A ride doesn’t just clear my mind, it fills it with fresh ideas. If I go out for more than an hour then often answers appear and new ideas flash into my mind. This might sound like spurious justification but for me it’s true, issues I might have been weighing up can often get resolved. … Read more
If you are a user of twitter, a note to say that The Inner Ring no longer has the username of “39teeth”. The old chainring has been consigned to the mechanic’s truck and shiny new one, stamped “inrng” is now in use. The blog and Twitter go hand in hand, with Twitter being used for … Read more
Denis Troch probably isn’t a name you know but he is an instrumental figure for quite a few French riders. A former professional soccer player with several Parisian clubs, Troch retired into coaching and then onto team management. But football management is one of the most insecure jobs in the world, managers can get replaced … Read more
Horner riding around the block again Whereas some sports see participants fade once they pass the age of 30, cycling is a sport where a certain maturity helps. The lack of impact saves the body but tactical awareness helps deliver results too. That’s why the average age of a World Tour rider is 29. The … Read more
A self-referential item but I started The Inner Ring last February and it’s been an interesting project. From a trickle of readers at first, it’s now grown into something read by thousands a day. It’s been a chance to correspond with lots of cycling fans via email, the comments, twitter and beyond, plus it was … Read more
As well as reflection on the year gone by, us humans are suckers for forecasts for the year to come. This is very common in the financial world where analysts and economists prognosticate. Often their calls sound reasonable but in time the story changes and the prediction is usually way of the mark. One financial … Read more
I’m going to take a break for a few days on here. If we saw Chris White issue an interesting press release about the Pegasus team on what was Christmas morning in Australia, I certainly won’t be on here for the holidays. Best wishes to you all and here’s hoping 2011 is a good one … Read more
I got an email from a reader saying the Cavendish piece below wasn’t suitable for many readers at work. I agree. It’s the first time I’d put a semi-nude pic on here and should have realised it could be sensitive for some. I’m all for a light-hearted tone at times and I suspect many readers … Read more
With news that the Aussie team is set to implode, some are already casting around for the bogeyman here. Because it’ll take a near-miracle to save the team, a fact not helped by the fact that the team simply doesn’t have a roster that will let them win that much. Whilst some might be asking … Read more
If you haven’t seen it already, then the recent interview with Mario Cipollini on cyclingnews.com is a superb read. The Italian sprinter may have retired from the bunch but his mouth is still in fine form, outrageous quotes flow with ease. In one interview ‘Super Mario’ supplies more memorable quotes than entire pro teams manage … Read more