This weekend sees the Criterium International take place on the French island of Corsica. A race in its own right, it’s also an avant première of the Tour de France and its opening stages in Corsica, complete with several big names who face a tricky sprint stage, a long mountain pass and a short time trial.
Here’s a preview of the route, the riders, the TV and more.
L’Avenir is French for “the future” and as the name suggests, the Tour de l’Avenir is meant to be reserved for the stars of tomorrow. With this in mind, time for a quick look back at the 2010 edition because it was dominated by the likes of Taylor Phinney, John Degenkolb, Andrew Talansky and especially Nairo Quintana.
The Volta a Catalunya and its clothing sponsor Sumattory are offering readers a chance to win a leader’s jersey from race, signed by the race winner.
Just predict the winner of each day’s stage and you could have a signed race jersey from the World Tour.
The spring classics are here and for all the talk of steep climbs and cobbles there’s another feature of Belgium’s roads that rarely gets discussed, the betonweg.
Going to watch a bike race is not as simple as you might think. Get it wrong and you’ll catch a cold instead of the action. There are some hints, tips and skills that can substantially improve the experience. Given the classics season is upon us again, it’s time to share some of these.
As well as tips for the day, there’s a wider look at travel if you’re coming from near or far, for the day or the trip of a lifetime.
Was Gerald Ciolek the best dressed man in Sanremo? This isn’t about fashion but workwear because when it’s snowing and there’s a race on, your clothing can make all the difference. Some riders suffered wardrobe malfunctions and abandoned whilst others rode on thanks to a range of kit that went from improvised helmet covers to mysterious non-team issue black jackets. Of course the race results weren’t down to clothing alone but the right kit helps.
One thing that stands out is the way riders start a race with all sorts of aerodynamic advantages only for it to rain and they don a jacket that billows, flaps and creases to make them look like the Michelin man.
A short preview of the Volta Ciclista a Catalunya. A World Tour race it has attracted an impressive startlist with many names to watch, including Bradley Wiggins and Ryder Hesjedal as well as local lad and pre-race favourite Joaquim Rodriguez. Unlike other most other stage races, this one has no time trial meaning the small climbers like Nairo Quintana and José Rujano have a chance to win the overall too.
As usual here are the stages, the contenders and other info like TV times.
Gerald Ciolek (MTN-Qhubeka) throws his bike to the line to finish ahead of Peter Sagan (Cannondale) and Fabian Cancellara (Radioshack). In a race so full of suspense it was suspended the outcome of the race was not certain until the last few seconds when the German proved the fastest from the group of six that reached Sanremo. This was the moment the race was won.
Milan-Sanremo remains an elusive contest, so long yet the action is concentrated at the end. It has few obvious difficulties yet only a select few contest the finish. Curiously it’s the spring classic that’s open to all yet reserved for the sport’s VIPs and arguably the only race of the year where sprinters, classics specialists and grand tour contenders race each other directly.
Here’s a race preview with more on the route as well as the riders to watch, the weather, TV schedules and more.
At first glance the Via Duca d’Aosta looks like any normal road along the Italian coast. It sits off the Via Aurelia, the main road that hugs the coastline all the way to France which hums and buzzes with Italian traffic. A few vehicles turn off now and then to take the smaller road named after a Duke who was once Italian royalty. Rusty vans wheeze up the road ferrying supplies for the numerous greenhouses that cover the hillside, growing flowers for export. Only the Via Duca d’Aosta is no ordinary road, it is the Poggio, the final climb of Milan-Sanremo.