No suncream. No sand. No sheikhs. No skyscrapers. Welcome to a weekend’s racing in Belgium with its crowds, cobbled tracks and muddy landscapes. The Omloop opens spring classics season and traditionally offers fine racing, often supplying action and suspense for hours.
One of cycling’s greatest attractions is the popular communion on a Sunday between the peloton and the spectators. A race goes to the people, it passes your front door and the local café, school, supermarket and church. No other sport can reach these places in the same way.
Now a survey of Belgian races has raised the prospect of charging for access to bike races and the idea of getting ticket revenue from roadside spectators. Outrageous? Not really. It’s been done before and happens already but it would mark a cultural and economic change if it spreads further. With this in mind it’s worth exploring further.
Alejandro Valverde finished ahead of Alberto Contador in the Ruta Del Sol last weekend. The two Spaniards are rivals but have plenty in common, from nationality to anti-doping bans. What you might not have noticed is that both ride bikes made in the same factory.
The date is set and the clock is counting down. If all goes to plan and he can avoid injury along the way then in 50 days’ time Tom Boonen will be on the eve of Paris-Roubaix and retirement, pinning on his last set of numbers. He’ll be missed by many, especially the Belgian media and the Quick Step team who lose their totemic rider.
We’ve got action on many fronts with races in Oman, Algarve and Andalucia today. This can be confusing: Which race do we follow? Why aren’t the best riders together in the same race?
Do early wins matter? A lot aren’t on TV and plenty happen far from a sponsor’s target audience so the publicity value is often minimal. However it’s often said that a good start to the season sets up a team for the rest of the year, building confidence that in turn brings more wins. Similarly a poor start can burden a team for the year. Is this true? It’s possible to use data and statistical analysis to test this so let’s have a look.
Nationalism, nativism and populism are on the rise across Europe and beyond. Some like it, some don’t but put your take on this aside for a moment if possible because there’s sporting connection to it. Or at least there used to be. Many bike races have a long history of nationalist association, whether as expressions of patriotism or symbolic illustrations of occupying the terrain. Will today’s politics bring new bike races.
Roger Walkowiak has died aged 89. “Winning à la Walkowiak” is a term used today for an easy win or an unexpected triumph. It’s used in cycling and beyond, a French politician can get elected à la Walko too. Walkowiak felt wronged by this label, his triumph in the 1956 Tour de France was mocked and this turned into a sadness that weighed on him for years.
The season’s barely begun, right? Technically we’re already one sixth of the way through the 2017 season and with a pause this week given the vanishing of the Tour of Qatar and the Tour Méditerranéen it’s a good moment to take a look at the standings so far.
After using the Garmin 820 Edge for six months here’s a review of this bike computer. Tech reviews are rare here but this one is partly prompted by glowing reviews elsewhere which seem way too generous for a product that struggles with the basics like usability and battery life.