L’Etape du Tour Mondovélo unveiled

In a change with previous years the 2011 cyclosportive run by ASO on the route of a Tour de France stage will be a double-header with two rides. If you’re not familiar with it, it’s an open ride where anyone can register to take part and ride the route of a Tour stage on closed … Read more

A 4 Year Ban? Do the Maths…

UCI President Pat McQuaid dropped a small bombshell on the margins of the Tour de France presentation, saying he was in favour of four year bans for dopers, instead of the two year sanction. Is it right that a big idea like this was given in a briefing to a huddle of journalists? I suspect … Read more

2011 Tour de France

As predicted next summer’s Tour de France is going to celebrate the Alps. Beaucoup. Here are the mountain stages in profile: As for all the stages, here they are. I’ve put the most obvious strategic stages in bold: Stage 1: La Barre-de-Monts – Mont des Alouettes Les Herbiers 191 kmStage 2: TTT: Les Essarts 23 … Read more

Tour de Farce

I love cycling I can’t help but feel frustrated with the sport today, in particular with the politics and administration. With the presentation of next summer’s race just hours away, things are in a mess. I don’t know what you did last summerWe don’t yet know who won the race last summer. Three weeks is … Read more

Will Androni ride the Tour de France?

The Androni – Diquigiovanni team were crowned champions of Italy recently, largely thanks to Michele Scarponi’s massive points haul and the team’s persistent focus on the Italian calendar. Scarponi may be heading to Lampre for 2011 but he leaves behind a pleasant surprise for the team: qualification for the Tour de France. Under an agreement … Read more

What are those flags you see in Italian races?

Followers of cycling will note that the finish of a race often sees many flags being waved. My favourite is the “Dirk Hoffman Motorhomes” board, a common sight in Belgian classics. It’s inevitable, the finish line is filmed in detail and the images are repeated on news broadcasts. In other words, it’s valuable airtime. I’ve … Read more

Where’s the beef?

“Where’s the beef?” was a marketing phrase from a chain of US burger bars, mocking the small hamburgers offered by rivals. In time its meaning has widened to mean where’s the substance. And it’s a very appropriate phrase for the Alberto Contador story, given the bovine connection and the total lack of information related to … Read more

The Season’s not over yet

If Saturday’s Tour of Lombardy marked the end of the season for many, the Chrono des Herbiers on Sunday was surely the last moment pro riders could be seen in action? Well no. Next weekend sees the Japan Cup one day race in Utsunomiya, 100km north of Tokyo. The Herald Sun Tour in Australia is … Read more

Track yourself against others

Cyclists often like to compare their rides. Almost every amateur with a powermeter will check their wattages against those of a pro and many holiday makers to the mountains like to know how they did compared to the time a race went over a nearby pass. But comparisons aren’t always easy. It’s hard to get … Read more

Series

I’ve started a series this week on European foods, not the finer stuff but more the quirky products that many a cyclist will devour. You can read the first part here. But The Inner Ring also has some other series: – It Was Acceptable in the 80s – Podcast Reviews– Out of Competition – What’s … Read more