Innehållsförteckning för June 18, 2020 från Cycling Weekly

Last week I took the plunge and did my first race on Zwift. I’m a big fan of the training sessions on the platform and they helped my fitness no end through spring when I wasn’t riding on the road, but I’d been avoiding the races. I had a sneaking suspicion that they wouldn’t really suit me for two reasons. First, any results I got in road racing years ago were largely down to my ability to sit in the wheels and get dragged along while putting out very little eff ort. Second, I was always able to push myself harder when there was a wheel to hang on to. That determination not to get dropped was a great motivator to me. Neither of these things are quite as effective…

Sunweb change kit design Sunweb have unveiled a new kit for the rest of 2020, switching out the red and white for black and white for the remainder of the season. Having turned to red as their main jersey colour in 2019, this new kit is very similar to the original Sunweb kit the team wore during 2017 and 2018, after changing title sponsor from Giant-Alpecin. Going back further, the squad also wore a black and white striped jersey in 2014 as Giant-Shimano. #bikeisbest campaign kicked off A huge new cycling industry campaign involving 50 organisations hopes to get more people on bikes. Supporters include multiple world champion Shanaze Reade and sports presenter Jacqui Oatley. It has been described as the biggest cycling campaign since the 1970s. Reade said: “We…

Like you, we’re adjusting to a new way of life right now, working our way through as best we can. But one thing that will remain part of our lives is riding our bikes. There may be no racing for a while, and our riding is limited, but we’re still cyclists and always will be. Our content will now be focused on helping you through the months ahead with inspiring stories and advice on how to cope in a rapidly changing world. When it’s all over, we look forward to getting out and riding with you once again. Cycling is more than a sport, it’s a way of life Cycling Weekly will be there to help you through the months ahead Subscribe NOW for as little as £28.99 or £2.28…

TRAININGPEAKS Cost: $9 Benefits: Best used in conjunction with a TrainingPeaks training plan (additional cost) or while being coached. Allows you to track and monitor fatigue, fitness and form as well as plan, upload or export training sessions. GOLDEN CHEETAH Cost: free Benefits: Forensic levels of data analysis, rigorously supported by scientific research. If you want total control of your data, have a deep understanding of physiology and a clear purpose to your analysis this is the tool for you. TODAY’S PLAN Cost: £9 Benefits: In-depth analysis, access to training plans and the ability for individuals or coaches to set and adapt training via the intuitive daily calendar. An excellent one-stop resource for recording, monitoring and assessing training progress. KOMOOT Cost: £2.49 Benefits: If route planning is your thing, Komoot…

Picking up from last month’s update, I’ve continued to follow the advice of nutritionist Charlie Mitten (qualifiednutrition.com) – meaning I’m still consuming much more than I was previously. On average, I’m now taking on around 80g of carbohydrate per hour while riding, while also paying more attention to post-ride and recovery protein. It feels well worth the added gram-watching, as I’ve been feeling much better on and off the bike. Training has taken a more structured approach now that there seems to be a little more confidence about the resumption of racing. British Cycling recently posted its plans to restart the regional and national events; we await confirmation and dates. I’ve pretty much restarted my training programme as if it was December again – albeit with better weather and no…

1 What year was the Tour de France first run? 2 The race was the idea of which newspaper owner? 3 At which Paris venue did the Tour finish (almost) every year between its inauguration and 1967? 4 The Champs-Elysées finish has been used every year since 1975. Which venue was used from 1968-74? 5 Which was the first year the Tour ventured into the high mountains — eliciting the famous “assassins!” protest from eventual winner Octave Lapize? 6 Jacques Anquetil was the first member of the Club Cinq of five-time winners. What year did he win his final Tour? 7 Predictably, France leads the way in wins, followed by the old countries of Belgium, Spain and Italy. Who is fifth? 8 Bernard Hinault was the last home winner in…

THE RACE FIERCE FELINES TT As the name suggests, this is the women’s series. The 34km-long course includes 139m of climbing. You’ll also need a power meter to get a result. Sat 20 June, 13:30 THE WORKOUT TEAM BREEZE WORKOUT Sure to be uncomfortable, this involves intervals at threshold and VO2 max. You’ll stay with the group regardless but it won’t be easy. GB team riders may well drop in. Fri 19 June, 12:00 THE CAFE RIDE TRINITY RACING GROUP RIDE Ride with Tom Pidcock and co in what is billed as a general spin but with a final 15 minutes that will be a “typical U23 smashfest”. Best be ready for that. Fri 19 June, 08:00…

Like your editor, me and my regular cycling partner got together for a two-hour bike ride last Tuesday for the first time since February. How much more enjoyable to have someone to talk to. The problem with the two-metre rule is that transmission of the virus is very unlikely when someone is beside you. It would be any person riding behind you that could be affected. The upshot is that riding two abreast is the best scenario. If the government had listened to what the WHO had to say months ago, maybe we wouldn’t be in this chaotic situation in the first place. James Wood, email Ed- The dynamics of airflow around and between riders is something that has never been looked at (as far as we’re aware) in terms…

At the Yorkshire World Championships, Trek-Segafredo announced the signing of three young talents. Bäckstedt joined the US-registered team along with world junior road race champion, Quinn Simmons and British under-23 time-trial champion Charlie Quarterman. This move to the pro ranks made the Welshwoman the youngest on any of the eight newly created Women’s WorldTeams. “Things have changed and if you don’t sign those young ones they’re gone, and it’s nice to work with the young ones and see what they can do,” says Ina-Yoko Teutenberg, the women’s squad lead sports director. “If you read through all her results in the Nations Cup, you know how versatile she was and successful, so I think it’s trying to pinpoint a young one we think we can develop.” But, even with analysis of…

It takes a certain type of character to room with Fabian Cancellera: one who can act as a sponge to his confidence and exuberance; one who can assist him; and one who can provide realism when needed. For five years, that job fell to Stuart O’Grady. “That’s a helluva long time to be roomies and we became fairly close, finding out each other’s information, characteristics and personalities,” the 2007 Paris-Roubaix winner reflects. O’Grady acted as Cancellara’s right-hand man and says: “I was getting on in years and not able to win as much as I used to, so for me to be able to use my knowledge and expertise in leadership to help someone who could deliver, we bonded quickly. “He was the muscle, always trying to win, and I…

The Ibex 2.0 tops out Korean helmet specialists HJC’s lightweight race range. While relatively unknown in the world of cycling, HJC is one of the world’s leading motorcycle helmet manufacturers and has an enviable reputation with our motorised cousins. The most unique feature of the Ibex 2.0 has to be its self-adjusting fit system, or SELFIT as HJC calls it. This does away with the traditional retention dial and is instead spring-loaded, meaning it is constantly adjusting the fit to best accommodate your head, even during riding. Further adjustment facilities enable the rider to fine-tune the fit even more. THE SELF-ADJUSTING FIT SYSTEM IS SPRING-LOADED Weighing in at 228 grams for a medium (55-59cm), all-day comfort was a design priority and this is reflected in the 16 strategically placed vents…

Late last month, training platform Strava made some significant changes to its user terms. Some of the features that were previously free are now available only with a paid-for subscription, and most new development will be available only to subscribers. In Strava’s own words to its users, “A few of our free features that are especially complex and expensive to maintain, like segment leaderboards, will become subscription features. And from now on, more of our new feature development will be for subscribers – we’ll invest the most in the athletes who have invested in us.” There followed an eruption of passionate responses on social media, many attacking Strava’s decision, but also quite a few defending the platform. We’ve been forced to reassess the value of segments, KOMs and kudos to…

Well, the charms of Zwift racing wore off fairly quickly, so I’ve had to find a way to freshen up the lockdown routine. After a few weeks, emptying the tank in the living room and averaging 360 watts, yet still only finishing 40th in the A category, wore a little thin. I realised I needed something new to keep me motivated. May was supposed to have been a big race month. When planning out the year, I’d hoped to peak early in the month ready to hit the time trials and hopefully set some PBs, maybe even set the 20-minute time I was hoping would carry me to British National Time Trial Championship qualification. But, due to the obvious circumstances, none of that happened. Instead, I came to the end…

About a week after my last Fitness Project update (14 May), I began to feel extremely fatigued, like my energy levels had fallen off a cliff. I ended up at my GP having some blood tests, and the results came back showing I have a severely underactive thyroid gland. This meant my body was being deprived of hormones that play a critical role in metabolism and the functioning of multiple systems in the body. No wonder I felt tired. According to the doctor, the problem most likely started at some point during the last few months, possibly triggered by pregnancy; they’re not sure. The strange thing is, I was feeling great until about three weeks ago – when I just sort of hit a wall, as though I had nothing…

The beard is one of the very few accomplishments that can be achieved by sheer indolence and then bragged about afterwards. Unsurprisingly therefore, in recent years the beard has become as much a part of the male cycling landscape as telling blatant lies about that lorry you weren’t drafting behind on that Strava segment. There are some downsides. While the aerodynamics of a beard have not been fully investigated, it seems pertinent that Sir Bradley Wiggins shaved his off before his Hour record ride in 2015, and that following his retirement from pro cycling, he now looks like a lighthouse keeper. They are also a hazard to users of energy gels. While a moustache is a useful place to store excess energy gel until you’re ready to use it, the…

DAN SUDBURY, FUSION CC DRONFIELD “I have been exploring the local roads with my boys” How are you doing? My wife is a nurse in charge of a ward at Sheffield Children’s Hospital, so has been kept very busy, and being a secondary school teacher myself, I have been mainly working from home and looking after my young sons. How are you keeping yourself motivated to ride right now? I have to confess that Strava has been a motivator. Weekly and annual mileage, what my Weekly Intensity graph is looking like, have I done an activity each day? I know other Fusion CC mates have got into segment hunting and got into KOM tussles with other locals such as ‘Mr 100 Climbs’ Simon Warren. What has the club done to…

Set a target of 5,000 miles at the beginning of the year. One upside of the lockdown, I am now on for 6,500 miles. Lots of focused training has meant my 10-mile TT times are well and truly in PB territory – can’t wait to get back to racing. Graham Morrison 3,396 miles so far. Lockdown and the dry weather helped rack up the miles between March and June. Just had fewer rides above 100 miles, as no cafe stops and lack of opportunities to get water to keep hydrated. Gordon Low Done 1,800 miles in the 11 weeks since lockdown started. Riding the best I’ve ever ridden in my life, despite knocking on the door of 50. Mike Woodward Shielding in lockdown, I’ve done 1,250km on my little old…

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The sky was a palette of greys, the clouds concocting fierce, horizontal winds that whipped up and hammered the persistent hard rain into the windows incessantly. The thermometer registered three degrees. Workers, parents and children all left their houses wrapped in their most protective winter coats, wondering when March would relent and Offer some respite. Inside the walls of a Belgian hotel in Kortrijk, an animated Fabian Cancellara opened the blinds, smiled. “He could not lie in his bed,” his teammate Matti Breschel laughs. “He was an energy bomb.” The Danish Saxo Bank team were staying in the Flandrian town for four weeks as part of the 2010 northern Classics races and Cancellara was tipped as one of the favourites. In his own unassuming, shrugging-of-the-shoulders manner, he waved it all…

Alpe d’Huez Vs Col du Galibier ALPE D’HUEZ Height gain 1,071m Summit height 1,815m Length 13.2km Average gradient 8.1% Max gradient 13% Grand Tour visits 30 There’s nothing spectacularly beautiful about Alpe d’Huez, but then the same can be said about many great sports stadiums. Of course Alpe d’Huez has its moments; it just lacks the pristine scenery that many of its peers can boast as it winds upwards from Le Bourgd’Oisans to the ski station. That aside, it is without doubt the most famous climb in the Alps, even though the Tour de France didn’t visit it until 1952, when Fausto Coppi won in front of the race’s first live television audience. When you arrive at the base the road bends left and ramps up almost instantly into the most…

A good short-sleeved jersey is a staple of a cyclist’s wardrobe. Although this type of garment can shine on its own when the mercury starts rising, a good one is pretty versatile and can be worn with other layers to extend its usefulness from spring to autumn. Warm weather is the time when cycling can be properly enjoyed to the full, and the benefits of a good jersey will come to the fore. Of all the jobs a short-sleeved jersey should excel at, heat and moisture management are the two key players. The last thing a cyclist needs is to overheat or end up in an uncomfortable, sweaty mess. It’s not an easy job to get right when so many variables come into play. We also have to take into…

NO Owen Rogers Freelance cycling writer I enjoy going out as much as I can, but it is not training – it is going out, thrashing myself, going as fast as I can, then having a glass of wine afterwards. I have no events planned, no intention of racing and the only person I’m in competition with is me. I do want to improve in some ways, but I’m not so bothered as long as the age-related decline is slow. I enjoy longer rides, 40 miles plus, but also recognise the need to go out and do shorter, faster stuff. Sometimes I go fast, have a rest and then go fast again – some people call that interval training, I think! I do keep an eye on cadence, speed, heart-rate…

Coach George Fox explains why Alex needed to get to work on his sustainable power beyond the 20-minute mark To really fine-tune the training towards your targets, you need to analyse previous training completed, how the body responded to it, and what you’re actually training for. Alex had done an online training plan that covered a lot of areas for quick gains. This is great, but when I broke it down a bit further and looked at what he was actually training for, it left some gaping holes in his power profile. The most obvious gap was looking at his 20-to-60-minute power, not only in terms of FTP for zone-setting, but actually the physical difference. Many riders work on a 20-minute power, but then set their zones off 95 per…

Big news! There’s a new king of the Max Watts Challenge castle. Long-time leader Nick Cooper had been at the top of the table since the start of the contest, with 24.07w/kg, and it was looking like a tough target to beat. Then along came 45-year-old Danny Lake, from Swindon, and knocked Cooper off his perch with a massive 25.4w/kg – Lake weighs just 66.5kg yet put out a physique-defying 1,689 watts. “I noticed the Max Watts Challenge in the 4 June issue of CW,” Lake told us. “I’ve spent the past 10 weeks working on improving my max power and have gradually increased it from 1,385 watts through to 1,689 watts, which I achieved on 29 May.” He is working on his top-end power as preparation for hill-climb racing…

My lockdown training regime has had two very significant advances over the days when riding bikes was my job. The first is fairly minor. It’s just that no one expects me to do anything in the way of competition. This was always a prime method of spoiling an otherwise highly successful training regime – going to a race and discovering that it hadn’t worked. The second, greater, bonus is all the stuff I don’t bother with any more. The biggest downside to full-time training is that eventually you get to the point where you’re doing as much bike riding and gym work as your body can usefully cope with. At that point you might think you’d be able to slack off for the rest of the day. But no. There…

It has reached our attention that an enthusiastic investigator of all things aerodynamic in the cycling world has turned their attention to the matter of Covid-19 masks. Not, as you might hope, in an attempt to address any public health issues by using their expertise and swishy modelling software to investigate airflow in and out of the user’s mouth, and the consequent potential spread of infections. No, the expert in question has an eye further down the road. They’ve 3D scanned several different varieties of masks, and worked out which of them will be the fastest in a time trial, and whether wearing a mask is faster or slower than going bare-faced.…