Innehållsförteckning för March 21, 2024 från Cycling Weekly

Two things seemingly make time pass faster: seeing your friends’ children grow up, and witnessing the start and finish of a rider’s career. They’re very similar in many ways. What’s got me feeling nostalgic this week is the news of Dame Laura Kenny retiring. It seems like just yesterday that the 31-year-old, five-time Olympic champion, and mother of two was a prodigiously talented, excitable 18-year-old winning her first world title. I reported from the 2011 Track World Championships in Apeldoorn when she pulled on her first ‘stripy jumper’ as she liked to call them, and suggested to colleagues that she would be the star of the show at the London Olympics. The depth of her talent and power of her personality was that obvious from day one. Not only was…

THE UNBEATABLE DUO The great cycling rivalry of modern times will once more be renewed this spring, with one rider, for once, firmly up on the other. The supremacy of Mathieu van de Poel will have a very visible emblem as he races the cobbled Classics over the next few weeks, in the form of the rainbow jersey he earned by winning the World Championships in Glasgow last summer. His success in 2023 extended far beyond the Worlds, which was the last triumph of an unprecedented hattrick that also included the Milan-San Remo and Paris-Roubaix Monuments, all won through solo attacks of unstoppable force. These were results that put him into the record books, and sealed his place among the all-time great Classics riders. Among the defeated on all three…

If you’re a fan of cobbles, then this year’s edition of Paris-Roubaix is set to be vintage. The men will tackle the most pavé they have faced for 30 years – the total coming to 55.7km over 29 sectors, thanks to stretches in Briastre and Le Hameau du Buat returning in the first half of the race. These are not just any cobbles, either. The farm tracks of northern France are a different beast to those in Flanders, laid with head-sized rocks, their jagged edges protruding from the dirt. The most fearsome sector is the 2.3km Trouée d’Arenberg, still yet to feature in the women’s route, which is essentially unchanged from 2023, with 17 cobbled sectors over 29.2km. For Magnus Bäckstedt, this year marks the 20th anniversary of his career-defining…

In layman’s terms, what is carb-loading? Carb loading is essentially filling up as much as you can with carbohydrate. Our muscles and liver store carbohydrate as a substance called glycogen, our primary fuel source. What are the benefits of doing this? When we run out of ‘juice’ or ‘hit the wall’ in cycling, the cause is quite often that we’ve run low on glycogen. If you want to maintain a high output, you need as much glycogen as possible. Think of the muscle as a sponge, with carb-loading helping it to soak up as much glycogen as possible. The benefit is that you’re able to ride for longer at higher intensities, producing your best possible performance. “Think of the muscle as a sponge, with carbo-loading helping it to soak up…

There are few things I enjoy more in cycling-land than the arrival of a new time trial helmet. There’s a wet Paris-Roubaix. There’s watching the Tour on Alpe d’Huez. But I love most our capacity for over-reaction, and for over-reaction a new TT lid tops all. But before we get to the latest offering from the comedymeisters at Giro’s helmet division, we’re going to have a brief diversion into a bewildering theatrical experience. A few years ago someone took me to see Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo. This is not a semi-Classic you’ve missed, it’s a comedy ballet company. Very skilled, hugely athletic, and very confusing. Their opening number proceeded for several minutes to a respectful silence. Then, for no reason at all, the whole audience (other than me)…

A recent conversation with a pro bike rider revealed a sad story. In his second pro race, he found himself almost accidentally off the front of the bunch on his own with a substantial lead, but an intimidating 30km to go. That felt like a long way. “So I backed off and let them catch me,” he said. “It seemed that if it was that easy for me to just ride away from the bunch I’d just wait and do it again at something like 15km out, and that would be a lot more pleasant. Or I’d do it in a different race. It was easy.” That turned out to be the only time he ever, accidentally or otherwise, created any sort of serious opportunity. He never won a race…

It is easy to forget just how far the GB women’s sprint squad has come in the last few years. After failing to qualify in the team sprint for the previous two Olympic cycles, they will now go to Paris not only as medal hopefuls, but real contenders for the gold. Their victory over Germany in Hong Kong felt particularly momentous. Over the past three years, GB have been closing the gap on the nation that has won the world title four years on the trot. Now, with the Olympics looming, they’ve finally edged past them. I went to a media day in Manchester at the start of this month, put on by British Cycling in a chic, warehouse-sized cafe. During a round table, Katy Marchant said something that has…

SD WORX-PROTIME V THE REST In 2023, Lotte Kopecky and Demi Vollering formed a legendary double act. Between them, they won virtually all of the biggest races on the calendar – Kopecky the World Championships, Tour of Flanders, and green jersey at the Tour de France; Vollering the Strade Bianche, the Ardennes Classics hat-trick, and yellow jersey at the Tour de France. They’re the two best riders in the world, and have elevated the SD Worx-Protime team to near-uneatable status. “Last year they scaled new heights, competing in perfect harmony” First paired together on the team in 2022, last year they scaled new heights, competing in perfect harmony to outgun and outmanoeuvre the opposition at every turn. However, at last year’s Strade Bianche there appeared to be tension between the…

Breakfast Large bowl of porridge (two cups) liberally topped with blueberries, strawberries and banana – approx 120g carbs. Morning snack 300ml fruit smoothie and a flapjack – approx 100g carbs. Lunch Cheese and ham or peanut butter and jam sandwich with a side order of sweet potato fries (100g) and two bananas – approx 130g carbs. Afternoon snack Greek yoghurt (200g) with tablespoon maple syrup and flapjack – approx 90g carbs. Dinner Large serving (three cups, 990g) of spaghetti bolognese with small side salad, followed by large helping of rice pudding (1.5 cups, 275g) with jam – approx 190g carbs. Evening snack Two slices of toast with jam – approx 40g carbs. Total carbs: 670g (10g per kilo for 67kg athlete) MEET THE EXPERT Sam Impey Chief scientific officer at…

The Trofeo Alfredo Binda has become Lidl-Trek’s race in the last few seasons, with the squad winning the race for four consecutive seasons. Teamwork is the reason for the triumphs. It was Elisa Balsamo’s turn to take a second victory at the Italian Classic last Sunday, with the Italian beating the world champion Lotto Kopecky (SD Worx-Protime) in the final sprint. Despite a selective race in Lombardy, a bunch finish occurred in Cittiglio, where Balsamo managed to round Kopecky, who was a lastminute addition to SD Worx’s squad, and power to victory, with Puck Pieterse (Fenix-Deceuninck) in third. Balsamo paid tribute to Lidl-Trek’s teamwork post-race, picking out Shirin van Anrooij, last year’s winner, for particular praise. “In the final I played my cards in the best way,” she said. “I…

My memories of racing on the road as a junior are encapsulated by early starts, waiting on the line for an hour before the race and sprinting full gas from the gun to even have a chance of being part of the action. Three things which I was admittedly happy to say goodbye to when stepping up to the pro peloton. Or so I thought. The first one of these memories came flooding back while racing the Ardennes Classics last year, with their delightful 8:30am starts, and most recently in Strade Bianche with yet another dawn departure. And yes, I am aware that 8:30am is not particularly early in any normal profession, but the thought of shovelling down 150g of porridge at 5:30am is not the most appetising. Then, just…

Apologise, UCI tells Lefevere Controversial Soudal-Quick Step boss Patrick Lefevere has been told he must apologise for “public comments considered disparaging towards women” he has made, or pay a fine of 20,000 Swiss francs (£17,782). The penalty was handed out by the UCI’s Ethics Commission, which did not detail the comments it was referring to, simply saying there were two incidents. To avoid the fine, Lefevere must apologise publicly and refrain from making any similar comments for three years. t Rebellin case plea bargain rejected The family of Davide Rebellin – the Italian former pro killed after being in collision with a truck – have welcomed an Italian court’s rejection of a plea bargain put forward by the truck driver, German 63-year-old Wolfgang Rieke. The latter had hoped to serve…

It’s Antwerp’s turn to host the biggest party of the Belgian cycling year, taking over from Bruges, as the alternating host city of the 2024 Tour of Flanders. The main changes to this year’s route come in the early stages of the race, keeping more to wide roads to try and minimise the risk of crashes, but largely this is immaterial, as the real race begins halfway in, when the riders start to take on the brutal cobbled climbs this race is famous for. In the men’s race, the first of the 17 ascents will be the Oude Kwaremont, tackled after 137km of racing, while the Wolvenberg at the 72km point is the first of 12 such tests in the women’s race. The Wolvenberg is where both converge, after which…

E3 SAXO CLASSIC 22 MARCH In its 66th edition, the E3 Saxo Classic is the only one of the big Classics not to be run by either Flanders Classics or ASO. As a result, it’s notorious for its controversial publicity, and only has a men’s event. Controversies aside, it is a thrilling race. Effectively, it is a miniature Tour of Flanders, featuring the likes of the Paterberg, Oude Kwaremont and the Taainberg across its 208km, although it has a fairly flat run-in, ending seemingly in a residential street. Wout van Aert (Visma-Lease a Bike) has won the last two editions. GHENT-WEVELGEM 24 MARCH Holy Week, or the run-up to the Tour of Flanders, begins with Ghent-Wevelgem on the Sunday before the big one. Confusingly, it does not start in Ghent,…

Amateur rider Michael Kanizay, 56, from Melbourne, Australia, is a firm believer in cold water immersion: “I don’t feel as strong on the bike if I ride without first doing cold water immersion (CWI). I started daily CWI back in March of 2019 out of curiosity. I’d heard Wim Hof interviewed on a podcast and I already used the yogic breathing techniques Wim suggested to overcome cold sensations on the bike and while running. “As a competitive cyclist in C grade/Cat 3 and Masters B grade/Cat 2, riding six days a week, CWI has become a cornerstone of my routine. I use a salt water chlorinated pool at home, immersing myself six times, focusing on breathing for about six seconds each time. Initially, with water around 20°C, it was refreshing,…

TIME TRIALS SUN, MAR 17 CTT Classic Series round one (Nomansland, Hampshire): 1. Jamie Whitcher (Bournemouth Cycleworks-Vitec Fire) 34.09 2. B. Goodwin (Fibrax Fenwicks Wrexham CC) 34.44 3. O. Hurdle (Stolen Goat RT) 36.17 4. B. Wheeler (Poole Wheelers) 36.27 5. D. Righini-Brand (Spalding CC) 36.44 6. C. Booth (Army Cycling) 36.52 Women: 1. Jessica Rhodes-Jones (AeroCoach) 39.10 2. K. Parton (Team Bottrill) 39.31 3. S. Van der Plank (New Forest CC) 43.13 4. A. O’Neill (Velo Bavarian RT) 44.15 5. L. Cooper (PDQ Cycle Coaching) 44.19 6. E. Righini-Brand (Spalding CC) 44.28 Road Bikes Open: 1. Jamie Whitcher (Bournemouth Cycleworks) 34.09 2. O. Hurdle (Stolen Goat RT) 36.17 3. B. Wheeler (Poole Wheelers) 36.27 Road Bikes Women: 1. Sien Van der Plank (New Forest CC) 43.13 2. A. O’Neill (Velo Bavarian…