Indholdsfortegnelse for October 16, 2025 i Cycling Weekly

Whenever I go out riding, especially on a sunny day, I’m still struck by the number of riders I see out in the lanes. There’s no getting away from the fact that the sport in the UK, and the industry, continue to face certain challenges, but lots of people are still out riding their bikes. It’s wonderful to see and always puts a smile on my face. But I do sometimes worry about the lack of riders I see in club kit. I’ll occasionally see big groups from a local club, but most of the time it’s smaller groups in plain kit. Those riders might well be club members, but I’m guessing lots of them aren’t. After all, it’s quick and easy to arrange a group ride via WhatsApp or…

After seven years with Soudal Quick-Step, during which time he won the Vuelta a España, Liège-Bastogne-Liège, the World Championships, the Olympics road race and more, Remco Evenepoel said farewell with second at Il Lombardia. Once again, he encountered a rampant Tadej Pogačar. However, his record this autumn shows victories in the TT at the Worlds and Euros, and second in the road races at both, along with Il Lombardia. He will join Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe for 2026. “I gave it my all, the same guy was better again,” Evenepoel said. “In the end, I finished second again, but I’m happy with the way I did it. I can be proud of how I’ve finished the season. “It was just the story of the past few races. When the pace is high,…

As the governing body of the sport, the UCI has rarely, if ever, been challenged in such a manner. Most legal battles it has faced have been in the anti-doping sphere and have been ruled over by CAS, rather than an authority based in one particular country. The ruling opens a can of worms for the UCI, as other firms, especially in the aerodynamics space, may now challenge its rules, which have become more stringent over the last 10 years. Although the UCI tech regs only apply to equipment used in racing, the BCA has effectively said they are overstepping their remit by limiting a company’s products. What’s more, they’ve done so unfairly and with a lack of transparency. The UCI must now “suspend immediately, and no later than 13…

1 Oscheniksee Length: 8.8km Height gain: 1,161m Average gradient: 13.2% Strava KOM: 53.29 Rated the third toughest climb over 2,000m in the Alps, you’ll have to wrestle your bike up its 15% slopes all the way. 2 Hochwurtenspeicher Length: 14.1km Height gain: 1,268m Average gradient: 8.1% Strava KOM: 1:07:35 A never-ending road of beauty and drama, with multiple rugged kilometres of savage gradients, tunnels, hidden lakes, breathtaking views and a summit of pure wonder. 3 Grosssee Length: 16.1km Height gain: 1,429m Average gradient: 8.6% Strava KOM: 1:11:24 Another of Carinthia’s wild wonders, packed with horrific stretches of 12-15% slopes. The real beauty comes after passing the gate halfway, where the car-free road winds up to a reservoir. 4 Malta Hochalmstraße Length: 13.8km Height gain: 1,062 Average gradient: 7.3% Strava KOM:…

Weighing just 14.1kg Brompton’s new T-line model launches this week and is their lightest ever e-bike is only a water bottle or so heavier than the standard bike, which starts at 12kg. The secret is the ultra exotic titanium frame which brings it into a sensible weight category for those commuters who want to carry it up the stairs to get to their train platform, or stash the bike in their office next to their desks. The batteries are removable, and the bike without battery is just over 11kg. The bike uses a proprietary e-Motiq system, which it says is listed on the Bicycle Association Register of Safety-Audited E-Bike brands, which should give customers greater confidence over an imported, or unknown alternative. The electrical system is also covered by an…

So what does pyramidal training look like in practice? ● Base phase: Lots of Zone 2 endurance, with controlled amounts of Zone 3 tempo. ● Build phase: For a rider training around eight hours per week, aim to lift tempo volume to three to four hours weekly, while keeping maintenance doses of high intensity every week or two. Depending on the athlete and the demands of their target event, this phase may also involve backing off some tempo in favour of more endurance work, or shifting focus towards race-specific intensities. ● Race season: Hold the pyramidal distribution, layering in specific intensity for events. ● A typical week for an 8-10-hour amateur might include:● 2-3 steady endurance rides (Zones 2a/2b)● 2 tempo sessions (Zone 3, 45-90 minutes)● 1 group ride or…

Olympic rower-turnedcyclist Matt Rossiter powered to victory at the National Closed Circuit Championships in North Yorkshire on Sunday, while Laura Davies took the women’s title. Rossiter (George Fox Cycling Solutions) took full advantage of nearperfect conditions at the Croft Motor Circuit to clock 18.50 for the 10-mile course, with Ian Inglis (Vive le Velo) second in 19.20 and Thomas Lee (Team Bottrill) third. Davies (FTP Fulfil the Potential RT) clocked 21.59 to take the win by 15 seconds from Joanna Brewis (ADDFORM Vive le Velo) with Miriam Jessett (Blaydon CC) third. It was second time lucky for Davies, who fell on the final lap in the title race in 2023. “It was nice to come back and complete the course without falling off this year,” she said. “I’m glad to…

Much as we might try to deny it, cycling is a sport that tends towards monopoly. More often than not there is a rider who dominates – a Beryl Burton, an Eddy Merckx or a Marianne Vos. If we’re lucky there is a plucky underdog or two. The 1970s was full of people who truly if wrongly believed that Raymond Poulidor would win the Tour de France. And if we’re luckier, the dominating star will have a chink in their armour – they suck at cobbles, say, or they can’t time a sprint. But in truth the golden eras of unpredictable racing are usually just little interregnums while we wait for the next behemoth rider or team to arrive. I sometimes wonder what it would be like to be a…

Lorena Wiebes had already won 25 races in 2025. The Dutch sprinter is doing a good job of being one of the most dominant fast finishers ever, so it is no surprise that she is now gravel world champion, but it happened in odd circumstances. In the closing kilometre of the women’s elite race in Limburg, the Netherlands, fellow Dutchwoman Shirin van Anrooij had a clear lead. However, she was then chased down by others in orange, including Yara Kastelijn, Wiebes and Marianne Vos. Wiebes duly did her thing and sprinted to victory. “I just don’t understand why it has to be closed down now,” Van Anrooij said. “It’s clear: if someone is leading the race and is certain to become world champion, and they’re from the same country, you…

Harrie Lavreysen (Netherlands) It’s no far stretch to call Harrie Lavreysen the greatest track sprinter of all time. His record at last year’s Paris Olympics proved it, winning three gold medals and becoming the Netherlands’ most successful summer Olympian. With 16 world titles to his name, and still only 28, Lavreysen is clearly in his prime years. Can he make it seven rainbow jerseys in a row in the match sprint? CW rating Emma Finucane (Great Britain) After a whirlwind 2024, in which she earned a gold and two bronze medals on her Olympic debut, Emma Finucane has taken a step back from racing this year, but returns to major competition at the Worlds. The Welshwoman made her first appearance for GB three years ago, and has since won three rainbow…

It appears that the ‘Super’ Teams have the most proficient riders because they have the most money! UAE, Visma, and now Lidl-Trek, Bahrain and Groupama are following suit. But the sponsors won’t keep spending if the teams don’t win. Several interested parties, among them Lance Armstrong, have said what needs to happen is the promoters need to share the TV rights fees with the teams, as is done by the NFL. That could be a way to put teams on a more equal footing. Something needs to change or we will see more smaller teams leaving the UCI ranks. Stephen Stahl, email Ed - Unfortunately, ASO, the owners of the Tour and other major races, have no interest in giving ‘their’ money away and it will forever hold the sport…

Cambridge University CC Hill Climb When: Sunday, 26 October Where: Cambridge This is a hill-climb in name, but the gradient is notably mild. Worts Causeway just outside Cambridge averages 3.43% over 1.3km, which means it’ll be a pretty fast course. Entry is £10. Chepstow Gallop Cyclocross When: Sunday, 26 October Where: Monmouthshire Organised by Chepstow Cycling Club in conjunction with Welsh Cyclocross, Western Cyclocross, Beicio Cymru and The Cycle Cure Company, this new CX event will take place at Chepstow Racecourse. There are all the usual categories, and entry is from £3-£18.…

A non-cycling friend recently told me about the argument his (cycling) brother had with their mother when he was a newly bike-obsessed 12-year-old. She refused to let him ride without underwear. So the first four years of his brother’s cycling career were conducted in underpants. He subsequently reported that it was one of the best things that could have happened to him. The discomfort of those formative years means that every ride he’s gone on since the Great Pants Rebellion, which happened when he was 16, has been five times the joy it would have been otherwise. Of course he also has some saddle sores so old they have heritage status.…

The UCI was forced to suspend its gear-limit rule test this week after a Belgian court ruled that it disproportionately discriminated against equipment supplied by SRAM. Cycling’s governing body was set to test its new directive – which limits the maximum gear ratio to 10.46 metres in a roll-out test – at the Tour of Guangxi. The regulation is likely to cap the highest gear that riders can use during a race. However, this effectively outlaws SRAM’s 10-tooth sprockets, which are used in its latest Red and Force AXS groupsets, while affecting Shimano and Campagnolo less. SRAM filed a complaint last month with the Belgian Competition Authority (BCA), arguing that the upcoming trial by cycling’s governing body at the Tour of Guangxi would “unfairly disadvantage SRAM riders and SRAM”. In…

Once again we’re looking for the cycling clubs and individuals across the UK that make the cycling scene what it is. Every year we present a Local Hero and Club of the Year award to the people nominated by you. This is your chance to get recognition for the hard-working people who provide you and your local scene with the opportunities to ride. The Local Hero award goes to the individuals who have given up their time so that others can ride or race. Previous winners have ranged from promoters to marshals, coaches, club officials and custodians of the record books. All have one thing in common: they’re dedicated to their local scene and are revered by those around them. Our Club of the Year title has been awarded to the…

Ferguson wins again Cat Ferguson took the third win of her season at the women’s Vuelta a Andalucia last weekend. The 19-year-old British neo-pro won ahead of Usoa Ostolaza (Laboral Kutxa-Fundación Euskadi) in a two-up sprint, with Movistar team-mate Mareille Meijering in third.  gravelchamp-ionships 2025 on Instagram: “Nothing better than this, Tom and his biggest fans after the finish!” 44.15 Andrew Feather’s time in minutes up Slovenia’s Krvavec climb last weekend in the ‘Pogi Challenge’. The event saw 900 challengers given around a six-minute head start, before being hunted down by Tadej Pogačar on the 13.9km-long ascent. Only Feather remained uncaught. Giro goes to Bulgaria After recent foreign starts in Hungary, and this year in Albania, the 2026 Giro d’Italia will once again head to eastern Europe – this time…

How did you get into cycling? My dad introduced me to it. The London 2012 Olympics made me love it. How has track helped you on the road? It’s given me top-end power for the sprints, and taught me about cadence, positioning and riding in a bunch. Everything’s magnified by 10 on the track. What’s the best training advice you’ve ever received? Be consistent. You don’t need to do anything extreme, just basic, proven, science-backed training. Do it consistently and do it well. What are your favourite types of training session? I enjoy anything VO2max – those are the efforts I’m best at. Anything with two to three minutes at VO2max – they make the most difference. There’s no glory without pain. I also like a long, four-or five-hour ride,…

Cycling is not so much a sport or a pastime as a means for manufacturing nostalgia. The day after he invented the pedal cycle, its creator (we’re not really sure who it was) can be safely assumed to have looked back with fondness on the previous day, when his invention was a little newer, the sky was a little bluer, and every rider he passed waved back. Or would have done if there had been such a thing as another rider. It’s all been going downhill ever since. And back then, young whippersnappers, the descents were properly surfaced so going downhill was much nicer than today. By the 1890s, gentlemen of a certain age (that age being about 28) looked back fondly to the age of the penny-farthing that had…