Not sure about the Vuelta

Is it just me or does nobody care too much for the Vuelta? I wonder if this is personal bias. I live in France but near the Italian border, Spain feels like it’s a long way away and my grasp of Spanish isn’t too hot. Yet maybe it’s not just me, the media interest before … Read more

Why the UCI rankings matter

I don’t like lists and rankings, the ordered ranking of riders never expresses the full excitement of a season’s racing. In some sports the rankings matter but in cycling the UCI rankings haven’t taken off as a measure of performance across the season. Yet the rankings matter. As we’ve already seen, nations need riders with … Read more

Radioshack sponsorship review

There’s an interesting article from InstoreMarketer.org that reviews the Radioshack sponsorship deal with Lance Armstrong’s cycling team, brought to my attention via Twitter’s FestinaGirl. Back in March, I commented that the electronics retailer was sponsoring a team without mentioning it. For me, it looks like the deal is clearly about associating with Lance, the campaign … Read more

Manolo Saiz: unfit and improper?

Never let it be said that cycling is a tough sport when it comes to picking winners and losers. If you fail, a second chance seems a birthright and those that make further mistakes can usually get an audience again and again. I’m all for second chances in life but many jobs in the world … Read more

Tranquillo e Sereno

Italy can be a vibrant country where even small conversations are animated with big hand gestures and proud boasts. Yet by contrast Italian press releases are in a world of their own. Riders make announcements to the world that seem only to express a state of total tranquillity and calm. For example, speaking after winning … Read more

How long should you ban a rider?

An interesting article from New Scientist, sent in by a reader, points out some research into muscle gain. If you’re interested in training and in particular, bigger legs, then take a read. But one thing stands out from the piece: Anabolic steroids are thought to work by increasing the number of muscle cell nuclei. “If … Read more

Busy signals at Bouygues Télécom?

When will J-R Bernaudeau speak?What’s going on with the BBox-Bouygues Télécom cycling team? The team has been hunting for a replacement sponsor for some time but as yet, nothing has been announced. There are rumours but there’s still some confusion. Riders have apparently been briefed that Bouygues (a media, TV and telecoms conglomerate) will back … Read more

Like Father, Like Son, Part II

Following last Saturday’s Like Father, Like Son entry, here’s a follow up. For as well as Ignacio Moser, another famous son is racing at the Worlds: Rik Zabel. German Erik Zabel was the six time green jersey winner in the Tour de France, that’s him with his son on the podium of the Tour not … Read more

Miles and Miles

The hardest working man in cycling Cycling Quotient’s a handy database of results, archives and statistics. One thing to note is the rankings of riders with the most race kilometres in their legs this year. Here’s the top-10 as of today. 1. Thomas Voeckler, 14,243km2. Jens Voigt, 13,802km3. Danilo Hondo, 12,911km4. Andrei Grivko, 12,716km5. Luca … Read more

Katusha and the diamond watches

Do you like the watch here? It’s got more ice than a polar cap. Just look at all those diamonds on the face and they’re not just for show: they rotate along with the hands. It’s the Solitaire, by the Swiss watchmaker Sarcar. The price is unknown but another Sarcar model is mentioned by hip-hop … Read more