Innehållsförteckning för April 7, 2022 från Cycling Weekly

Ispent a large chunk of Sunday watching the men’s and women’s Tour of Flanders. Something I haven’t had the luxury of doing in years. What a treat. Seeing the huge crowds at the side of the road made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up as I realised just what many races have been missing for the last two years. The noise as Lotte Kopecky won in the Belgian champ’s jersey reinforced just what an essential part of bike racing the spectators are. Then there’s Mathieu van der Poel and Tadej Pogačar. What more can be said about these two? The finish of the men’s race was one of the greatest racing moments I’ve ever seen and will be talked about for years to come. Getting to…

It was, she says, six months ago that Emily Bridges began dialogue with the UCI to get all her papers in order to race in the omnium National Championships. So why was it that it was merely three days before the race that she and the public were informed that that wouldn’t be possible? It wasn’t allowed, the UCI said. Exactly why we’re still not sure but it appears that despite months of dialogue the UCI hadn’t been able to convene its expert panel in time. It’s impossible to avoid the conclusion that the media storm of the last week had bumped the issue up the agenda at the UCI’s headquarters in Aigle, Switzerland, and it got scared. It had blown up remarkably quickly but even those with cursory knowledge…

If you’re not in a rush to finish there are a few places to stop and refuel, all recommended by Chelmer CC club captain Matthew Cooke: “In North Weald airbase, if you can find your way in, there’s a cafe in there called Wings Cafe. You have to navigate your way in, but it’s like an old naafi. They do bacon sarnies, great coffee and you can watch the planes take off too. “Just after Writtle University College you have the Lordship Tea Room. It’s part of the Tip Tree offices there so you can get scones and Tip Tree jam. They’ve got table and chairs outside with bike racks. “There are lots of different cafes in Great Dunmow, which is about 45 miles in; there are shops there too,…

“There is no association whatsoever between cycling and prostate cancer.” These words from Chris Oliver, AKA the @CyclingSurgeon on Twitter, will be a relief to many men who have heard the rumours that riding a bike puts them at greater risk of developing one of the most common cancers. It’s a myth. Moreover, it’s said that around half of men will experience some type of prostatitis in their lifetime. This is an inflammation of the prostate gland that can cause pain and difficulty urinating, and there is at least anecdotal evidence that cyclists are affected more often than non-cyclists. As with the problems described above, it’s not that cycling causes genital issues, rather that riding a bike can exacerbate pre-existing problems. It’s the same with the prostate: long hours in…

David Rogers, 51, explains why his longtime friend and former colleague rode in support of Blood Cancer UK I was diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukaemia nine years ago, with a prognosis of nine months if the drugs didn’t work. Thankfully, they did work, though it’s been challenging to say the least. Soon after I was diagnosed I lost my eyesight, and it was only saved, six months later, after I found a world-leading specialist. It was a very dark, scary time, though it’s made me stronger as a result. Because my immune system is weakened, I spent most of the past couple of years isolating at our holiday home in Suffolk, meaning less time with my wife than when I worked in the Middle East for two years. Being in…

I was heading out for a ride a couple of weeks ago, and still just a mile or two from home, when I saw in the distance my friend Bernard. One of the pleasures of cycling is the way you can recognise riders just from their shape. I can identify Bernard’s riding from a range of something like half a mile, at which distance I wouldn’t have a prayer of identifying him doing anything else. I’ve barely ridden with him since the start of the pandemic. After we’d had to stop riding together in March 2020, the habit just never got re-established. Look at it this way, I didn’t spend three months through that spring muttering to myself, “Everything would be all right if only I could go for a…

Serial winner Tadej Pogačar made a rare but glaring tactical error at the Tour of Flanders on Sunday, where he finished fourth in a two-up sprint for the win. The Slovenian had ridden a superb debut at the cobbled Monument but was beaten by Mathieu van der Poel after he and the Dutchman played a waiting game to start the sprint. That saw chasers Dylan van Baarle (Ineos Grenadiers) and Valentin Madouas (Groupama-FDJ) catch them up and squeeze Pogačar off the podium within sight of the line. Had Pogačar kept riding or gone to the front he could have assured himself a place in the top two or even won. “The strongest riders are always up at the front” The Tour de France champion was visibly annoyed but after he’d…

This year’s Tour of Britain promises to be no easy ride, bookended by two summit finishes and 18,500m of vertical ascent along the way. Race organiser Sweetspot announced full details of the route this week, which begins in Aberdeenshire on 4 September and finishes on the Isle of Wight eight stages later on 11 September. Riders will lay down a GC marker as early as stage one, which finishes at the Glenshee Ski Centre after a 4.7km ascent at an average 4.8%, the gradient topping out at 8.5%. And the race could easily be decided on a tough final day on the Isle of Wight, which finishes at the Needles with a 1.5km, 3.7% haul with a very challenging final 400m that will leave little room for complacency. There is…

DEMI VOLLERING SD WORX Second last year, Vollering is on a steep learning curve to take Anna van der Breggen’s place at the top of the sport. A climber with a healthy dose of explosiveness, she finished second last year and can win either from a small group or by attacking on the Cauberg. CW rating ★★★★★ ELISE CHABBEY CANYON-SRAM Chabbey might be regarded as a dark horse by many, but the former Swiss champion has been on the rise since joining Canyon-SR AM last year. A punchy and always aggressive rider, she deals well with the climbs, and recently finished third in a bunch kick at Dwars door Vlaanderen, attributes that could serve her well. CW rating ★★ FLOORTJ E MACKAIJ DSM With a sprinter of the calibre of Lorena…

When my brother Don was six years old he caught diphtheria and pneumonia. I remember the doctor saying to my mother, “If he lasts the night he will probably be alright.” He did last the night but was very weak afterwards. I was only a year older than him but I used to take him to Paddington rec where he had to sit in a chair, stripped to the waist and wearing a pair of black goggles, and receive UV light treatment. He grew to a height of six feet, six inches and once managed to ride 230 miles in a 12-hour race. One year he went to America on a CTC Tour but the routes were left to an American guy, who planned daily rides up to 100 miles,…

ONE UP Specialized Aethos Expert -£6,850 The Expert shares the same FACT 10r frameset as the Comp. You’ll also get the same featherweight Alpinist seatpost and alloy Pro SL stem, while there’s a small upgrade to the bars and saddle. The biggest difference comes in the groupset and the wheels. SRAM’s Rival AXS is swapped for Shimano’s 12-speed Ultegra plus the Expert benefits from Roval C8 carbon hoops. ONE DOWN Specialized S-Works Aethos frameset - £4,450 The Comp is the entry-level Aethos. Therefore if you’re looking for something cheaper you’ll need to opt for the S-Works frameset. It uses Spesh’s toptier FACT 12r carbon and weighs under 600g in a size 56cm. Unfortunately, at just £450 less than the Comp, it won’t be long before your custom build surpasses its…

Pradnya Pisal, a consultant gynaecologist, acknowledges that the genital issues identified in this article “may indirectly make people want to avoid sex” – but the bad news ends there. The overall picture is that riding a bike increases our sexual desire and function, as well as increasing stamina, which has benefits on and off the bike! Pisal adds: “Cycling, like any other sport, releases endorphins and elevates mood and hence is likely to improve sex life.” The reasons are obvious: cycling improves our cardiovascular health and boosts blood-flow while lifting our mood – leaving our minds free to wander towards even more exciting activities. What’s more, cycling builds powerful muscles that are quite essential during intercourse [steady on! – ed.], paving the way for greater and prolonged enjoyment in bed.…

In association with ROAD RACING SUNDAY, 3 APRIL CV Spring Classic (Edisford, Lancs): E, 1, 2, 3: Carl Potter (Lancashire Road Club); 2. M. Cole (BCC Race Team); 3. H. Ellison (Shibden CC); 4. K. Smith (Bott Cycle Team); 5. B. Wiggins (Fensham Howes-MAS Design); 6. J. Giddings (Team Inspired). Danum Trophy (Doncaster, South Yorkshire): E, 1, 2, 3: 1. Toby Barnes (WiV Sungod); 2. A. Mitchell (Cycling Sheffield); 3. J. Brown (WiV Sungod); 4. J. Wilson (Dolan Ellesse Race Team); 5. A. Nichols (Team Lifting Gear Products); 6. A. Cox (Team Bottrill). VeloVitesse Road Race (Redmarley, Glos): 2, 3, 4: 1. Carl Jolly (73 Degrees CC); 2. G. Fowler (Nopinz Motip RT); 3. B. Stockdale (Cotswold Cycles); 4. L. Byam (Nopinz Motip RT); 5. C. Walker (Team PB Performance);…

Fred Wright was exhausted but elated after finishing seventh in the “hardest race ever” at the Tour of Flanders. The Bahrain-Victorious rider attacked with Ineos Grenadiers’ Dylan van Baarle with 48km to go, and the duo were eventually joined by race winner Mathieu van der Poel, Tadej Pogačar and Groupama-FDJ’s Valentin Madouas. The 22-year-old eventually rode to an impressive seventh, the joint second-best result by a Briton in the men’s race this century – only bettered by Luke Rowe’s fifth in 2016. A visibly emotional Wright joked to the press afterwards that, “I can’t really speak; I’m so tired. I think I need some food.” But the Londoner did explain his day out front in the first cobbled Monument of the season. “Oh, man, that’s just an elimination race,” he…

Get Back on Track A new docuseries about the Track Champions League, Back on Track, released its first episode on Monday. The fivepart series, launched last week by Sir Chris Hoy alongside the show’s maker Discovery Sports and the UCI, will have new episodes released each Monday on Eurosport and GCN+ and will focus on the human stories around the League, even speaking to riders in their homes to get the inside scoop. Scotland for Nationals The road National Championships will be held in the Dumfries & Galloway region this June, British Cycling revealed last week. Running from 23-26 June, the events will begin with the time trials, which start and finish at the Crichton Estate in Dumfries. This will be followed by the circuit races in Kirkudbright and then the…

How to ride in the wheels With flat, wide roads making up the majority of this route, RideLondon will be, for many riders, all about riding in big groups, at speed. When watching bike racing on TV, riding in a big group looks easy, but it’s anything but. A peloton is a constantly evolving thing as riders move around it and it takes a great deal of concentration to stay in the group, and stay safe. Riding in a group you’re not only responsible for your own safety, but for the safety of all those around you. Here are our tips for group riding focusing on safety and energy conservation. CONCENTRATE When riding in a group you need to be switched on the whole time. Your primary focus should be…

“It completely freaked me out,” says Sam Ford. “I’m young, I’m fit and healthy, I shouldn’t be getting erectile dysfunction (ED). Aches and pains are associated with sport and especially cycling, but getting two bouts of ED was like, ‘what the f**k is going on here’ – I panicked.” Ford (not his real name) has agreed to tell his story to help raise awareness of a problem that, though common, is rarely discussed. A competitive regional racer in his mid-20s, he started suffering dull testicular ache, urinary incontinence and the need to pee more frequently after increasing his training volume to between 20 and 25 hours a week during the first lockdown. On two occasions, he experienced problems getting an erection. “It was a low point because going to the…

Until he moved to Switzerland eight years ago, Nima Javaheri had only a passing interest in sport. He grew up in north London and after university commenced a banking career in the City. “When you’re in your 20s, you just want to look good,” recalls the 39-year-old. “I’d do a couple of bench presses at the gym and that was it. Running and cycling played no part of my life until 2014.” His late conversion to endurance sport makes his long-distance achievements in recent years all the more startling. “I lived in Frankfurt for a while, and that opened my eyes to outdoor activity,” he says, “but it was when I moved to Switzerland that cycling really took off for me.” Such was the group riding culture on the roads…

Tony Sweeney Aughton Road Race Date: Sun 24 April An 82km Regional A race for Cat 2/3/4 riders, comprising eight laps of the Aughton circuit near Lancaster. Prizes for the top five. Closes: Sat 9 April Chitterne Road Races Date: Sun 24 April The fifth running of the Chitterne Road Races, comprising National B men’s and Regional B women’s races. Challenging and exposed Salisbury Plain course. Closes: Wed 13 April Peebles CC RR Date: Sat 30 April A 55-mile (88km) Regional B road race for 3/4/J categories, starting at Broughton in South Lanarkshire. Closes: Wed 20 April…

Cycling shorts are, you might imagine, fairly foolproof. We all know of a handful of riders who’ve worn underwear beneath them – which is probably forgivable as a beginner’s mistake. More surprising was a couple of years ago when I saw someone with their shorts inside out; the bright blue chamois pad made them look like a monkey in search of a good time. A friend got in touch recently to tell me that someone in his club had done the same. “We gently pointed out that it wasn’t supposed to be on the outside,” he reported. “The next week he looked more normal. Until we noticed he was wearing two pairs of shorts – the inner pair inside out, so that he had two pads sandwiched together. He simply…