The supporter jerseys have arrived and are on sale with Prendas Ciclismo. Made in Italy by Santini this is a lightweight jersey for summer.
Month: April 2015
The Moment The Race Was Won: Amstel Gold Race
Michał Kwiatkowski wins the sprint to take the Amstel Gold Race, checking he’s got the better of Michael Matthews while Cauberg attacker Philippe Gilbert has already been tamed and beaten.
Amstel Gold Race Preview
Huge crowds, free-flowing beer, grand tour winners taking on one day classics specialists and a very tricky course make the Amstel a special race. The 50th edition looks like it’s made for Philippe Gilbert. Who can stop him from a fourth win this Sunday?
The Wait of a Nation
Ein Stein. Lifting the cobbled trophy last Sunday was a triumph for John Degenkolb and the culmination of a lot of team work. But behind the scenes it’s also the remarkable story of riders as ambassadors who’ve managed to convince German TV to give the sport a second chance, partly thanks to solid results, partly thanks to soft power and coffee.
A Change of Gear
The Brabantse Pijl happens today. La Flèche Brabançonne to francophones, this is a hilly race and the start of the “Ardennes” spring classics and a transition race from the cobbles to the climbs as it features both.
It’s good to change format but the upcoming races seem to be stuck in a rut with repetitive scenarios.
Pour Encourager Les Autres
In this country, it is wise to kill an admiral from time to time to encourage the others
That’s a line from Voltaire’s Candide. After the battle of Minorca between France and Britain in 1756, Voltaire describes the British practice of shooting naval officers if they fail, not so much to punish them for mistakes but to send a signal to the others not to let down His Majesty. “Pour encourager les autres”.
What’s this got to do with bike racing? Well the incident in last Sunday’s Paris-Roubaix where some ignored closed barriers at a level crossing requires exemplary action from the UCI. In the interests of safety the UCI has to view video and photographic evidence and disqualify those who ignored the closed barriers.
The Classics Revelations
John Degenkolb and Alexander Kristoff have triumphed in the spring classics. The season continues but in a different gear as the sport progresses to hillier one day races and the summer season of stage races. But who else impressed? Here’s a look at the younger revelations in the spring classics.
The Moment The Race Was Won: Paris-Roubaix
John Degenkolb wins the sprint in the Roubaix velodrome. As captions go “Degenkolb wins sprint” is predictable, he won Milan-Sanremo three weeks ago in this manner. But this time it was the art and the manner of Degenkolb’s win that was so different and impressive. He rode across to the breakaway of Yves Lampaert and Greg Van Avermaet, helped tow them to Roubaix and then saw off others who’d joined this group to win by a several bike lengths.
Paris-Roubaix Preview
Who can take on Alexander Kristoff? The Norwegian has been invincible and his biggest opponent could be misfortune, his chances were ruined last year by punctures and mechanicals. This is a race of last chances, the final cobbled classic of the season and just like last year time’s running out for Etixx-Quickstep to get that big win, the same for Sep Vanmarcke. Meanwhile Bradley Wiggins longs to end his road career in the Roubaix velodrome.
Amid the cobbled chaos there are many more names to contend with and it’s all live on TV for four hours.
The Exceptional Paris-Roubaix
This Sunday’s Paris-Roubaix has to be the unique race on the calendar. Its cobbles are enough to make the Oude Kwaremont look new. The velodrome finish is unusual but the exceptions don’t end there, this is a race where reaching the showers has become part of the ritual. Even the name stands out, Roubaix is celebrated as a strong brand by the cycle-trade when in the reality it’s France’s poorest town and rarely something to celebrate.