Innehållsförteckning för November 2, 2023 från Cycling Weekly

I’m beginning to wonder if Mark Cavendish hasn’t employed some scriptwriters to take control of the final years of his career. His renaissance in 2016 was impressive, if not the stuff of legend, while his 2021 comeback was right up there with the sport’s best stories. Then, having announced his retirement earlier this year before missing out on a Tour stage win – thanks to a small mechanical – and then crashing out, he set up comeback 3.0 in 2024. It was already looking like the perfectly scripted fairytale, with so many former key team-mates and backroom staff rejoining him at Astana for one last Tour de France bid, and the Paris Olympics following straight after. Imagine that… taking a 35th stage win at the Tour before going on to…

STAGE 3: TURIN Following the Italian Grand Départ’s two tough opening stages, Cavendish and his sprinting rivals should get their moment in Turin. Victory in the Italian industrial centre would offer a neat symmetry, giving the Manxman the outright record for bouquets in the race that he always insists has made him while coming in the country where he made his home. Cavendish has some history on his side. He won a stage during the 2009 Giro d’Italia that started in Turin, and last year he won the Milan-Turin semi-Classic. STAGE 5: SAINT-VULBAS This stage finishes in the department of Ain, where the thickly wooded hills of the Jura massif are usually on the menu. Cavendish has won in this area once before, when the 2016 Tour visited the bird…

“After the road season, I have a rest period of two to three weeks to ensure I recover. Around the start of October, I begin my cyclo-cross training, and soon after, I start racing. Usually, I participate in international as well as national cyclo-cross races in Luxembourg. In spring and summer, I occasionally race XCO races on weekends when I have no road races planned with the team; however, the road is the main focus at this time. “I think the main difference is the physical and mental effort. A cyclo-cross race is completed in 50 minutes, whereas road races are often at least four times longer. Moreover, another key difference is the technical skills needed to finish up front, especially if there is a lot of mud or tricky…

We’ve heard the one about the all-singing, all-dancing cycling mega-league before. The sport’s history is littered with efforts to build it into something more glossy, more accessible, more financially sustainable. All have failed. The most recent example was pro-team organisation Velon’s Hammer Series, an effort to put together a series of weekend-long events that would yield an overall champion team that was as lofty in its ambition as it was underwhelming in its delivery. When news broke of this new effort then, I was, perhaps like you, dismissive of its prospects. However, two key details have emerged that make me think it might just work this time. Firstly, ASO is at least taking an interest. As the owner of the one race – the Tour de France – that makes…

After a fully packed race programme from February to October, the off-season is a highly anticipated event in my calendar – a period of three to four weeks off the bike, without any structured training plans, to allow for complete physical and mental rest. This sounds very lovely and relaxing but every year it seems to turn into a challenge to fit everything I’ve not had time for over the past year into this short space of time. As a professional cyclist, for 11 months of the year my days consist of a rather strict and unglamorous routine and there’s little room or energy to go on trips, be adventurous, or try other sports. This is why my off-seasons are jam-packed weeks of doing anything and everything I can think…

It is only natural for bike lovers to prick up their ears at the prospect of discounted stock, particularly with Christmas drawing closer. Currently, the websites of Wiggle and Chain Reaction Cycles are advertising their Black Friday sales – launched two weeks earlier this year than last – offering bargain prices, with 60% off some products. According to a statement from FRP Advisory, WiggleCRC’s appointed administrator, all business operations are continuing to run “as normal”. Customers should be assured, it continued, that they can purchase products and make online returns in line with existing terms and conditions. Some might be concerned, however, that if WiggleCRC goes bust, purchases might not be honoured, and money might be lost. According to the Consumer Credit Act, any product bought on a credit card…

As you may recall, I can’t resist a challenge when it comes to your weekly photo from the archives. In last week’s issue you said it’s “hard to tell exactly where they [the riders] are on the climb” of the Tourmalet, so clearly the gauntlet was thrown down. You’re pretty much spot on in saying that the picture was taken slightly above Barèges, but when I tried to place the picture exactly using Google Maps I was baffled as I couldn’t make the topology match up. It turns out that the photo was taken 3.8km up from Barèges, but on the old Tourmalet road. The D918 was modified in 2011 and the old road splits off from it about 500m west of the big car park at the Barèges ski…

A MEATY BOLOGNESE TEST Circuit finishes are few and far between at the Tour, but on stage two the lure of Bologna’s magnificent climb up to the Sanctuary of the Madonna di San Luca, accompanied all the way by a monumental arcade comprising 666 arches, was too much for the organisers to resist. Familiar to many as the finale of the Giro dell’Emilia, where Primož Roglič beat Tadej Pogačar just a few weeks ago, the 2km climb will be tackled twice. How to get there: Ryanair has flights from London Stansted (£150 return), Manchester (£155) and Edinburgh (£188). Easyjet flies there from London Gatwick (£172), while British Airways flies from Heathrow (£162). Where to stay: The Tour’s visit has, inevitably, made accommodation hard to find, but the Hotel Almarossa (£221…

Even though the race name suggests otherwise, next year’s edition of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift has the Netherlands at its core. So much so, in fact, that it almost seems as if the reigning champion Demi Vollering designed the route herself. The third edition of the race will open with a Grand Départ in Rotterdam, half an hour’s cycle from Vollering’s birthplace, and will finish on Alpe d’Huez, a mountain famed for the revelry of Dutch fans on its slopes. There are, of course, a few quirks along the way. Squeezed from eight days to seven and wedged in the calendar after the Paris Olympics, organiser ASO was determined to keep the same number of stages in 2024. As a result, there will be a two-stage day,…

The first significant climbing arrives on stage four, which features a mix of hills from the Amstel Gold Race and Liège-Bastogne-Liège. The former arrive early on this stage into Liège and it’s the latter that test the mettle of the GC favourites in a run that starts at Mont Theux, takes in La Redoute and the Côte des Forges, and concludes on La Roche-aux-Faucons. This final ascent comes in two halves, the first very steep, the second a long and unrelenting drag where the strongest can extend the gains made lower down. Mountains are packed into the final weekend. Saturday brings a familiar climb with an unfamiliar finale. The Col de la Colombière has been a regular on the Tour route, usually appearing as the final climb on stages into…

Gravel races typically involve longer distances, often covering rough terrain and gravel roads. CX races are shorter, intense events taking place on tight, twisty courses with obstacles, such as barriers, requiring quick dismounts and remounts. Gravel races prioritise endurance, while CX focuses on agility and bike-handling skills. Events, races, and organisations to help you get started with cyclo-cross and gravel racing: CX ■ Cyclo-cross skills session: Herne Hill in South London hosts regular adult and child focused cross skills sessions on the trails around the outdoor track. hernehillvelodrome.com/offroad ■ London and South East Cyclo-Cross league: Events started back in September and run through to February, spanning Hog Hill to Dover. londonxleague.co.uk ■ North East Cyclo-cross League: organises cyclo-cross races offering opportunities for amateur riders. neccl.co.uk ■ Wessex Cyclo-cross League: a…

“I have to agree with Alice that the thing we’ve most inherited from our dad is our ability to descend and corner well. Is it nature or nurture? He taught us how to ride a bike – we rode together, we followed his lines, and you pick things up without realising. But at the same time, he is a natural talent on two wheels, and maybe that’s crossed over to us. “It’s curious because, on a physiological level, I do think there are quite a lot of differences between us. My dad was a punchy rider, and neither Alice or I are like that. One of Alice’s best rides this season was at Roubaix, and if I, a 58kg climber, was ever sent there, I’d be absolutely destroyed. “Where the…

Without the placebo effect there would be no modern bike industry. In cycling terms the effect can be simply stated. If you believe something will make you faster, it probably will, because you believe it. Medical science only caught up with us in the 1940s and '50s. But the placebo effect was in fine fettle decades before that, as when a racer of the 1890s reportedly assured his friends that a left-handed drivetrain had made him 10 seconds a mile faster, and then the following season assured them he’d gained another 10 seconds by going back to a right-handed one. You can also project a placebo effect onto a rival, as when they turn up with a nice new bike and you automatically go a bit more slowly. The placebo…

Slicing 17 seconds off the old course record and taking the win by 59 seconds from her nearest challenger, it looked to be anything but a Struggle for 24-year-old Gardner. Her time of 15-03 left team-mate Lizi Brooke in second, while just one second further back in third was Abi Plowman (Jadan Vive le Velo). “I’m very pleased with that,” said Gardner. “Conditions were kind to us - luckily it wasn’t raining during the event and there wasn’t much wind, but it was quite chilly. “I stood up at one point and had a massive slip because the surface was a bit damp even though it wasn’t raining. But luckily that was my only slight error and I didn’t lose too much time there. “I had done a pre-ride earlier…

Former professional cyclo-cross rider and four-time national champion Nikki Brammeier showed her class at round three of the National Trophy Series in Derby, weaving her way through from the back of the grid to take victory at Moorways Leisure Centre. Riding for her own Mudiiita Coaching team, she calmly worked her way through the field to win by 27 seconds from Ruby James (Hope Factory Racing), with first under-23 rider Hope Inglis (Brother UK-Orientation Marketing) another 15 seconds back in third overall. Meanwhile, men’s series leader Thomas Mein (Hope Factory Racing) strengthened his grip on the National Trophy with a victory. “It’s a bit mental that I started as the last rider and went through the field,” said 36-year-old Brammeier immediately after the race. “It was a bit of chaos,…

The UCI cyclo-cross World Cup returned to its Belgian heartland for round two, held at Maasmechelen. Victory in the men’s race went to Lars van der Haar (Baloise Trek Lions), closely followed by Eli Iserbyt (Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal), in what was his second close runner-up place in a row following round one at Wisconsin. Brit Cam Mason (Cyclocross Reds) rode to a creditable eighth place, 46sec back. In the elite women’s race, Fem Van Empel made it two in a row, with a decisive 1.28 beating of runner-up Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado (Alpecin-Deceuninck). Zoe Bäckstedt was 13th, but sits fifth in the overall standings thanks to her fifth place in round one. The series stays in Belgium for round three in Dendermonde next Sunday (12 November). Iserbyt had more luck in…

Rouvy’s new look Virtual riding app Rouvy unveiled a new look earlier this week, with a revamped dashboard and rejigged user experience. The app’s USP is its augmented reality videoscapes, which are designed to give the rider a real-life taste of locations, ranging from the French Alps to Southern California. In the new update, it says, it has ironed out technical glitches and is offering a better rider experience. Archibald retains Champions League lead Katie Archibald defended her overall endurance lead at round two of the Track Champions League in Berlin at the weekend. She won the elimination race to secure a six-point lead ahead of scratch winner Lily Williams of the USA. Dutch sprint star Harry Lavreysen and Ellesse Andrews of New Zealand both won their sprint and keirin…

This is the 111th Tour de France, and for race director Christian Prudhomme those three ones have real significance. He describes it as a race of firsts, breaking new ground by having its Grand Départ in Italy, the huge ascent of the Col du Galibier in its opening week, a sortie onto the gravel roads bisecting Champagne’s vineyards, and, what’s undoubtedly the most extraordinary innovation of all, a finish away from Paris, the finale taking place far to the south, in Nice. The race gets under way on 29 June in Florence, the home city of two-time Tour winner Gino Bartali, one of the sport’s great climbers. He would surely have approved of the opening stage to Rimini. Featuring 3,600 metres of vertical gain, it’s arguably the toughest opener the…

Simon Smythe Tech Writer The two-lapper Crowhurst Circuit (GS/382) is a classic sporting TT course that starts out with fast, smooth tarmac and comes back on a long drag, gnarly potholes, sharp bends, and a tough kicker hill. To make it tougher, when I took the Propel there in June, the road with the start/finish had just been resurfaced and looked better suited to a gravel bike. But the Propel excelled, helping me put three minutes into the editor, who was my minute man and who I assumed was breathing down my neck, just as he does for my copy.…

To find your nearest designated off-road track or trail, try the Trailforks app – a database of cycling trails across the UK. You can search by location, trail difficulty, and user ratings. In England and Wales, designated Public Rights of Way can be found on Ordnance Survey maps and digital mapping apps like OS Maps or ViewRanger. Scotland follows a different system, with Core Paths providing access routes for cyclists and walkers. Websites like Sustrans and National Trails offer information about legal cycling routes and access rights. The Komoot website and app is also good for route plotting and finding, and pulls in tips from local experts.…

On a ride last week with my friend Bernard, the subject of the online retailer Wiggle Chain Reaction came up. The company is in deep financial water after its parent company pulled the plug. Bernard was, if not actually pleased, at least not distraught. “They crushed all the local bike shops,” he said. “Without big websites we can have proper bike shops again.” It would be fair to say that Bernard is a man who liked his past better than his present. But the sheer optimism means that he’s always confident that we can get back to 1995 one way or another. If you don’t remember the way things worked before the big web stores, let me tell you. You had a local bike shop, with a twinkling proprietor who…

A training camp episode, from last spring. On an easy day midway through the camp, the group was sitting by the pool when one of them found a sturdy length of metal, maybe three metres long and about 10 cm wide. Naturally the conversation turned to whether it would be possible to ride along it. They manhandled it into a bridge over the pool to make it interesting, with a little stone ramp on the entry and a decent run-in. Our hero was first up. He made it about halfway when it all went wrong. The front wheel went right, the back wheel went left. And 80kg of idiot went straight down the middle, snapping the frame clean in two on the bridge.…