Indholdsfortegnelse for August 14, 2025 i Cycling Weekly

Lizzy Banks’s fight to clear her name may not have been successful, but her work could go on to become a key turning point in the world of antidoping. Her tireless work over the previous few years has shown that there is almost no way any athlete can completely avoid contamination due to lax manufacturing standards in not just food production, but also pharmaceutical. And perhaps worse still, that the appeal system, and the burden of proof required, is stacked against them. But that’s not the most shocking part of her story. There’s no getting away from it, her treatment at the hands of WADA is nothing short of scandalous. Through obfuscating, delaying, and seemingly rewriting the rules, it went a long way beyond legitimately defending its case. In doing…

Breaking the nine-second barrier in the elite men’s flying 200m would etch my name into the history of the sport. It’s a milestone I’ve been chasing for years. To have the opportunity to go after it now is something truly special, so today in Konya, Turkey, I’ll be attempting to become the fastest track sprinter of all time by breaking the current world record, which stands at 9.088 seconds (set by Harrie Lavreysen at the Paris Olympics last summer). I’m also seeking redemption - coming so close earlier this year on this very track at the UCI Track Nations Cup left unfinished business. This is one of the reasons I’ll be returning to Turkey to make the attempt as I know I can physically do it (as I broke the…

Ben Turner and Matthew Brennan both won stages at the Tour of Poland last week, while Tom Pidcock won a stage of the Arctic Race of Norway in a successful week for British riders. On stage three in Poland, 26-year-old Turner sprinted to victory in an uphill dash to the line in Wałbrzych, which marked his first WorldTour win, and just the second win of his career. The Ineos Grenadiers rider benefited from the stage being neutralised with 15km to go, following a crash involving the race leader Paul Lapeira, which allowed him to get back into the peloton. Two days later, Turner finished second behind Brennan, as the man six years his junior took his ninth victory this season, his fourth at WorldTour level. The 20-year-old from Darlington launched…

Everyone likes to criticise. During the American Civil War, people criticised the Union’s best general, Ulysses Grant, for drinking too much. President Lincoln’s response? “Find out what brand of whiskey he drinks, and send a keg of it to all of my other generals.” Congratulations to Pauline on an incredible victory! If she writes a book on her diet and physical conditioning, it should be a bestseller!…

It’s a well-established fact that dehydration can have some serious consequences for cyclists, especially during prolonged or high-intensity efforts. As sweat loss increases, blood volume drops. This forces the heart to work harder, while redirecting blood to the skin to regulate body temperature. This internal storm compromises both your oxygen delivery and heat dissipation, lowering your VO2max and endurance capacity. Research shows that even modest dehydration – as little as 1-1.5% of body mass – can impair performance. Although there’s no perfect hydration strategy, the scientists agree that maintaining fluid balance is essential for physical output, recovery and thermoregulation. But how do you best maintain your hydration levels in the saddle? We put two experts on the spot. What’s in it for cyclists? “For most endurance rides under four hours,…

AUGUST CHALLENGES Each month we set our riders two challenges to get them out on their bikes, no matter their total mileage. Here are the August challenges. • THE MINI 1. Ride to the coast. 2. Complete a 50-mile week. • THE MIDI 1. Ride to the coast. 2. Complete a 100-mile week. • THE MAXI 1. Ride to the coast. 2. Complete a 150-mile week. • CW5000 1. Ride to the coast. 2. Complete a 200-mile week. BONUS CHALLENGE For Mini and Midi riders, earn a virtual ride badge on MyWhoosh. For Maxi and CW5000 riders, complete a training session on MyWhoosh. Sign up to the MyWhoosh Big Ride Challenge at www.cyclingweekly.com/bigridechallenge POWERED BY…

We speak here not of forgetting the horror of that 200km ride you did where you bonked at 50km and had to do the rest on water and prayer. We speak more literally, of the food you forgot to stick in your pocket before setting out, and of other objects essential for riding a bike. There is nothing that one or other of us has not forgotten at some point. Riders have forgotten bikes – more often than you’d think. This is not so bad – at least forgetting the bike when you go on a cycling holiday is something you can work up into an anecdote. Plenty of people have ruined trips by forgetting wheels, thru-axles and (worst of all) shoes. There are several essential techniques to forgetting things.…

A friend of a friend recently bought a workstand. He bought it from an actual shop, from an actual shop owner who put it together for him, and told him how to use it. “How tight do I do up the clamp?” asked the customer. “You need to be careful with carbon frames,” said the shop owner. “I mean, you absolutely don’t want to be hearing any crunching noises!” Back at home, the friend of a friend put his bike in the stand. “Now, let me think,” he thought. “He said… what was it… do it up until you hear a crunch? I think that was it…”…

Brandon McNulty sealed UAE Team Emirates-XRG’s 25th general classification win of the season at the Tour of Poland, dominating the final stage time trial to take overall victory. The American was a fixture in the top 10 throughout the week-long stage race, but took until the final day in Wieliczka to climb into the yellow jersey. Second overall was Antonio Tiberi (Bahrain Victorious), with Matteo Sobrero (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) in third. The Arctic Race of Norway was won overall by Corbin Strong (Israel-Premier Tech), who won stage one, and then took bonus seconds on stages three and four to secure the GC. Alexander Kristoff (Uno-X Mobility), Tom Pidcock (Q36.5 Pro Cycling) and Fredrik Dversnes (Uno-X Mobility) also won stages. Isaac del Toro (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) won the Vuelta a Burgos overall,…

Leo Hayter courts pro teams Leo Hayter is publicly looking for a pro cycling contract in order to race the Chrono des Nations later this year, as he continues his journey back towards racing. The 23-year-old put his career “on pause” last year after having been diagnosed with depression. Lorena Wiebes on Instagram Lorena Wiebes, green jersey at the Tour de France Femmes, has a lot of fun with Felix, the mascot given out on the podium. 1 The number of riders to finish London-Edinburgh-London after the ultracycling event was cut short due to stormy weather last week. Ian McBride completed the 1,400kmlong Audax event, but not officially, as it was called off part-way through. Pogačar counts days Tadej Pogačar has continued to speak about his future in cycling, saying…

Great Limber GP When: Sunday, 24 August Where: Lincolnshire Brand new for 2025, the Great Limber Grand Prix is organised by Lindsey Roads Cycling Club. It is a Regional A for both Open and Women’s races, and takes place on a 13.5km circuit that includes the ‘Sheila’s Cottage’ climb once a lap. Entries via BC. Lakes Road Club RR When: Sunday, 31 August Where: Lake District The Lakes Road Club Summer Road Race returns for a fourth year. The event takes place on the rolling but tough Ulverston road race circuit over 89km, and is a Regional A. Entry is £31 via the BC website, with 60 riders allowed in the peloton.…

Former British pro Lizzy Banks has said “lessons must be learnt” from her experience with antidoping authorities, after an almost two-year battle ended in her suspension being upheld. The 34-year-old, who retired last year, was informed of an adverse analytical finding containing traces of the diuretic chlortalidone in July 2023. Through extensive medical research, she was able to convince the UK Anti-Doping Agency (UKAD) that the substance had entered her system through contamination, and received a “no fault or negligence” ruling. The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) then appealed the decision, and Banks’s case went to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), which found in favour of WADA. Detailing the saga in a 13,000-word blog post published this week, Banks called out “unequal treatment” of athletes, saying her scientific arguments…

Remco Evenepoel’s move to the German team has been the worstkept secret within the WorldTour for months. Whispers abounded that it was finally done and contracts were ready for much of the recent Tour de France. But what now for Evenepoel? Where does this leave his GC ambitions after a difficult ending to the Tour? It was already clear on the eve of the race in Lille that something was amiss. The double Olympic champion is typically calm, collected and measured in his words, but he appeared spiky and on edge when he met the media before the team presentation, stating defiantly that he will “never crack under pressure”. While a move to a German team might lessen the incessant attention of the Belgian press, the move will be worth…

Cycling Time Trials has supported and welcomed a legal judgement, handed down in June, which ruled that a County Durhambased club was not responsible for a collision with a motor vehicle that left a time triallist with serious injuries. The verdict comes as a boost for domestic racing and cycling clubs. In Raymond Fell v Ben Hetherington and Ferryhill Wheelers, Mr. Justice Ritchie confirmed that time trialling is an activity for the benefit of the cycling members of society, and that CTT and Ferryhill Wheelers were not at fault for the incident. On 23 May 2019, Hetherington was seriously injured during a 10-mile time trial when Fell made a right turn across the carriageway, negligently driving into the cyclist’s path while Hetherington was riding at 37mph. Fell admitted liability to…

Cycling Weekly spent the day with Tom Pidcock at Red Bull’s Athlete Performance Centre in Austria, and observed him getting to grips with a new, beefed-up gym programme. Later, we chatted with strength training PhD researcher Tim Egerton for his take on why Pidcock might be upping the ante in the weights room. “Alongside the traditional exercises like squats, deadlifts and pull-ups, Pidcock seems to be placing a strong emphasis on static, isometric holds,” said Egerton, after reviewing CW’s footage. “One of the main benefits of this is that it’s less fatiguing – it has less impact on your ability to recover, so is less likely to disrupt a demanding cycling schedule.” For a rider already at such a high level, why increase his strength work? “It’s likely the main…

Bike chain wax is available to buy as a liquid or in pellet form. The latter need to be heated to turn them into liquid. You can do this in a crock pot or dedicated system such as the one made by Silca. Either way, the wax penetrates every component of the chain, from the face plates to the rollers, helping to reduce the drivetrain friction and convert more of the power that you apply in the pedals into usable forward momentum for the bike. Alternatively, you can buy pre-waxed chains. Whichever you choose, you’ll first need to ensure that your cassette and chainrings are cleaned thoroughly. If you’re applying wax to your existing chain, it needs to be fully cleansed of all previous lubrication. To do this properly, you…

Rating Most bar bags are secured to the handlebars by straps, sometimes via a holster. This method can introduce a few problems, including unwanted movement and, if you’re riding drop bars, restricted space on the tops to rest your hands. With the new Bar Bag System, Tailfin’s engineers have set out to solve these issues. The roll-top bag uses a two-part alloy mount system that features a quick-release X-clamp, locking the bag securely in place quickly and easily. The modular system means that the clamp is compatible with all four bags in the range, two of which – 9.1 litres and 12.5 litres – are optimised for drop bars. I tested the latter. The design leaves plenty of room to grip the tops when riding and I found I could…

My friend Bernard is not a man for all seasons. He is a man for one season. That season is winter. His perfect day is cold, around freezing, ideally with a threat of sleet, and daylight in as short supply as possible. He excels in these conditions, as long as the metric for excellence is not speed, but a sort of miserable contentment. It wouldn’t be quite fair to say he feels cycling is there to be endured, but he does like some grit in his oyster. Let me put it this way, winter offers more opportunities to display a certain amount of carefully manufactured toughness. When you finish a ride on a chill winter day, people give you credit for your dedication to your sport. When you finish a…