Innehållsförteckning för June 13, 2024 från Cycling Weekly

Our Tour de France coverage starts earlier this year as we begin the search for the UK’s next Tour winners (pages 24-30). With 39-year-old Mark Cavendish and 38-year-old Geraint Thomas riding their final Grandes Boucles, it feels apposite to look at the upcoming generation and ask who will fill the considerable hole left by the golden generation of Cav and G. Several riders span the generations of course, and it’s not unreasonable to expect stage and GC results from the Yates brothers Simon and Adam, and Tao Geoghegan Hart over the coming years. But who comes next? And how do you spot a Tour winner before they’ve even ridden a Grand Tour? We spoke to two British coaches who know the upcoming riders and their capabilities better than anyone, and…

The Volta a Catalunya Femenina was won overall by Marianne Vos (Visma-Lease a Bike), despite the best efforts of Ally Wollaston (AG Insurance-Soudal). Wollaston won the bunch sprints on stages one and three, with Vos in second. However, the Dutchwoman’s general classification victory was cemented on the mountainous stage two, as she soloed to victory in La Molina. She attacked from seven kilometres to go, winning the summit finish 51 seconds ahead of her team-mate, Riejanne Markus. Wollaston was a deserving points jersey winner with victories in both bunch finishes. In Belgium, the Classic-style Dwars door het Hageland was won by Lucinda Brand (Lidl-Trek) in the women’s race, and Gianni Vermeersch (Alpecin-Deceuninck) in the men’s equivalent. Brand triumphed over Thalita de Jong (Lotto-Dstny) in a reduced sprint, and Vermeersch beat…

We should be realistic: Mark Cavendish’s sprint domination is unlikely to be repeated, but there are a dozen or more British riders in the peloton who harbour realistic expectations of winning a maiden Tour de France stage in the next 10 years. Former Giro d’Italia champion Tao Geoghegan Hart is now Lidl-Trek’s principal GC rider; 2023 British champion Fred Wright (Bahrain-Victorious) has came close on a number of occasions to a first Tour stage win; Ben Turner (Ineos Grenadiers) is a Classics specialist who should thrive in Classic-style Tour stages, as too should Lewis Askey (Groupama-FDJ); Ethan Vernon (Israel-Premier Tech) has already won WorldTour sprints; Simon Carr (EF Education-EasyPost) seems destined to win mountainous Grand Tour stages from breakaways; and both Ben Tulett (above, Visma-Lease a Bike) and Leo Hayter…

Amir Ansari grew up in Afghanistan, his family belonging to the Hazara ethnic group, Shia Muslims who are persecuted by the Taliban. ● The Hazara are one of the largest ethnic minorities in Afghanistan. ● There have been reports of Hazara discrimination in Afghanistan for over 400 years. ● The group continues to be targeted as Shia Muslims in a majority Sunni Muslim country. ● In 1998 one of the most brutal attacks on Hazara took place in the city of Mazar-i-Sharif, where thousands were systematically executed. ● Today attacks on Hazara in Afghanistan continue frequently, and thousands have fled to other nations to seek refuge.…

£449.99 | 118g Cycling component powerhouse SRAM acquired Hammerhead at the end of 2021 and now it unveils its most promising offering yet: the simply named Karoo (yes, back to its original 2017 name). From ride data and navigation to guided workouts and controlling your electronic components and lights, the Karoo head unit is meant to be your one-stop shop. I received a Karoo testing unit in advance of the launch and promptly put it to the test in the desert landscape of Morocco, where its navigational ability and battery life were thoroughly challenged. Design and build The Karoo is a sizable unit, yet it sports a fairly sleek design. It’s a tad lighter than its predecessor and features a slightly less square shape. The exterior buttons, too, have slimmed…

Cornwall Council, funded by Active Travel England, is among 11 pilot schemes experimenting with the social prescribing of active travel. “We received an £844,000 grant for this initiative, which is being managed by Public Health England in collaboration with the Department for Transport,” explains Natalie Russell, project manager. Government statistics indicate that physical inactivity is associated with one in six deaths in the UK and is estimated to be costing the UK £7.4 billion annually. Using a behavioural change approach, health improvement practitioners (HIPs) support individuals and connect them with existing and new walking or cycling provision. “Participants can get free minutes on local e-bikes and access an e-bike loan,” adds Russell. “Additionally, they can connect with local cycling programmes like Sofa to Saddle and Bikeability. Regular check-ins by HIPs…

ROAD RACING SUNDAY, 9 MAY Matlock CC Circuit Races round three (Darley Moor circuit, Derbyshire): 2, 3, 4: 1. Ewan Mackie (EFC-L&R Van Mossel); 2. M. Sillifant (Team PB Performance); 3. J. Worley (SPRNT); 4. C. Evans (Team Pau); 5. C. Leveridge (Team PB Performance); 6. J. Horsfield (Mud Dock Racing). Gillingham Wheelers Summer Road Race (Shaftesbury, Dorset): Men 3, 4: 1. George Watch (Mid-Devon CC); 2. M. Beecher (05/03); 3. A. Gardiner (Sotonia CC); 4. T. Stroud (VC Venta); 5. M. Todd (unattached); 6. A. Asher (unattached). Wyre Forest Road Race (Martley, near Worcester): 3, 4: 1. Frederick Edwards (Project 51); 2. M. Smith (Wylde Green Wheelers) +0.29; 3. T. Herbert (Bridgnorth CC); 4. E. Corbett (Bridgnorth CC); 5. S. Abbott (Shibden Apex RT); 6. S. Hughes (Macclesfield Wheelers)…

British Continental team Lifeplus-Wahoo had a “nightmare” week prior to and during the Tour of Britain Women. The squad suffered a blow days before the start when one of their riders picked for the race, Kate Richardson, was hit by a driver while out training. Fortunately, the winner of the Lincoln GP wasn’t seriously hurt, but it augured badly for the week. The team finished with just three of their six starters, but it was a non-racing incident which attracted the most attention. On the night of stage one, the team’s van was raided at the Shropshire hotel where they were staying, with 14 bikes worth tens of thousands of pounds stolen. The team was able to continue, riding stage two on borrowed bikes before Ribble were able to replace…

Imagine a full-size golf course but with baskets instead of holes, and frisbees instead of balls and clubs. No, this isn’t a fever dream – this is disc golf, and it’s one of the sports for which the rural town of Emporia, Kansas, lays claim to being the unlikely centre of the world. The other hopefully more familiar activity is gravel riding – a sport which finds one of its most historic and iconic events in this college town in the state’s flint hills, through Unbound Gravel. Held on 1 June, the men’s elite 200 was won by Lachlan Morton in an astonishing 9hrs 11min, while the women’s elite winner was Rosa Klöser (10hr 26min), who won a nine-up sprint to the line. But Unbound is not all about ex-pros…

My father, Ian Rogers, passed away on 11 May this year at the age of very nearly 91. He was a passionate and lifelong cyclist, cycling into his mid-eighties when health sadly no longer allowed him to do so. He joined Bath Cycling Club in 1948 when he was 15 and was a member until he died – 75 years! Can anyone beat that as a club member? He was Bath CC’s oldest member, something he would be very proud of. He was a great cyclist who loved racing and touring. David Whittaker Ed - Our condolences, David. What an incredible achievement to have ridden for so long, and been so loyal to his club. We’re sure he will be sadly missed by many in his local cycling community.…

2008: 4 stages Cavendish 2009: 6 stages Cavendish 2010: 5 stages Cavendish 2011: 5 stages Cavendish (+ Points) 2012: 7 stages + GC Cavendish (3), Wiggins (2 + GC), Froome (1), Millar (1) 2013: 5 stages + GC Froome (3 + GC), Cavendish (2) 2014: 0 wins 2015: 3 stages + GC Cavendish (1), Froome (1 + GC + KoM), Cummings (1) 2016: 7 stages + GC Cavendish (4), Froome (2 + GC), Cummings (1) 2017: 1 stage + GC Thomas, Froome (GC) 2018: 2 stages + GC Thomas 2019: 2 stages Simon Yates 2020: 0 wins 2021: 4 stages Cavendish (+ Points) 2022: 1 stage Pidcock 2023: 1 stage Adam Yates…

The IOC Refugee Olympic team was created in 2015, represented by 10 athletes at the 2016 Games in Rio. It has more than tripled in size since then, with 36 refugee athletes due to compete in Paris. Amir Ansari is one of two cyclists on the team, the other being Ethiopian Eyeru Tesfoam Gebru, who will take part in the women’s road race. Eleven countries will be represented across 12 different sports. Most of the athletes were selected from among the refugee athletes supported by the IOC through the Refugee Athletes Scholarship Programme. The team’s appearance at the Olympics will draw attention to the plight of the estimated 114 million people forcibly displaced worldwide. The UN high commissioner for refugees Filippo Grandi stated: “The Refugee Olympic Team should remind us…

“Moving more will lead to a healthier nation, a reduced burden on the NHS, less cancer, heart disease and diabetes, as well as huge cost savings,” said Chris Boardman, former Olympic cycling champion at last summer’s launch of the Active Travel social prescribing initiative. In conjunction with NHS England and 11 local authorities, this latest pilot scheme enables healthcare professionals to prescribe activities such as cycling or walking to help address underlying root causes of a patient’s symptoms. And that’s just the start; social prescribing is much more than a doctor saying, “take more exercise – next patient please!” The GP’s referral kickstarts a process whereby a link worker – tasked with supporting the patient – helps them get access to hire bikes, cycling groups or local projects aimed at…

I had a conversation with a bike-fitter friend a couple of weeks ago. He told me about a recent client who came in complaining that his lower back got a bit achy after long rides. He set him up on the rig, took a few measurements, and recorded him pedalling. “I think we need to put your saddle down a little,” he said. “I’d suggest starting with 10 mm.” “I don’t want to do that,” said the client. “All right. We could put the bars up a little.” “No – I don’t want to do that.” After a few other suggestions were vetoed, my mate finally asked, politely, “Given you’re very confident in your current position, why did you book a bike-fit?” “Because I was told it would stop my…

Will Lowden successfully defended his National Circuit Time Trial Championship title, powering to victory in the Lake District to take the win ahead of a strong line-up of riders. Lowden’s time of 1:00.30 was just 20 seconds ahead of former WorldTour pro Alex Dowsett (Nopinz) in second, while in third was Huub-WattShop’s Michael Gill who was a couple of minutes adrift of Lowden’s time. Sheffrec CC’s Joanna Brewis secured the women’s title by just 11 seconds, clocking a time of 1:15.36 on her road bike. Riding time trial machines, Lauren Creamer (Velo Fixers) was second and Rachel Brown (Brother UK-Team OnForm) was third. The event also doubled up as the sixth and final round of the CTT Classic Series, with the overall series wins going to Ben Goodwin (Fibrax Fenwicks…

Today, I did something I’ve never done before in a race. I voluntarily climbed off. I’ve always prided myself on giving my all and not giving up, but six months into a proper UCI race calendar, I have learnt it’s complicated. As an armchair fan, or for me previously as a staff member with GB, you want to watch riders give their all, pushing all the way to the finish line. When you’re racing for fun, if you wake up ill, you don’t go to the race… simple! As a pro, it’s more complex. Sometimes you may need to start to meet the minimum-rider count for the team to race or perhaps because you could still give something that helps the team effort. You’re also racing week in, week out.…

Lennard Kämna rides again Two months after he was hit by a car driver while training for the Giro d’Italia, Bora-Hansgrohe’s Lennard Kämna climbed on a bike for the first time last week. “Forty-four days after the accident on Tenerife, Lennard Kämna was able to ride his Specialized again for the first time – for a short test on the rollers,” a spokesperson said. The multiple Grand Tour stage winner suffered “numerous injuries, especially to his chest” in the incident. Bradley Wiggins declared bankrupt Sir Bradley Wiggins has entered bankruptcy, according to a report in the Times last Saturday, after going through financial difficulties with his company. He entered an Individual Voluntary Arrangement (IVA), a financial agreement designed to help people pay off creditors and avoid bankruptcy, in 2022. His…

ONE DOWN Cannondale Topstone Alloy 2 £1,800 If your budget is a little tighter, the Alloy 2 delivers the same frame, carbon fork and wheelset but saves you a few hundred pounds by opting for a 10-speed Shimano GRX groupset with an FSA Omega AGX+ chainset. While the range is the same thanks to the 46/30 chainrings and 11-34t cassette, you’ll have to cope with larger jumps between the gears. TWO DOWN Cannondale Topstone Alloy 3 £1,400 One rung down the hierarchy, the groupset becomes nine-speed. It’s still largely Shimano – Sora, to be precise – but again uses an 46/30 FSA chainset. Given that the frameset remains the same, perhaps the most discernible difference from both the Alloy 1 and 2 is the switch from hydraulic disc brakes to…

While social prescribers and local authorities look to address the infrastructure barriers to cycling, Sheffield GP Dr Ollie Hart believes a change in thinking is crucial to the success of social prescribing too. “It’s great that cycling groups and bike buddies are addressing some of the psychological barriers to people cycling. But from a medical point of view, I feel that a shift in mindset among the medical profession is needed too.” “Typically, a GP usually has 10 minutes with a patient, during which time they’re encouraged to explain which medications are available and what might work best for that individual. With a mindset shift, that GP could spend time finding out what that patient enjoys doing. In the case of someone presenting with Type 2 diabetes, that could be…

THREE WEEKS OUT: Begin your taper by reducing training volume by 20-30%, while maintaining intensity. TWO WEEKS OUT: Further decrease volume by 40-50%, focusing on the more meaningful quality workouts and maintaining intensity. ONE WEEK OUT: Reduce volume by 60-70%, with short, high-intensity sessions to maintain sharpness – but not too high. THREE TO FOUR DAYS OUT: Transition to very light, low-impact activities like easy cycling or swimming to keep muscles engaged without inducing fatigue. ONE TO TWO DAYS OUT: Rest completely or engage in very light, non-strenuous activities such as gentle stretching or short walks. RACE DAY: Be confident that you have arrived at the event well-rested, fuelled, and mentally prepared to perform at your best – go get ‘em!…

By the time you read this, the mystery may have been resolved. Is Trek’s new road bike an aero bike? A climbing bike? Is it a Madone? An Emonda? Is it an aero climbing bike, or a climbing aero bike? Is it a Mamonda? An Emonone? Or are they just going to admit it’s not for climbing, it’s not for rouleuring, it’s actually for selling and call it the Trek Marketing Department’s Finest Hour? If you don’t know what I’m talking about, your ignorance is a rich blessing. If you do know, but have the strength of character not to care, you’re a better person than me. Once upon a time, and I’m old enough to remember it, a new bike model was launched with either a simple press release…