Innehållsförteckning för April 25, 2019 från Cycling Weekly

I recently had my first experience of British Cycling’s Accredited Marshal scheme. This gives trained marshals the power to stop traffic, just like a lollipop person outside a school. Armed with a big round ‘STOP’ sign, the marshals close junctions for no more than two minutes to let the race go through. They are ably backed up by club volunteers, like me, who get a red flag. We can’t stop traffic, but we can explain to drivers what’s happening and ask, ever so politely, if they wouldn’t mind waiting. Thankfully at my club’s race all the drivers we came across were happy to do so. In addition we had NEG motorbike marshals, with loud whistles, and lead cars. All of which meant the race went through our busy junction, complete…

Julian Alaphilippe (Deceuninck-Quick Step) With eight victories already this year, Alaphilippe starts as favourite for his second Monument of 2019. He crashed in the Tour of the Basque Country, but if fit he’ll be brimming with confidence. CW rating Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) With just one win so far this year, Valverde is uncharacteristically light on success in the rainbow jersey, but his strong sprint means this year’s Liège may suit him more than ever. A fifth win at La Doyenne will see the Spaniard match Eddy Merckx’s record. CW rating Michael Matthews (Sunweb) A top 10 on the old finish in 2017 proved Matthews has the class to tackle the climbs, and should he find himself in a small group, the Australian has the sprint to finish. Two wins in…

How would you rate your last race out of 10? I would say it’s about an eight at Dwars door Vlaanderen. My legs were good but not super-sharp. If you could only win one race what would it be? It’d be the world title because once you’ve got the rainbow bands you’ve got them for the rest of your life. Do you fancy your chances in Yorkshire this year? It’s definitely a target but on the other hand we have a lot of strong Australian riders at the moment. How is your friend Lizzie Deignan going to like it if you win in her home county? I think she’d be pretty happy for me, we have a relationship where we never have differences over cycling. I think there would be…

What do the Castle Combe circuit races in Chippenham, the Eddie Soens Memorial road race at Aintree, the Darley Moore two-day in Derbyshire and the Betty Pharoah Legstretchers near Cardiff all have in common? They all played host to a young up-and-coming rider who would go on to claim gold medals and the Tour de France title — Geraint Thomas. The Welshman is just one of many examples of riders who honed their craft on the domestic racing scene, getting kitted up in windswept car parks, racing for meagre prizes and catching a bug for the cut and thrust of racing. And with the sport’s boom in popularity since young Thomas finished third — behind a couple of juniors, a certain Ed Clancy and Matt Brammeier — at Darley Moor…

I ride with Hub Velo, an east London club and I know plenty of the guys in that club that race a lot. I’ve been riding all my life. I started as a kid, and always stuck at it. It was a bit of an escape, an exploring tool when I grew up in the country. I always kept hold of that even when I moved to London. I’ve dabbled with racing in the last couple of years. I love riding hard, fast, aggressively sometimes, but I don’t feel a love for cycle racing — for me it’s about getting a kick out of moving. I did the first three or four winter track leagues at the Olympic park and ended up in hospital once or twice. All the rules…

“I wasn’t necessarily expecting to get picked for the Tour de Yorkshire so I’m pretty excited about that. I’ve done it twice before. The first time it was still a one-day race and last year it came at the end of quite a hard block with the British Cycling Academy. “I just remember suffering a lot so hopefully it won’t be so bad this year. I’m one of the younger, slightly less experienced riders on the road so I think I’ll be in a helping-out role. “Originally, I was going to be doing the Elsy Jacobs in Luxembourg before the Tour of California. But I’ve taken that out now because, talking through it with my track coach, it’s a lot of stage races really close together. In October I stepped…

BOOK NOW ukcyclingevents.co.uk Words by Simon Warren Join us for the launch of our brand new event for 2019! Starting from Warwick Racecourse the early miles of this event are sublimely gentle but as it dips its toes into the Cotswolds things get decidedly lumpier. For those with no love of hills the short route is confined to the flat roads to the east of Warwick without venturing south like the longer courses, which both head down past Straford-upon-Avon. Tracing the banks of the River Avon and criss-crossing through the quiet lanes across the Vale of Evesham the calm serenity is broken upon reaching Mickleton. From here you face the double whammy of Campden Road and Ebrington Hill, the first two of a series of testing ascents. Set on steady…

If you had a time machine or could look into a crystal ball, what would you see on the cycling landscape of five, 15 or even 30 years into the future? How will innovations in science and technology, many of them already taking shape, impact upon our sport and, specifically, the ways we train? We asked around among experts working at the cutting edge of cycling science to garner their insights, predictions and best guesses — and I can tell you from the outset, the future looks bright, if not a little scary. Your training will be personalised to your genome Could genetic testing become so advanced that every day your training schedule and diet plan will be precisely tailored to your unique DNA? Already there are a plethora of…

Two winters ago I found myself short of spare time. In an effort to keep fit, I started running. Time efficiency was key. On two feet, I could get in a good workout in the amount of time it would take me to get kitted out and warmed up on the bike. I hadn’t run for years and my ankles and knees were soon protesting. When summer came, I got back on my bike and enjoyed the fitness I’d maintained, as well as the impact-free exertion of two wheels. But as last winter drew in, the trainers came back out and the joints started aching again. This time, my right ankle suffered worse. Any long run and the pain would shoot up the inside of my calf. It got so…

Road Racing FRIDAY, APRIL 19 Alan Rosner Memorial (Redbridge circuit, Ilford): E, 1, 2, 3: 1. Rhys Howells (Richardsons-Trek); 2. T. Torrie (Vitus Pro Cycling); 3. E. Ward (unattached); 4. J. Gales (Kibosh); 5. F. Pett (DAP CC); 6. T. Elwood (Team LDN); 7. D. Schils (Velo Schils-Interbike); 8. S. Alexander (Richardsons-Trek); 9. C. Wright (Strada Sport); 10. R. Clegg (PMR). Women E, 1, 2, 3, 4: 1. Francesca Cutts (Team LDN); 2. J. George (Torelli-Assure); 3. I. Chastell (LIV AWOL); 4. L. Higham (LIV AWOL); 5. A. Speake (Team LDN); 6. C. Colclough (Bianchi Dama). 2, 3, 4: 1. Andy Lyons (API Metrow); 2. C. Bailey (unattached); 3. M. Barningham (Vicious Velo); 4. K. Nelson (Crawley Wheelers); 5. O. Wood (Strada Sport); 6. S. Asker (Lee Valley YCC). SATURDAY,…

I have to admit that the thought of doing some bike racing this summer has occurred to me. I’m making no promises, but for the first time in a year or two I’m finding the idea of pinning on a number and laying down some wattage to be an attractive one. There is, of course, an issue. I want to win. I don’t go racing so that when you ring your mum to announce your victory and she asks you how many were racing, you have another body to add to the total. I want to impress my mum, not yours. And here’s the thing. In recent years the standard of training that people do, the level of commitment, and the results that they get have improved. If you go…

GD Supermercados Froix, Galicia, Spain Why Spain? It was the opportunity to ride for this team. They’ve been one of the top-rated teams in Spain for over 30 years, producing some very good riders, but no British guy has ever ridden for them. I liked the idea of something a bit different. What’s the team like? They have a good race calendar, good equipment and provide a lot of support. Their whole attitude is to have fun and be relaxed and let the results take care of themselves. I see myself progressing with them. How’s Galicia for training? It’s right on the coast so I have flat and rolling rides, but when I head into the interior I have mountainous routes. How’s the racing? I raced for Zappi’s in Italy…

I write this sitting at the kitchen table of my childhood home in Milngavie, while my mother cuts my hair. I have agreed reluctantly. The bottom of my hair is dyed pink and so as she snips — although she claims to be cutting out the dead ends — she’s also cutting out the fun bit. I wasn’t planning on being in Milngavie today. It’s not the kind of place you end up in by accident, but here I am. Fate brought me. I missed my final connecting flight to Manchester on the way back from Australia after a delay taking off (something to do with the plane’s left flange or lack thereof) and discovered it was cheaper and four hours faster to just go to Glasgow instead. So I…

Poel position Corendon-Circus rider Mathieu van der Poel won De Brabantse Pijl to repeat his father Adri’s feat of 34 years earlier. Julian Alaphilippe (Deceuninck-Quick Step) finished second, with Tim Wellens (Lotto-Soudal) also reaching the podium. It was Van der Poel’s second victory this month, having already claimed victory at Dwars door Vlaanderen. The women’s race was won by Sophie de Wuyst (Parkhotel-Valkenberg). Team Sky to start as Ineos at Romandie Dave Brailsford’s team will officially become Team Ineos at the Tour de Romandie on April 30. The change, which was announced in mid-March, was originally planned for the Tour de Yorkshire on May 2, but has been brought forward. Chris Froome will lead Team Sky at the Tour of the Alps for their final appearance, and says winning the…

While chatting with a younger cyclist who was struggling with low power figures during the early stages of a comeback, I was struck by the following thought: What if the following instructions accompanied a recently purchased stationary training bicycle? First calibrate the power meter. Then press ‘R’ and begin the automatic ramp test. On completion of the test the computer will assess your power and heart rate data before issuing you with training instructions for the day. This will be followed by a list of the ways in which technology has reduced the pleasure experienced when cycling. Looking back I am thankful that I became a cyclist in 1955. I entered my teenage years when technology consisted of a pocket watch mounted on the handlebar. I agree with French coach…

“Road racing has got dead expensive.” Male racer, 30s, Merseyside “I managed the local road series for eight years. It has now become over-populated with new, fast riders who cannot handle a bike and has become dangerous. We need to introduce some form of development process before people are allowed to race on the road.” Male racer, 50s, Midlands “The small number of races and huge number of points needed to get an elite licence for women means that you almost have to enter every race available to get the number of points to do it.” Male racer, 30s, London “Although it will not stop me racing, crashing and being unable to work is a worry. I’m self-employed so would not get paid if off.” Male racer, 40s, Tyne &…

One discipline that seems to have been unmoved by changes in the sport, for good and bad, is time trialling. Cycling Time Trials, the sport’s governing body, doesn’t collect figures for the number of riders — the registration system is club based — but it does record participant numbers. These show that participations have been pretty much flat between 2002 and 2017. Participations reached a low of 145,251 in 2004 and a high of 189,702 in 2014 but have generally remained around the 167,000 mark. CTT national secretary Nick Sharpe says over a longer period there is a steady decline but it’s not time to panic just yet. He explains: “I think one of the reasons is there has been a loss of some of the ‘queen’ courses, particularly the…

Tour de Romandie, April 30-May 5 Including two time trials and two mountain stages, this six-day race at the western end of Switzerland is typically used by Tour de France hitters as a building block for July. Its list of past winners is illustrious. 2018 winner: Primož Roglič Tour of Chongming Island, May 9-11 Chongming may be an alluvial island sat in the mouth of China’s Yangtze River but at 50-miles long and 10-miles wide, it’s big enough to have a three-day WorldTour race of its own. Mostly flat, it tends to be dominated by sprinters, with Kirsten Wild a three-time winner. 2018 winner: Charlotte Becker Tour of California, May 12-18 (Men’s) May 16-18 (Women’s) Although clashing with the Giro and not of much interest to top Tour contenders, California…

Campagnolo has launched an updated 12-speed version of its Chorus groupset, introducing the extra sprocket further along its groupset hierarchy. It benefits from much of the same technology as the top tier Record and Super Record mechanical groupsets, but with the expected material and weight differences to hit the lower price point. Ergopower shifters Chorus is available as both a rim and disc-brake groupset, and in both forms it receives the updated controls that Record and Super-Record pioneered. As is now standard on all of Campag’s disc-brake options, the hoods sit 8mm higher than the rim-brake equivalents to better accommodate the master cylinder. However, while the groupset will have customisable ergonomics for small hands, the Chorus disc-brake levers miss out on the AMS adjustment of the Record or Super-Record groupsets.…

As science advances, so inevitably do doping practices. Dishonest athletes will always find smarter ways of cheating the system. A particular concern looking ahead is gene doping, with the potential that DNA could be manipulated to improve performance or even to breed super-athletes — a terrifying eugenics scenario evoking the sci-fi movie Gattaca. Professor Richard Holt from the University of Southampton says: “How many athletes are experimenting with this technique is uncertain, but we know that a large number of common genetic variations contribute together to create the elite athlete. For example, mutations in the erythropoietin receptor gene can dramatically increase the production of red blood cells.” Geneticist professor Yannis Pitsiladis points out that it is not only sport that faces the risk of these technologies falling into the wrong…

■ Don’t be a typical bloke Seek help early. Injures do not magically disappear and it’s your training time you’re wasting. ■ Get the right help Your GP is a good start, but a good physio or chiropractor may be better still. With technology to see what’s going on internally, often a diagnosis can be made in minutes. ■ Do the exercises prescribed You don’t have to join a gym to lift weights. My calf raises were done in my back garden with a loaded rucksack on my back while the TheraBand was used in front of the TV. ■ Don’t rush back I was constantly fighting the urge to ignore the physio’s advice and go for a run to test my ankle. Luckily I was able to ride my…

Tour of the Alps (April 22-26) Tao Geoghegan Hart scored his first professional victory on stage one of the Italian race. The 24-year-old Team Sky rider was part of a leading bunch of selected climbers contesting a sprint at the finish. The Londoner was able to narrowly hold off Alex Aranburu (Caja-Rural). Arno Wallaard Memorial (April 20) There was a British one-two in the Netherlands, with Alex Richardson (Canyon-dhb-Bloor Homes) taking his first professional win. Beating compatriot Matt Walls to the line in the sprint, Richardson’s team-mate Jacob Hennessy finished seventh. Tour du Loir et Cher (April 17-21) James Shaw recorded his best ever stage race result, finishing fourth at the five-day French race. The SwiftCarbon rider, who was third on stage three, finished just six seconds shy of race…

The first torque wrench patent was filed in the US in 1931. The principle is simple — avoid over or under-tightening of fasteners by measuring exactly how tightly they’re done up. Cycling managed for the most part to ignore this technology until the early 21st Century. In those distant, far off times, riders learned how tight was right the same way you learned to corner in the wet — by doing it harder and harder until suddenly it all went wrong and left you dragging the tangled wreckage to the bike shop. Then, next time, you did it a little bit less hard, and all was well. The advent of carbon components, with a smaller margin for error, led to the widespread adoption of accurate torque settings. Exceeding them would…

Mathieu van der Poel continued his exceptional spring campaign, winning Amstel Gold in front of an adoring home crowd. The Dutchman animated what will likely be remembered as the most gripping final kilometre of the season, pulling seven riders up to the leading trio and then sprinting past them. “I didn’t even have the energy to put my hands in the air,” the 24-year-old Corendon-Circus rider told the Belgian press. “At three kilometres from the finish, nobody could tell me what position I was riding in; not the race radio or the team car. I didn’t believe I was racing for the win. Only in the finishing straight did I see them ahead.” The race had looked like becoming a two-up sprint between Julian Alaphilippe (Deceuninck-Quick-Step) and Jakob Fuglsang (Astana),…

Vuelta a Castilla y Leon (April 25-27) Reigning champion Rubén Plaza attempts to defend his 2018 crown for Israel Cycling Academy in the race that he won for the first time in 2013. A mountainous three days in Spain, Alberto Contador won this race three times in his career. Tour of Brittany (April 25-May 1) First organised in 1967, there are seven stages in north-west France, all of which will be contested by promising U23 riders for development teams from Dimension Data, Groupama-FDJ and SEG Racing Academy. Each stage is rolling, affording chances aplenty for sprinters and rouleurs. Rutland-Melton CiCLE Classic (April 28) Britain’s most iconic one-day UCI race, the East Midlands event includes some tough off-road sectors. Selected groups tend to contest the finish — just like in domestic…

I got my first road bike when I was 11, so about 53 years ago. When I was at school I did cyclo-cross and time trials and then when I left university I did mainly road racing and a bit of time trialling. I got to be a first cat. I stopped racing when I got a job abroad and I was doing a lot of travelling. I could do vets racing; I know there are leagues for those but it’s not really appealed to me that much. Having done formal racing when I was younger, I felt I got it out of my system. I guess I’m naturally a fairly competitive person on club rides. We’ll have a bit of a race to the top of the hill or…

It looks like Oakley and 100% got company. Texan brand Roka has broken into the cycling sunglasses market and the WorldTour, already sponsoring Dan Martin, Niki Terpstra, Rui Costa and the Total-Direct Energie and Boels-Dolmans teams. With the Roka CP-1 customisable model you get to choose the colour of your frame, lenses, rocker and arms to match your team kit or just to stand out from the crowd. The CP-1s have also been designed with performance in mind and the glasses are ultra-lightweight at 27 grams. Roka’s patented Geko retention system involves sticky, serrated rubber on the nose-pad and arms. “THE SYSTEM WORKS, THE CP-1S STAYING IN PLACE EVEN WHEN YOU HANG YOUR HEAD IN SUFFERING” The system works, as the CP-1s comfortably grip your head without causing discomfort, staying…

Within 10 years coaches (physical and software) will have mapped how training intensity, volume and fatigue interact on an individual basis — a ‘fingerprint’ of the athlete. I’m not sure who will make the discovery first, human or computer… Michael Rogers, retired Australian WorldTour pro We will see increasing numbers of biometric as well as biomechanical variables being measured using wearable electronic devices. Our ability to understand them will fall progressively behind our ability to measure them. Pseudo-science will be enhanced as a result. ‘Experts’ will grow in number and fool masses glowing graphs and numbers. Only a few experts will understand what some of these mean. Dr Jeroen Swart, medical director UAE Team Emirates Monitoring individual athlete response to training load, nutrition and recovery using hormone blood markers. Dr…