The Tro Bro Leon race took place yesterday with the win going to Corporal Damien Gaudin (Armée de Terre) and Laurent Pichon (Fortuneo-Vital Concept) winning a pig as the best local rider. This is a unique race and a remote one that may not attract the big names and World Tour teams but its quiet success proves it needn’t worry either.
The classics come to the Netherlands and huge crowds enjoy a day in the sun and beer from the race sponsor. The hilly course has been for the climbers but several sprinters want to muscle in and a new finish is designed to stir up the action. Sunday’s race offers the rare chance of seeing the likes of Greg Van Avermaet and Alejandro Valverde, the season’s most succesful riders, go up against each other.
Here’s a race preview with the usual look at the course, contenders, TV times and more.
With the cobbled classics done, time for the Ardennes? Yes and plenty more. With just over three weeks to the Giro it’s a good time to take a quick look at the contenders and pretenders for the race and see where they are, especially given the news that Fabio Aru is out with a knee injury.
Greg Van Avermaet wins the sprint in the Roubaix velodrome after a frantic race ridden at record speed that was defined by misfortune and mishaps. The result was uncertain right until the final metres as Zdeněk Štybar launched a powerful sprint and looked to have the jump on his rivals only for Van Avermaet to surge in the final straight and win.
The best for last as the cobbled classics come to an end this Sunday in the Roubaix velodrome. Former race director Jacques Goddet described this race as “the last act of madness” and his decision to use tiny farm tracks with rudimentary cobbles has created a legendary and exceptional event. What will Sunday bring: redemption for Peter Sagan, confirmation for Greg Van Avermaet, celebration for Tom Boonen or perhaps the story of a worker getting their day of glory?
You can see it all because the whole race will be live on TV from start to finish.
Loyal readers might be familiar with the calendar but with the season in full swing now there are many more visitors so if you missed it during the off-season, here’s a reminder you can get a pro cycling calendar for your organiser, phone or computer diary. All of the major UCI men’s and women’s pro races around the world are included. Below there’s a quick explainer on how to subscribe, the meaning of the UCI labels and more.
Can Tom Boonen win Paris-Roubaix this Sunday? Just thinking it about seems indulgent and sentimental, like the start of a day dream. But if there’s one race where dreams come true it’s Paris-Roubaix thanks to the brutal course and the importance of good luck. The Roubaix velodrome has been the finish line for many careers and over the years it has supplied several fairy tale endings.
The Tour of the Basque Country is on this week and a chance to take a closer look at this region which is one of the hotbeds of cycling in Europe. It’s packed with clubs, pro teams, races, knowledgeable fans and berets.
Mountains by Michael Blann
Mountain roads have a special place in cycling, venerated and the subject of secular pilgrimages every summer. A lot of this makes sense, a ride in the mountains brings great scenery and many want to test themselves on the same roads as the big races. This book covers many of these famous climbs with fine photos but doesn’t stray into the mythology so often associated with these climbs. Instead the expansive photos capture the road and the environment around it, including all the artificial features from ski lifts to hotels.
