The summit finish of the Tour de Romandie this Saturday, the climb to the ski village of Torgon isn’t a celebrity summit finish, it’s just a quiet climb and the chance to take look at the UCI, cycling’s governing body.
Switzerland
Roads to Ride: The Emosson Dam
Switzerland’s Emosson dam has featured sparingly in pro races, more because of its location that its severity but all the more reason to explore this corner of the Alps. The Roads to Ride series here has referenced climbs all over the world but Switzerland has been skipped despite the country’s vast repertoire of stunning climbs, fine scenery and billiard-table tarmac so it’s about time to include one and hopefully more of the classics in the future.
Can Simon Špilak Win The Tour de France?
No? Probably not? Why not? Apologies for the title which evokes Betteridge’s Law that states “any headline that ends in a question mark can be answered by the word no” but it’s a way to explore questions about Simon Špilak, the calendar and more.
After the Critérium du Dauphiné the talk was all what it meant for the Tour de France. One week later and the day after another selective Alpine stage race and all there’s none of this talk.
Tour de France Stage 16 Preview
Sprint or breakaway? Today’s stage is accessible to the sprinters but it’ll depend on their teams and their ambitions and whether they can wrestle with the many breakaway hopefuls who’ll want to pick off the stage, the last non-Alpine opportunity before Paris. Many others will fancy their chances in a breakaway. A spicy finish in the Swiss capital awaits with climbs and cobbles before the finish line.
Watts Going On
One side-story to the Tour de Suisse was the deal with Velon and the Infront marketing agency to bring live speed, power, heart rate and cadence data from the race to television viewers, as well as added on-bike camera footage. It’s been done before but now feels like the start of something that’s here to stay but if this is going to happen it requires context, explanation and a little less hype.
The Moment The Tour de Suisse Was Won
Miguel Ángel López attacks over the top of the Flüela Pass. He started the final day of the Tour de Suisse with three riders within 16 seconds of him on the overall classification and once he’d run out of team mates on the climb he took matters into his own hands and attacked to distance his rivals. This aggression was the hallmark of López’s win.
A Ride Through Switzerland
Peer through the clouds and rain this week during the Tour of Switzerland and you’ll spot some of the finest roads to ride in Europe. What they lack in celebrity status granted by the Tour de France and Giro d’Italia they make up for with the views and the smooth surfaces. Is Switzerland cycling’s best kept secret?
One Week At A Time
Who’s going to win the Tour de France? This is sometimes the central question to the season. We view so many races as contests through yellow-tinted lenses and in turn no sooner does a rider thrive during a one week stage race than they’re projected as agrand tour contender. One regular question is why don’t some riders aim for week long stage races instead of charging headlong into inevitable defeat in a grand tour? Is there room for week-long specialists?
Tour de Suisse Preview
For the Romans all roads led to Rome. In cycling they lead to Paris and as the Tour de France looms large the peloton is congregating in the Alps for the Dauphiné and Tour de Suisse. Here’s a quick look at the route and the overall contenders for the win and more.
Tour de Romandie Preview
Over millennia many have believed gods live atop volcanoes. Some cycling fans may perpetuate this given the amount of star riders who spend their time living on top of El Teide and Mount Etna. It’s becoming normal these days for riders to spend weeks at altitude before racing once and returning to altitude again. For several reasons this week’s Tour de Romandie has become a rare meeting point for many grand tour contenders.
Chris Froome, Geraint Thomas, Nairo Quintana, Tejay van Garderen, Richie Porte, Simon Špilak, Ilnur Zakarin, Thibaut Pinot, Romain Bardet, Miguel Angel Lopez, Mathias Frank, Rui Costa, Tom Dumoulin, Rafał Majka… that’s just a few of the names in contention. With this in mind a quick look at the route and contenders.