Innehållsförteckning för March 10, 2022 från Cycling Weekly

I’ve worked in cycling media for a decade, but these 200 words feel like the most difficult I’ve had to write. Perhaps it’s because conversations around women’s cycling so often become politically charged. Some questions are easy to answer. “Is it predictable, or boring, to focus our ‘Women’s Special’ fitness feature on menstrual cycles and the menopause?” No: these are fundamentally important topics, which we’ve been steadfastly ignoring for decades. “How can the industry encourage more women to ride?” is a question I’ve been asked many times, and it’s much harder to answer; women who cycle aren’t one homogeneous group, but a diverse community of riders. Thankfully, our sport is beginning to reflect that. In 2021 the women’s peloton enjoyed its first Paris-Roubaix. This year the Tour de France Femmes…

Dan Bigham set a new national record in the men’s individual pursuit on the way to a national title at the British National Track Champs, with a time of 4.05.274. Contested over 4km, Bigham beat John Archibald’s 2019 record of 4.09.584 by four seconds to set the new British record in the individual pursuit. It was also the 10th fastest ride of all time, making him the third-fastest man behind world record holder Ashton Lambie of the USA and Italian Filippo Ganna. The 30-year-old achieved the feat during the heats of the event at the Geraint Thomas National Velodrome of Wales on Friday. Bigham went on to beat friend and former team-mate Charlie Tanfield in the final, securing his sixth national title with a time only just shy of his…

Ukrainian riders have responded to the war at home by focusing on winning and trying to provide moral support to their compatriots fighting at home. Anatoliy Budyak won twice in the space of 10 days. The 26-year-old, who rides for the Malaysian team Terengganu Polygon, won stage six of the Tour du Rwanda the day after Russia invaded his country, and on Sunday won the Grand Prix Mediterranean in Turkey. Morale victory Speaking to Cycling Weekly before his latest win, he said of his victory in Rwanda: “I wanted to win in order to support the whole of Ukraine. I tried to be focused on the race, but at the same time there were thoughts and feelings about my family and Ukraine. This situation motivated me.” In the past two…

“Often when women tell me that they’re uncomfortable, the solution lies in figuring out where the pain is, and looking at the different shapes which might alleviate that pain,” says ride leader and cycling tech writer Mildred Locke. “Women are often using saddles that are way too padded, causing chafing,” Locke explains. “There’s this common misconception that the thicker and cushier the saddle, the more comfortable it’s going to be.” Saddles that are too narrow are another recurring culprit. “This means that their sit bones aren’t adequately supported,” Locke says. Those who “end up with the soft tissues of their vulva crushed against the saddle’s nose” should try a saddle with a cut-out, to relieve pressure. If your current saddle woes are proving impossible to resolve, then booking in for…

Winner of the inaugural Paris-Roubaix Femmes Lizzie Deignan (Trek-Segafredo) has noticed changes in how her menstrual cycle affects her training since becoming a mother in 2018 I never really understood the idea of syncing my training with my menstrual cycle. Before I had my daughter, I never suffered with any kind of PMS [premenstrual syndrome] or other symptoms affecting my training. It was only after having my daughter that I began to notice my cycle affecting the way I was feeling during different parts of the month. I began to see a trend in my feelings and sensations based on my cycle. After a few months of making the same comments in my TrainingPeaks, I started to use a menstrual tracking app. I feel bloated, foggy, fatigued from the moment…

Friend and club-mate Sarah Adams, who co-founded women’s cycling group Red Kite Belles, has supported Usma Chaudry on her journey “The first time I met Usma she was with a friend, struggling with a puncture in a lane. I was riding home, and I helped fix the puncture, chatted about Red Kite Belles, and gave her our card. “It’s been great to see the difference it made, as Usma moved from a heavy and not well maintained hybrid bike to a road bike, which allowed her to cycle faster and longer distances, as well as learning how to ride more effectively with a group. “I know Usma has to juggle family and work but manages to fit in an amazing amount of cycling. In the early days, my husband Mike…

Women’s bike racing goes back further than you probably think. It all started with the first classic “men’s” road race from Paris to Rouen in 1869, which wasn’t a men’s event at all but was open to anyone. There were, in fact, practically no rules about anything other than that you couldn’t catch the train, use a sail, or harness up a dog team. It was essentially the Wacky Races. It takes nothing away from the fairground atmosphere that the first woman to sink her brandy in the finish cafe in Rouen had entered under the name Miss America, despite being more normally called Elizabeth Turner. She was married to a British bike importer, and finished in the same time as her husband. I like to believe she nicked him…

The Women’s Tour will feature its “toughest summit finish in race history to date”, organiser Sweetspot proclaimed as it unveiled the routes of three of the race’s six stages. Stage one will see over 100 of the world’s best riders race from Colchester, in Essex, to Bury St Edmunds on 6 June, the final day of the Queen’s Jubilee Bank Holiday weekend. The following day will conclude with an ascent of Wales’s Black Mountain, in Carmarthenshire, after a departure from Pembrey Country Park. The final of three stages to be announced will begin in Oxfordshire’s Chipping Norton, concluding in the centre of Oxford. Inclusion of the Black Mountain climb marks only the second hill-top finish since the race’s inaugural 2014 edition; the Welsh giant measures 7.2km in length and features…

I was intrigued by the ‘From the Archive’ image of the 1966 Paris-Nice (CW, March 3) and the question about where it was taken. As the spectators were warmly dressed, I suspected the photo was taken early in the race. It was probably taken before the stage start, around noon, and the direction of shadows from the chimneys suggests the photographer is facing west. It’s also clear the riders are situated in an open space bordered on the right by trees. As is the case today, a park often fits the bill for a stage start. I used this logic to see if I could find a suitable location in Montereau-Fault-Yonne, which hosted the race départ on March 8. Records indicate that the temperature was 17°C on this day, so…

You might think that the best female cyclist in the world would have to contend with a certain degree of celebrity status. However, because of the stature of the sport worldwide, it is not often an issue for her. It helps that the 39-year-old is a pleasant and amiable person, who does not really mind being spotted. “People recognise me, especially when I’m on the bike,” she explains. “For sure, around the Olympics, people recognised me more, even without the cycling clothes. I hear it sometimes too often in a restaurant, my name whispering around. I have to say, it’s at a level where it is never bothering me.” It is understandable that the Olympics created a spike in attention for the Movistar rider, her gold medal in the time…

Saddle sores are a blight that affects elite cyclists and newbies alike – perhaps one of the most famous in cycling history is the boil that contributed to Laurent Fignon’s defeat in the 1989 Tour de France, which he lost by only eight seconds. But I was not surprised when it proved difficult to find a current professional cyclist willing to discuss their saddle sore experiences on the record. “Unfortunately I can’t talk about it now,” apologises ‘N’, a WorldTour pro who agrees to speak to me on condition of anonymity, “because I use a nonsponsor-correct saddle so I have to avoid mentioning anything to do with saddles.” She goes on to tell me of the undercarriage woes of other pro riders, including a colleague who has recently had surgery,…

Sex hormones control so much more than our moods and desires. They play a critically important role in our athletic performance as well as in our general health. Understanding the fluctuations and possible deficiencies in the key sex hormones can help us be fitter, healthier – and yes, faster on our bikes too. Each body has its own norms: our levels of hormones and sensitivity to them are individual. Hormone levels change at various stages of our lives, and can be disrupted by our own behaviour. Any disruption – whatever the cause – can have far-reaching implications for our cycling performance. I should know. My hormone levels were thrown into disarray first by hormonal contraceptives, and later by my failure to properly fuel my training. I’m wiser about my body’s…

“One day I saw a mum putting her child into a seat on her bike, and I thought, ‘I can do that’.” Usma Chaudry is describing to me the moment in 2015 that inspired her to get back into cycling, an activity she had enjoyed as a child but left behind as she grew older and got on with the business of raising a family. By then a mother of six, Chaudry was motivated by the mum loading her child aboard a bicycle to find out about cycling initiatives available in her area. She discovered that she qualified for a free bike on a local scheme Big Birmingham Bikes, which supported less well-off communities with subsidised bikes and tuition in road riding and bike maintenance. Armed only with her enthusiasm…

In association with ROAD RACING Primavera Road Race (Hatherleigh, Devon): E, 1, 2: 1. Samuel Beckett (Wales Racing Academy) 2:08.35; 2. A. Hawkins (Spirit BSS); 3. J. Rees (Bikestrong-KTM); 4. J. Retallack (Saint Piran Development); 5. E. Morgan (Wales Racing Academy); 6. E. Warren (Mid-Devon CC); 7. F. Barber (Spirit BSS); 8. D. Humber-Kelly (JRC Interflon Race Team); 9. M. Cole (Beeston CC); 10. B. Davies (Bikestrong-KTM) all same time. Surrey League Kingston Wheelers (Dunsfold, Surrey): Men 2, 3: 1. Will Auty (4T+ Cyclopark); 2. T. Galloway (Will Houghton); 3. P. Hart (Hart Performance Coaching); 4. G. Blee (Paceline RT); 5. H. Green (Wheelsuckers); 6. M. Weavers (Project 51). Women 2, 3: 1. Eline Smith (Crawley Wheelers); 2. J. Clarke (Stolen Goat Race Team); 3. P. Burge (Team Jadan Vive…

If you’re too young to remember them, toe clips were the things that held your toe straps. If you’re too young to remember toe straps, they’re the things your cycling grandma uses for stopping her garden gate blowing open on a windy day. The original toe clip was invented by Eugène Christophe in 1925. They were so well-conceived that they continued unaltered until the 1980s. The concept is simple – just a cage with a leather strap on the front of the pedal. You put your toe in the cage, then tightened the strap round your foot. This was essential to stop your foot pulling out, and to ensure minimal blood supply to your toes. No one ever went faster for well-oxygenated toes. The toe clips combined with a cleat…

Ninth place in Siena for Dutchwoman Shirin van Anrooij showed the 20-year-old as a star in the making. The Trek-Segafredo youngster is perhaps better known for her cyclo-cross exploits, having recently taken silver at the U23 Worlds, and is yet to take a win on the road. But after making the winning break and placing fifth at last week’s Omloop het van Hageland, and following that up with seventh a few days later at Le Samyn des Dames, Saturday’s result is another step in the right direction and suggests a big win is on its way. She can sprint and punchy climbs seem a forte, so not only do Trek-Segafredo have another top young talent on their roster, but it seems the Dutch have another superstar rolling off their production…

Born in Turkemenistan in 1962, he was a member of the USSR national team in his youth. He founded Itera, an independent gas production company, in the early 1990s and by the end of the decade it was one of Russia’s largest gas companies. In 2013 the business was bought out by Rosnef, which it already had a joint venture with, for $2.9bn. By that time Makarov was already a force on the stage of world cycling. He had become part of the European Cycling Union’s (UEC) leadership in 2010 as president of the Russia Cycling Federation. He would hold the post until 2016 at which point he would become an honorary president – a role he holds to this day. He is widely credited with being an influential backer…

No vaccine, no problem Jumbo-Visma has reinstated Lennard Hofstede, having withdrawn him last year from competition and team training for refusing a Covid vaccine. He has not raced since the CRO Race in October. “We had regulations in different countries and UCI rules. We didn’t want to take any risk at the time,” said Jumbo DS Merijn Zeeman. Hofstede could make his racing return at the Minerva Classic Brugge-De Panne this month. Colin Lewis, 1942-2022 Former Tour rider, Olympian and British national road champion Colin Lewis has died aged 79 from cancer. Born in Caerphilly, he was the first and only Welsh rider to ride the Tour, before Geraint Thomas. He rode in 1967 as part of the Great Britain team. Having moved to Devon, he began his career with…

If you are into board games, then you may have played Ticket to Ride, the game where you build an empire across a continent using railway lines. If so then you have something in common with Annemiek van Vleuten, who is one of millions of players worldwide. But the difference between you and her is that the Dutchwoman has also been building an empire of her own across Europe, not with little plastic trains or wooden blocks on a board but with win after relentless win. The 39-year-old has established herself as the rider to beat in almost every race she takes part in. But as she’ll later tell CW, she still considers herself a “normal girl” and isn’t averse to a beer and a piece of cake between her…

I’ve heard more than my fair share of saddle sore stories, but even I was shocked when I received a message from a successful ultra-cyclist after a short training ride. “It suddenly dawned on me that I was cycling without pain,” she enthused. “Normally a ride begins with intense pinching agony while I find a comfortable way to sit. Now I just fit! Is this how nice cycling is for everyone else?” The rider in question had recently recovered from labiaplasty – a surgical procedure that reduces the size of the labia minora. What shocked me was not the radical solution she had resorted to, but the fact that she had, until then, been in agony on every ride, and assumed this must be normal. I’ve endured some painful days…

During Sam Holden’s first season as Women’s Cycling Development Officer at London’s Herne Hill Velodrome, he asked riders to complete a survey to help him identify obstacles to women getting involved in track cycling. “One of the main things that came up,” he recalls, “was how uncomfy the saddles were.” He describes the “hotch-potch” of ancient saddles that graced the velodrome’s hire bike fleet: “I imagine that the majority of them were made for the comfort of middle-aged men.” Sam contacted Liv Cycling to ask if they’d be willing to donate some women-specific saddles for the bikes, and within days a box of saddles had arrived. “The key thing was getting them on the bikes that would be used for inductions,” Sam explains, recognising that whether a rider’s initial experience…

Cycling Weekly tech writer Hannah Bussey raced her bike all over the world before a crash in 2009 brought her cycling career to an abrupt end. Only now, looking back, does she identify the signs of chronic underfuelling over many years I’d always shrugged off crashes and broken bones as ‘just bike racing’, but a permanent plate in my right clavicle, and a double fracture of the pelvis saw me walking away from a sport I’d once loved. It hadn’t dawned that perhaps my multiple fractures, now nudging double figures, lack of regular menstruation, spells of overwhelming exhaustion and confusion were all related. It was only after I had my daughter, unsuccessful multiple treatments for stress incontinence and a fractured foot from running that my consultant started joining a series…

You can do it: I’d like all Muslim girls to know they can do it – they can cycle for Great Britain, be part of the British Cycling team. Ride to work: Cycling to work regularly has been good for me. Junk miles? No, my commute really helps keep my fitness levels up. Embrace the community: Riding alone can be hard, but joining a group and setting a target can do wonders. Get outdoors: I have a turbo trainer, but there’s nothing like being out on the road. If you love the outdoors, just get out there and ride.…

Redditch Road & Path Reliability Trial Date: Sun 13 March 67, 43 or 30 miles. Starting from the Redditch Community Sports & Social Club in North London. Sign on at 8.30am. Closing date: day of the event. Spalding CC Spring Cup Date: Sun 20 March A Dutch-style Kermesse with laps of 7.5 miles between the Lincolnshire villages of Moulton Chapel and Weston Hills. Features a Regional A race for 2/3/4/J categories, and a Regional B for 3/4/Js. Closing date: Sun 13 March Proper Northern RR Series Rd 1 Date: Sun 27 March The first round of this three-race series will be held in Capernwray, with a men’s Nat B in the morning (66 miles) and a women’s in the afternoon (45 miles). Enjoy!…

At a bike club dinner a couple of weeks back, I was chatting to someone called David, who described recognising a friend of his at a bike show several years ago, on a stand chatting to Chris Froome. After he’d finished David went to say hello to his mate. The conversation went like this: “What were you talking to Chris about, eh?” asked David. “You mean Brad,” said his friend. “No, I mean Chris. You were just talking to Chris Froome.” There was a pause. His friend went very pink. “Tell me,” said David, “have you by any chance just spent five minutes calling Chris Froome ‘Brad’?” “Yes,” he said. “Did you ask him about the time Chris Froome attacked him in the 2012 Tour de France?” “Yes I did.”…