How objective are bike reviews? Someone writing a review would say they know their stuff, that they can tell the difference between a good frame and a bad one, more they can get the measure of wheels, handlebars and tyres too. Only there’s plenty of evidence from outside the cycling world that reviewing, testing and … Read more
The lastest is that the racing will go ahead this weekend… but there’s still confusion as to whether riders will start with radios or not. Either way, I put a message on twitter earlier saying the campaign to keep race radios was proving to be a PR disaster as it amounts to little more than … Read more
I could write a big preview for Het Nieuwsblad but the guys over at Pavé will probably do a better job. The opening race of the Belgian classics season is always interesting given the manic racing, the cobbles and yes, the foul weather that is expected. The route The 2011 edition is 203km long and … Read more
The cold European winter is finally beginning to lose its grip. Whilst it can still return with a snow flurry or icy rain, there are signs that spring is on its way. The tree buds are beginning to swell, some woodland flowers are beginning to emerge and for cyclists, the unmistakable colour of spring: the … Read more
I’d been meaning to look at the sponsoring future for Team Radioshack. The US team was built around Lance Armstrong but now he is retired, the sponsor’s interest is bound to be waning. Especially since the US electrical retailer has very little presence outside the USA. So what’s next for the team? Well I’d hinted … Read more
Here’s a post to satisfy fans of BigRingRiding.com. The latest edition of Vélo magazine has an interesting take on track cycling, reporting on the gears used over the years by the sprinters. 1970 Daniel Morelon 48×14 7.32 metres 1999 Florian Rousseau 49×14 7.47 metres 2001 Arnaud Tournant 50×14 7.62 metres 2011 Kévin Sireau 52×13 8.54 … Read more
This weekend marks what was once the proper start of the year’s racing season, in years past any event before Het Volk was effectively a training race. Now known as Het Nieuwsblad (“the newspaper”), Saturday sees the Belgian season start and it’s followed by Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne on Sunday. Many races in Flanders feature cobbles, from residential … Read more
I’m only just getting used to seeing Cavendish, Greipel and Farrar get the jump on Freire, Petacchi and McEwen. But several neo-pros have got off to a winning start already. You could say they are raring to go whilst big name sprinters are waiting for bigger objectives. But that doesn’t discount nor really explain their … Read more
Mark Cavendish is one of my favourite riders. He’s not to everyone’s taste but I’m impressed by the number of wins he’s got. Still just 25, he’s on the verge of overtaking some of the biggest sprinters in the sport. Cavendish took his first win of 2011 a few days ago in Oman. But if … Read more
I like Carlos Sastre. Not just as a rider, although his endurance and stamina are something, but the man too. He does a fair amount of charity work and tries to make a difference. He’s coming to the end of his career now and facing the possibility of never riding the Tour de France again. … Read more