The Inner Ring - Part 251

Go High and Get Hot

Wednesday, 19 February 2014Wednesday, 19 February 2014

A quick physics lesson. Feel free to skip this one but with the news today that Fabian Cancellara could attack the Hour Record in August at the Aguascalientes Bicentennial Velodrome in Mexico, here’s a quick look at the effect of altitude and temperature on performance.

Within hours of the story appearing in La Gazzetta Dello Sport Cancellara’s Trek team denied the plans saying the focus is on the classics. But if the record attempt is still uncertain the physics is fixed: riding at altitude in Mexico could be just what is needed to break the hour record. It’s not just for elite records either, air temperature can have a big effect on daily riding and Strava conquests alike.

Book Review: Ma Liberté de Rouler

Tuesday, 18 February 2014

Ma liberté de rouler by David Moncoutié

For a long time professional cyclists had one of two blood groups, they were either EPO+ or EPO-. David Moncoutié was one of the minority who avoided the doping culture. Yet he thrived and often beat the cheats.

There’s been plenty of publicity given to the doping and the dopers. Many ask “what about those that rode clean?” and here is the tale of one who did just that.

Volta ao Algarve Preview

Tuesday, 18 February 2014Tuesday, 18 February 2014

A short preview with thanks to Portuguese blogger Rui Quinta who has helped decrypt each stage. It’s a compact race with something for the sprinters, climbers and a technical time trial, a good guide of early season form for climbers and classics contenders alike.

With many big names in Oman, there are still plenty of riders to watch here with Rui Costa, Chris Horner, Michał Kwiatkowski, Alberto Contador and Mark Cavendish.

Tour of Oman Preview

Monday, 17 February 2014Monday, 17 February 2014

After Dubai and Qatar now for Oman where the sky is is scraped by jagged mountains instead of tall towers. It’s very different terrain and with it, a very different race and even landscape you’d like to ride through.

As well as the geography this race has got the cosmology with a galaxy of stars. Chris Froome, Joaquim Rodriguez and Vincenzo Nibali and many more are in action. Here’s a stage-by-stage preview for the week along with a look at the contenders, TV schedule and more.

Sunday Shorts

Monday, 17 February 2014Sunday, 16 February 2014

The Tour Med finished on Mont Faron today with Jean-Christophe Péraud winning the stage and Stephen Cummings finishing close behind in fourth place to win the race overall. The podium photo shows riders each with a story to tell.

The Cyclist’s Eye on Skiing

Saturday, 15 February 2014Saturday, 15 February 2014

A departure from the usual talk of pro cycling now the Winter Olympics are in full swing. As someone used to watching cyclists in competition there are many crossovers from the impressive VO2 max scores of the XC skiers to the importance of aerodynamics in downhill skiing.

But what of aerodynamics? Looking at the Alpine ski events there seem to be many things where the skiers could take time for free. Taking the screengrab above with Italy’s Verena Stuffer for illustration. The more you look, the more you see.

Le Tour Med Preview

Thursday, 13 February 2014Thursday, 13 February 2014

A quick preview of this five day race starting today in France. It’s a event that offers something for everyone with stages over 200km in length, a time trial as well as a steep summit finish on Mont Faron to settle things on Sunday.

It’s not on TV but worth scanning the results over the next few days because this is a hard event that should reveal who is in form.

The Kemmelberg: Belgium’s New Toll Road

Wednesday, 12 February 2014Wednesday, 12 February 2014

Belgium, the heartland of cycle sport where the popularity level of bike racing is greater than any other country in the world. But if it’s a popular sport in the Kingdom, not everyone loves it and there’s growing trend to charge bike races for riding through a municipal area and now even the Kemmelberg is getting in on the act with a new tax for races.

UCI Witness Appeal

Tuesday, 11 February 2014Tuesday, 11 February 2014

CAN YOU HELP? From 1998-2013 a series of anti-doping offences were committed. Did you see or hear anything? If so, contact the UCI.

The UCI announced that its Lausanne-based Cycling Independent Reform Commission (CIRC) is now seeking witness testimony from people in the cycling world. Here’s hoping it works but the incentives to come forward look slimmer than Michael Rasmussen from July 2007. All the same the CIRC is an attempt to understand and even document the past.

ASO say “Non” to Project Avignon

Monday, 10 February 2014Monday, 10 February 2014

The city of Avignon is famous. Once the home of the Papacy many also know it for the song about dancing on the bridge. It’s also where many of pro cycling’s top teams gathered last summer to find new ways to reshape the sport. But just as the famous bridge is broken it looks hard for the pro teams to build bridges.

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