Specialized’s new bike – the Electron?

This is from the wonderful Italian Cycling Journal. In a tongue in cheek move, Specialized have unveiled their 2011 range, including this Roubaix SL3 complete with mock Duracell battery.

Tour de France preview

Sorry but I’m not going to write a big Tour de France preview. They all say the same thing: Contador’s the favourite Andy Schleck’s his closest challenge Those cobbles could cost someone the race Can Wiggins go better? Eugene Christophe broke his forks in the Pyrenees …I could go on, take a look at some … Read more

Contador’s mystery training plans

This is something raised during the RTL-L’Equipe cycling podcast but since the show is in French, I thought it might be interesting bringing it to an English-speaking audience. A rare photo of Pepe Martí at work Vélo Magazine’s Nicolas Perthuis is an authority on training methods and sports science, to the point of annoying some … Read more

Cycling Podcast Reviews Part XII, The Bike Show

This is part of a series of podcast reviews. Having reviewed some, it turns out others have similar tastes when it comes to podcasts (see The Drum Up and Atomic Echo) and it’s thanks to them that I discovered The Bike Show from Resonance FM. Living in the South of France, Resonance FM’s London signal … Read more

Feeling tired?

OK, this is straying away from the usual cycling territory but I’m fascinated by the ejection of the English team from the soccer World Cup. I also wrote about France’s elimination too. Some of the team said they were “tired” and commentators said that the players looked languid. Apparently some blame a lack of a … Read more

Mythbusters: the Pyrenees

I’ll say it now, this year’s Tour de France marks the 1ooth anniversary of the race’s visit to the Pyrenees. This is why the race features several stages in in the Pyrenees. No doubt we are all going to be made very aware of this. But a lot of the tales are myths and exaggerations, … Read more

How to pronounce Jens Voigt

The pro peloton might just be a collection of gaunt men with short hair but it’s an international thing, with riders from all over the world and one aspect of this is a broad range of languages, accents and names. Despite being a pro for 13 seasons now, Jens Voigt still sees his name massacred … Read more

Literary discussion of the Tour de France

The BBC have a 25 minute broadcast about the Tour de France, discussing the race as a social and cultural event rather than the sporting contest. The studio guests discuss the race and its significance to France without mention of Contador, nor an explanation of the yellow jersey. You can hear the show for the … Read more

Riis against time?

With the news that the Schleck brothers are to leave Bjarne Riis’s cycling team, time is running out for the Dane to find a new sponsor. The presence of the two lanky brothers is a real draw for any sponsor given the podium potential in the Tour de France. In the short term it’ll be … Read more

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