick Danbury He does not have the body/phenotype to be a GC winner in a Grand Tour. Too big and heavy, when Jonas Vingegaard looks like…

1 Quite a departure This is a huge deal for Pashley, a brand beloved for its traditional flat-bar commuter and shopping bikes, most of which occupy the lower- to mid-end of the market. In contrast, the Roadfinder drop bar collection is a cut above, marrying a lightweight steel frame, built with 3D printed elements, to electronic groupsets from likes of Shimano and SRAM. There’s even a mechanical Campy Ekar version. 2 Road, gravel and e-bike options The Roadfinder line comprises four models, available in three tiers of spec. At the collection’s core there’s the road-going Roadfinder and its gravel-munching sibling, the Roadfinder X. Both use the same frameset and fork, with the differences found in the wheels, tyres and groupsets, with the X being one-by. The Roadfinder E and X…

If you believe a folding lowpressure pressure washer is up there with some of the most implausible April 1st jokes of all time, well, think on. The Kärcher OC 3 Foldable was awarded a prestigious iF Design Gold Award in 2024 from the German International Forum Design GmbH, an organisation not known for its sense of humour. So, there must be something in it. This is a pressure washer developed for people tight on space, with no access to power at the point of use, and a preference for pressure so low it lacks the vigour to blast the hind legs off of a Chihuahua at two paces. So, ideal for pet owners faced with loading a filthy pooch into the back of a pristine car, as well as cyclists…

If you want to rejoin normal, non-cycling society, the first thing you’ll have to do is get less fit. This is surprisingly easy. If you think it’s going to be the same sort of uphill battle that getting fit was, you’ll be happy to discover that all you need to do is stop riding your bike. The first couple of weeks will see an immediate drop in blood volume and enzyme levels, meaning that you can shed significant fitness very quickly. However, this sort of short-term change would be quite quickly reversed if you relapsed into cycling. Happily the next two to four weeks will produce much more long-lasting lack of ability. This phase will see changes to the heart and the vascular system that will produce real, progressive detraining.…