Roads to Ride – Col du Pin Bouchain

Col du Pin Bouchain

As the next in the series of famous roads to ride, here’s a trip to the Beaujolais hills in France for the Col du Pin Bouchain.

“Col what?” you may ask. The Col du Pin Bouchain holds a unique place in cycling history as the first pass ever climbed by the Tour de France, at least that’s what historians think. Given its location and history it should be something special but it turns out to be a road that’s nicer to read about than ride, a place where the past was probably better than the present.

Read more

Dauphiné Stage 1 Preview

The Dauphiné race starts on Sunday and whilst it will take a week to discover the winner, Stage 1 doesn’t waste any time in testing a riders’s climbing legs, ascending a first category for the first twenty minutes.

But the big mountains are yet to come and this is more a test for ambitious teams to control the race and we’ll see if any of the sprinters have what it takes to get over the climbs, a skill they’ll need all week.

Read more

Team Victory Rankings

With the Giro done it’s time to review the standings of wins by the pro teams so far this season. Since the last look after the spring classics the top four in UCI World Tour are unchanged although OPQS have substantially extended their lead.

In terms of race days we’re now almost halfway in to the season with over 250 days of racing completed. So whilst OPQS dominate, on average 88% of the time they don’t win.

Read more

Critérium du Dauphiné Preview

Dauphiné preview

A miniature de Tour de France concentrated in the Alps, there’s something for everyone in this race with its variety of stages although 2013 is particularly mountainous. The race normally captures France in the summer but the wet spring looks set to continue into June.

We’ll soon discover the relative form of Chris Froome and Alberto Contador but if these two are the prime picks, there’s a big cast of contenders with Alejandro Valverde, Joaquim Rodriguez, Andrew Talansky, Jurgen Van den Broeck, Tony Martin and many more.

Here’s a preview of the race including with a short take on each stage plus a look at the likely contenders and plenty more including the new TV schedules.

Read more

The UCI, Lance Armstrong and the 2001 “suspicious test”

On his way to winning the Tour of Switzerland in 2001, Lance Armstrong underwent several anti-doping controls. On two occasions in this race Armstrong’s samples were suspicious with data suggesting the strong probability of EPO use but crucially not firm enough to launch a formal prosecution.

A major athlete with strong suspicions of heavy doping? You’d think this would have set red lights flashing and alarm bells ringing within the UCI. Did it?

Read more

Tuesday Shorts

A media and business theme to this week’s shorts. There’s been plenty of satisfaction in Italy with Vincenzo Nibali’s Giro win. A home winner is always going to pull in the crowds but his punchy style has been a real draw for TV audiences. La Gazzetta Dello Sport reports an average daily TV audience of 1.56 million on RAI, up 16% on last year. The audience peaked at 4.3 million for last Saturday’s stage finish at the Tre Cime di Lavaredo. This means over a third of the TV audience, an impressive stat.

Read more

The Moment The Race Was Won: The Giro

Was there a race-winning moment? Vincenzo Nibali used the first week to put himself in the ideal position and took the race lead after the time trial in Saltara. From this point onwards the cast of potential rivals began to shrink and fade.

But if you had to chose one moment to define the 2013 Giro, what better than the one pictured above? It’s Stage 14 and the final climb of the Jafferau above the town of Bardonnechia. Snow forced a late change to the route and the bad weather even blocked the TV coverage. It’s a scene from winter but in a race defined by bad weather, the only concession to the cold from Nibali is toe covers. He attacks and behind the others think of giving chase but only Mauro Santambrogio and Carlos Betancur will be able to follow.

Read more

Giro Stage 21 Preview

The final stage of the Giro should be a procession and celebration but it’s almost 200km long meaning it won’t be a simple victory parade.

If the overall result won’t change there’s still a show to put on and a final sprint where Mark Cavendish can win the stage and take the red jersey off Vincenzo Nibali.

Read more

Giro Stage 20 Preview

The final mountain stage of the Giro sees a revised route but the summit finish of the Tre Cime di Lavaredo remains… for now but the weather forecast does not look good.

Snow, mist and icy temperatures remain and if the route is flatter it will still be a challenge, after it’s 210km and finishes on a very tough climb. Vincenzo Nibali has a firm hold on the race but the cold can do anything. But if the Italian copes, others might not.

Read more

Spectating Tips For A Grand Tour

grand tour bike race spectating

It’s great to follow a stage race on TV and the web but the race belongs to the roadside crowds more than any remote audience. Watching the race from the side of the road is the best vantage point possible because if offers more than a visual spectacle, you can hear and smell the race too.

But it’s easy to make a few mistakes. Just as racers need info and plans on a mountain stage, spectators can gain from preparing too. Here are some tips for a day spent watching a grand tour, especially for a day out in the mountains.

Read more

+ More