Innehållsförteckning för January 9, 2025 från Cycling Weekly

Every cyclist out there can no doubt remember a day they survived a bitterly cold ride. A war story from a day when they struggled home with fingers so cold they could barely squeeze the brakes or change gear. My most memorable one dates back to a time I got caught out in snow in late March. The weekend before, I’d ridden a three-day stage race, the second day of which was run off in freezing rain. Only half the field finished, and lots more didn’t start the next day. It was utterly miserable, and I made a promise that I would never allow myself to get that cold ever again. Then, just one week later, I left for a ride in cold, but sunny conditions and dressed accordingly. The…

Cycling Time Trials (CTT) will vote on new rules around road bikes in time trials at its AGM this month, following issues that beset last year’s championships. New proposals clarifying more closely what is acceptable in terms of riding position and the bike itself seemed inevitable after complaints were raised by fellow riders over the set-up of eventual winner George Fox at last April’s National Road Bike Time Trial Championship. While Fox was ultimately cleared of any wrongdoing, and his 41-second beating of Alex Dowsett on the 22.4-mile Cambridgeshire course was upheld, he endured a seven-week wait that took the sheen off his win and did not look good for CTT. Understandably, the governing body is keen to avoid any repeats. “A BAN ON BIDONS BEHIND THE SADDLE IS ALSO…

So, the season is fast approaching and the kilometres are getting stacked up. Base miles in the winter can be difficult to come by with challenging weather conditions, and especially as I’ll avoid the turbo whenever possible. If it’s ‘safe’ to train outside, I’ll pick that over Zwift no question, it’s not for me. Thankfully, with all the clothing we get nowadays, you can survive in some pretty tough conditions. Obviously, if there’s ice on the roads, the turbo has to get switched on, but most of the time I’ll be out braving the cold. As much as it’s great having three different kinds of rain jacket, I still can’t go out without some more unconventional options. I always find that cling film or a plastic bag around the shoes…

Cameron Mason (Seven Racing) Last year Mason took a memorable victory on home territory, coming from behind to seal the win at Falkirk and defend his title. This time round the Scottish 24-year-old will be aiming for the hat-trick, likely with the same key opponent in Thomas Mein. CW rating ★★★★★ Thomas Mein (Hope Factory Racing) After winning the Nationals at Crawley in 2022, Mein has registered a pair of podiums in the last two seasons’ editions and will be looking to go one step further than his second place last year. CW rating ★★★★ Toby Barnes (UV Aube) Fifth in last year’s Nationals, 24-year-old Alderney rider Barnes has been pushing Thomas Mein hard in the National Trophy races this year, finishing second in all three rounds behind the Hope…

She may have won gold as part of Britain’s team pursuit squad in the 2012 London Olympics, but Dani Rowe (née King) wasn’t the first athlete from her family to appear in the Games. Her father Trevor King represented GB at the 1984 and 1988 Winter Olympics in biathlon, which combines cross-country skiing with shooting. Introduced to the sport in the late Seventies while in the army, Trevor spent a decade competing on the international circuit. His best result was 15th in a World Cup round in 1985. For a competitor hailing from a non-Alpine nation, he was exceptional. After retiring following the Calgary Olympics in 1988, Trevor worked as a police officer for 23 years and has also worked in management for operations and building companies. He and his…

Tailfin hopes its new Long Top Tube Bags will redefine on-the-bike storage. Available in three sizes (1.6L, 2.2L, and 3.0L), these bags are designed for multi-day adventures, gravel races, or everyday cycling. The bags feature Tailfin’s patented V-Mount hardware for a wobble-free ride without bulky front straps. Their aerodynamic profile is designed for those looking to tackle gravel races, but the rest of us, this feature just helps reduce the annoying knee rub that you can get when riding with luggage bags. The bags also feature a shock-absorbing insert to protect electronics, and optional dividers to keep your gear organised. Dual zippers allow for quick access on-the-go, while waterproof materials and 3D-welded seams protect essentials from the elements. Tailfin has also incorporated carbon struts to maintain a slim profile, even…

It’s Sunday morning. The sky’s clear, sending temperatures plummeting. Your breath’s visible as you chat to your cycling crew while waiting for the latecomer – yep, there’s always one – to arrive. There is much rubbing of gloves, shoulder shrugs and shaking of legs in a forlorn effort to keep warm. You’d all be fine if only you could just get going. Or would you? As it happens, there has been some bad news on the cold front. According to a recent study in the Journal of Applied Physiology, letting yourself get cold is a big mistake. It may mean you ride slower. In fact, there are myriad reasons why it’s harder to ride at your best during the winter. But there’s a silver lining to this gloom: you no…

Tobias Edwards’s Ribble looks every inch the hillclimb special that it is. The stealthy carbon frame is fitted out with mechanical SRAM Red, save, of course, for that converted single-ring Shimano Dura-Ace chainset. The theme continues with the unbranded rims. The ultra-sparse saddle and cut-off bars really give the game away, and the gold chain completes the effect. Want us to feature your race bike? Send a pic and information to cycling@futurenet.com…

New start Ineos Grenadiers ride out in their new kit at a ‘brand new location’ in Spain. The British superteam will be hoping a change will reset their fortunes after a disappointing 2024 season that saw them take just 14 victories. Bäckstedt on form Zoe Bäckstedt wades through the mire at the World Cup in Dendermonde, Belgium. She finished fifth, having placed second the day before at Superprestige Gullegem. Glorious mud Despite being plastered in muck, Wout van Aert cleaned up with his victorious return to cross racing in Dendermonde at the weekend. Poor weather conditions made for an ‘interesting’ event. On dry sand The sand dunes of Koksijde on Belgian’s northern coast gave riders some small respite from the mudbaths they tackled elsewhere last weekend. Rainbow warriors A rainbow…

Anewly formed British team has offered a lifeline to three riders left without a ride for the 2025 season following the collapse of the UK’s two remaining men’s Continental teams late last year. Former St Piran riders Rowan Baker, Dylan Hicks and Bradley Symonds will all be part of the London-based Raptor Factory Racing squad this year. Assembled by former London Dynamo race manager David Streule, the team will target all of the UK’s major National A and B races and plans are being put in place for the team to compete in Europe. Streule told Cycling Weekly that he has been inundated with rider applications after the closure of both Saint Piran and Trinity Racing. “We got a lot of applications, there’s just so little out there to help these…

Here’s to a delightful afternoon in the Chiltern Hills, I thought. A charming little bimble taking in the area’s quaint contours, I’d spin my legs at a leisurely touring pace while having a nice chinwag. I was in the safe hands of the perfect riding companion for such an outing, I thought: Linda Dewhurst, a 66-year-old grandmother who, whatever her athletic background, surely wasn’t going to cause me any problems. After all, I was 20 years younger than her and my FTP was the best it’d ever been, at nearly 370 watts. What could possibly go wrong? Quite a lot, as it turned out. Dewhurst is no ordinary mid-60s grandmother. She got in touch with CW back in October to take us to task for an omission. Among our coverage…

The Caledonia-5 was named after a poorly-surfaced road outside Cervélo’s Toronto headquarters. The story goes that the road was used as part of the company’s after-work rides but wasn’t entirely suitable for the brand’s race thoroughbreds like the R5 and S5, so they designed a fast bike with plenty of speed and excitement that could still handle the cracks and potholes of Caledonia Street. As such, whilst it does make some concessions to comfort and endurance it does so without losing sight of its race heritage. CONSTRUCTION Clearly, Cervélo’s engineers feel they got some things right the first time round as the new -5’s carbon frame retains the same successful geometry as the previous models. Although the angles remain the same, plenty of small tweaks add up to a reasonable…

Sleep coach Nick Littlehales, who is an adviser to British Cycling, provides the following tips for a sound night’s shut-eye ● Adjust light gradually: As bedtime approaches, reduce your exposure to bright, blue daylight-like light. Move to dim, warm (amber) light, and then to darkness. The focus should be on limiting light reaching your eyes, not necessarily on making the entire room pitch black. ● Check your light levels: Download a free Lux light meter app and measure the brightness (lux levels) of your environment. Aim to keep the light dim and calming before bed. ● Stay calm: Avoid intense cardio or other high-energy activities close to bedtime, and don’t overhydrate or eat heavy meals before bed. ● Cool down: Your body naturally lowers its temperature as it prepares for…

From Jacques Anquetil using beer to rehydrate in the Giro d’Italia in last week’s From The Archive, to Les West using a far more wholesome beverage – milk – this week. Both images were taken in the same year, showing that alcohol wasn’t the only drink on the menu in 1966. As is fairly obvious from his winner’s cap and rather quaint sign hanging around his neck, West is a winner in the Milk Race – of stage eight in Northampton – and so a cool glass of ‘nice cold ice-cold milk’ was as much a contractual obligation as a way to rehydrate. Northampton was West’s second victory in the 16-stage race that year – he had already won stage two in Llandudno. He would go on to take sixth…

The Legnano marque is akin to Italian racing royalty. Established in 1902 in its namesake town, north-west of MIlan, it soon went into liquidation, before being bought a few years later by Emilio Bozzi, who would go on to own the Pearl and Frejus brands, too. The rest, as they say, is history. Over the ensuing years the lizardgreen bikes would go on to win 15 Giri d’Italia and two Tours de France as well as hold two Hour records. That the country’s most beloved cyclists were the victors only heightened the brand’s appeal. Alfredo Binda won five Giri aboard Legnano bikes, with Gino Bartali, Fausto Coppi and Ercole Baldini adding yet more success. The Gran Premio featured here sat just below Legnano’s Roma Olimpiade in the line-up. The difference…

Shibden Apex RT boss Tim Ferguson knew it would be a challenge to fill the shoes left by WorldTour-bound Cat Ferguson and Imogen Wolff in his junior team, but he’s confident he’s recruited “the best girls in the UK” for 2025. Alongside riding for her father’s team, Cat won the junior road and time trial world titles in 2024, crowning one of the most successful junior seasons in memory. She has joined Movistar this January, while Wolff, a UCI World Championships bronze medallist, has signed for Visma-Lease a Bike. “Replacing them, or getting girls to emulate them, that’s a tough order,” said Shibden boss Ferguson, “but that’s what we’re trying to do and achieve. There’s no reason why we can’t do that. I definitely think I’ve got a couple of…

1 Location, location, location… The climax of the domestic cyclo-cross season will take place this weekend (11-12 January) as the nation’s top riders converge on Cyclopark at Gravesend in Kent, for the National Cyclo-Cross Championship. 2 Star-studded line-up for the women’s race In Sunday’s elite women’s race, it is expected that fans will be treated to a showdown between some of the country’s best riders not only in the mud, but track and road too. With reigning world U23 champion Zoe Bäckstedt (Canyon-SRAM zondacrypto) sitting this one out, the bill will be headed by title defender Anna Kay (Velpro-Alphamotorhomes) who arguably lines up as the favourite, along with Imogen Wolff (Visma-Lease a Bike) and Cycling Weekly’s rider of the year Cat Ferguson (Movistar) all providing a strong challenge. 3 Two-way…

You don’t have to drink [the beer], it’s about personal choice. Kenny Shove Cigarette companies sponsored cricket years ago and there are many companies sportswashing today. That doesn’t mean we’ll stop supporting or participating in the sports we choose. Martin Littlewood Cycling Weekly, you’ve crossed the line this time. I’m not going to make it as a pro, so if you are telling me I can’t enjoy a beer after a bike ride then you’ve just removed the meaning of life. David Heagney Let’s see, you eat gels by the handful, drink sports drinks made from a stew of chemicals, take largely unregulated supplements, and worry about having a beer? Greg Cliff I stopped drinking years ago and I feel so much better. I still have a social drink every…

When it comes to road cycling, aerodynamic efficiency has been the main frontier of development in bikes, helmets, wheels and kits for the last decade. With gravel riding hitting the big time in the last few years, the aero revolution has found its way into this sector, from wheelsets to gravel-specific jerseys and skinsuits with built-in hydration. But with slower riding and racing speeds in the gravel sphere, do aerodynamics really hold the same importance? Data behind the claims Parcours think so. Back in the summer, it released the FKT wheelset that’s 47mm deep and designed around 40-45mm wide tyres. When compared to other aero wheelsets with the same tyres, Parcours claim the FKT saves 6-6.2W at 35.5kph and 15-15.6W at 48kph - according to the brand’s wind tunnel testing…

The MW502 – aka the MW5 - is Shimano’s second-tier winter shoe, an existing model that’s been rebooted for AW24/25 with a raft of upgrades. The feature set is almost identical to Shimano’s premium MW703 shoe, with the brand economising on materials rather than cutting corners. Construction The MW502’s most obvious features are the large wrap-over flap, which weatherproofs the tongue and laces, and the short, flexible Neoprene cuff that keeps your ankles warm and helps stop water ingress. The rugged XC3 outsole is designed to receive a two-bolt mtb-style cleat - Shimano doesn’t make a three-bolt version of the MW502 or MW703. It’s made from soft, grippy rubber with deep lugs that, despite looking business-like, lack the aggressive tread pattern of the MW703’s UItread compound version. The midsole is…

Rebecca Trimble is a member of Moray Firth CC in northern Scotland. She’s mastered the art of riding in the cold… ● Tell us about your winter riding I was based in Inverness for the last three years before recently moving to Dundee. Scottish Highland winters can be wild. We had a very cold spell earlier in November and a fair bit of snow, and then another cold snap in early December. We’re near the coast, and the northerly wind made my daily 25km commute that bit more testing. It’s been between -2 and -4°C in the mornings, which means full winter gear. ● What’s the coldest ride you can remember? A long road ride last winter when based up in Inverness. It was freezing and the roads were wet,…

For a second consecutive round, the National Trophy Cyclo-Cross Series fell victim to heavy snow on the second day of competition – but not before some impressive rides from the veterans and youth riders. The fifth and final round took place at the Richard Dunn Sports Centre in Bradford, where Giles Drake (Wheelbase) and Kate Eedy (Team Empella) were the over-40 winners. Nick Craig (SCOTT Pioneer) and Alison Kinloch (Shibden CC) won the over-50 races, and Nicola Davies (CXR) and John McGrath (Team TMC) won the over-60 events. Elsewhere, junior ace Anna Patterson (Ignite) cruised to victory in the penultimate round of the Wessex League, the Andover Supacross at the Charlton Sports Centre in Hampshire. She was 2.44 ahead of Sarah Toms (RAF CA), who leads the series overall, while…

Charity is the act of donating money, goods or time to those less fortunate than yourself. And while cycling wasn’t totally responsible for its invention, we’ve been involved for a long time. The earliest charitable connection started in 1890, when well-to-do riders from Surrey organised meals for men responsible for maintaining the cyclists’ favourite road, the remarkably flat, straight one that ran through the village of Ripley. By giving the road menders (and their families) regular slap-up meals, the hope was that they’d concentrate on perfecting that one road and ignore every other road in Surrey. More recently the most normal charitable practice has been to get your friends and work colleagues to donate money to charity in exchange for you going on a nice long bike ride, ideally somewhere…