Innehållsförteckning för February 16, 2023 från Cycling Weekly

Throughout winter we’ve run more fitness features on the subject of being a strong all-round rider, and not just encouraging you to ride further and faster. We’ve looked at how we can all make our bodies stronger, more resilient and better able to take on challenges. This involves everything from strength and conditioning work to yoga and cross training. The old-school way of thinking was always ‘ride your bike, ride your bike, ride your bike,’ and when we’re pushed for time that makes sense. If we’ve got an hour spare for exercise then we want to jump on our bikes, right? But that approach is slowly changing. While that hour on the bike will be enjoyable, and help our cycling fitness, if we choose that option every time it might…

“If he has any doubts that he can’t win another Grand Tour, then we have a problem with Jai,” says Enrico Gasparotto, his DS at the Giro. “He’s finished three Giros, finished on the podium twice, so he has to be confident. I have no doubts.” Hindley, according to Gasparotto, has near-enough the full repertoire required to win across three weeks. He’s seen evidence of it on multiple occasions in his first year working with the Australian, including on stage 18 of the Giro when Hindley punctured in the final two kilometres but avoided time losses by the three kilometre rule. “That day to Treviso was hectic – and then he got a flat tyre but he was really relaxed,” Gasparotto says. The day before when he wasn’t feeling great,…

Each bus’s duty is to transport riders first and foremost, but the most important person is undoubtedly the driver. It is their home to care for, and they are ultimately responsible for its smooth running. Leonilde Tresca from Tresca Transformer says: “The driver really needs to know the bus well. If they have an issue, they need to know exactly where the problem is, as they don’t have much time during a race to solve it. While we are building the bus, the driver comes to our place to see where we install all the equipment, appliances, pipes and generators, so they know how it all works.” James Vanlandschoot has been a bus driver for Soudal-Quick Step for the past eight seasons and adds, “Not only that, but if a…

HED Emporia GC3 Performance £1,625 HED’s Emporia GC3 Performance wheelset is the entry-level model in the range. But just like the top Emporia GC3 Pro wheels, it benefits from the same 30mm rim depth and is hand-built too. The internal rim width measures 26mm matched to a 31mm external rim width. The profile is hookless and therefore tubeless-ready – coming fitted with tape and valves. HED says these are intended for 32-55mm tyres. HED uses its own forged alloy centrelock hubs that use a four-pawl 27-tooth ratchet ring design, giving the wheels a 13.3° engagement, which is a little on the slower side for gravel wheels. The hubs are 24 hole front and rear and laced to the rims with Sapim J-bend spokes. The weather conditions at the time of…

National masters champion in multiple categories, 66-year-old Dave Robinson from Grimsby, Lincolnshire, tells CW how he has stayed fit and healthy as he’s grown older I was a runner first, but realised that I was going to end up with a lot of injuries so decided to change to cycling while it was still in my control. As you become older, you become mindful that if you sustain any injury, it will take longer to heal. I think this alone makes you preempt any injuries and do things to help your overall health which should keep me on the bike for longer. For the past 30 years I’ve done circuit training, and continuing to do that in winter alongside my bike training definitely helps my overall health. It allows me…

For Uno-X team doctor Knut Rønning, no rider on the Norwegian team had ever returned a positive doping test result, nor been diagnosed with cancer. There was a lot of learning on the job. “We realised early on that openness and talking about everything was important – symptoms, processes, nutrition, mental and general health. But also we had to refrain from giving out information to everyone until we had more clarity,” says the Danish doctor. “I am proud of how our whole team handled it.” Træen underwent treatment in his native Norway, but Rønning was a vital lifeline from across the North Sea. “My work was continuously supporting him on the phone, putting some of his worries to rest, explaining each step and answering questions. “I think he put on…

There was a cold and foggy ride last week where I can honestly report that the best thing about the entire experience was my gloves. The gloom came all the way to my eyeballs, the air smelled metallic and a little fishy, and every mile was a little longer than the one before. But my hands were warm and dry. The gloves are old, at least 15 years, but they stopped making them and I like them so much I only wear them to brighten that sort of day. Like a man preserving an immaculate MG-B sports car, I keep the mileage low. Old kit ought to be one of the pleasures of having been in the sport for a long time. People should have respect for someone who shows…

GOLD Women’s team pursuit Katie Archibald, Elinor Barker, Josie Knight, Anna Morris, Neah Evans Women’s Madison Katie Archibald, Elinor Barker Women’s omnium Katie Archibald Men’s scratch Ollie Wood SILVER Women’s keirin Emma Finucane Women’s team sprint Lauren Bell, Emma Finucane, Katy Marchant, Sophie Capewell Women’s individual pursuit Josie Knight Men’s team pursuit Dan Bigham, Ollie Wood, Ethan Vernon, Charlie Tanfield Men’s team sprint Jack Carlin, Alastair Fielding, Hamish Turnbull, Joe Truman Men’s individual pursuit Dan Bigham BRONZE Women’s sprint Sophie Capewell Men’s omnium Will Perrett…

After a strenuous 39-mile ride with 3,000 feet of climbing today in the cold and wind, it was a surprise to open CW on my return to find a piece on heart rhythm problems. This is something I’ve experienced with three episodes of supraventricular tachycardia (SVT), where my heart beats overly fast, in the last six months. The last episode happened when I was out enjoying a ride and saw me hospitalised. Fortunately all the medical experts who’ve looked after me have agreed I should carry on cycling while awaiting treatment, which will probably be an ablation. Of course I try not to overdo it, but that’s difficult living near the Yorkshire Dales. However, I try to be prepared, carrying with me a KardiaMobile ECG monitor which records my heart…

Bastion has announced the release of its latest superbike, the ArchAngel. The brand’s stated mission is “to create the most desirable bikes in the world”, and it boldly claims the ArchAngel is “the most highly specified production bike ever released”. Like its predecessor the Demon, it uses 3D-printed titanium lugs bonded to filament-wound carbon tubes. However, while the Demon was limited to one owner per country, the ArchAngel expands its reach to 88 bikes. Melbourne-based Bastion released the first ever commercially available 3D-printed bike seven years ago. The company hit the headlines again at the 2020 Olympics for the wrong reasons – as producer of the 3D handlebars that failed during the Australian men’s team pursuit qualifiers. Bastion was largely vindicated in an independent report into the incident, however. Designed…

Rachel Sokal, tech writer My local road riding consists of either long, fast and flat days over the Leicestershire and Lincolnshire Wolds or short, sharp and punchy climbs and descents on the edge of Derbyshire and Peak District National Park. This winter, conditions have been pretty grim; some really cold and icy days and far too many very wet ones. All of which mean the roads are in terrible condition – rough and loose – and there is plenty of water, grit and salt around to test the utility, comfort and durability of the Allez.…

Jacob James is an S&C coach with 10 years of competitive racing experience across all cycling disciplines When I was cycling, I had the mindset that any off-bike training was a waste of time. Now I’m paying the price. It is generally the purebred endurance sports that could do with the most strength-conditioning help. Cyclo-cross is a mixed sport when compared to stage racing, and so a cyclo-cross racer is generally more robust and can handle day-to-day ills and spills better than pure endurance riders. I’ve found that it’s hard to get some athletes to buy into training that’s not on the bike, even though it’s going to help them perform on the bike. The strength industry is very muddy and there is a lot of misinformation out there. One…

Testicular cancer is relatively rare, accounting for only about 1% of all cancers in men. However, it tends to affect younger men, aged 15-40, and rates are on the rise. All men are advised to perform a self-exam of their testicles once a month, preferably after a warm bath or shower, when the scrotal skin is relaxed. Examine one testicle at a time by gently rolling it between your fingers – look and feel for any lumps, bumps, or changes in size, shape or firmness. If you detect any changes or lumps, it is important to seek medical advice as soon as possible.…

▪ The appointment of new CEO is due to be announced in the coming weeks, though the timetable could change depending on the appointee’s availability. ▪ British Cycling still lacks a headline sponsor and has done since the end of 2021. The longer it lacks that income source, the more dire the consequences for the organisation, as its costs increase. ▪ The revised transgender inclusion policy due for publication in the spring. Consultation has already been completed and sources CW have consulted said it appears fair and balanced. ▪ Summer sees the Glasgow World Championships. Aside from the challenges for the elite squad, British Cycling needs to use this to maximise interest in the sport among the wider public.…

The UCI has reopened the door for Russian and Belarusian riders to compete in international events such as European and World Championships and the Olympic Games. Riders, however, must ride as neutrals and have not made any public statement that supports the ongoing war in Ukraine. Russia’s highest-profile rider Alexsandr Vlasov welcomed the move, saying: “For me it’s a pleasure to participate in the Olympic Games.” The decision followed a parallel move by the IOC but there are rumblings that the international body may find itself under pressure to row back on its decision from a wide variety of sports and nations.…

Eileen Sheridan, 1923-2023 Record-breaking cyclist Eileen Sheridan has passed away aged 99. The ‘Mighty Atom’ as she was known due to her diminutive stature, was famed for her place-to-place record setting, including a Land’s End to John o’ Groats time of two days, 11 hours and seven minutes, which she set in 1954 and which was not broken for 36 years. See next week’s magazine for a full obituary on a rider who has been an inspiration to many. Turner takes first pro win Young British Ineos Grenadier Ben Turner took his first pro win at the weekend in the Vuelta Ciclista Murcia. The hilly course didn’t split the bunch much and it came to a sprint at the top of the final small climb. Turner looked like he’d been…

Each team bus has its own unique properties and characteristics, but generally the contents of the bus will include the following: A business class-like individual seating area featuring a reclining seat, USB and plug sockets, and fold-out tables. A kitchen with a coffee machine, a microwave, rice cookers, electrical stove, fridge, specialist fridge for gels and bars, ice machines, sink and dishwashers. An office/relax zone with sofas, tables, beds, massage tables, wardrobes and drawers. Bathroom area with communal or separate showers for two to three people. Electrical appliances including washing and drying machines, water boiler, air conditioning and ventilation units, fans, TVs, audio systems, monitors inside and outside for team briefings, diesel generators and back-up batteries.…

It’s Hot Pink Kit with these brightly coloured confection-themed gravel pedals from US brand Crankbrothers. Crankbrothers is best known for its original Eggbeater pedal, which is basically just the trap/cage part of these pedals without the composite pedal body surrounding it. With the addition of the composite body – which is available not only in hot pink but also in Fire Engine Red, Sky Blue and Carbon Black – you can ride them more easily when you’re not clipped in with the specific cleats. If you’re nipping to the shops in your trainers, for example. But the extra platform with its added support also helps on steep, technical descents when you’ve got your heels down. The design is great for mud shedding, so with gravel taking off in recent years,…

ONE UP Allez Elite £1,429 While the frameset remains unchanged, the next rung up the Allez ladder gets you an 11-speed drivetrain, in the shape of SRAM’s Rival 22. It’s not a complete groupset however, with a Praxis Alba chainset and Sunrace cassette used instead. The Axis wheels are replaced with DT Swiss R460 hoops. ONE DOWN Allez £949 It’s becoming increasingly difficult to find a decent road bike under a grand, but the entry-level Allez is just that. Here the groupset is Shimano’s eight-speed Claris, which pairs the compact 50/34 chainset with an 11-32t cassette. The wheelset is the same as the Sport – Axis – but the brake calipers this time are made by Tektro.…

What is the price of success? Imagine you could achieve your ultimate cycling goal but knew that in doing so you would sacrifice your social life, compromise your mental health and possibly end up with brittle bones. Would it be worth it? Research consistently shows that cycling is a hugely beneficial form of exercise, but public health guidelines also make it very clear that focusing solely on cardiovascular exercise is not enough as we grow older. If we’re one-track minded in our dedication to cycling over too many years, do we risk jeopardising our long-term health? The words ‘fitness’ and ‘health’ are often used interchangeably, but that’s a mistake, as there are some key differences between the two. The official definition of health is a state of physical, mental and…

It was May 2022 and Torstein Træen was in the Sierra Nevada mountains in Spain tucking into a big breakfast with his Uno-X Pro Cycling team-mates. The date has stuck in his mind. “It was Friday the 13th – we were joking with each other that something bad was going to happen today,” remembers the 27-year-old Norwegian, speaking to me by phone from a winter training camp in Altea, Spain. Træen recalls the exact moment when, while walking back to his room to get ready for the day’s ride, his phone rang. It was Knut Rønning, the team’s doctor. “He asked me if I had read the email in my inbox, and I was like, ‘yeah, yeah’.” But Træen had skimmed over it, missing the email’s significance. Rønning spelled it…

TIME TRIALS SUNDAY, 12 FEBRUARY Ely and District CC hardriders 25 (Ely, Cambridgeshire): Men: 1. Rob Walker (Ward Performance UK.com) 54.25 (course record) 2. J. Adlam-Cook (Cambridge University CC) 57.46 3. G. Roberts (Welland Valley CC) 1:00.02 4. T. Wade (Cambridge University CC) 1:00.19 5. D. Wintz (National Clarion CC) 1:00.38 6. M. Rizzo-Naudi (Cambridge Uni. CC) 1:00.55 7. T. Phillips (Team Catenary) 1:01.15 8. H. Weedon (Cambridge University CC) 1:01.39 9. S. Holmes (Saint Piran) 1:01.40 10. J. Lewis (Cambridge University CC) 1:03.45 Women: 1. Sophie Holmes (Saint Piran) 1:01.40 (women’s course record) 2. M. Angwin (Cambridge University CC) 1:09.56 3. S. Clifford (SheHair Racing Team) 1:34.11 Road Bikes: 1. Timothy Welsh (Cambridge University CC) 1:01.24 2. T. Hartwell (TS Racing-OTR) 1:01.53 3. J. Glynn (Cambridge CC) 1:02.05 4.…

A tale from a student, who told me about a friend whose bike was stolen from a supposedly secure college bike shed. It wasn’t his best bike, but one he used round town and for winter training. He was incensed, a few days later, to see his bike locked to a different rack in the same shed. He hatched a plan to steal it back. But in the meantime he removed the wheels from it to stop the thief taking it anywhere. In his room that evening he noticed that the tyres had been changed. Also, the braking surfaces were a lot, lot less worn. He realised what he’d done was mistake an innocent stranger’s bike for his. And then he’d nicked their wheels. Apparently the big challenge was putting…