Innehållsförteckning för January 28, 2021 från Cycling Weekly

French wheel brand Mavic will no longer provide neutral service at the Tour de France and other major races run by ASO, it was announced last week. The famous yellow cars and motorbikes, which have served the pro peloton since 1973, will be replaced by the blue of Shimano neutral service in races that also include Paris-Roubaix and Paris-Nice. Mavic has recently had financial difficulties and been through a change in ownership, though neither Mavic nor ASO said if this was the reason they ended their relationship. It will continue to serve other events. Here, some of those who have worked the yellow neutral service beat over the years share their memories. Jacques Corteggiani Service course manager at Mavic “I remember Stephen Roche, at the Clásica San Sebastián, falling during…

STEPHEN PARK Why British Cycling is right to invest in cyclo-cross As you’re reading this, our British cyclo-cross riders are in Belgium, getting ready for the UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships at the weekend. Understandably, arranging the logistics for this event wasn’t a simple task and involved a team effort across British Cycling in communicating with the UCI, the Belgian Cycling Federation and the respective French and Belgian embassies to permit travel for our team. Coupled with this, we recognised the mood of the country and considered whether it was even the right thing for us to be doing as a sports team. Ultimately though, we are acting within the government guidance, which permits elite sport to continue, and I genuinely believe in the power of sport to bring communities together…

End of an era. Harj Valencia Ah man, that yellow car behind the riders says ‘THE SUMMER IS HERE!’ I’ll miss it. Daft, but true. Bob Bailey Mavic are deep in an existential crisis, which is a shame as no one wants to see them go. Ben Hawkins I hope they [new providers Shimano] have different drivers to the guys in the Classics over the last few years. Ciaran Duffy Guess this means they won’t be doing Paris-Roubaix either? June Prescott Zat iz very unFrench. Artur Spagat What colour will the cars be? I mean a Tour without the yellow cars? Blair Clow I’m sure the cars will be blue, just like in Italy and Spain. Yacine Ushuaia Is Di2 compatible with Mavic Zap? Gary Jackson Don’t lose your team…

Among all of the qualities that have enabled Chris Froome to stand out as the greatest Grand Tour rider of his generation, arguably the most impressive has been his mental strength and resilience. There was no well-trodden path for a young bike rider from Kenya to ascend to the world’s elite. It required guile, determination and a pinch of street smarts (Froome impersonated the Kenyan cycling federation president on email to gain a spot at the U23 World Championships in 2006) to create the opportunities that would lead him to sign for Barloworld in 2008. And to then move to Sky in 2010. Having taken a very unconventional route to the top, he maintained his place there for close to a decade, swatting away numerous rivals as he racked up…

It might still be January, but now is a key time for building fitness, current restrictions allowing, ready and hoping for the fast and free riding of spring. Nailing your position is a vital element that shouldn’t be neglected – not only for the potential aero gains – but also for injury prevention. If you’re lucky enough to have a dedicated training or winter bike, should you set it up with a steep negative rise and zero layback seatpost, to help smooth the transition, or does that miss the point of a training bike? If you don’t have two bikes, should you change the set-up with the seasons? The rider Having spent 12 years as head of physiotherapy at British Cycling, Phil Burt’s first piece of advice is to reflect…

Endura Windchill II £89.99 Weight 466g The Endura Windchill Jacket II is designed to act as a windproof shield, preventing heat loss, while transporting sweat away from your body to create a comfortable, warm microclimate. It’s made using a stretchy windproof polyester fabric that has a fleecy, grid-backed inner to help trap warm air and to let moisture vapour escape. Under both arms are large, zipped vents and the whole thing is coated in a PFC-free, non-toxic water repellent finish. At the back are three sensibly-sized rear pockets with an additional zip for keys, cash and so on, and there’s also a chest zip pocket, large enough for a phone. The Windchill II is finished off with reflective details that are positioned all round. With the aim of being suitable…

Simon Myatt took his first Club 10 win in Wednesday’s race (20 January), on the London 8 course, clocking 23.37 atop the Box Hill finish. This gave him a narrow winning margin of just four seconds over previous winner Matt Blue. Another familiar name, Kelvin Hatch, was third, in 24.02. In the women’s race, Cassy Smith took a very dominant win, in 26.13, her second in as many weeks, ahead of Louise Copp, while Jo Smith was third. New CW series kicks off on Saturday A brand new Cycling Weekly series begins on Zwift this Saturday morning – see opposite page for more details. The CW Winter Lockdown RR Series will run over six weeks, on courses of 30-45km, and each week’s results will appear on this page. The top…

Not the usual tour The WorldTour level Tour Down Under may have been cancelled but organisers still managed to put on some racing in the form of the Santos Festival of Cycling over four days. Most international riders were absent but Australia has a healthy contingent of top flight racers and is reporting just a handful of new Covid cases each day across the whole country, meaning events can take place. Sarah Gigante (Garmin-Australia) won the overall while Luke Durbridge (BikeExchange) won the men’s event.…

The Tour Series of criterium races has become the latest in a series of domestic and international races that have been postponed or even cancelled due to the worsening coronavirus pandemic. The Tour Series usually takes place in May but is being moved to August. It is also expected to be pared down, with likely only five rounds instead of the usual seven to 12. Organiser Sweetspot said each round will still feature a men’s and women’s race, with highlights on ITV4. It is also looking at the possibility of holding a virtual race in the series’ usual May slot. The postponement of the Tour Series follows hot on the heels of the cancellation of the first round of British Cycling’s National Road Series, the Klondike GP. The men’s and…

Chris Froome’s immediate focus may be completing his rehabilitation with a view to launching a bid to win his fifth Tour de France title, but the British rider has also confirmed that he has joined Israel Start-Up Nation with longer-term goals in mind, and that they’re likely to extend beyond the end of his competitive career. “This is something I’ve committed to until the end of my career and potentially even beyond that,” says Froome, who has signed a three-year deal with his new team. “I’m going to give everything I can to try to better the team in every way possible, as well as obviously trying to better myself and get back to winning ways again.” Although, like most of his new team-mates, he’s not been able to travel…

Do you ever look at your parents and wonder how their genetics have influenced your ability as a cyclist? Perhaps you go well on big mileage, or fall apart in hot conditions, or favour long efforts over sprints – just like your sporting parent or sibling. The study of genetics in sport is a poorly funded area of science, despite the interest, with a paucity of good-quality studies tracing the links between genes and performance characteristics. Though we can’t be specific, we know there is a significant genetic influence on how people perform in a sporting setting – and, from simple observation, that sporting success often runs in families. Speaking from the family home in Dursley, Gloucestershire, the Georgis sat down with me (virtually) for the second installment of our…

Sean Kelly (Kas) leads Stephen Roche and, in fourth, Laurent Fignon as the race travels through the snow of the French hills on its way to the south coast. From the snow by the side of the road, it appears this picture is from the fateful final day of the race. Roche, in the white leader’s jersey, just had to hang on, while Kelly’s Kas team-mates set a rapid pace up the climb of the Col de Vence. Kelly himself didn’t hold out much hope of taking the top spot – he just wanted to win the stage and was interested in whittling down the group. But on the grit-covered roads, he heard a familiar “pssssst” sound. Roche’s tyre had suffered a puncture. Kas incrementally upped the pace, scuppering Roche’s…

Teams and contractors across the sport have been left thousands of pounds out of pocket by the organiser of the Women’s Tour of Scotland and the race will now cease to exist after a single edition, Cycling Weekly has learned. Zeus Events, which organised the three-day race in August 2019, still owes teams and contractors at least £175,000, more than 17 months after the event. A 2020 race was being planned and had been allocated a date by the UCI – before the pandemic caused its cancellation – but both Scottish Cycling and EventScotland have confirmed there are now no plans for its resurrection in 2021. Teams were left unpaid, with prize money and expenses not yet received. Leah Thomas won the overall and the final stage in Edinburgh’s Holyrood…

■ Any suggestion that self-interest should override scientific advice and bring a subset to the front of the queue is wrong on every level. This applies to all subsets, no matter who they are. Alan Ferriday ■ It’s not their decision anyway. Back of the queue with the rest of us mere mortals. Grant Harrington ■ No, I think they should wait or maybe the teams should pay for it, like UAE Team Emirates did. Mark Hancock ■ It wouldn’t stop there, you’d need the wider teams vaccinated as well. They should wait in line. Gordon Fields ■ If the teams can afford to pay for them to have it then fair enough, but there’s still uncertainty as to 2021 racing with the present situation. Mick Furn ■ Absolutely not.…

The Colina Four, called the Montura Four when it first joined my bike family in 2012 – such is its age that the brand name has since seen a metamorphosis – is a titanium beauty. The new name takes its inspiration from the Spanish word for hill, which makes a lot of sense when considered alongside its location, nestled in the Hope Valley in the Derbyshire Peak District. I’ve since had the decals changed accordingly, which wasn’t quite ‘new bike day’ but was close enough for a limited outlay. It was an off-the-peg 54cm frame, though Colina’s owner and designer-in-chief Pete Collins will produce custom geometry on request. These days, this model is available with disc-mount options only, unless you go custom. This being a machine dating back to a…

Waterfall says: “These oat bars are the perfect post-workout fuel: high in protein, with plenty of simple and complex carbs to replenish your muscle glycogen stores. Unlike the traditional flapjack, this recipe is oil-free and gets its sweetness from bananas, dried fruit and just a little maple syrup.” Method 1) Pre-heat oven to 180°C/160°C fan/350°F/gas 4. Line a small baking tray with baking paper. 2) In a large mixing bowl, mash the bananas. Add the oats, seeds, walnuts and raisins. 3) In a small saucepan, heat and combine the peanut butter and maple syrup, and pour into the oats mixture along with the soya milk. Stir until all the dry ingredients are fully coated. 4) Press mixture into the baking tray, and bake for for around 25 minutes, until turning…

If you’re a non-cyclist, meeting a rider at a social event (such things will happen again one day) can be a whole festival of awkwardness. Just try to remember that cyclists are very strange, so you should treat them as such. Ask them if their bike has a basket on it. They love this. (When cyclists roll their eyes, this is a friendly gesture.) Then make sure not to miss the chance to start a conversation about cyclists riding through red lights and on footpaths. Your interlocutor will be happy to confirm that this happens all the time, that it’s the only reason they took up cycling, and that they and all their kind are genetically inclined to aggressive and antisocial activities. You should recall for them some occasion when…

Greg LeMond was in bullish mood ahead of his second Giro d’Italia. He’d finished third the year before, having ridden for Bernard Hinault, and had a good idea of what he had to change to compete for a win. “Last year, in the first week of the race I ate too much Italian food. This made me overweight and out of form. I like Italian food, but I must control myself,” he said in an interview with the magazine. With Hinault not riding, the American highlighted Moreno Argentin, Giuseppe Saronni and Francesco Moser as his potential rivals. In the end, it was a surprise win for Roberto Visentini, with LeMond finishing fourth, more than two minutes back. The Giro was often seen as a warm-up for the Tour de France,…