Innehållsförteckning för June 20, 2024 från Cycling Weekly

Stevie Williams (Israel-Premier Tech) The Israel-Premier Tech rider comes in with the hottest form in the open field after victory at Flèche Wallonne in the spring and only narrowly missing out on a win from a small group on the hilly third stage of the Tour de Suisse last week. CW rating ★★★★★ Pfeiffer Georgi (dsm-firmenich PostNL) The defending champion has been the model of consistency in 2023 without gaining a win, with three podium finishes and six other top 10s. The shorter race may actually suit her powerful style more than in 2023. CW rating ★★★★★ Lizzie Deignan (Lidl-Trek) Gunning for a fourth title, the Yorkshirewoman won the mountains competition at the recent Tour of Britain Women; the mix of climbing and punch required to win here should suit…

Sir Bradley Wiggins has said that he has now found a “happy balance” with cycling, and will be at the Tour de France in some capacity this year, adding that he felt more comfortable in his own skin than ever before. The former Tour winner and five-time Olympic champion was declared bankrupt at Lancaster County Court last week, with his lawyer telling the Daily Mail Wiggins had “lost absolutely everything”, had been left “sofa-surfing” and was “without a penny”. Wiggins had been in an Individual Voluntary Arrangement since July 2020 in an attempt to pay back creditors. Speaking exclusively to Cycling Weekly at the National Cycle Show last week, the 44-year-old refused to answer questions on his finances, instead discussing his personal relationship with the sport, and what it is…

I’m old enough to have started my cycling career in toe clips and straps. I did my falling then. Once I switched to clipless I thought, ‘Why did I wait so long?’ I never had a problem with clipless. It’s always been very natural. Tommy James I have a wrecked knee and don’t have the strength to twist for release. I tried with mtb pedals and it was a nightmare. Quick-release SPDs by Shimano were the solution for me, suddenly I could do what everyone else did! Having said that, I’ve just gone back to flat pedals for my road bike. Maureen Simmonds I nearly had an accident riding clipped in, so I now ride with one clipless pedal and one flat pedal. I know what some people will say…

If you’re planning on heading over to France for a first-hand Tour experience, the gravel stage is the nearest to Blighty, with Troyes being just four hours by car from Calais. Here we’ve marked out the best places to watch the stage – but get there early, the hills in particular are premium vantage points. • Côte de Val Frion: This gravel sector could split the peloton or even prove a launchpad for a race-winning move. Expect a lot of jostling for position in the kilometres prior to this part of the course. • Côte de Chacenay: Steep gradients and gravel abound. If the Côte de Val Frion doesn’t get any bites, then the Côte de Chacenay, some 10 miles down the road, most certainly will. It’s rough, rugged and…

Latest kit landing this week In recent years the search for aerodynamic improvements has seen road bikes draw inspiration from their TT equivalents; Poc’s new road helmet follows a similar story. The lid, currently being ridden by the EF Education WorldTour team, is similar to the brand’s dedicated time trial helmet, the Procen TT, and claims to save between 5 to 18 watts compared to its Ventral model. The Procen Air features an integrated visor and partially covers the riders’ ears. Poc says it’s tackled the obvious safety concerns by designing the visor to offer a wide, unobstructed view. Similarly, it says that the ear coverings reduce turbulence and could even result in riders hearing more clearly. As for the aero features, the Procen Air’s three front vents are designed…

Talented teenager Leon Atkins lowered his own national record in Saturday’s Hemel Hempstead CC 10-mile event, despite battling gusty conditions. The 15-year-old posted a new youth record time of 17-56 but is hoping to improve the record further. “It was pretty good,” he said. “I didn’t have the best of legs after a week out with illness so I was surprised to get a 17-minute ride. “It was a bit too windy, the headwind really slowed it down. I’ll be doing that course again in September when if I had the power of yesterday I believe I could get a 17-30.” After winning the National Circuit Champs last weekend Will Lowden (Cambridge Univ CC) was second here in 18-01, while James Jenkins (Hart Performance Coaching) finished third a further two…

The first bikes were made of wood, with iron tyres. They were do-almost-nothing bikes. You could ride them very slowly, in extreme discomfort, over a nice smooth surface. These were followed by the penny-farthing, which was a do-one-thing (kill you) bike. And after those came the safety bike and the pneumatic tyre. If you had one of these, you could ride it to work, take it touring, race it, ride it over a Welsh mountain, and fit it with a wildly dangerous home-made sidecar to take the kids to school. In the 1960s, road racing bikes became more specialized, with thinner tyres and steeper frame angles. In contrast, in the 1980s, the mountain bike appeared, with big fat tyres and slacker angles. The bike industry could now sell you two…

In 1925 Gelmino Chesini made a racing bike in his small workshop in Nesente, a village near Verona, and named it the Chesini Biciprecision. In 1947 Gelmino was ready to expand, and so bought a factory in Verona where he could upscale his production. The timing was perfect, allowing Chesini to capitalise on the post-war increase in demand for bikes. These premises are a short ride across the River Adige to the amphitheatre which features prominently on the brand’s head badge. Around the corner from this ancient arena is the balcony where, supposedly, Romeo wooed Juliet. This early 90s Chesini Challenge, photographed at Golden Age Cycles, is handmade using Columbus Thron tubing, and has chrome-plated chain and seatstays, as well as chromed forks. There’s a period-correct Campagnolo Veloce eight-speed groupset,…

Pretty in pink Jarno Widar (Lotto Dstny Development) celebrates winning the eight-stage Giro d’Italia Next Gen. The 18-year-old Belgian won stage three and controlled the baby Grand Tour to the finish. Indoor cycling Clara Copponi rides her track bike inside the Cirque d’Hiver in Paris, as part of a promotional event for the Olympics, which are well under 50 days away. The arena is usually used for a circus. Sprint power Tim Merlier of Soudal-Quick Step grits his teeth as he sprints to victory on stage two of the Baloise Belgium Tour last week. The Belgian would go on to win stage five of the race as well. Yellow power Demi Vollering, on a road bike, time trials during stage two of the Tour de Suisse. The hilly race against…

Mark Cavendish was left “speechless” after being awarded a knighthood in the King’s Birthday Honours last week. The Astana-Qazaqstan rider, preparing for his last Tour de France in just over a week, has become Sir Mark Cavendish, ready for one final tilt at the Tour stage win record. The 39-year-old, who is in his last year as a professional cyclist, followed Bradley Wiggins, Chris Hoy and Jason Kenny in becoming a cycling knight. “I am completely honoured,” he said. “Speechless, really. “Obviously everything I do in my career is for the results. You put the work in, you get it. To have that recognised by His Majesty the King is pretty special. I am truly humbled. There are some incredible names on the list who have been honoured for services…

Lots of hours in the saddle spent racing or training means one thing is certain for us professionals – we have to eat lots of food. Most of that food comes in the form of carbohydrates. As much as Eddie Abbew may disagree, for us carbs are king. In the past few years the amount of carbs being consumed has only increased. I remember just three or four years ago being told to eat 90g an hour and thinking that was a lot. Now in the bunch guys are pushing 120g and sometimes even more. To match the high numbers in racing it’s also important to have training days where you also push high grams per hour. As you can imagine, without soigneurs handing up musettes and bottles, it can…

The first Indigenous North American to ride the Tour de France, Neilson Powless was perhaps destined to become a professional sportsperson. His father Jack was the United States Air Force athlete of the year in 1992, the same year that his mother Jeanette Allred competed in the marathon at the Barcelona Olympics for her home country of Guam. While he was a youngster growing up in Roseville, California, it was anyone’s guess which sport Neilson would end up making his living from. He played basketball, soccer, and was “a really good boxer” according to father Jack. It was hitting the country trails on his mountain bike, though, as well as running and lake swimming, that most interested him. Adventure triathlons, in particular the Xterra series, were the realm where his…

The 10th-generation Giant TCR was crowned Best Climbing Bike in Cycling Weekly’s recent Race Bike of the Year awards, and for good reason. In the latest TCR, Giant has created a bike that embodies all of the cycling industry’s buzz words, with aero improvements, lower weight and increased stiffness all enhancing the performance of an iconic race machine. So, with those high expectations setting the tone, it’s time to show our workings and delve into the detail of exactly why the TCR topped our test when the gradients got steep – here is all you need to know about the new Giant TCR, and how it rides. THE BUILD Twenty-eight years after its debut with the Spanish team ONCE, the Giant TCR is now in its 10th generation, evolving from…

What is peaking as a feature of cycling? Peaking in cycling refers to the strategic process of aligning an athlete’s physical and mental state to achieve optimal fitness performance at a specific event. This involves a structured training regimen leading up to the tapering period, where training load is reduced to allow full recovery of training-induced fatigue, fitness optimisation and peak performance. When do we peak and how do we achieve it? The research suggests that cyclists should engage in their hardest training during the three to five weeks preceding the taper leading up to the target event, then gradually decreasing the training load to avoid burnout. The final phase, tapering, typically starts one to three weeks prior, focusing on rest and recovery, which ensures the rider is fully refreshed…

Sunday, 16 June • East Sussex CA 50 (East Hoathly, East Sussex) 1. Christopher Mcnamara (Sigma Sports Race Team) 1:44.56 2. H. Shaw (trainSharp) 1:50.04 3. J. Rogers (Southborough and District Wh) 1:52.45 4. P. Jones (Primera-TeamJobs) 1:55.46 5. A. Rogers (Eastbourne Rovers CC) 1:57.10 6. D. Hill (Bec CC) 2:04.47 7. P. Madarasz (Team TMC) 2:06.55 8. R. Tully (Elite Cycling) 2:07.17 9. R. Robinson (Destination Bike RT) 2:08.11 Women: 1. Kerry McGawley (Brighton Mitre CC) 2:17.44 2. G. Shadbolt (Brighton Mitre CC) 2:25.24 3. D. Pollard (East Grinstead CC) 2:35.15 4. A. Dyson (East Grinstead CC) 2:41.59 • Sunderland Clarion 25 (Ponteland, Northumberland): 1. Hamish Armitt (Barrow Central Wheelers) 51.45 2. L. Wake (Team Kirkley Cycles) 51.53 3. J. Routledge (GTR - Return to Life P/B Streamline) 53.39 4. D. Kane (Muckle…

Alex Green’s Cannondale Six13 comprises an alloy frame with integrated carbon top and down tubes. It’s a 2006 model, though he bought the frame five years ago, and it’s his main road bike, used also for crits. Groupset is Shimano Dura-Ace R9100, with the exception of a Shimano R7000 chainset with 160mm cranks. Wheels are Light Bicycle rims on Hope Pro hubs. Want us to feature your race bike? Send a pic and information to cycling@futurenet.com…

Adam Yates left the Tour de Suisse not only as a WorldTour stage race victor for a fourth time, but as a potential favourite for the Tour de France. The British rider, along with his UAE Team Emirates team-mate João Almeida, dominated the eight-stage race last week. The pair will now head to the Tour in the support of their team leader, Tadej Pogačar, but ready to step up should the opportunity present itself. It is the second year in a row that Yates has won a WorldTour stage race in Switzerland, and the 31-year-old looked head and shoulders above everyone – save Almeida – in the Alps. The man from Bury won two of the eight stages, finishing second on a further three, with Almeida the victor on two…

1 New circuit, same finish A cursory look at the headline finish at Saltburn Bank could lead you to believe this National Championships is a repeat of 2023, but the 2024 course takes a more languid route through the Tees Valley countryside than last year. However, the total distance is similar, so you’ll see the riders come past fewer times: five for the women, down from seven, and seven for the men, down from 10. That gives you more time to go to the bar at the Victoria pub a short walk from the course. 2 There’s less climbing In 2023, the men tackled over 4,000m of ascent; in 2024 that’s dropped to just 2,835m for the open race. The women’s race has fallen from 2,826m to 2,025m. Last year’s race…

Being the Tour de France of riders, journalists and boulangerie proprietors – I imagine a panic-stricken Prudhomme coming to race director must give Christian Prudhomme more than a few restless nights. In the small hours of a September morning – weeks before the following year’s route is announced to a clamouring crowd from a nightmare featuring the same old mountains and TT kilometres as the previous dozen editions. For a Tour de France to be heralded a success, a more eclectic set of stages is needed – France needs to be well and truly toured. As many stones as possible need to be turned. And for this year’s route, the race director had a bona fide eureka moment. OK, I’m not suggesting that the race director woke up one day…

1 Designed from Tour data The Pinarello Dogma launched in 2002, and since then technology has come a long way. The latest version of the Dogma F is said to combine ‘cutting edge technology with aesthetic beauty’, a design process that started with an in-depth analysis of Geraint Thomas’s 2022 Tour de France. Ineos Grenadiers’s performance engineers built the bike around a key finding that a 0.2% improvement in aerodynamic efficiency would equate to a 175g weight saving. 2 Aero gains prevail The overall silhouette of the new Dogma F looks familiar, but there are some subtle changes, all aimed at reducing aerodynamic drag. First and foremost, Pinarello has redesigned the down tube. Alongside a reduction in its width, the new down tube creates a more seamless transition to the front fork,…

Arriving back at my front door, I leaned heavily against the jamb. Despite the discomfort, there was a small swell of pride at what I’d just achieved, and now I was ready for a very long sit down. We’ve all been there at the end of a long ride, exhausted and aching, the sofa beckoning. But I wasn’t returning with 100km in my legs. Rather, I had hobbled the 50 metres to the end of my road and back without a walking stick, for the first time in months. My back issues had set in over a period of weeks and months in 2019 as I attempted to keep riding through yet another round of disc-related niggles. Lifting weights in the gym only succeeded in making things worse. By mid-July…

Riders in the 1966 edition of the Tour de l’Avenir scramble back up to the road, having taken a dangerous-looking detour. Whether or not it’s the result of a crash we don’t know, but the rider in the centre looks unharmed. The race was inaugurated in 1961 by French sports paper L’Equipe, which itself grew out of the ashes of L’Auto, whose editor Henri Desgrange created the Tour de France. For its first seven editions, the Tour de l’Avenir was run ahead of the bigger race on the same days, using the last part of the TDF route. Presumably somebody eventually decided this was all far too complex and labour-intensive, and the race was moved to an end-of-summer slot. Originally 14 stages long and conceived to help attract riders from…

STAGE 1 / SATURDAY, 29 JUNE FLORENCE > RIMINI / 206KM / HILLY Starting in Florence, the birthplace of legendary Italian cyclist Gino Bartali as well as Renaissance art and architecture, the Tour’s first stage is a lumpy route east in the direction of the coastal city of Rimini. There are seven categorised climbs on the menu and the first, the 11km Colle Tre Faggi, tops out after just one hour of racing. Then come a succession of short but difficult climbs, with the final ascent denoting the entrance to the principality of San Marino. From there, it’s a 26km fast downhill back to the Italian coast. ▪ What to expect The teams with general classification ambitions will be happy to let a rider who isn’t thinking about Paris take…