Innehållsförteckning för May 2024 från Cycling Plus

1,637m The total of ascent of the loop It’s a breathless summer day on the flanks of the Sella–a strikingly serrated massif in the Dolomites of northern Italy–and the twisted grey towers of rock are shifting shape as I cycle around them. A cluster of crenellated peaks morphs into a medieval fortress guarded by imposing turrets. A sheer grey-white limestone wall, fronted by neat vertical fissures, glistens like the pipes of an ornate church organ. And a chain of spiked peaks evokes the armoured spine of a prehistoric monster. On these hot, high-altitude slopes, my imagination is whirling faster than my legs. I’m here for the early-summer Sellaronda Bike Day–a traffic-free bike challenge that takes place twice a year, in June and September, enabling cyclists to complete a circuit of…

Trek Ballista MIPS £229.99 Competitive with the big helmet brands This flagship aero road helmet, used by the likes of Mads Pedersen and Lizzie Deignan of the Lidl-Trek WorldTour team, makes its intentions clear with an aggressively aerodynamic shape a bit like a time-trial helmet with the back lopped off. The shape is slippery across multiple head angles and saved riders 10.1 watts of power at 45kph in a one-hour test, says Trek. The ‘air trip’ trough, which runs horizontally across the rear third of the helmet works a bit like the dimples on a golf ball to lower drag. Premium protection On our scales, a black, European-spec, Medium Ballista weighs 268g, which is competitive with the best aero road helmets. Minimalist red padding incorporates a MIPS (multidirectional impact protection…

Weight 7.6kg (size S, inc bottle cages and mount) Frame Advanced-grade carbon Fork Advanced SL-grade composite Gears Shimano Ultegra Di2 12-speed (11-34t, 34/50t) Brakes Shimano Ultegra Di2 hydraulic disc, 160mm rotors Wheels Giant SLR1 36 Carbon Disc WheelSystem Finishing kit Giant Contact SL AeroLight 80mm stem, Liv Contact SLR D-Fuse carbon, 8˚ flare drop, 40cm handlebar, Giant D-Fuse SLR carbon seatpost, Liv Alacra SL saddle, Giant Gavia Fondo 0 tubeless 32c tyres Now in its fifth generation, the Liv Avail Advanced Pro 0 sits at the top of Liv’s endurance road bike line-up. The sister brand of Giant, Liv is the only road bike company to offer frames built specifically for women these days, taking into account things such as body dimensions, muscular activity and strength patterns. Designed for high-performance…

WHY SUBSCRIBE? • Try your first three copies of Mountain Biking UK for just £5* • Continue to save over 30%** on the shop price, paying £24.99 every six issues by Direct Debit • Every magazine will be sent hot off the press and delivered straight to your door • Get access to exclusive offers and competitions with our Subs Zone • Never miss an action-packed issue or supplement again! TO SUBSCRIBE… Order online at www.ourmediashop.com/MBH24 OR call our hotline on 03330 162152, quoting code MBH24 Lines are open 8am-6pm weekdays, 9am-1pm Saturdays TERMS & CONDITIONS: *Three issues for £5 offer is only available to UK residents paying by Direct Debit. After your first three issues, your subscription will continue at £24.99 every six issues. ** Over 30% saving is…

Food writer and chef Fi Buchanan and cyclist and illustrator Kitty Pemberton-Platt have collaborated to bring Pemberton-Platt’s illustrated food diaries of real female cyclists to life. Here are two tasty recipes from their book Eat Bike Cook that would make perfect post-ride fuel. MUSHROOM RISOTTO (GF) Risotto is easy to conjure out of a store cupboard with very little in it. Why not try a ‘spring’ variation (below) too? See below for how to part-pre-cook in advance. Prep 10mins Cook 25mins (10mins if you partially pre-cook it in advance) Serves 3 Ingredients • 6 tbsp olive oil• 250g shallots, finely chopped• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped• 250g Arborio rice• 250ml dry white wine• 900ml vegetarian stock• 50g butter• 200g mushrooms, sliced• Sea salt• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice• A handful…

This biggest of the Balearic Islands has long been the ultimate winter getaway for British roadies. The weather is often kind, the tarmac is smooth, the climbs are challenging without being onerous and there is strength in numbers on the road. The mountainous spine of the island, the Serra de Tramuntana, runs from Port de Pollença in the north to Port d’Andratx in the south. It’s in Port de Pollença and neighbouring Alcúdia where cycle tourists typically base themselves. The towns have easy access to Mallorca highlights such as the Formentor lighthouse and Sa Calobra (pictured), which sees you ascend over 700m from sea level up a road carved dramatically into rock. It’s an island where you can jolt your cycling season into life. Mallorca, Spain THE LOWDOWN Travel Direct…

A multi-billion dollar redevelopment, led by an Egyptian real estate mogul, has changed the feel of this once sleepy Alpine town, with luxury apartments, a five-star hotel (The Chedi) and multiple Michelin stars tempting in tourists. But Andermatt’s ultimate lure has always been here: its natural environment. It’s bulging at the seams with brilliant climbs from its doorstep, with the top drawer, 2,000m+ cols of Furka, Nufenen (pictured) and the cobbled Gotthard passes all within striking distance in a single loop. Elsewhere, on a different day, from your door you might opt for the Susten and Grimsel passes, the latter beginning towards the foot of the western side of Furka Pass. Also consider a trip up to the summit of the gorgeous Grosse Scheidegg and imagine you’re riding through a…

This gem of the Hautes-Alpes is renowned as a ski resort in winter but is no less of a pull for roadies come summer, with the giants of the French Alps in close proximity. Up the road from Briançon, France’s highest city (1,326m), along the Col du Lautaret, takes you to the southern foot of the Col du Galibier, the legendary Tour de France climb. In the opposite direction sits the breathtaking Col d’Izoard (pictured), a climb untouchable in its aesthetics. Add to that the out-and-back climbs to the Risoul ski station and the toughest of the lot, the Col du Granon, located just outside of Serre Chevalier, and you have a base for a mesmeric week of road riding. Serre Chevalier, France THE LOWDOWN Travel The closest airport is…

There are few creature comforts for the cyclist in Iceland. Forget European-style bike infrastructure, cafes, switchbacks and reliable weather and plan for wilderness, sporadic watering holes and the wildest weather on the continent. Where there is civilisation, Iceland is a very modern country–safe, friendly and well-connected–but once you’re rural, nature takes over. For roadies, there’s little beyond Route 1–the 1,400km coastal main road that circumnavigates the island. On a gravel bike, on a sparse network of tracks, is the best way you can get to know the real Iceland: be sure to pack means of navigation and be comfortable wading through rivers and wild camping. Iceland THE LOWDOWN Travel London, Edinburgh and Manchester offer direct flights for under £100 return in June. Stay The Ion Eco hotel, 40km from Reykjavík, in…

For some at Cycling Plus, the Italian Dolomites are the finest place in the world to ride a bike and the Alta Badia resort and its six villages are the jewel in its crown. In the summer, the dramatic grey rock faces blend seductively with the bright green meadows for a scene that is distinctly the Dolomites. From Corvara to Colfosco and everywhere in between, wherever you base yourself, the mountain passes are the star attraction. From Corvara you can ride the Sellaronda loop, which in 53 glorious kilometres covers four passes (Campolongo, Pordoi, Sella and Gardena) and 1,650m elevation. Twice a year, the loop closes to motor traffic for the Sellaronda Bike Day (8 June and 14 September in 2024). Further afield, the beastly Passo Giau, brutally steep from the…

The summits of the Picos de Europa National Park (part of the Cantabrian Mountains) in north-west Spain often feature on the route of La Vuelta a España, with the skyward ascents of Alto de l’Angliru and Alto del Gamoniteiro long striking fear into the legs of the pro peloton. Less intimidating ascents such as the climb to the glacial lakes of Lagos de Covadonga offer rich rewards at gentler gradients. After your rides, quench your thirst with the area’s famous cider that’s poured from high above the head into the glass below. The region also boasts 401km of coastline dotted with more than 200 beaches. Proximity to Santander (and Bilbao) makes Asturias easily doable by ferry from the UK. Asturias, Spain THE LOWDOWN Travel Santander is a 21-hour ferry journey from…

4-10 February 2024 The Race Around Rwanda returned to Africa in 2024, with 75 riders taking on the bikepacking race in the ‘land of a thousand hills’. Given the course delivered a mighty 15,000m of elevation gain over its 1,000km mixed-terrain route, only 54 would finish six days later. Here riders pass through tea plantations and eucalyptus forests between the Nyungwe rainforest and Kibeho.…

If you’re a male cyclist, you’ve almost certainly been asked by non-cycling friends whether you shave your legs. Most of us will answer in the affirmative. Leg shaving has become a clearly definable trait of the ‘serious cyclist’ by hirsute outsiders, who are eager to know why on earth we do it. There are plenty of answers, of course, and it’s at this point in this conversation with your mate where you will run through the long list, while perhaps feeling a little awkward about revealing the real reason why you yourself do it. At this time of year, you might be thinking about getting the razor out to preen your pins after a winter of letting the hair grow out. Recently retired road racing star Peter Sagan sent the…

Thundering down a pristine off-road track, part of a network over 100 miles long across the New Forest, this feels like British gravel riding at its finest. Britain’s smallest National Park, at 219 square miles, is best digested at bike speed through this dense network of tracks. The foundations of many of these originated during World War II, when the forest, with its vast expanse of flat countryside ideal for aircraft was seconded as a training base for the troops, primarily ahead of D-Day. This is a place with a feel of its own. Created by William the Conqueror in 1079 as royal hunting ground, almost 1,000 years later it’s a vast oasis of calm, of sprawling open heathland and dense, brooding woodland, sandwiched between the bustling coastal conurbations of…

All four bikes this month are very capable on gravel, but they do have their strengths and weaknesses. Saracen’s Levarg has the fun factor of a 650b mountain bike wrapped up in a gravel-ready ride. It loves being off road, and runs on some of the very best gravel tyres for poor conditions. It’s less happy on tarmac though. The State Black Label is at the other end of the gravel scale, owing a great deal to the road endurance bike. State’s own (branded) groupset and funky brakes are talking points and the drivetrain impresses: it’s a worthy stopper, providing you’re prepared to fettle and adjust the brakes. It can’t match the off-road comfort of its rivals here but if your all-roading is more on road than off, it’s not…

I’ve always been fascinated by the quirky, the unique, the extreme. Especially if I can cycle to it. Perhaps it’s a consequence of growing up in a house whose only books were the AA Road Atlas and the Guinness Book of Records. I’ve been collecting weird places to ride ever since. Netherton Tunnel, in the West Midlands, for instance: a mile-and-a-half-long canal tunnel that’s a psychological challenge rather than physical–the ghostly acoustic and pitch dark is one of Britain’s scariest rides. Or the vertiginous aqueduct at Pontcysyllte outside Llangollen that’s like cycling a Niagara Falls tightrope: no wonder they ask you to dismount. Or Blackbushe Airfield in Surrey, whose disused runways make the widest ‘cycle paths’ you’ll see in Britain. Or Yate’s ‘Road to Nowhere’ near Bristol: a 1970s dual…

Torq Energy £37.95 (for 1.5kg) Carbohydrates per serving 30g per 500ml Carb ratio 2:1 maltodextrin to fructose Electrolytes Yes Flavours Orange, Lemon, Lime & lemon, Pink grapefruit, Blackcurrant, Vanilla pod, Cola caffeine, Organic flavourless Per 500ml serving, Torq Energy is among the best-value and pleasantly drinkable energy drinks around. Despite the large bag with black-heavy branding that doesn’t exactly scream ‘natural’, there are no artificial sweeteners, colours or flavours. The idea with Torq is that you use the drink as part of the brand’s ‘Torq’ energy unit system. One 30g/500ml bottle is one unit, which you can top up with gels, bars or chews to add up to three units, or 90g carbs. Well-trained cyclists might need this much on rides of two hours or more (less fit riders need…

Suspension on drop-bar bikes can be a contentious issue, with ‘Why not just get a mountain bike?’ or ‘There’s not much travel anyway’ two oft-repeated remarks. These both miss the point. Suspension on gravel bikes isn’t about landing big jumps; it’s all about increasing comfort and adding control. A good suspension fork should all but eliminate vibrations and chatter over rough surfaces and, at speed, absorb those high-frequency knocks to keep your handling in check. Uneven surfaces can deflect the front tyre, which in turn puts forces into the bar, snapping it left and right and affecting your ability to maintain speed and navigate technical terrain safely. Constant vibrations also lead to premature fatigue in your upper body. If you can’t hold the bar because your arms are pumped and…

“‘Whatever they say in that room, everything is going to be alright,’ I told my wife Kate on the eve of my appointment at St George’s Hospital in London in August 2019. Little did I know that would become my mantra. In the year leading up to that moment, disorientation and problems with my vision led to GP visits, then MRI scans, then the discovery of a brain tumour. After surgery, a Grade 3 Anaplastic Oligodendroglioma (nicknamed an Oligo) was my diagnosis. I then endured six weeks of radiotherapy and 18 months of chemotherapy. Living with my Oligo is an ongoing journey, in three-month cycles between scans, managing the uncertainties of a brain tumour. After retiring from rugby, I took up cycling, and I’ve been using it to give myself…

When the world is your canvas, selecting the best destinations to visit with your bike is no mean feat. The locations listed in the following pages, then, are by no means a definitive list but are instead those that have left an indelible mark on us over the years. Europe, our own backyard and rich in pedal-powered possibilities, obviously dominates this guide, with the Alps, Pyrenees, Iceland, Tuscany and Brittany among the locations profiled. Along the way we also venture further afield, to the Santa Monica Mountains of California, the Mexican island paradise of Cozumel and the high mountains of Colombia. Happy travels!…

Far from the urban sprawl of downtown Los Angeles–in spirit, if not quite distance–sits the wonderful Santa Monica Mountains. Head northwest out of LAX airport for 30km in the direction of Malibu and once you’ve gawped at the mansions of the rich and famous there, a cornucopia of quiet mountain roads awaits. Inland, there’s a huge network of roads that criss-cross this sub-1,000m mountain range, with some so quiet you’ll barely believe you’re so close to a city where everybody drives. Gradients are generally kind on your legs, and with smooth tarmac and wide, sweeping bends, they’re a joy to descend. It’s these qualities that make it appealing to professional riders in the off season. Chris Froome and Peter Sagan have wintered here in the past and Geraint Thomas ended his…

You’ll encounter very few cyclists on this nine-island Portuguese archipelago in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, especially if you venture off the main island of São Miguel. Stay on Miguel, however, and you can enjoy the Sete Cidades lakes, and the route from Ribeira Grande to the Lagoa do Fogo crater, which is one of our favourite under-the-radar cycling climbs. Being at the junction of the Eurasian, North American and African tectonic plates, the Azores are a geological hotspot. The landscape is littered with volcanic craters and chimneys, and the lush emerald-green scenery at once recalls Hawaii, Ireland, New Zealand, Central Africa and the misty crags of Dartmoor. The best time to visit the Azores is from April to October, when the air and sea temperatures are highest and…

The main road that traverses the perimeter of southwest Ireland’s County Kerry, the aptly named Ring of Kerry, is popular with the four-wheel brigade and can be found in many a ‘world’s best drives’ lists. But it’s the quiet, narrow mountain roads criss-crossing the peninsula’s centre that capture the imagination of the cyclist. Gems such as Ballaghisheen Pass, which rises 230m from the south in 3km, Ballaghbeama Gap and the Gap of Dunloe (pictured) are all first-rate mountain climbs. There’s also delicious climbing to be found in the peninsula’s southern tip along the Skellig Ring. It’s named after nearby Skellig Island, which was made world-famous when it made a significant appearance in the recent Star Wars trilogy. Kerry, Ireland THE LOWDOWN Travel From Britain, Irish Ferries operate Holyhead to Dublin and Pembroke…

Colombian pro cyclists are best known for their prodigious talent when the road points up and, with climbs like Alto de Letras, it’s easy to see why. One of the biggest climbs in the world at a monstrous 81km, the Letras lies in the central chain of the Colombian Andes, from the base town of Mariquita (495m) to a whopping 3,766m by the summit. The overall gradient of a tiddly 4% masks its true nature: strip out the sections of flat and descent, and factor in the knowledge that the steepest sections come at the most suffocating altitudes, and you have a truly formidable foe. The Strava KOM and QOM respectively are 3:05hr and 4:10hr but 5:30hr would be a job well done on such an imposing mountain. Alto de Letras,…

For the two million people who call the Western Australia capital of Perth home, Rottnest Island is a sanctuary rather like Richmond or Central Park. Closed to motorised vehicles, ‘Rotto’, as locals know it, feels far from city life, whatever the skyscrapers on the skyline try to tell you. Just 11 miles off Perth’s coast, the island is a rare tourist hotspot: one that’s just as special to locals. As a tourist you might hire one of the bikes shipped over on the ferry and take in a few laps of the island, or spend a few nights on the island’s white sandy beaches with turquoise waters or spotting the quokka, a marsupial that’s the official mascot of Rottnest. April and May, October and November are pleasant times to visit…

Orro, based in the shadow of the legendary Ditchling Beacon in England’s South Downs, have been designing and building their own bikes for a decade. The Gold was one of their original models, now redesigned as a lightweight, high-performance endurance bike with the latest in integration and aerodynamics included in the sub-830g frame. 01 Custom tweaks Orro’s bikes are hand assembled in the UK, which means your Orro dealer has much more freedom in the build and you can tune gearing to your preference or have your favourite saddle or tyres fitted from new. You can even choose to upgrade to high-quality Ceramic Speed bearings in the bottom bracket (£240) and headset (£210), reducing weight while increasing durability. 02 A good spread The new aero-optimised frame uses Orro’s advanced STC…

The gravel sector is extremely diverse these days, encompassing a huge range of terrain and events, from epic transcontinental endeavours to fast races on wide-open plains and the tricky natural terrain that was the domain of mountain bikes. And so the design and technology has rushed to keep up. The high end is littered with everything from full-suspension bikes to lightweight carbon racers that wouldn’t look out of place in the professional peloton. At the more affordable end, you’ll often see steel frames (which have a classic feel and tend to be favoured by bikepackers) through to aluminium (often the most affordable option) and even some carbon (it’s light and balances stiffness and compliance). 01 Styles Style-wise there are endurance-road-bike-inspired creations through to those with mountain bike-inspired geometry. Bikes that…

Spring is here and it’s time to take your training up a gear. When the lambs start gambolling on fresh grass, and the birds are building nests, road cyclists should get ready to blossom and bloom. Those long, slow winter rides have given you a solid endurance base, but now you need some fresh spring growth. By ramping up your training intensity, and building your speed, power, VO2 max and lactate tolerance, you can transition from slow winter miles to sizzling spring speeds, so you hit the summer race season in red-hot form. Here we reveal the best spring sharpening workouts, and how to fortify your body as you pick up the pace. It’s time to leave winter behind, take a spring leap and enjoy your best summer yet. 01 RAMP…

01 Deda Elementi Deda Tape £10.99 Colours 20 to choose from Deda’s budget 180cm-long tape is a simple EVA foam that’s 30mm wide and tapers from 3mm at its thickest. It looks classy, though, thanks to the slate-grey colour, pressed logos and carbon-like looks on the simple bar-end bungs. The tape has quite a lot of stretch and the 8mm-wide sticky strip still works when repositioned when you’re fitting it (which does take a bit of care as it’s so stretchy, though the tapered edges make it easy to get an even surface). At just 40.18g for two rolls and the bar-end bungs, this tape is amongst the lightest you’ll find, though it can’t match the comfort and grip of more expensive PU and EVA dual-material tapes. The smooth surface…

From the neon-lit streets of Seoul to the picturesque coastline city of Busan, my 633km (393 mile) cycling journey along the Four Rivers route was set to traverse the heart of South Korea, unravelling an ever-changing tapestry of autumnal landscapes along the way. I’ve lived in the East-Asian nation for seven years and my life has primarily revolved around the capital’s sleepless, bustling energy. However, I’ve always been curious to explore further to more secluded and remote areas, where life contrasts starkly with what I’ve known in a megacity of 10 million people. The Four Rivers route gave me the perfect opportunity to do just that. This route offers a unique journey, stretching southbound from Incheon, near Seoul, in the north-west, to Busan, South Korea’s second city which sits on…

Escapism, independence and empowerment… solo riding is one of the many underrated joys of road and gravel cycling. Riding alone can provide both fun and spontaneous adventures on the bike, and also offer you some highly personalised training opportunities. But cycling solo is also a skill that benefits from a dedicated approach to pre-ride planning. From how to stay focused when riding without company to the best training drills to target on solo rides, we reveal 10 ways to smash your solo spins this summer and beyond… HERE TO HELP 01 EMBRACE YOUR INDEPENDENCE Enjoy freedom, spontaneity and some motivating new adventures. Head to that village you’ve always wanted to visit, ride when it suits you or create a totally new route. “Have a new adventure in a familiar area,” suggests…

Few places have such advantageous geography for road cycling as Lombardy’s spa town of Bormio. Sitting at 1,225m, nestled in the upper echelons of the Valtellina valley, it connects riders to a trio of Italy’s–and the world’s–most celebrated mountain passes. To the northeast awaits the sinuous and sky-high Passo dello Stelvio (2,758m, pictured), icon of the country’s national race, the Giro d’Italia, with its 75 switchbacks across both flanks. To the southeast, Passo Gavia (2,621m) is no less challenging but far less busy than the Stelvio, which appeals equally to motorists and bikers. Further down the valley is the Mortirolo (1,852m), a pass that might lack in altitude but makes up for it in fiendishly steep slopes of 10.5% over 12.5km. Bormio, Italy THE LOWDOWN Travel Milan Bergamo airport is a…

Riding a bike in Tuscany is to wheel back in time. History is in the air, whether that’s in the golden hilltop towns and cities such as Montalcino and Siena, the gravelly white roads–the strade bianche–that have survived time and progress to connect people away from the tarmac main roads, or the world-famous wine (Chianti, Brunello) that’s been such a part of the economy and culture for centuries. Tuscany, then, was the natural place for vintage bike event L’Eroica to begin. Based in Gaiole in Chianti, this legendary event, which has since been translated throughout the world in sister rides, sees entrants use cycling gear made before 1987 to tackle the region’s strade bianche. It’s a region that’s rarely mountainous but often hilly. Tuscany, Italy THE LOWDOWN Travel Where you’re staying in…

High-altitude Colorado is the unofficial home of American road racing, with many of its famous alumni, such as Taylor Phinney and Tyler Hamilton, living here during their careers, as well as much of its media. Specifically, it’s the city of Boulder, which offers easy access to the Rocky Mountains, where the industry took hold. The Rockies are vast, stretching 3,000 miles from Canada to the state of New Mexico, which borders Mexico. But in Colorado, road cycling–and now gravel–the sport found its sweet spot, with steepling altitudes, a superb summer climate (not to mention a great snow sports heritage in winter) and a lively 100,000-population city in the foothills. Boulder, USA THE LOWDOWN Travel Fly direct (Heathrow to Denver) and drive the 40-mile journey to Boulder. Stay Hotel Boulderado has over 100…

Home to Spain’s highest peak, the volcanic and very much active Mount Teide (at 3,718m, it’s Spain’s highest peak), Tenerife is professional cycling’s favoured training haunt and quite possibly the ultimate winter destination for Europe’s roadies, with year-round warm, dry weather. The four sea-to-summit ascents of the Mount Teide volcano (from north, south, east or west) top most cyclists’ hit lists, with hallucinogenic volcanic landscapes and oxygen-starved air to the highest paved road at 2,300m. Stay the night and take in its after-dark delights: Teide is a designated Starlight Destination for its pure skies and low light pollution. If you’re in search of cycling solitude, however, don’t forget the misty mountains of the Anaga Rural Park in the northeast of the island. This UNESCO Biosphere Reserve boasts gloriously green highland…

Cape Town’s lumpy peninsula is a joy to ride. Cycling south, you’re often buffeted by the strong and persistent south-easterly wind known as the Cape Doctor, but that just means that it’s in your favour on the return journey, as you ascend the big challenge of the ride, Chapman’s Peak. Stop for lunch on the coast in Camps Bay on your return journey and soak in the deep blue of the South Atlantic Ocean. The city’s road-cycling year revolves around the off-the-scale fun Cape Town Cycle Tour (March annually), where tens of thousands of riders have a tear up on closed roads around the entirety of the Cape Peninsula (109km). It’s about the most fun you can have on two wheels. Cape Town, South Africa THE LOWDOWN Travel Direct flights from…

GFNY Cozumel celebrated its 10th edition in November, attracting 3,200 cyclists to Mexico’s largest inhabited island for its 80km and 160km gran fondos that form part of the globe-spanning GFNY series. What the event lacks in hills (highest point: 12m above sea level!), it makes up for in the crosswind-heavy coastal sections. Away from the annual gran fondo, Cozumel also hosts the long-established Ironman Cozumel in November, while its white sands, coral reefs and crystalline waters make it one of the world’s great diving locations. The Punta Sur Eco Beach Park, meanwhile, has a wealth of wildlife within its protected mangrove forests and islet, as well as the aptly-named Playa El Cielo (heaven) beach. Cozumel, Mexico THE LOWDOWN Travel There are direct flights from several UK airports to Cancún. From there…