Innehållsförteckning för June 12, 2025 från Cycling Weekly

João Almeida (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) Second last year behind team-mate Adam Yates, Almeida will return this year as his team’s sole leader, looking to build on a successful season of GC results – most recently first at Itzulia Basque Country and the Tour de Romandie. He’s the man in form, although he will have to play second fiddle to Tadej Pogačar at the Tour de France. CW rating ★★★★★ Demi Vollering (FDJ-Suez) Ramping up preparations for her tilt at the Tour de France Femmes is Demi Vollering, who has won every stage race she has started this season. It is hard to look past the Dutchwoman as the favourite, but will the four-stage race be hard enough for her to really make a difference? CW rating ★★★★★ Mischa Bredewold (SD…

After a successful spring in which he achieved his first two professional wins, Lewis Askey is in line for a Tour de France debut for Groupama-FDJ. The 24-year-old from Cannock won twice in May, first at the Boucles de l’Aulne, and then at the Quatre Jours de Dunkerque, to put himself in the frame for the final eight heading to Lille in a few weeks. “I’m preparing to go to the Tour de France,” he said. “I’ve not definitely been selected yet, so I don’t know for sure that I’m going, but I’m on the long list for it. Hopefully I’ve shown what I can do for the team in the best way that I possibly can in the last few weeks. I’ll be off to the Tour de Suisse…

People gravitated toward gravel cycling as a way to get out and push their limits without all of the regulations/categories/elitism that come with road racing. Don’t change a thing. Gravel is messy and fun – don’t ruin it by taking it so seriously. Anna Francis There are crashes caused by a lack of rider skill, and then there are crashes caused by a lack of event safety. One is on the rider – the other is on the organiser. Let’s make sure we don’t lump them together. Nancy Lai Crashes happen, but no one should have to wait broken and bleeding for 90 minutes before getting medical attention. Once [Unbound] has their first fatality and big lawsuit, they might reconsider their race-day rules and safety measures. Brenda Flores Like they…

The pain was searing, like third-degree burns – rising from the tips of her toes, up through her entire body. It locked her joints, immobilised her limbs, and left her in such agony that it felt as if her bones were breaking. Sarah Ruggins had been a promising junior runner, slated to one day represent Canada at the Olympics. But in her teens she found herself bedbound and dependent on a wheelchair to get around. Doctors feared she would never walk again. “All I remember was that the pain was so bad,” Ruggins, now 37, says. That pain was a distant memory when, last month, she broke the outright record for cycling the length of the UK and back. The feat took her five days, 11 hours and 14 minutes,…

Scribe has launched a new time trial wheelset after an extended development phase focused on aerodynamic performance and real-world testing. The team behind the release benchmarked the wheels against AeroCoach’s highly regarded models. In controlled conditions, Scribe claims that the new wheels showed measurable improvements, particularly when using a wider 28mm tyre compared to AeroCoach’s 23mm set-up. The performance gains are said to translate into practical time savings of around 12 seconds over a 10-mile time trial, 30 seconds over 25 miles, and up to 2.5 minutes over a full Ironman bike leg (112 miles). These results suggest a wheelset that prioritises both aerodynamic refinement and compatibility with wider tyres, aligning with current trends in performance cycling. Full aero data is being released alongside the launch, offering transparency for those…

1 What are the key post-ride priorities? Post-ride, the focus should be on carbohydrate to refuel, protein to help with repair, and fluids with electrolytes to rehydrate. That first hour is crucial because that’s when the body is most effective at replenishing glycogen, the fuel stored in muscles. Quick replenishment reduces fatigue, speeds recovery and prepares you for your next session. While the length of the ‘anabolic window’ has been debated, we do know that carbs and protein work synergistically when it comes to recovery – protein can even aid glycogen resynthesis if carb intake is inadequate. 2 Does this protocol vary depending on the toughness of the session? The same core principles apply: carbs, protein and hydration, but duration and intensity influence urgency and quantity. For short rides of…

Bridge up Riders cross a bridge over the River Tees in Yarm during stage two of the Tour of Britain Women last week. The bridge dates from 1810, while the viaduct behind opened in 1852. Both are Grade II listed. Merlier versus melee Tim Merlier, wearing his white European champion’s jersey, charges towards the finish line of the Brussels Cycling Classic. With less than 100m to go, the Belgian is already a bike length ahead. Bourbon battlements Part of the Château of the Dukes of Bourbon towers over the riders as they depart Montluçon for stage one of the Critérium du Dauphiné. The medieval castle was built in the 14th century. Moment of reflection The peloton rolls out for stage four of the Tour of Britain Women – a circuit…

The surprise emergence of a new Factor aero bike turned heads at the Critérium du Dauphiné on Sunday. Just over a year ago, I interviewed Factor CEO Rob Gitelis for a feature about aerodynamics. My premise was that further aero gains might be hard to come by, which was why bikes appeared to be converging on similar profiles. Gitelis giggled and told me, “I can assure you our next bike that we are currently working on will be significantly faster than the Ostro VAM.” Well, it looks like that as-yet-nameless bike is here and has just made its debut under Jake Stewart at the Dauphiné - taking him to fifth place on Sunday’s opening stage. Track-racing DNA Looking for all the world like a track bike, it borrows heavily from…

This week’s article comes to you from a Spanish cottage in the National Park of Teide, where my current view is consumed by an active volcano, and a few lizards. This is my third time on a high-altitude camp, but first time here in Tenerife, so I’m very much enjoying the novelty of the Martian landscape and the tranquillity that comes with it. I’m on camp with my two team-mates Francesca [Barale] and Marta [Cavalli], as well as three of the guys from the men’s team. We are very fortunate to have a chef, as well as a following car to refill bottles and carry clothes, meaning our job is very simple: suffer on the bike and then recover well. The first week of camp is all about acclimatisation, as…

In a sea of Tarmacs, Aeroads and Dogmas, the Handsling A1R0evoS is a breath of fresh air. It offers top-tier performance wrapped in a highly-customisable, boutique experience, that sets it apart from the big-name superbikes saturating group rides. What it lacks in global brand recognition, it makes up for in individuality, performance and – crucially - value. The British brand was founded by former racer Simon Whiten and builds bikes that cater to riders seeking something tailored, not templated. Started in 2014, Handsling offers a small range of performance-focused bikes for road, gravel, CX, TT and track. Despite their small size, Handsling sponsors not one but two UCI Continental teams, UK-based ‘Handsling Alba’ and the brilliantly named ‘Turbo Velo Pickle Juice Cycling Team ’ in the US. Like most brands,…

Dan Hall has gone all in for Italian style with his Colnago C64 in a mix of sheen and matt black, with the tricolore on the seat tube for a bit of class. The all-carbon frame has been equipped with carbon Zipp 454 NSW wheels. Pirelli P Zero Race tyres add to the speed machine vibe, with Shimano Ultegra Di2 ensuring everything shifts well while Hall glides up climbs. A Fizik Antares R1 saddle finishes it all off, in black of course. Want us to feature your race bike? Send a pic and information to cycling@futurenet.com…

Riders from the Swiss Mondia team stop to help each other out during the 1949 edition of the Tour de Suisse. The fact that the rider on the left has removed his tubular tyre from his wheel suggests that a puncture is at least part of the reason for the stoppage. Two others appear to be attending to the front brake on another bike, perhaps with a view to removing the wheel. In terms of punctures, at least, all riders look to be kitted out for such eventualities, with all of them wearing a spare tub around their shoulders. Mondia team rider Ernst Stettler had a particularly successful race, winning the first stage and taking the lead on GC, as well as the fifth stage into Freibourg. However, the race…

Cat Ferguson was visibly emotional as she made her way through the podium area after missing out on victory at the Tour of Britain Women in the very final moment of the final stage on Sunday. The Movistar rider came within a whisker of winning her first WorldTour stage race overall, but was denied by the fast-sprinting Ally Wollaston (FDJ-Suez), who won each of the day’s three intermediate sprints before placing third on the stage behind Lorena Wiebes (SD Worx-Protime) to take the biggest win of her career. Twenty-four hours earlier, Ferguson had triumphed on the toughest stage of the race through the Scottish Borders in biblical weather with a career-best performance. The 19-year-old took a slim three-second lead into the final stage, where she knew it would be difficult…

1 Endless hills Won’t someone think of the sprinters? There isn’t a single stage of the Tour de Suisse Women or the men’s Tour de Suisse that could be described as flat, although that is possibly simply down to the geography of the country. However, with the Tour de France boasting multiple bunch sprint opportunities, the hilly and mountainous terrain of Switzerland will be good training for July. 2 Tour approaches Just a week apart, the Critérium du Dauphiné and the Tour de Suisse are seen as the two key warm-up races for the Tour de France. That said, the Dauphiné has been more successful in recent years at pointing to the direction of the yellow jersey, with Chris Froome, Geraint Thomas and Jonas Vingegaard winning at the Dauphiné and…

Once upon a time, the climbs of the North York Moors in north-eastern Yorkshire were the jewels in the crown of Britain’s biggest bike race. Just as the Tour de France sends its riders over the Col du Galibier or the Giro forces its peloton over the snow-lined Stelvio, our Milk Race or Kellogg’s Tour challenged its competitors to take on the dreaded Rosedale Chimney. It is an utterly bonkers piece of road – and what better reason for including it? With its almost unrideable 30% slope, twisting bends and glorious views, fans loved it – riders, stuck with a standard bottom gear of 42x23, less so. Our biggest remaining race, the Tour of Britain, dodges the Chimney and its ilk, as did the now-defunct Tour of Yorkshire (RIP). That’s…

If I drive my car to the local tyre fitter, a tattooed guy with bulging muscles and an impressive beard will fit me up with new ‘boots’ for as little as £49 a corner. Yet, three doors down at the local bike shop, a wiry bloke with a lively moustache will charge me up to £200 for two bicycle tyres and fitting. Come October, he’ll suggest winter tyres, too. Granted, I’m comparing budget car tyres to high-end bicycle rubber. Realistically, I’d expect to spend £75-£100 per wheel on my hatchback, while my neighbour’s Porsche Taycan might cost £1,200 to reshoe. Even so, you can get perfectly good bike tyres from reputable brands for £20, so why do performance bicycle tyres cost so much more, inch for inch? In part, it’s…

To better understand how disordered eating can take hold in cyclists, I spoke with sports psychologist Dr Josephine Perry. She outlined the ‘three Ps’ that coaches, friends and family can use to spot the signs. 1. Predisposing traits Cyclists often exhibit the classic triad of anxiety, sensitivity and perfectionism. These traits can drive athletic success – meticulous attention to detail, relentless effort – but they can also lead to unhealthy behaviours. When these tendencies become obsessive or trigger defensiveness, they may be early signs of trouble. 2. Precipitating behaviours A single, seemingly innocent comment such as, “If you lost a bit of weight, you’d climb faster,” can trigger harmful behaviours. I know from experience how easily such comments can stay with you, resurfacing years later and derailing progress. Coaches must…

The 2024 champions Naomi de Pennington and Jake Sargent both successfully defended their titles at the National 12-Hour Championship in East Yorkshire on Sunday. Sargent covered 312.078 miles to lead Team Bottrill to the team prize and a provisional new national competition record distance of 913.744 miles alongside second-placed Ben Williams and David Halliday. Meanwhile, de Pennington covered 279.229 miles to take the women’s title from Team Bottrill’s Kim Barfoot-Brace. “It really couldn’t have gone any better,” said Sargent. “I was five miles down on last year, but it was a tough day out there on a flat and exposed course. It was very windy and a lot of us finished in the rain. “For us to become the first team to go over 900 miles is really great.” And…

Celebrations are part of winning in cycling – arms in the air, all of that. However, it’s not as straightforward as it looks. The first thing to do, and I can’t emphasise this too much, is to make sure you’ve won. There are many, many ways of making a tit of yourself celebrating, and none is more amusing for literally everyone else in the world than celebrating when a) there’s a lap to go and you have to wrap it up fast and get riding again, or b) there are riders up the road, and you’ve just gone bananas over 12th place and have to pretend that was exactly what you wanted. The second thing to do is not fall off. That is also instant legend status – although unless…

If you’ve been reading this page for the past few weeks, it will be clear that Universal Cycle Centre in Rotherham is a treasure trove of vintage race bikes. The shop’s owner, Dave Marsh, owns an era-spanning collection. This Carlton Team Professional, however, has added significance, as it’s the bike that Marsh raced on in the early to mid-1970s. The frame is a MK 4 Professional. It’s built using Reynolds 531 tubing throughout and boasts a ‘Victor’ seat stay cluster that gets its name from its designer, Gerald Victor O’Donovan. O’Donovan was the Director of Carlton Cycles, which was owned by his family until it was sold to Raleigh in 1960. The underside of the bottom bracket shell bears a signature ‘CC’ cut-out. Standing for Carlton Cycles, it was hand…