Innehållsförteckning för February 6, 2025 från Cycling Weekly

Few stories have elicited the kind of reaction that the closure of Eurosport has. The letters and comments have flooded in since the news broke that TNT Sports would be taking all of Eurosport’s broadcasts into its subscription channel and charging £30.99 a month for it. It’s hard not to conclude that one of the negative repercussions of the move is that fewer UK viewers will end up watching bike racing. It also spells the end of ITV4’s excellent Tour coverage – another big loss. Eurosport’s coverage used to be extremely low-fi – with David Duffield’s eccentric commentary and the feed being switched to tennis as soon as the winner had crossed the line – but it had improved dramatically in recent years with investment from the US. Sadly, this…

Junior time trial champion Aidan Worden was killed in a collision with a car driver in Darwen, Lancashire, during a training ride last Saturday. The 18-year-old was pronounced dead at the scene despite efforts to save him. Writing on Facebook, Worden’s team, 360Cycling, confirmed the news of his passing and paid tribute to a rider who “never judged anyone” and “always supported others”. “Aidan has been part of 360 for over three years; during that time he has developed as a person, man, and rider to a level few of us ever achieve,” the team wrote. “2024 saw some amazing rides from the boy that set out a clear example of what a young person can achieve with the right determination. “We are absolutely heartbroken. Our thoughts are with his…

I was dismayed to hear the news that Eurosport will no longer be available in the UK, and that to watch live cycling we’ll have to pay £30.99 a month for TNT Sports. This morning I complained to the Competition and Markets Authority that the way sports are bundled into high-cost packages is against consumers’ interests. We should only have to pay for the sports we watch. I doubt they’ll listen to me, but if this could gain traction in the media and if we could engage with politicians, we might have a chance.…

JANUARY ● 21-26 Santos Tour Down Under (Aus) FEBRUARY ● 2 Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race (Aus) ● 5-9 Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana (Esp) ● 8-12 Tour of Oman (Omn) ● 16 Figueira Champions Classic (Por) ● 16 Clasica de Almeria (Esp) ● 19-23 Volta ao Algarve em Bicicleta (Por) ● 19-23 Vuelta Andalucia Ruta Ciclista Del Sol (Esp) ● 17-23 UAE Tour (UAE) MARCH ● 1 Omloop Nieuwsblad (Bel) ● 1 Faun-Ardhèche Classic (Fra) ● 2 Strade Bianche (Ita) DON’T MISS This early season one-day race on Tuscany’s dusty white roads is one of the few races where Tour riders and Classics specialists do battle on an equal footing ● 2 Faun Drôme Classic (Fra) ● 2 Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne (Bel) ● 5 Trofeo Laigueglia (Ita) ● 9-16 Paris-Nice (Fra) ●…

While the more powerful members of the peloton thrive in flatter Northern Classics such as the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix, Ardennes week is where the best climbers come to the fore. The constant ups and downs of Belgium’s southern, wooded Ardennes region make for races that often end up with a total vertical ascent comparable to that of a big Tour de France mountain stages. The week begins this year on Sunday 20 April with the Amstel Gold Race in the Netherlands which usually has the least climbing of the three races at around 1,800m total for its 150km. Next up comes Flèche Wallonne – the Walloon Arrow – which is held midweek on Wednesday 23 April. The final act is played out on Sunday April 27 at Liège-Bastogne-Liège,…

This year’s Tour route plots a diagonal southeasterly line straight across the La République from the most westerly point in Brittany down to Chatel in the Alps. While the lumpy opening stages will no doubt make for an entertaining start, the GC battle is most likely going to take a little while to get going. Stage five is the first non-flat stage, but with three climbs of a 3-4km, don’t expect a big GC shake-up. The racing will no doubt come alive, but the main protagonists won’t find anything too taxing on the road to Guéret. The good news is this year’s Tour is up to nine stages, and stage six, eight and nine are all classified as mountainous. Of those, stage eight on the race’s penultimate day looks to…

Introduced in 1992, Campagnolo’s aluminium Shamal wheels were considered groundbreaking at the time, and were a pro rider favourite. A lot has changed since then but the Dual Profile (or double height) of the latest iteration keeps the Shamal’s reputation alive. Eye-catching aesthetics aside, the 45/40mm modular rim profile allows the use of shorter spokes in a G3 lacing pattern, which is unique to Campagnolo. This, together with a carbon-fibre layup that evenly distributes loads, boosts rigidity, comfort and aerodynamic performance, says the brand. The wheelset is a claimed 105 grams lighter than its predecessor too. These wheels edge more towards endurance road, gravel and all-terrain riding, with Campy’s 2-Way Fit system enabling them to be set up tubeless or with inner tubes. They respond to the trend for improved…

● ‘I use plant-based omega oils – here’s why’ “I prefer sourcing nutrients from whole foods but make exceptions for supplements like omega-3s, mindful of their health benefits, particularly for hormone and mood regulation. As a female endurance athlete, I face menstrual irregularities during heavy training. In blood tests, my omega-3s, which are precursors to hormones like oestrogen and progesterone, have been low. I hope that supplementing here can help support healthy hormone levels. “I currently incorporate about one gram of omega-3s daily through a plant-based DHA and EPA capsule derived from algae, which is more sustainable than fish oil from an environmental perspective. Although I try to include omega-3s in my diet through sources like oily fish, it can get expensive, and with so much travel, access to consistent…

The Brownlee Handicap p/b Spatzwear Where: Leeds When: Sunday 16 February The Yomp Bonk Crew are putting on a circuit race to kickstart your 2025. Held at the Bodington Cycle Circuit in Leeds, this new race will take place over 90 minutes, and is a Regional C+. Entries are £19 in advance, £20 on the day. Pain on Portsdown Where: South Hampshire When: Sunday 16 February This 16-mile time trial is at the very top of sporting courses, with 305m of elevation, aping the route of the old Perfs Pedal Race. It’s a circuit on a single carriageway, organised by VC St Raphael, and is part of the South DC Sporting Series. Entry is £15.…

Yes Adam Becket News editor Steve Harmison runs in to bowl to Justin Langer at the Oval in August 2005. The Australian opener attempts to sway out of the way, gets hit on the shoulder, and the ball runs away to the boundary for four leg byes. The gloomy clouds call an end to the day’s play, and with it, an end to one of the greatest Test series of all time. That wasn’t just the last ball of that Ashes series, though, it was the last time that Test cricket was on free-to-air television in the UK, aside from a brief return in 2021. It means that for almost 20 years, a cricket fan has had to pay for Sky Sports, and occasionally BT/TNT Sports to watch. Unsurprisingly, viewing…

Dalby Forest to host Gravel Nationals Dalby Forest in North Yorkshire is to host the British Gravel National Championships in September, it was announced on Monday. On the edge of the North York Moors National Park, there will be thrilling action on the trails, with a gravel time trial also included for the first time. UCI on Instagram Some fans turned up to the CX World Championships in intriguing fancy dress £27.6m The amount the Lloyds Bank Tours of Britain boosted host towns’ local economies by last year, according to YouGov data. The ToB Women brought in £10.4m while the ToB Men brought in £17.2m. Mauna Kea QOM smashed Mountain bike rider Sparky Moir Sears has broken the Strava QOM on Hawaii’s Mauna Kea – ‘the world’s tallest mountain’ -…

Alpecin-Deceuninck Belgium 2024 WorldTour wins: 15Team boss: Christophe RoodhooftTeam leader: Mathieu van der PoelRaison d’etre: More than a one-man team these days thanks to Japser Philipsen and Kaden Groves, but still a Mathieu van der Poel vehicle It is still hard to look past the flying Dutchman himself, Mathieu van der Poel, when it comes to Alpecin-Deceuninck, with the 29-year-old dominating the Classics last year, winning both the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix, and appeared unbeatable in the spring. When MvdP isn’t winning, Jasper Philipsen and Kaden Groves have proven themselves as two of the top sprinters in the world, with the former in particular unmatched when on form. They do still rely on Van der Poel, who has hinted at his dislike of the Tour de France – not…

There are big bike races, and then there is the race. The Tour de France remains head and shoulders above the rest when it comes to prestige. Last year’s Tour saw at least two of the key contenders – Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike) and Remco Evenepoel (Soudal Quick-Step) – seriously affected by injuries following a nasty crash in April’s Itzulia Basque Country race. While Tadej Pogačar didn’t exactly waltz home unopposed – both Vingegaard and Evenepoel put up a creditable battle for second and third – you can expect him to have far more of a fight on his hands this year, assuming those rivals are fit. It’s easy to imagine the trio being hard to separate on a course featuring six summit finishes and a pair of individual…

AG Insurance-Soudal Belgium 2024 WT wins: 5 Team leader: Justine Ghekiere Team boss: Jurgen Foré Raison d’être: Continue growing and solidify credentials on the WorldTour It’s hard to believe that AG Insurance-Soudal only rose to WorldTour level at the start of last season. They got off to a flying start, too, winning the opening race of the year through Sarah Gigante at the Tour Down Under. Since then, the boat has steadied for the Belgian squad, and new talents have begun emerging. The biggest of those appears to be Justine Ghekiere who won the mountains classifications at both the Tour and the Giro d’Italia last year. New signing Urška Zigart adds further climbing firepower, alongside the veteran Ashleigh Moolman, now 39 years old and in her third year with the…

The biggest change to the women’s calendar is the return of Milan-San Remo. Originally run from 1999-2005 it’s now back, but with few details released at the time of going to press. It will run on the same day as the men’s race, 22 March (meaning Trofieo Alfredo Binda moves back a week), and is largely expected to follow a shortened version of the traditional route. At 288km the men’s event is the longest one-day race on the calendar. Will the women’s be the same? The women’s Tour of Flanders currently holds that spot at 163km. No matter the distance, the route is likely to tackle all the major climbs – the Tre Capos, Cipressa and Poggio – as they all come in the final 50km. With MSR back on…

Rating Cycling gloves can make or break your winter rides, so a high-performance pair makes for a worthy investment. When battling icy winds and freezing rain, a solid set of gloves can be the difference between a comfortable ride and numb, useless fingers. At £110, Rapha’s Gore-Tex Insulated Waterproof Gloves don’t come cheap, but they promise exceptional performance with less bulk than many alternatives. Like many riders, I was sceptical about whether they’d truly keep my hands warm – after all, even premium gear sometimes falters on the coldest days. But my testing took me beyond the bike and into the French Alps, where I put them through an entirely different challenge. Packing for a skiing holiday in Portes du Soleil, I gambled on the Rapha gloves, hoping to avoid…

Despite there being no direct performance improvements, omega-3 supplementation shows potential for enhancing physiological markers such as increased time to fatigue and improved cycling economy. The effects on heart rate are inconsistent, varying across studies. “Try to incorporate at least two portions of oily fish per week into your diet,” says James. “If you are not a fish lover, then take omega-3 supplements with a high proportion of EPA and DHA.” A dose of 2g a day is sufficient, but you may want to increase this up to 6g per day during periods of intensive training.…

FEBRUARY CHALLENGES Every month we set two smaller challenges for all those chasing their mileage targets through the year. This month they are… • CW MINI 1. Be active for five consecutive days 2. Complete jersey, which a one-hour has ride • CW MIDI 1. Log a 40-mile week 2. Find and ride a new road • CW MAXI 1. Complete 750 minutes of riding 2. Find and ride a new road • CW5000 1. Complete 1,000 minutes of riding 2. Find and ride a new road Sign up to the MyWhoosh Big Ride Challenge at www.cyclingweekly.com/bigridechallenge POWERED BY…

Several years ago I was dragging a large bike bag through Heathrow Airport. If you’ve ever flown with a bike, you’ll be aware that random fellow travellers often ask what’s in the bag. Various friends of mine have funny answers. “It’s a piano.” “It’s my dog – it’s cheaper this way.” Things like that. On this occasion, the woman behind me in the luggage drop asked. I leaned in close, and quietly said, “Don’t tell anyone, but it’s my wife’s body.” From the series of subsequent events, I think I can safely say that if asked what’s in your bike bag, you should never, ever say it’s your wife’s body.…

The news that Eurosport will disappear in the UK and Ireland, with cycling moving to TNT Sports from the end of February, has not been popular. From 28 February, those wishing to watch live cycling will have to subscribe to TNT Sports, which on its own is £30.99 a month. Until now, Eurosport has been offered at no extra cost to Sky TV and Virgin Media customers in the UK, while Discovery+ passes have cost £6.99 a month. TNT’s argument for taking this approach is that fans will now be able to enjoy more sports, in one place - with football, rugby or UFC fans potentially crossing over. However, it’s not a viewpoint that former UCI president Brian Cookson shares, telling Cycling Weekly: “It’s very unhelpful for UK cycling. It’s…

This off-season was probably the longest break I’ve had since I started cycling. After Paris, when many of my peers took some time out, I continued training reasonably hard to maximise the opportunity to perform at the UCI Track Champions League. So, once the series wrapped, I hopped on a plane to Perth. It had been an intense few months, and I was excited to get back to see family, friends and old training partners, so I took a full three weeks off the bike. This was an easy decision, looking ahead to 2025. With exemption from Euros due to my nationality move, I have time on my side and a long build-up to my key goal of World Championships later this year. There’s no rush, and I’d hate to…

Numerous ProTeams mix it regularly with the WorldTeams in the biggest races. The veteran Belgian team Lotto lose Tour stage winner Victor Campenaerts for 2025 but retain young talents Arnaud De Lie and Lennert van Eetvelt. This pair took 12 of the team’s 24 wins last season. Q36.5 have enjoyed plenty of column inches lately with the signing of Tom Pidcock. They will look to him to help secure promotion to the WorldTour for next year. Israel-Premier Tech were very successful last year with 29 wins – many of them thanks to the British trio Stevie Williams, Ethan Vernon and Joe Blackmore, all of whom are retained for this season. The Norwegian team Uno-X Mobility stand out not just for their yellow jerseys but also for their presence at the…

Not since the World Championships took place in Duitama, Colombia in 1995 has the event had such an exotic, faraway feel to it. Rwanda will be the first-ever African host for the road Worlds. Since that infamous event at altitude in Colombia 30 years ago, the Worlds has only taken place outside of Europe on five occasions: twice in Australia, twice in North America, and once in the Middle East. All road races are based in Kigali. The men will tackle the short 13.6km circuit 15 times, with a longer 42.5km circuit in the middle of the race that takes the peloton out to the 5.9km climb of Mont Kigali. The women will ride the shorter circuit 11 times. The road races will be for the climbers. Kigali sits at…

There are seven women’s ProTeams this year, a new category of fully professional squads. Of these, US team EF Education-Oatly are a WorldTour squad in all but name, boasting Noemi Rüegg, Cédrine Kerbaol, Kristen Faulkner and Kim Cazdow in a seriously strong roster which rivals with midtable WWT teams. Signing Kerbaol was a seriously smart piece of business, and the squad have already won the Tour Down Under overall through Rüegg. VolkerWessels are another ProTeam which punches above their weight, with Scarlett Souren one to watch. Demi Vollering’s sister, Bodine, turns pro with the squad this year. Elsewhere, Cofidis have a solid squad, with Victoire Berteau the leader, while Laboral Kutxa-Fundación Euskadi are a team to watch, particularly at the Spanish races. The other two new ProTeams are Arkéa-B&B Hotels…

The first Grand Tour of the year kicks off in Valencia on 4 May with a 16km pan-flat team time trial. From there the eightstage race heads inland and north to the edge of the Pyrenees. The finish of stage five is set to host the race’s first GC sort out with a mountain-top finish in Jaca at the top of the Alto del Fuerte Rapitán climb. Although it’s only a 5.3km climb it comes straight after the significantly longer Alto del Monasterio de San Juan de la Peña. From there the race heads south again and the finish in Madrid, and with plenty more climbs on the route. Stage six sees the riders finish at 1,715 metres at La Laguna Negra Vinuesa at the end of an otherwise benign…

Ofunctions, prevents blood clots and helps widen blood vessels. Studies in the 1970s of Greenland Eskimos, who recorded low mega-3 is a polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) essential for human health, obtained from oily fish and certain plant sources. It supports anti-inflammatory rates of coronary heart disease, asthma and type-1 diabetes found that the Eskimos’ superpower lay in the PUFA-packed oily fish they ate. Omega oils have since become a highly regarded food supplement, but what can they do for your cycling? What’s in it for cyclists? “Consuming omega-3 PUFAs is linked to improvements in cognition and mood, cardiovascular dynamics, muscle recovery and inflammation,” says researcher Lynsey James. Omega-3 PUFAs have also been shown to exert positive effects on cardiovascular disease, rheumatoid arthritis and chronic inflammation. “There’s some evidence that athletes…

One of the semi-regular bits of low-level warfare that cycling enjoys is attempting to get cycling into the Winter Olympics as well as the Summer. This is part of our plan for world domination – eventually all sports will be cycling and we can stop worrying about what sports TV channel to subscribe to. Most commonly, the suggestion has been that cyclo-cross should be in the Winter Olympics, on the basis that you do cyclo-cross in winter. There are other Summer Olympic sports that happen in winter, like football, but of course you can do these in summer too. You can’t do cyclo-cross when the weather is warm, because if you did people would notice that it was more or less the same as cross-country mountain biking. That is already…