Innehållsförteckning för June 13, 2019 från Cycling Weekly

Many races have come and gone from the British racing calendar over the years, even in the relatively short period of time I’ve been pedalling along. Some are missed more than others. One of those is the Tour of the Peak, a one-day race that brought to a close the season-long Premier Calendar competition. Local lad Mark Lovatt was a legend of this event, winning it six years on the trot. I rode the event in 1999, when he won it for the second time. The race split early and I was — surprise, surprise — at the back and got pulled out. The story from someone who made the lead group that day was one that came back to me upon reading this week’s feature. The group went flat…

Baby Giro d’Italia (June 13-23) The premier U23 stage race spanning 11 days and including stages for sprinters, rouleurs, time triallists and climbers, the actions get under way with a 3.6km prologue. Russia has provided the last two winners in Aleksandr Vlasov (2018) and Pavel Sivakov (2017). Ronde de l’Oise (June 13-16) The French race in the Oise region of the country has roots that stretch back to 1952, but it has only been on the UCI calendar since 2004. Primarily targeted by rising stars, Britain has had some success of late: Josh Edmondson won in 2015, and last year Fred Wright rode to second. ZLM Tour (June 19-23) The five-stage race in the Netherlands promises a mostly flat parcours, but the prospect of crosswinds could derail the chances of…

On a scale of one to 10, how would you rate your last race? An eight for the overall Tour Series. I won one race and finished second overall. I was really pleased. The team gave it a good go for the overall but we finished second to Canyon-dhb-Bloor Homes. Do you like criteriums? I love them. I prefer the National Circuit Series in July, as the emphasis is on racing for the win, unlike the Tour Series where it’s about the best team. What’s your short-term goal? The U23 Worlds is a big target. It all seems to align. It’s my last year in that age category, it’s on home roads and the course seems to suit me with lots of punchy climbs. Why did you leave Team Wiggins…

It’s been nearly 10 years since Liv first launched the Avail, with the range a real hit as a comfortable endurance-style bike. However, over the years it has been slightly overshadowed by the brand’s more race-orientated bikes, the lightweight Langma and aero Enviliv. But now the Avail is front and centre again with a total makeover. Liv says the fine-tuning of the geometry on the new Avail Advanced is mostly down to making it 32c tyre compatible — the previous version was limited to 25s. The wider tyre capability not only means it gains greater freedom for roaming the roads less travelled, but it entails a whole chassis rework too. To accommodate the wider tyres the bike gets a longer fork, a lowered bottom bracket, a shorter head tube, more…

Julia Shaw: “Top of my list would be a power meter. They’re not that expensive nowadays but it just enables you to train much more effectively.” Phil Burt: “Before buying your first time trial bike, I think it’s worth going for a physical- or medical-led bike-fit.” Julia Shaw: “Get some guidance on training. Not necessarily a full-on coaching programme, but a proven training plan. They can work brilliantly for beginners as guidance.” Courtney Rowe: “Get a few side-on shots of yourself and a few of high-performing riders; you can look at WorldTour riders or the more successful riders in your locale, and you can get your position 95 percent right without overcomplicating the situation. That’s the approach that I take with riders I’m dealing with who are not at the…

Road Racing SUNDAY, JUNE 9 Lancaster Grand Prix (National Road Series round three, Lancaster): E, 1, 2: 1. Ian Bibby (Madison-Genesis) 100 miles in 3:54.22; 2. J. Shaw (SwiftCarbon Pro Cycling) same time; 3. D. Tullett (Team Wiggins Le Col); 4. M. Stedman (Canyon dhb p/b Bloor Homes); 5. S. Lampier (Saint Piran) +0.03; 6. A. Slater (Vitus Pro Cycling p/b Brother) +0.11; 7. L. Day (Canyon dhb p/b Bloor Homes) +0.22; 8. A. Richardson (Canyon dhb p/b Bloor Homes) same time; 9. J. Jenkins (Richardsons-Trek RT); 10. R. Scott (Team Wiggins Le Col) +0.24. Overall classification (after three rounds): 1. Steve Lampier 60pts; 2. I. Bibby 58; 3. M. Holmes (Madison-Genesis) 56; 4. J. Shaw 42; 5. A. Slater 39; 6. T. Stewart (Canyon dhb) 38. Team classification: 1.…

What’s your background? I was a decent footballer but when I got to 15 I wasn’t enjoying it anymore and after watching the Tour de France I decided to give cycling a go. I went down to Maindy Flyers in Cardiff, Alan Davis the coach was brilliant with me and since then I’ve not looked back. Why France? I wanted to race a lot this season and I was told by a lot of people that I would have more race days and learn more by being in Europe so that’s what I’ve done. My best offer was from VC Toucy and the team’s calendar is excellent. How’s the racing? I’ve learned who the strong riders and teams are, and my race preparation has definitely improved since being here. The…

Former cyclo-cross world champion Wout van Aert will ride his first Tour de France this year, after Jumbo-Visma announced their squad that will travel to France in July. The Dutch team will arrive in Brussels on July 6 with GC and stage win ambitions. Steven Kruijswijk will target the overall classification, after finishing fifth in last year’s edition, and Dylan Groenewegen will contest the sprint stages, having picked up a total of three Tour de France stage wins across the 2017 and 2018 races. “Wout is ready for this next step,” said Visma’s sport director Merijn Zeeman. “He makes our team stronger. He hasn’t had a lot of race days yet and Wout has prepared himself in an ideal way. After the Tour, he will ride the Prudential Ride London…

What comes to mind when you think of the Classics? Belgium, right? Or France. Italy maybe? The Tour of Flanders, Paris-Roubaix or Milan-San Remo — the big early season races that draw the world’s best riders to do battle in front of huge roadside and TV audiences. What about British classics though? The Grand Prix of Essex, the Girvan 3-Day, the Archer Grand Prix, the Tour of the Cotswolds, the Manx International and the Tour of the Peak, are all no more. A slew of races that had tested riders and entertained crowds for generations have almost all disappeared from the calendar. In the first in a new series we are going to look at these once-great races, their winners, their history and most importantly the roads that set them…

Companies approach riders initially, attracted by their online audience, for their values and respectability within the cycling world. The brand and rider will agree to the request, which could be a YouTube vlog, or an Instagram post and story. Brands will pay for the sponsorship and cover expenses, although sometimes payment is being able to keep the product or an all-expenses paid-for trip to a destination. Hall reveals: “There is a misconception that we’re in it because we’re getting paid for it. Compared to the rest of the influencer market, the cycling world is a minnow. There’s little money in cycling.” McVitty adds: “Because I love cycling, I would prefer to get a full new winter kit for free than having to spend £1,000 on new kit.” Martinello, though, has…

As a white man in my 30s, I’m a typical British cyclist. So typical, in fact, that my place in cycling’s demographic profile had never really occurred to me — until now, speaking with up-and-coming track cyclist Yewande Adesida, who knows what it’s like to feel untypical. “When I rock up to a race and I’m the only black woman there,” she says, “it makes me sad still now.” The 25-year-old Londoner is sitting opposite me in a gastro-pub in leafy Barnes, having agreed to take a break from her PhD studies at Imperial College to discuss her nascent track career — and the uneasy backdrop of cycling’s diversity problem. Being the only black woman at bike races must feel exceptionally strange, I venture, given the greater diversity in most…

Gran Premio Città di Lugano (June 9) Local resident Diego Ulissi led a UAE-Team Emirates one-two ahead of Alexandr Riabushenko. They finished in a small break of four, with no less than Vincenzo Nibali hot on their heels in fifth, sharpening his Shark’s teeth ahead of the Tour on this hilly 179km outing in Switzerland. Memorial Philippe van Coningsloo (June 9) Canyon-dhb-Bloor Homes featured two riders in the top three in the Belgian UCI 1.2 race. Rory Townsend claimed his third UCI podium finish of the season, placing second behind winner Gerben Thijssen, Townsend’s 20-year-old team-mate Charles Page finished third. Hammer Limburg (June 7-9) Thanks in part to an outstanding ride from teenage sensation Remco Evenepoel, Deceuninck-Quick Step dominated the second round of the Velon series, winning the climb and…

Despite suffering from a virus in the week before, Marcin Białobłocki (Steele Davis Via Roma RT) powered to victory in the National Circuit Championship in Gloucestershire on Sunday. The 35-year-old from Bridgwater clocked 1:20.40 to take victory by more than three minutes from Phil Williams (Liverpool Phoenix CC) over the two-lap 39-mile course near Marshfield. “I was very pleased to win, and a bit surprised too because I’ve had a virus this week,” said Białobłocki. “With five minutes to go I still felt like I had something left in the tank.” The expected challenge from Dan Bigham and Chris Fennell didn’t materialise, with both being non-starters. Meanwhile, Kelly Murphy (Storey Racing) was crowned women’s winner, taking her first national title and securing the Sigma Sports Classic TT Series overall too.…

I’m in Italy with the gals at the moment racing a UCI Class 1 on the track. The men’s event is a six-day (Fiorenzuola 6 Giorni Delle Rose) and there’s women’s racing on five of the evenings. We decided we’d enter the final three evenings of racing: the points race, the omnium and the Madison. Then the night before we flew, a Kiwi rider messaged my team-mate Elinor Barker saying, “Haha, you can’t race in that,” referring to the skirt she was wearing in a photo. Turns out the programme had changed, we hadn’t heard, and the Madison qualification heats would now be taking place a few hours after we landed in Milan. Thank goodness for Instagram… Luckily, doing a warm-up before qualifications is for dweebs. It’s for the kind…

Geraint Thomas (Team Ineos) The Welshman has tweaked his programme compared to last year, with more stage racing and just the one Classic (Strade Bianche). His recent third on GC at the Tour de Romandie suggests it’s working. The favourite to win here. CW rating ★★★★★ Simon Spilak (Katusha-Alpecin) Thomas’s chief rival has netted three stage-race top 10s already this season — including an impressive sixth at the recent Tour of California. He enjoys the Swiss race and will no doubt be motivated by the hat-trick. Should be a good battle. CW rating ★★★★ Stefan Küng (Groupama-FDJ) For the 25-year-old powerhouse this is his home tour, and he has previous here having won the time trial and worn the yellow jersey for four days last year. He has already expressed…

Brammeier retires Cyclo-cross star Nikki Brammeier has announced that she is pregnant and will retire from professional racing aged 32, after a 15-year career. The three-time national CX champion, who has also won World Cup rounds and had success in mountain biking, is married to British Cycling Academy coach Matt. Brammeier said: “To begin with I wanted to take a year out… and come back to race again. However, with a lot of thinking time, I decided it was time for a new chapter.” 25 …the speed in miles per hour of an e-bike and rider who was fined for speeding in East Flanders. The incident took place in an 18mph (30kph) zone where police were cracking down on speeding vehicles. The sanction was a fine of 55 euros (£48).…

My entry for your 100km challenge is a total ramp-fest in the Surrey Hills. On the downside it is a little short in vertical compared to Simon Warren’s 2,600m in the North York Moors. But on the upside it is seriously spiky, more than 20 ramps over 15 per cent, of which half are steeper than 20 per cent. It’s all run off in the Surrey Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, so scenery is lovely and it’s easy to get to. The longest section of flat road is only about two kilometres long and the route map looks rather pretty! My intended start/finish point is in Coldharbour, at the top of Broomehall Lane and near the Plough pub, but it could of course start anywhere on the route. Other…

“Short and simple, money. Over the years I had by hook or by crook scraped together enough money from sponsorship to keep it ticking over,” recalls former organiser Barry Broadbent. “I had struck up a great relationship with the Chesterfield police force, whose motorcycle outriders marshalled the event for a very good price. In the run up to the 2003 edition though I received a call from their superiors in Derby which would throw a spanner in the works and usher in the death of the race. “The chief of police in Derby called to say he wanted £5,000 for their services, as this was now the going rate and I needed to pay up. Well, we didn’t have £5,000 and with the race just weeks away I explained that…

What At this price point without very expensive aero bikes in the mix there are more or less two categories: endurance machines frequently run discs and have clearance for bigger rubber while rim-braking pure road bikes roll on skinnier, lighter tyres. Hydraulic disc-braking systems are more expensive than rim brakes so while you might expect an 11-speed Shimano 105 groupset if you go for the latter, with the former you’re looking at a step down to 10-speed Shimano Tiagra. There’s also the weight to bear in mind: a rim-braking carbon bike with a 105 set-up can easily break the 8kg barrier, but you could be looking at up to an extra kilo if you go for disc brakes and a groupset a rung down. As for the frames, they’re generally…

With a carbon frame and all-carbon fork, along with Shimano 105 hydraulic shifting and braking, the Vitus Zenium CR provides a good-value package at a price at which many brands are offering Tiagra. That’s a step up that seems to have been bought at the expense of the wheels and tyres but it’s not a bad trade-off. Overall it provides a nice ride. The Cube Attain GTC is a great shout for those who want to ride sportives fast. Its geometry and frame are comfortable without sacrificing speed or performance. The Scott Addict 30 Disc is a really good option for the endurance rider, with a comfortable ride that doesn’t impact on your power delivery. On its 32mm tyres, it rolls over road imperfections beautifully and we enjoyed our time…

Beginner: 50 minutes total 15min warm-up, 3x 5min @Z5, 5min recovery in between 5min warm-down Advice: Ride on feel and measure the distance covered in each interval Intermediate: 50 minutes total 15min warm-up, 2x 15min @sweetspot (88-93% FTP), 5min recovery in between, 5min warm-down Advice: Try to build up to two times 20 minutes at sweetspot, then start to minimise the resting times Expert: 45min total 15min warm-up, 5-6x 2min @VO2max (110-120% FTP), 2min recovery in between, 5min warm-down Advice: Add this session into your week on top of the sweetspot session, working up to eight times 2:30 intervals Also try: Zwift FTP builder — a selection of structured workouts for the indoor trainer, ranging from four-week plans to 12-week plans Zwift racing: Courtney Rowe says: “Nothing will improve your…

US cycling activist and elite racer Ayesha McGowan, who is aspiring to become the first African-American female pro road cyclist, tells CW how she came to recommend Yewande Adesida as the face of SRAM’s AXS range. “Kate Powlison [SRAM brand manager] said she was working on product shoots for 2019 and their current network of athletes and ambassadors did not reflect the state they wanted it to. She asked for recommendations for cyclists of colour. Yewande was on my list. “Campaigns like this can shine a light on underrepresented communities. This is key to getting more people who don’t identify as white men into cycling. “Having a woman of colour be the first face of such a major industry tech advancement also gave priority to representation and set an example…

My friend Bernard recently sought my advice. We were out for a ride, when he asked, “What training should I do?” “I don’t know,” I said. Sadly the conversation did not end there, as I had very much hoped it would. I had, after all, brought to bear on the matter every scrap of insight and interest I could muster. “I’m going like a dog at the moment,” he said. “So clearly I’m doing something wrong. You wrote a book on this stuff, so what should I do?” It’s true that I wrote a book, but it was on the science of fast cycling — the physiology of an elite athlete, the mindset, the nutrition and suchlike. I’m still badly equipped to deal with specific questions posed by particular riders.…

The object of the race debrief is to make it clear to a rider that you could have done better. It is a list of all the things they did wrong. The first rule is never to suggest that a better result might have been obtained through riding faster. Riders know when they had more to give physically and when they didn’t. Instead, stick to retrospective tactical insights, which can never be disproved. In general you’ll be right if you tell a rider that they made their move too soon. This holds good for mountain attacks, sprints, and breakaways. It is a tactical truism that you can never leave it too late. If someone else attacked to good effect, tell your rider that they should have followed them. Ignore any…

Word reaches us of two pro riders from different teams, out for a training ride together. All was going very well until they came to a T-junction. Arriving side-by-side, they saw a car approaching. Instead of stopping, the rider on the outside swerved across the path of the inner rider, knocking him off, so he could squeeze round on the inside of the junction. “What the hell was that?” demanded the downed rider, dusting himself off. “The mechanic put new brake rotors on the bike,” explained the other. “I didn’t want to wear them out, so I thought I’d just keep going.”…