Innehållsförteckning för March 4, 2021 från Cycling Weekly

In every interview, I’m asked; “What should we do about inequality in cycling?” I’ll give the same reply to you as I do to them, (or a more articulate, less breathless version than I can give on a finish line): “The best thing I can do to promote women’s cycling is to be good at my job and put on a show that people want to watch. The best thing you can do as a journalist is to report on that show. Not on the inequalities, but on the racing, the drama and the action.” It would have been easy to fill these pages with content about ingrained sexism, prize money discrepancies and the eternal quest to find a saddle that won’t eventually result in reconstructive surgery. And rightfully so.…

Spring is definitely in the air, and while we know that March will hit us with a few cold, wet days (don’t pack your winter kit away just yet), the daylight hours stretching out is the single most helpful thing when it comes to getting a bit more riding in. By the end of the month we may even be able to once again ride in small groups. Who knows, cafes might even start to reopen. Once you’ve completed either or both of the March challenges, send proof to cycling@futurenet.com. Be sure to give us some details of your rides so we can include them in our monthly round-up. 1 Do a sunrise/sunset ride This challenge takes the focus away from big miles and puts the emphasis on doing something…

Simmons protests innocence Quinn Simmons has said he doesn’t think he deserved the suspension for a divisive tweet posted last year, which saw the American miss his debut Classics season. The 19-year-old Trek-Segafredo rider insisted the tweeting of a black hand emoji was a reference to the ‘Bye Felicia’ meme, originating from the 1995 film Friday. “This was a conversation between me and a white journalist, so there was no race involved,” he said. Fourth time lucky for Yates? Simon Yates has confirmed that he will target the Giro d’Italia for a fourth consecutive year. The 2018 Vuelta a Espana winner will return to the Italian tour in May after a rocky ride in the race over the last few years. The Bike Exchange rider said: “The last two or…

It was great to read the Simon Warren Time NX bike longtermer article (CW 25 February). I’m a Bianchi man myself, but as a bike mechanic I also work on Time, Look, Wilier, Colnago as well as the usual top-of-the-range suspects. I enjoyed reading the spec of the bike, and why it is set up how it is, especially as I’m a Campy man too. My ride buddies also set up their machines in this ‘old skool’ way, even down to the tops-to-drops bar wrapping. I’m sure there is a discussion to be had on that. It just goes to show you don’t need to buy into this aero bar, disc brake, ultra-light, tubeless fashion stuff, unless you want to of course. I’m happy to fit it all and service…

THE HARDEST WORKER? Easy – Christine Majerus. She’s always working and always prepared to sacrifice for teammates. When she won the Holland Ladies Tour a few years ago it was really special for the whole team, because she really deserved it and doesn’t get to ride for herself much. THE MOST DEPENDABLE? Amy Pieters. We are friends and teammates now, but when we were young, we never spoke to each other. We didn’t like each other. But we shared a room together on a national camp, and we have been good friends ever since. Amy is somebody who can see straight away if you’re having a bad day. She’s a team-mate who I go to if I need to talk or if I want to laugh. THE MOST FUN? Kasia…

Most women will buy a Venus over a Mach 3, but both razors will do a perfectly good job at removing leg hair. It’s not uncommon to carry this buying pattern over to bikes. However, buying a new bike is a far more significant purchase than buying hair removal products, so it’s important to bear in mind that focusing on women’s specific machines will – rightly or wrongly – limit your options. Whether you decide you want to opt for a bike with a women’sspecific focus will come down to personal preference. What matters is that you’re enjoying every mile, on a bike that’s perfectly suited to you and your riding. So how do you achieve that? FRAME The frame is the heart of your bike, invest here and the…

Rebecca Durrell is a 32-year-old rider with Continental Team CAMS–Tifosi. She is the current UK national road series and national criterium champion, and is right now expecting her first baby (and may have given birth by the time we go to print!). Durrell aims to return to racing later this year. Despite a wealth of science to support women returning to sport after pregnancy, it’s too often regarded as difficult or ill-advised. Luckily, Durrell’s coach Tim Cusick understands how to support athletes to train during and post-pregnancy. “Knowledge should be empowering and give women in sport more options,” says Cusick. “There’s lots of research showing that women can train pretty robustly throughout their pregnancy.” Knowledge is just one part of the equation, of course. “Open and honest communication between athlete…

San Martino While there is a battle for each of the sectors it is the 9.5km sector at San Martino in Grania, which comes after 67.9km in the women’s race (111.7km for the men), that is key. “You need to take it really fast and before it you need to be in position,” explains van Vleuten. “Last year I had the feeling we were going through a war; you go with a group of crazy girls all super fresh to hit that gravel first because you know there is more risk at the back. If you have bad luck you are out of the race.” Le Tolfe The final three gravel sectors, of which Le Tolfe is the last, all come within 12km of each other and though they are…

With the double threat of restrictions and bad weather, we scaled back our February challenges. Unsurprisingly, many CW5000ers completed their challenges on virtual platforms, but others didn’t let sub-zero temperatures stop them. Stephe Fletcher had completed both before 6pm on the first day: “After finishing my training I scanned my emails and discovered the February Challenges. Ride 100 miles in a week, tick. Do a ride with 2,500ft of elevation, tick. I’ve completed both challenges by accident.” Stephe lives in Cumbria but is virtual training around Norfolk in preparation for the 200-mile Round Norfolk Epic in June. Gravel Everester Gethin Howells braved the elements, tackling the Welsh mountains throughout the month. “I massively overshot the target for the Feb challenges,” he wrote in the Facebook group. “Had my biggest week…

SUBSCRIBE AND ENJOY THESE BENEFITS: Get the best price - the magazine comes direct from the publisher, so you won't find it cheaper anywhere else. Have your copy delivered to your home - every week! BEAT THE HEART OF CYCLING: The latest news and unrivalled access from the biggest names and races down to the grassroots scene. Inspiring your riding with entertaining features and expert fitness advice. Empowering you in your next purchase with our trusted reviews. Subscribe online now www.cyclingweeklysubs.co.uk/28BX or call 0330 111 3333 and quote 28BX For full terms and conditions, visit www.magazinesdirect.com/terms. For enquiries please e-mail: help@magazinesdirect.com…

Anna van der Breggen describes having a stable home life is “the most basic and most important” aspect of her life which contributes to her success. “I know if I win, he will be happy at home. But if I don’t win, I can still go home with a good feeling.” Anna says her husband Sierk Jan de Haan, a coach with Jumbo-Visma, is the one person who always knows how to motivate her when she needs it, and is the person she most looks up to in life. “Sierk is so different to me in every way, and that’s why I think we are a good couple. He’s just good at the things I’m not… he’s taught me so much about communication. Now, if I feel bad about things,…

Sophia Shih is an engineer at Liv, and was the mastermind behind popular bikes such as the Langa. “The bicycle industry has been dominated by men and that’s why unisex geometry ends up as men-focused bikes. What Liv does is women-focused geometry: we create the perfect ride for women. I have seen many comments about Liv bikes, everything from a Liv rider saying she feels like the bike is tailored for her, to the bike fits ‘like a glove.’ I’m proud of this achievement. And we don’t count on luck. We have made a lot of effort to develop female riding geometry designs. Working in the bicycle industry is fulfilling for me. There is an Arabic movie called Wadjda; a little girl dreams of riding a bicycle and wants to…

For eight months of 2019, I swapped urban north London for rural Aude, in the foothills of the French Pyrenees, to write my book Revolutions: How Women Changed the World on Two Wheels, about the history of women’s cycling. When I wasn’t at my desk, I was on my bike, and instead of slogging up the A1000 to Hertfordshire each weekend, I was cycling straight from my door into sensational scenery – hills and mountains in every direction. I was the fittest I had ever been. When I found out I was pregnant that autumn, I did not think twice about continuing cycling. I thought of Nobel scientist Marie Curie cycle touring in the 1890s while eight months pregnant, only cutting it short to return to Paris to give birth.…

I’ve been informed of a rider from Surrey who shoots straight to the top of my ‘dumb injuries’ ranking for 2021. His problem was his new carbonsoled shoes, and his gravel drive. Fearful of scratching the soles, he did what any of us would do, and got a pair of large slippers. He would put these over the shoes to walk down the drive, then take them off and tuck them under the hedge. Getting back one day, a slipper had vanished. (It had, it transpired, been stolen by his dog.) So naturally he put on the one that was left and started hopping, with his bike, toward the house. Halfway there he tripped over the bike and concussed himself on (and my informant swears this is true) a garden…

WOMEN Lizzie Deignan (Trek-Segafredo) Winner in 2016, Deignan always starts the season well and the lumpy parcours and its brutally steep final climb suit her perfectly. She also has arguably the strongest team in the peloton for support. CW rating Anna van der Breggen (SDWorx) Another who will benefit from strong team-mates, the world champion lacks the explosiveness of some of her rivals and will likely need to go long to ensure victory in Siena, as she did when she won in freezing rain three years ago. CW rating Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig (FDJ-Nouvelle Aquitaine Futuroscope) Though never on the podium here, the 25-year-old Dane hasn’t finished outside the top 10. Each year she improves both physically and tactically, and with her strongest ever team only misfortune will prevent another step…

Would you rather your child was extremely smart or extremely kind? This is one of the questions I was most looking forward to asking Anna van der Breggen. “Would you rather” is something my team-mates and I play when we’re bored on long rides or travel days. It kills time and sometimes gives an unexpected insight to somebody you thought you knew very well. Katie Archibald had asked me this specific question while training that morning. We’d taken our time to weigh up the pros and cons of raising a lovable fool, versus a terrible person with the potential to one day cure cancer. Anna chooses kindness, as had I. So there is little need for debate between us. I feel a little defeated that my big existential question hasn’t…

Nicola Roberts is a physiotherapist and bike fitter at Velophysio. “I believe when buying a new bike you need to look at the goals for that bike, and base the geometry on that - what type of riding will you be doing on it. Then you need to purchase a bike of that genre that is the right size for you. Some bike manufacturers now offer self build so you can select the crank size, stem length and handlebar size, which can help with the overall fit. “Obviously changing, saddles, crank lengths and handlebar widths can be part of every bike. However, I am more frequently advising these changes to women. “The industry needs to expand the sizing to include more range and cater for smaller people, including the components.…

Tayler Wiles is a 31-year-old female pro with Trek-Segafredo on the UCI Women’s WorldTour. She has worked with Sims for years. In her view, what Sims is doing – filling the knowledge gap for women – is invaluable. “I think I have read Roar five times!’ she laughs. In the early days of her career, Wiles followed the mainstream thinking in professional cycling. Myths about training and fuelling pervade all levels of the sport. Limping home from (underfuelled) long rides was standard. Missing periods was a badge of honour. Then Wiles started working with Sims and her mindset shifted. Instead of fighting her physiology, she started to work with it. With Sims’s help, Wiles biohacked her physiology with these changes: ■ Paying more attention to fatigue■ Tracking her cycle■ Understanding…

The idea for my book Revolutions came out of learning how my great-grandfather had won medals in races at Herne Hill Velodrome in the 1890s. I was curious as to whether women were also competing at this time, and after some research, I discovered that they were. Some of them had even got quite famous; for example, French-Canadian Louise Armaindo who swapped life in the circus for one on the track, racing first a penny-farthing then a safety bicycle – against other women, men and even horses. And France’s Lisette Marton who set an Hour record and became a global cycling star. Or the UK’s Monica Harwood who competed in six-day races in front of thousands. I was inspired, and my research took off from there!…

It’s always reassuring if you can convince yourself that those in charge know what they’re doing. It’s a luxury that few of us enjoy. Personally, I often spend much of my day contemplating just how much incompetence there is in the world, and how so much of it got to be above me in order of importance. Then I wonder if that’s what they want me to do, to ensure I never have sufficient focus to rise above my lowly station. Which brings us, in a roundabout way, to Anna van der Breggen, who started off her final season with a win in Omloop Het Nieuwsblad last weekend. She’s planning to switch to management next year. If I was a rider, I think I might have mixed feelings about that.…