Innehållsförteckning för Issue 24 från Cyclist Australia

From café hopping in hipster urban neighborhoods to lung-busting mountain climbs through spectacular tea plantations, Taiwan is one of the most bicycle-friendly destinations in the world. Whether you want to tackle the dramatic peaks and gorges of the East Rift Valley, freewheel gently beside neatly lined rows of lush green paddy fields, or get familiar with a city’s secret lanes and hidden gems on two wheels, a unique and memorable adventure is guaranteed. The perfect biking destination Between October and March, much of Taiwan is reliably dry and sunny without being sweltering. Locals and foreigners alike take advantage of the well-established cycling networks and infrastructure that make doing a round-island tour of the country by bicycle a breeze. Throughout Taiwan, eateries and convenience stores are a dime a dozen,…

As former Sky teammates, and still neighbours in Monaco, Nicolas Roche and Richie Porte will reunite next year when Roche joins BMC to help Porte improve on his fifth place overall in this year’s Tour de France. At the Abu Dhabi Tour in October, where Roche placed second overall, the 32-year-old spoke to Cyclist Australia/NZ about his role and his own ambitions – including for the Vuelta a España, where he was sixth overall in 2010, fifth in 2013 and won a stage in 2013 and 2015. Rupert Guinness: How did your deal with BMC come about? Did Richie have any role in it? Nicolas Roche: It’s an idea I had in mind already when Richie had left (Sky) after 2015. I get on really well with Richie. A couple…

The Col du Tourmalet is the Tour de France’s most-used climb, appearing for the 81st time when it features on the route of this year’s Tour, on Stage 8 between Pau and Bagneres-de-Luchon. It was back in 1910 that the Tourmalet made its debut in the race, alongside its fellow Pyrenean climbs the Col d’Aubisque, the Col du Peyresourde, the Col d’Aspin and the Col du Portet d’Aspet. The Alps wouldn’t feature in the Tour de France until the following year. In 2010 the Tourmalet was scaled twice, from each side, on consecutive stages – both the 16th and 17th stages, albeit separated by a rest day – to celebrate the centenary of its appearance. Tales about the Tourmalet are manifold, with arguably the best of them coming from early…

The latest Specialized Roubaix Expert UDi2 arrived at my door not long after the global launch. The Ultegra Di2-equipped model sits second in the line-up. The only modification I made was to increase the stem length to 130mm. The most notable feature is the Future Shock. On a basic level, it’s a piston that sits inside the head tube. There’s 20mm of travel and three firmness options – I chose the medium spring. All three springs are included. Surprisingly, the presence of the shock isn’t that noticeable when just riding along, but I found bumpy corners far smoother than on my Tarmac. It allowed me to point-and-shoot, looking up and around the corner, instead of down and into the corner. It was particularly useful in Hong Kong. It’ll be interesting…

Am I still beautiful?’ my husband asks me through bloody teeth; the teeth I just watched him check were still in place. He’s lying on a hot tarmac highway on the tropical island of Lombok, Indonesia. He has patches of road rash, a split helmet and a bloody mouth requiring stitches, but he’s still capable of making wise cracks. There’s nothing like seeing a loved one soar over their own handlebars and face-plant onto tarmac to make your blood run cold. It’s a slow-motion scene I’ll replay in my head for days to come. The dog he collided with seconds earlier has since scarpered into the undergrowth on the other side of a crash barrier. Paul would later claim it was the size of a grizzly bear, but in reality,…

The Hvar Hygienic Society was formed in 1868 to encourage the afflicted of northern Europe to bring their ‘diseased lungs’ to the island of Hvar, off the coast of southern Croatia. The society boasted proudly of the ‘mildness of our climate and our soothing air’, and urged sickly Austrians and Germans to experience Hvar life and enjoy a holiday where the society would provide ‘everything necessary for a comfortable stay for foreigners’. Cyclists weren’t on the island’s original guest list but they probably should have been. Hvar is a sliver of land measuring only 68.5km in length and just 10.5km at its widest point, but despite its size there’s some surprisingly first-rate riding on offer. Hvar claims to have 2,700 hours of sunshine a year, which is around 1,000 hours…

THE SPEC Model Cannondale Slate Groupset Shimano Ultegra Deviations Shimano R685 shifters and BR805/785 hydraulic disc callipers, CannondaleTHE SPEC Hollowgram Si cranks with SpideRing Wheels Slate 650b alloy disc Finishing kit Cannondale C2 alloy bars, Cannondale C1 alloy stem, Cannondale C1 alloy seatpost, Fabric Scoop Radius saddle Weight 9.6kg (large) Price $3,399 Contact cannondale.com Over the years, Cannondale has taken more of a lead-not-follow approach to its designs. As a result it now has technology at its disposal, such as its single-legged Lefty suspension fork, that it can use on interesting projects such as the Slate. It’s certainly distinctive, which makes it difficult to categorise. Is it a road bike, a mountain bike, or is it that latest of cycling trends – a gravel bike? Influenced heavily by the US…

While Europe freezes over, it’s getting to that time of year where things are starting to heat up on the local front. The Aussie professionals will make their way back home as Europe hunkers down for the winter, and with so many local names performing brilliantly internationally, the stage is set for one of the most exciting Australian summers yet. Don’t be surprised to see the likes of Richie Porte, Caleb Ewan and Michael Matthews rolling along the local loops around Launceston, Sydney and Canberra as they prepare for the National Road Race Championships in January. Orica-BikeExchange, who made the podium in 2015, meanwhile, will be hungry for another taste of the green-and-gold stripes. Santa Claus might be coming to town in December, but January is all about Peter Sagan,…

The image here was taken during the 2016 Tour of Margaret River in Western Australia. It has a unique Pro-Am team format that brings everyone from mates, club teams, national-level outfits and Continental squads to the one race. This year also saw multi-discipline World Champion Marianne Vos as a special guest, among others from both the men’s and women’s WorldTour peloton. This year the final stage of the tour started with a roll out from the Leeuwin Estate Winery airfield, and since there were no flights scheduled for the morning, we got the okay to put the drone up. I knew it would look great from above, and the bird's-eye view is often one that draws a lot of interest and curiosity from onlookers. The red of the Western Australian…

For those of you that have been to Hong Kong, you’ve likely peered out of your aeroplane window on approach and been captivated by a dramatic skyline of towering volcanic mountains and skyscrapers. You’ve likely wondered what the riding might be like in them thar hills. For those of you lucky enough to have approached the ‘Fragrant Harbour’ and land at the infamous (now closed) Kai Tak airport, you’ll likely have memories of a frightening and fascinating lowaltitude pass through a gap between buildings in the final seconds before touchdown. I still have clear memories of the Kai Tak approach from a childhood trip. Memories of the jet turbulence blowdrying white underwear hanging out of windows metres from the wingtips. Memories of the glittering skyscrapers juxtaposed against the slimy…

On day two, we crossed Victoria Harbour to Hong Kong Island. We rode from our hotel to the Tsim Sha Tsui Pier on Kowloon, choosing to start our ride with one of the world’s best harbour crossings. The Star Ferry allows bikes on the lower deck for a small fee. The ferry trip gave us another perspective of the city, and it’s a good example of the cliched traveller’s mantra that a journey can be as important as the destination. If you’re not into boats, you can always take the wonderfully efficient MTR (Metro), though we’re told you may have to remove your front wheel to travel. We disembarked at Wan Chai and headed to Shek O on the east end of the island. The island is home to a…

In the words of Hannibal Smith, leader of The A-Team, ‘I love it when a plan comes together.’ In his case, that usually meant breaking out of a high-security compound having knocked together a tank out of some spare parts found in a barn, but his catchphrase also rings true for the cyclist looking to get in shape after the winter lay-off. Without a proper plan, it’s hard to structure your training in any meaningful way, so where do you start in creating one? You could always hand over a fistful of cash to a qualified coach who will guide you every step of the way, but that’s an expensive option. You could follow a pre-prepared training plan as found in many magazines and websites, but they can’t take into…

From the port of Stari Grad, head south on the 6204 to Dol, then take the 6206 through Svirce and Vrisnik before joining the D116 to Zastražišće. On the return leg, the route hugs the coast through Jelsa to Vrboska before heading inland to join the D116. Just past Stari Grad, take the 6252 for the main climb of the day, which descends to Hvar on the south west coast.…

After chancing upon an earlier staging of L’Eroica in Tuscany, my brother and I were keen to participate ‘for real’ in this extraordinary event. The opportunity came when our ‘directeur sportif’ and tour organiser expressed a desire to participate in the 20th anniversary event. And so it was that a bunch of guys hailing from the Perth ‘Old Papas’ originals came together, complete with old bikes and retro outfits, to participate in L’Eroica, through the Chianti region of Tuscany, Italy. The event takes a step back in time and caters for those with a passion for pure cycling, and its heritage, culture and history. L’Eroica was created in 1997 as an alternative to the very competitive Gran Fondo events. It was designed to be tough but non-competitive and intended to…

We kick off from Royal Garden Hotel at Tsim Sha Tsui East. Now, before we get stuck right in, we’ll make it clear that a GPS-guided map is quite handy for following the route. Or, link up with a local and get them to help out. Find your way onto Canton Road and head north before making a right-left on Reclamation. Jump onto Nathan Road and head toward Tai Po Road. This is an out-and-back up to Golden Hill. The next section is a little complex, but head towards the sea and Container Port Road. Again, head in a north-westerly direction towards Tsuen Kam Interchange and take the fourth exit to Route Twisk. This is the start of the main climb up to Tai Mo Shan. Expect to be ascending…

As women’s bikes go the S-Works Amira is an anomaly. There’s not a hint of pink on the frame, no mention of ‘endurance riding’ in the blurb and it comes with the stem slammed. The bike is all about stiffness and power transfer. It’s made for racing and is most at home in a competitive environment. That’s not to say it’s uncomfortable – there’s enough compliance in the frame to make all-day riding a joy. It’s just that if you want to ride fast (and your bank balance is healthy) this could be the bike for you. Testament to the S-Works Amira’s performance is that Lizzie Armitstead rode one to victory at the 2015 World Road Race Championships. One of the reasons this bike is so fast is it’s super-light…

When it comes to bicycles, many people stick to convention, favouring the mass market over the unique and quirky. Perhaps, though, we’re poorer for it. For instance, if modern carbon is “best” and tarmac is your only path, it’d be easy to overlook the elegance of aluminium and the opportunity to explore new territory on a bike such as the Cannondale Slate. Conversely, there’s no substance to saying an aero bike can’t be ridden over the bone-shaking stones of France – just take a look at the Scott Foil and its Paris-Roubaix-winning resume. It’s a tough call to make these days, but hopefully, with a little help from us, you’ll soon be able to make that difficult decision just a little more easily.…

THE SPEC Model Scott Foil Team Issue Groupset Shimano Dura-Ace 9000 Deviations Shimano Dura-Ace Direct Mount front, Ultegra Direct Mount rear callipers Wheels Zipp 60 carbon/alloy clinchers Finishing kit Syncros Aero RR1.0 integrated handlebar/stem, Syncros Foil Aero Carbon seatpost, Prologo Zero II Titanium saddle Weight 7.26kg (56cm) Price $9,499 Contact scott-sports.com/au Aero bikes shouldn’t be winning Paris-Roubaix. It’s long, it’s cobbled and it’s uncomfortable, so much so that even team cars have to be adapted to cope. Suspension gets raised, tyres changed, steel wheels replace alloys and metal plates get bolted under the chassis. So, to see Mathew Hayman cross the finish line in the Velodrome Andre Petrieux first was probably just as surprising to bike geeks as it was to the Australian himself. Hands aloft just inches in front…