Happy New Year to all readers. Look at the calendar above and you can now see some pro races appearing with the Tour de San Luis in Argentina before the World Tour season starts with the Tour Down Under.
It’s a 2015 calendar of all the major men’s and women’s races and over the course of the year the calendar was the most viewed page. But you don’t have to come here every time you want to know what’s on, included below are instructions to download it to your smartphone or electronic diary.
Here’s a selection of ten established riders to watch for 2015. Some stand on the cusp of a big win, others face challenges on the road, some have other struggles.
One of the best stories in sport is seeing the underdog triumph. Enrico Battaglin’s stage win at the Giro was one example, the conclusion to a thrilling stage with two riders from wildcard teams sprinting for the stage win against Sky’s Dario Cataldo. It took plenty but started with a wildcard invitation, the modest Bardian-CSF team isn’t guaranteed a start in any race.
Europcar’s ejection from the World Tour and the merger of Cannondale and Garmin means only 17 teams have guaranteed entry to the top races. The other places can be given on an invitational basis. For the second division teams, officially labelled “UCI Pro Continental” teams, there’s no bigger prize than an invite to the Tour de France. Here’s a look at the candidates for an invite and the system as a whole. Decisions for an invite are due next month.
In recent years race radios have been a key part of team tactics in the big races, many times we’ve seen riders cup their ears to better hear a message relayed from the team car. Now in-race communications will be banned for all road races in 2015 according to a new UCI rule.
All change? Or just a new round of protest between the teams and the UCI and a test of authority for President Brian Cookson?
Update: radios won’t be banned. The UCI is promising to update the rulebook early in the new year and radios will once again be allowed.
1. He’s dressed in red and makes his way through the snow but it’s not Santa. Can you name the rider pictured above?
Andy Hampsten of the 7-Eleven team in the Giro. The American won the race outright in 1988 but the photo looks like it’s from 1989. Among other things today he runs a successful travel company in Italy. The after-dinner tales must be good
Here’s a selection of questions to test your memory and knowledge of pro cycling, ranging from geography to history, family to money, tech to trivia.
Some are easy, some just can’t be googled and for one or two maybe there’s just no correct answer.
Nouveau Cycle by Pierre Carrey
How was last summer’s Tour de France for you? Chances are the response varies by nationality. It was supreme for many Italians and fantastique for the French with successes, drama and the crowning triumph of two compatriots on the Champs Elysées podium.
This book uses the Tour de France’s summer limelight as means to profile Jean-Christophe Péraud, Romain Bardet and Thibaut Pinot. It’s not the story of their race but a fuller biography where at times the Tour is almost forgotten. It’s in French but worth sharing with readers of this blog for the insights.
Forget Tinkoff-Saxo’s temporary training kit, here’s the real deal on camouflage cycle clothing: the French army cycling team. They’ve been an amateur squad but now turn pro for 2015.
That’s Luca Paolini and Manuel Quinziato in discussion with officials from the Giro d’Italia following the treacherous circuit around Bari where riders were sliding over the road. It’s often difficult to know who speaks for the riders and there are regular calls for a rider union, a collective body to protect and strengthen the rights of professional cyclists. Only this exists already, it’s called the CPA and every pro is compelled to pay for it. Only few seem to know about it.
As the sport reorganises there’s an alphabet soup of acronyms, each fighting for competing interests. There’s the UCI itself then race organisers like ASO and RCS who themselves are part of the AIOCC, a lobby group for race promoters. There are the teams, the employers, who form several groups for example their collective lobby is the AIGCP and many also subscribe to the MPCC and there’s the newly created Velon too. Will the riders and their union have a say too?
Europcar have a training camp in Spain. Only you’d never know, while other teams broadcast the news, the green team is keeping a low profile. Amid all the fuss about Astana’s licence Europcar’s ejection from the World Tour has been a smaller story. It might hope to win wildcard invitations to the top races but that requires a UCI licence and it’s yet to get one of any kind for 2015. This won’t be easy.