What’s In a Name – Part IV

Many riders have surnames that are also nouns. I apologise if this ruins your TV viewing, those once exotic Euro names can actually prove a bit dull but here are some more of the peloton’s names translated from their home language into English: Serpa, mountain sherpa Valerio Agnoli – Valerio Angels Manuel Belletti – Manuel … Read more

Part of the Problem

It’s hard to know where to begin with the Landis emails. So I’ll take a look at the UCI, since most people are concentrating on Landis, the emails and the others named in them.For me, the UCI is part of the problem here. Whereas a governing body should aim to be beyond reproach, many get … Read more

Why Is The Giro So Good?

The DVD of race highlights is going to be a best seller. I rarely watch these things but am already interested getting a copy, the Giro is just past half way but the race has been turned upside down. The obvious highlight was the Stage 7 from Carrara to Montalcino, a 222km slog across and … Read more

Meanwhile

I can’t say much more on yesterday’s stupendous Giro stage – a “hold up” said La Gazzetta Dello Sport – and the leaked emails from Landis are circling in my head like crazy. So let’s go elsewhere for a moment. The Tour de L’AudeFine scenery, fine roads and if not fine wines, very decent ones … Read more

So You Want To Turn Pro – Part II

I wrote about how to turn pro before, this is a follow-up to that piece. Join the right teamMany amateur teams send riders into the pro ranks every year. Not just because their riders are strong, but because they are recommended by the team staff as well. If you are capable of winning, then winning … Read more

I Can’t Wait For The Giro To End

It’s proving to be a great race that brings up surprises almost every day. But the final stage, a time trial, has one final spectacle, an arrival in the arena of Verona. A special bridgeway is being built to allow the riders in and they will enter the arena in a theatrical atmosphere with an … Read more

An Australian takes pink

What a stage today! The race was turned upside down within 20km of the stage start. Once upon a time…It’s the 16th stage of the Giro d’Italia and a promising rider has just won the pink jersey. Mapei rider Cadel Evans took the overall lead after a strong rider in the hardest mountain stage of … Read more

Why are rain jackets so big?

I was asking this on Twitter during Stage 11 of the Giro. As the rain poured down, the desperate chase by the GC contenders and their team mates wasn’t helped by seemingly inflatable rain jackets. The same goes for the breakaway riders, when Dario Cataldo jumped away with 3km to go, he was wasting many … Read more

UCI investigating electric bikes

My piece on suspicions of Cancellara’s electric bike was a very popular read on here. And it seems even the UCI is taking the story seriously. In a piece that you’d normally expect to see printed on 1 April, cyclingnews.com reports: the UCI have confirmed to Cyclingnews that they are looking into a method of … Read more