Do you like the watch here? It’s got more ice than a polar cap. Just look at all those diamonds on the face and they’re not just for show: they rotate along with the hands. It’s the Solitaire, by the Swiss watchmaker Sarcar. The price is unknown but another Sarcar model is mentioned by hip-hop … Read more
Yvan Van Mol, Quick Step’s back seat driver? La Gazzetta Dello Sport quotes Ricardo Ricco’s agent as saying the move to Quick Step was thwarted by two people, rider Jerome Pineau and team doctor Yvan Van Mol. Pineau had already made his thoughts known via the media. But apparently Van Mol didn’t want Ricco, although … Read more
I’ve stuck mainly to pro racing on The Inner Ring and whilst I’ve discussed related matters, like business and politics around the sport, there hasn’t been too much on bike kit on here. Kit matters and it’s often something many fans spend a lot of money on. But whisper it, a lot of bike kit … Read more
Riccardo Ricco’s move to Vacansoleil is not without its controversy. The Dutch team wants to step up a level to enter the ProTour, it also wants to take part in the big races like the Tour de France. Is signing Ricco a good way to go about this?YesRicco has proven he can win and he’s … Read more
Hands up if you’re an embarrassment Someone should keep a blog just to monitor the ramblings of UCI President Pat McQuaid and to rebut his misleading public statements. Now he has done the sport a service when it comes to internationalising races. The idea of the ProTour was a good one (although I think it … Read more
Two contrasting races start today. ENECO TourThe ENECO Tour is the former Benelux Tour, taking in Holland, Belgium and normally Luxembourg, and today named after race sponsor ENECO, a Dutch energy company. It’s a race that favours sprinters, although the stages include the Mur de Huy and there’s a tough final time trial to settle … Read more
2.15.120 A transfer period extends from 1 August to 20 October According to the UCI rules, rider transfers should only be announced during the 80 day window from 1 August onwards. In addition, actual recruitment, such as the signing of contracts is also meant to take place during the same period. A team or rider … Read more
Swiss director Marcel Ophüls produced “The Sorry and The Pity”, a two-part documentary in 1969. The film was banned for many years in France because it touched on the raw subject of French collaboration with the Nazis during the period of occupation in the Second World War. The film centres on Clermont-Ferrand, an industrial city … Read more
With the Vattenfall Cyclassics done, the UCI’s world rankings will be updated shortly. Normally you can see who’s up and who’s down and that’s it. But this time, there’s an extra element for the national rankings determine who is going to the world championships in Geelong, Australia. Whilst Andreas Kloeden might have been railing on … Read more
You might have read my earlier comments on Johan Bruyneel’s clothing range, I didn’t think much of the range of clothing and its design. There have been t-shirts with cobbles, tarmac and yellow jerseys. But now there’s a new one. Presumably this t-shirt allows fans to celebrate the latest chapter in Bruyneel’s glorious career, the … Read more