I’ve often wondered what it would be like to cheat, you know, to get my blood turbo charged and lay waste to the opposition. In times past I’ve raced against some big names and people whispered about EPO users. I never came across it, maybe I was totally naive or blind but nobody tried to … Read more
Becoming a professional rider isn’t as straightforward as you might think. There are many amateurs winning all over Europe and beyond. So in a series of tips on how to make the step up, here are some suggestions. Background Imagine you’re an amateur who’s just won a pro race, you’ve left big ProTour teams trailing … Read more
A quick look over the shoulder at the most popular pieces on the blog in April. Cancellara’s sneak attack – a look at how Fabian Cancellara rode away and how you can use the same move in a race Does Cancellara have an electric bike? This was very popular and I reported it tongue in … Read more
See the article below for an idea sent in by a reader. Several others have been in touch with suggestions and I’m really happy to hear from readers with comments, suggestions, criticism and more. Note the email address on the top right of the page, plus you can use Twitter to keep up, I use … Read more
Number 1 idiot? Lampre’s Lorenzo Bernucci is the latest rider to be named in an ongoing Italian investigation into doping. Reports suggest the Italian police found some banned substances in a raid on the Lampre rider’s home. Comically, Bernucci seems to be claiming that blood-diluting products are for his brother and his wife. But whilst … Read more
The prince owns everything in the kingdom, except the wind.Victor Hugo. Cold weather and rain showers are forecast for Sunday’s Tour of Flanders. The top temperature on the day won’t go beyond 13°C and there will be showers all weekend to keep the cobbles dry. The wind could also play a part in the race, … Read more
Here are the three most popular postings from the past month: Bradley Wiggins: The Low Down, a look at how the British rider’s position on the bike has changed substantially. Who’s Peter Sagan? I wrote a small profile following his second place in the bunch sprint in the Paris-Nice stage into Limoges, only for him … Read more
Congratulations to all the riders winning and even just taking part in the track cycling world championships in Copenhagen, Denmark. But whilst I think the sprint events showcase the best in their field, the endurance events on the track like the pursuit race, points race and omnium have a different feel to them. It’s almost … Read more
A broken duck Apparently kwak kwak and cuá cuá are the sounds a Flemish and Spanish duck makes. The cycling season is well underway but several teams have yet to break their duck and win a UCI-registered race this year. They are: Pro TourEuskatel – EuskadiOmega Pharma – Lotto UCI Europe TourAndalucia – CajasurCeramica FlaminiaColnago … Read more
Having earlier picked Omega’s Jean-Christophe Perraud as one to watch this season, another ride to track is FDJ’s Yoann Offredo. Peraud’s early season success continued since I tipped him and it now looks like he could be riding the Tour de France. But Offredo’s season is more dependent on the coming weeks. You might have … Read more