Innehållsförteckning för Issue 62 från Cyclist Australia

Shimano has flipped the conventional sunglass frame with its latest Aerolite shades. Usually you’d expect the rims to run across your brow, but the Aerolite has the distinct look of it holding the lens steady across the rider’s cheekbones. Shimano promises us it won’t obstruct the field of view and given they were seen on many riders during the CX Worlds, who are we to argue? If you’re into the way these Aerolites look, you’ll love the features packed in. For those who wear prescription glasses, they were developed with RX-Clip to ensure a safe and easy fit for your scripts. They also have a non-slip pattern and radiused temples on the arms, and an adjustable nose pad for a secure and comfy fit, no matter how your head is…

Cyclist: How are things at BMC? What’s keeping you and the team busy? Greg Stringer-Bates: The brand is going from strength to strength. New platforms like the Kaius stood above others on their first outing on the world stage and this along with a buoyant gravel market has put these bikes in high demand. The Teammachine SLR01 performs outstandingly and is so many cyclists’ go-to performance road bike. Demand constantly outstrips supply, so when we get the rare opportunity to pick up any extras, well, you have to make sure you don’t lose a limb in the rush. Cyc: We’re seeing a pretty rapid culture shift in the industry from selling an elite vision to one of more recreation. Acknowledging heaps of people love riding but aren’t necessarily interested in…

593 Minutes we had to complete all 192km of this very challenging ride – on (nearly) the shortest day of the year 10 A rough estimate of the different gravel types (or grades?) encountered on this route. From pressed clay to rough river stone, it has it all 4 Riders from the larger group who ‘abandoned’ i.e. hopped in the sag wagon. Trust us when we say this route takes no prisoners 3 Family-size pizzas (and maybe a cheeky garlic bread or two) consumed by the Cyclist contingent the night before. If passing through Gundagai, we recommend Francesco’s Pizza Palace for some on-the-go grub Undisclosed Beers drunk at the post-ride Darker Days festival held at Bright Brewery…

1975 Andrew Ritchie begins designing his folding bicycle. A year later, the first prototypes are made and Brompton is formed. 1981 500 bicycles are made – and sold – in the first production run in the Old Power House near London’s Kew Gardens. Brompton’s hinge supplier goes bankrupt and Andrew Ritchie starts looking for finance. 1988 Production resumes in a workshop under the railway arches in Brentford, west London. 1995 The company has 16 employees, making 3,633 bicycles in a year. Turnover is £961,000 2000 31 employees, making 6,855 bicycles. Turnover is £2.05 million. 2007 71 employees, making 14,401 bicycles. Turnover is £5.28 million. 2011 First Brompton Junction shop opens in Kobe, Japan. 2012 132 employees, making 30,902 bicycles. Turnover is £16.7 million. 2013 Sixth Brompton Junction shop opens in…

‘I spent 10 days with the team at the pre-Christmas camp and one of the key things was working through a questionnaire we’ve created around nine areas of peak performance. Areas include emotional regulation, coping skills, focus, anxiety and self-confidence. ‘There are three common stressors for riders: the performance side, their private lives and the organisational – much of which is down to the leadership and the environment we create. We know we can’t control or prevent everything, but we have a duty to create a strong psychological environment for performance and better mental health. ‘The women are definitely more receptive than men. Once they see you’re reliable they open up and create a full relationship with you. Men, it’s different, although we’re slowly getting there. The female riders are…

1942 During World War II, Fausto Coppi raised France’s Maurice Archambaud’s Hour record from 45.767km to 45.848km. He did so fuelled by seven amphetamines (nicknamed ‘la bomba’), which were legal at the time. 1967 Tom Simpson was one of Britain’s greatest cyclists, with the Tour of Flanders, Milan-San Remo and the Road Race World Championships title to his name. The 29-year-old collapsed and died on Mont Ventoux during the 1967 Tour de France. An autopsy would find amphetamines and alcohol in his blood. 1998 The Festina Affair was a series of doping scandals at the Tour de France that started with a large haul of doping products being discovered in a Festina team support car. At the same Tour, drugs were found in the TVM team hotel. Several teams withdrew…

Cycling was the first sport to adopt the Athlete Biological Passport (ABP) in 2009. Unlike many previous doping tests that focused on direct markers of abuse in that moment, the ABP focuses on indirect markers over time, with WorldTour riders tested a minimum of three times each year in and out of competition. How does it work? It’s down to reticulocytes (young red blood cells) and haemoglobin (protein that carries oxygen). Injecting yourself with EPO (erythropoietin) stimulates your body to produce more red blood cells, increasing the percentage of reticulocytes. The other primary method of doping, blood transfusion, requires removal of your blood before re-infusion. Your body compensates for that initial drop by making more red blood cells, again leading to a higher-than-normal percentage of reticulocytes. Yet while reticulocytes rapidly…

As the kilometres click by, Herman Vanspringel grows more confused. He is in his first full season as a professional rider and is tackling the Milan-San Remo Classic for the first time. Vanspringel has heard tales of the terrible climbs they would endure on the way to San Remo but the race is hours old and he is still at the front of the race. Where are these capi he has been warned about? The ones the Italians were always talking about? He catches the eye of an Italian rider, draws the shape of a mountain in the air and points ahead. How long before these capi come? The Italian shakes his head and points behind. The capi are done and dusted. Vanspringel hadn’t even noticed them. As the finish…

When a cycling hall of fame devoted to great historic innovations is finally opened, I know which invention I’d nominate for the title of ‘Greatest of All Time’. It won’t be disc brakes, pneumatic tyres or the derailleur – condemned by Tour de France founder Henri Desgrange as ‘artifice’ though embraced by the wider cycling community as a tool to make cycling more inclusive. It won’t be tubeless tyres, ceramic bearings or the ‘safety bicycle’ – so called because riders could mount it without a running leap, while the risk of injury caused by plunging from the equivalent height of a two-storey building was considerably reduced. It won’t be a titanium, 3D-printed frame fashioned in a lab by aerodynamicists and astrophysicists, rims inspired by the pectoral fins of humpback whales…

The Santos Tour Down Under (TDU) returned in 2023 after a long hiatus, gifting cycling fans across the nation the opportunity to catch UCI WorldTour action on Australian shores for the first time in two years. Our WorldTour race picked up right where it left off in 2020 as throngs of fans lined the roadside. This year marked a significant milestone for the TDU: it was the first time the women’s race had been part of the UCI Women’s WorldTour. Eight of the top 10 general classification women came from Australia or New Zealand and, to demonstrate the sport’s local growth, each of these competitors were racing for different teams. The men’s race, meanwhile, was the best TDU in memory – and an Aussie claimed victory. Jay Vine seized his…

Back in the 19th century, pineapples were considered such a statement of wealth in Europe that they were displayed to guests rather than eaten. Today, the only edible members of the bromeliad family are far more common, even though each one takes around 18 months to grow, with one plant producing one fruit – which kinda puts the fact you can buy one for $2 in a different light. Pineapples are great for active types because they have a high concentration of vitamin C – lots more than an orange – and are the only known food source of bromelain, an enzyme that helps break down food and aids digestion. Pineapples also have analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties which, coupled with the vitamin C, means eating a whole pineapple in one…

TRAVEL Given their tight schedules, the lads had no choice but to make the drive down from Sydney in the afternoon the day before the ride, arriving in Bright close to midnight. If less pressed for time, we’d suggest tackling the six-plus hour drive a little earlier in the day. If you’re coming from Melbourne, it’s a more comfortable threeish hours. If taking to the skies is an option, you could also fly to nearby Albury-Wodonga, roughly an hour away. ACCOMMODATION Home for the two nights was Avignon in Bright (victoriashighcountry.com.au/listing/avignon-in-bright), ideally located just a short stumble from the main street and the brewery. The holiday home is set up perfectly for a pack of travelling cyclists, with a garage for the bikes, washer/dryer, espresso machine and steaming hot showers.…

‘Education has helped. Plus many riders today weren’t even born when the past offences happened. However, we always have to be awake to fight against doping. It can never stop.’ The words of Nicholas Raudenski, head of the ITA, aka International Testing Agency, an independent organisation that implements anti-doping programmes for international sports federations. It was created in 2018 under the supervision of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and the International Olympic Committee (IOC). Raudenski’s note of anti-doping optimism was struck just before last year’s Tour de France in a webinar hosted by the ITA. But how clean is professional cycling in the modern era? Pragmatism rules ‘I feel it’s in a better place than years gone by but it’s always good to leave the light on,’ says Roger Legeay,…

The Therapeutic Use Exemption programme is designed to allow an athlete to race if they have a legitimate medical reason for using a prohibited substance on the WADA list. Team Sky attracted criticism for their perceived abuse of TUEs after Bradley Wiggins’ TUE for the powerful corticosteroid triamcinolone became public knowledge. He injected triamcinolone before his most important races of 2011, 2012 and 2013. Since 1 January 2021, all requests for TUEs are managed by the International Testing Agency (ITA) on behalf of the UCI. The athlete’s ‘get out of jail free’ card continues to be abused, according to Thibaut Pinot, with the Frenchman telling L’Equipe in 2021 that it’s one of the reasons the ‘peloton races at two speeds’.…

It is the quietness that friend Luc Wuyts remembers most. On 21 July 1968, just as the Tour de France was concluding with a 55km time-trial into Paris, the then 13-year-old Wuyts was watching a local bike race on the streets of Kalmthout, just north of Antwerp. ‘To my young eyes there were thousands there,’ Wuyts says. ‘A house by the finish line had a radio by an open window so updates from Paris could be relayed over the loudspeaker.’ Herman Vanspringel, born just 25km away, was leading. His margin was slender – 12 seconds over Spain’s Gregorio San Miguel, with the Dutchman Jan Janssen a further four seconds back – but Vanspringel was one of the strongest against the clock. Surely a Belgian was going to win for the…

To download this ride go to komoot.com/tour/990498235 or scan the QR code. The ride begins at the junction of highway 210 and Big Cottonwood Canyon Road. From there it’s a wiggle south that’s best left to your GPS device, a necessary evil (albeit interesting enough to see some of the city) to make this ride a loop. You want to get to the beginning of Utah State Route 92, which heads east into Wasatch Mountain State Park. Follow Route 92 towards Aspen Grove, then turn tail and climb back to the junction of 92 and 114. Follow Route 114/Cascade Spring Drive all the way to Midway, which is a good point to stop (try the Fill’er Up Coffee Station). Head out of Midway on Route 222 and climb to the…

TRAVEL We flew into Salt Lake City from Sydney, which takes about 18 hours via San Fran. You can do the same from Melbourne; from all other Aussie cities you’ll need an extra stop in between. Utah is big and you’ll want a car, so we hired a vehicle from Enterprise, which cost $1,300 for nine days and was big enough to live in. ACCOMMODATION We didn’t live in the car though. We actually stayed at Kimpton Hotel Monaco in downtown Salt Lake City, and although you’ll still want to drive places there are a few walkable and very good restaurants and cafes nearby. Try the Blue Iguana for Mexican and The Daily for excellent coffee. A double or twin at the Kimpton starts from $250 (monaco-saltlakecity.com). THANKS The planning…

Endura’s GV500 gear is something we’re keen to try on our next adventure off the beaten track. GV is becoming cycling shorthand for ‘gravel’ and Endura promises its range offers a fit and fabric to tackle any ride. GV500 knicks feature double-layer leg panels to reduce the gravel rash in the unlikely event of a fall, and mesh pockets on either thigh to stash some tasty treats. The jersey also includes extra storage beyond the usual three back pockets, with side mesh pockets and a chest pocket with a zipper (where you’d have a top pocket on a collared shirt) for the important stuff. There are also jackets, baggy shorts and rapid wicking T-shirts in the GV500 range to ensure you stay comfy in all conditions. And what about the…

Cyclist: You were back in Australia for the first time in three years over the European winter. How was it? Caleb Ewan: Luckily, during the pandemic my parents and brother and sister were able to come over to Europe, so that was good because our son, who’s two now, hadn’t been to Australia, so my extended family hadn’t met him. It was nice to see everyone. It was hard for us because we were stuck so far away. You’re not used to being away for that long – it’s something the European cyclists don’t really have to deal with. Cyc: Your team spent much of 2022 chasing UCI points to stave off WorldTour relegation. How did that pressure affect you? CE: To be honest, I don’t feel the pressure from…

Hormones are chemical messages sent around the body that stimulate physiological change, bringing improved states of function and balance. Insulin, for example, is released after a meal and tells receptor cells around the body to absorb glucose in readiness for future energy demands. Unfortunately, our hormonal efficacy tends to deteriorate as we age. Insulin is just one of many hormones that comprise our endocrine system, which is responsible for the hormones that control metabolism, growth, organs, mood and reproduction – but we also have dominant sex hormones that drive our development, function and daily lived experience. Testosterone is a key sex steroid for males (although it also circulates in females at lower levels) used to calibrate functions including libido, muscle mass, bone density and fat storage. As you may have…

To see our route on Strava, scan the QR code above. Starting in Benalla, take Kilfeera Road out of town (passing the airstrip on your left). This straight, flat and sealed road is a good warm-up before the gravel starts at around 11km when you make a slight right turn onto Gunns Lane, which soon turns into Hartridge Road. Turn left and briefly join Molyullah-Tatong Road before turning right onto Molyullah Road, passing through the small settlement before turning right again onto Odea Road. From here, the road starts to rise; at 33km, turn left onto Tiger Hill Road. This takes you all the way to the top of the first major climb of the day, where you join Tatong-Tolmie Road. Enjoy the sounds of the forest for 7-8km until…

Amphetamines Produced chemically from 1927, they were used to treat asthma and bronchitis. Their stimulating effects were soon discovered by athletes, with German Rudolf Harbif the first documented athletic user at the 1936 Olympics. Amphetamines can be detected in samples of blood, urine, hair or saliva. Beta2-agonists These are a group of drugs prescribed to treat asthma. All beta2-agonists are prohibited except salbutamol (maximum 1,000 nanograms per litre of blood), formoterol (max 30ng/ml) and salmeterol. That’s because while they smooth the airways in the lungs, there’s evidence heavy doses of salbutamol, for example, can boost muscle strength. Chris Froome famously recorded an adverse analytical finding of 2,000ng/l in 2017. Team Sky successfully argued that this was down to the dehydration caused by a threeweek stage race. Blood transfusion Arguably the…

Any drug that is banned must meet at least two of WADA’s three criteria: (1) It has the potential to enhance performance; (2) It poses a health risk to athletes; (3) It violates the spirit of sport. Which leaves this triumvirate in a tricky place… Caffeine Caffeine is the most studied ergogenic (performance-enhancing substance) in sport. Its mooted benefits include boosting endurance, making exercise feel easier and increasing fat metabolism. It was actually a prohibited substance until 2003 when WADA allowed it, suggesting its recreational prevalence made it near impossible to monitor. It is, however, on the monitoring list. Ketones Ketones have attracted airtime ever since Dr Kieran Clarke of Oxford University created the exogenous (ie, ingestible) version over 10 years ago. When the body runs out of carbohydrates, ketones…

On each spread of this article we have included the geometry chart for a particular bike. The opening spread is a Specialized Tarmac, the quintessential race bike as ridden by the Soudal – QuickStep pro squad. On this spread we have a Giant Defy, the very model of a comfortoriented endurance road bike. The final spread shows the BMC URS, a gravel bike that marks the point where road bikes turn into mountain bikes. The Tarmac’s racy handling is evidenced by its relatively short trail, chainstay and wheelbase numbers, and steep head tube angle. Also, the stack and reach figures speak to a low and stretched out rider position (for reasons of space, we have only included five of the seven available frame sizes). The Giant Defy’s figures show the…

1943 Born 14 August in Ranst, Belgium. 1962 Wins the amateur edition of Omloop Het Volk. At least one report incorrectly states his nationality as Dutch. 1964 Wins the eight-stage amateur Tour of Belgium by 17 seconds. 1965 Rides strongly for Belgium at the Peace Race in May until forced to abandon. Signs for the Dr Mann-Grundig team in late July. Takes his first professional win six days later. 1966 Announces himself on the international stage by finishing third in Milan-San Remo. Four days later outsprints Noël Vanclooster to win Gent-Wevelgem. Makes his Tour debut, finishing sixth as the best-placed Belgian. 1967 Claims the first of an eventual five Tour stage wins. 1968 Wins a host of premier one-day races including the Tour of Lombardy. Finishes second at the Tour,…

MELBOURNE MOVES CARPARKS TOWARD THE BACK OF THE PACK Change is afoot on the streets of Melbourne and the city is geared to become a more peaceful place for bike riders. A draft plan for demand-based, onstreet parking pricing is one measure to address the huge numbers of cars that enter the city streets and circulate to find a parking space. This reduced congestion could ultimately see more space turned over for trees, dining and bike parking. It will also provide better access to loading bays for CBD businesses, meaning fewer delivery vans will block fewer bike lanes in peak hour. SYDNEY SHIFTS GEARS ON ACTIVE TRANSPORT Bike infrastructure announcements are coming thick and fast in the Harbour City. The NSW Government has promised a raft of new paths, trails…